James I and the beginnings of empire in America

Early Modern Expansion and the Politicization of Oceanic Space

“…By the end of the sixteenth century, decades of Atlantic maritime conflict and European wars had so weakened Spain's power that, in treaty negotiations with France and England in 1598 and 1604, respectively, the French and English asserted their right to establish colonies in areas not occupied by the Spanish (Quinn 1974;Appleby 1996). The French and English, as well as the Dutch, established colonies under the auspices of chartered companies or proprietors, to whom their Crowns gave the right to wage war against European rivals and indigenous peoples.…”

An association for the West Indies? English plans for a West India Company 1621–29

“…The foreign policy of James I, of peace and alliance with Spain, inevitably undermined and weakened royal support for overseas projects which impinged so closely on Spanish interests. 7 As Anglo-Spanish relations fluctuated and deteriorated towards the end of the second decade of the seventeenth century, however, so official interest in the West Indies reawakened, partly as a result of Dutch influence and example. In 1618 rumours circulated about a joint Anglo-Dutch expedition to the West Indies which persisted for several years afterward.…”

Sailors and the Early Modern British Empire: Labor, Nation, and Identity at Sea

“…Diplomats regularly interceded for English prisoners in Spanish hands, but while Charles I used the plight of English captives in North Africa to raise money for his decaying navy, his failure to effectively rescue or ransom his subjects only added to his unpopularity. 37 By the late 17th century, English sailors had less to fear from North African corsairs. A consistent English naval presence in the Mediterranean protected English merchant shipping and avenged attacks.…”