The Failure Of The Popham Colony

Popham Colony was an English settlement on the mouth of the Kennebec River, near the town Phippsburg; lasting from August 1607 until October 1608. It’s failure few key factors; inadequate people in power, a hostile relationship with the neighboring wabanaki tribes, and unpreparedness for a Maine winter.
Two years prior to the Popham Colony attempt, George Weymouth captained the ship Archangel on an exploratory voyage to the coast of Maine. At the time, Maine was heavily populated by Wabanaki tribes. Weymouth's crew frequently reached out to the sheepscot tribe that was near where the Archangel landed. They invited sheepscot men aboard their ship for peas and biscuits. At the end of their trip, Weymouth and his crew abducted five Sheepscot

men: Dehananda, Amoret, Skidwarres, Maneddo, and Sassacomoit (Woodard 74-75). Unbeknownst to Waymouth, another sheepscot person had seen the five men being abducted and told other Wabanaki what happened. When Archangel arrived in England, the crew gave the men to Chief Justice Popham. Popham sent two men along to Ferdinando Gorges. The men gave Popham and Gorges information about Maine. Gorges believed that the men were gifts sent from god to help with his colonization efforts (Higgens 2). “As he listened, Gorges developed an elaborate plan to build a medieval domain for himself in the lands of his Indian guests” (Woodard 77). Chief Justice Popham and Ferdinando Gorges became the primary funders of Popham Colony.
The colonists had four main goals for their colonization efforts. They intended to 1) trade for food and fur, 2) extract timber (particularly White Pine) for ship building, 3) find gold and other valuable minerals, and 4) find the supposed Northwest Passage to the south pacific ocean. (Class notes) There were several problems with theses goals. The NorthWest Passage does not exist. There is not a whole lot of gold in Maine. Popham colony had trouble trading with the nearby tribes because the natives distrusted them after Weymouth abducted five pemaquid men (Class notes).
One year before the Popham Colony was to start, the Plymouth Company sent two ships ahead to find the location of the colony that had been previously decided by Weymouth, and set up the beginnings of the colony.

The first ship, Richard, was lead by Henry Challons, and carried Mannedo and Assacomiot. This ship took a southern route across the Atlantic and was captured by Spaniards off of Florida. They never made it to Weymouth's designated sight. The second ship, lead by Thomas Hanham and Martin Pring, brought Dehananda. They took the designated root and made it to Maine. When they arrived, they could not find the Richard. Dehananda showed crew to the mouth of Sagadahoc River. They thought that location to be superior to Weymouth’s pre decided location and decided to change the colonies location. In December, the second ship left without setting up the beginnings of the colony, as the Plymouth Company had requested (Higgins

3).
The 120 colonists that would make up the main expedition set off on May 31, 1607with two ships; one lead by Raleigh Gilbert, the other by George Popham. These two men were to be the leaders of Popham Colony. They arrived on August 13,1607 (Higgins 3).
When the colonists arrived, it was too late to plant food to sustain the colony for the winter. Weymouth was only in Maine during the summer so he had only experienced its summer weather and had no idea what winter had in store. Maine and France are located on the 45th parallel. France has a temperate climate. So Weymouth assumed that Maines winter would be as temperate as France. France is part of the Gulf Stream Gyre; water comes from the equator. Maines climate is influenced by the dry, cold air from Canada. The 1607-1608 winter was abnormally cold and considered a “little ice age” (Higgins 8).
The two leaders of the colony were not fit for the job.

George Popham, nephew of Chief Justice John Popham, was the initial leader of the colony. Popham was ‘valiant’. He established civil relationships with two wabanaki tribes, EXPLAIN IMPORTANCE OF WABANAKI TRIBES AND HOW MAINE WAS MOSTLY INDIAN land. But he was also ‘old of body, timid, lacking will and drive’. Early into the first winter, Popham grew ill and died (class notes). Pophams second in command; 24 year old Raleigh Gilbert, came into power. He diminished the previously built relationship with the Wabanaki tribes that Popham had built. “The English under another commander changed their conduct; they repelled these savages disgracefully; they beat them, they abused them, they set their dogs upon them with little restraint.” (higgins cited a thayer 127). After treating the natives so poorly, trade for food and fur was no longer an option

(museum).
According to Ferdinando Gorges, Gilbert was “desirous of supremacy, and rule, a loose life, prompte to sensuality, little zeale in religion, humerouse, head stronge, and of small judgement and experience” (Higgins). In a 1997 excavation of Popham colony archaeologists dug up the remains of Gilbert home. They found many artifacts that supported Gorges claim of Gilbert being desirous of supremacy. Glass buttons, tobacco pipes, trade beads, a glass flask, beautiful pottery, and gold beads were all found in Raleigh Gilberts home. These objects were all luxuries that signified of Gilberts desire to maintain his status and rank. The glass buttons and gold beads were symbols of wealth and fashion. In the Maine State Museum, there is a portrait of Gilbert wearing lavish clothing that was impractical for life in the Maine wilderness. There were ‘few luxuries brought with them except those brought by Raleigh Gilbert and other Leaders’ (museum). Living conditions were not pleasant but Gilbert managed to attain luxuries that set him apart from his peers. Back in England, Raleigh Gilberts brother, Sir John Gilbert, died. Raleigh was the heir to his fortune. When this news reached the colony, Gilbert abandoned Popham to claim his inheritance.
In October of 1608, just eighteen months after the beginning of Popham Colony, it was declared a failure. The colonists set sail home; there were not enough supplies on the ship to provide for the whole colony for more voyage had to wait the winter for their ship home.Looking at the context of the colonization efforts and issues that Popham Colony faced, it is evident that it’s failure was more complex than just poor leadership. Hostile relationships with the wabanaki, and unpreparedness for a harsh winter both contributed to the failure of Popham Colony. Talk about lack of knowledge?