Question

the virginia company
the failure of the colonies on roanoke island made england reluctant about settling north america. then, after more than a decade, in 1606, the virginia company received a royal charter from james i, the new king of england. the virginia company would pay to establish and supply a new colony in north america. in return, the company would make money for england by exporting and selling natural resources in europe. because of spain’s success in mining silver and gold, the virginia company hoped to find those precious metals in north america, too. the company also expected to make money by selling goods that the colonists would produce.
to raise money, the virginia company sold shares. people could buy part of the company and become

1. according to the passage, why did england wait more than ten years to try settling in north america again?

a. they did not have enough ships to make the journey.
b. they were waiting for a new king to take the throne.
c. the failure of the colonies on roanoke island made them hesitant.
d. they were focused on mining gold and silver in spain.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The passage doesn't mention ship availability as a reason for the delay. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The passage states the Virginia Company received a charter from James I, but there's no indication England waited for a new king to attempt settlement again. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The first sentence of the passage says "The failure of the colonies on Roanoke Island made England reluctant about settling North America", which matches this option.
• Option D: The passage says the Virginia Company hoped to find gold/silver in North America, not that England was focused on mining in Spain. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. The failure of the colonies on Roanoke Island made them hesitant.