¬¬¬¬¬¬ Britain had economic interests in the Atlantic colonies since the 16th century. Through numerous laws, acts and conquests, Britain sought to control and influence the colonies. Britain ultimately failed in this endeavour. Although the British government could divide and allocate land as it wished, it could not control it effectively. By the end of the French and Indian War, they had lost all of their ability to control the Atlantic colonies. Before 1700, Britain had limited interest in American colonization. Virginia was the first American territory claimed by the British. In the 1550s, the island of Newfoundland was transformed into a colony. Sir Walter Raleigh founded the first colony on Roanoke Island. He claims most of North America in honor of the queen and gives this region the name of Queen Elizabeth, "the virgin queen". The queen considered the Roanoke colony a failure and refused to invest further in the colony. King James I, Queen Elizabeth's successor, established two companies in Virginia in 1607, each with large claims to the Eastern Seaboard. The Virginia Companies, as they were called, were limited to the Atlantic coast and extended inland for 100 miles. “The Virginia Company of London obtained a southern zone extending from Cape Fear to Long Island Sound…The Virginia Company of Plymouth obtained a northern zone extending from Assateague Island to Passamaquoddy Bay, Maine. » The Virginia Company of London founded Jamestown and was slightly larger. more successful than Popham Colony, founded by the Virginia Company of Plymouth. The Popham colony was abandoned after a long, cold winter and the Plymouth Company was subsequently disbanded. Two years after King James... middle of paper ... final take on colonialism in America. Although it appears that British policy stifled trade in the Atlantic colonies by regulating trade and dividing Canada's territories. In the Caribbean islands, it is more likely that these policies helped rather than harmed American trade. America directly benefited from the creation of Jamestown, even though the Virginia Company nearly failed. The Massachusetts Bay Colony provided a place for the Puritans to settle. When the navigation laws were imposed on the early settlers, along with the writs of relief and various taxes that Britain deemed necessary, the settlers mostly ignored them. The navigation laws did not prevent smuggling and were instead a symbolic gesture. At the end of the French and Indian War, America was strong, even though the war cost over £2 million..