Jamestown 1607 Initial Start 1606 The Virginia Company

Jamestown 1607

Initial Start 1606 -The Virginia Company (joint-stock company) of London (est. by James I) chartered the voyage Charter guaranteed colonists their rights as English men (extended the English Bill of Rights) and became a foundation of American liberties 1607 -the Va. Co. , led by Captain John Smith, est. the colony: 140 men + 4 boys set out in Dec. 1606, landed in April 1607 Named after James I After 7 months, only 32 people were left, Indians saved the remaining

The Voyage Wealthy could pay their own way Poor-via indentured servitude-passage paid for with agreement to work for 4 -7 yrs, at the end of work, free to own/work his/her own land

Settlement Area Approx. 60 miles from the mouth of the James River, in the Chesapeake Bay Region (marshland)

Advantages? Disadvantages ?

Modern view

Major issues Diseases-site was malaria ridden (mosquitoes)chosen for military concerns Water was bad Looked for gold rather than planting-ignored daily tasks to survive (Starving Time-Winter 16091610) Many were poor and squabbled over little things No skilled artisans/craftsman-”pretty boys”settlers were not used to the manual labor required to est. a colony Native Americans-growing issue as time progressed-almost destroyed the colony

Indian massacre of 1622 -by the Powhatan Confederacy (later…after tobacco)

John Smith Dec. 1607 -story that he was captured by the Werowocomoco tribe while searching for food, released w/o harm (Pocohontas)true? ? ? John Smith emerged as a leader 1608 -”no work, no eat” Relation with Pocohontas not true (she was 11 when he met her), daughter of Chief Powhatannever married Had to return to England due to an injury

What helps to save Jamestown?

John Rolfe Had a relationship with Pocahontas, she later married him and moved back to England with him, where they had one son 1612 -introduced tobacco (cash crop, staple crop) Helped save Jamestown (a struggling settlement for approx. 10 yrs)tobacco

Tobacco European demand greatly grew Need for laborers to grow it increased as well Landowners preferred not to lose land to indentured servants once they had paid off their debt (will also discuss Bacon’s Rebellion later on) Move toward slavery and the African slave trade

Government 1619 -House of Burgesses est. -the first elected legislative body in the colonies Made laws for the colony and helped to plan its growth and development First representative govt.

1619 House of Burgesses est. Women arrive Transfer of Africans to the settlement for work as indentured servants

In the End. Foreshadowing 1624 -charter is revoked, VA. becomes a royal colony Va. Co. goes bankrupt By 1625, 1200 survived out of 8000 who came Indian problems-growing need for military attention James I distrusted legislative assembly and hated the importance of tobacco

Significance First successful colony Est. Native American/British relationship that would be seen for years to come Economy-tobacco First representative govt.

By the late 1800’s, only this 1639 ruin remained…in the 1990’s, the ruins of the original fort were found underwater in the James River