Virginia Established Jamestown The London Company 1607 funded

Virginia Established

Jamestown • The London Company (1607): funded the expedition for Gold • 144 men on 3 different ships, only 104 survived • Terrible location along the James River, but strategic for defense • Malaria outbreaks were common. • Powerful local Chief Powhatan controlled the area. • Adventure seekers looking for gold • Wouldn’t grow crops, only 38 survived first year. • John Smith: provide organization and commitment to survival. • Raided native villages, kidnapped natives to learn the land. • Virginia Company claims the Charter, send 500 more people

Starving Time: Winter 1609 • Natives retaliated from Smith’s raids • killed livestock and barricaded them in. • By spring: 60 of the 500 people left. • Lord De La Warr: Capt. of supply ship, agreed to stay and reorganize the colony. • First governor of Virginia, installed strict discipline.

Jamestown Expands, Becomes Virginia • John Rolfe: Jamestown planter, experimented with plant grown by natives, Tobacco • Prosperous Cash crop saves colony for investors • Tobacco is tough on soil, needed more land • Farms further away from settlement irritate natives. • Sir Thomas Dale’s War with natives to control lands • kidnapped Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas – ransom attempt failed • Rolfe married her and she converted to Christianity

Turbulent Virginia • By 1660’s Virginia = roughly 40, 000 inhabitants. • Colonial gov’t dominated by William Berkeley and small group • Nathaniel Bacon: wealthy Cambridge Graduate – late arrival • Represented back country, excluded from Berkeley’s group. • led poor farmers against Berkeley. • Bacon died of dysentery and Berkeley retained control. • Bacon’s Rebellion: Revealed landless poor resented upper class • Proved the indentured servant system failed = replaced with slaves • Also, white disregard for agreements with natives.

Maryland • Founded by George Calvert – Lord Baltimore • Sought charter as real estate opportunity and haven for Catholics. • Proprietary Rule: assumed complete control free from the king for an annual fee. • Befriended natives and received help, unlike Jamestown. • Ultimately, had to invite Protestants to get enough people • eventually outnumbered by them. • Overall, similar to Virginia without problems with natives