Jamestown, Virginia 1607

I. Reason for Colonization England wanted to make money from gold, silver, and trade like Spain & France

II. The Virginia Company A. The Virginia Company was a joint stock company

1. Joint stock companies and the people involved were willing to take a risk to make a profit

2. Joint stock companies got people to make an investment and hoped to pay them back and more in return

B. The Virginia Company got a charter from the King of England to begin a colony in North America

C. The Virginia Company sent men and supplies to North America, to present-day Virginia, to look for gold and silver in 1607

1 Marketplace 2 Storehouses 3 Streets of Houses 4 & 5 Defensive blockades 6 & 7 Gates 8. Moat

Jamestown Reading Read the three short readings describing Jamestown’s early days. Answer the three questions on YOUR NOTES PAGE. Do not write on the reading page. When you are finished, put your pen down.

III. Problems with Jamestown A. Leadership Problems There was no one to enforce the laws or lead the colonists in Jamestown

B. Colonists problems 1. The English colonists would not work hard. In England, there were too many people for not enough jobs. In England, everyone worked only a few hours a day.

2. The Virginia Company hired jewelry-makers, wine-makers, and merchants Virtual Jamestown

3. The colonists did not know how to survive. Most of the first group of colonists to go to Jamestown were “gentlemen.” (a gentleman is one who does not do physical labor)

The colonists’ lack of work and preparation led to a miserable first winter, called The Starving Time.

IV. Saving Jamestown A. As the first horrible winter of Jamestown was coming to a close, a man named John Smith took control of the colony and got it back on track

John Smith

1. John Smith established the “Work or Starve” rule 1. John Smith established the “Work or Starve” rule. If the colonists didn’t work, they didn’t eat.

2. Although John Smith had had no legal right to take over the colony, the colonists listened to him and a small handful did survive Jamestown Church tower – in 1890

B. Obviously, there was no gold or silver in Jamestown, Virginia. However, the colonists soon realize that tobacco grew very well in the Virginia climate

C. Eventually, Jamestown became a major center for exporting tobacco

V. Governing Jamestown A. The charter given to the Virginia Company said that the King of England had all authority in Jamestown, Virginia.

Under the King, the Virginia Company was supposed to govern Virginia. But both of these were very far away from Jamestown!

B. The colonists got together and established a group that would make laws and decisions for the colony. This group was called the Virginia House of Burgesses.

C. The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first representative assembly in the English colonies. It set an example for other colonies to have their own representative assemblies, too.

Virginia Company House of Burgesses Colonists King Put these 4 in order of power over the colony of Jamestown in a flow chart in the margin of your notes page.