5.1 English Settlers in Virginia pp. 122-127

Objectives: Investigate the first English settlement at Roanoke. Explain how investors raised money to start colonies.

A. Lost Colony of Roanoke (pp. 122-123) Twice in the 1580s, a small group of English colonists led by Sir Walter Raleigh established a settlement at Roanoke Island (off the N. Carolina coast). But a resupply mission from England found no trace of this “Lost Colony of Roanoke,” only the word “CROATOAN” carved on a post.

B. Staking a Claim in the Americas (p. 123) English merchants started joint stock companies, a form of business organization in which investors pool their money to finance expensive business ventures. King James I gave charters—documents allowing settlement and trade in certain areas in the Americas—to the Virginia Company.

C. Jamestown (p. 123) The first permanent English settlement in North America was Jamestown (Virginia), established in 1607. But the land was swampy, mosquito-infested, and lacked good drinking water. Plus, since many settlers wasted their time looking for gold, about half of them had died by the end of 1607.

D. John Smith Takes Charge (p. 124) A brave adventurer named Captain John Smith stepped forward and made it clear that “he that will not work shall not eat.” Made a captive by the Powhatan tribe, Smith was saved from execution by the chief’s daughter—Pocahontas. John Smith’s injury in a gunpowder explosion led to Jamestown’s “starving time,” the winter of 1609-1610.

E. Tobacco Saves Jamestown (pp. 124-126) A colonist named John Rolfe introduced a milder variety of tobacco that caused Jamestown’s fortunes to improve. Tobacco plantations were worked by indentured servants—people who agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for their passage. The first ship of African slaves arrived in 1619.

F. The Beginning of Self-Government (p. 126) In 1619 the company sent a governor to rule Jamestown and began granting land to individuals. The House of Burgesses became the first representative lawmaking assembly in the English colonies. In 1624 the king made Virginia a royal colony—or colony under control of the king—but did not abolish the House of Burgesses.

Review: 14. What did the Roanoke colony become known as and why? 15. Define joint stock company— 16. What was the first permanent English settlement in North America? 17. What are some factors that led to starvation in Jamestown? 18. Who stepped forward to take charge of Jamestown? 19. Which Native American is credited with saving John Smith’s life? 20. What plant changed the fortunes of Jamestown (and who introduced it)? 21. Define indentured servant— 22. What was the name of the first representative lawmaking assembly in the English colonies? 23. Define royal colony—