Jamestown, Indentured Servants, Life on the Chesapeake

Objective #1 Examine the community of Jamestown.

Objective #2 Examine the social, political, and economic development of the Chesapeake region.

Objective #3 Describe the cultural and social interaction between English settlers and Indians in Virginia.

English Colonization begins Why 100 years behind Spain and Portugal? –Hundred Years War with France –Protestant Reformation –John Cabot’s voyages to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in 15th century –Increased production of wool in the 16th century Need more markets and resources

Other Factors Influencing England Population growth –3 million in 1550, 4 million in 1600 –Poverty –Religious persecution

English Colonization Sir Walter Raleigh settled Roanoke in Rich people knew nothing about colonization. Disappeared in 1588.

Spanish Armada Defeated (1588) English defeat of the Spanish Armada –Dampened Spanish exploration/colonization movement –Ensured English dominance in the North Atlantic. England also more unified under Elizabeth I : 80,000 people would leave for “New World”

The Charter of the Virginia Company (1606):  Guaranteed to colonists the same rights as Englishmen as if they had stayed in England.  Gave Virginia Co. permission to settle and have monopoly of trade.  Find gold and find passage for trade through Americas to the Indies.  Spread Christianity to Natives. English Colonization

May 24, 1607  about 100 colonists [all men] land at Jamestown, along banks of James River  Easily defended, but swarming with disease-causing mosquitoes.  Many fell ill England Plants the Jamestown “Seedling”

Chesapeake Bay Geographic/environmental problems??

 40 people died on the voyage to the New World. Settlers died by the dozens! “Gentlemen” colonists would not work themselves.. Settlers wasted time looking for gold instead of hunting or farming. Unsuccessfully tried to make Indians servants. The Jamestown Nightmare

Captain John Smith “He who shall not work, shall not eat”

PocahontasPocahontas A 1616 engraving Pocahontas “saves” Captain John Smith

Chief Powhatan Powhatan Confederacy  Powhatan dominated a few dozen small tribes in the James River area when the English arrived.  The English called all Indians in the area Powhatans.  Powhatan probably saw the English as allies in his struggles to control other Indian tribes in the region.

Powhatan Confederacy

Powhatans brought supplies to Jamestown. Powhatans helped them learn to plant crops (tobacco and corn) Relations between Indians & settlers grew worse.  General mistrust because of different cultures & languages.  English raided Indian food supplies during the starving times. Culture Clash in the Chesapeake

The Starving Time The “Starving Time”: 1609: 300 more immigrants By spring, 1610: 60 survived Cannibalism, rats, etc. Natives actually saved them again!

Lord De La Warr becomes leader of Virginia Co. in  First Anglo-Powhatan War  De La Warr had orders to make war on the Indians.  Raided villages, burned houses, took supplies, burned cornfields.  Increased number of settlements causing fear amongst Native Americans. Relations with Natives Grow Worse

Jamestown Colonization Pattern:

 peace between Powhatans and the English.  1614 peace sealed by the marriage of Pocahontas to Englishman John Rolfe  periodic attacks between Indians and settlers. Caused by the murder of Nemattanew, the Powhatan war captain 1/4 of English killed  1622  Indians attacked the English, killing 347 [including John Rolfe].  Virginia Co. called for a “perpetual war” against the Native Americans. Culture Clash in the Chesapeake

Powhatan Uprising of 1622

 Second Anglo-Powhatan War  Last effort of natives to defeat English. Peace Treaty of 1646  Removed the Powhatans from their original land.  Powhatan Confederacy destroyed.  Formally separated Indian and English settlement areas! Culture Clash in the Chesapeake

End of Virginia Co. Virginia Co. went bankrupt due to mismanagement. Virginia becomes a royal colony under James I. –Crown wanted more control –Wanted to take power from Virginia’s House of Burgesses (established in 1619)

Indentured Servitude Headright System:  Each Virginian got 50 acres for each person whose passage they paid.  80% of immigrants came this way. Indenture Contract:  5-7 years.  Promised “freedom dues” [land, £]  Forbidden to marry.

Early Colonial Tobacco — Virginia produces 20,000 pounds of tobacco Virginia produces 60,000 pounds of tobacco — Virginia produces 500,000 pounds of tobacco — Virginia produces 1,500,000 pounds of tobacco Virginia produces 3,000,000 pounds of tobacco.

More Tobacco Means… First Africans arrived in Jamestown in  Their status was not clear  perhaps slaves, perhaps indentured servants.  Slavery not that important until the end of the 17 c.

MarylandMaryland

A royal charter was granted to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, in Catholic haven. Huge tracts of land granted to his Catholic relatives. The Settlement of Maryland

Wanted to duplicate VA’s success with tobacco. Most colonists who came were given small farms and were Protestant.  Conflict between Catholic large farm owners and Protestant small Protestant farmers A Haven for Catholics

Baltimore permitted high degree of freedom of worship in order to prevent repeat of persecution of Catholics by growing number of Protestants. Toleration Act of 1649  Supported by the Catholics in MD.  Guaranteed toleration to all CHRISTIANS.  Decreed death to those who denied the divinity of Jesus [like Jews, atheists, etc.]. A Haven for Catholics