Virginia Section 2.2

Main Idea After several failures, the English established a permanent settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. Sir Walter Raleigh >>>>>>>>>

Lost Colony 1587: British lord Sir Walter Raleigh established the colony of Roanoke on an island off the coast of modern NC. With few supplies, Raleigh went back to Britain for food, but promised to return soon. Raleigh was delayed for 3 years! (war with Spain) When the British arived at Roanoke, the white colonists had disappeared. Mystery surrounds the “Lost Colony”, but the 1st British settlement was a failure.

Lost Colony

British Plans The King authorized 2 companies to settle British America. These were joint-stock companies: individuals invested hoping to make a profit. Many British were eager to move to the New World. Land, jobs, and opportunity were scarce back home.

Jamestown 1607: 144 British settlers leave Europe destined for Virginia, only 100 survive the trip! John Smith was their leader. They settled on the coast, but malaria and dysentery plagued the colonists. The Powhatan Indians lived nearby, which presented danger. Most spent their time treasure hunting, not farming. Only 38 were alive by 1608.

John Rolfe and Pocahantas

Jamestown The 2nd winter in Virginia was rough, known as the “starving time”. John Rolfe, another colonist, attempted to keep peace by marrying Pocahontas, the daughter of the Powhatan chief. Still trouble with Indians persisted. Rolfe also is credited with 1st growing tobacco at Jamestown. This native plant had been used by Indians, but Rolfe began shipping it back to Europe. Soon Europeans were addicted to the drug, and Virginia was making a profit.

New Colonists The joint-stock company in charge of Virginia offered headrights. This guaranteed each person that moved to VA 50 acres of land. This attracted more settlers. House of Burgesses: created by the Virginia settlers. White-male-landowners were elected to make laws and establish taxes on the colony. The HoB became the 1st representative legislative body in the colonies.

Help Wanted Poor Europeans could agree to be indentured servants. IS signed a contract to work for 7 years, their employer would feed and house them. When 7 years was up, they became free. In 1619, a ship brought the 1st Africans to VA. At 1st they were treated like indentured servants, but over time owners saw that it was more profitable to keep them permanently as slaves. White IS could run away and blend in, Africans could not.

Indentured Servants v Slaves -Service for limited time -Easy to escape, could blend in to white populations - Had limited rights as a servant - Permanent servant - Difficult to escape - No rights

Bacon’s Rebellion Former IS were poor, and had to move inland to find land. This lead to increased problems with American Indians. These poor frontiersmen asked the HoB for help, but the rich people on the coast refused. In 1676 a man names Nathaniel Bacon led an uprising of poor whites against the elites. Bacon’s Rebellion resulted in increased rights for poor whites, but also scarred more landowners away from importing IS = more African slaves.

Bacon’s Rebellion Video