1. An English Settlement at Jamestown

2. English Settlers Struggle in North America
Colonies founded by joint stock company
Once permit is obtained, stock company maintains colony
King James I grants charter to Virginia Company
Wanted to found a colony along eastern shore of North America
King gave 4/5 of all gold and silver (he gets rest of it)

3. Virginia Company John Smith catches on fire and goes back to England
150 passengers on 3 ships
Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed reach in 1607
Named Jamestown in honor of King
Contaminated river water fuels disease
Hunger begins
All but 38 colonists die
“He that will not work shall not eat”
Powhatan people give food
John Smith catches on fire and goes back to England

4. Powhatan nervous, kill colonists livestock Famine sets in
Spring 1609 – 600 new colonists
Powhatan nervous, kill colonists livestock
Famine sets in
Ate roots, rats, snakes, and boiled shoe leather
60 out of 600 colonists survive

5. Jamestown begins to flourish
Colonists flee, but are convinced to stay
Colonists severely punished by new leaders for neglecting work
Flogged and hanged
BIG cash crop: TOBACCO

6. “BROWN GOLD” AND INDENTURED SERVANTS
1612 – John Rolfe cross bred tobacco from Brazil and North America
High quality tobacco
Late 1620s- export more than 1.5 million pounds of “brown gold” to England each year
Needed field laborers to keep growing
headright system – anyone who paid for their passage to Virginia received 50 acres of land.

7. The large areas of land come to be known as “Plantations”
Owners imported indentured servants from England.
Receive passage,food and shelter and agree to limited term of servitude (4-7 years)

8. The First African Laborers
Africans arrive in 1619, originally as indentured servants
Most received land and freedom after a few years
Several decades before slavery begins
Tobacco used as currency
Indentured servants were purchased for 1000 lbs of tobacco
Slaves cost double or triple the amount
Late 1600s – decline in indentured servants, increase in wealth
Lots of slaves are imported, and are never freed

9. Settlers Clash with Native Americans
English - not allowed to live among or intermarry with Irish
View Native Americans the same way
Settlers Battle Native Americans
Leaders demand corn and labor from Native Americans
Set Powhatan villages on fire, kidnap kids
Pocahontas – Chief Powhatan’s daughter – kidnapped
Marries John Rolfe

10. 1622 – Chief Opechancanough orders attacks
Kills more than 340 colonists
Virginia Company send in more troops & supplies
James I revokes the charter
Virginia is now a royal colony
1644 – 10,000 men and women live in Virginia
Powhatan population declines

11. Economic Differences Split Virginia
Former servants are poor – don’t own land? Can’t vote.
Hostilities Develop
– Governor Sir William Berkeley
Impose high taxes on poor people
Money went to plantation farmers
1675 – battle between settlers and natives erupts
Shows clash between rich and poor settlers
Settlers murder 14 friendly natives and kill 5 chiefs during PEACE conference
Governor refuses to give support that will help poor settlers

12. Bacon’s Rebellion Nathaniel Bacon – planter Hated Native Americans
1676 – raises army to fight natives
Gov. Berkeley declares army illegal
Bacon marches through Jamestown and asks about representation for poorer settlers in House of Burgesses
Turns violent
Set fire to town
Berkeley and planters flee
Bacon dies from illness, Berkeley returns to Jamestown
Berkeley called to meet king because he’s shady, but dies beforehand