1. JAMESTOWN COLONY

2. Motive What’s in it for us??????
GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Businessmen in London, England form The Virginia Company of London (King James granted them a charter giving them the right to establish a colony)

3. What’s in a name? or How to keep the KING happy!!!!
105 men (no women and children on this cruise) arrive on a peninsula in the New World
The date is April, 1607
They name the colony JAMESTOWN in honor of their king.

4. PROBLEMS! Nobody told me it would be like this…….
The peninsula was easy to defend (and hidden from Spanish ships)but it was terrible for farming and was infested with mosquitos
The 105 “gents” were lacking in farming and hunting skills
By the fall of 1607 half the colonists were dead! 105/2= 52.5

5. Captain JOHN SMITH to the rescue!!!!!
Forced the other colonists to raise crops and livestock……
He was unpopular but he saved the colony!

6. The Powhatan
The Powhatan tolerate the newcomers for awhile (they liked the blankets, tools, etc.)
John Smith refuses to trade them guns and Wahunsonacock takes him prisoner
Pocahontas intervenes.

7. The starving time 1608/more settlers including 2 women arrive
The colony has about 350 people but the Virginia company doesn’t send enough food
The colonists are rationed half a pint of corn per day and have to eat snails, dogs, cats, rats, boots and shoes!!!!!
A new boatload of settlers arrive in 1610 and find only 60 still alive.

8. No gold there….. But what about tobacco?
The Roanoke colonists had been successful growing tobacco so they try it.
John Rolfe produces a mild-tasting tobacco and sends some to England in 1614.
It was such a success that everyone began growing it.

9. Jamestown thrives.
farms stretch for 20 miles along the James river
1619 – 90 women arrive
1619 – Virginia company sends 100 boys and girls to serve as apprentices.
Indentured servants also arrive.
1619 – about 20 Africans brought from the West Indies

10. The House of Burgesses
Colonists demand a say in how they are governed.
1619 – Virginia Company allows the 11 settlements to choose two men (burgesses) to represent them.
July 1619 – HOUSE OF BURGESSES meets for the 1st time
Worked so well that it became a model for later colonies.