1. Jamestown
1607

2. Initial Start
1606-The Virginia Company (joint-stock company) of London (est. by James I) chartered the voyage
Charter guaranteed colonists their rights as English men (extended the English Bill of Rights) and became a foundation of American liberties
1607-the Va. Co., led by Captain John Smith, est. the colony: 140 men + 4 boys set out in Dec. 1606, landed in April 1607
Named after James I
After 7 months, only 32 people were left, Indians saved the remaining

3. The Voyage Wealthy could pay their own way
Poor-via indentured servitude-passage paid for with agreement to work for 4-7 yrs, at the end of work, free to own/work his/her own land

5. Settlement Area
Approx. 60 miles from the mouth of the James River, in the Chesapeake Bay Region (marshland)

6. Advantages?
Disadvantages?

7. Modern view

8. Major issues
Diseases-site was malaria ridden (mosquitoes)-chosen for military concerns
Water was bad
Looked for gold rather than planting-ignored daily tasks to survive (Starving Time-Winter )
Many were poor and squabbled over little things
No skilled artisans/craftsman-”pretty boys”-settlers were not used to the manual labor required to est. a colony
Native Americans-growing issue as time progressed-almost destroyed the colony

9. Indian massacre of 1622-by the Powhatan Confederacy (tobacco-1612)

11. John Smith
Dec captured by the Werowocomoco tribe while searching for food, released w/o harm (Pocohontas) ???
John Smith emerged as a leader-1608-”no work, no eat”
Relation with Pocohontas not true (she was 11 when he met her), daughter of Chief Powhatan-never married
Had to return to England due to an injury

13. What helps to save Jamestown?

14. John Rolfe
Also had a relationship with Pocahontas, she later married him and moved back to England with him, where they had one son
1612-introduced tobacco (cash crop, staple crop)
Helped save Jamestown (a struggling settlement for approx. 10 yrs)-tobacco

15. Tobacco European demand greatly grew
Need for laborers to grow it increased as well
Landowners preferred not to lose land to indentured servants once they had paid off their debt
Move toward slavery and the African slave trade

16. Government
1619-House of Burgesses est.-the first elected legislative body in the colonies
Made laws for the colony and helped to plan its growth and development
First representative govt.

18. 1619 House of Burgesses est. Women arrive
Transfer of Africans to the settlement for work as indentured servants

19. In the End-Foreshadowing
1624-charter is revoked, VA. becomes a royal colony
Va. Co. goes bankrupt
By 1625, 1200 survived out of 8000 who came
Indian problems-growing need for military attention
James I distrusted legislative assembly and hated the importance of tobacco

21. Significance First successful colony
Est. Native American/British relationship that would be seen for years to come
Economy-tobacco
First representative govt.

22. By the late 1800’s, only this 1639 ruin remained…in the 1990’s, the ruins of the original fort were found underwater in the James River