1. Jamestown

2. The Business Side of Things…
Unlike Spain, England created colonies through join-stock companies and investors
-Everyone is looking to create a profit
The Virginia Company, in 1606, named their settlement Jamestown after the King, and was lead by John Smith.
GOLD, GOLD, and GOLD was the main goal of the company.

3. No preparation for food, or shelter, and disease soon hit.
Survival depended on the local native tribe, the Powhatan.

4. More colonists = more trouble
By 1609 the Powhatan are unhappy and start destroying the colony’s farms and stop helping the colonists
Of the 600, 60 colonists are left at the end of winter
With the new crop, tobacco, Jamestown starts to flourish after a rough start

5. Tobacco labor intensive crop and needs many people
Headright system = pay for your voyage & get 50 acres
Start of plantations with large land grants
Indentured servants, servitude 4-7 years
1619, first Africans brought over as indentured servants
granted land and freedom after a few years
decades before system of slavery is used

6. More land = more warfare
Unlike Spain, the English did not allow their people to intermarry with the native people
Forced Powhatans to pay tributes
If they didn’t pay, their villages were set on fire, and hostages were taken
Pocahontas was kidnapped
married John Rolfe in 1614

7. Because of all the fighting, the king revoked the company’s charter
Virginia becomes a Royal Colony, under direct control of the king

8. Living on the outskirts of town
Former indentured servants have little money, no land, and no voting rights
Only land available is on the frontier
Pay high taxes to the wealthy w/o representation

9. Fighting Natives along frontier
Colony’s governor won’t send troops to help poor frontier settlers

10. Bacon’s Rebellion Nathanial Bacon, son of a wealthy Englishman
Raised an army from his friends to fight natives
Governor declared Bacon’s army illegal
Bacon and army march on Jamestown angry with “taxation w/o representation”
March turns violent and marchers set fire to the town
Governor and wealthy land owners fled on ship
Rebellion exposes growing power of indentured servants