An English settlement at Jamestown

Chapter 2 section 2

ObjectiveObjective

Students will be able to explain why Students will be able to explain why Jamestown became the first permanent Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in the New World. English settlement in the New World.

English Settlers Struggle in North America

John Smith was a soldier and adventurer.

In 1606 he joined the Virginia Company. It was a joint-stock company which allowed investors to pool their wealth to fund a colony.

In 1607, the Virginia Company sent 150 colonists aboard three ships to North America.

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The colonists built a settlement along the coast of modern day Virginia. They called the colony Jamestown in honor of King James I. It was the first permanent English colony in the Americas

Many English colonists wanted to get rich quick by finding gold.

They did not take time to grow food. As a result of this, many colonists at Jamestown died.

By the winter of 1607, only 39 colonists remained alive. Then John Smith took control of the settlement. He forced the colonists to farm.

He began trading for maize with the local Indians and exploring the He began trading for maize with the local Indians and exploring the region looking for additional food sources.region looking for additional food sources.

In December 1607, while mapping the Chickahominy River and hunting for In December 1607, while mapping the Chickahominy River and hunting for deer, Smith and his party were ambushed by a band of Powhatan Indians.deer, Smith and his party were ambushed by a band of Powhatan Indians.

They captured Smith They captured Smith and delivered him before and delivered him before Wahunsunacock, the Wahunsunacock, the Powhatan chief, to Powhatan chief, to decide his fate. Differing decide his fate. Differing accounts describe what accounts describe what happened next. One happened next. One telling has Pocahontas, telling has Pocahontas, the chief's young the chief's young daughter, placing herself daughter, placing herself between Smith and his between Smith and his intended executioner.intended executioner.

Another telling suggests that Another telling suggests that WahunsunacockWahunsunacock, (, (Wa-hun-sen-acawh) the leader of the the leader of the PowhatanPowhatan, impressed with , impressed with Smith's bravado, adopted Smith's bravado, adopted him into the tribe. him into the tribe.

Whatever happened that fateful day, a friendship Whatever happened that fateful day, a friendship between Smith and Pocahontas developed and that bond between Smith and Pocahontas developed and that bond kept the Jamestown colony from starving. kept the Jamestown colony from starving.

In late 1609, a gunpowder injury forced John Smith to return to England. As soon as he left the settlement it quickly grew unorganized. Once again many of the settlers began starving to death.

A war (First Anglo Powhatan War) also broke out between the Powhatan and the settlers.

Pocahontas was taken captive.

The colonists were saved when more colonists and supplies arrived from England. The new settlers helped restore order to Jamestown. They also began to grow tobacco.

The colonists discovered that they could sell this crop in Europe for a great profit.

The colonies needed more settlers to grow more tobacco.

To lure more settlers to come to Jamestown, the Virginia Company started the headright system in 1618. Under this system, each new person who came to the colony received 50 acres of land and another 50 acres for each family member who came.

Most of the people who came, however, did not come on the headright system.

Most came as indentured servants.

In exchange for passage to North America, as well as food and shelter, an indentured servant agreed to work on a farm for several years. After that time, the indentured servant would be set free. Most indentured servants were poor English citizens in search of a new life.

The The House of BurgessesHouse of Burgesses was the was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North AmericaAmerica. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort . The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America. Its first meeting was held in Jamestown, to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America. Its first meeting was held in Jamestown, Virginia, on July 30, 1619.Virginia, on July 30, 1619.

Also in 1619, the first Africans arrived in North America. They were treated as indentured servants. After several years of labor they gained their freedom.

In the decades to come more and more African Americans would arrive in North America – not as indentured servants but as slaves.

The Settlers Clash with Native Americans

Unlike the Spanish, English settlers had no desire to live among or intermarry with Native Americans. Instead, they struggled to drive the Native Americans away.

As Jamestown grew, the colony needed more land for farming. As a result, the English settlers seized the Powhatan land.

In 1622, the Native Americans fought back. In the Second Anglo-Powhatan War, they attacked numerous colonial villages. More than 340 colonists were killed.

The Native American attack forced the Virginia Company to send in more troops and supplies.

This left the company nearly bankrupt.

The turmoil in Virginia angered the English government. The king took over the colony from the Virginia Company. Virginia then became a royal colony -- a colony under the control of the king.

England sent in more settlers to strengthen the colony. The government also sent in more troops to conquer the Native Americans. By 1644, nearly 10,000 English settlers lived in Virginia. The native population continued to decrease.

In addition to fighting the Native Americans, the English settlers fought amongst themselves. Wealthy landowners controlled life in the colony. Freed indentured servants had little money to buy land.

Some of the Some of the early Virginia early Virginia settlers settlers were were CavaliersCavaliers. . English English nobility who nobility who received large received large land grants in land grants in eastern eastern Virginia from Virginia from the King of the King of EnglandEngland..

Because they did not own land, they could not vote and almost had no rights. They were forced to live on the western edge of Virginia. Out there they constantly fought with the Native Americans for land.

Virginia’s government refused to help these poor settlers in their battles with Native Americans.

Nathaniel Bacon, a wealthy planter, came to the settler’s rescue.

He raised an army to fight the Native Americans.

The governor of Virginia (William Berkley) declared the army illegal.

When Bacon heard this, he led a group of marchers into Jamestown.

They protested the government’s treatment of poor settlers.

The march turned violent.

He turned his sites to the colonial government, deposing the governor and burning down Jamestown

The government eventually put down the rebellion.

Bacon died in 1676, allowing the previous governor, William Berkeley, to regain control of Virginia.