JAMESTOWN

� The first colony in the new world

VIRGINIA COMPANY OF LONDON

� Stock organization � Given a charter to colonize the new world

CHARTER

� A document from the king granting rights to colonize the new world

� Given by King James I � Granted English rights to all those in the colony

REASONS FOR COLONIZING

� Hoped to find resources to bring back to England � Gold � Silver � Lumber

VIRGINIA COMPANY OF LONDON

The settlers send what they find

To the Virginia Company of London For them to sell and make money

And pay the stockholders their share of the profits

Virginia Company of London

sells shares or stock for money

Virginia Company uses That money to pay for

Supplies, ships and crew members

TRAVEL

� The Susan Constant � The Godspeed � The Discovery

JAMESTOWN

� Primarily an economic venture � First permanent English settlement in North

America in 1607 � Named for King James I

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

� Selected an peninsula because: � It was easy to defend � Water was deep enough for ships � Believed to have plenty of clean fresh water � River provided a path for exploration and

source of food

PROBLEMS

� Swampy � Unsafe Water � Mosquitos

JAMESTOWN TODAY

� An island � Site of archeological research

LIMITATION OF A CHARTER

� Ruled by the Virginia Company of London � Could not own land

CHANGES IN JAMESTOWN

� 1619 King James said the colonists could make their own laws

� Colonists could own land � Began the idea of government by the

people

DIFFICULTIES AT JAMESTOWN

� Environment � No Safe Water � Disease from Mosquitos

� Lack of Skills � No Knowledge of Farming � Not Prepared for Manual Labor

FIXING THE PROBLEMS

� Arrival of supply ships � John Smith

� “He who does not work, will not eat.” � Grow food for their own families � Trading relationships

� Chief Powhatan

FIXING THE PROBLEMS

� Trade � Natives -> Food, Tobacco ($), Corn � English -> Tools, pots, copper, jewelry

� Pocahontas helped foster good relations

FIXING THE PROBLEMS

� Arrival of supply ships � Leadership of John Smith � Trade with American Indians

BECOMING PERMANENT

� Arrival of African Americans � 1619 � Against their Will � Slaves � Worked on Plantations

BECOMING PERMANENT

� Arrival of Women � 1620 � Bride Ship � If a man married a woman from the

bride ship, had to pay for her travel � Began Families

BECOMING PERMANENT

� Tobacco � Cash Crop � Sold in England � Caused Plantations � Required Slave Labor

MOVING THE CAPITAL

� Jamestown � 1st Capital � Original Settlement � Drinking water was contaminated by salt

water � Mosquitos Spread Disease � Fire destroyed many buildings in

Jamestown

MOVING THE CAPITAL

� From Jamestown to Williamsburg � Fewer Mosquitos � Better Water � Williamsburg is at a higher elevation

MOVING THE CAPITAL

� From Williamsburg to Richmond � Population was moving West � Richmond is more centrally located � Richmond’s location was better for trade � Richmond is more difficult to attack by

sea

ECONOMIC VOCABULARY

� Money: A medium of exchange � Barter: Trading or exchanging goods

or services without the use of money � Credit: Buying a good or service now

and paying for it later � Debt: A good or service owed to

someone

ECONOMIC VOCABULARY

� Credit: Buying a good or service now and paying for it later

� Debt: A good or service owed to someone

� Savings: Money put away to save or to spend at a later time

ECONOMIC LIFE - THEN

� Jim wants to buy the latest version of Minecraft

� The cost is $19.95 � Jim has no money � If Jim is a farmer, he can buy it on credit

ECONOMIC FACTS - JAMESTOWN

� Few people had paper money or coins to use to buy goods and services

� There were no banks in Colonial Virginia

� Barter was commonly used instead of money

ECONOMIC FACTS - JAMESTOWN

� Barter was commonly used instead of money

� Tobacco was used as money. � A tobacco farmer could use his tobacco

to pay for goods and services.

ECONOMIC FACTS - JAMESTOWN

� Farmers and other consumers could also buy goods and services on credit and pay their debts when their crops were harvested and sold.

LIFE IN JAMESTOWN

� People living in Jamestown depended on three types of resources: � Natural � Human � Capital

LIFE IN JAMESTOWN

� The settlers had to use these resources to provide everything they needed, including food, housing, and clothing

LIFE IN JAMESTOWN

� Food � Food choices were limited � Meals were made of local produce and meats

� Housing � Most people lived in one-room houses with dirt

floors � Some plantation owners lived in large houses

LIFE IN JAMESTOWN

� Housing � Most people lived in one-room houses with dirt

floors � Some plantation owners lived in large houses

� Clothing � Households made their own clothes � Most clothing was made of cotton, wool, and/or

leather

LIFE IN JAMESTOWN

� Life was also different depending on which social class you were in

� Most white Virginians made their living from the land as small farmers. A few owned large plantations.

� Most enslaved African Americans worked tobacco, other crops, and livestock. Enslaved African Americans had no rights.

LIFE IN JAMESTOWN

� Most enslaved African Americans worked tobacco, other crops, and livestock. Enslaved African Americans had no rights.

� There were a few free African Americans. Many of them owned their own businesses and property but were denied most rights.