Essex Ag. Tech. High School - U.S. I

Exploration and Colonization

Chapter 3 (Sections 4 and 5)

pp. 87-99

Essex Ag. Tech. High School - U.S. I

Section 4: Building the Jamestown Colony

1606 – King James I grants the Virginia Company a charter to establish a colony in North America.

The location was a swampy area on the James River off the Chesapeake Bay.

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Captain John Smith’s Leadership

After a rough start due to poor leadership, Smith made these rules:

Plant food, don’t dig for gold Need to work if colonists wanted food Set up trade with Native Americans,

however colonists often used force to get food and supplies.

These made Jamestown successful for a short time, but eventually tobacco farming sustained the colony.

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Representative Government in Jamestown

Representative Government: voters elect people to make laws for all.

House of Burgesses: The Jamestown form of Rep. Government; Burgesses (elected representatives) worked with the Virginia Co.’s governor to make laws.

Rep. Gov’t. in England (and her colonies) was based on the principles of the Magna Carta (Great Charter) of 1215.

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Section 5: Seeking Religious Freedom

Catholics and Protestants were fighting for many years over their different beliefs.

England named the Anglican Church as the established church (official religion).

People were persecuted (punished) for not following the established church.

The Pilgrims were people who wanted to separate from the Anglican Church.

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The Pilgrim Colony at Plymouth

September 1620 – the Pilgrims (and some non-Pilgrims) get a charter to build a colony in Virginia.

November 1620 – The Mayflower lands on the coast of Massachusetts.

Since they didn’t land in Virginia their charter did not apply; they needed a new set of laws…

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The Mayflower Compact

The 41 adult male colonists signed a document outlining how the colony would be governed.

This developed into a representative government system like the “Great Charter” of Virginia.

“Primary Source” p.94

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Early Hardships

First Winter in Plymouth:

- Lack of food (too late to plant crops)

- Improper shelter (earthen homes, not wooden)

- Many colonists died the first winter due to the harsh conditions

Help from Native Americans:

- Local natives who spoke English (Samoset, Squanto) helped the Pilgrims by giving them seeds and teaching planting techniques.

- The next fall was the first Thanksgiving.

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Summarize it!

On a “half-sheet,” write 3 or 4 sentences that compares the colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth.

These can be similarities OR differences.