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The first successful English settlement in the Americas isJamestown, which was

founded in 1607. There are two previously failed attempts to erect colonies in North

America, which are NewfoundlandandRoanokeIsland; these settlements were first triedduring the years of1588 and 1604, respectively, though these colonies were unsuccessful

because of the English-Spanish War. The foci of this essay will delve into the most

pertinent areas ofThe Chesapeake: The Virginia Company, Native Americans, Economy

and Expansion, and the Immigrationof Americas first colonial settlement

A group of motivated English investors known as the Virginia Companygot enough

resources and sent a small convoy to settle the Chesapeake Bayin 1607. These individuals

built a triangular fortress; and in honor ofKing James the investors dubbed itJamestown.

The Chesapeake was already home to an estimated 14,000 Native Americans of a

politically polished community known as the Powhatan Confederacy. Chief

Wahunsonacookhad an uneasy feeling about the newcomers, but did his best to make

friends with the new Europeans to gain access tosupplies and weapons; though the

Europeans really wanted to take all of the Native Americans land.

The Europeans came over to findgoldand the Northwest Passage route to India.

Being unsuccessful at both goals, the colonists just ended up drinking and gambling.

Survival during the first winter in Jamestown was thanks to the Native Americans; more

than 400 colonists diedof starvation and only 60 colonists remained alive by the next

spring.

The Virginians had a hard time making money. Then they found they could grow

tobacco. They made a tobacco smoking trend in Europe and got everyone addicted to

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smoking so the colonists could make money. After the Europeans used up all the good soil

to grow tobacco they learned aboutslash and burn.

The Virginia Company gave prominent pieces of land to wealthy investors that

promised they would come with able workers to grow tobacco. Some of these workers are

called indentured servants. When the Chief noticed what the Europeans were doing, he

found out the Europeans had come to America as invaders and not as allies.

Being at war with the Native Americans bankruptedthe Virginia Companyand

England sent a few royal authorities to represent the King and call all the shots. These

representative individuals are known as the House of Burgesses, which was created in

1619. By 1640 the colonists grew to around 10,000 people. The war finally ended when

the colonists captured and killed the Native American leader and the Native Americans got

reduced to living on reservations or reserved territories.

Many Native Americans were killed in the process of colonization or and reduced to

live in small territories, but European survival would have been impossible without the

Native Americans. Tobacco became the number one cash crop in Virginia because of John

Rolfe and company, and it allowed the new settlement to have a positive economic impact.

Though the first two attempted settlements in North America by the Europeans were

unsuccessful, Jamestown was very successful after the House of Burgesses.