Jamestown is Founded in 1607At mouth of Chesapeake Bay, along James

RiverNamed after King James IFirst permanent English settlementJamestown Struggles to Survive

Diseases carried by water and insectsLooked for gold instead of workingNot prepared for different climateWithin 6 months, over 60% of colonists had

died

John Smith took controlNo work, no food policyBrought colony to order.Injured in gunpowder explosion, had to return

to EnglandColony fell back into disarray

“starving time” – forced to eat rats, snakes, etc.

1610 – Lord De La Warr arrived with supplies, imposed discipline, “saved” colony

Still did not get along with local Powhatan tribeTense, ocassionally violentImproved when chief’s daughter (Pocahontas)

married a colonist (John Rolfe)

Tobacco Transforms the ColonyCouldn’t find gold1614 – Rolfe sent first shipment of tobacco to

EnglandBecame popular – ensured survival of JamestownColonists demanded share of profits (they were all

share holders of the Virginia Company of London) Company responded by allowing them to own land Worked harder as a result

Tobacco farms spread along James River, then other rivers in region Allowed for easy transportation of tobacco

New settlers offered a headright – 50 acres of land to anyone who could pay their own way

Indentured Servants – people who could not afford it agreed to work for a person if that person paid for passage to America (usually for 4 to 6 years)

1619 – first Africans arrived

The House of Burgesses is FormedSettlers upset with lack of self-governmentVirginia Company allowed elected reps. to meet

once a yearHouse of Burgesses

First elected assembly in AmericaCould pass local lawsCould raise taxes

Representative GovernmentPowhatan uprising in 1622

Threatened by expansion of English coloniesAttacked settlements in March 1622¼ of colonists were killedKing James revoked colonies charter – made it

a royal colonyAlso dissolved (got rid of) House of BurgessesColonists protested Charles I reinstated assembly in 1629Tradition of representative government took

root at this time