Jamestown and the Colony of Virginia

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Jamestown and the Colony of Virginia
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What makes a colony?

• Government Who is in charge and how do they
  lead?
• Economics How are they going to make money or
  get the things they need to survive?
• Community Who are the members of the community?
  What types of laws should govern a community?
  What should members of the community contribute?

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Background-Short Movie

• http//www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id
  19705

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The Virginia Company

• 1606- James I gives a land grant to the Virginia
  Company
• Joint-stock company
• Land grant extends from 45 North Latitude to 35
  South Latitude

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The Virginia Company

• Two branches of the Joint Stock Company
• Bristol Branch
• London Branch (1607)
• 5 goals
• Economics make money to send back to London
• Find a North-West passage to Asia
• Patriotism
• Outpost against Spain
• Missionary Activities

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The Virginia Company

• April 1607 Susan Constant, Godspeed, Discovery
  reach Cape Henry
• Home of Chesapeake Indians
• May 14th 1607 find spot on James River
• Name it Jamestown

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Captain Newports Peace Mission

• Puts some men to work
• He takes 21 men on a peace mission
• Learns that Chief Powhatan rules all area above
  Jamestown
• Plants and cross, tries to make nice,
• Returns to an attacked fort

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• Supply Ships arrive
• Out of the 140 men who arrived only 40 remain
• John Smith arrives
• 7-8 die during winter

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Fast Forward winter 1609-10

• 3 planting seasons later
• 500 people in the colony
• Starving
• Resort to cannibalism
• 60 of 500 survive

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May 1610- Enter Lord De La Warr

• Still not growing corn
• Lord De La Warr and the Lawes Divine, Morall and
  Martiall
• Force the colony to work
• (read p. 80)

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Bite the hand that feeds

• Summer 1610
• Accuse Chief Powhatan of hiding runaways
• George Perry sent to take revenge on Paspeheans
  Chickahominies

• Kills 15-16 natives including queen and children
• Burn homes and crops
• 1612 Natives are killing colonists

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What Next?

• March 1612
• Colony and Company not making
• 1613-1614
• John Rolfe saves colony with Tobacco

• 1617 Begin Head right system
• Pay your own way get 50 acres of land
• bring anyone else get an additional 50 acres
• Bring Indentured Servants

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What Next?

• Indentured Servants
• Agree to work for 7 years to get a passage to new
  world
• 1619 1st Africans arrive

• 1619 House of Burgesses
• 1st representative assembly in the colonies
• 1622- Powhatan attacks
• ¼ of settlement gone

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Virginia Company Fails

• James I turns Virginia into a Royal Colony
• Dissolves the House of Burgesses
• Appoints his own people to run things
• 1639- Charles I reforms the House of Burgesses