English Colonization of the New World: Jamestown and Early Settlements in Virginia

1. British North America

2. English colonization of the “New World” • Factors behind English colonization • Must play “catch up” to Spain & France • Motivated by a new economic theory: mercantilism • A nation is wealthy/powerful if it has gold and silver in its treasury • Three ways to get it…mine it, steal it, trade for it • Favorable balance of trade: Exports > Imports • Nationalism (pride) • Defeat of the Spanish Armada • Religion (Protestant Reformation)

4. English-style colonization • Led by private companies, not gov’t • Virginia Company • = a joint stock company • Investors have limited liability • Given a “charter” from King James I to establish a colony…all inhabitants will have the rights of Englishmen • Goals: • Find gold and silver • Find Northwest Passage

6. Early Attempts at Colonization • Roanoke • Island off NC coast • Sir Walter Raleigh • 1585 / 1587 sends colonists to Roanoke • The “Lost Colony” • Jamestown (1607) • First permanent settlement for the English • Established in Virginia, on the James River

7. Jamestown • Problems • Location • good for defense, but not healthy) • “Gold Fever” • colonists more interested in finding gold than in building a colony, cultivating food, etc. • Capt. John Smith institutes martial law: “he that shall not work shall not eat” • Disease & Hunger • 1607 – 150 settlers / only 38 survive • 1609 – “the starving time” – 300 colonists; only 60 survive the winter • Natives • Powhatan – uneasy truce with the English, but in 1609 cut off food supplies…leading to the Starving Time

8. Jamestown

9. Jamestown • Tobacco • “brown gold” • 1612: John Rolfe brings tobacco from the Bahamas to Virginia • By 1620, exporting 150 million pounds / yr • Tobacco is land hungry and labor intensive • Lead to conflicts with natives as colonists build larger plantations • Lead to the introduction of unfree labor in Va.

10. Jamestown • Indentured Servants • Primary form of labor until 1670s • 4-7 years of labor in exchange for transportation to Va & a plot of land after their term expired. • Almost all males, poor, some are criminals • Status = white slavery with few rights • Can be bought, sold, gambled away • Most do NOT live long enough to get their land

12. Jamestown • Slavery • First introduced in Va in 1619 • 14 Africans are brought to Jamestown • Status unclear  more like indentures • System of slavery evolves • By 1670, racial & hereditary slavery is common • Slavery replaces indentured servitude • Life expectancy goes up… • Freed indentures are creating problems… • BACON’S REBELLION in 1676 • Poor settlers on the frontier are being attacked by natives • The Virginia gov’t (dominated wealthy planters from eastern Virginia) isn’t helping out. • Francis Bacon – creates an army and attacks the Indians • When Va governor objects, Bacon turns his army on Jamestown…burn Jamestown. • Rebellion collapes when Bacon gets sick and dies. • Maybe, having all these poor, unhappy, former indentures isn’t a good thing…. • By 1700s fewer indentured servants; more slaves

13. Jamestown • Native American Conflicts • Powhatan Tribe • Initially help the English survive, but in 1609 they begin cutting off food supplies • 1614 – John Rolfe and Pocahontas are married; truce is reached with Chief Powhatan • 1622 – Great Powhatan Uprising • Chief Opechancanough fed up with English moving into Powhatan lands • Attack and kill 340 colonist = 1/3 of the settlement • Leads the crown to take over the colony and send troops and settlers to wipe out the indians.

14. Jamestown • Slavery

15. Indentured Servitude