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Jamestown, Virginia 1607. Jamestown, 1607 The Political and Economic Development of Jamestown Indentured Servants, Slavery and Tobacco. Jamestown, 1607. The Virginia London Company is given a charter by King James I.
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Jamestown, Virginia 1607 Jamestown, 1607 The Political and Economic Development of Jamestown Indentured Servants, Slavery and Tobacco
Jamestown, 1607 • The Virginia London Company is given a charter by King James I. • Jamestown is a joint-stock company. It has investors pull their money together to reduce their losses should the investment go bad. • 1607, Jamestown becomes the 1st permanent English settlement in North America. It is located in Virginia.
Jamestown, 1607 • The English hope to find gold in the flat coastal plains of the region. • Jamestown will be plagued by malaria and nasty sea water that seeps into their wells.
Jamestown, 1607 • Half of colonists die first year due to poor leadership and no knowledge of farming. • When befriended by Indians colonists expect Indians to support them. • Both groups annoyed at each other.
The Starving Time, 1609 • 1608, John Smith takes charge by compelling colonists to work and learn how to farm. • “Starving time”, 1609 colonists face food shortages and turn to digging up graves to eat. • 60 out 400 colonists are left. Jamestown is abandoned in 1610.
Economic development • Process of trial and error for wealth • Try mining 1607-1610 • Try silk production 1611-1616 • Success with tobacco 1612-1800 • Process of trial and error for labor • Native Americans run away • Indentured servants • Dutch trade African slaves for supplies in 1619
Indentured Servants • Mostly young unskilled males some are skilled craftsmen • Sign a 4-7 year contract which is payment for their passage to Virginia • 1/2 die before contract over. But if you survive you receive clothes, food, land, and a gun
Tobacco • John Rolfe introduces a milder tobacco which becomes popular in England • The English need land to grow tobacco and will push the Indians off their land • Indians will be removed from their land because of diseases and warfare for land to grow tobacco
Political Development • 1609, John Smith, capable leader who imposed “work and order on the community” in other words “those who work, will eat” • 1610, Lord Del La Warr, he was meaner than Smith, 1st governor who introduces private ownership of land to settlers in Jamestown • 1619, House of Burgesses 1st elected representative assembly in North America • All men ages 17 and over are allowed to vote in 1619
Social Development • Those who come to Jamestown are seeking gold and riches.They are not farmers and craftsmen. • During Indian raids they do not help each other unless forced or lead. They are looking out for themselves.