ENGLISH SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA

The English in Virginia The Main Idea After several failures, the English established a permanent settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. Reading Focus Why were the first English colonies established? What helped the Jamestown colony survive? How did Virginia grow and change during the 1600s?

Roanoke – The Lost Colony 1587 – Sir Walter Raleigh settled area off North Carolina 100 settlers, mostly families He went back to England for supplies War kept him away for 3 years When he returned, colony had vanished Only clue was “Croatan” carved on a post. What happened to them??

The First English Colonies  Reasons English settlers came to America Economic reasons – to make money Farmers struggling Land was scarce in England Young men looking for adventure  charter – permission to settle an area  Joint-stock companies – were to govern and maintain colonies, profits from went back to investors and king

The Jamestown Colony The First Settlers Three ships and over 100 men went to Virginia, 100 survived the crossing, landing in Jamestown Problems: natives (Powhatan), unsafe water; malaria, dysentery, people weak, lazy, looked for treasure, not food Only 38 were alive when more English colonists arrived

The Jamestown Colony  Captain John Smith helped trade for food with the natives, built houses, explored,  Captured by natives, chief’s daughter, Pocahontas, saved him, helped keep peace  Smith became leader in 1608 Stole food from the Indians If a man wanted to eat, he had to work  starving time – winter 1609, natives angry, killed livestock and prevented them from hunting.

Headrights - 50-acre land grants to people who paid for voyage to colony Skilled artisans brought in to help the economy Indentured servants would work for a certain number of years, then freed

The Jamestown Colony  John Rolfe –grew tobacco (brown gold), made colony profitable.  Rolfe married Pocahontas, securing peace between colonists and natives  1622, after Pocahontas & Powhatan died, conflicts arose.  Natives killed many settlers including Rolfe.

1619 – Big Changes at Jamestown  100 women arrived to marry colonists and help colony  first African slaves arrived on a Dutch ship  America’s first legislature, the House of Burgesses  Members were white male landowners.  Had power to raise taxes and make laws.

Bacon’s Rebellion  Former indentured servants on frontier clashed with natives, Gov. Berkeley wouldn’t help b/c they couldn’t vote  1676 – Nathaniel Bacon formed an army, Berkeley declares army unconstitutional  Bacon’s army upset about “taxation without representation”, set fire to town  Berkeley returns to England, revoked charter & made VA a royal colony  Rebellion draws attention to growing power of former indentured servants

Pocahontas Questions: 1)What is the true story about Pocahontas and Smith? 2)Why was she captured and how did her life change? 3)Who did she marry and why? 4)What was her fate? 5)If she were to write a story about her life, how would she summarize her role?

Jamestown Video Clip   /videos/the-value-of-tobacco /videos/the-value-of-tobacco

Jamestown Game 