1. Jamestown: The first permanent English settlement in America

2. Reasons for English presence in North America
Hoped to find riches in America, as Spain had done in Mexico & South America
Decided to establish American colony
Roanoke: 1585
Jamestown: 1607

3. Jamestown’s Founding
Began as an economic venture for the Virginia Company of London
Hoped to make a huge profit
Planned to create a trade network between England & Virginia
Virginia would send raw materials to England
Lumber
Tobacco
England would send manufactured goods to Virginia
Furniture
Tools
Needles
Muskets

4. King James’ Charter
King James issued a charter to the Virginia Company of London
Charter: legal document giving certain rights to a person or company
Gave right to settle lands between present-day North Carolina & Potomac River
Guaranteed that colonists would have same rights as English citizens

5. Location
The Jamestown colony was located on a peninsula in present-day Virginia.
The peninsula was bordered on three sides by a river, which the colonists named the
James River for their king.
The settlers chose the site at Jamestown for the following reasons:
The location could be easily defended from attack by sea.
The water along the shore was deep enough for ships to dock.

6. Struggles Location Swampy land Unhealthy water Disease from mosquitoes
Governing
The Virginia Company chose a council of 13 men to rule the settlement
Members quarreled & did little planning
Starvation
Colonists searched for gold & did not originally plant enough crops
Powhatan Native Americans supplied colonists with corn & taught them how to plant

7. Representative Government
•Jamestown’s government was originally run like a strict military outpost
•The government was reformed in 1619
Created House of Burgesses
Male settlers elected burgesses (government representatives)
Burgesses met with Virginia’s governor to make laws
Began representative government in the English colonies

8. Women and Slaves Jamestown was originally settled by 105 men
In 1619, The Virginia Company of London sent 90 women to Jamestown
The arrival of women made it possible for the settlers to establish families &
a more permanent settlement
Africans came to Jamestown as early as 1619
The Dutch sold Africans to Jamestown, which was in need of tobacco laborers
The arrival of Africans made it possible to expand the tobacco economy
By the late 1600s, Jamestown set up a system for whites to enslave Africans