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Jamestown
Primary Author: Jamie Morris
The primary author is the individual who drafted the first
version of this section; a section that could have been
modified since it was originally published.
Founding of Jamestown
The colony of Jamestown began in the Spring
of 1607 when the Susan Constant, Godspeed,
and Discovery arrived from England to what is now the coast of Virginia. These settlers called the land
"Jamestown" after King James I of England. This settlement became the first British settlement in
America; ten years before the settlement of New England colonies.
The sole purpose of this trip was to bring more wealth for James I, the London Virginia Company, and
individual investors. England had been told by Spain that they would find mountains of gold and silver in
the new land. This was not the case. There were no such riches in this new world. All these settlers got
was hard work, sickness, and starvation.
Native Americans Relations
The Powhatan Confederacy had already established settlement long before the Spanish explorers and
English settlers arrived to Jamestown. The natives had mixed feelings because of their previous
experience with the Spanish people. The natives soon began to offer the settlers food. The settlers
searched for wealth and neglected to grow crops. The colony became dependent on the Native
American's corn.
During the first two years, Captain John Smith was able to save the colony by establishing trade with the
local Native Americas. However, the Native Americans soon realized that these English settlers were
treating them the same way as the Spanish had by trying to enslave them and steal their food.
Early Struggles
The winter of 1609-1610 became known as the starving time. Due to a supply ship that wrecked in
Bermuda, their poor relationship with the Native Americans, and their poor farming abilities, the
colonist didn't have any food. The Native Americans realized that they could get rid of them by starving
them so they attacked the Jamestown fort and killed their pigs and other animals. The colonists were so
Reprinted from College History
http://www.collegehistory.info/early/manuscripts/08-jamestown.html
Last updated on 15 March 2015
Photo Caption: Jamestown ruins including the the tower of the old Jamestown Church which was
built in 1639. The image is from Robert Sears' A Pictorial Sescription of the United States (1854).
1
hungry that they begin to eat their horses, cats, and dogs. Next they ate rats and mice. Some colonist
even ate the leather of their shoes and boots. When there was nothing else to eat the settlers begin to
eat the dead. The settlers who refused to eat the dead slowly died.
Just when the colonists decided to abandon Jamestown in the Spring of 1610, ships with supplies and
new settlers eager to find wealth in Virginia arrived from England. This group of new settlers arrived
under the second charter issued by King James I. This charter provided for stronger leadership under a
governor who served with a group of advisors and the introduction of a period of military law that
carried harsh punishments for those who did not obey.
Growth of the Economy
John Rolfe, a survivor of the Sea Venture, introduced tobacco to Jamestown. This crop allowed the
colony to become stable and successful. Early attempts to sell Jamestown tobacco didn't go well.
Englishmen thought that the Caribbean tobacco was much better and less harsh. John Rolfe decided to
grow the tobacco plants from the imported seeds from the West Indies. These plants produced a much
smoother tobacco.
Soon after the first shipment of tobacco grown from imported seeds was shipped to England, other
settlers began to grow the crop. In the 1620s, tobacco was in such high demand that the settlers
became greedy and neglected to grow other crops for food. Many of these settlers became instant
millionaires.
After several years of planting tobacco on the same land, the soil was destroyed. As a result of the poor
soil, the colonists moved into newer territories to farm.
First Slaves In America
The first documented arrival of Africans took place in 1607. Although it has been commonly believed
that a Dutch slave trader exchanged a cargo of Caribbean Africans for food, we now know that the first
slaves had been captured by the Portuguese in Angola; slaves who had been captured from the
Portuguese by pirates. These first Africans became indentured. Due to the need of a large amount of
workers to farm the tobacco fields more Africans arrived.
The practice of owning African slaves for life happened around the 1650s. The race-based slave system
became fully developed in the 1680s. African slaves proved to be useful addition to the colony because
they made it possible for the expansion of the economy. The slaves were auction off at Jamestown and
became the property of white men. These African slaves were isolated from their families and forced to
work and live under difficult conditions.
Reprinted from College History
http://www.collegehistory.info/early/manuscripts/08-jamestown.html
Last updated on 15 March 2015
Photo Caption: Jamestown ruins including the the tower of the old Jamestown Church which was
built in 1639. The image is from Robert Sears' A Pictorial Sescription of the United States (1854).
2
Bacon's Rebellion
In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon organized a group of men to rebel and burn. The fire destroyed most of the
houses, the church, and the statehouse. Some of the buildings were repaired and rebuild.
The causes of Bacon's Rebellion were attributed to economic problems such as declining tobacco prices,
competition from other southern states that grew tobacco, and restrictions in the England market. After
the Bacon's rebellion, Jamestown's population declined rapidly due to majority of the people moving
inland to establish farms and plantations.
By 1699, the capital moved to Williamsburg and Jamestown no longer existed as a town.
Works Consulted List
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Bernhard, Virginia. A Tale of Two Colonies: What really Happened in Virginia and Bermuda. Columbia
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Reprinted from College History
http://www.collegehistory.info/early/manuscripts/08-jamestown.html
Last updated on 15 March 2015
Photo Caption: Jamestown ruins including the the tower of the old Jamestown Church which was
built in 1639. The image is from Robert Sears' A Pictorial Sescription of the United States (1854).
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Evans, Kasey. "Temperate Revenge: Religion, Profit, and Retaliation in 1622 Jamestown." Literacy
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Reprinted from College History
http://www.collegehistory.info/early/manuscripts/08-jamestown.html
Last updated on 15 March 2015
Photo Caption: Jamestown ruins including the the tower of the old Jamestown Church which was
built in 1639. The image is from Robert Sears' A Pictorial Sescription of the United States (1854).
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