History of Jamestown

Study Notes

Established in 1607 as the first permanent English colony in North America, situated in Virginia.
Funded by the Virginia Company of London, chartered by King James I in 1606.
Aimed to profit, compete with European nations, discover a northwest passage, and convert Native Americans to Anglicanism.

Three ships: Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery carried 105 passengers, arriving at the Virginia coast in April 1607.
Chosen site on the James River provided deep water and defensive position.
First governance by a council of seven with immediate challenges from the surrounding Powhatan chiefdom of 14,000 Algonquian-speaking Indians.
An unfamiliar climate, water quality issues, and food shortages led to disease and significant mortality among colonists.

Captain John Smith became the effective leader in September 1608; known for the "no work, no food" policy and establishing trade with Powhatan.
Smith's injury in 1609 led to his departure; his absence triggered a "starving time" with warfare and severe food shortages.
Rescued in 1610 by supplies arriving from England under a new charter, introducing military law and a governor.

early economic efforts included glassmaking, wood production, and tar manufacturing, which initially failed to yield profits.
The introduction of tobacco as a cash crop in 1613, led by John Rolfe, transformed the economy and increased land demands.
The arrival of indentured servants and the first documented Africans in 1619 marked significant shifts in labor dynamics, eventually leading to the rise of lifelong slavery.

Hosted the first representative government in British America with a general assembly in 1619, responding to settlers' demands for legal representation.
Following conflicts and issues, the Virginia Company was dissolved in 1624, transitioning Virginia to a royal colony.
Served as Virginia's political and social center until 1699, when the government relocated to Williamsburg.