Jamestown Founding and Early Years

Study Notes

Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in North America, was founded in 1607.
The Virginia Company of London, a group of investors, sponsored the colony.
The colony also supported English national goals, including expansion, finding a northwest passage, and converting natives to Christianity.
The expedition consisted of three ships: Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery.
It reached the Virginia coast in late April 1607, after departing England in December 1606.
The colonists landed on May 14th, at a site on the James River, chosen for its defensive position and deep water anchorage.
Jamestown was located near the Powhatan Confederacy, a group of about 14,000 Algonquian-speaking Indians.
Trading relationships were established but relations with the natives were tense.
Jamestown faced challenges, including unfamiliar climate, brackish water supply, lack of food, and disease.
Many colonists were from the English upper class, lacking the skills and experience needed for survival.
The arrival of the first two English women in 1608 marked a turning point in the colony's development.

John Smith, the fourth council president, took leadership in 1608 and implemented a “no work, no food” policy.
He played a vital role in negotiating with the Powhatan Indians for food and supplies.
In 1609 Smith was injured by burning gunpowder and left for England.
He continued to promote colonization until his death in 1631.
Following Smith's departure, Jamestown faced the “starving time” a period of starvation, disease, and warfare with the Powhatan Confederacy.
The colonists were ready to abandon Jamestown in the spring of 1610, but fresh settlers arrived from England with supplies.

The new charter granted by King James I in 1610 provided for stronger leadership under a governor, a council, and harsher punishments for disobedience.
To generate profit for the Virginia Company, colonists experimented with industries like glassmaking, wood production, pitch, tar, and potash.
The introduction of tobacco as a cash crop around 1613, by colonist John Rolfe, proved successful.
Rolfe's marriage with Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan, helped establish peace with the native tribes.
Tobacco production encouraged land expansion and the increased use of labor, both indentured servants and African laborers.
The first documented Africans in Virginia arrived in 1619.
While these Africans were initially unfree, enslavement of Africans became more prevalent after the mid-17th century.

Jamestown established the first representative government in British America in 1619.
The General Assembly was convened to give colonists a voice in the laws governing them.
The Virginia Company was dissolved in 1624 after various events, including the 1622 war with the Powhatan Confederacy and misconduct among company leaders.
Virginia became a royal colony under direct control of the English Crown.
Jamestown remained the center of Virginia until 1699, when the government moved to Williamsburg.
Overall, Jamestown left a lasting legacy by setting the foundation for the English colonial presence in North America, shaping the nation's history and culture.