American Colonies

1. American Colonies British Colonies in North America

2. Essential Questions: What was the main goal of the Jamestown Colonists? Why did they suffer so much in the first few years? Who were the leaders of the colony and how successful were they? What crop eventually saved the colony?

3. Jamestown Colony Established by men working for the Virginia Company of London The goal of the colony was to become wealthy by acquiring gold and silver The Virginia Co was a Joint Stock Company: A company owned by shareholders

4. The Starving Time in Virginia The following is an excerpt from the report of Captain John Smith, "What happened in the first government after the alteration, in the time of Captaine George Piercie, their Governor," 1609. The spelling has been converted to the modern American form:

5. The Starving Time, 1609 "The day before Captain Smith returned for England with the ships, Captain Davis arrived in a small Pinnace, with some sixteen proper men more: To these were added a company from Jamestown, under the command of Captain Sickelmore alias Ratliffe, to inhabit Point Comfort. Captain West, having lost their boats and near half their men among the savages, were returned to Jamestown; for the savages no sooner understood Smith was gone, but they all revolted, and did spoil and murder all they encountered."

6. Now we were all constrained to live only on Smith had only for his own Company, for the rest had consumed their proportions. And now they had twenty presidents with all their appurtenances: Master Piercie, on new President, was so sick he could neither go nor stand. But ere all was consumed, Captain West and Captain Sickelmore, each with a small ship and thirty or forty men well appointed, sought abroad to trade. Sickelmore upon the confidence of Powhatan, with about thirty others as careless as himself, were all slain; only Jeffrey Shortridge escaped; and Pocahontas the Kings daughter saved a boy called Henry Spillman, that lived many years after, by her means, amongst the Patawomekes. Powhatan still, as he found means, cut off their boats, denied them trade: so that Captain West set sail for England.

7. Now we all found the loss of Captain Smith, yea his greatest maligners could now curse his loss: as for corn provision and contribution from the savages, we had nothing buy mortal wounds, with clubs and arrows; as for out hogs, hens, goats, sheep, horses, or what lived, our commanders, officers and savages daily consumed them, some small portions we sometimes tasted, till all was devoured; then swords, firearms, pieces, or anything, we traded with the savages, whose cruel fingers were so often imbrewed in our blood, that what with their cruelty, our Governors indiscretion, and the loss of our ships, of five hundred within six months after Captain Smith's departure, there remained not past sixty men, women and children, most miserable and poor creatures; and those were preserved for the most part part, by roots, herbs, acorns, walnuts, berries, and now and then a little fish: they that had starch in these extremities, made no small use of it; yea, even the very skins of our horses. Nay, so great was our famine, that a savage we slew and buried, the poorer sort took him up again and ate him; and so did diverse one another boiled and stewed with roots and herbs: And one among the rest did kill his wife, powdered her, and had eaten part of her before it was known; for which he was executed, as he well deserved: now whether she was better roasted, boiled or carbonadoed [broiled], I know not; but of such a dish as powdered wife I never heard of.

8. Starvnng Time Images

9. John Smith - Before Virginia "Born in 1580 in Willoughby, England, John Smith left home at age 16 after his father died. He began his travels by joining volunteers in France who were fighting for Dutch independence from Spain. Two years later, he set off for the Mediterranean Sea, working on a merchant ship. In 1600 he joined Austrian forces to fight the Turks in the "Long War." A valiant soldier, he was promoted to Captain while fighting in Hungary. He was fighting in Transylvania two years later in 1602. There he was wounded in battle, captured, and sold as a slave to a Turk. This Turk then sent Smith as a gift to his sweetheart in Istanbul. According to Smith, this girl fell in love with him and sent him to her brother to get training for Turkish imperial service. Smith reportedly escaped by murdering the brother and returned to Transylvania by fleeing through Russia and Poland. After being released from service and receiving a large reward, he traveled all through Europe and Northern Africa. He returned to England in the winter of 1604-05." Courtesy of apva.org

10. John Smith - President of Jamestown Landed in Jamestown on May 13, 1606 Was named one of 7 leaders of the colony Was elected president of the colony in 1608 as the colony faced hard times Established "He who does not work, shall not eat" policy and turned the colony around Was injured in a gunpowder accident in 1609, left Virginia, and never returned

11. Tobacco Saves Jamestown The colonists failed to find gold or silver John Rolfe: an Englishman who crossed a Brazilian and Native American strand of tobacco to create a form that easily grew in Virginia and the English loved It was so successful that the Virginia Company started the Headright System: a program that granted a man 50 acres of land for every laborer he paid to transport to Virginia Brown Gold: nickname for tobacco in Virginia

12. A Need for More Laborers • The Headright System lead to wealthy Englishmen having massive plantations and they needed more workers • Indentured Servants: • Plantation owners paid their travel expenses • Agreed to a limited term of service (4-7 years) • Usually poor Englishmen who wanted to start a new life • Started their own farms once they were free • African Laborers • Started as indentured servants in 1619 • Were not slaves

13. Settlers Clash with Native Americans As more colonists arrived in Jamestown, the pushed the Native Americans further west There were raids between the colonists and the Powhatan tribe – people on both sides were killed Because the colonists needed the help of the British military against the Native Americans, King James I revoked the charter of Jamestown and made it a royal colony: under the direct control of the king

14. Economic Differences Split Virginia As more people moved to Virginia, two classes emerged: a wealthy ruling class of colonists who had been there and a poor new class of colonists who were pushed west to claim land 1660s-1670s: Governor William Berkeley imposed high taxes on the poor colonists and did not support them against Native American attacks

15. Bacon’s Rebellion (1676) • Nathaniel Bacon: a poor farmer who settled in Virginia in the 1870s • Bacon’s Rebellion: Bacon led the colonists against the Berkeley and the colonial leadership • Protestors set fire to the town • Berkeley and other leaders fled to a ship in the bay • Bacon died a month later and Berkeley came back • King Charles knew what had happened and recalled Berkeley and sent new leadership

16. Essential Questions: What was the main goal of the Jamestown Colonists? Why did they suffer so much in the first few years? Who were the leaders of the colony and how successful were they? What crop eventually saved the colony?