The Founding of Jamestown and Virginia
1606- James I issued charters to the Plymouth Company and the London Company
1607- London company sends 144 men to Virginia (104 men survive the journey)
*chose swampy , hot, humid, woodsy, Indian controlled territory (not a good plan)
Result: Colonists search for gold, get malaria, and all but 38 of the original founders die
John Smith (self proclaimed hero and pretty boy) to the Rescue: Brought order to the colony,
organized Indian attacks, provided much needed leadership
-thought everyone was in love with him, especially Pocahontas
1609- The London Company Gets More Power from the King
*A “Great Fleet” of 600 men and women
-1 boat lost at sea, 1 boat ran aground, others arrived just in time to face the harshest winter ever
which became known as the starving time
-the settlers of Jamestown ate dogs, cats, rats, horse hides, and corpses
-boat that ran aground got there and found only 60 people alive
Consensus in Jamestown: Let’s get the heck out of here!!!!!
On the way out they run into Lord De La Warr’s boat, who convinces them to stay
-De La Warr turns the colony around and brings harsh discipline to the colony
Tobacco- John Rolfe experiments with harsh strain of tobacco that becomes very profitable
Impact: colony becomes more profitable for colonists, people expand further West to find land
The downfall of the London/Virginia Company
-even after tobacco the company is still in debt
-1 last recruiting attempt- The Headright System
*all new settlers get 100 acres
-James I revokes the charter and it becomes a royal colony
The Colony Grows and becomes Divided- Bacon’s Rebellion
1676- settlers in the backcountry become upset about the weak efforts of the Eastern/aristocratic
settlers to protect them from Indian attacks
*Nathaniel Bacon (kicked out of eastern governing circles) leads the backcountry in attacking
the Indians on their own (defies the government)
*Bacon leads an “army” to the East and burns Jamestown
-dies of dysentery and the rebellion falls apart
Significance of Bacon’s Rebellion- showed the division between the East and West, showed the
instability of landless men, led to African slavery (thought to be easier to control than whites)