The Virginia Colony became the wealthiest and most populated British
colony in North America, largely due to its tobacco crop industry.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Describe the challenges faced by settlers in Jamestown.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Tribes in the Virginia area included: the Algonquian Chesepian, Chickahominy, Doeg, Mattaponi,
Nansemond, Pamunkey, Pohick, Powhatan, Rappahannock, Siouan Monacan and Saponi,
Iroquoian­speaking Cherokee, Meherrin, Nottoway, and Tuscarora.
Jamestown was the first settlement of the Virginia Colony, founded in 1607; it served as capital of
Virginia until 1699.
The Virginia Colony became the wealthiest and most populated British colony in North America.
Elite planters dominated the colony. Virginia planters had a major role in gaining independence
and the development of democratic­republican ideals of the United States.
TERMS [ edit ]
Powhatan
The Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten) is the name of a Virginia Indian
confederation of tribes. It is estimated that there were about 14,000–21,000 of these native
Powhatan people in eastern Virginia when the English settled Jamestown in 1607. They were also
known as Virginia Algonquians, as they spoke an eastern­Algonquian language known as
Powhatan or Virginia Algonquin.
Sir William Berkeley
Sir William Berkeley (b. Hanworth Manor, Middlesex, 1605–1677) was a colonial governor of
Virginia and one of the Lords Proprietors of the Colony of Carolina; he was appointed to these
posts by King Charles I of England, of whom he was a favorite.
Third Supply
The Third Supply was the first truly successful wave of colonization in the first English settlement
in the Americas, at Jamestown. It also resulted in the settlement of Bermuda (as an unintended
side effect). However, from the perspective of the colonists anxiously awaiting supplies at
Jamestown, the Third Supply was anything but smooth, and four out of five colonists perished
during the "starving time" before the leaders and some of the supplies which had been aboard the
ill­fated flagship Sea Venture finally arrived in Virginia, ten months later than expected.
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The Colony of Virginia was an English colony in North America that existed briefly during
the 16th century, and then continuously from 1607 until the American Revolution.
From London to First Landing
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, KingJames I ascended to the throne.
James granted a proprietarycharter to two competing branches of the Virginia Company:
the Plymouth Company and the London Company. In 1606, each company organized
expeditions to establish settlementswithin the area of their rights. The London Company
sent its expedition in December, 1606. The expedition came ashore at the point where
the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, an event which has come to be called the
"First Landing. "
Settlement Challenges and Triumphs
The settlement, given the name of Jamestown, was an island, and thus favorable for defense
against foreign ships. However, the low, marshy terrain was harsh and inhospitable for
settlement. It lacked drinking water, access to game for hunting, and adequate space
for farming. The colonists arrived ill­prepared for self­sufficiency. In addition to securing
gold and other precious minerals to send back to investors in England, the survival of
Jamestown depended on regular supplies from England, and trade with Native Americans.
Death from disease and conflicts with Natives Americans took a fearsome toll on the
colonists. The London Company sent supply ships to the colony three times. These were
known as the First Supply, Second Supply and Third Supply.
The delay of the Third Supply greatly aggravated already adverse conditions. Seven
additional ships arrived carrying more colonists, but little in the way of food and supplies.
Combined with a drought and hostile relations with the Native Americans, loss of supplies
resulted in the "Starving Time" in late 1609 to May 1610, during which time over 80% of
colonists perished. As a result, Jamestown was abandoned briefly until new supply ships
arrived.
The economy of the Colony presented an additional problem. Gold was never found, and
efforts to introduce profitable industries in the colony had all failed, until John
Rolfeintroduced two foreign types of tobacco. By 1612, Rolfe's new strains of tobacco had
been successfully cultivated and exported, making tobacco a cash crop that established
Virginia's economic viability.
A small number of slaves, along with many Europeanindentured servants, helped to expand
the growing tobacco industry, already the colony's primary product. Major importation of
African slaves did not take place until much later in the century.
The Algonquian Chief Powhatan controlled more than 30 smaller tribes and over 150
settlements. In 1607, the native Tidewater population was over 13,000. By the mid­
17thcentury, the Powhatan and allied tribes were in serious decline in population, due in large
part to epidemics of newly introduced infectious diseases, such as smallpox and measles, to
which they had no natural immunity. Surviving members of many tribes assimilated into the
general population of the colony.
Leadership
In 1624, King James I revoked the Virginia Company's charter and the Virginia Colony was
transferred to royal authority as a crown colony, but the elected representatives in
Jamestown continued to exercise a fair amount of power.
Sir William Berkeley, the governor of Virginia from 1642­1652 and 1660­1677, tried to push
for diversification in the economic activities of the colony. Governor Berkeley was a royal
insider from an early age and his governorship reflected the royal interests of Charles I and
Charles II; he remained popular after his first administration then returned to the
governorship in 1660. Berkeley's second administration, however, was characterized by
many problems. Disease, hurricanes, Indian hostilities, and economic difficulties all plagued
Virginia at this time. Berkeley successfully established autocratic authority over the colony.
To protect this power, Berkeley refused new legislative elections for 14 years to protect
a House of Burgesses that supported him. He then faced a rebellion in 1676. After a lack
of reform, Nathaniel Bacon rebelled outright and captured Jamestown, taking control of the
colony for several months. After the incident, which became known as Bacon's Rebellion,
Berkeley returned himself to power with the help of the English militia. Bacon then burned
Jamestown before abandoning it, and continued his rebellion until dying from disease.
Subsequently, Berkeley managed to eliminate the remaining rebels. In response to Berkeley's
harsh repression of the rebels, the English government removed him from office. The rebuilt
statehouse in Jamestown burned again in 1698, after which time the colonial capital was
permanently moved to nearby Middle Plantation, and the town was renamed Williamsburg.
Legacy
The Virginia Colony became the wealthiest and most populated British colony in North
America. Elite plantersdominated the colony. Virginia planters had a major role in gaining
independence and the development of democratic­republican ideals of the United States.
Tobacco Plants
By the early 1620s, tobacco cultivation began to impact every aspect of daily life in Virginia.