England Colonizes Virginia

Jamestown Settlement

Getting Started

• 1497/ 1498: Cabot’s voyage to establish England’s claim to new territory

• 1604: King James I prepares to colonize North America

• 1606: King James I issues charter for creating a colony

• Virginia Company is created• 1607: 3 small ships sailed from England

with VA’s first settlers

The Susan Constant transported men and supplies

Settlers arrive at site near the James River, Jamestown is created. (England’s first permanent

settlement.)Initially, Jamestown settlers faced hardships.

The settlement buildings were made of material from the area.

Today we are uncovering the original buildings and artifacts.

Captain John Smith

Eventually, the colony benefited from growing tobacco

A hogs head; this barrel would be full of many hands of tobacco.

Tobacco leaves dried in barns

Tobacco plants

A hand of tobacco

1618: VA Company introduces the head-right system to increase immigration. Many people

moving to VA were indentured servants.

• Each head of household was entitled to a set # of acres of land. This was designed to increase immigration.

Geographic/environmental problems??Geographic/environmental problems??

High Mortality RatesHigh Mortality Rates

The “Starving Time”:The “Starving Time”:1607: 104 colonists1607: 104 colonists

By spring, 1608: 38 survivedBy spring, 1608: 38 survived

1609: 300 more immigrants1609: 300 more immigrants

By spring, 1610: 60 survivedBy spring, 1610: 60 survived

1610 – 1624: 10,000 immigrants1610 – 1624: 10,000 immigrants

1624 population: 1,2001624 population: 1,200

Adult life expectancy: 40 yearsAdult life expectancy: 40 years

Death of children before age 5: 80%Death of children before age 5: 80%

English Migration: 1610-English Migration: 1610-16601660

1606-1607 1606-1607 40 people died on the 40 people died on the voyage to the New World.voyage to the New World.

1609 1609 another ship from England lost another ship from England lost its leaders and supplies in a shipwreck its leaders and supplies in a shipwreck off Bermuda.off Bermuda.

Settlers died by the dozens! Settlers died by the dozens!

Drought led to shortage of local foodsDrought led to shortage of local foods

The Jamestown Pitfalls The Jamestown Pitfalls and Problemsand Problems

The Natives in the area did help the settlement after John Smith intervened.

England and Jamestown Timeline

• Using the dates on this sheet, create an illustrated timeline showing the progression of English Colonization of Jamestown

• The timeline must:• Have 8 points in time• 3 illustrations• Neatness counts• Answer the question:

What stands out about your timeline? Hypothesize to the cause of the ‘anomaly’?

• Looking at the notes from this power point what do you think caused all the problems in Jamestown? What problems were there in Jamestown?(Be specific with your details.)