Jamestown

• What was the first permanent English settlement?

• Who founded it and why?

• Jamestown (in Virginia)• Started by the Virginia Company – to

make money

Jamestown - Motivations

• Why did most men come to Jamestown?

• Money and Land!• Laws of Primogeniture: English

laws that said only the first born sons could get land from their fathers.

• Made “other” sons desperate • Poor economic conditions and

land shortages in England

Jamestown• What problems did

Jamestown have?• Wanted to find gold and

get rich quick• Not used to hard work• Arguing and fighting• Location = swamp and bad

water• Far from home• Mosquitoes and malaria• Powhatan Indians wary

and not helpful

Jamestown - Government• What was the House of

Burgesses• Why was it important?

• Representative assembly in Virginia based on Parliament

• Attracted people to Virginia = just as free there as in England

• Importance = Precedent (example) for all other colonies

• Colonies would govern themselves• Have the same rights as people in

England

Jamestown Success #1

• Why did Jamestown succeed?

• Leadership of John Smith: a soldier and explorer took control of the settlement.

• Installed military discipline = work for food.

• Established a relationship with the Powhatan.

• Negotiated for corn and helped keep the peace

Jamestown Success #2• Why was Jamestown successful?

• Tobacco and Environment: very good (soil)• John Rolfe brought in tobacco (cash crop). • Brought in the money that the VA Company needed• More people desperate for money will move there• Importance: Motivation of money and the environment led

to - Plantation style farming and slavery in the South

Jamestown Success #3• Why was Jamestown

successful?• Peace with the

natives• John Rolfe married

Pocahontas (Indian princess).

• Natives began to help the English

• Importance = time to grow

Success #4• Why was

Jamestown successful?

• Successful Government • House of Burgesses, Representative

Government, and the charter

• Colonists would govern themselves and expect the same rights as people in England

Jamestown Why so important?

• Environment led to plantation slavery in the Southern Colonies

• Motivation of money became a part of the culture.• Representative Government and rights of Englishmen for

colonists would lead to problems with the English government in the future.

• Success leads to growth of the Southern Colonies

Plymouth• What was Plymouth?• Who founded it?

• 2nd permanent English settlement (1620).

• Settled by Pilgrims who traveled on the Mayflower.

Plymouth

• Who were the Puritan Pilgrims?

• Protestants from England.• Wanted to reform the Church of

England by making it less Catholic (making it simpler)

• Wanted to separate from the Church of England (separatists).

• Persecuted (treated unfairly) for their beliefs in England

• In 1620 won a charter to start a new settlement in Virginia

Plymouth (and New England)

• Why did people come to Plymouth?

• On a religious mission = start a colony based on their beliefs.

• Wanted religious freedom.

Plymouth• What was the Mayflower

Compact?• Why was it important?

• Agreement that stated that they would have a government and follow its rules.

• Precedent for written limits to government power (like a constitution)

Plymouth Success• Why was the settlement

successful?

• The people at Plymouth were hard workers.

• Local natives helped the settlers learn how to farm and survive the harsh weather.

• Government and religion provided order.

Importance #1• Why was Plymouth

important?

• Religion = motivation of religion and the belief that “we are closest to god” became an important part of American culture.

• Religious freedom: Pilgrims allowed it in Plymouth = tradition for the future

Importance #2• Why was Plymouth

important?• The first Thanksgiving• We still celebrate the

coming together of the settlers and the Indians each November.

• It is a religious based feast that has become a national holiday

Importance #3• Why was Plymouth

important?• The Mayflower Compact: set a

precedent for constitutions and written documents about government

• Became an American tradition.• Other settlers would follow the

example leading to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut = the first Constitution followed the example of the Mayflower Compact

Importance #4• Why was Plymouth

important? • Led to the growth of 4 New England Colonies that would be based on religion.

• Success of Plymouth led more Puritan settlers to come to these places.