2. Joint Stock Company- A business owned by
many people
Virginia Company of London- Joint Stock
Company developed to try and establish a
colony in Virginia.
Please Note-When we speak of Virginia at
this time we are talking of all land north of
Spanish Florida and south of Canada along
the Atlantic Coast.
3. First successful colony in 1607 that saw success
due to many factors, including the popularity of
crops like tobacco, leadership from John Smith
and aid from Native Americans (ex. Pocahontas).
Goal: find gold and other natural resources
4. 144 men sailed from England
◦ 39 died during journey
Settle by the “James River”
◦ Why did they chose to settle next to the river?
By river: easy to bring in people & supplies
Inland: Hidden from Spanish ships sailing
in Atlantic
5. • Colonists struggled
• Settlement was in swampland
• Impure drinking water
• Disease
• Starvation
• Lack of skills to hunt, fish, and/or farm
• Native American attacks
• Negative relations with Natives harmed local trade
6. John Smith- first leader of Jamestown. Told
colonists they would not eat if they did not
work.
Made friendly relations with Indians which
helped colonists survive.
9. Introduced by John Rolfe, brought from the
Caribbean illegally.
The use of tobacco as a cash crop saves the
colony of Jamestown.
10. The use of tobacco as a cash crop allows
Jamestown to grow as a colony.
More people start coming over to
Jamestown. VA. Co. of London promises 50
acres of land to anyone that pays their way
over to the Jamestown Colony.
Indentured Servants- people who would pay
for passage to the new world, food, clothing
and shelter by working off their debt.
Usually this would be a 5-7 year
commitment.
11. Apprentices-People who learn a trade from a
skilled worker.
Many of the people who came over to
Jamestown would come over to learn a trade
in order to make a living. Examples of skilled
labor-silversmith, blacksmith, printer
12. Burgesses- Elected
Representatives
House of
Burgesses- Elected
officials would meet
and make laws for
the colony. This is
the first
representative
government in the
American Colonies.
