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.

7. John Smith True Life
Disney Version
Painting

8. Disney English Painting

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.