The Jamestown and Plymouth colonies experienced many difficulties in their early years. Jamestown settlers struggled with disease, attacks from Native Americans, and a lack of food. John Smith emerged as a strong leader who forced the colonists to work and build houses and plant crops. His leadership helped the colony survive, but conditions remained difficult. The cultivation of tobacco eventually boosted the Jamestown economy and led to the importation of indentured servants and African slaves to work the tobacco fields.

1. Ch. 7 Lesson 3 & 4The Jamestown and Plymouth Colonies

2. Online Story Sitehttp://jamestown.invioni.com/real_index.html

3. JamestownMerchants and land owners started a business called the Virginia Company of LondonSet up the company to start a colony in VirginiaSold shares of ownership, or stockAny profits the company made would be divided among those who bought the stockGoal of Expedition: To make MONEY

4. Jamestown Cont.Settled in Chesapeake Bay after sailing down a river, named it James river after King James IBuilt houses, a church and a fortLife was much more difficult than imagined

11. Difficulties at JamestownWater was salty and unsafe to drinkMosquitoes carried deadly diseases, a problem with swampy landsConstant attacksLazy “gentlemen” did not work to plant crops, had expected to find gold like SpanishBy winter, nearly half of the colonists had died

12. John SmithA natural story teller, and a natural leaderBecame disgusted with colonists, forced them to work“He that will not work, will not eat.”Forced colonists to build houses, plant crops, raise livestockMade him unpopular, but kept them aliveStory of Pocahontas

13. Pocahontas

16. John Smith cont.Smith led trading with the areas Native American tribesStrong LeaderHurt in a gunpowder accident and had to return to EnglandColony suffered without himThe winter of 1609 – 1610 was “The Starving Time”“If we were lucky, our food was a can of barley, split among five men each day.”

18. The Adventures of John Smithhttp://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Games/InteractiveAdventures/John-smith

19. New VirginiansColony barley survived the winter1614 John Rolfe found a solution…tobaccoTobacco became a cash crop: a crop that is sold for moneyKing James I, “Tobacco is a stinking weed.”Grew it anyways, rejuvenated spirit

21. “Peace of Pocahontas”John Rolfe married PocahontasMarriage helped keep peace between English and Powhatan peopleLasted 8 yearsPocahontas became “celebrity” in EnglandDied of Small Pox right before return to Virginia

25. Africans Arrive in JamestownTobacco was growing everywhere, needed workersMany newcomers were indentured servantsIndentured Servants: people who could not afford the trip, borrowed money, and agreed to work 5-7 years to pay off debt

26. Virginia’s gold and silver.-- John Rolfe, 1612

27. Early Colonial Tobacco1618 — Virginia produces 20,000 pounds of tobacco.1622 — Despite losing nearly one-third of its colonists in an Indian attack, Virginia produces 60,000 pounds of tobacco.1627 — Virginia produces 500,000 pounds of tobacco.1629 — Virginia produces 1,500,000 pounds of tobacco.

28. Tobacco Prices: 1618-1710Why did tobacco prices decline soprecipitously?

29. 17c PopulationWHY this large increase in black population??

30. First Africans were indentured servants, early population included both free and indentured AA’sChristians could not be enslaved by English lawEventually all African Americans were forced to work

32. The “Middle Passage”

33. The Atlantic Slave Trade

34. 1619Women are brought to coloniesHouse of Burgesses met for the first timeMade laws for the colonyMembers were white men who owned landNot always fair, but first step towards developing own govt.Burgesses (citizen or freeman)More conflict with Native Americans1924: King James I took back over

35. Virtual Jamestownhttp://www.virtualjamestown.org/quicktime/jamestown_fort.html

36. Virtual Map of Settlementhttp://www.virtualjamestown.org/jamestown_development/settlement_v2.html