The Virginia colony depended on tobacco as its primary cash crop and source of wealth. Tobacco farming required a large, inexpensive labor force, so African slaves were imported against their will to work on plantations. As the slave population increased, Virginia became increasingly dependent on slave labor for its economy. The English initially settled in the Tidewater and Piedmont regions, while Germans, Scots-Irish, Africans, and American Indians lived in different areas depending on their traditional homelands and the labor demands of the colony.

1. VS.4 ~ Colonial Virginia
Portsmouth Public Schools
Office of Social Studies

2. • Plantation ~ a large farm
• Economy ~ Use of money to produce and
buy goods and services
• Slave ~ a person who is owned by another
person and has no freedom or rights
• Cash Crop ~ A crop that is grown to sell for
money rather than to be consumed or used
for processing a good

3. The Economy of Virginia depended on
• Agriculture was a primary source of wealth
Tobacco
became the
most profitable
agricultural
product and
was sold in
England as a
cash crop.

5. The successful planting of tobacco:
• Depended on a reliable and
inexpensive/cheap source of labor
• Large numbers of Africans were brought to
the colony against their will to work on
slaves on the plantations.
• The Virginia Colony became dependent on
slave labor, and the dependence lasted a
long time.

6. Cultural landscapes
• Whenever people settle in an area,
they change the culture and landscape
to reflect their beliefs, customs, and
architecture.
• Examples of cultural landscapes:
– Barns
– Homes
– Places of Worship

7. Places that reflect culture:
• Richmond ~ English Culture
• Roanoke ~ American Indian
RichmondRoanoke

8. What groups moved to Virginia?
Where did they live?
• The English settled primarily in the
Tidewater and Piedmont Regions

9. • Germans and Scot-Irish settled primarily in the
Shenandoah Valley, which was along a migration
route.
What groups moved to Virginia?

10. • Africans settled primarily in the Tidewater and
Piedmont Regions where agriculture required
much labor.
What groups moved to Virginia?

11. • American Indians primarily settled in the Tidewater,
Piedmont and Appalachian Plateau Regions where their
traditional homelands were.
• Prior to the arrival of the settlers, American Indians lived
throughout Virginia. After the settlers arrive, most were
forced inland.
What groups moved to Virginia?

12. Cultural Virginia Map ~ Name the group
that settled in each region.
Green ~ Yellow ~
Pink ~ Blue ~

13. Migration and living in new areas
caused people to adapt old
customs to their new
environment. The Virginia
culture reflected Indian,
European and African cultures.

14. On the Move!!!
• What are some factors that influenced the move of the
capital from Jamestown to Williamsburg?

15. All about Jamestown
What did they think
they had at
Jamestown?
•Location could easily
be defended from
attack
•Deep Enough for ships
to dock
•Good supply of fresh
water
Why did they leave
Jamestown?
•Water was
contaminated
•Dirty living conditions
caused diseases
•Fire destroyed
wooden buildings at
Jamestown
•Williamsburg was at a
higher elevation.

16. Why did they move from Williamsburg to
Richmond?

17. Factors relating to the move to
Richmond…
• Population was moving westward
• Richmond was a more central location
• The move increased the distance from
attack by the English/British
(Revolutionary War)

18. Since Money was not commonly used,
what forms of exchange were used in the
Virginia Colony?
• Few people had paper money and/or coins
to use to buy/purchase goods and services.
• Barter was commonly used instead of
money
– Barter is a trade exchanging goods and services
without the use of money

19. Tobacco
• Tobacco was used as money.
• A Tobacco farmer could use his tobacco to
pay for goods and services.

20. Credit
• Farmers and other consumers could also
buy goods and services on credit and pay
their debts when their crops were harvested
and sold.

21. Terms to Know
• Money ~ a medium of exchange (currency includes coins and
paper bills)
• Ledger ~ a record book of financial activity
• Barter ~ trading or exchanging goods and services without the
use of money
• Credit ~ buying a good or service now and paying for it later
• Debt ~ a good or service owed to another
• Savings ~ money put aside to use at a later time

22. People living in Colonial Virginia:
• Depended on natural, human, and capital
resources to produce the goods and services
they needed.
Human resources are
people working to
produce goods and
services.
Natural resources are
materials that come
from nature (water, soil,
wood, coal).
Capital resources are
goods made by people
and used to produce
other goods and
services (machines,
tools, buildings).

23. Food
Food Choices were
limited.
Meals were made of
local produce and meats.
Housing
Most people lived in
one room homes with
dirt floors.
Some people (farmers)
lived in large houses.
Clothing
Households made their
own clothes.
Most clothing was
made of cotton wool
and leather.

24. How did people in Virginia live?
• Most white Virginian’s made their living from the
land as small farmers. A few owned large farms
(plantations).
• Most enslaved African Americans worked
tobacco, crops, and livestock. Enslaved African
Americans had no rights.
• Many free African Americans owned their own
businesses and properties, but were denied most
rights.