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Jamestown and the Virginia Company

            In 1607 the Virginia Company sponsored the voyage which carried 104 colonists from England to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. All 104 colonists that made the trip from England to Virginia were men. Although their original goal in coming to Virginia was to search for gold and find other natural resources their site would come to be known as Jamestown, the widely regarded first permanent English settlement in America. The crucial task of establishing a society in a new and foreign land did not go without its fair share of tribulations. The settlers faced many challenges on the road to establishing stability and success, such as disease and starvation. Coming over to a new country, not knowing what to expect or what supplies they needed many of the original 104 colonists died off. The leadership of the colony constantly changed and the town as a whole wasn't stable. In 1608 a new group of colonists including the first two women to arrive in Jamestown greatly increased the population. Because of this John Smith emerged as an autocratic authority figure. He taught the colonists the importance of farming, building homes and creating community. Once Smith was injured in an accident he was sent back to England. .
             After Smith left the Virginia Company realized that the colony couldn't survive on the hopes of finding gold. The colony as a whole needed to grow food and find things they could sell to make a profit. In order to bring more people to the colony the Virginia Company introduced the Headright System to the colony. The system promised fifty acres of land to any colonist who paid for his own passage. This really appealed to men with large families and servants because each family member got land. This system also allowed people that couldn't afford to pay for the passage to come over and work as an indentured servant for seven years. Unlike African slavery indentured servants that survived the seven years of work were set free and were able to live their lives in the "new world.


Essays Related to Jamestown and the Virginia Company

1. Jamestown or Virginia

Jamestown or Virginia was formed due to a colonization order by King James I. Virginia company brought the first settlers to the New World which mostly consisted of unskilled young men who wanted to acquire wealth and go back to England. ... From 1630 to 1776 major economic changes took place in Jamestown. ... In 1620 Virginia company of Plymouth gathered merchants, farmers, craftsmen etc. who were mainly Puritans to set up the New England colonies. Unlike Jamestown, Plymouth settlers came as families. ...

  • Word Count: 1244
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

2. History of Jamestown

In May 1607, the Virginia Company of London founded the first permanent English settlement in North America. ... In 1606 King James I of England granted the Virginia Company of London a charter to establish colonies in Virginia. The Virginia Company of London was set up as a "speculative company investment", the individuals put their monies into a joint stock which funded the expedition. ... The primary motivation of the Virginia Company of London was economic. ... The Island of Jamestown had one added benefit and that was it wasn't occupied by the Virginia Indians. ...

  • Word Count: 2369
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Grade Level: High School

3. The Jamestown Settlement

The village of Jamestown became the first permanent English Colony within North America in May 1607. ... The Virginia Company entrepreneured the venture upon royal charter by King James I in April 1606. ... The video shows the Virginia Company in its early stages mapping a plan for Jamestown's survival trying to keep the colony afloat at any stake, suggesting land ownership and representative government to entice more people. ... The film transitions to 1624 where English privateers come across a Portuguese ship containing African slaves, which are then brought to Virginia. ... The story...

  • Word Count: 1129
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Colonial Virginia

Colonial Virginia On April 26, 1607, three English ships, sent by the Virginia Company of London, sailed along the coast of what is now know as southern Virginia. ... Before the ships even left the Virginia Company, who funded the trip, put seven names in a box and the colonists were told to open the box when they arrived. ... The demand for this new tobacco from Virginia was very profitable for the colony and also for the Virginia Company who were beginning to get frustrated with the colonists. ... In 1624 he decided to take the Virginia colony away from the Virginia Company bec...

  • Word Count: 1381
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Jamestown

In 1606, a joint-stock company called the Virginia Company of London was formed in order to find gold in the New World and was also formed to find a passage through America to the Indies. The Virginia Company set sail for America in 1606 with three ships. ... The Company soon after landed on a river that they would call James River, after King James I. ... On May 24th, 1607 the English settlers named their land Jamestown. ... With experience being the best teacher, the settlers learned form their experience at Jamestown. ...

  • Word Count: 384
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. The Failure of the Jamestown Colony

Professor Kupperman proclaims Jamestown to be a success once the colony for multiple reasons. ... The settlers of Jamestown were not successful in establishing a functional colony because it didn't achieve the expectation that the Virginia Company laid out for it. ... The settlers' dependence on the Indians combined with their failure to meet expectations of the Virginia Company makes them unsuccessful in establishing a functional colony. Though Jamestown did aid in helping Plymouth become a successful colony, this was because Plymouth was able to learn off of the many mistakes that ...

  • Word Count: 739
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Lesson 1

Jamestown, Virginia is considered as the first, still existing, settlement made by the Europeans in America. The colonists from Jamestown, like the men of many other firsts, had hardships even before they arrived in America. ... This made the men at Jamestown homesick and lacking of good home life. ... Eventually, in 1609, his enemies who wished not to labor drove Smith out of Jamestown. ... After the London Company had threaten many times to banish the colony, new leaders and skilled men came over from England along with women and families. ...

  • Word Count: 905
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Differences between the Jamestown and New England colonies

The charter for the settlement at Jamestown was issued to the Virginia Company in 1606, and when it was settled in 1607 its purpose was the same as that of any other business, to generate wealth (Ayers et al, page 46). ... As mentioned earlier, the Jamestown colony was established as a business venture (Ayers et al, page 48). ... This became quite a hindrance for the population of Jamestown. ... Followed by changes with the Virginia Company in 1619 making it easier for people to become landowners, the population of Jamestown began to grow (Ayers et al, page 50). ... Making an agreement wit...

  • Word Count: 988
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. The General History of Virginia and Of Plymouth Plantation

The General History of Virginia and Of Plymouth Plantation are both first-hand accounts of the first two permanent British colonies in North America. ... The General History of Virginia, is a history of the settling of Jamestown, Virginia, while Of Plymouth Plantation, is a chronicle of the events that occurred in settling Plymouth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. ... In The General History of Virginia, John Smith, whether accurately or inaccurately, portrays himself as an all-to-essential leader who helps save his colony from disaster after disaster with heroic bravery; while in Of...

  • Word Count: 614
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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