Overview
This lecture covers the English colonization methods, focusing on the Jamestown settlement, its challenges, interactions with Native Americans, and eventual success through tobacco cultivation.
English Colonization Methods
- England persisted in colonization after Roanoke’s failure due to potential wealth and influence.
- English colonization drew from brutal tactics used in Ireland, including plantations and forced conversion.
- Unlike the Spanish, English colonies were led by joint-stock companies and religious groups, not the monarchy.
- Joint-stock companies, groups of investors, allowed risk to be shared and profit to be multiplied.
- English colonies aimed to be self-sustaining, with settlers expected to work for survival.
- Colonies were smaller and compact, making them easier to control and defend.
- Settlers included lower-class citizens, religious dissenters, and many indentured servants, giving colonies a rebellious, hard-working dynamic.
- English colonies encouraged women to immigrate, promoting stable, self-sustaining populations.
- There was minimal intermarriage with Native Americans, leading to fewer mixed-race communities.
- Unlike Spain’s focus on gold and silver, English wealth relied on crops and raw materials like tobacco and timber.
Founding and Early Years of Jamestown
- James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company in 1606 to establish colonies.
- Three ships arrived in 1607, establishing Jamestown on a defensible inland river site.
- John Smith, an adventurer, became a key early leader after being spared execution.
- Jamestown settlers immediately built a fort to defend against Native Americans.
Relations with the Powhatan Confederacy
- The Powhatan Confederacy was a powerful alliance of 30 tribes in Virginia led by Wahunsenacawh.
- Initial relations with the English were distant but generally peaceful.
- John Smith was captured and possibly ritually spared by Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas (Matawaka).
- Pocahontas became an intermediary between English and Powhatan, but her famous romance with Smith is likely a myth.
Hardships and “Starving Time”
- Settlers arrived during a severe drought and were unprepared; only 38 of 105 survived the first year.
- John Smith’s strict "no work, no food" policy kept the colony alive but made him unpopular.
- Arrival of 300 ill-supported settlers and Smith’s departure worsened conditions.
- Native Americans laid siege, initiating the “Starving Time” (1609-1610), with two-thirds of colonists dying.
- Survivors resorted to eating animals, leather, and even engaging in survival cannibalism.
Revival and Economic Success
- In 1610, Thomas Gates and the castaways planned to abandon Jamestown until Lord De La Warr arrived with supplies and new settlers.
- John Rolfe introduced Caribbean tobacco, leading to the colony’s financial success as a tobacco producer.
- Tobacco became Jamestown's “cash crop,” attracting more settlers and establishing the plantation model.
Pocahontas, Peace, and Conflict
- Pocahontas (Matawaka), after being kidnapped, converted to Christianity, married John Rolfe, and took the name Rebecca.
- Their marriage brought two years of peace between Powhatans and settlers.
- Pocahontas traveled to England, where she was treated as a princess but died in 1617.
- After Powhatan’s death, new conflict erupted under his brother Opchanacanough, but increasing English numbers led to Powhatan decline.
Government and Legacy
- In 1619, Jamestown established the House of Burgesses, the first elected government in the colonies.
- Jamestown’s survival and prosperity inspired further English colonization in North America.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Joint-stock company — a business entity where investors pool money for colonial ventures, sharing risk and profits.
- Indentured servant — a laborer bound by contract to work for a set period in exchange for passage to America.
- Powhatan Confederacy — alliance of Native American tribes in Virginia led by chief Wahunsenacawh.
- Cash crop — a crop grown for sale rather than subsistence, e.g., tobacco.
- Starving Time — winter of 1609–1610 in Jamestown, marked by siege, famine, and cannibalism.
- House of Burgesses — the first representative legislative assembly in the American colonies, founded in Virginia in 1619.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the differences between Spanish and English colonization methods.
- Study the timeline and major events of Jamestown’s early years.
- Prepare for next class by reading about the spread of English settlements and triangular trade.