The people of Jamestown, who came first, came with the dreams of entrepreneurship. They were charted by the Virginia Company and came here to prospect and mine gold. They had no farmers, so they wanted to make a living from other, more capitalistic means. They used indentured servants and native slaves to do the hard labor, while they would search for gold. To their dismay, there was no gold to be found.
Has one known about the first American colony? The colony that started an entire country? That amazing but horrible place was Jamestown. Jamestown was the first permanent colony in America, and it was located in Virginia, up the Chesapeake Bay. It took many deadly years to form with threats all around the colony, but it was able to survive.
Proverbs 12:11, “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.” Most people realize that the early settlers in America endured many tribulations such as food shortages, fights with Indians, quarrels among leaders, and more. What most people do not realize is that many of these early settlers squandered their time, wasted their energy, and were generally lazy and idle. This was a huge problem for early Americans because in order to survive, it was vital that they work. Why were these early Americans not motivated to work?
If I had a chance to travel back in time, it would be the historical time period of John Smith. I chose to interview John Smith because of his leadership ability to brave the travels from England in which to help the country become prosperous. The ability to lead the group of settlers in Jamestown to become successful even with starvation at the doorstep of the colony. John Smith was born in Lincolnshire, England around 1579 or 1580. His parents were George and Alice Smith.
The colonists developed the stable government structure about “local affairs and landowners, legislature, marriage arrangements, and council and assembly members” (Gillon, pg.52). Moreover, the population in this region increased rapidly because there were more immigrants, and those who were Catholic and Protestant. Even though the Southern Colonies seemed to be another successful region, colonists needed to depended mainly on African labors, who were brought into the regions and caused another religion—African American or Anglican. These Africans were hard workers, and they were limit their abilities and were defined as human properties. “Africans were described as slaves and their offspring were declared to be slaves too” (Gillon, pg. 58).
In the spring of 1607, 144 men sent by the London Company, landed on Chesapeake Bay where they then sailed 60 miles up the James River, where they established the Jamestown settlement. Although the beginning of the Jamestown settlement was rough, it was not until 1616 when Virginia’s settlers learned how to grow tobacco,where it seemed the colonies might survive. For instance, between 1607 and 1763, British north American colonies developed experience in self-governance through constructing the House of Burgesses and signing the Mayflower Compact, and the colonists developed their expectation of self-government and individual freedoms based on the isolation that separated them apart from England. First of all, the House of Burgesses was the first elected legislative representative assembly, consisted of twenty-two members, and was established in Jamestown in 1619.
In 1607, the first wave of colonial settlers arrived in Virginia and began to establish Jamestown. Many of the new settlers came from wealthy families never performing a day of manual labor. With agricultural farming, being the revenue source of the new colonial settlers there would soon be a great demand for labor. Contracts of indentures were expiring and with much devastation in England, there was a shortage of English servants.
During 1607-1611, early Jamestown colonists died to many reasons like starvation, occupations, and drought. Colonists did not have many resources to live a long life. That is why they died so fast through 1607-1611. Colonists died because they tried to find a new settlement for more land so they can have more resources and for a stronger defense, but instead they got attacked and there was not a lot of food there to feed them all. Colonists died by attacks by Indians.
Starting over in a new unknown world can be terrifying. The Jamestown colonists had hard trials, some survived these trials, some weren 't so lucky. Poor planning, Indian attacks and lack of medical care are the three main reasons the so many colonists died during the early years of their settlement in the new world. The colonists were not prepared for their new beginning.
The Virginia colony intended to reproduce into an English society when they settled. With tobacco becoming a huge crop in Virginia, they invested heavily in servants to help with the plantations, “Our principal wealth…. consisteth in servants.” (Takaki 53). Whites
Jamestown colony and Plymouth colony have are two similar colonies but at the same time are so very different. One similarity is that each colony had a large number of deaths after winter. One difference is that Plymouth colony had a good relationship with the Native Americans and Jamestown didn't have a good relationships with them. A second difference is that the two colonies came for different reasons.
This was mostly because of the conflicts between the Jamestown settlers and the Indians. There was also a need to help the planters because of the
Life in Colonial America was different for all those involved, which were the settlers of Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay colony.. Jamestown, Plymouth, and Massachusetts Bay had similarities and differences. They each had their own unique leaders, form of government, economics, and ways of life, although all the settlers in these colonies had a deep dependence on God. Jamestown was the first permanent settlement in North America, founded in 1607.
But the majority of the young white males who came to Jamestown were poor, uneducated, and unskilled. They had no families and no means of supporting themselves, which meant that they caused a potential problem to the political and economic challenge for stability. Since these men had no skills, they would become indentured servants, trading their labor for free passage to the colonies. Elite landowners used this unfree labor to their advantage by growing cash crops like tobacco and exporting their agricultural products, eventuating establishing Jamestown as a boomtown. Once the colony had become stabilized, the first representative legislature general assembly met in the Jamestown church in 1619.
The first settlers arrived in, what is now the United States, May 13, 1607. Despite the early age, the United States did not officially become an independent country until July 4th, 1776. When the first settlers came to North America, the American dream awaited to be achieved. The “American Dream” by definition is “the ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American.” (Dictionary.com).