Jamestown Settlement In Virginia Essay

The ships Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed carried about 100 settlers to the New World and arrived on December 20, 1606. Although Jamestown was the first successful English Colony, the community went through strife and hardship during their first years in Virginia. From detrimental influence from the merchants who brought them to adversity with the native people. In 1606 King James I granted a charter and 100 miles of land to the London and Plymouth Company for colonizing the New World. (C&G 27) (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, P1-1. 1p). The London Company had great influence on the Jamestown settlement in Virginia. Settlers were promised land if they give 7 years of work and survive. (C&G 28). Initially, the colonists were coerced into tasks for The London Company. About

(C&G 27) The native people were thought to be savages who needed guidance. During the first few years, the native people actually helped the colonists by providing food during the long winters. They also taught them how to navigate through the forests. However, the English settlers abused the relationship formed with the natives and ultimately started to take what they wanted by force. This barbaric treatment of the native people is ultimately what caused the “Starvation Time”. (C&G 29) Jamestown settlers continue the trend of disregarding human life and became the first colony exposed to the slave trade in North America. Indentured servitude was becoming too expensive, because there was not enough land to distribute once the servants completed their seven years of work. The answer to this dilemma was slavery. In 1619, Africans arrived and were sold in the colony and during the 1960's slavery was made official in Virginia. Nearly 2,000 slaves were in Virginia in 1670. (C&G