Jamestown: The Development Of Capitalism In Colonial America

Jamestown was the first successful English New world colony it was undertaken by adventurers and commercial entrepreneurs known as the Virginia Company of London in 1607. Jamestown was established after several earlier failed attempts by the English, notably the Roanoke colony, which was an attempt at settlement during the reign of Elizabeth I. The fate of the Roanoke colony remains somewhat of a mystery. Upon his return with supplies for the colony after a four-year delay due to the Anglo-Spanish War, John White, its governor, found the colony abandoned. The Jamestown colonists like those of Roanoke were woefully unprepared for the rigors of settlement in the New World.

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.

Jamestown was the first colony in America and it was the first glipse of what America would become U.S. history began with the first settlement in Jamestown because it was the first time people began to identify as American. At the most difficult times, the American people were motivated by their desire to create an ideal society. The principles that they held to be true are used as a basis for American society. The people of Jamestown continue to influence our nation today. According to Jamestown and Yorktown Settlement and Victory Center, “The government, language, customs, beliefs and aspirations” that were part of the early Virginian’s lifestyles continue to play a role in American society.

In early America, the first successful colony was called the Jamestown Colony. It took a while for this new country to fill up, though. This was because, in the beginning, many people died from disease, starvation, and Native American attacks. Many people in the early Jamestown Colony died from a disease. “Summer sickness kills half the colonists” (J. Frederick Fausz, “An Abundance of Bloodshed on Both Sides: England’s First Indian War 1609-1614,” The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, January 1990).

Religion played an important role in each of the British colonies. Many Christian groups tried to enforce religious observance through the colony's government and the local town's rules. Some laws stated that everyone must attend a house of worship and pay taxes that helped fund the pay of ministers. Out of the thirteen colonies, only eight had official churches. In the colony, those who practice a different version of Christianity or a non- Christian faith were sometimes killed (www.facinghistory.org 1).

1. What effect did the Great Awakening have on the colonies? First, the Great Awakening affected the colonies by changing many people's attitudes towards religion. Before this revival, religious piety and fervor had been waning in the colonies. ...

The first colonists of New England were driven by religious reasons; the settlers were devout Puritans. Their religiousness helped develop New England. John Calvin’s followers, called Puritans wanted to purify and reform the Church of England. The Puritans took their inspiration from Calvinism; they lived their lives of strict devotion. In addition, the Puritans valued their community, where everyone within the community must care for one another.

The southern states included Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. These colonies were part of the original 13 that settled in the Americas. The geography included coastal plains, hilly areas and lots of forests. In addition too, the colonies were bordering the Atlantic Ocean. This allowed for two things, a food source (fish) and it also allowed implement mercantilism to happen such as trading with Europe and gaining a profit or trading in the triangular trade.

The growth of Jamestown Colony was in no way fast. People in Jamestown were very close to being wiped out several times. Some people even had to resort to cannibalism in order to stay alive. They would eat their fallen comrades because they often times had no other food source available. One cause and effect is they were running low on supplies which lead to them becoming desperate, so they started trading with the Powhatan.

we have today. Another example of ideas, beliefs, and culture would be the coalition the early colonists formed which is incredibly reminiscent of the coalition the early states formed against British occupation, which foreshadowed the concept of ‘The United States of America’. The early coalition was against a vast and seemingly superior foe(much akin to the British during the Revolutionary War), and consisted of the colonies of Plymouth, New Haven, Massachusetts Bay, and Connecticut. However, unlike the later coalition, Rhode Island refused to involve themselves in the allegiance. Finally, many of the ways the Pilgrims and their progeny treated the native peoples foreshadowed the mistreatment of the Native Americans today.