Colonial Virginia
By: Laura Savage and Virginia Hally
Jamestown• Site of first English colony in the Americas in
1606
• Located along the James River
• London Company was authorized to settle in Southern Virginia
Settled Jamestown
• Plymouth Company was authorized to settle Northern Virginia Unsuccessful
• 104 settlers came from London with the London Company
• Named colony Jamestown after King James I
John Smith• Set sail to Virginia on Dec. 20 1606
• Elected as one of the seven council members to govern the colony
• Captured by the Native Americans in 1607 and brought to Chief Powhatan
• Chief Powhatan was intrigued by Smith’s belongings
• It is rumored that his life was spared thanks to Pocahantas
• Released after four months of being held captive
• 1608 he was elected President of the local council
• Helped the colony survive the harsh winter with strong leadership “He who does not work, will not eat”
• Accidentally injured and had to return to England for treatment
Native Americans• Algonquian Indians were natives of the
land
• Continuously raided and attacked the colonists’ settlements hoping the settlers would leave
• Made life almost impossible for settlers by stealing important supplies, pistols, weapons, and food
• In 1622 the Algonquians attacked settlements and killed over 300 colonists
Jamestown Fort• Colonists built a triangular
wooden fort around to protect against the Algonquian attacks
• Fort enclosed a storehouse, church and many homes
Culture• Main source of income came from
growing tobacco
• Wealthiest of the 13 colonies
• Tough conditions for survival between attacks from Native Americans, famine and extreme freezes in the winter
• Most women were married at age 16 and immediately started having children
• Most goods used for daily life such as clothing candles and metals were made at home
Taverns• Taverns were the central place for drinking,
eating, socializing, entertainment andlodging for travelers
• Often music was played on the fiddle and people would engage in singing and dancing
• Taverns were not a place for proper women and prostitutes would often be found in them
• Heavy drinking took place in the taverns
• People could participate in gambling over card games, cockfights and horse racing
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_HUp6G85Xc
Williamsburg• Replaced Jamestown as Virginia’s capital in
1699
• Williamsburg was more ideal because it was located on higher ground and more protected against attacks from the Algonquians
• Also moved to Williamsburg because of contaminated drinking water and dirty and unsafe living conditions in Jamestown
• Named after the reigning monarch at the time, King William III
• In 1780 the capital was moved once again from Williamsburg to Richmond where it remains today
Politics• Pre-independence people were still obligated to the crown in England – many of the
goods produced in settlements like Jamestown were sent back to England
• Ruled by the crown until 1776
• Royal governors and local elected representatives ruled on behalf of the crown
• The General Assembly which was made up of a small group of wealthier citizens was in charge of voting
• Election day was a big social event in the colonies
Politics• Created the House of Burgesses in 1619
- First order of business to set minimum price for tobacco.
• Royal charter revoked in 1624 and became a royal colony
• Commonwealth policy
• Confederate State
• 10th state to ratify the Constitution
First Flag• Used in Hanover, VA
• In memory of officers, and men who served at Trenton
Current Flag
Designed at the beginning of the civil war in 1861.
"thus always to tyrants"
Slavery• Originated in Virginia
• Started in 1619 to work tobacco crops
• Continued for almost 250 years
Architecture
Plantations
Farms
Colonial Houses
Sources• http://www.williamsburg.com/history.cfm?subcategoryID=136&newUserLo
cation=1
• http://www.lva.virginia.gov/exhibits/political/colonial.htm• http://www.williamsburgva.gov/Index.aspx?page=124• http://www.fundforclassics.org/assets/images/wllmsburgpic1.jpg• http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2326/2322506203_7520c19677.jpg• http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cescott/colonial.html• http://www.preservationvirginia.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=6• http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/vaguide/history.html• http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter03-04/tavern.cfm• http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/usstates/virginiahistory2.htm• http://www.timepage.org/spl/13colony.html#virginia• http://www.vssr.org/flags.htm