Virgina Colonys

Virginia Colony Essay

The Virginian colony faced many hardships over the 17th century. Despite their challenges the colonist managed to help advance themselves socially and economically over the years. With the help and cooperation of others the Virginian colonist transformed their society into a workable place to live.

When the ship landed in the Chesapeake Bay in 1606, the English settlers were immediately faced with a challenge. The Indians began to attack the men and forced them to choose a location on the James River. This swampy land was cover with disease infested mosquitoes that killed many of the men. The settlers were intrigued by a constant search for gold which caused them to neglect the important things, like planting crops for food. As seen in Document A the lack of food and malnutrition killed the men by the dozens. The men needed someone to help lead them in the right direction.

Thankfully, the new colonists were saved by the leadership of their new arrival, John Smith. He made the men work the land and plant food in order to survive. The men and women brought over from England as indentured servants helped to cultivate the land [Document C]. Also, with the help of John Rolfe and Pocahontas, the colonists were able to make peace with the Indians. When the indentured servants paid off their dues, the colonists need someone to help do the work. Slaves were brought over on ships and traded through the middle passage [Document D]. With the arrival of these African American slaves, social classes began to develop.

On the economic side, John Rolfe contributed to the emergence of the tobacco industry, a savior for the Virginia colony [Document B]. A large demand for the tobacco crop came from England. This demand led to a huge prosperity for the Virginian colony. Also, the colonist did a great amount of trade with the Indians. The Indians did not have the modern advances that the people from