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History Of Jamestown

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History Of Jamestown
Maraide Green
September 2, 2014
APUSH essay- History of Jamestown

Jamestown, established in 1607, was the first permanent English colony in North America. The history of this settlement is important because it was a model for the other colonies to be established. Joint- stock companies enabled investors who wanted to explore other lands to fulfill their dreams. A joint-stock company, known as the Virginia Company of London, provided the funds for the establishment of Jamestown. The charter from the Virginia Company stated that they were searching for gold and a sea route through America to the Indies. The motives to leave England and settle in North America varied from unemployment to religious freedom. Unfortunately, speaking different languages makes communication difficult. Settlers at Jamestown took part in trade with the Powhatan natives, yet sometimes they wanted information more than they wanted goods. Powhatan, the chief of as many as 30 tribes, wanted the settlement of Jamestown to become one of his tribes. So, he captured Captain John Smith. Upon the execution of Captain Smith, Pocahontas, the daughter of Chief Powhatan, stepped in and saved his life. They negotiated plans that benefitted both parties and Pocahontas took on the role as the peacemaker.
In 1610, Lord De La Warr arrived with requests from the Virginia Company: go to war with the Powhatan Indians. This wasn’t a difficult task because the colonists were famished and diseased. The raids ended in 1614 with a peace settlement and the marriage of Pocahontas and an English colonist by the name of John Rolfe. Rolfe saved Jamestown economically by perfecting a tobacco growing system. The demand for this cash crop in England led Jamestown to comfortable financially. Yet, peace with the Indians did not last long and the Second Anglo-Powhatan War would take place in 1644.
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