The
Virginia Colony in the 17th Century
The history of early Virginia is important for students to
understand because as the first colony it set the tone for much of colonial
America. While it began as
financial adventure looking for gold and riches, Virginia quickly evolved into
an agricultural society based on the lucrative crop tobacco.
The search for profit shaped the early development and history of this
English colony. These early English settlers helped establish in the English
mind the image of Indians, which would continue to exist for several centuries.
Labor was a constant issue but this was solved by the introduction of
indentured servants from England, thus permitting the growth and general
prosperity of the colony. Yet, by the mid 1600s the use of Africans as servants
and slaves increased as indentured servants no longer were economically
advantageous. By the 1670s,
Virginia colonists had begun to cement the status of Africans as slaves and the
permanent switch to African slaves began after the Bacons Rebellion.
By the early 1700s, Virginias slave society was established and
slavery entrenched throughout southern colonies.
Jamestown, 1607
Roanoke Model
Sig: Demonstrated
problem of military model of conquest
Early Problems at
Jamestown
Sig: Struggles and
obstacles early colonists faced which shaped changes in colonization
Virginia co. reforms
(1618)
Headright; governed by
English law; council; diversify economy
Sig: Brought stability
to colony and encouraged immigration
Sig: Outlines the
creation of first assembly and helped create stability
Labor in Early VA
Expectations of
initial settlers
Sig: Helps explain early failure of colony and use of servants
Indentured servitude
Sig: Became major labor source of early VA
Sig: First-hand account of difficult conditions servants faced
Daily Life in VA
disease, short life expectancy, low BR
Sig: Provides student a sense of harsh life all faced but hope
to make it kept them coming
English and Indian Relations
Indian civilization
before contact
Sig: Students should
understand diversity and development of native cultures
Sources of difference
property/environment;
religion; gender; sexuality
Sig: Key differences
(cultural not racial) that shaped English view of Indians
Primary Source:
Smiths Account of Powhatan Indians
Sig: Demonstrates
differences that English emphasized
Early Conflicts
A peaceful coexistence
Sig: That early
relationship mutually beneficial
Tobacco and Land
savage image &1622
massacre
Labor Before Africans
Slavery in world
context
Sig: Recognize that
global economy shaped slavery and that all slavery not the same
Why no slavery in
early decades?
Sig: Helps them
understand that slavery developed not a natural response
Servants-Black and
White
Sig: Helps indicate
that Africans not always viewed as slaves
Sig: Helps demonstrate
race not clearly defined
Changing conditions of
servitude
Sig: Helps explain
what factors help explain shift to slavery
Race and American Slavery
1660s begin to see
inc. use of slaves and laws establishing their status
Sig: Helps show how
slavery evolved into clear legal status
Bacons Rebellion
Sig: Demonstrated that
use of servants a consistent problem and made shift to slavery easier
Use of race to
separate workers
Sig: Helps students
understand how race and slavery defined southern society
Primary Source:
Mennonite Protest against slavery
Sig: Help students see
that not all colonists supported slavery
Activity:
Students will use JamesQuest to explore one aspect of early
colonial Virginia society.
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/curry/dept/cise/soc/resources/jvc/unit/webquests/