1
Key Terms:
Charter- a document issued by a government that grants specific rights to a
person or company
John Smith- became leader of Jamestown- harsh rules: helped Jamestown
Representative government- the form of government where voters elect
people to make laws for them
Key Ideas:
A group of wealthy people came to North America to find gold, silver,
and trade items: investors
They formed the Virginia Company of London
England’s King James backed the projects and granted charter to
establish Virginia
Virginia Company had authority over most of Atlantic coastline
Jamestown barely survived- diseases, swampy land
Colonists didn’t want to farm and spent time looking for gold- made
Indians (Powhatan) supply food
John Smith lead the colony and made harsh rules- no work, no food
Built buildings, planted crops  more settlers came
John Smith used force and threats to get food from Indians- mad
John Smith left- Jamestown conditions worsened
Powhatan decided he didn’t want the English- refused to supply them
with food  they ran out and starved: Starving Time
Virginia Company found tobacco- !!! success !!!
Virginia colonists set up representative government
House of Burgesses made laws and set taxes- worked with governor
They also introduced slavery- shipped Africans became slaves: could
pay off debt *indentured servant*
©SarahStudyGuides
2
Jamestown
Plymouth
“gentlemen” investors  $$ and
gold: greed and self-interest
Clergymen  religious freedom:
pure community
Barely succeeded
Starving Time
unskilled
Natives: poor treatment
government unstable:
factions
no unity
slaves (indentured
servants):
o $$
o Lazy
More successful
more skills (wills)
Natives: Thanksgiving
government stableMayflower Compact- same
goals
united
no slavery:
o poorer people
o doesn’t belong
©SarahStudyGuides