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Bellwork 10/1

●

Watch the clip of Pocahontas.

●

Write these in your binder:

● ● ● How is Pocahontas portrayed?

How is the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas portrayed?

Tell what happens overall

4.1 English Colonies

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Essential Questions

● What were the negative effects of the location of Jamestown?

● What was the true story of John Smith and Pocahontas?

London Company

 In

1605

a company of English merchants, called the

London Company

, asked for the right to found a new settlement in North America  They wanted to settle in a region called

Virginia

o At the time, Virginia stretched from present day

Maine to South Carolina

o King James I granted this request promising the Company the rights to these lands

Settlement in Jamestown

 After learning of the failures of previous colonies financed by one person, the London Company wanted a group to

share the cost and risk

of founding a colony 

To attract investors and settlers

, the LC

printed advertisements

praising Virginia.



Propaganda

-

Information that is spread with the purpose of promoting a cause.

 The

promise of wealth

attracted adventurers and people who wanted a

new start

in America.



The main purpose of Jamestown was to generate profit for England

 In April

1607

, three ships containing 105 male colonists landed off the coast of Virginia o The ships sailed into Chesapeake Bay and up to the James River  They named the colony Jamestown, after the King of England

Life in Jamestown



The colonists were poorly prepared to start a settlement

 Most wanted to earn their living in the new world, but had

no practical skills

to start a colony such as carpentry or farming experience.

o Most were

English “Gentlemen” a higher social class that looked down on physical labor



Captain John Smith

was one colonist of the early colonists of Jamestown o He complained about the poor work ethic and lack of skills of the other colonists

Negatives of the Location

 The colony was built on a

marshland

o This area was full of

disease-carrying mosquitoes

o The river water was

too salty

to drink  By the time winter arrived,

2/3

of the original

colonists had died

o The survivors were hungry and sick

John Smith

 John Smith

took control

of the colony  He forced the settlers to work and to build

better housing

 He also

instituted policies

that made all healthy people gather food  During an expedition for food, Smith was captured by Algonquian Indians  He was taken to the Powhatan (pow-a-tan) capital of Werowocomoco.

Pocahontas

 Daughter of Wahunsonacock (wa-hoon-Suh-nuh-kik), chief of the Powhatan  Real name was

Matoaka

(ma-toke-a) o Pocahontas was a

nickname

that means playful or hard to control

Smith and Pocahontas Myths

Saving Smith’s Life  Smith wrote in his book that he was

saved from death

by Pocahontas o He said he was set on an altar stone to be clubbed to death by members of the tribe o He said Pocahontas flung herself on him to save him 

The book was published more than 10 years after the incident



No one really knows if it actually happened

 Some theories suggest if it happened, it was merely a symbolic

public ceremony

to show the Powhatan acceptance of Smith

Why would Smith create this story?



Bias- Supporting one side rather than remaining neutral

 No one else was around to tell the story in 1624, as Pocahontas died in 1617  This story would make Smith’s adventures seem more fantastic and perhaps help him become famous  It also could have been done to promote Pocahontas’ story

Romantic Relationship?

 There is

no evidence

to suggest of a romantic relationship between the two 

Smith was 28

and

Pocahontas was around 11

Pocahontas helps the Colonists

 This fact about Pocahontas is true:  Pocahontas was trusted by the English and

helped to formulate English/American Indian relationships

 She carried

food, gifts, and messages

between the two cultures  She also was able to arrange for prisoner transfers between the two groups  The Powhatan taught the colonists how to

grow corn.

Colonist/Powhatan Relations

 While Pocahontas helped to mend the relationship between the two groups, it was

not always peaceful

 The colonists sometimes stole food from the Powhatan by force  There were also incidents and skirmishes between the two groups

Bellwork: 10/2

• Review Paragraph: In paragraph form, compare the Pocahontas myth to reality. Use at least 3 facts.

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Essential Question

● What saved Jamestown and allowed it to be profitable? How did this process occur?

Starving Time

 In 1609

400

more settlers arrived in Jamestown  A gunpowder injury forced John Smith to return to England, leaving the colony without a strong leader  That winter,

disease and famine

hit the colony  This time period was called the

starving time

o The next spring, only 60 colonists were still alive.

John Rolfe

 Because the colony was struggling to survive, it obviously was

not making money

for the London Company.

 Colonist

John Rolfe

helped to solve this problem o He knew

tobacco

grew well in Virginia, it was just not the type that was preferred in England o Rolfe introduced a West Indian variety to be grown in Virginia.

o Soon the colonists were able to

export tobacco to England for a profit

 John Rolfe later married Pocahontas in 1614.

o This marriage also helped Jamestown to form more

peaceful relationships

with the Powhatan.

 Occurred while she was captured by the English o She later became baptized and was known as

Rebecca

o She met the King and Queen of England on a trip to promote the Jamestown colony and

recruit

new settlers.

Relationships Strained

 Peace between the colonists and American Indians did not last  Colonists

no longer depended

on the Indians for food  As they colony grew, they began

using Indian land

to grow tobacco

 Colonists killed a Powhatan leader, and Opechancanough (O-pech-an-cah-no) responded by attacking the settlers killed 350 men, women, and children.

o Among those killed was

John Rolfe

 Fighting between the groups continued for the next 20 years

Life in Virginia

 People began to live on scattered farms instead of towns  Tobacco farmers established plantations o This was due to the

headright

system  Colonists who paid their own way to Virginia received 50 acres of land  For every additional person they brought they would get 50 more acres  Life was difficult, as many people died from diseases and harsh weather o High death tolls led to

labor shortages

Indentured Servants



Indentured servants

were hired to help with the labor o

Would work 4-7 years for those who paid for their trip to America

o They would be provided with food, drink, clothes, and shelter  Living and working conditions were poor, and many indentured servants died before their term ended.

African Slaves

 Africans came to Virginia on a Dutch ship in 1619.



Some worked as indentured servants, others as slaves.

 As time went on, less people were willing to work in the harsh conditions as an indentured servant  This led to an increase of African slaves.



Planters- owners of large plantations turned to using slave labor for their plantations

Bacon’s Rebellion

 Many colonists were growing unhappy with

conditions

in the colony.

 Poor

colonists especially were upset with how the government was run.

o They also felt they were

not being protected from Indian attacks

 They were also upset with the

lack of available

farmland, and began farming on Indian land.

 In 1676 a group of former indentured servants attacked a group of American Indians o This group was led by

Nathaniel Bacon

, a wealthy planter

 When the governor tried to stop Bacon and his men, they attacked and burned Jamestown.

 At one point, Bacon and his men controlled Jamestown.

o Bacon later died of fever, ending the rebellion.

o The 23 remaining rebels were hanged to death.

 The rebellion made it difficult to make peace with American Indians.