Jamestowne Colony, founded in 1607, was the very first permanent English colony in North America. Over the last 400+ years, its importance in American history has come to be overshadowed by the Pilgrim story in New England, and the somewhat mythical “First Thanksgiving” (it wasn’t the first). When the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth in the Fall of 1620—ill prepared to withstand the harsh conditions of a New England winter– Jamestowne was in its second decade, with established families and businesses, a growing economy, and a representative government formed in 1619 known as the “General Assembly.”
Unlike Plymouth, which had been founded by English “separatists” seeking religious freedom, Jamestowne was founded by a group of well-heeled English “Adventurers” who were seeking to earn profits from the exploitation of the abundant natural resources they believed were to be found in Virginia, including deposits of silver and gold (which they later discovered didn’t exist). Towards that end, they formed the “Virginia Company,” in which they owned shares, and which oversaw the operations of the Jamestowne Colony through a governing Council. In 1606, the Virginia Company received its first “Charter” from the King, which described the lands in Virginia the Company was being granted, and how the new Colony was to be run. After the first settlement was established in 1607, and as more stockholders were recruited, a second Charter was granted in 1609, with even more land being granted, and more directives from the Crown issued on how the new Colony should be run.
Most of the Adventurers never emigrated to America, preferring to stay home and enjoy the hoped-for profits generated by the Colony. The mix of people sent to Jamestowne in the early years was often not well thought out by the Company. Initially, the settlers were primarily single men with limited skills, except for soldiers who came to build fortifications and defend the settlement from external threats. Later, the Colony saw an influx of settlers from the lower classes, including indentured servants who hoped to acquire land after their periods of servitude were completed. Some of the first settlers were “gentlemen,” but they were lacking in any skills that would serve to advance the fortunes of the Colony. It took years before the Colony had enough skilled laborers, farmers, artisans and tradesmen to attempt to make the Colony self-sustaining. Even then, however, the Colony was beset by a combination of disease, starvation, and the destruction of property caused by frequent violent encounters with neighboring Indian tribes, principally the “Powhatan” tribe led by the powerful Chief Powhatan (father of Pocahontas). Life in the Virginia Colony was precarious, and the ongoing need for provisions to be sent from England stretched the resources of the Virginia Company to the limit. In truth, there were many causes for the challenging state of affairs at Jamestowne in its first two decades, some of which were self-inflicted: desertion, drunkenness, theft, and immorality of all kinds plagued the Colony, which in turn led to a series of laws designed to correct the colonists’ behavior. At an early point, “martial law” was declared, with harsh punishments for those who transgressed. These oppressive laws led the colonists to demand reforms, and ultimately brought about the creation of the General Assembly in 1619, the first representative government in North America.
In retrospect, the fact that the Colony actually survived is remarkable. In the first few weeks of establishing a settlement on the James River, the colonists were attacked by Indians, and a number of settlers were killed or injured. Then, in the winter of 1609-10, came the “Starving Time,” during which the forensic evidence suggests that acts of cannibalism took place. By the Spring of 1610, most of the colonists were dead or dying. While the colony slowly recovered, the Virginia Company’s investors were alarmed, to say the least, and new monies were raised to help stabilize the Colony. But the Company’s efforts were hampered by the “First Anglo-Powhatan War,” which commenced in 1609 and lasted until 1614. During this period, the colonists, lacking in food and provisions, did what they could to grow crops, but Indian attacks led to people being killed, homes being were burned, and crops destroyed. Fortunately one of the original settlers, John Rolfe, developed what became the major cash crop of the Colony, tobacco, and he and many other colonists began to cultivate it for export to England and other countries. From there on, the production and sale of tobacco became the leading industry in Virginia, literally the “coin of the realm.” But the Colony became overly dependent on tobacco, and when prices declined, economic turmoil ensued. Efforts to diversify the Colony’s economy largely failed.
Following the First Anglo-Powhatan War, relative peace ensued for the next eight years, during which the Native-American tribes traded with the English, while watching the colonists continue to expand the settlement and encroach on Indian lands. Shrewdly, when the colonists sought trade for food from the Indians, the Indians demanded guns and ammo in return. Over time, the Powhatans had stockpiled many firearms and much ammunition, enough to mount a credible offensive against the English settlers. And that is what happened in 1622, when the Indians mounted a coordinated attack on Jamestowne, killing hundreds of settlers and devasting the Colony. Thus began the “Second Anglo-Powhatan War,” which continued for the next ten years.
The “Massacre of 1622” was a massive setback for the Virginia Company, and a public relations nightmare. The Massacre quickly led to finger-pointing in all directions, but primarily aimed at the Virginia Company and its leaders. The Crown demanded an investigation, and commissioners were appointed to gather facts and evidence. The Company was accused of mismanagement and gross incompetence, and after a trial-like proceeding, on May 24, 1624 the Crown decided to revoke the Company’s charter, and announce that it was taking over the Colony and placing it under the Crown control. The Virginia Company was being ousted from its role as overseer of the Colony’s affairs. Along with that, the Company’s shareholders saw their investments rendered worthless.
The consequences for the Jamestowne Colony of the Crown’s takeover were considerable. Almost immediately, on July 15, 1624 the King issued a “Commission to Certain Lords of the Privy Council and Others for Settling a Government in Virginia,” by which he delegated control of the Colony’s affairs to a list of trusted allies, and significantly diminished the existing General Assembly’s powers. With a stroke of a pen, the King had overridden the cherished representative government established in 1619 and placed his own loyal Lords in charge.
The Commission politely explained that the change in government was because “the courses taken [by the Virginia Company] for the settling [of the Colony] had not taken that good effecte which Wee intended and soe much desired,” and because the colonists “most of them by God’s visitation [suffered] sickness of bodye, famine, and by massacres of them by the native savages of the lande dead and deceased, and those that were living of them lived in miserable and lamentable necessity and want…” For all of this the Commission blamed the Company, in part because the Company had allowed the local government in the Colony to be shared among “so many hands” [the General Assembly], resulting in “much contention and confusion.” Thus, the Commission ordered a new governing body to be created, and set forth a list of fifty-five Lords and other gentlemen “to be our Commissioners, and we do hereby give unto you or any six or more of you… to treat, consult and consider all matters whatsoever” affecting the Colony.” The Commissioners (or any six of them) were given explicit authority to exercise “all, every or any of the powers, authorities, privileges, matters and things whatsoever concerning the said Colony…” The document went on at great length, underscoring the sweeping powers being conferred upon the Commissioners. Finally, the King made clear that “this our Commission shall continue in force until such time as we by Writing under our Signet or Privy Seal shall signify our pleased to the contrary…”
The broader implications of the Crown’s takeover of the Jamestowne Colony were readily apparent back in London. As of 1622, the British colonies were in deep distress. The Plymouth Colony, founded in 1620, was barely surviving, as half of its settlers had died in the winter of 1620-21, and the handful of survivors had little or no means of supporting themselves without the help of the neighboring tribes. In Virginia, the Colony was failing. Meanwhile, the Dutch were gaining a foothold in North America with its emerging colony in New Netherland. Finally, England was competing with Spain, the Dutch, and France for domination of the trans-Atlantic trade, with control of the West Indies being a major bone of contention. Clearly, the King saw that aggressive actions needed to be taken in Virginia, at the expense of the Colony’s former representative government. It would take years for the Jamestowne Colony to rebound. Virginia ultimately became the most powerful English colony in North America in the years leading up to the American Revolution, and produced many of our Founding Fathers. In 1624, no one would have predicted this, the King of England included.
