Jamestown & Plymouth

By Khingstonm24

What entity financed the 1607 voyage to Jamestown, and what was its primary objective?

The Virginia Company of London financed the voyage with the goal of earning profits by finding gold in the New World.

Which three ships transported the original 104 English settlers to Jamestown in 1607?

Godspeed, Discovery, and Susan Constant.

Why did the Jamestown settlers select a peninsula in the Chesapeake Bay area for their settlement?

Its narrow connection to the mainland made it easier to defend against potential attacks by Native Americans.

What major environmental and health hardships caused high mortality among the early Jamestown colonists?

Mosquitoes carrying typhoid, contaminated drinking water, and severe shortages of food.

What name is given to the catastrophic winter of 1609 in Jamestown characterized by widespread starvation?

The "starving time."

Which Jamestown leader implemented the strict rule "He who does not work, does not eat"?

Captain John Smith.

Which colonist introduced Spanish-American tobacco seeds to Virginia in 1612, creating Jamestown's cash crop?

John Rolfe.

What legislative body was formed in Jamestown in 1619, and what were its elected representatives called?

The General Assembly, whose elected representatives were called burgesses.

What was the primary reason the Separatists (Pilgrims) decided to establish the Plymouth colony?

To practice their religion freely after breaking away from the Church of England.

Who was the leader of the Separatists, and which ship brought them to North America in 1620?

William Bradford led the group, and they traveled aboard the Mayflower.

Why did the Pilgrims settle at Plymouth instead of their planned destination in Virginia?

A strong storm blew them off course to Massachusetts, and harsh November conditions prompted them to stay rather than continue south.

Which Wampanoag individual taught the Plymouth settlers effective methods for planting native crops?

Squanto.

What document established a self-governing agreement among the adult male passengers of the Mayflower in 1620?

The Mayflower Compact.

How did the initial makeup of settlers differ between Jamestown and Plymouth?

Jamestown was initially settled exclusively by 104 men and boys seeking wealth, whereas Plymouth included over 100 men, women, and children establishing families.

How did the economic survival methods of Jamestown and Plymouth differ?

Jamestown developed a wealthy export economy centered on tobacco cash crops, while Plymouth sustained itself through communal subsistence farming.

What English monarch granted the official charter allowing the Virginia Company to establish a colony in America?

King James I.

Which local Native American confederacy did the Jamestown settlers encounter and attempt to trade with?

The Powhatan tribe.

In trade negotiations with Jamestown settlers, what English goods did the Powhatan tribe prioritize acquiring over copper?

Swords and guns.

What extreme food sources did Jamestown colonists consume to survive the winter of 1609?

Horses, dogs, cats, and human corpses.

How did Captain John Smith force a local Native American tribe to supply corn during a trade dispute?

He held a gun to the tribal chief's brother until the tribe agreed to hand over corn for his release.

Approximately how many pounds of tobacco did Jamestown colonists export back to England by 1620?

Almost 50,000 pounds.

What qualification was required for Jamestown colonists to vote for burgesses in the General Assembly?

They had to be land-owning colonists.

What severe penalties could English citizens face if they refused to belong to the Church of England?

Imprisonment and execution.

Approximately how long did the Separatists' voyage across the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Mayflower take?

Two months.

Where did the newly arrived Plymouth settlers find their first supply of corn to stave off starvation?

Inside baskets in an abandoned Native American village.

Which three native crops did the Wampanoag tribe cultivate and teach the Pilgrims how to plant?

Corn, squash, and beans.

What prompted the Plymouth colonists to hold their first celebration of Thanksgiving in the autumn of 1621?

A bountiful autumn harvest after surviving the previous winter, which they considered a blessing from God.

Why was the Virginia Company's legal charter considered void when the Pilgrims arrived in North America?

They had landed in Massachusetts, which was outside the geographic boundaries authorized by the Virginia charter.

Who was explicitly excluded from signing and participating in the Mayflower Compact?

Women.

How many adult male passengers signed the Mayflower Compact to agree on self-governance?

41 men.