Jamestown, established 1607, was the first English settlement in the New World, located in Chesapeake Bay in present-day Virginia.

At first, the Englishmen had positive relations with the native population, which taught them how to grow crops---such as maize and pumpkin---in their unfamiliar, swampy peninsula.

Tobacco

Since after Columbus’ return to Europe, tobacco had become widespread among Europeans. In 1612, John Rolfe started to grow local tobacco and sold it to buyers in England. Even with this growing trade, however the English in Jamestown never got much profit.

Headright System

In 1618, the “Headright System” was launched by the Virginia Company to encourage settlement. A “headright” was defined as a 50-acre plot of land. New settlers received a headright for himself or herself. Any settler who paid for the passage on immigrants to Virginia would receive a headright for each person brought.

1622 Uprising

After Sir Thomas Dale kidnapped Chief Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas and he refused to pay for her release, Powhatan ceased attacks on the English. After he died a few years later, his brother, Opechancanough, replaced him and resumed the protection of native lands from the English. On a morning in March, 1622, natives called the Europeans as if to trade with them, but instead suddenly attacked. Once 347 Europeans where killed, the natives were forced to retreat. The surviving English struck back with such great force that the natives were discouraged from attacking for a time.

The Virginia Company Becomes Bankrupt

After 1622, the Virginia Company became bankrupt because of the lack of profit Jamestown brought. This resulted in the removal of Jamestown‘s charter and the placing of Jamestown under the rule of the English Crown.

Willian Berkeley and Virginia’s Expansion

Sir William Berkeley, who was appointed as governor by King Charles I, arrived in Virginia in 1642. He sent explorers to the Blue Ridge mountains to expand Virginia and organized the group that suppressed Opechancanough’s second uprising in 1644 (after which Opechancanough ceased to challenge the Europeans). After this, the natives gave the English land, and, in exchange, Berkeley vowed to not expand Virginia west past a certain negotiated point. Even so, as the population of Virginia more than quadrupled to 40,000 by 1660, the English began to settle on the indigenous peoples’ lands, even establishing three counties there.

Political Unrest

As Berkeley became an autocrat, the democracy of Virginia began to falter. Even though all men seventeen years of age and older were permitted to vote when burgesses were elected in 1619, by 1970 only land owners could vote, and elections rarely happened; burgesses sometimes simply stayed in office. Additionally, newer counties in the west---called the ”backcountry”---were often underrepresented and indentured servants whose terms were up struggled to find homes or jobs. Western landowners were in constant danger of being attacked by the native population, as they were on land agreed to be theirs.

Bacon’s Rebellion

In 1673, a man named Nathaniel Bacon purchased a farm in Virginia‘s backcountry and became a part of the governor’s council. In addition to the western landowners’ grievances, he didn’t like his exclusion from the governor’s council’s inner circle or his exclusion from the Indian fur trade.

In 1675 some Doeg Indians raided a western plantation. The landholders, including Bacon, struck back despite Berkeley’s conditions. This unauthorized assault eventually became a challenge to the colonial government. Bacon led his army to Jamestown twice. The first time he was pardoned. The second time, after the governor removed the pardon, Bacon burned the city and sent him into exile. Bacon was about to take control of Virginia when he died suddenly. Berkeley regained control, and in 1677, the native population signed a treaty that gave more land to the English.

Bacon’s Rebellion was an example of one reason why African people were introduced as slaves; social unrest from English indentured servants was proven to be dangerous.

Adapted from Brinkley, Alan. 2014. American History: Connecting With the Past, AP Edition. E-book. 15th ed. McGraw-Hill Education. Pages 35–38, 40–41