Settlers of Jamestown

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Jamestown in 1607 was a soggy mosquito ridden peninsula on the James river. Sent on three ships by the Virginia Company, these settlers from England came to a place of harsh winters and hostile Powhatan Indians. They were a people not easily understood by our standards today. When they landed the first thing they did was stretch a canvas between trees to create the first Church of England on American soil, as requested by King James. Their passion for religion brought on what was called “the starving time.” Pious leaders forced their neighbors into church with food deprivation and execution. With food scarce anyway,and attaching Indians they were forced to eat rats, tree bark or anything they could find. Half the settlement died from starvation and when others tried to leave they were forced back by Lord Delaware, the new governor arriving from England.

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In 1619 John Rolfe wrote in his diary, ” a Dutch man o warre sold us 20 negars” Although called indentured servants, in truth these were the beginning of slaves to arrive on these shores. These men, women, and children from southwest Africa were worked in the tobacco fields. One of them a Anthony Johnson won his freedom in 1623 and founded a 250 acre farm in Virginia. When on of Johnson’s own workers, John Casor, tried to change jobs Johnson sued Casor’s prospective employer in 1665 stating he, “had ye Negro for life.”The court sided with Johnson and made Casor the first American slave.

The only thing that redeemed Jamestown was the fact that in1619 the first representative assembly was founded, a House of Burgesses, in the same church settlers had been forced to attend on threat of starvation and death. This legislature was modeled after the British Parliament. Landowning men over 17 were allowed to elect representatives to serve along with the governor and council. The Burgesses could create legislative, though the governor could veto it. It was in this setting that George Washington,Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry learned the legislative process.

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Written by James Madison and Jefferson a new law was passed in 1786 proclaiming “no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place,or ministry.” Religious freedom had been attained. Freedom for slaves was not so easily achieved. It took the Civil War and the loss of many lives to free the slaves.

http://socyberty.com/history/the-my-lai-massacre/

http://socyberty.com/history/rosa-parks-legacy/

http://socyberty.com/history/henry-ford-and-the-model-t/