Chapter 2 Key Nets

John Smith

A strong leader with a discipline system that helped the Virginia Colony get through the first difficult winter. John Smith founded and governed Jamestown.

Head-right System

A system used to attract settlers to come to the "New World." Given 50 acres for for every colonist that had brought indentured servants into America.

Royal Colony

An area of colonial land that is directly controlled by a King or a monarch.

Tobacco

John Rolfe had begun planting tobacco in Virginia, growing tobacco became popular in Jamestown. The need for tobacco led the expansion of land, because to grow large amounts of tobacco required a lot of soil. Tobacco became the post valuable crop.

Pocahontas

A Native American part of the Powhatan Indians, daughter of Chief Powahatan. One of the first to marry an Englishman, John Rolfe. Pocahontas had returned to England with Rolfe in 1595-1617. Due to the brave actions of Pocahontas by saving an English colony had paved the way for many positive English and Native relations.

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company that had received royal charter from King James l. Promises of gold-passage through the Americas to Indies. This guaranteed English would have the same rights in the "New World" as they did in England.

Proprietary Colony

A land that was owned individually with the king having full responsibility. Proprietors had selected a governor that would serve as a figure with higher authority to govern the property.

Jamestown

A settlement in Virginia that was successful, it was founded in May, 1607. Hard conditions almost dominated the colony, but in the year of 1610 supplies arrived with new settlers. This entire settlement soon became part of The Virginia Company of London in 1620. Although, the population of the colony remained quite low due to the lack of supplies, until agriculture became established. Jamestown had become a shipping port, when John Rolfe had presented tobacco. Tobacco had became quite popular and was a major export, and a cash crop.

Indentured Servants

Civilians who did not have enough money to pay for the voyage to the colonies. A person can pay for the voyage for them to arrive in the Americas, and in exchange for the payment the servant would serve the person. The indentured servants would work for the specific length of time (usually seven years) and would be set free.

Charter Colony

Colonies that were established by a group of settlers who had been given a document allowing them to settle.

Bacon's Rebellion

It was an uprising in 1676 in the Virginia Colony, led by Nathaniel Bacon.

Powhatan Indians

The Powhatan Indians had the land in the area surrounding Jamestown. The friendly Native Americans gave settlers food, taught them the way to survive in the forests, and introduced new crops such as corn and yams.