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The initial settlers were ill chosen for the task of establishing a colony.  Many of the first settlers practiced trades such as weaving and assaying (determining the vaule of minerals), and some were "gentelmen" who were not expected to work.  The English thought that the Native Americans would feed them. However, the Cheasapeake was in the midst of a twenty year drought, and the natives had little incentive to feed the colonists. Out of the original 104 colonists, only 38 were alive the following year.   

The initial settlers were ill chosen for the task of establishing a colony.  Many of the first settlers practiced trades such as weaving and assaying (determining the vaule of minerals), and some were "gentelmen" who were not expected to work.  The English thought that the Native Americans would feed them. However, the Cheasapeake was in the midst of a twenty year drought, and the natives had little incentive to feed the colonists. Out of the original 104 colonists, only 38 were alive the following year.   

After the initial “starving time,” leadership of the colony passed to a former solider named John Smith. Smith was a strict disciplinarian, who decreed that “he that doth not work, shall not eat.” However, food shortages continued. Smith and his successors augmented existing food supplies by sometimes trading with the local Powhatan peoples, but at other times, he exhorted maize from them with threats of violence.

After the initial “starving time,” leadership of the colony passed to a former solider named [[John Smith]]. Smith was a strict disciplinarian, who decreed that “he that doth not work, shall not eat.” However, food shortages continued. Smith and his successors augmented existing food supplies by sometimes trading with the local Powhatan peoples, but at other times, he exhorted maize from them with threats of violence.

But most of Jamestown’s first settlers sought fortunes, but there was no gold or silver in Virginia. Native Americans had planted and developed tobacco for thousands of years. Smoking was starting to become popular in Europe, even though some people recognized that tobacco was harmful, and wanted to ban it, including the King of England, James I. James went so far as to write a pamphlet called “A Counterblaste to Tobacco” in which he argued that tobacco was offensive to the nose and eye and harmful to the lungs. Some physicians however, actually claimed that tobacco had healthful benefits. In 1613, Englishman John Rolfe, who married Powhatan’s favorite daughter, Pocahontas, began growing tobacco for export to Europe. Cash began pouring in for the tobacco, and this so-called “cash crop” became highly profitable for the Jamestown settlers. As for James I, he enjoyed the revenues that his government collected on the import taxes for tobacco.  

But most of Jamestown’s first settlers sought fortunes, but there was no gold or silver in Virginia. Native Americans had planted and developed tobacco for thousands of years. Smoking was starting to become popular in Europe, even though some people recognized that tobacco was harmful, and wanted to ban it, including the King of England, James I. James went so far as to write a pamphlet called “A Counterblaste to Tobacco” in which he argued that tobacco was offensive to the nose and eye and harmful to the lungs. Some physicians however, actually claimed that tobacco had healthful benefits. In 1613, Englishman John Rolfe, who married Powhatan’s favorite daughter, Pocahontas, began growing tobacco for export to Europe. Cash began pouring in for the tobacco, and this so-called “cash crop” became highly profitable for the Jamestown settlers. As for [[James I]], he enjoyed the revenues that his government collected on the import taxes for tobacco.  

Despite profiting from the sale of tobacco, the Jamestown settlement had other difficulties. It had made peace with Indian Chief Powhatan, whose daughter Pocahontas married settler John Rolfe. But after Powhatan died, his brother led a sudden attack on the settlers in 1622, massacring 347 out of a total of only 1200.  

Despite profiting from the sale of tobacco, the Jamestown settlement had other difficulties. It had made peace with Indian Chief Powhatan, whose daughter [[Pocahontas]] married settler [[John Rolfe]]. But after Powhatan died, his brother led a sudden attack on the settlers in 1622, massacring 347 out of a total of only 1200.  

But Indian strife was only one of many problems. While Virginia was land rich, it was labor poor. Planters began importing indentured servants, who received free travel to the colonies in exchange for a promise to work for seven years. However the disease environment in Virginia was such that not most indentured servants did not surivive their terms of serivce, and collect their "freedom dues," which consisted of land, seed, some tools, clothing, and later, a firearm.  As economic condtions in England improved during the seventeenth century, Virginia also turned to a cheaper approach to labor: importing slaves from [[Africa]]. The first slaves were imported by Dutch traders in 1619.  The English, lacking a tradtion of slavrey, treated most of the first Africans in the colony as indentured servants. Beginning in the mid-seventeenth century, Virginia began passing laws that that defined the status of slavery, and made racial slavery a uniquely American invention.

But Indian strife was only one of many problems. While Virginia was land rich, it was labor poor. Planters began importing indentured servants, who received free travel to the colonies in exchange for a promise to work for seven years. They would then also be given land, seed, some tools, clothing, and later a firearm.  However the diseased environment in Virginia was such that most indentured servants did not surivive their terms of serivce, and collect their "freedom dues".  As economic condtions in England improved during the seventeenth century, Virginia also turned to a cheaper approach to labor: importing slaves from [[Africa]]. The first slaves were imported by Dutch traders in 1619.  The English, lacking a tradtion of slavery, treated most of the first Africans in the colony as indentured servants. Beginning in the mid-seventeenth century, Virginia began passing laws that that defined the status of slavery, and made racial slavery a uniquely American invention.

==Poles in Jamestown==

==Poles in Jamestown==