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==Economics of Jamestown==

==Economics of Jamestown==

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 value of minerals), and some were "gentlemen" who were not expected to work.  The English thought that the Native Americans would feed them. However, the Chesapeake 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 value of minerals), and some were "gentlemen" who were not expected to work.  The English thought that the Native Americans would feed them. However, the Chesapeake was in the midst of a twenty year drought, and the natives had little incentive (or desire) to feed the colonists. Out of the original 104 male colonists, only 38 were alive in January of 1608, when a "resupply" from England landed 70 more settlers, two of them women.  In August of 1609, an estimated 200-300 settlers arrived in Jamestown.  

    

    

After the initial “starving time,” leadership of the colony passed to a former soldier 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.

John Smith, the leader of the colony was a former soldier and 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 for, and other times exthoring food from the local Powhatan peoples. The colony suffered a severe blow in September of 1609 when Smith was badly injured in a gunpowder accident and returned to England.

 

The leaderless colony suffered through the starving time from the fall of 1609 to June 1610. When Lord De la Warr arrived with resupply ships and 250 more settlers, he found only 60 survivors.  

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.