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Indian strife was only one of many problems.  Labor was in short supply for working the fields.  Settlers began importing indentured servants, who received free travel to the colonies in exchange for a promise to work for seven years.  Then the Virginia settlement turned to a cheaper form of labor: importing slaves from West Africa beginning in 1619 to work the crops.  The importation of slaves to the New World was not new in 1619; many European countries had been importing a total of 40,000 slaves to the New World prior to the 1600's based on the Portuguese plantation system for working the land.

Indian strife was only one of many problems.  Labor was in short supply for working the fields.  Settlers began importing indentured servants, who received free travel to the colonies in exchange for a promise to work for seven years.  Then the Virginia settlement turned to a cheaper form of labor: importing slaves from West Africa beginning in 1619 to work the crops.  The importation of slaves to the New World was not new in 1619; many European countries had been importing a total of 40,000 slaves to the New World prior to the 1600's based on the Portuguese plantation system for working the land.

In 1624 King James (of the "King James Bible" fame) took back ownership and control of the Virginia colony and established it as a royal charter.  The Virginia colony was mess, and had become a problem as a colony that enslaved workers and grew tobacco.  More trouble was in its future.  In 1676, Nathanial Bacon was a Virginia settler who decided to take the law into his own hands.  He first massacred Indians in western Virginia, then took his small army of rebels to Jamestown, where he burned it down because the governor had refused to allow him to kill the Indians.  Bacon himself soon died from a disease.  This is known as [[Bacon's Rebellion]] and it resulted in less use of indentured servants and greater reliance on slaves, who could not rebel as easily.  Once he was sure Bacon was really dead, the governor returned and hanged to death two dozen of his supporters.

In 1624 King James (of the "King James Bible" fame) took back ownership and control of the Virginia colony and established it as a royal charter.  The Virginia colony was mess, and had become a problem as a colony that enslaved workers and grew tobacco.  More trouble was in its future.  In 1676, a young, arrogant Englishman Nathaniel Bacon from a wealthy family was a Virginia settler who decided to take the law into his own hands.  He first massacred Indians in western Virginia, then took his small army of rebels to Jamestown, where he burned it down because the governor had refused to allow him to kill the Indians.  This is known as [[Bacon's Rebellion]] and it resulted in less use of indentured servants and greater reliance on slaves, who could not rebel as easily.  Bacon himself soon died unexpectedly at age 29 from a stomach disease due to a disease probably resulting from his failure to wash hands.  Once he was sure Bacon was really dead, the governor returned and hanged to death two dozen of his supporters.

The Virginia colony, despite all its troubles, later produced four of our first five presidents.  Why?  Because it was big and prosperous.

The Virginia colony, despite all its troubles, later produced four of our first five presidents.  Why?  Because it was big and prosperous.