The House of Burgesses was split into two chambers in 1650, creating the House of Burgesses and the Governors Council. In Baltimore, anyone bringing five adults at their own expense would receive two thousand acres.Ī regular assembly of elected representatives that developed in the Virginia colony in the 1630’s. The system worked by granting large amount of land to anyone who brought over a certain amount of colonists. System enacted first in Virginia then in Baltimore to attract people to the sparsely populated colonies. The problems eventually made the Virginia Company go bankrupt. Virginia also suffered from debt, a high death rate, fraudulent local officials, and more Indian trouble. Included trouble with Indians and a "starving time" in the winter of 1609 which the colony barely survived. This practice led to social tensions with such eruptions as Bacon’s Rebellion and eventually was replaced by race slavery. The servants, who were usually white, worked for a certain amount of time so to pay off their debt. People who promised their lives as servants in order to get to the colonies. It was also important in giving England territorial claims in America to match Spanish and French expansion, and to also give England markets and resources in the New World. Virginia was founded primarily for the purpose of profit by the joint-stock owned Virginia Company of London. Rolfe is credited with introducing tobacco as a crop for export, which ensured the colony of profits as well as bringing eight years of peace between Indians and colonists through his marriage to Pocahontas. Smith is credited with organizing trade with the Powhatan Confederacy and leading the colony through its roughest years.Įnglish colonist and farmer who greatly aided the colony. As a member of the governing council of Virginia he was chosen to replace the previous president in 1608. The starving time usually cost a large percentage of the settlers lives and lasted for the first few yearsĬolonial leader who brought structure and stability to Jamestown during its starting years. The period early in any settlements development when food and supplies are scarce due to lack of preparation, unfamiliarity with the surroundings, weather, and inability to successfully grow crops. Jamestown grew to be a prosperous shipping port when John Rolfe introduced tobacco as a major export and cash crop. The population remained low due to lack of supplies until agriculture was solidly established. The settlement became part of the Virginia Company of London in 1620. Harsh conditions nearly destroyed the colony but in 1610 supplies arrived with a new wave of settlers. The first successful settlement in the Virginia colony founded in May, 1607. Such companies organized and supported the colonies through charters from the British government and while they worked with the government they made private profits. Examples operated in England and dealt with colonial markets in America. Jamestown, became a prosperous shipping and tobacco producing colony and the colony developed the House of Burgesses, a bicameral legislature in 1619.Ī business owned by investors through control of stocks. One of the New England colonies and chartered by James I in 1606, Virginia was founded to give the English territorial claims to America as well as to offer a colonial market for trade.