Colonial Connections
What did King James think of tobacco?
He thought it was unhealthy, disgusting, and unholy.
Why did the settlers call the natives 'Indians,' a name which has stuck for hundreds of years?
Their map of the world was wrong, and they believed that they were on the outskirts of the region India is a part of.
What did John Smith say to the gentlemen when he was president?
"If you don't work, you don't eat," essentially.
What was John Smith's relationship to the Powhatan? Give two examples.
John Smith was the translator who at first was the only one who could engage in diplomacy. He also often stole food from Powhatan farms, which made the relationship between natives & settlers much worse.
How did the Renaissance help lead to the Jamestown colony? Name two ways.
- Improvements in technology made seafaring over large distances much easier for Europeans.
- Competition in Europe caused countries to look elsewhere for new conquest & resource opportunities.
- European weaponry was superior to the rest of the world's, so they could conquer places more easily.
What were two ways gender roles in Powhatan society were different than those in England?
- Family lines were passed down by women, not men.
- Women were farmers, performing hard manual labor.
What were two tragedies which struck Jamestown that have not been mentioned so far?
- George Kendall exposed as a Spanish spy
- The Reverend Hunt dies before the church is completed
- Bartholomew Gosnold dies shortly after arrival
- The third shipment is struck by a hurricane, sinking one of the ships and leaving the rest without supplies
- A fire destroys part of the fort the first winter
In what way was John Rolfe's son, Thomas, important?
Thomas Rolfe was the first half-native, half-English person born in Jamestown. He helped bring peace to both communities by being the grandson of Chief Powhatan and the son of the wealthiest settler.
What were two ways that the Spanish were important to the settlers?
- The Spanish had found gold in South America, which inspired the settlers to go look for their own gold.
- The Spanish were threatening to the English, as the two countries were fighting overseas.
What are three ways that Pocahontas may have been important to the settlers?
- She supposedly saved John Smith from execution.
- She brought the settlers food & supplies when they were in need.
- She married John Rolfe in order to create a peace between the two societies.
- She returned to England to promote the Virginia Company.
List three unusual foods the settlers were forced to eat to survive.
Cats, dogs, snakes, rats, shoe leather, people, etc.
List three times John Smith nearly died, and explain how he managed to survive each one.
He was nearly executed for mutiny, but Reverend Hunt said he was essential to the mission. He was captured by Powhatan, but somehow got free. He was nearly executed again for killing his companions, but Christopher Newport saved him. He nearly died from a gunpowder incident, but went back to England and got treatment to survive.
A 22-person assembly was elected by English men who were landowners.
The Company was comprised of a series of investors who funded the expedition hoping to make lots of money. The settlers' job was therefore to make the investors happy by finding a way to produce a fast profit.
What were two key moments where the settlers caused their relationship with the Powhatan to fall apart?
- When Christopher Newport & John Smith offered the Chief a crown to symbolize serving England, which offended him.
- When John Smith refused to disarm when meeting with the Chief, and was nearly killed for it.
John Ratcliffe - known for hoarding food, and getting killed in an Powhatan ambush.
John Smith - known for being a very effective leader but antagonizing the Powhatan.
George Percy - known for making a written account of Jamestown, but being a terrible leader during the starving time.
- John Rolfe married Pocahontas, which created an 8-year peace between the Powhatan and the settlers.
- John Rolfe experimented with growing tobacco, and found a strand that was very profitable.
Explain how George Yeardley made it from being a tailor's son (a yeoman) to being one of the most powerful nobles (give at least 4 important events.)
First, he took over as deputy governor while Lord Delaware was away. Then, he married a member of the aristocracy - the widow Temperance Flowerdew. Then, Powhatan's brother gave him land, making him a landowner. Then, Lord Delaware died, and he was an effective enough leader that the Virginia Company asked the King to knight him and make him a noble so that he could take over as Governor.
The class system allowed people to become gentry by earning enough money & getting knighted. It also allowed people to become nobles if the monarch decided they were worthy.
The monarchy was either born into or married into. Non-nobles who lost their wealth to bad luck could go straight to the bottom.
The Powhatan were part of a confederacy of 30 different tribes united under the Chief. They paid taxes in the form of food & goods, and the food was redistributed to make sure everyone had enough. They used palisade walls, houses, farming, canoes, & bows.
What were three major causes of the starving time, and in what ways did each contribute?
- A terrible drought made food especially scarce, so everyone was hungry.
- A lack of leadership from the original leaders all dying or leaving made decisions hard.
- Disease from unsanitary conditions and contaminated food & water killed many.
Why do you feel that John Smith is remembered by the public more than John Rolfe? Do you feel that he should be? Why?
John Smith is remembered more than John Rolfe for a variety of reasons, but a big part of it is that John Smith's life is more exciting and he wrote about his own life in an exciting way. He escapes death many times and paints himself as a hero.
In what way does George Yeardley represent 'The paradox of the United States?' Explain how this is a paradox.
George Yeardley introduced democracy and slavery to the United States. Democracy promises life, freedom, and choice to all people. Slavery denies certain people all of those rights. These two ideals are opposite to each other, and therefore a paradox.