PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Sir Walter Raleigh wanted to travel to Virginia in the 1500s. The first expedition in 1584 disappeared, but the other expeditions survived and Virginia was made a colony.
Raleigh saw the colony as an investment. Settlers would set up farms in Virginia, then sell what they made and trade for what they needed through the Virginia Company of London. The company set up by the investors who would own Virginia.
In the first English colony most settlers were English. Men were given 50 acres each, plus an additional 100 acres if they bought stock in the Virginia Company. Many of the settlers brought their servants. People skilled in various trades came to provide their talents to the new land.
Virginia had mild winters and hot, humid summers. The rain and fertile soil made the colony an excellent place to farm. The coast region of Virginia had low, fertile lands suitable for large plantations. The farms here were small because of the wooded mountains.
Virginia settlers found tobacco grew best. Huge plantations were given over to the production of tobacco. These settlers introduced the slave trade in 1619 in order to provide a source of cheap labor.
The official state-established Church of England was also the official religion of the colony of Virginia. The rules of religion after affected the laws of the colony. Like all the colonists were required to attend church twice each Sunday.
Men elected their representatives of the House of Burgesses. The Virginia Company appointed six members to the Governor's Council. Over both of these legislative bodies was the Governor, appointed in England and sent to represent the King or Queen. Virginia had a reputation for self-government and did not need to pay taxes.
