Colonial Jamestown - Part 2 - The Conclusion - A little history about our beginnings

Colonial Jamestown  - Conclusion

In 1609 Captain John Smith was badly injured in a gunpowder accident, and he returned to England. His departure was followed immediately by conflicts with the Indians and a period known later as the ‘starving time’. When the original 214 colonists had fallen to 60, the survivors decided to leave. Only the timely arrival of the new governor, Lord De La Ware, and his supply ships convinced the colonists to stay. 

 Pocahontas was living with the English by this time, and studying to beome an lady in the English style. A certain Captain Samuel Argall made contact with the Indians in an effort to rescue English captives.  He offered to trade Pocahontas for the prisoners and other stolen goods. Chief Powatan seemed to go along with the offer, and turned over some of the ransom, but then told the English to ‘treat his daughter well’, and did nothing more.

After a year, Pocahontas was taken with a contingent of 150 soldiers to Powatan’s village, and a demand was made for the return of the prisoners. The Indians attacked, but the English destroyed their village, and killed several Indians. Apparently they got what they had come for, because Pocahontas was left behind.

 She told her father she had been well treated, and that she had found the man she wanted to marry, John Rolfe. Amazingly, her father consented. She returned to the white settlement, and continued her English education. Rolfe was a religious man with doubts about marrying a pagan, but decided if Pocahontas would become a Christian, they would be married. Pocahontas complied, and was baptized Rebecca.  She and John Rolfe were married April 5, 1614, beginning a generation of peace known as Pocahontas’ Peace.

Pocahontas and Rolfe had a son named Thomas. When he was two years old Rolfe took his family to London, along with at least a dozen other Indians. In London, Pocahontas bore herself as a princess, declaring herself the daughter of a king. London Society was enchanted, and received her as visiting royalty. (A portrait of Pocahontas in all her civilized finery was painted at this time, and is still displayed in a British museum.).

During her time in London, Pocahontas reunited with John Smith. She had been told he was dead, so she was overjoyed to meet him again She told him she thought all along she had been lied to. She had always thought highly of Smith, regarding him as a father figure. That was the last they ever saw of each other. John Smith died shortly afterward.

After seven months in London, Rolfe made plans to return to Jamestown. Sadly, Pocahontas came down with a sudden illness and died. She is buried in Gravesend. Their son, Thomas, remained in England, and did not return to America until he was a grown man.

 Jamestown is noteworthy because it sowed the seeds of representative government. Jamestown was the first capital of the Virginia Colony, which at the time consisted of all the Atlantic coastland extending from Maine to Florida. In 1622 Jamestown became the center of bitter warfare with the Indians when an old and honored chief was captured, and shot in the back by his guard. Peaceful relations with the Indians were not re-established until 1645. By this time other colonies had been settled in the  area around Jamestown, and growing tobacco and other crops was making the planters rich with the aid first by indentured servants,and by slaves as early as 1640 when the status of at least of one Black person had been converted from indentured servant to slave.

Jamestown had an unlucky fate, and was burned down at least twice. The second time due to unrest during the Bacon Rebellion. Nathaniel Bacon Jr., was nephew of Virginia Governor Sir William Berkeley. When Bacon arrived, he was provided with land and a seat on the council, but he and Governor Berkeley disagreed about dealings with the Indians. When Indians raided the plantation of Thomas Mathews to gain payment he owed them, several Indians were killed, and this led to large-scale warfare. Against orders from Berkeley, Bacon led a raid on different Indians who were friendly to the colonists. He was arrested, but Berkeley relented and pardoned him. Bacon continued his rebellion, and eventually forced Berkeley out of office. His followers burned Jamestown to the ground September 19, 1676. Bacon died a month later of flux, and Berkeley was recalled to London where he also died the following year.

 A new town called Jamestown was rebuilt to the east, and remained the capital until its state house was burned for the last time in 1698, and the capital was moved to Williamsburg.

Information for this story has been taken from Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia and the May 2007 issue of National Geographic magazine.