Virginia Colony
The colony was founded by John Smith and others at Jamestown in 1607. It was one of the first colonies in the Plymouth Bay area. Colonial Virginia was one of the original 13 English colonies located on the Atlantic coast of North America.
Geographic Factors
In the Virginia Colony, there were many coastal plains, valleys, wetlands and mountains scattered around the area. (5) This was favorable for the colonists because there were many natural resources located in the valleys and plains, but very bad drinking water. There was also an exceptional amount of trees that the colonists used as lumber. As per climate goes, there were hot, muggy summers that weren't ideal for planting crops. During the summer, the colonists grew an excess amount of crops to sustain for the frigid winter. It was very difficult for the colonists to even survive through the winter. In the Pilgrim's first winter, about half had died. The times in 1609-1610 were called the "Starving Times" because the colonists had no food. (1) These geographic factors summarize the life of the colonists of the Virginia Colony.
Social/Religious Factors
Separatists believed they couldn't fix the Anglican Church and decided to make a new, fixed church with religious freedom. (11) The population mainly consisted of men rather than families because of the exponential population of indentured servants. (11) A squatter is a settler with no legal title to the land occupied, typically one on land not yet allocated by a government. (6) Squatters had no legal rights to settle or to establish a government. The main jobs included ship builders, lumberers, shoe makers, and plantation owners. As the colony grew, many of the freedoms began to dissipate and rules became much more stricter. Although the Native Americans didn't know the colonists too much, they decided to help them which aided the colonists to survive through the winter. Lastly, a system set up by the London Company in 1618 called the Head right System gave 50 acres of land to colonists who paid their own way to Virginia, or paid the way for someone else. (6) (1) This showed that there was some sort of payment for going to Virginia by paying. To conclude, there were many social aspects that determined how the colonists created the Virginia Colony.
Political Factors
Founded by John Smith in 1607, the Virginia Colony was created. William Bradford became governor and was a key factor in the making of the Mayflower Compact. The Mayflower Compact was the first agreement for self-government to be created and enforced in America. (6) There were three capital cities in the colony known as Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Richmond. During the first decades of settlement, the Virginia company tried a number of reforms to help make the colony a success. One of the most important reforms was the creation of the House of Burgesses, a governing body modeled after the British House of Commons and chosen in part by the landowning white men in Virginia. (6) By the 1620's, Virginia became a royal colony.
Economic Factors
Trade was a considerable percent of the economy for the Virginia Colony. Trade and export included tobacco, cotton, livestock, fruit, grain, and vegetables. (1) Many natural resources such as lumber were also sold in the colony. The first major export was tobacco due to John Rolfe's introduction of tobacco into the colony. A big concentration on agriculture was put forth rather than lumber due to the ideal conditions and an exceptional amount of servants.