Author: Brandy Bauer
This book is about the history of Virginia.
The first people who lived in Virginia were the American Indians. They lived here for thousands of years. They were hunters and gatherers.
The Powhatan Indians were one of the largest groups of Indians.
The settlers from England arrived in Jamestown in 1607. The Powhatan met them first and did not trust them. But soon they trusted them and they taught the settlers to how live on the land. Soon the settlers started stealing the Powhatan's land.
The settlers came to find gold and silver. Just over 100 men and boys were on board the ship. After four months at sea they landed in North America and they named their settlement Jamestown after King James the first.
Jamestown's first settlers struggled to survive. Only 38 survived the first year. They did not know how to farm. In 1608 a new group of settlers came to Jamestown but the many died during the drought.
Jamestown was built on a swamp and the mosquitos gave people malaria.
Most houses were built from oak trees and had one room.
In the beginning the settlers ate what they could find. Then people brought food and then they started growing their own food.
There weren't many schools. Wealthy people sent their children to school in England. Boys had more education than girls. They learned to read, write, history, Greek, math and Latin. Some girls also learned to read and write, but they mostly learned how to sew, cook and take care of the home.
In 1612 John Rolfe brought tobacco seeds. They grew well in the soil and soon tobacco became the colony's biggest crop.
In the 1600's, they started using slaves from Africa instead of indentured servants. The slaves worked many hours in the fields for no pay.
The tobacco growing season lasted almost the whole year. they planted the seeds in Spring and in harvest they harvested the tobacco and sent it to England. Tobacco made some Virginians wealthy
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