The Colony of Virginia (also known frequently as the Virginia Colony and occasionally as the Dominion and Colony of Virginia) was the English colony in North America that existed briefly during the 16th century, and then continuously from 1607 until the American Revolution (as a British colony after 1707). England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 The Colony of Virginia was named in the 16th century for Queen Elizabeth I, the "Virgin Queen" who never married. After the English Civil War in the mid 17th century, the Virginia Colony was nicknamed "The Old Dominion" by King Charles II for its perceived loyalty to the English monarchy during the era of the Commonwealth of England. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Commonwealth of England was the Republican government which ruled first England (including Wales) and then Ireland and Scotland
After independence from Great Britain in the late 18th century, a southeastern portion of the original Virginia Colony became the Commonwealth of Virginia, one of the original thirteen states of the United States, adopting as its official slogan, "The Old Dominion. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the " After the United States was formed, the entire states of West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, and portions of Ohio were all later created from the territory encompassed earlier by the Colony of Virginia. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads
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History of Virginia
The name "Virginia" is the oldest designation for English claims in North America, and refers to the "Virgin Queen," Elizabeth I, who ruled England prior to the period of its establishment. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Initially, the term applied to the entire eastern coast of North America from the 34th parallel (near Cape Fear) north to the 48th parallel, including the shorelines of Acadia and a large portion of inland Canada. See also Geography of North Carolina The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture ( ACADIA) is a Non-profit organization active in the area of Computer-aided architectural design Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Both Spain and France had claims to the region, but neither was able to prevent the English from becoming the dominant power. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. To the south along the Atlantic Coast of North America, Spain attempted to establish settlements at least as far north as South Carolina. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The short-lived Ajacan Mission is believed to have been established on the shore of Chesapeake Bay. The Ajacán Mission (a xa 'kan was a failed attempt in the 16th century by Spanish Jesuit priests to Christianize the Native The Chesapeake Bay is the largest Estuary in the United States. The Spanish colony of Spanish Florida, centered on St. Augustine, was established in 1565. Spanish Florida ( Spanish: La Florida) refers to the Spanish Colony of Florida. St Augustine is the County seat of St Johns County, Florida, in the United States.
Settlements at Roanoke Island
In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh sent his first colonization mission to the island of Roanoke (in present-day North Carolina). Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh (c 1552 – 29 October 1618 was a famed English writer Poet, Soldier, Courtier and Explorer Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States This was the first English settlement, although it did not survive.
In 1587, Raleigh sent another group to again attempt to establish a permanent settlement. The first English child born in the New World was named Virginia Dare. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. Virginia Dare (born August 18 1587, date of death unknown was the first child born in the Americas to English parents Eleanor (or The expedition leader, John White returned to England for supplies that same year, but was unable to return to the colony due to war between England and Spain. John White (c 1540 &ndash c 1606 was an English artist and one of several early "Virginian" settlers who sailed with Richard Grenville in 1585 to the modern When he finally did return in 1591, he found the colony abandoned. The houses were intact, but the colonists had completely disappeared. Although there are a number of theories about the fate of the colony, it remains a mystery and has come to be known as the "Lost Colony". Dare County was named in honor of the baby Virginia Dare, who was among those whose fate is unknown. Dare County is a County located in the US state of North Carolina.
Virginia Company: Plymouth and London branches
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, King James I ascended to the throne. James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James England was financially pressed following years of war with Spain. To raise funds to explore the New World, to bring back gold and other riches and seek the Northwest Passage to the Middle East and India, he granted a proprietary charter to two competing branches of the Virginia Company, which were supported by investors. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country A charter is the grant of authority or rights stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified The Virginia Company refers collectively to a pair of English joint stock companies chartered by James I in 1606 with the purposes of establishing These were the Plymouth Company and the London Company. The Plymouth Company (the Plymouth Adventurers, also called the Virginia Company of Plymouth or simply Virginia Bay Company) was an English The London Company (also called the Charter of the Virginia Company of London) was an English Joint stock company established by royal charter by
By the terms of the charter, the Plymouth Company was permitted to establish a colony of 100 miles square between the 38th parallel and the 45th parallel (roughly between Chesapeake Bay and the current U.S.-Canada border). The Chesapeake Bay is the largest Estuary in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The London Company was permitted to establish between the 34th parallel and the 41st parallel (approximately between Cape Fear and Long Island Sound), and also owned a large portion of Atlantic and Inland Canada. See also Geography of North Carolina Long Island Sound is an Estuary of the Atlantic Ocean and various Rivers in the United States that lies between the coast of Connecticut Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page In the area of overlap, the two companies were not permitted to establish colonies within one hundred miles of each other.
During 1606, each company organized expeditions to establish settlements within the area of their rights.
Popham Colony
In August 1606, the first Plymouth Company ship, Richard, sailed for the New World. The Popham Colony (also known as the Sagadahoc Colony) was a short-lived English colonial settlement in North America that was founded in 1607 and However, it was intercepted and captured by the Spanish near Florida in November 1606, and never reached Virginia. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The next attempt was more successful. About 120 colonists left Plymouth on May 31, 1607 in two ships. Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Colony leader George Popham sailed aboard the Gift of God, while second-in-command Ralegh Gilbert traveled on the Mary and John, whose captain was Robert Davies. Captain Davies maintained a diary which is one of the modern sources of information about the Popham Colony.
Arriving in August 1607, these Plymouth Company colonists established their settlement, known as the Popham Colony, in the present-day town of Phippsburg, Maine near the mouth of the Kennebec River. The Popham Colony (also known as the Sagadahoc Colony) was a short-lived English colonial settlement in North America that was founded in 1607 and The Kennebec River is a River, 150 mi (240 km long in the state of Maine in the northeastern United States. They intended to trade precious metals, spices, furs, and show that the local forests could be used to build English ships. Precious Metal is the eighteenth episode in the of the popular American Crime drama, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada. A spice is a dried Seed, Fruit, Root, Bark or vegetative substance used in Nutritionally insignificant quantities as a Food additive Fur is a body hair of any non-human Mammal, also known as the Pelage. Half of the colonists returned to England in the fall of 1607 aboard the Gift of God; the other half stayed through the winter, spring, and summer, during which time they built a 30-ton ship, a pinnace they named Virginia. A pinnace is one of two marine craft the first a small vessel used as a tender to larger vessels amongst other things and the second a ship rigged vessel popular in northern waters through "Virginia of Sagadahoc" (also known as simply "Virginia") was a Pinnace built in 1607-08 by colonists at the Popham Colony. Late that summer, all the remaining colonists returned to England aboard the Virginia and the Mary and John. The short-lived colony had lasted about a year. Although not permanent, it was the first English colony in the region that would eventually become known as New England. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The exact site of the Popham Colony had long been lost until its rediscovery in 1994. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)
Jamestown Settlement
The London Company hired Captain Christopher Newport to head its expedition. Jamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14 1607 Christopher Newport (c 1561&ndash1618 was an English sailor and Privateer. In December 1606, he set sail from England with his flagship, the Susan Constant, and two smaller ships, the Godspeed, and the Discovery, with 144 men and boys, 40 of whom died while at sea. flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well Susan Constant, at 120 tons, was the largest of three ships of the English Virginia Company that were led by Captain Christopher Newport on the Godspeed was one of the three ships of the English Virginia Company that were led by Captain Bartholomew Gosnold on the 1607 voyage that resulted in See also Ship replica (including a list of ship replicas The ship carried 17 male passagers After an unusually long voyage of 144 days, they arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and came ashore at the point where the southern side of the bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, an event which has come to be called the "First Landing". The Chesapeake Bay is the largest Estuary in the United States. They erected a cross, and named the point of land Cape Henry, in honor of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King James. Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia in the Independent city of Virginia Beach. For other people known as Henry Prince of Wales see Henry Prince of Wales.
Their instructions were to select a location inland along a waterway where they would be less vulnerable to the Spanish or other Europeans also seeking to establish colonies. They sailed westward into the Bay and reached the mouth of Hampton Roads, stopping at a location now known as Old Point Comfort. Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the USA. Old Point Comfort is a point of land located in the Independent city of Hampton at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Keeping the shoreline to their right, they then ventured up the largest river, which they named the James, for their king. The James River in the US state of Virginia is a long River, including its Jackson River source After exploring at least as far upriver as the confluence of the Appomattox River at present-day Hopewell, they returned downstream to Jamestown Island, which offered a favorable defensive position against enemy ships and deep water anchorage adjacent to the land. The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately 137 miles (220 km in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for Hopewell is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Jamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14 1607 Within 2 weeks, they had constructed their first fort, and named their settlement Jamestown. Jamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14 1607
In addition to securing gold and other precious minerals to send back to the waiting investors in England, the survival plan for the Jamestown colonists depended upon regular supplies from England and trade with the Native Americans. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The location they selected was largely cutoff from the mainland, and offered little game for hunting, no fresh drinking water, and very limited ground for farming. Captain Newport returned to England twice, delivering the First Supply and the Second Supply missions during 1608, and leaving the Discovery for the use of the colonists. However, death from disease and conflicts with the Natives Americans took a fearsome toll of the colonists. Despite attempts at mining minerals, growing silk, and exporting the native Virginia tobacco, no profitable exports had been identified, and it was unclear whether the settlement would survive financially.
In 1609, with the abandonment of the Plymouth Company settlement, the London Company's Virginia charter was adjusted to include the territory north of the 34th parallel and south of the 39th parallel, with its original coastal grant extended "from sea to sea". Thus, at least on paper, the Virginia Colony in its original sense extended to the coast of the Pacific Ocean, in what is now California, with all the states in between (Kentucky, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, etc) belonging to Virginia. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. For practical purposes, though, the original Virginians rarely ventured far inland to what was then known as "The Virginia Wilderness", although the concept itself helped renew the interest of investors, and additional funds enabled an expanded effort, known as the Third Supply. The Third Supply was the first truly successful wave of Colonization in the first British settlement in the Americas at Jamestown.
For the Third Supply, the London Company had a new ship built. The Sea Venture was specifically designed for emigration of additional colonists and transporting supplies. The Sea Venture was a 17th-century English sailing ship the wrecking of which in Bermuda is widely thought to have been the inspiration for Shakespeare's It became the flagship of the Admiral of the convoy, Sir George Somers. flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well Admiral Sir George Somers (1554-1610 was a British naval hero The Third Supply was the largest to date, with 8 other ships joining the Sea Venture. The new Captain of the Sea Venture was mission's Vice-Admiral, Christopher Newport. Hundreds of new colonists were aboard the ships. However, weather was to drastically impact the mission.
Bermuda: The Somers Isles
A few days out of London, the 9 ships of the Third Supply mission encountered a massive hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. They became separated during the three days the storm lasted. Admiral Somers had the new Sea Venture, carrying most of the supplies of the mission, deliberately driven aground onto the reefs of Bermuda to avoid sinking. Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. However, while there was no loss of life, the ship was wrecked beyond repair, stranding its survivors on the uninhabited archipelago, to which they laid claim for England. An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian
The survivors at Bermuda eventually built two smaller ships and most of them continued on to Jamestown, leaving a few on Bermuda to secure the claim. The Company's possession of Bermuda was made official in 1612, when the third and final charter extended the boundaries of 'Virginia' far enough out to sea to encompass Bermuda, which was also known, for a time, as Virgineola. Bermuda has since been known officially also as The Somers Isles (in commemoration of Admiral Sir George Somers, head of the Third Supply Mission). Admiral Sir George Somers (1554-1610 was a British naval hero The shareholders of the Virginia Company spun-off a second company, the Somers Isles Company, which adminstered Bermuda from 1615 til 1684. The Somers Isles Company was formed in 1615 to operate the English colony of the Somers Isles also known as Bermuda, as a commercial venture
However, upon their arrival at Jamestown, the survivors of the Sea Venture discovered that the 10 month delay had greatly aggravated other adverse conditions. Seven of the other ships had arrived carrying more colonists, but little in the way of food and supplies. Combined with a drought, and hostile relations with the Native Americans, the loss of the supplies which had been aboard the Sea Venture had resulted in the Starving Time in late 1609 to May 1610, during which over 80% of the colonists perished. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The Starving Time at Jamestown in the English Colony of Virginia killed all but 60 of 500 colonists during the winter of 1609 – 1610 The survivors from Bermuda had brought few supplies and food with them, and it appeared to all that Jamestown must be abandoned and it would be necessary to return to England.
A timely arrival: Lord Delaware
Samuel Argall was the captain of one of the seven ships of the Third Supply which had arrived at Jamestown in 1609 after becoming separated from the Sea Venture, whose fate was unknown. Sir Samuel Argall (baptized 4 December 1580 &ndash c 24 January 1626) was an English adventurer and naval officer Depositing his passengers and limited supplies, he had returned to England with word of the plight of the colonists at Jamestown. The King had authorized another leader, Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, later better known as "Lord Delaware", to have greater powers, and the London Company had organized another Supply mission. Thomas West 3rd (or 12th Baron De La Warr ( July 9, 1577 &ndash June 7, 1618) was the Englishman after whom the bay, They set sail from London on April 1, 1610.
Just after the survivors of the Starving Time and those who had joined them from Bermuda had abandoned Jamestown, the ships of the new supply mission sailed up the James River with food, supplies, a doctor, and more colonists. Lord Delaware was determined that the colony was to survive, and intercepted the departing ships about 10 miles downstream of Jamestown. Among these individuals who had briefly abandoned Jamestown was a Sea Venture survivor who had lost his wife and son in Bermuda. He was a businessman from London who had some untried seeds for new, sweeter strains of tobacco with him, as well as some untried marketing ideas. His name was John Rolfe, and it was to turn out that he held the key to the Colony's economic success. John Rolfe (c 1585 &ndash 1622 was one of the early English settlers of North America.
By 1612, Rolfe's new strains of tobacco had been successfully cultivated and exported. Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Finally, a cash crop to export had been identified, and plantations and new outposts sprung up, initially both upriver and downriver along the navigable portion of the James River, and thereafter along the other rivers and waterways of the area. In Agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for Money. In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco The James River in the US state of Virginia is a long River, including its Jackson River source The settlement at Jamestown could finally be considered permanently established.
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For more details on this topic, see John Rolfe. John Rolfe (c 1585 &ndash 1622 was one of the early English settlers of North America.
Relations
In 1620, a successor to the Plymouth Company sent colonists to the New World aboard the Mayflower. The Mayflower was the famous Ship that transported the English Separatists better known as the Pilgrims, from Southampton, England Known as pilgrims, they successfully established a settlement in what became Massachusetts. Pilgrims, or Pilgrim Fathers (or Pilgrim Mothers) is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The portion of what had been Virginia north of the 40th parallel became known as New England, according to books written by Captain John Smith, who had made a voyage there. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Captain Sir John Smith (c January 1580– June 21 1631) Admiral of New England was an English Soldier, Sailor
In 1624, the Virginia Company's charter was revoked by King James I and the Virginia Colony was transferred to royal authority as a crown colony. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom Subsequent charters for the Maryland Colony in 1632 and the Carolina Colony in 1665 further reduced the Virginia Colony to coastal borders it held until the American Revolution. The Province of Maryland was an English colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776 when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen colonies The Province of Carolina from 1663 to 1712, was a North American British proprietary Colony, controlled by eight English noblemen In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots"
Names and nicknames for Virginia
Charles II gave Virginia the title of "Old Dominion" in gratitude of Virginia's loyalty to the crown during the English Civil War; Virginia maintains "Old Dominion" as its state nickname. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. Accordingly, the University of Virginia's athletic teams are known as "Cavaliers", and one of the other state public universities is "Old Dominion University". Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1651 Old Dominion University (ODU is a large public Research university located in historic Norfolk Virginia. The Virginia topic lists additional names. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state
 John Smith's Map of Virginia (1612) |
 Colored version of same map |
 Sylvester Jordain's "A Discovery of the Barmudas" |
See also
- History of Virginia
- List of colonial governors of Virginia
- Lost counties, cities, and towns of Virginia
- Southern Colonies
External links
- Library of Congress: Evolution of the Virginia Colony, 1610-1630
- Jamestown, Virginia
- The Wreck of The Sea Venture
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