Preview

Examine the Challenges the Virginians Faced and the Ways in Which Their Efforts Changed the Colony Socially and Economically over the Century.

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
433 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Examine the Challenges the Virginians Faced and the Ways in Which Their Efforts Changed the Colony Socially and Economically over the Century.
Veronica Velazquez
November 11, 2012
Period 2.
A.P.U.S.H
Examine the challenges the virginians faced and the ways in which their efforts changed the colony socially and economically over the century.
DBQ #1 The Virginian people faced many challenges throughout the 17th century, and their efforts changed the colony both socially and economically. Economically, the Virginians had a lot of land to farm and even needed a cheap work source. Socially, they lived in a cruel environment full of diseases and low reproduction rate. The Virginians had economical challenges and economical efforts that changed and effected them. The economical challenges involved men dieing because of illness or wars. [Document A] There was no money because of the ongoing war with the Indians, so the farm owners had to look for a cheap source who could work their land, known as indentured servants. There was a contract binding a servant to a land owner in the colonies, allowing him to come to the new world if he worked a certain amount of years, and in return the servant would receive land of his own. [Document C] This effort was made a lot of farm owners tons of money, even though they had to pay for the passage of their indentured servants, they acquired fifty acres of land for every servant and it was a cheap labor source. There were social challenges and social efforts the Virginias had to face or come up with. There were little food to go around, because the plantation is full of disease and the indentured servants where full of diseases. [Document B] This challenges they face of food shortage and disease made it hard for an indentured servant to live in the colonies, some wanted to go back to Britain but couldn’t because of their contract binding. An effort the Virginians faced to help get an even cheaper and less rebellious type of work source were to bring in slaves from Africa. In these ships Africans were treated like animals chains up one to another treated like animals

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Compare the early development of New England with the Chesapeake as depicted in Massachusetts and Virginia colonies. How do the governing structures differ and what do they tell us about the early challenges the two colonies faced?…

    • 1230 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    apush DBQ#1

    • 525 Words
    • 3 Pages

    After going threw those hard times the became a strong colony economically wise. The reason their economy grew was that they started to grow and trade tobacco. Before the English started to trade tobacco other European tried to sell it in Europe but were unsuccessful. The tobacco grown in Virginia had a stronger flavor and odor. When Virginian tobacco got to Europe it sold for higher price. Within a matter of time it became Virginia’s cash crop. Document B is a great…

    • 525 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    From the headright system each servant imported meant another fifty acre of farmland for tobacco. This provided more land for tobacco and more laborers to harvest the tobacco for more profit. The profit from farming, planting, selling, and trading tobacco influenced more people to come to Virginia. One settler made 200 sterling after the good harvest in 1619 which attracted many other planters to be able to earn this much. Hence Virginia became a colony dependent on the servant's’ labor in order to become wealthy.…

    • 85 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    American Slavery, American Freedom by Edmund Morgan went into the depth of what was really happening in colonial Virginia's system of labor, economy, and social structure. Virginia was his focus because Virginia was the most central slaveholding state. Beginning in the 1500s, the lives of the black Virginian slaves rested in the hands of the white Virginians due to the major labor problems occurring in Virginia at the time. (You need to elaborate here and give more examples to get more words). The companies (England and Virginia companies) that set up these settlements, intended for them to be product producing.…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Virginia, there was plenty of land, but not enough labor. Since the colonists were lazy, they used slave labor to farm their crops. This mainly consisted of indentured servants, who were under a contract to work for a specific owner. Their voyage to America would be paid for by the owner, but they would then have to work for that person until their debt was paid off. This often took anywhere from 5 to 7 years. However, many indentured servants died before they could fulfill their contracts because they were stricken by disease. Over time, immunities were developed and contracts were fulfilled more often. At this point, slave imports became regular in Virginia. In contrast, slave labor was not used in Massachusetts. Instead, they relied on their own hard work. Unlike the lazy colonists of Virginia, the colonists of Massachusetts were able to keep up their production just doing everything themselves. Each family member played an important role, even the kids. This led to rapid population growth, as kids were relied on more and more to help support the farm or family. Also, in contrast to Virginians, the people of Massachusetts believed that people should be equal. Therefore, the rich shared their wealth with the poor, lessening the gap between rich and poor. However, in Virginia, wealth was extremely important, and one’s wealth was measured by the number of slaves owned or the size of his…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the 17th century, the New World was being developed and the colonies were being formed. Two of these newly founded colonies were Virginia and Massachusetts. Between the two colonies, there were many similarities as a result of similar backgrounds of those who founded and were running the colonies. Although there are many reasons as to why people, the majority being from Europe, fled to the colonies, there are also multiple different aspects of how they were developed and run. The economic, cultural, religious, social, and political cultures were different as well as similar in various aspects.…

    • 1572 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The settlements of Virginia and Massachusetts were both established during relatively the same time, but the ways that they were established differed tremendously. Virginia had difficulty establishing itself; there were many errors and failures, especially in the beginning. Massachusetts, on the other hand, was extremely successful. The settlers made smart decisions in provisions and planning that resulted in a prosperous colony. Virginia and Massachusetts also differed in their leadership quality. Virginia, initially, had weak leadership until John Smith who established a much more rigid government system within the colony. Massachusetts enjoyed successful leadership from the beginning with Joseph Winthrop. Joseph Winthrop was able to successfully develop the settlement, and a respected, well thought out society. Virginia and Massachusetts also differed in their work ethic. Virginia produced slothful workers and relied heavily on labor from the Natives. The Puritans of Massachusetts held onto a rigid lifestyle and were very hard-working. The differences in the settlement’s upbringing were not the only thing that divided the two colonies; the differing views on religion helped to shape the economy of both…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the time period between 1606 and 1700, hundreds of settlers flocked to the Virginia colony seeking riches only to find hardship, and no gold. However, after many years, and much effort, the Virginians managed to secure a solid social and economic system that would eventually make Virginia one of the most important North American colonies. One of the first hardships settlers encountered were disease, malnutrition, and starvation. When the settlers first arrived they wasted their valuable time searching for gold that was nowhere to be found, instead of getting accustomed to their new surroundings. The settlers were in such misery in an atmosphere that was foreign to them compared to ways of life they were used to in England. With the colony heading toward disaster, the colonists were luckily saved by Captain John Smith, who whipped the colonists into shape by forcing them to work or else they didn’t eat. His efforts were rewarded with his kidnapping by the Powhatan Native American tribe who desired a more peaceful than harmful relationship with the Virginians. Pocahontas, the tribe princess along with Smith who together helped the colonist survive their first couple of winters and acquire food. The colonists were beginning to need some source of money to help them with their development of Virginia. The ability to attain wealth from gold came to the realization of the settlers who knew they needed to find something else. John Rolfe soon came to the rescue when he developed methods of raising tobacco. Tobacco became in high demand in Europe and created a stable economy for Virginia. While bringing in profit for the Virginia colonist it also brought them long-lasting health problems. Regardless of its cons, tobacco advertisements contributed to the well-being of Virginia’s economy by demonstrating the value of the crop to Virginians. The large production fluctuated prices for a single crop causing planters to…

    • 644 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The indentured servants mostly came from Great Britain. Looking for new space, life, and opportunity. The catch was the fact that these people had no money to pay their way into the New found land. So, that turned into people looking for a way to get over here. So people thought and talked about working off a debt, if someone were to pay their way over here. I personally think that this was a trick for the most part, but I don’t have any factual information to support that claim. Then, it came a time where people stopped coming to work and the farms grew rapidly. With this going on the agricultural…

    • 359 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1606, hundreds of settlers went on a journey from England to the Virginia colony. They were in search of a new life, and wealth. Early on in their journey, they stumble upon many hardships, as expressed by George Percy (Doc. B). By the use of the indentured servants and slaves they were able to change the Virginia colony by basing their economy around tobacco.…

    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    They had an economy based upon the search for gold. The men spent the entire day searching for gold, rather then worrying about how to get food and taking care of others and themselves. They eventually starved to death and became shelter-less. They also constantly fought with one another. There were no occupations or families brought over. In order to save the colony, Captain John Smith took charge. He told all men that if they did not work to build houses and farm, they would not get food. The men began to build houses and farms, but they still continued to look for gold. They were less prepared when they came to America because the immigrants were all young, unskilled men. The men outnumbered women, so that meant natural reproduction of population grew slower than that in the English Colonies. Men that came were all between the ages of 14 and late 20s. There were some older men, but the young men continued to outnumber them which made it harder to take control. Besides from being unprepared, the Chesapeake region suffered many attacks by Native Americans. They also struggled for support from England and did not have enough men with experience to defend against Dutch and Native Americans. Their borders and waters were undefended and open for all attacks. Another huge problem was they had no town meetings and no peace. They had indentured servants, which eventually revolted…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Due to the hardships Virginia faced in the early seventeenth century, the colonists made efforts to improve Virginia’s drawbacks, ultimately changing the colonies socially and economically. These changes occurred at the beginning of disease-ridden, famined, and lowly populated Jamestown, as well as larger plantations of tobacco that were worked on by indentured servants and African slaves. These harsh conditions elicited the colonists to find ways of advancing Virginia, in ways that separated them from Native American groups, and expansion of land and tobacco plantations. Despite conflicts with Native American groups, indentured servants, and slaves, Virginia would still progress towards a successful colony.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The slavery impact to the Colonial of Virginia was vital to establish the settlement along with establishing its permanency. The slavery movement cured the labor shortage that provided wealth to the land owners and Jamestown was able to be a viable settlement. In addition, it came with also problems as the community grew in population were racial and ethnic clashes occurred, along with gender and class problems. As a result, Colonial of Virginia was able to be the foundation for institutions that became part of American society and government. In the Carolinas, slavery was key by connecting the English colonies and America.…

    • 160 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Compare and contrast economic, social, and political developments in the North and South between 1800-1860. How do you account for the divergence between the two sections?…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The colony of Virginia was drastically changed beginning in 1606 throughout the entire 17th century. Early, there were many hardships as described by George Percy (Document A). However, the colonists were able to alter their colony with the aid of the tobacco industry along with the use of indentured servants, and most notably slaves. Although the Virginians faced many challenges, their efforts changed the colony socially and economically throughout the century.…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays