Essay On The Legacy Of Jamestown

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America is a strong nation, however, it had a very rough beginning. It all began with the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent settlement in America. The settlers had a tough time and overcame many of the adversities that they were confronted with such as cold, natives, lack of motive, and many other factors. Though, through their struggles, they shaped America and its literature as it is today. The legacy that Jamestown left is one that would help found the United States of America as we know it today.
In 1606 under the rule of King James I and the sponsorship of the "Virginia Company of London" the voyagers set out looking to turn a profit for the company("A History of Jamestown "). The 105 passengers were carried by three ships, the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. In May of 1607 the voyagers, led by Captain Christopher Newport, first set foot on what would soon be their colony. Chief Powhatan controlled the area they landed in, which coupled with the unfamiliar climate drastically impacted the settler’s start of their new colony. Without John White the settlers fate with the Indians is not certain. John White was an English explorer and soldier. When the settlers needed leadership to save them from food shortages, winter, poor leadership, White came to the need of the people by determining responsibility and motivating the settlers to work, not as their leader but as an equal. His relationship with Pocahontas, the young daughter of Chief Powhatan, is something no one can be certain of as in his own work such as books and plays their relationship is not said to be romantic, however, it is in the Disney movie Pocahontas . Pocahontas married John Rolfe, not Smith, and Smith's accounts leave no ...

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...e it wrong or not, it helped Jamestown get the wealth that it needed to prosper.
In 1624 the King got rid of the Virginia Company, making Virginia a royal colony. 1619 however was when the first representative government in all of British America began. The settlers wanted input on what laws they were living by. Some leaders of the Virginia Company caused a stir and the war with the Powhatan in 1622 ultimately led the King to dissolve the company. These events set the bar for all of the colonies to come, how to treat the Natives, how to be governed, and so on. Though Jamestown ceased to be a Royal Colony in the mid 1700’s, its legacy carried not just into the other colonies but the creation of the United States of America.
Jamestown today still stands a historical landmark. Tours can be taken throughout the town and there are many shops selling antique items.

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