Objective: To analyze the development of slave labor in Jamestown.

Settlement of Jamestown

• The Virginia Company offered people willing to move to Jamestown a headright.

Headright – 50 acres of land given to each person who could pay their own way to Virginia

Official seal of the Virginia Company

In the photos above, the blue square represents one acre. 

one acre = 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet

Cheerio, mates, how about working for the Virginia Company in the beautiful settlement of Jamestown! After all, only 66% of the people have died, so you have a 1 in 3 chance of surviving!

Also, everyone that can pay for their own journey to Virginia will receive 50 acres of land, free!

It sounds tempting, but we have a good life in England. Why should we give up the good life?

And if we go, I will have to work! Yuck!

Sounds great! Sign me up! After I receive my headright, I’ll finally have land of my own! Umm…I only have one problem. I’m broke and can’t pay for my own journey. Too bad, you say? Darn!!

• The Virginia Company began to hire indentured servants.

indentured servant –

an individual who worked without wages for a specified number of years (usually 4 - 7) in exchange for transportation to the colonies.

• In 1619, the Virginia Company brought the first Africans to Jamestown as indentured servants.

* Soon afterwards, Africans were used as slaves.

• Also in 1619, male settlers chose burgesses, or representatives, that met in an assembly called the House of Burgesses.

• The House of Burgesses, along with the governor, made the laws for Jamestown, becoming the first representative government in the English colonies .

representative government – a government in which voters elect representatives to make laws for them.

• In 1723, the right to vote was taken away from free black property owners as well.

• By 1670, only male property owners were allowed to vote.

Voting Rights