Early History of Virginia
History Of Virginia
Virginia struggled in its creation as becoming an established colony.In 1584, Queen Elizabeth I of England gave consent to Admiral Sir Walter Raleigh, who navigated across the Atlanta Ocean only to claim the names Virgin Queen,failing to maintain the establishment due to lack of supplies.Another feeble attempt was tried on a six-year old British East India Company in hopes of future investments of tobacco.In 1606, King James I chartered the Virginia Company of London, commonly known as the London Company.In May 1607, Captain John Smith, founded the first permanent English settlement in Virginia, called Jamestown.The colonists contended with swamps and Indians.John Rolfe helped the survival of the colony when he married Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powahatan, which added peace for a short period of time for the colonists.In 1619, England allowed free settlers land grants of their own and brought black slaves to Jamestown through the Dutch Traders.
In 1634, Virginia was created with eight original shires (counties), (1) James City, (2) Henrico, (3) Charles City, (4) Elizabeth City, (5) Warwick River--in 1635 designated in several patents to Denbigh County and in March 1642-1643, the name changed to Warwick, (6)Warrosquyoake--in 1637, name changed to Ilse of Wight, (7) Charles River--in March 1642-1643 name changed to York, and (8) Accawack--in March 1642-1643, named changed to Northampton.Later Northumberland, a new county, was formed from the Indian District Chickacoan by January 1644-1645 (recorded in Virginia Counties by Morgan Poitaux Robinson, Bulletin #9 at Virginia State Archives).
In 1624, James I revoked the charter, making Virginia, a Royal Colony, with appointed governors.Between 1652-1660, Oliver Cromwell, ruler of England faced a new approach from the colonists as they experimented with their own government in an effort against the Royal Governor.Many colonists desired to migrate further west claiming their own lands, but Indian attacks pushed them back to the fall line and remained along the tidewaters.An Indian attack on Curles Neck at Nathaniel Bacon's quarters led to the well-known Bacon's Rebellion.In May 1676, Nathaniel Bacon started a crowed of armed planters to combat against the Indians.In November 1682, the colonists supplied many brave militiamen who aided in keeping the Indians in subjection.These Militiamen made rounds to protect the colonists as they left their forts and searched for permanent settlement westward.The growth of the colonists of Virginia emerged almost overnight beyond the fall line expanding upward along rivers and creeks.This was the colony of Virginia when John Sladding arrived from England.