Colonial Virginia

by Susan Sales Harkins, William H. Harkins

In 1606, 105 men left England for Virginia. They were adventurers hoping to get rich. Most died, but the English kept coming. Land and opportunity were worth the risks of death from disease, starvation, or hostile natives. By 1621, Jamestown had 1,200 settlers. Women and slaves turned the tide, providing stability and free labor. By the middle of the century, small farmers were pushing west and everyone was growing tobacco. Large plantations dotted the riverbanks and a new aristocracy of landowners ran the colony. One hundred and seventy years after the English founded Jamestown, Virginians led the charge for independence. Patrick Henry s words fanned the flame of freedom, Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence, and George Washington commanded the patriot army that defeated England.

48 pages, Library Binding

First published September 28, 2007

About the author

Susan is a Software consultant and the author of several articles and books on database technologies. She and her husband, William, collaborate on children's non-fiction.

Reviews

[Laura Hoyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have liked more time to be spent on the daily life of colonial VA. There was a lot of back history, which was great, but I got the book to get more of a picture of daily life after Jamestown flourished and more colonists settled. This pretty much glossed over that, but was great for the major historical events from initial settlement of Jamestown to the Declaration of Independence.