John Rolfe
John Rolfe was one of the early English settlers of North America. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia.
Jamestown
The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River about 2.5 mi southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was established by the Virginia Company of Lon…
Virginia Company
The Virginia Company refers collectively to two joint-stock companies chartered under James I on 10 April 1606 with the goal of establishing settlements on the coast of America. The two companies are referred to as the "Virginia Company of London" and the "Virginia Company …
How did John Rolfe help Jamestown become a profitable colony?
The first permanent English settlement in America was failing. The settlers in Jamestown were barely hanging on. But when John Rolfe, an English settler, arrived with tobacco seeds, everything changed. Before John Rolfe brought his famous tobacco seeds to Jamestown, the colony was struggling. Historians refer to this as “The Starving Time”.
What did John Rolfe develop that helped Jamestown succeed?
John Rolfe saved the Jamestown colony by experimenting with the growing of tobacco. Up until this time, the colonists had tried all kinds of trades and manufactures to make a profit, without much success. It was only after Rolfe started growing tobacco, which could then be exported to England, that...
What did John Smith really find in Jamestown?
We know from John Smith’s records that German glassmakers were brought in to manufacture glass to sell back in London. Here we have evidence of the glassmakers at work in the Jamestown fort.”
How did John Rolfe help the Jamestown colony to survive?
John Rolfe began his experiments with planting tobacco in 1612. John Rolfe's role in the introduction of tobacco as a cash crop insured his standing within the colony. In 1613, the Indian princess Pocahontas (daughter of Powhatan, leader of the Powhatan federation) was kidnapped by the Jamestown settlers.
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When did Rolfe arrive in Jamestown?
Rolfe arrived in Jamestown in 1610 with 150 other settlers as part of a new charter organized by the Virginia Company. He began experimenting with growing tobacco, eventually using seeds grown in the West Indies to develop Virginia’s first profitable export. In 1614, Rolfe married the daughter of a local Native American chieftain, Pocahontas.
Who was John Rolfe?
Contents. John Rolfe (1585-1622) was an early settler of North America known for being the first person to cultivate tobacco in Virginia and for marrying Pocahontas. Rolfe arrived in Jamestown in 1610 with 150 other settlers as part of a new charter organized by the Virginia Company.
What were the first profitable industries in Jamestown?
The early Jamestown settlers made several unsuccessful attempts to develop profitable enterprises, including silk making, glassmaking, lumber and sassafras. By experimenting with growing and curing tobacco from seeds obtained from the Caribbean, John Rolfe developed the colony's first profitable export. Recommended for you. 1943.
Where was John Rolfe born?
John Rolfe’s Early Life. Not much is known about Rolfe’s early life except that he was born around 1585 and was probably the son of a small landholder in Norfolk, England. In June 1609, Rolfe and his first wife, Sarah Hacker, sailed for North America aboard the Sea Venture as part of a new charter organized by the Virginia Company.
Where did Sarah and the group arrive in Virginia?
The ship was caught in a hurricane in the Caribbean and wrecked on one of the Bermuda islands. The group finally arrived in Virginia, near the Jamestown settlement, in May 1610, and Sarah died soon after their arrival.
Who was the colonist who killed the English?
In March 1622, the Algonquians (under Powhatan’s successor, Opechankeno) made a major assault on the English colony, killing some 350 to 400 residents, or a full one-quarter of the population. John Rolfe died that same year, although it is not known whether he was killed in the massacre or died under other circumstances.
Who was Rolfe married to?
In 1614, Rolfe married the daughter of a local Native American chieftain, Pocahontas. His new bride knew English well; she had been taken captive by previous English settlers and converted to Christianity. The couple sailed to England with their infant son Thomas in 1616.
