Development of Virginia

Table of Contents Introduction Native Americans The colonialist Resistance from the natives Conclusion Introduction Native Americans were the original inhabitants of Virginia. They settled in a geographic area known as Commonwealth Virginia. However, European settlement started in 1607 when they settled and established Jamestown. This was the beginning of European colonization in the area. With the emergence of tobacco export, there was massive importation of Africans who provided cheap labor for the profitable venture. This made Virginia to be the most populated and wealthiest British colony in northern America.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Development of Virginia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Native Americans The present Virginia was in the past inhabited by native indigenous communities which date back thousands of years ago. The population was composed of many tribes, the Algonquian forming the larg est group. They had a population of around ten thousand individuals living in the coastal area up to the fall line. Other groups included Iroquoian and Siouan who lived in the interior parts of the region. The Algonquian controlled most of Virginia before the arrival of the Europeans. They had formed an alliance with almost all the tribes called Powhatan Confederacy. This whole empire was under one chief called Wahunsunancock during the late sixteenth and early seventieth century. Although they were peaceful, issues relating to land and ownership of other important resources created mistrust and indifference creating conflicts among the natives. The colonialist The Europeans arrived in Virginia in May 1607 under the Virginia Company of London and settled at Jamestown. During the first few years, Captain John Smith kept the colony alive by making peace with the natives and getting food. Virginia usually had a period of drought after every three years. However, due to the good relat ion between the Europeans and natives the natives usually supplied them with food during these hard times. The colony was not as productive as they thought until the arrival of Governor Thomas West in 1610. He saved the colony from collapsing after the failure of setting up industries such as glassmaking, ship building and production of naval stores. The Europeans started to plant tobacco from 1612 which was a profitable venture. They also imported slaves from Africa to provide cheap labor in the farms. In 1624 the British government revoked the charter of Virginia Company of London and made it its first royal colony in northern America. In the years that followed the colony expanded to the north and to the west. There was also political maturity producing strong leaders in the lower house of assembly who wanted independence.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Resistance from the natives T obacco growing leads to exhaustion of soil thus the settles needed more land for replacement. This lead to the clearance of the surrounding forests which the natives had used for hunting. The increasing number of Europeans coupled with clearance of their hunting grounds made the natives to defy the encroachment by the settlers. The Indian massacre of 1622 and the war of 1644 were as a result of this resistance. The natives however did not match up to the Europeans and the introduction of infectious diseases such as measles and smallpox declined their populations drastically. By the mid 1700`s the eastern part of Virginia up to the fall line was under the rule of Europeans. The surviving populations of the natives were assimilated into the colonialist population. Conclusion Most of northern America was inhabited by Indians and other native communities including Virginia. British settlers first arrived in Virginia in 1607 and settled in Jamestown, a town which they later developed. In the early years they lived in harmony with the natives but once they started to increase in number and occupy more land for tobacco farming the natives started to fight for their land, a fight which they lost making Virginia to become a complete colony of the British. This essay on Development of Virginia was written and submitted by user Shiloh N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How To Become an Activist and Get Involved

How To Become an Activist and Get Involved Its as much a calling as it is a profession. You see something wrong in the world and you want to change it. There are countless ways to do that, from petitioning lawmakers to protesting on the street to personally helping and advocating for a single victim of injustice. If this sounds like something that appeals to you, heres how to go about establishing a career as a civil liberties activist.   Difficulty: N/A Time Required: Variable Heres How: Figure out what youre most passionate about. Are you interested in civil liberties in general, or is there a specific civil liberties-related issue such as free speech, abortion or gun rights that interest you?Get educated. Read up on your American history  and develop a functional understanding of how the government works.Develop sound arguments to back up your positions. Two highly effective ways to do this include familiarizing yourself with the arguments used by people with whom you agree, as well as with arguments used by people with whom you disagree.Keep up with current events. Scour the Internet and find blogs that focus on your topic. Read newspapers and follow the evening news for issues you might not even have thought about yet, issues that are just beginning to reach a boiling point.Join a group. Activists dont work well alone. Your best bet is to join a group that focuses on your concern. Attend local chapter meetings. If there is no local chapter, consider starting on e. Networking with other activists will educate you, provide you with a support network, and help you focus your energies on productive activism strategies. Tips: Be practical. Dont get so caught up in your hope for radical, sweeping reforms that you lose sight of real opportunities to make incremental progress.Dont hate people you disagree with. If you forget how to communicate with people on the other side of the issue, youll lose your ability to bring others around to your way of thinking.Dont lose hope. You will almost certainly experience depressing setbacks, but activist movements take time. Womens suffrage was advocated in the United States as far back as the 18th century and only became a reality in 1920.Go back to school if you dont already have a degree. This goes hand-in-hand with educating yourself, but it serves another purpose as well. That degree will open doors that might have otherwise remained closed to you. A law degree is a lofty goal, but lawyers are trained in the skills and weapons that are necessary to tackle broad platforms at governmental levels. Even a bachelors degree in pre-law or one of the social sciences can be immensely helpful, and nothing says you cant pursue your cause or causes while youre going to school. Many famous activists have done just that.