Jamestown Government
After the death of Queen Elizabeth I, James I from Scotland inherited the English throne. In April 1606, he bestowed upon the Virginia Company a charter that would allow them to establish settlements in Virginia. “The company's expedition, under the command of Capt. Christopher Newport, founded (1607) Jamestown in Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America” ("London Company”, 2013). Jamestown was a new settlement that was inhabited by men and boys who traveled from England for work. It wasn’t until the coming years that women and families would travel to Jamestown seeking a permanent settlement to live in. Jamestown was born as a thriving, economic town but soon expanded and became the template for established settlements and governments in America.
In 1609, a second charter was composed by King James that would establish a governor for Jamestown and allowed the Virginia Company to sell stock shares. By 1610, Jamestown was run by the Virginia Company and Lord de la Warr, the first governor. Warr was responsible for saving Jamestown when there was a shortage of food and supplies. “With the arrival of Lord De La Ware and his supply ships in 1609, the colonists were able to recover their numbers and bring the colony back” (Scham, Pg 27). In the time he was present in the colony, Lord de la Warr helped create what would be the beginnings of true laws in Jamestown and helped the people recover from disease and famine. Warr created what is known as Lawes Divine, Morall, and Martiall. They were laws to be followed in the colony, but was never really appointed as official colony laws. There was no true regulation or enforcement of these laws, but they did however create the basics for what were to become the beginnings of a government in Jamestown.
It wasn’t until April of 1619 that major changes took place to progress the laws and government in Jamestown. George Yeardley took his position as the new governor after Warr had passed away. With his new role as governor, he brought a new charter written by King James commonly referred to as “The Great Charter”. This charter was aiming towards making Jamestown a permanent settlement and creating a legislative assembly. A few months after the arrival of Yeardley, the General Assembly was created. It consisted of two divisions; the Council of state and the General Assembly. The Council of State was composed of officials selected by the Virginia Company in London to aid the governor with his duties. The General Assembly was composed of two divisions: the Council of State and the House of Burgesses. The House of Burgesses contained two representatives from each town and a select few others who were influential to the town economies. The General Assembly would not meet very often but would address issues and solutions to improve the lives of the people living in the colony. “The Assembly was to be convened once a year, unless extraordinary occasions demanded more frequent meetings, and was authorized to consider all matters concerning the colony and to propose such measures for the better ordering of the settlers’ affairs in conformity (or as near as possible) with laws and customs in England” (Horn Pg 28). Even though they didn’t meet often, the General Assembly would try to maintain the laws to keep their people happy. The governor sacrificed some of his power to the assembly, but gained the power to veto a law in return. Also, even though the Virginia Company wasn’t necessarily a part of the government, they had a major influence due to being a large factor in the economy. “July 30, 1619: The first General Assembly of Virginia, often marked as the beginning of representative government in America” (Gallagher, year 1619). This was just the beginning of representative assemblies in the colonies and includes the early stages of checks and balances in these assemblies.
In 1609, a second charter was composed by King James that would establish a governor for Jamestown and allowed the Virginia Company to sell stock shares. By 1610, Jamestown was run by the Virginia Company and Lord de la Warr, the first governor. Warr was responsible for saving Jamestown when there was a shortage of food and supplies. “With the arrival of Lord De La Ware and his supply ships in 1609, the colonists were able to recover their numbers and bring the colony back” (Scham, Pg 27). In the time he was present in the colony, Lord de la Warr helped create what would be the beginnings of true laws in Jamestown and helped the people recover from disease and famine. Warr created what is known as Lawes Divine, Morall, and Martiall. They were laws to be followed in the colony, but was never really appointed as official colony laws. There was no true regulation or enforcement of these laws, but they did however create the basics for what were to become the beginnings of a government in Jamestown.
It wasn’t until April of 1619 that major changes took place to progress the laws and government in Jamestown. George Yeardley took his position as the new governor after Warr had passed away. With his new role as governor, he brought a new charter written by King James commonly referred to as “The Great Charter”. This charter was aiming towards making Jamestown a permanent settlement and creating a legislative assembly. A few months after the arrival of Yeardley, the General Assembly was created. It consisted of two divisions; the Council of state and the General Assembly. The Council of State was composed of officials selected by the Virginia Company in London to aid the governor with his duties. The General Assembly was composed of two divisions: the Council of State and the House of Burgesses. The House of Burgesses contained two representatives from each town and a select few others who were influential to the town economies. The General Assembly would not meet very often but would address issues and solutions to improve the lives of the people living in the colony. “The Assembly was to be convened once a year, unless extraordinary occasions demanded more frequent meetings, and was authorized to consider all matters concerning the colony and to propose such measures for the better ordering of the settlers’ affairs in conformity (or as near as possible) with laws and customs in England” (Horn Pg 28). Even though they didn’t meet often, the General Assembly would try to maintain the laws to keep their people happy. The governor sacrificed some of his power to the assembly, but gained the power to veto a law in return. Also, even though the Virginia Company wasn’t necessarily a part of the government, they had a major influence due to being a large factor in the economy. “July 30, 1619: The first General Assembly of Virginia, often marked as the beginning of representative government in America” (Gallagher, year 1619). This was just the beginning of representative assemblies in the colonies and includes the early stages of checks and balances in these assemblies.
Sources
Gallagher, Edward. ”The Literature of Justification - Jamestown - Timeline." The Literature of Justification - Jamestown - Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Horn, James. "The Founding Of English America: Jamestown." OAH Magazine Of History 25.1 (2011): 25-29. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Scham, Sandra. "A Native Take On Jamestown." Archaeology 59.1 (2006): 24-29. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
"London Company." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Horn, James. "The Founding Of English America: Jamestown." OAH Magazine Of History 25.1 (2011): 25-29. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Scham, Sandra. "A Native Take On Jamestown." Archaeology 59.1 (2006): 24-29. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
"London Company." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.