Lessons of Virginia and Jamestown

•  The Virginia Company charter determined the structure of the colonial government so long as it conformed to English common law.

•  London established rules of conduct. The Charter was kept in London—Virginians never had as much freedom from control as New England.

•  A steady money supply was needed to keep the investment going. Eventually that need was seen as throwing good money after bad, and the charter was revoked.

•  A steady supply of people to settle and work the land was also necessary, but it was not an easy life, despite promises made to and by investors.

•  In order to get people to continue to invest, it was necessary to promise a return on investment. Company officials kept "sweetening the pot," but ultimately it was not enough.

•  Capitalism was at the center of the early Virginia experience. The planters learned management and government systems that helped mercantile capitalism develop in America.

•  Bottom line: Colonies are expensive to support and maintain; there is no easy road to riches. But the real "gold" in America is the land.

Noted with Irony:

1.  Without intervention of the Indians, the Jamestown colony would probably not have survived. Those same Indians later tried to exterminate the colony.

2.  After the charter was revoked and the colony became a crown colony, the survivors eventually inherited the land and became the wealthy Virginia planters, among whom were the famous "First Virginia Families," whose descendants have been around ever since.

3.  Virginia was closer to England than New England—in religion, commerce, politics, economics. But in the early years, New England was healthier and stronger in many ways.