Jamestown was now prospering and growing. John Rolfe, who had married Pocahontas, introduced the cultivation of tobacco, giving the colony the economy it badly needed.
With the new charter in effect that gave each free colonist a tract of land dissension among the settlers lessened. But what with each man having his own piece of rich Virginia soil to plant and construct a house upon the thoughts of these lonely men turned in still another direction for a necessary item they so far lacked.
Women
Perhaps of all the importance events to take place in 1619, was the arrival of the first white women to Jamestown. The Virginia Company of London had sent several shipments of mail-order brides in return for payment in tobacco for the women's passage to America.
But even with all of these fruitful overflowings there was one raging tide that could not be held a bay. The damn broke in 1622 with an Indian uprising. The result was that one third of the settlers were killed and the colony was almost destroyed.
Had the settlers wanted a good excuse to desert and escape back to England now would have been an opportune time. But no one left. In fact, not long after the massacre more colonists arrived. However, it was many years before Jamestown and Virginia recovered entirely from this disaster.
Sources:
Collier's Encyclopedia, Volume 23. Crowell-Collier Educational Corporation, 1968.
Comptons, The Complete Reference Collection. CD Rom, 1997, The Learning Company, Inc.
Musick, John R. Columbian Historical Novels, Volume IV: Pocahontas: A Story of Virginia. Funk & Wagnalls Company, New York, London and Toronto, 1895.
