9781422274231

The Jamestown settlement barely survived its first few years. It would not be until 1612 that the successful cultivation of tobacco as a cash crop would help to make the Virginia colony economically feasible.

died from disease, starvation, or attacks by the local tribes. Adding to these problems was that they did not find gold or other valuable

items that could be exported, or sent back to England. The Virginia colony might have failed if not for the

introduction of a new crop, tobacco. Tobacco had become very popular in England during the sixteenth century, but the best tobacco was grown in the American colonies of England’s rival, Spain, who charged high prices. An English farmer named John Rolfe believed that if he could grow tobacco in Virginia, he could sell it at a lower price than the Spanish and still make a good profit. In 1612, Rolfe produced a crop of quality tobacco for export to England. It was a huge success. Tobacco farming saved the Virginia colony, and would become a major part of its economy over the next century. To grow tobacco profitably, large farms were needed. Farmers needed help clearing fields, planting tobacco, taking care of the

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THE SLAVE TRADE IN COLONIAL AMERICA