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- Pilgrim Fathers blessed to arrive in America.
- Tower of London – may have looked imposing at the start of C17, but was sombre; civil war not far off, and religious persecution
- First English settlers didn’t start from hall of Middle Temple, but might not have made it without such institutions. “Think tank”, inter alia. Gathering place of power and the money for America; Walter Raleigh was member, and let out of prison to find gold. Didn’t executed.
- Drake. Sacked Spanish cities, and return to be made Knight and member of Middle Temple.
- Ordinary people got the idea of America as land of riches. Ben Jonson: sea captain “Indian maidens lay treasure at your feet … Man, their very dripping pans and chamber-pots are made of purest gold”
- Unbounded Virgin lands. All newly-discovered land belonged automatically to King. So secured charter as trading company in Virginia, run from London by council approved by King. 1606. “Ye gentlemen of England”. Many died on way to Jamestown.
- Jamestown = swamp.
- No idea of the importance of being self-sustaining
- Bartered with Indians, but this was theft to the Indians.
- Captain John Smith: sense to see difficulties and forced all to work. His ethic didn’t spread to all in Europe until end of WWII “he that will not work, neither shall he eat”. But still not thinking of subsistence crops. But marshlands unproductive. Salvation came in tobacco.
- 08:30 “Tobacco, tobacco”
- Drying it in Smokehouses. Graded by hand, soon approached purity of Spanish tobacco they had previously insisted on. In 10 years, London company was realising different needs; sending over fewer gallants unused to work, and sending over better workers.
- 11:00 Governors sent out. Colony had good governors, until arrival of Sir George Yardley, who failed to lead, and formed a committee. In 1619, they met and despite deaths due to hot weather, enacted tobacco levy in House of Burgesses in Williamsburg. They were not blue-eyed patriots looking to be set free from British rule, at all. But were models for subsequent American democracy.
- Originally met only once a year. To follow English law and traditions. But were given the right to be elected by the inhabitant (not defined, but taken to be every able-bodied male above 16, included indentured servants)
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