Virginia,
One of the thirteen original States of the
United States, lies between lat. 36° 30′ and 39° 40′ N., and long.
75° 25′ and 83° 34′ W. It is bounded on the north and west by
Kentucky and
West Virginia, on the north and east by
Maryland,
Chesapeake Bay, and the
Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by
North Carolina and
Tennessee.
It is 425 miles in length east and west and 205 miles in breadth north and south.
Area, 40,125 square miles in 100 counties.
Population in 1890, 1,655,980; 1900, 1,854,154.
Capital,
Richmond.
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542]
Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon's supposed entry of the
James River......1527
Capt. Philip Amidas and
Arthur Barlow leave the
Thames in two small vessels fitted out by
Sir Walter Raleigh......April 27, 1584
They enter Ocracock Inlet and land on the island of Wocoken in
Albemarle Sound......July 13, 1584
After exploring
Albemarle and
Pamlico sounds and the island of
Roanoke, they take two natives,
Manteo and Wauchese, to
England......September, 1584
[This country lying between 34° and 45° of N. lat., called
Virginia, in honor of Queen Elizabeth.]
Sir Walter Raleigh despatches seven vessels from
Plymouth under
Sir Richard Grenville to plant settlements in the territory......April 9, 1585
Grenville lands on the island of Wocoken......July 26, 1585
Leaving 108 men under Ralph Lane as colonists,
Grenville returns to
England......Aug. 25, 1585
Sir Francis Drake, with twenty-three ships, anchors outside of Roanoke Inlet......June 10, 1586
Drake sails for
England with all the colonists, who had become very despondent, thus ending the first settlement of the
English in
America......June 19, 1586
Another ship of 100 tons, sent by
Sir Walter Raleigh at his own expense with supplies, arrives at
Roanoke a few days later; finding the colonists gone, she returns to
England......June, 1586
Sir Richard Grenville, with three ships, visits
Roanoke about fifteen days after the departure of
Drake and leaves fifteen men plentifully supplied for two years to keep the land......1586
New colony of 150, sent by
Sir Walter Raleigh in charge of
John White, leaves
Plymouth......May 26, 1587
They reach
Roanoke to find that the men left by
Grenville have been murdered by
Indians......July 22, 1587
Eleanor Dare gives birth to the first English child on American soil (named Virginia Dare)......Aug. 18, 1587
John White returns to
England at request of colonists for supplies, leaving behind eighty-nine men, seventeen women, and two children......Aug. 27 1587
John White returns to
Roanoke......Aug. 9, 1590
[He found the settlement deserted.
Its fate is conjectural.]
James I. of
England grants the London company, including
Sir Thomas Gates,
Sir George Somers,
Richard Hakluyt, and
Edward M. Wingfield the exclusive right to occupy the land from lat. 34° to 38° N.......April 10, 1606
Three vessels—
Susan Constant, of 100 tons,
Capt. Christopher Newport;
Goodspeed, of forty tons,
Capt. Bartholomew Gosnold; and
Discovery, twenty tons,
Capt. John Ratcliffe—with 105 emigrants, sail from the
Downs, England, destined for
Virginia......Dec. 19, 1606
They enter
Chesapeake Bay, naming the capes at its entrance Charles and Henry, after the sons of King James......April 26, 1607
They enter the
James River and land at a place they name
Jamestown.
May 13, 1607
Edward M. Wingfield chosen president......1607
Christopher Newport sails to
England for provisions and more settlers......June 15, 1607
Bartholomew Gosnold, the projector of the settlement, dies and is buried at
Jamestown......Aug. 22, 1607
Before autumn fifty more die;
Wingfield is deposed and
John Ratcliffe chosen president, whose incompetence gives the control to
Capt. John Smith during the autumn of......1607
Capt. John Smith, in exploring the
Chickahominy, is attacked by Indians and captured; his companions killed......December, 1607
Condemned to death by Powhatan, he is saved by his daughter
Pocahontas......December, 1607
Captain Newport returns with supplies and 120 immigrants......Jan. 8, 1608
Newport returns to
England with a shipload of worthless earth, supposed to contain gold......April 10, 1608
Capt. John Smith explores the region of the
Chesapeake Bay, nearly 3,000 square miles, as far north as
Wyoming Valley......July 24, 1608
Newport arrives with supplies and about seventy immigrants, among them two women, the first in this colony......September, 1608
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543]
Smith returns to
Jamestown......Sept. 7, 1608
He is made president of the council......Sept. 10, 1608
Smith compels the colonists to labor six hours each day......1608-9
New charter granted the London Company under the title of “Adventurers and planters of the
