The illustrious title of The Old Dominion, bestowed upon Virginia by King Charles II, encapsulates a rich and often turbulent colonial history, marking it as a foundational pillar in the narrative of America. From the ambitious dreams of early English explorers to the harsh realities faced by the first permanent settlers at Jamestown, Virginia’s journey is a compelling saga of human perseverance, political evolution, and the nascent stirrings of American identity.
The Lure of the New World: From Gold to Colonization
The 16th century’s grand visions of gold and vast empires gradually gave way to the sobering truths of establishing a foothold in the untamed New World. This transition from the romantic age of discovery to the practical era of colonization was driven by profound human desires: the quest for economic betterment and the yearning for greater freedom. These motivations were powerfully intensified by the transformative events of 16th-century Europe. As feudal structures waned, a burgeoning middle class of artisans, merchants, and free tenant farmers emerged, accumulating wealth but simultaneously facing high taxes and expensive land in their home countries. The boundless, virgin territories of America presented an irresistible solution to these economic pressures.
Moreover, the Protestant Reformation had shattered the ecclesiastical unity of the Roman Church across northern Europe, leading to the establishment of state churches. Dissent from these new doctrines was often met with severe persecution, viewed as both religious heresy and political treason. Yet, the very spirit of free inquiry that fueled the Reformation could not be contained, leading to a diverse array of religious sects. Faced with attempts by rulers to enforce submission, many sought refuge in the New World, driven by the profound desire for individual freedom of belief and worship. This dual promise of economic opportunity and religious liberty formed the bedrock of early American immigration.
The English Legacy: Shaping American Culture
From the 17th to the 20th century, a steady stream of immigrants flowed from Europe to America, fundamentally shaping its demographic and cultural landscape. While Spain and France laid claim to vast portions of North America, it was the English settlements, initially confined to a narrow strip along the Atlantic coast, that ultimately absorbed and influenced the continent. English civilization, including its speech, political ideals, common law, courts, local governments, and cultural standards, became the undeniable basis of American life. Even after the American Revolution severed political ties, the profound cultural and institutional heritage instilled by centuries of English training endured. America remained, in essence, a daughter country, forging its own path but forever bearing the marks of its English lineage.
The Birth of Jamestown: A Perilous Beginning
In 1606, King James I granted permission for the formation of two companies to establish colonies in America. The London Company, one of these ventures, dispatched approximately 100 colonists who, in May 1607, navigated a broad river in Virginia, establishing a settlement on a low peninsula. They christened the river and the settlement James and Jamestown, respectively, in honor of their king. However, the fledgling colony faced immediate and severe challenges.
The initial charter’s provision for communal harvests inadvertently discouraged diligence, allowing the idle to subsist at the expense of the industrious. A clumsy governmental structure, with distant proprietors in England, made effective authority difficult to enforce. The lure of discovering gold and finding a passage to Cathay often overshadowed the critical task of planting corn. Compounding these issues, the chosen site for Jamestown was unwholesome, leading to rampant fever and malaria that decimated the population.
Had it not been for the extraordinary efforts of Captain John Smith, a seasoned soldier of fortune, the colony might not have survived. Smith’s masterful spirit quickly assumed leadership, navigating the colony through its early travails. His courage and diplomatic skill secured vital corn from the Native Americans for the starving settlers, and his indomitable energy inspired the diligent while intimidating the lazy. Despite his well-documented self-praise, Smith’s contributions were invaluable. His departure in the summer of 1609, following a gunpowder explosion injury, plunged the colony into what became known as the awful “starving time.” Of the five hundred men present in October, only sixty remained by June.
This beleaguered remnant, deciding to abandon the settlement, began their journey down the James River. Yet, a fortuitous encounter at the river’s mouth changed their fate: ships flying England’s colors, part of Lord de la Warre’s (Delaware) fleet, arrived bearing men and supplies. The Jamestown colony narrowly averted the tragic end of Raleigh’s earlier attempts. De la Warre’s arrival coincided with a crucial reorganization of the London Company in 1609, under a new charter that revised both Virginia‘s territory and its governance, marking a turning point for the struggling settlement.
Transformation and Self-Governance in Virginia
Under the revitalized London Company and the firm, albeit harsh, rule of Governor Dale, the colony began to thrive. The feverish pursuit of gold subsided, giving way to a focus on agriculture and modest manufacturing. Tobacco quickly became Virginia‘s staple product, driving economic growth. In 1619, a pivotal year, two significant events forever altered the colony’s trajectory. A shipload of “respectable maidens” arrived, creating a more stable family structure, and individual land ownership replaced the communal harvest system. Most profoundly, 1619 also saw the first cargo of black slaves brought to the colony, a grim beginning to a long and tragic chapter in American history.
The same year also witnessed a landmark in self-governance: the convening of America’s first representative assembly. On July 30, two citizens from each plantation gathered with the governor and his six councilors in Jamestown’s small church. This miniature legislature of 27 members enacted various laws before adjourning on August 4th. While other European settlements existed in America, none possessed or subsequently adopted such a system of representative government; thus, democracy became England’s enduring gift to the New World through Virginia.
Sir Edwin Sandys, treasurer of the London Company, was instrumental in this democratic boon. A member of the parliamentary country party, Sandys challenged King James I’s absolute rule based on “divine right.” James, angered by the company’s independence and fueled by the Spanish minister Gondomar’s whispers of “hotbeds of sedition” in Virginia, sought to dismantle it. Following an Indian massacre in 1622 and a famine, James successfully sued the company, leading to the forfeiture of its charter. In 1624, Virginia officially became a “royal province,” a status it maintained for 150 years until the American Revolution.
The Old Dominion’s Enduring Loyalty and Rebellion
King James I’s intention to suppress Virginia‘s liberties by governing it through royal appointees was cut short by his death. His son, Charles I, hoping to secure a tobacco trade monopoly, allowed the House of Burgesses to continue. This established a critical pattern for most American colonies: a governor and a small council appointed by the English crown, balanced by a legislature elected by the local populace. This duality of royal authority and popular representation would define colonial governance.
The people of Virginia demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the Stuart monarchy. During the English Civil War, when Charles I was deposed and executed, many of his supporters immigrated to Virginia, lending the colony a distinctly aristocratic character. When Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, Virginia‘s swift and enthusiastic recognition of his authority earned them his admiration, leading him to affectionately call them “the best of his distant children.” In recognition of their loyalty, Charles II elevated Virginia to the proud status of a “dominion,” incorporating its arms into his royal shield. This distinction, coupled with their remembrance as the oldest and most faithful Stuart settlement, led Virginians to proudly adopt the enduring moniker: The Old Dominion.
Despite this loyalty, periods of tension arose between royal governors and the elected legislature. A significant challenge to royal authority emerged in 1675 with Bacon’s Rebellion. When Governor William Berkeley, motivated by personal interests in the fur trade, refused to dispatch militia against harassing Susquehannock Indians, a popular young planter named Nathaniel Bacon took matters into his own hands. After an overseer of his was murdered, Bacon led 300 volunteers against the Indians without official commission, decisively routing them. Governor Berkeley, in response, declared Bacon a rebel, igniting a distressing civil war. Jamestown was burned by Bacon’s forces, and Berkeley was temporarily driven from the capital.
However, Bacon’s sudden death from dysentery caused his faction to collapse, allowing Berkeley to return and exact brutal vengeance on Bacon’s supporters. The king, Charles II, eventually recalled Berkeley, expressing his indignation: “That old fool has taken away more lives in that naked country than I did here for the murder of my father.” Bacon’s Rebellion, despite its tumultuous nature, was pivotal. It demonstrated the colonists’ willingness to act independently, forced the dissolution of a corrupt assembly, and ultimately showed that the people of The Old Dominion, though loyal to their king, would not tolerate arbitrary rule or collusive governance.
Jamestown’s Enduring Legacy: The Heart of The Old Dominion
Today, historic Jamestown is preserved as part of Colonial National Historical Park, offering visitors a window into the past. The park encompasses Old Towne, where English settlers constructed their triangular fort in 1607, and New Towne, surveyed in the 1620s. Jamestown served as Virginia’s capital until 1699 when the seat of government relocated to Williamsburg. Jointly administered by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities and the National Park Service, the site stands as a powerful testament to the origins of English America.
The journey of The Old Dominion, from its precarious beginnings at Jamestown to its development as a royal province with a flourishing representative assembly, lays bare the complex tapestry of early American life. It is a story of enduring struggle, pioneering democracy, and the forging of a unique identity that would profoundly influence the future United States. Virginia’s colonial history, marked by figures like Captain John Smith and events like Bacon’s Rebellion, serves as a crucial chapter in understanding the foundations of American governance and freedom. The principles established within this vital colony resonated through generations, shaping a nation that would eventually declare its independence and build upon the democratic foundations first laid on the shores of the James River.
