Essentials of United States history . cngra\ingin John Smiths His-tory of New England, Virginia, and the SummerIsles, published in 1624. ful location than Jamestown, and made several reforms thatwere of benefit to company and colonists alike. Up to thattime the land had been held in common and the settlers tookUttle interest in its cultivation. Dale gave to each colonistthree acres of land and exacted as a yearly payment only sixbushels of corn for the public granary. The colonists nowhad something of their own to work for and to develop. Inplace of their continual quarrelings, a good-natured
Essentials of United States history . cngra\ingin John Smiths His-tory of New England, Virginia, and the SummerIsles, published in 1624. ful location than Jamestown, and made several reforms thatwere of benefit to company and colonists alike. Up to thattime the land had been held in common and the settlers tookUttle interest in its cultivation. Dale gave to each colonistthree acres of land and exacted as a yearly payment only sixbushels of corn for the public granary. The colonists nowhad something of their own to work for and to develop. Inplace of their continual quarrelings, a good-natured rivalry 32 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY sprang up among them. Crime grew less and less, and allfear of another starving period passed away. 33. Tobacco.—The settlers had not been the only onesto suffer discouragement at the condition of affairs in members of the London Company had been dissatisfiedat the returns that came from their expenditures. Lumberand sassafras roots hardly had the market value of the gold. A Virginia Tobacco Field. that had been expected. Some of the members had evenurged the abandonment of the colony; others, however, wereinterested enough to continue the experiment Then, atlength, an abimdant revenue came in from an entirely newand unexpected source. In 1612, one of the colonists, John Rolfe,* began to grow John Rolfe married Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, the Indianchief. She it was who had saved John Smiths life Avhen he had been con-demned to death by the Indians, and who afterwards aided the colonistsin several times of need. After his marriage, Rolfe took his wife to Eng- THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 33 tobacco. Year by year its cultivation spread until almostevery other product of the soil was neglected. Against theweed King James expressed himself, declaring smoking to bea custom loathsome to the eyes, hateful to the nose, harmfulto the brain, dangerous to the lungs. Nevertheless its usein England increased with great rapidi
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