Jamestown: The Birthplace of the United States Trivia Game | History

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The history of successful, long-term colonies in what is now the United States began in earnest in 1606 with the reforming of the Virginia Company. During which English monarch's reign was the Virginia Company, which had failed miserably in Roanoke, handed a fresh, new charter?

Answer: James I

This might have been a simpler question if I had included the name 'Jamestown', the first permanent English colony established in 1607, in the question, but I wanted to challenge you just a little bit! James I was keen on establishing an English presence all over the world, considering he had the most powerful navy in existence at the time.

However, England was still new at the colonization game (excluding Ireland) and hence care was taken not to come in conflict with rivals such as Spain and France.

2. The Virginia Company's charter called for two divisions, one at London and the other located in which English city?

Answer: Plymouth

The Virginia Company was a joint-stock venture chartered by James I and split into two divisions, the 'northern' division centered in the southern English port city of Plymouth and the southern division located in London. The Plymouth division failed in its initial attempt to plant a colony, with its Sagadahoc colony on the Kennebec River in Maine failing within a year.

The London division was more successful, planting the Jamestown colony, the oldest continuing English settlement in North America.

In 1624, the Virginia Company was no more when Virginia became a permanent colony of the English crown.

3. Jamestown was founded near the entrance to Chesapeake Bay in 1607 when three ships dispatched by the Virginia Company reached that site on May 6th. Which of these was not one of trio of ships carrying the original Jamestown settlers?

Answer: Speedwell

Of the original 105 settlers, only half survived the first year of settlement. Not very successful when one considers this tremendous loss of life, but the colony continued through various difficulties over the next several years and persevered.

4. How did Captain John Smith come to head the Jamestown colony beginning in September of 1608?

Answer: Elected

Popular democracy was probably first born in that dreary September of 1608 he was elected to lead the suffering Jamestown colony. Though his tenure as leader lasted less than a year, he helped assure the long-term survival of the colony with his stern, military discipline. Smith came from a military background and used his experience to order the colony.

He also showed his skills at diplomacy, working agreements with the local Indians for food and security. After his year in Jamestown he returned to England, replaced by the Virginia Company, but he returned to America years later to explore 'New England', a term which he helped coin.

5. Following John Smith's departure as leader of the Jamestown colony, a new governor was appointed by the Virginia Company (so much for democracy!). This was Lord De La Ware, aka which of the following?

Answer: Thomas West

West, known as Lord De La Ware (or Delaware, as it was written by the colonists, forever memorialized as the name of the first American state), became absolute governor of Virginia by decree of the Virginia Company and at the behest of the King. West's first major decision came in June of 1610 when ordered the Jamestown colonists, who had decided to abandon the colony, back to the settlement to begin anew. Thus, by West's decree the colony was saved from extinction for a second time.

6. In 1609, Lord De La Ware's deputy governor Thomas Gates was involved in a shipwreck near Bermuda on his way to fortifying the colony. The wreck of his ship, the Sea Venture, and the subsequent adventures of his crew became the inspiration for which famous play?

Answer: Tempest

William Shakespeare's famed play 'The Tempest' was apparently inspired by Gates' 'adventure' at Bermuda. Stranded at Bermuda, Gates and his men built two more ships and were off once again towards Jamestown within a year! Meanwhile, the rest of his fleet had already reached Jamestown with nearly 400 settlers, though a large number of them had perished over the harsh winter of 1609-10.

It was Gates' decision to abandon the Jamestown colony, thus leading to West's momentous decision, described above.

7. The very first law code in American history was drawn up in 1611, under the tutelage of Gates. Gates called this code his 'Lawes Divine, Moral and Martiall', but they became better known by what name?

Answer: Dale's Code

The legal code was given this moniker in honor of Sir Thomas Dale, Gates' high marshal at Jamestown. The code was quite strict and puritanical in its make-up. All colonists were required to attend church; sacrilege of any sort was strictly punished. Also required from each resident, hard work. Gates' believed that strict enforcement of these rules would help secure the long-term safety of the colony itself.

8. One of the most important settlers at Jamestown was John Rolfe. Though he is probably most well known for having married the Indian Princess Pocahontas (Matoaka), his most significant contribution to the colony was which of the following?

Answer: Cultivating high quality tobacco

Rolfe's story is quite interesting. He first arrived at the colony in 1609, after having survived the shipwreck of Gates' ship, the Sea Venture. Sadly, his first wife and child did not survive this early ordeal, and he was left an eligible bachelor.

His marriage with the Indian Princess Pocahontas in 1614 put an end to his bachelorhood and the rocky relations between the settlers and the natives. If that is not enough, it was Rolfe's experimentation with different strains of tobacco that helped develop the 'sweet' Virginia weed that made the Virginia colony profitable. Rolfe married a third time after Pocahontas' death in 1616, and he died in 1622.

9. Generally speaking, relations between the natives and the English settlers were not excellent, but they improved in 1614 with the marriage of Rolfe and Pocahontas, the daughter of the local chief, called Powhatan. Relations took a turn for the worse after the death of Powhatan and the ascension of a new chief, belligerent to the English colonists. Who was this new chief, the brother of Powhatan?

Answer: Opechancanough

While Powhatan (aka Wahunsonacock) presided over improving relations with the English, particularly after his daughter's marriage to Rolfe, his brother chose a more warlike stance. Opechancanough became chief after Powhatan's death in 1618 and began making war against the Virginia settlers in 1622, a war which did not go favorably for the natives...within 100 years the Powhatan Confederacy ceased to exist in Virginia.

10. In 1619 Sir George Yeardley became the new governor of the colony. Soon after his appointment, on July 30th, a meeting was held in the Jamestown Church. What was significant about this meeting?

Answer: First meeting of the Virginia House of Burgesses

The famed Virginia House of Burgesses first met in Jamestown, developing after the Westminster model in England. This was the first legislative assembly in the Americas and consisted initially of 22 members. Thank you for having tried this quiz, please have a lookout for some of my related quizzes if you enjoyed this one.

Source: Author thejazzkickazz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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Jamestown: The Birthplace of the United States Quiz

In 1607 the English planted a colony near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and the United States was born. This quiz will follow the early years of Jamestown, from infancy to toddlerhood...enjoy!

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