jan 1, 1606 - Virginia Company charter

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England by the dawn of the 17th century was almost perfectly primed for colonization. It's mushrooming population provided the colonists - from just 1550 to 1600, England went from a population of three million to that of four million, all with various motives. Many came for economic reasons - in the late 1500's, English landlords began "enclosing" English cropland for sheep grazing, which became a major industry. However, disaster hit the woolen trade and forced many peasant farmers onto the streets, so many looked for opportunities in the New World. The new laws of primogeniture and spirit of exploration also provided motive to go to the New World. These laws decreed that only the eldest son could inherit land, forcing younger siblings to seek it elsewhere. The development of the joint-stock company provided the financial means for colonialization. These companies, seeds of the modern corporation, were able to pool their capital to invest in colonies like Jamestown, hoping to get gold and get out within a few years of establishing a colony. Finally, peace with Spain in 1604 provided the opportunity to set foot in the New World, so just two years later, King James I of England issued a charter to the Virginia Company (a joint-stock company) for a settlement in the New World. The significance of this charter was that it would provide the colonists with all the "rights of Englishmen", despite their distance from home. This precious idea was gradually extended to other colonies, which, ironically, became the basis for problems in the late 18th century.

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