Agriculture in Virginia, 1607-1699

Lyman Carrier's Agriculture in Virginia, 1607-1699 traces the fascinating origins of colonial farming in England's first permanent American settlement. When English investors established Jamestown in 1607, agriculture was barely an afterthought—the London Company sought profitable trade goods, not subsistence farming. Yet as the colony struggled to survive, the land itself became the colonists' greatest asset, forcing a dramatic transformation in both mindset and practice. This historical narrative reveals how early Virginia settlers, many lacking farming experience, gradually adapted to unfamiliar crops, climate, and soil conditions. Carrier examines the pivotal shift from dependence on English supplies to agricultural self-sufficiency, exploring the crops that sustained the colony and the labor systems that developed to work the land. From experimental plantings to the eventual dominance of tobacco as an economic engine, this account illuminates the agricultural innovations and challenges that shaped Virginia's development during its first century. Perfect for history enthusiasts, students of colonial America, and anyone interested in how agriculture shaped early American society, this audiobook offers essential context for understanding Virginia's colonial period and the broader story of English settlement in North America.