Description
In the pamphlet, A Trve Declaration of the estate of the Colonie in Virginia, With a confutation of such scandalous reports as haue tended to the disgrace of so worthy an enterprise, the Virginia Company promoter, William Barret recounts a report from Sir Thomas Gates on the status of the colonies in Virginia. This document is an account of the land and resources found in the Virginia Colony published by The Council for Virginia in 1610 in London, England.
The Council for Virginia was part of the joint stock company, The London Company, which became collectively known as The Virginia Company with a second joint stock company, called the Plymouth Company.
In 1606, King James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company of London and this joint stock company went on to found the Jamestown settlement in 1607. The Virginia Company’s goal was to bring profit back to England through selling shares for speculation in the New World. The primary goal of the settlers taken to the New World by the Virginia Company was to generate profit for the stockholders back in England. To help drive interest in investing in the joint stock company, promoters in England created flyers, pamphlets, and other promotional materials to both entice people to settle in the new colonies and for wealthier individuals to invest monetarily in the company’s ventures.