Explain Why So Many Colonists Died In Early Jamestown

It was not an easy beginning at Jamestown. In 1607, 104 colonists made the venture through Chesapeake Bay and up the James River, coming across a little island which would become known as Jamestown, but little did they know about the dangers they would face. So, in early Jamestown, why did so many colonists die? Colonists died in early Jamestown for 3 primary reasons: their water, lack of key skills

Colonist have died because of the bad water that they drank from the river. The water that the colonist drank was referred as Brackish water. Brackish water is water that has salt in it and some people call it salt-fresh water. This may have killed people because salt water could dehydrate people's bodies. This water was also bad because of the dump being poured into the river. (Doc A) “English colonist dug

The colonists died in 1607 to 1611 is because of the Indians, The Environment, And The Colonists themselves. The first reasons why the so many colonists died in 1607 to 1611 is because of the environment. The environment was bad in the early 1600’s because of the drought that Jamestown had. The colonists were bathing, cleaning, drinking, and washing their pots in the brackish water.

Why did so many colonists die?" In early Jamestown, from 1607 to 1610, 452 colonists died even though Jamestown was supplied with 560 colonists. This leaves only 90 colonists left after the May of 1610. On May 14, 1607, colonists set off for Jamestown Island to build a settlement there. They did not know that there were close to 15,000 Powhatan Indians in the forest. Most people who came were from the ages of 17 to 35 years old. Some were servants that needed to pay off debt while others wanted to get profit from the project and would become successful. It did not come without the loss since a near eighty percent of the population died or 452 colonists as mentioned before. The question of this mini-q is "Early Jamestown: Why did so many colonists die?" Many colonists died in early Jamestown because of their relations with the Native Americans, the environment and the settler 's lack of skills. Many colonists died in early Jamestown because of their horrible relations with the Native Americans.

Colonists and Natives were too confident and they tried to survive in the deathful fighting's and attacks! In 1607 the first English colonists arrived on the James River. They were sent by the Virginia company to find riches like gold, copper, and metal. They brought 104 men with them and three ships: The Susan Constant, the Discovery, and the Godspeed. When they arrived on the James River they also founded Jamestown which was the first English settlement in 1607 although before the colonists even got to the New World the emperor Powhatan was in power. Although why did so many colonists died in early Jamestown between 1607 and 1611? The reason why so many colonists died in Jamestown between 1607 and 1611 was because of disease, attack of Natives, and drought. So in the next few paragraphs, I will prove using historical evidence that colonists died because of disease, drought, and attacks of natives.

Of all the English settlers that arrived in early Jamestown from 1607 to 1611, 80% of them died. The first three ships arrived at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay bringing just over one hundred settlers who would attempt to establish the first English settlement. Fifty miles up the James River, the colonists chose a piece of land that seemed to be full of resources, and called it Jamestown. Those who study early Jamestown often wonder why so many colonists died despite the resources that were originally thought to be available. Environmental problems, lack of settler skills, and poor relationships with Native Americans were the main contributors to the high percentage of colonists’ death.

So many colonists died because lack of skills. I believe they had lack of skill because in document c it shows that the colonist brought 47 gentlemen. Gentlemen would rely on others for food water and shelter. Another reasoning for lack of skills is because in document c it shows they only had one segeon. So if that person had died then they would have no one to help them with cut and/or wundes. Another reason they had a lack of skills is because they had no gunsmith. This meat they weren't able to shoot from a far ways away.

Many Jamestown colonists died because of their lack of preparation. According to the information video, a group of English investors called the Virginia Company paid for this voyage to Jamestown in return for reaping some of the riches collected by the colonists. This idea was widely influenced by the Spanish becoming extremely rich from their successful trip to the New World. In addition, Document A states, that “ahead lay possible riches” for the English men to find. The Englishmen originally did not plan to stay in Jamestown; the reason for sailing to Jamestown was to find gold quickly and return to England to hopefully become as rich as the Spanish. Furthermore, Document C notes that, out of the first supply of men, 43% of the men were gentlemen, who are people defined as a being of wealth not used to working with his hands. In comparison, only about 11% of the original settlers were laborers. This proves that the majority of men lacked actual skill for finding any gold at all, and that there was no way the crew was prepared for this voyage.

The third and final reason of why Jamestown failed so horribly was because of disease. They had 1 surgeon and no apothecary. Also, the triangle shaped fort they made didn't have any plumping, so... where did they put their human waste? They dumped it in the river. But, the area was notorious for having high and low tides. And they and to drink something, but the water was easier to reach at high tides do to their position on the beach. So the high tides brought in whatever they dumped out and they basically consumed their own waste which definitely got them sick. Smart people right?

One of the reasons I think why the colonists died was that lack of rainfall. Doc B stated, “ “0” on the chart means average tree ring size and therefore average rainfall “ (Doc B line 4). This matters because most of jamestown's rainfall was below zero. I feel that this might have killed the colonists because they were technically in a drought and they didn’t have any water to drink.

Jamestown, an English colony, was in a constant spiral of death and struggles that included diseases, lack of resources and the Powhatan (natives) between 1607 and 1611. Diseases including multiple waterborne diseases from brackishness and a few others just in general. The lack of resources that included clean water and food in general as well as people that defended the colony. The colony was also faced with the challenge of the Powhatan from bad trades to war, they were basically rivals the entire time of 1607 to 1611 were there.

To start off, autumn had come and the settlers were able to establish a good supply for the winter. Unfortunately, their food supply was burned in a fire along with their fort. In the video “Jamestown Rediscovery Part 3” slide 38 mentions, “bad luck struck again, however, when their food supplies were ruined in a blaze that swept through and damaged the fort.” Secondly, instead of gathering food supplies, the settlers decided to go looking for ways to please the Virginia Company. Slide 44 of “Jamestown Rediscovery Part 3” states, “In their zeal to do the Virginia Company well, they failed to acquire enough food stores for their own need.” Now, after their food burned, they neglected the fact that they needed a stable food supply of their own. Lastly, the winter, also known as the “Starving Time” was one of the worst periods in Jamestown. With the arrival of 400 new settlers they had to share their small supply with, people began fighting. In addition, page 33 of “Making Thirteen Colonies” states, “That means armed Indians wouldn’t let anyone out. The settlers couldn’t hunt or fish.” With diseases, no water, and no food, only 60 of the people in Jamestown out of 504 died. To conclude, hunger was the worst hardship settlers had to

The Indians knew how to live off the land and were expert hunters and gatherers their main food they grew was corn and traded with the colonist by giving them corn and gathering up food for them. Back in England people who were wealthy had no clue how to survive on the plains and take care of a farm and plow fields and hunt for meat. Since they came from the city of England the Englishmen were people who did not know that kind of life. They were wealthy Englishmen; most of these men were lazy and didn’t know what manual labor was. In addition, there were Englishmen of trade who were carpenters, blacksmiths, shoemakers who settled down in Jamestown. It was known that one of the main reasons why the Englishmen settled in Jamestown in hope to find gold, rubies, pearls, and silver and to be able to sell it in England for a profit. Devastation struck instead, within a few months less than hundred died. These deaths were excruciating deaths, and the horror of deaths continued from 1607 to 1610. Some men would find themselves going out of their mind, while others had a blistering burning fever, and some men’s skin would just peel off like peeling off a boiled potato and sudden deaths rapidly appeared, some licked up the blood from their falling comrades as some swelled up so fast less than a hundred from five hundred survived. Many of the colonists were very weak and could not do hardly anything. Some figured the cause of the deaths was from

On May 14, 1607, a group of roughly 100 members of a joint venture called the Virginia Company, founded the first permanent English settlement in North America. The Jamestown colonists purpose is to find gold, silver, and other resources all they want is claiming land and riches. Smith left the Jamestown settlers without a strong leader so he left all his people alone. There’s no houses for them, there’s no supplies for them to survive due to the lack of leadership. So the settlers faced many hardships they had not expected. The settlers lacked some skills necessary to contribute for themselves like farming, hunting, etc. Many settlers died not only because of starvation & disease but also during the winter many settlers starve or froze to death because they don’t have anything for that season. After all what happens to them the settler adjusted to their new lives in America. The few remaining colonists turned to local Powhatan Indians to help them learn the process of planting and harvesting corn and tobacco. The settlers relied on

* Many were gentlemen who felt it below their stations to clear fields or build stockades (barriers)