Why Jamestown Died The People Of Jamestown

In the document titled “Jamestown’s Environment”, it says that the tides caused saltwater to overflow into their drinking water, turning it into brackish water, deeming it undrinkable. Also, in the document “Rainfall in Jamestown”, you can see that in there was a large drought during the first 5 years that Jamestown was established, which didn’t really help crop growth. Finally, in “Chronology of English Mortality”, it talks about how the area bred disease that constantly sickened many of the settlers and even killed them. So, all of that can connect back to the thesis since the diseases and lack of water ended killing so many of the

Jamestown was the first permanent settlement in North America, founded in 1607 in Virginia. About 104 men and boys arrived at a new settlement in Virginia and named it after their king, James I, which was Jamestown. This new settlement was surrounded by many powhatan people that lived there. Although, even though English have found a new settlement, many colonist died. Colonists died in early Jamestown for three big reasons: their water was bad, they lacked key skills, and they had bad relations with the Powhatans.

Back in Jamestown in the year of 1609 the settlers arrived at Jamestown. Jamestown was located in Virginia in the years of 1609 to 1611. The English settlers went to Jamestown because they wanted to find other land (new land) to stay on. The Settlers that went to Jamestown are English settlers that came from England back in the 1600’s. Why did so many Colonists die in Jamestown during the years 1609 to 1611.

After their third year in Jamestown, they began running out of wheat and barley, which was predominantly their food at the time, so they began eating dogs, cats, snakes, and humans. After searching Jamestown, they were let down by not having found silver and gold, they found tobacco. After the new shipments came for food it seemed to be infected with rats which created the bubonic plague. This killed many people.

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.

In the early years of Jamestown there was lots of death. In 1607 the first permanent English colony had arrived at James river. By 1611 roughly 400 Jamestown colonists were wounded up dead. The reasoning for many colonists dieing is because of lack of skills, bad environment, then bad relationship with natives.

Jamestown is now known as the very first permanent English settlement in the New World. However, from 1607-1610, early Jamestown constantly hovered right above the line of failure from reasons both outside the settlement and within its borders. Three main reasons the Jamestown colonists died were because of their lack of preparation, poor relations with the Native Americans, and the location of their settlement.

In 1607, three ships sent by King James the first sailed into Chesapeake bay, Virginia carrying each over 100 people. They then sailed up the James river and settled on a piece of land today called James island. This piece of land was home to over 15,000 Powhatan natives. They gentleman who provided the voyage came here to become rich and make money by collecting animal pelts, wood, and iron. The cause of numerous colonist fatalities in early Jamestown was in direct correlation to their relations with the natives, the horrendous lack of essential supplies impeding their survival, and atrocious ailments leading to inevitable disease.

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. First, disease struck the colony only to be followed by drought and famine only to cause a war between the Powhatan (Natives) and the English colonists. It will always to be important to know the history of our great nation that we call

The first hardship the settlers had to face was disease. To begin, the contaminated swampy waters were to bad to drink from, leaving the colonists with no water. On page 28 of “

Their enemies didn't really want them on their land so Jamestown had to build a fort to protect themselves from getting killed.

There was so much drought that personally I'm surprised that they survived on such little water. They would go without water for more then 10 days. That’s a long time! This means that the Jamestown Colonists were dying off. There dying off, so what about the other animals? These animals were dying too. This means that the Jamestown Colonists were losing food. This follows the old saying "Desperate times call for desperate measures." So with that being said. They would eat there horses, dogs, cats.... And even. Each other! That’s right, cannibalism.

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

Second mistake was the need for the food. The settlers’ priority was to find gold. They did not have any knowledge about what were the resource of the land. They should have a plan to invest in agriculture in order to survive, but they did not. They relayed on Indians to provide them with food. That is why in the winter of 1609-1610 many suffered and died because