The Struggles of Jamestown

On May 14, 1607 three ships sailed for the new colony known as Jamestown Virginia.
The boats were packed with one hundred and four men and boys who left England on a cold December day. King James I had granted the Virginia Company its first charter which stated the right to establish colonies in Virginia. Any Englishmen that wanted to had the rights as colonists in the new settlement. The King had his eyes on Gold ore that had been found there by the Spanish and looked at this opportunity as an economic one for England. Little did they all know about the hardships that they would encounter in “the new world”. Life at Jamestown is the story of brave people with a fierce determination to survive which laid the foundation for our country today. The first mistake the colonists made was the location. The goal was to find a place on a river so the colonists could search for a northwest passage, and that would be a key defensive position in case of attacks from the Natives and Spanish. The Location of Jamestown was in a swampy area and was isolated from most game which needed more space to inhabit. Almost all game on the tiny peninsula was killed and hunted immediately which left the settlers with little to eat. Not only was the location bad for hunting but the low, surrounding land was marshy and filled with mosquitos which carried and led to several diseases. Along with little food, and disease filled bugs, the river that Jamestown was located by was contaminated and unsuitable for drinking. The colonists that traveled to the new land were mostly “gentlemen” who were ill equipped and not prepared to deal with the environmental obstructions Jamestown had for them. These men were not used to any kind of manual or skilled labor. They were not planning to grow their own food but to trade with the local Indians to supply them with enough food between constant trips of supply ships. Because these settlers were unskilled and untrained after less than a year there was only thirty-eight people left alive and only ten of those actually able to do physical labor. One of the main concerns for the planners of the Virginia Company was attacks by the Natives. The Powhattan Indians have inhabited the area for over sixteen thousand years and weren’t too fond when they found these English people came over and started destroying the wilderness and building a fort. So, almost immediately the English fell under attack to the Indians, losing one man and wounding about eleven others. Besides small attacks once in a while, the English became successful in trading and communicating with them. Getting food from the natives was crucial for survival of the colonists, ultimately leading to the reason of success for Jamestown. Disease and Famine struck the colony like a hammer. More than half of the settlers died from these two things. The major killer was polluted river water that all the people were drinking. It lead to salt poisoning, dysentery and typhoid. There were no treatments for any of these diseases so people were “dropping like flies”. They were so weakened from sickness most could barely stand. Little food was to be found because the colonists came unskilled in farming and already killed and ate all of the game nearby. On top of all of those problems, leadership and communication, was never a strong factor either. Leaders focused on the original tasks, sending people out to look for gold ore, and to discover a sea route to Asia. Leadership deteriorated and men began fighting between each other instead of working together to accomplish necessary tasks. John Smith became president of the colony in September of 1608. He offered strict leadership and instead of sending people off to search for gold ordered people to construct buildings and plant 100 acres of corn. Smith also trained men militarily and negotiated with the Indians politically and economically. John Smith would become a savior to the Jamestown colony. Although these fearless Englishmen were very unprepared and unready for the tasks ahead of them, they eventually succeeded and the colony would live on. They overcame so many things, disease, famine, attacks from natives, and much more which I believe would set the tone for this country. The determined attitudes of the colonists is a great influence on people today inspiring people to overcome their fears and never give up on what you believe in.

Works Cited 1. Price, David A. Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Start of a New Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knoff, 2003. 2. Owen Jarus. Jamestown: Facts and History. July 31, 2013.