by Karen Phillips

Jamestown

In 1607, the Virginia Company sponsored the first successful English colony in North America.

National Geographic Magazine, May 2007

Jamestown - the Peninsula

When 104 English male settlers arrived in May 1607 in the Chesapeake Bay area, they had little choice of land. The Indians were hunting, gathering, or farming on all the good land. So the settlers had to pick land that was swampy, mosquito-infested, and had bad water many months of the year.

Who Were The Settlers?The 1607 colonists were all The 1607 colonists were all male, including a few boys.male, including a few boys.

Most of them were English Most of them were English gentlemen, craftsmen, and gentlemen, craftsmen, and laborers. laborers.

The colonists came hoping The colonists came hoping to find gold and other to find gold and other valuables, like plants that valuables, like plants that could be used to cure could be used to cure diseases.diseases.

Why Settlers Left England?In the seventeenth century in England, a first-born son inherited a family’s whole estate.This meant that younger siblings had to make their own fortunes, or be dependent on an older brother’s generosity for the rest of their lives.Because of this law of primogeniture, many younger siblings left Englandhoping to obtain land and make their fortunes in the New World.

Although the colony was named for King James, he didn’t fund the colony. A for profit company, called the Virginia Company, sold shares to investors, who were hoping to make a quick profit when the colonists found gold.

• The land that the English arrived in was not a semi-deserted wilderness as historians long believed.

• Unlike other Indians in the Americas, the Powhatan Indians had not been killed by European diseases.

• About 15,000 Indians were living in the Chesapeake Bay area when the colonists arrived.

By 1607, Powhatan, the

area’s powerful Indian chief, had

organized six of the area’s tribes into a confederation that reached from the Patomac River to

Cape Henry.

The Indians the English called the Powhatan,

did not welcome the English, nor

did they exterminate

them even when they could have.

Why not?

John White’simage of an

Indian Village

Indian and English Control1607 1670

Why the Indians Let the Colony Survive

• Researchers posit that the Indian Researchers posit that the Indian leader Powhatan thought the colony leader Powhatan thought the colony would fail without the Indians would fail without the Indians destroying it.destroying it.

• Researchers also suggest that the Researchers also suggest that the Indians wanted the copper, beads, and Indians wanted the copper, beads, and guns the colonists traded more than guns the colonists traded more than they wanted to be rid of the English.they wanted to be rid of the English.

Fate of the Original Colonists

Danger of Colonization

The Starving TimeThe Starving Time• The years 1609 and 1610 are called “The The years 1609 and 1610 are called “The

Starving Time,” because Starving Time,” because over 40% of the over 40% of the colonists died during this time.colonists died during this time.

• During the Starving Time, the colonists ate leather During the Starving Time, the colonists ate leather and humans who died. One man was said to have and humans who died. One man was said to have killed his possibly pregnant wife and eaten part of killed his possibly pregnant wife and eaten part of her before he was discovered.her before he was discovered.

• Archaeologists have found the remains of and think Archaeologists have found the remains of and think the colonists ate poisonous snakes, bad smelling the colonists ate poisonous snakes, bad smelling turtles, and horses during this time.turtles, and horses during this time.

• DroughtDrought– The worst drought in 700 years had stricken the The worst drought in 700 years had stricken the

Chesapeake Bay area.Chesapeake Bay area.– Indians did not have extra food to share with the Indians did not have extra food to share with the

colonists.colonists.

• PlaguePlague from European rats sickened from European rats sickened colonists with bubonic plague. colonists with bubonic plague.

• Arsenic poisoningArsenic poisoning– Some researchers believe the Spanish poisoned Some researchers believe the Spanish poisoned

the colonists.the colonists.

What Caused the Starving Time?What Caused the Starving Time?

Why Didn’t the Why Didn’t the Colony Die?Colony Die?

• When John Rolfe arrived after his own year When John Rolfe arrived after his own year long, catastophe-ridden trip from England to long, catastophe-ridden trip from England to Jamestowne, he found only 60 surviving Jamestowne, he found only 60 surviving colonists left alive.colonists left alive.

• He got the survivors on board his ship and He got the survivors on board his ship and set sail to return England.set sail to return England.

• As they sailed away, a ship appeared with a As they sailed away, a ship appeared with a new governor, Lord De La Ware, and new new governor, Lord De La Ware, and new colonists. De La Warre forced the survivors colonists. De La Warre forced the survivors to return to the colony and kept the colony to return to the colony and kept the colony alive.alive.

Math ProblemMath ProblemMath ProblemMath ProblemIf 40% of the colonists died and If 40% of the colonists died and 60 people survived, how many 60 people survived, how many

colonists were in the colony colonists were in the colony before The Starving Time killed before The Starving Time killed

so many?so many?

If 40% of the colonists died and If 40% of the colonists died and 60 people survived, how many 60 people survived, how many

colonists were in the colony colonists were in the colony before The Starving Time killed before The Starving Time killed

so many?so many?

How do we explain that the English were able to

prosper,

defeat, and

prevail over the more organized, populous, and successful Indian culture?

The ColumbiaExchange:The ColumbiaExchange:

WormsPigs

HoneybeesTobacco

WormsPigs

HoneybeesTobacco

Why were these animals and this Why were these animals and this plant so dangerous to the Indians of plant so dangerous to the Indians of

the Chesapeakethe Chesapeake?

the exchange between the Old and New World of flora and fauna, ideas, and diseases

How Do We Explain the English Success?

How Do We Explain the English Success?

• In the Chesapeake Bay area, the Indians were not killed by European diseases.

• Although three quarters of the colonists died, the Jamestown colony finally prospered and defeated the more organized, populous, and successful Indians.

• Current research suggests:

• In the Chesapeake Bay area, the Indians were not killed by European diseases.

• Although three quarters of the colonists died, the Jamestown colony finally prospered and defeated the more organized, populous, and successful Indians.

• Current research suggests:

The Changing LandThe Changing Land The English changed the ecology of the land

and made it unlivable for the Indians. The English brought pigs, worms, cattle, and

honeybees, which all destroyed the Indians’ habitat.

The English fenced in their crops, but the Indians didn’t.

The English pigs would escape, quickly grow wild, and eat and destroy the Indians’ crops that weren’t fenced.

The English changed the ecology of the land and made it unlivable for the Indians.

The English brought pigs, worms, cattle, and honeybees, which all destroyed the Indians’ habitat.

The English fenced in their crops, but the Indians didn’t.

The English pigs would escape, quickly grow wild, and eat and destroy the Indians’ crops that weren’t fenced.

Worms Made the DifferenceWorms Made the Difference Apparently, worms had died out in the

New World during the last Ice Age. The worms that the Europeans brought

ate the leaf litter that supplied the North American trees with nutrients.

With the leaf litter gone, the flora the Indians knew disappeared, and trees the Europeans used prospered.

Apparently, worms had died out in the New World during the last Ice Age.

The worms that the Europeans brought ate the leaf litter that supplied the North American trees with nutrients.

With the leaf litter gone, the flora the Indians knew disappeared, and trees the Europeans used prospered.

Tobacco Ruined the Indians, but Saved the

Colonists

Tobacco Ruined the Indians, but Saved the

Colonists• Tobacco made the English colony succeed

financially. • Tobacco needed lots of land to grow, and it

used up the nutrients in the land quickly, creating the need for more and more land.

• When the Indians didn’t plant on a field to let the soil grow rich again, letting a field lie fallow, other Indians could use the field for hunting and gathering.

• Tobacco made the English colony succeed financially.

• Tobacco needed lots of land to grow, and it used up the nutrients in the land quickly, creating the need for more and more land.

• When the Indians didn’t plant on a field to let the soil grow rich again, letting a field lie fallow, other Indians could use the field for hunting and gathering.

Culture ClashCulture Clash

• The English thought these lands were unclaimed, and claimed these lands for themselves.

• The English gradually took control of all the best land that bordered the rivers.

• The English thought these lands were unclaimed, and claimed these lands for themselves.

• The English gradually took control of all the best land that bordered the rivers.

Glossaryculture clash Discord and disruption that occurs when

two groups of people come into contact who have very different beliefs, values, customs, and priorities.

peninsula area of land that is connected to the mainland, but projects into a body of water and is mostly surrounded by water.

convert to cause to change from one belief to another

primogeniture rule by which the eldest son inherits his father's land and buildings; inheritance by the first-born.

Glossary, continued

populous full of people; having many people per square mile.

confederation State of being united in a league or alliance

prevail to be the stronger; to succeed

fallow to leave land without planting, so that it will grow fertile again

Sources Cited

Mann, Charles C. “America, Found & Lost.” National Geographic Magazine. May, 2007. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.

Lange, Karen E. “What would you take to the New World?” National Geographic Magazine. May, 2007. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.