Early Jamestown Dbq

Death, starvation, and cannibalism was a commonplace occurrence at Jamestown. By 1609, 524 English colonists had arrived on the James River near the Chesapeake Bay. The voyage was funded by the Virginia Company of London in hopes of finding gold and silver. Little did they know there were about 15,000 Powhatan Indians near and along the James River. Additionally, the place the settlers chose to settle was a swampy marshland. By 1610, about 400 of the 524 settlers had died. This drastic decrease in the population left many people questioning why was the mortality rate in early Jamestown, from 1607 to 1611, so high? Many people debate answers to this question, but three reasons are above all. Many colonists died because of environmental issues, …show more content…
The Jamestown’s drought in 1607 to 1611 is shown by the tree rings patterns in old cypress trees growing near Jamestown.(Doc B) When the ring tree is wider, it indicates that there was above average rainfall, but when the tree ring is thinner it indicates that there was little to no rain. The tree ring was the thinnest and longest unbroken period of drought was in 1607 to 1611. This lack of water became known as the “starving time” and the drought slowed down food production and left land to be infertile. Also, it let the setters without a clean source of water to drink and grow crops. The brackish and dirty water was large conductor of death. Brackish water is salt and fresh water mixed together. (Doc A) Brackish water is created from tides from the Atlantic Ocean and fresh water from the Chesapeake Bay. (Doc A) High salinity levels can be deadly and unhealthy for a person to consume. The dirty water source prevent most colonists from nourishment and hydration. It was a large factor for diseases because human waste got dumped into the river and never flushed away. According to Carville V. Earle a historian attributed that, “filth introduced into the river tended to fester rather than flush away.” (Doc A) When most of the settlers are drinking and bathing from this water source where there is human waste, the colonists will die from the diseases they get from the …show more content…
Francis West and thirty-six men sailed up the Chesapeake Bay, in 1609, looking to trade grain with the Powhatans. The English was not peaceful at all, they forced the trade between the two groups. West and his men carried out their trade with the Indians inhumane way. "Some harshe and crewell dealings by cutting of towe of the salvages heads" (Doc. D). This caused many Indians to not trade with the English in fear of getting killed or wounded. Additionally, Francis and his men took the grain back to England and left the colonists to starve in the harsh winter. (Doc D) However, the Powhatans had killed many of the English settlers too. By 1609 the relationship became strained because Native Americans killed 143 men. The relationship between the Indians and English was very poor because they were killing off each others

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