Jamestown

On May, 13, 1607 a small settlement called “Jamestown” was created. It sits near the east coast of what is now today known as Virginia. The settlement was named after King James I. King James granted a charter to The Virginia Company who hoped to find a piece of land along the eastern shores of North America. However, Jamestown had a great deal of issues.

The location on which Jamestown was settled was a very poor choice. Although, the choice was understandable due to it being an island where boats could be directly tied to trees by the shore, It was in a swampy area near a river about 30 miles from Chesapeake Bay. The area was surrounded by bogs and marshes. The river and water supply was riddled with disease, and the river they settled by would fill with salt water. Farming was made difficult due to the intense heat and humidity surrounding the area. …show more content…
He then wrote later, “There is no talk, no hope, no work, but dig gold,....” Many of the jamestown settlers were not acclimated to labor such as farming or collecting fresh water. Many colonists became ill due to lack of proper resources. Beer was an often substitute for water which led to other diseases such as scurvy, pneumonia. in 1609 more than 600 colonists arrived hoping to start a new life in the colony. The Native-Americans in Virginia known as the powhatan were worried about the increased number of settlers and destroyed their farms and killed their livestock. The following winter there was a “starving time” due to the conditions. Out of the 600 colonists only 60