Explain Why Early Jamestown Why Did So Many Colonists Die

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Pages: 3

Death was everywhere. In May 1607, about 110 Englishmen arrived at the mouth of a great bay, Chesapeake Bay, on the coast of Virginia, and they worked their way up the James River. It was to be the first permanent English colony in the New World, which is now the United States. The first years of settlement were not easy. It is truly amazing that the colony survived, but this is not on the survival, this is about the near destruction. Early Jamestown: Why did so many colonists die? The colonists of Jamestown, died for three big reasons, which would be, bad relations with Powhatan Indians, the local tribe that already occupied the land, environment, including the position of settlement and disease, and lastly the lacking of skills needed. First big reason on why so many colonists died would be the environment. In Document A it states that the water of adjacent river and creeks being …show more content…
The majority of the people that they brought over were just gentlemen, which is a man that does not work, and he just has wealth, which is a big mistake in the settlers part. All the other important jobs that were needed they either brought over just one person to do, or none at all, such a surgeon, they just brother one surgeon with them, so if he died, then they had no one. Another important job would be a farmer, but on the ship lists there isn’t even an occupation listed. These are just a few of the many skills they poorly decided on for bringing over. Their poor choices when it came to skills created a lot of problems, mostly death, in May of 1607, 110 settlers arrived, and by December that same year, 70 had already died. Whether it be from disease, and there not being enough doctors to bring them to health, or lack of proper nutrition because they did not bring any