Why Did So Many Colonists Die Essay

Words: 530
Pages: 3

Why Did So Many Colonists Die?

As the settlers arrived into this unfamiliar land, they had no clue of the challenges they would face. Being sent to Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, by the Virginia Company, the first 104 colonist were going to be the first English settlement in the New world. They had been given blessings by the King of England, James I, and were about to start a new future in Chesapeake bay. Indeed there would be death, from lack of water, to little to no food and lastly nobody wanted to work. This information they didn't know at the time, but what did they did know is they were going on an exploration to a New world.
Firstly, after having arrived to Chesapeake bay in 1607, they were stuck in time of a drought. In fact the long period of drought led to lack of water. Since the water source was limited, it produced farming crises and thirst. At this time, the water deficiency was creating conflict between the Powhatan Indians, their closest neighbor. Meanwhile, the water from the river was getting brackish, and the tides were creating health issues. After all the water was contaminated from human waste. As a result, the water festered leading to transportation of disease through the settlement as well as cutting off the water supply from that river and rivers close by.
Secondly, food
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Around 40% of the colony were gentlemen, meaning they usually had servants and little to no physical labor. Another reason there was a re-stock was because they needed more laborers and settlers were dying. By the winter of 1609 two-thirds of the population were deceased. The resupply of people in 1608, added 21 more laborers except there were no women, at all. As women in the 1600 were only know as useful for cooking. In order to make Jamestown a proper colony they realized they needed women, not only to cook but to also have a