Summary

  • Jamestown, the first official colonial settlement in the Americas, faced harsh conditions that threatened its survival.
  • The exclusion of women from the initial group of settlers in Jamestown foreshadowed the future exclusion and persecution of women in the Salem Witch Trials.
  • Jamestown faced a high fatality rate due to the contamination of drinking water, leading to the deaths of many residents.

The idea behind the first official colonial settlement in the Americas was created with the intent to grow, expand, and find a new life in a better place. No matter how well-intentioned the trip to the Americas was, however, the colony to be known as Jamestown was anything but satisfactory. In fact, living in Jamestown forced settlers to attempt to survive under such harsh conditions that, for some time, it was uncertain whether or not the colony would actually make it. Now, colonial history comes to life in Williamsburg, Virginia, where Jamestown once stood.

There were multiple things that plagued the settlement at Jamestown settlement, from famine to disease, none of which was anticipated by those settling the colony. Reproductive efforts to keep the population going were also thrown into question, as was the ability to procure food and keep up a successful economy. With England's watchful eye not far from the Americas, the settlement at Jamestown had no choice but to survive... But the process it took to get to that point was considered to be one of the cruelest and most inhumane periods during America's early settlement history.

UPDATE: 2023/11/03 17:00 EST BY NOAH STAATS

Jamestown Continues To Intrigue People From Across The Globe

Jamestown played an integral part in forming the United States, being the first of thirteen future colonies in the country. Although it currently stands as a historical monument, with another city in its place, Jamestown's history lives on forever.

No Women Came Over On The Boat To Jamestown

Jamestown Virginia Historical Building and Armour
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Jamestown Virginia Historical Building and Armour

Surprisingly, the first people to ever step foot into Jamestown were all men. However, it might not be too surprising considering when it came to a choice between men and women; it was believed during that time that men were fully capable of starting a community. As such, a boat full of men and boys were sent to the Americas, all of whom had a specific talent or skill with which to help build the colony. Women would come into play after the colony was established, and while unconventional, England saw this as the smartest solution to building a new empire. They arrived in May 1607, and for the first nine months of the colony, it would only be men who called Jamestown their home.

The Salem Witch Trials would one day be centered around women in the New England area, so this exclusion was foreshadowing.

  • No women came onto the boat to venture off to what is now Virginia, USA.

Contamination Of The Water Cause Significant Harm

A path in Colonial Williamsburg
Image by Joseph Clarkson from Pixabay
A path in Colonial Williamsburg

During the early 1600s, very little, if anything, was known about drinking water or what was needed to make it safe. Settling a colony was something that England had entered into with a level of reckless abandon without realizing that pure water would be such a necessary product for survival. While the Jamestown area appeared perfect and idyllic for a colony, it proved to be far more work - and far more dangerous a location - than anyone anticipated. The swamp by which the colony was started served as an area for stale, stagnant water, which did nothing but sicken the early colonists. This was a major factor in the health and morale of the colonists, as only 38 men were left out of the 108 who had arrived a year prior, according to History.com. The combination of arsenic and fecal matter that was found in the swamp was eventually to blame for the fatality rate among Jamestown.

  • Due to unclean drinking water, many of the Jamestown residents died.

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The Colony Attempted To Cover Up Their Failures In A Morbid Way

Jamestown Virginia lake
Image by jellygator from Pixabay 
A lake in Jamestown, Virginia

The least colonists could do for their fallen townspeople was to bury them in a grave deserving of the respect they earned for traveling to Jamestown. However, that was far from the case. Those who fell ill or faced the consequences of famine were eventually thrown into unmarked graves, which was partially due to political reasons. It couldn't be revealed how poorly Jamestown was actually doing. Therefore, many bodies were dumped into unmarked holes, and as the population continued to dwindle, two would be buried at a time in one grave. This would take place behind the cover of a tall fort wall so that no one would be the wiser about what they were doing.

  • Jamestown's settlers and leaders would throw those who perished due to famine/unclean living situations into unmarked graves to hide their tracks.

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The Powhatans Soon Took Control Of Jamestown

A road in Williamsburg, Virginia
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
A road in Williamsburg, Virginia

The neighboring tribe, the Powhatans, would play a huge role in how survival in Jamestown played out. After Captain John Smith was called back to England in 1608, there were another 470 settlers who were calling Jamestown their home. However, it still was not all sunshine and rainbows - far from it, actually. After Smith left, the Powhatans took control of Jamestown without the Captain's peaceful agreement to keep things quiet between the two communities. After this happened, the people of Jamestown were forced to find shelter inside their fort, which left no room for hunting or finding any food whatsoever. This was when the darkest period in Jamestown's history occurred, appropriately called, 'starving time.' The colonists ate whatever they could find, from rats to snakes and leather shoes, and even each other, as proven by forensic research.

  • The Powhatans eventually took control of Jamestown once Captain John Smith left.

Jamestown, USA: Now Known As Williamsburg, Virginia

The college of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia
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The college of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia

Although little can be said about what happened to many of the settlers in Jamestown, its current residents call Williamsburg, Virginia, their beautiful home. This town has always been beautiful, boasting churches, schools, medical facilities, and hotels and restaurants scattered throughout. These luxury hotels in Williamsburg are proof of the dramatic shift from Jamestown.

In 1699, the colonial capital was moved to what is today Williamsburg, Virginia; Jamestown ceased to exist as a settlement and remains today as an archaeological site: Jamestown Rediscovery. It is known for its historical significance as the site of the first permanent English settlement in America and still sees plenty of visitors today.

However, for Williamsburg, this is a regular town, filled with modern US flags and only some colonial-era sculptures and historical data to show what Jamestown once was. The thirteen colonies undoubtedly set off the beginning of the United States and its democracy, with Jamestown being a pivotal point in this development.

  • Today, Williamsburg, Virginia, sits where Jamestown was originated.