History 356

The beginning of Jamestown in the New World proved to be a tremendous struggle on those who first stepped off the ship. Disease, famine, and drought are only a few of the many factors the colonists faced in the unfamiliar territory in which they eventually named Virginia. Local Powhatan Indian relations also played a huge role in what became of the brave colonists over time. With an extreme amount of determination, strategy, and patience, those who were the very strongest made it through what some believe to be the most difficult period in American history.

In 1606 the first settlers began exploration around the James River. Ironically enough, this area was suffering from the worst drought in over 770 years (Drought as a Factor in the Jamestown Colony - pg. 76). However, forests and rivers appeared to be overall normal to the colonists. As they began to drink from the river, the colonists became extremely ill due to the high salinity measures from lack of rain. The water continued to worsen from the high humidity during the summer months, and lack of proper disposal of human wastes. Food production was also highly difficult because of the intense drought. Local Powhatan Indians only produced exactly enough to sustain themselves until the following growing season (Drought as a Factor in the Jamestown Colony – pg. 77). Initially the Virginia Company was confident that the Indians would willingly trade with the settlers. However, because of the minimal amount of food available, the Indians had little to offer. Some settlers thought that forcing the Indians to hand over food would help, but only ended up hurting the valuable relationship between the two parties. Many settlers died due to starvation.

The winter of 1609-1610 was appropriately named the “Starving Time.” During this period, it was recorded that over 160 people lost their lives. Some believe, as conditions during these winter months rapidly decreased, cannibalism occurred in the colony. George Percy,...