Preview

Jamestown: The First Successful British Colony

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
365 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Jamestown: The First Successful British Colony
While Jamestown is now viewed as the first successful British Colony, it came close to failing in its first years. Early colonization attempts were not always successful, and the odds were not in Jamestown’s favor. From the very beginning, it seems, Jamestown was bound to be a failure. While many challenges were presented to this colony, in the end, somehow they rose above these situations and founded what is now modern day Virginia.
The beginnings of Jamestown started with none other than aristocrats-- the people in charge of the venture went straight to the top to try and convince wealthy families to come and help colonize this new land that was described as “Eden.” While in theory it might be a good idea to bring along elites, in execution

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Dutch company profited from fur trade, but not many people came so they let a variety of people in the colony. More Dutch, Germans, French, Scandinavians, and other Europeans settled the area. They also included Africans, free and enslaved. They were friendlier with the Natives, unlike the English. They traded them furs and the Dutch were smart enough not to anger the powerful Iroquois, however the Dutch did have fights with smaller tribes over land and trade rivalries.…

    • 2399 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the matter of four years, almost every colonist died in Jamestown. In 1607 English ships sailed The Chesapeake Bay, and later made their way to Jamestown in Virginia. Powhatan Indians. By summer of 1609, 524 colonists would have arrived in Jamestown. But by 1611, over three hundred would be dead! There are three main reasons why this horrible incident happened were; lack of water, lack good workers, and poor relations with the Powhatan Indians.…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In May 1607, three ships sailed up from Chesapeake Bay in search for the first permanent English colony in North America. Although Jamestown colony was doomed from the beginning, it was not so much an outpost as an establishment of what was to become the United States. Forty-five years later, another three ships representing the Dutch Republic and its company, the East India Company, anchored in the Cape of Good Hope. Their purpose was to establish a refreshment station where ships could break the long voyage between the Netherlands and the company’s main settlement at Batavia in Java.…

    • 3780 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Edmond Morgan builds an easy to understand case of explaining the initial failures of the Jamestown colony. He credits the failures to chaotic organization, laziness, the makeup of the population, and poor ideas for prosperity.…

    • 1784 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The early 17th century Jamestown witnessed one of the worst winters during 1609. There was scarcity of food and colony settlers were living off carcasses of dogs, cats and horses, time which would be later called the “Starving time”. This colony was founded in 1607 by 104 settlers of which only 38 survived the first nine months, with most succumbing to starvation and disease caused probably by poisoned water. Additionally, this time also saw one of the worst droughts , and since the colonists were not accustomed to agricultural labor, most perished and the survivors were entirely dependent on the trade with Native Americans. Being transported in such ear of such hardship, basic survival skills would be of most imperative. Also business skills would of importance to improve trade and commerce with the indigenous natives for initial survival. Without either of these skillsets it would near impossible to survive let alone thrive in such harsh conditions, especially if coming from an aristocratic background like most of the early settlers. Despite the hardship Jamestown is one of the first successful colonies probably because of Captain John Smith who established trade with the natives and later by a settler John Rolfe who found the land suitable for tobacco and started tobacco farming. In this case, a…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The English colonization of the Americas resulted in a wide variety of ideas and concepts. Although each settlement was under the name of English, they all differ in some regions of the structure. Jamestown and Plymouth, two of the earliest successful colonies, share certain similarities, however, there are major differences, especially in their political, economic, religious and social configuration. Established on May 14, 1607, Jamestown, located on the banks of the James River, is the first permanent English settlement in North America. On the verge of failure, the production of modern day tobacco saves this settlement. Unlike Jamestown created with the aim of acquiring land, Plymouth Colony in 1620 was formed by a group of religious dissenters,…

    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Jamestown vs. New England

    • 1295 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Jamestown colony was located near present day James City County, Virginia. Jamestown was the first permanent settlement by the English in what is in current day known as the United States. The location of Jamestown was selected primarily for the fact that it provided a favorable defensive location against any other foreign powers that may have tried to gain control of the colony. John Smith, Robert Hunt along with others provided inspirational leadership for the colonists but even so starvation became a very apparent problem. The hostile relations with the local Native American people and a lack of any profitable exports only made matters worse. Despite this and a horrible winter bearing down on them, the colonists persevered. At the end of the first winter only 60 of the original 214 English colonists survived. (jamestown virginia) The settlers who came over on the initial three ships were not well-equipped for the life they found in Jamestown. In addition to the “Gentry” who was not accustomed to manual or skilled labor, they consisted mainly of English farmers who were not prepared physically or emotionally for the problems that would face them. (old and sold antique digest) Yet despite this they persevered and worked as a team to establish a colony. However, when two ships, crudely constructed in Bermuda, arrived at the settlement with no supplies, when the colonists desperately needed supplies the most, the settlers packed up and abandoned…

    • 1295 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Early Jamestown Dbq Essay

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages

    They were destined to die. In the early spring of 1607, the people of England sailed to the East Coast of Virginia. Sailing to the mouth of the Chesapeake bay, and working their way up the James River. The settlers came to the New World with expectations that were unbelievably high, and with a strong reason. Some can for gold, and riches. Some came to teach others the ways of Jesus Christ. Some came for a hidden trade route to China. Others may have hopes to be apart of the first permanent colonization in the New World. In the end, the Jamestown colony were to become the first long-lasting settlement in America. As the colonists saw the land of America, they were exposed to freshwater streams, “‘faire meddowes and goodly tall trees.’” The settlers…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the seventeenth century, the settlers coming to the New World to settle in what would soon become Jamestown were hoping to find fortune and acres of free land. Instead of landscapes paved with gold, however, there was disease and famine. Out of all the reasons why eighty percent of the colonists perished, three should be taken into the most consideration. The first colonists to arrive had prepared poorly in supplies and mentality, along with the chosen location of settlement being nearly uninhabitable, and surrounded by an empire of Powahatans.…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In 1607, The Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery landed in what would be known as Jamestown, named after King James I. There lived English landowners, skilled laborers, and people seeking profit. The founders of this colony was the Virginia Company and Sir Walter Raleigh. The settlement was created because the people hoped to find riches in the land (Gold), spread Christianity, and to control land for England. After a few years Africans were brought from Africa to work in the colony.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jamestown Fiasco?

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages

    I don’t feel that Jamestown could be classified as a fiasco because by definition that means that the settlement would have failed. It was certainly not a total success, but when building something new, the way the Virginia Company was trying to, you are going to have failures, which in this case can be classified as an error in planning. One such error was the fact that the early structure of high-ranking governors and young men was due to the Virginia Company’s fear of the settlement being attacked by the Spanish. This arrangement of men is well suited if attacked, but does not work well when trying to start a settlement from the ground. What skills did these men have? Did they even know how to farm so that they could grow their own food? On top of these questions about the young men the other problem with this was that the social status of each group did not make it to the settlement from England very well. Due to this “the company deemed brute force under martial law necessary to keep the Jamestown colonists in line” (Kupperman 2009). Finally, it was figured out that this style of society wouldn’t work for the new settlement and people were given their own land to provide incentive to work and produce for themselves and the Company.…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Colonists In Jamestown

    • 81 Words
    • 1 Page

    To conclude, there were many reasons for the amount of people that died in JamesTown. But the main reasons were from the lack of water, Starving Time, and the diseases. There were a lot of lacking occupations in the year 1608. The lack of fresh water that kept mixing with the salt water. And the diseases would be a major role in the deaths in JamesTown. With this information it shows the multiple reasons why so many colonists in JamesTown…

    • 81 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Starting in the early 17th century the English began exploring the New World. Amongst the first groups to colonize included; the English in Virginia, Plymouth, and the Massachusetts Bay. Individually the colonies had their own reasons for inhabitation and exploration. They endured many circumstances that obstructed the beginning of their settlements. Each society evolved, adapted, and faltered in their separate ways.…

    • 1159 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jamestown

    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Jamestown was a small colony situated on an island in the James River. The Jamestown colony was on a course to fail from the beginning due to the poor location, lacking leadership and ill prepared people, and deadly conflicts with the natives. Colonists began arriving at the first permanent English colony in 1607, the first group consisted of 110 settlers of various backgrounds.(Doc C)…

    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays