The Changing Role Of Settlers In The Chesapeake Region

The discovery of the Americas led to many of those from England to migrate in the 17th century. A large mass of English people journeyed to New England as well as the Chesapeake Region. Those who settled in New England were looking for a permanent settlement, where they could practice religion freely. However, those who travelled to the Chesapeake Region had a different idea for what they could do in this new land. Settlers in the Chesapeake Region had migrated in order to find land and gold. Additionally, those who settled in the Chesapeake Region did not plan to stay, yet this does change over time. Despite the fact that both regions were settled by people from England, each region developed differently in many ways such as economically,
In fact, many of the settlers fell ill in 1907, due to the fact their drinking water was not clean. “They were drinking water from the salty or slimy river, which was one of several things that caused the death of many. The death tolls were high” (Stebbins, 2011). Settlers were already dying, but without food things could only get worse, “That winter of 1609-10 is known as the "Starving Time…. they ate anything they could: various animals, leather from their shoes and belts, and sometimes fellow settlers who had already died 80-90% according to William Strachey, had died due to starvation and disease” (Stebbins, 2011). Due to the fact that they did not focus on growing food and finding clean water, only a handful of settlers survived. If help had not come from other sources, it is very likely that the colony of Virginia itself would have failed. “If not for the Powhatan Indians help in the early years, the settlement would most likely have failed, as the English would have died from the various diseases or simply starved” (Stebbins, 2011). The Chesapeake Region had struggled quite a bit in the earlier years. Yet, as their outlook and motive changed they did not struggle as much after the ‘Starving Time’. After the ‘Starving Time’ the colony rethought their priorities. They began to focus more on growing the colony and not just finding gold. This was a major advancement for them, “Let us observe the sudden rise of their estates . . . [compared] with the quality in which they first entered this country. Let us consider their sudden advancement” (Bacon, 1776). Due to the motives of settlers in early years of the Chesapeake Region, development of the region economically, politically, and socially were