1. THE HARDSHIPS AND SURVIVAL OF JAMESTOWN Interactive Notes VS. 3 f, g

2. The English settlers found life in Jamestown harder than they expected.

3. Hardship #1

4. One problem was their water supply. Most of the available water was salty and unsafe for drinking. In addition, the marshy land was filled with mosquitoes that carried diseases like malaria. This disease weakened many of the settlers.

5. Hardship #2

6. Another problem involved the skills of the settlers. Most of the settlers lacked the skills to provide for themselves.

7. They were not familiar with farming or manual labor. They never intended to grow their own food. Instead they were depending on trade with the Indians for food and the supply ships from England.

8. Hardship #3

9. As a result of these problems, or obstacles, many settlers died of disease and starvation.

10. Change that resulted in survival #1 & 2

11. The arrival of supply ships and the leadership of John Smith were two changes that resulted in the survival of the colony.

12. Smith was eventually elected president of the colony. He began a policy of strict discipline and encouraged farming with this scolding: “He who does not work, will not eat.”

13. Change that resulted in survival #3

14. Smith encouraged colonists to grow their own crops for their families. This change put an importance on agriculture and pushed the colonists to work harder.

15. Captain John Smith also started a trading relationship with the native peoples.

16. How native peoples contributed to survival #1

17. Powhatan, the chief of many tribes, provided leadership to his people and taught the settlers these survival skills.

18. How native peoples contributed to survival #2

19. This relationship between the native peoples and the English settlers helped in several ways. The native peoples traded mainly food with the English in exchange for tools, pots, and copper for jewelry. They also showed the settlers how to plant corn and tobacco.

20. How native peoples contributed to survival #3

21. Pocahontas, the daughter of Chief Powhatan, acted as the contact between the native peoples and the English. In that role, she helped the English settlers survive. Thanks to the leadership of John Smith and the support of Pocahontas, the settlement was in a better position to survive and grow.

22. This interaction was positive until the native peoples realized the English settlement would continue to grow. They later came to see the settlers as invaders who would take their land.