Jamestown,+1606-1611

The English Establish a Foothold at Jamestown, 1606-1610

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/colonial/jamestwn/

On December 20, 1606, ships of the London Company set sail from England to establish a colony in Virginia. The would-be colonists arrived in Chesapeake Bay in April 1607. On board were 105 men, including 40 soldiers, 35 "gentlemen," and various artisans and laborers.

The Company had instructed Captain Newport, the commander of the ships, to find a site for a colony that was secure from Spanish discovery and attack but that also had easy access to the sea. He therefore sailed up a river (which the English named the James) and fifty miles from its mouth found a low-lying, marshy peninsula that seemed to meet all specifications. There they established what they called James towne.

At first, things seemed to go well. The colonists cleared some land and erected a palisade for protection. Inside the palisade they built small, rather rude, dwellings. The colonists also began to clear some land for planting crops. Meanwhile the natives in the area, a confederation of tribes led by Powhatan, seemed to change from initial hostility to friendship and hospitality. With the natives' offers of food and friendship, the English began to pay less attention to planting crops and more to exploring the region for quick riches.

Despite the early promise of success, there were already danger signs. During the summer and autumn, many colonists began to sicken and die. In part, we now know, illness and death were caused by siting Jamestown at a very swampy, unhealty location. In addition, many colonists had brought with them typhoid and dysentery (what people at the time called "the bloody flux"), which became epidemic because the colonists did not understand basic hygiene. Further, the water supply at Jamestown was contaminated both by human wastes and seawater.

Moreover, by autumn it became obvious that the colonists had insufficient food to get them through the winter. Not enough land had been cleared and not enough crops had been planted and harvested. Part of the problem here was that the "gentlemen" resisted working like mere laborers. Fortunately for the colonists, Powhatan remained friendly and supplied the English with food. Even so, by the time the "first supply" of more settlers and provisions arrived in early 1608, only 35 of the initial colonists had survived.

Although the evidence is skewed in his favor, there is little question that Captain John Smith saved Jamestown. He organized the colonists and forced them to work in productive ways. He was also able to trade with the natives for food stuffs; when they were reluctant to trade, he took what he needed, souring relations with the natives. Although Smith soon returned to England, his and other colonists' reports back to the London Company led that body to change some of its methods. Essentially it codified Smith's dictatorial regime by bestowing much greater authority on the colonial governor.

A Note About Reading These Documents: You will probably have difficulty reading some of these documents. The documents were written in Early Modern English and people at the time spelled words differently and often were inconsistent in their spellings. One source of help is a Table of Explanations of Early Modern English prose, from the Thomas Jefferson Papers. You might also benefit by reading the documents aloud.

For additional documents related to this topic, we would suggest focusing on the collection in American Memory most pertinent to early Jamestown, The Capitol and the Bay. Within that collection are two essential sources: Captain John Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia and the four volumes edited by Peter Force in the mid-19th century. Both of these sources are full-text searchable via The Capitol and the Bay.

DOCUMENTS

1. A Justification for Planting Virginia Before 1609

The following excerpt is from the Records of the Virginia Company of London, the corporate entity that undertook the initial attempt to plant a colony in Virginia. Why does the London Company feel it needs to justify planting a colony in Virginia? How does the Virginia Company draw upon the experience of the King of Spain in writing this justification?


 * 2. Captain John Smith Describes the Voyage of the First Colonists in Virginia, 1606-1607**


 * The following is an excerpt from Captain John Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia, Book III, "The Proceedings and Accidents of the English Colony in Virginia." Although called a "history," Smith published most of what appears in Book III in 1612, only shortly after the events he describes took place. How does he describe the voyage to Virginia? What did the colonists do upon their arrival in Virginia?**
 * What was the initial reaction of the region's natives to the arrival of the English colonists**

3. Building Jamestown and Conflicts Among the Colony's Leaders

After the June 1607 departure of Captain Newport, who returned to England to gather supplies and additional colonists, those left in Virginia faced a difficult time. According to this excerpt from John Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia, what were the most significant problems the Virginia colonists faced in this period? What is John Smith's view of the colony's leaders at this time?


 * 4. Other Witnesses to Jamestown Between Founding and the First Supply**


 * The months between June 1607 and April 1608 were extremely difficult for the Jamestown colonists. According to George Percy, what problems faced the colonists? Does his assessment agree with that of John Smith? According to Edward-Maria Wingfield, who wrote the second document, what were the primary problems facing the Jamestown colonists? Why did the colonists depose Wingfield from his leadership post?**

5. The Arrival of the First Supply to Jamestown, January 1608

When Captain Newport returned to Virginia with the first supply in early 1608, he also bore new and different instructions from the Virginia Company in England. The company's governing council was not pleased with the accomplishments of the colonists, especially that no gold, trade, or staple product had yet been found to produce profits for the company's stockholders. In the following excerpt from Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia, what suggests these changes in the colonists' instructions? What is Smith's view of the "gold hunt"?


 * 6. Some Observations on the Second Supply to Jamestown, September 1608**


 * Even after a foothold was established at Jamestown, the colonists were instructed to continue their exploration of the region. The company was interested in the actual and potential resources of the area and in the possibility of a water route to the so-called South Seas.**
 * Captain Smith therefore made several explorations of the Chesapeake region. Upon his return to Jamestown, however, he found the village in a shambles. According to the witnesses in the following excerpts, what had happened in Jamestown in Smith's absence? What did Smith do about these problems upon his return?**

7. John Smith's "Rude" Letter to the Virginia Company, 1608 (possibly September)

When Captain Newport brought news of changing policy from the Virginia Company, it must have angered Smith. Here were "adventurers" who had never left the comfort of their own homes but wanted to dictate to those who had actually gone to Virginia and likely had a much better sense of the situation. In Smith's letter to the Virginia Company, what are Smith's primary arguments concerning the slow development of Virginia? What advice does he offer the council of the company?


 * 8. The Jamestown Colonists Compare Their Efforts with the Spanish**


 * Because of constant criticisms from the Virginia Company at home, the Jamestown colonists were ever sensitive to the denigration of their efforts. In the following excerpt from Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia, how do these writers compare their efforts with those of the Spanish? What benefits do these writers see as arising from their different circumstances?**

9. John Smith Compels the Colonists to Work, 1609

In Book III, Chapter XI of his General History of Virginia, Smith describes the situation facing the Jamestown colonists in 1609. According to the excerpt below, what accomplishments did the colonists make in this period? What reasons does Smith give for not having been able to do more? Why did many of the colonists think his speech to "the drones" was cruel? Would you consider Smith's actions to be cruel? Why or why not?


 * 10. John Smith Assesses the Accomplishments and Problems of Jamestown,**
 * 1609 and 1612**


 * Just before he left Jamestown, Smith assessed his accomplishments while governor of Virginia. His observations are probably as accurate as they are self-serving. According to the first excerpt below, what does Smith see as his major accomplishments? The second excerpt was written in 1612, not long after Smith had left Virginia. Why did Smith write this tract in 1612? Where does Smith place most of the blame for the ill-repute of Virginia at the time?**

11. John Smith, Wounded, Retires from Virginia, 1609

The following excerpt from Smith's General History of Virginia, was written by Richard Pots, clerk of the Virginia Company, and two others. Thus the story of Smith's departure may be more objective than if Smith wrote the story himself (although, of course, Smith may have "edited" their account to some degree). Why did Smith leave Jamestown? What do the authors of this excerpt suggest about "might-have-beens"; that is, what do they suggest might have happened had Smith been able to stay in Jamestown?


 * 12. Instructions to Governor Sir Thomas Gates, May 1609**


 * From the start, Jamestown faced all manner of difficulties consistent with the Company's view that the first English colony was an experiment. In 1609, the Virginia Company sought to rectify some of these problems by appointing Sir Thomas Gates as governor and dispatching a significant new supply and colonists. In the excerpts from the Company's instructions to Gates, what things seem to be of most concern? How do these instructions compare with John Smith's "Rude" Letter to the company of the same year?**

13. The Virginia Company's Public Relations Campaign, 1609

Even though stockholders in the Virginia Company saw Jamestown as an experiment, many were nonetheless disappointed that they were making no profits from the colony. Lack of profits was an even greater issue in the Company's attempt to raise additional funds to support Jamestown and to send more colonists. In 1609, they therefore began what we might call a "media blitz." Nova Britannia was one pamphlet written as part of this public relations campaign. According to the excerpts, what failures does the writer discuss? What does the writer suggest the Company has done to solve such problems?


 * 14. The "Starving Time," Winter of 1609-1610**


 * Just as John Smith was leaving Jamestown, the Virginia Company was sending Sir Thomas Gates with another supply. Unfortunately, Gates's ship and several others encountered a storm and shipwrecked at Bermuda (about 120 miles off the coast of Virginia). The time from Smith's departure to the arrival of Gates has come to be called "the starving time." A pamphlet titled A True Declaration of the Estate in Virginia, written in 1610, describes this period. How does the author describe the "starving time"? Where does the author place the blame for this situation?**

15. The Colonists Nearly Abandon Jamestown, 1610

While the colonists in Virginia were experiencing the "starving time," the adventurers in England were making significant changes to the Virginia project. Two years of experimentation had proved disappointing to investors. The colony had, however, accomplished enough to create renewed interest. The most important feature of the renewed effort was the scale of the effort proposed. The plan was to send 500 men and 100 women and children in June, to be followed in August by 1,000 more colonists. However, many of Gates's and Somers's first fleet became shipwrecked on Bermuda. Meanwhile De La Warr's sailing was delayed. In these circumstances, how does Reverend William Simmons describe the situation in Jamestown in the following excerpt from John Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia?

16. Jamestown Given New Life, 1610

The two documents below deal with the aftermath of "the starving time." The first document, attributed by John Smith to William Box (it is almost exactly the same text as that in A True Declaration of the Estate in Virginia), describes the arrival of Lord De La Warr. According to the author, what did De La Warr do to get Jamestown on a better footing? According to the second document, what grounds are there for optimism that the colony will survive?