What Was Life Like in Colonial Jamestown?
Life in colonial Jamestown was difficult and challenging, with few rewards. The native population was constantly attacking, food was sometimes scarce, and winters could be brutal. However, the establishment of the colony helped Virginia and America become a new bastion for European immigration. Tobacco brought riches to the New World, even as Jamestown itself disappeared into history.
Other People Are Reading
-
Time Frame
-
In 1606, the Virginia Company was granted a charter by King James I to establish a colony in Virginia. In December, 104 settlers set sail for the New World led by Captain John Smith. The task before them was to establish a colony, find gold, and identify a passage through North America to Asia.
On May 14, 1607, the settlers landed in Virginia and established the Jamestown Island colony near the Chesapeake Bay area. The first challenge they encountered was the violence brought on by the Algonquin natives that inhabited the area. However, with the construction of a fort and the trade established with the Powhatan natives, the colony survived.
John Smith left the colony in 1609 to return to England, at which time great famine spread across Jamestown. The winter was known as the "starving time" in which only sixty of the two hundred fourteen settlers survived. The new governor arrived the following summer to find the colony in disarray and on the verge of collapse.
By June of 1619, the first self-governing body in the New World was established, known as the General Assembly. Around this same time, the first African population was brought to Virginia to act as indentured servants.
The Algonquins continued their attacks on Jamestown as it became the capital of Virginia. However, by 1698, Jamestown began to become abandoned and the capital was moved to Williamsburg.
The last vestige of Jamestown was swept away during the American Revolution, when it was used as a military base. After the war, the island was abandoned.
Significance
-
Jamestown played a pivotal role in establishing the Virginia colony. Although gold was never found and life was hard for colonists, the fact that the colony survived for many years was a testament to the quality of leadership and character of the brave individuals who built the settlement. A variety of artisans and craft makers joined aristocrats and explorers to challenge the wilderness of the New World.
The success of the Virginia Company's colony was mainly from the introduction of the cash crop of tobacco by John Rolfe. Europe became enchanted by the aromas and luxuriousness of smoking, driving the Virginia colony's agriculture to follow suit and become primarily a tobacco growing settlement. This had great ramifications for the colony as the financial gain for the continued expanse of Jamestown was helpful in trading with natives; however, the lack of further diversifying their food source made them rely heavily on the trades. -
Considerations
-
The Jamestown colonists faced a variety of burdens. Repeated attacks by native groups did little to aid the settlers as they struggled against the brutal elements and poor growing conditions. On the other hand, compared to European life, the Americas offered some increased health benefits. More sunlight assisted in Vitamin D production, which lowered the frequency of rickets in children. Plentiful shellfish, venison, and wild birds gave the colonists a healthier protein diet than the wheat-based foods of Europe.
One drawback was an increased access to sugar. While sugar was commonplace in Europe, it was mainly a luxury for the wealthy. But in Virginia, sugar became a staple, causing many colonists to loose their teeth early.
Discipline was harsh, as the only government for most of colonial times was the governor of the colony. English common law prevailed, but the governor was able to administer punishment, which usually was in the form of execution.
Features
-
One of the most famous events to come out of Jamestown was the marriage between John Rolfe and Pocahontas, daughter of the Powhatan Chief. This union helped preserve the colony by creating a de facto peace treaty between the English and this particular native tribe. This had long term ramifications for English settlement, as the first treaty and the first interracial marriage.
Rolfe and Pocahontas returned to England shortly after their wedding for a publicity tour for the Virginia Company. Rolfe enjoyed much success as the man who introduced tobacco, and Pocahontas was looked upon as a princess from America, with all the glamor and pomp that the title would suggest.
History
-
Much of Jamestown was lost underground following its abandonment. Outside of being used as a Confederate base during the Civil War, very few people set foot on the island for decades. Erosion and floods buried much of the original settlement; however, scientists and archeologists have excavated portions of the island. In their research, they have discovered the original fort that was built to protect the colonists, of which much still remains. They've also found countless graveyards that have opened up new mysteries about the colony. There are many lead coffins, a sign that they had plenty of metals brought with them or delivered. Also, they've found bodies who were shot, either by accident or in duels. Perhaps one of the more pressing discoveries on the bodies is the level of stained teeth on the skulls. Even children as young as ten years old, have yellowed teeth from a high concentration of tobacco usage, apparently even more prevalent in the colony than in Europe.
-
