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Term Paper: The Life of a Colonist in Jamestown
Mackenzie Young
19 November 2019
In 1607, Jamestown was founded as the first English permanent settlement in the United States of America. But it is not the first successful European permanent settlement in the United States as St. Augustine was founded in Florida by Spanish before Jamestown. Almost four hundred ago at an unexpected day of December, a total of three small ships started a huge and dangerous voyage from England across the Atlantic Ocean. The main aim of the passengers was to acquire wealth as well as the discovery of a new land. The desire and temptation of new opportunities led them to this journey. Next year in May, they arrived in the new world where they started the new journey they contributed to the betterment of the United States of America. Though this summary seems ridiculous that people set out from their places and started a journey towards new worlds for wealth. Most American citizens believed that this story happened fourteen years before while the actual story of Jamestown settlers is not known to anyone who settled in 1607. However, when the people hear the word Jamestown, they link it with a negative association, they usually associate them with Separatists of New England.
The colony of 1607 has lasting issues related to their background which they experienced for almost four centuries and it is said by most of the scholars that they still have a bad impression on people. In 2007, a book published which states, "The overburdened streets of London were scraped of thousands of English men, women, and children, mostly poor, who were shoveled into the insatiable engine of torment that was Jamestown”. This book represents Jamestown as a "tiny profane death-haunted European outpost and as a mostly male occupied stockade with no history, no culture, and no civic pride”. These are the harsh realities related to the historical representation of the Jamestown. Generally, historians focused narrowly on several issues which were experienced by the early colony as well as the time in that they encountered defeat. Four main critics arise regarding Jamestown settlers. This colony was established at the extreme poor site with no access to fresh water and the area is also insect-infested while the soil is marshy. Secondly, these colonists were clueless and inept while dealing with locals. The constant warfare added more sorrow in their life, they were the laziest people they don’t have any ability to feed themselves and are even unable to do laborious tasks. Finally, the death toll of this colony was unfortunate. Through these critics the story of Jamestown is exposed.
The pilgrims are the fundamental example of early settlers who received better images in the memory although it is well-known that the pilgrims also encountered various hardships in the early years in Massachusetts. The main aim of this paper is to study the process through which Jamestown faced this dismissal reputation in the memory of Americans. I will argue about the emerging evidence which develops a positive image about the settlers of Jamestown. Though the people of Jamestown encountered so many hardships in the beginning but now the perception about this colony is continuously changing and it is focused on America’s development.
The Jamestown colony origin can be seen as the economic crisis which England experienced in the early 17th century. For acquiring the monetary gains the company of Virginia is established having branches in both London as well as Plymouth. This company had the joint-stock project which means that some portion of the company was owned by its investors while this company hopes to acquire a significant amount of return once this company managed to get a hold on the world. This company success will help to boost the business in England as well as also relief this colony population, investors eagerly risked their money. As the investors had various hopes such as the precious metal discovery, beneficial and friendly trade with locals as well as they believed that the colonist labor significantly produce the marketable commodities. From the 17th century beginning, England was behind the other nations in developing new colonies in the United States. At that time Spain has a huge empire in control which consist of Central and South America, Mexico, Florida settlement and some part of the Caribbean. They were also trying to settle in Southwest of America. The Jamestown Foundation is because of the King James I blessings, that's why this settlement and the James River were named after him. Although, this colony was run as well as financed by the company of Virginia. This company was in turn financed through private investors and they expected from these colonists to find a route towards East Asia or any valuable commodity that will make the enterprise profitable as well as offer return on investment. But unfortunately, this company selected the bug-infested and disease-ridden land with no access to fresh water. This colony is located almost 94km away from the river of James through the Atlantic coast this site was selected as there were orders from the investors that not to choose a land in which native people live. When the colonist reached there in May of 1607 they were categorized in the three groups. The first group was the one whose task was to construct storehouse and defense walls with few simple houses, the other group task was crops plantation while the third group task was to discover minerals as well as a route towards East Asia. But the colony get in trouble soon when several Indians attacked this settlement, and the colonist has no time to fight. Soon the colonists started dying, from the 104 boys and men only 38 alive. The misery of the colonists added as they drink salty water, also, food shortage because of famine as well as the harsh winter. It is written by George Percy one of the survivors of this colony, "Our men were destroyed with cruel diseases as swellings, fluxes [also called dysentery], burning fevers, and by wars, and some departed suddenly, but for the most part they died of mere famine, there were never Englishmen left in a foreign country in such misery as we were in this new discovered Virginia." Initially, they buried bodies in the unmarked graves so that people don't get an idea how many settlers have died and two bodies were buried in the same grave. However, in 1608 hundred new settlers were resupplied though the period from 1609 to 1610 was the starving time in which the elected governor Smith was forced to leave this colony because of his gunpowder injury and the new governor was appointed named Thomas Gates who came there with food supplies. The situation of Jamestown improved in the coming decades. When the company of Virginia grew the Jamestown also flourished. Several colonists initiate the tobacco plantation that expanded Jamestown to the New Town which is located at the east of original fort. The colonists of Jamestown were working well and the residents developed English style houses and cottages along the main road of New Town. When more and more new settlers were coming in Jamestown the English people gain control over more area as well as launching various new colonies which also include Plymouth. In 1624 May, the company of Virginia was dissolved and the Jamestown formed as the crown colony whose governor was appointed directly by the king. In the year 1994, APVA started archeological work to find the remaining of the original fort of Jamestown it was believed by many people that this fort was washed away in the River of James. Through excavation, the hole was seen where the triangular fort was once present. Archeologists also discover five other churches remain and row houses. From that day Jamestown is the most active site for digging. In 2015 archeological team also uncovered the burial site of 4 leaders of Jamestown. Also, on the original spots the replicas of the triangular fort were produced some past buildings are reproduced through similar bricks used previously. Kelso who was hired for the excavation of 17th-century site says,
Were there gentlemen at Jamestown? Of course. And some of them were lazy and incompetent. But not all. The proof of the matter is that the settlement survived, and it survived because people persisted and sacrificed. And what began as an English settlement gradually evolved into something different, something new. You look up and down the river as the settlement expanded and you find it is not like England. The houses are different—the towns, agriculture, commerce. They were laying the roots of American society. Despite the agony, the tragedy, and all of the missteps, this is where modern America began.
It takes a long time that the perception about the Jamestown changed significantly, it is now hoped that the Jamestown has taken its rightful place not only as the permanent settlement of English but also as it played a major role in the economic development of America and also they contributed in what America is today.
Bibliography
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Hashaw, Tim. The Birth of Black America: The First African Americans and the Pursuit of Freedom at Jamestown. 1st Carroll & Graf Ed edition. New York : Berkeley, Calif.: Basic Books, 2007.
Horn, James. A Land As God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America. Basic Books, 2008.
July 24, Owen Jarus-Live Science Contributor, and 2018 History. “Jamestown: Facts & History.” livescience.com. Accessed November 19, 2019. https://www.livescience.com/38595-jamestown-history.html.
Mcbee, Sarah. By, 2009.
Robertson, Patrick. Robertson’s Book of Firsts: Who Did What for the First Time. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011.
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