Topic > History and Legacy of the Jamestown Settlement

The Jamestown Settlement is well known. It is commonly known as the first permanent settlement in America. Jamestown had an interesting upbringing, though. It includes important characters in the history of Jamestown, such as the ostentatious adventurer John Smith. Jamestown represents a nation and the story of how it came to be. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayJamestown was first founded in 1607 and lasted nearly 100 years. However, it was not the first permanent European settlement, that of St. Augustine. Although Jamestown was successful, it had a very rocky start. The problem with settling the new world was that it was new. At first the colonists simply knew too little and were not yet separated from Europe. Their economy was also limited. The founding of Jamestown had the blessing of England's King James I, and the settlement and the James River were named in his respect. Despite this, the deal was financed and managed by the Virginia Company. This organization, therefore, was financed by private investors, who anticipated that the pioneers would find an important object, or a route to East Asia, which would make the project profitable and offer a turning point to their speculation. arriving there in May 1607, they were divided into three groups: one group was to build fortresses and a depot and then some simple houses; the next harvest was used to plant crops; and the outsider was to investigate minerals and a section towards East Asia. However, it didn't take long for the colonists to get into trouble. Within half a month, a band of a few hundred Powhatan Indians assaulted the settlement. The colonists had not had a chance to discharge their black powder guns, so they depended on maritime gunfire from boats that were still off the coast to repel the Powhatans. After a short time, the colonists began to kick the bucket. Of the 104 men and boys who landed, only 38 were still alive in January 1608, as listed by Historic Jamestown. Research conducted by geography student Doug Rowland at the University of William and Mary and partners found that the settlers' drinking water was salty and contained arsenic. Moreover, nourishment ran out, hunger began, and a particularly cruel winter together with the dry season aggravated the desperation of the settlers. The man who saved the colonists is John Smith. Smith, who was chosen to head the settlement committee after most of the councilors died or were debilitated, concluded that the province was counting on the exchange with the sympathetic Powhatan to survive. He led the settlers of Jamestown. He showed the colonists how to farm and taught them to make friends with the Powhatans. He convinced the Native Americans to teach them how to survive. Smith wrote about the Native girl named Pocahontas. He would write about how he had brought Smith closer to the Powhatans. One thing Smith couldn't save the colonists from was the "Starving Time." Although the settlement had been provided with new supplies, along with approximately 100 new settlers, in January 1608, the settlers hit another low in the winter of 1609–1610, a period that became known as the “starving time.” By this time, Smith had been driven out due to gunpowder injuries, and the settlement's new governor, Thomas Gates, had been shipwrecked on the island of Bermuda along with vital supplies. By this point, relations with the Powhatans had disintegrated to the point that trade was inconceivable and the fortification of Jamestown was under attack. When the colonists ran out of food, "they fed on horses and other animals while they lasted, we were happy to deal with vermin, such as.