Explain Why Early Jamestown Why Did So Many Colonists Die

The stench of death was everywhere in Jamestown’s first four years. In the Spring of 1607, three ships carrying hundreds of colonists, sent by English Investors and the king, sailed into the Chesapeake Bay hoping to find riches. The settlers arrived on what was called James Island, where the colony Jamestown was then located, of the 110 colonists that had sailed there, only 40 survived after December. The colony would have died if it weren’t for Captain John Smith’s leadership, forcing them to work and grow crops. During the colony of Jamestown’s first four years, why did so many colonists die? According to historians, hundreds of colonists died in Jamestown’s early years because of three main problems. These problems included things such as bad water, poor settler skills, and poor relations with the Powhatan Indians. The first reason why Jamestown’s colonists died was because of “bad water.” A reason why the colonists died due to …show more content…
The colonists died due to ¨poor relations with the Powhatan¨ because the colonists forced the Indians to give them some of their food (Doc. D). The colonists taking some of the Powhatan Indians’ food may have caused the Powhatan to distrust them. A different reason how the colonists' poor relations with the Powhatan Indians may have caused many colonists to die was because the colonists killed some of the Powhatan Indians (Doc. D). The colonists killing some of their tribe might have caused the Powhatan Indians to become angry with them, and seek revenge on them. This evidence tells us why so many colonists died because it helps explain how the colonists' poor relations with the Powhatan Indians may have caused many of the colony to perish because the colonists taking the Indians’ food and killing some of their tribe may have caused them to distrust the colonists and seek revenge from