Jamestown

English colonists establish the first permanent English settlement in America, at Jamestown

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On 13th May 1607, roughly 100 colonists arrived in North America to start a settlement.

They picked Jamestown, Virginia for their settlement, which was named after their King, James I.

The settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America.

The new settlement initially consisted of a wooden fort built in a triangle around a storehouse for weapons and other supplies, a church and a number of houses.

The settlers were now protected against any attacks that might occur from the local Powhatan Indians, whose hunting land they were living on.

Relations had already been mixed between the newcomers and the Powhatan Indians.

Soon, the settlers began to succumb to a variety of diseases. They were drinking water from the salty or slimy river, which was one of several things that caused the death of many.

The death tolls were high.

They were dying from swellings, fevers, famine, and sometimes by fighting.

Food was running low, then Chief Powhatan started sending gifts of food to help the English.

If not for the Powhatan Indians help in the early years, the settlement would most likely have failed, as the English would have died from the various diseases or simply starved.

By late 1609, the relationship between the Powhatan Indians and the English had soured, as the English were demanding too much food during a drought.

That winter of 1609-10 is known as the "Starving Time."

During that winter the English were afraid to leave the fort, due to a legitimate fear of being killed by the Powhatan Indians.

As a result, they ate anything they could: various animals, leather from their shoes and belts, and sometimes fellow settlers who had already died.

By early 1610 most of the settlers, 80-90% had died due to starvation and disease.

Famine, disease and conflict with local Native American tribes in the first two years brought Jamestown to the brink of failure, before the arrival of a new group of settlers, and supplies in 1610.

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https://www.nps.gov/.../a-short-history-of-jamestown.htm

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https://ko-fi.com/thetudorintruders

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'Jamestown' 2017 TV series