Jamestown Settlement: A Tale of Drought, Disease, and Despair

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The end was nigh for the settlers of Jamestown. In 1607, three English ships housing at least one hundred passengers sailed up the James River forming the first permanent English settlement. But by 1611, eighty percent of the population of Jamestown have died. Why did so many settlers die? There were many causes for this. But three of them were the most effective: Drought, disease, and the choice of passengers.

One of the most deadliest causes of the deaths of many settlers was the drought. The diagram in Document B shows there was no rainfall for a greater amount of time, than the amount of time rain fell. This wasn't enough water that was needed to survive. Water is an important need for the settlers, or just people in general. Without enough water, the settlers population decreased due to severe dehydration amongst the settlers. Not only did the people die, but the crops did as well. This left the settlers suffering from hunger due to the death of many crops because of the lack of water. There was barely any water for the livestock decreasing the amount of food ever more leaving even more settlers to starve. …show more content…

According to Document A, disease spread at the salt-fresh water intrusion moving the disease into the river which wouldn’t flush the disease away. The river would then be filled with brackish water. Many settlers used the river for fishing, transport, etc. This assisted in the spread of disease to many settlers. the brackish water was a mix of salt and fresh water. So when settlers drank from the river, it would harm their

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