Jamestown Dbq

The colonist did many things, both wrong and right when they arrived at Jamestown in the early 1600s. First of all, they wisely selected a strong leader in John Smith. Smith was experienced in the military and lead Jamestown with military-like discipline. For instance, when some of the men, who were generally craftsman and gentlemen, refused to do manual labor such as farming, Smith implemented a policy stating that if the men did not work that they could not eat. This selection in leadership helped the men survive at Jamestown as Smith was willing to take risks and lead with authority. The selected location of Jamestown was, in general, a poor choice. While the location was good from a defensive standpoint, as it was surrounded, in part, by

water. This allowed the men to reach their ships easily if they needed to when they were under attack. It also allowed for ample boat docking which was a logical choice for the men who believed that more people would be coming to settle in the future. Jamestown was not a quality location from a basic survival standpoint. The men sensibly built a fort for protection but, the fort was erected in a low-lying swamp-like area which attracted the nearby mosquitoes.

These mosquitoes carried diseases such as malaria which killed many man during the starving time. Also, since the fort was built by the water the men drank, drainage such as sewer tainted the men’s already dirty water. Another, different, poor choice made by the settlers was being engrossed in finding gold and not basic survival needs when they arrived. One reason that the starving time came was that the men did not have ample food when winter time came. Without food, diseases such as scurvy became ample along with starvation. They came to Jamestown on a charter from the Virginia Company and, consequently, became caught up in earning a profit and finding gold in order to appease the people who gave them the Charter. They did not focus on their basic needs such as food but rather focused on finding gold which turned out to be a poor choice. The men also made unfortunate decisions when it came to the relationships with the Native Americans. Although the men interacted and traded with the Natives, the relationships with the Natives were tense. The Powhatan attacked the men on several occasions as the settlers became more and more greedy for

land. Moreover, when John Smith left almost all trade and communication was halted. What little help they did receive from the Natives was essentially terminated. In turn, they struggled through the starving time as they had relied too much on the Natives for information on how to live in the beginning.