Lack Of Water Dbq Essay

As brackish water lapped against the shoreline, a wooden fort towered shielding the sick and the dead. Natives lurk in the shadows waiting to strike and relations amongst the colonist was stressful. What is happening? In 1606, Jamestown, Virginia 104 men sailed up the chesapeake bay in search of land and gold. But in this new land these men were not ready to face the challenges ahead.
During colder, harsh months of winter, water became brackish and undrinkable. To anyone who drank the dirty water would come down with salt poisoning, and there was barely enough to grow crops. Proof of not enough water was the rings in trees. The rings in the trees would be smaller with lack of water (doc B). They resorted into building irrigation ditches to supply themselves with some water only to run into problems with salt water intrusion (doc A) The lack of water caused trouble amongst the settlers. What water they did have would have been contaminated with the waste they tossed into the river (doc A). Salt poisoning was also a problem for the settlers in the winter months because of the water from the ocean mixing with the fresh water, making the

water brackish (doc A). By the dreadful looks of the water they thought it wouldn’t get worse, but it did.
Out of what settlers arrived, most of them were aristocrats.

Forty-three percent to be precise (doc C), those aristocrats didn’t even know how to handle a loaded gun. These men been highly thought of all their life to come to a new land and fend for themselves was difficult for them. The gentleman whom came was not familiar to the climate. They would wear wool clothes and body armor in the blazing sun (doc M). Thus making a problem to others because of the fancy clothing the gentleman would stop for more brakes and cause set backs, a possibility for heat strokes were possible as well. The aristocrats didn’t know how to farm causing an even bigger problem, because if you don’t know how to grow food you’d starve. Because of the major problem the settlers had to trade with the natives in order to gain the supply they needed (doc

M).
With the settlers guarded with only the weapons they carried and the wooden fort they built, they were surrounded by the natives of the land. Trying to make peace with the indians was proven a difficult task. When a man named Francis West sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to trade for corn he successfully returned with the supplies needed, but only by chopping off two of the natives heads off and other vital extremities (doc D). This type of action enraged the natives causing the alliance to shatter. After Francis pulled his stunt he left the colonists to fend for themselves with enraged natives (doc D). Later on in the year John smith had to take his leave, providing the weakness the natives needed. The indians killed over half the population of jamestown that year (doc E). Crucially the settlers were on the brink of death by the native people’s alliance being shattered, without the alliance the colonists will and did die from starvation.
Throughout the trials this land has created for the foreign people, Trials such as during winter water turned brackish and salt water mixed with fresh, coming to the land with no farmers or crops, to poor settler choices and skills. Relations shattered and vital people to their survival dying. Trust within the colony ripped apart. Some did it for personal gain, others did it for their country. In the end, mainly death was brought upon the people of jamestown and yet they survived.