NAME: ___________________________________________
PERIOD: ______________
DATE: ___________________
THE GEOGRAPHY OF JAMESTOWN
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Do NOT use “they” to refer to a
group, be sure to name the group that you are referring to.
1. What type of natural resources does this map show us?
2. What two groups have settlements on this map? Which group has the most settlements?
3. Why would this be a good area to settle in?
4. What type of problems can you anticipate the English had in settling in this area (note: think
about geography and social issues)?
5. Why do you think the English chose this as their first settlement?
NAME: ___________________________________________
PERIOD: ______________
DATE: ___________________
JAMESTOWN: WHAT FACTOR PLAYED THE LARGEST ROLE IN THE DEATH OF SO MANY
JAMESTOWN COLONISTS?
DIRECTIONS: After reading the following passage, answer the questions below using complete
sentences. Do NOT use “they” to describe a group, be sure to give the name of the person/group
you are referring to.
In the spring of 1607, three English ships carrying more than 100 passengers sailed into the
mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and worked their way up the James River. Hopes were high, and
with good reason. This was to be the first permanent English settlement in the New World. A
strong group of English investors paid for the expedition. The King of England, James I, had given
the colonists his blessing. Along the river banks one could see freshwater streams. Ahead lay
possible riches, a native population to be taught the ways of Jesus Christ, and maybe even a hidden
trade route to China!
1. Why did English settlers come to the James River in 1607?
2. Who paid for the expedition?
3. What did the settlers think they would find and be able to do in their new home?
True, there were dangers. A Spanish warship or two would not be a surprise. Also, the English had
experienced a recent failure on nearby Roanoke Island. All the Roanoke colonists had
mysteriously disappeared. But in 1607, these were acceptable risks.
What was probably more important is that the Chesapeake Bay was not empty. Some 15,000
Powhatan Indians lived in small villages along and around the James River. They were loosely
ruled by a great chief. One of the chief’s daughters was Pocahontas, a very real person who one
day would marry an Englishman and sail to England.
4. What risks were involved with settling in this new land?
NAME: ___________________________________________
PERIOD: ______________
DATE: ___________________
When the English settlers arrived they built a fort on a place they called James Island. This was to
become Jamestown. Of the 110 original settlers, only 40 would be alive at the end of December.
The arrival in January of a resupply ship saved the colony from total collapse, but in the next two
years, hard times continued. Captain John Smith who provided much needed leadership was sent
back to England. Then, in the awful winter of 1609-1610, two-thirds of the settlement died.
However, the English kept traveling to Jamestown- men, women, and children. Most of them were
young (17 to 35) and most were poor. They hoped to work off their debt and, one day, own a piece
of land. A few arrived with money, and some would one day find success growing tobacco. But for
most of them there was no happy ending. By 1611, of the more than 500 settlers who had arrived
in Jamestown, 80% were dead. It is truly amazing that the colony survived. Those English, both in
Jamestown and back in England, were a determined group.
6. What happened to the settlers in 1609-1610?
7. Why did English continue to travel and settle in Jamestown?
NAME: ___________________________________________
PERIOD: ______________
DATE: ___________________
DOCUMENT: A
Source: Adapted fromDennis B. Blanton, “Jamestown’s Environment.” Center for Archaelogical
Research, Colege of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 2000
Many people have commented over the last 400 years of the qualities of Jamestown’s
environment…
Because the river and creeks became undrinkable as water levels rose, reliable sources of
fresh water would have been limited by the 1600s…, English colonists dug shallow wells to
supply themselves with sources of drinking water, but these were at risk of drought and salt
water intrusions. Also, historian Carville V. Earle attributed [thought that] disease in the early
years of Jamestown to its position at the salt-fresh water transition, where filth [dirt] introduced
into the river tended to fest rather than flush away.
The island [where Jamestown is located] is not situated at a point of great natural food
abundance, especially compared to other locations very close by…Fish are present in local
streams, but only in the spring and early summer are they plentiful
Who wrote this source?:
What type of source is this?:
When did they write it?:
Why was this source written?:
Is this a primary or secondary source?:
1. Why did the Jamestown settlers have problems with their water?
2. How could the water have played a role in spreading disease in Jamestown?
3. During what times of year were fish plentiful in the waters surroudning Jamestown? What could
this mean for food supply during other times of the year?
4. Imagine that the water quality had not been an issue for the English settlers. How would this
make their lives easier?
NAME: ___________________________________________
PERIOD: ______________
DATE: ___________________
Who wrote this source?:
What type of source is this?:
When did they write it?:
Why was this source written?:
Is this a primary or secondary source?:
1. On the graph above, how many years does each dash mark represent on the X axis?
2. What year did English settlers come to Jamestown (note: go back to your Jamestown reading to
help you with this answer)?
3. According to the graph, what happened in Jamestown between the years 1600-1610? How could
this contribute to the death of so many English settlers in Jamestown?
4. If there had not been a drought during the time the English settlers came to Jamestown, how might
this make their lives easier?
NAME: ___________________________________________
PERIOD: ______________
DATE: ___________________
Who wrote this source?:
What type of source is this?:
When did they write it?:
Why was this source written?:
Is this a primary or secondary source?:
1. According to this source note, what was a “gentleman?” How would having so many
“gentlemen” contributed to the death of Jamestown settlers?
2. What occupations, or jobs, do you think the settlers needed more of in order to have had a
better life in Jamestown?
NAME: ___________________________________________
PERIOD: ______________
DATE: ___________________
Document D
Source: Adapted from Ivor Noel Hume, The Virginia Adventure, Alfred A. Knopf, 1994
In 1609 Francis West and thirty-six men sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to try to trade for
corn with the Patawomeke Indians…Although still part of Powhatan’s Confederacy, the tribe had
seen less of the English than had those closer at hand and with luck might be more friendly- and
they were.
Though West was able to load his small ship with grain, the success involved “some harsh
and cruel dealings by cutting off two of the Salvages [natives] heads and other extremities.” The
ship and her lifesaving cargo returned to Jamestown…No one doubted that this new supply of
grain would help, but it would not be enough to last the winter. However, it was enough to get
West and his crew back to England. So Francis West, “by the persuasion of his company [men he
traveled with] raised the sails” and headed out into the Atlantic, leaving the colonists to the
Indians and to God.
Who wrote this source?:
What type of source is this?:
When did they write it?:
Why was this source written?:
Is this a primary or secondary source?:
1. Why did West and his men travel up the Chesapeake Bay?
2. What did West and his men end up doing to two of the Patawomeke Indians? What effect
do you think this had on the relationship between the English and the natives?
3. How would “leaving the colonists to the Indians” contribute to the death of some of the
colonists?
4. How would settlers’ lives be better if West and his men had not traveled up the Chesapeake
Bay?
NAME: ___________________________________________
PERIOD: ______________
DATE: ___________________