In May of 1607, just over one hundred colonists made landfall in Virginia with the hopes of establishing a prosperous colony. They could not possibly foresee the doom and death that was to befall them in the next couple of years. Almost immediately after setting foot on dry land, they were besieged by attacks from the native Algonquian tribes. Indian attacks took a brutal toll on the colonists despite efforts to maintain peace with...
In May of 1607, just over one hundred colonists made landfall in Virginia with the hopes of establishing a prosperous colony. They could not possibly foresee the doom and death that was to befall them in the next couple of years. Almost immediately after setting foot on dry land, they were besieged by attacks from the native Algonquian tribes. Indian attacks took a brutal toll on the colonists despite efforts to maintain peace with the tribes.
A majority of colonists that perished did so in the first couple of winters due to famine. They brutally starved to death because of the worst drought to hit the continent in over eight centuries. Half of the colonists perished during the first winter. Reinforcements arrived in the spring, but that only meant greater death counts the following winter. The second winter, which has been called "The Starving Time", took an even greater toll as only 12% of the population of 500 survived the famine.
Disease, which was closely associated with famine, also claimed the lives of many colonists at Jamestown. Scores of Jamestown's settlers suffered from diseases associated with malnutrition and contamination. These diseases included dysentery, typhoid and scurvy. Hunger causes a breakdown of the immune system, which prevents the body from attacking pathogens that may do harm. It is also quite conceivable that poor management of the water systems led to colonists drinking from contaminated water sources.
Disease, famine, and attacks from the native populations were all real threats to the survival of the Jamestown colony.
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