Jamestown

Jamestown

In 1606, a joint-stock company called the Virginia Company of London was formed in order to find gold in the New World and was also formed to find a passage through America to the Indies. The Virginia Company set sail for America in 1606 with three ships. They first land on Chesapeake Bay, but were forced out by a group of Indians. The Company soon after landed on a river that they would call James River, after King James I. Life on this new land would be very difficult for the English settlers from, harsh winters, to diseases, to starvation, to Indians. On May 24th, 1607 the English settlers named their land Jamestown. The upcoming years for the English settlers would be a time that would not be forgotten. The colonists concentrated mostly on finding gold and hitting it big, but everyone forgot about survival and this played a major role. Much of the men that came to America were men that were of a higher class, and this was at their disadvantage. Many of these men were not use to hunting for food to eat, and in result many people died of starvation and malnutrition. Here, men had to use teamwork and leadership to survive. One leader that came about in 1608 was Captain John Smith. He helped control the gold hungry colonists and set up a rule “He who shall not work shall not eat.” Captain John Smith couldn’t of come at a better time. During the settlers difficult times the future did not look very good, but they came across a group of Indians that would change their lives. The Indians were major help to the English settlers. They taught them how to hunt, farm, build house, and how to enjoy life. But even the Indians did not know it all. The settlers faced harsh winters that killed a majority of the population. With all that the English settlers have learned, they applied everything to building the plantation colonies, which consisted of, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. With experience being the best teacher, the settlers...