The death of Jamestown colonists
Questions 1. In what modern-day state is this region located?
2. What can you infer about who lived in this area before the arrival of the English?
3. Why do you think the English would choose to settle here? 4. Is there any evidence that the English expected trouble? 5. Is there any evidence that the English may have been too confident? 6. Just by looking at this map, can you make any predictions why so many colonists died at Jamestown?
1. Why did the English come to America in 1607? 2. Who helped pay for settling the James River colony? 3. How many settlers died in the first six months? 4. Define or explain each of these terms:
Chesapeake Bay
Powhatan
Wahunsonacock mother country
5. With regard to age and social class, who were the first settlers?
Understanding the Question and Pre-Bucketing
1. What is the analytical question asked by this Mini-Q?
2. What words in the question need to be defined?
3. Rewrite the question in your own words including dates.
Document Analysis
1. Using context clues, what do you think is meant by brackish water?
2. What twice daily event would cause water levels around Jamestown to rise and cause wells and fresh water streams to become brackish? (Hint: The moon)
3. According to Carville Earle, what happened to human waste that got dumped into the river?
4. What inference can you make about the effect of tides on health in Jamestown?
5. Consider the last paragraph. What time of the year do you think starvation was most likely to happen?
Document Analysis 1. What does the “0” line represent on the chart? What is indicated by a sharp spike below the “0” line?
2. Look at the years 1580 to 1640. During which period did Jamestown suffer its longest unbroken period of drought?
3. In the winter of 1609-1610, Jamestown experienced what settlers called the “starving time.” Based on this document, what inference can you make about the cause of this “starving time”?
4. Is there any way lack of rain might strain English relations with the Powhatans? Explain.
Document Analysis
1. How many settlers arrived in May 1607? 1608? How many had known occupations?
2. How many of the settlers from either group were female? Why do you suppose this was the case?
3. What is a “gentleman”? Approximately what percentage of this first group of settlers were gentlemen?
4. Of the 110 settlers who arrived in May 1607, nearly 70 were dead by December. Is there anything in the ship lists that helps explain why?
Document Analysis
1. Is this a primary source or a secondary source? 2. Why did Francis West sail up the Chesapeake?
3. Is there any evidence that the English forced the Indians to trade their grain? 4. What eventually happened to the shipload of grain? 5. How might the events described here relate to your findings in Doc B? 6. In what ways can you use this document to help answer the question: Early Jamestown: Why did so many settlers die?
Document Analysis
1. What is the total number of colonists to arrive at Jamestown by summer of 1609? 2. In 1607 and 1608 how many settlers died from disease? How many were killed by Indians?
3. What generalization can you make about the numbers and causes of settler death in 1609?
4. What can you infer about settler — Indian relations from 1607 to 1609?
