James Horn's A Land As God Made It

Imagine going to a new place, not having any idea of what’s gonna happen and how long you will live. Colonists in Jamestown had that reality. English settlers were colonizing America, in Jamestown, Virginia. This happened in the 1600s. Settlers didn’t know any better so they chose Jamestown. Settlers faced many struggles, i.e. lack of food, water, and skill. Why did so many colonists die? The three main reasons colonists died was environmental issues, lack of settler skills, and relations with the Powhatans.

Proverbs 12:11, “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.” Most people realize that the early settlers in America endured many tribulations such as food shortages, fights with Indians, quarrels among leaders, and more. What most people do not realize is that many of these early settlers squandered their time, wasted their energy, and were generally lazy and idle. This was a huge problem for early Americans because in order to survive, it was vital that they work. Why were these early Americans not motivated to work? Edmund S. Morgan, in his article The Labor Problem at Jamestown, 1607-18, suggests that there indeed was a labor problem at Jamestown. In his article, he discusses several issues that contributed to the colonist’s lack of motivation. Morgan makes a convincing case as he discusses

You get on a ship full of people, for a trip of a couple of months. When you get off you might expect to be glad of finally being on land but when you come off to see plenty of dead people, you might ask yourself if the trip was worth it. Many people in Jamestown died of disease, there was no hygiene on the ships or the villages

Several documents from the 1600s illustrate how life may have been for early Americans. Both Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano expose how people viewed the consequences and sufferings of an early colony. The writers' personal details, in combination with images and dialogue, give the most accurate picture of this historical time period that continues to shape America's future.

This journal, “Of Plymouth Plantation”, which was from Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. 1, written by William Bradford between 1630 and 1651, and edited by Samuel Eliot Morison in 1953, describes the story of the pilgrims who sailed from Southampton, England, on the Mayflower and settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. Those pilgrims were English Christians in the 16th and 17th centuries and religious separatists who saw no hope of reforming the Church of England from within; therefore, they hoped to separate from the Church of England and form independent local churches in another place. In order to , those pilgrims overcame many obstacles. The author had used the power of rhetoric, especially in the use of the three rhetorical

The book ‘Everyday Life in Early America’ by David Hawke provides a comprehensive account of the history of early settlers in America. It maintains that the geographic concept including the physical environment is a chief factor that influences the behavior of individuals. The author assumes that early settlers came to America in the hope of taking forward their customs and traditions while starting afresh in a foreign land. However, the physical environment brought about certain changes to their traditions and customs. The people slowly began to understand that the only way to survive would be to modify their patterns of living (Hawk, 1989).

The arrival of the first Europeans in the Americas is dramatically captured through the many writers who attempted to communicate what they saw, experienced and felt. What is more, the very purposes of their treacherous travel and colonization are clearly seen in their writings; whether it is poetry, history or sermons. Of the many literary pieces available today, William Bradford and John Winthrop’s writings, even though vary because the first is a historical account and the second is a sermon, stand out as presenting a clear trust in God, the rules that would govern them and the reason they have arrived in the Americas.

The British colonies in the Chesapeake region and those of the New England region were both similar yet different in certain ways. One because both the colonist that settled there were looking for new opportunities. However, it was mostly second son aristocrats, which means the first born usually inherits the better half of the father’s riches. Their lives in England had either been mistreated or they were unable to flourish economically. Regardless of whether they were searching the land for expansive homesteads, religious freedom, or exchanging and merchant opportunities, the colonist in both regions were searching for another land in the New World. They were getting away from issues they had experienced in England, which took into consideration colonists to be similar.

Being the first two well-known places in which the English would set out to colonize in 1607 and 1620, Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth, Massachusetts hold very separate set of beliefs, standards, and outlooks on life then and the future to come. While paving the way for things such as slavery, taxes, ownership of land, inclusion of women, tobacco and government assemblies, John Smith and the people of Jamestown became a classical foundation for new life and economic growth for the new world that is, the United States. On the other hand, William Bradford and his people began to realize the intentions of the Church of England were unholy and had strayed away from God’s teachings from the Bible. With this in mind, the Pilgrims set on a voyage to the new world to seek religious freedom. As we know it, the Pilgrims sought for peace and a new way of living that was fair, just and free from religious corruptions. While both settlers were met with Natives of the new land, each had two profound differences as to how they went about communicating and living with them.

Imagine an explorer going back to his colony and no one was there, no sign of the colonists. This is what explorer John White went through with his colony of Roanoke. Roanoke is still one of the most unknown disappearances of people in the world. The Roanoke colony disappeared because the Croatan tribe had the colonist assimilated with the tribe’s culture. Roanoke has many reasons for its disappearance by the amount of time John White was gone for, the carving of Croatoan on a tree, and the major drought that hit the colonists.

Did you know that even though Jamestown was England’s first permanent colony, it was not the first time colonists attempted to make their home in the new world. The Roanoke colony, also known as “The Lost Colony” was founded in 1585. The first couple years seemed to be going well until John White had to sail back to England for supplies. When he returned the whole colony had been deserted, and all 117 had gone missing. White found only a few clues that only add to the mystery of the lost colony. In the mystery behind the Roanoke colony, many archaeologists believe the colony was absorbed into a friendly native american tribe, but there are other explanations on what could’ve happened.

Looking back to the 1500s, the English had been situating settlements in Ireland and used a familiar model in the New World. The early years of Jamestown were difficult for the settlers. The land was hot, humid, and mosquito-infested, and the settlers were mostly aristocrats and artisans that spent much of their time searching for gold. Those who didn’t die on the trip, died once they arrived from diseases and starvation. In 1607, about 3 ships-each holding more than 100 English passengers, arrived on the Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia. Settlers were excited, given that they would be the first permanent colony in the New World. Most settlers were in search for riches and others in search of a new home. Settlers ranged from the ages of 17 to 35 years old. The first years for the English settlers were harsh and devastating. By 1611, two-thirds of the settlement had died and all hope was lost for the settlers. The 3 main circumstances that caused a majority of English colonists at Jamestown to lose their lives were the environment, the social and religious conflicts with the Natives, and the lack of survival skills.

Jamestown and Plymouth were the first two successful English on the north side. In this essay will be talking about Jamestown and Plymouth, the ones that made history. That’s why we are talking about them right now or any day. Jamestown was established in 1607 and Plymouth in 1620. These two colonies were different, yet had a number striking similarities in government's, reasons for settlements, and differing economic activities.

There are many important events that led up to the Salem Witch Trials. In 1233, Pope Gregory established the medieval inquisition to bring order against the growing heresy in which he later hunts down witches. In 1347, the Bubonic Plague or also known as Black Death struck in Europe demonstrating how ignorance lead to superstition. In 1431, Joan of Arc was accused of witchcraft and burned alive at the stake. After her death, she was declared innocent and deemed a martyr. In 1484, Pope Innocent VII officially declared witches are real. In 1492, Christopher Columbus overcame ignorant superstitions hoping to land in West Indies. In 1530, King Henry of England separated his nation from Roman Catholicism, which resulted in creating the church of England because he did not believe in witches. In 1607, English settlers landed in Jamestown, Virginia and they strongly believed in

There are many different theories and opinions on what really happened to the lost colony of Roanoke. Some are backed up by facts and science and others are total hoaxes. My opinion based on the documents, is that the colonists ran out of supplies, tried to leave the area for Croatoan, and sunk at sea because they couldn't build sufficient boats.