ipl-logo

Jamestown Argumentative Essay

1006 Words5 Pages

After the Spanish made some fortunate discoveries in South America, the English were determined to strike gold in the north, however, they would soon find out that this “new country” was not so perfect. In the Spring of 1607, about 100 colonists sailed to North America and created an English settlement called Jamestown (Roden 49). Upon their arrival, they discovered that Jamestown was home to some 1500 Powhatan Indians, and, because the colonists didn’t bring the right people to defend themselves from Indian attacks, many people died (Roden 49). The colonist also didn’t bring enough people to ward off disease, drought, or famine. The English also made a number of bad choices, one of which was how they chose to treat the Indians. The English didn’t try to make a truce even when they encountered the peaceful Indians, a small action that would have saved many of the colonists’ lives. Not only would this help their relations, but it …show more content…

About 150 colonists were killed by Indians, but were the Indians really to blame (Fausz 63)? The colonists, in the eyes of the Indians, were stealing their land, killing their people, and taking their food. Although some Indians tried to make peace with the colonists, the colonists still felt threatened and started chopping their heads off. In the eyes of the colonists, the Indians were uncivilized savages. All they wanted was to be rich and have a better life. There were many Indian ambushes. J. Fredrick Fauz reports that of the 120 men stationed near the falls, the indians kill “neere halfe”. It was very hard for the Indians because suddenly they had to share their natural resources with these new people. Dennis B. Blankton assesses that “the island is not situated at a point of great natural food abundance.” Colonists and Indians had a very rough relationship and it resulted in many wars and many deaths for both the colonists and the

Show More
Related

  • Jamestown Dbq B

    205 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the year of 1607, King James l was the ruler or King of England. The King allowed 110 men to travel on a journey to find gold in a place that is now called Jamestown named after their Ruler. Many colonists died in Jamestown because of the Indians who attacked and killed many. Doc B is a timeline written by J. Federick Fausz in January, 1990. It is a Magazine Article entittled “An Abundance of Blood Shed on Both Sides: England’s first Indian war 1609-1614.

    Read More

  • Dbq Powhatans

    393 Words  | 2 Pages

    The common agreement to what happened at Jamestown is the near Native American tribe, the Powhatans, were cruel, vial, and refused to help the struggling English who would almost die out because of malnourishment. Though the Powhatans refused to feed the malnourished English people, even with the English leader John Smith begging for help, the Indians felt threatened by the English because of their presence, weapons, and John Smiths threats. Therefore, the Powhatans cut off ties with the English for the fear of starting violence (Doc G). The “starving time” had nothing to do with Powhatans lack of help and originated in the lack of skill the English people had and the violent treatment to the Powhatans. The English were left with little experience

    Read More

  • Explain Why Did So Many Colonists Died In Early Jamestown

    613 Words  | 3 Pages

    They were so cruel to Indians that it disrupted the relationship with colonists and Indians. In conclusion Indians relations was a very big way colonists

    Read More

  • Relationship Between Jamestown And The Algonquian Tribe

    285 Words  | 2 Pages

    Unfortunately, British settlers at Jamestown and the Algonquian tribe had a strained relationship. When looking at primary documents, it is evident that there was a great deal of enmity between them. In Document 3-1 of Reading The American Past, an indentured servant describes some of the horrors that he witnessed during a surprise attack from the Algonquian tribe. He mentions how 26 men were killed by natives and a captain was decapitated. Furthermore, fear was struck into their hearts when they realized all the weapons and armor were stolen.

    Read More

  • Native Americans In The Plymouth Colony

    970 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Native Americans that inhabited the Americas, particularly in the Puritan colony of Plymouth in Massachusetts and the area that encompasses the English colony of Virginia in the eastern coast of North America, had their lives drastically changed upon contact with Europeans and served different roles for both different colonies. Native Americans living near the Plymouth were crucial to the survival of the Puritans in the Plymouth colony while the Native Americans in the Virginia colonies were in constant warfare with the English colonists in Jamestown. The Puritan colonists of England that founded and settled the Plymouth colony were not well equipped to live in the area surrounding the colony while the Native Americans who had lived there

    Read More

  • Early Jamestown Failure

    1894 Words  | 8 Pages

    The early 1600’s was supposed to be a revolutionary time for England. England surveyed land in a new territory, now known as the United States, and came to a conclusion that this was an area they could thrive in. Although England believed this land was habitable, it would require a lot of time and work to be sustainable. The first departure from England happened in October of 1609; this ship holding 600 anxious Englishmen came near disaster. Once arrived these men realized they lacked the knowledge of how much work was required.

    Read More

  • Native American 1491 Summary

    711 Words  | 3 Pages

    “1491” Questions 1. Two scholars, Erikson and William Balée believe that almost all aspects of Native American life have been perceived wrong. Although some refuse to believe this, it has been proven to be the truth. Throughout Charles C. Mann’s article from The Atlantic, “1491”, he discusses three main points: how many things that are viewed as facts about the natives are actually not true, the dispute between the high and low counters, and the importance of the role disease played in the history of the Americas. When the term “Native American” is heard, the average person tends to often relate that to a savage hunter who tries to minimize their impact on their surrounding environment.

    Read More

  • Roanoke Colony

    820 Words  | 4 Pages

    The English had come more prepared and well aware of what they were stepping into, they brought provisions and supplies, even though they struggled. It was not until the Jamestown settlement was established in 1607, a full twenty years after John White bade farewell to his colonists, that the next serious attempts where undertaken by the English to find out what happened to the colony in 1587 (Fullam 128). In early 1609, the Royal Council in England received shocking news from Jamestown that Wahunsunacock, Chief Powhatan, had slaughter the 1587 colonist (Fullman 155). Unfortunately, the Powhatan’s cooperation was necessary for the success of the colony (Fullman 157). But 1608, a letter from John Smith was delivered to the Royal Council with evidence that the Powhatan Indians weren’t connected to the Lost Colony.

    Read More

  • Early Jamestown Why Did So Many Colonists Die Essay

    472 Words  | 2 Pages

    Starting over in a new unknown world can be terrifying. The Jamestown colonists had hard trials, some survived these trials, some weren 't so lucky. Poor planning, Indian attacks and lack of medical care are the three main reasons the so many colonists died during the early years of their settlement in the new world. The colonists were not prepared for their new beginning.

    Read More

  • Essay On Early Jamestown

    633 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Of 100 men at Nansemond, Indians kill 50”(Fausz 63). The colonists learned not to mess with the Native Americans after these

    Read More

  • Essay On Native American Colonialism

    756 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the article, “Colonial America Depended on the Enslavement of Indigenous People”, Marissa Fessenden states, “In 1637, they burned a village on the banks of the Mystic River in southeastern Connecticut, killing 400 to 700 Pequots.” The colonists had murdered natives by destroying their homes and territory. During the Pequot war, many of their tribe members were lost. This weakened the natives in war as they had very little men to send to resist the colonists. Those who were captured were enslaved and after the war the word “Pequot” was outlawed.

    Read More

  • Westward Argumentative Essay

    445 Words  | 2 Pages

    Traveling hundreds of thousands of miles through dangerous paths American pioneers took on hardships as they sought westward in hopes of a better life. The journey westward began in the early 1800s when the US exploded with new territory’s nearly tripling the US’s size. It all started in 1803 when the US bought the Louisiana Territory from France. Quickly, many farmers picked up their belongings and headed out west to the rich, fertile land for a fresh start. Next, Andrew Jackson invaded Florida claiming it for the US which was also another opportunity for settlers to begin a new life.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Forced Founder's By Woody Holton

    1051 Words  | 5 Pages

    ‘What worried the states men in the mother country was the likelihood that, if Virginians had occupied Kentucky, Indians would attack them, and the British might have to come and rescue at great cost to the imperial treasury” (5) The 1758 Treaty of Easton, which gave the Indians all the land west of the Appalachian, did not help their cause. Holton alludes to many other instances where the colonists wanted to expand but was consistently overlooked by the imperial government. The Indians caused the British to fear another war. Essentially, Holton makes it seem like the British were more on the side of the Indians then they were for their own colonists.

    Read More

  • The Indian New World James Merrell Analysis

    696 Words  | 3 Pages

    Merrell’s article proves the point that the lives of the Native Americans drastically changed just as the Europeans had. In order to survive, the Native Americans and Europeans had to work for the greater good. Throughout the article, these ideas are explained in more detail and uncover that the Indians were put into a new world just as the Europeans were, whether they wanted change or

    Read More

  • Essay On Native Americans Forced Assimilation

    1058 Words  | 5 Pages

    With the arrival of Anglo-Americans, Native Americans lost much more than just their land. Tribes were forced onto reservations, stripped of their culture, wealth and place in society, with no hope of regaining what they owned unless by complete assimilation. For the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Anglo-Americans continually pushed for Native Americans to abandon their cultures and “savage” ways. However, despite the many attempts to force Natives into Anglo-American culture, many Native Americans found ways to negotiate with the demands of the Anglo-Americans through mainly social, economic and legal means.

    Read More

More about Jamestown Argumentative Essay

Open Document