Jamestown

858 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: jamestown quiz

There have been numerous opinions on what would be considered a success o Jamestown settlement. As we know Jamestown was one of the “late comers” colonies developed in the New World. As time goes on archeologist and those who specialized in studying the colonial times has continued to express their opinion of a successful colony. Professor Edward S. Morgan historian at Yale University and Professor Karen Kupperman analysis of The Jamestown Project is a perfect example these archeologist. Morgan and Kupperman shared different views and resulted in difference in opinion on the success of Jamestown. Author Edward S. Morgan described the Jamestown colony as a group that had many opportunities for success but failed to succeed due to their own negligence. Edward Morgan describes Captain Christopher Newport’s experience to the new world as he journeys through the coast of the what is now known as North America. According to author Morgan, Captain Newport was able to survey the land and establish English rule through communication with the neighboring indian tribes. Morgan describes the attack from the Powhatans on the English tribe of Jamestown. He exclaims jamestown was attacked and viciously forced into an uneasy truths with the natives. Throughout the early inhabitants of the Englishmen in the new world, Morgan believes many mistakes were made in their efforts to develop a relationship with the Native Americans. As a result of constant fighting between the Native Americans and the English Settlers neither side was able to plant crops or preserve needed material to survive the harsh cold weather that was soon to come. Nearly all of the Englishmen died off due to starvation and was left with about sixty settlers out of the original f... ... middle of paper ... ...ime. She skims over the ten year period Morgan so vividly recalled to show her belief that ten years of going through hardship was unanimously outweighed by the years of success that soon followed. Kupperman magnified Jamestown success of trial and error. Reading the two arguments allows readers to detect many fallacies and strategies used in either authors writing to persuade the readers opinion. However, Kupperman’s view created the best argument. Whether someone agree or disagree with the argument would boil down to a personal belief of seeing the glass half empty or half full when it comes to Jamestown. Jamestown accomplished a task that no one had at that point from where they were from. Although Jamestown was did not get off to an ideal start it would be safe to say they are a success because they are still spoken of today as a vital part of American history.

Show More
Related

  • Indian Lives Changed by Jamestown Settlers

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...Indian Lives Changed by Jamestown Is a very well thought out and put together book. With the index of terms and bibliography it looks and feels like a text book, but it reads like a story book. It tells a very fascinating story in an effective yet entertaining way. Calling the English smelly people and olfactorily objectionable adds a light heartedness to a sad story. The book portrays both groups of people in a fair light and doesn't pull any punches for either side. There is so much information in the book that surely in one reading much is missed, overlooked, or forgotten. It is a highly enjoyable, and educational book well worth the time needed to decipher the complexities of the situations presented throughout the story. The only major downfall of the book is that it ends sadly with the death of Opechancanough while being held captive by the English.

    Read More

  • What Happened To Nathaniel Bacon's Rebellion Of Jamestown?

    151 Words  | 1 Pages

    Things in Jamestown were good. The people were fed, cared for, and happy. They created their own working government order, but, in a place where everything seems perfect, there is always one man to disagree. In this case, his name was Nathaniel Bacon.

    Read More

  • Early Jamestown: Why Did So Many Colonists Die?

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever heard of “Early Jamestown?” The year was 1607, roughly, 110 English men arrived on the coast of Virginia, to search for gold, which the Spaniards also had begun a search for and found an abundance of gold. It is the first permanent English colony in what is now the United States. ‘Early’ Jamestown entails the first five years of settlement in the Americas. The question is ‘Why did so many colonist die?’ Colonist died in early Jamestown because of three problems. These problems were the environmental issues, the relationships with the Native Americans, and the lack of skills the colonist brought with them to Jamestown.

    Read More

  • Similarities And Differences Between The Jamestown And The New England Colonies

    1619 Words  | 4 Pages

    Starting with the Jamestown and others in the Chesapeake region, one immediately notices that those who established Jamestown were not prepared to settle down. The Jamestown colony was started for one main purpose, to make money. The Virginia Company founded Jamestown. The “Elizabeth” was the ship that took over those looking to settle to the Chesapeake Bay area. On the ship were 114 passengers and of those, 72 of them were males. These males were

    Read More

  • The Abandoned Colony by Karen Ordahl Kupperman

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thesis: The Roanoke colony proved to be an unsuccessful venture in the New World for England, since leaders of the expedition held the viewpoint that privateering would prove to be the most profitable aspect of founding the new settlements in the West. However future, still unsuccessful attempts to make a permanent colony at Roanoke, helped England understand how to build a prosperous one; and it became a building block for establishing future colonies for England and helped shape the ideas that would help launch their empire.

    Read More

  • Founding Brothers: A Revolutionary Analysis

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    The authors go on to give an outstanding appreciation of his work as he states” Ellis clear prose, succinct expositions, and poignant observations make reading Founding Brothers highly rewarding...” ( Koschnik 274). The review as well goes on expanding to expand how Ellis writes about the characters in this book and their views on the topics. In the review he does discuss some cons that Ellis presents as he does state “Ellis cannot fully acknowledge the cultural imperatives that compelled these men to act as they did” ( Koschnik) 275). As a result, the review ends with the book is flawed, but it does offer great

    Read More

  • Jamestown Project

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Jamestown Project discusses the monumental landmark, the colony of Jamestown, was in Atlantic History. The story of Jamestown is told in a much more authentic, elaborate style than our textbooks has presented. As Kupperman points out, Jamestown was not only important to United State’s history but also to British history. From the motivations to the lasting effects, she gives an accurate account of all components involved in Jamestown. Also, there is a chapter devoted to the Native American experience, which shows a non-Western view of events. The book is written in a format that is easily read but also compacted with information. More importantly she puts Jamestown in its right place in United State’s and British history, as the foundation of colonial United States and the British Empire.

    Read More

  • John Smith: A Truthful Source on Early Colonial America?

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    The most important question when regarding the settling of Jamestown and its early years is whether Captain John Smith, world renowned hero of the Jamestown colony, is in fact a liar, as most of what we know about him comes from his own works of novelistic intent about his experiences in the new world. We can analyze other first-hand records and other historical writings and weigh these accounts against Smith’s writings to decide if his are in fact accurate.

    Read More

  • Jamestown and Plymouth

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    The English had two main colonies in the new world, Jamestown and Plymouth. The first colony was Jamestown, established in Virginia in 1607. Jamestown was settled by Captain John Smith, and was named after King James I. Tobacco was the main export of Jamestown, and became the basis of the Jamestown economy, sending more than 50,000 lbs of the plan back to Europe by 1618 (textbook 46). Jamestown had a very rocky start, many colonists dying in the first few years of the settlement, and the settlers had many problems with natives. Shortly after the arrival of English colonists the Natives attacked them, and were finally forced back by a canon from the English. A very uneasy truce was finally settled between the natives, called the Powhatans, and the English (textbook 44-5). Economic growth and expanding their territories were the main priorities of the English in the Jamestown colonies.

    Read More

  • Slavery and Freedom: The American Paradox by Edmund Morgan

    1667 Words  | 4 Pages

    Smith, John. "Settlement Of Jamestown - 1607." The National Center for Public Policy Research. http://www.nationalcenter.org/SettlementofJamestown

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Edward Waterhouse

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Declaration in 1622 is a piece of history that will forever be debated. It was written by Edward Waterhouse who was a prominent Virginia official. In a Declaration in 1622, he describes his first-hand accounts of English genocide and the relationship between the Powhatan and settlers. The point of this paper is to claim that Waterhouse’s portrayal is realistic due to his factual perspective of the time period on the contrasting aspects of the Powhatan and settlers. Diving into Edwards historical accounts can show the hardships of the settlers, the varying characteristics of both groups, the importance of tobacco, and the demonization of Native Americans. The characteristics will conclude the factually sound delineation of Edward Waterhouse.

    Read More

  • Two Different Perspectives of Life Experiences with Indians

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mary Rowlandson’s “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” and Benjamin Franklin’s “Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America” are two different perspectives based on unique experiences the narrators had with “savages.” Benjamin Franklin’s “Remarks Concerning the Savages…” is a comparison between the ways of the Indians and the ways of the Englishmen along with Franklin’s reason why the Indians should not be defined as savages. “A Narrative of the Captivity…” is a written test of faith about a brutally traumatic experience that a woman faced alone while being held captive by Indians. Mary Rowlandson views the Indians in a negative light due to the traumatizing and inhumane experiences she went through namely, their actions and the way in which they lived went against the religious code to which she is used; contrastingly, Benjamin Franklin sees the Indians as everything but savages-- he believes that they are perfect due to their educated ways and virtuous conduct.

    Read More

  • Jamestown Thesis

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1607 King James ordered the drafting of a new charter for a new colony in the new world,he declared the name of the aforementioned colony Virginia. The founders of the first colony in Virginia named their first settlement Jamestown, after their monarch. The first winters the settlement starved. Fortunately, Cpt. John Smith assisted in helping the colonists. However, his wounds caused his return to England. The colony then suffered a relapse. Several other men tried to help Jamestown but all but the last one failed. The author wrote an informative essay but the thesis had several errors. The essay, The Labor Problem at Jamestown’s Thesis, was that the colony’s long period of starvation was caused by the Englishman’s ideas about the New World,

    Read More

  • Jamestown Vs. New England Colony

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jamestown and the Massachusetts Bay Colony had many similarities and differences. Many of these differences were due to their physical location and climatic conditions. The success of both colonies can be contributed to strong leadership and the characteristics of the personalities of the settlers that inhabited each settlement. Many of the early problems in both settlements can be contributed to a lack of knowledge on the parts of the settlers along with attacks from neighboring Native American tribes.

    Read More

  • John Smith in Jamestown

    1212 Words  | 3 Pages

    Christopher Newport, the admiral that transported John Smith and many of the colonists from England, left the Jamestown colony in the fall of 1607. Immediately all work in the settlement ceased to exist. The colonists had decided to wait on Newport to return with new workers. The plan was for the natives to provide food for them while they waited. When the natives never came with food, Ratcliffe, the current president of the colony, ordered John Smith to visit the neighboring natives and trade tools and metals for corn. The natives had noticed how the English were unable to feed themselves by planting their own crops. The natives refused to trade more than a few handfuls of corn and bread for the hatchets and iron that were offered. Smith realized the reason why the Kecoughtans were not trading more than just those small amounts and created a way to solve the problem. To prove to the natives that the English were not poor, Smith gave free beads and trinkets to the children. This was to show the Kecoughtans that the English were economically strong and possessed more valuable items. Smith used the mentality of “weakness in appearance…was weakness in reality” (Price 57) to justify his travels from village to village, collecting a large of amount of corn, bread, and other foods for the Jamestown colonists. Smith thought the natives would trade more food if they did not realize what a small amount of food stores that the English had actually acquired. If the natives had known what large quantities of food Smith had actually traded for, they would have realized how desperate the state of the colonists. Smith performed his trading sessions this way “’least they should perceive my too great want.’” (Price 57) In this manner, John Smith saved the ent...

    Read More

More about Jamestown

Open Document