Even though Massachusetts was the “most populous, influential, and powerful of the New England colonies” and New England as a whole was considered a healthier environment than the Chesapeake colonies, disease was still a major issue (Taylor, pg. 166). Due to the fact of the new environment, weather, location change, lack of access to food and fresh water, and close proximity, disease and death were inevitable during the colonial era. Massachusetts was no exception. According to Pond, the people were “subject to disease,” and had “died of the scurvy and of the burning fever two hundred and odd” (Pond, pg. 94). Ultimately, if a colonist did not die from the extremely high fever, they were immobilized inside their own bodies and unable to walk.
6 American Bee Journal July 1921, ‘Incidents in Massachusetts Colony Prior to 1654’ by George W. Adams
For starters, there was many illnesses and diseases that went around multiple times in Jamestown’s history. In Document E, it says between August and October of 1607 “Summer sickness kills half the colonist”. This supports my claim because half of the original
When the English settled into the New World, they were split up into two sections, the Chesapeake region and the New England region. Although the English settled both, the two regions were severely different from each other when they were brought about. The New England and Chesapeake colonies differed in three ways: their reason for venturing over, economy, and population. These major differences were what shaped our nation today and what will continue shaping our nation in the future.
The men could have got diseases from the water that they drank. The position of the settlement was not ideal, although it was very good military position. The water that the settlers drank was out of the river, but the water around the island was stagnant, it didn't move. All the sewage from the island was poured straight into the river, this meant that the men were drinking raw sewage. A lot of men died of 'Bloody Flux' and typhoid, these are typical sewage related diseases. The colonists knew about the risks of drinking the water, but they had no choice, they had to drink something.
The Chesapeake region and New England colonies greatly differed in their development of their two distinct societies. The Chesapeake region was a loosely fitted society with little connection with each plantation while the New England colonies had tightly knitted communities with a sort of town pride. The difference in unity and the reason for this difference best explain the significant disparity between the dissimilar societies.
Between the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the emergence of society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans.
Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by the people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. The reasons for this distinct development were mostly based on the type on people from England who chose to settle in the two areas, and on the manner in which the areas were settled.
Slavery was mainly used to support tobacco plantations in the Chesapeake Bay. Malnutrition, disease, and death were prevalent in the Chesapeake. Slaves were a cheap and an abundant resource, which could be easily replaced at any time. The Chesapeake took advantage of the use of black slaves just as many other parts of the world would have at the time.
1) (Evidence) The quote says this “Summer sickness kills half the colonist Capt… Disease returns, 100 at Jamestown ‘sickened and half the number died’. (The starving time) kills some 110 colonists from famine and disease.”
The colonist did many things, both wrong and right when they arrived at Jamestown in the early 1600s. First of all, they wisely selected a strong leader in John Smith. Smith was experienced in the military and lead Jamestown with military-like discipline. For instance, when some of the men, who were generally craftsman and gentlemen, refused to do manual labor such as farming, Smith implemented a policy stating that if the men did not work that they could not eat. This selection in leadership helped the men survive at Jamestown as Smith was willing to take risks and lead with authority. The selected location of Jamestown was, in general, a poor choice. While the location was good from a defensive standpoint, as it was surrounded, in part, by
One of the most deadliest causes of the deaths of many settlers was the drought. The diagram in Document B shows there was no rainfall for a greater amount of time, than the amount of time rain fell. This wasn't enough water that was needed to survive. Water is an important need for the settlers, or just people in general. Without enough water, the settlers population decreased due to severe dehydration amongst the settlers. Not only did the people die, but the crops did as well. This left the settlers suffering from hunger due to the death of many crops because of the lack of water. There was barely any water for the livestock decreasing the amount of food ever more leaving even more settlers to starve.
Europeans were deemed poor candidates for slavery due to their higher mortality rates. In 17th century, the New World was going through Public Health crisis. European immigration to the New World influenced the transmission of unknown epidemic diseases in American colonies. Warm climate in American colonies also became det...
In the book Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82 by Elizabeth A. Fenn, the author provides a fresh outlook on the face of North America during the time of the American Revolution. Fenn provides the reader with a perspective of the American Revolution from the vantage point of the variola virus and its effect on the population of North America. Her thesis for the book is, “While colonial independence reshaped global politics forever, the contagion was the defining and determining event of the era for many residents of North America. With the exception of the war itself, epidemic smallpox was the greatest upheaval to afflict the continent in these years.” Fenn does not discount the war, but rather, provides more information about the era of the American Revolution and the role of smallpox within that time period. Considering the author’s argument, Fenn clarifies the diverse impact that smallpox had on North Americans depending on their race and social status during the American Revolution.
Many colonists held a stronger loyalty to their American Colonies than to England by the eve of the Revolution. The battles and trials that they endured gave them an identity and a unity, they had survived through many hardships and any group that does that had some sort of bond. The unique combining of cultures, geography, and the many political ordeals that American colonists had endured provided them with a sense of identity and unity.
With all of the passengers of one family packed into a wagon and the group sleeping near each other the diseases would spread quickly. Martha Freel went to Oregon in the 1850’s and wrote in a letter saying “you see we have lost 7 persons in a matter of a few short days, all died of Cholera”. Those “few short days” were only 13 days and they already lost 7 people. They would spared because everyone of a family was packed in one wagon, and at the in of the day they all sleep near each other. Then the diseases were not very easy to cure with their lack of medical advances. With the medical kits they did have didn’t consisted of a lot of medicine, but items that would make you think you’re feeling better called a placebo. They would consist of peppermint oils, rum, whisky, morphine and citric