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Why would a low lying peninsula that was surrounded by disease ridden, bug infested swamp of water and was prone to high humidity be selected as a location for a permanent settlement?!
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Reasons for the selection of Jamestown:
Good parking - was connected to the mainland by only a narrow strip of ground and it layer next to a deep channel that allowed the English to tie their ships to tress on the shore
A defensible site - it offered a nearby spot where lookouts could be posted to watch for the enemy (The Spanish and the Native American - Powhatan Indians)
Find the NorthWest Water Passageway - the English hoped to find new sources of raw materials and an easy way to reach Asia by ship
An unoccupied site - since the Powhatan Indians hunted and gathered food in the Spring, Summer and Fall there was a relatively small number of people in the Indian villages which made the Powhatan lands look unoccupied to the English settlers. This is why they thought the land was not claimed. However, the Powhatans were using the land for hunting - therefor they did not have chief Powhatan's approval to settler on their land.
Good, "sweet" water - this proved to be wrong. There was no fresh water or streams. Since the location was so close to the ocean the water in the river tasted of salt - which caused sickness in some settlers.
Take a look at the two depictions of the Jamestown fort. What do you notice about it? Right off the bat you notice the shape of the fort. Why do you think the fort was in the shape of a triangle? Was there a purpose for this?
In order to answer these questions lets look at the depiction of the Jamestown fort on the right. In this depiction there is water on two sides of the fort and land on the third side of the fort. We also notice that the corners of the triangle are circular. Why is that? In the middle of the fort is where most of the buildings are located.
Watch the video below to help answer the questions asked above!
Good parking - was connected to the mainland by only a narrow strip of ground and it layer next to a deep channel that allowed the English to tie their ships to tress on the shore
A defensible site - it offered a nearby spot where lookouts could be posted to watch for the enemy (The Spanish and the Native American - Powhatan Indians)
Find the NorthWest Water Passageway - the English hoped to find new sources of raw materials and an easy way to reach Asia by ship
An unoccupied site - since the Powhatan Indians hunted and gathered food in the Spring, Summer and Fall there was a relatively small number of people in the Indian villages which made the Powhatan lands look unoccupied to the English settlers. This is why they thought the land was not claimed. However, the Powhatans were using the land for hunting - therefor they did not have chief Powhatan's approval to settler on their land.
Good, "sweet" water - this proved to be wrong. There was no fresh water or streams. Since the location was so close to the ocean the water in the river tasted of salt - which caused sickness in some settlers.
Take a look at the two depictions of the Jamestown fort. What do you notice about it? Right off the bat you notice the shape of the fort. Why do you think the fort was in the shape of a triangle? Was there a purpose for this?
In order to answer these questions lets look at the depiction of the Jamestown fort on the right. In this depiction there is water on two sides of the fort and land on the third side of the fort. We also notice that the corners of the triangle are circular. Why is that? In the middle of the fort is where most of the buildings are located.
Watch the video below to help answer the questions asked above!
Even though we know the Jamestown fort to be triangular in shape, it was not always like that. The English settlers were told not to offend the natives by their benefactors, The Virginia London Company. Therefore, they could not build a fort with towering wood pillars. Because of this, the settlers lashed branches together to make a crude outline of a fort. They also made simple shelters of tree branches or dug holes and covered them with canvas. Eventually, small houses of wood and mud where built and fort as we know was erected. What do you think it would be like to sleep in a hole as your bed? Would it be comfortable? Would it be safe? Why is a good shelter important to safety - especially in a new land you do not know? Turn to your partner and discuss!
Fort Excavation
Today, there is excavation happening at the site of the original Jamestown Settlement. Below is a gallery of the excavation site. Discuss with your partner what you see in the pictures. What could these artifacts tell about early life in the fort and the English settlers themselves?
Fort Excavation
Today, there is excavation happening at the site of the original Jamestown Settlement. Below is a gallery of the excavation site. Discuss with your partner what you see in the pictures. What could these artifacts tell about early life in the fort and the English settlers themselves?
Click here to check out the excavation of the Delft Drug Jar from the Jamestown Settlement. What do you notice about the process of getting the artifacts our of the ground?
Sources:
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXMjQWr3Z6Y (Colonial Life in America, Randall Niles)
Links
Reasons for the selection of Jamestown - http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/why-settle-on-jamestown.htm (National Park Service - Historic Jamestowne)
Fort Excavation - http://apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=18 (Jamestown Rediscovery)
Pictures
Jamestown Fort Picture 1 - http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/jamestown.htm (Jamestown Settlement 1607)
Jamestown Fort Picture 2 - http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/jamestown.htm (Jamestown Settlement 1607)
Fort Excavation Pictures:
Fairfax County Public School, 4th Grade Unit Plan on Woodland Indians
http://apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=68 (The Things, Jamestown Rediscovery - link to the artifact cases)
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXMjQWr3Z6Y (Colonial Life in America, Randall Niles)
Links
Reasons for the selection of Jamestown - http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/why-settle-on-jamestown.htm (National Park Service - Historic Jamestowne)
Fort Excavation - http://apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=18 (Jamestown Rediscovery)
Pictures
Jamestown Fort Picture 1 - http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/jamestown.htm (Jamestown Settlement 1607)
Jamestown Fort Picture 2 - http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/jamestown.htm (Jamestown Settlement 1607)
Fort Excavation Pictures:
Fairfax County Public School, 4th Grade Unit Plan on Woodland Indians
http://apva.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=68 (The Things, Jamestown Rediscovery - link to the artifact cases)