View source for Notes:BC1:Survival in the early Virginia settlements

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|HasArticleText=The first English settlers to arrive at the James River area of Virginia were in for hard times.  53 of the 197 colonists who sailed for Virginia from England in 1606 and 1607 were alive in April 1608.  These were frightful odds.  These first few were brave by definition.  They left civilization to founder a civilization where none existed.  But they were braving the unknown, and being first to the area, had no way of knowing what they were in for.  
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The colonists who travelled to America under this charter met with hardship that ended in the death of many of them. 
:*December 20, 1606, The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery sailed for the southern part of Virginia. 
::16 of the 120 died on the voyage. 
:*They entered Chesapeake Bay on May 6, 1607. 
::A few went to shore and were attacked by natives - 2 wounded. 
:*They built a fort on the James River. 
::*Six months later, less than half of those who reached Virginia were still alive due to malaria, Indian arrows, and hunger. 
::*There was also much internal strife. In January 1608, of the colonial council appointed by the king one had died of disease, one had been executed, two were waiting execution, leaving only two others alive and at large. The reasons are not apparent. 
::*One of the council recommended including all surviving members be consulted on governing, but this was considered too democratic and despotic rule was to continue. 

In response to the Virginia Charter of 1609 (the 2nd Virginia Charter):
:*500 sailed for the James River in 9 vessels on June 2, 1609. 
::*About 100 were women and children. 
::*32 died of disease during the voyage. 
::*One vessel sank in a hurricane and another was driven into the Bermudas. 
::*7 vessels reached the James River (the eighth did arrive later) 
:::Upon their arrival, these emigrants were undeceived of the conditions that they were to encounter in their new home. 
:::The English people that had survived from the previous attempt to colonize were dispersed and hungry, some living with the Indians. 
::*For all - newcomers and previous survivors - life was grim to the point of being hard to read about. Without recounting the details and all the causes, a year after this second sailing, 900 had actually landed in Virginia and 150 were still there. 
:::These were tough people and survivors and became the nucleus of what was ultimately a successful colony. 
:::*In 1619, 1650 people had sailed from England for Virginia. 300 had returned to England and there were 350 English living in Virginia. So 1000 had died en route or in Virginia - approximately 61%.

Alexander Brown's First Republic<ref name="Brown's 1st Republic">Brown, Alexander. ''First Republic in America''.  Considered historically inaccurate but of value nonetheless.  These numbers are accepted.</ref> states that: 
:*1606-1625 5649 emigrants left England for Virginia 
:::1095 colonists were living in Virginia in 1625  
:*In a 12 month period in 1619 to 1620 1200 sailed for Virginia. 
:::Of these 1000 died en route or in the colony by April 1920.  
:*In a 12 month period in 1622 to 1623, 347 died in the Indian massacre and 1000 died en route to Virginia or in the colony 

These words are from Channing's Vol 1 (pg 205)[1] 
::"During the years 1618 to 1624, Sandys, . . . made great and successful efforts to send over colonists and supplies; in three years' time no fewer than 3570 emigrants crossed the Atlantic to Virginia. As there were six hundred . . living in the colony at the beginning of this period, the total number . . . to be accounted for is 4170. In March 1622, before the Indian massacre, there were living in Virginia twelve hundred English colonists, showing that in three years nearly three thousand persons had perished from disease and starvation. The "massacre" cost the lives of three hundred and forty-seven more. Instead of carefully searching out the causes of the disasters, the company continued to pour setters into the colony; but in 1624, when a careful enumeration was made, there were only 1232 colonists alive, including in this number twenty three negro slaves." 

Reports from members of Sandys' own family who traveled to Virginia painted a grim picture of the conditions of life in Virginia in those days. 


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