The English settlers of present day North America face many hardships and trials both in the New World and on the long voyage over. On the voyage over, there were many complication that were hard to overcome, but not impossible. Once they reached the New World they soon realized those were only the beginning of their much more severe problems yet to come in the near future. The first English settlers arrived in present day North Carolina in a place they called Orange Island in 1584.
This, being the first settlement for the English, did not go well at all. Everyone in the Orange Island colony disappeared mysteriously, with no signs or traces of life anywhere. In 1606 the English decided to take a stab at the New World again and founded the colony of Jamestown in present day Virginia. Document A, “Ode to the Virginia Voyage”, states that there, in Jamestown, they found an abundance of fowl, venison, fish, and lumber for their use. The settlers soon discovered that what they thought was a great new land may not be all that great.
In document D, Richard Foreshorten wrote to his family “this country cachets much sickness, which make the body weak. ” The settlers came across many strange diseases that they knew nothing about to how treat them. Because of these new diseases, many people died very young, for the life expectancy was not much more than 20 years. For women, the life expectancy was shorter than that as many would die in childbirth. Not only did the settlers have to deal with many health issues, they also had to fend off the natives, or Indians as they called them.
In Document D, Richard Foreshorten tells how they live in fear of the enemy every hour. He also tells of a fight with the Indians that were 3000 in number against their small company of 32. But, nevertheless, as Virginia begins to set down roots they start to acquire slaves from the Indian tribes and other English men coming over as indentured servants. Early on there weren’t many African slaves because the voyage over from Africa to the New World was very costly.
Document G states that “in Virginia above forty thousand persons, and of which there are two thousand black slaves, and six thousand Christian servants (indentured). ” A little while after the beginning of slavery, the colonists began to realize that laws were needed to be set for the salves. Document H, Virginians statutes pertaining to slavery, explains these such laws. “Many times Negroes, mulattoes and other salves unlawfully absent themselves from their masters and mistress services” The punishment for such and offense was brutal. In case any Negroes mulattoes or other elves shall resist, runaway, or refuse to deliver and surrender themselves to any person, it shall be lawful for such person to kill and destroy such Negroes, mulattoes, or other slaves. ” The English settlers of the New World knew it was going to be hard, out not tons nard. Walt tenet many laws Drought over Trot England a tenet would always be order in the colonies from the start. The settlers knew that they had to fight for what they loved, even when they had very little. They had determination, and with that determination a new country would soon be born.
