Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Western CIV. Jamestown Part one. What
Speaker 1: you're listening to is the first part in a multi
Speaker 1: series deep depth episode into Jamestown, the first English successful
Speaker 1: colony in the New World, founded in sixteen oh seven.
Speaker 1: This is a fascinating story about trepid adventurers, Indian princesses maybe,
Speaker 1: and everything in between, and not just a little tobacco
Speaker 1: to keep the whole thing going. The way that this
Speaker 1: series is going to function as a deep die is
Speaker 1: that every other episode will be available for free on
Speaker 1: the main feed. So next week, if you are not
Speaker 1: a paid Patreon member, you won't see anything. You'll then
Speaker 1: see episode three the week after. Just to be clear,
Speaker 1: you can become a member at any time by clicking
Speaker 1: the link of the show notes, you can get a
Speaker 1: seven day free trial, and with the base subscription, which
Speaker 1: gives you access to all of these shows, it's a
Speaker 1: dollar a month or twelve dollars a year. Obviously we
Speaker 1: appreciate it. But with all that being said, I'm not
Speaker 1: going to do this lengthy preamble into the start of
Speaker 1: every single one of these, but I wanted to at
Speaker 1: least get the ground rules downs that you understood so
Speaker 1: let's begin James Town. The rise of the Hoften Chiefdom
Speaker 1: was the central political development of the late sixteenth and
Speaker 1: early seventeenth centuries. A variety of indigenous now we call
Speaker 1: Indian peoples lived throughout the coastal plain what is also
Speaker 1: referred to as the tide water of Virginia space around
Speaker 1: the Chesapeake Bay, the space around all the various rivers
Speaker 1: and tributaries that flow into it. In other words, the
Speaker 1: space with all the good land. Now, sometime around fifteen
Speaker 1: seventy one, chieftain of the bahatans Wassahunock managed to inherit
Speaker 1: all the varied holdings of different peoples and subject tributaries.
Speaker 1: He pulled this all together into one great Bahatan nation.
Speaker 1: Although for reasons i'll talk about later, it's a mistake
Speaker 1: to think about this as sort of like an empire.
Speaker 1: It wasn't an empire in the way that we think
Speaker 1: of in the West world, and you think of Rome
Speaker 1: or the British Empire or anything like that, where everybody
Speaker 1: is immediately and directly responsible to the chief executive wherever
Speaker 1: he may be at the given time. It's a much
Speaker 1: more loose confederation. That being said, it's worth noting that
Speaker 1: Wassahanak was definitely the most powerful man in the region
Speaker 1: by a strong sense. As described by William Stratchi, a
Speaker 1: prominent settler who arrived in Virginia in sixteen ten, was
Speaker 1: a hannock who was alive at the time, was a
Speaker 1: man of quote goodly looks, well beaten with many cold
Speaker 1: and stormy winters, yet of tall stature and clean limbs
Speaker 1: end quote. In the earlier years, this same Stratchy wrote
Speaker 1: that the great Chief was quote a strong and able
Speaker 1: savage who's active of daunting, daring spirit, vigilist, ambitious, subtle
Speaker 1: to enlarge his dominions unquote. In addition to the land
Speaker 1: that was honok had inherited, the rest of his territories
Speaker 1: had quote either been farce subdued onto him or through
Speaker 1: fear yielded end quote. At about the time that the
Speaker 1: English arrived, the Chesapeakes, who lived in the entrance to
Speaker 1: the bay, and who had resisted absorption into this new kingdom,
Speaker 1: were destroyed an attack that resulted in the slaughter of men, women,
Speaker 1: and children. A vivid example of the methods that could
Speaker 1: be used by this great chief to assert his authorities,
Speaker 1: actually recounted by Captain John Smith for reasons that we
Speaker 1: truly don't know even today. In sixteen oh eight, Wassahonk
Speaker 1: mounted a surprise attack on the neighboring plane Catacks, who
Speaker 1: lived along the north bank of the river that bears
Speaker 1: that same name. First he sent some of his men
Speaker 1: to lodge among them. Then he surrounded their village and
Speaker 1: at the appointed time launched a swift and deadly attack.
Speaker 1: Two dozen men, according to Captain John Smith, were killed.
Speaker 1: The women and children, along with the chief were captured
Speaker 1: and presented to Wassahonic so that they could quote unquote
Speaker 1: do him service. It was also there because they wanted
Speaker 1: to get the scalps. The scalps of warriors taken in
Speaker 1: the attack were hung to intimidate visitors, hung between two
Speaker 1: trees at Wahasahonok's personal residency. This gives you a flavor
Speaker 1: the sort of hit and run tactics favored by Wassahonic
Speaker 1: and his peoples, and that are going to give the
Speaker 1: English such fits and sleepless nights in years to come. Now,
Speaker 1: the Bahatans were, of course not the only peoples in
Speaker 1: the area. They were in fact surrounded, effectively confined by
Speaker 1: the mountains that were dominated by the Iroquoian and coo
Speaker 1: And peoples, and they effectively kept the Bahatans on the
Speaker 1: coastal place. As Wasahawk's chiefdom grew throughout the tide water,
Speaker 1: so did his wealth and influence. His people were required
Speaker 1: to pay tribute in the form of skins, beads, pearls,
Speaker 1: food and tobacco, all collected annually and stored in temples
Speaker 1: such as those of the Oorpos, one of his capitals,
Speaker 1: and another major town, Ottomosuk. He claimed a monopoly on
Speaker 1: prestige goods that were traded throughout his lands, including copper,
Speaker 1: iron wares, and other items sometimes acquired from Europeans. Copper
Speaker 1: could be traded beyond his dominions with other people and
Speaker 1: used when necessary to hire mercenary warriors or generally gifts
Speaker 1: of tribute goods to lesser chiefs. Wear an ox warriors
Speaker 1: and priests throughout his land provided him with a way
Speaker 1: of co opting individuals into the regime by rewarding those
Speaker 1: that he favored, something that be familiar to monarchs throughout
Speaker 1: Europe at the time and something that's still familiar to
Speaker 1: politicians today now. The people of the outlying regions on
Speaker 1: the edges of the tide water. Now, they might recognize
Speaker 1: Wassahonics authority that could provide him support in times of
Speaker 1: war or when called upon, but they also pursued their
Speaker 1: own independent policies, and an occasion they disobeyed or just
Speaker 1: ignored his orders. That is to say, as I mentioned before,
Speaker 1: Wasahonic was not an absolute ruler in our traditional sense
Speaker 1: of the term, and in fact, one of the ways
Speaker 1: that he governed his vast, sprawling territories was through a
Speaker 1: network of family members, the most important of which was
Speaker 1: his brother Apichinaka. Apichinacha was the most powerful of Wassahonaks relatives. Now,
Speaker 1: at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Wasahonics lands were
Speaker 1: decently well populated. There were maybe about fifteen thousand total
Speaker 1: people that lived in the Chesapeake Bay region. The most
Speaker 1: populous areas were actually inland, away from the exposed crags
Speaker 1: of the coast. High Ground close to the water was
Speaker 1: preferred because it protected against possible flooding and provided a
Speaker 1: vantage point for keeping an eye on the comings and
Speaker 1: goings along the river or also to the approaches from
Speaker 1: inland rivers and coastal waters. Provided a superb means of travel,
Speaker 1: and were commonly used for transporting men and goods over
Speaker 1: long distances. Most Pahatan settlements were small by European standards,
Speaker 1: usually consisting of a fewer than one hundred people at
Speaker 1: the most. But it's worth noting, and we'll get to
Speaker 1: this again in future episodes, that when John Smith and
Speaker 1: the other English arrive in sixteen oh seven to establish Jamestown,
Speaker 1: the land that is effectively seated to them is land
Speaker 1: that the Powhatan people didn't want because they had already
Speaker 1: established the most effective settlements for themselves across the Chesapeake Bay. Thus,
Speaker 1: what Smith and his companions got was decidedly second class,
Speaker 1: to say the least. Bohatan Society was organized for war
Speaker 1: a response to the threat posed by powerful enemies to
Speaker 1: the north and west. Warfare involved a variety of tactics,
Speaker 1: including frontal assaults, hidden run and ambush and deception. Most
Speaker 1: attacks took the form of raiding parties, which are the
Speaker 1: smaller sort of hid and run style attacks. Pitched battles
Speaker 1: between anything that would have looked remotely like a Western
Speaker 1: standing army were credibly uncommon. In a mock battle witnessed
Speaker 1: by John Smith, the natives divided themselves into two companies
Speaker 1: of about one hundred men, one called Monocans, the other
Speaker 1: called Phatans. Each company ordered into ranks of fifteen men
Speaker 1: of breast. We are agreeing to terms that the women
Speaker 1: and the children of the vanquish would be the prize
Speaker 1: of the victors. The two armies approached each other, the
Speaker 1: men quote leaping and singing after their accustomed tune, which
Speaker 1: they only used in war end quote. Each side then
Speaker 1: shot at the other. When they had discharged all of
Speaker 1: their arrows, they joined in hand to hand fighting, and
Speaker 1: here is according to Smith quote, as they got advantage,
Speaker 1: they catched their enemies by the hair of their head
Speaker 1: and acted the beating the loser's brains with wooden swords
Speaker 1: end quote. Womennocan numbers decreased. The Bahatans charged in the
Speaker 1: half moon formation, ever to surround them, at which the
Speaker 1: Monocans fled quote in all troop to the cover of
Speaker 1: nearby woods. But this was just a ploy the lure
Speaker 1: of the Beehatans into an ambush where fresh warriors were hiding.
Speaker 1: The Bohatans, perceiving the danger, withdrew to an area of
Speaker 1: the field where they had arranged their own ambush, but
Speaker 1: the Monocans declined to pursue them and instead disappeared into
Speaker 1: the forest. Now, obviously there's a lot of subterfuge and
Speaker 1: ambush here going on. There's not a lot of British
Speaker 1: style lining up with redcoats and just simply firing into
Speaker 1: the opponent. Still, men were expected to display courage and
Speaker 1: strength in hand to hand combat. The Bahatans made up
Speaker 1: the core of was Sanahawk's fighting forces, and combined may
Speaker 1: have numbered five or six hundred men together. Of course,
Speaker 1: Wassanahak could call upon the varying allied and subjugated tribes
Speaker 1: to provide warriors and get an army somewhere between twelve
Speaker 1: hundred and fifteen hundred enough, which was more than easily
Speaker 1: capable of overwhelming any local resistance to his will. Now,
Speaker 1: Wahanak did not act alone. As I mentioned previously, He
Speaker 1: was supposed to take advice from his counselors and priests,
Speaker 1: and he did. Priests were vital intermediaries between the people
Speaker 1: and spiritual force. Is an infused earthly society with a
Speaker 1: spiritual good. Religion and spirituality were of fundamental importance to
Speaker 1: the peoples of the region and weren't expressed in a
Speaker 1: variety of beliefs about powerful deities, local spirits, founding myths
Speaker 1: and prophecies. The Bahatans revered a quote unquote great good God.
Speaker 1: His name was a Hoone, who lived in the heavens above,
Speaker 1: and whose perfection was boundless. A hon had created the cosmos,
Speaker 1: the earth, and the lesser gods had taught the Indians
Speaker 1: how to plant corn. He was quote unquote the author
Speaker 1: of great good He made the sun shine, and through
Speaker 1: his virtues and influence, all the fruits of the seasons
Speaker 1: were brought forth. A Hoone was a remote god, unconcerned
Speaker 1: with the affairs of men and everyday affairs. The most
Speaker 1: important deity in the Indians pantheon was Uchius, who, unlike
Speaker 1: the peace loving a Hone, looked quote into all men's
Speaker 1: actions and judged them according to a severe scale of
Speaker 1: justice end quote. The vengeful god punished the people with sickness,
Speaker 1: struck down their ripe coin with storms, and stirred up wars.
Speaker 1: He was a quote unquote malicious enemy of mankind. Okius
Speaker 1: was the origin of all harm and misfortune. To appease him,
Speaker 1: the Bahapans dedicated their temples to him, offered him sacrifices,
Speaker 1: and worshiped him. But Okius was also the god the
Speaker 1: priest would consult to ask to intercede in times of
Speaker 1: war and crisis. From the oaks and conifer forests of
Speaker 1: the Blue Ridge Mountains to the fertile lowlands bordering the
Speaker 1: Rivers and Bay, the Indian peoples, the Iroquoian, Siaquoyan, and
Speaker 1: Algonquin and all evolved highly successful methods of harvesting the
Speaker 1: natural resources of the land and the rivers. Early European
Speaker 1: observers were unanimous in their admiration for the Indians adaptime
Speaker 1: Hati to their environments, and were aware of the subtle
Speaker 1: as well as more obvious distinctions between the various peoples
Speaker 1: who inhabited this land. Throughout the region, different tribes might
Speaker 1: enjoy a good deal of autonomy, but everywhere the edges
Speaker 1: of conflict were evident, resulting from the expansion of the
Speaker 1: Bohoptan chiefdom and long standing hostility between Algonquins and neighboring
Speaker 1: con and Iroquoian peoples. When the English arrived in Virginia
Speaker 1: early in the new century, they would encounter a powerful
Speaker 1: and complex chiefdom. It was therefore lucky that when Wassanahonok
Speaker 1: first came face to face with Captain John Smith, the
Speaker 1: Great Chief took the opportunity to describe to him quote
Speaker 1: his great and spacious domains end quote, then impressed upon
Speaker 1: the Englishman in case he missed the point that he
Speaker 1: knew everyone under his territories. Now, for much of the
Speaker 1: sixteenth century, England played only a minor role in Western exploration.
Speaker 1: Even the famed exploits of the conquistadors in Mexico and Peru.
Speaker 1: The overthrow of the Mexica and Inca Empires made seemingly
Speaker 1: little impact on England. During Queen Elizabeth the First reign, however,
Speaker 1: an awakening of interest and the possibility of establishing English
Speaker 1: colonies in America occurred. For the first time, colonization was
Speaker 1: viewed as a project that would be of great benefit
Speaker 1: not only to individuals and to their financial backers, but
Speaker 1: also to the nation as a whole. In fifteen eighty three,
Speaker 1: Sir George Peckham, a prominent Catholic supporter of colonial ventures,
Speaker 1: wrote a lengthy treatise that set out the quote unquote
Speaker 1: law of nations sanctioning trade between Christians or what he
Speaker 1: called the infidel or savages, and the law of arms
Speaker 1: which allowed the taking of lands by force, and of course,
Speaker 1: finally the law of God, which required Christian rulers to
Speaker 1: settle these lands. Quote for the establishment of God's word
Speaker 1: end quote. He went on to write that from ancient
Speaker 1: times quote, since the Nativity of Christ Mighty and Pussian
Speaker 1: emperors and kings had performed the like I say, to plant,
Speaker 1: possess and subdue end quote. Also, the infamous John d
Speaker 1: astrologer to the Queen, alchemist, mathematician, etc. Etc. Advocated building
Speaker 1: a strong navy that could be the foundation of a
Speaker 1: British empire. He laid out the basis of Queen Elizabeth's
Speaker 1: right to take possession of foreign regions, followed simply by
Speaker 1: the same principles that were currently being used by the
Speaker 1: kings and queens of Spain. But it really fell to
Speaker 1: a gentleman by the name of Richard Hayuk. He was
Speaker 1: the foremost proponent of colonization of his age, and he
Speaker 1: was the one who really got the ball rolling. Planting
Speaker 1: English colonies in America would believed would be a quote,
Speaker 1: mostly godly and Christian work that would ultimately lead to
Speaker 1: quote gaining the souls of millions and of those wretched
Speaker 1: people by which he meant the Native Americans, and bringing
Speaker 1: them from darkness to light end quote. Of course, this
Speaker 1: is nothing new, you know. The Spanish and the Portuguese
Speaker 1: to an extent he used Christianization as a justification for
Speaker 1: colonization as well. So it makes perfect sense that the English,
Speaker 1: who saw themselves as the leading Protestant nation, should seek
Speaker 1: to do the same. Moreover, include believed that perhaps conversion
Speaker 1: for the English could be achieved not by the brutal
Speaker 1: methods employed by the Spanish, but by way of quote,
Speaker 1: a gentle course without cruelty and tyranny, such as the
Speaker 1: swereth of a profession of a Christian end quote. Exactly
Speaker 1: what he meant by that was unclear now. But more
Speaker 1: important than all the Christian zeal and this is true
Speaker 1: for Spanish colonization as well, was the likelihood of profit.
Speaker 1: English settlements in America, the gentleman confidently asserted, would promote commerce, prosperity,
Speaker 1: and social benefits at home. Trade with the Native Americans
Speaker 1: would bring a valuable return, but to produce the goods,
Speaker 1: England needed large numbers of people would have to colonize America.
Speaker 1: This would be doubly advantageous. Not only would an expansive
Speaker 1: new market for English goods be created thereby stimulating production
Speaker 1: and providing relief for poor workers and depressed English manufacturing centers,
Speaker 1: but also the country would profit from the growing number
Speaker 1: of colonial goods that could be sold at home and
Speaker 1: in Europe, and the colonies, able bodied and unemployed, idle
Speaker 1: people who were a drain on the country could be
Speaker 1: found to work on their own for the nation's advantage. Remember,
Speaker 1: the process of enclosure had pushed so many people off
Speaker 1: of their land in England that they didn't have any
Speaker 1: means of supporting themselves. Thus, the colonies could work as
Speaker 1: sort of a pressure release valve for England. It would
Speaker 1: allow a place for all of the people who had
Speaker 1: been the economic have nots in this situation to have
Speaker 1: a place to go and the means of supporting themselves.
Speaker 1: It's not the way Kluke or any other Englishmen would
Speaker 1: have put it, but that was the economic message that
Speaker 1: he was preaching. He proposed the creation of permanent English
Speaker 1: societies in America, where these new lands lying on latitude
Speaker 1: stretching from North Africa to Scandinavia could be developed to
Speaker 1: produce commodities traditionally imported from Europe. All of these arguments
Speaker 1: found a receptive year in Queen Elizabeth the First. She
Speaker 1: was acutely aware that the threat posed by Spain to
Speaker 1: her kingdom and was incomparably greater than it had been
Speaker 1: even in her father's time fifty years earlier. And much
Speaker 1: of the reason that Spain posed this greater problem now
Speaker 1: than in the reign of Henry the Eighth is because
Speaker 1: of their colonial wealth. The only way to offset this,
Speaker 1: many in the English court asserted was for England to
Speaker 1: do the same. If Spain was to have extensive colonies,
Speaker 1: then England needed extensive colonies. The logic was pretty simple.
Speaker 1: Initial English efforts to colonize New World colonies were a
Speaker 1: complete and total failure. There were three voyages between fifteen
Speaker 1: seventy six and fifteen seventy eight off the southern shore
Speaker 1: of Baffin Island in search of gold and a northwest
Speaker 1: passage around the top of the American continent, but those
Speaker 1: ended in bankruptcy and ruin. A few years later, Sir
Speaker 1: Humphrey Gilbert hatched a scheme to establish plantations in Newfoundland
Speaker 1: and along the course of the North American seaboard, but
Speaker 1: that too was a disaster, resulting in total financial loss
Speaker 1: and Gilbert's loss of life. Now to the south, in
Speaker 1: the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean, English privateers enjoyed
Speaker 1: better fortunes. John Hawkins and Francis Drake, along with many others,
Speaker 1: plundered gold, silver, pearls, and precious commodities carried by the
Speaker 1: Spanish treasure fleets and pillaged Spain's possessions in the West
Speaker 1: Indies and along the Spanish main Even so, despite notable
Speaker 1: achievements like Drake's daring raid on a mule train taking
Speaker 1: a fortune in Peruvian silver on the coast of Panama
Speaker 1: in fifteen seventy three, and his voyage around the world
Speaker 1: between fifteen seventy seven and fifteen eighty, the English still
Speaker 1: had not succeeded in establishing a single New World colony
Speaker 1: of their own now. As we know from the last episode, Roanoke,
Speaker 1: off the coast of North Carolina, was England's most important
Speaker 1: attempt at establishing a permanent settlement in the New World
Speaker 1: prior to Jamestown. When news reached London that guild had
Speaker 1: perished at sea. The Queen's new favorite, Walter Raleigh, wasted
Speaker 1: little time in petitioning her for the exclusive rights to
Speaker 1: explore and colonize North America. He gathered an extensive and
Speaker 1: remarkable group of men who brought together their scientific knowledge
Speaker 1: and experiment to try to make this the most successful
Speaker 1: English effort yet. Now why Raleigh chose to plant this
Speaker 1: colony along the mid Atlantic coast, we honestly have no idea.
Speaker 1: The decision may have been influenced by his reluctance to
Speaker 1: risk the same fate as Gilbert, who was his half brother,
Speaker 1: who in far northern waters had searched for a northwest passage,
Speaker 1: but more likely was simple geography and Spain. He saw
Speaker 1: the opportunity to halt the advance of the Spanish in
Speaker 1: North America from a fortification well to the north of
Speaker 1: earlier French settlements in Florida, which had been destroyed. Yet
Speaker 1: this would also be a location that would still be
Speaker 1: within easy reach of the important sea lanes of the
Speaker 1: Caribbean and Western Atlantic. A colony could also simply lay
Speaker 1: claim to North America for England, and serve also as
Speaker 1: a base from which to launch raids on Spanish silver fleets,
Speaker 1: and this would of course have obvious appeal to Raleigh,
Speaker 1: who was interested in potential financial benefit, and it would
Speaker 1: also help him attractive masters. So, following a successful reconnaissance
Speaker 1: voyage in fifteen eighty four that brought back glowing reports
Speaker 1: of the outer banks of North Carolina, a small garrison
Speaker 1: of a little more than one hundred men established Ronok
Speaker 1: the following year under the command as we know of
Speaker 1: Ralph Lane, an experienced and veteran soldier. In September fifteen
Speaker 1: eighty five, he had high hopes, writing back, quote, it
Speaker 1: is the goodliness and most pleasing territory of the world.
Speaker 1: For the soil of the continent is of huge, unknown
Speaker 1: great and the very well peopled and towned, though savage,
Speaker 1: and the climate so wholesome that we have not had
Speaker 1: one six since we touched land here quote that, of course,
Speaker 1: would be the one and only glowing report to come
Speaker 1: back from Roanoke. Explorations during the summer revealed a low,
Speaker 1: flat country heavily wooded, but the one major disadvantage of
Speaker 1: the region was the shallowness of the waters and the sound,
Speaker 1: which were not suitable for large vessels. And so subsequently,
Speaker 1: as winter approached, Lane decided to send out an exploratory
Speaker 1: party in search of a deep water harbor where the
Speaker 1: colony could be relocated to the following year, and that's
Speaker 1: when they discovered Chesapeake Bay to the north in what
Speaker 1: is today Virginia. They may also have made a brief
Speaker 1: exploration of the tip of the James York Peninsula before
Speaker 1: finally returning to Roanoke in late February or early March
Speaker 1: fifteen eighty six. By then, unfortunately, the prospect of relocating
Speaker 1: the colony was all but obsolete. Hostilities with local people,
Speaker 1: notably the neighboring Setuckins, intensified over the next few months.
Speaker 1: There were several pitched battles, and the Satakian chief, Winniga,
Speaker 1: was killed. Without the support of the local natives, Lane
Speaker 1: could not see how his colony could survive, and so
Speaker 1: he determined that he would have to abandon Roanoke as
Speaker 1: soon as humanly possible, and he got his chance in June.
Speaker 1: Sir Francis Drake, which had been asked by Raleigh to
Speaker 1: sort of call in and check on his colony. After
Speaker 1: cruising around the West Indies a bit arrived off the
Speaker 1: Outer Banks and offered to take the men back to England.
Speaker 1: Roanoke had proved unsuitable because its shallow waters could not
Speaker 1: accommodate ocean going vessels, but the critical discovery of fertile
Speaker 1: lands farther north on the Chesapeake, they seemed to hold much,
Speaker 1: much greater potential. Now his goal, Ralph Lane Gold this
Speaker 1: time is that he would have a new expedition, a
Speaker 1: new kind of expedition very different. It would be made
Speaker 1: up of civilians instead of soldiers, who would hopefully not
Speaker 1: antagonize local peoples as the previous expedition had done, and
Speaker 1: could become largely self sufficient. This new expedition departed Plymouth
Speaker 1: in early May. There were three ships carrying one hundred
Speaker 1: and seventeen colonists, including seventeen women and nine children. They
Speaker 1: arrived off the Outer Banks in mid July, where they
Speaker 1: intended to acquire about the fate of a small garrison
Speaker 1: of fifteen men left on Roanoke Island the previous year.
Speaker 1: Shortly after Lane's departure. What followed was a fiasco. The
Speaker 1: pilot refused to take the colonists any farther, claiming that
Speaker 1: it was already too late in the season for privateering ventures,
Speaker 1: and that his men wanted to get back to the
Speaker 1: Caribbean as soon as possible. Whether this was really the reason,
Speaker 1: we don't know, but at any event, after six weeks
Speaker 1: on the island, it had become clear, following attacks on
Speaker 1: the settlers, that the Secociins and other neighboring Indians were
Speaker 1: as hostile to the new colony as they had been
Speaker 1: to the last colony, not that it was ever their
Speaker 1: goal in the first place to go back to Roanoke.
Speaker 1: The colonists then decided that their leader, one White, should
Speaker 1: return to England and alert the backers to the unlikely
Speaker 1: turn of events and raise fresh supplies. In the meantime,
Speaker 1: the entire colony would move about fifty miles inland. There,
Speaker 1: they hoped they would find Indians less hostile and so
Speaker 1: be able to support themselves through the fall and winter
Speaker 1: until White could get back. He left at the end
Speaker 1: of August, but for various reasons, he didn't return for
Speaker 1: three years. By this time, as we know, the colonists
Speaker 1: had disappeared, leaving only as an indication that they or
Speaker 1: some of them had moved to the nearby island of
Speaker 1: Croatoan Scratching it into the bark of a tree. Thing
Speaker 1: more was heard from them for the next two decades,
Speaker 1: But the failure of Roanoke stemmed from many causes. Politically,
Speaker 1: the times were not auspicious at all. In the spring
Speaker 1: and summer of fifteen eighty eight, England faced the threat
Speaker 1: of losing control of the English Channel to a Great
Speaker 1: Spanish armada, an invasion by the Armies of Philip the Second.
Speaker 1: At the critical moment when a relief expedition mounted by
Speaker 1: Raleigh was ready to sail for Roanoke, it was prevented
Speaker 1: for leaving by the invasion scare. More generally, the Sea
Speaker 1: War against Spain that had steadily escalated in the fifteen eighties,
Speaker 1: during which tons of privateers set out to plunder Spanish
Speaker 1: treasure fleets and New World settlements, had a mixture of
Speaker 1: influence on colonizing schemes throughout the period. A garrison at
Speaker 1: Roanoke might be effective at a privateering base, because English
Speaker 1: mariners could thus replenish supplies and repair their ships without
Speaker 1: having to return home, But the sirens song of cruising
Speaker 1: the Caribbean for rich prizes undermined any attempts to establish
Speaker 1: permanent settlements. The reality was look privateering offered better and
Speaker 1: quicker returns than colonization, at least for the moment. After all,
Speaker 1: a single prize, such as the ship de Santa Maria
Speaker 1: de San Vicente captured on a return from Roanoke in
Speaker 1: fifteen eighty five, was worth at least twelve thousand or
Speaker 1: maybe even fifteen thousand pounds, possibly even more. Roanoke didn't
Speaker 1: turn any profit. Still, despite its failure, Roanoke had a
Speaker 1: continuing influence on future colonizing efforts. The possibility that Raleigh
Speaker 1: settlers had survived somewhere along the coast became an important
Speaker 1: argument in favor of English claims to the re in
Speaker 1: and provided a direct link to the colony that would
Speaker 1: be founded later on the Chesapeake Bay, the colony that
Speaker 1: we know as Jamestown. Queen Elizabeth died in March of
Speaker 1: sixteen o three and was succeeded by King James in
Speaker 1: a smooth transition of government that was achieved with little
Speaker 1: political disruption. Because the king did not wish to continue
Speaker 1: the sea war against Spain, he quickly negotiated a peace treaty,
Speaker 1: entering the plundering of Spanish shipping and possessions. Yet he
Speaker 1: had no intention of renouncing English claims to the American
Speaker 1: mainland north of Florida. Precisely how the early Jamestown venture
Speaker 1: originated is unclear. Captain John Smith credits Bartholomew Gosnauld the
Speaker 1: role of quote, one of the first movers of the plantation,
Speaker 1: having many years solicited many of his friends but found
Speaker 1: small assistants end quote. Gosnald came from a well connected
Speaker 1: Suffolk family, was actually well known to Richard Heikluk and
Speaker 1: a married cousin of other individuals who are going to
Speaker 1: play major roles in the investment to come. We know
Speaker 1: that Gosnaud had already gone to See, initially as a
Speaker 1: privateer and then later on as an explorer. In sixteen
Speaker 1: oh two he made a highly successful voyage to the
Speaker 1: coast of New England, where he traded with locals for
Speaker 1: furs and gathered sassafras roots and sewood. But Gosnold isn't
Speaker 1: the one that we think of when we think of Jamestown.
Speaker 1: A person that we think of when we think of
Speaker 1: Jamestown is John Smith. John Smith was born in fifteen
Speaker 1: eighty in the village of Willoughby. He was from Lincolnshire,
Speaker 1: the son of a middling yellman farmer. He was not
Speaker 1: cut out for the life of a farmer, however, and
Speaker 1: was forever fixing his gaze on the distant horizon. Like
Speaker 1: many young men of his generation, he chose a military career,
Speaker 1: fighting first in northern France and the Netherlands, and then
Speaker 1: against the Imperial Army of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, fighting
Speaker 1: against the Turks in central and eastern Europe. After five years,
Speaker 1: according to him, of quote unquote many brave adventures, among
Speaker 1: which was the extraordinary feat of killing three Turkish champions
Speaker 1: one after the other in hand to hand combat, they
Speaker 1: returned to England in sixteen oh four, a worldly and
Speaker 1: battle hardened gentleman knight, tired of war but still interested
Speaker 1: in new adventures. He heard of Gosnold's efforts to raise
Speaker 1: support for a colony in America. With money left over
Speaker 1: from all of his travels, he chose to join the venture. Now,
Speaker 1: there needed to be other investors who would be interested
Speaker 1: in supporting this endeavor, and so they cast about for
Speaker 1: merchants interested in a profit, and they found many. At
Speaker 1: the waiting merchants and Plymouth and Bristol were anxious to
Speaker 1: exploit the fish, oil, furs and timbers of New England,
Speaker 1: and their London counterparts, with their connections to the Mediterranean
Speaker 1: and the Near East, were keen to pronote colonies that
Speaker 1: were capable of producing commodities traditionally imported from southern Europe.
Speaker 1: Pushed through by the Lord Chief Justice Popham, the Royal
Speaker 1: t Charter signed April tenth, sixteen six divided the North
Speaker 1: American coast into two distinct spheres of interest based off
Speaker 1: of these different commercial endeavors. The Plymouth Colony, including merchants
Speaker 1: and financiers from Bristol, Exeter and smaller West Country outports,
Speaker 1: were granted the right to settle an area not then
Speaker 1: quote actually possessed by any Christian prince or people end quote,
Speaker 1: between latitudes thirty eight degrees and forty five degrees, stretching
Speaker 1: roughly from the top of the Chesapeake Bay to just
Speaker 1: above present day Bangor, Maine. A second company representing London merchants,
Speaker 1: was allowed to establish a colony to the south, somewhere
Speaker 1: between Cape Fear, North Carolina and present day New York
Speaker 1: latitudes thirty four degrees and forty one degrees. Neither company
Speaker 1: was granted exclusive rights to all the territory within the
Speaker 1: region specified, but each was permitted to establish a settlement
Speaker 1: within those bounds and given jurisdiction over lands fifty miles
Speaker 1: north and south, one hundred inland and one hundred out
Speaker 1: at sea. A Royal Council made up of thirteen members
Speaker 1: appointed by the King and called the Council of Virginia
Speaker 1: was created, and this council was designed to oversee the
Speaker 1: affairs of both companies to make sure that they didn't
Speaker 1: step on each other's toes. Two separate colonies were to
Speaker 1: go forward simultaneously under the same terms as set out
Speaker 1: in the Charter. They would be sponsored by two separate companies.
Speaker 1: Who was leading members sat on the Royal Council. Now
Speaker 1: it looked like a rather ham fisted arrangement at first,
Speaker 1: but it was actually very pragmatic because the priorities of
Speaker 1: the West Country and London merchants were very different. It
Speaker 1: also had the merit of uniting national and private interests
Speaker 1: to create a common approach to the founding of new colonies.
Speaker 1: The geographic bounds set out on the Charter were also
Speaker 1: just practical. By the opening of the seventeenth century, it
Speaker 1: was becoming clear that if Spanish warships remained a threat
Speaker 1: along much of the coast from Florida to South Carolina,
Speaker 1: and the French were moving into the Gulf of Saint
Speaker 1: Lawrence and what is today Canada. To have any real
Speaker 1: chance of success, English colonizing projects would necessarily have to
Speaker 1: be located somewhere along the nine hundred miles from Cape
Speaker 1: Fear to Nova Scotia. New England was one potential possibility.
Speaker 1: The other was the Chesapeake Bay. On the eve of
Speaker 1: the Jamestown Expedition, only a handful of Englishmen had ever
Speaker 1: seen the Chesapeake Bay. Few could have foreseen in sixteen
Speaker 1: oh six that Virginia, not New England, would become the
Speaker 1: first major site of English colonization in America. And so
Speaker 1: there we have it. The two worlds of the English
Speaker 1: and Polhattan were rapidly converging and would soon collide in
Speaker 1: a series of violent encounters along the James River that
Speaker 1: would change both societies forever. On a cold December day,
Speaker 1: three small ships slipped quietly down the Thames. The largest
Speaker 1: of the three was a heavily armed merchantman called the
Speaker 1: Susan Constant about one hundred and twenty tons. It was
Speaker 1: packed to the gills with supplies and carried seventy one
Speaker 1: passengers and crew, along with the expedition's most experienced seafarer,
Speaker 1: Captain Christopher Newport. He knew as much about American water
Speaker 1: as any Englishman alive. Following closely behind the Admiral, as
Speaker 1: the lead ship was known, was the Godspeed, commanded by
Speaker 1: none other than Bartholomew Gosnauld. At the rear was the
Speaker 1: tiny pinnacle called the Discovery, just twenty tons, captained by
Speaker 1: John Ratcliffe. Altogether, one hundred and forty four mariners and
Speaker 1: adventurers set out from the Blackwell Docks of East London
Speaker 1: in the last days of sixteen oh six found an
Speaker 1: English colony somewhere in the Chesapeake Bay. Between a third
Speaker 1: and a half were described as gentlemen, and it's likely,
Speaker 1: in fact that someone possibly a gentleman by the name
Speaker 1: of George Kendall, was a Spanish spy. Most of these
Speaker 1: men were in their twenties and thirties. They were by
Speaker 1: and large all younger sons trying to seek their fortunes
Speaker 1: in a venture that offered the prospect of both soldiering
Speaker 1: and a lot of plunder. Among the non gentry were
Speaker 1: a dozen skilled craftsmen and artisans, a blacksmith, a mason,
Speaker 1: two bricklayers, four carpenters, a tailor, two barbers, and a surgeon,
Speaker 1: And the rest of the company was made up of
Speaker 1: unskilled workers of various kinds. There were just common sailors, laborers,
Speaker 1: and boys. The majority of men whose origins have been
Speaker 1: traced were from the southern and eastern regions of England,
Speaker 1: especially from London and its surrounding territories. To maintain public
Speaker 1: interest and attract potential settlers, there would have to be
Speaker 1: a spectacular discovery of some sort or a certain promise
Speaker 1: of riches to come to warrant continued investment in the future.
Speaker 1: For if the Chesapeake turned out to be worthless, as
Speaker 1: the Spanish had already decided, why should the English persist there.
Speaker 1: Neither did the majority of the first planters have any
Speaker 1: long term plans to settle in Virginia. Most of these
Speaker 1: men who went along with the first expedition wanted to
Speaker 1: just explore the land and hopefully, with some good luck,
Speaker 1: find gold or silver mines, discover a river or water
Speaker 1: passage to the south, Sea and hence to China and
Speaker 1: be Helm in a year or two. The colony was
Speaker 1: never intended to be primarily an agricultural settlement. Women and
Speaker 1: children were not taken along to create the conditions for
Speaker 1: family life. They would only come later once the colony
Speaker 1: was already settled. Now, the voyage did not begin well.
Speaker 1: The fleet was held up for six weeks off the
Speaker 1: north coast of Kent by stormy weather, but eventually the
Speaker 1: three ships managed to beat their way out of the storm.
Speaker 1: They took the southerly route well known to Newport and
Speaker 1: the other privateers, which would bring them to the Canaries
Speaker 1: and across the Atlantic to the West Indies. John Smith,
Speaker 1: in fact, by about day four or five on the voyage,
Speaker 1: was actually arrested for mutiny and restrained as a prisoner.
Speaker 1: He was accused by several of the expedition's leaders of plotting,
Speaker 1: to quote unquote, usurp the govern murder the council and
Speaker 1: make himself king. But what led to this accusation mutiny
Speaker 1: probably implied in subordination. Smith may have been too insistent
Speaker 1: in his advice to Newport and too liberal in his
Speaker 1: criticisms of his decisions. Opinionated and vocal we know he was.
Speaker 1: Smith would have struggled under the command of men he
Speaker 1: considered incompetent. He would have found it difficult to restrain
Speaker 1: himself in talking with the crew and other gentry on board.
Speaker 1: We know this based off of his later behavior, and
Speaker 1: during his years fighting in Europe, he had become used
Speaker 1: to an easy going familiarity with his fellow soldiers, men
Speaker 1: who judged a man's worth more byability than by rank.
Speaker 1: Surrounded by the pompous figures of gentry who were placed
Speaker 1: in charge here, he saw precious little ability and a
Speaker 1: lot of unwarranted error. Bigans Wigfield in Newport, for their part,
Speaker 1: viewed Smith as nothing more than a young upstart, a braggart,
Speaker 1: a man who spent way too much time questioning and
Speaker 1: not enough time following orders. Smith's claimed a gentleman's status
Speaker 1: earned on the battlefields of Eastern Europe did not impress
Speaker 1: the gentry on board. To them, Smith was merely a
Speaker 1: vulgar commoner with pretensions above his station. Obviously, the time
Speaker 1: was ripe and the powder was set. All it needed
Speaker 1: was a spark. Now. Contributing to the bad blood among
Speaker 1: the men was the interesting arrangement whereby the leadership of
Speaker 1: the colony had been kept secret. The Virginia Council had
Speaker 1: sealed the names of the leaders in a box and
Speaker 1: expressly commanded that it was not to be opened until
Speaker 1: they reached their destination. Presumably this device was intended to
Speaker 1: keep members of the gentry who had signed up for
Speaker 1: the voyage committed to the venture. If they had known
Speaker 1: the membership of the colony's ruling council before leaving England,
Speaker 1: some not included might have decided not to go. In practice, however,
Speaker 1: what this did was create unnecessary uncertainty in the men's
Speaker 1: minds about who would be in charge in Virginia apart
Speaker 1: from Newport, who it was assumed would continue to play
Speaker 1: a leading role, and an increased rather than reduced the
Speaker 1: likelihood of shipboard disputes. Still, despite Smith's mutiny, the ships
Speaker 1: made their course, and toward the end of March the
Speaker 1: fleet sighted Martinique and soon dropped anchor at Dominica. There
Speaker 1: another argument broke out between the gentry that resulted in
Speaker 1: the building of a quote unquote pair of gallows for
Speaker 1: once again John Smith, who was once again under arrest
Speaker 1: for insubordination. This time we have absolutely no idea whatsoever
Speaker 1: what his offense was. Possibly all this was was just
Speaker 1: an effort to re establish discipline among the crew and
Speaker 1: make a big show of it. Gosnold, who was on
Speaker 1: better terms with Smith than any of the other leaders,
Speaker 1: together with the Reverend on board, interceded to save his life.
Speaker 1: Leaving the West Indies on April tenth, the ships headed northwards.
Speaker 1: After eleven days at sea, they ran into a quote
Speaker 1: unquote vehement tempest somewhere off Virginia. The squall was so
Speaker 1: violent that the mariners lost their bearings, and for several
Speaker 1: days they didn't even know where they were or how
Speaker 1: to gain entrance to the bay. But finally, on April
Speaker 1: twenty sixth, a look outside it the land of Virginia.
Speaker 1: Although they had arrived somewhat later then anticipated, they would
Speaker 1: at least be able to replenish their supplies and get
Speaker 1: some rest in the West Indies, and they had time
Speaker 1: to plant crops for the autumn harvest. Still, it was time,
Speaker 1: and so Newport ordered the fleet to drop anchor on
Speaker 1: the southern shore of Chesapeake Bay. First impressions were extremely favorable.
Speaker 1: Here were quote fair meadows and goodly tall trees, with
Speaker 1: such fresh waters running through the woods end quote. George
Speaker 1: Percy exclaimed, quote I was almost ravaged at the site
Speaker 1: thereof end quote. Having spent most of the day ashore,
Speaker 1: exploring the waterside and a little way inland, the men
Speaker 1: returned to their ships as darkness fell. This time a
Speaker 1: group of natives were waiting for them. Percy describes the scene, quote,
Speaker 1: at night, when we were going aboard, there came the savages,
Speaker 1: creeping upon all four from the hills like bears, with
Speaker 1: their bows in their mouths, charged us very deliberately in
Speaker 1: the faces, hurt Captain Gabriel archer in both his hands,
Speaker 1: and a slayer in two places of the body, both dangerous.
Speaker 1: After they had spent their arrows and felt the sharpness
Speaker 1: of our shot, they retired into the woods with a
Speaker 1: great noise, and so they left us end quote. Now
Speaker 1: the Indians had probably been watching the Englishman for a
Speaker 1: while and had carefully planned their attack by taking advantage
Speaker 1: of nightfall and the cover of trees into which they
Speaker 1: had made their retreat. Percy makes no further reference to
Speaker 1: the incident whatsoever, so it could not have been a
Speaker 1: major attack. Safely back on board Newport that same night
Speaker 1: ordered the opening of the box containing the names of
Speaker 1: the council appointed to govern affairs in Virginia. Seven men
Speaker 1: were listed. There were the Captains Newport, Whigfield, Gosnold and
Speaker 1: John Ratcliffe. They were all recognized. There were a couple
Speaker 1: other names worth noting, but it's interesting because the last
Speaker 1: name on the list was John Smith. According to instructions
Speaker 1: from London, a president was to be elected from the
Speaker 1: seven men and who would serve for one year unless
Speaker 1: removed by a majority of the council. As it turned out,
Speaker 1: command remained split between the elected president, Whigfield, and Newport,
Speaker 1: with the task of exploring the country for two months
Speaker 1: before returning to England with the ships laid it ideally
Speaker 1: with goods and merchandise. So with Wigfield now installed as president,
Speaker 1: but Newport is also sort of acting president, the next
Speaker 1: couple of weeks were spent surveying the James called the
Speaker 1: Bolhatan or King's River at the time and making contact
Speaker 1: with local peoples. Entering a river, probably the Lynnhaemen, they
Speaker 1: came to a plot of cleared ground five miles with
Speaker 1: either bush or tree. They found a large dugout canoe
Speaker 1: and quote a good store of mussels and oysters left
Speaker 1: by the Indians, which lay on the ground thick as
Speaker 1: stones end quote. Leaving their boat well guarded, the explorers
Speaker 1: went on foot several miles into the woods and saw
Speaker 1: a great deal of smoke burning from the grass where
Speaker 1: Indians were either clearing land or, as Percy thought, giving
Speaker 1: a signal to bring warriors together for an attack on
Speaker 1: the intruders. In fact, they saw neither an Indian nor
Speaker 1: a town, only a abundance of flowers and trees, including
Speaker 1: quote unquote beautiful strawberries. The men did, however, make a
Speaker 1: significant discovery on the way back to their ships. They
Speaker 1: found a deep water channel across the James, near a
Speaker 1: point of land they called Cape Comfort. It was sufficiently
Speaker 1: large to allow the passage of ocean going vessels. This
Speaker 1: was good news, especially for Newport and the mariners, because
Speaker 1: now they had the fortunate prospect of taking their large
Speaker 1: ocean going ships upriver as soon as they wanted, rather
Speaker 1: than spending weeks upon weeks searching the lower reaches of
Speaker 1: the Bay for a suitable harbor. Now, before heading into
Speaker 1: the interior, Newport had one more important task to perform.
Speaker 1: On the ninth and twentieth day, Percy reported, quote, we
Speaker 1: set up a cross at the Chesapeake Bay and named
Speaker 1: the place Cape Henry end quote. Now Percy's short description
Speaker 1: does little justice to this event. The planting of the
Speaker 1: cross at the entrance of the bay signified that they
Speaker 1: had taken possession of the region in the name of
Speaker 1: James the First, and henceforth the land, at least in
Speaker 1: their minds, was English. There were no elaborate rituals, speeches,
Speaker 1: or processions, nor obviously warning the local peoples involved. This
Speaker 1: was done for symbolic purposes of announcing to other nations,
Speaker 1: notably Spain, that Virginia was now English. Following the ceremony,
Speaker 1: Newport moved the three ships to Cape Comfort anchored and
Speaker 1: prepared the shallop to explore further up the James River.
Speaker 1: After a couple of days, they continued on and reached
Speaker 1: the land of the Appomattox at the confluence of the
Speaker 1: Epomatics and Upper James Rivers, where initially in locals were
Speaker 1: reluctant to allow them to land. Eventually they were permitted
Speaker 1: to spend a day or two looking around before heading
Speaker 1: back to their ships. By the end of the second week,
Speaker 1: Newport had learned it was possible to navigate the James
Speaker 1: in ocean going vessels as far as the Appomattox, and
Speaker 1: that most of the Indians along the river were or
Speaker 1: I guess at least appeared to be friendly. With things
Speaker 1: seemingly going their way, the men could now look for
Speaker 1: a convenient place to establish a settlement. The eventual site chosen,
Speaker 1: two miles up river, was a marshy peninsula that they
Speaker 1: called Jamestown. The island seemingly had a number of natural advantages.
Speaker 1: A settlement on the island would be far enough up
Speaker 1: the coast about fifty miles to avoid being surprised by
Speaker 1: Spanish warships, a major concern of the Virginia Council, and
Speaker 1: the site, surrounded by water, except for a narrow land
Speaker 1: bridge at the western end, could be easily defended against
Speaker 1: local Indians should they prove hostile. There was plenty of
Speaker 1: game for food and timber for building and exporting back
Speaker 1: to London. Most important, a deep water channel ran close
Speaker 1: enough to the land for their ships to be moored
Speaker 1: near the site. Thus the difficult task of transporting provisions
Speaker 1: and equipment ashore would be eased, and the settlement could
Speaker 1: be defended by the ship's cannons. On May fourteenth, the
Speaker 1: men disembarked and started to unload their stores and set
Speaker 1: up camp. According to Smith quote, now falleth every man
Speaker 1: to work. As the task of beginning a settlement began.
Speaker 1: Some of the men constructed a rudimentary fortification from the
Speaker 1: brush in the shape of a half moon. Some cleared
Speaker 1: the undergrowth so they could pitch tents. Some cut down trees,
Speaker 1: and the remainder prepaid the ground for tillage or made
Speaker 1: fishing nets. Newport remained anxious to explore upriver. The Virginia
Speaker 1: Council's instructions required that he looked for mountain where you
Speaker 1: could find valuable raw materials, especially gold, and then a
Speaker 1: great lake that might be a passage to the East
Speaker 1: India Sea, and henceforth all the way to China, all
Speaker 1: along the river. During the next few days, the company
Speaker 1: was met by friendly peoples, apparently eager to trade. Newport
Speaker 1: learned a lot from them, notably the existence of a
Speaker 1: great king Potton was actually Wassanac. The Englishmen considered this
Speaker 1: voyage of exploring and discovery a great success. They had
Speaker 1: a good idea of the extent of the river and
Speaker 1: had learned much about the peoples who lived along it.
Speaker 1: Now to an extent, the Phatan people had misled the
Speaker 1: Newport expedition the entire time. They had misled him about
Speaker 1: who in fact was talking to them, because actually one
Speaker 1: of the leaders who had corresponded with them throughout their
Speaker 1: voyages was none other than Wassanok's son, but they passed
Speaker 1: him off as Wassanoc. They also deceived Newport by blaming
Speaker 1: the Chesapeakes, a different tribe, for the attack on the
Speaker 1: English a month before, when in fact it was actually
Speaker 1: people's loyal to the Bahatans that were responsible. Most importantly,
Speaker 1: the lavish hospitality extended to the English elsewhere throughout the
Speaker 1: voyage was merely a subterfuge to try to keep them upriver.
Speaker 1: While Newport's men were feasting and enjoying the company of
Speaker 1: the Indians, an alliance of five tribes launched an attack
Speaker 1: on the unsuspecting colonists back at Jamestown, wounding twelve of
Speaker 1: the English, two of whom would later die. After an
Speaker 1: hour of intense fighting, the attack was beaten off, largely
Speaker 1: thanks to the small shot from the cannons of the ship.
Speaker 1: Now This was again all intentional, all driven by Wannock.
Speaker 1: He wanted to test the newcomer's strength now. If so,
Speaker 1: the outcome would have been disturbing for the Bahatan chieftain.
Speaker 1: In spite of their dredably small numbers, the colonists had
Speaker 1: managed to hold off a couple hundred warriors and had demonstrated,
Speaker 1: as the Spanish had earlier, the destructive power of both
Speaker 1: firearms and cannon. Frontal assaults against these fortified colonial positions.
Speaker 1: Clearly Wassannock knew at this point would be fruitless and bloody.
Speaker 1: He might also have realized that if these newcomers had
Speaker 1: come to stay in the long run, his military superiority
Speaker 1: and the security of his lands could be guaranteed only
Speaker 1: if he were able to acquire English weapons. As far
Speaker 1: as the English were concerned, the immediate outcome of the
Speaker 1: attack was to convince the colonies leaders of the need
Speaker 1: for much much stronger fortifications than the simple brushwood fence
Speaker 1: they had initially constructed, and so after a couple of
Speaker 1: weeks of additional labor, the fort was complete. It was
Speaker 1: not exactly what the Virginia Council had in mind in
Speaker 1: their instructions to the colony's leaders. They had recommended a
Speaker 1: town with the central market square fourtified if need be,
Speaker 1: with wide streets running in straight lines back and forth
Speaker 1: from the square. The idea was that the streets could
Speaker 1: then be commanded by field pieces of artillery which be
Speaker 1: placed in the square, which then would be the natural
Speaker 1: focus of the settlement. Or you could build the storehouse,
Speaker 1: the church, and other public buildings. The council's instructions suggest
Speaker 1: that the colony's principal settlement would be a long term
Speaker 1: idea that it would grow as more settlers arrived and
Speaker 1: eventually maybe even rival some of the cities of New Spain,
Speaker 1: and a fitting ambition for a colony that was honestly
Speaker 1: England's deede diny answer to Spain's rapidly expanding American Empire.
Speaker 1: But the colony's leaders on the ground in Virginia had
Speaker 1: different objectives. They weren't thinking about long term developments or
Speaker 1: Spanish cities when they started constructing their for it. For them,
Speaker 1: it was imperative to build adequate fortifications as soon as possible,
Speaker 1: because no one knew when the next attack would come
Speaker 1: or whether it would be a much more difficult test
Speaker 1: of their defenses, and so the colonists built a stout
Speaker 1: palisade about eight feet high to provide sufficient protection from
Speaker 1: Indian arrows. They cut loopholes in the timber, and cannons
Speaker 1: were molted on three bulwarks, which would allow the Englishmen
Speaker 1: to fire back safely. The fort commanded a clear view
Speaker 1: of the river, built as it was on one of
Speaker 1: the island's ridges. Although a navigable channel ran close to
Speaker 1: the shore on the western end of the ridge where
Speaker 1: the colony was planted, to the east, the channel was
Speaker 1: farther off from the land. If the Spanish warships did
Speaker 1: enter the James, they could only get close to the
Speaker 1: island as they approached the settlement itself, by which time
Speaker 1: they would be placing themselves directly under the settlement's guns. Now,
Speaker 1: as I mentioned previously, Captain Newport was supposed to go
Speaker 1: back to England early with news of all that had
Speaker 1: been accomplished, and ideally with his ships packed full of
Speaker 1: precious goods. On the eve of his departure for England
Speaker 1: on Sunday, June the twenty first, Newport invited the town's
Speaker 1: council to dine with him. Seated on tree stumps and
Speaker 1: sea chests around a table made of rough planks and
Speaker 1: barrels set up. Smoky torches provided a flickering light. The
Speaker 1: men had a lot to celebrate. Actually, we can guess
Speaker 1: something of the conversation that evening. I mean, within just
Speaker 1: six weeks of disembarking at Jamestown, they had fortified themselves
Speaker 1: against the natives, sewn a good crop of wheat, and
Speaker 1: produced samples of clapperd and sassafras for export. As the
Speaker 1: evening drew on and the wine flowed freely, talk turned
Speaker 1: more and more to the rich promise of all these
Speaker 1: lands they had discovered along the river. There was an
Speaker 1: abundance of trees fit for many purposes, oaks, ash, walnut, poplar, pine, cedar.
Speaker 1: There were all kinds of things. They hadn't necessarily found
Speaker 1: gold yet, but they knew of mountains to the north
Speaker 1: and west, and mountains meant precious minerals. Mountains meant gold
Speaker 1: and silver. Now. In a letter of June the twenty second,
Speaker 1: the colony's leaders entreated the London Company to organize a
Speaker 1: second expedition as soon as possible, so that they could
Speaker 1: expand on what they've already accomplished. It was the possibility
Speaker 1: of gold mines in the interior near the falls, rather
Speaker 1: than the enthusiastic reports of timber and other commodities, that
Speaker 1: excited attention when Newport got back to London. However, regardless,
Speaker 1: after Newport delivered his report and the letters from the colonists,
Speaker 1: there was certainly enough good news from the colony to
Speaker 1: justify sending more settlers supplies, and so preparations immediately got
Speaker 1: underway for another voyage. Now. It was certainly fortunate, though,
Speaker 1: that the company did not know about what had been
Speaker 1: going on since Newport's departure. If they had, they might
Speaker 1: have reconsidered. In the first flush of optimism. After landing,
Speaker 1: John Smith wrote that Jamestown was quote a very fit
Speaker 1: place for erecting a great city end quote. But aside
Speaker 1: from the considerations of defense, which were immediate, the choice
Speaker 1: wasn't actually a good one. The site that they had
Speaker 1: happened upon turned out to be waste ground used by
Speaker 1: the locals for hunting. The best lands along the river
Speaker 1: had been occupied by centuries by the local people. Large
Speaker 1: areas of swamp and marshland natural breeding ground for swarms
Speaker 1: of mosquitoes, rendered half of the island uninhabitable and unsuitable
Speaker 1: for farmland. The absence of fresh water springs meant that
Speaker 1: drinking water had to be drawn either from brackish wells
Speaker 1: dug by the settlers or from upriver, which in the
Speaker 1: summer became increasing saline and polluted, and unknown to the colonists,
Speaker 1: fresh water would be all the more difficult to find
Speaker 1: because the land was actually suffering from a severe drought.
Speaker 1: Six weeks after Newport sailed for England, the terrible role
Speaker 1: call began. According to one chronicle quote, the sixth day
Speaker 1: of August there died John Abbesssy of the bloody flux.
Speaker 1: The ninth day died George Flowery of the swelling. The
Speaker 1: tenth day died William Ruster, Gentleman, of a wound given
Speaker 1: by the savages, and was buried the eleventh day. The
Speaker 1: fourteenth day, Jerome Alacoq ancient died of a wound. The
Speaker 1: same day Francis Midwinter Edward Morris corporal died suddenly end quote.
Speaker 1: On August twenty second, the colony suffered its greatest loss
Speaker 1: with the death of Bartholomew Gosnold, perhaps the only person
Speaker 1: who could have held the fractious community together. So through
Speaker 1: the end of August into September, George Percy would write, quote,
Speaker 1: our men were destroyed with cruel diseases as swelling, fluxes, burnings, fevers,
Speaker 1: and by wars, but for the most part they died
Speaker 1: of mere famine. There never were Englishmen left in foreign
Speaker 1: country in such misery as we were in this new
Speaker 1: discovered Virginia. Thus we lived the space of five months
Speaker 1: in this miserable distress, not having five men able to
Speaker 1: man our bullocks upon many occasion. End quote. Now Percy
Speaker 1: was actually mistaken here. It wasn't famine that was the
Speaker 1: principal cause of settlers sickness and death. The departure of
Speaker 1: ships had removed the floating taverns and beer houses and
Speaker 1: forced the men to rely on the common kettle of
Speaker 1: a pint of wheat and barley boiled in water per
Speaker 1: man per day. But from May to September they were
Speaker 1: able to live on sturgeon and sea crabs, a vital
Speaker 1: and nutritious supplement to what had become a meager die.
Speaker 1: Instead of starvation, the major killer was actually just polluted
Speaker 1: river water. This led variously to salt poisoning, dysentery and
Speaker 1: sometimes typhoid. An epidemic swept the settlement and left half
Speaker 1: of the one hundred and four men and boys dead
Speaker 1: before the end of September. By the onset of winter,
Speaker 1: fewer than forty remained. The colony was on the brink
Speaker 1: of collapse. With Newport gone and Gosnell dead, the leadership disintegrated.
Speaker 1: On September the tenth, John Ratcliffe, Smith, and Martin CONFRONTEDT.
Speaker 1: Wigfield and removed him from the office of president, declaring
Speaker 1: that he was unfit. The following day, in what passed
Speaker 1: is a court hearing, it was alleged that Wigfield had
Speaker 1: hoarded food and drink for his own use while the
Speaker 1: colony had starved, and he had maliciously accused John Smith
Speaker 1: of mutiny and others of planning to steal away to Newfoundland.
Speaker 1: It was said that he plotted with the Spanish to
Speaker 1: destroy the colony, and that he was quote unquote an atheist.
Speaker 1: Now were any of these justifications against Wigfield justified? Was
Speaker 1: he guilty of ineptitude and misconduct that led to the
Speaker 1: unnecessary deaths and the sickness of so many of his men. Percy,
Speaker 1: one of Wingfield's supporters described his valor during the Indian
Speaker 1: attack on the settlement in late May, and later warned
Speaker 1: that witnesses were being bribed to testify against him. Nevertheless,
Speaker 1: he had little to say about Wigfield's hosting from the presidency. Eventually,
Speaker 1: when they had an opportunity to intervene, the London Company
Speaker 1: chose not to pursue either Wingfield or the Council's allegations
Speaker 1: and quietly dropped the entire matter. Now that's hardly surprising,
Speaker 1: given how damaging the news would have been if it
Speaker 1: would have been common knowledge. It's clear, however, that Wingfield
Speaker 1: did not command the respect of the men under his command.
Speaker 1: Disgraced and abandoned by his friends, he was left with
Speaker 1: a little choice but to simply leave the colony at
Speaker 1: the first opportunity. Had the Bahatans decided to launch a
Speaker 1: large scale attack during the summer, it is not likely
Speaker 1: that the depleted and sickly encampment and settlers would have survived.
Speaker 1: In a seemingly lucky turn of events, however, neighboring peoples
Speaker 1: chose not to resume hostilities, and in fact saved the
Speaker 1: disease ridden Englishmen from further sufferings by bringing food to
Speaker 1: the fort. Now, one reason for the indians change in
Speaker 1: attitude must have been the departure of the two main ships,
Speaker 1: the Susan Constant and the Godspeed. In fact, we know
Speaker 1: from records that three local chiefs power brokers inquired from
Speaker 1: the English as to the absence of the ships, so
Speaker 1: they were clearly noticed. The fact of the matter was
Speaker 1: with the departure of the ships, the Indians simply looked
Speaker 1: at the settlers, saw what was going on, and thought
Speaker 1: that they were less of a threat than they were before.
Speaker 1: That doesn't mean that they were done with the Englishman, though,
Speaker 1: and we're about to find that out next time. Only
Speaker 1: in the next few months, as summer turn to fall
Speaker 1: and winter, we find out what Walsahonic's true intentions for
Speaker 1: the settlers were. Now, as I mentioned at the outset
Speaker 1: of this episode, next week, if you are a Patreon member,
Speaker 1: you will see part two of the Jamestown Epic show
Speaker 1: up in your feed. If you're not, you won't see
Speaker 1: anything next week, which is this is the part where
Speaker 1: I ask you to become a member by clicking on
Speaker 1: the link in the show notes, and for one dollar
Speaker 1: a month twelve bucks a year, you can help support
Speaker 1: the show and get access to every episode in this
Speaker 1: mini series on the epic plight of Jamestown. I'm not
Speaker 1: going to give this preamble every single show, so this
Speaker 1: will be the only time that I mentioned this from
Speaker 1: this point until we wrap up with the successful landing
Speaker 1: of Jamestown and its establishment.