5. Jamestown intro

Answer this sheet AFTER you complete the other tasks on this page.

Take a look at these four videos.  

Check out this video

A humorous look at what Jamestown MIGHT have been like

This is a poorly done remake of a classic song...but feel free to check it out.

This video

This video provides some decent context to what was going on in Jamestown. Take a look.

Everyone asks about cannibalism in Jamestown. It certainly happened, and we have some pretty clear cut proof that it did. Keep in mind, this wasn't happening for shock value, fun, or by choice. This was happening because of what is known as the Starving Times.  Basically, after a couple years the relationship between the colonists and the Native Americans became strained, so the Native essentially blockaded the colonists into their fort. Food became scarce because colonists couldn't go outside the walls to hunt. In addition to this, the supply ships that could have come to help them either sank en route, were forced to turn around or different reasons, or never left England. This lasts for three years. Eventually, the colonists turned to eating other colonists that died of natural causes (they were killing people for food).

Answer these questions. You will turn these in via Google Classroom under Jamestown Intro.

What do you think the hardest part of going to Jamestown would be?

What is cannibalism and why would Jamestown colonists have to resort to it?

Explain how the rewards outweighed the risks to a colonist if they come to the Jamestown colony.

Below are some pictures that I took when I was at Jamestown a couple years ago.

As you can see, Jamestown in an island.                                Check out how swampy the land is

It's kinda like Mississippi River backwaters, except it's tidal, so water comes in and goes out. Now we know why there were so many darn mosquitoes.

The following are pictures of the display that the museum has regarding cannibalism.  There is a model of what she may have looked like, as well as picture of the actual skull. This person was discovered during an archeological dig. There are for cut marks on the skull, above her right eye. They are pretty clearly hatchet marks. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.  This is how desperate the colonists had become during the Starving Times.  

When you're done you can do any of these things:

Listen to The History Bros. https://anchor.fm/history-bros/episodes/Episode-1-Jamestown-and-other-assorted-nonsense-e50qna

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