How did the Virginia colony interact with the Native Americans?

Answer 1

It has a varied and inconsistent history ranging from being virtually beggars and dependents on the largesse of the Native-Americans for their survival to endorsing their enslavement, removal or genocide.

Answer 2

Early Virginia colonists failed to provide enough food for themselves and were often reliant upon the local Native American tribes to provide for them. The colonists did not respect local tribal customs and many atrocities were committed back and forth as a result. A strained relationship from the start, the colonists and Native Americans were soon at war with each other.

Answer 3

Yes and no. The men who landed in the Jamestown area were surrounded by a Native American nation. Not wanting to antagonize the Native Americans the newcomers found land that was uninhabited. Although the settlement was nearly defenseless it wasn't attacked and it seems that the trade goods the settlers brought with them was worth giving up some not so very valuable land. The colony struggled as well when they landed with 107 men, but 6 months later there were only 34 left alive. Powhatan may have figured that they would all die sooner or later and all he had to do was wait. The central mystery of Jamestown is why the badly led colony would prevail against over the bigger better organized forces of the Powhatan empire. One answer may be the ecological damage that the English brought with them to the New World. Unable to adapt to the landscape they changed it to fit their needs making it look like a part of England rather an North America. This biological assault on the land effected the Native Americans and they couldn't escape the honey bees, sheep, goats, and cattle that invaded their fields and crops. In 1622 Powhatan's brother organized a violent surprise attack that killed almost a third of the English, but another attack didn't happen after that for 22 years.

Answer 4

Yes, They got along with them very well actually. The African Americans that they did not get along with.