What caused the survival rate to drop in the Jamestown colony during 1607 through 1609?

Answer 1

There are several factors that led to the high mortality rate of the Jamestown settlers but the following list is a simplified version:

1. Lack of incentive - The lack of incentive among the colonists to complete important tasks led to the tasks not getting done. (Records show that there was ample food in the river [cod] and lumber for housing)
2. Many settlers were "gentlemanly" - Since most of the settlers considered themselves "gentlemanly", they considered the hard work of a settler "beneath" them and consequently did not get most of the basic things needed to survive done.
3. Expectations of finding gold - The expectations of finding gold (and mining it) led to people neglecting things such as gathering food, setting up shelter, etc.
4. Location - The location that the settlers chose to settle in at was great for defending against naval incursions but terrible for living conditions (swampland that had stagnant water, mosquitoes that were attracted to the stagnant water and carried diseases, etc.)
5. Relations with Natives- The relations with the local Native Americans(which were all mistakenly grouped up into the Powhatan Indians) were not as good as they could be; if they had had a better relationship they could have traded for food and/or shelter which could have led to lower mortality rates

(apologies if it's wordy)

They were not used to the area's climate or its Natural Resources. (Study Island)

Answer 2

The settlement at Jamestown suffered from a combination of sloth, treasure hunting, and unfamiliarity with the land. Problems with the Indians did not help the situation, and more than 80% of the first settlers were dead after the winter of 1609-1610.

Answer 3

The settlers at Jamestown were not prepared for the conditions presented to them over the winter season of 1609 through 1610. The suffered greatly from disease and famine during this time.

Answer 4

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