A brave journey

Long ago, in the year 1607, three big ships crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Their names were:

The Susan Constant,

the Godspeed, and

 the Discovery.

Inside were English settlers looking for a new home. They landed in a place they called Jamestown, named  after King  James 1  of England.

The Mighty Neighbors

Before the English arrived, this land already belonged to the Powhatan tribe.

The Powhatan lived in long houses, and they were experts at hunting, fishing and farming. The whole tribe was ruled by the leader Chief Powhatan.

The roles were divided: women were responsible for farming, and men for hunting and fishing.

Learning together

Trading

Settler traded metal tools and beans for food, such as corn to make bread, during the hungry months.

Agricultural and Survival skills

The Powhatan showed the settlers how to grow indigenous crops and beans. Also the settlers learned how to use local resources.

 The Hard Winter

In 1609 the colony was facing brutal problems. there was little food and the winter was too cold, which reduced the population from 500 to 60 settlers.

The hunger led to the settlers to eat horses, cats, and dogs to survive the hard winter.

The Brown Gold a tobacco seed

The seed of hope

In 1612 a colonist named John Rolfe, brought tobacco seeds to Jamestown. The plant grew successfully and became so valuable. People call it "brown gold." This gave the colony enough money to survive and continue growing.