Thursday, December 19, 2019

What diseases did the Jamestown settlers face? And why?

The settlers began to arrive at Jamestown in the year 1607. It is estimated that at least 14,000 Native Americans lived in Virginia at that time. The settlers faced various hardships including a lack of the basic skills that were necessary to be able to provide for themselves, a language barrier, and a lack of food and safe drinking water. Most of the settlers died of disease and starvation. It is estimated that by the year 1610 when Lord De La Warr brought them the necessary supplies, the number of settlers had already been reduced from hundreds to about sixty. The main diseases from which the settlers suffered included scurvy, typhoid, and dysentery. Jamestown was located close to a swamp, which meant that the water in the area was unsafe for drinking. This was the main cause of dysentery and typhoid among the settlers in Jamestown.
https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/a-short-history-of-jamestown.htm

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