Books with title Jamestown: The First Colony

In 1606, one hundred and five men left England for the western shores of the Chesapeake Bay. They were looking for adventure, land, and treasure. Instead of gold and silver, the men found a dark and mysterious wilderness. A few, like John Smith, found friendship with the local natives. Others found new lives, hacked out of the Virginia wilderness. Most, however, found disease, starvation, and eventually death. Two-thirds of the original Jamestown settlers died within the first year. Still, the English kept coming. Land and opportunity were worth the risks. By the 1621, Jamestown had grown to 1,200 settlers, and people from the first successful English colony began to branch out and settle other towns. The Building America series tells the story of the early years in which America struggled to become an independent nation. Jamestown: The First English Colony details the extraordinary circumstances and often harrowing experiences overcome by the persistent Englishmen who wanted to settle in Virginia.

"Jamestown is celebrated as the first permanent English settlement in North America, but underneath the well-known history is a darker past. In its beginning years, Jamestown was far from successful. In fact, most colonists who came to Jamestown never left; they died shortly after arriving. This fascinating book delves into the challenges of the colony, revealing its successes, tragedies, and even horrors cannibalism! Readers will be surprised to learn about the real-life Pocahontas and John Smith, and eager to find out more about what really happened in this Virginia colony's early days"--