Indians at Jamestown, 1610

  Surrounded by Hostiles
The entire western side of Chesapeake Bay is Indian country. The ORANGE dots indicate Indian villages. Jamestown is the GREEN dot in their midst, a swampy site which the Indians don't want. Although the settlers are counting on establishing friendly relations, the situation soon deteriorates. Newly-arriving settlers come into conflict with Indians over shoreline areas.

Jamestown Indians help colonists, 1610

  Friendly Indians, at first
During the first year at Jamestown, food quickly becomes a problem. Local Indians attempt to establish friendly relations by giving food to the hungry settlers, knowing that they have ships and weapons that seem to have magical powers. The text above, which documents this, is taken from the journal of one of the settlers during that first year. But as soon as the colony begins to prosper, with increasing tobacco income, tensions begin to mount. Conflict will soon erupt.


Jamestown Indian Wars, 1609-1646

  Turf Wars
As time goes on, settlers keep extending their settlements further and further upriver from Jamestown (GREEN dots above). Within 10 years, there are 1400 settlers. The once-friendly Indians now view the English settlement as a spreading cancer, which must be wiped out by any means necessary. The Indians bide their time, then suddenly launch a vicious attack. Despite their losses, the English hang on, and go on to win all four Indian wars. In the end, Indians submit to English rule.