John Smith’s Account of “The Starving Time”
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/preed/starvingtimesup.htmBackground:
Jamestown, the earliest successful English settlement, went through a rough time period where they all nearly died of starvation. The cause of this period of difficulty was caused by the goals of the Virginia Company, which were chiefly to find gold. Finding gold was an important gold because of the success of the Spanish Conquistadors in Central America. Because the settlers we so focused on finding gold to send back to England, they were not prepared for the harsh winter. Starvation drove the colonist to commit horrible acts like cannibalism. After the first year in Jamestown, thirty-eight of the original 144 colonists survived. John Smith saved the colony by enforcing a “Work or Starve” policy where every man had to farm for four hours a day or be denied food.
In this account you will notice many strangely spelled words. At the time this it was written, the English language lacked common spelling and grammar rules. Most people were not well educated and spelled words the way they thought looked best.
The Starving Time 1609-10_
Now we all [were saddened by] the losse (departure) of Captaine Smith, yea his greatest maligners (haters) could now curse his losse: as for corne provision and contribution from the Salvages (savages), we had nothing but mortall wounds, with clubs and arrowes; asfor our Hogs, Hens, Goats I Sheepe, Horse, or what lived, our commanders, officers and Salvages daily
consumed them, some small proportions (portions) sometimes we tasted, till all was devoured; then swords, armes, pieces, or any thing, wee traded with the Salvages… after Captain Smiths departure [October 1609-March 1610], there remained not past sixtie men, women and children, most miserable and poore creatures; and those were preserved for the most part, by roots, herbes, acornes, walnuts, berries, now and then a little fish: they that had startch (toughness) in these extremities, made no small use of it; yea even the very skinnes of our horses [were eaten].
Nay, so great was our famine, that a Salvage we slew and buried, the poorer sort tooke
him up againe (dug him up) and eat him; and so did divers (divide up) one another boyled
and stewed with roots and herbs: And one amongst the rest did kill his wife, powdered
(salt cured) her, and had eaten part of her before it was knowne; for which hee was
executed, as hee well deserved: now whether shee was better roasted, boyled or
carbonado'd [i.e., grilled], I know not; but of such a dish as powdered wife I never heard
of.
This was that time, which still to this day [1624] we called the starving time; it were too
vile to say, and scarce to be beleeved, what we endured: but the occasion was our owne,
for want of providence(G-d’s grace) industrie (hard work) and government, and not the
barrennesse and defect of the Countrie, as is generally supposed… and such good
fellowes the Mariners; we as little tasted of the great proportion sent us (the sailors eat all
the food sent to Jamestown before it arrives), as they of our want and miseries, yet
notwithstanding they ever overswayed and ruled the businesses though we endured all
that is said, and chiefly lived on what this good Countrie naturally afforded.
Yet had wee beene even in Paradice it selfe with these Governours, it would not have
beene much better withe us; yet there was amongst us, who had they had the government
as Captaine Smith appointed, but that they could not maintains it, would surely have kept
us from those extremities of miseries. This in ten daies more, would have supplanted us
all with death.
Who was eating all of the hogs, hens, and other animals?
What did most colonists eat to survive?
Describe what happened to the savage who was killed.
What was the fate of the man who ate his wife? What joke does the author make?
Why do most people assume is the cause of starvation in Jamestown?
What happens to the supplies sent from England?
2. How did people feel about the departure of John Smith?
3. According to the author, what was the cause of misery in Jamestown?
4. Describe the role of the “savages” in Jamestown:
Expanded Response:
John Smith’s Account of “The Starving Time”
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/preed/starvingtimesup.htmBackground:
Jamestown, the earliest successful English settlement, went through a rough time period where they all nearly died of starvation. The cause of this period of difficulty was caused by the goals of the Virginia Company, which were chiefly to find gold. Finding gold was an important gold because of the success of the Spanish Conquistadors in Central America. Because the settlers we so focused on finding gold to send back to England, they were not prepared for the harsh winter. Starvation drove the colonist to commit horrible acts like cannibalism. After the first year in Jamestown, thirty-eight of the original 144 colonists survived. John Smith saved the colony by enforcing a “Work or Starve” policy where every man had to farm for four hours a day or be denied food.
In this account you will notice many strangely spelled words. At the time this it was written, the English language lacked common spelling and grammar rules. Most people were not well educated and spelled words the way they thought looked best.
The Starving Time 1609-10_
Now we all [were saddened by] the losse (departure) of Captaine Smith, yea his greatest maligners (haters) could now curse his losse: as for corne provision and contribution from the Salvages (savages), we had nothing but mortall wounds, with clubs and arrowes; asfor our Hogs, Hens, Goats I Sheepe, Horse, or what lived, our commanders, officers and Salvages daily
consumed them, some small proportions (portions) sometimes we tasted, till all was devoured; then swords, armes, pieces, or any thing, wee traded with the Salvages… after Captain Smiths departure [October 1609-March 1610], there remained not past sixtie men, women and children, most miserable and poore creatures; and those were preserved for the most part, by roots, herbes, acornes, walnuts, berries, now and then a little fish: they that had startch (toughness) in these extremities, made no small use of it; yea even the very skinnes of our horses [were eaten].
Nay, so great was our famine (starvation), that a Salvage we slew (killed) and buried, the
poorer sort (poorer people) tooke him up againe (dug him up) and eat him; and so did
divers (divide up) one another boyled and stewed with roots and herbs: And one amongst
the rest did kill his wife, powdered (salt cured, like country ham) her, and had eaten part
of her before it was knowne; for which hee was executed, as hee well deserved: now
whether shee was better roasted, boyled or carbonado'd (grilled), I know not; but of such
a dish as powdered wife I never heard of.
This was that time, which still to this day [1624] we called the starving time; it were too
vile (evil) to say, and scarce to be beleeved, what we endured: but the occasion was our
owne (it was our own fault), for want of providence(G-d’s grace) industrie (hard
work) and government, and not the barrennesse and defect of the Countrie(it was our
fault, nothing was wrong with the land), as is generally supposed… and such good
fellowes the Mariners; we as little tasted of the great proportion(supplies) sent us (the
sailors ate all the food sent to Jamestown before it arrives)… though we endured all
that is said, and chiefly lived on what this good Countrie naturally afforded (provided).
Yet had wee beene even in Paradice (Paradise) it selfe with these Governours (leaders),
it would not have beene much better withe us; yet there was amongst us, who had they
had the government as Captaine Smith appointed, but that they could not maintains it,
would surely have kept us from those extremities of miseries. (If they had run the
colony like John Smith wanted it would have kept us from misery).
Who was eating all of the hogs, hens, and other animals?
What did most colonists eat to survive?
Describe what happened to the savage who was killed.
What was the fate of the man who ate his wife? What joke does the author make?
Why do most people assume is the cause of starvation in Jamestown?
What happens to the supplies sent from England?
1. What were three things the colonists in Jamestown did to survive:
a.
b.
c.
2. How did people feel about the departure of John Smith?
3. According to the author, what was the cause of misery in Jamestown?
4. Describe the role of the “savages” in Jamestown:
List three ways the Starving Time may have impacted English settlement of North America:
1.
John Smith’s Account of “The Starving Time”
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/preed/starvingtimesup.htmBackground:
Jamestown, the earliest successful English settlement, went through a rough time period where they all nearly died of starvation. The cause of this period of difficulty was caused by the goals of the Virginia Company, which were chiefly to find gold. Finding gold was an important gold because of the success of the Spanish Conquistadors in Central America. Because the settlers we so focused on finding gold to send back to England, they were not prepared for the harsh winter. Starvation drove the colonist to commit horrible acts like cannibalism. After the first year in Jamestown, thirty-eight of the original 144 colonists survived. John Smith saved the colony by enforcing a “Work or Starve” policy where every man had to farm for four hours a day or be denied food.
In this account you will notice many strangely spelled words. At the time this it was written, the English language lacked common spelling and grammar rules. Most people were not well educated and spelled words the way they thought looked best.
The Starving Time 1609-10_
Now we all [were saddened by] the losse (departure) of Captaine Smith, yea his greatest maligners (haters) could now curse his losse: as for corne provision and contribution from the Salvages (savages), we had nothing but mortall wounds, with clubs and arrowes; asfor our Hogs, Hens, Goats I Sheepe, Horse, or what lived, our commanders, officers and Salvages daily
consumed them, some small proportions (portions) sometimes we tasted, till all was devoured; then swords, armes, pieces, or any thing, wee traded with the Salvages… after Captain Smiths departure [October 1609-March 1610], there remained not past sixtie men, women and children, most miserable and poore creatures; and those were preserved for the most part, by roots, herbes, acornes, walnuts, berries, now and then a little fish: they that had startch (toughness) in these extremities, made no small use of it; yea even the very skinnes of our horses [were eaten]. {The colonists were sad that John Smith left, even the people who hated him. The leaders ate all the good food, and the natives took the rest. The people ate acorns and horses to survive, everyone was miserable.}
Nay, so great was our famine (starvation), that a Salvage we slew (killed) and buried, the poorer sort (poorer people) tooke him up againe (dug him up) and eat him; and so did divers (divide up) one another boyled and stewed with roots and herbs: And one amongst the rest did kill his wife, powdered (salt cured, like country ham) her, and had eaten part of her before it was knowne; for which hee was executed, as hee well deserved: now whether shee was better roasted, boyled or carbonado'd (grilled), I know not; but of such a dish as powdered wife I never heard of. {The famine was so bad that people dug up a dead native and boiled him into a stew. One man salt cured his wife and had eaten part of her before he was caught.}
This was that time, which still to this day [1624] we called the starving time; it were too vile (evil) to say, and scarce to be beleeved, what we endured: but the occasion was our owne (it was our own fault), for want of providence(G-d’s grace) industrie (hard work) and government, and not the barrennesse and defect of the Countrie(it was our fault, nothing was wrong with the land), as is generally supposed… and such good fellowes the Mariners; we as little tasted of the great proportion(supplies) sent us (the sailors ate all the food sent to Jamestown before it arrives)… though we endured all that is said, and chiefly lived on what this good Countrie naturally
afforded (provided). {It was our fault that the winter went so badly, there was nothing wrong with the land. Although the sailors ate a lot of the food that was meant for us, we lived off the land and would have done much better is John Smith had been there. }
{Words in brackets are a summary of the original text, in modern English.} Who was eating all of
the hogs, hens, and other animals?
What did most colonists eat to survive?
Describe what happened to the savage who was killed.
What was the fate of the man who ate his wife? What joke does the author make?
Why do most people assume is the cause of starvation in Jamestown?
What happens to the supplies sent from England?
