First Winter at Jamestown
One
survivor of the first winter in Jamestown in which half died of
starvation reported, "If there were any conscience in men it would
make their hearts to bleed to hear the pitiful murmurings and
out-cries of our sick men without relief ... soon departing out of
the world, many times three or four in a night." In spring a mutiny
was attempted by some. Some froze to death. Some were killed by
Indians. They were a ragged and starved people.
Third winter at Jamestown
The winter of 1609-1610 went into the records as the "Starving
Time." There was death almost every day. When they ate all the
animals, including horses, cats and dogs, then mice were eaten. They
crawled through the woods in search of roots and berries. After that,
men, women and children became cannibals eating their own dead. Some
men and women who were starving 
crept into the woods in their last hours, dug shallow holes, covered
themselves with leaves, and died. Out of 500 only 60 people survived
that winter.
Lack of heart after 3 years
Almost three years to the month since they first came to Virginia, with all spirit gone and totally discouraged, they abandoned Jamestown. They had failed. They all boarded the ship and started sailing back. Jamestown was completely abandoned. They thought only of England. Just as the ship was leaving the harbor they were greeted by ships led by Lord Delaware from England. Then they decided to go back and try again.
Lord Delaware was sent as governor. He was a religious man.
When he came ashore at deserted Jamestown, he knelt in prayer.
He then led everyone to the dilapidated church. A pastor gave a
sermon. Then the governor "delivered a stirring address, raising the
morale of the colonists." They now had strict leadership.
The Cain ideals in the founding of America started with Jamestown. This darker side was secular materialism.
Socialism fails
Jamestown experimented with communist economics, but as it proved a complete failure (as it always does) after a while, as it prompted laziness and inefficiency. One-fifth of the colony did all the work while the rest were drones. Finally, each member was given three acres of his own to cultivate. Industry and thrift then replaced idleness and there were no more famines.
In 1619, one year before
the Pilgrims landed, Jamestown laid the seed of slavery that would
eventually tear America apart. Twenty negroes were brought as
slaves. Plymouth Plantation had no slaves. This was the seed for
civil war. Satan loves slavery. God hates slavery.
Eventually, hundreds of thousands of men died because of this wrong
move by Jamestown.
Tobacco
Another evil legacy of Jamestown was its habit of depending on one
crop for cash instead of growing staples. They became obsessed
with tobacco which not only is a deadly drug, but it exhausted the
earth.
Another sad legacy of Jamestown was their inability to make unity with the Indians. We'll look at this in the next part.
