Early Jamestown Failure

The early 1600’s was supposed to be a revolutionary time for England. England surveyed land in a new territory, now known as the United States, and came to a conclusion that this was an area they could thrive in. Although England believed this land was habitable, it would require a lot of time and work to be sustainable. The first departure from England happened in October of 1609; this ship holding 600 anxious Englishmen came near disaster. Once arrived these men realized they lacked the knowledge of how much work was required. Instead of putting in the efforts to thrive, these men wasted their time and consumed the minimal food they brought along with them. These men brought their poor work ethics to Jamestown; Edmund S. Morgan, an award winning historian, says “The colony’s long period of starvation and failure may well be attributed to the idleness of the first settlers, but the idleness is more an accusation than an explanation.” Although these men had not known what a hard days work was, I believe that these Englishmen lacked the knowledge and willingness to urbanize Jamestown. As the thoughts of prosperity circulated among England,

Despite the inactiveness of settlers, England actually had a system used for working. Surprisingly, the outline of the provision contradicts the efforts set by the Jamestown colonizers. The Statute of Artificers of 1563 (re-enacting similar provisions from the Statute of Laborers of 1495) required all laborers to work for 15 hours a day: five in the morning to seven or eight at night from mid-March to mid-September. During the remaining months of the year they were required to work from day-break to night. The time off for eating, drinking, and relaxation was not to exceed two and a half hours per day. This provision was set into place to attempt to prevent what was happening at