Tsenacommacah and the Invasion
Tsenacommacah “Densely Inhabited Land”
1607 Virginia Company expedition to Chesapeake
100 men
built “Jamestown” an uninhabited swampy peninsula (bad choice)
the Powhatan confederacy: paramount chiefdom under wahunsenacah
24,000 people
30 tribes paying tribute
England Invades Tsenacommacah
Jamestown was a disaster
gentleman colonists were unwilling to work
brackish, disease-infested swamp
water from wells had salt in them (salt poisoning)
at first, wahunsenacah treated Jamestown as a neighboring village to incorporate
sick, starving colonists posed little danger
traded abundant food for more rare euro goods
a way of creating ties/obligations
Jamestown’s’ misery continued
disease, starvation, even canniballism
relations sour with native neighbors
80% of all colonists died before 1616
Tsenacommacah and the Invasion
Tsenacommacah “Densely Inhabited Land”
1607 Virginia Company expedition to Chesapeake
100 men
built “Jamestown” an uninhabited swampy peninsula (bad choice)
the Powhatan confederacy: paramount chiefdom under wahunsenacah
24,000 people
30 tribes paying tribute
England Invades Tsenacommacah
Jamestown was a disaster
gentleman colonists were unwilling to work
brackish, disease-infested swamp
water from wells had salt in them (salt poisoning)
at first, wahunsenacah treated Jamestown as a neighboring village to incorporate
sick, starving colonists posed little danger
traded abundant food for more rare euro goods
a way of creating ties/obligations
Jamestown’s’ misery continued
disease, starvation, even canniballism
relations sour with native neighbors
80% of all colonists died before 1616