What were the largest causes of death in the Virginia Company settlements?
Emma Miller
Updated on January 06, 2026
The settlers of the new colony — named Jamestown — were immediately besieged by attacks from Algonquian natives, rampant disease, and internal political strife. In their first winter, more than half of the colonists perished from famine and illness.
Why was the death rate in early Jamestown so high?
Answer and Explanation: Jamestown’s death rate was so high because of disease, malnutrition, and persistent native attacks on the colonists.
Which of the following was a primary reason the Virginia Company created the colony of Jamestown?
The Virginia Company was in search of economic opportunity. They expected to profit from mineral wealth such as gold and iron ore, timber and wood products and other natural resources. They also hoped to find a Northwest Passage or sail- ing route to the Orient for trade.
How high was the death rate during the early years of the Jamestown settlement?
A few arrived with money, and some would one day find success growing tobacco. But for most there was no happy ending. By 1611, of the more than 500 settlers who had arrived at Jamestown, 80% were dead. It is truly amazing that the colony survived.
What was the death rate at Jamestown?
40-50 per thousand
| Comparative Death Rates | |
|---|---|
| Jamestown, after l630 | 40-50 per thousand |
| French and English villages | 40 per thousand |
| New England | 24-26 per thousand |
Why did the Virginia Company fail?
As industries failed, the promoters of the Company argued that converting the Virginia Indians to Christianity was a worthy goal for the venture. After the Indian Massacre of 1622 killed hundreds of settlers, the king revoked the Company’s charter in 1624 and made Virginia a royal colony under his control.
What are the leading causes of death in Virginia?
VA Leading Causes of Death, 2017 VA Leading Causes of Death, 2017 Deaths Rate*** State Rank* U.S. Rate** 1. Cancer 15,064 152.6 30th (tie) 152.5 2. Heart Disease 14,861 154.5 30th 165.0 3. Accidents 3,922 44.0 41st 49.4 4. Stroke 3,555 37.5 26th (tie) 37.6
What was the purpose of the Virginia Company?
Virginia Company. The Virginia Company refers collectively to two joint-stock companies chartered under James I on 10 April 1606 with the goal of establishing settlements on the coast of North America. The companies were called the “Virginia Company of London” (or the London Company) and the “Virginia Company of Plymouth”…
What did the Virginia Company find at Jamestown?
They’d establish a British settlement, find gold and silver, a passage to the Orient, and, perhaps, the lost colony of Roanoke. The explorers, funded by a group of London entrepreneurs called the Virginia Company, could not have anticipated the fate that actually awaited most of them: drought, hunger, illness, and death.
What did the Virginia Company of London discover?
The Virginia Company of London failed to discover gold or silver in Virginia, to the disappointment of its investors. However, they did establish trade of various types.