I have spent a lot of time writing and editing over the last few months. But that's not all I have been doing. My husband and I had a delightful trip to Washington DC. We visited my younger daughter and her husband
who are living there.
I had always wanted to see Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virginia. We spent two and a half days there exploring and watching re-enactments.
To stand on the shore of James Fort [later Jamestown], where the first permanent English settlers arrived in 1607 was a heart-pounding moment.
The harsh ordeal they faced over the next few years would take all but fifty- one of the five hundred lives by illness, starvation and exposure. They were gentlemen and business men and were totally unprepared and sometimes unwilling to commit to the hard manual labor of building in this swampy marsh. At first the Indians provided food and support for them as the colonists knew little about farming. But relations with the Indians disintegrated over the first year, and conflict arose.
The endeavor was chartered by a group of investors, the Virginia Company of London. They expected a profit from their money and became anxious as they sent more and more supplies with no return. In 1608 a group of men from Germany and Poland arrived and started the first manufacturing -- Glassware.
We spent a great deal of time watching these men blow glass. They make the same items, pitchers, glassware, etc that were sent to England in the 1600's.
Conditions were still deplorable until John Rolfe brought tobacco seed with him from the Caribbean, and a marketable product was harvested in 1614.
Jamestown was the capitol of Virginia until 1699.
You can tell I love history. I hope you enjoyed this very short version about Jamestown.
Next time Williamsburg.
 |
| Capitol Dome and Fountain |
I had always wanted to see Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virginia. We spent two and a half days there exploring and watching re-enactments.
To stand on the shore of James Fort [later Jamestown], where the first permanent English settlers arrived in 1607 was a heart-pounding moment.
The harsh ordeal they faced over the next few years would take all but fifty- one of the five hundred lives by illness, starvation and exposure. They were gentlemen and business men and were totally unprepared and sometimes unwilling to commit to the hard manual labor of building in this swampy marsh. At first the Indians provided food and support for them as the colonists knew little about farming. But relations with the Indians disintegrated over the first year, and conflict arose.
 |
| Jamestown Shore line |
The endeavor was chartered by a group of investors, the Virginia Company of London. They expected a profit from their money and became anxious as they sent more and more supplies with no return. In 1608 a group of men from Germany and Poland arrived and started the first manufacturing -- Glassware.
We spent a great deal of time watching these men blow glass. They make the same items, pitchers, glassware, etc that were sent to England in the 1600's.
 |
| Glass Blowers - Furnace behind |
 |
| pitchers & small containers |
 |
| Old Church on Jamestown Island |
Conditions were still deplorable until John Rolfe brought tobacco seed with him from the Caribbean, and a marketable product was harvested in 1614.
Jamestown was the capitol of Virginia until 1699.
You can tell I love history. I hope you enjoyed this very short version about Jamestown.
Next time Williamsburg.
