Early English settlers to the New World faced a variety of hardships. Among the harshest hardships were the various diseases that decimated the settlements. One of the main reasons the Jamestown settlement failed was that the English used the brackish, salty water of the James River for their drinking water. The water carried all sorts of parasites and other organisms, and it also caused dysentery, an infection of the intestines that causes bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Malaria and yellow fever spread by mosquitos prevalent in the marshy countryside also wiped out many settlers. Finally, the English also suffered from illnesses such as smallpox and typhoid fever, both diseases brought over with them during their voyages from Europe that also plagued their countrymen back home.
The English settlers faced many hardships. One hardship some of the settlers faced was the lack of food. When the settlers arrived, they did not know the condition of the land on which they settled. They did not know what crops would be likely to grow and what crops would likely fail. They also were uncertain about the climate. They did not know how harsh the winters could be in the North or how long the growing season would last. As a result, lack of food was an issue for some of the English settlers.
Fortunately, some of the settlers became friends with some of the Native American tribes. These tribes helped the English settlers by showing them what crops to grow and where to grow them. This helped to alleviate some of the issues regarding the lack of food.
Lack of food was one hardship some of the English settlers faced.
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/amerbegin/settlement/text2/text2read.htm
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