Summary
As seen in Jamestown Part 1, the colony managed to survive a harsh first winter, thanks to the leadership of Captain John Smith and help from the Powhatan Confederacy. But as the challenges of the harsh environment continued to mount, the settlers turned increasingly hostile toward their Powhatan neighbors. In response, the Powhatan trapped settlers in Jamestown for an entire winter. The Starving Time marked the end of the alliance, and hostilities between the settlers and the Powhatan worsened. The marriage of Pocahontas and a settler named John Rolfe temporarily stopped the fighting, and the colony's fortunes turned when Rolfe began to grow tobacco. It quickly became a major cash crop, transforming Jamestown into a thriving society with families and even a legislature. But as life improved for the settlers, others paid the price. Enslaved Africans were brought to America and forced to work on plantations, and the Powhatan lost more and more of their land. For better and for worse, England repeated Jamestown's model across the colonies, laying the foundation for the American dream of wealth and self-rule—before there was an America.
Viewer safety
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Jamestown, Part 2:
- What is one new thing you learned about jamestown, part 2?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining jamestown, part 2.
- Draw or give one example of your own.