The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown

Teacher’s Guide Written by Barri Golbus

Produced

by Colman Communications Corp.

Table of Contents

Page

Program Overview 3

Viewer Objectives 5

Suggested Lesson Plan 7

Description of Blackline Masters 9

Answer Key 9

Transcript of the Video 11

Web Resources 19 Purchase of this program entitles the user the right to reproduce or duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the blackline master handouts that accompany it for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this video. This right is restricted for use only with this video program. Any reproduction or duplication in whole or in part of this guide and the blackline master handouts for any purpose other than for use with this video program is prohibited.

THE BEANBODY HISTORIES: JAMESTOWN Grades 4-6

Viewing Time: 14:50

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Intended Audience and Uses

Jamestown has been produced for students in grades 4-6. Its primary purposes are to help youngsters understand (1)

the factors behind the establishment of North America's first English permanent settlement and (2) the difficulties the colonists encountered in Jamestown's early years. It also can deepen student

understanding of 17th century U.S. history.

Program Synopsis

As the program opens, Mr. Beanbody, Jeffrey and Lilly are at home, where the children play a game on their tablet computer in which a town is built. The loquatious pup mentions that building a real community is much more difficult than creating one in a game. He then says that Jamestown is a good example. Using his "Go-Back" app, the three are transported to early 17th century London. There, they witness the founders of the Virginia Company

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of London as the entrepreneurs discuss their reasons for starting a colony in North America -- to find gold and other precious metals; to find a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean; and to convert the natives to Christianity. They then are taken to the docks of London, where three ships are loaded in late 1606 for a journey to North America. They witness a quarrel between Captain John Smith and Captain Christopher Newport, the man in charge of the three-ship fleet. Smith, they learn, is imprisoned on the ship. The story picks up four months later, when the colonists reach their destination. Immediately, they encounter hostile natives who engage them in a skirmish. Nevertheless, the settlers' council president, Edward-Maria Wingfield, decides against building a large fort and bringing weapons from the ships -- a decision that John Smith disagrees with and one that the settlers will later regret. On an exploratory trip, Smith and others learn about the leader of the region's natives, Chief Powhatan. The first summer proves disastrous. The island where the colonists settle is infested with mosquitoes. Typhoid fever, dysentery and other diseases break out. Food has to be rationed. Smith obtains food from the natives on a trading mission, and on another trip up the James River is taken to Chief Powhatan in Werowocomoco. There, he is almost put to death, but is ostensibly saved by Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas. (Mr. Beanbody mentions that this event may not have really happened.) Smith eventually becomes president of the council and makes headway building the settlement, but is seriously wounded in an accident and returns to England. With Smith out of the picture, Chief Powhatan sees his

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chance to defeat the colonists and orders his subjects to stop trading with the settlers. Only 60 colonists survive the winter, which becomes known as "the starving time." Thomas Gates (who takes over from Smith) decides that the colony must be abandoned, but a new governor, Lord De La Warr, saves the settlement when he arrives with a new batch of colonists. One of the new settlers, John Rolfe, introduces a strain of mild tobacco that can be raised successfully in Virginia’s soil and climate. The plant puts the settlement on more solid footing financially. In 1614 Pocahontas marries Rolfe. The Virginia company, in an attempt to encourage people to settle in America, offers free land and establishes a general assembly. For the first time in North America, representatives (called burgesses in colonial Virginia) make laws that would affect the lives of the people they represented.

VIEWER OBJECTIVES

After viewing this video and participating in the suggested

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activities, viewers should be able to do the following:

1. Explain the difficulties encountered by the Jamestown colonists.

2. Name the main persons who had a hand in establishing Jamestown and tell what they did.

3. Discuss the animosity between the settlers and the nearby natives.

4. Give the three main reasons why the Virginia Company established a colony in Virginia.

5. Describe the role of tobacco in the eventual success of Jamestown.

6. Discuss why historians may disagree about historical events.

The producers encourage you to make adaptations and changes to the following lesson plan whenever you feel it will enhance your students’ learning experiences. Only by tailoring the material to your unique classroom situation will you be able to maximize the educational experience afforded by these materials.

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SUGGESTED LESSON PLAN

Viewing Strategies

Various strategies may be employed when showing Jamestown to your class. If you wish to use the video to give general information about the founding of the settlement, you may find it useful to show the entire program in one screening, then follow up with appropriate questions (see the Suggested Discussion Questions blackline master) and/or activities suggested in this guide. Alternately, you may show various sequences that discuss major topics, such as --

w What Jamestown investors wanted the settlers to accomplish.

w The difficulty of traveling across the Atlantic Ocean in the early 17th century.

w How the natives and the settlers viewed each other.

w The British class system in the 17th century and how it affected John Smith.

w The "starving time" and its causes.

w Why the colonists had such a difficult time establishing Jamestown.

w The role of tobacco in the eventual success of Jamestown.

Introduce the Program

The producers encourage you to prescreen the program to familiarize yourself with its content.

Begin your introduction by asking your class about the reasons someone might move from one place to another. Has anyone in the class moved from one part of the country to another? From one city to another? From one nation to

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another? What was the reason for the move? Help your students understand that among the reasons people move is to take a new job, begin a new (and better) life or get away from a bad situation (such as war or economic hardship).

Pre-Viewing Activities

Explain to your class that they will see a program that talks about people who went from England to America more than 400 years ago to establish a new community. Tell

them that they should look for certain things as they view the program: who were the main people in the new community; why did they go to North America; when did they establish the colony; where was the settlement; what were the difficulties

they encountered in their new home.

Post-Viewing Activities

Write "who, what, where, when and why" in a place that everyone can see. Then have your students answer these "5 W's." Discuss the video, using the Suggested Discussion Questions if you prefer. Then hand out and More on Captain James Smith, More on Chief Powhatan, More on Pocahontas, Pocahontas & Captain Smith Jamestown Settlers & the Natives. Have your students complete the activities on these handouts, either individually or in small groups. Or assign the activities as homework. Finally, hand out Jamestown Evaluation Exercise. After your students complete the exercise, you will be able to determine their level of comprehension of the material in this lesson.

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Description of Blackline Masters

SUGGESTED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS – Questions that pin-point key information.

MORE ON CAPTAIN JAMES SMITH – Gives important back-ground information that helps students better understand this important historical figure.

MORE ON CHIEF POWHATAN – Provides more information about the most important native Jamestown colonists encountered.

MORE ON POCAHONTAS – Helps students understand Pow- hatan’s favorite daughter.

HISTORICAL TRUTH – Explains the difficulty that historians may have when trying to find the truth of an event.

ANSWER KEY Video Quiz: 1. Discover gold and other precious metals; find a northwest passage to Asia trade more easily with countries

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there; convert the natives to Christianity 2. The Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery. 3. False 4. Four months 5. island, James River 6. to show the natives that the British had come with peaceful intentions 7. c. 8. He was taking food from the storehouse. 9. b. 10. Werowocomoco

More on Captain James Smith: Answers will vary.

More on Chief Powhatan: Answers will vary.

More on Pocahontas: Answers will vary.

Historical Truth: Answers will vary.

Jamestown Evaluation Exercise: Part I 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. T 5. F Part II 1. a. 2. c. 3. b. 4. d. 5. c. 6. b. 7. a. 8. d. 9. c. 10. c.

Part III 1. A storm blew them to nearby shores and they were waiting to be taken back to England. Smith didn’t want Chief Powhatan to think the English planned to take native lands. 2. He was secretly taking food from the storehouse. 3. He was seriously injured. 4. He brought mild-tasting tobacco. It was important because it provided a profitable crop to the settlement. 5. It gave away land and established a general assembly.

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TRANSCRIPT OF THE VIDEO

(Underlined words may be used for vocabulary lessons.)

JEFFREY: Wow! It sure is fun making a town! LILLY: And it looks so easy, too! MR. BEANBODY: Well, it may look easy when you’re doing it on a computer, but it’s quite another story in real life – especially if you were trying to make a community hundreds of years ago. JEFFREY: So how did people plan and build towns in those days, Mr. Beanbody? MR. BEANBODY: Well, as it happens, I’ve been thinking about an excellent example of that lately -- Jamestown, Virginia. It was the first permanent English settlement in North America. We could use my Go-Back app to see how it all came about. Shall we? JEFFREY: Gosh, Mr. Beanbody, where the heck are we? LILLY: And what year is it, anyway? MR. BEANBODY: Well, let’s see here. According to this map, we’re in London, England. And from the look of things, I’d say it’s the early sixteen hundreds. At that time, there was a great deal of interest in the lands across the Atlantic Ocean – North and South America. INVESTOR 1: So, gentlemen, we are all in agreement. Each of us will invest our money to establish a new company. INVESTOR 2: It will be called, if my notes are correct, the Virginia Company of London. And its purposes will be one: to

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find gold and other precious metals; two: to find a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean so we can trade more easily with Asian countries; and three: to convert the natives in North America to Christianity. MR. BEANBODY: Now, let’s go to December, 1606, when three ships – the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery – were loaded with supplies for the journey to North America. One hundred five passengers and 39 crewmen were squeezed together in the three small vessels. From time to time, the cramped quarters and the boredom of ship life resulted in quarrels. During some of those disputes, an army officer, Captain John Smith, argued with Captain Christopher Newport, the man in charge of the three-ship fleet. He also clashed with a nobleman, Edward-Maria Wingfield. Both Wingfield and Newport looked down on Smith, whom they considered to be a lowborn country bumpkin. Captain Smith refused to grovel to those of a higher social rank, however. And, truth be told, he could be quarrelsome. So Captain Newport imprisoned Smith, saying he was planning a mutiny. Finally, after four months at sea, on April 26th, 1607, the travelers reached their destination – the east coast of today’s Virginia. Captain Newport and about 30 men immediately went ashore to look around. However, they weren’t alone. Five natives followed the new- comers as soon as they went ashore. Then they attacked! Two men were injured. Replying to the assault, Captain Newport fired his musket. But the natives fled only after they had run out of arrows.

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Later that day, Capt. Newport relayed the company’s instructions to the voyagers: there was to be a ruling council with seven members, including himself, and John Smith, who were still imprisoned. Wingfield would be elected council president several weeks later. The instructions also told the group to find a suitable place for their settlement. So several days later, an exploratory party sailed up the James River. Despite their earlier encounter, the natives they now met were friendly. The explorers had dinner with some Kecoughtan Indians whose chief said his people were interested in trading with the newcomers. On May 13th, the colonists chose an island in the James River as the place for their settlement. President Wingfield decided that the settlers would not build a large fort there. WINGFIELD: This will show that we are coming as friends and expect the natives to be friends as well. And for the same reason, we will leave our guns packed on the ships. MR. BEANBODY: Captain Smith, who had been released from confinement, thought Winfield’s actions were very unwise. SMITH: We have been attacked once already! What is to prevent another assault? We know little of these people. Before laying ourselves open to violence, all my experience cautions that we must first secure at least some means of defense.

WINGFIELD: Your so-called “experience” is in Europe only and, I dare say, has no relevance here.

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LILLY: Gee, who was right Mr. Beanbody, President Wingfield or Captain Smith? MR. BEANBODY: Well, to find out, let’s move forward several weeks, when some of the settlers were upstream, exploring on the James River. At one village, they learned about a mighty leader, Powhatan. He was a powerful “chief of chiefs” who presided over dozens of tribes and hundreds of warriors. Upon their return, the explorers saw that their new settlement had been attacked by natives while they were gone. One person, a boy, had been killed and about two dozen more, wounded – one of whom would die later. The settlers immediately began building a large, triangular shaped fort. Then they brought weapons to it from the ships. JEFFREY: So it was Captain Smith who was right about the dangers? MR. BEANBODY: That’s right, Jeffrey. Captain John Smith had a lot of experience dealing with people from different cultures. He understood that the natives would be very upset at the thought of foreigners taking over their lands – and could very well attack to prevent it from happening. LILLY: Then did Captain Smith become a member of the ruling council? MR. BEANBODY: Yes, Lilly. Most of the colonists now realized that his knowledge and judgment could be very useful to the settlement. Now, let’s move ahead a few more weeks, when Captain Newport, along with many of the colony’s workmen, returned to England.

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Newport was to return with fresh supplies in four or five months. It was now summer, and it turned very hot and humid. Life became miserable for Jamestown residents. Mosquitoes were a constant nuisance. Worse yet, typhoid fever, dysentery and other serious illnesses became common. Work stopped. No shelters were built, and no food was hunted or gathered. Because of that, daily food rations were reduced to a small can of barley boiled in water – this tiny amount to be shared by five men. As summer wore on, more and more colonists died from starva- tion and disease. In September, president Wingfield was voted out of office because he had secretly hoarded food for himself and his friends. The new president, John Ratcliffe, quickly sent Captain Smith, along with some other settlers, on a trading mission to exchange copper and hatchets for corn. They were able to get enough food to last several months. Smith led another trading mission in December, one that would become famous. On the journey, he was captured and in time taken to Werowocomoco, the village where Chief Powhatan lived. CHIEF POWHATAN: Why have your people come here? SMITH: We were fighting our enemies, the Spanish, who over- powered us.

We were retreating when a storm blew us to nearby shores. We are waiting for our great father, Newport, to take us back to England. JEFFREY: Why did he say they were going back to England, Mr. Beanbody? MR. BEANBODY: Well, Jeffrey, he didn’t want the chief to think the English planned to take over native lands.

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CHIEF POWHATAN: Then why are you so far from your camp?

SMITH: We are looking for a sea on the other side of the country.

People near there had slain one of Newport’s men. The English are a vengeful people and have come to exact justice.

LILLY: Why did he say that?

MR. BEANBODY: Captain Smith wanted to let Chief Powhatan know that if he were put to death, the English would come, seeking revenge.

But the warning didn’t do any good. The leader ordered two large stones to be brought forward on which Smith was to be executed.

Suddenly, one of Chief Powhatan’s young daughters, Pocahon- tas, ran to Smith, and begged her father to spare his life. Chief Powhatan gave in to daughter’s appeal and Captain Smith was released.

Now, I should mention that many historians have questioned whether Pocahontas really saved Smith. The incident came, they believe, from his imagination.

In any event, when Smith returned to Jamestown, he found that starvation and illness had taken an even more terrible toll: only 38 settlers remained alive.

Fortunately, Captain Newport finally returned with supplies in January, 1608. He also brought new colonists.

Meanwhile, periodic attacks staged by both natives and colonists continued. And, once again, food became scarce.

John Ratcliffe was accused of secretly taking food from the storehouse and was forced to resign. John Smith was chosen to take Ratcliffe’s place. Under Smith’s command, the settlement was revived during the next year. The colonists built 20 cabins, cleared 40 acres of farmland, reroofed the church and constructed a new fort.

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Captain Smith famously said…

SMITH: He who will not work shall not eat!

MR. BEANBODY: About a year after Smith became Jamestown’s leader, three hundred men, women and children arrived from England. It was late summer, 1609. In order to find a place for them to stay, Smith went looking for – and found – what he thought was a suitable site. On the way back to Jamestown, tragedy struck. A cinder from someone’s pipe blew onto Smith’s partially open gunpowder bag, and the powder inside exploded. He was gravely injured and returned to England. LILLY: Gosh, Mr. Beanbody, it seems as if Captain Smith was a real hero!

MR. BEANBODY: Well, Lilly, in many ways he was. But he wasn’t perfect. For instance, many people feel that, at times, he was much too brutal and dishonest when dealing with the natives. Anyway, with Smith out of the picture, Chief Powhatan saw his chance to defeat the colonists for good. He decided to starve them. He instructed his tribes to refuse all the settlers’ offers to trade. The chief knew that the colonists would find it difficult to survive without the Indians’ food. By May, 1610, some 240 colonists had perished. Only 60 had survived the winter, which became known as “the starving time.”

Two small ships sailed into Jamestown that May. They carried the survivors of the Sea Venture, the lead ship of a resupply mission.

They had been caught in a hurricane and had spent many months in Bermuda.

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The mission leader, Sir Thomas Gates, was shocked at what he saw – so much so that within two weeks, he told Jamestown leaders that the settlement had to be abandoned, and that everyone would go north, to Newfoundland, where they could gather enough supplies to sail back to England. Shortly after the colonists got underway, another vessel, from England, came into view. A newly appointed governor on board, Thomas West (better known as Lord De La Warr), sent word that everyone should return to Jamestown. The new batch of 150 colonists who came with the governor, and the old colonists, rebuilt the village. They also strengthened its defenses. Now, Jamestown was just about ready to take a big step toward success. What it needed, most of all, was something to sell in England. But what? John Rolfe, one of the new colonists who arrived with De La Warr, came up with an answer – a mild-tasting tobacco native to Bermuda. With Rolfe’s new variety, Virginia Company investors were within striking distance of making money. LILLY: So that’s the story of Jamestown. Right, Mr. Beanbody? MR. BEANBODY: Well, not quite, Lilly. In 1613, some colonists took Pocahontas hostage. The kidnappers wanted to exchange her for some colonists the natives had taken prisoner. But the exchange never took place. Instead, Pocahontas studied Christianity, accepted it and was baptized. And in 1614, she married John Rolfe. To encourage more people to come to America, the Virginia Company gave away land that could be used to grow tobacco.

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JEFFREY: Did the Virginia Company do anything else to bring more settlers to America, Mr. Beanbody?

MR. BEANBODY: Oh, yes indeed, Jeffrey! They changed the way the colony was governed.

Instead of a single governor making rules for the settlers whether they liked them or not, a general assembly was established in 1619. For the first time in North America, representatives (called “Burgesses” in colonial Virginia) could make laws that would affect the lives of the people they represented LILLY: Gosh, Mr. Beanbody, you were right! Starting a community was much harder in the old days. MR. BEANBODY: That’s right, Lilly. The colonists who started Jamestown had to spend months crossing the ocean in tiny, cramped ships. Then they had to defend themselves against the natives who didn’t want them to take their lands. And they had to fight hunger and disease before they could stand on their own two feet to become a model for all the communities that would follow – and, in many ways, a model for the entire country that would be established some 170 years later, the United States of America.

Web Resources

Jamestown Rediscovery http://historicjamestowne.org/history/history-of-jamestown/

An outstanding collection of archeology, biography, history, etc. with links for both teachers and students

A Short History of Jamestown http://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/a-short-history-of-jamestown.htm

An excellent overview of the settlement's history

Jamestown Archeology http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33680128

Interesting information how archeologists work to discover historical artifacts and their meaning at Jamestown

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Discussion Questions – Jamestown

1. What were three reasons Virginia Com- pany of London investors invested in the company? (thought gold and other precious metals would be found; thought a northwest passage to Asia would be found; thought natives would be converted to Christianity)

2. What were the names of the three ships that left London in 1606 to travel travel to North America? (the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery)

3. How many passengers and crew were on the three ships? (105 and 39)

4. With whom did Captain John Smith quarrel on the trip? (Newport and Wingfield)

5. How did Newport and Wingfield view Smith? (They thought he was a lowborn country bumpkin.)

6. What happened to John Smith on the trip to North America?" (He was imprisoned.)

7. What happened to the settlers as soon as they went ashore? (Five natives attacked them.)

8. What two things were in the com- pany's instructions? (establish a ruling council and find a suitable place for the settlement)

9. What did Wingfield do that Smith felt was unwise? (He didn't build a large fort and he left the weapons on the ships.)

10. Who was the leader of the natives in the area around Jamestown? (Chief Powhatan)

11. Why did Captain Smith finally become a member of the ruling council? (People realized that his experience dealing with people of different cul- tures would be helpful.)

12. What made Jamestown so difficult for the settlers during their first summer there? (heat and humidity, mosqui- toes, typhoid fever, dysentery and other serious diseases)

13. What were the food rations during the first summer? (a small can of barley boiled in water shared by five men)

14. What was the name of the village where Chief Powhatan lived? (Werowocom- oco)

15. Why did Captain Smith say Newport was going to take him back to England? (He didn't want Powhatan to think the English planned to take native lands.)

16. Why would historians doubt the story about Pocahontas saving Smith? (because Smith told the story and there was no one to verify it)

17. How many settlers remained alive when Smith returned from Werowocomoco? (38)

18. Who said "He who will not work shall not eat? (Captain John Smith)

19. Why did Captain Smith return to Eng- land? (He was injured.)

20. How did Chief Powhatan decide to defeat the colonists? (starve them)

21. Where did Sir Thomas Gates think the settlers should go first before return- ing to England? (Newfoundland)

22. What plant made money for Jamestown settlers? (tobacco)

23. Who introduced a mild variety of to- bacco to Jamestown and married Poca- hontas? (John Rolfe)

24. What were representatives called in the Virginia general assembly? (burgesses)

The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown © 2016 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

More on Captain John Smith

Captain John Smith led a very adventurous life. He attended school, but left his home in rural England at 16, after his father died. He became a sailor and privateer. (Privateers were "legal pirates" whose rulers gave them permission to raid ships that belonged to enemies.) About five years later, he became a professional soldier, serving in the armies of King Phillip II of Spain and King Michael II of Moldova. He became known as an

especially brave and clever soldier when fighting against the Ottoman Turks and became a captain in the army of Moldova. Smith also invented several new and ingenious kinds of weapons during this period and was knighted by the king of Transylvania. During one battle, however, he was captured and enslaved. But he escaped and worked his way back to England, traveling through eastern and western Europe and northern Africa, in 1604. If nothing else, Captain Smith was a man of action. As such, he found it difficult to work with the English ruling class, some of whom he thought were lazy and inexperienced in the ways of the world. He admired Chief Powhatan and the two men formed a wary friendship; yet, neither completely trusted one another. When Smith left Jamestown and returned to England, he began writing about his experiences. His accounts were popular, probably because readers could tell that, unlike many other authors, he was writing from real experience. At that time, many books about the new world claimed that gold could be found there easily, but Smith explained that money could be made in North America only by hard work and persistence. He returned to North America several times (to the coasts of today's Maine and Massachusetts) and coined the words "New England." But he never returned to Jamestown.

Use the Internet to research the upper class men who went to Jamestown and tell why you think Captain Smith would find it difficult to work with them. The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown © 2016 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

More on Pocahontas

Pocahontas is one of the most famous Native Americans in early American history. One reason is that she is often mentioned in Captain John Smith's writings. He said that the young Indian saved his life when she was a young girl, perhaps 11 years old. Smith said she saved his life when he was about to be beaten to death. One reason why historians question the account is that there was a ceremony in Powhatan culture in which a person who will be adopted also has his head placed on two stones and is then “saved.” As it happened, Chief Powhatan did adopt Smith. Another time, Pocahontas warned Captain Smith when Powhatan planned to have the Englishman murdered. Smith had already figured out what was about to happen. But he was still grateful to the young woman because she could have been executed if her father discovered that she had warned Smith. The word pocahontas means “playful one” in the Powhatan language. Poca- hontas was the nickname of Matoaka, who, it is believed, was born in 1596. As her nickname suggests, she was clever and charming – and was Chief Powha- tan’s favorite daughter. Pocahontas married another Native American, Kocoum, when she was 14 years old. When she let it be known that she wished to marry John Rolfe, she automa- tically was divorced (according to Powhatan culture) from Kocoum. When Rolfe took her and their young son to England in 1616, she was known as “Lady Rebecca Rolfe.” She traveled around the country and was introduced to high society. One historical document says she attended a ball where she was introduced to King James I and Queen Anne. While in England, Pocahontas was reunited with Captain Smith, but the meeting did not go well. Pocahontas reminded Smith that he had no problem threatening her people. In 1617, the Rolfes left England, planning to return to Virginia. Shortly after leaving, Pocahontas became ill and died. She was 20 years old. ConductanInternetsearchonthetimePocahontaswaskidnappedbyCaptainSamuelArgallandChiefIopassus.Writeaseveralparagraphsaboutwhatyoulearnedonthebackofthispaper. The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown © 2016 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

More on Chief Powhatan

Chief Powhatan was named Wahunsonacock (wah-hoon-SEN-ah-kaw), when he was born, probably sometime in the 1550s. His mother was from a high-born family, and in their tribe, a child inherited his position in society from his mother. When Powhatan became a chief, there were only a handful of tribes in the Powhatan confederation. When he died, there were more than 30. It is believed that he used both force and diplomacy to bring tribes into his nation. Powhatan had many wives and a large number

of children. But Pocahontas was his favorite. He was charmed by her high spirits and intelligence. He lived in the village of Werowocomoco (wair-uh-wah-KOE-muh-koe), but he had a house in each of the villages under his command. He would visit them from time to time. He traveled with a large group of bodyguards and 16 men guarded his sleeping quarters, four on each side of the house. Wherever he went, his subjects made sure that he always had the best food available. He was widely admired for his courage, hunting skills and brainpower. When the English settlers arrived in 1607, Chief Powhatan’s main job was to keep his lands and protect his people from the newcomers. From time to time, he matched his quick wit against Jamestown’s leaders. He outwitted most of them, but not Captain John Smith. Like the chief, Smith was wise in the ways of the world. He and Powhatan did not always trust each other, but they did admire each other’s intel- ligence. ConductanInternetsearchonthekindofhouseChiefPowhatanlivedinWero-wocomocoanddrawapictureofitonthebackofthispaper.

The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown © 2016 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

Historical Truth

As you saw in the video, many historians do not believe that Pocahontas saved Captain John Smith when she was a young girl. They came to that conclusion for several reasons. First, Smith reported the event, and some historians believe that at times he exaggerated. Second, Smith may have truly believed that Pocahontas was trying to save his life. But historians later discovered that an adoption ceremony was the same as what Smith described. And they know that Chief Powhatan did adopt John Smith. So which was it? We probably will never know for certain. Historians use certain tools when trying to find the truth. One is called a “primary source.” These are documents written by people who have witnessed an event. But even primary sources may not be accurate. We now know that our memories are not perfect. Two or more people may witness the same event, but may remember it quite differently. That is why historians, before they come to a conclusion, try to find as many primary sources as possible. The more people describe event similarly, the more likely the event, as described, is true.

But even then, truth may be extremely difficult to uncover. For example, in recent wartime events, whole groups of people may say that they have seen an event, but they may not be telling the truth. They may believe in a certain cause, and be willing to lie to help their cause. Lookatthepictureontheleft.Onegroup–thelocalgovern-

ment–saystheexplosionwasanaccident.Yet,otherpeoplesaythataterroristgroupsettheexplosion.Ifyouwereareporter(thosewhoaresaidtowritethefirstdraftofhistory),howwouldgoaboutfindingthetruth?Writeyourprocessonthebackofthispaper. The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown © 2016 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

Jamestown Evaluation Exercise, p. 1

I. True or false. Put a "T" next to the statement if it is true, or an "F" if it is false. 1. _____ Jamestown was the first Spanish settlement in North America. 2. _____ There was a great deal of interest in North and South America in the early 1300s. 3. _____ The Virginia Company of London invested in Jamestown. 4. _____ Investors in Jamestown thought gold could be found there. 5. _____ Jamestown investors wanted to build native villages.

II. Circle the letter next to the phrase that best completes the sentence. 1. Finding a northwest route to Asia

a. was never accomplished by the Jamestown settlers. b. took the Jamestown colonists more than 15 years. c. was never a goal of Virginia Company of London investors. d. none of the above. 2. On the trip to Virginia, Captain John Smith argued with

a. Wingfield and Pocahontas. b. Newport and Powhatan. c. Newport and Wingfield. d. none of the above. 3. The three ships that sailed to North America in 1607-1608 were a. the Santa Maria, the Constant and the Discovery. b. the Discovery, the Constant and the Godspeed. c. the Godspeed, the Niña and the Constant. d. the Pinta, the Niña and the Santa Maria. The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown © 2016 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

Jamestown Evaluation Exercise, p. 2

4. Newport and Wingfield thought Captain John Smith was

a. a brilliant military leader. b. person who understood the natives’ behavior. c. the ideal person to design Jamestown’s first fort. d. a lowborn country bumpkin. 5. It took the three ships

a. four weeks to reach Virginia. b. four years to reach Virginia. c. four months to reach Virginia. d. four days to reach Virginia.

6. The first natives to see the Jamestown settlers

a. greeted them with bushels of corn. b. attacked them. c. ignored them. d. none of the above. 7. Wingfield refused to build a large fort because

a. he wanted to show the natives that the settlers came in peace. b. the settlers didn’t have enough tools for a large project. c. he was afraid the settlers were too lazy for the project. d. none of the above. 8. Chief Powhatan

a. was a powerful “chief of chiefs.” b. presided over dozens of tribes. c. was Pocahontas’s father. d. all of the above. 9. The first summer at Jamestown was

a. a time of rain, sun and plentiful crops. b. known as the “starving time.” c. difficult due to mosquitoes, dysentery and typhoid fever. d. none of the above. The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown © 2016 Colman Communications Corp.

Name _________________________

Jamestown Evaluation Exercise, p. 3 10. President Wingfield was forced to resign because

a. he was caught bribing Chief Powhatan. b. he was disliked. c. he secretly hoarded food for himself and his friends. d. a. and b. III. Answer the question in one or two sentences. 1. What did Captain Smith tell Chief Powhatan when the chief asked him why the English had come to America? Why? 2. Why was John Ratcliffe forced to resign as president? 3. Why did John Smith go back to England? 4. What crop did John Rolfe bring to Jamestown? Why was it important? 5. What did the Virginia company do to encourage new settlement?

The Beanbody Histories: Jamestown © 2016 Colman Communications Corp.