They Went Without God

They Went Without God

Everything that could possibly go wrong did.

MANY IN England, including King James I, publicly claimed that the primary purpose in establishing the American colonies was to spread the gospel among the Indians. In truth, the primary motivation was greed. In 1606 the London Company was formed for the purpose of colonial expansion and trade. They obtained a royal charter to found a colony in Virginia. Without taking much time to prepare plans for the new colony, three ships carrying 105 colonists set out for the New World on December 19, 1606.

The company had a rough voyage. It took much longer than expected, forcing them to consume much of the rations en route that were to have sustained them through their first year. They constantly fought with each other, and because they had no form of government or authority structure, conflicts were difficult to resolve. In May the ships finally entered the Chesapeake Bay. The colonists named the river that flowed into the bay the James River and their colony Jamestown after their king.

These men were not fit to build a colony. With few laborers, carpenters, farmers, or blacksmiths among them, the group consisted primarily of “Gentlemen” who joined the enterprise without realizing the years of hard labor that would be necessary for the colony to achieve financial success. The quarreling that had started during their voyage continued on land. The Gentlemen refused to participate in any labor, desiring instead to set off in search of gold and pearls. Only one minister had been sent with them—an indication of how interested England really was in evangelizing the Indians. Rev. Robert Hunt was a man of God whose passion was spreading the gospel in the New World. However, his fellow colonists did not share his passion. He nailed a board between two trees for an altar and made an awning out of an old sail to serve as their church.

They arrived too late to plant spring crops and were quickly running out of food. They lived in continual fear of Indian attacks and suffered from illnesses caused from exposure, mosquitoes, and poor nutrition. Instead of drawing together or looking to God in their calamities, the rift between the Gentlemen and the others continued to widen, and no one showed any interest in Robert Hunt’s continued pleas for repentance and reliance on God. By September 1607 half of the little colony had died.

Hunt’s life was a vivid contrast. In addition to being a godly man of prayer, he labored energetically, taking charge of building the first mill for the grinding of corn and becoming the primary caregiver for the sick. He pleaded with the Gentlemen to give up their arrogance, turn to God, and support the common cause of the colony, but his efforts were largely in vain.

In the winter of 1608 a fire destroyed their fort, storehouse, church, and some dwellings. Hunt lost all but the clothes he was wearing yet was not heard to complain.

The colony at Jamestown had become entirely dependent on the generosity of the Indians. Yet only Hunt thanked God for their assistance.

The sweltering heat in the summer of 1608 scorched the crops they planted. Starvation and disease claimed even more lives the second year than the first. Nine out of every ten people who embarked for Jamestown died. In 1609 there was no food left. Hunt himself succumbed to the conditions and died, leaving behind no one to take his place. This pattern continued for years. In March 1621 there were only 843 settlers in Virginia. During the next year 1,580 more people arrived but 1,183 died!

Even with this staggering death rate, the colonists refused to trust in God. Ship after ship arrived, with the investors always “forgetting” to send more ministers. In 1622 there were more than 1,200 settlers in ten plantations scattered throughout Virginia, but just three ministers. So much for spreading the gospel among the Indians!

Reflection

The story of Jamestown is a depressing litany. How do you think things might have been different had they trusted in God?

Do not forget the things I have done throughout history. For I am God—I alone! I am God, and there is no one else like me.

Isaiah 46:9