A prolonged drought that made growing food crops and finding fresh water difficult led to starvation and the drinking of contaminated water, which, along with the swampy area’s plentiful mosquitoes, contributed to the spread of deadly diseases. The settlers also faced conflict with the indigenous people, poor leadership in their own community, the extreme heat and cold of Virginia’s climate, and the fact that they were, overall, woefully unprepared to survive in such harsh conditions.
