Assignment:
"Jamestown Matters" Website Analysis: The "Jamestown Matters" analysis is drawn from the scholarly examination of the John Carter Brown Library (Brown University) site "Jamestown Matters." [webpage]
Note To Instructors:
If the Brown site is not working consider an alternate assignment (that follows the philosophy/instructions of this prompt) with the following websites.
Virtual Jamestown [webpage]
Encyclopedia Virginia [webpage]
This site commemorates the 400th anniversary of the English settlement at Jamestown, and contains an extraordinary gathering of "foundation" books. In order to encourage "adventurers" (investors) and "planters" (colonists) the Virginia Company of London published nine tracts between 1609 and 1615 that described in glowing terms the opportunities presented by the new colony on the James River in Virginia. The documents in this collection present one of the most important sources of information about the early years of the colony. Once you have carefully examined the material, use the content from our weekly readings to write an informal, 750-1,000 word review of the website that answers the following three questions. Note - There is a 250 word count minimum for each question response:
What generalizations can be made about the early stages of English colonialism in North America? Need Assignment Help?
How did the early English explorers view the land and people of the "New World"?
How did the colonists portray their role in the contact experience?
*Note: You are required to refer to at least two of the site's webpages in each of your responses. For example: "In item [25] "Idyllic Vision of Virginia," Theodor de Bry offers potential colonists overly optimistic written and pictorial descriptions of the country lured the unwary by presenting Virginia as a kind of "no work required" land of milk and honey." While, it is not necessary to formally cite the website in your responses. (in many instances the complete (scanned) document is available in the Brown Library) any outside sources that you used for analysis should be formally cited. At the very least, refer to Nash and/or Richter but those can be cited using parenthetical citation...but any outside sources must adhere to the formal footnote methodology (as that will help you prepare for upcoming research based tasks in the course).
The website review shall be typed, double-spaced, and in a 12-point Times New Roman font. There will be 15 possible grade points awarded for submission of the "Jamestown Matters" analysis. See the published rubric - for the assignment's overarching intent. Note: It is not necessary to cite the website in your responses, but you should be mining your academics sources and/or readings for possible evidence.