An Earthly Paradise

In 1607, new English settlers arriving in the Chesapeake encountered a strange land of sandy beaches, thick forests, and none of the roads, towns, docks, or familiar comforts of English life. In 1608, Captain John Smith made two voyages around the Chesapeake Bay to explore the region's resources and concluded that it was well suited for human habitation. Although the region lacked roads and well-established farms, the Bay functioned as a highway for travel and provided almost unlimited food, leading Smith to see it as a place that could support the settlers' success in a very different environment. At the same time, thousands of Native Americans already lived throughout the Bay area in thriving societies with sophisticated political structures, complex trade routes, and well-established traditions, flourishing through hunting, growing crops, and using weirs and boats to harvest food from the Bay.

Maryland · United States