When settlers first came to Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, they faced many hardships. They did face starvation with a lack of resources and harsh weather, like the "starving time" in the winter of 1609. The food was very scarce and with the harsh winter, it was difficult for the settlers to survive.
The colony of Jamestown survived because of tobacco, and more settlers were able to come over from England, which helped expand the colony.
Diseases like smallpox, dysentery, cholera, and others were common during this time because of poor sanitation and lack of immunity against these diseases. It was even common for someone to die from the common cold as there were no modern medicines to help someone fight off a cold.
Some of the settlers did begin to fight over the land with the Natives, which led to warfare. King Philip's War is a great example of warfare in the colonies between the settlers and the Native Americans. Some of the settlers in the New England Colonies wanted to convert the Native Americans to Christianity. Because of this reason and land disputes, a brutal war broke out, which wiped out several natives and some settlers.
