Final answer:
The initial focus of the Jamestown colonists was survival, as they faced various challenges including poor health, lack of food, and conflicts with the Powhatan Indians. Their early efforts to find gold were unsuccessful, and it was only through the cultivation of tobacco and a strong leadership that the colony began to thrive economically.
Step-by-step explanation:
Focus of the Initial Jamestown Colonists
The initial Jamestown colonists primarily focused on survival as they dealt with numerous challenges upon their arrival in North America. Initially, their goals included finding gold, a passage to the Pacific, and the Lost Colony; however, the reality of their situation quickly shifted their focus to survival. The Virginia Company of London had invested in the colonization of Virginia with the expectation of making a profit, but the colonists struggled with poor health, lack of food, and conflicts with the Powhatan Indians. These struggles were compounded by the fact that many were not skilled in agriculture and spent their early efforts on what proved to be fruitless searches for gold and silver. By the winter of 1609-1610, known as "the starving time," the colonists were on the brink of annihilation, only saved by the arrival of a supply ship from England.
Leadership under figures such as John Smith was crucial, as was the eventual cultivation of tobacco by John Rolfe, which became the colony's major cash crop and was central to the colony's eventual economic success. Tobacco required vast tracts of land and a substantial labor force, which led to the development of the plantation system and the introduction of slavery as a significant means of securing the necessary labor.