What were some of the hardships the initial colonists endured?

The greatest
hardship the earliest colonists faced was fear. They were outnumbered in a new land. Upon first
arrival, the first colonists had to find sources of food and water. In the case of the Pilgrims,
they found Native American caches of food. In the case of Jamestown, they found water, but they
located their colony in a tidal swamp that was a breeding ground for mosquitoes. As a result,
many of the original colonists of Jamestown died of mosquito-borne diseases, while many of the
earliest settlers of Plymouth died from malnutrition and exposure to the elements.

There was also the hardship of ensuring proper governance. Jamestown looked to John
Smith in order to build a stockade and plant valuable tobacco. The Pilgrims created the
Mayflower Compact, the first attempt at self-governance in the Americas. Without proper
governance, there would be no way to ensure law and order, and no colony would survive the
stresses of being in a new land without some sort of security.

There was also
worry about the Native Americans in the area. The Native Americans initially outnumbered all of
the colonists. There were fears of these people. Initially the colonists got along and traded
with the Native Americans; it was not until the colonies sought to expand and take more land
that conflict occurred.