Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 1 1. Three gold balls is the traditional symbol for pawn shops. Why did most shop signage employ symbols in Samuel's day?

2.

Define: blight (n.)

Chapter 2 3. What is Samuel's real reason for taking the locket?

4.

Why is Samuel doomed?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone 5. List the reasons Rev. Hunt gives for the expedition to Virginia.

6.

Name the three (3) ships that carried the English to Jamestown.

7. Describe the gentlemen problem that Capt. Smith wishes to discuss with Capt. Newport.

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 3 8. Describe Samuel's shipboard experience.

9. What do you think Samuel means when he says that Wingfield will strike with his power, and it will be worse that fists?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 4 10. Describe the route Capt. Newport will take to Virginia.

11. Of what does Wingfield accuse Capt. Smith? How does Smith respond to the charges?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 5 12. Where are the Canary Islands?

13. Though he's still held prisoner, how does Capt. Smith seem to be winning the battle with Wingfield?

14.

Describe their encounter with the Carib Indians.

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone

Chapter 6 15. What lesson does Capt. Smith draw from the beleaguered whale and how does it relate to his own situation?

16. Why does Samuel hesitate when Capt. Smith tries teaching him how to clean a sword? What changes his mind?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 7 17. How does Capt. Smith avoid the gallows?

18. How do the gentlemen show how unprepared they are for survival in the New World?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 8 19. Define: descry (v.)

20. What lesson does Capt. Smith seek to teach Samuel during the storm? How does he do it? Do you think Samuel learned the lesson? Why or why not?

21. How might the settlers' contract with the Virginia Company interfere with their ability to survive in the New World?

22. What does Samuel come to believe about the arms race in the New World? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 9 23. What are Capt. Smith's plans for dealing with the Indians?

24. Why does the Virginia Company order the settlers to write only positive news in their letters home to England?

25.

List the positive features of the settlement's location.

26. Why does Samuel think that, to the Indians, trading food for glass beads is as if they are trading strawberries for rubies and corn for diamonds?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 10 27. Describe Samuel's attempt to save Richard and James during the attack on the encampment.

Chapter 11 28. Why does Samuel blame himself for James' death? Do you think he has good reason? Why or why not?

29. How have the colonists' beliefs about the Indians been based on prejudices? How does their own experiences --- as well as Capt. Newport's report from his reconnaissance mission --- change their minds?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 12 30. How can knowing Algonquian words keep Samuel safer than a sword?

31. Samuel tells the reader that Capt. Newport leaves the colonists in late June, promising to return with fresh stores by October. What, if any, problems, can you foresee with that promise? Why?

32.

How does Rev. Hunt's advice lead Samuel to reveal Master Wingfield's secret?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 13 33. What does the phrase out of the frying pan and into the fire mean? Why do you think Capt. Smith uses it when speaking of Capt. Ratcliffe's elevation to council president?

34.

How does Samuel avoid Henry's revenge after revealing Wingfield's secret?

35.

How does Samuel go about mending his relationship with Richard?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone 36. What efforts do the Powhatans make at peacekeeping?

Chapter 14 37. What misfortune befalls Capt. Smith?

Chapter 15 38. What cowardly act do the gentlemen attempt? How are they thwarted?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone 39. Describe how Capt. Smith wriggles out giving the Great Powhatan the guns he promised him.

40. What new charges do the gentlemen levy against Capt. Smith, and what are their plans for him?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 16 41. Based on what you know about the class hierarchy amongst the settlers, why do you think Rev. Hunt said, I have no authority here?

Chapter 17 42. In this chapter the boys meet Pocahontas. Make a list of characteristics of the historical Pocahontas, as depicted in this chapter, taken from the original records: How old is she? What is her real name? How does she wear her hair? What clothing does she wear? What is her relationship to Captain Smith? How does this compare to the fictional Pocahontas of popular movies?

43. The settlement's stores are destroyed in the fire. Together with the addition of 60 new settlers, what do you think will be the ultimate result of this catastrophe?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 18 44. This chapter, like each in the book, opens with a quotation from a primary source. What are primary sources, and why are they important to the study of history? What drawbacks do primary sources have?

45. Discuss some of the new things Samuel is experiencing as a result of having Namontack coming to live with the colonists.

46. Samuel is shocked to discover that Captain Smiths brush with death at the hands of the Powhatans was actually just a dramatic ritual. Historians still debate the facts of Capt. Smith's rescue. What is the difference between a historical myth and a historical fact? Can you think of another example of myth in American history?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone 47. The Powhatans look at Captain Smith as being one of them now. This has caused Chief Powhatan to take care of the colonists because he considers them one of his tribes. Samuel believes this is a good thing but is worried about what the gentlemen will think if they find out that Chief Powhatan is treating them as one of his tribes. Why is Samuel concerned about this?

48. Namontack sails with those returning to England. Discuss the new things he will see. Coming from a different cultural perspective, what might be his opinion of England?

49. The colonists decide to make John Smith their new council president. What qualifications for the job did Captain Smith have?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 19 50. Discuss Capt. Smith's leadership style, including the directive that he that will not work shall not eat.

51. Two women arrive in the colony. What year is this? Discuss the pros and cons of having women in the colony.

52.

How is the colony planning to try to make a profit now for the Virginia Company?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone 53. When Namontack returns to Virginia from England, Reverend Hunt unsuccessfully attempts to convert him to Christianity. How is this novel a clash of cultural values? Give specific examples of differences between Powhatan and English cultures.

54. What is Capt. Smith's concern regarding the Virginia Company's plan to crown the Great Powhatan a prince of England?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 20 55. What conclusion does Samuel draw from the weapons and armor Capt. Smith is sporting on their trip to see the Great Powhatan? Why?

56.

Compare and contrast housing at the fort and at Werowocomoco.

57. How has Samuel changed his mind about how he feels about the natives? Why has he changed? How have the natives treated him?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 21 58. What is the gist of the Great Powhatan's response to the Virginia Company's invitation?

59. On pages 171172, Samuel says to Reverend Hunt, Thank you for treating me like I was worth something. What does Samuel mean by this? What difference did Reverend Hunt make in Samuels life? How might Samuel have been different without his influence?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 22 60. Life in the Warraskoyack village is very different from life in James Town, and yet in some ways they are similar. Compare and contrast the different parts of each culture (for example: government, economics, recreation, specialization (jobs), customs, religion, etc.)

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone 61. How has Samuel changed by the time Richard, Nathaniel, Henry, Abram, and the others come to the Warraskoyack village?

Chapter 23 62. After reading chapter 23, return to Chief Powhatans words, as quoted at the top of page 186. Discuss the elements of this rich quotation, i.e., taking by force what you may quickly have by love, destroying people who provide you with food, wronging your friends, etc.

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 24 63. Why does Samuel feel that there is a noose closing around James Town? What happens to give him renewed hope?

64. Pretend you are John Smith. Write a paragraph persuading Chief Powhatan to help the colonists survive while you are away seeking medical attention in England.

Chapter 25 65. Captain Smith gives Samuel several gifts before he leaves. Discuss the tangible gift of the beads as well as the intangible gifts of the things that Samuel has learned from Captain Smith.

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone 66. Should Samuel take baby Virginia? Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea? Would it be a decision made out of love?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Chapter 26 67. When the new settlers arrived, what did some of them do to the Indians? How did this cause problems for the whole colony over the next several months? What could the colonists have done differently that might have saved them from the Starving Time?

Chapter 27 68. At first, Samuel's plan to save Anne and Virginia seems to backfire. What changes the situation?

69.How did you feel about the book's ending?

Discussion Questions Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone Post-reading Activity The settlers were not allowed to write letters saying anything bad about what it was like to live in the New World. Yet, as you know from reading this historical novel, the settlers had many problems trying to start a new life in James Town. Imagine that you are a settler and your brother has sent word that he is coming to join you in Virginia. Write him a truthful letter about your experiences in the New World and convince him to stay in England.