Following the death of Chief Powhatan, the native Powhatan Confederacy launched a major attack in 1622, killing hundreds of settlers and setting the stage for decades of conflict.

The series begins in 1619, 12 years after the colony was established, and focuses on the arrival of women who were brought to the settlement to marry the men who founded it.

A period when the settlers ran out of food and were forced to eat leather and horses.

It has received praise for its production design, successfully capturing the harsh, "dirt" of the Virginia landscape.

To better understand the world of the show, here is the real history behind the setting: