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, replicas of Christopher Newport 's 3 ships are docked in the harbor.]] Located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony , was founded on May 14 , 1607 . Jamestown is commonly regarded as the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following many earlier failed attempts. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 1607-2007 See Also: European colonization of the Americas During the 16th and 17th centuries, various European countries competed to establish colonies in the portion of the "New World" we presently know as North America . One of the English attempts, a competitive effort by two proprietary arms of the Virginia Company , resulted in the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown in 1607. ''For more information about other settlements in North America by England and other countries, both successful and failed, and maps showing lands originally considered to be part of "Virginia" by the English, see article Colony And Dominion Of Virginia .'' Jamestown (originally also called "James Towne" or "Jamestowne") is located on the James River in what is currently James City County in the Commonwealth Of Virginia . The site is about 40 miles (62 Km ) inland from the Atlantic Ocean and the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay and about 45 miles (70 km) downstream and southeast of the current state capital city of Richmond . Both the river and the settlement were named for King James I Of England , who was on the throne at the time, granted the private proprietorship to the Virginia Company Of London 's enterprise. The location at Jamestown Island was selected primarily because it offered a favorable strategic defensive position against other European forces which might approach by water. However, the colonists soon discovered that the swampy and isolated site was plagued by mosquitoes, tidal river water unsuitable for drinking, and offered limited opportunities for hunting and little space for farming. The area was also inhabited by Native Americans (American Indians). Horn, James. A Land as God Made It 2005 ISBN 978-0465030941 's Historic Triangle , Jamestown, Williamsburg , and Yorktown are linked by the National Park Service 's scenic Colonial Parkway .'']] Despite inspired leadership of John Smith , chaplain Robert Hunt and others, starvation, hostile relations with the Indians, and lack of profitable exports all threatened the survival of the Colony in the early years as the settlers and the Virginia Company of London each struggled. However, colonist John Rolfe introduced a strain of Tobacco which was successfully exported in 1612, and the financial outlook for the colony became more favorable. Two years later, Rolfe married the young Indian woman Pocahontas , daughter of Wahunsunacock , Chief of the Powhatan Confederacy , and a period of relative peace with the Natives followed. In 1616, the Rolfes made a public relations trip to England, where Pocahontas was received as visiting royalty. Changes by the Virginia Company which became effective in 1619 attracted additional investments, also sowing the first seeds of democracy in the process with a locally-elected body which became the House Of Burgesses , the first such representative legislative body in the New World . Throughout the 17th century, Jamestown was the capital of the Virginia Colony. Several times during contingencies, the seat of government for the colony was shifted temporarily to nearby Middle Plantation , a fortified location on the high ridge approximately equidistant from the James and York River s on the Virginia Peninsula . Shortly after the Colony was finally granted a long-desired charter and established the new College Of William And Mary at Middle Plantation, the capital of the Colony was permanently relocated nearby. In 1699, the new capital town was renamed Williamsburg , in honor of the current British king, William III . After the capital was relocated, Jamestown began a gradual loss of prominence and eventually reverted to a few large farms. It again became a significant point for control of the James River during the American Civil War (1861–1865), and then slid back into seeming oblivion. Even the Jamestown Exposition of 1907 was held elsewhere, at a more accessible location at Sewell's Point , on Hampton Roads near Norfolk . on October 16 , 1957 '']] However, beginning in 1893, a combination of donations and federal funds resulted in the acquisition of Jamestown Island by the Association For The Preservation Of Virginia Antiquities and the U.S. National Park Service . A crucial Sea Wall protected the shoreline near the site of James Fort from further erosion. In the 1930s, the Colonial National Historical Park was established to protect and administer Jamestown, which was designated a National Historic Site . For the 350th anniversary in 1957, Jamestown itself was the site of renewed interest and a huge celebration. The National Park Service provided new access with the completion of the Colonial Parkway which led to Williamsburg, home of the restored capital of Colonial Williamsburg , and then on to Yorktown , the other two portions of Colonial Virginia's Historic Triangle . Major projects such as the Jamestown Festival Park were developed by non-profit, state and federal agencies. Queen Elizabeth II Of Great Britain and Prince Philip attended. The 1957 event was a great success. Tourism became continuous with attractions regularly updated and enhanced. The two major attractions at Jamestown are separate, but complementary to each other. The state-sponsored Jamestown Settlement near the entrance to Jamestown Island includes a recreated English Fort and Native American Village, extensive indoor and outdoor displays, and features the three popular replica ships. On Jamestown Island itself, the National Park Service operates ''' Historic Jamestowne '''. Over a million artifacts have been recovered by the Jamestown Rediscovery project with ongoing Archaeological work, including a number of exciting recent discoveries. Early in the 21st century, in preparation for the Jamestown 2007 event commemorating America's 400th Anniversary , new accommodations, transportation facilities and attractions were planned. The celebration began in the Spring of 2006 with the sailing of a new replica '' Godspeed '' to six major East Coast U.S. cities, where several hundred thousand people viewed it. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip joined America's festivities on an official state visit to Jamestown in May 2007. COLONIZING THE NEW WORLD HISTORY OF THE JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT 1607-1699 First landing In December 1606, the Virginia Company Of London sent an expedition to found a settlement in the Virginia Colony which became Jamestown. After an unusually lengthy trip sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from England , the three ships, the '' Susan Constant '' (sometimes known as the ''Sarah Constant''), the '' Godspeed '', and the '' Discovery '' (smallest of the three) reached the New World at the southern edge of the mouth of what is now known as the Chesapeake Bay . The ships left Blackwall , now part of London , with 144 men and boys; 39 of which were the ships's crew . The voyage was uncommonly long; one of the passengers was found dead in the Carribean . After 144 days, it is recorded that 143 of them finally arrived in the New World;1 there were no women on the first ships.2 Led by Captain Christopher Newport , they made landfall on April 26 , 1607 and named the location Cape Henry , in honor of Henry Frederick, Prince Of Wales , the eldest son of King James. Upon landing, Chaplain Robert Hunt offered a prayer and they set up a cross near the site of the current Cape Henry Memorial . This site came to be known as the "first landing." A party of the men explored the area and had a minor conflict with some Native Americans. Exploration, seeking a site Sealed orders from the Virginia Company were opened which named Captain John Smith as a member of the governing Council. Smith had been arrested for mutiny on the voyage over by Christopher Newport and was incarcerated aboard one of the ships and had been scheduled to be hanged upon arrival, but was later freed by Captain Newport after the opening of the orders. The same orders also directed them to seek an inland site for their settlement which would afford protection from enemy ships. Therefore, the group re-boarded their three ships and proceeded into the Chesapeake Bay landing again at what is now called Old Point Comfort in the City Of Hampton . In the following days, the ships ventured inland upstream along the James River seeking a suitable location for their settlement as defined in their orders. The James River and the initial settlement they sought to establish, Jamestown (originally called "James His Towne") were named in honor of King James I . ]] Selecting Jamestown Arriving on May 14 , 1607 , the colonists chose Jamestown Island for their settlement largely because the Virginia Company advised them to select a location that could be easily defended from ocean-going navies of the other European states that were also establishing New World colonies and were periodically at war with England, notably the Dutch Republic , France and especially Spain . The island fit the criteria as it had excellent visibility up and down what is today called the James River and it was far enough inland to minimize the potential of contact and conflict with enemy ships. The water immediately adjacent to the land was deep enough to permit the colonists to anchor their ships yet have an easy and quick departure if necessary. An additional benefit of the site was that the land was not occupied by Native Americans , most of whom in the area were affiliated with the Powhatan Confederacy . The settlers came ashore, and quickly set about constructing their initial fort. With a month, James Fort covered an acre on Jamestown Island, although it burned the following year. The wooden palisaded walls formed a triangle around a storehouse, church, and a number of houses. History of Jamestown Explanation: island vs peninsula Jamestown is often referred to as an island. During periods of the past 400 years, it has been joined by a narrow land bridge (or "isthmus") to the mainland; at other times, the flow and fluctuations of the James River severed and recreated the connection, thus perhaps the confusion in definition. Although it is technically a peninsula when thus connected, functionally, in many ways, Jamestown throughout the past 400 years has been an island. Largely cut off from the mainland's typical game and wildlife by natural forces, the shallow harbor afforded the earliest settlers docking of their ships. This was its great attraction, one which came at the price of other far less favorable conditions. Challenges of the location It soon became apparent why the Native Americans did not occupy the site, and the inhospitable conditions severely challenged the settlers. Jamestown Island is a Swamp y area, and furthermore, it was isolated from most potential hunting game such as deer and bears which like to forage over much larger areas. The settlers quickly hunted and killed off all the large and smaller game that was to be found on the tiny peninsula. The low, marshy area was infested with Mosquito es and other airborne pests and the Brackish Water of the Tidal James River was not a good source of drinking water. The settlers who came over on the initial three ships were not well-equipped for the life they found in Jamestown. In addition to the "gentlemen", who were not accustomed to manual or skilled labor, they consisted mainly of English farmers and "Eight Dutchmen and Poles" hired in . As a result of these conditions, most of the early settlers died of disease and starvation. Despite the immediate area of Jamestown being uninhabited, the settlers were attacked, less than a Fortnight after their arrival on May 14 , by Paspahegh Indians who succeeded in killing one of the settlers and wounding eleven more. By June 15 , the settlers finished the initial triangle James Fort. A week later, Newport sailed back for London on the ''Susan Constant'' with a load of Pyrite ("fools' gold") and other supposedly precious minerals, leaving the tiny ''Discovery'' behind for the use of the colonists. Newport returned twice from England with additional supplies in the following 18 months, leading what were termed the First and Second Supply missions. Original Council, notables of Jamestown in 1607 King James I had outlined the members of the Council to govern the settlement in the sealed orders which left London with the colonists in 1606. {Link without Title} Those named for the initial Council were (alphabetically):
The Council received additional members from the First and Second Supply missions brought by Captain Newport. These were:
Also notable among the first settlers was: Chaplain Hunt gave the first prayer at Cape Henry on April 26, 1607, and held open-air services at Jamestown until shelter and a more appropriate church were built there. First and Second Supply missions to Jamestown A week after the initial Fort at Jamestown was completed, Newport sailed back for London in June 1607 on the ''Susan Constant'' with a load of Pyrite ("fools' gold") and other supposedly precious minerals, leaving behind 104 colonists, and the tiny ''Discovery'' for the use of the colonists. Newport returned twice from England with additional supplies in the following 18 months, leading what was termed the First and Second Supply missions. The "First Supply" arrived on January 2, 1608. Again, it contained insufficient provisions and 70 new colonists. Likewise, Newport's "Second Supply" brought 70 more settlers, including some craftsmen, but added little to the welfare of the colony. Despite original intentions to grow food and trade with the Native Americans, the barely surviving colonists became dependent upon the supply missions. First non-English settlers |
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