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At Jamestown Settlement, replicas of Christopher Newport's 3 ships are docked in the harbor.

Jamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, and was founded on May 13, 1607.^[1] It is commonly regarded as the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts. It was founded by the Virginia Company of London. It became the first capital of the Colony for 92 years, until 1699, when it was relocated to Williamsburg, about 8 miles (13 km) distant. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sketch of Jamestown c. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Sketch of Jamestown c. ... Christopher Newport (c. ... The 1609 charter for the Virginia colony from sea to sea The Virginia Colony refers to the English colony in North America that existed during the 17th and 18th centuries before the American Revolution. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1607 (MDCVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Virginia Company of London Seal The London Company (also called the Charter of the Virginia Company of London) was an English joint stock company established by royal charter by James I on April 10, 1606 with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America. ... Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ...

Jamestown in James City County, Virginia is one of three locations comprising the Historic Triangle, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. Jamestown on the western end of the Historic Triangle offers two areas to visit. Historic Jamestowne, on Jamestown Island, which is a cooperative effort by Jamestown National Historic Site, a part of Colonial National Historical Park, which is a Unit of the National Park Service, and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, commonly known as the APVA, and the Jamestown Settlement, located 1 1/4 mile from the historic location of the colony, which is a Living History interpretive site operated by the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Virginia and established for the 350th anniversary celebrations of Jamestown in 1957. Nearby, the Jamestown Ferry service provides a link across the navigable portion of the James River for vehicles and offers passengers a view of Jamestown Island from the river, which is perhaps not greatly different from what the first colonists saw 400 years earlier. Traveling 11 miles East down the National Park Service's scenic Colonial Parkway visitors can tour Colonial Williamsburg operated by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, site of the second capitol of Virginia. Continuing another 13 miles East down the Colonial Parkway brings visitors to Yorktown where the Historic Triangle offers another two areas to visit. Yorktown Battlefield also a part of Colonial National Historical Park, operated by the National Park Service, which is the site of the actual Battle of Yorktown, featuring the battlefield and several historic structures associated to the battle, and the Yorktown Victory Center, located approximately 1 mile from the battlefield, which is another Living History interpretive site operated by the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation. James City County, Virginia as shown on 1895 map James City County (formally, the County of James City) is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. ... This article reads like an advertisement. ... Colonial National Historical Park preserves various sites associated with colonial Virginia, near Williamsburg and Newport News. ... Sketch of Jamestown c. ... Jamestown Ferry (also known as the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry) is an automobile ferry on the James River in Virginia, connecting Jamestown in James City County with Scotland in Surry County. ... The James River at Cartersville The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is 660 km (410 miles) long including its Jackson River source and drains a watershed comprising 27,019 km² (10,432 square miles). ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Colonial Parkway is a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the 3 popular attractions of Virginias Historic Triangle of colonial-era communities, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. ... Colonial Williamsburg is the historic district of the independent city of Williamsburg, Virginia. ... York Hall is a government building on Yorktowns historic Main Street. ... Colonial National Historical Park preserves various sites associated with colonial Virginia, near Williamsburg and Newport News. ...

Historical overview 1508-1705

Main article: European colonization of the Americas

Location of Jamestown

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. Territories in the Americas colonized or claimed by a European great power in 1750. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 697 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1284 × 1104 pixel, file size: 1,016 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Jamestown, Virginia Metadata This file... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 697 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1284 × 1104 pixel, file size: 1,016 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Jamestown, Virginia Metadata This file... North American redirects here. ... The 1606 grants by James I to the London and Plymouth companies. ...

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. A map of the Colony 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 James River at Cartersville The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is 660 km (410 miles) long including its Jackson River source and drains a watershed comprising 27,019 km² (10,432 square miles). ... James City County, Virginia as shown on 1895 map James City County (formally, the County of James City) is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... KM, Km, or km may stand for: Khmer language (ISO 639 alpha-2, km) Kilometre Kinemantra Meditation Knowledge management KM programming language KM Culture, Korean Movie Maker. ... The Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. ... Nickname: Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: , Country State Government  - Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (I) Area  - City 62. ... James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary... Virginia Company of London Seal The London Company (also called the Charter of the Virginia Company of London) was an English joint stock company established by royal charter by James I on April 10, 1606 with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America. ...

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 and 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). ^[2] Chief Quanah Parker of the Quahadi Comanche Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory which is now encompassed by the continental United States, and their descendants in...

The 3 points of Colonial Virginia'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. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1382x936, 215 KB)Replacement map for JPEG version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1382x936, 215 KB)Replacement map for JPEG version. ... John Smiths Map of Virginia (1612) The Colony of Virginia was the English colony in North America that existed briefly during the 16th century, and continuously from 1607 until the American Revolution. ... This article reads like an advertisement. ... Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... York Hall is a government building on Yorktowns historic Main Street. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Colonial Parkway is a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the 3 popular attractions of Virginias Historic Triangle of colonial-era communities, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. ... Statue at Jamestown VA, photo Aug 2007 Captain/Sir John Smith (1580–June 21, 1631), was an English soldier, sailor, and author. ... Robert Hunt (c. ... This article is about the Virginia colonist. ... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. ... A 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simone van de Passe. ... The Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten) were a very powerful confederacy of Native American tribes, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in what is now Virginia at the time of the first English-Native encounters. ... The Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten) were a very powerful tribe of Native Americans, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in what is now Virginia at the time of the first European-Native encounters. ... Patrick Henry before the House of Burgesses in an 1851 painting by Peter F. The House of Burgesses was the first elected legislative assembly in the New World established in the Colony of Virginia in 1619. ... Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ...

Throughout the 17th century, Jamestown was the capital of the Virginia Colony. Several times during emergencies, 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 Rivers 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. Colonial Williamsburg is the historic district of the independent city of Williamsburg, Virginia. ... York River can refer to: The York River in Virginia in the United States. ... The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. ... The College of William and Mary (also known as William & Mary, W&M or The College) is a small, selective, coeducational public university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. ... Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... William III (14 November 1650 – 8 March 1702) was the Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28 June 1672, King of England and King of Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scots (under the name William II) from...

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. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... The Jamestown Exposition was one of the many worlds fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States early part of the 20th century. ... Hampton Roads, Virginia 1858 Sewells Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. ... This view from space in July 1996 shows portions of each of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads which generally surround the harbor area of Hampton Roads, which framed by the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel visible to the east (right), the Virginia Peninsula subregion to the north (top), and the... Motto: Crescas (Latin for, Thou shalt grow. ...

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and her consort Prince Phillip inspect replica of Susan Constant at Jamestown Festival Park in Virginia on October 16, 1957

Beginning in 1893, 22.5 acres of the Jamestown site were acquired by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. A crucial sea wall was built in 1900 to protect 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. The U.S. National Park Service acquired the remaining 1,500 acres (6.1 km²) of Jamestown Island through eminent domain in 1934. Image File history File links Queen_elizabeth_and_prince_phillip. ... Image File history File links Queen_elizabeth_and_prince_phillip. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Founded in 1889, the Richmond, Virginia-based Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States first statewide historic preservation group. ... A seawall is a form of hard coastal defense that are constructed on the inland part of a coast to reduce the effects of strong waves, typically to defend the coast around a town or harbour from erosion. ... Colonial National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the southeastern part of Virginia, near Williamsburg and Newport News. ... National Historic Site is a designation for a protected area of historic significance. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ...

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. Colonial Parkway is a scenic 23-mile parkway linking the 3 popular attractions of Virginias Historic Triangle of colonial-era communities, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. ... Colonial Williamsburg is the historic district of the independent city of Williamsburg, Virginia. ... York Hall is a government building on Yorktowns historic Main Street. ... This article reads like an advertisement. ... Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and her consort Prince Phillip inspect replica of Susan Constant at Jamestown Festival Park in Virginia on October 16, 1957 Jamestown Festival Park was established at Jamestown, Virginia in 1957 to mark the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown Settlement. ... Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, 10 June 1921)[2] is the husband and consort of Queen Elizabeth II. Originally a royal Prince of Greece and Denmark, Prince Philip renounced these titles shortly before his marriage. ...

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. Sketch of Jamestown c. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Historic Jamestowne is the official name used for promotional purposes for the original site of the 1607 James Fort and the later 17th century city of Jamestown, located on the James River at Jamestown, Virginia. ... Jamestown Rediscovery is an archaeological project of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) investigating the remains of the original Jamestown Settlement established in the Virginia Colony beginning on May 14, 1607. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ...

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. The Virginia state quarter commerates Jamestons quadricentennial. ... Americas 400th Anniversary is commemorating one of the proudest moments of the new century! The very essence of modern America took root on the banks of the James River in 1607, at Jamestown, Virginia . ... Godspeed was one of the three ships of the English East India Company led by Captain Christopher Newport on the voyage which resulted in the founding of Jamestown in the new Colony of Virginia in 1607. ...

Colonizing the New World

History of the Jamestown Settlement 1607-1699

It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. (Discuss)

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

First landing

In December 1606, the Virginia Company of London sent an expedition to establish 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 104 men and boys; 39 of which were the ships' crew . The voyage was uncommonly long; one of the passengers was found dead in the Caribbean . After 144 days, it is recorded that 103 of them finally arrived in the New World;^[3] there were no women on the first ships.^[4] Virginia Company of London Seal The London Company (also called the Charter of the Virginia Company of London) was an English joint stock company established by royal charter by James I on April 10, 1606 with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America. ... The 1609 charter for the Virginia colony from sea to sea The Virginia Colony refers to the English colony in North America that existed during the 17th and 18th centuries before the American Revolution. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Susan Constant was the largest of three ships of the English East India Company led by Captain Christopher Newport on the voyage which resulted in the founding of Jamestown in the new Colony of Virginia in 1607. ... Godspeed was one of the three ships of the English East India Company led by Captain Christopher Newport on the voyage which resulted in the founding of Jamestown in the new Colony of Virginia in 1607. ... Discovery was a 70-ton fly-boat of the English East India Company, launched before 1602. ... The Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. ... Blackwall Frigate Blackwall is an area of the East End of London, situated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

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. Christopher Newport (c. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1607 (MDCVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia. ... Henry Stuart, Prince of Wales Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales (February 19, 1594 - November 6, 1612) was the eldest son of King James VI of Scotland/James I of England and Anne of Denmark. ... Robert Hunt (c. ... Old Cape Henry Lighthouse Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia. ...

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. The 1606 grants by James I to the London and Plymouth companies. ... Statue at Jamestown VA, photo Aug 2007 Captain/Sir John Smith (1580–June 21, 1631), was an English soldier, sailor, and author. ...

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, Template:Jamestown (originally called "James His Towne") were named in honor of King James I. The Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. ... Old Point Comfort is a point of land located in the independent city of Hampton at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads in the United States. ... Motto: Americas First Location in the State of Virginia Coordinates: County Independent City Mayor Ross Kearney II Area    - City 352. ... The James River at Cartersville The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is 660 km (410 miles) long including its Jackson River source and drains a watershed comprising 27,019 km² (10,432 square miles). ... James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary...

Sketch of Jamestown c. 1608

Image File history File links Sketch of the Jamestown fort sent to King Philip III of Spain by his ambassador Zuniga. ... Image File history File links Sketch of the Jamestown fort sent to King Philip III of Spain by his ambassador Zuniga. ...

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. is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1607 (MDCVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Jamestown was a village on an island in the James River in Virginia, about 45 miles southeast of where Richmond, Virginia, is now. ... The 1606 grants by James I to the London and Plymouth companies. ... Map of Dutch Republic by Joannes Janssonius United Netherlands redirects here. ... The James River at Cartersville The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is 660 km (410 miles) long including its Jackson River source and drains a watershed comprising 27,019 km² (10,432 square miles). ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... The Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten) were a very powerful tribe of Native Americans, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in what is now Virginia at the time of the first European-Native encounters. ...

The settlers came ashore, and quickly set about constructing their initial fort. Within 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.^[5]

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 didn't occupy the site, and the inhospitable conditions severely challenged the settlers. Jamestown Island is a swampy 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 mosquitoes, other airborne pests and the brackish water of the tidal James River was not a good source of drinking water. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Mosquito (disambiguation). ... Brackish redirects here. ... This article is about tides in the Earths oceans. ...

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". Many suffered from saltwater poisoning which led to infection, fevers and dysentery. As a result of these conditions, most of the early settlers died of disease and starvation. Dysentery (formerly known as flux or the bloody flux) is frequent, small-volume, severe diarrhea that shows blood in the feces along with intestinal cramping and tenesmus (painful straining to pass stool). ...

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. Look up fortnight in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is iron sulfide, FeS2. ...

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. [1]

Those named for the initial Council were (alphabetically):

• Bartholomew Gosnold, Captain of the Godspeed
• Christopher Newport, Captain of the Susan Constant, later of the Sea Venture
• George Kendall
• John Martin (later founder of Martin's Brandon Plantation)
• George Percy, later two-time president of the council
• John Ratcliffe, Captain of the Discovery, second President of the Council
• John Smith, third President of the Council, and author of many books from the period.
• Edward Maria Wingfield, first President of the Council at Jamestown

The Council received additional members from the First and Second Supply missions brought by Captain Newport. These were: Bartholomew Gosnold (1572 - August 22, 1607) was an English lawyer, explorer, and privateer. ... Godspeed may refer to: Godspeed - a term used to express respect and good will when addressing someone, typically someone about to go on a journey or a daring endeavor. ... Christopher Newport (c. ... Susan Constant was the largest of three ships of the English East India Company led by Captain Christopher Newport on the voyage which resulted in the founding of Jamestown in the new Colony of Virginia in 1607. ... The coat of arms of Bermuda features a representation of the wreck of the Sea Venture The Sea Venture was a 17th-century English sailing ship, the wrecking of which in Bermuda is widely thought to have been the inspiration for Shakespeares The Tempest. ... Capt. ... Lower Brandon Plantation (or simply Brandon Plantation), on the James River in present-day Prince George County, Virginia, was owned by the Harrison family from 1700-1926. ... George Percy (September 4, ???1588) - 1631 was an English explorer and author. ... John Ratcliffe (died September 1609) was captain of the Discovery, one of three boats that sailed from England on December 19, 1606 to Virginia, to found a colony, arriving May 14, 1607. ... Discovery was a 70-ton fly-boat of the English East India Company, launched before 1602. ... Statue at Jamestown VA, photo Aug 2007 Captain/Sir John Smith (1580–June 21, 1631), was an English soldier, sailor, and author. ... Edward Maria Wingfield (born around 1560 in Stoneley (Huntingdonshire); died after 1613) was a soldier and English colonist in America. ...

• Matthew Scrivner (First Supply)
• Peter Winne (Second Supply)
• Richard Waldo (Second Supply)

Also notable among the first settlers was:

• Robert Hunt, chaplain

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. Robert Hunt (c. ... A chaplain in the 45th Infantry Division leads a Christmas Day service in Italy, 1943. ...

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. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is iron sulfide, FeS2. ...

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

On October 1, 1608, a company of settlers arrived aboard the English vessel Mary and Margaret with the Second Supply. The journey took roughly three months. The company recruited these as skilled craftsmen and industry specialists: soap-ash, glass, lumber milling (wainscot, clapboard, and ‘deal’ – planks, especially soft wood planks) and naval stores (pitch, turpentine, and tar). Among these additional settlers were eight "Dutch-men" ( consisted of unnamed craftsmen and three who were probably the wood-mill-men--Adam, Franz and Samuel) "Dutch-men" probably meaning German or German-speakers)^[6], and Polish craftsmen, who had been hired by the Virginia Company of London's leaders to help develop manufacture profitable export products. There has been debate about the nationality of the specific craftsmen, and both the Germans and Poles claim the glassmaker for one of their own, but the evidence is insufficient.^[7] Ethnicity is further complicated by the fact that the German minority in Royal Prussia lived under Polish control during this period.

William Volday/Wilhelm Waldi, a Swiss German mineral prospector, was also among those who arrived in 1608. His mission was seeking a silver reservoir that was believed to be within the proximity of Jamestown.^[8] Some of the settlers were artisans who built a glass furnace which became the first factory in America. Additional craftsmen produced soap, pitch, and wood building supplies. Among all of these were the first made-in-America products to be exported to Europe.^[9] However, despite all these efforts, profits from exports were not sufficient to meet the expenses and expectations of the investors back in England, and no silver or gold had been discovered, as earlier hoped.

Virginia Company of London's unrealistic expectations

The investors of the Virginia Company of London expected to reap rewards from their speculative investments. With the Second Supply, they expressed their frustrations and made demands upon the leaders of Jamestown in written form. They specifically demanded that the colonists send commodities sufficient to pay the cost of the voyage, a lump of gold, assurance that they had found the South Sea, and one member of the lost Roanoke Colony. Lost Colony redirects here. ...

It fell to the third president of the Council to deliver a reply. By this time, Wingfield and Ratcliffe had been replaced by John Smith. Ever bold, Smith delivered what must have been a wake-up call to the investors in London. In what has been termed "Smith's Rude Answer", he composed a letter, writing (in part):

"When you send againe I entreat you rather send but thirty Carpenters, husbandmen, gardiners, fishermen, blacksmiths, masons and diggers up of trees, roots, well provided; than a thousand of such awe have: for except wee be able both to lodge them and feed them, the most will consume with want of necessaries before they can be made good for anything." [2]

Smith did begin his letter with something of an apology, saying "I humbly intreat your Pardons if I offend you with my rude Answer..." [3], although it should be noted that at the time, the word 'rude' was acknowledged to mean 'unfinished' or 'rural', in the same way modern English uses 'rustic'.

There are strong indications that those in London comprehended and embraced Smith's message. Their Third Supply mission was by far the largest and best equipped. They even had a new purpose-built flagship constructed, the Sea Venture, placed in the most experienced of hands, Christopher Newport. With a fleet of no fewer than eight ships, the Third Supply, led by the Sea Venture, left Plymouth in June, 1609. The Third Supply was the first truly successful wave of colonization, in the first British settlement in the Americas; Jamestown, Virginia. ... The coat of arms of Bermuda features a representation of the wreck of the Sea Venture The Sea Venture was a 17th-century English sailing ship, the wrecking of which in Bermuda is widely thought to have been the inspiration for Shakespeares The Tempest. ... This article is about the city in England. ...

On the subject of the Virginia Company, it is notable that, throughout its existence, Sir Edwin Sandys, was a leading force. He, of course, also hoped for profits, but also his goals included a permanent colony which would enlarge English territory, relieve the nation's overpopulation, and expand the market for English goods. He is closely identified with a faction of the company led by Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. Although profits proved elusive for their investors, the visions for the Colony of Sir Edwin Sandys and the Earl of Southampton were eventually accomplished. Sir Edwin Sandys Sir Edwin Sandys (9 December 1561 – October 1629) was a British statesman and one of the founders of the proprietary Virginia Company of London, which in 1607 established the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States in the colony of Virginia, based at... Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, 1603, in the Tower, atrributed to John de Critz. ...

Jamestown under John Smith's leadership

Main article: John Smith of Jamestown

While president of the colony, Smith did considerable exploration up the Chesapeake Bay and along the various rivers. He is credited by legend with naming Stingray Point (near present-day Deltaville in Middlesex County for an incident there). Statue at Jamestown VA, photo Aug 2007 Captain/Sir John Smith (1580–June 21, 1631), was an English soldier, sailor, and author. ... The Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. ... Stingray Point is a small community on the Chesapeake Bay near unincorporated Town of Deltaville in Middlesex County, Virginia. ... Fireworks at the Deltaville Ballpark on Heritage Day Deltaville is a small village on the eastern tip of Middlesex County in the eastern part of the U. S. state of Virginia. ... Middlesex County is a county located on the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia. ...

Smith was also seeking a supply of food for the colonists, and he successfully traded for food with the Native American Nansemonds, who were located along the Nansemond River in the modern-day City of Suffolk. However, when he later led another food-gathering expedition, this time up the Chickahominy River west of Jamestown, his men were set upon by Powhatan Indians. As his party was being slaughtered around him, Smith strapped his Indian guide in front of him as a shield and escaped with his life but was captured by Opechancanough, the Powhatan chief's half-brother. Smith gave him a compass which pleased the warrior and made him decide to let Smith live. A Nansemond family from Norfolk County, VA at the beginning of the 20th century. ... The Nansemond River is a tributary of the James River in the U.S. state of Virginia. ... Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Founded 1742 Government  - Mayor Linda T. Johnson Area  - City  429. ... Chickahominy also known as the Chick is a river in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia, near which several battles of the United States Civil War were fought in 1862 and 1864. ... Opechancanough or Opchanacanough was a chief of the Powhatan tribe, becoming chief after his older brother, Wahunsonacock, died. ...

Smith was taken before Wahunsunacock, who was commonly referred to as Chief Powhatan, at the Powhatan Confederacy's seat of government at Werowocomoco on the York River. However, when the chief decided to execute him, this course of action was (as related by Smith) stopped by the pleas of Chief Powhatan's young daughter, Pocahontas, who was originally named Matoaka but whose nickname meant "Playful One." The Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten) were a very powerful confederacy of Native American tribes, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in what is now Virginia at the time of the first English-Native encounters. ... The Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten) were a very powerful tribe of Native Americans, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in what is now Virginia at the time of the first European-Native encounters. ... Chief Powhatan in a longhouse at Werowocomoco (detail of John Smith map, 1612) Werowocomoco was the chief village of the Powhatan Confederacy of the Native American tribes, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in what is now Virginia at the time of the first English-Native encounters during the establishment... The York River is a navigable estuary, approximately 40 mi (64 km) long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. ... A 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simone van de Passe. ... A 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simon van de Passe, the only portrait of Pocahontas made within her lifetime. ...

After returning to his duties in Jamestown, Smith was wounded in an accident. He was walking with his gun in the river, and the powder was in a pouch on his belt. His powder bag exploded. In the fall of 1609, he was sent back to England for medical treatment. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

While back in England, Smith wrote A True Relation and The Proceedings of the English Colony of Virginia about his experiences in Jamestown. These books, whose accuracy has been questioned by some historians due to some extent by Smith's boastful prose, were to generate public interest and new investment for the colony.

Pocahontas

Main article: Pocahontas

Although The Native American Princess Pocahontas's life would be largely tied to the English after saving Smith's life around 1607 to 1608, her contacts with Smith himself were minimal. However, she became something of an emissary. During the winter of 1608 following an almost complete destruction of the colony by flames, Pocahontas brought food and clothing to the colonists. She later negotiated with Smith for the release of Native Americans who had been captured by the colonists during a raid to gain English weaponry. A 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simone van de Passe. ... A 1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simone van de Passe. ...

In March, 1613, Pocahontas was residing at Passapatanzy, a village of the Patawomecks, a Native American tribe which did some trading with Powhatans. They lived in present-day Stafford County on the Potomac River near Fredericksburg, about 65 miles (105 km) from Werowocomoco. She was kidnapped by English colonists, and transported about 90 miles (140 km) south to the English settlement at Henricus on the James River. There, Pocahontas converted to Christianity and took the name "Rebecca" under the tutelage of Reverend Alexander Whitaker who had arrived in Jamestown in 1611. She married John Rolfe, who was a colonist of Jamestown in order to improve relations with the Native Americans and the colonists. When John Rolfe and Rebecca{Pocahontas} went to England to raise money for the colonists she caught smallpox and died. The Patawomeck is a tribe of American Indians based in Stafford County, Virginia, along the Potomac River (Patawomeck is another spelling of Potomac). ... Stafford County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, Commonwealth — of Virginia. ... The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City* Founded 1728 Incorporated 1781 Government  - Mayor Thomas Tomzak Area  - City  10. ... The Citie of Henricus was a city founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 as an alternative to the swampy and dangerous area around Jamestown Settlement, Virginia. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Alexander Whitaker (1585-1616) was a Christian theologian, who settled in Virginia Colony in 1611, and established two churches near the Jamestown colony. ...

The Starving Time

The Starving Time at Jamestown in the Virginia Colony occurred during the winter of 1609–10. Only 60 of 214 English colonists survived.

The colonists, the first group of whom had originally arrived at Jamestown on May 14, 1607, had never planned to grow all of their own food. Instead, their plans also depended upon trade with the local Native Americans to supply them with enough food between the arrival of periodic supply ships from England, upon which they also relied.

This period of extreme hardship for the colonists began in 1609 with a drought which caused their already limited farming activities to produce even fewer crops than usual. Then, there were problems with both of their other sources for food.

An unexpected delay occurred during the Virginia Company of London's Third Supply mission from England due to a major hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. A large portion of the food and supplies had been aboard the new flagship Sea Venture which became shipwrecked at Bermuda and separated from the other ships, seven of which arrived at the colony with even more new colonists to feed.

The impending hardship was further compounded by the loss of their most skillful leader in dealing with the Powhatan Confederacy in trading for food: Captain John Smith. He became injured that summer in a gunpowder accident, and was forced to return to England for medical attention in October 1609. After Smith left, Chief Powhatan severely curtailed trading with the colonists for food. Neither the missing Sea Venture nor any other supply ship arrived as winter set upon the 500 inhabitants of the young colony in late 1609.

When the survivors of the shipwreck of the third supply mission's flagship, the Sea Venture, arrived at Jamestown the following May 23 in two makeshift ships they had constructed while stranded on Bermuda for nine months, they found fewer than 100 colonists still alive, and many of those were sick. Worse yet, the Bermuda survivors had brought few supplies and only a small amount of food with them, expecting to find a thriving colony at Jamestown.

Thus, even with the arrival of the two small ships from Bermuda under Captain Christopher Newport, they were faced with abandoning Jamestown and returning to England. On June 7, 1610, both groups of survivors (from Jamestown and Bermuda) boarded ships, and they all set sail down the James River towards the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Shortly after they had abandoned Jamestown, they met another fleet of three supply ships arriving from England, commanded by a new governor, Thomas West, Baron De La Warr. The two groups met on the James River on June 9, 1610 near Mulberry Island (adjacent to present-day Fort Eustis in Newport News).

With the new supply mission, Governor West, known in modern times as "Lord Delaware", brought additional colonists, a doctor, food, and much-needed supplies. He also was of a strong determination that Jamestown and the colony were not to be abandoned. He turned the departing ships around and brought the entire group back to Jamestown. This was certainly not a popular decision at the time with at least some of the group, but Lord Delaware was to prove a new kind of leader for Virginia.

Included in those returning to Jamestown was a colonist whose wife and child had died during the shipwreck of the Sea Venture and the time at Bermuda. A businessman, he had with him some seeds for a new strain of tobacco and also some untried marketing ideas. That colonist was John Rolfe. Despite his misfortune to that point, history records that he would change the future of the colony as much as Lord Delaware's timely arrival had.

Third Supply: Fateful voyage of the Sea Venture

Sylvester Jordain's "A Discovery of the Barmudas".

Main articles: Third Supply and Sea Venture

The Sea Venture was the new flagship of the Virginia Company. Leaving England in 1609, and leading this Third Supply to Jamestown as "Vice Admiral" and commanding the Sea Venture, Christopher Newport was in charge of a nine-vessel fleet. Aboard the flagship Sea Venture was the Admiral of the Company, Sir George Somers, Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Gates, William Strachey and other notable personages in the early history of English colonization in North America. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (977x1449, 642 KB) Cover of Sylvester Jordains A Discovery of the Barmudas, a first-hand narrative of the loss of the Sea Venture, the flagship of the Virginia Company, on the reefs of Bermuda, and the adventures of its survivors. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (977x1449, 642 KB) Cover of Sylvester Jordains A Discovery of the Barmudas, a first-hand narrative of the loss of the Sea Venture, the flagship of the Virginia Company, on the reefs of Bermuda, and the adventures of its survivors. ... The Third Supply was the first truly successful wave of colonization, in the first British settlement in the Americas; Jamestown, Virginia. ... The coat of arms of Bermuda features a representation of the wreck of the Sea Venture The Sea Venture was a 17th-century English sailing ship, the wrecking of which in Bermuda is widely thought to have been the inspiration for Shakespeares The Tempest. ... The coat of arms of Bermuda features a representation of the wreck of the Sea Venture The Sea Venture was a 17th-century English sailing ship, the wrecking of which in Bermuda is widely thought to have been the inspiration for Shakespeares The Tempest. ... Christopher Newport (c. ... Admiral Sir George Somers (1554-1610) was a British naval hero. ... Thomas Sovereign Gates, Jr. ... William Strachey (1572-1621) was an English writer and barrister, whose writings are among the primary sources for the history the English colonization of North America, and as one of the only narratives describing Powhatan society. ...

While at sea, the fleet encountered a strong storm , perhaps a hurricane, which lasted for three days. The Sea Venture and one other ship were separated from the seven other vessels of the fleet. The Sea Venture was deliberately driven onto the reefs of Bermuda to prevent her sinking. The 150 passengers and crew members were all landed safely but the ship was now permanently damaged.

The Sea Venture's longboat was fitted with a mast and sent to find Virginia but it and its crew were never seen again. The remaining survivors spent nine months on Bermuda building two smaller ships, the Deliverance and Patience from Bermuda cedar and materials salvaged from the Sea Venture. Binomial name Juniperus bermudiana L. The Bermuda cedar (Juniperus bermudiana) is a species of juniper tree native to the British overseas territory of Bermuda. ...

Leaving two men at Bermuda to maintain England's claim to the archipelago, the remainder sailed to Jamestown, finally arriving on May 23, 1610. They found the Virginia Colony in ruins and practically abandoned. Of 500 settlers who had preceded them to Jamestown, they found fewer than 100 survivors, with many of those sick or dying. It was decided to abandon the colony and on June 7, everyone was placed aboard the ships to return to England. is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events January 7 - Galileo Galilei discovers the Galilean moons of Jupiter. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Renewed interest, Lord De La Warr and more supplies

During the same period that the Sea Venture suffered its misfortune and its survivors were struggling in Bermuda to continue on to Virginia, back in England, the publication of Captain John Smith's books of his adventures in Virginia sparked a resurgence in interest in the colony. This helped lead to the dispatch in early 1610 of additional colonists, a doctor, supplies, and a new governor, Thomas West, Baron De La Warr. Thomas West, 3rd (or 12th) Baron De La Warr (July 9, 1577 - June 7, 1618), was the Englishman for whom the state, river, and American Indian tribe called Delaware (in the United States) were named. ...

On June 9, 1610, Lord De La Warr and his party arrived on the James River shortly after the Deliverance and