Where did the Jamestown Colony settle?
The Jamestown Colony settled on the banks of Virginia's James River in 1607 and founded the first permanent English settlement in North America.
What happened in the Jamestown Colony?
Jamestown Colony 1 English Settlement in the New World. Settlers landing on the site of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America. 2 Surviving the First Years. ... 3 Growth of the Colony. ... 4 Powhatans After Pocahontas. ...
What should you know when you visit Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne?
Here’s what you should know when you visit Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne. Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the site of the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
How did the Jamestown settlement end?
Sir Thomas Gates, the newly named governor, found Jamestown in shambles with the palisades of the fort torn down, gates off their hinges, and food stores running low. The decision was made to abandon the settlement.
Was Jamestown a permanent settlement?
Settlers landing on the site of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America. After Christopher Columbus' historic voyage in 1492, Spain dominated the race to establish colonies in the Americas, while English efforts, such as the “lost colony” of Roanoke, met with failure.
How long did the original journey to Jamestown take?
In April 1607, the expedition reached the southern edge of the mouth of what is now known as Chesapeake Bay. After an unusually long journey of more than four months, the 104 men and boys (one passenger of the original 105 died during the journey) arrived at their chosen settlement spot in Virginia.
How many settlers survived at the end of 1607?
Only 60 of 500 colonists survived the period, now known as “the starving time.” Historians have never determined exactly why so many perished, although disease, famine (spurred by the worst drought in 800 years, as climate records indicate), and Indian attacks took their toll.
What are 3 facts about Jamestown?
10 Things You May Not Know About the Jamestown ColonyThe original settlers were all men. ... Drinking water likely played a role in the early decimation of the settlement. ... Bodies were buried in unmarked graves to conceal the colony's decline in manpower. ... The settlers resorted to cannibalism during the “starving time.”More items...•
Was Jamestown a success or a failure?
Despite the introduction of tobacco cultivation, the colony was a failure as a financial venture. The king declared the Virginia Company bankrupt in 1624. About 200,000 pounds were lost among the investors.
Who burned down Jamestown?
Nathaniel BaconNathaniel Bacon and his army of rebels torch Jamestown, the capital of the Virginia colony, on September 19, 1676. This event took place during Bacon's Rebellion, a civil war that pitted Bacon's followers against Virginia governor Sir William Berkeley.
Why did Jamestown fail?
Jamestown is doomed from the start: The colonists settle on a marshy island with no fresh water, where crops fail and malaria flourishes. Two years after its founding, the desperate colony of Jamestown still cannot feed itself. Already this is the third expedition sent to Virginia – a third emergency rescue mission.
Why was Jamestown abandoned?
What followed was Jamestown's darkest hour, the “starving time” winter of 1609-10. About 300 settlers crowded into James Fort when the Indians set up a siege, and only 60 settlers survived to the next spring. The survivors decided to bury the fort's ordinance and abandon the town.
What ultimately saved the Jamestown colony?
John Smith saved the colony from starvation. He told colonists that they must work in order to eat. John Rolfe had the colony plant and harvest tobacco, which became a cash crop and was sold to Europe. What was the crop that was sold to Europe for Jamestown to make a profit (make money)?
What is Jamestown called now?
In 1676, Jamestown was deliberately burned during Bacon's Rebellion, though it was quickly rebuilt. In 1699, the colonial capital was moved to what is today Williamsburg, Virginia; Jamestown ceased to exist as a settlement, and remains today only as an archaeological site, Jamestown Rediscovery.
Who were the 1st settlers in America?
Five hundred years before Columbus, a daring band of Vikings led by Leif Eriksson set foot in North America and established a settlement.
Where was Jamestown located?
Full Article. Jamestown Colony, first permanent English settlement in North America, located near present-day Williamsburg, Virginia. Established on May 14, 1607, the colony gave England its first foothold in the European competition for the New World, which had been dominated by the Spanish since the voyages of Christopher Columbus in ...
When did the first mass casualties of the colony take place?
The first mass casualties of the colony took place in August 1607, when a combination of bad water from the river, disease-bearing mosquitoes, and limited food rations created a wave of dysentery, severe fevers, and other serious health problems.
What were the causes of the first mass casualties in the colony?
The first mass casualties of the colony took place in August 1607, when a combination of bad water from the river, disease-bearing mosquitoes, and limited food rations created a wave of dysentery, severe fevers, and other serious health problems. Numerous colonists died, and at times as few as five able-bodied settlers were left to bury the dead. In the aftermath, three members of the council—John Smith, John Martin, and John Ratcliffe—acted to eject Edward-Maria Wingfield from his presidency on September 10. Ratcliffe took Wingfield’s place. It was apparently a lawful transfer of power, authorized by the company’s rules that allowed the council to remove the president for just cause.
How many ships did the colonists sail on?
A contingent of approximately 105 colonists departed England in late December 1606 in three ships—the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery —under the command of Christopher Newport. They reached Chesapeake Bay on April 26, 1607.
What were the relations between the colonists and the Native Americans?
The colonists’ relations with the local tribes were mixed from the beginning. The two sides conducted business with each other, the English trading their metal tools and other goods for the Native Americans ’ food supplies. At times the Indians showed generosity in providing gifts of food to the colony.
What was the purpose of the Virginia Company in 1608?
In accord with the Virginia Company’s objectives, much of the colony’s efforts in 1608 were devoted to searching for gold. Newport had brought with him two experts in gold refining (to determine whether ore samples contained genuine gold), as well as two goldsmiths.
What was the origin of the Virginia colony?
Origins (1606–07) The colony was a private venture, financed and organized by the Virginia Company of London. King James I granted a charter to a group of investors for the establishment of the company on April 10, 1606. During this era, “ Virginia ” was the English name for the entire East Coast of North America north of Florida.
Why was Jamestown chosen as the site for the Jamestown settlement?
The site for Jamestown was picked for several reasons, all of which met criteria the Virginia Company, who funded the settlement, said to follow in picking a spot for the settlement.
When was Jamestown moved to Williamsburg?
In 1699, the government and capital were moved from Jamestown to Middle Plantation, renamed Williamsburg. People continued to live on Jamestown Island and owned farm lands, but it ceased to be a town. Today, Jamestown Island is a historic site, though there is still a private residence on the island.
Why did the Powhatan Indians leave Jamestown?
During the attack 350-400 of the 1,200 settlers were killed. After the attack, the Powhatan Indians withdrew, as was their way, and waited for the English to learn their lesson or pack up and leave.
What would happen if the Powhatan Indians didn't help the English?
If not for the Powhatan Indians help in the early years, the settlement would most likely have failed, as the English would have died from the various diseases or simply starved.
How many settlers died in the Powhatan colony?
In April 1644, Opechancanough planned another coordinated attack, which resulted in the deaths of another 350-400 of the 8,000 settlers.
Why did Captain Newport leave the Powhatan Indians?
On June 22, Captain Newport left for England to get more supplies for the new settlement.
What caused the death of the settlers?
Not long after Captain Newport left, the settlers began to succumb to a variety of diseases. They were drinking water from the salty or slimy river, which was one of several things that caused the death of many. The death tolls were high. They were dying from swellings, fluxes, fevers, by famine, and sometimes by wars.
How many colonists were alive in 1610?
Of the 500 colonists living in Jamestown in the autumn, fewer than one-fifth were still alive by March 1610. Sixty were still in Jamestown; another 37, more fortunate, had escaped by ship. On May 24, 1610, two ships, the Deliverance and the Patience, unexpectedly arrived. The colonists who had wrecked on the Bermuda Islands all had survived ...
Who led the colonists to abandon the colony?
Those colonists, led by Gates (the new governor) and George Somers, assumed they would find a thriving colony. Instead they found near-skeletal survivors. Gates and Somers had brought only a small food supply, so Gates decided to abandon the colony. On June 7 all the colonists boarded four small ships to head home.
What did Rolfe do to the colony?
Rolfe’s experiments with tobacco quickly transformed the settlement. By replacing native Virginia tobacco with more-palatable plants from the West Indies, he was able to raise a product that could compete with Spanish tobacco in the British market. After Rolfe sent his first barrels to England in 1614, other colonists observed his lucrative results and imitated him. By the end of the decade, the colony had virtually a one-crop economy.
How long did the marriage between Pocahontas and Rolfe last?
As the colony’s leaders had anticipated, the marriage of Rolfe and Pocahontas brought about peaceful relations between the Powhatans and the English, which lasted almost eight years. John Rolfe. The Wedding of Pocahontas with John Rolfe, lithograph by Geo Spohni, c. 1867.
What did West demand from Powhatan?
In his initial message to Chief Powhatan, West demanded that he return some stolen English tools and weapons and also turn over the perpetrator of the recent murder of an Englishman. Powhatan replied with “proud and disdainful answers” (as one colonist put it), telling West to either keep the colonists within the Jamestown peninsula or leave the country. The exchange brought about a state of war. West left Virginia in March 1611, after struggling with a series of diseases, but the hostilities between the Indians and the English continued.
What did the colonists eat in the winter?
As the food stocks ran out, the settlers ate the colony’s animals—horses, dogs, and cats—and then turned to eating rats, mice, and shoe leather. In their desperation, some practiced cannibalism.
When did Rolfe send his first barrels to England?
After Rolfe sent his first barrels to England in 1614, other colonists observed his lucrative results and imitated him. By the end of the decade, the colony had virtually a one-crop economy. Load Next Page.
What were the causes of the death of the Jamestown colonists?
During the next two years, disease, starvation, and more Native American attacks wiped out most of the colony, but the London Company continually sent more settlers and supplies. The severe winter of 1609 to 1610, which the colonists referred to as the “starving time,” killed most of the Jamestown colonists, leading the survivors to plan a return to England in the spring. However, on June 10, Thomas West De La Warr, the newly appointed governor of Virginia, arrived with supplies and convinced the settlers to remain at Jamestown. In 1612, John Rolfe cultivated the first tobacco at Jamestown, introducing a successful source of livelihood. On April 5, 1614, Rolfe married Pocahontas, thus assuring a temporary peace with Chief Powhatan.
Who attacked Jamestown?
After only two weeks, Jamestown came under attack from warriors from the local Algonquian confederacy, but the Native Americans were repulsed by the armed settlers. In December of the same year, John Smith and two other colonists were captured by Algonquians while searching for provisions in the Virginia wilderness.
What happened to the Algonquian Confederacy after Powhatan died?
The death of Powhatan in 1618 brought about a resumption of conflict with the Algonquians, including an attack led by Chief Opechancanough in 1622 that nearly wiped out the settlement. The English engaged in violent reprisals against the Algonquians, but there was no further large-scale fighting until 1644, when Opechancanough led his last uprising and was captured and executed at Jamestown. In 1646, the Algonquian Confederacy agreed to give up much of its territory to the rapidly expanding colony, and, beginning in 1665, its chiefs were appointed by the governor of Virginia.
Where did the first English settle in North America?
Jamestown settlers arrive. Some 100 English colonists arrive along the east bank of the James River in Virginia to found Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
Who was the first president of the colony of Jamestown?
The council, which included Captain John Smith, an English adventurer, chose Edward Wingfield as its first president. After only two weeks, Jamestown came under attack from warriors from ...
Who was the governor of Virginia in 1612?
However, on June 10, Thomas West De La Warr, the newly appointed governor of Virginia, arrived with supplies and convinced the settlers to remain at Jamestown. In 1612, John Rolfe cultivated the first tobacco at Jamestown, introducing a successful source of livelihood.
When was Jamestown founded?
Founded in 1607, Jamestown was not the only settlement for long. In 1609, Captain John Smith decided to disperse his numerous settlers from the small fort at Jamestown. Several were sent west to the falls of the James, where they purchased a fortified town from some local Powhatans.
When was the Eastern Shore settled?
In 1614, an expedition settled the Eastern shore on Smith's Island for fishing. Permanent settlement of the Eastern Shore dates to 1619. In 1618, Governor Sir George Yeardley founded Flowerdew Hundred, on the south bank of the James.
How did the Virginia colony increase its population?
Heightened efforts at recruiting settlers by Treasurer Sir Edwin Sandys increased the colony's population with offers of land and political authority. Known as particular plantations, these settlements offered incentives to both investors and settlers. In Virginia, new laws passed by the General Assembly of 1619 also fostered new growth beyond Jamestown to accommodate the increasing arrivals from England. The same year the Assembly divided Virginia into four counties: James City, Charles City, Henrico and Keghoutan (Elizabeth City), each of which sent representatives to the assembly and formed county courts. The beginnings of a legal and political framework were taking hold. New immigrants to the colony would receive 50 acres, as well as an additional 50 for any persons whose passage they financed. This helped increase the flood of immigrants arriving in Virginia. Also fostering the colony's growth was the first substantial influx of unmarried women in 1620. Virginia's population grew rapidly from 1618 until 1622, rising from a few hundred to nearly 1,400 people.
What was the tobacco boom in Virginia?
A tobacco boom swept Virginia in the 1620s, further increasing the population and spreading settlers out in search of new lands to cultivate. By 1622, English settlements lined both banks of the James from Hampton Roads to the present site of Richmond.
How many counties were there in Virginia?
The same year the Assembly divided Virginia into four counties: James City, Charles City, Henrico and Keghoutan (Elizabeth City), each of which sent representatives to the assembly and formed county courts. The beginnings of a legal and political framework were taking hold.
What was the James River used for?
It would also soon to be home to 15 of the 20 odd Africans who arrived in 1619. The James River served as a highway of traffic and commerce, much like modern interstates. Early settlements spread along the rivers, sources of reinforcement and communications.
When were Indian reservations established in America?
In 1646, the first Indian reservations in America would be established in King William County for the surviving Powhatans. With the founding of Maryland in the 1630s and continued immigration and natural increase, English settlement moved west and north of the fall line from its fragile toehold on the Peninsula.
How did the Jamestown Colony Survive?
James I chartered the ‘Virginia Company’ for the purpose of establishing settlements on the Eastern coast of North America. Here is the introduction to the James I Charter that set them on their way to Virginia. They went in search of good fortunes, they found a much more challenging environment than they had expected. How would they survive?
What was the challenge of Jamestown in 1609?
1609 Promoting New Britain. The truth was though that the eastern coastline was going to terribly difficult to settle. Those who arrived to settle Jamestown on 14th May 1607 were going to face the most enormous challenges. The winter was cold and cruel, the land difficult to work and the native Indians wary.
What did John Rolfe do to help the colonists?
.John Rolfe continued driving the colonists to succeed but they needed to expand outside of their fort, to plant more crops and keep animals and they could only do this if the conflicts with the native tribes abated.
What was the winter of 1609 called?
A few years ago a skeleton of one of the colonists was unearthed and showed signs of cannibalism. The winter of 1609 to 1610 was a terrible Winter for early American settlers. Some 240 of the 300 colonists at Jamestown, in Virginia, died during this period which was called the “Starving Time.” Could they really have been driven to eating their fellow colonists? It would appear so, the bones show knife marks comparable to those seen on animal bones.
How many English settlers arrived in 1621?
Between 1618 and 1620, 1200 newly arrived. By 1621 only 200 remained. The degree of their suffering can only be imagined but much of their suffering could have been avoided. The English settlers did not expect to have to dig in and work, they expected to make their fortune here by finding gold. The Fort at Jamestown.
Did gold save Jamestown?
Neither gold nor silver saved the Jamestown settlers but tobacco. Plantations of tobacco sprang up along the banks of the James River and the settlement of Jamestown was assured.
How to continue Jamestowne?
If you are so inclined, after you walk through Historic Jamestowne, you can continue your visit by doing the Island Drive. There’s a short loop and longer loop option, neither of which are very long. Both are clearly marked, just follow the signs from the Visitor Center parking lot. As you make your way around the island, interpretational signs will provide more information about what went on there.
Where can I buy Jamestown Settlement tickets?
You can purchase Jamestown Settlement tickets ahead of time online or at the large Jamestown Settlement visitor center. There are a variety of multi-day and combination tickets available (some are “web only” specials). Historic Jamestowne tickets are good for seven consecutive days and also cover admission to Yorktown Battlefield at the other end of Colonial National Historical Park.
How many ships were there at Jamestown?
Once you’ve had your fill of the Jamestown Settlement indoor exhibit galleries, you can make your way to the outdoor exhibits. There you’ll find re-creations of the three ships that brought 104 settlers to Jamestown, the Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed. When we were there, all three ships were open for visitors to climb aboard and poke around. Living history interpreters answer questions about the ships and what the voyage may have been like.
What ships did the Jamestown settlers use?
They have full-scale models of the three ships that brought the first settlers to Jamestown (Susan Constant, Discovery and Godspeed) as well as re-creations of James Fort and a Powhatan village. Historical interpreters are on hand to answer questions about many aspects of what life was like at Jamestown, from cooking to weapons and armor.
How many times did the Ambler Mansion burn?
This ruin is all that remains of the Ambler Mansion. Originally built in about 1750, it burned three times before it was abandoned in the late 19th Century. Photo: Plan, Ready, Go
Where are the archaeological finds in Jamestown?
Archaeological discoveries they have made over the last 25 years are on display at the Voorhees Archaerium at Historic Jamestowne. Items there include coins, personal items, armor and even human remains. I highly recommend both visiting Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne if you can.
What was the first permanent English settlement in the New World?
Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the site of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. From that tiny colonial foothold in North America came so much of the good (representative government) and the bad (slavery, conflict with Native Americans) that makes up American history.
Where did the colonists settle in Jamestown?
The Jamestown colonists select a marshy peninsula fifty miles up the James River on which to establish their settlement.
What happened to the colonists in 1606?
The colonists happened to land in Virginia at the beginning of a seven-year drought (1606–1612)—it was the driest period in 770 years—and food was scarce. Moreover, they came intending to buy or trade for their food, or to be provisioned by England. Rather than hunt, farm, or fish, then, they depended on Smith, who showed a special talent for striking out with a few men and coming back with boatloads of corn, sometimes bargained for, often simply taken from the Indians. In December, while exploring the Chickahominy River, Smith ran into a communal hunting party under the leadership of Powhatan’s younger brother or kinsman, Opechancanough. The Indians captured Smith, killing his two companions and eventually delivering him to the paramount chief. While it is unlikely, as Smith later claimed, that Powhatan’s “dearest daughter” Pocahontas saved Smith’s life, some kind of ceremony took place, and Smith returned to Jamestown in January 1608 probably having been adopted by the mamanatowick, who was attempting to absorb the English into his chiefdom.
What was the first permanent colony in North America?
The Jamestown settlement , established in 1607, was the seat of England’s first permanent colony in North America. After the failure of the Roanoke colonies, investors in the Virginia Company of London were anxious to find profit farther to the north, and in April 1607 three ships of settlers arrived at the Chesapeake Bay. The enterprise, fraught with disease, dissension, and determined Indian resistance, was a miserable failure at first. “The adventurers who ventured their capital lost it,” the historian Edmund S. Morgan has written. “Most of the settlers who ventured their lives lost them. And so did most of the Indians who came near them.” John Smith mapped out much of the Bay and established (sometimes violent) relations with the Powhatan Indians there. During the winter of 1609–1610, the colony nearly starved. The resupply ship Sea Venture, carrying much of Virginia’s new leadership, was thought lost at sea. When it finally arrived in May 1610, fewer than a hundred colonists still survived. Discipline at Jamestown did not match the urgency of the moment until Sir Thomas Dale ‘s arrival in 1611 and his full implementation of the strict Lawes Divine, Morall and Martiall. By year’s end, Dale had founded an outside settlement at Henrico, near what became Richmond. The introduction of saleable tobacco soon after helped secure the colony’s economy, and as political power expanded into the James River Valley, the influence of Jamestown waned.
What was the cause of the sickness in Jamestown?
During the previous summer, sickness had arrived anew to Jamestown. It was the product of malnutrition caused by hunger and poor conditions that, in turn, had bred lower resistance to various diseases, including those brought by the colonists themselves. In an effort to lighten the burden on Jamestown, Smith sent two groups of men to live off the land and, by extension, off the Indians. To the north, he sent a rival, Francis West, to occupy the town of Powhatan at the falls of the James River. After fighting there cost West about half his men, George Percy claimed the whole affair amounted to a conspiracy to have West killed. To the south, meanwhile, Smith sent Percy and John Martin, who ended up battling the Nansemond Indians and also lost about half their men. The Indians, they discovered, suffered during the drought like anybody else and had no interest in relinquishing their precious food supplies. Nansemond warriors even stuffed bread in the mouths of some English dead “in Contempte and skorne,” according to Percy.
How did tobacco affect the colony?
Despite the growth of the tobacco trade, though, the organization of the Virginia Company prevented settlers from having a personal stake in the colony’s success . The so-called Great Charter of 1618 changed that, creating the headright system, which awarded 50 acres of land for each person who paid his or her own way or any other person’s passage into Virginia. In addition, the General Assembly was established in 1619, with elected burgesses sitting in its lower house and members of the governor’s Council in the upper. The Virginia Company treasurer Sir Edwin Sandys saw the assembly as a way of building personal and political investment in the colony, while also, perhaps, muting growing criticism of the Virginia Company at home. But this diffusion of power and influence into the greater James River Valley had another effect: it diminished the primacy of Jamestown. It would remain the often-bustling capital of Virginia until 1698, but its influence was already on the wane.
Where did the Virginia colony begin?
The Virginia colony began not at Jamestown but farther south, on Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks of present-day North Carolina. There, between 1584 and 1587, settlers supported by Queen Elizabeth I and funded by her dashing court favorite, Sir Walter Raleigh, attempted to gain a foothold among the Algonquian-speaking Indians. Their purpose had been to harass Spanish shipping, mine for gold and silver, and discover a passage to the Pacific Ocean, but when the colonists brought disease and often-horrific violence, relations with the Indians soured. In 1607, the English attempted another colony, this time in the Chesapeake Bay, which was better suited to deepwater navigation and where they hoped the Indians might be friendlier. By then, James I had ascended to the throne and ended the long war with Spain. Riches would no longer come from stealing Spanish gold but from cultivating natural resources, a plan long advocated by Richard Hakluyt (the younger) and Thomas Hariot. Investors also hoped to take advantage of widespread underemployment in England caused, in part, by a population boom. Thousands of laborers would sail to Virginia and send back timber, glass, tar, sassafras, and perhaps even gold and silver, while spreading the Protestant faith to the Indians.
Where did Dale start his colony?
By year’s end, Dale had founded an outside settlement at Henrico, near what became Richmond. The introduction of saleable tobacco soon after helped secure the colony’s economy, and as political power expanded into the James River Valley, the influence of Jamestown waned.
How many people were alive at the end of Jamestown?
By the end of Jamestown's first year, only 38 of the original 100 men were still alive.
When was Jamestown founded?
Jamestown's founding in 1607 predated the arrival of the Pilgrims by 13 years, according to Christian Science Monitor. When the first 100 Englishmen to form Jamestown docked their anchors in Virginian shores, though, they weren't seeking out any noble goals, philosophical freedom, or high aspirations: nah, all they wanted was money. What makes Jamestown's story so interesting, from a historical perspective, is that it's like the dark, depressing prequel to the blockbuster movie that would eventually become the United States. All the key themes are introduced, the problems get started, and then nothing is resolved for hundreds of years.
How many Jamestown colonists died in the spring?
By that spring, two out of every three Jamestown colonists had died. After going through this nightmare, everyone wanted out. In June, the colonists planned to follow Smith's example and sail back to England, leaving their Jamestown disaster behind, but the mother country didn't approve.
Why was Jamestown named Jamestown?
This name was chosen in honor of Queen Elizabeth I, who was often referred to as "the Virgin Queen" due to the fact that she never married. Not too likely that she was actually a virgin, but the name stuck. Over a century later, in 1788, the area surrounding the old Jamestown colony was officially ratified as Virginia, the 10th state of the United States of America. From there, you know the drill.
What were the first settlers in Jamestown?
Those first group of settlers to build up Jamestown in 1607, according to History, were male skilled workers: blacksmiths, carpenters, masons, the basic stuff. The local Powhatan tribe was wary of the newcomers, so the Jamestown settlers wanted to get swiftly established, and they put up walls and roofs in only a few weeks. Tensions with the Powhatan only got worse from there, but the settlers soon encountered even harder problems they hadn't anticipated: harsh winters, famine, starvation, and widespread disease. By the end of Jamestown's first year, only 38 of the original 100 men were still alive.
What were the bad things about Jamestown?
Certain good things came from their struggles, of course, such as the founding of the first European representative governing body in the Western Hemisphere — arguably paving the way for the USA's democratic future — but on the other hand, the bad parts of Jamestown's legacy are awfully bad. For one, it was in Virginia where settlers first initiated centuries of atrocities upon the land's indigenous people. By 1619, History says, enslaved Africans were sold on Virginian shores, the first time in the continent's history. While these people were technically classified as "indentured servants," Jamestown marked the beginning of American slavery, a horrific institution that would forever mar the history books.
What makes Jamestown so interesting?
What makes Jamestown's story so interesting, from a historical perspective, is that it's like the dark, depressing prequel to the blockbuster movie that would eventually become the United States. All the key themes are introduced, the problems get started, and then nothing is resolved for hundreds of years.
