Jamestown
Before Plymouth Rock, Jamestown was the first colony founded by the English, or more specifically, the London Company. In late 1606, the London Company sent three ships to colonize the American coast. These ships were the “Susan Constant,” “Godspeed,” and “Discovery.” They landed at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, but sailed inwards about 40 miles on the James River. They then settled there in 1607, and called their new colony, Jamestown.
However, many of Jamestown’s settlers were idle fortune-seekers who did not help in the survival of the colony. Because of this neglect, 2/3 of the colonists died in the first year. In 1608, colonists from Germany and Poland arrived. This is when Captain John Smith took charge of the colony as the third president. He gave out good “laws” based on biblical principles and said things like this; “If any man would not work, neither would he eat.” He helped the colony for some time, but got a wound and had to return to England in 1609. The two years, that he was gone, was nicknamed “The Starving Time” due to the settlers not having a good leader to help them.
Finally a man named John Rolfe arrived with supplies in 1610, and planted tobacco plant. This was harvested in 1614 and the colony had its first profit. Rolfe became wealthy and married Pocahontas, a Native princess. But she got very sick, so Rolfe took her to England in hopes of curing her, but sadly died there.
By 1624, Jamestown could stand on its own feet and no longer needed the London Company. They repaid their debts and became a thriving population, lasting until they joined what later became Virginia, USA.
Jamestown was an excellent example set for the people that started colonizing the coast. Creating a colony and letting it last was easier said than done in the 1600’s but Jamestown is significant because it was the first permanent English settlement in the modern-day United States.
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