Jamestown Settlement

A Pictorial Guide

Plot

In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 Englishmen began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. They were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The communitys suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony.

The story of Jamestown's founders and immigrants and the Virginia Indians they encountered is told at Jamestown sEttlement through gallery exhibits and living history in outdoor settings: a re-created Powhatan Indian village, replicas of the three ships that landed in 1607, a representation of the colonial fort, and a riverfront discovery area that explores waterway transportation and commercial activities. This unique museum of 17th-century American history and culture is located about a mile from the original site of Jamestown.