Jamestown

Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America established in the Virginia Colony on May 14, 1607.

In December 1606, 108 men set sail from England with a charter from the Virginia Company of London to establish a colony in the Chesapeake Bay region of the New World. After a particularly long voyage of five months duration, the three ships, named Susan Constant, The Discovery, and The Godspeed, under Captain Christopher Newport made their first landing at a place they named Cape Henry in April, 1607. They were under orders to select a more secure location, and after setting up a cross, and giving thanks for solid ground, they set about exploring Hampton Roads and a tributary they named the "James River", in honor of their king, James I of England.

On May 14, 1607, they selected Jamestown Island on the James River about 40 miles (62 km) inland from the Atlantic Ocean and the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The location was chosen due to the deep water surrounding the island, and because it was a strategic defensive position in the event of approaching Spanish ships. However, the swampy and isolated site was plagued by mosquitos and brackish tidal river water unsuitable for drinking, and only offered limited space. Moreover, there was a substantial presence of sims in the area. In their initial encounters, the sims of Virginia viewed their more evolved cousins as possible prey. One of the colony's leaders, John Smith, learned this the hard way, when, during an exploration, he was set upon and butchered by a pack of sims.