Jamestown was the first permanent settlement of the British on the continent of North America. They unsuccessfully settled Roanoke in what is now North Carolina, but after years of despair, that colony disappeared. The settlement of Jamestown precedes the landing at Plymouth Rock by the Pilgrims by about 13 years.
The Jamestown colonists sailed from England in 1606. Unlike the Pilgrims, these settlers came to America as part of the Virginia Company expecting to find gold, silver, and jewels. They started the settlement of Jamestown in a swampy area, which they considered more defensible from the Spanish in the south.
The early days of Jamestown were marked with hardship. Most of the original inhabitants died from starvation or diseases that were unknown to them in England. The colony was marked with such hardship that several times it was almost abandoned.
A lasting piece of American folklore is John Smith and Pocahontas. Many legends exist about the relationship that this pair had, but without a doubt their friendship was the basis of cooperation between the colonists and the natives, and this alone saved the colonists from dieing. The natives supplied the colonists with food to keep them from starving as they taught them to live off the land.
As the colony began to flourish and the threat of the Spanish began to diminish, the settlers began to look inland to more sustainable land. Jamestown was established as a very defensible position, but being on swamp land, it was not very livable.
In 1699, the capital of Virginia was moved to Williamsburg. In the next 100 years, Jamestown was almost forgotten, as the original settlement was all but destroyed to make room for the tobacco plantations that sprang up in this region. During the Civil War, earthworks built by the Confederate army destroyed any attempt to excavate the original site of Jamestown. Today, only ruins survive; legends, however, still prosper.
As this site was almost lost to history, today there is no city of Jamestown. The area now featured in the following attraction was plantation and later farm land. Only a small portion of the settlement is now open to the public.
This site is run by the National Park Service. This is the original site of Fort James. A monument to the founding members of the colony and statues of John Smith and Pocahontas stand here. Only moldings of the original buildings exist, giving a small insight to how the colony might have looked. At the park station there is a 10-minute film that gives information on the founding of the colony and the hardships the colonists encountered. Also, park rangers are available to answer any questions that you might have. There is also a short driving path around the island with land markers describing colonial life. Finally, the park has a living history exhibit that demonstrates how glass was made.
I recommend this attraction for those interested in history and for families with young children.
Website: www.historicjamestowne.org