Virginia Settlement

The period between the 16^th and 17^th centuries witnessed the race for acquiring new colonies in the New World by most of the European powers. One such attempt was the establishment of the English settlement at Jamestown in 1606, which is named after King James I of England. The English settlement at Jamestown had been established with the arrival of three ships commanded by Captain Christopher Newport.Situated on the James River, this town which is currently called James City County is in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Jamestown was considered to have had a strategic position that could ward off other European powers in its waters. However, it was infested with mosquitoes due to its swampy waters and the lacked portable water and arable lands. In the early years it difficult to manage the hostile natives and the mounting starvation among the people coupled with unprofitable trade. People like John Smith, and Robert Hunt provided excellent leadership at this time of trial. It was John Rolfe who showed the way to prove the situation by the export of tobacco which greatly improved the financial situation in the colony. Peace prevailed in the colony and the colonists lived amicably with the local Natives. John Rolfe married a local Indian by name Pocahontas who was well received at England. Jamestown received further investments with changes made in the Virginia Company. It also had a locally elected body called the House of Burgesses, which became the first legislative body in the New World, thus sowing the seeds of democracy in the initial stage of its inception. Jamestown thus became the hub of political and economic activities in the 17^th century and the capital of Virginia Colony. By a special charter the College William and Mary was established at Middle Plantation which was a seat for all government activities. With the establishment of the new capital Williamsburg in 1699, Jamestown gradually lost it prominence until the American Civil War (1861 - 1865) when James River became an important point of control.