Colonists Land at Cape Henry: Jamestown Begins
English colonists made their first landfall at Cape Henry, Virginia, on April 26, 1607, before proceeding up the James River to establish Jamestown on May 14. The Virginia Company of London had funded the expedition with 104 settlers on three ships: the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery. The site was chosen for its defensibility against Spanish attack but proved disastrous for habitation: the swampy terrain bred malaria-carrying mosquitoes and the brackish water was undrinkable. Within six months, more than half the colonists were dead. The colony survived only through resupply ships, John Smith's leadership, and trade with the Powhatan Confederacy. Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in North America and the seed of what became the United States.
April 26, 1607
419 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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