The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River, about 2.5 mi (4 km) southwest of present-day Williamsburg. Today, the site is a historic museum featuring the functioning replica ships of the first fleet from England that brought the pioneers to the new colony.
In early 1600s, King James of England granted a proprietary charter to two competing branches of the Virginia Company – the Plymouth Company and the Virginia Company of London. The London Company was permitted to establish between the 34th and 41st parallel (between Cape Fear and Long Island Sound) and also owned a large portion of Atlantic and Inland Canada. During 1606, each company organized expeditions to establish settlements within the area of their rights.
The London Company hired Captain Christopher Newport to lead its expedition. On December 20, 1606, he set sail from England with his flagship, the Susan Constant, and two smaller ships, the Godspeed, and the Discovery, with 105 men and boys, plus 39 sailors. After an unusually long voyage of 144 days, they arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and came ashore, an event that has come to be called the “First Landing”. They erected a cross and named the point of land Cape Henry in honor of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King James.
Next, they sailed westward into the Bay and reached the mouth of Hampton Roads, stopping at a location now known as Old Point Comfort. They then ventured up the largest river, which they named the James River, after the king of England. After exploring the Appomattox River upto present-day Hopewell, they returned downstream to Jamestown Island, which offered a favorable defensive position against enemy ships and deep water anchorage adjacent to the land. Within two weeks, they had constructed their first fort and named their settlement Jamestown.
Visitors to the museum have the opportunity to board and explore the replica ships, when docked. A narrator provides live commentary about the ship and its first voyagers and also answers questions about the current ships’ activities.
Watch the video below for a virtual tour of Discovery, one of the first ships to bring settlers into the colony of Virginia!
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