Jamestown

In 1606 King James I of England allowed a group of merchants known as the Virginia Company to send settlers lead by Captain John Smith to the new world in search of treasure and wealth. This group explored the coast of New England, and within a year established the first permanent English settlement in the new world, which they named Jamestown. Jamestown was located in present day Virginia.

The settlers spent the next few decades holding on to life, and trying to survive. Frequent attacks from Indians, and food shortages made this difficult.

Things became a little easier when a settler by the name of John Rolfe married Pocahontas, the daughter of the Algonquian chief. But life was still difficult. Only 60 of the original 214 settlers survived, and in 1609 were ready to return to England.

The arrival of Lord De La Ware in the colony, who was supposed to be their new governor gave them the courage to go on living in the region. But life remained very difficult for decades to come.