Wassiem Hanna
Professor John M. Saimbert
HST 111, Section 2AC
July 17, 2014
In 1606, some entrepreneurs had a charter from the king James I to establish the first English colony in the new world America, seeking for gold and water rout, 104 entrepreneurs sailed from England in December 1606 to America sponsored of the Virginia Company of London in voyage of 5 months.
The expedition was led by Christopher Newport and landed in April 1607 in a place 60 miles from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay because of its deep water as their ships can ride closer to the shore and after two weeks of arrival they elected a president of the government council, they named the James River in honor of the king James I, based on recent discovery this was not the actual place for landing, the exact location was more secure against the Spanish ships fire into the fort.
The Zuniga map, depicting the fort ca. 1608
The seal of the Virginia Company of London
Location of Jamestown, VirginiaAlmost immediately after arriving they were attacked by neighboring Algonquian natives so they started to build a wooden fort, church and houses however the island was swampy, inhabited, a lot of mosquitoes, the river water was not good for drinking and malarial march.
When they arrived it was too late to get the crops planted in additional to almost of half of the expedition were Gentlemen, they are not used to agriculture and the hard work so they started suffering of starving and diseases, during that time the Powhatan Indian trade revived the colony with food in additional to the leadership of John Smith, saved the colony of dissolving, but that followed by departure of John Smith in 1609 while 60 people only out of 214 are survived.
The survivors decided to abandon the colony at the time of arrival of the new governor Lord De...