Jamestown Settlement
In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English man and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia’s James River. The Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make profit from the resources of the New World, sponsored them. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being American’s first permanent English colony. Today Jamestown Settlement, the story of the people who founded Jamestown and of the Virginia Indians they encountered is told through film gallery exhibits and living history. Gallery exhibits trace Jamestown’s beginnings in England and the first century of the Virginia colony and describe the culture of the Powhatan Indians, Europeans and Africans who converged in 1600s Virginia. Outdoors, visitors can board replicas of the three ships that sailed from England to Virginia in1607, explore life size re-creations of the colonists’ fort and a Powhatan village, and tour a riverfront discovery area to about European, Powhatan and African economic activities associated with water. In the outdoor areas, costumed historical interpreter describe and demonstrate daily life in the early 17th century.
Mrs. Powell, Mr. Gomez, & Mr. Wanger
