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Jamestown Questions and answers

Why is Jamestown important?

Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America. It is America's birthplace.

Who were the first Europeans to explore Virginia?

The earliest European visitor to the Chesapeake Bay is believed to have been Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano who probably sailed past the Virginia Capes in 1524. By 1560 English and Spanish explorers probably had visited the area also. About 1570, Spanish Jesuits established a mission on the York River. English colonists at Roanoke in the 1580s entered and explored the region. Bartholomew Gosnold, captain of the

Godspeed, had been to the North American coast on a prior voyage in 1602.

Who established the Jamestown Colony?

In April 1606 King James I of England granted the Virginia Company a charter to establish colonies in Virginia. The Virginia Company was a private stock holding company. The charter named two branches of the company, the Virginia Company of London and the Virginia Company of Plymouth. The Virginia Company of London established the colony at Jamestown.

When was Jamestown established?

The colonists arrived at Jamestown on May 13, 1607.

When did the voyage to Jamestown begin and how long did it take?

Three ships left London on December 20, 1606. The ships sighted the land of Virginia and landed at Cape Henry (Virginia Beach today) on April 26, 1607. The voyage lasted 144 days, approximately four and a half months.

Why did the voyage take so long?

The ships used an established southerly route in order to catch favorable trade winds and ocean currents, as well as to make re-provisioning stops in the Canary Islands and the Caribbean. After spending six weeks in the "Downs" in the English Channel waiting for winds, the ships headed south along the coast of Europe and North Africa,

stopping at the Canary Islands. They then turned west to the Caribbean, making several stops. Finally, the ships sailed north, parallel to the coast of North America, ending in Virginia. The entire trip was more than 6,000 miles.

Why did the Virginia Company of London establish the colony?

The Virginia Company was in search of economic opportunity. They expected to profit from mineral wealth such as gold and iron ore, timber and wood products and other natural resources. They also hoped to find a Northwest Passage or sail - ing route to the Orient for trade.

Other motives, as expressed by the Virginia Company's first charter, were to prevent the spread of Spanish colonies, to spread Protestant Christianity (and limit Spanish Catholicism), and to convert the Virginia Indians. The Company also issued instructions that the settlers search for the Roanoke colonists, who had disappeared some 17 years earlier.

Why did the colonists choose the site they did for the Jamestown colony?

The Virginia Company's instructions indicated the colonists were to locate upriver "100 miles", on a river with a northwest orientation so the colonists could search for a Northwest Passage. Jamestown Island met these criteria and had a deep water port, so the colonists could moor their ships to the trees in six fathoms (36 feet) of water. The site also was chosen as a defensive position. It was surrounded on three sides by water and on a fourth by swamp. The fort was located at a bend in the river, which provided a wide field of view.

What were the boundaries of the land granted to the Virginia Company?

The charters granted to the Virginia Company stipulated its rights and boundaries in North America. The charter of 1606 gave the Company rights to the area of the North American Atlantic coast between 34 and 41 degrees latitude; fifty miles inland and all islands

up to one hundred miles out to sea. The 1609 charter extended Virginia's boundaries to 200 miles north and south of Jamestown and from sea to sea. In a 1612 revision of the charter, the sea borders were expanded to include Bermuda.

Who were the native Indians that the English encountered at Jamestown?

The native Indians in Virginia were the Powhatan Indians, a group of approximately 32 Algonquian-speaking tribes who lived in the Virginia coastal plain.

What did the Powhatan Indians call their home and who was their leader?

The Powhatan Indians called the area "Tsenacommacah" which means "densely inhab - ited area". The paramount chief of the Powhatan chiefdom was Wahunsonacock. The English called him "Powhatan".

How many Powhatan Indians lived in Virginia when the Jamestown Colonists arrived?

Historians estimate more than 14,000 Powhatan Indians lived in Virginia at the time of contact.

Access to the Chesapeake Bay and the James River