Although Plymouth, with Thanksgiving, the rock, and the plantation, gets a lot of attention here in New England, the Pilgrims did not establish the first permanent English colony in North America. Thirteen years before the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts, a group of 108 entrepreneurs sailed from London. The group, known as the Virginia Company, had been granted a charter by King James I to establish a colony, find gold, and search for a water route to Asia. On May 14, 1607--four hundred years ago today--they landed at the mouth of the James River, approximately 60 miles from Chesapeake Bay. Survival was a struggle; disease, starvation, and conflict with Native Americans almost destroyed the settlement. Only 60 of 214 settlers survived the winter of 1609-1610. The arrival of reinforcements, a new governor, and supplies later that year revived the colony. Among the newcomers was John Rolfe. He planted tobacco, which became a successful crop in Virginia and contributed to Jamestown's viability.

Two noteworthy stories come from Jamestown. The name of the colony might ring a bell if you have seen the Disney movie Pocahontas, which is set in Jamestown. The movie (I have not seen it) has been criticized for its historical inaccuracies and depiction of Native Americans. It depicts a love story between Pocahontas and John Smith. Although she is rumored to have saved his life, it was John Rolfe, another Englishman, whom the chief's daughter married. Also, Jamestown was home to the first African Americans. In 1619, a group of Africans pirated from a Spanish ship were traded to the colony for food. The Africans became indentured servants, not slaves, and contributed greatly to the colony.

In anticipation of the anniversary of the colony's founding, new books have been written. Take a look at Savage kingdom : the true story of Jamestown, 1607, and the settlement of America; The birth of black America : the first African Americans and the pursuit of freedom at Jamestown; or Jamestown, the buried truth. You can find other books about Jamestown for both adults and children, fiction and nonfiction, by doing a subject keyword search for Jamestown.

I also found a couple of interesting websites. Historic Jamestowne, has pages about the history of the colony and the archaeological dig site. I recommend taking a look at Jamestown1607.org. Here you will see pictures of individuals, each wearing a t-shirt with the name of someone who lived in the colony. Clicking on the picture will give you information about the person named. You can even add your own comments to the site. I really enjoyed this site because of both the information and the design.