The Jamestown Settlement Colony was the first successful English settlement on the mainland of North America. Named for King James I of England, Jamestown was founded by the colony of Virginia on May 14, 1607. Jamestown was founded for the purposes of a quick profit from gold mining for its investors while also establishing a permanent foothold in North America for England. Jamestown followed no fewer than 18 earlier failed attempts at European colonization of the North American mainland for England.
After a long voyage of 5 months, the three ships - Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery - made landfall. Within a few months though, 51 of the party were dead, due to dysentery from the brackish water. Originally the "entrepreneurs" were reluctant to work, but Captain John Smith ordered that if they didn't work, they didn't eat.
Late in the 19th century, Jamestown became the focus of renewed historical interest and efforts at preservation. In 1893 a portion of the land was donated to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities for that purpose. A seawall was constructed which preserved the site where the remains of the original "James Fort" were to be discovered by archaeologists almost a century later. Almost a million artifacts have been discovered with ongoing archaeological work. Presently, all of the island and surrounding area is under protective ownership.
