Landing at Jamestown

by John

On December 20, 1606, 104 men set sail from England for Virginia with three ships in search of gold and other treasures.  Christopher Newport was Captain of the Susan “Sara” Constant, a 120 ton ship.  Captain Gosnold was in charge of the Godspeed, a 50 ton ship, and Captain Ratcliff sailed the Discovery, a 20 ton ship.  They were held up in the English Channel for six weeks waiting for favorable winds.  It was not a hard voyage.  There were no severe storms, no Spanish war ships to contend with, and no one died in the four and a half month long voyage, but there was a troublesome John Smith.   

The ships stopped at several Caribbean islands in search of food and water.  They were met by curious natives in canoes.  Captain Newport was forced to release John Smith who was locked in the belly of the ship because he was thought to be planning a mutiny.  Smith was the only one who could communicate with the natives, telling them that they came in peace and were willing to trade trinkets for food and water.    

Thirteen years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, colonists arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on April 26, 1607.  When they arrived there was an argument over where they should build a fort.  The argument was between Captain Christopher Newport and George Percy, one of the planners.  Percy wanted to build the fort at a location seen from the ship.  Captain Newport decided the fort needed to be in a defensible location and remarked he was not of the mind to pay the price of disobedience. 

Therefore, James Fort was built further up the Powhatan River on what was thought to be an island though is now known to be a peninsula.  The advantage for the colonists was being surrounded by water on three sides.  The harbor was deep enough and from this vantage point they would be secluded from the view of Spanish warships that might be offshore.  As it happens, this was the least of their worries.  No Spanish warships ever ventured up the Powhatan River. 

The Virginia Company of London, who sponsored the trip, provided a sealed box that was not to be opened until the colonists arrived in Virginia.  When the box was opened it contained the names of seven council members who were to establish and govern the Virginia English Colony on the banks of the James River.  Among them was the cantankerous John Smith.  Eventually, Smith was proved innocent of wrong doing and was allowed to serve the colony.  Despite the many problems the colonists faced, Smith was a good negotiator with the Powhatan Indians and the success of the colony was due in large part to his leadership skills.   

However, the colonists had many troubles to overcome.  First of all, the settlement was swampy, infested with mosquitoes, and lacked sufficient sources of fresh water.  Made up of no women and mostly gentlemen, those who didn’t expect to work, the colony was vulnerable to attacks by the natives and their food supplies dwindled.  They suffered from great illnesses, including smallpox, over the summer.  After eight months there were only thirty-eight people left alive.  Over the next several months, Captain Newport and several others brought additional colonists to the suffering thirty-eight.  The numbers rose and fell dramatically as the colonists were not prepared for the untamed wilderness.   

Chief Powhatan ruled over thirty tribes that spanned along most of Virginia’s tidewaters and the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay.  Originally, he thought he would add the settlement under his rule, but the colonists had their own plans.  There was frequent conflict and many on both sides died before peace was established with the help of Powhatan’s daughter, Pocohontas.  Even so, the two cultures did share many of their assets and knowledge, such as trading metal tools for corn. 

In honor of King James, the colonists referred to the Powhatan River as the James River.  Originally called James Fort, the settlement was renamed James Towne, and then James Citie.  In 1700, the capitol of Virginia moved from Jamestown, what we now call Historic Jamestown, five miles north to the Middle Plantation, what we now call Williamsburg.  The capitol now resides in Richmond, Virginia.  The historic settlement of Jamestown is open to the public and research is ongoing.  Nearby, there is also a recreated attraction called Jamestown Settlement where you and your family can learn more about Jamestown, the birthplace of the United States. 

Bibliography: 

http://www.historywiz.com/exhibits/jamestownlanding.htm
http://www.jamestown1607.org/storiesnation.asp?ver=voyage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smith_of_Jamestown
http://www.williamsburgprivatetours.com/Timeline%20%20Jamestown.htm