Jamestown: A Brief Overview

Couple of savages sitting under the Pocahontas statue

 Jamestown, VA was the first permanent English settlements in the Americas.
In December of 1606, 104 settlers sailed from London
to find a water route to the Orient, settle Virginia and find gold.
From the moment they stepped off the shipped,
the settlers came under attack by the Algonquin Indians in the area.
The Algonquins were a constant on-again-off-again enemy.

Pocahontas daughter of Chief Powhatan

Captain John Smith was able to set up trade with the Algonquins

but with Smith's departure back to England,

the period known as "The Starving Time" came about.

Many people died from starvation and disease 

and there was a period of warfare between the colonists and the natives.

Eventually more colonists arrived at Jamestown

under a second charter by the king (James I)

that allowed for stronger leadership.

Settlers attempted several different types of industries

before John Rolfe introduced tobacco farming

which proved to be profitable.

John Rolfe ended up marrying Pocahontas, the chief's daughter. 
I've made many trips to Jamestown,
and I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.
(photos with the exception of the one at the top of the page were taken with 
and IR filter- yes, I was looking for ghosts.)