by Trey Russell

Created on: May 23, 2007

Jamestown was first founded in 1607 in honor of King James I of England. Established in the Chesapeake Bay area it represented the first surviving English settlement of the New World.

Jamestown's history is not unblemished. During the early years after its founding it had fallen apart but was eventually repopulated. This early failure troubled the entrepeneurs funding the first settlement of the Virginia Colony. However, after being repopulated many settlers became rich off the cash-crop of tobbacco which thrived in the greater Chesapeake area. Those funding the colony did not do quite so well but Jamestown itself did grow exponentially.

During the early years after its second seeding the primary mode of population increase was due to the head-rights system. This provided transportation to Jamestown for the poor of overpopulated England if they were willing to give their labor to those who paid their passage for a period of several years. This led to problems since the land promised to those coming over after they finished their service quickly shrank and eventually vanished. Along with this the ratio of men to women was vastly improportional.

Nonetheless, after a shaky start Jamestown had bounced back to earn its name as the first surviving colony of England in North America.

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