Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was established by the Virginia Company of London on May 4, 1607 (Old Style), as "James Fort" on the northeast bank of the James River in what is now James City County.
The site was chosen to evade Spanish naval patrols but faced significant hardships, including a lack of potable water and an infestation of mosquitoes. During the winter of 1609–1610, known as "Starving Time," only 60 of the original 214 settlers survived.