Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Located on the northeast bank of the James River in what is now James City County, Virginia, it sits approximately 2.5 miles southwest of present-day Williamsburg. The site was established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607.
The settlement followed several failed English colonization attempts, such as the 1585 Roanoke Colony. While a river island was originally selected to avoid Spanish naval patrols, the site faced significant hardships including mosquitoes, a lack of potable water, and competition for land used by the Paspahegh people. During the "Starving Time" of 1609–1610, only 60 of the original 214 settlers survived.
The colony eventually achieved economic success in 1612 with the successful cultivation of West Indies tobacco. This crop led to a significant economic boom for both the settlement and England.