39 chapters
2 hour read
Selected Chapters
39 chapters
Jamestown, Virginia THE TOWNSITE AND ITS STORY
Jamestown, Virginia THE TOWNSITE AND ITS STORY
By Charles E. Hatch, Jr. The Seal of “His Majesties Council of Virginia” The National Park Service cooperating with The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES NO. 2 Washington, D. C., 1949 (Revised 1957) This publication relates to Jamestown Island, Va. A portion of Jamestown Island is included in Colonial National Historical Park and is administered by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior. Ja
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE ENGLISH BACKGROUND.
THE ENGLISH BACKGROUND.
The settlement at Jamestown, in 1607, was another step, albeit a most significant step, in England’s quest for a place in the vast New World first indicated by Columbus in his discovery of 1492 and made known to Europe through his and other expeditions. King Henry VII of England early sought to establish a claim in North America and sponsored the now famous voyage of John and Sebastian Cabot in 1497. The Cabots touched points along the Atlantic coast, and their discoveries were ever afterward po
5 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE FIRST DAYS IN VIRGINIA.
THE FIRST DAYS IN VIRGINIA.
The expedition of 1607 included a cargo of supplies and 144 persons, of whom 104 or 105 (depending on which of the more detailed contemporary accounts is accepted) were to remain in Virginia as the first settlers. The expedition left England late in 1606. The ships sailed down the Thames River from London on December 20 and, after a slow start, they proceeded over the long route through the West Indies. There were stops in the islands, new experiences, and disagreements among the leaders. Captai
4 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE FORT.
THE FORT.
The work of establishing Jamestown and of exploring the country round about began almost simultaneously. The several weeks between May 13 and June 22, when Newport left Virginia for a return to England, were busy ones. At Jamestown an area was cleared of trees and the fort begun. The soil was readied and the English wheat brought over for the purpose was planted. At this point Newport, in one of the small boats, led an exploring party as far as the falls of the James (near present Richmond). He
2 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
SUMMER AND AUTUMN, 1607.
SUMMER AND AUTUMN, 1607.
Within the short span of 2 months, conditions changed drastically. The Indians became cautious and distrustful, and provisions, not sufficiently augmented from the country, began to run low. Spoilage destroyed some food, and, with the coming of the hot, humid weather, the brackish drinking water proved dangerous. In August, death struck often and quickly, taking among others the stabilizing hand of Captain Gosnold. Inexperience, unwillingness, or inability to do the hard work that was necessary
2 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE FIRST SUPPLY.
THE FIRST SUPPLY.
Upon returning to Jamestown, Smith was caught in the meshes of a feuding council. All was forgotten early in January, however, when Newport reached Jamestown with the first supply for the settlers. He brought food, equipment, instructions, and news from home. His cargo was not sufficient, but for the moment this was overlooked. The two ships of the supply had left England together, but the second did not reach Virginia until April. Shortly after Newport’s arrival in January, disaster came to Jam
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE FIRST MARRIAGE AT JAMESTOWN.
THE FIRST MARRIAGE AT JAMESTOWN.
It was in September 1608 that Smith became president in fact and inaugurated a program of physical improvement at Jamestown. The area about the fort was enlarged and the standing structures repaired. At this point, in October, the second supply arrived, including 70 settlers, who, when added to the survivors in Virginia, raised the over-all population to about 120. Among the new arrivals were two women—Mistress Forrest and her maid. Several months later, in the church at Jamestown, the maid, Ann
43 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE SECOND SUPPLY AND EARLY INDUSTRY.
THE SECOND SUPPLY AND EARLY INDUSTRY.
With the second supply came workmen sent over to produce glass, pitch, soap ashes, and other items profitable in England. These men, including some Poles and Dutchmen, were quickly assigned to specific duties. So rapidly did they begin that “trials” of at least one product, glass, were sent home when Newport left Jamestown before the end of the year. As usual, in addition to settlers and supplies, Newport brought more instructions from the company officials. The colony was not succeeding financi
2 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE SECOND COMPANY CHARTER AND THE THIRD SUPPLY.
THE SECOND COMPANY CHARTER AND THE THIRD SUPPLY.
The company had received a new charter in May 1609 which corrected some of the defects of the old and made provision for a strong governor to rule in the Colony. Despite discouraging news from Virginia, the supporters of the enterprise did not abandon their plans to maintain the colony. The second charter, as this was called, was subscribed and incorporated by 56 companies of London and 659 persons, of whom 21 were peers, 96 knights, 11 doctors, ministers, etc., 53 captains, 28 esquires, 58 gent
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE “STARVING TIME.”
THE “STARVING TIME.”
The winter of 1609-10 has been described through the years as the “starving time”—seemingly, an accurate description. It saw the population shrink from 500 to about 60 as a result of disease, sickness, Indian arrows, and malnutrition. It destroyed morale and reduced the men to scavengers stalking the fort, fields, and woods for anything that might be used as food. When spring came there was little spirit left in the settlement. It would seem unjust to attribute the disaster to Percy, who did wha
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
VIRGINIA ALMOST ABANDONED.
VIRGINIA ALMOST ABANDONED.
In May 1610, the hearts of the weary settlers were gladdened when Sir Thomas Gates, their new governor, sailed into the James. For about a year he and the survivors of the wreck of the Sea Venture had labored in Bermuda to make possible the continuation of their voyage to Virginia. The last part of the journey was made in two boats built by them in Bermuda—the Patience and the Deliverance , names suggestive of their thankfulness for survival. It was not a pleasant sight that greeted them at Jame
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
LORD DELAWARE REACHES JAMESTOWN.
LORD DELAWARE REACHES JAMESTOWN.
On June 10, Delaware reached “James Citty” and made his landing. He entered the fort through the south gate, and, with his colors flying, went on to the church where Rev. Richard Buck delivered an impressive sermon. Then his ensign, Anthony Scott, read his commission, and Gates formally delivered to him his own authority as governor. Delaware’s speech to the assembled colonists cheered them, advised them, warned them, and reproached them. Thanks to the pen of William Strachey, we have a good acc
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
SIR THOMAS DALE AND MILITARY LAW.
SIR THOMAS DALE AND MILITARY LAW.
In May, Sir Thomas Dale, on military leave from his post in the Low Countries, arrived as deputy governor of Virginia. He proceeded to give form and substance to the martial law which had been evoked by his predecessors. It led to rather complete regimentation, and he was severely criticized for it later, particularly by those hostile to his administration. He began by posting proclamations “for the publique view” at Jamestown. Later, he thoroughly inspected suitable settlement sites and surveye
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
JAMESTOWN, 1611-16.
JAMESTOWN, 1611-16.
Under Dale, from May 1611 to 1616, and under Gates who replaced him for several years, beginning in August 1611, the emphasis was away from Jamestown, but the capital was not actually moved. In 1612, “Master George Percie ... [was busy] with the keeping of Jamestown” while much of the colony had been “moved up river.” The first settlement was then looked upon as chiefly a place of safety for hogs and cattle. In 1614, it was made up of “two faire rowes of howses, all of framed Timber, two stories
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
POCAHONTAS.
POCAHONTAS.
While on a trading expedition on the Potomac, Argall captured Pocahontas and brought her as a prisoner to Jamestown in an attempt to deal with her father, Powhatan. Pocahontas was no stranger at Jamestown. She had often visited there before, once in the spring of 1608 to seek some of her countrymen held as hostages in the fort. In 1613, Pocahontas was well received at Jamestown, where she had not been for some time; and when her father refused to pay the price asked for her ransom, she was detai
58 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
TOBACCO.
TOBACCO.
After the death of Pocahontas, John Rolfe came back to Virginia alone to resume the work which he had begun there as early as 1610. Perhaps he continued his work with tobacco which had already resulted in a plant that could compete in taste and quality with that which had given the Spanish a monopoly of the tobacco market. Monument to Pocahontas, by William Ordway Partridge, near the entrance to Jamestown National Historic Site. In the first years of the settlement every effort had been made to
2 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE SPREAD OF SETTLEMENT.
THE SPREAD OF SETTLEMENT.
Jamestown was planned as the first permanent English settlement in Virginia. The fixed intention was to establish other seats as soon as possible. As the limitations of Jamestown became obvious, the desire for other townsites was intensified. Soon after the settlement was made at Jamestown, temporary garrisons were placed at outlying points for protective and administrative reasons—at Kecoughtan (Hampton-Newport News), Cape Henry, and at the falls of the James. The first efforts in this directio
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE BEGINNING OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.
THE BEGINNING OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.
In 1618, there were internal changes in the Virginia Company that led to the resignation of Sir Thomas Smith as treasurer, and to the election of Sir Edwin Sandys as his successor. This roughly corresponded to changes in company policy toward the administration of the colony and to intensified efforts to develop Virginia. It led to the abolition of martial law, to the establishment of individual property ownership, and greater freedom and participation in matters of government. Virginia already
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
DEVELOPMENTS, 1619-24.
DEVELOPMENTS, 1619-24.
Another significant development of 1619 was the sending by the company of maidens to Virginia to be wives of the settlers. Although many women were already established with their families in the Jamestown colony, the company recognized that homes and children for all the men would be conducive to established family life and permanent residence. Under this new project, the first maidens arrived in May and June 1620. Others followed, as ships brought more and more young women seeking their fortune
4 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
“NEW TOWNE.”
“NEW TOWNE.”
It is in the 1619 to 1624 period that the first clear picture of Jamestown emerges, for this period corresponds with the earliest known property records that exist. The town had outgrown the original fort in some years past and now appeared as a fairly flourishing settlement. The records reveal that many of the property owners were yeomen, merchants, carpenters, hog-raisers, farmers, joiners, shopkeepers, and ordinary “fellows,” as well as governors and colonial officials. The “New Towne” sectio
3 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
VIRGINIA MADE A ROYAL COLONY.
VIRGINIA MADE A ROYAL COLONY.
The Virginia Company established the first permanent English settlement in America, but did not reap the profits that it had expected. Despite reorganization and large expenditures, it never achieved its full objective and was increasingly subject to criticism. Matters reached a head in 1624 when James I dissolved the company, thereby removing the hand that had guided Virginia affairs for 17 years. With this act Virginia became a royal colony and continued as such until the American Revolution m
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
GOVERNOR HARVEY DEPOSED.
GOVERNOR HARVEY DEPOSED.
Sir John Harvey first came to Virginia in 1624 as a member of a committee to report on conditions in the colony. It was in 1630 that he returned as royal governor and settled himself at “James cittie, the seate of the Governor.” In 1632, he had a commodious house here and was complaining of the expense of the entertainment that he had to finance in “the Governors owne house.” Whether because of his personal nature, his own view or interpretation of government, or because of the severe opposition
55 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
BRICK ARCHITECTURE.
BRICK ARCHITECTURE.
When Governor Harvey reached Jamestown in January 1637 he made a special effort to promote the growth of the town. The assembly passed an act offering a “portion of land for a house and garden” to every person who would undertake to build on it within 2 years. This was the beginning of considerable activity at Jamestown. A number of new patents were issued, and, in January 1639, the governor and his council could report that 12 houses and stores had been constructed and others had been begun. On
2 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE COMMONWEALTH PERIOD.
THE COMMONWEALTH PERIOD.
The decade of 1650-60 corresponds to the period of the Commonwealth Government in England. Virginia, for the most part, appeared loyal to the crown, yet in 1652 the colony submitted to the new government when it demonstrated its power before Jamestown. Governor Berkeley withdrew to his home at Green Spring, just above Jamestown, and the General Assembly assumed the governing role, acting under the Parliament of England. Virginia was given liberal treatment, with considerable freedom in taxation
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
BACON’S REBELLION, 1676-77.
BACON’S REBELLION, 1676-77.
Bacon’s Rebellion, one of the most dramatic episodes in the history of the English colonies, stands out as a highlight in 17th-century Virginia. It broke in spectacular fashion and is often hailed as a forerunner of the Revolution. It constituted the only serious civil disturbance experienced by Virginia during its entire life as a British colony. It occupies a prominent spot in the annals of the times, and in any chronicle of Jamestown its significance can be multiplied many times, for a number
8 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
JAMESTOWN REBUILT.
JAMESTOWN REBUILT.
Lord Culpeper reached Virginia in May 1680, with instructions to rebuild Jamestown and to develop it into an urban center. In 1683, he was able to report that he had given all possible encouragement to this enterprise and that, although he himself was living at Green Spring, considerable activity had begun. He mentioned specifically that Nathaniel Bacon (the kinsman of the rebel), Joseph Bridger, and William Sherwood had substantial work under way. A little later the fourth statehouse was comple
51 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
STATEHOUSE BURNED AND CAPITAL MOVED.
STATEHOUSE BURNED AND CAPITAL MOVED.
On October 31, 1698, a fire consumed the Statehouse, prison, and probably other buildings at Jamestown, although the records and papers were saved. This fire led to the removal of the seat of government to Middle Plantation (Williamsburg)—a spot favored by the Governor, Sir Francis Nicholson. Thus, Jamestown was abandoned as the seat of government after 92 years. Its mission had been accomplished, and it had seen Virginia grow from the small settlement of 1607 into a colony of great extent, with
25 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
LATER YEARS AT JAMESTOWN.
LATER YEARS AT JAMESTOWN.
The removal of the capital ultimately proved the death blow for Jamestown, for this eliminated the primary reason for its existence. Decline set in immediately, but Jamestown retained a seat in the assembly for another three-quarters of a century. Its end as a town, legally and physically, may be given as the period of the American Revolution. There was a military post here early in that struggle. Later, it became a point of exchange for American and British prisoners of war, and it featured in
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
Jamestown National Historic Site
Jamestown National Historic Site
The first organized effort toward saving the Jamestown area came in 1893 when the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities acquired 22.5 acres of the old townsite. This land, donated for preservation by Mr. and Mrs. Edward E. Barney, embraced the Old Church Tower, the graveyard, and the west end of the townsite. The Association which was chartered in 1889 is better known, perhaps, as the APVA. It is a non-profit organization interested in the acquisition, preservation, and restor
2 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
Colonial National Historical Park
Colonial National Historical Park
In 1930, by Presidential proclamation, all of Jamestown Island’s 1,559.5 acres (equally divided between marsh and dry land) were included within the boundaries of Colonial National Monument. The monument designation was changed to that of a national historical park by act of Congress in 1936. Actual Federal ownership of the island (other than the 22-acre Association tract) was obtained in 1934, and some years later, a bit of the mainland opposite the western tip of Jamestown was added because of
38 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
Colonial Parkway
Colonial Parkway
This 23-mile scenic motor road connects historic Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Along its course are descriptive markers that give bits of history which often show the interrelation of Jamestown (where the Nation began), Williamsburg (the 18th-century capital of Virginia where important elements of our Revolutionary leadership were nourished), and Yorktown (where the climatic battle in our struggle for independence was fought)....
17 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
The Study of Jamestown
The Study of Jamestown
When the major part of Jamestown Island, including much of the townsite, was placed in its custody in 1934, the National Park Service, working with the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, assumed responsibility for preservation of the historic remains on the island and for interpreting the site. This posed many problems, for the Jamestown story is a vital segment of our national history, involving the origins and growth of the culture of this formative period of English col
4 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
The Development of Jamestown
The Development of Jamestown
No attempt will be made to restore Jamestown as it was in 1607 or at any other period. The town was always small and always changing. Jamestown, it might be said, was never a city in the modern concept. It was more a village, a small community. The town of 1607, or 1610, was unlike that of 1623, and that of 1623 was far different from that of 1675. Architecture went all the way from timber and thatch structures to substantial all-brick houses. Even if the town had had a reasonable continuity of
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
Guide to the Area
Guide to the Area
(Numbers correspond to numbers on the map on page 43 .) “James Towne” developed on the west end of Jamestown Island. At its maximum extent it lay along the river for approximately three-quarters of a mile. It was a thin strip of a town between the James River and the marsh that came to be called Pitch and Tar Swamp. At first there was only the fort, then an enlarged palisaded area. Gradually the town grew with the building of houses, a church, a market place, shops, storehouses, forts, statehous
13 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
How to Reach Jamestown
How to Reach Jamestown
Jamestown Island is easily reached over the Colonial Parkway from Williamsburg only 10 miles away. Williamsburg is the nearest rail and bus terminal and the closest point of concentration of housing and eating facilities. The approach from the south is over State Routes 10 and 31 to the ferry over the James River from Scotland to Glasshouse Point near the Jamestown Entrance Gate. From Richmond and points to the West, State Routes 5 and 31 can be used without entering Williamsburg....
23 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
About Your Visit
About Your Visit
Jamestown is open daily, except on Christmas Day, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 1 to September 30 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. A single admission of 50 cents per person is collected at the Entrance Gate on Glasshouse Point. However, during the 350th Jamestown Anniversary Festival season in 1957 this charge is a part of, and included in, a $1 per person admission including all of Jamestown and nearby Festival Park with its reconstructed “James Fort,” ship replicas, and other feat
50 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
Administration
Administration
Jamestown Island (except Jamestown National Historic Site administered and maintained by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities) is part of Colonial National Historical Park. The park also includes Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial Parkway, and Cape Henry Memorial. It is administered by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior. Inquiries relating to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities area should be addressed to that As
25 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
Suggested Readings
Suggested Readings
Andrews, Matthew Page. Virginia: The Old Dominion. Doubleday Doran. New York. 1937. Chandler, J. A. C., and Thames, T. B. Colonial Virginia. Times-Dispatch Company. Richmond, Va. 1907. Forman, Henry Chandlee. Jamestown and St. Mary’s: Buried Cities of Romance. The Johns Hopkins Press. Baltimore. 1938. Hatch, Charles E., Jr. The First Seventeen Years: Virginia, 1607-1625. Jamestown 350th Anniversary Historical Booklet No. 6. Virginia 350th Anniversary Celebration Corporation. Williamsburg, Va. 19
51 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES
(Price lists of National Park Service publications may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D.C.)...
9 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter