VIRGINIA - A state synonymous with the very beginnings of American history, holds the distinction of being the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. Its founding marks a pivotal moment, the start of a continuous English presence that would eventually lead to the formation of the United States.
1607: The Year Virginia Was Founded - The Dawn of English America at Jamestown
The year this crucial chapter began was 1607
The Voyage and the Virginia Company
The journey to found Virginia was driven by ambition and investment. Under a charter granted by King James I of England, the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock company, financed an expedition to establish a colony in the New World. The goals were multifaceted: to find gold and other valuable resources, to establish a trade route, and to claim land for England. In late 1606, three ships – the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery – set sail from England carrying just over 100 colonists.
Landing at Jamestown (May 1607)
After a long and perilous voyage, the colonists arrived in the Chesapeake Bay. On May 13, 1607, they selected a site on a peninsula along the James River (named after King James I) and established the settlement of Jamestown. This date marks the effective founding of Virginia as a permanent English colony.
Early Struggles and Survival
The early years at Jamestown were fraught with hardship. The colonists faced disease, starvation, difficult relations with the native Powhatan Confederacy, and internal strife. Despite these immense challenges and the infamous "Starving Time," the settlement endured, becoming the first successful, permanent English outpost in North America.
Significance
The founding of Virginia in 1607 is a cornerstone event in American history. Jamestown served as the capital of the Virginia Colony for nearly a century and laid the groundwork for future English colonization along the Atlantic coast. It represents the beginning of a complex and often difficult history that shaped the nation we know today.
Therefore, the answer to "In what year was Virginia founded?" is 1607. This year signifies the establishment of the Jamestown settlement by the Virginia Company of London, marking the beginning of the first permanent English colony in North America and a crucial starting point for the story of the United States.
Sources:
- Historic Jamestowne (National Park Service / Preservation Virginia)
- Jamestown Settlement Museum
- Records of the Virginia Company of London (Library of Congress, British National Archives)
- Virginia Historical Society
- Colonial Records of Virginia
- Histories of Early American Colonization
