Jamestown, founded in 1607, became the first permanent English settlement in the present-day United States.
The Virginia Company established Jamestown on May 14, 1607, on an island in the James River in the Colony of Virginia. The settlement was named for King James I of England. Its location offered defensive advantages, although marshy surroundings contributed to disease and poor drinking water.
Jamestown struggled with hunger, conflict, and shortages during its early years. The colony became more economically viable after tobacco cultivation expanded, especially through the work of colonist John Rolfe. In 1619, Virginia also formed an elected representative assembly, the House of Burgesses.
Jamestown is often confused with Plymouth, founded by English Pilgrims in 1620, and St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565. St. Augustine predates Jamestown, but Jamestown is recognized as the first permanent English settlement in what became the United States.