Jamestown, Virginia, USA
Jamestown, Virginia, USA [Si].The first permanent English settlement in America, founded in AD 1607 by 105 settlers, on the James River about 24km inland from Chesapeake Bay. Originally, the town was the capital of Virginia. The early settlers lived off fishing, small-scale farming of maize, squash, and pumpkin, and trading with local aboriginal Indian communities. Some staples were imported from England. At first houses were timber-framed with wattle-and-daub walls and thatched roofs. Later, baked clay bricks were used for walling. Pottery and glassmaking also became local industries. The town had its troubles, however, with attacks by Indians, famine, fire, and civil strife. It was built in an unhealthy location and, once established, many of the planters preferred to live on their estates. Jamestown went into decline in the 18th century after Williamsburg became the capital of the colony. The US National Park Service took over the site in 1934, and in...
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