Brought to Jamestown as a captive, Captain John Smith became part of the governing council of Jamestown and an iconic historical figure due to his skillful leadership of the threatened colony and strong relationships with the Virginia Indians.
Three small ships sailed from England to establish a colony in Virginia, arriving in May 1607. Jamestown became America's first permanent English settlement.
Africans, who arrived against their will in 1619 had no choice other than to adapt to the conditions in which they found themselves. This included learning new English customs and language and having their own traditions ignored or discouraged by those around them.
Powhatan was the paramount chief of some 30 Powhatan Indian tribes when English settlers arrived at Jamestown in 1607. His daughter Pocahontas befriended the English and at times served as intermediary between the two cultural groups.
Make ready, present your piece, FIRE! Explore the mechanics of matchlock and flintlock muskets in this video about 17th- and 18th-century firearms. Historical interpreters present daily musket demonstrations in Jamestown Settlement’s re-created colonial fort and the Yorktown Victory Center’s re-created Continental Army encampment.
