The Saga of Stephen Hopkins, a Leading Member of the Jamestowne and Plymouth Colonies
Pop quiz: what early American colonist survived a shipwreck, found his way to Jamestowne in 1610, sailed back to England a few years later, then came to America again in 1620 as a passenger on the...
May 22, 1622: The Jamestowne Colony Is Decimated by an Indian Attack, and Hundreds of Settlers Are Killed or Wounded
March 22, 1622 was a day that was a turning point in the life of the Jamestowne Colony, and perhaps the most tragic day in Jamestowne’s history—the surprise attack on Jamestowne and its...
Remembering Benjamin Harrison
The Harrisons were one of the most prominent Virginia families of the 17th and 18th centuries, including two U.S. Presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901)....
Remembering William Byrd II
In the early years of the Jamestowne Colony, one of the families that became a dynasty of sorts over the course of the next century was the Byrd family. It began with the arrival of William Byrd I in...
Remembering King James I
One of the most important supporters of early American colonization was King James I of England, who died this day on March 27, 1625. We honor him today for all that he did to promote the earliest...
Remembering Samuel Argall
The history of the Jamestowne Colony has largely receded from our national consciousness, replaced by the story of the Pilgrims, the story of the American Revolution, and so forth. This year in...
Remembering George Thorpe
One of the most tragic events at the Jamestowne Colony in its early years was the Massacre of 1622, in which many settlers lost their lives. One of them was George Thorpe, who had worked tirelessly...
Remembering Governor George Yeardley
In the first two decades of the 17th century, the Jamestowne Colony in Virginia was struggling. Settled in 1607, the Colony had experienced Indian attacks, famine, disease, and a host of other...
August 1619: Commemorating the First Representative Government in North America at Jamestowne Colony
This month we commemorate the anniversary of the convening of the first General Assembly at the Jamestowne Colony in August 1619, an event that historians point to as the very first representative...
Remembering William Berkeley
Long forgotten today, one of the most important political figures in 17th century colonial America was William Berkeley, who died this day on July 9, 1677. Berkeley was the Governor of the Virginia...