December 20
Virginia Company Ships Depart for Jamestown
Three small English ships slipped down the Thames from Blackwall on December 20, 1606, carrying roughly one hundred men whose venture would establish the first permanent English settlement in North America.
Summary
In the early seventeenth century, England sought to establish a foothold in North America amid competition with Spain and other European powers for resources and trade routes. King James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock enterprise funded by investors hoping for profits from gold, trade, and land. On December 20, 1606, three ships—the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery—departed from Blackwall, London, carrying approximately 105 colonists and crew under Captain Christopher Newport. The expedition faced storms, internal disputes including a near-mutiny involving John Smith, and the long transatlantic voyage before sighting land in late April 1607. The settlers eventually selected a site on the James River, founding Jamestown in May 1607 as the first permanent English colony in what became the United States.
Context
By the early seventeenth century, England lagged behind Spain and Portugal in overseas expansion, having seen its earlier attempt at a colony on Roanoke Island end in failure by the 1590s. King James I, seeking economic gain and strategic advantage without direct royal expenditure, turned to private investors organized as a joint-stock company. In April 1606 he granted a charter to the Virginia Company of London, authorizing settlement along the North American coast between roughly 34 and 41 degrees latitude and promising investors a share of any profits from trade, minerals, or land.
What Happened
The company outfitted three vessels for the crossing: the 120-ton Susan Constant under the overall command of Captain Christopher Newport, the 40-ton Godspeed, and the 20-ton pinnace Discovery. On board were approximately 105 colonists and crew, including gentlemen, craftsmen, and soldiers, with sealed instructions naming the colony’s governing council. The ships encountered contrary winds that kept them in the English Channel for weeks before they finally cleared the coast and headed southwest across the Atlantic.
Aftermath
After a voyage marked by storms and a brief confinement of John Smith on suspicion of mutiny, the expedition reached the Chesapeake Bay in late April 1607. The settlers explored the James River, selected a defensible island site, and on May 14 formally established Jamestown. Early months brought disease, supply shortages, and conflict with local Powhatan peoples, yet the colony survived its first year under changing leadership.
Legacy
Jamestown became the nucleus of English North America, demonstrating that joint-stock financing could sustain transatlantic settlement and opening the way for later colonies and the plantation economy. Although the Virginia Company lost its charter in 1624 and royal government took direct control, the patterns of investment, governance, and land distribution established in 1606–1607 shaped colonial development for generations.
Why It Matters
The departure initiated sustained English colonization efforts in North America, laying groundwork for the expansion of British settlements and eventual American nationhood. It established patterns of joint-stock financing for overseas ventures that influenced later colonial enterprises and commercial expansion across the Atlantic.
Related Questions
Why did English investors back the Virginia Company?
They hoped for profits from gold, trade goods, and land while spreading risk through a joint-stock structure and advancing English interests against Spain.
What difficulties did the 1606 expedition face at sea?
Prolonged headwinds in the Channel and Atlantic storms extended the voyage; tensions among the leaders led to the brief arrest of John Smith.
How did the settlers choose the Jamestown site?
They sought a location that was defensible, had deep water for ships, and appeared unoccupied by Native peoples, though it later proved unhealthy.
What happened to the Virginia Company after 1607?
It received new charters in 1609 and 1612, introduced lotteries for funding, and oversaw the colony until financial and political troubles prompted the king to assume direct control in 1624.
Who were the main leaders among the first colonists?
Captain Christopher Newport commanded the fleet; Edward Maria Wingfield became the first council president; John Smith emerged as a capable leader after the landing.
Related Portfolio Site
America 250 Atlas: Virginia Company Ships Depart for Jamestown is part of U.S. presidential, constitutional, or national civic history.
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Sources
- The Virginia Company of London, Encyclopedia Virginia. Accessed 2026-07-08.