In 1606, England’s new King James I authorized two companies to establish colonies in Virginia, North America.

In December 1606, a London-based company funded a voyage carrying 144 male settlers to the New World. After enduring a grueling 144-day sea journey, during which 40 men perished, 104 survivors arrived at Jamestown, Virginia, in April 1607. The settlers began clearing the land for farming, but due to lack of timely planting, agricultural experience, and construction skills, their first harvest was poor. Their provisions ran out, forcing them to forage for wild fruits and hunt. Food shortages were so severe that they consumed cats, dogs, livestock, and even human corpses. By the onset of winter, many had died from disease, starvation, and exposure; over half perished.

Over the next two to three years, the London company continued sending settlers in batches, eventually reaching 500 people. Yet during the severe famine of 1609–1610, 80% of them died. After three years, of the 500 settlers who had arrived from England, only about 100 survived. The extreme difficulty of surviving in the early years is evident.

Back in London, merchants were largely unaware of the harsh conditions. Their primary concern was for the settlers to seek gold and explore rivers in hopes of finding a passage to the East. Settlers in Jamestown continued to die from disease, starvation, and attacks by Native Americans. Between 1606 and 1622, the London companies sent about 6,000 settlers, of whom more than 4,000 did not survive.

Without the help of local Native Americans, survival would have been nearly impossible. The Native Americans provided food, taught the settlers how to live in the forests, cultivate crops, and build homes. Initially grateful, the settlers later clashed with them. In 1622, Native Americans attacked the settlers, killing 340 people. The settlers retaliated by poisoning over 200 Native Americans.

By 1624, Jamestown finally began to take shape as a self-sufficient settlement and started cultivating and exporting tobacco to Europe for profit.

Looking back at the establishment of this first colony, one can see the enormous sacrifices made and how difficult it was for settlers to survive and establish a foothold.

On May 4, 2007, Virginia celebrated the 400th anniversary of the first settlers’ arrival at Jamestown. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom attended the ceremony, and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney delivered a speech.