Jamestown is seen as the beginning of English colonization of America.
James I, King of England, approved a group of settlers travelling there in 1606.
The English had to defend themselves from Native Americans tribes, which they managed to drive off.
The settlers built a fort and other buildings to protect themselves, also finding Native Americans willing to trade with them.
1609 a terrible winter struck, with only 60 out of the original 214 settlers remaining.
From 1612, the settlers started growing and selling tobacco back to England, as it was very profitable and easy to grow.
Due to the economic upturn, the Jamestown colony and others grew.
In 1619, the first African workers arrived as free people.
Slave trade in Virginia only began in the 1680s.