May 1607
Policy and racial inequalitySupplement
Jamestown established in Powhatan country
Tsenacommacah / Virginia
English colonists established Jamestown in May 1607 in Powhatan country. George Percy’s account places their settlement in Paspahegh territory and records both hospitality and armed encounters with nearby communities. Indigenous food and assistance helped the colony survive; English demands and expansion later intensified conflict.
Dates preserve the source’s precision. This entry is part of a selected historical record; its qualifications and sources are retained below.
Context / qualification
Jamestown became an enduring English settlement in what is now the United States. Its founding did not mean the land was uninhabited or ungoverned. May 1607 identifies settlement; the food crisis and wars developed over subsequent years.
Sources
- Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, chapter 1, pp. 12–13; supplied print pages, edition/year unidentified
- George Percy, Observations: May 1607 entries, especially 4, 13 and 14 May; Virtual Jamestown transcription ↗
- National Park Service, A Short History of Jamestown, settlement and 1609–1610 conflict ↗