History

Ship shape: a copy of the 1607 vessel

The history

On 14th May 1607, 104 men sailed up what they called the James River on board the “Susan Constant”, the “Discovery” and the “Godspeed” to carry the rule of law, democracy, the English way of life and the Christian Church to America. The subsequent settlements in Jamestown formed the roots of Modern America.

Kent connection

Kent's links with Virginia date back to that first voyage in 1607. Three ships left from Blackwall and set sail for America in December 1606 with the 105 men who went on to found Jamestown, calling at Gravesend on the way. Two of the settlers, Edward Pising and Thomas Wotton, were from Kent.

Gravesend: St George’s Church is the burial place of Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powhatan [see below]. She married John Rolfe in 1614 and travelled with him to England.

Leeds Castle: The castle is the ancestral home of Sir Thomas Culpeper, Governor of Virginia 1677-83.

Penshurst Place: Seat of the Sidneys since 1522. Algerton Sidney and his friend William Penn drafted the Constitution for Pennsylvania, which became the basis for the US Constitution.

Pocahontas and her son, Thomas Rolfe

Pocahontas

The early years in Jamestown for the settlers were miserable. Despite inspired leadership of John Smith, chaplain Robert Hunt and others, starvation, hostile relations with the Indians, and lack of profitable exports all threatened the survival of the Colony.

But it was John Rolfe who introduced a strain of tobacco which was successfully exported in 1612, and the financial outlook for the colony became more favorable. Two years later, Rolfe married the the Indian princess Pocahontas, daughter of Wahunsunacock, Chief of the Powhatan Confederacy, and a period of relative peace with the Natives followed.

In 1616, the Rolfes made a public relations trip to England, where Pocahontas was received as visiting royalty. Returning to Virginia in 1617, she fell ill and died on board ship and was brought ashore at Gravesend, aged just 22.

Events

Events will be held throughout the year in Virginia to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in July 2007.

Businesses and individuals from Kent will be attending the Festival in Washington. The 10-day event, which attracts more than a million visitors, will offer a unique opportunity to build on historic connections between England and North America, as well as highlighting Kent's own culture.