The village of Jamestown became the first permanent English Colony within North America in May 1607. Fueled by global economic, religious, and social factors, the colony represented England's emergence into the developing European landscape of expansion and conquest. The Virginia Company entrepreneured the venture upon royal charter by King James I in April 1606. In December 1606, three ships – Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery – with 105 men left England. Four months later, in April 1607, they reached the Chesapeake Bay and two weeks of exploration led to the final landing at Jamestown.
Jamestown Settlement seeks to convey the aforementioned information to visitors via several mediums: living history, displays, and film. The entry point is the Visitor's Center, containing traditional displays and exhibitions, as well as an introductory video, 1607: A Nation Takes Root. Most significantly, is the living history portion consisting of the James Fort, Powhatan Indian village, and the Settlement's ships area. Jamestown Settlement seeks to recreate a factually historic experience for visitors; however, bias exists within the representation and dissemination of the information. The Jamestown story is undoubtedly told from the perspective of the English, being directed at a predominantly ethnic European albeit American market.
In the introductory video, "1607: A Nation Takes Root," the pitch line "each knew little of the other" resonates with visitors, giving the impression of first contact – first contact between the indigenous people and Europeans. The video shows the Virginia Company in its early stages mapping a plan for Jamestown's survival trying to keep the colony afloat at any stake, suggesting land ownership and representative government to entice more people. The video further indicates a period of peace between colonists and neighboring Powhatans in 1614 upon the union of John Rolfe and Pocahontas.
