Jamestown, Va., was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. It was founded in 1607 by a group of 104 people, as referenced by the National Park Service. The Virginia Company funded the expedition and told the group of settlers to make way for more people to arrive.
The settlement was located on a peninsula, and the area was named after King James I, the king of England at the time. It was picked partially because of its easily defensible terrain for fear of Spanish attacks and because of its deep waters, making the inland easily accessible to the English ships.
