At the first Jamestown Settlement, Captain John Smith became leader of the expedition mounted by the
English prospectors. He had help from 12-year old Pocahontas (Mischievous One) who acted as intermediary
between her father, the Chief of the Powhatans, and the English. She visited the fort several times in 1608
bringing food for the starving English. She later married a successful tobacco entrepreneur Englishman John
Rolfe in 1614 and traveled to England to be introduced to royalty. She later, in 1617, died in England of
disease at 20 years of age.
A second group of prospectors arrived with the intent to harvest timber, mine gold, ship goods back to England
and search for a water route to the west. Not many survived but they eventually established a colony and as
more settlers arrived, they expanded from the island and built the settlement that would later become
Williamsburg, the Colonial capitol of Virginia.
Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA Travel
At the site of the first fort established on the shores of the
Chesapeake Bay, just a few miles away from the Jamestown
settlement and Museum, archaeologists recently found the
Jamestown fort's original post holes within the Colonial
National Historic Park. While they are excavating the walls
and post holes of the first settlement, they invite you to stand
at the edge of the dig and watch as the ancient mud yields
17th Century shards of glass and pottery.
Near Jamestown, The Yorktown Battle Site
The Yorktown Battle site's historical interpreters re-create events in 1781 when
George Washington marched south from New York badly in need of a win for
the colonial army. The British had won most of the battles along the coast but
when Britain's General Cornwallis put in to Yorktown, fifty miles inland from
the Chesapeake Bay on the shores of the James River, Washington seized
the opportunity to corner the British army and put an end to the long war.
At the battle site you will also see many men and women dressed as French
soldiers because France had come to Washington's aid with an army under
Rochambeau and a fleet commanded by Comte de Grasse. The addition of
8,000 French troops and a fleet of French warships bolstered Washington's
army of 7,000 soldiers when they surrounded Cornwallis at Yorktown and fired
cannons into the enemy fortifications for nine days, forcing the British to
surrender.
These events mark a battle in which America finally secured its freedom. The
folks at the Yorktown Victory Center and at the National Park Service's
Colonial National Park would like you to come to Virginia and enjoy all the
action as you learn all about the history of the battle.
While you are visiting Yorktown you can also visit the Jamestown
Settlement, a living museum with three replica ships and the replica fort of the
first permanent settlement by the British in the new world.
Yorktown is within walking distance of the National Park Service
administered sprawling battle site and earthworks built by the colonial soldiers
as they rolled their cannon in place and started their nine-day cannon barrage.
An 11-mile loop road with parking turnouts and historical plaques makes the
battle come alive; dozens of cannon of all sizes are in place for visitors to gain
a sense of that time and place.
The Moore House where the British signed the surrender document still
stands and on a walking trail you can follow the path of the cannon balls as they
rained down on the town destroying nearly 70 per cent of the houses. Nine
antique homes still stand, however, some bearing the marks of cannon balls
on the scarred brick facades.
For additional information go to www.historyisfun.org, the site for the
The Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, a State of
Virginia run agency, or call toll free 1-888-593-4682 or 757-253-4838.
Combination tickets for both locations, The Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown
Battle Site, about twenty miles apart on the James River, cost $17. for an Adult and $8.25
for a child 6-12 years of age.
For detailed information about the people who dress as Continental soldiers and stage the
mock battles at Yorktown in October go to www. continentalline.org
Many other attractions are located close by in Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg:
At Virginia's
Jamestown
Settlement, historic
interpreters
demonstrate the
trades brought from
England to the shores
of Chesapeake in 1607
Jamestown Settlement, Virginia
The Jamestown Settlement,
Museum displays three replica
ships that brought Captain
John Smith and the first
settlers. The ships arrived in
1607 carrying a group of
explorers and merchants who
intended only to search for
exploitable resources and a
water passage to the Pacific.
They stayed on to found the
Nation.
The Jamestown
Settlement, the
Yorktown Battlefield,
and the Preserved
Colonial Village of
Williamsburg are
within Virginia's
Historic Triangle and
within 20 miles of one
another on Virginia's
Chesapeake Bay.
Shortly after the settlers arrived they built Americas first commercial enterprise, a glass works
near the first settlement. By 1608, the glass works was well established. You can visit a replica
building and watch glass artists at work. Watch for the Glass House on the Colonial Parkway.
Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA are great
places for Vacation Travel.
Jamestown offers the Jamestown Settlement Museum, the
Yorktown Battlefield, and the preserved Colonial town of
Williamsburg, historic sites just 20 miles apart.
Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg,
Virginia, USA are great places for History
Vacation Travel.
The Jamestown Settlement Museum
celebrates the first successful English
settlement in the Americas.
How to reach Jamestown:
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF) is a half hour's drive away and has five rental car
companies operating from the airport..
Norfolk International Airport (NIA) is forty miles south ( seven rental car companies)
Richmond International Airport (RIC) is 45 miles north with eight rental car companies. ..
Auto Europe offers Hotel, air and auto rental. Shop for selection, price, and ease
of booking a flight or auto on the web. Shop online to choose adequate luggage
space, car seat, baby carriage, two door, four door and other options.
If you are flying into Virginia you could Start saving on Air Travel by Parking your Car for Two Weeks
Free after one night Lodging in Airport Hotels in 60 US cities. Hundreds of others worldwide.
Some of the hotels in the program offer 24 hour shuttles to the airport. The early shuttle from the hotel to the
airline terminal will allow you to book an early flight and save money on the airfare. Two weeks of free parking
offsets the cost of the hotel room and you do not need to arrange for a limo from your home to the airport.
Most hotels offer Two Weeks Free Parking with one night stay, some three weeks or a reasonable day rate for
extra days. . Cruise passengers can take advantage of these deals also at some hotels. See Free Airport
Parking link above.
The Jamestown Settlement, the Yorktown Battlefield, and the Preserved Colonial Village of Williamsburg
are within 20 miles of one another in the Jamestown Virginia area.
Jamestown
Settlement Museum
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