The majority of the first settlers perished through famine or warfare with Native Americans, but the colony was never abandoned.
Through her marriage to settler John Rolfe, Pocahontas ensured a period of peace and growth for the settlement. Her father the powerful paramount chief Powhatan had been justifiably distrustful of the English settlers and had his soldiers attack the settlement several times.

The first representative assembly in North America was in 1619 on Jamestowne Island.  Elected representatives from surrounding plantations and towns arrived at the Jamestowne Church for a meeting of the House of Burgesses.  This was the beginning of representative government in the colonies which became the United States of America.

Today, the Jamestowne is a fascinating archaeological site, a museum, and a living monument to the brave settlers who established America's first permanent colony of Europeans.  Whatever your interest in history, you'll find something to enjoy at Jamestowne.  Check here for more information.