The document summarizes the early history of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America. It explains that Jamestown was founded in 1607 as an economic venture by the Virginia Company of London to search for gold and other resources. The settlers faced many hardships in the marshy land but survived through aid from local Powhatan people and the establishment of agriculture, especially tobacco. The relationship with the Powhatans eventually broke down as the colony expanded and encroached on their territory. The document also notes the development of representative government through the Virginia House of Burgesses.
