The founding of the Jamestown colony was nearly 413 years ago. For a limited time, the Jamestown Foundation is making films about the Jamestown settlement and other historic events available online.
Jamestown Settlement’s introductory film, 1607: A Nation Takes Root, starts with the the Virginia Company’s sponsorship of the Jamestown colony. It takes a look at the relationship between the English colonists and Powhatan Indians. It also discusses the first recorded arrivals of Africans to the area in 1619.

An overlooked story of cause and effect is explained in Bacon’s Rebellion. In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon led a group of Virginia colonists in armed rebellion. In their fight against Gov. William Berkeley, Bacon’s rebels burned Jamestown to the ground. The film continues with history coverage into the later 17th century, with stories of Sarah Grendon, Emmanuel Cambo and Cockaoeske.
The ships Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery sailed for 144 days from England to Virginia in 1606. The short film, The Crossing, shows the voyage of the 104 English men and boys who made the journey.
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