Special Feature:
Commemorating the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown, the First English Settlement in the Americas

American Indians See Opportunity in Jamestown Anniversary USINFO, May 4, 2007 Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, was founded not in the wilderness of legend but rather in the midst of a thriving agricultural community. The small fort on Virginia’s James River had as its neighbors at least 14,000 individuals and approximately 30 tribes comprising the Powhatan paramount chiefdom, in a land the natives called “Tsenacomoco,” Algonquian for “densely inhabited land.” In light of their later treatment by European settlers, modern-day American Indians in Virginia might be expected to resent the activities surrounding the 400th anniversary of Jamestown’s founding, but many in the native community are embracing the opportunity to direct popular attention beyond the romanticized tales of John Smith and Pocahontas. They are sharing their story to promote a more realistic understanding of the complex society the first English colonists encountered, and explain how the American Indian tribes have managed, despite extreme hardship, to maintain their identities. Read more..   Pocahontas Played Mythic Role in Founding of Jamestown USINFO, May 4, 2007 One of the most famous stories connected with the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, portrays Pocahontas, daughter of paramount chief Powhatan, heroically saving English colonial leader John Smith from being clubbed to death in 1607. But some scholars dispute the historical accuracy of the event, based entirely on Smith’s own writings 17 years after it supposedly occurred. Read more .. Articles: Beyond Jamestown Smithsonian Magazine, May 2007 Inventing America (cover story) Time Magazine, May 7, 2007 America in 1607 - Jamestown and the Powhatan National Geographic Magazine, May 2007 Links: Jamestown Anniversary Site Historic Jamestown Jamestown Journey
Texts are abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials.
What kind of information materials are available? CD: These documents are available in fulltext format on the About the USA CD-ROM. Teachers: Request a copy for classroom use. L: Selected documents are available in German as well as other languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Persian and Turkish.

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U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany /Public Affairs/ Information Resource Centers  Updated: May 2007