The first permanent settlement in North America was Jamestown founded by Walter Raleigh. This settlement was decided on May 24 1607 and some of its original buildings still stand today. Jamestown was populated with fortune seekers who spent all their time hunting for treasure which did not help in the survival of the colony. This caused over half of the colony to collapse in the first year.

Jamestown turned itself around when new colonist arrived from Germany and Poland in 1608. Captain John Smith took over the colony and made everyone work together. He made a rule that if anyone didn’t work they could neither eat. John had to leave in 1610 to England to get a wound treated. In 1614 Jamestown made its first profit when a man named John Rolfe started selling tobacco. Rolfe became very wealthy and married the Indian princess Pocahontas. Jamestown could finally stand on its own feet in 1624.