Which European nation established the Jamestown settlement?

• A. Spain
• B. France
• C. England
• D. The Netherlands

Answer: (C)

Jamestown was established by England. In 1607, the Virginia Company of London sent settlers to what is now Virginia, forming Jamestown as the first permanent English stronghold in North America. It began as a business venture to gain wealth and expand English influence, and, despite severe early hardships like drought, disease, and conflict with Indigenous peoples, it endured and eventually stabilized. A key turn came when tobacco cultivation—developed by John Rolfe—made the colony profitable and sustainable. This event shows English colonization taking firm hold in the region, whereas other European powers were active in different areas (Spain with St. Augustine, France along the St. Lawrence and Mississippi, the Dutch around New Amsterdam).