Land Ho! Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail - Virginia Beach, VA
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 36° 55.135 W 076° 03.233
18S E 406128 N 4086396
After nearly five months at sea, 104 Englishmen landed here at dawn on April 26, 1607. To honor their prince, they named the site Cape Henry and planted a wooden cross.
Waymark Code: WM1210Q
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2020
Views: 2
Land Ho! Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail-After nearly five months at sea, 104 Englishmen landed here at dawn on April 26, 1607. To honor their prince, they named the site Cape Henry and planted a wooden cross.
Fearing rival Spanish vessels, the newcomers headed up the James River to seek a more sheltered settlement site. They chose Jamestown Island, as it was easy to defend and afforded deep mooring areas for their ships.
The settlers faced severe challenges. The local Paspahegh Indians resisted the intrusion into their homeland. Hunger, disease, insects, heat and humidity took their toll. By late September, nearly half of the colonists were dead.
"There is but one entrance...into this country...at the mouth of a very goodly bay...heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man's habitation..."
-Captain John Smith, A Map of Virginia, 1612
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A memorial erected in 1935 commemorates the cross raised by colonists in gratitude for safe arrival at the place they called Cape Henry.
The shallop was probably about 20 to 30 feet long, with one mast, two sails, and two banks of oars.
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Explore these places to learn more about Captain John Smith:
• First Landing is Virginia’s most visited state park and features more than a mile of sandy beach to explore along the Chesapeake Bay.
• Cape Henry Lighthouse stands near the site where the Jamestown settlers first landed in 1607.
• At Jamestown Settlement, participate in hands-on activities for young and old, including grinding corn at a re-created Indian town.
Group that erected the marker: National Park Service, US Department of Interior.
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
2500 Shore Drive
First Landing State Park
Virginia Beach, VA USA
23451
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