The Virginia Colony founded at Jamestown lasted until the American Revolution. This timeline lists the main dates, each taken from a cited source.
Quick answer: The Virginia Colony was founded in two steps: King James I granted the First Charter of Virginia on April 10, 1606, and the settlers chose the Jamestown site on May 13, 1607. Virginia became a royal colony on May 24, 1624, and the capital moved to Williamsburg in 1699.
Contents
- Founding, 1606-1607
- Survival and Tobacco, 1609-1624
- The Royal Colony, 1624-1776
- After Independence
- Frequently asked questions
Founding, 1606-1607
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 10, 1606 | King James I grants the First Charter of Virginia[1] |
| December 6, 1606 | Three ships, the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, leave England[2] |
| May 13, 1607 | 104 English men and boys choose the Jamestown site[2] |
Survival and Tobacco, 1609-1624
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1609-1610 | The Starving Time; most settlers die[2] |
| July 1612 | John Rolfe is growing a Spanish strain of tobacco[3] |
| 1613 | Pocahontas is kidnapped by the English[2] |
| 1614 | Pocahontas marries John Rolfe[2] |
| 1617 | About 20,000 pounds of tobacco shipped to England[3] |
| July 30, 1619 | First representative legislative assembly[2] |
| 1619 | First documented Africans arrive in Virginia[2] |
| March 1622 | Powhatan attack kills 350 to 400 of about 1,200 settlers[2] |
| May 24, 1624 | The Virginia Company’s charter is revoked; Virginia becomes a royal colony[2] |
The Royal Colony, 1624-1776
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1632 | Uncertain peace with the Powhatan; law limits each settler to 1,500 tobacco plants[2][3] |
| 1642-1643 | Vestries receive the power to choose ministers[4] |
| 1670 | Voting limited to freeholders and housekeepers[5] |
| 1676 | Bacon’s Rebellion; voting limit briefly lifted[5] |
| 1699 | Capital moves from Jamestown to Williamsburg[2] |
| 1700 | Tobacco shipments reach 22 million pounds[3] |
| 1723 | Free Black, mixed-race and Native men barred from voting[5] |
| 1730 | Tobacco Inspection Act[3] |
| 1736 | Voting requires 100 acres unimproved or 25 acres improved land[5] |
After Independence
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1784 | Church of England disestablished in Virginia[4] |
| January 16, 1786 | General Assembly adopts the Virginia Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom[6] |
Frequently asked questions
When was the Virginia Colony founded? The charter was granted on April 10, 1606, and the Jamestown site was chosen on May 13, 1607.
Who founded the Virginia Colony? The Virginia Company of London, under a charter from King James I.
When did Virginia become a royal colony? On May 24, 1624.
When did the capital move to Williamsburg? In 1699.
References
- [1] The Avalon Project, Yale Law School, The First Charter of Virginia; April 10, 1606 – last checked 11/08/2026
- [2] National Park Service, Historic Jamestowne: A Short History of Jamestown – last checked 11/08/2026
- [3] Encyclopedia Virginia, Emily Jones Salmon and John Salmon, Tobacco in Colonial Virginia – last checked 11/08/2026
- [4] Encyclopedia Virginia, Edward L. Bond, The Parish in Colonial Virginia – last checked 11/08/2026
- [5] Encyclopedia Virginia, John G. Kolp, Elections in Colonial Virginia – last checked 11/08/2026
- [6] Encyclopedia Virginia, John A. Ragosta, Virginia Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom (1786) – last checked 11/08/2026
The full story is told in The Virginia Colony: Overview.