Suzi Travels

Day 12 October 27, 2024

Norfolk, Virginia

Started off the day with four buses headed off to Jamestown Settlement. It is a recreation on the site of the original settlement. Our guide Bonnie was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of information about Norfolk, which is about 10 x 8 blocks, and the surrounding area. Norfolk, founded in 1680, is situated on the Elizabeth River which is the reason it is a large shipping port and a major naval base.

very large cranes purchased from France. They have the ability to unload and move cargo 10 times faster than anything currently available here in the US
More French cranes. It is hard to describe how massive they are
Battleship USS Wisconsin BB 64 completed in 1944 and sent to the Pacific theater for World War II, then to the Korean War, then decommissioned. She was reactivated in 1986 and modernized and participated in Desert Storm in January & February 1991. She was stricken as a naval vessel on 17 March 2006 and later donated as a permanent museum ship.
Naval aircraft carrier
this building is in the middle of the James River. We were told it has something to do with the demagnetizing of ships that enter the harbor

Jamestown Settlement, a re-creation of the original. On May 13, 1607, 3 ships, the Susan Constant, the Discovery, the Godspeed, 104 men and boys landed on the shores of the James River and began the first permanent English settlement in North America. Over the next few years, the relationship with the Powhatan Indians were tenuous at best. The settlers were dying from a variety of disease and those that did survive in the beginning were due to the help of the Powhatan Indians providing food. But by the winter of 1610, “the starving time”, somewhere between 80-90% of the settlers had died. The settlement was on the verge of abandonment, when in 1612, John Rolfe, the husband of Pocahontas, introduced tobacco, and the settlement became productive. In 1619, 2 major events occurred, 90 women were brought over from England to become wives, and the first documented Africans were forcibly captured and brought to work the tobacco fields.

single family Algonquin North American tribal home
teaching children how to use stone, shells, bone to create tools and utensils
storage systen
blankets/animal skins
bows & arrows ready for use
original bunk beds
awesome demonstration of creating tools as the Powhatan did in the 1600’s
Powhatan tools
Powhatan, 1547-1618, the paramount chief, started with 3 tribes and grew to 30 tribes. He was the father of Pocahontas, who in 1614 married and Englishman, John Rolfe, which provided some peace between the Powhatan tribes and the settlers.
Opechancanough, 1554-1646, the youngest brother of Powhatan. He ruled the tribes from 1618 until his capture, where he was shot by one of his captors. As a young warrior, he was the one who actually captured John Smith and brought him to Powhatan. As the chief, he was a feared warrior, starting with the Indian Massacres of 1622 then again in 1644. Ge was captured in 1646.

Beginning of the Jamestown Settlement May 13, 1607

Inside the fort walls
The Discovery, the Godspeed
waiting for their ship to come in
we were here
the Discovery, left London on December 20, 1606 with 12 settlers and 9 sailors
James Fort
Inside grounds within the fort
Bedroom
meeting room
weapons, protection, ammunition
Master bedroom
Doctor and his tools of his trade
Ammunition supply room
Patrick wearing a new hat
storeroom
Battlements
Just hanging out with George at the Yorktown Museum
church in the settlement
Goodnight Norfolk

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