On April 26, 1607, English explorers landed at Cape Henry, near the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. They were part of the Virginia Company expedition that would soon establish Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. The landing site was named in honor of Prince Henry of England. After exploring inland waters, the group moved upriver to choose a more suitable site for settlement. The Cape Henry landing marked the beginning of a sustained English presence in the region. It set in motion events that would reshape the continent.
