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What event was most important in U.S. history? Was it the American Revolution? What about the Civil War? There are many choices.

Yet the founding of Jamestown may have mattered most. Everything in America changed after that—even worms. Why worms? Let’s dig into the story of Jamestown to find out.

It was May 14, 1607. That day, three ships came to shore near a riverbank. They landed in what is now Virginia. The people on the ships were from England. They wanted to start a new colony. They named it Jamestown.

Life there was hard, and the colonists feared attacks. England and Spain were at war. The colonists worried that Spanish soldiers might attack.

The colonists also feared the nearby Native Americans, known as the Powhatan. To stay safe, the colonists built a wooden fort.

The colonists’ real problem, though, was water. Little rain had fallen in a long time. Without water, crops did not grow. The colonists were often hungry. They even ate dogs and rats.

The colonists drank river water. The muddy, salty water made people ill. Many people died from that. Others died from hunger.

After nearly two years, the colonists were tired. They prepared to go home. Then supply ships arrived with food. The colony was saved!

Things started to get better. Rain came at last. So did new colonists.

One new colonist was John Rolfe. In 1614, he married a Native American named Pocahontas. Her father was the Powhatan’s chief. Their marriage brought peace to the colony.

Rolfe also brought success to Jamestown. He showed colonists a new kind of tobacco. Growing it raised money for the colony.

Some people came to Jamestown against their will. Kidnappers brought slaves from Africa. Many worked in the tobacco fields. A few slaves were freed later. Jamestown did not offer everyone a better life.

The colonists changed America a lot. They brought cattle, chickens, goats, horses, and pigs. These animals had not lived here before.

The colonists even brought worms. Before 1607, worms were not found in some parts of America. The worms made big changes. They ate leaves off forest floors, so rain hit the ground. The rain washed away the best part of the soil. That made it hard for some plants to grow.

The colonists brought bees too. Busy bees helped watermelons and fruit trees grow. They helped these and other new plants take root.

Jamestown was the first English colony that lasted. It was a key part of American history. The colonists changed the land and helped make the America we know today.

Article by Fran Downey. Top-of-page photo by Ed George/National Geographic Image Collection. “Jamestown" appears on pages 10-13 of the May 2007 issue.