River Commerce

Rivers in colonial Virginia were the highways. All communication and economic development followed the waterways.

The James River is one of the most historic rivers in the United States, with historical sites and artifacts found along its shores dating back eleven thousand years.  The river has always been a rich resource and heritage for Virginia and her people.  From the time Native Americans first lived along the banks of the James River it has been a vital part of Virginia’s livelihood and economic development. 

Long a fertile waterway for the Powhatan Indians and other tribes, the James became the cradle of English settlement in the New World beginning with the settlements of Jamestown and Henricus.

When the Virginia Company of London sought to find a more advantageous and healthy location to replace Jamestown as the seat of English life in the colony, Henricus was established upriver from Jamestown on high bluffs just below modern-day Richmond.

The James River was critical to military defense, transportation and the economy of Henricus and Virginia.  Henricus Historical Park illustrates the river’s importance to the English settlers as Virginia began to expand and grow.