The Jamestown settlement, established in 1607, was motivated primarily by economic interests. English settlers sought to find a profitable venture in the New World, with dreams of mining gold and finding a route to the Pacific for trade. Sponsored by the Virginia Company, these early settlers aimed to capitalize on what they perceived as abundant resources. However, they faced numerous challenges, including conflicts with Indigenous peoples, harsh environmental conditions, and food shortages. The eventual cultivation of tobacco became the colony's economic lifeblood and laid the foundation for the plantation system that characterized much of the southern economy in subsequent years.