Book excerpt: Journey back to colonial America with this collection of documents from one of the most influential and controversial companies of the era. The Virginia Company of London played a pivotal role in the settlement of Jamestown and the establishment of English colonies in North America. Through letters, charters, and other primary sources, this book offers a unique glimpse into the hopes, fears, and aspirations of the early colonizers. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.