Colonial National Historical Park

In 1926, Congress established Colonial National Monument to commemorate the birth of the American republic at Jamestown, where on May 13, 1607, English settlers landed to create the first permanent European settlement in North America.

Jamestown served as Virginia's capital from 1607 to 1699; evolved from a struggling settlement into a prosperous colony. The park also protects Yorktown, where the British Army was defeated in 1781, ending the Revolutionary War. Redesignated as Colonial National Historical Park in 1936, making it one of the most historically significant sites in America.

Why this matters: Colonial marks the beginning of English North America—where the continent's trajectory toward independence and democracy first took root. Over 1.2 million people visit this site each year.