the London Company

The London Company, also known as the Virginia Company of London, was a joint-stock company created in 1606 by English investors to establish colonies in North America. Its goal was to profit through land settlement and resource extraction, particularly in what became Virginia. The company sponsored the founding of Jamestown in 1607, the first successful English colony in North America. It operated with private funds and oversight, but faced challenges like conflicts with Indigenous peoples, disease, and governance issues. The company was eventually dissolved in 1624, and Virginia became a royal colony under direct control of the English crown.