What is the importance of James Town in the novel, Blood on the River?

James Town, named for King James, is the first settlement in Virginia by the Virginia Company. It is located near Chesapeake Bay, on the James River, which the Natives call the Powhatan River. James Town begins as a collection of tents and then houses. After an attack by the Indians, it is enclosed by a palisade, and later, after a fire causes extensive destruction, the fort is enlarged. When there is fighting with the Indians, the settlers stay within its walls for protection, only going out to bury the dead.