The name "Virginia" applies at this time to the entire northeast coast of North America from Spanish Florida to New France in modern-day Canada.

The area is technically under the claim of the Spanish crown, but is not occupied.

The Plymouth Company’s royal charter has granted it the rights to the coast between 38° to 45° N; the rival London Company has been granted the coast between 34° and 41° N. The colonists are to plant first within their respective non-overlapping areas; the overlapping area between 38° and 41° will then go to the first company that proves "strong enough" to colonize it.

The Popham Colony is a project of the Plymouth Company.

The first Plymouth Company ship, Richard, had sailed in August 1606 but the had Spanish intercepted and captured it near Florida in November.

The next attempt is more successful.

About one hundred and twenty colonists on May 31, 1607, leave Plymouth in two ships.

They intend to trade precious metals, spices, furs, and show that the local forests could be used to build English ships.

Colony leader George Popham sails aboard the Gift of God with Raleigh Gilbert as second-in-command.

The captain of the latter ship, Robert Davies, keeps a diary that is to be one of the main contemporary sources of the information about the Popham Colony.

George Popham is the nephew of one of the financial backers of the colony, Sir John Popham, the Lord Chief Justice of England, while Gilbert is the half nephew of Sir Walter Raleigh.

Other financiers include Sir Ferdinando Gorges, the military governor of Plymouth; much of the information about the events in the colony comes from his letters and memoirs.

Settlers include nine council members and six other gentlemen, while the rest are soldiers, artisans, farmers and traders.