<P> The colony was also known as the Virginia Colony, the Province of Virginia, and occasionally as the Dominion and Colony of Virginia or His Majesty's Most Ancient Colloney and Dominion of Virginia </P> <P> In gratitude for the loyalty of Virginians to the crown during the English Civil War, Charles II gave it the title of "Old Dominion". The colony seal stated from Latin,' Behold, Virginia gives the fifth ", with Virginia claimed as the fifth English dominion after England, France, Scotland and Ireland . </P> <P> The state of Virginia maintains "Old Dominion" as its state nickname . The athletic teams of the University of Virginia are known as the "Cavaliers," referring to supporters of Charles II, and Virginia has another state public university called "Old Dominion University". </P> <P> Although Spain, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands all had competing claims to the region, none of these prevented the English from becoming the first European power to colonize successfully the Mid-Atlantic coastline . Earlier attempts had been made by the Spanish in what is now Georgia (San Miguel de Gualdape, 1526--27; several Spanish missions in Georgia between 1568 and 1684), South Carolina (Santa Elena, 1566--87), North Carolina (Joara, 1567--68) and Virginia (Ajacán Mission, 1570--71); and by the French in South Carolina (Charlesfort, 1562--63). Farther south, the Spanish colony of Spanish Florida, centered on St. Augustine, was established in 1565, while to the north, the French were establishing settlements in what is now Canada (Charlesbourg - Royal briefly occupied 1541--43; Port Royal, established in 1605). </P>

Why did the earliest european settlers come to virginia