In the 17th century, glass was a luxury item in England. But British manufacturers could not meet demand for the expensive product, since few Englishmen had mastered the art of glass-blowing and the industry’s fuel supply (forest wood) was almost exhausted.

Under the auspices of The London Company of Virginia, a group of colonists recruited a handful of Dutch and Polish glassmakers, set sail for the New World and established a primitive glass factory at Jamestown in 1608 — one year after they arrived.

With abundant natural resources, it was a fitting location to manufacture glass products to export to Europe and sell for less than those coming from Italy and elsewhere.

The colonists constructed three ovens to fit in the glasshouse they built upon arrival: one to preheat the glass ingredients, one to melt the glass and keep it at working temperature, and one to anneal, cool and strengthen the glass. The structure also housed a kiln to fire pots or crucibles used in melting the glass. The building was constructed of river boulders cemented together with clay and faced the James River, which provided a bounty of sand for glassmaking.

The “tryal of glasse” the colonists manufactured in that glasshouse are considered to be the oldest factory-made products in the New World.

In 2007, the United States will celebrate that and many other endeavors that evolved into 400 years of innovation, manufacturing and democracy.

The National Association of Manufacturers proudly supports the Jamestown 2007 Commemoration, which will represent a series of national and international events to mark this milestone.

Although the glass factory at the first permanent English settlement was ill-fated, the colonists’ perseverance eventually turned glassmaking into a stable industry.

By the colonial period, glassmaking in Virginia was a success, and today, a modern glass container plant near Williamsburg sits just a few miles from the original site of the colonists’ early efforts.

The triumphs and trials of the first permanent settlement in this country still serve as a reminder of Americans’ strength of character, perseverance and heritage.

The United States has come a long way in four centuries, and although the founders of this country might not recognize the industrial world power it has become, they would easily see the same values, principles and passion in its people today.

Marissa Gandelman is associate director of marketing communications at the National Association of Manufacturers.