The primary purpose of the Virginia Company in the 17th century was to establish a profitable English colony in North America. Founded in 1606, this joint-stock company aimed to exploit the natural resources of the region, particularly through the cultivation of cash crops like tobacco. The Virginia Company sought to attract settlers to the New World to create a sustainable economic base, and it was responsible for founding Jamestown in 1607, the first permanent English settlement in America. The company's efforts were instrumental in the early colonial history of the United States and laid the groundwork for future English expansion.