Popham Colony, or Sagadahoc, was an English settlement founded in 1607 near the mouth of the Kennebec River in present-day Phippsburg, Maine, and was among the earliest English colonial ventures in the region later called New England. Backed by Sir John Popham and led by George Popham with Raleigh Gilbert, about 120 men and boys built Fort St. George and pursued trade, exploration, and resource extraction. Severe winter conditions, strained supplies, weak relations with the Abenaki, and leadership losses led to its abandonment after 14 months. Its lasting significance lies in the Virginia of Sagadahoc, the first English ocean-going ship built in the Americas.