She said that when she visited the settlement at Jamestown in 1957, the emphasis was wholly on the white European nature of the pioneering enterprise in the colony of Virginia.

"With the benefit of hindsight, we can see in that event the origins of a singular endeavor -- the building of a great nation, founded on the eternal values of democracy and equality based on the rule of law and the promotion of freedom," the queen said at the start of a six-day state visit.

"But 50 years on we are now in a position to reflect more candidly on the Jamestown legacy. Human progress rarely comes without cost," Queen Elizabeth added.