Remembering Jamestown — because the left won't

americanthinker.com ^ | 7/31/2019 | Tiberiu Dianu

[rktman]

Is it worth recalling how we got here?

The date of July 30, 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the first representative legislative assembly in the Western Hemisphere at Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English colony in North America. This first General Assembly meeting took place at a church in Jamestown and laid the foundation for American representative government.

It didn't get much press coverage, but the events of yesterday were part of a yearlong commemoration meant to honor the state's colonial history. Special events open to the public were planned around Jamestown. Lawmakers and other guests gathered at historic Jamestown to commemorate the meeting of the burgesses. The Democratic governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, gave an address at an early-morning event. President Trump attended a second event that was private but televised.

In his uplifting speech, the president talked about "the triumph that we are here to celebrate today," the colonists' self-reliance, and the self-government in Virginia that "gave us the country we love, the United States of America."

[rktman]

Good thing we were never great to begin with huh?

[workerbee]

Oh yeah? Well - well - where were the black representatives, huh? And the women? And the LGBTQXYZABC?!? It was all just a bunch of racist white guys!!!

(wish I could say that’s a satirical take on the Left’s view of our foundations but it’s 100% accurate).

[FLT-bird]

Correct. America as a country and a civilization began at Jamestown. No, not those Johnny come lately religious fanatics up in New England. Jamestown. The ship to remember was not the Mayflower. They were the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery.

Jamestown would expand and go on to become Virginia and eventually the whole South which provided the vast majority of the intellectual force behind the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Washington, Jay, Jefferson, Mason, Madison, Henry etc.

My direct namebearing ancestor boarded a ship in Bristol, Gloucestershire and landed in Jamestown in 1649. 11 generations later, here I am. And contrary to how the Democrats say I should feel about it, I’m very proud of my heritage

[ClearCase_guy]

America as a country and a civilization began at Jamestown

I would not disagree.

As a point of interest, I am a MA resident my who life and I'm old enough to have gone through public schools before they were thoroughly corrupted. That being said, our MA education system was (predictably) all about Plymouth and the Pilgrims. They may have thrown in a casual reference to Jamestown once in a while, but it was treated as somewhat insignificant.

Moral of the story: The educators always tell the story that they want to tell.

[rktman]

My Dutch Reform kin got to the Hudson River Valley NY area around 1630ish.

[Boogieman]

Let’s also remember that Captain John Smith, who almost single-handedly saved Jamestown, had survived several years of slavery at the hands of Muslim Turks.

Where’s the talk of reparations for descendants of people like him?

[centurion316]

The Virginia Company was a commercial enterprise, governed by the Governors of the Virginia Company who were investors and who largely remained in England. It failed, largely because of the flawed operation of the enterprise. The establish of the Commonwealth of Virginia with the House of Burgess and a Charter gave self government to the inhabitants and a pathway for settlers to become free holders and enjoy a portion of the proceeds based on their labor and financial risk.

My ancestor came to Virginia in 1621 as an indentured servant to William Harwood, the Governor of Martin’s Hundred, a settlement along the James south of Jamestown. In 1622, Powhatan attacked the settlements along the James and destroyed Martin’s Hundred killing about half of the inhabitants. My ancestor, Samuel Weaver married the widow of one of the early freeholders who died either of disease or at the hands of the Indians. By this marriage he gained the property of the widow and he was able to buy out his indenture contract. He became a freeholder. The rest is family history and a story of success.

In New England, the immigrants were interested in Religious Freedom but they decided on a heavy handed socialist policy to be the government. It also almost failed, until self government was allowed to exist.

The lessons learned from these and other colonial establishments served as valuable experiences that led us to the Republic that was formed when we decided to break with the government of George III.