Jamestown is not ignored, not at all, at least in my education spanning late 60s through 80s.
But Jamestown was lost. Its only historical value is as a marker that settlements were never gyaranteed.
Whereas Plymouth Rock was a success so it garners more historical value. Its history value is confirmed by the appearance of Tisquantum ‘Squanto’ who was taken back to England for a time where his language and cultural upbringing were well-documented.
The friendship between Squanto and the pilgrims certainly had influence on the formation and meaning of Thanksgiving.
Detecting your sour, cynical, hostilty to American historical accuracy, I can understand the drive to get it correct but I don’t agree that it’s not worth reading.
Thank you.
But Jamestown was lost. Its only historical value is as a marker that settlements were never guaranteed.
Jamestown is sometimes confused with Roanoke, but it served as the capital and legal port of entry for everything called "Virginia" (which was pretty open-ended, back then) for almost a century. It was abandoned when Williamsburg replaced it as the seat of government. Plymouth functioned as none of these things. Most ethnically English whites from the "Upper South" who were part of that trans-Mississippian migration that runs in a belt from the Piedmont through to North Texas likely will have some ancestor who entered the new country through Jamestown. Not even a large number of people currently living in proximity to the old Plymouth colony today are derived from the original population of it. Not only was Plymouth not a seed that grew, but murdering Miles Standish would even lead little armies to exterminate near-by settlements that the Pilgrims saw as competition.
The friendship between Squanto and the pilgrims certainly had influence on the formation and meaning of Thanksgiving.
My original point is that the Pilgrims didn't really start our Thanksgiving tradition, but I have found that the falsehood that they did is, perhaps, the most indestructible object in the universe.
Detecting your sour, cynical, hostility to American historical accuracy, I can understand the drive to get it correct but I don’t agree that it’s not worth reading.
When is a good time for telling the truth if now is not convenient to the narrative?