2007 SESSION

INTRODUCED REPRINT

078853780 INTRODUCED 1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 479 2 Offered February 2, 2007 3 Commemorating the settlement of Jamestown on the occasion of its 400th anniversary. 4 ±±±±±±±±±± Patrons±±Norment, Bell, Blevins, Chichester, Colgan, Cuccinelli, Deeds, Devolites Davis, Edwards, Hanger, Hawkins, Herring, Houck, Howell, Lambert, Locke, Lucas, Marsh, Martin, McDougle, Miller, Newman, Obenshain, O©Brien, Potts, Puckett, Puller, Quayle, Rerras, Reynolds, Ruff, Saslaw, Stolle, Stosch, Ticer, Wagner, Wampler, Watkins, Whipple and Williams; Delegates: Abbitt, Albo, Alexander, Amundson, Armstrong, Athey, BaCote, Barlow, Bell, Bowling, Brink, Bulova, Byron, Callahan, Caputo, Carrico, Cline, Cole, Cosgrove, Cox, Crockett-Stark, Dance, Dudley, Ebbin, Eisenberg, Englin, Fralin, Frederick, Gear, Griffith, Hall, Hamilton, Hargrove, Hogan, Howell, A.T., Howell, W.J., Hugo, Hull, Hurt, Iaquinto, Ingram, Janis, Joannou, Johnson, Jones, D.C., Jones, S.C., Kilgore, Landes, Lewis, Lingamfelter, Lohr, Marsden, Marshall, D.W., Marshall, R.G., May, McClellan, McEachin, McQuigg, Melvin, Miller, J.H., Miller, P.J., Moran, Morgan, Nixon, Nutter, O©Bannon, Oder, Orrock, Peace, Phillips, Plum, Poisson, Purkey, Putney, Rapp, Reid, Rust, Saxman, Scott, E.T., Scott, J.M., Shannon, Sherwood, Shuler, Sickles, Spruill, Suit, Tata, Toscano, Tyler, Valentine, Waddell, Ward, Wardrup, Ware, O., Ware, R.L., Watts, Welch, Wittman and Wright 5 ±±±±±±±±±± 6 WHEREAS, on May 13, 1607, thirteen years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, three 7 ships, the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery, carrying a group of 104 English men and 8 boys arrived at a small peninsula of land along the banks of ©s James River to begin America©s 9 first permanent English colony; and

10 WHEREAS, the new settlers named the river James and the settlement Jamestown in honor of their SJ479 11 sovereign King James I, who chartered the Virginia Company of London in 1606 to establish a viable 12 and lucrative colony in America to increase British trade, compete with other European nations in 13 expansion abroad, search for a northwest passage to the Orient, and convert the Indians to the Anglican 14 religion; and 15 WHEREAS, led by Captain Christopher Newport, the was governed by a 16 council of seven men, with one member to be chosen to serve as president; and 17 WHEREAS, the Jamestown settlement was built 36 miles inland from the Chesapeake Bay and was 18 thought to be situated in an ideal location providing deep harbor, shelter from attack and easy defense, 19 as well as safety from the Spanish ships traveling the coast; and 20 WHEREAS, instead, due to unfavorable conditions and outbreaks of disease, few skilled farmers and 21 an insufficient labor force, and disputes with the Algonquian-speaking Indians that were ruled by the 22 powerful Chief Powhatan, the Jamestown settlers suffered terrible hardships and barely managed to 23 survive; and

7:3 24 WHEREAS, despite the odds against them, the citizens of the Jamestown settlement endured and the 25 first two English women arrived at Jamestown in 1608, and more came in later years, but men vastly 26 outnumbered women for most of the 17th century; and

3/22/10 27 WHEREAS, in 1608, Captain John Smith became the colony©s fourth council president, but by the 28 fall of 1609 he was injured and left for England, never to return to Virginia; but he promoted the 29 colonies of North America until his death in 1631, and his detailed writings on his experiences in 30 Jamestown illuminated the recorded history of the early settlers© determination to succeed in their new 31 life in America; and 32 WHEREAS, during the winter of 1609-1610, the Jamestown settlement underwent a particularly dark 33 period known as the "starving time" when there were many English deaths due to Indian hostilities, 34 starvation, or disease; and just when the settlers had abandoned all hope of continuing the colony, a ship 35 arrived from England with supplies; and 36 WHEREAS, only until the successful development of tobacco cultivation in 1613 by , 37 who would later marry Powhatan©s daughter , would Jamestown have a profitable cash crop 38 to sustain and stimulate growth in the Virginia colony; and 39 WHEREAS, the first documented Africans in Virginia arrived in 1619 from the kingdom of Ndongo 40 in Angola, where they had been captured during war with the Portuguese, and while believed to be 41 treated as indentured servants in the early colonies, the practice of owning Africans as slaves for life 42 would appear by mid-century; and 43 WHEREAS, the first representative body in the English New World, the General Assembly, 44 convened on July 30, 1619, in the Jamestown church in response to orders from the Virginia Company 45 "to establish one equal and uniform government over all Virginia" which would provide "just laws for 46 the happy guiding and governing of the people there inhabiting"; and SJ479 2 of 2

47 WHEREAS, when the Virginia Company was dissolved in 1624, Virginia became a royal colony and 48 Jamestown continued as the center of political and social life until 1699 when the seat of government 49 was moved to Williamsburg; and 50 WHEREAS, the dreams, language, customs, government, culture, and beliefs that sprang from these 51 early English settlers, molded by way of their arduous experiences and sacrifices at the Jamestown 52 settlement, were quintessential to the founding of many of America©s most cherished ideals, such as 53 freedom of religion, representative government, free speech, cultural diversity, and free enterprise; and 54 WHEREAS, during its anniversary year in 2007, communities and organizations across the 55 Commonwealth will develop unique programs commemorating their heritage, and Historic Jamestowne 56 and Jamestown Settlement will offer all new permanent exhibits, premiere introductory films, and 57 living-history areas portraying the dramatic story of 17th-century Virginia and its Powhatan Indian, 58 English, and western central African cultural origins, drawing on a wealth of historical information that 59 has been revealed by archaeological and documentary research of the past decade; and 60 WHEREAS, many dedicated leaders and volunteers from across the Commonwealth have come 61 together during the last decade to plan a commemoration of international significance and local, state, 62 federal, and international entities have worked tirelessly to coordinate programming and events; and 63 WHEREAS, the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in 2007 is a historic opportunity for the citizens of 64 the Commonwealth and visitors from far and wide to come to the Jamestown sites on the banks of 65 Virginia©s James River and experience firsthand its many contributions to the rich and diverse culture of 66 America; now, therefore, be it 67 RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the settlement of Jamestown be 68 commemorated on the occasion of its 400th anniversary; and, be it 69 RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the 70 generous and enthusiastic sponsors of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in 2007, requesting that they 71 further disseminate copies of this resolution to their respective constituents so that they may be apprised 72 of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it 73 RESOLVED FINALLY, That the General Assembly encourage Virginians to support and 74 commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in 2007 by participating in the numerous new 75 exhibits, programs, and festive activities in communities across the Commonwealth that will increase 76 awareness, knowledge, and enjoyment of the history of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia and its 77 preeminent role in the origin of our nation for generations to come.