Jamestown -- the birth of a nation 400 years ago

Yahoo (AFP) ^ | 29 April 2007 | by Jocelyne Zablit

[Molly Pitcher]

Proud bump.

Thanks for the article, TG.

[Thrownatbirth]

Great place to visit this summer. And Pierce’s Barbeque is only 20 min. away.

[Thinkin' Gal]

colonists who set up camp along the James River on May 14, 1607...

Vayechi Yaakov [b'eretz goshen] ping.

[Dave Elias]

There is a Time Team special on Jamestown on UKs Channel 4 tonight. Would be worth streaming it from somewhere...

[knarf]

Bump for the refresher lesson.

[mewzilla]

From this link...

'Invasion' vs. Celebration

....For the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement, you'll hear a lot this summer about political correctness and very little about the courageous Christians who helped establish a nation of unparalleled liberty.

[SlowBoat407]

"1607 marks the beginning of the English taking our land away from us," said Chief Bill Miles, who heads the Pamunkey Indian tribe in Virginia, which existed when the Jamestown settlers arrived and whose members have refused to take part in the 400th anniversary festivities.

For the record, the Pamunkey were, at the time, part of the Powhatan Chiefdom and seat of power for Powhatan, who ruled most of what is now Virginia with terror attacks, intimidation and high taxes on foodstuffs, tools and other resources. Women from other tribes were kidnapped and forced into marriage with Powhatan in his effort to unify the tribes. When the Chesapeake tribe in southeastern Virginia refused to join the Chiefdom, Powhatan had them wiped out.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. A more powerful tribe arrived.

[Blake#1]

When the English landed at Jamestown they quickly moved inland to do work that the natives refused to do! Because of this action we have the most wonderful nation on GOD’S GREEN EARTH!

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

Pat Robertson just made a full length movie about this called First Landing. I saw some of it yesterday. Well made, entertaining, and very informative. If public schools would show this half as much as they show Al Gore’s pile of slop, a climate of hope, instead of fear, would create a much more healthy and productive place of learning.

http://www.firstlandingthemovie.com/

[P8riot]

We’d like to welcome y’all to Vajenya, specially during this time. This is the real birthplace of the United States of America.

[tkathy]

Many of the native americans were brutal, tribalistic, slave taking, in some cases, cannibals who spent most of their time killing each other.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for the ping, MP. Always nice to hear from you. I belive this article is worth a ping to the full list.

The Washington Family Coat of Arms

(The original family name was D'Wessington; it appears that The General had a bit of Celtic blood in him. This is where the logo on the Washington, DC license plate comes from)

RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list (FreepMail me if you want to be placed on or taken off the list):

[Dr. Scarpetta]

BUMP!

[RayStacy]

“The Jamestown colony, located in the eastern state of Virginia and generally upstaged in the nation’s memory by the Mayflower pilgrims who arrived to Plymouth, Massachusetts, 13 years later,”

I am eternally amazed at how many people, groups, institutions, books, tv programs, etc., etc., repeat that American began with the first Americans and the first Thanksgiving and the first everything else in Mass.

[wouldntbprudent]

The local rag, the Virginia Pilot, rarely even mentions this event.

Wierd.

[Verginius Rufus]

Of the estimated 15,000 American Indians who lived in the area near the English settlement in 1607, all but about 1,500 died within a century, most from disease or in battle with the settlers."

So there were some 1,500 Indians who were 100 years or older in 1707 in that part of Virginia? Impressive. None of the settlers lived so long (most of them had short life expectancies).

Powhatan could have wiped out the Jamestown colony at the outset but thought the English would be useful to him in his wars with other Indian tribes. Powhatan's brother later did launch a massacre which tried to exterminate the English settlers.

[Verginius Rufus]

Back in 1957, when Jamestown was celebrating 350 years since its founding, someone got the bright idea of having the Mayflower II sail from England to America. Why in that year?

[EDINVA]

I’m really proud that someone in my husband’s ‘line’ was among the early settlers. Not a direct ancestor as apparently the poor bloak was among those who didn’t make it past the first year.

For those planning to go to Jamestown this summer (and it would be a wonderful experience especially for school children) .. beware, Jamestown still has a swamplike feel with heat and humidity. Bring lots of water.

[EDINVA]

It’s not only the DC license plates .. the red/white stripes and 3 red stars are the “state” flag of DC.

If memory serves, whenever a head of state visits the city, the street lights (in the tourist sections at least) are decorated with the US flag, the flag of the head of state’s country, and the DC flag.