Jamestown Turned 400

I have not posted anything on the 400th anniversary of Jamestown yet, which is a shame because more has happened here than I would have ever imagined. There was quite a buzz about the anniversary when I first started the job; many could not believe that 2007 was finally here.

I know you guys are begging for a history lesson on why Jamestown is important so I will tell you. 104 men and boys from England sloshed across the Atlantic 400 years ago in a journey that took almost 5 months. They arrived at Jamestown Island on May 14, 1607, changing North America forever. The English laid the foundations of a representative form of government in America, while introducing slavery to American soil. Harsh treatment of the Indians was frowned upon at first, but became the norm and set the standard of brutality that would affect future generations of Native Americans throughout the rest of the country. Lastly, the manner in which business was conducted from Europe set a gradual tone of independency that would eventually lead to the American Revolution.

I’m sorry for boring you, but it’s important. Now let’s talk about what happened in more recent history. The 400th anniversary commemoration at Jamestown began on May 4th with a visit from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip. I had to get in to work at 6:30 AM that morning to direct the waiting public, and wasn’t even promised to see her myself. As the time of her arrival drew near, I was told that I would not be able to see her because the barricaded areas had been filled to capacity. However, another co-worker and I were able to bypass the restriction by bribing one of the Secret Service guys (not really, but he did let us in). What’s more is we were able stand right in the middle of the fort where the main ceremony took place! This was reserved only for media and VIP’s, but we were able to slip in anyway.

The fort was accented with historical interpreters that were dressed in either shiny armor or deer skin and war paint. Rich donors were dressed in their Sunday’s best, and many women wore huge sun hats along with dainty white gloves. Anticipation of Queen Elizabeth’s arrival was tremendous for every one. Her approach to the fort was signaled with the waving of a replica 17th century British flag; every spectator in the fort became still and quiet. The Queen finally appeared and there was a crescendo of excitement that rose with her entry. She was escorted by Vice President Dick Cheney, and she was welcomed to the fort by Governor Cain of Virginia and Susan Day O’Connor. Seeing the reigning monarch (and the descendent of King James and King Henry VIII) was almost surreal. Although the Queen or Duke did not speak, O’Connor and Cheney both gave fine speeches.

OK, so that was the kick off. The actual Anniversary Weekend was two weeks later, and it was busy. I will say that I had expected it to be bigger than it actually was even though thousands of people came each day. Some of the highlights of the three-day event included an appearance by James Earl Jones (who I did not get to see), a concert by Bruce Hornsby and Chaka Khan (I didn’t care to see either one of them), and a combined VA orchestra and choir (I heard they did a phenomenal rendition of the 1812 Overture, but it was after my shift and I didn’t want to stay).

The last day of the event, Sunday, was the best day for me because I got to see President Bush and the First Lady. Before May, I had never seen a sitting Royal monarch or a sitting US president -- now I had seen both. It was neat seeing the President; he gave a patriotic speech and some how tied in how the war in Iraq was related to the Jamestown spirit. I’m not dissing W; I actually support most of what he is about, but that is another blog entry. He received a warm welcome and a long applause from most of the good old Southern crowd. After his speech, he was quickly escorted by the Secret Service, and he flew away on Airforce 2 (I believe that is the name of the helicopter).

Anniversary Weekend was interesting, but I am happy it is over. It was hectic and there were too many people.