Jamestown 2007 facts for kids
Jamestown 2007 was the name of the group that planned the big events for the 400th birthday of Jamestown. Jamestown was founded in Virginia in 1607. It was the first lasting English-speaking settlement in what is now the United States. The celebration, called America's 400th Anniversary, lasted 18 months. It included 10 main events, plus hundreds of smaller programs. These activities happened all over Virginia, in big cities along the East Coast, and even in the United Kingdom.
This 400th anniversary helped people see Jamestown's importance in American history more clearly. Many used to think Jamestown was a failed settlement. But the celebration showed its key contributions. Jamestown's ideas of democracy, free business, and different cultures connect America's past to today. New discoveries by William Kelso at Historic Jamestowne and research by historians helped show this.
One of the best parts of the celebration was that all three cultures of Jamestown took part. These were the Europeans, African Americans, and Virginia Indians. Jamestown has had big celebrations every 50 years since 1807. But America's 400th Anniversary was the first time all three groups created their own events and shared their own stories.
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Celebrating in the United Kingdom
The ship Discovery was one of the ships copied for Jamestown Settlement. In early 2007, a more accurate version replaced it. The older Discovery ship then traveled to the London Docklands. It was docked outside the Museum in Docklands. This was part of a special exhibit called "Journey to the New World: London 1606 to Virginia 1607." This exhibit showed the links between London and the Virginia settlement. It ran from November 2006 to May 2007.
Another big exhibit in the UK for the anniversary was "A New World: England’s first view of America." This exhibit was at the British Museum. It showed drawings by John White. It ran from March to June 2007.
America's Anniversary Events
In February 2006, it was announced that Sandra Day O'Connor would lead America's 400th Anniversary. She was a retired Supreme Court Justice. The state of Virginia strongly supported Jamestown 2007. They worked with groups like the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Big companies like Verizon Communications and Norfolk Southern Corp. also helped. These companies have a long history in Virginia.
The celebration started in May 2007 with the Godspeed Sail. This was when a copy of the ship Godspeed visited cities. It went to Alexandria, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Newport. Other big events included Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union. There was also the American Indian Intertribal Festival. Jamestown Live! was a webcast that reached over a million students.
The main part of the celebration was America's Anniversary Weekend. This was a three-day festival. It took place on the weekend of Jamestown's 400th birthday, from May 11–13, 2007.
In January 2007, the Virginia General Assembly met at Jamestown. U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney gave a speech there. Virginia's Governor at the time, Tim Kaine, also gave a speech. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip attended the main events in May 2007.
Many important people took part. These included Queen Elizabeth II, President George W. Bush, and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Famous actor James Earl Jones was there. Journalists like Jim Lehrer and Gwen Ifill also attended. Musicians like Bruce Hornsby and Chaka Khan performed.
The main partners for the celebration included Colonial Williamsburg and NASA. The U.S. Mint and the U.S. Postal Service also helped. Other partners were the Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Tech. Groups like the National Park Service and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation also joined in.
Some members of Virginia Indian tribes did not attend the celebrations. They had concerns about what the settlement meant for their people.
A Royal Visit
In November 2006, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom announced her visit. She and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, would visit the U.S. in May 2007. This was her first visit since 1991. She arrived in Virginia on May 3, 2007.
The Queen's presence at this event was very important. She is a direct descendant of James I of England. Jamestown was named after him. She is also a direct descendant of George III. Under his rule, Great Britain lost the American colonies in the American War of Independence.
Special Jamestown Coins
Jamestown was also featured on two special United States commemorative coins. These coins celebrated the 400th anniversary of its founding. A silver dollar and a gold five dollar coin were released in 2007.
Money from selling these coins went to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. It also went to Preservation Virginia. This money helped support programs that teach people about Jamestown's history.
