The New World

[David Mauldin]

I just finished a class at Cal State Fullerton, "Jamestown Revisited". Watching "The New World" I was able to make a lot of connections. The fact that this was the first successful settlement in North America (1607) has been ignored by historians because it depicts U.S. inception in a much less favorable light than Plymouth Colony (1620). It was founded purely for economic reasons. Virginia was the starting point of slavery. During the class I read primary documents written by the settlers themselves. Anyone like to chat?  Hurry up school starts again Wednesday!

[Elizabeth H]

Last year I read "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn. Although it is completely one-sided (and he readily admits this at the beginning), it did force me to re-consider my perceptions regarding how our country was founded (ie. "city on a hill", the pilgrims, etc.).

The founding of this country was by no means altruistic. There were certainly large economic incentives at work and those who stood to gain most by them were white, male landowners.

But you also have to admit that the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers, the rule of law and great thinkers like Franklin & Jefferson also set out to create a better society. Sure, it's not perfect, nothing is. But the ideas of personal freedom, freedom of worship, freedom of expression---these are beautiful and revolutionary ideas that are the foundation of this country.

[Oscar]

I just finished a class at Cal State Fullerton, "Jamestown Revisited". Watching "The New World" I was able to make a lot of connections. The fact that this was the first successful settlement in North America (1607) has been ignored by historians because it depicts U.S. inception in a much less favorable light than Plymouth Colony (1620). It was founded purely for economic reasons. Virginia was the starting point of slavery. During the class I read primary documents written by the settlers themselves. Anyone like to chat?  Hurry up school starts again Wednesday!

Dave,

The most widely adopted middle school Social Studies textbooks, the Houghton Mifflin series, deals with Jamestown in quite a bit of detail.  The eighth grade book is the US History text.

Back in the 1970's California adopted and printed its own texbooks.  There was only one text per subject per grade, so all California students had the same books.  I taught 5/6 grade for many years.  Jamestown was dealt with in the same way in those books.

So, is it that historians have ignored this, or that you might have been looking out the window?   

Blessings,

Thomas Maddux

[David Mauldin]

  For many years "American History" has tended to paint the best picture possible for certain groups. Example:issues like genocide (25 million Native Americans) and slavery haven't received the attention they deserve. While attending the assembly I can remember coming across a Christian book that contrasted Plymouth with Jamestown. Of course everything right about Plymouth was contrasted with everything wrong about Jamestown. While taking my Credential classes at Cal State Fullerton the instructor basically taught the same things to us. I have recently studied both and find that the same problems were just as prevelent in each settlement. However what Plymouth has going for itself is the high idealisms of the pilgrims! I ask you and everyone else on this B.B.  Which better represents our country?  Selfish opportunists who want lots and lots of money or godly people who read the bible and seek God's will?  Dude 6th grade Houghton Mifflin and 3rd grade Houghton Mifflin don't even mention Jamestown but a new series is due out this year. During Jamestown Revisited, the instructor focussed a lot on the movement in Virginia to start putting it forth. New excavations have brought in a lot of information. They have built a new visitors center. No Tom I'm not looking out the window I am getting my masters degree. What have you learned recently about Jamestown?

[Oscar]

Dave,

What have you learned recently about Jamestown?

Two years ago Caryl and I went to Jamestown.  There is not much left of the original settlement.  One section was obliterated by civil war earthworks put there to prevent Union ships from entering the James river.  Archeological digs were going on.  They have discovered that more of the original land is still there than they thought.  They had believed that the river had washed away the area where the fort stood.

We passed on the commercial Jamestown re-creation that stands next to the original one.

Jamestown, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg are on the same peninsula, which is only 14 miles wide.  So you can stay at Williamsburg and visit the other two by making a short drive.  Well worth the time.

Did you know that the Jamestown "Gentlemen Adventurers" sent a ship loaded with barrels of sand back to England?  They thought those little golden flecks that you see in the sand along the surfline were real gold.  These bozos had never done a day's work in their lives.  Hence, John Smith's rule, No work, no eat. 

Thomas Maddux

[just me]

Dave:
Fifth grade Houghton Mifflin has Jamestown as the earliest settlement and goes into detail.  I should know, my 5th grader just did a PowerPoint on it.  The explorers is part of 5th grade California Standards so maybe that's why you haven't seen it in 4th and 6th.  4th is California History.  6th is World History.  But I enjoyed learning about Jamestown from my kid, 'cuz you're right, we only heard about the Pilgrims.  And I just took the CSET and it spends a lot of time talking about which settlements had the greatest amount of tolerance etc.  So things are changing I think.
me

[David Mauldin]

    Funny My prof showed the "School House Rock" from the seventies episode on colonization. It doesn't even hint at Jamestown. It shows a boat load of pilgrims heading to Plymouth. This is just one example of what most people in America believe about our History. I have just finished reading The Declaration of Independence and International Law. The author David Armitage points out that for the last 50-80 years people have interpreted the document primarily for its "Human Rights" premise. Yet these "Self Evident truths" had nothing to do with women, slaves, Native American's. Yet today we proudly display this document as the basis of civil rights! This is just another example how people want to present our government in the best light possible.

[Jem]

Dave,

It is true that a lot of American history has been painted over with a romantic brush, but taking sand paper to it is not getting at the truth either. No intelligent person would argue that Jamestown was not an economic venture, but then, few great things that have happened in America have happened soley on altruistic motives. As a famous American once said--with no intention of being insulting--"It's the economy stupid." Modern historians try to lay blame for all sorts of diseases coming to the Americas on Columbus. Do you really think he premeditated that? Now the US Army giving smallbox invested blankets to Native Americans, that blame you can lay in the lap of those who knew what they were doing. (Though you know the number of 25 million is much debated. Doesn't make the sin any less, I'm just saying statistics from the past are tricky things). No, the Consitution does not mention women and slavery, but women and slaves have come out from under that blanket of oppression because of its spirit. Nor should we forget that the Abolitionist movment was pushed by New England Puritans. We should not forget that "Lighthorse" Harry Lee (yes one of those Lees) tried to get Bill Clinton's hero to put freedom for slaves in the Declaration of Independence, but ol' Jefferson couldn't bring himself to do it. Obviously I could go on and on. History is a fascintating thing. If more Americans studied it we would not be is such a mess in the Middle East. There is much that is good in our history, there is much that is evil. The Romantic painters are as much to be feared as the Absolutist Abstractionists. What is best to be remembered is that it is the histrory of human persons. Every race, every culture has its good and evil (even indigenous Americans, btw, even African-Americans). History needs to remember both.

[David Mauldin]

Thanks you have moved my sinicism meter back to a few notches!