Commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, 400 years ago, a group of entrepreneurs from the Virginia Company landed on Jamestown Island with the intent of establishing a colony to find gold and a water route to the Orient. This landing spot became the first permanent English colony in America and would eventually become the capital of Virginia for 92 years. Built on a marshy and unhealthy site, the town suffered badly at the hands of fire and disease.

The development of this great Nation clearly did not come about easily. By the end of 1607, after a particularly harsh winter, only 60 of the original 214 settlers remained alive. The colony probably would have failed completely if it had not been for the courage and determination of Captain John Smith, who contrived to get food from the Indians, proving to be crucial for their survival.

The suffering of these early settlers continued for many years. However, by 1614, John Rolfe introduced new techniques of curing the tobacco leaf which provided the first opportunity for the settlers to finally grow a crop that would sustain them for many years to come. Tobacco became the money crop for Jamestown and, ultimately, Virginia. In a short time, every farmer in Virginia was raising and exporting tobacco.

Soon thereafter, a representative assembly called the House of Burgesses was established in the colony and met once a year. Meeting in the Jamestown

Church, it was the first legislature of elected representatives in America.

Every farmer in Virginia was granted 40 acres of land, and with the income from farming tobacco, families began to sustain themselves. This community of small farmers, the great majority, 90 percent of them, not only owned but cultivated or owned land. Today, it is hard to fathom how Jamestown of Virginia survived with the suffering, malnutrition, disease and an appalling death rate. But, here we are 400 years later celebrating the quadricentennial of these brave peoples who included not only the British colonists, but the Native Americans they met upon arrival and the Africans who became indentured servants soon after.

Furthermore, this year we have the honor to celebrate the 400th anniversary with people from around the world, including Queen Elizabeth II of England.

I wholeheartedly encourage all Americans to visit this historic site. It offers an opportunity to learn how the first settlers survived and ultimately thrived as a result of their tenacity and steadfast desire to make this a place of which we can all be proud.

Seeing how many of the democratic ideals which originated in Jamestown are still being preserved 400 years later, it is only natural for us to commemorate and honor the founding of Jamestown and how it led to the establishment of our great country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 117) commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H. Con. Res. 117, a bill that commemorates the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown settlement.

H. Con. Res. 117, which has 77 cosponsors, was introduced by Representative Jo Ann Davis of Virginia on April 18, 2007. H. Con. Res. 117 was reported from the Oversight Committee on May 1, 2007, by a voice vote.

On May 14, 1607, Indians of the Powhatan tribe of Virginia saw three English sailing ships approaching their land. The 214 people on board of the Susan Constant, the Discovery, and the Godspeed had departed from London 5 months earlier. They would establish on the banks of the James River what would become America's first English settlement in the new world.

While disease, famine, and continuing attacks from neighboring Indians took a tremendous toll on the settlers, only 60 of the original settlers survived just 2 years after arriving in America, England sent another three ships that arrived with supplies and new settlers to help stabilize the colony.

Jamestown survived because the colonists worked together to cultivate the swamp-like land of the Virginia island and made it suitable for the growing of tobacco. By 1620 Jamestown had shipped almost 50,000 pounds of tobacco to England. Fifty years later Virginia and Maryland would ship 15 million pounds. Jamestown depended upon its agricultural products and trade to flourish as a new colony in America.

Last Friday, on May 4, Queen Elizabeth II visited a tourist village at Jamestown to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of America's first English settlement. The Queen's last visit to Jamestown was 50 years ago. Jamestown represented a government that reflected many of our Nation's democratic ideals and institutions, including the rule of law and free enterprise.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for seeking to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown and urge swift passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia, Representative Bobby Scott.

Mr. Speaker, let me just say that I would hope to be one of those millions who visit Jamestown this year to celebrate its 400th anniversary. I commend Representative Jo Ann Davis for introducing this legislation, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 117.

Mr. Speaker, 400 hundred years ago a group of entrepreneurs from the Virginia Company landed on Jamestown Island with the intent of establishing a colony to find gold and a water route to the Orient. This landing spot became the first permanent English colony in America and later became the capital of Virginia for 92 years.

Mr. Speaker, I ask today that we take a moment to focus on the courage of those who lived there.

In a strange land, yet not the land they sought, in an unhealthy place plagued by disease, fire and the elements, they banded together to make a life.

And that life was not an easy one. By the end of 1607, after a particularly harsh winter, only 60 of the original 214 settlers remained alive. If Captain John Smith hadn't contrived to get food for the Indians, the American dream might well have died on those swampy shores.

Suffering and hard work were not strangers to the colonists. By 1614, the settlers had a cash crop--tobacco--and they worked hard to see that it sustained the colony.

To ensure order, they formed the House of Burgesses, the first representative assembly in America. Soon, every farmer in Virginia was granted 40 acres of land on which to farm tobacco.

Still, they had little beyond that which they could get for themselves or the local Indians. It is hard today to fathom the courage of those who struggled against all to make the colony and their families a success.

Today, 400 years later, we honor not just those brave people but the native Americans they encountered and the Africans who became indentured servants soon thereafter.

I encourage all Americans to take a cue from the Queen of England and make the pilgrimage to Jamestown during this historic year.

I encourage them to observe first-hand the hardships endured, the friendships forged, the commitment to something more than survival--the courage to leave behind far more comfortable lives in England and take the chance of a lifetime.

These were the first Americans in many senses. They were the first to form a government, the first to be willing to push past tradition and comfort for adventure, for fairness, for democracy. That's why I am I proud to urge passage of H. Con. Res. 117.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 117, which commemorates the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown.

On May 14, 1607, just over 100 English settlers landed on the banks of the James River, in what is today the state of Virginia. The first permanent English settlement in North America, Jamestown weathered extreme hardship, starvation, and warfare to become the foundation upon which our Nation was built. We can recognize many of our democratic ideals in institutions developed by the Jamestown settlement. It was in this colony, in 1619, that the House of Burgesses, the first locally elected legislative body in the New World, was convened in a Jamestown church.

As a nation, we have come a long way since our early colonial days. We fought a war with each other to abolish slavery, which was introduced in Jamestown in the same year as the House of Burgesses. We gradually extended full citizenship and equal rights to African Americans. While the settlers that landed in 1607 were all male, we have in the past 400 years, incorporated women into all aspects of our Nation's political, economic, and social life. And while the early colonial settlements fought wars with their Native American neighbors, we have, in recent decades, made serious efforts toward making amends for injustices done to native tribes.

This resolution serves to remind and educate Americans about the importance of our history. It highlights that the economic, political, religious, and social institutions developed during our colonial past continue to form the backbone of our society today. Significantly, this resolution also draws attention to the crucial role the native people played in the success of the Jamestown colony, and in the formation of our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, this legislation urges us to understand and engage with our history as Americans. I strongly support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 117, a resolution that I have introduced to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the settlement at Jamestown. I want to thank my colleague Tom Davis for his work on this resolution and also the entire Virginia delegation for their support.

I feel very honored to represent the First District of Virginia, what I like to call America's First District.

As we all know, in 1607 the first permanent English colony in North America was founded in Jamestown, Virginia. As we look back on this historic time 400 years later, it is obvious that the journey that began with the settlement of Jamestown has truly changed the world. Representative government in America began at Jamestown and many of our Nation's democratic ideals and institutions, including the rule of law, free enterprise, and cultural diversity, trace their roots to that beginning. It was not a perfect beginning, but nonetheless it was the start of an experiment that changed the course of history.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the Native Americans' contributions to the early beginnings of this Nation. The Jamestown settlement owed its survival in large measure to the compassion and aid of the Virginia Indians. They provided the colonists with food and supplies at times that were crucial to their survival, and they served as guides to geography and natural resources, including the colonists' exploration of the Chesapeake Bay region. It is a fact that the settlement would not have survived without the Virginia Indians, and we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude.

As Americans, we are so blessed with the freedoms that we enjoy and with the truth for which our country stands. Many of these ideals can be traced back to Jamestown, Virginia. And I urge my colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 117 to commemorate the events that took place 400 years ago.