A statewide celebration is about kick off. It’s all to celebrate Virginia heritage and to beg the question: What does it mean to call Virginia home?
Many years in the making, American Evolution is a yearlong commemoration, recognizing the 400th anniversary of five key milestones in the state’s history, all of which happened in 1619.
Across Virginia, 2019 will see a whole host of events, exhibitions, educational initiatives, and the launch of a multimedia storytelling platform.
According to American Evolution, the five historically impactful events commemorated include:
- The first representative legislative assembly in the New World: Colonial Gov. George Yeardley’s General Assembly met for the first time in July of 1619. “This assembly planted the first seed of representative democracy in America,” according to an American Evolution news release.
- The arrival of the first recorded Africans to English North America: An English ship docked in Point Comfort in August of 1619 carrying some Africans who would become indentured servants. Though slavery was not yet institutionalized at this time, racism and prejudice were already common, according to the news release. “The arrival of Africans in the colonies set in motion our nation’s ongoing journey towards equality.”
- The recruitment of English women in significant number: Though the colony was established in 1607, it wasn’t until 1619 when 147 women were recruited across the Atlantic to join the male settlers, a turning point for the fledgling Jamestown.
- The first official Thanksgiving in North America: Though often attributed to Plymouth, some historians argue that the first official Thanksgiving on North American soil took place in Virginia on December 4, 1619, where Berekely Plantation stands today.
- The entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of the Virginia colony: In 1619 the Virginia Company passed laws allowing colonists to experiment with a myriad of different industries. “With these developments, Virginia became the vanguard of what has become America’s free enterprise system,” according to the news release.
American Evolution will begin 2019 with a one-hour documentary titled “Evolution of America: 1619 – 2019” airing on PBS channels Friday, Jan. 4.
Throughout the year, all over the state, American Evolution sponsored events and exhibitions will celebrate “diversity, democracy and opportunity.”
Want to take part? Here is a list of American Evolution sponsored and partnered events taking place in the Historic Triangle, Hampton and Newport News:
Signature Events
- Virginia International Tattoo, April 25- April 28 (201 E Brambleton Ave, Norfolk)
- Dance Theatre of Harlem World Premiere, May 3- May 5 (Chrysler Hall, Norfolk)
- 400th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony of the First Representative Legislative Assembly, July 30 (1368 Colonial Parkway, Jamestown)
- International Forum on the Future of Representative Democracy, July 31- Aug. 1 (William & Mary, Williamsburg)
- African Arrival Commemoration and Fort Monroe Visitor & Education Center Dedication, Aug. 23- 25 (Fort Monroe, Hampton)
- 1619: Making of America Summit, Sep. 25-28 (Norfolk State University, Norfolk)
Exhibitions
- TENACITY: Women in Jamestown and Early Virginia, Nov. 10, 2018- Jan. 5, 2020 (Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg)
- Historic Jamestowne: Democracy & Diversity New permanent exhibition premiers April 15 (Historic Jamestowne, Williamsburg)
Partner Programs
- American Adventure Exhibit, Jan. 19- April 28 (Virginia Living Museum, Newport News)
- Lawrence Brownlee & Eric Owens, March 3 (Attucks Theatre, Norfolk)
- Celebrating Legacies, Constructing Futures: Four Hundred Years of Black Community and Culture, March 15- 16 (William and Mary School of Education, Williamsburg)
- Global Status of Women and Girls Conference, March 21- 23 (Christopher Newport University, Newport News)
- Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra, May 17- 18 (Ferguson Center for the Arts and Chrysler Hall)
