400th Anniversary of Jamestown, 2007

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Part IV

The President

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Proclamation 8122--400th Anniversary of Jamestown, 2007

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8122 of April 6, 2007

400th Anniversary of Jamestown, 2007

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Four centuries ago, after a long journey, a small group
of colonists stepped boldly onto the shores of the New
World and established the first permanent English
settlement in North America. During the 400th
anniversary of Jamestown, America honors the early
pioneers whose epic of endurance and courage started
the story of our Nation.

The ideals that distinguish and guide the United States
today trace back to the Virginia settlement where free
enterprise, the rule of law, and the spirit of
discovery took hold in the hearts and practices of the
American people. Noble institutions and grand
traditions were established in Jamestown. Amid
tremendous difficulties, a determined few worked the
land and expanded into the wilderness. Without knowing
it, the colonists who built communities at Jamestown
laid the foundation for a Nation that would become the
ultimate symbol and force for freedom throughout the
entire world.

Much has changed in the 400 years since that three-
sided fort was raised on the banks of the James River.
Today, we are a strong and growing Nation of more than
300 million, and we are blessed to live in a land of
plenty during a time of great prosperity. The long
struggle that started at Jamestown has inspired
generations of Americans. Advancing the right to live,
work, and worship in liberty is the mission that
created our country, the honorable achievement of our
ancestors, and the calling of our time.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim 2007 as the 400th
Anniversary of Jamestown. I encourage all Americans to
commemorate this milestone by honoring the courage of
those who came before us, participating in appropriate
programs and celebrations, and visiting this historic
site with family and friends.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.