Jamestown Day

Explore America’s Birthplace and discover the stories of Jamestown!

After sailing 60 miles up the James River, on May 14th, 1607, the Virginia Company established their settlement on a swampy, unoccupied peninsula “in Paspiha’s country” (George Percy). Join us to commemorate this pivotal moment that set in motion the events that would build the foundation of America. Jamestown Day programming includes walking tours with historians and archaeologists, living history that takes visitors back to the 17th century, archaeology in action, and more.

Jamestown Day events are included with admission to the Preservation Virginia portion of Historic Jamestowne. In the event of bad weather, programs will be moved indoors to the Archaearium or Memorial Church.

SCHEDULE:

All Day Events

The Buried Truth – Experience the moment of discovery as you meet Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists and learn about our ongoing excavations. (weather permitting) At James Fort

In the Footsteps of Democracy – Visit the Memorial Church and see the re-interpretated 1617-18 church and its original foundations, which was the meeting place for the first representative government in English America. Stand on the exact spot where the first General Assembly was held in 1619 and where our nation’s democracy began. At the Memorial Church

From Fort to Port: Legacies of 1619 – Explore the tobacco boom in Virginia, Jamestown’s development from a fort to a port, as well as the exploitation of Africans, Virginia Indians, and indentured servants at the Natalie P. and Alan M. Voorhees Archaearium Museum

Living History: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Native Lifeways of the Chesapeake – Meet Dan Firehawk Abbott of the Nanticoke people of Maryland’s Eastern Shore and learn about the material culture and life ways of the Tidewater Algonquians and their interactions with the settlers of Jamestown. At James Fort

“Pales, posts, and railes” – Building a fort proved a necessity for the colonists within a month of their 1607 arrival. Carpenters Danny Whitten and Jesse Robertson will demonstrate the tools and methods used by the first colonists to build everything from the fort walls to the buildings. At James Fort

Timed Programs & Tours

12:15 p.m. An Audience with Capt. John Smith – Though he’s famous for saving Jamestown, John Smith actually arrived on these shores in chains. Learn why and hear about his experiences exploring the Chesapeake Bay, his interactions with the Powhatan, and what happened when he finally became president of the council in September 1608. At the Memorial Church

11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. Archaeology Walking Tour of James Fort  – Join an archaeologist for an in-depth tour of the 1607 fort site and learn about this season’s excavations and new discoveries. At the Pocahontas Statue

1:00 p.m. The Powhatan & the English Walking Tour – Join Public Historian Mark Summers for a walking tour discussing the interactions, trade and conflict between English colonists and the Powhatan Paramount Chiefdom based on the archaeological evidence. At the Pocahontas Statue