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My fellow Virginians, good morning.

 Today, we begin our 18-month commemoration of a moment that is critical not just to the history of Jamestown, or that of Virginia, or even that of America.  Today, we begin to mark a moment that altered the path of human history.

Little could the Europeans, huddled in three tiny ships, daring to brave the unknown dangers of a vast ocean, have known what would come from their landing on that marshy island.  Nor could the American Indians who met them at the shore, or the Africans who would arrive soon after, have known.  Little could those three great cultures have known that together, they were taking the first steps toward building what would become this great nation.

Today, we begin honoring those bold people, understanding their challenges and recognizing their contributions.  Today, we give thanks for the institutions of free enterprise, representative democracy and cultural diversity they began.  Today we challenge ourselves anew to work together to build upon the foundation of the last 400 years and live up to their standard of courage as we move forward into a future filled with risks and opportunities.  And today, we begin telling their story, which is of course our story.

Virginia began as a business venture.  The Discovery, Godspeed and Susan Constant were funded by their day’s version of venture capitalist and manned by people like Captain John Smith, who craved adventure and sought opportunity.

Years after his return to England, Smith wrote extensively about his time here and extolling this new frontier as a chance to shed an aristocracy of birth for an aristocracy of merit.  “Here every man may be master and owner of his own labor and land,” Smith wrote.  “If he have nothing but his hands, he may set up his trade and by industry quickly grow rich.”

Our ideals of representative democracy and individual liberty, and their imperfect practice began here as well.  Long before Thomas Jefferson articulated the equality principle in the Declaration of Independence; long before Susan B. Anthony worked to ensure that principle applied to woman as well as men; and long before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream with us to see that equality apply to every American; Captain John Smith understood that life would be different here.  The relationship between those who govern and those who are governed would be unique.  “Let all men have as much freedom in reason as may be, and true dealing,” Smith later wrote.  “For it is the greatest comfort you can give them.”

And this is an exciting time to share the Jamestown story with the world because we now know so much more about it than ever before, especially about certain aspects of it, like cultural diversity.

Thanks to the work being done at Historic Jamestown Island – one of, if not the most, successful archeological projects in the world – we are now able to tell a more complete version of the Jamestown story.  The one million artifacts recovered on the island have shed light upon the everyday lives of all of the cultures that met and Jamestown and are teaching us that not all of the difference-makers of that time and place began their journey in England.

The story of Jamestown is uniquely American.  And over the next 18 months we will share it with people from across the county and across the world.  From educational to entertaining, from reverent to celebratory, the ten signature events will allow us to better understand our nation’s beginning as well as its future.

That begins today with the inaugural event of America’s 400th Anniversary, the launching of the Godspeed on an 80-day tour of the East Coast.  The Godspeed will visit Alexandria/Washington; Baltimore; Philadelphia; New York; Boston and Newport, Rhode Island.  As the founding colony of America, Virginia will send its greetings and invitation to join in America’s 400th Anniversary to each of those cities.

At this time, I call forth Captain Eric Speth to accept the official America’s 400th Anniversary flag that will be flown on the Godspeed and additional flags to be presented to the Mayor of each of the cities you visit.

Captain, cast off your lines and make ready to set sail.  And let us share the story of America’s beginning.

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