First Landing Day

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

First Landing Day

WHEREAS, on April 26, 1607, settlers from England landed on the shores of Virginia and within days erected a wooden cross at Cape Henry to recognize the strength that their faith had provided them in their journey and would sustain them in their new endeavor; and

WHEREAS, on April 29, 1607, the colonists took communion, knelt, and dedicated this land to God; and

WHEREAS, the founders of our country were great men and women from many religious denominations, races, and cultures, who came here from all over the world to establish a country “with liberty and justice for all,” and the Christian faith is an integral part of this rich heritage in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the Declaration of Independence conveys the profound belief of our founders that all men are created equal under a governance established upon the existence of the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – rights not derived from government, but from our Creator; and

WHEREAS, George Washington, in his first Inaugural Address, noted that, "the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected to remain on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained;" and

WHEREAS, on March 3, 1865, the United States Congress passed an act to place our historical, national motto, “In God We Trust,” on all gold and silver coins serving as a constant reminder that our nation’s political and economic fortunes were tied to its spiritual faith; and

WHEREAS, today, April 26, 2023, the Virginia Christian Alliance, along with pastors, governmental leaders, and others from the Commonwealth and around the Nation, gather to rededicate this land according to the 1607 Jamestown Covenant of Land Dedication;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize April 29, 2023, as FIRST LANDING DAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations