1619 – The Forgotten Year in American History
When you think of important dates in early
American history you may remember 1607, 1776,
or even 1803. One year that may not come to
mind is the year 1619. Three major events
occurred in Jamestown during that year that
would influence the development of American
culture and history.
The first major event of 1619 occurred
between July 30th and August 4th. Jamestown
formed the first representative assembly in
America. The assembly would later to be known
as the Virginia House of Burgesses. They were elected leaders assembled to create laws.
The laws that they passed during that week in 1619 included the need to produce wine,
flax, and cultivated food. The assembly also began to regulate prices and profits. Finally,
they passed laws restricting certain areas of social behavior, such as gambling, idleness,
and alcohol consumption.
The second event happened in August with the first arrival of Africans at Jamestown. A
Dutch trader, Captain Jope, arrived at Jamestown with 20 Africans as part of his cargo.
Virginia Governor Yeardley agreed to exchange food for the Africans. The Africans then
became indentured servants. Indentured servants are people who would exchange their
passage to America for years of service. The Africans, however, were not willing travelers
to America and were forced to work in Jamestown.
The final major event in Jamestown occurred on December 4th. A group of 39 settlers
from Britain arrived in Jamestown. One of the rules that they had to follow came from
the king. The settlers had to make the day of their arrival to the new world as a day of
thanks. The day was required to be celebrated on December 4th every year after. The
first Thanksgiving in America happened two
years before it was celebrated by the
Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony. The reason why
the Pilgrims are associated with
Thanksgiving instead of the settlers from
Jamestown can be traced to the American
Civil War. In 1863, President Abraham
Lincoln declared the traditional
Thanksgiving to be celebrated in November
and made it a national holiday. This
declaration favored the Northern
celebration of Thanksgiving and as a result
the Southern tradition become forgotten.
®SAISD Social Studies Department
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