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Invitation to the formal opening of the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition, 1907

CONTENT WARNING

Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation. 

Context

Late in the 19th century, some Virginians became interested in preserving historic buildings and landscapes that documented the state's illustrious past. White women led the effort to establish the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (now known as Preservation Virginia) to preserve 18th century buildings in Williamsburg and the site of the first English settlement at Jamestown. A portion of the land on which Jamestown once stood was donated to the APVA and included the ruins of a church tower constructed in the 17th century. A seawall was built to protect the remnants of the original fort from 1607. 

In 1907, Virginia honored the 300th anniversary of the English settlement at Jamestown with an exposition held at Sewell’s Point in Norfolk. Modeled after many national fairs of the era, the Jamestown Ter-centennial Exhibition contained exhibitions, representative buildings of the various state houses, government buildings, restaurants, and an event arcade. African Americans constructed a large building with exhibitions highlighting their contributions to America's past and present. Virginia Indians participated by constructing a village with the intent of reminding the public that they still resided in Virginia, but exposition managers instead required them to re-enact Pocahontas's reputed rescue of Captain John Smith. The exposition was a huge undertaking and considered very costly at the time. In addition to the tourists who attended, the exposition was visited by dignitaries such as President Theodore Roosevelt and author Mark Twain.

After the 1907 celebrations, the site of Jamestown continued to be the subject of academic and archeological investigation. The area came to national prominence in the 1930s with the creation of Colonial National Historical Park. The site was the center of activity as the United States National Park Service and the Commonwealth of Virginia opened tourist operations in 1957 to coincide with the completion of the Colonial Parkway linking the “historic triangle” locations of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.  In 2007, the 400th Anniversary was celebrated at the remodeled and reimagined Jamestown Settlement Living History Museum. Queen Elizabeth II attended the celebrations in both 1957 and 2007 to honor the first English settlement at Jamestown.

Citation: The officers and directors of the Jamestown Exposition request the honor of your presence..., Jamestown, Va., 1907. Broadside 1907 .J3 BOX, Special Collections, Library of Virginia.

Standards

Social Studies:  VS.3, VS.4, USI.5, VUS.1, VUS.2, VUS.3, VUS.13 GOVT.7
Earth Science: ES.11, ES.12
Art: 4.1, 5.1

Suggested Questions

Preview Activity

Scan It: Scan the document. What is the purpose of the document? What is it celebrating?

Post Activity

STEM STAT: A seawall was constructed to protect the Jamestown site in the early 1900s, but recently the site has been deemed to be one of the most endangered historic sites in the United States as erosion, weather, and various building projects along the James River have taken a toll on the local environment. What you suggest the park do to mitigate the ongoing flooding issues at the original Jamestown site? If the flooding issues cannot be resolved, what would you suggest could be done to preserve the historic artifacts yet to be found on the site?

Think About It: The 1907 exposition was held in Norfolk and not at the historic site. Why would this have necessary given the lack of development and location of the area? Consider the available forms of transportation and technology available in 1907.

Artistic Exploration: Look at the invitation to the Exposition. What do you notice about the invitation's wording, capitalization, and use of color? To what extent does this invitation reflect the 17th century, and not the 20th? Why do you think that was a choice for the invitation designers?