[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 121, 110th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8122--APR. 6, 2007

Proclamation 8122 of April 6, 2007
400th Anniversary of Jamestown, 2007
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Four centuries ago, after a long journey, a small group of colonists
stepped boldly onto the shores of the New World and established the
first permanent English settlement in North America. During the 400th
anniversary of Jamestown, America honors the early pioneers whose epic
of endurance and courage started the story of our Nation.
The ideals that distinguish and guide the United States today trace back
to the Virginia settlement where free enterprise, the rule of law, and
the spirit of discovery took hold in the hearts and practices of the
American people. Noble institutions and grand traditions were
established in Jamestown. Amid tremendous difficulties, a determined few
worked the land and expanded into the wilderness. Without knowing it,
the colonists who built communities at Jamestown laid the foundation for
a Nation that would become the ultimate symbol and force for freedom
throughout the entire world.
Much has changed in the 400 years since that three-sided fort was raised
on the banks of the James River. Today, we are a strong and growing
Nation of more than 300 million, and we are blessed to live in a land of
plenty during a time of great prosperity. The long struggle that started
at Jamestown has inspired generations of Americans. Advancing the right
to live, work, and worship in liberty is the mission that created our
country, the honorable achievement of our ancestors, and the calling of
our time.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim 2007 as the 400th
Anniversary of Jamestown. I encourage all Americans to commemorate this
milestone by honoring the courage of those who came before us,
participating in appropriate programs and celebrations, and visiting
this historic site with family and friends.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of April,
in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.
GEORGE W. BUSH