It was a memorable moment in history when President George W. Bush took the baton from conductor Joann Falletta at America’s 400^th Anniversary Celebration to lead a 400-piece orchestra for a few minutes during the recent May 11-13 celebration. This was certainly a noted highlight for many of the attendees. 

During the celebration, Falletta, conductor of the Virginia Symphony, led the orchestra, comprised of musicians from all over the country and anchored by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. 

“At the end of his speech, President Bush took the baton from Joann Falletta, and it was a very special, impromptu moment,” said Kevin Crossett, Jamestown 2007 Manager of Promotions and Public Relations. “He tapped the conductor on the shoulder and he took the baton and led the orchestra for a minute or two.” 

As a part of the three-day celebration, tens of thousands of visitors flocked to Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne and Anniversary Park over the weekend to participate in the 400^th anniversary of Jamestown, Va., America’s first permanent English Settlement. 

“We had a diversity of music throughout the weekend, with hundreds of performers on different stages, and with the President coming, it was just amazing," Crossett said. 

This event was part of an 18-month-long series of events that will commemorate the anniversary. The nation’s first representative government, free enterprise system and culturally diverse society began at Jamestown. State, national, and international commemorative events to salute these legacies began in May 2006 and will continue into 2008. 

The weekend proved to be a major success for Virginia, and the event also generated a worldwide interest in Jamestown history. President Bush was one of the many dignitaries who participated in the festivities. Other participants included Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, honorary chair of the commemoration, as well as Sen. John Warner, Sen. Jim Webb, members of the Virginia congressional delegation, tribal leaders of Virginia’s Indian tribes and African-American leaders. 

“The story of Jamestown will always have a special place in American history. It's the story of a great migration from the ‘Old World’ to the ‘New.’ It is a story of hardship overcome by resolve. It's a story of the Tidewater settlement that laid the foundation of our great democracy,” said President Bush while speaking during his Anniversary Weekend address to an audience of thousands. 

About 63,000 people visited the Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne and Anniversary Park throughout the weekend. Of the 63,000 visitors to Anniversary Weekend, approximately 47,000 were ticketed guests. About 14 percent of ticket holders purchased tickets the day of the event. Additionally, there were approximately 16,000 people who worked or volunteered during the event, including exhibitors, performers, and others who served in official roles. 

Yet in spite of the success, media attention prior to the event, such as in The Virginia Gazette and several other publications, made Jamestown the target of controversy in regard to its “multi-cultural focus” and its “Christian heritage.” 

However, according to officials, these concerns are not warranted. 

“We had had representatives from the Virginia Indian, American and European cultures on stage for the opening ceremonies,” Crossett said; in addition to the President coming, this fact was considered to be another major highlight of the event. 

“These stories are important to tell. I think that it shows that in 50 years we have come a long way. We realized that we need to tell the story of all of the different cultures,” Crossett said. “I think history itself, and the way we look at history has changed, because now you want to learn everything you can about a particular site, and Jamestown is one example. You can’t just look at it from one perspective; you have to look at it from multiple perspectives. So, I think from the very beginning of the planning, a decade ago, there was always the idea to make this as inclusive as we could make it.” 

He said the whole idea of Jamestown, if you look at it as the start of modern America, and America being founded upon the freedom of speech, it is definitely everyone’s right to talk about it, and we encourage folks to talk about the ideas of America. “We have had nothing but positive comments from people about the inclusion of all three cultures. That was really the first time that has happened in the 200 years... So, we’ve been able to include all three.” 

In regard to the incident with the guide in reference to the “Ten Commandments” at the Jamestown Settlement, where someone reported “that a tour guide, when asked to identify these plaques, said that they can not do so.” Officials said that it's something that happened over a year ago, and that they are unaware of the circumstances and the specifics surrounding it. 

At the site, there is a re-created Anglican Church of the early 17^th Century. Within the church, there are tablets that contain the “Ten Commandments,” “The Apostle’s Creed” and “The Lord’s Prayer.” 

“The guides are trained to identify the features of the church, and among those features are those three, “The Ten Commandments,” “The Apostle’s Creed” and “The Lord’s Prayer… They are supposed to be able to identify them. There is no prohibition on any one, any tour guides or staff, identifying the features inside the re-created Anglican Church,” said Debby Padgett, Media Relations Manager for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation that controls the settlement. 

There are also several special programs offered relating to the Anglican Church. One is about the Anglican religion in the early 17^th Century and it takes place in the church. 

Ultimately, the weekend was enjoyed by thousands and considered to be a tremendous success. “We are extremely pleased with Anniversary Weekend,” said Jeanne Zeidler, executive director of Jamestown 2007, the lead planning organization for America’s 400^th Anniversary. “The overwhelmingly positive comments we are hearing from guests emphasize three things: They are proud to have been part of a landmark event, they marvel at the efficiency of the transportation systems, and they are struck by the outstanding programming offered throughout the weekend. There are no operations manuals for staging a once-every-50-year event, but I think we struck the right balance.” 

Zeidler said Anniversary Weekend provides further evidence the commemoration is achieving a key goal: boosting visitation to the Jamestown sites. “We had a great crowd during the event, but what has taken place before and after is just as important. Visitation to the Jamestown sites is up approximately 40 percent year-to-date, and that’s a remarkable achievement,” she said. 

Thousands of visitors continue to visit and learn about the “new” Jamestown story they have previously seen or read about in national broadcasts and publications. New archaeological finds and compelling new scholarship are showcased in new world-class museums and exhibits at the sites, offering visitors an exciting new telling of the nation’s earliest days. For more information and details about other upcoming events, please visit www.americas400thanniversary.com.