Well, well, well, it just is just one more testamonial to the old Cabell observations:
"It never was 'like it was.' "
Although maybe today, the movie and dress would be "Pilgrims of the Carribean." :)))))
As you all know, I am a great (the greatest?, or at least on the 'short list') supporter of celebration of 400 years of English America -- Jamestown 400. But we need look no further than the very seal of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation to see that it never was like it was. i.,e. Three red, white and blue flags, one of which is the French tricolor which did not even exist at the time of the Seige of Yorktown -- it certainly did not fly over the French troops. And I recall at the 1981 Yorktown celebration a wonderfully garbed-in-white re-created 'French' unit from Rhode Island, marching to the roll of drums and the strident fifes playing 'La Marseilleise', which also was not there in 1781.
These are small, and in the Great Scheme of Things, they may serve to spark some interest in the bosoms of those who would not otherwise be touched by the stark reality of history, while we purists can haughtly sneer from the sidelines.
The sad truth of 'who did what first' is that almost from the very beginning, Virginia has been outclassed by the Northern publicity machine. e.g. Washington Irving's delightful (and heavily 'fanciful') 'History of New Amsterdam.' Why even the Trumpeter of New Amsterdam got top coverage!!!!! More recently, the Public Television 'Pilgrim House.' And my simple minded survey of the latest Dover catalog which found half a dozen books and things about the Pilgrims, and here at month-minus-six from the biggest Jamestown celebration that any of us will ever see, only one paltry coloring book on Pocohontas. I should note that the Dover editors had earlier responded to me that they were not interested in any photos, music et al about the 1907 Jamestown Exposition.
At the risk of bringing down the ire of thousands upon my head, my observation is that the ramp-up to Jamestown 2007 underscores the complete inability of Virginia to get the message across. It is not for a lack of substantive things -- like the excitement of the 'Discovery' making port appearances, or of facilities like the Jamestowne Settlement complex, and the work that the APVA is doing. Instead, it is the almost complete lack of any coherent, visible and exciting presentation thereof. e.g In the course of giving away my Trumpeter of Jamestowne March, I have talked on the telephone with half a dozen people across America, and they universally say that they have seen next to nothing about Jamestown-400. Two weekends ago, I chatted with some history buffs who live in Williamsburg, and they said they had never heard of the 30,000 tickets a day being sold for the three-day May weekend. IN WILLIAMSBURG!!!!!!! There is rumored to be a 1607-voice chorus and 400-piece symphony orchestra performing god-knows-what at the celebration, but to borrow from that classic line in 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' who are those people anyway?
Let me suggest to the assembled VA-HIST audience that IF you really believe in Jamestown and what it means to the America that we live in today, you resolve this very day to reach out and do something about it. If you wait for 'them' to do it, it ain't going to happen. We will see a repeat of the fizzles of (1) the 1992 Columbus 'celebration', (2) the invisible Virginia commemoration (if any) or our native sons Lewis and Clark, and (3) probably the greatest fizzle of all, the 1976 Williamsburg stayed-away-in-droves.
Randy Cabell
----- Original Message -----
From: James Brothers
To: Randy Cabell
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 8:55 PM
Subject: Re: The Pilgrim's Thanksgiving
I don't know if it is entirely true, but it is a great story; that when Walt Disney was looking to do a Thanksgiving cartoon/movie, he sent a bunch of people to Plymouth Plantation. Figured that since it was the Pilgrims who had the first thanksgiving, and as the people at Plymouth Plantation knew more about the Pilgrims than just about anyone else, it would be the place to get really accurate historical information on food, clothes, etc. Well the Disney people dutifully went to MA and came back with photos and drawings and did story boards and all of that and presented it to Walt. His reaction was "My God, they look just like pirates, we can't use that". So Disney went with the black and white costumed Puritans, rather than the rather more flamboyant Pilgrims.
James Brothers, RPA
[log in to unmask]
On Nov 9, 2006, at 13:34, Randy Cabell wrote:
HOORAY!!! HOORAY!!! Don't let those dad-burned Pilgrims do it again. At least so far, we have been spared a re-run of the Public Television 'Pilgrim House.', but I bet some producer capatilizes on Jamestown 2007, and brings it back!!!!!
Randy Cabell
The Trumpeter of Boyce
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lyle E. Browning" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 9:05 AM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] The Pilgrim's Thanksgiving
I cannot believe that a resident of Virginia is perpetuating the
historical inaccuracy that the Pilgrims had the first Thanksgiving.
Berkeley Plantation in Charles City had it, and this by proclamation
of none other than Pilgrim state resident President J. F. Kennedy.
The VA Thanksgiving is every bit as riveting as the johnny-come-
lately northern edition and without the slightest bit of
embellishment can more than hold its own.
Let's not promote inaccurate versions.
Lyle Browning
On Nov 9, 2006, at 6:16 AM, Anne Pemberton wrote:
Folks,
Finished the Thanksgiving story. You can see it at
http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/books/Holiday/Thanksgiving.html
As I said a few days ago, the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving makes a better
story
for children than the Jamestown Thanksgiving story. I may write the
Jamestown story later, or put it on the docket to do next fall.
Those who are knowledgeable of these events, please let me know if
I've made
any errors in history in this story. I took a few liberties in
fiction, but
if I made any goofs, please let me know. My email address is:
[log in to unmask] so you don't have to clutter the list with it.
Anne
Anne Pemberton
[log in to unmask]
http://www.erols.com/stevepem
http://www.erols.com/apembert
http://www.educationalsynthesis.org
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