It All Began In 1607

Leftists, and now a growing chorus of socialists and communists, are telling our nation and teaching our kids that, no, America is not a 'Christian' nation---it never was; it's a secular nation with a lot of Christians living here in the country.

This while Muslims are colonizing our towns, cities, and even some states.

Karl Marx would agree with that approach.

"In order to open the door," as Karl Marx said, "people without a heritage are easily persuaded."

In this year of celebrating our 250th anniversary, the United States is also wanting to know more about the founding of our nation.

Particularly about our heritage.

Be informed, not misled.

On April 29th, 1607, a nation was born.

It began in 1607 with the First Landing at Cape Henry, Virginia, and then again in 1620 at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Amy Reid wrote this: "Travel-weary Englishmen landed at Cape Henry on the shores of Virginia and lay the foundation for what would become the most powerful country the world has ever seen.  Act 1, scene 1 of the drama that was to be the United States unfolded that day at Cape Henry, and sparked the legacy of Godliness on American shores."

America's destiny and purpose were sealed with that cross at Cape Henry.  All that would follow in our nation's growth hinged on the single proclamation that this land belonged to Jesus Christ.

In the Mayflower Compact of 1620, the Pilgrims reaffirmed the mission set forth by the original Virginia settlers. "They said ‘we have come here, first of all for the glory of God.  Secondly, for the advancement of the Christian faith,’” said Rev. Eddie Hyatt, an author and historian. “We could say they were missionaries. They weren’t just running from something.”

The Puritans carried the Cape Henry legacy further. On the deck of the Arbella, halfway between England and Cape Cod, leader John Winthrop declared, "We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world."

"They were going to America to live out a new kind of government and Christianity, where people governed themselves,” said Hyatt. "They didn’t depend on an outward government.  They would depend primarily on governing themselves according to Christian principles.”

More than 100 years later, as America set off on her own course towards independence, the Godly foundations laid in Virginia established the character of our Revolution.

"Before God, I believe the hour has come," said John Adams of the Revolution. "My judgment approves this measure and my whole heart is in it. All that I have, all that I am and all that I hope in this life I am now ready to stake upon it. And I leave off as I began, that live or die, survive or perish, I am for the Declaration. It is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God, it shall be my dying sentiment. Independence now and independence forever."

George Washington's pure, Christian heart, Benjamin Franklin's call to prayer, and John Adams' reverence for the will of God symbolize the undying commitment of our Founding Fathers to the creation of a nation which would glorify God. The American character was born in Scripture and nurtured by the Holy Spirit. Yet today, our national heritage is under siege.

Bishop James Madison warned of such a risk in 1795: "The moment that religion, the pure and undefiled religion, loses its influence over our hearts, from that fatal moment, farewell to public and private happiness. Farewell--a long farewell--to virtue, to patriotism, to liberty."

Four hundred years have passed since America was first conceived at Cape Henry, and respect for our roots has grown cold. 

Today, young Americans face constant propaganda, false information, and distorted historical facts. This influences how they view the world, often before they even realize it.

For example, some historians now argue that the Pilgrims came to America only for economic reasons, not religious freedom. Hyatt, in his book, disagrees.

"The Pilgrims gave two reasons for coming to the New World," Hyatt explained. "Number one, for the glory of God. Number two, for the advancement of the Christian faith."

According to Hyatt, although the Pilgrims' strong faith wasn't shared by later generations, that changed during the Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s. The preaching of evangelists like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield sparked a new wave of spiritual revival.

One undeniable fact still remains. At its core, the United States of America is a Christian nation.

"George Whitefield, he preached from the courthouse steps in Philadelphia, and the crowds were estimated to be 10-to-12,000 when the population was about 13,000," Hyatt explains. "And Benjamin Franklin said, from being thoughtless and indifferent about religion, it seemed that all the world was going religious so that one could not walk through any street in the evening without hearing prayers and psalms being sung in families on every street. The city was transformed."

In the spirit of rediscovering our heritage, President Trump made this statement:

A PROCLAMATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

Four hundred and eighteen years ago, more than 100 men completed a grueling 144-day voyage from the countryside of England to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in search of opportunity in the New World.

Commissioned by King James I and the Virginia Company of London, these intrepid settlers charted three small ships — the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery — to set sail on a perilous journey across the Atlantic to expand the reach of the English Crown into unknown lands, create a better future for their families, and further the "Glory of His Divine Majesty."

Known as the "First Landing," the seeds of America's destiny were sown when this courageous band of Christians erected a towering wooden cross at the crest of Cape Henry, Virginia.  Under the First Charter of Virginia, which commissioned the voyage, they consecrated the New World, gave thanks to God for their safe passage, and dedicated the land to His glory.  The raising of the Cape Henry Cross was a visible symbol of the covenant the settlers made on their first day in the New World — for themselves and their posterity — to obey God, seek His blessing, and place their trust in Him.

Within weeks, the men traveled inland to establish Jamestown — the first permanent English settlement in the New World.  "We hope to plant a nation where none before hath stood," one early settler sang in a ballad.  In the months and years that followed, the settlers at Jamestown would face grave dangers and extraordinary challenges, including a severe drought, starvation, and disease.  By the first year's end, only 38 of the original 104 men had survived.  Yet, by the grace of God, Jamestown endured and the American spirit of courage, strength, and determination was born.

Today, a majestic granite cross stands on those same hallowed shores as a testament to the steadfast Christian belief of the Jamestown settlers that God's grace abides, His mercy is abundant, and His glory is everlasting.  Our Nation honors the heroic souls whose faithful devotion and uncommon courage more than 400 years ago foreshadowed the birth of the greatest Republic in the history of the world — and it is in their memory that we pledge to forge a future that always celebrates our history, honors our heritage, and glorifies our God Almighty. 

More than four centuries after the First Landing, we prayerfully renew our covenant to always be one Nation under God and to always seek His blessing and protection.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 29, 2025, as a day in celebration of the 418th anniversary of the First Landing and the Raising of the Cross at Cape Henry, Virginia, by the Jamestown settlers.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

 DONALD J. TRUMP

Takeaway

Today, as revival movements spread on college campuses here, it seems possible another great awakening could be on the horizon.

In his book, Hyatt says, "Ultimately, we've got to change hearts, and that's what a true awakening does." And we need those changed hearts across America, because then, when people have changed hearts, they will begin to live out their faith."

Changed hearts will transform our country and inspire America to return to its Judeo-Christian roots.

Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Bold. Be Prayerful.