Bill Text: VA HJR326 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commemorating the 300th anniversary of Fort Christanna.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-21 - Stricken from House calendar [HJR326 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2014-HJR326-Introduced.html
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14104997D WHEREAS, in 1714, Governor Alexander Spottswood of the Virginia Colony from 1710 to 1722, established a fort and trading post on the colony's western frontier named Fort Christanna, in honor of Christ and Queen Anne of England, on the southern bank of the Meherrin River, situated within a 36 square mile tract of land set aside for the Saponie and Occaneechee Indians, in the area currently known as Brunswick County; and WHEREAS, Fort Christanna was designed for trade with and the education of Native Americans and their children, the protection of settlers moving into Brunswick County after 1720, and the safety of remnant bands of Piedmont Siouan Indians, known as the "Tributary Indians," who lived in a nearby Indian town; and WHEREAS, for a few years, Fort Christanna was the farthest westward outpost of the British Empire, and Governor Spotswood hired schoolmaster Charles Griffin, whom he personally paid to teach as many as 100 Native American children, forming one of the first Native Indian schools in the country; and WHEREAS, at the school, the students were taught English, religion, the Lord's Prayer, and the Anglican catechism; however, by 1717, because Fort Christanna and the school lost its support in London and Virginia, the school was closed and Charles Griffin returned east to teach Native American students at the College of William and Mary; and WHEREAS, although certain of the Native American tribal ways and traditions were abandoned as the Virginia Colony grew, Native American tribes whose children were educated at Fort Christanna adapted and endured, and several tribes in Virginia and North Carolina are proud descendants of the students who were taught at the Fort Christanna Indian School; and WHEREAS, through archaeological and historic research conducted by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in 1977-1989 and 2000-2003, the outline of Fort Christanna has been found and considerable information about the fort has been compiled; and WHEREAS, the diversity of wildlife and natural habitats at Fort Christanna provides opportunities for wildlife conservation and viewing, and the fort is included on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, which supports ecotourism in Brunswick County; and WHEREAS, Fort Christanna has been added as a point of interest on Virginia's official State Transportation Map, and the fort is included on the state's Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail, which identifies places that provided educational opportunities to African Americans, Native Americans, and women; and WHEREAS, the officials of Brunswick County and representatives of the Colonial Dames have a cooperative agreement that has transformed Fort Christanna into a historical park with walking trails and interpretive signage; and WHEREAS, Fort Christanna has received the American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit and former Governor Robert McDonnell approved the inclusion of Fort Christanna in the Virginia Directory of Cultural Heritage Sites, which is maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and WHEREAS, Fort Christanna will mark the 300th anniversary of its existence in 2014, and numerous commemorative events and activities have been planned to highlight the historic occasion; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the 300th anniversary of Fort Christanna in Brunswick County be commemorated; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to the Honorable Bernard Jones, chairman of the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors, and Nathaniel P. Neblett, chairman of the Fort Christanna Site Development Committee, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the fort's unique place in the history of the Commonwealth. |
