Recently, the Abbeville Institute and Last Stands Studio released their documentary entitled Virginia First: the 1607 Project. Originally, the 1607 project was designed as a response to the 1619 Project which infamously promoted Critical Race Theory through American media. Whereas the 1619 Project correlated America’s founding to the arrival of slave ships in Virginia in 1619, the 1607 project focuses on the founding of Virginia as the preeminent founding of the American nation. This stands in contrast to other conservative efforts to pin 1776 as the nation’s founding via the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing that the colonies and their character predated the American Revolution.
When the project was initially announced through the likes of Jon Harris or Zachary Garris, there was personal skepticism on the necessity of the project and whether there should be another project denoting America’s founding by a specific year. Thankfully, the emphasis on the impact and character of Virginia and how it shaped the American experience.
Cavaliers vs. Puritans
One of the interesting elements of the documentary is the contrast between the Puritans of New England and the Cavaliers of Virginia. Even Christians often think of America’s Christian heritage through the lens of the Puritans and thinkers like Jonathan Edwards, but the documentary argues that the Puritan mindset was inferior to the Cavalier mindset of Virginia. Whereas the Puritans were purists and more legalistic, the Cavaliers were more adaptive to their surroundings and ecumenical (within Christian limits). The Virginia colony is emphasized for its contribution to American intellectual thought, political thought, and military thought, and there was an innate emphasis the Cavaliers had in academic pursuit. It was also more hierarchical than that of the Puritans, taking more after the British. On the contrary, the Puritans created a less hierarchical society and had a greater emphasis on control which the documentary alleges is still prominent today. It is even argued that America as an “idea” stems from the Puritanical notions of the “city on a hill” versus the more grounded view of Jamestown.
The documentary presents a number of interesting contrasts between the North and South that have implications for modern America. The Puritans eventually gave way to unitarianism and eventually secularization. The film even alludes that America as the World’s Police stems from Northern thought.
In a personal conversation with Auron MacIntyre, he talked about how a difference between the British and American doctrines of Separation of Powers was the presence of an Aristocracy. In many ways, the South had this aristocracy, as can be seen in the First Families of Virginia, whose names like Washington, Jefferson, Lee, and Marshall are all familiar in early American history. But as discussed with MacIntrye, the Civil War destroyed any semblance of an American aristocracy, opening the door to an ever-expansive, or Total State.
Conclusion
The documentary is an ode to Virginia. As the name suggests, Virginia was America. This is an interesting argument that presses many interesting questions and conclusions that run contrary to common conceptions Americans hold today, largely driven by the Post War Consensus. There is even an Abraham Lincoln truth-pill, which opens the door to future criticisms of the 16th President that Republicans still hail to this day alongside Ronald Reagan.
Overall, the documentary is perhaps a few minutes too long but does not overstay its welcome. There are certain claims that require further exploration, but the content serves as introductory and thus useful. Whereas many of these documentaries fail to present original or unique ideas, Virginia First delivers, and being under 90 minutes, it is definitely a worthwhile watch.
One Response
thanks for bringing this documentary to my attention. It is an interesting counter position to that which has been promoted by those who won the civil war and then set about rewriting early american (and western) history.