Diamonds and gemstones were on the mind, and perhaps in the hull of his ship as Sir Walter Raleigh searched the west coast, as Raleigh saw it, of the Atlantic Ocean and see what he could see. Unclaimed by more powerful Spain between Florida to Maine, Raleigh picked the midway point, which was still able to grow cotton and tobacco.
Sir Walter named the south side of the bay Virginia, and with the mighty bay an Armada of English speaking naval officers could be trained to manage the armada of ships that could be in this great safe harbor.
Here they could defend their great city, their new Athens on a hill, and live as free men. However, as we know, the first trickle of English would try to make a go of it in a new land, just a bit too low and swampy malarial low land in their first few tries.
But what a great nation to begin! And it began when a pirate, or hero, in a small privateer ship, searched the bays and coves of the western Atlantic seaboard for the perfect place to begin. The area Raleigh saw was a perfect paradise, with friendly natives.
While he did not enjoy success on his first attempt at settlement in 1580, by 1608 came swampy Jamestown, then up on a hill Williamsburg. Then when in 1620 other English were blown off course for Virginia and arrived much further north.
Those more prudish Puritans with muskets would create New England. Soon, more English arrived, and created, after arriving further south, Charleston and Savannah. King Charles wanted more of the thriving now independent from Spain, the new Dutch riches.
English ships pulled into and took command of New Amsterdam in 1664 and renamed it after the brother of the English King, the Duke of York. As he was also the Duke of Albany, the Dutch Fort Orange was renamed Albany.
The King had a mistress adorned with diamonds and gemstones, Nell Gywn, who in her tattle later years referred this James, Duke of York as Dismal Jimmy. James was to become King James 11, and his follies become more hilarious. So for you dear citizens of New York that will be all about that for now.
And by now, there was soon the basic frame for a land to go forward to the next sea and all be one, teach the native English and we will all thrive.
Well, we know there have been some twists and adjustments in that, yet America has indeed been an inspiration to the world. We worry about China, yet recall their brave students created a statue of Liberty and died under tank tracks, so we may really be quietly evolving well still yet. I believe we are.
And at any rate, look where we have gotten ourselves to. President Thomas Jefferson read a great deal, and Jefferson surely knew what had been on the mind of Sir Walter Raleigh.
American Presidents make great errors some times with good intent, but none would have caused visionary Walter to lose his head for seeing too well.
And where Sir Walter choose! The warm climate and fame from Raleigh brought most English here for centuries. Nearby are the ancestral homes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. And about that Athens on a hill.
It became a place they officially named The District of Columbia. But as George Washington was ailing this capitol here had really been insisted on by Jefferson. So going to the District of Columbia became known as going to talk to Washington, so they made that name first.
And what foresight by Raleigh! What has been shortened into Washington, DC has evolved into the nerve center of America and the world, including the White House, protected by the greatest naval base in the world, from Newport News to Virginia Beach, as eternal protection to the Capital.
And, as Raleigh saw, your best officers should be nearby. Annapolis has worked fine. America always needs to train more excellence where ever they are needed. them. All to the good: all foreseen as Sir Walter Raleigh surveyed the coast from Florida to Maine.
And now here we are, and still going forward.Sir Walter, what was in that pipe?
Some visionaries die feeling their life was and all for naught. Sir Walter Raleigh, you must not feel that. You envisioned an English speaking continent, and who knows perhaps by trading in each port, one day an English speaking world.
So, Sir Walter, you selected what began as the best port on the east coast, and could protect a new world democratic Athens. We say bravo. You too America. You did the heavy lifting. He saw, you came, you conquered.