Trump Honors God with First Landing Proclamation of Faith
On the 418th anniversary of the First Landing, President Donald J. Trump issued a formal proclamation commemorating the arrival of more than 100 Christian settlers at Cape Henry, Virginia — a moment that marked the beginning of America’s spiritual and national destiny.
“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,” the proclamation begins.
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Commissioned by King James I and the Virginia Company of London, the settlers boarded the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery in 1607. Their purpose: to expand the English Crown, provide for their families, and advance the “Glory of His Divine Majesty.”
The group’s first act upon landing was profoundly spiritual. Atop the dunes of Cape Henry, they planted a towering wooden cross, fulfilling a clause in the First Charter of Virginia to consecrate the land to God. “They consecrated the New World, gave thanks to God for their safe passage, and dedicated the land to His glory,” Trump noted. “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.”
Soon after, the settlers moved inland and established Jamestown — America’s first permanent English settlement. Though plagued by deadly conditions, including drought, starvation, and disease, their perseverance laid the foundation for the American spirit. “By the first year’s end, only 38 of the original 104 men had survived. Yet, by the grace of God, Jamestown endured,” the proclamation reads.
Today, a granite cross marks the sacred site at Cape Henry. Trump described it 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.”
With deep reverence for America’s Christian heritage, the President called on the nation to remember the faith, sacrifice, and courage that shaped its founding. “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.”
He concluded with a powerful reaffirmation of America’s divine purpose: “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.”
The full proclamation officially designates April 29, 2025, as a day to celebrate the 418th anniversary of the First Landing and the Raising of the Cross at Cape Henry.
