Program Information

As 104 settlers sought wealth at Jamestown in 1607, Europe collected treasures of another kind. "The World of 1607" puts the founding of Jamestown in a global context while focusing on worldwide cultural developments during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Transcript

Lead: As 104 settlers sought wealth at Jamestown in 1607, Europe collected treasures of another kind.

Intro: I’m Steve Clark with “The World of 1607”, Jamestown in a global context, sponsored by Jamestown Settlement, a living history museum near Williamsburg, Virginia.

Content: A treasure trove of wonders awaited visitors to 17th century European “cabinets of curiosities”. Cabinet owners collected odd, intriguing objects… domestic and foreign- natural and man-made… animal parts to fearsome weapons, all displayed for dramatic effect. Curator, Doctor Tom Davidson identifies two early English collectors:

“John Tradescant and his son John Tradescant, Jr. collected an extensive cabinet of curiosities from around the world. They included several items from Virginia, particularly those associated with the Powhatan Indians.”

That cabinet became the foundation of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford.

Conclusion: To learn more, visit Jamestown Settlement or historyisfun.org.

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