Film Review – Virginia First: The 1607 Project

A documentary exposing the true history of the founding of the United States of America, Virginia First (VF) has the potential to shape future generations of those who seeking to rebuild our Land from the rubble. Last Stand Studios and The Abbeville Institute have put together a film that will greatly benefit this effort, to the glory of our great God.

When first watching the documentary, I was blown away by the fact that virtually everything I was taught in the government schools I attended in the late 80s and 90s was in stark contradiction to what the film portrayed. I was shocked by how upside-down my understanding was regarding our nation’s founding.

The Proposition Nation

I was taught to believe that “America is an idea,” a proposition of cultural norms that any people group could embrace as their own. Likewise, “freedom” could be obtained in any land, by virtually any people.

VF begins with a montage of American politicians talking about America as an idea, not a nation of particular people, with specific traditions, worldview, and religion. The montage ends by showcasing the inevitable consequences of “America is an idea” thinking. LGBTQ-fueled sexual confusion, mass illegal immigration, BLM/Antifa violence, and general lawless, riotous chaos. I believe that the lie that America is “just an idea,” leads to these horrible outcomes because it produces a loss of love for our own people, land, and traditions. The proposition nation idea removes any attachment to traditional values and customs, subsequently leading to subjectivity and ambiguity in many areas of life.

“Founded in Virginia”

The narrator’s first line is poignant: “America wasn’t founded on an idea. America wasn’t founded on slavery or as a city upon a hill. America, the real, tangible America, was founded in Virginia.”

As mentioned above, what I believed about the identity of my nation was based on the history I was presented in public school. That history curriculum, usually starting around 1776 (along with a hearty helping of slander for those of us who hail from the South), led me to believe our nation was founded principally on slavery, making it something to be looked down upon, even despised. Hence, we have seen many monuments and statues of our Founding Fathers desecrated and even removed in the name of “social justice” and “equality.”

But the fact is, many plantations, settlements, and churches were fully established well before the Mayflower brought the Pilgrims to Massachusetts. In 1619, (a year before the Pilgrims landed in Cape Cod), at the House of Burgesses, the governmental system of elected representatives was established, and a colonial republic was formed on July 30^th in Jamestown. The first Thanksgiving occurred in 1619. Virginia was where slavery was first considered immoral, being the first state in the Union to impose a penalty for engaging in the slave trade.

Abraham Lincoln, after being elected president in 1863, was among the first to begin incessantly, publicly perpetuating the illusion of America being merely a proposition of ideas, and “equality for all.” He channeled a mindset that had taken a foothold in New England, favoring the idea of America as a “city on a hill.” This was a major shift in the culture of America, as the dominance of Virginia was waning. Lincoln’s rhetoric would lead to the destruction of much of what America truly was – a nation of Christians with a common culture who loved their land, people, and traditions and wanted to govern themselves.

New England Vs. Virginia

Much of the film deals with the mindset and worldview of the Southern Christians in the Virginia area versus the Puritan settlers who arrived later in New England. So much of our current Christian culture and infighting made more sense in light of this major theme.

The Virginia colonists (known as “Cavaliers” or “gentlemen”) maintained a worldview and culture very different from the Puritans. Hierarchy was assumed in most areas of life. They generally tended to be more outgoing and accepting of other cultures and traditions. This is evident from the types of music that have emerged from the South – a fusion of local music styles that have formed into some of our major music genres today. Puritan culture in New England did not similarly produce music.

Virginians valued land, family, and tradition. They tended to be products of Anglican or Presbyterian churches, wanting to further Christianity through their colonies. Self-government was valued and focused on, thus, the powers of civil government were limited.

The Puritans were very different, still being most well-known for their societal separatism. When establishing themselves in the New England areas, they became known for their strict and intrusive religiosity. If one didn’t conform to their way of life, they were often “canceled” or even exiled from society (sound familiar?) Their governmental structure more resembled theocracy. Work was stressed over leisure. Their goal of being a “city on a hill” led to a more communal, utopian mindset. Equality was a major focus as opposed to hierarchy. Thus, the power of the local civil government was much more centralized in its outworking.

Visions of Virginia are different. One imagines working a few hours a day, leaving time for engaging in stimulative leisure, like reading a good book while smoking a pipe or cigar, as tobacco was Virginia’s staple crop.

Personally, this explains some of my own distaste for reading Puritans. A friend of mine once said, “I was a fan of the Puritans because I thought had to be. But personally, I couldn’t ever get into them, and when I did, I felt awful.” If this is you, understand you are not alone. VF provides a firm ground to stand on when discussing why you may be less a fan of the Puritans. This is not to say that there aren’t important, beneficial contributions that Puritans gave the Church, especially in the area of Christian discipline/devotional life. However, other Puritan contributions have been shown to be generally unhelpful and sometimes even harmful, especially in matters of cultural engagement, government, and politics. One suggestion to be gleaned from the film is to consider reading some of the Southern Presbyterian pastors and theologians, like John Rice, Robert Dabney, and James Henry Thornwell. These Pastors promoted self-government, family religion, and the importance of raising children in the faith, especially the role of fathers in their children’s lives.

A Chance to Rebuild

If we are going to have a chance to rebuild the greatness of what Virginia was, we must channel some inspiration from the Virginia side of the story.

Barry Shain says in the film: “We have to return to localism, correcting our historiography, so that we stop telling inaccurate history.”

In VF, we learn much about great Americans like General Robert E Lee, a Virginian worthy of emulation. His faith, courage, and grit were inspiring in his day, and continue to be in ours. It’s worth discovering some of the heroes that have been removed from our collective consciousness because they didn’t fit the dominant narrative, especially the ones from Virginia.

Watch VF and let it inspire you in our day. Armed with the tenacious faith and courage of the Southern Cavaliers, there is hope for our Nation yet.

There is much to be done. And through God, we shall do valiantly: For He it is that shall tread down our enemies. Psalm 108:13