Warren Billings talked about the Jamestown General Assembly of 1619 on the 390th anniversary of the first authorized representative legislative body in English North America, which was convened on July 30, 1619. Professor Billings talked about what is known and not known about that first assembly and some of the legends surrounding it. He responded to questions from members of the audience. Introductory remarks were made by Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates William J. Howell. 
The inaugural annual Jamestown Lecture on Representative Government, titled “The General Assembly of 1619: Myths and Realities,” was given on July 30, 2009, at 5:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall of the Library of Virginia. The program was jointly sponsored by Preservation Virginia and the Library of Virginia.