Inspiration for the Modern Revolutionary
Most Americans (I suppose, perhaps too optimistically) can identify, “Give me liberty or give me death!” as the words of Patrick Henry. Leaving aside the question of whether those were his precise words delivered during the Second Virginia Convention in 1775, how many Americans know what Mr. Henry did after the Revolution?…
Not long before the separation of church and state was enshrined in the Constitution, Virginia nearly passed a bill that would have drawn the institutions more closely together. At the time, this great philosophical question was intertwined with an utterly practical one: how should we take care of each other?…
“They’re kind of spoiled,” admits Brandon Hewitt. He’s beginning his day at Great Hopes Plantation in the usual way, feeding the chickens. Since June, he’s been afforded the rare opportunity to take a break from his position as an Orientation Interpreter to immerse himself in farm labor….
There goes Alexander Purdie, striding confidently down Duke of Gloucester Street, exchanging greetings, copies of the latest edition of his Virginia Gazette tucked under his arm. Arriving at King’s Arms Tavern to take his ease after a busy morning, what he doesn’t know is that he is about to be challenged by Mrs. Braxton….
Political turmoil. Scathing media attacks. Mounting distrust—of our federal government, and of each other. Sound familiar? The challenges faced by the new American government in its first decade bore some similarities to what we face today. And they were no less alarming….
Hats were more ubiquitous in the 18th century, but much like today, they were expressions of one’s job, or one’s (often self-styled) status, or just plain personality. I decided to take a trip through town with an eye to learning more about colonial headwear. I barely scratched the surface as I discovered more variety—and fewer strict rules—than I had imagined.
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I love writing things down. When I got the position of Apprentice Weaver a few months ago, I knew that I would need to document what I was learning, and the significance of it all. So I got a new diary and started taking notes and just jotting down ideas throughout the day and when I got home after work. Here are a few of those entries that paint a picture of the start of this new chapter in my life and career here with Colonial Williamsburg.
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It’s National Book Lovers Day, which means it’s time again to see what my colleagues are recommending. You remember books-those paper objects that people carried around before “reading devices.” Ignoring the darkening skies, I head down Duke of Gloucester Street with notebook in hand, ready to add to my reading list….
What can you learn from a kid? Plenty, if you happen to run across any of Colonial Williamsburg’s Junior Interpreters.
The JI’s, as they are commonly referred to, help the city come alive, especially during the summer, when their presence is most conspicuous. You’ll find them working in trade shops, demonstrating 18th-century dance, and playing games and interpreting daily life in sites like the Powell House and the Wythe House….
19. Nine… teen. That’s the ripe age Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, had reached when he landed on American shores in 1777 to lend his skills to the Revolutionary cause. He landed first near Georgetown, S.C. before heading north to present his credentials to the Congress.
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