Inspiration for the Modern Revolutionary
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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We tell a lot of very important stories, and I’m not just talking about those of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. The stories of slavery cover the entirety of the Historic Area and a new program developed by a group of Actor-Interpreters hopes to promote healing and understanding.
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We call them Sales Interpreters. Technically, our colleagues in Historic Area shops sell merchandise, but their role is anything but ordinary retail. You may find them demonstrating trap-ball on Duke of Gloucester Street, or answering a question about the city’s history, or having a little fun in character.
Such unconventional behavior is bound to make a person gruntled, that is, happy—anything but disgruntled.
We asked several colleagues to share a little bit of their experience working a sales floor in costume. Here, mostly in their own words, is what they had to say….
There’s so much to say about Martha Washington. Welcome to the second installment of the most frequently asked questions about America’s first First Lady. Yesterday we covered questions 10 down to 6. Here now are the top 5.
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Greetings! When last we spoke, I filled you in on Martha’s modes of travel—specifically riding sidesaddle. Since then, I have been out and about on the streets of Colonial Williamsburg speaking with guests from far and wide about Martha Washington’s younger years. …
“We get that this is a weird job,” says Nicole Brown, who portrays Hannah Powell on the streets of Williamsburg. She and her colleagues know all too well that speaking to someone who is “living” in the 18th century is outside the comfort zone for many people. Which is why I asked a group of our talented folks to tell me what advice they would offer guests who may be reluctant to engage the living part of this historic town….
In 2016, a rare opportunity in the Historic Trades and Skills Department of Colonial Williamsburg arose. After the retirement of two wonderful Journeymen, the Joiner’s shop had some vacancies!
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As Cherokee delegations traveled to Williamsburg in the 18th century, shelter was needed to accommodate them. Encampments were created around town in order to house the travelers, which could be upwards of 200 people.
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In late May of 1777, in the midst of the Revolutionary War, a delegation of Cherokee came to Williamsburg to meet with Patrick Henry, Virginia’s governor. The Cherokee had been coming to the colonial capital for decades, but this trip was different. They were facing their own crisis….