Inspiration for the Modern Revolutionary
I have been absolutely captivated by early American history since I was a little girl. My fascination was sparked by an activity day at school where we had the opportunity to try different trades and activities that were done during the colonial era, including candlemaking and playing colonial games.
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One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “Would a woman be allowed to be a cooper?” In fact, we know of three women who were coopers in Virginia in the 18th century, although none worked in Williamsburg.
My attire is usually the next subject of curiosity, since I dress like a man but am not pretending to be a man. Why, you wonder?…
To say I was “excited” about our social media team trying out the new educational musket range would be an understatement. Sure, the point was first-hand experience to better answer questions from our followers…but as an American historian and farm girl, I was pumped. #Christmasmorning…
“So you make muskets here?” a wide-eyed visitor asks excitedly as I welcome him into the Gunsmith shop. It’s not an unusual question, and as I continue to learn my trade with George and Richard, I experiment with new ways to respond to inquiries we hear many times each day. …
What was it like to be part of the team who helped develop Felicity? A 26-year veteran of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation opens up about her experience and meeting the founder of the Pleasant Company.
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Photo Courtesy: Virginia Historical Society (1857.3)
What image do you think of when the name Martha Washington is mentioned? Maybe one similar to this? …
Last week, The Felicity Generation blog post exploded across the internet—Instagram, Facebook, even local online papers picked it up! It just goes to show that something as seemingly simple as a child’s toy can have a major impact on our lives. …
Americans love their cars like no other people. We consider what we drive to be extensions of our personality, or reflections of our values. With the Detroit Auto Show underway this week, I was wondering what the men and women of our Revolutionary generation would drive if they were around today. So naturally, I asked the folks who interpret them on the streets of Williamsburg….
In the 1980’s, Pleasant T. Rowland, a teacher and publisher of educational texts, created Pleasant Company and developed a line of historically themed dolls and their stories which featured difficult topics like child labor, slavery, and war. And she did it in a way that young girls, girls just like me, who were beginning to read chapter books, could easily understand. …
It’s anything but quiet in January for Historic Trades. In addition to being knee deep in training (giving and receiving), several shops are moving, there are four new shop masters, and an old craft is reappearing….