Celebrating Summer: Jamestown Settlement and Fourth of July at Colonial Williamsburg, Va.
FREEDOM!!! I shouted at the top of my lungs — in response to Patrick Henry’s stirring speech as a historical interpreter uttered his famous line — “Give me liberty or give me death!” on the Fourth of July at Colonial Williamsburg, Va.
The thousands of modern day patriots who gathered in Revolutionary City had come to celebrate the birth of our nation on Independence Day and to be inspired by a live proclamation of the Declaration of Independence that had been read aloud on this very spot July 25, 1776.
I was here leading a group from Mayflower Tours on a historical journey that would trace our nation’s beginnings back to the nearby Jamestown Settlement and would include visits to Mt. Vernon Estate and Gardens (George Washington’s home); and to the museums of the Smithsonian, the US Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, the National Cathedral, the high tech Newseum, and to the inspiring monuments to our nation’s heroes in Washington, DC.
We began our journey back in time with a visit to Jamestown Settlement, a recreation of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Founded in 1607 by 104 English men and boys who sailed to the New World aboard three tiny ships — the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery — Jamestown was meant to exploit the riches of this unexplored land for a group of wealthy investors in England and at the same time prevent the Spanish and French from laying claim to all of North America.
Jamestown Settlement Museum is a historically accurate living history enterprise designed to transport visitors back to the early 17th century and the time when John Smith and Pocahontas first crossed paths here thirteen years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
The actual archeological site —Historic Jamestowne — is a short drive down the road and operated by the National Park Service but costumed interpreters at Jamestown Settlement bring the colony to life for modern day guests.
I found the details of the hardships and challenges of the sea journey particularly fascinating when I climbed aboard the Discovery- the smallest of the three ships that have been painstakingly recreated to match the originals’ specifications as closely as possible.
After viewing the excellent docudrama “Jamestown: The Beginning” at the indoor theater and browsing through the impressive exhibit galleries in the museum, the Powhatan Indian Village is the first sight that greets modern day explorers.
Triangular shaped James Fort and the Riverfront Discovery Area, along with the dock with the three ships, completes the journey back in time as you walk the short outdoor Discovery Trail.
Visitors are encouraged to participate in many of the activities being performed by interpreters including grinding corn, making cordage, or pitching corncob darts with the Powhatans. Inside the fort, you can try on armor and toss quoits. For more information visit www.historyisfun.org.
Nearby, Colonial Williamsburg is a 300 acre town-sized living history village that faithfully preserves the capitol of Virginia as it appeared in the 18th century www.colonialwilliamsburg.com.
Williamsburg has been described as “the cradle and flash point for many of the Founding Fathers of the American Revolution” and offers visitors an authentic glimpse at our past.
First time guests should stop by the Visitor Center to see the film “Williamsburg-The Story of a Patriot” to understand the village’s role in our nation’s early history and to catch the complimentary shuttles that drop off and pick up along the perimeter of the mile long complex.
It was here that I found myself on Independence Day with my patriotic fervor boiling over after watching a performance by the Drum and Fife Corps behind the Courthouse on Market Square.
This talented group of youngsters led the “Salute to the States” — a special muster saluting the 13 original states complete with musket fire and booming cannons — before marching down the Duke of Gloucester Street to the Capitol Building.
Meanwhile my Mayflower Tour visitors had scattered to visit the 88 original 18th century structures and hundreds of houses, shops, restaurants, and museums found in the historic area.
The Governor’s Palace is probably the most impressive of the buildings and guided tours of the home and gardens are highly recommended.
The Courthouse is one of Williamsburg’s original buildings dating back to 1770 and was the seat of local government housing municipal and county courts until 1932.
Public taverns were also important gathering places for concerned citizens during Revolutionary times and we chose the historic King’s Arm Tavern for a typical colonial meal and to discuss the events of the day.
It began with savory peanut soup, the consistency of warm peanut butter, followed by chicken put forth on a thin slice of salty ham, cook’s potatoes and vegetables, with rice pudding or pecan pie for dessert. Delicious!
We were entertained during dinner by stories of ghosts who occupied our room along with period music played on a colonial era hurdy-gurdy.
After dinner we prepared for Colonial Williamsburg’s spectacular Fourth of July fireworks show which did not dissapoint us later at dusk when firecrackers boomed and the sky lit up with color.
We had received an informative and entertaining introduction to our nation’s early history at Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg and now we prepared to leave in the morning for Mt. Vernon Estate- George Washington’s home along the Potomac River just outside of Washington DC.
We would proceed on our journey through history from Mt. Vernon in the 19th century to learn more about our country at the Smithsonian museums and finally to contemporary monuments and museums in our nation’s capitol.
Come along with us next week in Part Two- Mt. Vernon and Washington D.C.- as we continue to celebrate summer!
About the author: Mark Bradley is a tour director and currently resides in Chillicothe. He is a 1973 graduate of Illinois Valley Central High School and 1977 graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a degree in radio/TV.
For more about Mark Bradley, click here.
