Colonial Williamsburg is a living history museum. Some surviving colonial structures have been restored to their 18th century appearance. Horses, sheep, chickens, gardens and smokehouses add to the colonial atmosphere. A fiddler entertained us while we enjoyed a wonderful lunch of Shepherd's Pie and Welsh Rarebit at Chowning's Tavern.
While at Williamsburg, visitors interact with its citizens who reinact the 1775 era and the beginning of the Revolution. The townspeople - shopkeepers, polictical figures, women, and slaves share their hopes, fears and opinions about events which led to the upcoming war.
The townspeople are very upset because their gunpowder is missing. The Magazine was colonial Virginia's storehouse for guns, ammunition and military supplies. The action of British Governor Dummare the night of April 20, 1775, in removing the gunpowder belonging to the Colony, touched off the Revolution in Virginia.
Governor Dumaree talks to the townspeople to explain his reasons for removing the gunpowder. He later flees to Yorktown.
Patrick Henry addresses the crowd persuading the colonists to fight for a free and independent nation.
Recruiting soldiers to fight in the war.
Hear Ye, Hear Ye - Reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Walking around the town.
Town Jail
Interesting fences.
Horse and buggy that visitors may hire for a ride.
One of many shopkeepers.
This mid-eighteenth century building was the home of George Wythe, tutor and friend of Thomas Jefferson. Wythe was a Virginian and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. George Washington used the house as his headquarters in 1781 before the siege of Yorktown. Five major outbuildings and garden plan reflect a plantation layout.
George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette met in Williamsburg before the battle at Yorktown.
Next stop, Jamestowne.
This settlement was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Jamestowne served as the capital of the colony for 83 years, from 1616 until 1699.
Archaeological dig at historic Jamestowne. Many artifacts are preserved in the museum.
The blacksmith makes nails for repairing Jamestowne buildings.
Powhatan Village. It is estimated that there were 14,000 - 21,000 Powhatan people in eastern Virginia when the English settled Jamestown in 1607. The English and Powhatan were united through marriages of its members, of which the most well known was that of John Rolfe and Pocahontas.
King talking to a 'sailor' on a tall ship.
We left Hampton, Virginia and headed for Maryland. Here we spent several days anchored in Solomon's, Maryland.
Blue Moon in the center of this photo. We took the dinghy to shore for a fish dinner. Also pulled the boat out for maintenance at Zanhisers Marina.
Sailing on the Chesapeake
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