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Williamsburg was the thriving capital of Virginia when the dream of American freedom and independence was taking shape and the colony was a rich and powerful land stretching west to the Mississippi River and north to the Great Lakes. For 81 formative years, from 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political, cultural, and educational center of what was then the largest, most populous, and most influential of the American colonies. It was here that the fundamental concepts of our republic — responsible leadership, a sense of public service, self-government, and individual liberty — were nurtured under the leadership of patriots such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and Peyton Randolph.
Photo credit: The Colonial Williamburg Foundation.
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The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation operates the world’s largest living history museum in Williamsburg, Virginia—the restored 18th-century capital of Britain’s largest, wealthiest, and most populous outpost of empire in the New World. Here we interpret the origins of the idea of America, conceived decades before the American Revolution. The Colonial Williamsburg story, “Becoming Americans,” tells how diverse peoples, having different and sometimes conflicting ambitions, evolved into a society that valued liberty and equality. Americans cherish these values as a birthright, even when their promise remains unfulfilled.
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In Colonial Williamsburg’s 301-acre Historic Area stand hundreds of restored, reconstructed, and historically furnished buildings. Costumed interpreters tell the stories of the men and women of the 18th-century city—black, white, and native American, slave, indentured, and free—and the challenges they faced. In this historic place, we help the future learn from the past.
When it was completed in 1722, the Governor’s Palace, the residence of Virginia’s royal governor, was considered one of the finest buildings in British North America. The elegant and imposing residence of seven royal governors and the commonwealth’s first two state governors, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, was reconstructed on its original foundations and opened to the public in April.
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Photo credit: The Colonial Williamburg Foundation.
Colonial Williamsburg - Official Web Site of Colonial Williamsburg, the World's Largest Living History Museum. http://www.history.org/
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Copyright © 2008 - Joseph A. Tyson - Tyson Promotions Inc - All Rights Reserved
Williamsburg Virginia Guide.com is a division of TysonPromotions
www.williamsburgvirginiaguide.com - Last Revision - 05 September 2007 - jat
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