Virginia's Historic Triangle: Exploring the Birth of America (Part I)

Continental Fifers and Drummers. 

Okay, so not every trip I take involves a hike into the woods or a day sitting in a kayak. I'm a history buff as well and from time to time I like to explore the historic places of America. A springtime trip to Virginia offered me an opportunity to visit Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown, a trip that would take me from the beginnings of England's colonial attempts in America to its defeat by the descendants of those very first colonists some nearly a century and three quarters later.

My wife and I started our four-day trip to the area with Colonial Williamsburg. We were staying at a Colonial Williamsburg property and after a long drive the previous day, we really didn't feel like getting into the car to visit Jamestown or Yorktown. We opted to walk the short distance from our hotel to the historic area even though we were staying right next to the Visitors' Center where there was a shuttle stop. The sky was cloudless and there was no good reason to be in a vehicle or indoors unless absolutely necessary. Our first stop was the gardens outside Governor's Mansion.

Rows of blooming flowers, hedges, topiaries, and even a maze await garden visitors.

We spent some time exploring the garden area while waiting for performance of the Patrick Henry reenactor to begin. This was an interesting presentation. Like most of the townsfolk here, the players aren't totally immersed into the 18th century. When I visited the Plimouth Plantation in Massachusetts many years ago or have spent time with Revolutionary or Civil War reenactors acknowledgement of anything outside of the time frame in which those personas exist simply didn't happen. Here, at Williamsburg, the people were quite aware of the modern day. "Mr. Henry", in this case, spoke extensively about the goings-on of the colonial period but answered questions about things later in his life and even somewhat into the future. The actor even gave insight into current social and political topics. A sort of "What Would Patrick Henry Do" exercise. It was quite interesting. It made me think of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes where the crew uses a holodeck to get information from scientists of the past or perspective from historical figures. If only we could really consult with people such as Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin today.

An actor portrays patriot Patrick Henry.

Following our encounter with Mr. Henry, we ambled through the town inspecting several shops and the town armory before taking a lunch break at Shield's Tavern. The menu consisted of items somewhat in the tradition of 18th century colonial America. My "salamagundi" was essentially a chef's salad. I question the commonality of tomatoes as a food in 1780. While some were being cultivated in the Carolinas by then, tomatoes were largely ornamental plants during colonial times. Likewise, we visited in June. A period dish would not have contained tomatoes at all if served at that time of year simply because they aren't in season. I doubt seriously if the colonists grew hot house vegetables. Obviously concessions must be made for the sake of tourism and of course the prices at Shield's Tavern (like all of the Colonial Williamsburg eateries) are adjusted to maximize the outflow of cash from a tourist's wallet as well. I will commend them on the Pea Soup. It was pretty darned good and my wife regretted not ordering just a bowl of it for lunch instead of a cup and a sandwich. Note to the traveler: Eat off property. Had the dining experience been enhanced with period music and had there been actors performing like townspeople of the day discussing politics or gossiping, it might have been worth the price. 

Following lunch we moved to the Great Hopes plantation area for a look into what was done to supply the war effort. This was an interesting demonstration on colonial carpentry and the folks there showed how they made cypress shingles, building timbers, and plank siding. All of the woodcutters and carpenters gave excellent presentations, but it was misnamed. It focused more so on the economics of the building industry during the colonial period rather than how provisions were produced to assist the rebellion. 

Woodworking tools at the Great Hopes plantation area.

We departed the plantation after an hour or so and returned back to the town for the afternoon presentation of "The Revolutionary City." A street-theater production in several acts. The shows vary in subject matter from day-to-day. The weekly program listed some of these events as "The Cause of America" and "A Gale From The North," what is a part of official program and what isn't can be some matter of debate as the program can be confusing. When we were there, the first act dealt with a man who volunteered for the war effort to help earn money for his family. (This was on the weekly program.) Then there were two acts dealing with the war in the west and problems on the home front. (These were on the supplemental program but not on the main weekly schedule.) The performance than drifted to "The Town is Taken!" where turncoat General Benedict Arnold leads redcoats into Williamsburg and hoists the Union Jack over the capitol building. (This is in the weekly program.) The character of Arnold was interesting. The time is 1780 and he has aligned with The Crown. In his speech he explains how he was duped into joining the Rebellion and after several years of sacrificing his health and fortune, realized the futility of the effort. The insight into Arnold was well explored. The act of betrayal is legendary but few people ever get to hear his side of the story. 

Disenfranchised with the Rebellion, Benedict Arnold chastises
the local citizenry when they note his traitorous actions.

Finally, two more acts wrap up the event. (Neither of these were listed on the main schedule either.) Odd though, the "General Reviews the Troops" is listed as a part of the program on the weekly schedule, but not on the supplemental one. A few days after returning from the trip I received an email survey from Colonial Williamsburg that asked, among other things, several questions about "The Revolutionary City" program. I was somewhat critical in my responses because there were so many discrepancies between the daily and weekly schedules. Furthermore, only parts of the presentation had interesting storylines and action. I don't believe any shots were fired as the town was taken, but at least the drill of the Continental troops involved gunpowder!

Trigger time for the Continental troops.

After a quick trip back to our hotel room and an afternoon catnap, we returned to the town for the final event of the day, a concert in capitol. There was an extra cost for this activity but well worth it. The hour-long event featured a string trio comprised of the violin, the harpsichord, and the viola-de-gamba playing songs spanning from the early 17th to later 18th century. The musicians were excellent and the leader of the group was very entertaining with his anecdotes about the music and society of the day.

The Capitol Concert is held in the chambers of the old Virginia House of Burgesses.

Aside from lunch and the issues I had with the printed program, the day was enjoyable. In spite of the fact that everything about Colonial Williamsburg is not 100% accurate and a lot of the buildings are reconstructions, it is a worthwhile place to visit and visitors can learn a lot about life in the 1780s and early American history. The weather was perfect and it was a great way to spend a mid-May day. We headed into town for some dinner and then got a good night sleep in order to be well rested for Jamestown in the morning.

Goodnight, Williamsburg.

http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/

http://www.historictriangle.com/