This week we took a time off from our usual history studies to focus on "Yorktown" through Colonial Williamsburg's award winning Electronic Field Trip series.  I have been yearning to have my kids partake in these for years, but the expense made them cost prohibitive.  They are now made affordable to homeschoolers by homeschool buyer's co-op. 

     Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolution.  Numerous events miraculously fell into place for the badly beleaguered Continental Army to finally become victorious.  Over the course of six years, this was only the second major defeat of the British (the first being Saratoga), but it was enough to cause England to withdraw from efforts to dominate America.  Within the next two years, King George III finally recognized America as being "...free, sovereign and indepedent states."

     One of the story lines was about Lt. Col. John Laurens who not only helped to capture Redoubt 10 at Yorktown, but also negotiated the terms of surrender with the British.  Laurens' story on the screen piqued our curiousity, so we dug deeper to discover more about this fascinating indivudual who fought for liberty for all, even slaves. His personal story came to the surrender table and, following General Washington's orders, he firmly resisted British pleas to lighten the terms of surrender.  Washington strictly ordered that as the British dishonored General Lincoln in Charleston in 1780, so would the British be treated the same at this surrender ceremony.  Denied the honors of war, they could neither fly their flags nor play a song of the victor. The kids and I agreed this was contrary to our way of thinking.  We cannot imagine a conquered group wanting to play a song of the victor.  As I told the kids, we have to put ourselves into their shoes.  For the conquered, to play the music of the victor is a sign that they fought honorably.    

     Col. Laurens spoke some French in the movie and that intrigued us.  Why would an American officer speak French?  Further research answered this question and helped us to more fully understand his story.  Since we don't speak French, we felt we were missing out on that part of the story. Therefore we went through the script and found the French parts.  I had the kids look for words they recognized that relate to English, like "courage".  Other words are similar to the Latin we are now studying. My son recognized one word immediately, "hommes" which was also part of the name of John Paul Jones' ship, he reminded us.  My daughter knew the actual meaning from her Latin. The rest we put through a French/English translator.  This was not easy but it was fun. We were surprised by the translations!  It definitely brought more meaning to our understanding of the story.     

     The on-line activities provided at the EFT website were enjoyed by my kids.  One, in particular, assigned them the duty to become an amabassador and tour Europe seeking aid for the American cause.  That was not as easy as it sounded.  They were sent back a few times to seek more aid. They were quickly feeling the fatigue of the real life ambassadors they had studied.

 There was also an interactive timeline of events leading up to Yorktown.  

     The Teacher Resources included informative diagrams on how earthworks were built, by means of gabions and fascines.  There were also diagrams of the inside of a cannon and how it was loaded to fire.  We have been to numerous cannon loading and firing demonstrations on our trips to Virginia.  The diagrams clarified, for me anyway, the precise process. 

     Additionally, there were diagrams of the 4 types of artillery used and their differences in trajectory, mobility and type of shot.  This has prompted much discussion around here.  In fact, my husband shakes his head in disbelief at what we have learned about artillery!

     Of course artillery is right up my son's alley, a real guy's topic.  My daughter and I, who are girlie-girls, were surprisingly able to get into this topic as well, because of the positively engaging field trip!  While evaluating the different types of artillery, many questions arose.  We did some extra digging for details at some extra websites.  Since my kids had the opportunity to e-mail General George Washington this week, they decided to ask him for burning details!

     My son was insistent that bombs could be shot from a field cannon which has a straight trajectory.  I figured they could, but I didn't think it was practical.  Not satisfied with my explanation, he e-mailed General Washington about it that night. In the morning my son asked if I had checked the e-mail yet and had General Washington replied?  Well, no.  I told him that the general was an hour ahead of us and probably was thinking about bed the night before.  My son piped up and said the general might have e-mailed early this morning.  I suggested he let the general eat his breakfast first!  It wasn't even 7am our time!  Shortly before the morning's live broadcast of "Yorktown", the e-mail to my son arrived!  General Washington seemed a bit surprised at the idea of using a bomb in a field cannon.  The trajectory is all wrong to use it effectively.  Of course he was extremely patient and polite in his explanation, which he signed, "Your most obedient servant, G. Washington."  Thank you General Washington for answering my son's imaginative question!

     Wed night my daughter e-mailed General Washington "What were the advantages you had with the field and garrison cannons, as opposed to the howitzer and the mortar?  Which ones were often preferred for use in battle?"  After the morning's EFT live broadcast, we found the reply in the e-mail and we were pleasingly surprised!  General Washington wrote an entire page to answer her questions in fascinating detail.  Thank you General Washington for taking the time to answer her questions so completely!  I gave each of my kids printed copies of their e-mails for souvenirs. My kids were elated to have had this exchange from the busy general, whom they got to meet a few months ago!  

     Over lunch, we started talking about artillery.  (Doesn't everyone?)  My son was still asking questions about all the various possibilities of how bombs could be used in the 18th century, none of which were practically done. It finally dawned on me that my son is approaching this like a 21st century boy who has lots of time and imagination to fiddle with all of the possibilities of an item, because he lives in a free society and doesn't have to worry about an enemy marching down our street and pillaging our home.  I told him that warfare is life or death.  The soldiers use proven methods. They look at their objectives and use the means that will attain the best possibility of arriving at their goals with the least amount of work in the shortest amount of time.  (This sort of made sense to him, due to all of the GA Henty books we read.)  We went through what seemed a million scenarios for him to figure this out. Through this discourse, I also realized he kept thinking of a bomb as a missile.  Once I mentioned that, everything seemed to fall into place for him. Whew!  By George, I think he's got it now! 

     This week, we've listened to Colonial Williamsburg podcasts from different people involved in the Battle of Yorktown: General Washington, General Lafayette, James Armistead, and the Rhode Island Regiment. There is also one about when "Yorktown" premiered in October 2006. The podcasts for this week and the next are about how the Colonial Williamsburg blacksmiths are recreating an 18th century 3# cannon.  They even have a special blog about the ongoing process, which my son is avidly reading! 

     The day before the live broadcast, we previewed the "Yorktown" video and watched the Q&As from the 2006 broadcast.  One of our favorite questions answered then was "Why did the British wear red uniforms?"  Col. Laurens gave a fantastic answer that we understood completely.  It goes all the way back to the fierce Spartan soldiers whom the British wanted to emulate.  Even my son  wanted to recreate their fierceness when we studied them a few years ago!

     Before the live presentation of the field trip started, I ran the live stream which had period music from a harpsichord in the background. I played that softly, while I shared some interesting tidbits of information from a recent book I had read, Victory at Yorktown: The Campgaign that Won the Revolution.  The various scenarios prompted lots of discussion and we started digging into other sources until the music ended and the field trip began. 

     This year's Q&A featured Colonel Laurens, a loyalist, a historian from the Yorktown National Park Service, and a historian from Colonial Williamsburg in charge of the African American program.  As in the 2006 program Q&A on the Yorktown website, we not only learned from the excellent answers given, but also thoroughly enjoyed Col. Laurens and the loyalist being respectfully rude to each other!  lol We could easily imagine how they would act if they were real people instead of actors.  Representing different viewpoints of the war, neither one of them liked the other's answers! My kids greatly enjoyed the field trip and I've already called in an order for a DVD.

     My kids each chose a different activity from the Teacher's Guide to work on. There are many from which to choose for various ages and from writing to art.  I wanted my 13yos and 15yod to do a three page writing assignment from the CW EFT.  They each chose the one they liked the best, then worked diligently on it to present to their dad on the weekend.

     We had read 4 different accounts of the Battle of Yorktown, from different points of view.  Using the perspective of one of these accounts, my daughter decided to write a letter to a friend about the seige on Yorktown.  She chose the perspective of a German soldier, who was in the French army, fighting for America.  (Isn't that an interesting combination?!)   Since my daughter already had a colonial dress that she wore for our "American Revolution Celebration" and to Colonial Williamsburg last summer, I suggested that she dress up for the part.  Here she is reenacting the letter writing.  She typed her paper into her computer, changed the font to a fancy script, then we printed it out on parchment.  She began her little skit by finishing the letter with her quill.  Then she read the entire letter aloud to us.  This writing assignment was an excellent challenge for her, since she needed to stay within the parameters of the viewpoint of the Continental Army instead of telling the British viewpoint of being stuck in that defenseless position.  It was also a challenge for her to stay within the 1781 mindset in predicting the impact of Yorktown.  She had some excellent ideas and had fun with the assignment.   She also used some information we learned from Col. Laurens during the Q&A.  She represented "baggage" (what a term) or non-combatants who followed the army to do laundry and cooking.

     My son chose one of the historical figures we had studied during Yorktown.  He had to write a speech about the seige of Yorktown from the perspective of this person and tell what happened to them after Yorktown.  Then he was to dress up and play the part!  Hmmmm, we do this type of thing all the time, so I wasn't surprised that he picked this activity.  He decided to be the Marquis de Lafayette.  He met Lafayette last summer in Williamsburg. (Lafayette happens to be played by the same actor who played Lt. Col. Laurens.)

     While in Williamsburg, we only got to hear the events of the Marquis' life up to Yorktown.  Now my son had to include perspective during Yorktown.  During our research, we learned that Col. Laurens was under Lafayette's command.  Also we learned that Lafayette made the decision for the method of attack made on redoubt ten. 

     Here is Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. (My son and I both had fun learning how to pronounce that in French.  And yes, we do have it memorized! Can you imagine his mother calling him that when he was in trouble as a little boy? lol)  My son was ecstatic to finally have a General Lafayette costume! He already had parts of the costume from other occasions. While I sewed the vest and coat in the last couple of days, he worked industriously on his speech. He described Lafayette's involvement and impressions at Yorktown.  Then he told about his life afterwards during the French Revolution, the era of Napoleon and his Grand Tour of America. Then he finished with what America and independence meant to him.

     They finished their presentation with a joint Q&A session where they went into more detail about artillery, fortifications and anything else enquiring minds might want to know. Actually, one question my husband asked we could have never answered had it not been for Col. Laurens answering the very same question during the live broadcast's Q&A.  How high can earthworks be?  During the course of explaining the method and importance of cleaning out a cannon before loading, we got a new question.  How does one safely load hot shot into a cannon?  We can't e-mail General Washington, as he is no longer available.  But my son can load that question onto the Yorktown message board where it will be answered by a CW historian. 

     While answering questions, they used illustrations from some of their sources.  The binder in the top left of the photo has all of the CW EFT resources provided for "Yorktown."

     Because of this electronic field trip, I think our Yorktown experience has almost come full circle. Four years ago we had been to the Yorktown Victory Center, which is a hands-on area for kids (young and old) next door to the actual battlefield. 

     When we were in Williamsburg last summer, I had suggested that we see the actual battlefield. Two weeks go quickly when a wish list is long, and my children simply could not imagine a day at a battlefield where nothing was happening. They thought it would be boring, so we did not go.  Since then, I have been looking for something to give us enough background information to make a future trip to Yorktown interesting for them.  Well, this EFT on Yorktown was the ticket!  Hopefully we can make a future trip back to Yorktown (and Colonial Williamsburg).  While walking the quiet fields of Yorktown, I trust that we will be able to look upon the cannons, seige lines and earthworks that are still in place (albeit some from the Civil War) and have some imagination recreating the historic events in our minds.  Until then, we are thankful for these Electronic Field Trips from Colonial Williamsburg which boost our knowledge and imaginations!  Huzzah!  

We had our first Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip last week and the kids enjoyed it immensely. We learned that the negative campaigning tactics of today are nothing new.  That surprised us!  The first bitter election was in 1800 between Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson and Federalist John Adams.  Then tensions increased when Thomas Jefferson tied with his Vice-Presidential candidate, Aaron Burr!  Because of this the 12th ammendment to the Constitution was ratified.  Although we had studied these topics a few weeks ago, we had not made the connection with negative campaigning of today. 

We began the week by reviewing this historic election in the Teacher Notes provided by EFT.  Since much of it was review, we were able to whiz through that and focus on some new vocabulary and ideas that were presented.  The notes took us through a brief history of elections in Colonial America, and I realized I had a Colonial Williasmburg Journal with great pictures of the CW actor/interpreters reenacting the election process...the very thing we were talking about.  So I pulled the journal out and we looked at all the pictures (and of course looked to see if we could recognize anyone from our previous trips.)   

Another topic of the EFT was the voting qualifications in Colonial America.  I began this by asking the kids if they remembered our trip to Colonial Williamsburg when we were sitting in front of the Courthouse. Someone came out and told us we could be part of the jury for the trials coming up.  We all stood. Then he called out the qualifications to be on the jury. We sat when we didn't qualify.  Out of our large group, only a handful were "in".   Hmmmmmm, the point was well made. Those of us who had to sit certainly felt historically excluded.  These are the same qualifications for voting in the eighteenth century: white male, property owner, Protestant, over 21 years of age.  The kids remembered and that prompted discussion.

Then we looked at two sets of original source documents, provided by "The Will of the People" EFT.  First we studied actual documents that showed  how discriminated groups of voters worked to gain the right to vote.  We also learned when the right was granted with a Constitutional Ammendment.  Then the kids got to play an interactive game at "The Will of the People" web site on their computers, about the history of voting rights.

After that we looked at another set of historical documents and analyzed negative campaign tactics.  Because we did not live in the time period  of these papers, we could easily detect the bias and slander.

Before the day of the actual Electronic Field Trip, we previewed the videos.  I am glad we did, because the kids were able to ask all of their questions and comment about everything they saw.  We also got to look over the script to answer any other questions we had.  Best of all, we got to pause and review any parts we missed because we were laughing so hard!  The script writer and actors competently took a negative topic and lightened it up with some terrific humor!  The kids tried finding some of the humorous stuff in the script but it wasn't there.  We've done a bit of theater and I know that with a group of clever people, once they get together and get on a roll, one never knows where it will go!  We wondered if this happened with the production of this video.  

The videos added a new dimension to the concepts we had studied. We recognized some of the actors from our previous trips!  (In the credits, my daughter found the name of the Patrick Henry we met in 2004.  He plays someone else in "The Will of the People" and it was fun to finally find him!  So that's what he looks like without a wig!  LOL)  

Of course, Thomas Jefferson was played by the same actor whom we got to meet in Colonial Williamsburg in 2004 (but we couldn't find him on our recent trip a few months ago).

He did an excellent job, as always!  When I saw this video, I got to thinking that this actor must like kids.  When we met him in 2004, it was at Kimball Theater at a program for kids.  Thomas Jefferson spoke specifically to the kids and answered only their questions.  He did have to raise his eyebrow a few times when parents snuck in a few questions via their kids.   And no, I wasn't one of them!  lol   Then Poplar Forest has a special program called "Conversations on Democracy" where this same actor portrays Thomas Jefferson.  He and various historical figures answer questions for students.  During this video as well, Thomas Jefferson acts with a brother and sister, teaching them about elections.  Thomas Jefferson engages well with the kids, respecting them, and patiently answering their questions, often times with humor.

On the day of the Electronic Field Trip, I tuned the computer to the video streaming and Colonial Williamsburg had beautiful classical music playing.  I kept that low and in the background while the kids knocked out some math.  When we heard the music stop, we knew it was time for the Electronic Field Trip. What a good excuse to put math to the side! 

The video is broken down into 3 parts.  After each part, the cameras went to the studio where Thomas Jefferson, a historian from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and a political science professor from nearby Christopher Newport University, answered questions that were called in from students across the country.  Some of this was funny to watch too. Thomas Jefferson acted perfectly innocent about how his supporters handled information about opponent John Adams, while the CWF historian begged to differ and told the other side of the story!  The political scientist related everything to this year's election...and some of that information shocked Thomas Jefferson!  I think they did an excellent job telling both sides of the story without bias.  

There were two sessions of the EFT, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. We watched both, since the questions would be different at each one. It was so much fun to hear the various questions and the actor/interpreters' reaction and answer to them.  A few days before when we had previewed the videos, the kids told Dad about how funny the video was.  He couldn't understand how they could be learning anything if they were having fun.  Well, during the afternoon's live broadcast, he came home early and had to pull up a seat and laugh (and learn...gasp) with us! ;)

After the sessions, I called to order a DVD.  The lady was very nice and asked me what I thought of the program. We talked for a few minutes about how wonderful and unique this particular EFT was.  The DVD should arrive in about 6 weeks, since it has to go through post production.  It will include the videos, the best of the questions and answers (I hope they include all of Thomas Jefferson's funny reactions!), closed captioning, and chapter titles for easy search.  Anything CWF does is quality, so I am content (though eager) to wait for it! 

My kids also had an opportunity to e-mail questions to Thomas Jefferson.    My daughter e-mailed two questions: 

"Dear Mr. Jefferson (we weren't sure if he was e-mailing as president or after), If Aaron Burr had been chosen President of the United States, would you have minded? Do you have any foresight in how his presidency would have been like? Thank you for teaching about the elections. Sincerely, _____"

She got a reply shortly before the Electronic Field Trip.  She enjoyed not only his answer, but was tickled when he signed it, "Your most humble servant, Th. Jefferson."

After the Electronic Field Trip, my son finally thought of a question.  He asked, "Mr. Jefferson,  Were you influenced by anyone to run for President or did you come up with the idea on your own? Thank you for taking the time to answer this question.  Inquisitively yours, __________"

My son had a blast reading the answer he received from Thomas Jefferson, which began "Master __________". The answer was very interesting!  I printed out copies of the e-mails for each of the kids to have as souvenirs.  It was the highlight of their week!  We are looking forward to the next one in November...Yorktown!

Now for those who would like to know how I organized our EFT information... 

In preparation for the Electronic Field Trip, I felt a little overwhelmed!  lol  There were many details to note, to see if my computer was set up properly for the live stream, remembering the time for the test stream,  remembering the time for the actual EFTs, correctly converting from Eastern Time to Central Time, and remembering how to access all the parts of the EFT.  I printed out the different pieces of information and put them in a general Electronic Field Trip binder for handy reference at any time.  To help me remember what this notebook is for, I got some scrapbooking paper that reminded me of some of the prints I saw in Colonial Williamsburg.  

Then I printed out "The Will of the People" pdf file of Teacher Notes and Student handouts and activities, phone numbers in case we called in a question, etc.  I put that in a seperate binder.  I also included my own copies of the e-mails between Thomas Jefferson and my kids!  ;)  To decorate this binder, I chose a French Toile since part of the contension the Federalists had with Thomas Jefferson was his love for France!

This week we are finishing unit 1 of TOG and will have our unit celebration this Saturday.  I also hope to focus on some more aspects of Thomas Jefferson's presidency, as a review, with some great videos I have gotten.  In addition, I hope to focus on Jefferson's restored friendship with John Adams. We will lighten up on math, Latin and science as needed to complete week 9 of TOG and finish our projects and rehearse!  Although the costumes are almost done, they have been quite the challenge!  Nevertheless, they are coming together!  Stay tuned!    

It has taken my mind quite some time to get back into the 21st century swing of things after a wonderful vacation to the 18th century. It has helped getting back into the history and literature books (my favorite part of school).  When we finished studying the American Revolution last year, I was really sad.  I felt that everything would be down hill from here historically.  I wasn't getting excited about this school year like I usually do.  This year in history we'll study 1800-1900.  As we have read our books and had our discussions, I am seeing that I still sort of have a foot in the door of the 18th century.  After all, we've been studying the presidencies of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson...the Marquis de Lafayette is still around...and James Madison's presidency is around the corner.  

To top it all off, I have found a wonderful opportunity for homeschoolers via Homeschool Buyer's Co-op.  They are offering a reduced price to access the award winning Colonial Williasmburg Electronic Field Trip series.  I've been eyeing this for years, but it costs $500 per school!  (gasp) Through the homeschool co-op, I was able to sign up for $50! (yea!) This window of opportunity closes on Oct 6.  At that time, depending on the number of homeschoolers that join, I might get in for even cheaper!  Last I saw it was down to $49.  Those who wish can also purchase individual series for a reduced price.

About once a month for seven months, we can access streaming videos on-line that are produced and acted out by the fantastic Colonial Williamsburg  actor/interpreters.  Then some of the actor/interpreters will answer questions live from students around the country! (My young historian has already started forming questions!) Lesson plans, on-line interactives, etc will also be provided.  These videos can be accessed at any time after the original session.  Also there is a forum where the students can ask questions that will be answered by one of the wonderful historians at Colonial Williamsburg.  We watched some samples on a series on slavery.  During the question and answer session, I was extremely impressed with how this sensitive subject was handled and quite pleased with the stance that was taken.   We even recognized a few of the actor/interpreters whom we met last month. 

The first one in the series will be Oct 16. Called "The Will of the People," Thomas Jefferson will discuss bitter presidential elections. Ahem, anyone know about those???? A few weeks ago we had studied the brutal presidential campaign between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  Connections will be made between the past and the present.

On November 13, "Yorktown" will air.  The kids are hoping the Marquis de Lafayette will be in this one.  We think we heard his voice in the preview.

"Making History Live" will premiere on December 11.  We'll go behind the scenes to learn how Colonial Williamsburg prepares their actor/interpretors.  This one should be a lot of fun, since we posed lots of questions amongst ourselves while we were at CW in Aug.

Then "In Pursuit of Science" will be aired on January 15.  From seeing the previews, this one also looks like a lot of fun.  We recognize some of the science from our books on Benjamin Franklin last spring.

On February 19, "Freedom Bound" will premiere.  Covering slavery and the Underground Railroad, this will be perfect timing for our studies on the same subject leading into the Civil War.

"Remember the Ladies" will air on March 26.  My daughter, especially, should enjoy this one.  Something she and I have realized in the last couple of years, is that history is full of lots of "guy" things.  It will be fun to get a lady's perspective!  ;)

Finally, "Soldier of Liberty" will air on April 23.     

I plan to accomodate the rest of our subjects around this.  It should be a terrific way to interject a little fun of a different venue each month.  I like the fact that this isn't "canned" but provides an opportunity to use higher level thinking skills. Additionally it will give the kids (and me) a chance to relive some great memories while making new ones, making connections between yesterday's history and today's.      

Our Grand Tour of Virginia sadly came to an end.  As my husband drove west from Monticello, he commented he could just as easily head east. Hmmmm, precisely what I had been thinking.  Apparently, George Washington also thought we should drive east!

We had had a marvelous time touring Washington DC, Mount Vernon, Montpelier and Monticello.   However, our favorite was definitely Colonial Williamsburg.  Engaging with people of yesterday at the living history museum made the pages we had read in books pop-up with technicolor and surround-sound!  

Even though we had a wonderfully memorable time in all of Virginia, we liked Colonial Williamsburg best.  We'd love to live there.  We even talked about working there someday.  Last spring, while I was making curriculum choices, it suddenly occurred to me that I only have 4 years left to teach my daughter and 6 years to teach my son.  I've been heartbroken about that.  All summer I asked myself what in the world would I do when they left for college?  I'm not interested in going back to teach public school.  I don't even want to work in private school.  While we were at Colonial Williamsburg, I realized how much I loved everything that was going on and that it seemed to be a perfect fit for me.  What a classroom! 

The American Revolution is my favorite time in history, because I feel that it is pivotal to all of history before and after.  We've been studying history from Creation to 1800 for the last 2 years, as if through a microscope.  Instead of reading textbooks that make students feel like they are walking across a rickety bridge, with large gaps between the slats. across a huge ravine, we read real books that make the bridge of understanding concrete.  Making connections between historical events, reading the literature of the era, and studying the worldview of the times has put depth to our understanding of each new piece of history we study.  Reading, thinking, discussing, writing, experiencing and portraying events of the past have put light to our feet on the road of understanding. Everything we studied up to the American Revolution foreshadowed the desire of the populace for independence.  Last year, while we studied the Middle Ages, I kept telling my kids that the feudalism in France was keeping the peasants in bondage, while the kings were getting stronger, and this would escalate into the French Revolution.  All year I kept encouraging my kids that their studies would get them ready for Revolutionary City, so that they could engage with the actor/interpreters.  I was thrilled to see that my son "got it" when he asked the Marquis de Lafayette about the Hundred Years' War impacting French and British tensions during the French and Indian War and American Revolution. The focus of my teaching last year had been that the Norman Conquest was the root of British and French tensions.  However my son is an independent spirit, much like fiery Patrick Henry, and had formed his own conclusions, which I admit are valid. (In other words, I did not prompt my son to ask this question!) Even the Marquis agreed with my son, so of course I must concur!  LOL  Teaching comes alive when students (especially my son), are able to independently make connections of the various events that have been taught.  

We have 2 years left to examine the rest of history to the current day before we hit the next rotation of world history at the rhetoric level.  We picked up school this year at 1800 and have been studying John Adams, the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the Industrial Revolution, Napoleon, the Code Napoleon, and now Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase.  So far with everything we have studied, we have looked back at the primary source documents during the formation of our new country: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Even today, our current events reflect the interpretation, right or wrong, of those documents.  This is what drives me in teaching history.  One simply cannot understand today's history unless they understand the past.       

I met a man at Colonial Williamsburg while we were waiting for Generals Washington and Lafayette to address the troops.  We stood in the shade of the capitol, while he asked me why in the world we were visiting Colonial Williamsburg.  He was from Canada and was married to an American. She and the kids wanted to come and were having a blast, while he stood alone in utter confusion. He had no idea what anyone was talking about.  I tried giving him a synopsis of Colonial Williamsburg history.  Then he asked where we were from. When I told him that we were from Texas, he incredulously asked me why in the world a Texan would be interested in Virginian history.  I smiled and said that Virginia's history is America's history.  He walked off, shaking his head in utter disbelief.  Well, too bad for him.  I hope he loosened up and eventually had a good time.  One does not need to be a history buff to enjoy Colonial Williamsburg. Programs are designed at all ages and interest levels to engage one as they please.  Also, one does not need to be American to enjoy it.  We met visitors from China speaking in Chinese among themselves, yet asking great questions in English.  They were obviously understanding the experience and having a great time.   

I don't know if I would ever have anything to offer the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.  But I can dream, can't I?

Besides the history and interaction at Colonial Williamsburg, I also love the architecture nestled among the formal garden landscape. Charming Georgian architecture of various homes and outbuildings are cozily wrapped in charming colonial fences, softened by shady magnolia trees and blossoms gently waving in the deliciously cool breeze. As Anne of Green Gables would say, "What scope for the imagination!" In between reliving history experiences, we'd take snack and rest breaks on benches under shady oak trees and soaked in the beauty around us, savoring the scent of colorful blooms and watching playful red-breasted robins hop about.  Leisurely walking down the back roads after dinner, we'd stop to watch the horses sedately graze while listening to the bubbling brooks that run through the delightfully hilly landscape and under wooden quaint bridges.  Bends in the road and open gates beckoned secrets to explore.  As the sun sets on a wonderfully exciting day, the azure blue sky turns shades of pinks, the bullfrog starts to croak at the edge of the pond, and another day fades away into history...

Wishing for more time to experience Colonial Williamsburg, we needed to proceed on to the next leg of our journey.  Initially, when we planned our Virginia vacation, we made a long wish list of places to see.  A few places were scratched off, others were prioritized, and difficult choices were made.  We decided on less time in Williamsburg, so that we could spend a few days elsewhere to round out our American Revolutionary experience:  Mount Vernon, Washington DC, Montpelier and Monticello. 

Like Lafayette who did a whirlwind grand tour of America in 1824, we did a grand tour of Virginia in 2004.  I called it our ABC trip.  It was our very first history vacation with our then 8yos and 11yod.  That time we toured Colonial Williamsburg while Hurricane Alex bumped into the Virginia coastline, drenching us throughout our Revolutionary experience before he whirled out to sea.  I watched Patrick Henry thunder away while standing under an umbrella behind the Palace Gardens. Breathtaking! (Two days later, after another storm during the night and a cold front came through, we watched his entire presentation.  Brrrr on the outside but definitely we were fired up in spirit!)   To stay dry at the peak of the rain someone suggested we meet with Thomas Jefferson who would talk to the children at Kimball Theater. What a treat! We visited every trade, played the drums, played the colonial games, marched with the drum and fife corps, went through boot camp with the militia and learned how to hold a gun and march in a wheel formation... interacting in every conceivable way.  (That was before Revolutionary City).  Then on a beautiful day with a brilliant blue sky we went to the interactive portions of Jamestown and Yorktown.  My son had a blast attending every single musket, rifle and cannon demonstration, while poor dd held her ears, cringing every time.  DS was firing imaginary guns and cannons for weeks!  We drove to our campground in Fredericksburg in the dark night during the downpour and mist of Hurricane Bonnie.  As we drove through the dark, narrow, winding road through the woods, through the mist hazily lit by our headlights, I could see Civil War soldiers stalking by with their guns, carefully looking... We toured Mount Vernon at the end of Hurricane Bonnie.  By noon the skies cleared.  My children got to do lots of interactive stuff at Mount Vernon, including running through the round barn that George Washington designed like the horses did to tread grain.  Then they got to see the horses do that.  (A mom has got to love programs that involve exercise for her children!  Afterwards they sleep great! lol)  That evening we took a boat tour from Alexandria up the Potomac into Georgetown.  We got to see all of the monuments and Arlington House from the boat under a sunset sky.  Beautiful!  We drove by Civil War battlefields and I pointed them out to the children and told them to imagine the fighting. (Harder to do in daylight than in misty rain at night.) Gun and cannon sounds proceeded from ds.  We drove by Montpelier and waved.  Then we toured Monticello during the biggest and coldest gulleywasher of them all, Hurricane Clyde, I mean Charlie. (I think that one was misnamed!)   Nevertheless we got to do a special children's tour of the mansion and walked through the gardens with our 3rd or 4th newly purchased souvenir umbrellas and raincloaks (Who knew it would rain again?)  Boy did we have memories...historical and tropical!

Because we recently studied the American Revolution, we planned to return to Virginia for vacation this summer.  Since we experienced these wonderful locations at the grammar level last time, I challenged the chlidren to experience Virginia on a dialectic level this time, especially since we are learning in school at the dialectic level.  (Grammar, dialectic and rhetoric levels are phases of Classical Education.  Grammar is hands on.  Dialectic makes connections, as in my son asking the Marquis if the sour relations between the British and French during the Armerican Revolution and French and Indian War were a result of the Hundred Years' War. Rhetoric basically interprets and applies original source documents.)  As my children studied last spring, I kept encouraging them that they were learning the very things they would experience in August.  I told them to learn well so that they could engage with the re-enactors.   Because of the wonderful work of the actor/interpretors, our depth of understanding of the American Revolution was enhanced, allowing us to view the 21st century with a more focused lens.

I cannot say enough what an incredible job the actor/interpreters did.  As we continued our grand tour of Virginia, other tour guides at other locations were good, but not nearly as knowledgeable as the historical interpretors of Colonial Williamsburg.  More than once my children stumped them with a question or knew more than the tour guide expected.  But never was that the case at Colonial Williamsburg. 

While at CW we quickly noticed that many of the actors play multiple roles, assuming a new persona each day.  For background, last spring we read the Jean Fritz's biographies, Why Not Lafayette? and Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold.  I had always wondered WHY Lafayette was incredibly impelled to help us with our revolution and what caused him and George Washington to become so close.  On the other hand, I've always wondered WHY Benedict Arnold became a turncoat, as he is called in Williamsburg.  I not only got lots of answers from the biographies, but as I read the books I quickly noticed that these two men were foils to each other.  Each fought with passion and conviction and an inner drive to succeed.  Arguably, we discussed the amount of pride that each possessed.  It was of course out front with Arnold, but subtle with Lafayette. As we discussed the pride these men had, we also compared the drive behind and the goals for which they used it.  In the beginning, Benedict Arnold was quite the hero, most notably at the Battle of Saratoga, even though he was disobeying orders from a prideful commander. Yet he never gained the honor he sought.  The Marquis, on the other hand, was compelled by the idea of liberty for the comman man.  He had been working to improve the quality of life of his own serfs, stuck in the Medieval system of serfs owing allegiance to a vassal who in turn beckons to the monarch.  The lines of rich and poor in France during this time were becoming frightenly stark. Lafayette was pleased to use his title and money to help the common man to effect changes in society, in any way he could think of.  When Lafayette heard of the Declaration of Independence and General George Washington, he suddenly realized that his dreams of liberty in France were reality in America.  Excited that the idea of liberty was happening across the ocean, he had to become a part of it. In fact, his motto was...Why Not? At the age of 19 he arrived in American and convinced the Continental Congress to allow him to serve as aide-de-camp to General Washington, he'd pay his own way.  Lafayette, young as he was, was a brilliant military leader, quickly gaining Washington's trust where others failed. Nevertheless he was often called "the boy" by those who couldn't look past his youth to see his brilliant military and leadership skills. Ever the mediator and encourager, he was known as the soldier's friend.  He stuck by his men, provided clothing for them from his own funds and inspired them when they were ready to give up. He always deferred to General Washington, whom he thought of as a father.  In turn, Washington thought of Lafayette as a son.  Lafayette's cleverness, quick wits and tenacity hounded General Cornwallis through Virginia for weeks. "Cornwallis gloated, 'The boy cannot escape me.'" (Why Not Lafayette, p28)   By September 1781, Lafayette and his men cornered Cornwallis in Yorktown.  The French fleet blocked any British hopes of escape by sea. General Washington marched south with his men to begin The Siege on Yorktown.  On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered.  The American Revolution was over.  America was free!  In the end, both Lafayette and Arnold achieved enduring fame...the one for love and admiration for helping us to win the American Revolution, the other with detest for turning his back on America.  Coincidentally, when we met Benedict Arnold in Colonial Williamsburg, we were surprised to find that he was played by the same man who does Lafayette! 

Over lunch and dinner that just brought up this entire discussion of comparing Lafayette and Arnold all over again.  But now we were also comparing what it would be like to act these bipolar personalities.  Effectively we were cheering Lafayette and booing Arnold. To me, that was the most prodigious contrast of character I saw in 3 days of Revolutionary City.  (Incidentally we figured out this actor/interpreter did three additional parts while we were there.  The kids had a lot of fun figuring out how many parts and which ones all the actor/interpretors did.)

When we met with the Marquis the first day, he turned to leave and one of the ladies asked quickly if he was a historian.  He turned to her, smiled, bowed (Not at all like my son was taught to bow.  Lafayette bows like we are more used to, straight across from the hip.) and quickly and decisively announced he was the Marquis de Lafayette!  Wow, you know what?  That is exactly what all of these actor/interpretors would say about whatever part they happen to be playing at that moment.  They are so believable, so convincing that they are beyond doubt.  I've heard in various podcasts that these actor/interpretors do so much research for their part, that they often help the script writer and historian to write it.  As one goes through the town, whether it is a trade, a store, someone walking through town, or an actor/interpreter, they know their history and they become that character, for a moment in time to bring the pages of history books to life.  Huzzah!  

If there is only one place a person would ever be able to go in their lifetime to learn history, before going to a mansion, a museum or anywhere else, I would heartily recommend Colonial Williamsburg. This is the highest quality history lesson I have ever experienced.  In fact, on many of the podcast interviews, the interviewer often mentions tongue-in-cheek that he probably shouldn't use the word, "educational" about what the actor/interpretors do, because it is so much fun. The Colonial Williamsburg staff often get comments like, "The history book was boring."  "Why couldn't I have learned like this in school?" After all, isn't that one of the goals of homeschoolers, to revolutionize the way a student is taught? 

Additonally, Colonial Williamsburg is a great vacation value. Without a doubt, any visitor would get their money's worth.  They couldn't possibly get bored. Choices abound, there is never enough time to do it all, and there is something for every age level and interest.  And yes, CW is expensive.  But that is to keep Colonial Williamsburg alive.  My dh talked to one of the directors and the economy has hit them hard too. Like many of us, they have had budget cuts and such.  But for those who are themselves on a budget, Colonial Williamsburg offers homeschool week twice a year, September and April, for $5 a person a day, $11 for 5 days.   I have a friend who will be attending the next one in a few weeks. ...sigh...  She lives a few hours away. Hmmm... I might drive over there and stowaway in her baggage!  Another grand tour is always a good idea!  Huzzah! 

Day 3, our final day in Williamsburg was thrilling!  The theme of Revolutionary City was "Citizens at War" 1776-1781.    First, we met with the Marquis de Lafayette.  I thought it would be a different talk from the one the day before, since all of the ones we've seen with George Washington were at different stages of his life.  Although it was the same presentation, it was still wonderful! He has a wonderful sense of humor and his monologue is informative, witty, and humorous. Afterwards he opened it to questions and answers as he did the day before.   It was a different crowd so it was interesting to hear some of the same questions and many different ones!  Some were sort of funny, like whether Benedict Arnold was really a traitor, and the Marquis engaged the crowd (audience) to respond with our own opinion (boo).    My son raised his hand with a question and the Marquis said, "Ah, the young historian has returned!  Are you going to ask about the Hundred Years' War?"  No, ds had a different question this time.  What did the Marquis think of Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox?  Later he asked the Marquis another question...What is a marquis?  That was actually my question but I wasn't brave enough to ask!  LOL After the question and answer, he quickly left for an important meeting with General Washington.  Hmmmm, I was looking all over my program for that meeting.  I couldn't find it anywhere!  LOL  Oh well, I knew there would be one in the afternoon I was looking forward to.

  We headed for the capitol for Revolutionary City.  It began with the drum and fife corps playing a march.

It is July 25, 1776.  A copy of the Declaration of Independence has arrived.  (In fact I purchased a newspaper from the print shop in town with that very date. The Declaration of Independence had been printed on the front page.)  The Declaration of Independence was publicly read from the balcony and  recited by the different actor/interpreters.  Wow, it sent goose bumps up the spine.  It also reminded me of how we also read the Declaration of Independence aloud on the Fourth of July. 

Then we went behind the Coffee House to see the drama of prisoner, Henry Hamilton, the British governor of Detroit.  It was June 18, 1779 and Thomas Jefferson was governor of Virginia.  Henry Hamilton had been captured by George Rogers Clark and Thomas Jefferson had him put in gaol (jail) in Williamsburg.  There was a question of precisely whom was responsible for war atrocities.

Then we went to the Raleigh Tavern to watch the unfolding story of Barbara Hoy.  She had followed her husband to war in South Carolina, where he had been captured.  Needing a job, she returned to Williamsburg for help.  It was September 15, 1780, and the future looked bleak. 

After this, the citizens of the town (actor/interpretors) got agitated and told us to make haste for the capitol, because the British were coming!  The British were coming!  They kept moving us along, encouraging us to speed up before danger arrived.  The date was July 4, 1781 and Benedict Arnold was in town!  How dare he arrive on Independence Day!

Audaciously Benedict Arnold announced the rules of occupation, which he considered fair.  I got the impression from him that he honestly thought he was doing the town of Williamsburg a service, by putting them under British rule.  We all booed at the gloomy prospects.

 Sadly, we watched the British flag rise over the capitol.  Wow, one can really get caught up in the emotions of history in this place!  Huzzah!

 Then we went behind the Coffee House to see the story of some slaves who were leaving with the Redcoats, who had promised them their freedom.  After that we went to Raleigh Tavern to see General George Washington!   Hip hip hurrah! It was September 28, 1781.  He was on his way to Yorktown to meet up with the Marquis de Lafayette and his troops.  After months of the Marquis and his men tenaciously chasing Cornwallis through the south, the Redcoats were finally trapped!  Victory is within their grasp! Huzzah!

 After eating our lunch under the trees and watching the horses prance up Bottetourt Street, we headed for the College of William and Mary.  Taking this picture made my heart stop.  My 12 year old son could be walking to grammar school, on the path to higher education!  That's a statue of Lord Botetourt in front of the college.

 Boys began their studies in the grammar school at the College around the age of 12.  We did a self guided tour of the college.  We walked all over indoors and out.  I have misplaced my tour paper so I don't remember all the details.  There was a room upstairs where the House of Burgesses sometimes met, I think when the Capitol had to be built.  Behind this building is the camp where the Virginia militia pitched their tents, when they were led by Patrick Henry! DD is rather quiet and never did ask any questions of the actor/interpreters.  But as we did the indoor tour there were paintings of some of the Kings and Queens of England.  DD knew every one!  Pretending to be studious scholars at the grammar school...

A notable group of scholars...my children and Thomas Jefferson.  Thomas Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary and recieved further training in law from George Wythe in town.

Bruton Parish Church where we attended the candlelight harp concert the night before.

After we toured the Thomas Everard House, we went to the Palace Gardens to see "Prelude to Victory".  We were going to meet General Washington and his staff as they prepared for the seige of Yorktown.  We got to meet with General Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette!  How wonderful to see them together!

There was a close bond between Lafayette and the General.  In fact, when Lafayette was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777, General Washington told the medics to take care of him as his son.  In fact, my first memory of the Marquis was when I visited Mount Vernon 4 years ago.  Well, I'm getting ahead of myself.  But this was a lot of fun to see them together!  In fact, it sort of gave us an idea of their working relationship, with the Marquis as the aide-de-camp to the General, fielding all the questions. 

Although I never got a picture of it, there was a cute part of the presentation.  There were 2 little boys who were playing guns on the side. General Washington stepped down to talk to one while the Marquis was talking and I thought, uh oh....I turned my attention directly on the Marquis while the General whispered in the boy's ear,  I thought to tell him to be quiet for the audience.  Then I heard soft laughter, pictures were being taken of the boys, and I looked and saw the General teaching the boys how to properly hold their guns and stand behind the tree!   

When my son raised his hand for a question, the Marquis said, "Ah, monsieur, the young historian! " Then the Marquis told the General that he had met the young historian the day before.  The General is usually very serious, but he smiled and then quickly became serious again.  =)  This time my son asked two questions. First, why is the General's sword straight when the Marquis' is curved?  Second, what did all the black and white fluff on top of the Marquis' hat represent and why didn't the General have that fluff?  (I was so glad ds asked that because I had asked it early amongst ourselves, once again I was too shy to ask.)  

After the question and answer time, the generals left to prepare for  General Washington's review of the militia.    

The day was nearly done, we hardly got to see everything.  DS wanted to see the magazine so we headed for that.  The day before the Marquis had asked him what his favorite place was and he said the magazine.  Well guess what?  We got there and they were closed!  I felt bad for ds because I had not realized they close at 4 instead of 5.  Well, he does have impeccable memories of his time there 4 years ago.  Hmmmm, couldn't we just come back another vacation...or even live here?????

We found seats under the shade to view the General's review of the militia.  Here is the Marquis and the militia.

The Marquis presents the General.

The General has encouraging words for his troops on the eve of the siege of Yorktown.  

The drums play...

DS joins the junior militia for boot camp...

Huzzah!

Huzzah!

The drum and fife corps play and march in and out of formation...

We capped off our day with some shopping at the print shop, a walk to Basset Hall to see the grounds and then dinner at the King's Arms Tavern.  Colonial musicians played for us and an actor/interpretor came to our table to tease us.  My husband and children had cups of peanut soup.  During Revolutionary City the day before, my husband introduced me to Mrs. Vobe, the owner (actor/interpretor) of the King's Arm Tavern.  He had told her that I also make peanut soup and she wanted to exchange receipts with me! 

 Sigh...three days is not enough time to experience all of Colonial Williamsburg. We could have easily spent our entire 2 weeks here.  We would love to live and work here!  Huzzah!          

We couldn't wait for our next adventures at Colonial Williamsburg!  Before Revolutionary City began, we got to meet George Washington behind the Coffee Shop. This time the era is the spring of 1774.  He tells us about the Boston Tea Party, with which he disagreed.  He didn't think the men should have destroyed the tea, however he thought it was wrong of the British Crown to punish the women and children along with the men.  Because their Boston neighbors were starving due to the closure of the port, and because of the new tax, the citizens of Virginia were protesting.  This set the tone for the events we would see in Revolutionary City that day, called "Collapse of Royal Government".    

Afterwards we went to the Capitol to get a good spot for the beginning of Revolutionary City.  All the actor interpreters stand around to "control" the crowds, while engaging with each other and the crowds about the current events.  My dh found Patrick Henry and told him that our son had memorized his "Give Me Liberty or Death" speech and recited it with great fervor at our last unit celebration.  Patrick Henry came over to meet my son!

Patrick Henry was quite impressed that someone was following in his footsteps. After chatting with my son, Patrick Henry predicted that forceful exclamations would more than likely proceed from his mouth later.  ;)

To our surprise, a herald swiftly rode up and loudly proclaimed the arrival of Lord Dunmore, Royal Governor of Williamsburg.  (The timeframe is now May 26, 1774.)  Once again none of us were ready to get his picture...so here he is waiting for the Governor's arrival.

Soon the angry governor made his appearance.

The House of Burgesses was waiting for him outside.

 The governor was angry that the House of Burgesses was protesting the closing of Boston Harbor and the British Parliament's new tax on tea.  While the governor expressed his outrage for the lack of support, we booed!

After the governor left, the House of Burgesses discussed their reaction.  Of course Patrick Henry had a few things to say!

Lines were drawn and while many in the House of Burgesses decided to protest the tax on tea, John Randolph, Virginia's attorney general, decided to remain loyalist.  His wife and daughter followed him.  His brother, Peyton Randolph, speaker of the House of Burgesses, became a patriot and chaired the First Continental Congress.  John Randolph's son, Edmund, was a patriot and later became aide-de-camp to General Washington. 

 From here we went to Raleigh Tavern.  The time is now April 29, 1775.  Governor Dunmore has further enraged the citizens of Williamsburg by having the gunpowder removed from the magazine. 

As Peyton Randolph prepares to leave for the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Mann Paige hurriedly arrives on horseback with news of the battles of Lexington and Concord.  The people want to gather arms to go to war.  I tried looking this up but couldn't find anything.  But as I recall, Mann Paige is told to ride to Fredericksburg (100 miles) to tell the men not to bear arms.  In frustration, Mann Paige gallops away on his horse.

Later my dd and I had to hurriedly run out of the way.  A Torey was about to be tarred and feathered! The timeframe was September 3, 1775.

The Torey finally promised that he would renounce his ways and he was spared the humiliation.

 Then we followed the drum and fife corps to the capitol. 

Now it was May 15, 1776. Here we met with patriot statesmen of Virginia who explain that they have unanimously approved a resolution to break ties with England.  The delegates to the Constitutional Convention have been instructed to introduce a motion for independence.    Edmund Randolph is on the left and Patrick Henry is in the middle.

 The British Union Jack was taken down from the top of the Capitol, and a new flag of independence was raised!

Cannons boomed in celebration!

Wow, once again, I was fired up!  Huzzah!

That afternoon we went to the Kimball Theater to meet with the Marquis de Lafayette.

I was so excited to meet him!  When we were here and at Mount Vernon 4 years ago, I kept hearing about the Marquis.  Last spring we studied about him and he's a fascinating guy.  Seeing him "in person" with a French accent was incredible!  After he gave a wonderful narrative of how he ended up in America and what he had been doing here, he answered questions from the audience.  One lady asked why Britian and France had always been at war with each other.  Well, I had some ideas from our history studies, but I really liked the Marquis' answer.  I had never thought of it the way he put it.  Then my son asked if the tensions between Britian and France during the American Revolution and the French and Indian War went back to the Hundred Years' War.  The look on the Marquis' face was priceless!  He was delightfully shocked!  He got a big smile on his face and said, "Ah, monsieur, we have a historian in the audience!"  Afterwards we went up to meet him.  When the Marquis saw my son he said, "Ah here's the young historian.  Who taught you about the Hundred Years' War?"  "My mother."  The marquis once again got a surprised look on his face, like one of delight and smiled and said, "Well, always listen to your mother. She is an intelligent woman! "  I was grinning from ear to ear, but truthfully all I can say is, "Yea TOG!" Even though we had studied the Hundred Years' War last winter,  I had been reading aloud St. George for England: A Tale of Cressy and Poiters  by GA Henty.  We only had two chapters left to read about the Hundred Years' War when we left for our vacation. 

They posed for my dh to take a picture.  All the ladies who were around (some were teachers) loved the pose and oohed and ahhed.  They asked them to stay put so they could take pictures too!  

Meeting the Marquis was the highlight of the vacation for all of us!  And I must say, I am quite impressed with his knowledge of the Hundred Years' War!  ;)

Afterwards we walked around town and saw more sights.  We took a closer look at the architectural digs at the Coffee House. 

They will begin rebuilding and the Coffee House should be open for business in 1 1/2 years.  Since I don't like coffee, I am glad they will be selling tea and chocolate.  I wonder if they will serve Liberty Tea!   

We didn't get pictures of everything but we visited some of the colonial shops and got some colonial chocolate for a snack.  They often grated the chocolate on a nutmeg grater, so the chocolate would pick up flavors from other spices.  So this was a spiced chocolate that we were eating.  Different but tasty! 

We watched the silversmith work.  His talk was highly entertaining and interesting.  We visited the printer/binder.  We went to the cabinet maker shop.  Inside is a real harpsichord!  We had fun playing on that! At the end of the day, the drum and fife corps played through town.  Can't get enough of them!

That evening we got sandwiches from the infamous Cheese Shop. I tasted my first Virginia Ham and it is very salty, but absolutely delicious!  A little goes a long way!

Finally we attended a harp recital at Bruton Parish Church.  Many famous patriots attended this church.  The church continues to be a working church today. The only lighting is by candlelight.  What a soothing ending to an incredible day.

With anticipation we took the nature path from the visitor center to Colonial Williamsburg.  It is fun to walk across the bridge and read the signs that take us out of the 21st century into the 18th century.  We were excited about visiting a new part of the Colonial experience: Revolutionary City. (Be certain to visit all of the hyperlinks for video and audio clips and podcasts.  They are incredible!)  This is where the visitors get to actively engage with the interpretors on the Duke of Gloucester Street near the Capitol.  There are 3 key days that rotate through the week.  I planned our vacation to hit these appropriately.  Our first day there was Monday, where the focus is on vignettes of the various people of the era from 1775 to 1793.  They portray how the Declaration of Independence affected them...or not.  Very interesting.  We were privileged to get an inside look at what freedom meant to different people...and to consider what freedom means to us today. 

When we arrived it was 1775. Patrick Henry was speaking in front of Raleigh Tavern, sharing some key events and parts of his famous speech.  He's a different actor than the one we met 4 years ago, but he was appropriately "on fire" for his beliefs. =)  Whenever I listen to Patrick Henry, I'm inspired to take action! Huzzah!

Then we went behind the coffeehouse and met one of the  Randolph sisters.  It is now July 1776. She was reading a letter that she had received from her brother, who has been arguing for freedom for the colonies.  She, herself, was arguing with her brother that the freedom he was fighting for did not include women!  As I recall, she was a widow and had difficulties dealing with her husband's property after his death, a situation many widows of the time faced.  One of the purposes of Revolutionary City is to actively engage the visitor.  When she began her discourse, she came to our side and asked us if any of us had a brother with whom we had disagreements.  

Then we went to the Capitol to await the arrival of Mrs. Washington. The timeframe is now August 1777. To our surprise a herald quickly rode up to the Capitol, loudly announcing the arrival of Lady Washington!  None of us had time to get our cameras ready, so here he is  in the background awaiting her arrival.  

We think the man in the cream colored clothes is Edmund Randolph.  He greeted Mrs. Washington.

Mrs. Washington shared greetings from her husband and received honors in his name.  

Then we saw a soldier, home from one of the battles, who's leg had been injured.  He had been writing Congress for compensation but getting none.  (My dh is in the USAF so a lot of this sounded familiar!)  Mrs. Washington overheard and gave him some money to get the medical care he needed and provide for his family, and told him to write to her husband.

Afterwards, we returned to the back of the Coffeehouse.  Now the time was 1793.  Gowan Pamphlet, a preacher for the black Baptist Church, gleefully announced that he had gotten his papers of freedom and that his church was being accepted with the other Baptist Churches.  One of his parishoners, a slave, protested that he was turning his back on his brothers and sisters.  He promised her that he would never forget where he came from and that this was a door to help empower his people.

Finally, we returned to Raleigh Tavern to meet President George Washington! As I recall it was near the end of his presidency and he shared his memories of the events leading to freedom and his hopes for our country.  I could clearly hear overtones of exhortation for us to make prudent decisions regarding our freedoms in the 21st century,  

Wow!  This was a wonderful experience.  By now it was noon so we sat on the benches under the trees of Raleigh Tavern and watched the hustle and bustle on the street while we ate our lunches.  Then we took our time to see some of the buildings and trades.  Before Revolutionary City we  had taken a tour of the Capitol.  It was interesting to hear where the term "bar" came from! 

Earlier that morning, our first tour had been of the Governor's Palace. (After having read so many GA Henty novels, I wondered if the dc would see the "powerfulness" of the entryway.) When we were in the upstairs bedrooms, the kids had fun looking out of the window of Patrick Henry's daughter's room.  At least according to the book we read, it was the one overlooking the Palace Green.   This gorgeous palace was home to many Governor's for the King of England, until independence was declared and the colonies became states. Then Patirck Henry was elected the first governor of Virginia and lived here.  The next governor was Thomas Jefferson, who lived there until he moved the capitol to Richmond, because of the impeding British invasion. 

On the Palace Green we saw these oxen.  DS had read about them at the CW website for a science lesson while we studied the American Revolution.  He was thrilled to see them up close. 

The kids wanted to do the maze, so we returned to the Palace after lunch.  DS is waving to me from the center.  I should have gotten a close up!  The hill on which I stood to take the picture has an icehouse underneath!

I had learned from a friend that children who come in costume get a little more attention.  Hmmmm.  Remember the costumes I had sewn?  Might as well get some use out of them!  LOL I told the children about it and left the decision to them.  I didn't know if they'd feel too old.  Or too hot!  LOL  After all it was August and we did have a couple of 99 degree days!  They decided to wear them and they were so glad they did!  They got lots of compliments (well so did I on my seamstressing and tailoring...but they are not truely authentic.  However, I must admit, that when we met the Marquis de Lafayette the next day, I was elated that the sleeve cuffs on his shirt and my son's were nearly identical!  If we lived in the area, sigh, I would probably purchase the real patterns and really try to make authentic costumes.  Authentic patterns are in their shops!)   Here is dd in the Palace Garden...

Here is ds walking through the gardens...

After running through the gardens, the maze, crossing the bridge over the pond and checking out the kitchen, we went to a nearby shop for some ice cold refreshment.  While we were outside the shop, an interpreter walked by and noticed the costumes, so he spent some extra time with them and taught them their "courtesies".  This is where we get the word, "curtsy" today.  When you notice the gentlemen extending their legs in their "courtesy", it is to show off their great calve muscles, proving that they ride horses and are therefore men of wealth!  If they are single, they especially do this to show off to the girl they want to marry and prove they have wealth.  Wherever the children went, other costumed interpreters would do their "courtesies" and give them a little more attention, and my children knew exactly what to do next!

Then the interpreter invited them to play colonial games.

After that we went to see the basketmaker.  Ds was carefully examining the work.  I know he was comparing it to our basket weaving efforts last spring!

While waiting to go into the George Wythe house, the costumed "gatekeeper" was pulling apart seed pods from the Catalpa Trees from the Palace Green. We asked lots of questions about that.  He was looking for worms to use to go fishing that night.  I thought he was doing this as a 21st century person, because the "gate and doorkeepers" talk about any time frame.  But when our group was called for the tour, he heartily complimented our questioning and getting involved...oh, we were talking to an 18th century person.  It's a little hard sometimes in Colonial Williamsburg to know when one of the interpretors are in the 18th century and when they are in the 21st century.   =)

At the George Wythe house, where Thomas Jefferson learned how to be a lawyer, the children got to practice their penmanship with quills and ink. This left an impression on ds so that he bought his own set at the print shop later with the money my parents had given him to spend at CW.  He got the clay inkwell, parchment paper, quill, stamp with his initial, ink and perhaps more.

Here is dd...

After touring the Wythe house, we toured the Geddy House.  He was a silversmith and we learned a little about the different objects he'd made.  It was like a guessing game figuring some of the pieces out.  Then we looked at the foundry. There was an area for children to do watercolor paintings, using pictures of fruits and flowers that were commonly hung on the walls in that era.  DS worked long and hard on his and mixed the paints to get the right shading. The teenage costumed interpreters were impressed with his watercolor. 

Day was coming to an end.  Some ladies who were costumed doorkeepers at some of the shops were enthralled with the kids' costumes.  They said we had to visit the milliner, who liked to rave over costumed children. The milliner  is dd's favorite. We went in but the milliner was not there, however the tailor was. By listening to all the visitors asking questions, I learned a lot about fabrics of the times.  The tailor pulled out samples that would be used for a gentleman, and those that would be for a lady. Interestingly, the tailor was dressed differently from everyone else in town.  He wore a turban and a robe and slippers.  When dh asked him about that, he said it was of Eastern influence.  Many things in town were, had we noticed?  Yes, we had seen Eastern fences, bridges, paintings, plates, furniture.  The Dutch were importing with the Far East back then and would trade that with England and then the colonies.  Homes of influence would buy these items and display them.  Although Colonial Williamsburg definitely has a strong colonial style, there was that little touch of Eastern influence which was subtly used.  Part of the influence was the dress.  The robe was a kimono, worn loosely.  Then there was the turban.  The gentlemen would  often relax like this in the evening.  There was a famous painter from Boston during this time who had painted many influential people of American dressed like this.  Had we ever heard of John Singleton Copely?  While that name rang a rusty bell in my head, ds spoke up.  Yes, he knew that name. He painted the famous portrait of Paul Revere holding the silver urn.  The tailor was impressed! (Yea TOG! That was in the Esther Forbes book we read on Paul Revere last spring!) The tailor got his Copley art book out to show the pictures of people wearing the robe and turban. Then ds asked if he could look through the book and he found the Paul Revere portrait. The tailor was of Tory leanings, so he said even though his politics didn't agree with my ds (a patriot), at least they had a common bond in knowing the works of Copley!  =) Well, the shop had closed, the tailor was kind to give us extra time, but we had to drag ds out of there.  =)

We walked to Christiana Campbell's Tavern for dinner.  That was fun.  Once again the children got extra attention due to their costumes.  The colonial musicians came to our table.  And the costumed interpreters came to our table too.  They asked if ds was going into a trade or higher education.  Oh, higher education, definitely.  How old was our dd?  Fifteen.  Oh, she was of marrying age!  DD giggled about that!  George Washington has written about the wonderful seafood he had in this tavern, and we quite agree!  We wanted fresh seafood, being on the Atlantic Coast.  I'm not a big fan of friend seafood, but that was the plate that looked most interesting for dd and I to share.  It had a mix of shrimp, scallops and cod.  The waitress asked if we'd like all that and I confessed we weren't fans of fish.  So instead of the cod they gave us more of the good stuff...the shrimp and scallops!  They were delicious!  Much better than any I've had anywhere else, even fried! They were very light and plump and fresh.  After our meal the children got sourvenir pins and I got a pamphlet of their recipes.  DH got the bill!  LOL  

After dinner we leisurely walked back down the back roads of CW.  This area is more pastoral.  Lots of fenced in areas with different animals.  This time we saw the gorgeous horses used to pull the coaches.  I would love to live in one of these homes back here.  My favorite is a large house on a hill behind the gaol.  Another favorite is one that has a rippling creek running through the backyard.  It is so quiet and peaceful back there.  We just took our time enjoying the sites and taking pictures (I'm saving all the garden and architecture and pastoral pictures for a slide show later.)  It is fun to catch a glimpse of a costumed interpreter walk down the streets, seeing the colorful birds hop around, hearing the rippling brook.   Sigh.  I wish I was still there.

Proverbs Mom of 3, Ginny, has given me the Arte y Pico Award, dedicated to those who nourish and enrich the spirit of creativity. Ginny, herself, is deserving of this award for all the writing prompts and posts she does about homeschooling.  She was also the first to discover my blog and encourage me, as well as giving me wonderful tips on how to use html code to change up the look.  Thank you, Ginny! I am humbled that she is honoring me with this award.  She said that I have "the very best ideas to make history come alive.  Her sharing of the Tapestry of Grace celebrations they have are inspirational."  Thank you for those lovely comments, Ginny! 

Humbly, I must admit, I did not always enjoy history.  Reading textbooks in school was b-o-r-i-n-g. After I received my teaching degree, I found myself with a classroom of fifth graders and I had to think of something to make American History interesting. Struggling for ideas, I saw a glimmer of hope the following summer while on vacation in upstate New York.  (My boyfriend took me there to meet his family and propose.  I accepted!)  While driving around town, I noticed signs that said Loch 7, Erie Canal with directions to get there.  What????  The Erie Canal?  It's real?  We could see it today?  It's more than a little paragraph in my history text about something that was built in the 1800's?????  I had to see it.  DH couldn't see what would be so fascinating about a canal because he was used to them, having paddled his canoe through some on boyscout trips.  LOL To make me happy, he took me to one of the locks and I was fascinated. Ever since, every trip we make to upstate New York, we take a boat ride in a canal lock.  A few years ago we took our dc on a replica of the original barge pulled by mules on the original Erie Canal (Mohawk River) and we even sang about the mule named Sal! LOL  We also took a boat ride on the Champlain Canal (Hudson River) near Saratoga Battlefield.  We got to ride in a turn of the century craft like Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn's in "African Queen."  Ever since first experiencing the canal, I have taken lots of pictures to show my students that history lives on today.

Then the first summer we were married, I got to go to Colonial Williamsburg for the first time!  There is nothing like experiencing history at Colonial Williamsburg!  The costumes.  The food.  The experiences.  The art.  The music.  The geography.  The history.  The people.  The architecture.  The government.  The buildings.  Incredible! I was inspired to become more hands on in the classroom.  Surely only a project here or there would be acceptable.  Anything more would be crazy, wouldn't it?  When we started using Tapestry of Grace a few years ago, I quickly saw that their encouragement