The birthplace of American Democracy is comprised of three cities–Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. If you have ever looked at an American history book, you’ve heard of this area where settlers sent by London’s Virginia Company first landed at Jamestown, where the first ideas of a revolution from Britain were developed in Williamsburg, and where one of the most critical of all Revolutionary War battles was fought at Yorktown.
Start your journey where it all began in historic Jamestown (originally, Jamestowne). Jamestown Settlement, a living history museum of 17th century Virginia history, tells the story of America’s first permanent English colony, founded in 1607. In Jamestown, you can see life-size replicas of the three ships that brought the English settlers to these shores after a 4 1/2 month journey.
Visitors get a sense of the spirit of opportunity that motivated the Jamestown colonists to leave their homeland for a difficult voyage to Virginia where the Powhatan Indians were living and the ensuing convergence of diverse cultures.
Outdoors in the re-created Powhatan Indian Village, historical interpreters discuss and demonstrate the Powhatan way of life.
The village, consisting of several dwellings, a garden and a circle of carved ceremonial posts, is based on archaeological findings at a site once inhabited by Paepahegh Indians, the Powhatan tribal group closest to Jamestown, as well as descriptions recorded by English colonists.
Inside the re-created 1607 James Fort, you can learn about the daily life of the colonial settlers.
Inside the museum, exhibition galleries do a wonderful job of chronicling the nation’s 17th century beginnings in Virginia in the context of its Powhatan Indian , English and West African cultures.
Colonial Williamsburg affords you an up close look at 18th century Virginia–right as this country is being born–from the perspectives of free and enslaved people. Williamsburg is the largest–173 acres surrounded by a 3,000 acre greenbelt– and most complete restoration of an early American community. 88 buildings are original, while others have been painstakingly reconstructed on their original foundations, gleaned from plans found in Britain or America.
Historic tradespeople, using 18th century methods and tools, demonstrate and explain their crafts.
The sounds contribute to the colonial atmosphere: the chink and clatter from the blacksmith’s forge or the rhythmic whoosh of the lathe in the wheelwright’s shop.
The smells are also of the era; fragrant wood shavings of oak, ash and poplar litter the floor of the cooperage, and the peppery aroma of hickory is thick in the smokehouse hung with hams.
Several taverns, including the Kings Arms Tavern, offer historically-inspired meals.
The Raleigh Tavern was a favorite of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Try the spicy gingerbread cakes from the ovens of the Raleigh Tavern Bakery! Charleton’s Coffee House, which hosted an angry uprising over the Stamp Act, serves a hot chocolate drink made from the same recipe as back in the day!
Yorktown is a must-see for anyone who wishes to understand the story of our nation’s birth. The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown tells the story of our nation’s founding. Personal stories of citizens and soldiers caught up in the American Revolution are told. The film “Liberty Fever” introduces you to the world of Revolutionary America. “The Siege at Yorktown” film transports visitors into the action of America’s 1781 victory. Outside you can visit a re-created Continental Army encampment as well as a Revolution-era farm based on a real-life 18th century family. You can also explore the Yorktown battlefields and take yourself back in time to where history was made.
Jamestown is where America was born. Williamsburg is where our nation’s ideas matured. Yorktown is where America became of age. All are worth a visit.
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