Having visited Colonial Williamsburg in 2004, we were excited about our second day of the new immersive street theater program where guests interact with historic people. Who would we meet today?
Colonel George Washington
Before Revolutionary City’s street theater began, we met George Washington in the spring of 1774.
Reviewing the recent news about the Boston Tea Party, he along with many other Virginians disagreed that the men destroyed the tea.
However he said the British Crown (again) overstepped their bounds by punishing 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 imposed tax without representation, the citizens of Virginia protested Britian.
Revolutionary City: Collapse of Royal Government
This set the tone for the events we would see in Revolutionary City that day, called: Collapse of Royal Government.
After Washington’s program we found the end of Duke of Gloucester Street near the Capitol alive with historic interpreters.
Royal Governor angry with Virginia Burgesses
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.)
Too speedy for our slow cameras, the horseman awaits the Governor’s arrival.
Soon the angry governor made his appearance.
The House of Burgesses waiting for him outside the Capitol…
Angry with the House of Burgesses protests over the closing of Boston Harbor and the British Parliament’s new tax on tea, the governor expressed his outrage. The crowd booed!
After the governor left, each of the burgesses decided: Britain or Independence?
Burgess John Randolph chooses to return to England
While many decided to protest the tax on tea, John Randolph, Virginia’s attorney general, decided to remain loyalist. His wife and daughter followed him. (They moved back to England.)
However John Randolph’s son, Edmund, decided for Independence. During the American Revolution he became aide-de-camp to General Washington.
Speaker of the House of Burgesses, Peyton Randolph chooses Independence
John Randolph’s brother, Peyton Randolph, who was speaker of the House of Burgesses, was a patriot and later chaired the First Continental Congress.
From the Capitol we went to the nearby Raleigh Tavern where the burgesses often met.
The time is now April 29, 1775 and 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 Page hurriedly arrives on horseback with news of the battles of Lexington and Concord.
Despite the people wanting to gather arms to go to war, Page is told to ride to Fredericksburg (100 miles) to tell the men not to bear arms.
In frustration, Mann Page gallops away on his horse.
Loyalist Tar and Feathering Scene
Suddenly my daughter and I had to hurriedly run out of the way of a mob scene. 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.
Virginia chooses Independence
Then we followed the drum and fife corps to the Capitol where we met with patriot statesmen of Virginia who explain that they have unanimously approved a resolution to break ties with England. It was May 15, 1776.
News had already been sent to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia to tell the Viriginia delegation vote for separation.
The British Union Jack was taken down from the top of the Capitol, then the Grand Union flag of independence was raised amidst many huzzahs! (see blog post header at top)
Cannons boomed in celebration!
Wow, once again, I was fired up! Huzzah!
For more photos of our trip, click here to see my Flickr set.
