Day two of the tour took us 100 years into the future to the city of Williamsburg,VA, which became the seat of government for the entire Virginia Colony from 1699, when the statehouse in Jamestown burned, to 1780, when the capitol moved to Richmond.
Here we are in front of the Capitol Building where the Governor's Council and the House of Burgesses were located. The members of the Governor's Council were appointed by the king to serve the Crown for their lifetimes. The burgesses were elected by the people to represent the people. They assumed that it was their natural right as Englishmen to govern themselves and to decide for themselves which taxes, if any, they would pay. It was in the House of Burgesses that the birth of the American Revolution took place.
The capitol was built in the shape of the letter H with the Governor's Council and the General Court occupying one leg and the House of Burgesses occupying the other. A joint conference chamber was situated in the bridge that joined the two legs.
The General Court was no ordinary court. Only the most serious crimes committed in the entire Virginia Colony were tried here. Lesser crimes were tried by county courts throughout Virginia. Punishments were severe in colonial times. For stealing a silver spoon you could be hanged. Murder, arson, treason, piracy, burglary, forgery, and horse stealing were also punished by hanging. Criminals did not serve a sentence in jail as they do in modern times. They were either hung, banished to the frontier, or branded with a hot iron. Minor offenses such as gossiping, drunkenness, or not attending church were punished by imprisonment in the stocks and pillory.
Chase mischievously wonders if he could slip these antique handcuffs on Sean without his knowledge!
We saw many actors portraying everyday citizens throughout Williamsburg. This couple was out for their daily ride around the town and stopped to converse with us.
They spoke in the Colonial style (accent and vocabulary) as if we were visitors to their time.
To become an interpreter, qualified men and women attend classes to learn about the history of Williamsburg. They continually read and research to add information to their presentations. Child interpreters work in the summer, on weekends, or at special events. They portray family life, play a musical instrument, dance reels, or care for animals. What a fun job!
One of our favorite shops was the Barber and Peruke Maker. Peruke comes from the French word
perruque which means "wig." During colonial times, rich, powerful, and important people wore big wigs. We use the expression "bigwig" today to describe the type of people who would have worn big wigs then.
The wigmaker knots a few strands of prepared hair onto three silk threads then slides the strands tightly together to make a strip of hairs. Layer by layer, she sews these strips of hair from the bottom to the top of a caul (fitted skull cap) and creates a wig.
Wigs came in many different colors. White was for formal, social, or military occasions. For normal daily use, black, brown, grey, or grizzle (a mixture of black and white hair) was preferred. Wigs also varied in price. Wigs made of human hair were most expensive and cost two or three pounds, the amount a craftsman earned in a month. Cheaper wigs were made of horsehair, goat hair, calves' tails, silk, linen, or cotton thread.
We were lucky to run into Patrick Henry in the ballroom of the Governor's Palace. Mr. Henry was very vocal in demanding that the colonists be guaranteed the same rights and freedoms of Englishmen in England. That is a life-sized portrait of England's Queen Charlotte in the background.
Crimes of swearing, gossiping, and singing songs that mocked the king were punishable by serving time locked in a pillory. Chase and I were merely guilty of taking advantage of "Kodak" moment!
During colonial times, there was no separation of church and state. Everyone had to pay taxes to support the Anglican church. If you did not attend church at least once a month, you could be fined or locked in the stocks or pillory. The Bruton Parish Church was
the church in Williamsburg and has held services continually since 1715.
The bell at Bruton Parish Church rang on July 4, 1776, to announce that the Continental Congress had officially adopted the Declaration of Independence. It wouldn't be until 1786 that the Virginia legislature would pass Thomas Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom which stated in part, "no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, or molested in his body or goods on account of his religious opinions or belief." This statute paved the way for the guarantee of religious freedom in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
After an awesome tour of Williamsburg that proved too short, we stopped by Yorktown before heading to Washington, D.C. This plaque is dedicated to the French soldiers who died helping the colonists win their freedom from England.
It was at Yorktown Battlefield that British forces surrendered to George Washington's army in 1781.
Generally, mushrooms have smooth caps so this is probably a toadstool. By the way, have you ever seen a toad sitting on a toadstool...me neither!
Generally, mushrooms have smooth caps so this is probably a toadstool. By the way, have you ever seen a toad sitting on a toadstool...me neither!
This reminds me of a flower-shaped birdbath!
Look at these bitty babies...orange!!!
