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- In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart.
- It showed the process it took to write the Constitution of the United States.
- This is a 37-minute orientation film, filmed in the spring of 1956, for visitors to historic Colonial Williamsburg, and photographed in the area restored by the Rockefeller Foundation. The plot follows a fictional Virginia planter, John Fry (Jack Lord), who becomes a member of Virginia's House of Burgesses. Through contact with Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and other patriots, he gradually loses his ties with the pro-British faction and casts his lot with the rebels.
- Slaves in eighteenth-century Virginia had no rights. They could not gather in large groups, and they could not travel freely. Slave marriages and families were not legally recognized. Yet slaves built and maintained strong communities capable of passing along information outside the hearing of their white masters. 'Trail of Whispers' is the story of how one African-American community hides a runaway slave using its close networks of 'whispered' news and information.
- The Bill of Rights protect individual freedoms, but what if the government had too much power and there was no such thing as the Bill of Rights? Explore an alternate reality in which individual rights are limited and life is very different.
- To avoid interference from the royal governor of the colony and his marines, the Second Virginia Convention met in Richmond, Virginia on March 20, 1775 to discuss recent proceedings at the First Continental Congress. The meeting turned into a debate over whether or not to arm the colony to resist British forces whose numbers were steadily increasing in North America. Many members preferred to adopt conciliatory measures, but Patrick Henry delivered an impassioned speech, arguing Virginia needed a "well-regulated militia." It was imperative, he declared, that the colony be prepared to oppose King George III. He ended his oration with the phrase: "Give me liberty or give me death!" This documentary, filmed at site of the original convention, provides the historical context for the debates and recreates the most important speeches delivered during the meeting, concluding with Henry's famous address.
- Backdraft is the story about fire in the 18th century, but more that that, it's the story of how Colonial Williamsburg's historians and historic tradespeople worked together to replicate an 18th century fire engine that can still put out a fire. Consider the threat of fire in a world of wooden buildings, where candles provided light, fireplaces furnished heat, and open stoves were used for cooking. Fire was a danger to everyone. Students learn that it was the duty of every citizen to help fight fires. Students will also learn the scientific principles behind the state of the art 18th century fire engine and how Colonial Williamsburg historians and tradespeople recreated the tools and acquired the skills to build a replica.
- The revivals of the Great Awakening shook Britain's North American colonies from spiritual slumber during the 1730s-1750s. In Virginia it touched men and women whose spiritual needs had been too long neglected by the legally established Anglican Church. In homes, meeting houses, and in open fields, rich and poor, black and white, men and women mingled to hear emotional messages of a personal God and salvation. The Great Awakening rattled and cracked the foundations of hierarchal authority and official religion from Georgia to New England, reverberating through the decades to the Revolution and the collapse of British rule.
- Oney "Ona" Judge was an enslaved servant of George and Martha Washington, and the details of her life and daring escape in 1796 were well-preserved through interviews by abolitionist newspapers later in her life. The Freedom Quest of Oney Judge is a fictionalized account of actual historic events, produced for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia as part of its HERO Live. series. In this three act program, the story begins a decade after Oney's escape, when a smug and supercilious nephew of Martha Washington finds Oney and tries to bully her back to Mount Vernon. The tale proceeds in a series of flashbacks, showing why she decided to attempt escape and how she managed to leave her life of slavery behind. It also chronicles the efforts of President Washington to re-capture Oney years later using maddeningly hush-hush methods in hopes of avoiding public scrutiny and censure. The slave owners are shown as cheerful and insipid, later dismayed that a well-treated slave would repay them with such ingratitude by running away. While she was not physically mistreated, Oney (Mary Carter), like all other slaves, was considered no more than possessions equivalent to, say, livestock or furniture, something Oney feels keenly and resents deeply. But when Oney is sent with the family to Philadelphia, she witnesses a place where Black people live and work as free men and women, a place where there are few slaves and Black children even attend school. A local Black cobbler mentions to Oney that Pennsylvania law says that any slave brought to the state must be freed after six months. Oney, who has been in Pennsylvania for more than two years, realizes the Washingtons have probably been circumventing the law by taking her out of the state every so often, effectively restarting the "six-month clock" each time. Outraged, Oney bides her time until she sees the opportunity to slip away and pursue a new life as a free woman. The quest leads her to freedom, but not to a life of peace, as she must continue to evade her former slave masters and the law, even after she is married and has a child.
- Modern man's interactions with domestic animals are dramatically different from those of his eighteenth-century ancestors. The Rare Breeds explores how work animals were used in colonial Virginia. this program also examines how Colonial Williamsburg preserves rare breeds to recreate the life and times of early America
- Take a look at how history is written and reevaluated as new methods of study are introduced. Using the example of Jamestown in 1607, explore the myths and misconceptions of that era: revisit the documents, artifacts, and other evidence through archeology. Learn how every generation sees the evidence in new ways, and how this affects our understanding of the past.
- Jefferson's West, an Electronic Field Trip to Colonial Williamsburg produced in partnership with Monticello, explores the science, diplomacy, commerce, and exploration of the Louisiana Territory by Lewis and Clark's Corps of Volunteers for North Western Discovery. Hear the stories of this remarkable expedition through the voices of Lewis and Clark and the American Indians they encountered. Join Thomas Jefferson as he examines the flora, fauna, and Indian artifacts they collected and reflects on the significance of the expedition.
- Bravery. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Women of the Revolution possessed all of these qualities. Explore the excitement, peril, and individual stories of Deborah Sampson, Mary Perth, Martha Washington, and other women, on both sides of the conflict, who proved their mettle in America's war for independence.
- Explore the story of the early days of American westward expansion. Daniel Boone recounts the exciting experiences and unexpected consequences associated with moving west. Learn abut the risks and grueling personal hardships of creating new settlements.
- Focuses on voting, the nature of representation, and type of government as key political issues.
- Starting as a trading post at the crossroads of several trade routes, the town of Ninety Six grew into a small, but vitally important town on South Carolina's frontier. It became the focus of attacks by Native Americans during the French and Indian War and, during America's Revolutionary War, the site of several pitched battles to determine if the Patriots or the Tories would control the state's backcountry including the first land battle in the South and the longest siege of the conflict. This film tells the stories of the farmers, Indians, traders, regulators and soldiers who lived in and fought for the town.
- Beginning with the American Revolution, this program explores the U.S. law of 1807 that abolished the transatlantic slave trade. Meet the people who were involved in or influenced by this pivotal legislation: the slaves, plantation owners, slave ship captains, common seamen, government officials, Navy officers, and antislavery activists.
- "Discovering the Past" teaches students how we know what we know about the past. Students join Colonial Williamsburg archaeologists as they sort though history's remnants in order to tell the story of 18th century America. They may not be "Indiana Jones" but these real life archaeologists play a vital role in discovering and interpreting history. This "behind-the-scenes" field trip lets students visit real historic sites as archaeologists dig for bits of the past. It takes them inside archaeology labs to see how modern technology reveals important clues to our nation's history.
- Listen and learn from the "Father of Our Country." George Washington speaks about his early years as a soldier and politician in Virginia.
- To win a war the military must keep its secrets and spies must risk their lives to uncover those secrets. In the General's Secret Service, an Electronic Field Trip to Colonial Williamsburg, explores spying techniques and the secret war of the American Revolution through the stories of three well-known British and American spies-Dr. Benjamin Church, Major John Andre, and James Armistead Lafayette. General George Washington narrates the program and offers his views on the importance, value, and necessity of espionage in the chess game of war.
- Learn the story of the biggest turning point in the Revolutionary War. Follow the people who converged on the tiny village of York in October 1781: the military leaders, common soldiers, and civilians whose lives were changed forever by the siege. Join us to learn why Yorktown was the place where American independence was finally secured.
- "A Day in the Life" focuses on three children in Colonial Williamsburg: an apprentice boy, a girl from a gentry family, and a slave boy. As the day proceeds the lives of the three young people intersect, allowing students to explore the education, work, and leisure activities of each of these three children. The program gives an overview of daily life in Williamsburg on the eve of the Revolution and helps students understand the political and social themes of 18th century history.
- "Enslaved" traces the origins of the institution of slavery. In the earliest days of colonial America there were no slaves, but the need for labor led the colonists to seek workers anywhere they could be found. At first they used European systems of servitude-apprentices and indentured servants- but those contractual arrangements eventually gave way to a legalized system of slavery. "Enslaved" features a segment on indentured servants and a segment of the Punch case of 1640, in which a black indentured servant ran away with two white indentured servants. The white men were whipped for their crime, but the black man was sentenced to servitude for life. This was the first documented instance of lifetime servitude on the American colonies. The program also traced the legal progression of slavery in colonial America.
- Ann Ashby tells the story of her life as a free black during the days of slavery. Discover a life delicately balanced between slave and white communities in this poignant reminder of what our freedom really means.
- A free, public education for all Americans was not always the standard. In "A Publick Education," Horace Mann traces education methods, which varied depending on economic status, from the colonial period to the one-room schoolhouses of the 1840s where standardized education for all in the community began. The changing role of education in the young democracy is also examined.
- Don't Wanna Slave No More is the story of Virginia's slaves on the eve of the American Revolution. Lord Dunmore, the last British governor of Virginia, proclaimed that any slave who fought for the British would be free. Slaves were left with important decisions to make. Could the British governor be trusted? What would happen if they were caught? What would become of families left behind? Students will discover how slaves were able to gather and pass along important news like the governor's announcement, and the factors that entered into their decision to flee or stay. They will gain a better understanding of the life of an 18th century slave.
- Though Americans protested British taxation for nearly ten years, the Boston Tea Party in 1773 was the final spark that ignited the colonies against Great Britain.
- You've seen their work in every museum- but what do conservators really do? Learn how conservators prevent or slow the damage caused by "agents of destruction." Explore how and why preserving history is important for future generations.
- "No Master Over Me" is a story of freedom, but freedom without equality. Students will discover that not all black people were slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries, but racial intolerance created barriers that affected even free blacks. Matthew Ashby was a free man of mixed racial heritage who lived in Williamsburg just before the Revolution. Although he was free, his wife and children were not. Students will learn how Matthew worked through the legal system to ultimately buy his family and ultimately free them from slavery. "No Master Over Me" is also the story of a black couple who lived in Indiana following the Civil War. The man was a professional and they were not slaves, yet they still faced racially imposed barriers.
- This program focuses on the use of history as a tool for curricular integration. You will see a reproduction of an eighteenth century fire engine in use, and then learn how historians dissect the past to learn about all aspects of combating fire in colonial times. You will also learn how your students can learn these same techniques to become amateur historians themselves. A panel of historians, teachers, and curriculum specialists discuss how to put the lessons of the past to work in the classroom. You will discover how to use history lessons not just for social studies classes, but in orther subjects such as science, English and mathematics. This program will serve as a primer on using history as a tool for lessons well beyond history.
- Enter the exciting world of early American scientists and their discoveries. Follow a young colonial boy in his exploration of science and the world around him. Discover the important scientific exploration that took place in the early years of America.
- Choosing Revolution explores how families were divided on the thorny issue of separation from Great Britain and the stereotypes of loyalist and patriot.
- In the eighteenth century, tradesmen passed along their skills and knowledge, the art and mystery of their trades to their apprentices. With mechanization, many of those skills were lost, but through research and practice, the tradesmen and women of Colonial Williamsburg have re-learned those arts and mysteries. In this video, Colonial Williamsburg blacksmiths demonstrate some of the fundamental techniques used to shape hot iron. They show how each process leaves telltale signs that give wrought ironwork its distinctive character and allow modern day tradesmen to read how an antique piece was made. They apply these techniques to manufacture a fireplace and iron patterned after an 18th century original.
- This video tells the story of how Colonial Williamsburg's curators, conservators, archaeologists, and historic tradespeople pooled their expertise to reveal the merits of early Southern furniture and the technical skills of its creators. You will learn how Colonial Williamsburg;s experts traced these objects back to specific sites and sometimes even to individual artisans. You will discover how the use of 18th century techniques gives Colonial Williamsburg's cabinetmakers a special insight into the work of their predecessors. You will come away with a new appreciation for the art and artisans of southern furniture.
- Explores disease, treatment, and the state of medicine in colonial America.
- A cat and mouse game ensues when a man faces his greatest enemy: A Cigarette.
- Church vs State brings students to a time in America when church and state were often allied. Though many came to America for religious freedom, in some places there was little tolerance for anything but the dominant belief. While those beliefs might vary from colony to colony, the effect was often a state of religion. That began to change with the dissenter's movement in the 1740's. The dissenters challenged the established Church of England and ultimately transformed American ideas about religious toleration. Students will meet Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson and learn the roles each played in the debate over religious freedom, a debate that ultimately resulted in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
- How people dress has always been an important way to communicate status. Dress, fashion, and public deportment highlighted social standing in the eighteenth century. 'Buying Respectability', an Electronic Field Trip to Colonial Williamsburg, gives twenty-first century students the opportunity to explore social status in early America by investigating the eighteenth-century consumer revolution with dress and fashions from Margaret Hunter's Millinery Shop at Colonial Williamsburg.
- "Call to Arms" is the story of how the new American nation faced the daunting task of creating an army to do battle with the world's most feared military of the 18th century. In America before the Revolution each county was expected to train and maintain a militia to be called on in defense of the colony. In Virginia, as more and more colonists declared for independence, the last British governor disbanded the militias. The colonists then formed Independent Companies, which were soon transformed into a more professional army. "Call to Arms" explores the creation of this citizen army through the eyes of a young recruit. Students will share his view of life in a military encampment, experience the basics of 18th century drill, and learn about the weapons he used. The will meet the Ethopian Company, a regiment of black slaves who fought for the British.
- Of Kith and Kin: The Trials and Triumphs of African American family life focuses on Paris, whose stories help students understand the family life of African American slaves during the eighteenth century. We watch a group of slave children learn the songs and rhythms of Africa that relate to the work of the plantation. We are guests at a traditional jumpin' the broom wedding ceremony and learn the sense of hope and fear that accompanies these unofficial marriages. Of Kith and Kin approaches slavery from the slaves' perspective and illustrates the role individuals and families played in a society that recognized the rights of neither.
- Panelists Thomas Duckenfield, Trustee for the Nomini Hall Slave Legacy Project, Dr. Andrew Levy, Author of The First Emancipator: The Forgotten Story of Robert Carter, the Founding Father Who Freed His Slaves, and Gerry Underdown, Actor Interpreter with Colonial Williamsburg, discuss the individuals who physically built the nation, those that built the nation with enlightened ideas, and their combined lasting legacy.