Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

3:30 - Enemies of Government, Governor Dunmore Confronts the Assembly! May 26, 1774

In this scene: Lord Dunmore arrives at the Capitol unhappy with the House of Burgesses for their protesting the closing of Boston Harbor by the British government. What will he do? How will the burgesses react to his announcement? What does this mean for the people of Williamsburg?

In May 1773, Parliament passes the Tea Act to assist the financially tottering East India Company. The act provides that the Company could sell tea (still taxed and an item of protest) at temptingly low rates in America. In December 1773, a group of Bostonians, disguised as Indians, silently board a ship in Boston Harbor and dump the Company’s tea cargo overboard. As a result, Parliament passes the Boston Port Act, closing Boston Harbor until restitution is made for the tea. In protest, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and other burgesses write a resolution declaring June 1, 1774, a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer in support of the Bostonians. Robert Carter Nicholas, the colony’s treasurer and head of the committee on religion, introduces the resolution to the House of Burgesses. It passes.

Learn More:

• Patrick Henry
• Richard Henry Lee
• Robert Carter Nicholas
• Peyton Randolph
• Thomas Jefferson

3:50 - The Gale from the North, April 29, 1775

In this scene: As Peyton Randolph prepares to return to Philadelphia, a rider brings news of battles at Lexington and Concord. How will this news affect Williamsburg?

On April 21, 1775, Lord Dunmore orders seamen from the schooner Magdalen to remove gunpowder before dawn from the Magazine. They retreat when interrupted by townspeople. Angry citizens gather at the courthouse and threaten to storm the Palace until Peyton Randolph, Virginia’s most influential politician and president of the Continental Congress, and other city fathers form a delegation to visit the governor. Dunmore, claiming he secured the powder to protect it from a rumored slave uprising, threatens to arm the slaves and burn the town if townspeople cause further disturbance.

Learn More:

• Magazine
• The Monstrous Absurdity: The Gunpowder Theft Examined

4:00 - A House Divided, July 27, 1775

In this scene: Ariana Randolph, a Loyalist mother, and her daughter Susannah navigate their way through the gossip-riddled town. Mr. Randolph's loyalty to the British king is making their lives uncomfortable. Complicating matters, Edmund, the only son of the family, falls squarely on the patriot side.

An anonymous piece in the local newspaper insulted John Randolph for his Loyalist views and connection to Governor Dunmore. Teenaged Susannah is upset about the townspeople’s whispers and speculation. Mrs. Randolph lets it slip that the solution may be to leave Virginia, the only home Susannah has ever known.

Learn More:

• The Randolphs: A Family of Influence

4:10 - To Be or Not . . . The Love Story Conclusion

The love that Edmund Randolph and Elizabeth Nicholas share for each other has survived the turmoil of an intense family feud. His father is steadfastly loyal to the British king. Her father is firmly patriotic. Can their love now endure the prospect of war for American independence?

Learn More:

• The Randolphs: A Family of Influence
• Robert Carter Nicholas

4:20 - A Court of Tar and Feathers - September 3, 1775

In this scene: The men who are prepared to defend American liberty are bound together by the ties of honor and love of country. Challengers of their rights and liberties can face tar and feathering.

“Liberty poles,” symbols of freedom and serving as rallying points for American patriots, are erected in colonial towns. James Parker, a Norfolk merchant, writes that “a pole,” including a bag of feathers and a barrel of tar — symbols of intimidation — are set up in Williamsburg opposite the Raleigh Tavern. Williamsburg merchant Joshua Hardcastle is dramatically introduced to such intimidation while drinking at a tavern. An angry crowd gathers after Hardcastle speaks disparagingly of the American cause and of military volunteers.

Learn More:

• The Alternative of Williams-Burg: "Monster madness... the Patriots are in high Spirits just now."
• The White Loyalists of Williamsburg

4:45 - Liberty to Slaves! November 17, 1775

As Kate, Eve, and others meet to confront the issues of slavery, news arrives that could change their futures. What does Dunmore’s Proclamation really mean for the enslaved?

• Dunmore’s Proclamation
• Summary of Dunmore’s Proclamation

5:00 - Resolved: Free and Independent States, May 15, 1776

In this scene: Virginia’s leaders take the bold first step in breaking from Great Britain by passing resolutions for independence. They must now establish a republican form of government.

The Virginia Convention unanimously adopts a resolution instructing the colony’s delegates in the Continental Congress to introduce a motion for independence. A committee is appointed to draft a declaration of rights and a Virginia state constitution. On June 7, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, as instructed by the Virginia Convention, moves “That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

Learn More:

• Virginia Declaration of Rights
• Richard Henry Lee