A Talk with Patrick Henry

A couple of weeks ago, Casia and I took another field trip to Colonial Willaimsburg. Each time we go we see new shows, tour different locations and visit sites we hadn't seen yet. This time we focused on places that were relevant to the Revolutionary War and the construction of our government.

Our first stop was the county Courthouse. Inside we got to see a recreation of how the courthouse was used just before the Revolutionary War in their show "Order in the Court". This was a local court that ruled over local issues like an unpaid tavern tabs. Members of the audience got to be petitioners, defendants and justices. 

Casia poses for a few photos while we wait to enter the court house.

Casia in front of the St. George Tucker House.

After the Courthouse show, Casia posed in the pillory.

Casia posed, ready to squish the Royal Palace. 

From the Courthouse we walked to the Kimball Theatre to listen to an actor, as Patrick Henry, discus the Revolutionary War, in "Meet a Founding Father". The last half of the lecture was Patrick Henry answering questions from the audience. Casia, never intimidated by the fact that she was the lone child in an audience full of adults, raised her hand and asked Patrick Henry the question, "What is your opinion of Governor Lord Dunmore and what do you think the Governor thinks of you?"

Casia and Patrick Henry had a short chat after the show.
He was very impressed with Casia's knowledge of the Revolutionary War. 

We had to rush from the Kimball Theatre to the DeWitt Wallace Museum because they were about to start a production called, "Martha's Descision, Oney's Choice." It was about the relationship between Martha Washington and her favorite slave, Oney and the struggles they go through after Oney runs away. The author answered questions at the end of the show and explained that she used letters written between Martha and George Washington on the subject as a starting point for the play. 

Casia and I had a very stimulating conversation afterwards as we discussed slavery, the founding of our nation and the dichotomy of some of our Founding Fathers who simultaneously fought Britain for their right to be free and yet continued to own slaves themselves. 

We stopped for a bite to eat in the bakery in the back of the Raleigh Tavern. I must have been really hungry, because I didn't even get a picture of Casia in front of one of her favorite colonial locations. As we ate our pastries, Casia reveled in the fact that we were eating on the same spot where Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette had eaten centuries before. She went on to tell me that it's where the House of Burgesses met illegally when the Governor dissolved it. She shared with me all the facts she knew about it as we enjoyed our hot chocolate and snacks.

It was a short walk from the Raleigh Tavern to the Capitol building at the end of Duke of Gloucester Street. Although we'd been in the Capitol before for a the show "Cry Witch" a few months back, we'd never been on a guided tour. We got to learn about the Virginia Declaration of Rights which is a document that was written prior to, and had a strong influence on, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution's Bill of Right.

Casia standing in front of the Capitol.

Casia was selected to read from the Virginia Declaration of Rights.

Casia is barely visible as she stands in the Governor's chair.

Inside the Capital, in the courtroom, Casia learned that the Governor acted as head of the military forces in Virginia, head of the High Court in Virginia and he had the power to disband the Legislature as well. It was because of the Governor's omnipotence over all aspects of government that the Founding Fathers later separated the branches of government and created a system of checks and balances to prevent too much power in one person's hands.

Casia posed with her favorite tour guide outside the Capitol.

Casia standing at the East end of the Duke of Gloucester Street.
The Raleigh Tavern is a couple of building back  on the right.

We had another glorious day in Historical Williamsburg. Casia always enjoys herself there, which is evidence by the fact that when asked to write an essay about our field trip to Colonial Williamsburg, she entitled her paper:

                                            FUN

Colonial Williamsburg: A Historic Field Trip