American History Live

Karen and I are taking a week to relax and re-learn- American history. We are on a small strip of land jutting out into the Chesapeake Bay where more important events took place than anywhere else in the USA.  We are staying in Williamsburg, Virginia and visiting Colonial Williamsburg where the first and longest running parliament has been going for about 300 years. Women and African slaves came to this place about 300 years ago as well. Freedom was birthed at the same time that slavery and bondage flourished.

But before Williamsburg there was Jamestown, the first permanent settlement in America. The British came here in three small ships in 1607! They celebrated 400 years in 2007! The courage and mental agility these men and women showed were amazing.

John Smith is a name that is familiar to many of us but mainly because of several tall tales. However, the truth about John smith are probably more dramatic and amazing than the mythology. He was captured by the Indians and talked them into not only releasing him but making him an ambassador for them. After being wounded in a gun powder explosion Mr. Smith returned to England where he drew such accurate maps of the East Coast of America that they were used for years by explorers.

Today we visited Colonial Williamsburg and the place is wonderfully rebuilt and full of living history. We heard Thomas Jefferson speak for 30 minutes then answer any question asked by a member of of the audience of several hundred people. He was magnificent.  The actor has been doing this for over 20 years and he was cool as a cucumber at answering some very challenging questions with great humor and insight.

I learned a lot and enjoyed it all. If you have not been here, consider coming down with the kids to see American history. By the way, we are just a few miles from Yorktown where Washington defeated the British and accepted their surrender. It is also near several Civil War battlefields and all kinds of activities from the earliest days of our republic.