Ron Carnegie, a historic interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, describes the forms of government in the U.S. prior to the ratification of the Constitution, including the Articles of Confederation; the new country's fear of a strong federal government; and the development and ratification of the Constitution.
Colonial Williamsburg's Tom Hays's comments on the treatment of Loyalist prisoners of war kept in Williamsburg during the American Revolution, contrasting it with that of Patriot prisoners under Loyalists.
There is also a short video that accompanies this podcast, which can be accessed here.
To learn more about 18th century jails, check out this article describing Colonial Williamsburg's public gaol.
Colonial Williamsburg's Mark Schneider follows the history of dueling, looking at what separates a duel from an ordinary fight and at the codes of dueling—including the Irish 1777 "Code Duello." He notes Alexis de Tocqueville's observations that, while duels were not as ritualized in the new U.S., they did occur and were often fatal.
Also check out this slideshow reenacting the duel between John Daly Burke and Felix Coquebert.
Author and historian Carson Hudson describes the Golden Age of Piracy, from approximately 1680 to 1730, focusing on the lifestyle of pirates. The presentation looks at the life and reputation of Blackbeard in particular.
Discover more about the notorious Blackbeard by reading this article by George Humphrey Yetter.
Colonial Williamsburg manager of African American programs, Tricia Brooks, discusses the primary sources used in exploring colonial viewpoints on slavery and race in Williamsburg programming.
Click here to discover more about the African-American colonial experience.
Senior Architectural Historian Carl Lounsbury tells the story of Williamsburg's Capitol's reconstruction, early in the 20th century. The architects overseeing the reconstruction at the time focused more on issues of aesthetics and polished completion than on social historical accuracy.
Click here to discover more about Colonial Williamsburg's Capitol building.
Bill Barker, an interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, discusses the work of interpreting Thomas Jefferson, and looks at some of the questions Jefferson would have been posed even in his own lifetime.
Richard Schumann, who interprets Patrick Henry at Colonial Williamsburg, discusses Henry's role in and leading up to the American Revolution.
Carolyn Wilson, who interprets the historical figure Betty Randolph at Colonial Williamsburg, talks about the Randolph family, one of the first families of Virginia, focusing particularly on John and Peyton Randolph and the American Revolution.
Harvey Bakari, manager of African American history interpretation at Colonial Williamsburg, talks about the participation of African Americans in the American Revolution and their fates following the war.