James Ingram, a character interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, describes the life of Gowan Pamphlet, a colonial tavern slave who, influenced by the Great Awakening, became a Baptist slave preacher. For the first part of this interview, click here.
Note: this podcast is no longer available. To view a transcript of the original podcast, click here.
James Ingram, a character interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, describes the early life of Gowan Pamphlet, a colonial tavern slave who, influenced by the Great Awakening, would eventually become a slave preacher. For the second part of this interview, click here.
Note: this podcast is no longer available. To view a transcript of the original podcast, click here.
Bridgette Houston, an African American interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, discusses the process of manumission, by which slaves in colonial Virginia might be freed.
Colonial Williamsburg historian Lou Powers discusses the holiday season as it existed in the colonial era, as well as touching on calendar systems and class divisions.
Colonial Williamsburg actor-interpreter James Ingram details the life of Matthew Ashby, a free black man who purchased his wife and two children in order to set them free.
Colonial Williamsburg historian Kevin Kelly discusses the differences between popular perception of George Washington and the actual man, looking particularly at his role in the American Revolution. This interview is accompanied by an image slideshow.
Note: this podcast is no longer available. To view a transcript of the original podcast, click here.
Colonial Williamsburg curator Barbara Luck and conservator Pam Young discuss the restoration and preservation of an 1830 watercolor of a young slave girl, done by Mary Custis (who married Robert E. Lee in the same year).
Headmistress Ann Wager taught at the Bray School in Williamsburg, VA, from 1760 to 1774, educating enslaved children. Interpreter Antoinette Brennan shares details from Wager's life and describes the school and its operations.
Relating the daily lives of America's ancestors is the product of research and performance. Performer Kat Getward shares the part that music plays in the Electronic Field Trip "Making History Live."
The 30-acre Belle Meade Plantation holds the Federal-style 1853 Belle Meade mansion and seven other historic buildings, including a stable and carriage house. The plantation was founded by John Harding in 1807. Harding was a devoted thoroughbred breeder and racer, as were many gentlemen from the South during his time. Tenneessee thoroughbred breeding became less common after the Civil War, as the state saw extensive troop movement. The mansion facade includes Greek Revival elements added in 1853, and the interior is furnished with 19th-century pieces. The plantation owned more slaves than the majority of antebellum Nashville plantations. Some of these slaves served as horse grooms and jockeys.
The plantation offers period rooms, 45-minute guided mansion tours, five educational program options for students, summer camps, home school days, traveling trunks, toddler programs, a student book club with online interactive activities, a junior docent program, culinary guided tours, and a restaurant. Reservations are required for groups of 15 or more. The second floor is not wheelchair accessible.