Buck Woodard of Colonial Williamsburg describes the population and social organization of Native American society in the Chesapeake area prior to and during the arrival of the Jamestown colonists, focusing particularly on Powhatan and the Powhatan Paramount Chiefdom.
Bill White, Executive Producer and Director of Educational Program Development at Colonial Williamsburg, discusses the range of the slave trade and its importance to the colonial and global economy, as well as Colonial Wiliamsburg's efforts to educate on the slave trade and slavery in general.
Willie Balderson, manager of public history development at Colonial Williamsburg, discusses Jamestown settler Anas Todkill, whom he portrays in a Colonial Williamsburg electronic fieldtrip, and the research required to portray a character who took part in early explorations of Virginia.
Jim Axtell, the College of William and Mary's William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Humanities, discusses possible reasons why many people mistakenly believe that Plymouth was founded before Jamestown; and looks at what might be required for Jamestown to assume prominence in popular memory.
Tom Spear, historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg's Governor's Palace describes the history of the building during its years in service, 1716-1780, and the political contributions of its occupants.
Linda Randulfe, who produces and directs Colonial Williamsburg's Electronic Field Trips, outlines the North Carolina Cherokee nation's negotiations with colonists, including Chief Ostenaco's visit to England.
Robert Brantley, who is a journeyman in the historic foodways department at Colonial Williamsburg, discusses the celebration of holidays in colonial North America, including the preparation of food for these holidays.
Martha Katz-Hyman discusses the arrival of Jews in early colonial America, their reception in the colonies, and the ways in which they observed their religion and its celebrations.
Kelly Ladd-Kostro, associate curator of archaeological collections at Colonial Williamsburg, describes the search for remnants of 17th-century Middle Plantation, the settlement which preceded Williamsburg.
Historian Cathy Hellier explains the differences between modern American English and the English of the colonists during the 1700s; she looks also at new ideas on the dialect of African Americans in the Williamsburg area at the time. Click here to learn more about 18th century speech.