Dennis Watson, who portrays royal governor Lord Dunmore at Colonial Williamsburg, talks about the governor's actions prior to and during the American RevolutionᾹincluding his removal of the powder from the Williamsburg Powder Magazine and his issuing of a proclamation promising slaves freedom if they joined the British in the war.
Emily Roberts, assistant curator of historic interiors at Colonial Williamsburg, talks about the research involved in furnishing and re-outfitting rooms according to colonial practices.
Buck Woodard of Colonial Williamsburg talks about instances of first contact between explorers and colonists and Native Americans, focusing on the diversity of Native American languages and problems of understanding and translation that arose at these meetings.
Ivor Noel Hume, author and retired Chief Archeologist for Colonial Williamsburg, discusses the atrocities and indignities English colonists at Jamestown inflicted on the Native Americans in the region, including Pocahontas.
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.
Historian Nancy Milton describes the English influences on the U.S. Constitution, including documents reaching as far back as the Magna Carta.
Curator Erik Goldstein talks about four Patriot flags known to have been captured by Banastre Tarleton during the American Revolution.
This iCue Mini-Documentary describes the war that ignited between England and France when a young George Washington was drawn into a skirmish with French scouts. Control over the continent of America was at stake as the two world powers conducted a massive war in the colonies.
This mini documentary, produced by NBC, describes the Articles of Confederation, which suited the goals of the Americans when they were fighting for freedom from the monarchy. These documents, which favored state's rights over federal power, were inadequate after the Revolution when a strong central government became necessary.
To view the documentary, follow the link below and scroll down past "Thomas Paine and 'Common Sense'" and "Women in the American Revolution."
The images in this collection, focusing on the Americas, come from books printed or created in Europe between about 1492 and 1825. Images include woodcuts, copper engravings, and paintings. The database, still being compiled, currently contains 6,685 images and will eventually contain some 7,500 images. Image viewing software is available from the site.
The visitor can browse the entire archive or search by time period, geographical area, keyword, or subject, including indigenous peoples, flora and fauna, artifacts, industry, human activities, geography, maps, city views and plans, and portraits. Some images, such as Ptolemy's map of the world, may be familiar. Others are reproduced for the first time. Navigation requires some practice, but is worth the effort.