The Historic Triangle
Experience the Setting of the Foundations of Our Country
On what is sometimes referred to the lower peninsula in the Chesapeake Bay, there are three sites that make up the Historic Triangle - Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. These three sites make up critical historic points of the history of the founding of our country.
Jamestown
The Beginning of the English Presence
In 1607, three wooden ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery, arrived with 104 Englishmen filled with dreams of great wealth. On what is now referred to as James Island, the first successful English colony was established. Here they built a triangular shaped fort for the purpose of protecting the settlement from possible attack from the rival Spanish Empire and the native Powhatan tribe. As the first successful English settlement in North America, it became the foothold for further expansion of the British Empire.
The original ships, fort, and settlement have almost all been lost to decay and destruction, but Jamestown is now home to two museums dedicated to preservation, research, and education about the beginnings of the American experiment.
Jamestown Settlement - Jamestown Settlement has an indoor gallery section and an outdoor living museum.
The gallery is a chronological visual display depicting the history of Jamestown from the arrival of the first ships until the relocation of the colonial capital from Jamestown further inland to Williamsburg. It depicts not just the major historical players of the time, but also the environment that they were working in which gave rise to the necessity of the Governor's council and the House of Burgess. These bodies were the framework of what became significant self-governance for the colonies.
The outdoor living museum consists of recreations of a Powhatan village, the three ships that brought the first british settlers, and the triangular Fort James. The living museum has interpreters dressed in period costumes displaying the crafts of the settlers and natives and discussing the life of those early times.
Historic Jamestowne (Jamestown Island) - Historic Jamestowne is the actual location of the original settlement and is an active archaeological and preservation project. This is where you can witness the uncovering of the past and see the artifacts that have been uncovered from the active digs. You can enter Memorial Church which is a reconstruction of the 1617 church which also served at the original meeting place of first General Assembly, which was the beginning of self governance in North America. This Assembly consisted of the colonial governor who was chosen by the king, four councilors chosen by the colonial governor, and twenty-two burgesses chosen by the free, white male inhabitants of every town, corporation, and large plantation throughout the colony. In 2019, archaeologists found the final fourth wall of the original church built in 1617 and the locations of the choir and chancel area where the First Assembly met. An exhibit was then planned around the finds, and today, you can view the brick foundations of the early church through glass panels placed in the church floor. You can also sit in the recreated pews in the very spot that the Assembly met 400 years ago.
Colonial Williamsburg
Where Democracy Took Root and a Spark of Revolution was Struck
In 1699, upon the request of the House of Burgesses the colonial capital of Virginia was moved from Jamestown to Middle Plantation (as the conditions were more pleasant and the mosquitoes were less prevalent). In honor of King William the III, it was renamed Williamsburg. Williamsburg then served as the capital of Virginia until 1780 when the independent Virginia government chose to move the capital to Richmond.
Today Colonial Williamsburg is the world's largest living-history museum, boasting more than 600 buildings (88 of them original 18th-Century) and more than 40 demonstration sites and trades. Among the buildings that were reconstructed are the Governor's Palace and the Capital building. The reconstructions were built upon the excavated foundations and were built using records from the time and writings by contemporaries describing the structures. While most of the furniture is modern recreations, there are some pieces that have survived over the years. Most notable is the chair for the Speaker of the House of Burgess which survived a fire that destroyed the structure. This was the chair where sat the Speaker, Payton Randolph (who would later serve as the President of the First Continental Congress), when Patrick Henry rose to speak against the Stamp Act in 1765 and to assert the rights of the colonies to make their own laws. It was there that he made the famous quote, “If this be treason, make the most of it.” This was the beginning of the shift of sentiment against British rule.
Among the historic buildings which you can visit is Raleigh Tavern. When on a tour of the tavern, an interpreter dressed in period garb will describe to you the role of the taverns at that time. They were essentially inns and restaurants which also had large rooms to serve as the event space for balls. Raleigh Tavern is of significant note as it is where the members of the House of Burgess met in the Apollo Room after the governor, Lord Dunmoor, dissolved the House in response to their voting their support for the Massachusetts colonist after the events of the Boston Tea Party. It was there that they began discussing the formation of the independent Virginia government.
Throughout the museum, you will encounter interpreters. Many of the interpreters will serve as guides to describe the life of those times and the role of the historical sites. There are others who drive carriages that are driven up and down the streets, musicians performing period pieces, and even soldiers demonstrating muskets and cannons. Among the interpreters are also craftsmen such as carpenters, milliners, tailors, joiners, and blacksmiths. Unlike other living museums where the craftsmen are just demonstrating the craft, at Colonial Williamsburg the craftsmen are actually creating the pieces and materials being used throughout the museum. The costumes wore by the interpreters are made by the tailors and milliners, the door frames are built by the carpenters, cabinets by the joiners, and locks, hinges and decorative metal pieces are made by the blacksmiths. You are literally witnessing the recreation of history during your visit.
Yorktown
Where Independence was Won
On October 19, 1971, after a nearly three week siege, the British forces, under the command of General Cornwallis, surrendered to the allied French and American forces. This marked the end of the significant battles of the American Revolution and the beginning of a "cold war" which ended with the formal acknowledgment of American Independence in January 1783. It was here in Yorktown that the Independence declared in 1776 was finally won. Today, the history of this site can be explored through two major venues - Yorktown Battlefield and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
Yorktown Battlefield - Yorktown Battlefield, along with Jamestown Island and Colonial Parkway, makes up Colonial Historical Park which is managed by the National Park Service.
It is a preservation site to maintain the landmarks and structures which survived that final siege of the Revolution. The visitor center has a small museum that displays a portion of General Washington's field tent, a mock up of a ship used in the blockade of the Chesapeake, and other displays and dioramas depicting those final days. You can also watch a short movie about the siege and ultimate surrender.
Outside the Visitor Center, there are driving tours of the significant sites of the siege and the various encampments of the American and French forces. The sites are marked with signs describing what each area represented and there is even a memorial to approximately fifty unknown French soldiers who were killed during the siege and buried in the encampment field.
You can also explore Yorktown and see various buildings and homes which survived the siege. Many of the structures were destroyed during the siege as approximately 15,000 rounds were used during the nine day bombardment of the British encampment. However, the Custom House and the home of Thomas Nelson, Jr. (a member of the Continental Congress and signer of Declaration of Independence) survived along with other buildings that are now maintained by the park service.
One additional site of note on the grounds, is a Civil War cemetery. Yorktown National Cemetery is the final resting place of over 2,000 participants of the Civil War and is a solemn reminder of the human cost of war.
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown - This museum is located just up the road from the battleground and has an indoor gallery with artifacts from the American Revolution and galleries depicting the timeline from the 1750's through the 1790's and an immersive 4-D experiential theater showing the siege of Yorktown, the taking of Redoubts 9 and 10 and the surrender of the British forces.
There is also an outdoor living museum with interpreters demonstrating the colonial life on a farm during the era and a revolutionary army encampment. This museum is a sister museum to Jamestown Settlement and the tickets can be purchased as a package for a discount.
