the education of henry

Day 30: Jamestown Settlement and Colonial WIlliamsburg

2023-10-13

Our last day in the Historic Triangle. We started at the Jamestown Settlement because I really wanted to see the Godspeed, the middle-sized ship that came to Jamestowne in 1607. It had been out sailing and doing educational programs around the Chesapeake for a couple of months and it was supposed to come back on Thursday.

And there she is!

The Godspeed is a 40-ton vessel, so about twice the capacity of the Discovery, and a little less than a third of the Susan Constant.

We knew we weren't going to be able to go on board because the ship had to be converted from sailing mode to museum mode. The Coast Guard requires modern lights and navigation aids, certain types of floation devices - none of which would be histroically accurate. But...Andrew, one of the guys portraying a sailor, told his supervisor, Kya, that I had been coming all week and really wanted to get on the Godspeed. So she told him to go ask the crew working on the ship to take a break and give me a private tour!

On board!

Checking out some of the different rigging.

The crew had shot off the rail guns on the voyage, and these are the cannisters they use in those guns, since they are not muzzle loading.

Hard to imagine 39 passengers and 13 sailors on this ship.

After the tour I talked to Leon again, and he taught me more about being a sailor and moving cargo.

Learning more about being a sailor.

Handsome sailors only! Me with Andrew and Leon.

With Kya (who approved the tour), and Derek on the deck of the Susan Constant.

This is the kitchen on the Susan Constant - we somehow missed getting a picture of it before. Just a reminder, there were 74 people on this ship for three months.

Oh, and the cook slept in the kitchen.

One last look at the fleet.

We stopped in the village for another cannon picture.

And then we hustled over to Williamsburg so I wouldn't be late for the musket drill.

A smaller group today - both in number and stature.

Here's the end of the drill practice.

Next we toured the Governor's Palace.

The entry is full of guns and swords (you might remember this from a few days ago when we did the Haunted Williamsburg tour).

This would be an intimidating sight.

And the guns and swords aren't just in the entry.

This is from 1770, according to the date on the front.

One of the bedrooms.

The fancy dining room.

The ballroom.

And back outside.

We found Lafayette again!

Then we toured the Carter House, which was built in 1727. Dad forgot a picture of the outside. The Carter's were one of the wealthiest Virginia families, and the red dots on the map show the locations of the plantations they owned.

This house is under restoration, so there are some holes in the wall, and there are no furnishings.

The original stairs - built in such a way that they do not creak...even after almost 300 years. The floors don't creak, either.

The Carter's.

The most interesting thing about Robert Carter III, however, was that he freed his slaves. All of them. Some hired on to do the same work they did before for pay, and some left. Carter's heirs fought this action in the courts, but they lost.

The first theater in English America.

Mom watched these guys play some music at the theater.

We found Lafayette again.

We toured the Raleigh Taven, which was the hangout in Williamsburg. Washington, Jefferson, Hancock, and everyone else would come here to drink, eat, dance, and play games.

Rodney gave a great tour - he has a big, booming voice.

The room for playing cards.

The bar.

The Apollo Room at the Raleigh was the room for dancing. Virginians of the time loved to dance, and it was a mark of distinction to be a good dancer. George Washington was one of the best - and he loved to dance.

The Latin reads: "Hilaritas sapientiae et bonae vitae proles" or "Jollity is the offspring of wisdom and good living."

The dining room.

The billiards table. This is a period table, probably used by many of the Founding Fathers when they were in Williamsburg. It is much bigger than a modern table.

And the tavern kitchen.

From the Raleigh, we went to see Mr. Jefferson give a talk. He was very pointed in his commentary about a deadlocked House of Representatives and political candidates who are only out for their own gain - not much has changed since 1801. But Jefferson encouraged us to be better, and to bring civility back into public life.

His talk was very entertaining.

The gaol. That's how they spelled it.

I would not want to be locked up in here in Virginia in the summer with some smelly guys who probably only bathe once every few months. Yuck.

Outside the magazine, one last time.

A couple of the soldiers, Matthew and Kevin (who were my drill instructors and did gun demonstrations) were playing a game called Cat, that kind of looked a little like baseball.

And then we walked out of Colonial Williamsburg into regular Williamsburg. We looked at some of the shops - I got a spyglass, and then we went to the hotel.

I wish we could stay longer, but we've already added three extra days here and it is supposed to rain all weekend. I definitely want to come back - this place is amazing. It was so much fun to be around so many people who love history and love talking about the past. Everyone here was so nice and friendly. Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg have been my favorite parts of the trip. But it is time to move on.

Thanks for reading!