Williamsburg: Three Hundred Years Freedom's Journey

Williamsburg-Three Hundred Years: Freedom's Journey re-creates in photographs and words moments from the history of Williamsburg, Virginia. From 1699 to 1780, when Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia, the town's story was in many ways Virginia's story. What happened here affected people throughout the colony and later the commonwealth. Williamsburg also had an impact on the other colonies and the nation. Events that occurred here and the people who participated in them helped form the values on which the United States was founded. During the Revolutionary era, Virginians meeting in Williamsburg helped lead the thirteen colonies to independence. Because the Revolution was one of the most important periods in the town's history, a large portion of this book is devoted to that time and to people's experiences during it. For many williamsburg citizens, however, what happened in town before 1765 and after 1781 was just as important. Williamsburg-Three Hundred Years also looks at these occurrences. Some, such as the Marquis de Lafayette's return in 1824 and the Civil War, were of national importance. Others had local significance. But all contributed to the development of the town and the lives of its citizens. We hope that you will enjoy this introduction to Williamsburg's history and that Williamsburg-Three Hundred Years will whet your appetite to learn more about the city and its people. Williamsburg-Three Hundred Yeas: Freedom's Journey pairs reenactments photographed in full color with words to re-create moments in the history of Williamsburg, Virginia. The story begins by looking at the land where the town would one day stand. It proceeds to recount the arrival fo the Native Americans, the extablishment of Jamestown, the growth of the colony of Virginia, and the founding of Williamsburg as the colony's capital. Williamsburg-Three Hundred Years devotes special attention to the eventful years of the Revolutionary era, when Virginians meeting in the capital helped lead the thirteen colonies to independence. Depictions of antebellum Williamsburg, the tragedy of the Civil War, the town's postwar decline, and its rebirth in the 1920s continue the tale. Williamsburg-Three Hundred Years brings to life events that occurred in this important town and the people who lived through them.