Williamsburg and Jamestown Virginia
Accustomed to thinking of the US as a young country, Williamsburg and Jamestown reminded me that we have four hundred years of history, give or take a few. The idea that George Washington was a fourth generation Virginian certainly reinforces that we are not the young whipper snappers of my imagination.
New England, the original 13 colonies, is full of history, pride and long memories . We took several tours in Colonial Williamsburg, of the Governor’s Palace, the Wythe House, home of George Wythe, signer of the Declaration of Independence, father of American Jurisprudence and mentor to Thomas Jefferson. Sally led us through the Governor’s Palace, and was the best guide ever. She made us feel that we were back in time in colonial VA. Although Thomas Jefferson was a regular visitor to Williamsburg to visit George Wythe he is not as popular as you might imagine since he was the one who decided to move the Virginia capitol to Richmond, and yes, they are still upset with him about that.
Williamsburg has tales of intrigue and gossip that rival any television plot. The grand nephew of George Wythe poisoned him to get his inheritance so that he could pay his gambling debts. He got away with it because the only witness was a female slave, and of course her word would count for nothing in court, Sweeney Trail. This trial is used in law schools as an example of how racism could sway a trial.
Widows with taverns were quite popular, and men were happy to marry them and gain control of the business. The tavern life, especially the lodging, was certainly not very appealing. People slept 20 to a room, and the meals were not necessarily that great.
We were fortunate to be in the 21st century , so we had great meals. One was at the Shield’s tavern in Williamsburg, that was a blast to the past. The wait staff dressed in clothing from the colonial period and we were essentially in the dark, with “candle light”. We also enjoyed two restaurants in town that were not colonial.
Guiseppe’s Italian restaurant, in Williamsburg proper, was a traditional Italian American restaurant with excellent service and food. The 2nd street bistro was a more contemporary version of colonial cooking and we had a very enthusiastic server named Alex. He was a navy brat, and was missing the ocean having relocated to VA from San Diego.
Jamestown settlement was overrun with school children on field trips, and was a recreation of the past, because it was destroyed during an uprising of Virginians against the governor. It was the first permanent settlement in North America, 13 years before the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts. If we go back , we will definitely visit Historic Jamestowne, which is an active archeological site and the actual location of the first settlement.
