Join Thomas Jefferson on July 2, 1776, as he discusses the impending Declaration of Independence, and the promises made by that work. Will his dreams be fulfilled? And what will the legacy be of the document?

John Jay was a man of great achievement. During his lifetime he was a Founding Father, Signer of the Treaty of Paris, Second Governor of New York, and First Chief Justice of the United States.

Since 2005, the "Past and Present" podcast from Colonial Williamsburg has taken you behind the scenes to meet interpreters, chefs, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, and more. We offer two versions of our podcast: one that's audio-only and one that includes a slideshow. In this episode, the cast and crew of Colonial Williamsburg’s groundbreaking program Journey to Redemption join to talk about how the piece was developed and why it’s so important to be having conversations surrounding racism and the history of slavery in our nation.

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about the significance of the Judiciary Act of 1789 in establishing a federal judiciary. By the conclusion of this lesson, students will understand the key provisions of the Judiciary Act of 1789 and the structure of the federal judicial branch.

Can’t make it in-person? Join our special livestream of the Sunday presentation of "An Evening with the Presidents.” Join Washington, Jefferson, and Madison this President’s Day weekend for a special LIVE! from History online evening event. The Presidents will explore how their administrations navigated party, faction, and the extensive differences that challenged America during their times. Recognizing that throughout our history, the United States has been a nation divided politically with different opinions and points of view. This was as much the case in our infancy as it is today. Hosted by Barbara Hamm Lee.

In colonial Virginia, those that followed religions other than the Church of England were considered dissenters.” Meet some of Williamsburg’s religious dissenters and hear about their hopes for change.

Join George Mason, author of the first draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, on May 27, 1776. Hear about its creation, his opinion on the necessity of a bill of a rights, and the debate that ensued.

After spying for the Marquis de Lafayette, James was not given his freedom and continued to fight for years after to gain it. He fought for even longer to ensure the freedom of his family. Looking back on his life, James Lafayette talks on the challenges he faced being a newly freed Black man in a lawfully unequal society.

Meet Myrtilla, an enslaved mother and houseservant owned by Thomas Everard. She has lived in Williamsburg all her life and seen many changes take place throughout the city, including whispers of revolution. Come hear her perspective on the what has happened and what the Declaration of Independence means for herself, her children, and others in her condition.

Join Patrick Henry in 1798 as he reflects on his career and life as a renowned orator, firebrand politician, and advocate for American liberty.

Yorktown, Virginia was the location for the American and French army's most significant victory of the Revolution on October 19th, 1781. This victory, led by General George Washington, would set the United States on the path to independence. Join General Washington and General Lafayette as they discuss the campaign of 1781 and the siege of Yorktown.

America has a long history of protest, and how to protest appropriately” is a hotly debated issue today. What did some of the nation’s founders think about the right way to protest?

Read the letter from the Federal Convention President to the President of Congress transmitting the Constitution

How does Congress gather information, and how does it use that information to create legislation? How can this research impact the lives of Americans in both the short and long term? How can a bill that has been deemed unconstitutional still inform future legislation?

In this lesson, students will learn about the 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education and the succeeding efforts at responsible education reform in America. They will also determine ways they can be responsible.

Hear from some modern historic interpreters at Colonial Williamsburg about what they would have done if they had lived in the 18th century – would they have been for or against independence or undecided? And why? Their answers may surprise you!

Hear from some modern historic interpreters at Colonial Williamsburg about what they would have done if they had lived in the 18th century – would they have been for or against independence or undecided? And why? Their answers may surprise you!

This lesson on the Bill of Rights is part of Gilder Lehrman’s series of Common Core–based units. These units were written to enable students to understand, summarize, and analyze original texts of historical significance. Students will demonstrate this knowledge by writing summaries of selections from the original document and, by the end of the unit, demonstrating their understanding through visual and oral presentations. Through this step-by-step process, students will acquire the skills to analyze any primary or secondary source material.

Once his political career had ended, George Washington made a deliberate effort to organize and preserve his personal papers. He had the incredible foresight to know that his life and career influenced the appeal of the documents, and that they would become the foundation for much knowledge about the Revolutionary period and first presidency. At one point he even considered building a library to house them. Unfortunately, Washington died in 1799 before the grand library could be constructed.

Unlike the large amount of documentation surviving George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, relatively few papers exist to grant insight into James Madison's personal life. Madison didn't attempt to keep many of these private documents, and whether from humility or another unknown reason, he didn't think they would be of any importance to history. The few scattered documents which remained survived through the efforts of family and collectors.