“When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.”
- The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
The Date: August-October, 1781
The Place: Yorktown Battlefield, Virginia
Here time parallels Colonial Williamsburg. Begin your journey at the Yorktown Victory Center, where you’ll gain a foundation of knowledge to grasp the events leading up to the American Revolution and the battles that followed. What motivated a diversified group of 3 million people in thirteen colonies to band together against Mother England? How did they pull it off? It’s all explained here in a fun, interactive environment.
Walk through a re-created Continental Army camp and 1780s farm. Continue your exploration through the charming colonial town and chat with historical characters. Enjoy a performance of a Fife & Drums parade, sleep in a colonial cottage or inn, or tour a museum. Stop at the Riverwalk Landing, completed in Spring 2005, for a bite to eat, to scour the antique and gift shops, or to rest on the beach.
Continue to the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center and explore the fields, fortifications and buildings. Kids can see an artillery demonstration (non-firing), join a costumed interpreter to learn about life as a soldier during the American Revolution, or become a Colonial Junior Ranger to earn a patch and certificate. They can try on 18th-Century costumes, make rubbings from woodcuts, break flax, assist a ‘poor woman’ with her laundry, help gather firewood, grind spices, and weed and water the kitchen garden.
Tour options include a narrated river cruise where passengers relive the siege of Yorktown; a Moonlight & Mysteries exploration of the haunted battlefields, Yorktown Riverfront, and spooky tales of the past; a self-guided half-mile walking tour of the town; and a seven-mile battlefield driving tour.
Colonial National Historic Park
Historic Yorktown
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