After another wonderful buffet breakfast at the Williamsburg Lodge, we were back in the basement of the Brick House Tavern to work on the Global Economy, 17th and 18th century style.
We did an activity outside where the street served as the Atlantic Ocean and we played the parts of traders, merchants, and even pirates and the British Navy.
The white papers on the ground are the names of places. This might be a good one to do with my classes next year.
Our next activity was a discussion with "A Person of the Past" as it says on our schedule, in this case merchant John Greenhow, who owns a shop on Duke of Gloucester Street here in Williamsburg. He reminded us about the importance of the credit system, tobacco notes, and the scarce nature of "ready money," that is currency. He also instructed us about the importance of reputation and good bookkeeping for merchants in the 18th century.
We then ventured out into the town to visit the trade shops. I went to the Printing Office, Milliner and Tailor, the Silversmith, and the Apothecary.
Others went to the Brickyard, the Carpenter and Joiner, the Wigmaker, and of course got a little shopping in at Tarpley's or Greenhow's too.
We had boxed lunches of fried chicken from Chowning's and then we were back to finish up our discussion of the economy.
Our next stop was Charleton's Coffeehouse for a bit of political discussion, and of course no gossip, but just a bit of "spreading the news."
The coffeehouse is one of the newest buildings in town, I remember brining students just a few years ago to look at the archaeology going on here, and now the building is finished. At the CW website about the coffeehouse there are links to videos of the reconstruction of the building.
And of course we were offered tea, coffee, or chocolate. I had chocolate.
After enjoying our conversation and our drinks, we went back to Brick House for time to work on the Value Tensions Projects.
At 5:00 we were off to the Capitol for our Rights and Controversies Debate. The Fifth Virginia Convention voted to tell their delegates at the Continental Congress to propose independence. The vote was unanimous in the real event, probably because the loyalist members had stopped coming to the Convention. Our debate went well, and the patriots did win, but it was close.
I was a patriot, but also the clerk, so I got to read the resolution.
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Resolved, that the delegates appointed to represent this colony in General Congress be instructed to propose to the respectable body TO DECLARE THE UNITED COLONIES FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES absolved from all allegiance to or dependence upon the Crown or Parliament of Great Britain. Resolved, that a committee be appointed to prepare A DECLARATION OF RIGHTS, and such a plan of government as will be most likely to maintain peace and order in this colony, and secure substantial and equal liberty to the people. |
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