Day 3 - Jamestown and Yorktown

Now is the seed-time of continental union, faith and honor.  The least fracture now will be like a name engraved with the point of a pin on the tender rind of a young oak;  The wound will enlarge with the tree, and posterity read it in full grown characters. 
-  Thomas Paine, Common Sense 

We had a great time today learning about Jamestown, the first successful settlement in America and Yorktown, the final battle of the Revolutionary War.  Before I begin explaining what we did today, I must confess to you that I'm new to blogging (this is my first blog) and apologize for the inconsistent text format as well as positioning of the pictures.  I got an email from my wife today, asking me if I proof read the blog.  She asked it diplomatically when posing the question to me, but her real questions (when you read between the lines) are:  Why do you misspell so many words?  Your diction is terrible and your grammar is atrocious , have you ever take an English class?

The answer to these questions are:  I misspell many words because I have never been able to spell very well and I can't "figure out" the spell check on the blog toolbar.  Yes, I did take English class, but was never very good at it and my mind thinks only slightly faster than I can type.  On the flip side however, I have made 67 free throws in a row!  That being said, let's move forward to Jamestown.

Jamestown

Here is a scale model of the Jamestown fort that the settlers constructed sometime after their arrival in 1607.



The famous Indian girl, Pocahontas (1596-1617), saved John Smith from certain death and was the favorite daughter of Chief Powhatan.  Adele and Esther are older than Pocahontas was when she got married to John Rolfe in the Jamestown church at the age of 12 years old.



John Smith statue in the center of Jamestown.

The oldest standing building in America is within the perimeter of Jamestown.

This is the excavation site where archaeologists may have discovered the original
foundation posts of the Jamestown Church.

Life in Jamestown was brutal because they were unprepared for the riggers of work and the harsh environment of the New World.  They wanted to go home.  Our young men are pointing to the James River, in hopes of seeing
a British ship to take them away.

After leaving the Jamestown fort, we walked to see the other exhibits:

An Indian hut by Jamestown.  They built wood framed huts and
kepted a smoldering fire in the center of the hut to dry the fish and meat that were stored
on the top portion of the hut.

Tyler learned how to scrape hair off a deer hind with an oyster shell. This is how they made leather.

We learned how to make fire by rubbing a stick on a piece of wood.  I was shocked!
It really worked.

We walked to the waters edge to tour the Susan Constant, God Speed and Discovery; the three
ships the Jamestown settlers used to cross the ocean.

Going onto the Susan Constant, the largest of the three ships.

Cory is in the aft, lower deck.

Michelle and Hannah walking through the midships lower deck.

The settlers had to learn many things, one of them was how to build a canoe for travel.
They had to burn the inside of a cypress tree and carve it out using oyster shells.

We then entered a two thirds scale replica of Jamestown.

This is how the settler would protect the fort.  They, at least, had
modern weapons.

The church at Jamestown would look like this.  They were required to attend the Sunday worship meetings and if they
missed three times, the punishment was dead!  We were all in attendance.

A lunch break of sub sandwiches outside the Jamestown Visitors Center.

Yorktown

This is where a middle class farmer would live.

The farmers house would be one room and contain a bedroom, table, chairs
and fireplace.  No kitchen.

We experienced a cooking demonstration outside.  She was making cheese, but at this
very moment it was more like cottage cheese.

This is inside the cook house where vegetables, fruits and meats
are being hung and dried. 

Time to go to war and win our Independence!  This is the revolutionary
soldiers encampment.

There would be six soldiers to a tent. 

This is medical equipment to treat the sick and wounded.  It looked like something you would
see in Braveheart.

Nick and Cory are consulting with a revolutionary soldier



Part of the Yorktown battlefield.  The British held the ground behind Kayla and her mom.



With the York river flowing behind this site, Nathan and I are standing on the point of land that was the left flank of the British army.  The Revolutionary Army, "...with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets, scaled the parapets and gallantly captured Redoubt No. 10 which formed the estreme left outlying the defense of British and so hastened the surrender of Yorktown..."  By flanking the British, cutting off their retreat and capturing this point of land, the British commander, General Cornwallis was forced to surrender, the Revolutionary War was won and a nation was born.

Group picture on the battlefield.  We won!

After dinner we traveled back to Williamburg to be taught the art of marching and formation and preparing for war.  Eyes forward and mouth closed.  You better know your left side from your right side! 

 I've run out of pictures so it must be time to close.  Until tomorrow - good night.
(PS - I didn't proof read this)