Dressing the Past: Historical Reenactors & Exploring American Identity Through Costume
The periods of the American Revolution and the Civil War remain topics of pride and contention, subjects of popular writing, and inspiration for costumed performance. In 18th-century garments at Colonial Williamsburg and in 19th-century uniforms on Civil War battlefields, modern Americans celebrate the nation's history, and at the same time take the opportunity to air their political and cultural opinions while exploring significant aspects of their identities. Their costumes, differing from their daily dress, help them fulfill personal desires while they join with others in collective public performance.
Speaker Biography: Pravina Shukla is an associate professor of folklore and ethnomusicology at Indiana University. Shukla received her B.A. in anthropology from the University of California Berkeley, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in folklore and mythology with a minor in art history from UCLA. Her research interests are wide ranging, but she is best known for her studies of material culture, specifically dress and costume, folk art, museum studies and foodways in India, Brazil and the United States. She is the author of The Grace of Four Moons: Dress, Adornment and the Art of the Body in Modern India.
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The House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America. Its first meeting was held in Jamestown, Virginia, on July 30, 1619.
The word Burgess means an elected or appointed official of a municipality, or the representative of a borough in the English House of Commons.
In the 1610s, the Virginia Company of London ended monopoly on land ownership, believing that the colonists would display greater initiative if they could gain ownership of land. The changes encouraged private investment from the colony's settlers, which allowed them to own land rather than simply being sharecroppers. The company designed four large corporations, termed cities [sic], to encompass the developed portion of the colony. Company officials adopted English Common Law as the basis of their system in the Virginia colony, replacing the governor as the final voice on legal matters.
The House of Burgesses consisted of delegates elected by the colonists, and these delegates would meet annually at Jamestown. (In Bermuda, previously part of Virginia, the House of Assembly was created that same year).
Prompted by the Virginia Company, colonial governor Sir George Yeardley helped facilitate elections of Burgesses to this new legislative body, and these elections would[clarification needed] come from eleven boroughs adjacent to the James River along with eleven additional burgesses.
The House's first session of July 30, 1619, accomplished little. It was cut short by an outbreak of malaria. The assembly had 22 members from the following constituencies:
The colony's governor, appointed in London,
The governor's council, a group of six citizens selected by the governor,
The burgesses from various locales, initially larger plantations; counties were included later.
White men over the age of 17 who owned land were eligible to vote.The House was also called the Virgina House of London.
In 1769 the Virginia House of Burgesses passed resolutions (Virginia's Resolutions) condemning Britain's stationing troops in Boston following the Massachusetts Circular Letter of the previous year. They stated that only Virginia's governor and legislature could tax its citizens. The members also drafted a formal letter to the King, completing it just before the legislature was dissolved by Virginia's royal governor.[4] On a less political note among Burgess members, the House of Burgesses passed a series of non-importation agreements as a way of speeding economic recovery and opposing the Townshend Acts.
In 1774 the First Continental Congress passed their Declaration and Resolves, which inter alia claimed that American colonists were equal to all other British citizens, protested taxation without representation, and stated that, without colonial representation in Parliament, Parliament could not tax colonists.
[edit] Meeting placesIn 1699, the seat of the House of Burgesses was moved from Jamestown to Middle Plantation, soon renamed Williamsburg, in honor of King William III. The Burgesses met there in two consecutive Capitol buildings (the first use of the word in the English Colonies). The present Capitol at Colonial Williamsburg is a reconstruction of the earlier of the two lost buildings.
In 1779, and effective in April 1780, , the House of Delegates moved the capital city to Richmond during the American Revolutionary War for safety reasons.
[edit] LegacyThe Assembly became the Virginia House of Delegates in 1776, forming the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative branch of the Commonwealth (State) of Virginia.
In honor of the original House of Burgesses, every other year, the Virginia General Assembly traditionally leaves the current Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, and meets for one day in the restored Capitol at Colonial Williamsburg.
In 2006, the Assembly held a special session at Jamestown to mark the 400th anniversary of its founding as part of the Jamestown 2007 celebration.
Text Source: wikipedia.org
GPS Address: Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center
310 S England St Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(757) 220-7600
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Midwinter Mischief
After a successful run last year, Midwinter Mischief returns to Old Sturbridge Village this January and February! Midwinter Mischief combines theatrical storytelling, historical interpretation and period dining to offer guests a daytime winter adventure…
Imagine the tale of a Yankee peddler passing through the village who decides to settle down at the Bullard Tavern on a cold winter's night. There the peddler spends every dollar he has earned on food and drink, racking up a tab far beyond his means. After being confronted over his debt, the peddler fills up his cup with ashes from the hearth and promises the tavern owner that he will return with a cup overflowing of gold. From the Bullard Tavern, costumed storytellers, artisans, and villagers will entice tavern guests to wander deep into the village where they will find evidence of the peddler’s adventures and schemes.
Admission to a Midwinter Mischief includes the two-hour outdoor/indoor experience and a period-inspired meal in the Village’s Bullard Tavern where guests can enjoy live music, demonstrations, and a cash bar featuring hot beverages and 1830s-inspired libations. Each day, the first experience departs the Visitor Center at 9:00 am and the last at 3:00 pm, with experiences beginning every 20 minutes (except for noon and 12:20). After your adventure, you will be led to the Bullard Tavern Great Room where you can enjoy your inclusive hearty soup or stew meal (soup options include Beef Stew (gluten-free), Tomato Vegetable (gluten-free and vegan), and New England Clam Chowder.
Midwinter Mischief was written and directed by P.J. Griffith.
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After visiting the Sedona area, we wanted to move closer to the Grand Canyon! Neither of us had been to the Grand Canyon before and it was one of the first things we put on our must-see list once we knew we were going to do this RV thing!
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For this leg of our journey, we decided to stay at Railside RV Ranch ( which, you guessed it, is right beside the railway line that runs from Williams to the Grand Canyon. Luckily, that railway is strictly a passenger line and doesn't run late at night like the one in Williamsburg!
Williams is a very cool little town right along historic Route 66. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and breweries and, of course, we frequented a bit of each.
The highlight of this location was obviously the grand canyon! We checked it out by truck, motorcycle, and HELICOPTER!
Since the day we started planning our adventures out west, we knew we wanted to take some kind of air tour of the Grand Canyon. Since our visit to the area happened to coincide with Tara's birthday, that seemed like the perfect time! I took a seaplane ride to the Dry Tortugas on my birthday, so fair is fair! ????
We picked Maverick Helicopter because that's just a really cool name (and they had great reviews)! ????
They are big helicopters, holding about 8 people each with great views in both the front and back seat. Luckily, we got a front seat! The tour takes off from Grand Canyon National Park Airport just inside the park on route 64. The first few minutes are fairly uneventful while flying over the forest. Forest...forest...forest... BAM!! The bottom of the world just drops out leaving us thousands of feet over the canyon! That was AMAZING! The entire flight, we were completely overwhelmed with spectacular views in every direction! There's just not much I can do to explain it in words. Good thing this is a video post! ????
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Williams and the Grand Canyon.
Next up in our travels, we have our first long term true boondocking stay on Lone Rock Beach in Utah! Stay tuned! ????
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