Episode Guide

28. Colonial Idol — Vote for outstanding musical performances in Colonial Idol! This exciting talent showcase features 18th-century music, including Native American songs, military tunes, enslaved people’s work songs, and much more. As the judges deliberate, discover how music can influence individuals, shape public opinion, and even change history.

27. Research Rescue Squad — Someone is stealing books, removing footnotes, and confusing students with false information. Luckily, the Research Rescue Squad will save the day! Join the Squad as they try to defeat the evil mastermind, Dubious Sources, by helping students do solid research using the library, the internet, and museums.

26. The Global Economy — What we think of as the modern global economy is actually centuries old! Join Maggie, an adventurous rat, as she boards ships using international trade routes to make her way home from England to the American colonies. Along the way, discover the inner workings of the eighteenth-century mercantile system.

25. Remember the Ladies — In 1776, Abigail Adams requested that her husband, future president John Adams, “remember the ladies” when establishing the government and laws of the new nation. Examine the roles, responsibilities, and daily activities of early American women.

24. When Freedom Came — Everyone knows Abraham Lincoln freed all the slaves . . . or did he? Freedom came to enslaved people over the course of many months and years — and it arrived in different ways in different places. Discover how enslaved Americans made everyday choices during the Civil War that helped bring about their freedom.

23. War of 1812 — A generation after the Revolution, Americans were once again plunged into war with Great Britain. Why? Join Henry Clay, Tecumseh, Andrew Jackson, James Madison, and others as they struggle to determine what course the United States will take.

22. Harsh World, This World — What was slavery really like for enslaved people and their masters? Traditional proverbs guide students through personal stories, based on primary sources, showing kindness, betrayal, trust, cruelty, and the many emotions that govern complex human relationships.

21. Women of the Revolution — Bravery. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Women of the Revolution possessed all of these qualities. Explore the excitement, peril, and individual stories of Deborah Sampson, Mary Perth, Martha Washington, and other women, on both sides of the conflict, who proved their mettle in America’s war for independence.

20. The Amazing Trade Shop Science Race! — Root for student contestants as they compete to discover the physics, chemistry, and simple machines employed by Colonial Williamsburg’s tradespeople to reconstruct an eighteenth-century coffeehouse. Quirky “Professor Eddie” hosts this engaging science game show!

19. The Bill of Rights — The Bill of Rights protects individual freedoms, but what if the government had too much power and there was no such thing as the Bill of Rights? Explore an alternate reality in which individual rights are limited and life is very different.

18. The Slave Trade — Beginning with the American Revolution, this program explores the U.S. law of 1807 that abolished the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Meet the people who were involved in or influenced by this pivotal legislation: the slaves, plantation owners, slave-ship captains, common seamen, government officials, Navy officers, and anti-slavery activists.

17. The Rights of Youth — Imprisonment, whipping, forced transportation, and even death were some of the punishments that courts sentenced children to in the eighteenth century. Witness how justice was administered at a time when criminal laws and sentencing guidelines made few or no exceptions for children.

16. Westward! — Explore the story of the early days of American westward expansion. Daniel Boone recounts the exciting experiences and unexpected consequences associated with moving west. Learn about the risks and grueling personal hardships of creating new settlements.

15. A More Perfect Union — Witness the conflict and compromise that accompanied the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Join young eighteenth-century observers, unseen by convention delegates, as they travel from state to state tallying the vote. Learn about the ratification process and Americans’ growing interest in their fledgling nation’s new government.

14. The Industrious Tradesmen — Follow the lives of several journeymen fresh from their apprenticeships in trades and business as they learn how skill and opportunity will impact their careers. Discover which ones will achieve their dreams and become masters of their own shops.

13. Treasure Keepers — You’ve seen their work in every museum—but what do conservators really do? Learn how conservators prevent or slow the damage caused by “agents of destruction.” Explore how and why preserving history is important for future generations.

12. No Master Over Me — Ann Ashby tells the story of her life as a free black during the days of slavery. Discover how she and her husband, Matthew, made a life for their family: Matthew purchased his wife and children and had them freed. This is the story of balancing between slave and free communities in this poignant reminder of what our freedom is really worth.

11. For Ready Money — Join a young merchant apprentice as he learns his lessons in money and accounts. Just as today, everyone in colonial America from gentleman to slave had access to coins, bills, notes, and credit. Discover how the colonial economy worked.

10. Founders or Traitors? — The months of late 1776 were “the times that try men’s souls.” Join Edward Rutledge, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams as they attend a conference with British admiral Lord Howe, hoping to end the American rebellion peacefully. Discover the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the risks they took.

9. Emissaries of Peace — During the turbulent era of the French and Indian War, the Cherokee people struggled to preserve their independence. Follow Cherokee leader Ostenaco and Virginian Henry Timberlake on their 1762 journey from Chota (the capital of the Cherokee nation) to Williamsburg and London in search of a lasting peace.

8. Jamestown Unearthed — Take a look at how history is written and reevaluated as new methods of study are introduced. Explore the myths and misconceptions of Jamestown in 1607: revisit the documents, artifacts, and other evidence through archaeology. Learn how every generation sees the evidence in new ways, and how this affects our understanding of the past.

7. Soldier of Liberty — Enlist in the 2nd Virginia Regiment with young recruit Nathaniel Hutcheson and experience the everyday life of a soldier during the American Revolution. March into battle with Nathaniel as he encounters for the first time the noise, confusion, and horror of war.

6. Remember the Ladies — In 1776, Abigail Adams requested that her husband, future president John Adams, “remember the ladies” when establishing the government and laws of the new nation. Examine the roles, responsibilities, and daily activities of early American women.

5. Freedom Bound — Choice, hope, and escape from slavery are highlighted in stories spanning three centuries. Examine the options for slaves willing to risk their lives for freedom. Where could they run? Whom could they trust? Learn how these answers changed over time, from the American colonies? first slave laws to the Underground Railroad before the Civil War.

4. In Pursuit of Science — Enter the exciting world of early American scientists and their discoveries. Follow a young colonial boy in his exploration of science and the world around him. Discover the important scientific exploration that took place in the early years of America.

3. Making History Live — What makes history come alive? Take a behind-the-scenes look at how historical African American character portrayals are created for Colonial Williamsburg?s Historic Area. From research through performance, experienced museum interpreters share their techniques for bringing the past to life.

2. Yorktown — Explore the story of the key turning point in the Revolutionary War. Follow the people who converged on the village of York in October 1781: the military leaders, common soldiers, and civilians whose lives were changed forever by the siege. Learn why Yorktown was the place where American independence was finally secured.

1. The Will of the People — One of the most bitter presidential campaigns in U.S. history is part of a surprising lesson for a 21st-century student. Thomas Jefferson explains how negative campaigning, partisan politics, and contested elections have been part of our political system since the earliest days of the republic.