In Podcast #8 the Virginia Trekkers journeyed to Colonial Williamsburg in the Coastal Plains region of Virginia.  Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia after Jamestown and before Richmond (it was the capital from 1699 to 1780).  Explore the Governor’s Palace where Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry once lived.  Visit Bruton Parish, one of the oldest churches in America, and find out which famous Patriots used to attend there.  See Raleigh’s Tavern, a place of colonial feasting and dancing, but which also became the temporary meeting place of the House of Burgesses.  Take a look at the old Capitol building, and find out how it burned down. Finally, learn about colonial homes, transportation, and how they punished criminals.  Come on!  Let’s go trekkin’! (Trouble viewing the YouTube video? Try Vimeo or direct link).

The capitol building burned down five times.  The first three were in Jamestown and were actually called state houses then.  But after the third one burned down they moved the capital to Williamsburg in 1699.  They didn’t want the new capitol building to burn down so they built it without fireplaces and forbid the use of candles or pipes.  Yet soon people started complaining that it was too damp inside so they build some fireplaces.  And guess what happened... Yep, it burned down!  So they built another one, but then the capital was moved to Richmond in 1780.  The capitol building in Williamsburg was used for different purposes until it burned  again in 1832.  They rebuilt it to look like the original one from the early 1700s (the 4th one).  Let’s hope this one doesn’t burn down! (Facts from Williamsburg website)


Here is a Google map of the places we visited in Williamsburg. Click the colored markers to learn more.

Use the +/- buttons in the bottom right corner to zoom in and out.



This is a 360 view of the reconstructed State Capitol building in Williamsburg.

Click the arrows to take a look around.



This is a 360 view of the Duke of Gloucester Street in Colonial Williamsburg.

Click the arrows to travel up and down the street.

Can you find some of the buildings the Trekkers visited?


Social Studies

K.3 (2015) The student will sequence events in the past and present and begin to recognize that things change over time.


K.4 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to recognize Virginia’s earliest communities by

a. identifying examples of historical events, stories, and legends;

c. recognizing that places change over time;


1.4 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to understand Virginia’s history by

a. identifying and describing important events and locations throughout the early history of the Commonwealth

b. describing how life in various Virginia communities has changed over time;


3.12 (2015) The student will recognize the importance of government in the community, Virginia, and the United States of America by

b) explaining that the basic purposes of government are to make laws, carry out laws, and decide if laws have been broken;


3.9 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to explain the basic structure of the United States government by

c. identifying and describing the three branches of government;


VS.4 (2015) The student will demonstrate an understanding of life in the Virginia colony by

c) explaining the reasons for the relocation of Virginia’s capital from Jamestown to Williamsburg;

d) describing how money, barter, and credit were used; and

e) describing everyday life in colonial Virginia.


VS.4 (2023) The student will apply history and social science skills to understand life in the Virginia colony by

e. explaining the reasons for the relocation of Virginia’s capital from Jamestown to Williamsburg; and

f. describing ways people exchanged goods and services in Colonial Virginia.