It was 10 years ago
today, Friday, July 17, 2009, that my parents and I departed for a trip to
Williamsburg, VA. This trip was a true
highlight during that summer, and probably in the course of my whole life. In the midst of challenges I faced at that
time, not the least of which was my transition to college, it was so wonderful
to spend a few days doing something I truly enjoyed, namely in seeing history
come alive. I knew much from my own
studying about the history in places like Jamestown and Williamsburg, which
made it all the more thrilling to see it.
As I reflect back on
that experience, I share from a reflection in the day-by-day account I wrote of
that trip:
I like to think that vacations are life-changing experiences, and this one was certainly no exception, for it offered me some much needed refreshment and a new perspective on America.
This trip, however, may have just stayed an idea in my mind.
Originally, Mom was planning a family trip to the Smoky Mountains in
Tennessee. But then, prompted by a change in circumstances, so Mom asked
me where I wanted to go.
After much consideration
of various locations along the East Coast, I settled upon Williamsburg,
VA. For a long time, I had wanted to go see this preserved colonial-era city,
among many other places that suit an American Revolutionary Era buff like me.
One of the first things
I looked forward to particularly about this trip was that we were to travel to
Virginia by car. I very much looked forward to a road trip, because I
feel that going by car allows a person to really see America while passing
through it, right outside the window, not to mention the opportunity to stop
and visit a place. We didn’t stop at too many places, but there were two places
we stopped that I had been awaited visiting for a long time.
Last time we were
vacationing on the East Coast, I had hoped to stop and visit St. John’s Church
in Richmond, VA, the place where Patrick Henry declared, “Give me Liberty or give
me death!” As it turned out, that day we were in Richmond, we first
visited the Virginia State Capitol, and by the time we got to the church, it
was 4 o’clock, and the site was closed for the day. So I waited for six
years, and finally, this trip afforded me the opportunity to see this place.
Mentioning St. John’s
Church reminds me of one aspect of our trip that I was glad to encounter: so
many friendly people. We met them as servers in restaurants, at the
check-in process at the resort, at the Food Lion grocery store, and at St.
John’s Church. These people were all so helpful, and I was glad we had
the opportunity to have a friendly chat with them, so we could interact as
friends before moving on. (I was
particularly impressed that as we walked into Food Lion, a woman greeted us,
and I couldn’t recall having been greeted upon entering a grocery store.)
We also got to relive
another wonderful place from our 2003 trip: Michie Tavern, near
Charlottesville. This place has some great food, which we thoroughly
enjoyed last time, and enjoyed again this time, in a setting that evokes the 18th-century colonial era.
Another place I finally
got to see was the West Virginia State Capitol. I had hoped to see it on
the way back during our 2003 trip, but while we passed through West Virginia,
it was raining, and I guess I didn’t feel inclined to request stopping, even
though I could see the dome from the interstate. But once again, we
passed by the same route, and I got my chance to see this building, which has
some well-landscaped grounds.
It’s interesting to note
that during our trip, we visited four former or current capital cities, all
within an area that was once within the borders of Virginia: Jamestown,
Williamsburg, Richmond, and Charleston. The whole string of these capital
cities represents a good slice of American history. And the best part of
this trip was actually seeing the history I had heard so much about before come
alive and real before me. Sure, I may know a lot already about the events
that occurred in these places, but it all becomes so much more when I actually
get to see it myself. I was enthralled to walk among the ruins of
Jamestown buildings, and see the restored and preserved Williamsburg buildings.
And being in
Williamsburg offered me a life-changing experience indeed, for it offered me a
refreshingly new perspective on what it means to live in America, the country
whose creation was shaped, in part, by events that occurred in Williamsburg.
One of the things I
learned was about the relationship of religion and government. Back in
the 18th century, under British rule, the
government controlled the church. Thus, a person was required to attend
the Church of England, which was the only officially recognized church in
Britain and its colonies. A person could be fined for not going to attend
services at the Church of England often enough. And the government was
wary of other religious groups. It allowed them to have meetinghouses,
but to keep an eye on these groups, required them to keep their doors unlocked
at all times. The government was especially wary of Roman Catholics, who
regarded the Pope as higher than the King, and to regard anyone higher than the
King was considered treason. (In fact, it was a felony to build a Roman
Catholic Church in the British colony of Virginia.)
Clearly, the founders of
America did not want a nation in which the government regulated how people
practiced religion. They wanted that decision to be left to individuals
themselves. So they gave Americans freedom of religion. Being in
Williamsburg convinced me that this is the purpose of religious freedom.
And it is why I consider it so unfortunate that people today misinterpret
“freedom of religion” as an excuse to suck every single drop of religion out of
public life, when references to religion in public life are definitely not
unconstitutional.
One of the most
enjoyable parts of Historic Williamsburg was seeing history come alive in the
Revolutionary City presentation, an outdoor theater presentation, portraying
scenes related to a particular theme or larger event that took place in
Williamsburg while it was the capital of Virginia. On the day I was there,
the scenes were about the collapse of the royal government in Virginia, from
the years 1774-1776. In the introduction, one of the costumed
interpreters discussed the situation: the British government was imposing more
control over the colonies, mainly in levying more taxes. Some citizens
were outraged about what Britain was doing, and desired to revolt. But it
wasn’t such a black-and-white issue to simply side with the patriots against
the British. To join the patriot cause was treason. Furthermore,
the patriots were turning against a nation that had controlled their land for
over a century, and had provided them with a government, commercial regulation,
a church, and a way of life. Turning against Britain would mean the end
of all that they had known.
Hearing this made me
realize something: The people who supported the patriot cause must have had a
compelling reason to side with the revolt against Britain. They obviously
had much to lose. Something must have compelled the desire in them to
break away from Britain, and form a new nation: a spirit must have compelled
them. And I’m convinced that this same spirit still compels the existence
of this nation today. We must follow this spirit to keep our nation
strong and free.
Indeed, I received a new
perspective on America during my visit to Williamsburg, one that everyone
should experience. I am certainly convinced that Williamsburg is one
place that should be put on the list of places that all Americans should visit.
It makes our very American identity more meaningful to see this place.
A series of plaques on a
footbridge leading from the visitors’ center to the Historic Town area of
Williamsburg take visitors back in time, and then bring them back to the
present America, step by step. The last plaque on the side leading to the
present asked us, citizens and Williamsburg visitors, what difference we’ll
make. I know what difference I’ll make: I will stand up and be a
patriot. I will stand up to make this great nation of America even
better. And I will stand up for freedom of religion, knowing that the
Constitution gives me the freedom to practice religion as I choose. I
will uphold that freedom that the founders determined to be for all Americans.
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