DURING A PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR
INSTRUCTION AND DELIGHT, YOU WILL:
- Live in the newest Colonial Williamsburg hotel,
nestled on the edge of a pine forest, and enjoy the many charms of
historic Colonial Williamsburg.
- Visit the battlefield at Yorktown in the
company of talented guides and study the siege that extinguished
Britain’s chance of winning the American revolutionary war.
- Attend thought-provoking lectures tracing the
evolving political and philosophical dilemmas faced by leaders on both
sides of the Atlantic and examine the series of events that led to the
declaration of American independence.
- Explore the underlying political, diplomatic, and
constitutional issues of the Revolution and investigate the impact
of the conflict on the society and culture of both America and
Britain.
- Examine the fight for independence with the
author of a military history of the Revolution.
- Consider history’s changing
assessment of the rhetoric and reality of the
American Revolution, and more…
Return to
top
THE PROGRAM
Based at the beautiful Colonial Williamsburg Woodlands
Hotel and Suites, this program is a lively mix of activities.
Interactive classroom sessions and small group discussions with a
talented faculty are complemented by special tours and
opportunities to explore and to relax in beautiful Colonial
Williamsburg. You will receive a special pass that will allow you
to enjoy all the charms and attractions of Colonial Williamsburg's
Historic Area during your stay.
Traveling beyond Colonial Williamsburg, a guided visit
to the Yorktown Battlefield will reveal the stories told by the final
major battle of the American Revolutionary War. This famous battle,
where the world "turned upside down", signaled the end of English rule
over Colonial America and the dawning of a new age.
Before the program begins, you will receive a copy of
War for America – The Fight for Independence 1775-1783 signed by
the author, program faculty member Jeremy Black, program materials,
directions, and comprehensive information that will make it very easy for
you to get to, and enjoy your stay in, Williamsburg.
This is your opportunity to settle comfortably in a
beautiful setting with a superb faculty and interesting companions, and
experience history first hand as you examine new perspectives on the
causes, the course, and the consequences of the American
Revolution.
Join us and discover that, as a participant wrote,
"The University of Virginia American Revolution Seminar offers an
exceptional opportunity to join a talented faculty and interesting
companions in a beautiful and historically rich setting for an unsurpassed
blend of lectures, tours, and stimulating
conversation." Return to
top
WHO SHOULD
ATTEND?
This program is perfect for anyone who enjoys travel
and learning opportunities that provide intellectual stimulation in a
welcoming and congenial environment. The American
Revolution Seminar offers unsurpassed value, rich content, and a history
of exceptional participant satisfaction. At program's end you will leave
Colonial Williamsburg with a valuable new understanding of the many
different events and the extraordinary political, social, cultural, and
military transformations that led to, and flowed from, America's War of
Independence. Return to
top
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG - CRUCIBLE
OF DEMOCRACY
Your home for the program is historic Colonial
Williamsburg, capital of colonial Virginia and crucible of American
democracy. It was here that men like Thomas Jefferson, Patrick
Henry, and George Washington took the first steps toward independence from
Great Britain. Today, the 173-acre Colonial Williamsburg Historic
Area appears as it did on the eve of the American Revolution, bringing the
colonial era to life. You will have time, and a special pass to
the Historic Area, that will allow you to explore and enjoy the many
attractions of Colonial Williamsburg during the
program. Return to
top
GETTING TO WILLIAMSBURG,
VIRGINIA
Williamsburg, Virginia is 150 miles south of Washington,
D.C., midway between Richmond and Virginia Beach on Interstate 64.
Frequent air, rail, and motorcoach connections make it very easy to
travel to Williamsburg.
Richmond
International Airport and Norfolk International Airport
are each less than 50 minutes away and Newport News/Williamsburg International
Airport is 20 minutes from Williamsburg. Shuttle services
provide convenient transportation between these nearby airports and
Williamsburg. Williamsburg is also served by direct AMTRAK rail service from New York,
Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Greyhound/Trailways provides
motorcoach service to Williamsburg from many points.
Before the program begins, you will receive directions
and comprehensive information that will make it very easy for you to get
to, and enjoy your stay in, Colonial Williamsburg. Return to
top
THE PROGRAM FACULTY
INCLUDES
JEREMY
BLACK: Professor of History, University of
Exeter (UK), one of Britain’s most respected historians. Among his
50+ books is War for America – The Fight for Independence
1775-1783.
PETER
ONUF: Thomas Jefferson Foundation Professor
of History in the University of Virginia’s Corcoran Department of
History. His many books include Jefferson’s Empire: The Language
of American Nationalism.
ANDREW
O’SHAUGHNESSY: Saunders Director of the
International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. He is the
author of An Empire Divided: The American Revolution and the British
Caribbean.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Tom Dowd,
Senior Director of Program Development, University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional
Studies Return to
top
PROGRAM
SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
2:00-4:00 pm: Program Check-In
6:15 pm: Opening Reception
7:00 pm: Opening Dinner
8:00 pm:
Session 1: The British Empire on the Eve of the
Revolution
Return to
top
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER
23
9:00 am: Session 2: The Imperial Crisis –
Conflicting Perspectives
10:15 am: Morning
Coffee
10:45 am: Session 3: Antagonists:
British, Patriots, Loyalists
12:00 noon:
Session 4: The American Revolution as Military History
1:00 pm: Lunch
2:30 pm:
Session 5: Thomas Jefferson, Independence, and the Virginia
Constitution
4:00 pm: Session 6:
Colonial Williamsburg Walking Tour
Free
Evening
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER
24
9:00 am: Session 7: Two Georges
10:15 am: Morning Coffee
10:45 am: Session 8: Yorktown: The Climax of the 1781
Campaign
12:00 noon: Lunch
1:30 pm: Session 9: Historic Yorktown Battlefield
Tour
Free Evening
Return to
top
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER
25
9:00 am: Session 10: Race, Slavery, and the
Revolution
10:15 am: Morning Coffee
10:45 am: Session 11: The Revolution That Didn’t
Happen
12:00 noon: Session 12: The
American Revolution and A New World Order
1:00 pm: Lunch
2:30 pm: Session 13:
Summary Views
3:30 pm: Free Time
7:00 pm: Closing Reception &
Dinner
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER
26
Enjoy a leisurely morning. Check out
time is 11:00 am. Return to
top
