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American Ideas: Declaring Independence

May 19, 2012

How does a community decide to rebel against its government? Watch how Williamsburg chose independence in this webcast, hosted and moderated by public radio personality Cathy Lewis. See reenactments from our Revolutionary City program alongside interviews and discussion from historians and interpreters.

Chatroom Archive text

May 17 2012, 2:35 PM

Guest123 (guest): Now that we have freedom what is the biggest challenge the nation faces?

May 19 2012, 8:49 AM

wgw (guest): Patrick Henry what was your motivation to give this speech at this time?

May 19 2012, 11:56 AM

Guest17 (guest): What does the "Declaration of Independence" really mean for the individuals of Williamsburg? How does it effect the merchants, slaves, women?

May 19 2012, 12:41 PM

Diane (guest): Patrick Henry, After your magnificent speech, what was your life like? Were you threatened and were there accolades?

May 19 2012, 2:28 PM

David Marsch: Can't wait for this to start. Loved the one in april!

May 19 2012, 2:33 PM

Guest109 (guest): Mr. Henry, after independence is declared, what will happen to the rights of the people in Virginia, and how will this affect the government?

May 19 2012, 2:36 PM

Guest750 (guest): Did any known Loyalists decide to become Patriots once the Declaration of Independence happened?

May 19 2012, 2:45 PM

Dmminor999: So when I press the play button on the flag it seems to load but then I have a black screen. Is that correct?

May 19 2012, 2:46 PM

wgw (guest): That is correct. We are having technical problems.

May 19 2012, 2:47 PM

Dmminor999: ok thank you.

May 19 2012, 2:47 PM

wgw (guest): We will keep you informed.

May 19 2012, 2:57 PM

ArthurBRadley (guest): What was the occasion of Mr. Henry's famous speech?

May 19 2012, 2:59 PM

wgw (guest): TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: WE ARE DELAYING THE PROGRAM UNTIL 3:05PM. WE ARE WORKING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

May 19 2012, 2:59 PM

Dmminor999: thanks for the update.

May 19 2012, 3:01 PM

Diane (guest): Thank you

May 19 2012, 3:04 PM

Guest451 (guest): Good luck with the tech difficulties...can't wait to see this. Loved April's also! Ali

May 19 2012, 3:04 PM

wgw (guest): WE ARE STILL EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.

May 19 2012, 3:05 PM

wgw (guest): WE ARE BEGINNING THE LIVE SHOW NOW, AND WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED BEFORE LONG. IF SO, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN THE PROGRAM IN PROGRESS. WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED.

May 19 2012, 3:05 PM

Guest272 (guest): I have video, but no sound if that helps

May 19 2012, 3:05 PM

Guest368 (guest): pictures no sound

May 19 2012, 3:05 PM

Guest272 (guest): I have sound

May 19 2012, 3:06 PM

Mary Jo Elliott: I have sound now too!

May 19 2012, 3:06 PM

Dmminor999: Yeah! thanks for fixing!

May 19 2012, 3:06 PM

Erik Johnson: Allright!

May 19 2012, 3:06 PM

wgw (guest): WE ARE LIVE!!!!!!

May 19 2012, 3:06 PM

Guest115 (guest): Thanks for fixing this!

May 19 2012, 3:07 PM

Guest890 (guest): It was worth the wait! Thank you.

May 19 2012, 3:10 PM

Guest380 (guest): Huzzah!

May 19 2012, 3:11 PM

Guest890 (guest): Patrick Henry's words gives me chills.

May 19 2012, 3:12 PM

rHall (guest): Why did Patrick Henry later oppose the Constitution?

May 19 2012, 3:13 PM

Erik Johnson: Mr. Henry, in reference to your illustrative language regarding slavery...what is your opinion of the future of chattel slavery on the Continent?

May 19 2012, 3:14 PM

Diane (guest): Thank you Mr. Henry

May 19 2012, 3:18 PM

David Marsch: does patrick henry feel true liberty was actually achieveable or only some form of comprimise?

May 19 2012, 3:21 PM

wgw (guest): PATRICK HENRY WILL BE LEAVING US SOON AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.

May 19 2012, 3:21 PM

wgw (guest): THE NEXT SEGMENT IS ABOUT LIBERTY TO SLAVES AND GOV. DUNMORE'S PROCLAMATION.

May 19 2012, 3:22 PM

Agent368 (guest): Go Jenny!

May 19 2012, 3:25 PM

Guest660 (guest): I don't know why, but I haven't been able to "get on", no sound, no picture. I downloaded Adobe 10.3 or something like that just now. All I see is the still picture of Patrick Henry and the banner "Live Webcast".

May 19 2012, 3:25 PM

Guest380 (guest): Try quitting and then restarting your browser.

May 19 2012, 3:29 PM

Guest660 (guest): Thanks for the help...I'm on now. Ali

May 19 2012, 3:30 PM

David Marsch: were slaved guaranteed freedom if they made it to the end of the war?

May 19 2012, 3:35 PM

Agent368 (guest): Are the ripples of this enslavement of this group of people still being felt today. If so how are we, as American's dealing with the complexities of our history?

May 19 2012, 3:35 PM

ArthurBRadley (guest): Fanny, did Dunmore' proclamation apply to women or only to men?

May 19 2012, 3:37 PM

wgw (guest): WHEN DOES FREEDOM OF SPEECH INTERFERE WITH THE FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM? COMING UP SHORTLY. PLEASE SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS.

May 19 2012, 3:38 PM

wgw (guest): MEANT FREEDOM!

May 19 2012, 3:38 PM

Guest115 (guest): Thank you to all your living historians/interpreters. They are wonderful!

May 19 2012, 3:38 PM

ArthurBRadley (guest): Greedom made the point more succinctly.

May 19 2012, 3:40 PM

Guest660 (guest): I think I see Gowan Pamphlet in the front row with the black hat. I was able to hear him make a presentation at a Lutheran School in St. Louis last month...it was awesome!

May 19 2012, 3:43 PM

Esther Schleper: I am really enjoying this live connection to one of my favorite places. Thanks.

May 19 2012, 3:45 PM

Guest660 (guest): I agree...it's incredible! Everyone should take their children/grandchildren to get a real taste of American history. And stay in the historic homes if you can...it really adds to the experience! Ali

May 19 2012, 3:46 PM

Margaret Strolle: Yes, it is so great. And it is interesting to see the Rev. City scenes over the internet as opposed to live on the street

May 19 2012, 3:47 PM

Erwin Muilwijk: I just fall in; what's the guy accused of?

May 19 2012, 3:47 PM

Margaret Strolle: Joshua Hardcastle was accused of saying derogatory things about Patriot leaders.

May 19 2012, 3:48 PM

Erwin Muilwijk: That should be a libertey in the land of the free?

May 19 2012, 3:48 PM

Esther Schleper: Tar and feathers, there you go Maggie I got a friend from the Netherlands joining in.

May 19 2012, 3:48 PM

ArthurBRadley (guest): Wasn't Hardcastle unpopular even before this incident? Didn;t hi neighbors standby while hi store burned?

May 19 2012, 3:49 PM

Esther Schleper: Huzzah!! May God Save America!

May 19 2012, 3:49 PM

Guest660 (guest): Welcome, friend from the Netherlands!

May 19 2012, 3:49 PM

Erwin Muilwijk: hi

May 19 2012, 3:49 PM

Agent368 (guest): Speak it Liz!

May 19 2012, 3:49 PM

Erwin Muilwijk: this is fun as a former re-enactor

May 19 2012, 3:50 PM

Margaret Strolle: Was that a interpeter I just saw run past the camera?

May 19 2012, 3:50 PM

Guest272 (guest): It was Innes

May 19 2012, 3:50 PM

Esther Schleper: Bit different time in history than you usually find yourself in. I hope you enjoy this.

May 19 2012, 3:51 PM

Lynn Schrader Doiron: I love this !!

May 19 2012, 3:52 PM

Erwin Muilwijk: This isn't that different to European Napoleonic rule,or any later revolutionary conduct

May 19 2012, 3:54 PM

Erwin Muilwijk: Loyalist or patriot, without offending US citizens, had a real different and interesting aspect from 1789-1815 in Europe

May 19 2012, 3:56 PM

Margaret Strolle: For the Panel, what presence did Loyalists have in Williamsburg? Did many stay during the Revolution or did many flee to Britain like John Randolph's family did?

May 19 2012, 3:58 PM

Esther Schleper: Good question Maggie.

May 19 2012, 3:58 PM

ArthurBRadley (guest): Any of them g to Stuttgart?

May 19 2012, 3:58 PM

Erwin Muilwijk: To Britain, or Canada?

May 19 2012, 3:59 PM

Guest660 (guest): It IS Gowen!

May 19 2012, 3:59 PM

Margaret Strolle: little late though.The focus is the Declaration now.

May 19 2012, 3:59 PM

wgw (guest): WE WILL BE STAYING WITH THIS PROGRAM UNTIL ITS END IN ABOUT 5 MINUTEES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.

May 19 2012, 3:59 PM

Guest660 (guest): Thanks so much to all of YOU!

May 19 2012, 4:00 PM

David Marsch: when is the next presentation from wiliamsburg?

May 19 2012, 4:00 PM

Margaret Strolle: I think July maybe

May 19 2012, 4:00 PM

cwconnect: June 21, 2012, 7:00 p.m. EDT.

May 19 2012, 4:01 PM

David Marsch: ok thanks

May 19 2012, 4:01 PM

Margaret Strolle: And then there is one having to do with elections in the fall

May 19 2012, 4:01 PM

Guest272 (guest): What is the one in June about?

May 19 2012, 4:01 PM

Guest660 (guest): Huzzah!

May 19 2012, 4:02 PM

wgw (guest): JUNE 21ST 7PM THOMAS JEFFERSON, JOHN ADAMS AND MERCEY OTIS WARREN LIVE FROM OUR STUDIO.

May 19 2012, 4:02 PM

Guest660 (guest): That should be great! How many years has Bill played TJ?

May 19 2012, 4:03 PM

Margaret Strolle: 18 for CW and about 30 total

May 19 2012, 4:03 PM

wgw (guest): CONTENT--WHAT WERE THE FOUNDERS THINKING ABOUT THE DECLARATION. ALL THREE WILL BE REFLECTING BACK FROM 1801. WE PLAN TO COVER THE WRITING OF THE DECLARATION AND THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC.

May 19 2012, 4:03 PM

Diane (guest): Makes me grateful I contribute to Colonial Williamsburg. Well done.

May 19 2012, 4:03 PM

Guest272 (guest): Thanks

May 19 2012, 4:03 PM

Guest115 (guest): Fantastic! Thank you!

May 19 2012, 4:03 PM

Guest660 (guest): I agree...let's all dig a little deeper in our pockets to keep things like this going!

May 19 2012, 4:04 PM

cwconnect: Thanks for the great discussion. We will host another live webcast June 21, 2012, 7:00 p.m. EDT. Subscribe today and receive an email reminder about the June webcast.

May 19 2012, 4:04 PM

Katie March: Great job! Very interesting

May 19 2012, 4:04 PM

Esther Schleper: Will be back, thanks for the broadcast.

May 19 2012, 4:04 PM

Erik Johnson: Thank you everyone! Fantastic Job. I'll be sharing the archives with my students. Well done and thanks again.

May 19 2012, 4:04 PM

cwconnect: We’ll be posting the archive video later this week. Please check back and thanks again for your participation.

May 19 2012, 4:04 PM

Dmminor999: so enjoyable! Thanks for doing this!

May 19 2012, 4:04 PM

Diane (guest): Thanks from the heart of Texas

May 19 2012, 4:04 PM

Guest528 (guest): Thank you for another excellent webcast. I will definitely be using these achived episodes with my students.

May 19 2012, 4:06 PM

Guest660 (guest): Again I say: GO THERE with your children and grandchildren!

May 19 2012, 4:07 PM

Esther Schleper: Fully agree!

May 19 2012, 4:07 PM

Esther Schleper: Colonial Williamsburg is a great experience for all ages.

May 19 2012, 4:07 PM

Esther Schleper: And all nationalities.

May 19 2012, 4:08 PM

Guest660 (guest): A couple of years ago, on a visit to CW, our 10 year old grandson followed one of the male slaves who had just performed in Rev. City to assure him he would someday be free. The young man turned, jumped in the air, and said, "I TOLD that woman (his wife, I think) I TOLD her it meant us too...we're going to be free!" And he skipped off down the street. It was amazing!