Williamsburg at War

When one thinks of places most associated with the American Revolution, Boston and Philadelphia naturally come to mind. Both cities witnessed crucial events, from the Boston Tea Party and British occupation to the Continental Congress and Declaration of Independence. After the Revolution, both cities continued to play an important role in the development of the United States. One other city deserves recognition alongside Boston and Philadelphia for its significance in the American Revolution and War for Independence: Williamsburg, Virginia. The capital of Virginia for most of the 18th century, Williamsburg witnessed many crucial events during the Revolution and war. From the Stamp Tax Resolves of 1765, meetings at the Raleigh Tavern in 1769 and 1774, the gunpowder incident and formation of troops in 1775, the unanimous decision of the 5th Virginia Convention to support American independence in May 1776, the steady support of the continental army throughout the war, two brief enemy occupations in 1781, and finally, as a staging area for the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, Williamsburg played a significant role in the Revolution and Revolutionary War. Although the inhabitants of Williamsburg experienced the same challenges and hardships as those in Boston and Philadelphia, the impact of the war on Williamsburg was much different than the other cities. What happened to Williamsburg and its inhabitants during the Revolutionary War is the focus of this book. Readers will discover how Virginia's capital responded and adjusted to the war and how the city was forever changed by it. They will also discover how a wartime decision that seemingly doomed Williamsburg to obscurity and decline, planted the seeds for its future restoration and development into one of the premier historic sites in America. Maps and images, a bibliography, and an index to full-names, places and subjects add to the value of this work.