Bingo - Let's Learn About Virginia! (WE HAVE A WINNER!)

[salome]

Hope this (bitterly cold!!! ) Monday finds you all well.

Today's numbers are:

9 - Chesapeake Bay



The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary lying inland from the Atlantic Ocean, and surrounded by the North American mainlaind on the west and the Delmarva Peninsula to the east. It is the largest such body in the contiguous US. The northern bay is within Maryland, the southern portion within Virginia. It is a very important feature for the ecology and economy of those two states, as well as others. More than 150 major rivers and streams flow into the bay's 64,299-square-mile drainage basin, which covers six states (New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia), plus all of the District of Columbia.

The bay is approximately 200 miles long from its northern headwaters in the Susquehanna River to its outlet in the Atlantic Ocean. It is 2.8 miles wide at its narrowest, and 30 miles at its widest. Total shoreline including tributaries is 11,684 miles. Average depth is 21 feet, reaching a maximum of 174 feet. The bay is spanned twice; in Maryland by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and in Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel.

The word Chesepiooc is an Algonquin word referring to a village "at a big river." It is the seventh oldest surviving English place-name in te U.S., first applied as "Chesepiook" by explorers heading north from the Roanoke Colony into a Chesepeake tributary in 1585 or 1586. The name might actually have meant something like "great water," or it may have just referred to a village at the bay's mouth.



The Chespeake Bay is home to numerous fauna that either migrate to the bay at some point during the year or live there year round. There are over 300 species of fish and numerous shellfish and crab species. Birds include osprey, great blue heron, bald eagle, and peregrine falcon. Larger fish such as Atlantic sturgeon, as well as varieties of sharks and stingrays visit the bay. Waters of the bay have been regarded as one of the most important nursery areas for sharks along the east coast. Megafaunas such as bull sharks, tiger sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, and basking sharks, as well as manta rays, are also known to visit. Bottlenose dolphins are known to live seasonally/yearly in the bay. There have been (unconfirmed) sightings of humpback whales in recent years; North Atlantic right whale, fin, minke, and sei whales have also been sighted within and vicinity to the bay. The bay is home to a diverse flora, both land and aquatic.

In 1524, Italian explorer Giovanni da Verranazzo, in service of the French crown, sailed past the Chesapeake but did not enter. Spanish explorer Lucas Vasquez de Allyon sent an expedition in 1525 which reached the mouths of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. The arrival of English colonists under Sir Walter Raleigh in the late 16th century to found a colony, latter settled at Roanoke Island, marked the first time that the English approached the gates to the Chesapeake Bay between the capes of Cape Charles and Cape Henry. In 1607, Europeans again entered the Bay. Captain John Smith explored and mapped the bay between 1607 and 1609, resulting in the publication of "A Map of Virginia" in 1612.



The Bay was the site of the Battle of the Chesapeake (also known as the "Battle of the Capes") in 1781 during which the French fleet defeated the Royal Navy in the decisive naval battle of the American Revolutionary War and enabling General George Washington to bottle up the southern British Army of Lord Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown. During the War of 1812, in 1813, British naval forces under command of Admiral George Cockburn raided and plundered several towns on the shores of the Chesapeake.


30 - Yorktown



Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia. It is the county seat of York, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1682. Today it is one of three sites of the Historic Triangle, which also includes Jamestown and Williamsburg, as important colonial-era settlements. It is the eastern terminus of the Colonial Parkway, which connects these locations.

Yorktown, named for the ancient city of York in Yorkshire, Northern England, was founded in 1691 as a port on the York River for English colonists to export tobacco to Europe. The lawyer Thomas Ballard was the principal founder of the city along with Joseph Ring. It was called "York" until after the Revolutionary War, when the name "Yorktown" came into common use. The town reached the height of its development around 1750, when it had 250 to 300 buildings and a population of almost 2,000 people. Yorktown was thought to occupy a strategic location controlling upstream portions of the York River, and its tributaries and their access to the Chesapeake Bay. The population dropped in Yorktown and other areas of the mostly rural peninsula after the state's capital was relocated from Williamsburg to Richmond on the James River in 1780.



The town is most famous as the site of the siege and subsequent surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War in the autumn of 1781. A combined force of American Continental Army troops led by Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau had a decisive victory over the British Army commanded by Cornwallis. The culmination of the Yorktown campaign, the siege proved to be the last major land battle of the Revolutionary War, as the surrender by Cornwallis, and the capture of both him and his army, prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the conflict. The battle boosted faltering American morale and revived French enthusiasm for the war, as well as undermining popular support for the conflict in Great Britain.

During World War I, the federal government acquired about 13,000 acres for development by the US Navy as Mine Depot, Yorktown. This large installation has since expanded and been developed as Naval Weapons Station Yorktown. United States Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown serves as a training school for the US Coast Guard. Relatively close to Yorktown are Camp Peary, the Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding yards and facilities, and Fort Eustis Army base. Other major installments in the area are Naval Station Norfolk and Langley Air Force Base.

[cairee]

none for me today Im at 7/10

[rcperryls]

Got both today. 9/10 of the way there. I love the Chesapeake Bay. The info about it and the Yorktown is great. Thank you!

Carole

[salome]

I missed a day!!! So sorry! Let's just pretend that didn't happen, okay?

Today's numbers are:

8 – Charlottesville



Charlottesville is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county seat of Albemarle County, the city is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area. It is best known as the home to two U.S. Presidents: Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. While both served as Governor of Virginia, they lived in Charlottesville and traveled to and from the capital (Richmond) along the 71-mile historic Three Notch’d Road. Close by is the historical home of a third U.S. President, James Madison, in Orange. It is also known as the home of the University of Virginia which, along with Monticello, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.



Part of the area that became Charlottesville was occupied by a Monacan village called Monasukapanough. An Act of the Assembly of Albemarle County formed Charlottesville in 1762. It was located along a trade route which led from Richmond to the Great Valley. It was named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Convention Army was imprisoned in Charlottesville between 1779 and 1781. One June 3, 1781, Jack Jouett heard the sound of approaching cavalry and spotted the “White Coats,” the British cavalry led by Colonel Banastre Tarleton. Jouett suspected the cavalry was marching to Charlottesville to capture the members of Virginia’s government and knew the legislature was undefended. Jouett quickly mounted his horse and, at about 10 P.M., began the 40-mile ride to Charlottesville. He took the rough backwoods trails because the British were on the main highway. At about 4:30 he arrived at Monticello and awoke Jefferson and is guests to give the warning. Jouett then rode to Swan Tavern, were most legislators were staying. His warning allowed most to escape, however seven were caught.



Charlottesville was spared the brunt of the American Civil War. The only battle to take place there was the Skirmish at Rio Hill. The city was later surrendered by the Mayor and others to spare the town being burnt.

The Charlottesville area was the home of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Monticello is located just a few miles from downtown. Ash Lawn-Highland, the home of James Monroe, is down the road from Monticello. About 25 miles northeast of the city lies the home of James and Dolley Madison, Montpelier. The city also has other attractions and venues. Wine and beer tours, ballooning, hiking, and world-class entertainment perform at the area’s four larger venues. The city is both the launching pad and home of the Dave Matthews Band. Nearby, Shenandoah National Park offers beautiful scenery. Skyline Drive runs the length of the park. The Blue Ridge Parkway, a similar scenic drive that extends south to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, terminates where it turns into Skyline Drive, at the southern entrance of Shenandoah.  

24 – Robert E. Lee



Robert Edward Lee was born at Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The son of Major General Henry Lee III, Governor of Virginia, and his second wife, Anne Hill Carter, Lee’s birthdate has traditionally been recorded as January 19, 1807. One of Lee’s grandparents, Henry Lee I, was a prominent Virginian colonist. Lee’s family is one of Virginia’s first families, originally arriving from England in the early 1600s, from the county of Shropshire. Little is known of Lee as a child. In 1809 his fater was put in debtors prison and soon after his release the family moved to Alexandria, Virginia. In 1812 his father was badly injured in a political riot in Baltimore and traveled to the West Indies. He would never return, dying when Robert was eleven years old. Anne Lee and her six children often paid extended visits to relatives and family friends. Robert attended school at Eastern View, a school for young gentlemen, then at the Alexandria Academy, free for local boys.

Lee entered West Point in the summer of 1825. Cadets were not permitted to leave until they had finished two years of study, and were rarely allowed off the Academy grounds. Lee graduated second in his class and did not incur any demerits during his four-year course of study. In June 1829 Lee was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. After graduation he returned to Virginia to find his mother on her deathbed; she died on July 26, 1829. While at home he apparently courted Mary Custis, and obtained permission to write her before leaving for Georgia. Custis refused Lee the first time he asked to marry her, and she finally accepted him with her father’s consent in September 1830. The two were wed on June 30, 1831. They eventually had seven children, three boys and four girls.

Lee distinguished himself in the Mexican-American War (1846-48). He was one of Winfield Scott’s chief aides in the march from Veracruz to Mexico City. He was instrumental in several American victories through his personal reconnaissance as a staff officer; he found routes of attack that the Mexicans had not defended because they thought the terrain impassable. He was promoted to brevet major after the Battle of Cerro Gordo on April 18, 1847. He received additional brevet promotions to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, but his permanent rank remained Captain of Engineers and would remain a Captain until his transfer to the cavalry in 1855.

In early 1861 Lee privately ridiculed the Confederacy in letters, denouncing secession as “revolution” and a betrayal of the efforts of the founders. Writing to his son, he stated, “I cannot anticipate a greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union.” Lee wanted all peaceful ways of resolving the differences between the North and South to be tried first, and was one of the few to foresee a long and difficult war. He ignored an offer of command from the Confederate States of America. After Lincoln’s call for troops to put down the rebellion, it was obvious that Virginia would quickly secede. On April 18 he was offered a role as major general to command the defense of Washington. Lee replied: “I look upon secession as anarchy. If I owned the four millions of slaves in the South I would sacrifice them all to the Union, but how can I draw my sword upon Virginia, my native state?”



On April 20 Lee resigned from the U.S. Army and took up command of the Virginia state forces on April 23. Upon formation of the Confederate States Army he was named one of its first five full generals. In June of 1862 he assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Early in the war, his men called him “Granny Lee” because of his allegedly timid style of command. Successes in the Peninsula Campaign led to a rapid turnaround of Confederate public opinion. After the Seven Days Battles until the end of the war, Lee’s men called him simply “Marse Robert”, a term of respect and affection. As the South ran out of manpower, the issue of arming the slaves became paramount. In return for this service, slave soldiers and their families would be emancipated. The first units were training as the war ended. Lee abandoned Richmond and retreated west after the successful Union attack on Petersburg on April 2, 1865. He then made an attempt to escape to the southwest and join the Army of Tennessee in North Carolina. However, his forces were soon surrounded and he surrendered them to Grant on April 9, 1865 at the Battle of Appomattox Court House. Lee resisted calls by some to reject surrender, and insisted the war was over, energetically campaigning for inter-sectional reconciliation. “So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that slavery is abolished.”



After the war, Lee was not arrested or punished, but did lose the right to vote as well as some property. Nationally he became an icon of reconciliation between the North and South. He hoped to retire to a farm of his own but was too much of a regional symbol to live in obscurity. He accepted an offer to serve as the president of Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia, and served from October 1865 until his death. Lee was well liked by the students and, to speed up national reconciliation, recruited students from the north and made certain they were well treated on campus and in town.

On September 28, 1870, Lee suffered a stroke. He died two weeks later on October 12, from the effects of pneumonia. He was buried underneath Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University, where his body remains. His beloved horse, Traveller, died in 1871 and was eventually buried outside Lee Chapel.

[fccs]

None for me today but I'm still enjoying all the interesting history and fun facts.

[rcperryls]

None for me today but I'm still enjoying all the interesting history and fun facts.

Me too!!!!!

Carole

ETA: Stay safe and warm as this winter storm moves through Virginia!!

Carole

[salome]

Happy Thursday!

So glad you're enjoying the facts. I must say, compiling these and finding relevant photos, etc. is really fun. I've also managed to tie this into my son's Virginia History curriculum, and he has really gotten into finding videos on YouTube for me to share.

Today's numbers, including my favorite bird, are:

7 – Cardinal



Cardinals are passerine birds found in North and South America. They are robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. Our main focus today, however is the Northern Cardinal. It can be found in southern Canada, throughout the eastern United States from Maine to Texas, and south through Mexico. Its natural habitat is woodlands, gardens, shrublands and swamps.

The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 8.3 inches. It has a distinctive crest on the head and a mask on the face which is black in the male and gray in the female. The male is vibrant red, while the female is a dull reddish olive. They are mainly granivorous, but also feed on insects and fruit. The males are territorial, marking out their territories with song. During courtship the male feeds seed to the female beak to beak.



The common name, as well as the scientific name (Cardinalis cardinalis), refers to the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, who wear distinctive red robes and caps. The term “northern” in the common name refers to its range, as it is the northernmost cardinal species.

The adults weigh from 1.19-2.29 ounces with an average of 1.58 ounces. The male averages slightly larger than the female. Males are a brilliant crimson red color with a black face mask over the eyes, extending to the upper chest. The color becomes duller and darker on the back and wings. The female is fawn, with mostly grayish-brown tones and a slight reddish tint on the wings, the crest, and the tail feathers. The face mask of the female is gray to black and is less defined than that of the male. Both sexes possess prominent raised crests and bright coral-colored beaks.



Pairs mate for life, and stay together year-round. Males sometimes bring nest material to the female, who does most of the building. Cardinals do not usually use their nests more than once. Two to three, or even four, broods are raised each year. The male cares for and feeds each brood as the female incubates the next clutch eggs.



In the United States, the cardinal is the mascot of numerous athletic teams. In professional sports, it is the mascot of MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals and of NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. In college athletics, it is the mascot of many schools. The cardinal is the state bird of seven states, more than any other species: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

A gorgeous video of a pair feeding their brood can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tWLDhJ6mjQ

26 – Square Dancing



A square dance is a dance for four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side. They were first documented in 17th-century England but were also common in France and throughout Europe. The European settlers brought the dance to North America, where it has undergone considerable development. The Western American square dance may be the most widely known form worldwide, possibly due to its association in the 20th century with the romanticized image of the American cowboy. Square dancing is, therefore, strongly associated with the United States. Nineteen states have designated it as their official state dance.



The various square dance movements are based on the steps and figures used in traditional folk dances and social dances from many countries. Some of these include Morris dance, English Country Dance, Caledonians and the quadrille. In most American forms of the dance, the dancers are prompted or cued through a sequence of steps by a caller to the beat of music. The caller may be one of the dancers or musicians, but nowadays is more likely to be on stage, giving full attention to directing the dancers.

Personal note: I once attended a dance at the Governor’s Palace in (you guessed it!) Colonial Williamsburg. While there, I learned the basic steps to and danced a quadrille – with possibly the handsomest gentleman in attendance. I have no videos of this event, but this one is very close to what we did, and brings back good memories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckcvmgsw1zU

For a more recognizable American square dance, there is always this, although I’ve never danced one that ended in quite this way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fstk6DXwNQg

(Signing off from Virginia, where I blissfully await a ton of snow!)

[salome]

None for me today but I'm still enjoying all the interesting history and fun facts.

Me too!!!!!

Carole

ETA: Stay safe and warm as this winter storm moves through Virginia!!

Carole

I'm ready! We're right on the line that divides all snow and snow/sleet/freezing rain, so I hope we get all snow, as I don't want to lose power. But I have plenty of soup, bread is in the oven now, and I have my fingers crossed for a stitching-filled weekend! Along with copious amounts of

[fccs]

The beautiful cardinal moves me to 8/10. I have a friend who has been posting beautiful of the cardinals hanging around her house, and now these beautiful pictures - I am on the hunt for the perfect chart of one or more cardinals. Open to suggestions.

I remember having to take square dancing in junior high school - it was dorky then but I think it would be a lot of fun now.

[salome]

What a weekend!! We were buried under snow, lost power, and then the forum went down!

I saw on another thread that Debby (our beloved fccs) is having troubles accessing the site. So, to maintain fairness, I'll suspend the game just another day, hopefully she'll be able to make it back soon. (I hope this is allowed?)

[fccs]

What a weekend!! We were buried under snow, lost power, and then the forum went down!

I saw on another thread that Debby (our beloved fccs) is having troubles accessing the site. So, to maintain fairness, I'll suspend the game just another day, hopefully she'll be able to make it back soon. (I hope this is allowed?)

Oh my gosh, you are so sweet! I'm baaaaaack!!

[rcperryls]

What a weekend!! We were buried under snow, lost power, and then the forum went down!

I saw on another thread that Debby (our beloved fccs) is having troubles accessing the site. So, to maintain fairness, I'll suspend the game just another day, hopefully she'll be able to make it back soon. (I hope this is allowed?)

The best reward is that both of you are back safely and that you are recovering from the double whammy of blizzard and the DomainLost crisis.

Of course it is allowed and it would be fine with me if you want to wait a few days to make sure that all participants are back.

Carole

[salome]

YAY DEBBY'S BACK!

I'll be back this evening to post today's numbers! Hoping for a check-in from cairee.

Side note: I wrote a novella for today. Also, my 4 year old is depressed because all the snow is gone...

Be back his evening!

[salome]

Good evening, all! Apologies in advance for the length of today's post. Sometime's it's impossible to squeeze 300+ years of history into just a handful of paragraphs.

Today's numbers are:

11 – Chincoteague



Chincoteague is a town on Chincoteague Island in Accomack County, Virginia. Until European settlers possessed the island in the late 17th Century, the Chincoteague Indians used it as a place to gather shellfish, but are not known to have lived there. The island's name derives from those early visitors. By one popular tale, Chincoteague meant "Beautiful land across the water" in their language.

Use of the island by European settlers began in the 17th century when the island was granted to a Virginia colonist. Legal disputes followed and it was not until 1691 that title was determined by the courts. Few people were living on the island by 1700, as it was primarily used as a place to graze livestock. During the American Revolution the islanders supported the new nation's bid for independence. In the Civil War, the islanders supported the Union despite being located in a seceded state, and the war touched Chincoteague only lightly.

Oysters became a major industry for the island in the postwar years, and the island's relative isolation ended in 1876 with the arrival of the railroad across Chincoteague Bay, and the initiation of a steamboat service. Still, Chincoteague was seen as a primitive, backwater place.



In 1925, to raise money for the newly-formed Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, the fire company took over the Chincoteague pony penning, which had been declining. In the pony penning, horses swim across the shallow waters between Assateague and Chincoteague. All the horses are herded into large pens after running through the middle of town. Fifteen thousand people attended the penning and other festivities in 1925, and the proceeds enabled the department to buy a pump truck. Public fascination with the pony swim led to increased attendance in the following years. Except during the war years of 1943 and 1944, the carnival, pony swim and auction have occurred every year since.



Children's author Marguerite Henry came to the island for the summer in 1946, intending to write about the wild horses of Assateague. While there she visited the ranch of a local horse breeder and fell in love with a young filly named Misty. She purchased the horse, on the condition that Misty be sent to her after she was weaned. In 1947 Henry's book, Misty of Chincoteague was published. The book became a best seller. A film based on the book, shot on-location in Chincoteague and on Assateague, was released in 1961, bringing more notoriety to the pony swim and auction. The event now draws from 40,000 to 50,000 spectators annually. As of 2009, the average foal at the auction sold for $1,344. Between 60 and 80 are sold each year; the auction helps keep the herd at a sustainable population of 150. The swim occurs on the last Wednesday in July, with auctions being held on Thursday. On Friday, the remaining ponies swim back to Assateague.




16 – Jamestown



The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English Settlement in the Americas. Established by the Virginia Company of London as James Fort on May 4, 1607, it followed several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Jamestown served as the capital of the colony from 1616 until 1699.

Captain Edward Maria Wingfield selected a piece of land some 40 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean as a prime location for a fortified settlement. It was a defensible strategic point. A curve in the river brought the river channel close to the land, making it navigable and allowing for ships to dock. The best thing about it, from an English point of view, was that it was not inhabited by nearby Virginia Indian tribes, who regarded the area as too poor and remote for agriculture. The island was swampy, isolated, and was plagued by mosquitoes and brackish tidal river water unsuitable for drinking. The settlers arrived too late in the year to get crops planted. Many of the group were gentlemen unused to work, or their manservants, also unaccustomed to the hard labor demanded by the task of carving out a viable colony. In a few months, 80% of the party were dead, and some survivors were deserting to the Indians whose lands they had colonized. There were an estimated 14,000 Native Americans in the region, known as Tsnecommacah., ruled by their paramount chief Wahunsenacawh (remember him? ) The first explorers were welcomed by the Indians with dancing, feasting, and tobacco ceremonies.



Despite the delivery of supplies in 1608 by Captain Christopher Newport, which added to the number of hungry settlers, it seemed certain at the time that without a major relief effort the colony would meet the same fate as earlier failed attempts to settle in North America, the Roanoke Colony and the Popham Colony. Germans who arrived with the second supply, with weapons and equipment, defected to the Powhatans.

In 1609, Christopher Newport set sail with a seven-ship fleet as part of the Third Supply, carrying 214 settlers. In July the fleet ran into a strong storm (likely a hurricane) and the ships were separated. Some of the ships did make it to Jamestown, the leaders and most of the supplies, aboard the Sea Venture, drove onto the reefs of Bermuda, where they were stranded for nine months. The "Starving Time" of 1609-10 set in, with settlers facing starvation for want of additional provisions. Only 60 of the original 214 settlers survived. There is scientific evidence that Jamestown turned to cannibalism during this time. In May of 1610 the ships from Bermuda arrived, and Jamestown was judged to be unviable. The arrival of another relief fleet granted them a reprieve. Settlers, already descending the James river, returned to the colony.

Relations between the colony and the Powhatans quickly deteriorated, eventually leading to conflict. Lord de la Warr, arriving with the relief fleet, proved harsher and more belligerent toward the Indians, his solution being to engage in wars of conquest. In July he gave Chief Powhatan the ultimatum of returning all English subjects and property or facing a war. Powhatan responded by insisting that the English either stay in their fort, or leave Virginia. De la Warr had the hand of a captive cut off and sent him to Powhatan with another ultimatum: Return English subjects and properties, or the neighboring villages would be burned. On August 9, 1610, De la Warr sent 70 men to attack a local tribe's capital, burning the houses and cutting down their cornfields. They killed 65 to 75, and captured one of the wives and her children, all who were killed. The clashes continued until April 1613, when the captured Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan, caused an immediate ceasefire. They finally concluded a peace that was sealed by the marriage of Pocahontas and colonist John Rolfe.

In 1619 the first representative assembly in America convened in the Jamestown Church. Initially only men of English origin were permitted to vote. On June 30, Polish artisans protested and refused to work if not allowed to vote. On July 21, the court granted equal voting rights. Individual land ownership was instituted and the colony divided into four large boroughs, called cities by the colonists. Jamestown was located in James Citie.

The Powhatan Confederacy, led by Chief Opchanacanough, attacked outlying plantations and communities up and down the James River on March 22, 1622, in what became known as the Indian Massacre of 1622. The attack killed over 300 settlers, about a third of the English-speaking population. Jamestown was spared only through a timely warning by a Virginia Indian employee. Of the 6,000 people who came to the settlement between 1608-1624, only 3,400 survived.

In 1624 Virginia became a royal colony. Another large-scale "Indian attack" occurred in 1644. In 1646, Opchanacanough was captured and while in custody an English guard shot and killed him against orders. The Powhatan Confederacy began to decline. Opchanacanough's successor then signed the first peace treaties between the Powhatan Indians and the English. In 1676, Jamestown was burned, eventually to be rebuilt. When the statehouse burned in 1698, legislature temporarily relocated to Middle Plantation, and was able to meet in the new facilities of the College of William and Mary. Rather than rebuild again, the capital of the colony was moved permanently to Middle Plantation in 1699, and the town was soon renamed Williamsburg to honor the reigning monarch, King William III. By the mid-18th century, Jamestown was abandoned and heavily cultivated by the Travis and Ambler families.

During the Civil War, Confederate William Allen occupied Jamestown with troops, intending to blockade the James River and Richmond from the Union Navy. Union Forces captured Yorktown in 1862, with the Battle of Williamsburg being fought the following month. Jamestown and the lower James River were abandoned by the Confederates. Once in Federal hands, Jamestown became a meeting place for runaway slaves. Jamestown was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Barney in 1892, and the following year they donated 22 ½ acres of land, including the 1639 church tower, to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. By this time, erosion from the river had eaten away at the island's western shore. A sea wall was constructed in 1900.

George Craghead Gregory of Richmond was credited with discovering the foundation of the first brick statehouse building, circa 1646, in 1932. Gregory founded the Jamestowne Society. The National Park Service partnered with the Preservation of Virginia, preserved the area and present it to visitors in an educational manner. On June 5, 1935, the national monument was re-designated a national historical park, and became known as the Colonial National Historical Park.



The Jamestown Rediscovery project has been a major archaeological campaign since 1994. The primary goal was to locate remains of the first years of the settlement at Jamestown, especially of the earliest fortified town, and the subsequent growth and development of the area. It had been widely thought that the original site had been lost due to erosion, but the project discovered early colonial artifacts early on. Since it began, the campaign has made many more discoveries including over one million artifacts, and has uncovered much of the original fort, the remains of several houses and wells, a palisade wall line attached to the fort, and graves of several of the early settlers.

Today, Jamestown is home to two heritage tourism sites related to the original fort and town: Historic Jamestowne and the Jamestown Settlement. Historic Jamestowne is administered by Colonial Williamsburg and the National Park Service. Visitors can view the site of the original 1607 James Fort, the 17th-century church tower and the site of the 17th-century town, as well as tour an archaeological museum which contains close to two million artifacts found by Jamestown Rediscovery. Living history ranger tours and archaeological tours are given by the Jamestown Rediscovery staff, and visitors can observe the ongoing archaeological work at the site.



Jamestown Settlement is a living-history park and museum located just over a mile from the original location of the colony. Initially created in 1957, Jamestown Settlement is operated by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. The museum complex features a reconstruction of a Powhatan village, the James Fort as it was circa 1610-1614, and replicas of the three ships that brought the first settlers, the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery.



Queen Elizabeth II visited Jamestown a second time in 2007 (the first was in 1957). Speaking to the Virginia State Assembly, she said: "This 400th anniversary marks the moment to recognize the deep friendship which exists between our two countries. The bonds that draw us together of history, understanding, and warm regard are far stronger than any temporary differences of opinion…. It is one of the most durable international collaborations anywhere in the world, at any time in history. A friendship for which… I have good cause to be thankful. That is a lasting legacy of Jamestown."


(Bonus pic because a: Queen Elizabeth is adorable and, b: I was privileged enough to see her during the state visit, while she was in Williamsburg. As an Anglophile, I was tickled pink to see her in person! Also, this shows that Jamestown is a must-visit place, because even the Queen came!)

Fun fact: When you visit Jamestown Settlement and go tour the ships, you can see up close and personal how cramped everything was. When I visited with my son (he was 2 at the time), the captain's "bunk" on one of the ships was not much larger than a crib. Yes, my son got into the bed. And yes, he may or may not have taken a nap...

I have yet to visit Chincoteague, but one day I shall!

[fccs]

I have yet to visit Chincoteague, but one day I shall!

That sounds like something I would love! So much interesting history today - thanks. Oh, and no matches for me.

[rcperryls]

Haven't read all of the info, but will and will also say I think I have BINGO! pming you now.
Love the

Carole

[salome]

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!

Huge congrats to Carole!! (I've just pmed you!)

I'll post the write ups for the remaining numbers this evening, as I'm just about to walk out the door now. Mainly because I just want to share my pics of Colonial Williamsburg with you all

[rcperryls]

Thank you so much for a fun game! As soon as I think of a good topic I will let y'all know!!

Carole

[fccs]

Congratulations Carole!

[Squirrel]

Wonderful news Carole.


Salome, thank you for a most fabulous tour of your part of that large country, it was great.