Colonial Williamsburg gears up for America 250 birthday to remember

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, known as "the birthplace of America," is preparing for large crowds for America 250 celebrations this summer.

"The big event will happen the evening of July 4th, on the Courthouse Green," Robert Currie, Colonial Williamsburg director of entertainment, special events and evening programs, told Fox Digital. "We are expecting the largest crowds for the greatest fireworks show ever produced here in Colonial Williamsburg."

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and George Mason went about their business and frequented taverns here at the time when Williamsburg was a bustling colonial town dreaming of independence from British rule. The whole historic area is now an "open-air museum" for all to enjoy.

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"Williamsburg was a crossroads of early American society, with a wide range of people shaping its history," Colonial Williamsburg historian Peter Inker explained, while giving Fox News a tour of the landmark area. "The city served as Virginia’s political capital, so it hosted debates that would help spark independence. Wealthy planters, merchants and political leaders lived in and around Williamsburg."

"Families like the Randolphs and the Carters wielded immense influence in colonial governance and society," Inker said. "Artisans, blacksmiths, printers, cabinetmakers along with shopkeepers, tavern keepers and laborers formed the economic backbone of the city."

Ordinary residents, along with influential political figures, became known as nation-builders.

"On June 12, 1776, the Fifth Virginia Convention meeting in the capitol adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, largely drafted by George Mason," Inker told Fox News Digital. "This document asserted that all men have inherent rights, including life, liberty and property. It declared that power comes from the people, not the monarchy. And it influenced both the Declaration of Independence, adopted just weeks later, and the U.S. Bill of Rights. Ideas debated and formalized in Williamsburg directly shaped the principles upon which the United States was founded. That’s why it’s called a ‘birthplace of America.’"

But at that time in history, the notion of "liberty for all" did not include everyone. 

"A substantial portion of Williamsburg’s population was enslaved African Americans," Inker explained. "Their labor made the colonial system function here, and today their stories are central to how the site interprets history, highlighting both the realities of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans to the nation’s founding."

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By the time the 20th century rolled around, the once prosperous town had fallen into decline. But Rev. W.A.R. Goodwin, a rector of a local Episcopal church, concocted an idea to preserve and restore the town in the form of a living history museum.

"Colonial Williamsburg was preserved to bring 18th-century America to life and help people understand how the nation was formed, not just through buildings, but through lived experience," Inker said. 

For restoration funds and other crucial support, Goodwin reached out to wealthy philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr.

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"John D, Rockefeller Jr. played a decisive role. Beginning in the 1920s, he quietly financed the restoration effort, providing the vast majority of the funding. The goal was not only to save structures, but to restore the entire colonial capital as an immersive educational environment," Inker told Fox News Digital.

A century later, visitors still flock to Colonial Williamsburg to take a stroll through the charming streets, to chat with locals clad in colonial outfits (known as re-enactors), to enjoy a horse and carriage ride, or perhaps to sit on a bench favored by members of the Pulaski Club. 

"The Pulaski Club, founded in 1779, honors Casimir Pulaski, the Polish nobleman and Revolutionary War hero known as the ‘Father of the American Cavalry.’ It reflects Williamsburg’s long tradition of civic and social associations among gentlemen involved in public life," Inker explained.

Colonial Williamsburg forms part of Virginia’s "historic triangle" along with the colonial communities of Jamestown and Yorktown. Naturally, the United States semi-quincentennial will be celebrated with real pomp here. From a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence to a spectacular fireworks and drone show, Colonial Williamsburg is preparing for a nation’s birthday to remember.

"We’ll have a tremendous amount of historic programming, military reenactments, audiences with our nation builders, costume interpreters on the streets, and all of that will be free and open to the public. Guests can register to get free admission tickets for July 4th and visit all our sites and our world-class museums for free that day," Currie told Fox Digital.