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- In the waning days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his sweetheart.
- This is a 37-minute orientation film, filmed in the spring of 1956, for visitors to historic Colonial Williamsburg, and photographed in the area restored by the Rockefeller Foundation. The plot follows a fictional Virginia planter, John Fry (Jack Lord), who becomes a member of Virginia's House of Burgesses. Through contact with Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and other patriots, he gradually loses his ties with the pro-British faction and casts his lot with the rebels.
- It showed the process it took to write the Constitution of the United States.
- Oney "Ona" Judge was an enslaved servant of George and Martha Washington, and the details of her life and daring escape in 1796 were well-preserved through interviews by abolitionist newspapers later in her life. The Freedom Quest of Oney Judge is a fictionalized account of actual historic events, produced for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Virginia as part of its HERO Live. series. In this three act program, the story begins a decade after Oney's escape, when a smug and supercilious nephew of Martha Washington finds Oney and tries to bully her back to Mount Vernon. The tale proceeds in a series of flashbacks, showing why she decided to attempt escape and how she managed to leave her life of slavery behind. It also chronicles the efforts of President Washington to re-capture Oney years later using maddeningly hush-hush methods in hopes of avoiding public scrutiny and censure. The slave owners are shown as cheerful and insipid, later dismayed that a well-treated slave would repay them with such ingratitude by running away. While she was not physically mistreated, Oney (Mary Carter), like all other slaves, was considered no more than possessions equivalent to, say, livestock or furniture, something Oney feels keenly and resents deeply. But when Oney is sent with the family to Philadelphia, she witnesses a place where Black people live and work as free men and women, a place where there are few slaves and Black children even attend school. A local Black cobbler mentions to Oney that Pennsylvania law says that any slave brought to the state must be freed after six months. Oney, who has been in Pennsylvania for more than two years, realizes the Washingtons have probably been circumventing the law by taking her out of the state every so often, effectively restarting the "six-month clock" each time. Outraged, Oney bides her time until she sees the opportunity to slip away and pursue a new life as a free woman. The quest leads her to freedom, but not to a life of peace, as she must continue to evade her former slave masters and the law, even after she is married and has a child.
- To avoid interference from the royal governor of the colony and his marines, the Second Virginia Convention met in Richmond, Virginia on March 20, 1775 to discuss recent proceedings at the First Continental Congress. The meeting turned into a debate over whether or not to arm the colony to resist British forces whose numbers were steadily increasing in North America. Many members preferred to adopt conciliatory measures, but Patrick Henry delivered an impassioned speech, arguing Virginia needed a "well-regulated militia." It was imperative, he declared, that the colony be prepared to oppose King George III. He ended his oration with the phrase: "Give me liberty or give me death!" This documentary, filmed at site of the original convention, provides the historical context for the debates and recreates the most important speeches delivered during the meeting, concluding with Henry's famous address.
- Ann Ashby tells the story of her life as a free black during the days of slavery. Discover a life delicately balanced between slave and white communities in this poignant reminder of what our freedom really means.
- Take a look at how history is written and reevaluated as new methods of study are introduced. Using the example of Jamestown in 1607, explore the myths and misconceptions of that era: revisit the documents, artifacts, and other evidence through archeology. Learn how every generation sees the evidence in new ways, and how this affects our understanding of the past.
- The revivals of the Great Awakening shook Britain's North American colonies from spiritual slumber during the 1730s-1750s. In Virginia it touched men and women whose spiritual needs had been too long neglected by the legally established Anglican Church. In homes, meeting houses, and in open fields, rich and poor, black and white, men and women mingled to hear emotional messages of a personal God and salvation. The Great Awakening rattled and cracked the foundations of hierarchal authority and official religion from Georgia to New England, reverberating through the decades to the Revolution and the collapse of British rule.
- Learn the story of the biggest turning point in the Revolutionary War. Follow the people who converged on the tiny village of York in October 1781: the military leaders, common soldiers, and civilians whose lives were changed forever by the siege. Join us to learn why Yorktown was the place where American independence was finally secured.
- Backdraft is the story about fire in the 18th century, but more that that, it's the story of how Colonial Williamsburg's historians and historic tradespeople worked together to replicate an 18th century fire engine that can still put out a fire. Consider the threat of fire in a world of wooden buildings, where candles provided light, fireplaces furnished heat, and open stoves were used for cooking. Fire was a danger to everyone. Students learn that it was the duty of every citizen to help fight fires. Students will also learn the scientific principles behind the state of the art 18th century fire engine and how Colonial Williamsburg historians and tradespeople recreated the tools and acquired the skills to build a replica.
- Explore the story of the early days of American westward expansion. Daniel Boone recounts the exciting experiences and unexpected consequences associated with moving west. Learn abut the risks and grueling personal hardships of creating new settlements.
- "Enslaved" traces the origins of the institution of slavery. In the earliest days of colonial America there were no slaves, but the need for labor led the colonists to seek workers anywhere they could be found. At first they used European systems of servitude-apprentices and indentured servants- but those contractual arrangements eventually gave way to a legalized system of slavery. "Enslaved" features a segment on indentured servants and a segment of the Punch case of 1640, in which a black indentured servant ran away with two white indentured servants. The white men were whipped for their crime, but the black man was sentenced to servitude for life. This was the first documented instance of lifetime servitude on the American colonies. The program also traced the legal progression of slavery in colonial America.
- The Bill of Rights protect individual freedoms, but what if the government had too much power and there was no such thing as the Bill of Rights? Explore an alternate reality in which individual rights are limited and life is very different.
- Follow the lives of several journeymen fresh from their apprenticeships in trades and business as they learn how skill and opportunity will impact their careers. Discover which ones will accomplish their dreams of becoming shop masters.
- The April Conspiracy tells the story of confrontations in Spring 1775 that launched the American Revolution.
- Missions to America explores how England, France, and Spain colonized America at Jamestown, in the Great Lakes area, and in the Southwest.
- Join a young merchant apprentice as he learns his lessons in money and accounts. Just as today, everyone in colonial America from gentleman to slave had access to coin, bills, notes, and credit. Discover how the colonial economy worked.
- You've seen their work in every museum- but what do conservators really do? Learn how conservators prevent or slow the damage caused by "agents of destruction." Explore how and why preserving history is important for future generations.
- Bravery. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Women of the Revolution possessed all of these qualities. Explore the excitement, peril, and individual stories of Deborah Sampson, Mary Perth, Martha Washington, and other women, on both sides of the conflict, who proved their mettle in America's war for independence.
- This video tells the story of how Colonial Williamsburg's curators, conservators, archaeologists, and historic tradespeople pooled their expertise to reveal the merits of early Southern furniture and the technical skills of its creators. You will learn how Colonial Williamsburg;s experts traced these objects back to specific sites and sometimes even to individual artisans. You will discover how the use of 18th century techniques gives Colonial Williamsburg's cabinetmakers a special insight into the work of their predecessors. You will come away with a new appreciation for the art and artisans of southern furniture.
- The months of late 1776 were "the times that try men's souls." Join Edward Rutledge, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams as they attend a conference and British admiral Lord Howe, hoping to end the American rebellion peacefully. Discover how the choices of individuals can affect history.