Virginia
Our trip to Richmond, Yorktown, Williamsburg and Jamestown in October 2019 was a brilliant walk through American history which I fear wouldn't have happened had you not kept nudging me. It's too easy for me to sit back and watch the days flit by, simply clinging to routine. From you at Patrick Henry's church, pictured below, to us standing in an old Presbyterian Meetinghouse in Williamsburg pictured above, to lounging with Martha at Warner Hall, this trip really helped me understand American history better, and gain some perspective for the future.
To me seeing Jamestown felt like such a solemn experience, knowing all the people who suffered so much. Even if it wasn't primarily for religious reasons, I wonder how many people went because they wanted not necessarily money, but more freedom and adventure. The settlement to me is a reminder of how every endeavor starts small and is fraught with unpredictability and challenges.
"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!" said Patrick Henry at the church behind you here in Richmond.
Richmond to me represented the best and worst aspects of American Life, as it was central to both people like Patrick Henry, as well as headquarters of the Confederacy. The tour guide mentioned the President of the Confederacy and his wife were surprised when their own slaves who had been born into slavery snuck away. They couldn't comprehend why anyone wouldn't want to remain in the family as slaves. They were oblivious. I think it's fairly easy for people to be oblivious to things around them, if it is culturally acceptable.
In Richmond, we toured Tredegar Museum on the history of the Civil War, and saw a really interesting exhibit on the history of currency. My favorite part of Richmond however, wasn't the historic aspects at all. It was the walking tour in general, and specifically this plaque to the flower seller, whose booth stood there for half a century. Most of life is about simple people loving and serving one another, like this man did. Visit this link for pictures from Richmond.
This rainy tour of the Yorktown battlefield helped me see how miraculous the United States winning the Civil War was. You can relieve the full tour here.
This was a splendid find you made - Warner Hall. I loved staying in such a historic setting, in addition to it being such a beautiful out-of-the-way locale.