My last two blog posts discussed portions of my family’s summer vacation to Williamsburg, VA. The first blog post discussed our visit to Colonial Williamsburg. My previous blog post discussed a tour of Jamestown Settlement, which was the first half of our second day. This blog post will discuss our afternoon in Yorktown. This Jamestown- Yorktown tour was booked with Viator.
After we ate lunch at the Jamestown Settlement, we got back on the bus and headed to the Yorktown Battlefield. The drive between Jamestown and Yorktown was about 30 mins. Along the route, our tour guide still discussed the impact of the Jamestown settlement, and then transitioned into the 1700s. He explained the lead-up to the American Revolution and the outbreak of the war.
Significance
Yorktown was arguably the most important battle of the American Revolution because it was the last, major climactic battle. After six long years of war, and after a couple of grueling years of fighting in the south, British General Lord Cornwallis decided to take the war from the Carolinas to Virginia. He decided to set up camp at Yorktown along the York River. The combined French and American forces planned to surround the British at Yorktown and cut of their supply along the river. As a result of the naval Battle of the Chesapeake on September 5th, 1781, the French were able to successfully gain control of the York River, cutting off a British escape route. The French and American forces made their way from Rhode Island along the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. After a siege of about three weeks, Lord Cornwallis’s army was forced to surrender on October 19th, 1781.
While smaller battles and skirmishes did take place in the war after Yorktown, this surrender led to peace talks and was the last major battle of the war. The Treaty of Paris would come in 1783, bringing about the official end to the war.
Yorktown Battlefield
When we arrived at Yorktown, we received a bus tour of the battlefield. You could still see the remnants of the trenches that were built as the American and French forces were digging themselves closer and closer to the British stationed in town. The American and French alliance bombarded the town constantly and cut off food and provisions from getting into town. As we were moving throughout the battlefield, I used my Google Maps app to pinpoint exactly where we were in relation to town to get a sense of the exact locations of where the troops were moving on the battlefield.
Redoubts #9 and #10
The bus made its way to Redouts # 9 and #10. These were two smaller fortifications just outside the British inner defenses, designed by the British to defend against French and American forces. When we arrived at the redoubts, we got out of the bus to observe Redoubt #10. Our tour guide explained the significance of the Redoubt. By October 14th, the American and French trench lines were within 150 yards of these two Redoubts. Washington devised a plan in which the French would attack Redoubt #9 and the Americans would attack Redoubt #10. Alexander Hamilton was chosen to lead the offensive in the night against Redoubt #10. The soldiers charged the redoubt with no ammo, just bayonets drawn. This was in order to keep the element of surprise. The American soldiers stormed the redoubt, climbed the abatis, and successfully took Redoubt #10 in brutal hand-to-hand combat in just 10 minutes. The French were also successful in taking Redout #9. Truly a climactic moment of the siege, the British surrendered just 5 days later.
The Moore House
After viewing the redouts, the tour bus then took us to and parked in front of the Moore House, the location where negotiations for surrender took place. The tour guide did a nice job explaining the symbolic significance of the house. It essentially was here, where victory in the American Revolution was secured, confirming American independence.
Yorktown Victory Monument
The tour bus began riding towards town and stopped at the Yorktown Victory Monument, built to commemorate this great victory.
American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
We made our way through town and then over to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, which is run by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, as mentioned in my previous blog post about the Jamestown Settlement. Our tour guide first took us to a statue of George Washington, which formally was exhibited in the U.S. Capitol. We discussed different examples of symbolism within the statue.
We then went into a 4-D experiential theater and watched a 9 minute video called the “Siege of Yorktown.” The screen in the theater surrounds the viewer. The video not only depicts the battle, but explains its significance. The theater fills with smoke at certain scenes and you really feel the wind and the thunder of cannon fire. It was a tremendous 9 minute experience.
At this point in our tour, we had time to travel through the museum at our own pace. The museum takes you through the American Revolution chronologically, from the causes in the beginning of the museum, to the writing of the Constitution at the end. They had a great array of different types of displays including artifacts, primary sources, videos, and pictures that allowed the viewer to be immersed in the conflict.
Living History
After we made our way through the museum, my family went outside to the living-history portion of the museum. Like we experienced in Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, the museum allowed us to go back in time and experience first-hand, what life was like in the late 18th century. First, there was a Continental Army encampment that we walked through.
We then moved onto a living-history farm, as well as other structures. We went to a detached kitchen where my daughter separated peas from a pea pod, and we were taught how the colonials preserved food. We also moved onto a structure that would serve as a living quarters for a middle-class family. To supplement the family income, they weaved clothing from yarn using a loom. My family and I then made our way back to the museum to meet our group and catch the bus back to Williamsburg.
Overview
Having described the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route in previous posts, it was great to see the final destination of that route: Yorktown. I have also loved teaching about the Siege of Yorktown to my classes for so many years. It adds a brand new perspective when you go to the actual location where a great battle took place. I plan to bring my experiences into the classroom when I teach about Colonial America and the American Revolution again this fall. Yorktown was such a significant victory because the war had dragged on for six years up until that point. The Continental Army couldn’t afford to have it drag on much longer. The Declaration of Independence would mean nothing without an American victory in the war, and Yorktown was the victory that secured independence. Seeing the battlefield first-hand was a great experience, and I would highly recommend the museum as well.
As mentioned in my previous post about Jamestown, I would also highly recommend this tour by Viator. You are able to see Jamestown and Yorktown in the span of one day. You could buy tickets to the tour HERE.
Follow my Instagram, Facebook, and X accounts for videos of our time on our trip.
Check out my previous blog posts about: Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown.
The Rest of Our Vacation
I’d also like to add here that our trip did not stop after Jamestown and Yorktown. On the third full day of our trip, we went to Busch Gardens, which was a really great day for the family. We got a little bit of rain in the middle of the day but it cleared up after that. I think because it was a dreary Wednesday, there were essentially no lines and the kids went right on every ride that they wanted. We also went to a couple of shows and ate both lunch and dinner there. We bought tickets that had food included which I would definitely recommend. My 2 year old loved the Sesame Street Portion, but every section of the park had so many great rides for both kids. It’s a park for all ages because besides the kiddy rides, there were also massive roller coasters that my teenage-self would have loved.
On the fourth day of our trip, we went to Virginia Beach, which was also my wife’s birthday. The ride from Williamsburg was about an hour. The weather was not great, threats of rain throughout the day, but not a washout. We walked down on the beach and the kids played on a playground on the sand. For my wife’s birthday, we ate at a great restaurant called Waterman’s Surfside Grille that I would highly recommend if you’re in the area. Our hotel was right on the beach so it was nice to see the sun rise the next morning. The next day, we ate breakfast and then made the 7 hour drive back to New Jersey. We drove over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel for the first time! Overall, it was a great family vacation! I’d recommend this type of trip to people of all ages! Usually our trips include historical portions and fun for the kids. Williamsburg has something to offer for everyone!
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