Great Hopes – An African-American Journey Day 1 Guided tour of Historic Jamestowne focusing on the arrival of Africans to Virginia in 1619 and the Royal African Company responsible for supplying slaves to Jamestown. Historic Jamestowne offers a wealth of activities for exploring the first permanent English settlement in North America. Tour of Jamestown Settlement focusing on the Africans from the Kongo/Angola region of West Central Africa, their cultural origins, their interactions with the English in Virginia and the 17th- century Virginia culture they helped to create. Day 2 Tour Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, including hands-on experiences at Great Hopes Plantation. The story of Williamsburg’s free and enslaved African-American residents remains an integral part of programming throughout the Historic Area. During your visit, you’ll have an opportunity to interact with free and enslaved Virginians as they debate and discuss the events leading up to American independence. At Great Hopes Plantation, you’ll learn through a hands-on experience how most Virginians lived more than 200 years ago. Enjoy an evening program”African-American Music” at Great Hopes Plantation. Appreciate and understand the music, songs, and dances of the 18th- century African-American community which borrowed from the many cultures of Africa and Europe. Day 3 Shirley Plantation tells the story of the Hill-Carter family, eyewitnesses to 11 generations of American history. To this day, the 11th generation continues to own, operate, and work this grand southern plantation. Enslaved labor played a very important role at Shirley Plantation, and slaves were essential to the plantation system. They tended the fields, harvested the crops, maintained the house, cooked the meals, and provided the majority of skilled labor including carpentry, masonry and blacksmithing.
Last Updated: 6/20/2014 11:20 AM