Friday June 22, 2007
Today we drove to see Yorktown where the final siege of the Revolutionary War took place and British General Cornwallis surrendered. We saw evidence there of the fortification trench lines that both sides had and learned how this fight between the English and the Americans and their ally, France, came about. By the early 1700’s the town of York was a major port, serving Williamsburg, the new capital of Virginia. The streets above the waterfront had stately homes built by the wealthy merchants. Many businesses and taverns were scattered throughout the town. In 1697 the first county court house and Grace Church were constructed. York had become a crowded town with 200 to 250 buildings. It reached its peak in 1750’s when the population became 1,800. The siege of 1781 destroyed so much of the town that by the end of the war there were only about 70 buildings still standing. The 1791 census listed only 861 residents. The town never did regain its prominence and a fire in 1814 destroyed much of the waterfront and many homes and businesses. Then during the civil war Confederate and later Union officers held the town and during that time another fire destroyed much of the town. Some of the buildings and home still stand today and the area is open for visitors to walk through.
Today we drove to see Yorktown where the final siege of the Revolutionary War took place and British General Cornwallis surrendered. We saw evidence there of the fortification trench lines that both sides had and learned how this fight between the English and the Americans and their ally, France, came about. By the early 1700’s the town of York was a major port, serving Williamsburg, the new capital of Virginia. The streets above the waterfront had stately homes built by the wealthy merchants. Many businesses and taverns were scattered throughout the town. In 1697 the first county court house and Grace Church were constructed. York had become a crowded town with 200 to 250 buildings. It reached its peak in 1750’s when the population became 1,800. The siege of 1781 destroyed so much of the town that by the end of the war there were only about 70 buildings still standing. The 1791 census listed only 861 residents. The town never did regain its prominence and a fire in 1814 destroyed much of the waterfront and many homes and businesses. Then during the civil war Confederate and later Union officers held the town and during that time another fire destroyed much of the town. Some of the buildings and home still stand today and the area is open for visitors to walk through.
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