September 26, 2007
‘YORKTOWN VICTORY CELEBRATION’ FEATURES
REVOLUTIONARY WAR RE-ENACTORS, SPECIAL INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS
YORKTOWN, Va. – To mark the 226th anniversary of America’s decisive Revolutionary War victory at Yorktown, the Yorktown Victory Center, a state-operated museum of the American Revolution, will host an encampment of Revolutionary War re-enactors for its “Yorktown Victory Celebration” on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 20 and 21.
America’s evolution from colonial status to nationhood is chronicled at the Yorktown Victory Center through a unique blend of timeline, film, thematic exhibits and outdoor living history. Weekend programs follow Yorktown Day on Friday, Oct. 19, the actual anniversary of the 1781 British surrender to the allied American and French forces led by General George Washington. Events on Oct. 19, co-sponsored by the Yorktown Day Association and the National Park Service, include a parade, patriotic exercises and wreath-laying ceremonies at the Yorktown Victory Monument.
On Oct. 20 and 21 at the Yorktown Victory Center, military re-enactors will demonstrate camp life, military tactics and weaponry. Among the re-enactment units scheduled to participate in the weekend event are the 7th Virginia Regiment, members of the 76th Regiment of Foot, Hessian Regiment von Huyn and Redstone Rangers militia, which will include a military surgeon to discuss how soldiers were treated for injuries and ailments during the war.
Throughout the weekend, visitors to the museum’s re-created Continental Army encampment will be invited to experience Revolutionary War military life firsthand by enrolling in “A School for the Soldier,” offering opportunities to drill with wooden muskets and apply tactical skills in mock combat, as well as learn about soldiers’ provisions, sleeping quarters and medical remedies. “School” sessions will be offered at 10:35 a.m. and 12:35, 1:35 and 4:05 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Artillery demonstrations, held at 11:05 a.m. and 3:05 p.m. each day, will allow visitors to assume roles on a cannon crew in a mock drill.
On Saturday and Sunday, visitors to the museum’s re-created 1780s Tidewater farm can observe open-hearth cooking at 11:35 a.m., learn about the role of tobacco in the colony at 1:05 p.m., and take part in 18th-century games at 4:35 p.m. At 2:35 p.m. each day, “The Price of Liberty” provides insight to the sacrifices and hardships endured by Americans who sought independence, including military and political leaders, soldiers, farmers, merchants, women and slaves. During a militia drill at 3:35 p.m. each day, visitors can experience the colonists’ fight for freedom by training as a member of the citizen militia.
Gallery exhibits and the film “A Time of Revolution” relate the experiences and contributions of a broad representation of Americans at the Siege of Yorktown and of the Revolutionary era, from slaves, farmers and soldiers to military leaders and framers of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. A newly renovated Declaration of Independence Gallery explores the document that articulated radical ideas inspiring decisive action.
“The Legacy of Yorktown: Virginia Beckons” exhibition examines how people from many different cultures, those in Virginia before the 1607 founding of Jamestown and those who arrived later, shaped a new society, with a focus on immigration from 1607 to 1830 and the stimulus created by the founding of the republic. A fiber-optic map in the Converging on Yorktown Gallery details the movement of American, British and French troops that led to the Siege of Yorktown. Exhibits also explore the story of the Betsy and other British ships lost in the York River during the war and highlight Yorktown’s importance as an 18th-century port.
“Yorktown Victory Celebration” is funded in part by the York County Arts Commission.
Participation in event activities is included with Yorktown Victory Center admission of $8.75 for adults and $4.50 for ages 6 through 12. Children under six are admitted free. A combination ticket and annual pass are available with Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia history and culture. Tickets also are available online.
The Yorktown Victory Center, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily year-round, is located on Route 1020 near the Colonial Parkway in Yorktown. For more information, call (888) 593-4682 toll-free or (757) 253-4838.
