WILLIAMSBURG — A new walking tour examining Bacon’s Rebellion will join Jamestown Rediscovery’s annual First Africans Commemoration this year, adding another perspective on the history of Africans in colonial Virginia.
This year’s event will be on Saturday, Aug. 15 at Historic Jamestowne from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
While each commemoration has had a First Africans walking tour, this year’s scheduling adds a second walking tour on Bacon’s Rebellion. Both tours will be led by Jamestown Rediscovery’s Public Historian Mark Summers.
The commemoration has been held since 2017, focusing on the arrival of the first Africans at Jamestown. According to Summers, the reason for the addition of the Bacon’s Rebellion tour is twofold.
“This year is the 350th anniversary of the rebellion,” Summers said. “(The tour) will also provide a more complete picture of the African story.”
The 1676 rebellion, led by Nathaniel Bacon, was largely fought over land access, high taxes and economic issues such as increased tobacco prices. The rebellion collapsed upon Bacon’s death in January 1677.
Summers said the rebellion resulted in legislation designed to further increase the racial divide.
“From a racial perspective, Bacon’s Rebellion is the last time you’ll see poor white and Black unity,” Summers said.
The 2 p.m. tour will include a historical reenactment by Colonial Williamsburg actor-interpreter Stephen Seals, known for his portrayal of Revolutionary War spy James Armistead Lafayette.
Programming also includes a noon performance of “Angela’s Story,” which is about one of the few First Africans whose name was recorded in historical records. Interpreter Valarie Gray Holmes will portray Angela and explore her life before and after she was brought to Jamestown.
Summers noted that the reenactments are vital to telling the First Africans’ stories, especially given how long their stories went unacknowledged.
“The living history performance kind of takes what we know…and personalizes the story,” he said.
He added that the lineup is designed so that each part sets up the next and provides visitors a better understanding of Jamestown’s history.
The schedule also includes an all-day program, “From Fort to Port: Legacies of 1619,” which examines the settlement’s economy, development into a port and the exploitation of the Africans.
The First Africans walking tour will be available daily during the “Fort to Port” exhibit and every Saturday in August.
All events are included with paid admission to Historic Jamestowne. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children. In case of inclement weather, programs will move indoors to the Memorial Church or Archaearium Museum.
