JAMESTOWN-YORKTOWN — The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation has a brand-new exhibition slated to open this week at both the Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, along with a couple of other special programs.
The upcoming exhibition, to open on Nov. 5, is called “Reign & Rebellion,” and focuses on the reign of the Stuarts in the 17th century. More specifically, it focuses on how the era contributed to the early Virginian and American identity in the 18th century and beyond.
“This thought-provoking exhibition will intertwine groundbreaking moments in Virginia’s history, provocative personal stories, and showstopper artifacts that lay the path of Virginia’s road to Revolution. With the approach of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the exploration of the Stuart dynasty through “Reign & Rebellion” has never been more relevant,” according to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
The exhibition will also examine the intersection of the English, Virginia’s Indigenous population, and individuals forcibly brought to the settlement from Africa.
“This convergence during the Stuart era prompted turbulent engagements with ideas about class, religion, the role of government and evolving constructs of race,” Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation said.
The exhibition is broken into two chapters. The Jamestown Settlement exhibition will focus on “how the reign of the Stuarts in the 17th century solidified Virginia’s identity as the Old Dominion, which had lasting impacts not only for the 18th century but for the world we live in today,” while at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, “the exhibition will explore how the legacies of the Stuart era contributed toward Virginia’s distinct American identity, resulting in formerly loyal Cavaliers fighting for independence from Great Britain.”
Some of the artifacts to be featured at the exhibition include The Rolfe Family Bible, a mourning ring of Charles I with a secret message, and both Indigenous and English artifacts that showcase religious and political authority. The exhibitions collectively will feature over 125 artifacts from more than 25 international and national institutions, and private collections. This includes The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Massachusetts Historical Society, Yale Center for British Art, Special Collections Research Center at William & Mary Libraries, and more.
The special exhibition will be included with general admission to Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The prices are $30 for adults and $15 for children between the ages of 6 and 12 with a combination ticket. Residents of James City County, York County, and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, receive free admission.
‘Who Conspires’ — Interactive Escape Room on November 5
The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation announced a group of special programs that complement this special exhibition, including an immersive escape room murder mystery on Nov. 5 at Jamestown Settlement called “Who Conspires.” The special one-night-only event lets guests learn about the real Nov. 5, 1605 gunpowder conspiracy to blow up King James I and the House of Parliament.
Admission to “Who Conspires” is $30 per person. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation says that spaces are “very limited.”
For more information on the Reign & Rebellion Exhibit and the special programs, check out Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation’s official website.
