Colonial Williamsburg Quiz

Why was the Raleigh Tavern significant?

• Have a space for social outings

• the only restaurant and bar in Colonial Williamsburg

• Patriots met there behind the Royal Governor's back

• Legislatures met there to discuss bills

Answer explanation

The Raleigh Tavern served as a critical stage for Virginia's political ambitions amid intensifying debate about liberty, ultimately leading to our nation's independence. As you tour this site, you will learn about different perspectives on the extraordinary events that took place here.

How many original 18th century buildings are in Colonial Williamsburg?

• 2

• 50

• 120

• 88

Answer explanation

The Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg stretches over 301 acres, and includes 88 original 18th-century structures. Hundreds of houses, shops and public outbuildings are reconstructed on their original foundations. Some buildings are open to the public, while others are private residences and administrative offices.

What is the purpose of the Governor's Palace?

• Housing for the Royal Governors

• Housing for the Royal Governors AND show off prosperity and wealth

• To house the king when he would visit

• Absolutely no purpose

Answer explanation

The Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia, was the official residence of the royal governors of the Colony of Virginia. It was also a home for two of Virginia's post-colonial governors, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, until the capital was moved to Richmond in 1780, and with it the governor's residence. Also was built to impress visitors with a display of authority and wealth.

Who was Williamsburg named after?

• King William

• King William III

• John Williamsburg

• Royal Governor William Smith

Answer explanation

Colonial leaders petitioned the Virginia Assembly to relocate the capital from Jamestown to Middle Plantation, five miles inland between the James and the York Rivers. The new city was renamed Williamsburg in honor of England's reigning monarch, King William III.

Why was the capital moved from Jamestown to Colonial Williamsburg?

• The king ordered that the capital be moved

• Williamsburg had a prettier town

• Disease was spreading in Jamestown AND the building burned down

• Jamestown had been abandoned

Answer explanation

Jamestown served as Virginia's capital for 92 years. The English colonists finally abandoned it after the State House burned again in 1698. Governor Francis Nicholson and the General Assembly shifted the colonial capital to Middle Plantation and renamed it Williamsburg in 1699. Also, unhealthy living conditions caused diseases, so many people got sick.

True or False: The courthouse in Colonial Williamsburg is the original building

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Constructed in 1771, the Colonial Williamsburg Courthouse is a historic courthouse built in the Georgian-style. Made of red bricks and featuring arched windows, a projected portico and dentil moldings, the courthouse has a one-of-kind style of Georgian architecture. Initially, the courthouse comprised of two distinct court systems, one for the county cases and the other for the city’s. It also served as a hospital after the Battle of Williamsburg. It is also the site where the Declaration of Independence was read aloud by Benjamin Waller when it first arrived in Virginia.

What was the Public Gaol?

• Public pool

• Public restroom

• Public jail

• Public park

Answer explanation

Thieves, enslaved runaways, debtors, and political prisoners once paced the cells of the Public Gaol as they waited to be tried - or hanged. Perhaps its most notorious inmates were several pirates who had served under Blackbeard and were captured with him in 1718.

The Hospital of 1773 was the first to do what?

• Treat BOTH enslaved individuals AND white people

• treat influenza

• only care for patriots

• focus on treating mentally ill patients

Answer explanation

Eastern State Hospital has the honor of being the first public facility in the United States constructed solely for the care and treatment of the mentally ill. In the summer of 1770, Colonial legislators met in Williamsburg, the capital of the Virginia colony, and passed a bill authorizing the construction of a hospital for this purpose. The building was erected on an eight-acre site near the College of William and Mary, and the first patients were admitted on October 12, 1773.

The Hospital provided treatment during the turbulent crises of both the Revolutionary War and the War Between the States.

What does the specialty trade of Cooper consist of?

• farming

• blacksmithing

• copper

• turning thin wood strips into products

Answer explanation

In Colonial times, a cooper was the person who made wooden casks, barrels and other staved containers from timber that was usually heated or steamed so it could be fashioned. It took seven years for an apprentice to learn the craft of coopering.

What was the most common trade in Colonial Williamsburg?

• Carpentry

• Cooper

• shoemaking

• blacksmithing