First capitol building. It would be her from 1704 and finally burning down in 1747, rebuilt by 1753 and use until 1779. It is on this spot that Founding Fathers like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson learned to be representatives of the people. While this building is a story of virginia and its history, it is in a far greater sense the history of the entire United States of america. Its story is part of our common heritage as citizens. This was the first government building ever referred to as a capital. Prior to this in jamestown they call the government building the state house. They lost four statehouses to fire. When they came here to williamsburg in 1699 and this building was built in 1704, it was determined they would use the term capital based on rome. Which they thought was the home of the ancient roman senate. The chamber we are standing in, this is the chamber of the house of burgesses. It was the lower house of the assembly. Just like the house of commons in london this is where all money bills had to originate. During the 18th century there would be to burgesses for every county, one burgess for the college of william and mary, and one for jamestown and williamsburg. And norfolk. This became the centerpiece, the birthplace of the american protest against the stamp act. Before we get into that, let me quickly point out a few things. Not only did you have members of the house sitting here, but the speaker of the house sat in this large ceremonial chair. Up here. This chair is the original speakers chair. Lent to us by the commonwealth of virginia. We know whats here in the first capitol built in 1704 that burnt down in as a reminder of that, 1747. We know the bottom of this chair is slightly charred from when they moved it out during the fire. There was a second Capital Building built on the spot by the 1750s and that building would stay here in use until 1779 when richmond became the capital. However, it would is in sessions like here that they would adopt sundry ideas into law. That process works the same way it does in any State Capitol today. A bill would be introduced. It would be red once and then it would go up to committee. After the committee worked on it came down here in the Committee Version was read. Finally there would be a debate, read a third time, and then they would be voting. It was not just that giving other things would happen. On this spot Patrick Henry introduces his resolutions against the stamp act. Encapsulated in that resolution, not in so many words but there was a clear thought that there could be no taxation without representation. Parliament an attempt to pay for the french and indian war and the increased administrative costs of the new Empire Wanted the american subjects in this colony to pay what they considered to be a fair share of the cost of the war. And administering the huge empire that has been added on. But the americans felt they could not be taxed by a legislature they had no representation in. Mr. Henry introduced his resolutions. As a new member of the house. Of those resolutions, they were introduced when the body met as a whole. But when they met again as the house, only five of his resolutions got past passed. However, the colonial newspapers up and down the east coast were of the mind that all seven had passed and gave them a far greater rivers record reputation of radicalization than they had. He was perhaps the favorite monarch of colonial americans. They kept the portraits of various monarchs here. Here we have king george the second. He was perhaps the favorite monarch of colonial americans because he left the americans alone. His long time on the throne would end up being benign neglect. Opposite is his wife, Queen Caroline who Caroline County was named for. She was popular because she never bothered virginia. It was not only the stamp act that caused problems here but later legislation would also. As a matter of fact during the towns and duty debates townsend duty debates, and during the debates about the boston pork bill, which happened as an answer to the boston tea party, that would lead to this assembly being dismissed by the royal governor. Royal governors had that power at this time. It was determined they had to close the port of boston. They adopted something that seems mild to us, a day of resolution, fasting and prayer. The governor said only the king, the head of the church of england or his representative in the colony could do such a thing. He dismissed the house, which played into the hands of the virginians. Shortly thereafter they pointed out that the house had not passed the fee schedule to allow the courts to meet, or allow the militia to meet. The governor himself deciding he personally had to go out to fight the shawnee, they started meeting as conventions of the people of virginia. The first one would go ahead and send George Washington and Edmund Pendleton and patrick hindery the first continental Patrick Henry to the First Continental Congress where the speaker would be elected as the first president of the continental congress. They would meet as conventions of the people of virginia. The second met in richmond but it would be the fifth Virginia Convention meeting on this spot on may 15, 1776, they would adopt the virginia resolution for independence. That resolution stated the people of virginia were separate and independent of the crown and parliament of great britain. Having dissolved the ties to the old government, they went on to say there must be a new constitution, the first written american constitution written after independence and that if the purpose of government was to ensure rights and liberties they determined they would have to come up with a declaration of rights. That would be the First American bill of rights. That was worked on mainly in committee. I would like to take you upstairs and show you the Committee Rooms where they would work on the virginia declaration of rights. Here we are in one of three Committee Rooms. There were Standing Committees of the house. Where just like today most work goes on in committee. The committee of religion, the committee on trade, proposition and grievances, public claims. And there was also elections and privileges. That committee is one of the most interesting ones because it was in elections and privileges that all the disputed elections would be adjudicated by the house. For anyone who thinks disputed elections are something new to america, they need to check out the records of that particular committee. There were as many disputed elections back then as we have today. But very few elections now end up with fists being thrown. But a Different Committee was the committee i mentioned before, that was used to determine the virginia declaration of rights. A declaration of rights is nothing new. To give you an idea we have a portrait of king william, william the third. Also known as william of orange. He came to the throne during the glorious revolution of 1688. In 1689 it was his opinion that the people of england should be reassured that their rights and privileges will continue and they came up with the english bill of rights of 1689. That served as an example for the virginia declaration of rights of 1776. Both of these were broken into various articles. What is interesting is the english bill of rights contains an article expressly forbidding cruel and unusual punishment. That article appeared almost word for word in the virginia declaration of rights and in the american bill of rights. It passed by the federal government in 1789, 100 years after the english bill of rights was passed. The past is prologue and there is always precedents to be found. Not everything on the virginia declaration of rights was taken from the english bill of rights. For instance, we will step across and see where the upper house met. The upper house with the council of virginia. The council of virginia served a legislative function, being the upper house of the General Assembly, but it was the body of judges of the General Court, our high court, thus fulfilling a judicial function. They were an executive Advisory Committee to the governor, the serving the function like a captain might do today, having an executive function. That body was representative of all three branches. This committee that met here determined there should be a change, a separation of powers, a new novel virginia idea that was decided and adopted right here on this spot in june of 1776. Where we are physically is in the middle bar of the letter h that is shaped by this building. We were on the east side of this building, where the lower house met on the lower floor. This room serves as a bridge in between what could be the peoples side and the kings side. The purpose of this space before the revolution is it was the joint Conference Room where on occasion both houses would appoint members to sit here and hammer out differences between resolutions or acts. Before they could be passed by both houses and signed by the governor. Lets walk through the king side of the building and i will show you where the council met in the 18th century. Follow me please. We are here in the chamber of the council the colony of virginia. This is where there were meetings for various sorts of business. One of the things that happened repeatedly here, independent nations of indians, such as cherokee would come here on diplomatic missions. Hopefully when they came here they were here to present devices like this, a piece built belt determined to show there be a bright and shining chain of friendship between the virginians in the cherokee. Belts like there were kept in this chamber to show there be peace between the cherokee and virginians. It didnt always happen that way but at least at one point there was a hope for peace. However, they would also meet here to discuss other items as well. The 12 counselors were the creme de la creme of local society. They held royal appointments signed by the king himself and they served for life or good behavior. The governor would sit here and the chair much like this, other Council Members would sit either side, and here is where they would pass legislation as the upper house of the assembly. We know during the stamp act crisis members agreed with the lower house. After that every royal governor had standing instructions that any member of the council ever saw fit to go against parliament or the kings instructions, the governor could summarily dismissed them from the council and the governors action will be backed up by the crown. Then he could replace someone who was more compliant. So as virginia moved closer to the resolution, they grew more the revolution, the council, unlike that of the burgesses grew more and more quiet. , just hoping this storm of controversy would pass over them quietly. It didnt happen that way. We also have other things that remind us here. We have portraits of iroquois kings. Its a headman of the iroquois nation who were sent to london in itself to show the royal government in london of the people concerns of the people. Other things that would occur here would be reactions to the lower house deciding to oppose the stamp act. We know the best of library that the best law library that belonged to the government was in this building. As a matter of fact down below i mentioned the day of fasting, humiliation and prayer. We know that Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry lee and others came up into this chamber and borrowed a history book about the british civil wars. One done by a gentleman by the name of rushmore. Russia words. Rushworth. They found one time when parliament declared a day of fasting, resolution and prayer. That would lead to the governor dissolving the house. I therefore dissolve the house of burgesses accordingly. God save the king. That would be the last complete session of the house before the American Revolution. In 1774 no one knew that yet. What became the American Revolution was at that point still a tax protest. We will go downstairs and see where these men met as the high court justices. In the General Court of the colony of virginia. We are now in the General Courtroom. This is where in the 18th century free subjects of his majesty would be tried for various felony crimes. But also the General Court would take care of other issues as well. Will probate of the greatest states would occur here. In addition, this is where virginians came to sue and be sued. Somehow it is those criminal cases that really grabbed our attention. We know for instance one woman who was sent here to virginia as a convict servant. She was tried for theft in england. She was sentenced to die but given the alternative of coming here to virginia and serving as a convict servant for 14 years. During her time here she for some reason ended up murdering her mistress, the wife of the man who owned her 14 years. She was brought here and tried for that murder. She was found guilty and in this courtroom she was sentenced to hang by the neck until she was dead. She was returned to the jail and she spent her last christmas on earth in the cells of our jail waiting for the new year and her eventual execution. But when this court that, met, it is important that the governor himself sat up here as chief magistrate. His counselors sitting to either side. Here they would ensure that his majestys peace when broken was quickly repaired. Earlier in the century there were blackbeard pirates tried here on this spot. 15 were brought here to williamsburg. One was acquitted. One was pardoned. And 13 were hanged. Later on we know that while there were horse thieves and there were murderers who were tried here, as well as women who were accused of killing their bastard children. That was the only time there was no presumption of innocence. Once the virginia declaration of rights was passed the men who set him were no longer part of the administrative or legislative government. The judiciary was separate and independent. What had been the old council of virginia was put into three groups. The justices of the high court. They still kept the name the General Court. Eventually they would finally at add a a chancery court. Then the council of virginia remained the council of state, advising the governor, and then what had been the legislative functions of that body became the senate of virginia, a body that still exists today. In fact, the General Assembly is said to be the oldest continuously englishspeaking legislative body on the planet. I might leave you with the thought that it is our rights as criminals that changed their he very little during the American Revolution. You have the right to a jury trial, right to call witnesses on your behalf and challenge those brought against you. And that worked so well that people were not interested in changing any of that one bit. Although we still argue about the application of all these principles to this day. Thank you for coming to the capital and to colonial williamsburg. We appreciate your time. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] you can watch this and other american artifacts programs by visiting our website, cspan. Org history. All weekend we feature worcester, massachusetts for the womens rights can does convention was held in 1850. We recently visited many sites showcasing the citys history. Learn more about mr. All weekend here on American History tv. It was founded in 1865 150 years ago and founded on the idea of ringing syrian practice together. That is our motto. A Technological University not just about what you learn the classroom but what you do in the laboratory of what you do in the broader world. Robert goddard is the father of modern rocketry. It says that on the sign when you come into worcester, massachusetts. He invented the liquid fueled rocket and proved that such rocket travel is possible. He was truly a visionary and innovator. We hear so much today about visionaries and innovators. He was a visionary and an innovator over 100 years ago. Robert goddard did a lot of experiments in his life he came out of the laboratory and went into the field to test his rockets. He did some of that here in central massachusetts. There is rumored to be a roof that is patched on the campus as a result of one of his experiments. Then he asked he asked we did a lot of experiments in new mexico he got an early grant from the smithsonian to actually going test is technology in the new mexico desert. He went and did a lot of test and had early successes. It really did not live to see the true implementation of his technology for broader use. He died before he knew what he all of spaceas exploration today. Viewed he is also widely as someone whose work is not appreciated during his lifetime. As scientists or engineers, ists something we all fear to not be recognized for what we do while we are living. For me, the greatest example was when his work was first published, the New York Times said this is crazy and will never work. A rocket cannot push against the vacuum of space. They actually printed a retraction during the apollo program. To me, that was a great example of someone who stuck to their guns and really believed in what they were doing even when they were not seeing public acceptance. He is a great role model for going after something you believe in. The wpi classis of our most distinguished alums. One of the best things i love about coming to pastor is Everybody Knows who Robert Goddard was. He was such an important figure in space exploration. Everyone knows him. I worked at Goddard Space Center so everybody in that part of maryland knows who he is. Beyond that, we have lost a little bit of the knowledge of this kind of pioneer. Im sure thats true in other fields. There are probably technological pioneers across the boards names we dont know. Its great to get to look back in history and really learn about these pioneers and understand what drove them. In his case, it was an absolute passion to get the on the earth. He was fascinated by what was out there. Thats the same thing that fascinates me is a space scientist. These looks back connect us through time. Its fascinating. Robert goddard really was an innovator of his time. Today at wpi, we are trying to encourage and educate the next generation of innovators. Todays innovators, we still but we have program fabulous programs and robotics engineering, the first in the country 12 degrees in that area. We have programs in health and biotechnologies and data science so its across the spectrum of science and technology. Goddard didrobert so we are proud to be able to follow in his legacy. Today at wpi, we very connected to space exploration. Where the only university in the country to host a nasa centennial challenge event. We have done it for the past four years and will do it again in 2016. The centennial challenges a prize or teams from all over the world compete to advance technology and if they advance it far enough, they win a prize and could win 1 million and nasa has asked for these teams to work on technologies for rovers for the next generation ones that might go to mars to drive around and retrieve samples. We are the only university to get to host one of these events. We have 25 teams from all over the world that do this. We also have a huge public event which isuched tomorrow a robotic challenge that we have 10,000 people come to the campus and experience the latest and greatest in wpi technology and nasa technology. Anyone out there, welcome them to come to our campus in june for touched tomorrow and experience what its like to see the future. Our cities to the step recently traveled to worcester, massachusetts to learn about its rich history. Learn more about worcester and other stops and out for at www. Cspan. Org cities to her. You are watching American Historys tv all weekend, every weekend on cspan three. Coming up next, the history professor about western history. Its a panel dubbed doing battle with the zombies of western history, they discuss exaggerated or untrue stereotypes that keep popping up and refuse to stay dead. The western part of history associations to t 15 conference in berlin, oregon. Its about an hour and a half. Welcome. Thank you so much for coming in this morning. Rather than sleeping in, you want to see us to do battle with the zombies of history. Format,ightning round which means everyone up here will have five minutes to slay their zombie. We are talking about popular dominant stories told over and over again in western history, even though people know they are not ce