History Lesson

Well, we're back from vacation and facing going back to work tomorrow. At least we had a good time and some good relaxation. Here's how it went:
Saturday (the 16th) - catch a flight to Richmond, Virginia; pick up rent car; drive to Hampton - it's farther than I thought and the drivers in Virginia are the worst!
Sunday - we drive to Norfolk and take a 2 hour cruise of the Norfolk Navy base seeing lots of those big Navy ships from supply ships to an aircraft carrier... we then drive to Yorktown for a tour of the Yorktown Battlefield where the Continental Army under George Washington defeated the British Army under Cornwallis - learned some new things about history.
Monday - drove to Jamestown the first English settlement in America (1607); this is a truly fascinating experience to see what the earliest settlers endured.
Tuesday - woke up with a sick tummy but started feeling a little better so we visit the Virginia War Museum. Memorabilia from every conflict the U.S. has been involved in. Pretty good.
Wednesday - spend the day in Colonial Williamsburg. This is excellent! You really get a feel for what life was like in the 18th century!
Thursday - check out of the hotel in Hampton switching the focus from southern to northern Virginia. Visit Appomattox to see the courthouse where Lee surrenders to Grant to end the Civil War. Oops, he didn't surrender at the courthouse but at a private home - the McLean house which is a couple hundred yards from the courthouse. Yep, saw the actual spot where the surrender was signed.... Then, its on to Monticello - home of Thomas Jefferson. Learned several new things on the tour. Interesting how I lacked an understanding of Jefferson's basic history.... Check in to the hotel in Richmond.
Friday - visit Mount Vernon - George Washington's home / plantation. Learned again about my lack of understanding. Fascinating history here too..... Then it's on to the Museum of the Marine Corps. They have a rich history of defending the nation. I'm sure glad that we have the corps. Oohrah!
Saturday - Catch the flight home via Newark. What a sweet place for a layover. :-)

So, what did I learn? Well, the Revolution was started by a bunch of very wealthy guys from very wealthy families who wanted more control. Not much has changed in that regard in the more than 200 years of history since that little conflict! For example, Jefferson inherited a 3,000 acre plantation at the ripe old age of 21. But wait - Washington inherited an 8,000 acre plantation at the age of 22. By todays standards, they were multi-multi millionaires & among the wealthiest in the colonies. Ditto for other patriots like Patrick Henry, etc. Like I said, not much has changed....... I'll post some pictures later.