Welcome to Revolution Revisited™, your crash course in the American Revolution. Join us as we dive into the stories of Virginia's rebels, rule breakers, and rabble rousers.

Season Two of Revolution Revisited™ follows the story of the Revolution as the colony moves from protests to open war, from royal authority to self-government, and from loyalty to independence. Across six episodes, hear from historians Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, Sam Florer, Andrew Lawler, Dr. Ashley Spivey, Christina Keyser Vida, Andrew Talkov, and Dr. John Ragosta.

Discover how Washington took command of the Continental Army, how Dunmore’s Proclamation shook the foundations of both slavery and loyalty, and how ordinary Virginians confronted extraordinary choices. Witness the birth of Virginia’s new government, its Declaration of Rights, and the momentous adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and join us for a captivating journey through the American Revolution. Revolution Revisited: Words to Action coming Fall 2025.

Words had turned to action, and revolutionary sentiment simmered amongst Virginians.

In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech provides a preview of the upcoming Season 2, along with a refresher on key points from the previous season.

Inside the Episode:

Before anyone fired a shot in the American Revolution, the colonies were already on edge and Virginia was right in the middle of it. In this bonus episode of Revolution Revisited, we’re dropping into the spring and summer of 1774, a moment when anger at British rule was building fast, but full-blown independence still felt impossible. Our guide is a single letter from Virginia statesman Edmund Pendleton to his friend Joseph Chew. It’s preserved at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, and it captures a snapshot in time when people were fighting with words, not weapons.

Pendleton writes about the chaos in Boston and a fresh round of harsh laws from Parliament. You can feel the colonies starting to come together. In Virginia, lawmakers declared a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer to stand with Boston until Royal Governor Lord Dunmore shut them down. So, the Burgesses met anyway at the Raleigh Tavern and quietly began organizing. From there, everything sped up: Patrick Henry’s “liberty” thundered through the colony, Lexington and Concord erupted, and Dunmore escalated things even more, seizing gunpowder and threatening to arm enslaved Virginians. Debate turned into rebellion.

This one letter also puts real faces to the choices people had to make. Pendleton, careful and cautious at first, would help draft the Virginia Declaration of Rights and steer the new nation’s early steps. Chew, who was friends with Washington and Madison, stayed loyal to the Crown. Their paths remind us the Revolution wasn’t a simple split between patriots and loyalists. It was a personal decision for every colonist.

This episode connects those early cracks in the system to the moment the break finally comes and sets up Season 2, when the fight for liberty moves from letters and taverns to battlefields and declarations.

TIMESTAMPS:

• [00:35] Host Maggie Creech previews Season 2 and introduces a 1774 letter from Edmund Pendleton to Joseph Chew as a lens on pre-revolution tensions.
• [01:10] The Royal Proclamation of 1763 is explained as a key source of colonial frustration and the spark for westward expansion debates.
• [01:45] Pendleton’s letter describes Parliament’s punishment of Boston through the Port Act, seen by Virginians as a direct attack on American rights.
• [02:31] The Boston Tea Party and its consequences unfold as Virginia declares a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer in solidarity with Massachusetts.
• [03:15] Governor Dunmore dissolves the Virginia House of Burgesses, pushing members to meet at the Raleigh Tavern to plan resistance.
• [04:00] The colonies’ first steps toward unity take shape as twelve colonies gather in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress.
• [04:50] Pendleton warns of new conflict in the Ohio Valley, as Lord Dunmore mobilizes militias and clashes erupt with Indigenous nations.
• [05:30] The narrative shifts to spring 1775 when Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech inspires Virginia’s independent militia.
• [06:05] The “shot heard ’round the world” at Lexington and Concord coincides with Dunmore’s seizure of gunpowder and threats to free enslaved people.
• [06:45] Virginia edges from loyalty to revolution as words turn to action and resistance spreads across the colony.
• [07:15] Pendleton’s transformation from cautious loyalist to revolutionary leader contrasts with Chew’s decision to remain faithful to Britain.
• [07:55] Reflection on how patriot and loyalist divisions were more complex than hindsight suggests.
• [08:20] Maggie previews Season 2 topics: the Battle of Great Bridge, Virginia’s evolving identity, and its role in shaping the Declaration of Independence.

The voiceover of Edmund Pendleton's letter in this episode was generated by AI. The content of the transcript itself was not altered.

RELATED CONTENT:

• Virginia Museum of History & Culture
• Revolution Revisited Podcast
• Revolution Revisited Season 1
• Edmund Pendleton

In this bonus episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech and guest Nicole Brown, a doctoral candidate at William and Mary, explore the Williamsburg Bray School's complex legacy in colonial Virginia.

The episode delves into the school's operations from 1760 to 1774, its focus on educating free and enslaved black children, the school's complexities, its role in both perpetuating and challenging racial hierarchies, and the nature of education in 18th-century Virginia. They delve into the curriculum, the students' experiences, and the impact of the school's teachings. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of recognizing and naming the children who attended the school and the role of education in empowering them, despite the school's initial intention to maintain social control. The episode also highlights recent efforts to preserve and disseminate the history of the Bray School through interdisciplinary research and community involvement.

Nicole Brown, PhD Candidate in American Studies at William & Mary

• Nicole Brown is an award-winning author, living history expert, and a PhD Candidate in American Studies at William & Mary. Her ongoing academic research analyzes Black literacy in the Atlantic World via interdisciplinary and descendant-engaged scholarship. Brown’s work as a museum professional has taken her across the globe, presenting on interpretive techniques for “hard” histories at museums and historic sites in the United States. Brown recently co-edited a book entitled The Williamsburg Bray School, 1760-1774: A History Through Records, Reflections, and Rediscovery.

• 00:00 Introduction to Revolution Revisited
• 00:54 The Williamsburg Bray School: An Overview
• 01:55 The Bray Schools Network and Its Origins
• 04:30 Educational Practices and Challenges
• 08:07 Student Experiences and Historical Records
• 15:30 The Impact and Legacy of the Bray School
• 18:33 Modern Research and Public Engagement
• 21:45 Conclusion and Reflections

Revolution Revisited™ is produced by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin. © 2025 Virginia Museum of History & Culture.