Photo by Tom Green for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The Governors Palace at Colonial Williamsburg
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic Response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address from Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area in Virginia.
Williamsburg is about a two-hour, 20-minute drive south of Alexandria and a little under an hour's drive from the Virginia Executive Mansion in Richmond.
“Since the people of the Virginia Colony first gathered to take on the extraordinary task of governing themselves, Williamsburg has served as a testament to the power of ordinary citizens to shape the future of our nation, demand better from our government, and pursue a more perfect union for all,” Spanberger said in a statement. “On Tuesday, I look forward to joining Virginians in this historic place to lay out the next chapter of our story — a clear vision for a stronger, safer, and more affordable future for every American who calls our nation home.”
Also read: Virginia Gov. Spanberger Tapped to Deliver Democratic Response to State of the Union
In 1699, Williamsburg was established as the capital of the Colony of Virginia. It was in Williamsburg on May 15, 1776, that representatives from across Virginia voted for its delegation to Congress to propose independence for all 13 colonies. Less than a month later, on June 12, the same convention of Virginians in Williamsburg adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which would heavily influence the Declaration of Independence and later, the United States Bill of Rights.
Until 1780, Williamsburg served as the political, cultural, and educational center of what was then the most populous and most influential of the American colonies.
She "will join a long line of civic leaders who have appeared on these historic grounds — where 250 years ago, luminaries such as Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Washington and George Mason forged their vision for a free and independent nation," Colonial Williamsburg noted in a statement.
“Civil discourse and debate have been the hallmarks of Williamsburg’s history for more than 250 years,” said Cliff Fleet, president and CEO of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
“As an educational organization dedicated to teaching about America’s founding, Colonial Williamsburg proudly advances this American legacy by encouraging civic engagement and hosting leaders from all sides of the political spectrum. That 100-year tradition continues next week when Gov. Spanberger addresses the nation from Williamsburg, Virginia – where almost exactly 250 years ago, Virginia’s lawmakers voted after years of vigorous debate to propose independence for all 13 colonies to form a new nation."
The Foundation has welcomed U.S. presidents from both political parties throughout its history — from Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan to Presidents Roosevelt and Carter. It has hosted leaders from abroad, from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Chinese President Jiang Zemin. And it has always welcomed Virginia’s governors, most recently Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and now, Gov. Spanberger.
“Colonial Williamsburg engages people of all backgrounds and beliefs in the ongoing work of America’s Founders to build a more perfect Union,” Fleet said. “We invite every American to experience the unique power of Colonial Williamsburg — to walk in the footsteps of our forebears and discover our nation’s history. And to join us in the educational mission that has sustained us for a century, and now guides us into the next: ‘that the future may learn from the past.’”
