History Comes Alive at Lutheran South

Wednesday afternoon, students and guests at  traveled back in time for a debate between Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson (played by historians Richard Schumann and Bill Barker). The revolutionary politicians touched on a number of issues, including the federal government's role and the appropriate amount of control which it should wield.

The event was put on by the Colonial Williamsburg Educational Outreach.

Students watched as Thomas Jefferson defended the idea of the unification of a federal government able to make laws affecting the whole country, and a unified army capable of offering all of the states equal protection.

Patrick Henry rebuffed these ideas, stating that a small and centralized government would make ruinous treaties, and that their army could at any moment turn on the states' militias. Henry also warned the students about the corruption of power, and advised them to stay diligent and mistrusting of government.

Henry and Jefferson also expertly fielded questions on a variety of topics ranging from speeches and decisions they had made in history, to their personal beliefs and allegiances they held.

Though the debate was set in 1788, Henry and Jefferson repeatedly urged the students to question, check and shape their government in a way that was very real and present.