In April 1775, Royal Governor Lord Dunmore secretly removed gunpowder from Williamsburg’s magazine in the dead of night. The backlash was immediate: armed militias mobilized, angry crowds gathered at the Governor’s Palace, and Dunmore threatened to free enslaved Virginians and burn Williamsburg to the ground.

This episode of Clarissa Explains explores the Gunpowder Incident, the collapse of British authority in Virginia, and the complicated realities of slavery, revolution, and power at the start of the American Revolution.

This episode of Clarissa Explains explores how a tavern became a cradle of revolution in colonial Virginia. Focusing on the Raleigh Tavern, host Clarissa Sanders examines how taverns functioned as vital community hubs where news, ideas, and political resistance spread. The episode traces the tavern’s evolution from a modest 18th-century structure to a central meeting place for influential figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, while also acknowledging the enslaved laborers who sustained its operations.

The Raleigh Tavern emerged as a pivotal site in the growing push for independence. The episode highlights how informal spaces and collective action helped shape revolutionary thought, and serves as a reminder that civic engagement has always been essential to democracy.

Season 2 is here, and we are exploring historic sites in Virginia and their ties to the American Revolution.