By Camilla de Koning

In March 2024, I embarked on a journey to Williamsburg, Virginia, to explore the rich historical archives related to the early colonial affiliations of King William III and Queen Mary II and to attend the Lemon Project Symposium. The trip was a pivotal moment in my research journey, offering not only professional growth but also an enriching personal experience.

Williamsburg is a town steeped in the history of the British monarchy, with reminders of King William and Queen Mary at every turn. As the only university in America chartered by the monarchy, William & Mary College holds a unique place in history. Its earliest years were marked by war, strife, fire, and the labor of enslaved individuals.

In my first week I attended the Lemon Project Symposium for three days, which allowed me to hear from and connect with other scholars working on the legacies of slavery in Williamsburg. Doing this granted me new perspectives on my own work, and the current historical debate, as well as yielded great tips from those familiar with the sources on Virginia and the college.

Delving into the archives the following three weeks, I analysed the intricate relationship between the college’s founding and the use of enslaved labor. The ‘plantation’ of Virginia, as it was described then, was a tobacco colony, and to cultivate this tobacco an increasing amount of enslaved people were forcingly brought to the colony. The taxes imposed on tobacco sales, amongst which a penny for every pound sold which was the “royal revenue,” played a crucial role in funding the college after it was chartered in 1693. Yet, the full extent of this connection had not been thoroughly researched.

Following the symposium, I spent three weeks in the archives in Williamsburg and Richmond, supported by the expertise of the historians of the Lemon Project and the archivists.

During my time in the archives, I was able to make scans of approximately 75 inventory numbers, which I will continue to analyze in the coming weeks. Most importantly, these archives contained invaluable correspondence of colonial officials, including unique financial documents. Additionally, I found sources that focused on the colonists themselves, the Indigenous peoples, and the enslaved individuals living in 17th-century Virginia.

However, with a wealth of information at my disposal, I faced the challenge of determining where to focus my attention and how best to incorporate these findings into my thesis. This challenge, presents an exciting opportunity for growth as a researcher as I continue to analyse my source material and work on writing my chapter on William and Mary. It was also a challenge I had to face in the archives themselves, as my time there was limited.

This journey has not only advanced my academic pursuits but has also provided me with a deeper understanding of the complexities of colonial history. It has been a privilege to engage with the history of Williamsburg, followed by visiting archives in New Haven and New York.

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