Common Sense: The Virginia Declaration of Rights

Program Type:

History, Lecture

Age Group:

Adults
  • Registration is required for this event.
  • Registration will open on March 30, 2026 @ 10:00am.
  • This event is for registrants age 18 and above.

Event Details

Join us for an exploration of the writings of Thomas Paine and the composing of the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776. Thomas Paine wrote, "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances have, and will arise, which are not local, but universal." This inspiring participatory event engages the audience with music and living history as it offers a unique picture into the elements of our shared colonial history. 

Presented by 1781 Foundation, Shapes of Our Past, and VA250.

Presenter Bios 
Bill Rose was born and raised in historic central Virginia and graduated from Thomas Dale High School in Chesterfield County in 1988. He has been a professional historical interpreter for the last 30 years at Colonial Williamsburg, and is certified by the National Association of Interpreters. He has created numerous programs and tours during his career and specializes in Character Interpretation. (CI work consists of researching and assuming the personas of various historical figures and directly interacting with the audience.) Bill and his wife Lee Ann are co-owners of SHADES OF OUR PAST, LLC since 2016. Together, they provide historical characters, programs from America's Founding through World War 2. The Roses also offer professional consultation in the field of Historical Interpretation.

Michael Pfeifer is a historian from Williamsburg, Virginia. Originally from Illinois, Pfeifer first caught the “history bug” on a family vacation to Colonial Williamsburg in 1974. After studying education and US history, his career in museums and historic interpretation began at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. He moved to Virginia in 2004 to take a position as a Historic Interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Pfeifer and his wife, Heather, are both employed as Historical Interpreters for Shades Of Our Past, LLC. He is concerned with the continuous, methodical research and interpretation of past places, people, and events of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. He has been an English Civil War and
American Civil War reenactor for 48 years.