American Girl Felicity comes alive at Colonial Williamsburg!
following article was from Colonial Williamsburg’s great blog: Making History Now
MEET OUR AMERICAN (COVER) GIRLS!
Last week, The Felicity Generation blog post exploded across the internet—Instagram, Facebook, even local online papers picked it up! It just goes to show that something as seemingly simple as a child’s toy can have a major impact on our lives.
Sometimes it’s simply as a lovely memory, but sometimes it is much more—an inspiration, a way to reach across the years, the miles, the cultures and differences, and unite us in a way that is truly magnificent. The outpouring of nostalgia, of reminiscence, celebration, and joy coming through via text in the comments sections, and the photographs of women—of all ages—visiting Colonial Williamsburg, receiving their American Girl Dolls, and learning a bit of history through play was magical.
So naturally, we decided to take it a step further! I won’t write much more, because it’s true what they say—a picture’s worth a thousand words. However, I do want to take a moment to say thank you. To everyone who commented, to everyone who shared the post, to everyone who dug through old boxes of photographs to share with us a memory and beautiful capture of life.
Thank you to every parent, grandparent, and adult who purchased the American Girl doll books or checked them out of the library for a little girl who became inspired to learn more about history—and subsequently about herself. Thank you to every young woman out there who is carefully preserving her treasures to pass along to the next generation. Thank you to the Miss Manderlys and Felicity tour guides, to my colleagues who participated in the post, shared their stories, and still help carry on a shared joy and enthusiasm for learning. Thank you to my parents for indulging my love of history at an abnormally young age and finding ways to make it come alive.
I’d also like to extend a special thank you to the Costume Design Center (more specifically, Tom Hammond), Coach and Livestock (especially Mark Schneider), and Colonial Williamsburg Photographer Darnell Vennie for all their help to make the following possible. And also, for the lovely ladies who got up extra early on a cold Virginia morning to bring grown-up Felicity to life in the Historic Area.
Now, without further Ado…
Meet Felicity The first of the books, introducing the lovely Merriman family, the cruel Jiggy Nye abusing his beautiful horse Penny, prompting a conundrum over fairness and horse theft, and also Ben the apprentice—who, by the way, we are certain fans will agree, ends up becoming Felicity’s husband.
Photograph of Whitney Thornberry, Historic Sites Interpreter
Felicity Learns a Lesson 
In the Second Installment of Felicity’s story, we meet Miss Manderly, the beloved teacher of young girls on how to take tea, dance and be the epitome of a gentlewoman, as well as Elizabeth Cole, Felicity’s best friend and a loyalist, thus sparking the debate over the Tea.
Photograph of Audrey McNeese, Historic Sites Interpreter
Felicity’s Surprise 
A dancing lesson at the Governor’s Palace, a new gown to be made, and a terrible illness befalls Mrs. Merriman, causing Felicity to lose herself in caring for her mother and helping to run the household.
Photograph of Samantha McCarty, Evening Interpreter (she made her gown herself!!)
Happy Birthday, Felicity! 
For Felicity’s tenth birthday, a wonderful surprise is given from her grandfather, but another—far less wonderful—surprise is waiting for the townspeople of Williamsburg in April of 1775, and Felicity must decide between disobeying her parents and alerting the citizens of the city…. see the rest of the photos HERE
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