Mary tries hard to concentrate on her lessons and chores, but all she can think about is the outcome of the colony’s vote. For if the vote is for independence, her best friend will have to move back to England. How sweet could freedom be if Mary must lose her friend and if Papa must go to war?

Photographed in Colonial Williamsburg, this is a glimpse of a family’s daily life at one of the moments in history that lead to the American Revolution

For more information about Colonial Williamsburg, visit www.history.org