July and August 1776: The Declaration of Independence Makes Its Way to Virginia
While most Americans know that the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress in July 1776 in Philadelphia, the story about how the news of that momentous event was spread...
July 21, 1620: The Pilgrims Leave Leiden to Start Their Journey to North America
Most Americans know that the first Pilgrims came to North America in 1620 on the Mayflower. But how did the Pilgrims come to be on the Mayflower in the first place, and where did they come from? The...
Prelude to the Declaration of Independence: The 250th Anniversary of the Virginia Declaration of Rights
A man largely forgotten in this season of 250th anniversaries of the Declaration of Independence is George Mason, a Virginia political leader, Founding Father, and most importantly, the author of the...
May 22, 1622: The Jamestowne Colony Is Decimated by an Indian Attack, and Hundreds of Settlers Are Killed or Wounded
March 22, 1622 was a day that was a turning point in the life of the Jamestowne Colony, and perhaps the most tragic day in Jamestowne’s history—the surprise attack on Jamestowne and its...
Remembering Benjamin Harrison
The Harrisons were one of the most prominent Virginia families of the 17th and 18th centuries, including two U.S. Presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901)....
Remembering William Byrd II
In the early years of the Jamestowne Colony, one of the families that became a dynasty of sorts over the course of the next century was the Byrd family. It began with the arrival of William Byrd I in...
Remembering King James I
One of the most important supporters of early American colonization was King James I of England, who died this day on March 27, 1625. We honor him today for all that he did to promote the earliest...
Remembering Samuel Argall
The history of the Jamestowne Colony has largely receded from our national consciousness, replaced by the story of the Pilgrims, the story of the American Revolution, and so forth. This year in...
Remembering George Thorpe
One of the most tragic events at the Jamestowne Colony in its early years was the Massacre of 1622, in which many settlers lost their lives. One of them was George Thorpe, who had worked tirelessly...
Remembering Governor George Yeardley
In the first two decades of the 17th century, the Jamestowne Colony in Virginia was struggling. Settled in 1607, the Colony had experienced Indian attacks, famine, disease, and a host of other...