Virginia
Updated:
Original:

Virginia

Author:

One of the 13 original colonies, Virginia was the first part of the country permanently settled by the English, who established Jamestown on the banks of the James River in 1607. The home state of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers, Virginia played an important role in the American Revolution (1775-83). During the Civil War (1861-65), the city of Richmond, Virginia, became the capital of the Confederacy, and more than half of the conflict’s battles were fought in the state. Today, many government institutions are headquartered in Virginia, particularly in Arlington, located across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. In addition to eight presidents, famous Virginians include singer Ella Fitzgerald, tennis star Arthur Ashe, actress Shirley MacLaine and authors Willa Cather and Tom Wolfe.

Date of Statehood: June 25, 1788

Capital: Richmond

Population: 8,001,024 (2010)

Size: 42,775 square miles

Nickname(s): Old Dominion; Mother of Presidents; Mother of States; Mother of Statesmen; Cavalier State

Motto: Sic Semper Tyrannis (“Thus Always to Tyrants”)

Tree: American Dogwood

Flower: American Dogwood

Bird: Northern Cardinal

Interesting Facts

  • Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech before the second Virginia Convention at St. John’s Church (formerly Henrico Parish) in Richmond on March 23, 1775.
  • On October 19, 1781, following three weeks of continuous bombardment, British General Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington in the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia, essentially bringing the American Revolution to an end.
  • Virginia’s borders have expanded and contracted numerous times since its inception as the first of the 13 original colonies. In 1792, nine counties known as the Kentucky District of Virginia entered the union as the state of Kentucky, and in 1863, western counties of Virginia were approved to enter the union as the state of West Virginia.
  • The Arlington National Cemetery, one of America’s most renowned military cemeteries, was originally built in the early 19th century as a mansion by George Washington’s adopted grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. Robert E. Lee, who married Custis’ daughter, Mary Anna, lived in Arlington House at various periods until 1861, when Virginia seceded from the Union and the couple vacated the estate. On June 15, 1864, the property was established as a military cemetery.
  • Virginia was the birthplace of more U.S. presidents than any other state: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson.
  • The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg is the nation’s second-oldest institution of higher education, after Harvard; King William III and Queen Mary II of England signed a charter for its creation on February 8, 1693. At the persuasion of Thomas Jefferson, the first law school in America was established there in 1779.

PHOTO GALLERIES

Virginia

Male Northern Cardinal In Winter
Cabin At Booker T Washington National Monument
Sunken Road Fredericksburg Virginia
15
Gallery
15 Images

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

VIDEOS

RELATED CONTENT

November 1997, New River Gorge National River, West Virginia, USA — Grand View Lookout Point — Image by © Richard T. Nowitz/CORBIS

West Virginia

When the state of Virginia voted to secede from the United States during the Civil War (1861-65), the people of the rugged and mountainous western region of the state opposed the decision and organized to form their own state, West Virginia,in support of the Union. Congress ...read more

richard-loving-mildred-loving

Loving V. Virginia

Loving v. Virginia was a Supreme Court case that struck down state laws banning interracial marriage in the United States. The plaintiffs in the case were Richard and Mildred Loving, a white man and black woman whose marriage was deemed illegal according to Virginia state law. ...read more

aerial-view-of-lincoln-memorial-and-washington-monument-2

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is the capital city of the United States, located between Virginia and Maryland on the north bank of the Potomac River. The city is home to all three branches of the federal government, as well as the White House, the Supreme Court and the Capitol Building. ...read more

)2

Washington

Granted statehood in 1889, Washington was named in honor of George Washington; it is the only U.S. state named after a president. The state’s coastal location and excellent harbors have contributed to its role as a leader in trade with Alaska, Canada and countries of the Pacific ...read more

ca. October 1991, Pea Patch Island, Delaware City, Delaware, USA — The pentagon shaped Fort Delaware stands surrounded by a moat on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River near Delaware City, Delaware. — Image by © Kevin Fleming/CORBIS

Delaware

The first of the original 13 states to ratify the federal Constitution, Delaware occupies a small niche in the Boston–Washington, D.C., urban corridor along the Middle Atlantic seaboard. It is the second smallest state in the country and one of the most densely populated. The ...read more

1927-1941, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota, USA — Morning sunlight hits the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. — Image by © Paul A. Souders/CORBIS

South Dakota

The territory that would become South Dakota was added to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase.The first permanent American settlement was established at Fort Pierre by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804.White settlement of the territory in the ...read more

james_monroe_white_house_portrait_1819-2

Major Discovery at James Monroe’s Historic Virginia Home

For generations, the modest two-room structure standing on James Monroe’s 535-acre property on the outskirts of Charlottesville, Virginia, was thought to be the main residence of the fifth U.S. president from 1799 to 1823. But according to Sara Bon-Harper, an archaeologist and ...read more

Block Island, Rhode Island, USA — North Lighthouse on Block Island — Image by © Ted Horowitz/Corbis

Rhode Island

Rhode Island, measuring only about 48 miles long and 37 miles wide, is the smallest of the U.S. states. Despite its small area, Rhode Island, known as the “Ocean State,” boasts over 400 miles of coastline. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams in 1636, who had been banished ...read more

1732-1756, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA — Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Independence Hall was known as the Pennsylvania State House before it adopted its current name. The building began in 1732 and didn’t see its completion for 21 years until 1753. Andrew Johnson oversaw the planning and guaranteed its completion. This building became the symbol of the nation and by every estimate the birthplace of America. — Image by © William Manning/Corbis

Pennsylvania

One of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn as a haven for his fellow Quakers. Pennsylvania’s capital, Philadelphia, was the site of the first and second Continental Congresses in 1774 and 1775, the latter of which produced the Declaration of ...read more