| 释义 |
Virginia
Vir·gin·ia V0113400 (vər-jĭn′yə) Abbr. VA or Va. A state of the eastern United States on Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. One of the original Thirteen Colonies, it was the site of unsuccessful early colonizing attempts (1584-1587) by Sir Walter Raleigh, but in 1607 colonists dispatched by the London Company established the first permanent settlement at Jamestown (May 13). Virginia was a prime force in the move for independence and was the site of Lord Cornwallis's surrender in 1781. Virginia ratified the United States Constitution in 1788. It was the scene of many major battles during the Civil War, including the final campaigns that led to the surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Richmond is the capital.
Vir·gin′ian adj. & n.Virginia (vəˈdʒɪnɪə) n (sometimes not capital) a type of flue-cured tobacco grown originally in Virginia
Virginia (vəˈdʒɪnɪə) n (Placename) a state of the eastern US, on the Atlantic: site of the first permanent English settlement in North America; consists of a low-lying deeply indented coast rising inland to the Piedmont plateau and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Capital: Richmond. Pop: 7 386 330 (2003 est). Area: 103 030 sq km (39 780 sq miles). Abbreviation: Va or VA (with zip code)Vir•gin•ia (vərˈdʒɪn yə)
n. 1. a state in the E United States, on the Atlantic coast: part of the historical South. 7,078,515; 40,815 sq. mi. (105,710 sq. km). Cap.: Richmond. Abbr.: VA, Va. 2. (italics) Merrimack (def. 2). Vir•gin′ian, n., adj. Thesaurus| Noun | 1. |  Virginia - a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil WarOld Dominion, Old Dominion State, VABattle of Bull Run, Bull Run - either of two battles during the American Civil War (1861 and 1862); Confederate forces defeated the Federal army in both battlesChancellorsville - a major battle in the American Civil War (1863); the Confederates under Robert E. Lee defeated the Union forces under Joseph HookerBattle of Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg - an important battle in the American Civil War (1862); the Union Army under A. E. Burnside was defeated by the Confederate Army under Robert E. LeePetersburg Campaign, Petersburg - the final campaign of the American Civil War (1864-65); Union forces under Grant besieged and finally defeated Confederate forces under Leebattle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Spotsylvania - a battle between the armies of Grant and Lee during the Wilderness CampaignWilderness Campaign - American Civil War; a series of indecisive battles in Grant's campaign (1864) against Lee in which both armies suffered terrible lossessiege of Yorktown, Yorktown - in 1781 the British under Cornwallis surrendered after a siege of three weeks by American and French troops; the surrender ended the American RevolutionShenandoah National Park - a national park in Virginia for the Blue Ridge MountainsU.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. - North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776Confederacy, Confederate States, Confederate States of America, Dixie, Dixieland, South - the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861South - the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon linecapital of Virginia, Richmond - capital of the state of Virginia located in the east central part of the state; was capital of the Confederacy during the American Civil WarBlacksburg - a university town in southwestern Virginia (west of Roanoke) in the Allegheny MountainsJamestown - a former village on the James River in Virginia to the north of Norfolk; site of the first permanent English settlement in America in 1607Newport News - a port city in southeastern Virginia at the mouth of the James River off Hampton Roads; large shipyardsNorfolk - port city located in southeastern Virginia on the Elizabeth River at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay; headquarters of the Atlantic fleet of the United States NavyLynchburg - a city in central VirginiaPortsmouth - a port city in southeastern Virginia on the Elizabeth River opposite Norfolk; naval base; shipyardsRoanoke - a city in southwestern VirginiaVirginia Beach - the largest city in Virginia; long overshadowed by Norfolk but growing rapidly since 1970; with 28 miles of public beaches tourism is a major factor in the economy; site of three United States Navy basesBull Run - a creek in northeastern Virginia where two battles were fought in the American Civil WarChancellorsville - a village in northeastern VirginiaFredericksburg - a town in northeastern Virginia on the Rappahannock RiverPetersburg - a town in southeastern Virginia (south of Richmond); scene of heavy fighting during the American Civil WarSpotsylvania - a village in northeastern Virginia where battles were fought during the American Civil WarYorktown - a historic village in southeastern Virginia to the north of Newport News; site of the last battle of the American RevolutionMount Vernon - the former residence of George Washington in northeastern Virginia overlooking the Potomac riverAlleghenies, Allegheny Mountains - the western part of the Appalachian Mountains; extending from northern Pennsylvania to southwestern VirginiaBlue Ridge, Blue Ridge Mountains - a range of the Appalachians extending from southern Pennsylvania to northern GeorgiaChesapeake Bay - a large inlet of the North Atlantic between Virginia and Maryland; fed by Susquehanna RiverClinch River - a river that rises in southwestern Virginia and flows generally southwestward across eastern Tennessee to the Tennessee RiverElizabeth River - a short river in southeastern Virginia flowing between Norfolk and Portsmouth into Hampton RoadsHampton Roads - a channel in southeastern Virginia through which the Elizabeth River and the James River flow into Chesapeake BayJames River, James - a river in Virginia that flows east into Chesapeake Bay at Hampton RoadsPotomac, Potomac River - a river in the east central United States; rises in West Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains and flows eastward, forming the boundary between Maryland and Virginia, to the Chesapeake BayRappahannock, Rappahannock River - a river that flows across eastern Virginia into the Tidewater region | | 2. |  Virginia - one of the British colonies that formed the United States | | 3. | Virginia - a town in northeastern Minnesota in the heart of the Mesabi RangeGopher State, Minnesota, North Star State, MN - a midwestern state |
TranslationsIdiomsSeemake a Virginia fenceVirginia
See also: National Parks and Monuments (table)National Parks and Monuments
National Parks
Name Type1 Location Year authorized Size
acres (hectares)
Description
Acadia NP SE Maine 1919 48,419 (19,603) Mountain and coast scenery.
..... Click the link for more information. Virginia, state of the S Middle-Atlantic United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), North Carolina and Tennessee (S), Kentucky and West Virginia (W), and Maryland and the District of Columbia, largely across the Potomac River (N and NE). Facts and Figures Area, 40,817 sq mi (105,716 sq km). Pop. (2010) 8,001,024, a 13% increase since the 2000 census. Capital, Richmond. Largest city, Virginia Beach. Statehood, June 25, 1788 (10th of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution). Highest pt., Mt. Rogers, 5,729 ft (1,747 m); lowest pt., sea level. Nickname, Old Dominion. Motto, Sic Semper Tyrannis [Thus Always to Tyrants]. State bird, cardinal. State flower, dogwood. State tree, dogwood. Abbr., Va.; VA Geography The most northerly of the Southern states, Virginia is roughly triangular in shape. The small section of the state that, along with Maryland and Delaware, occupies the DelmarvaDelmarva
, peninsula, c.180 mi (290 km) long, separating Chesapeake Bay on the west from Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on the east; named for the three states (Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) located in part on it.
..... Click the link for more information. peninsula between Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean is separated from the main part of Virginia and is called the Eastern Shore. The coastal plain or tidewatertidewater,
in U.S. history, that part of the Atlantic coastal plain between the shoreline and the farthest upstream points in rivers reached by oceanic tides. In many cases the fall line is given as the western boundary.
..... Click the link for more information. region of E Virginia, generally flat and partly swampy, is cut by four great tidal rivers—the Potomac (forming most of the border with Maryland and beyond which also lies Washington, D.C.), the Rappahannock, the York, and the James—all of which empty into Chesapeake Bay. In the tidewater region stretch vast forests of pine and hardwood, highlighted in early spring by flowering redbud and dogwood. In the west the tidewater region rises to c.300 ft. (90 m) at the fall line (passing through Richmond) and gives way to the Piedmont—rolling, generally fertile country that broadens gradually as it extends south to the North Carolina line. Rising abruptly in the western Piedmont is the Blue Ridge range, carpeted with bluegrass and ablaze in spring with rhododendron and mountain laurel; the Blue Ridge rises to the state's highest peak, Mt. Rogers (5,720 ft/1,743 m). Between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Plateau, both part of the Appalachian range, lies the valley and ridge province. One of the most prominent of these valleys is the Valley of Virginia; another is the rich and historic Shenandoah Valley. Virginia's shores, mountains, mineral springs, natural wonders, and numerous historic sites draw millions of visitors annually. Crowning the hilltops and river bluffs from the Chesapeake region west to the Blue Ridge and adding to the grace and elegance of the Virginia landscape are the classic Greek revival homes and public buildings with their stately porticoes. Major tourist attractions include Shenandoah National ParkShenandoah National Park,
198,081 acres (80,195 hectares), N Va., extending 80 mi (129 km) along the crest of the Blue Ridge. Authorized in 1926, it was fully established as a national park in 1935. Skyline Drive, a north-south highway, winds for 105 mi (169 km) through the park.
..... Click the link for more information. ; Colonial Williamsburg; and Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Other historic points of interest include Appomattox Court House National Historical Park; Manassas and Richmond national battlefield parks; Booker T. Washington and George Washington Birthplace national monuments; Colonial National Historical Park and Jamestown National Historic Site, both on Jamestown Island; and several national cemeteries and battlefields (see National Parks and MonumentsNational Parks and Monuments
National Parks
Name Type1 Location Year authorized Size
acres (hectares)
Description
Acadia NP SE Maine 1919 48,419 (19,603) Mountain and coast scenery.
..... Click the link for more information. , table). RichmondRichmond.
1 City (1990 pop. 87,425), Contra Costa co., W Calif., on San Pablo Bay, an inlet of San Francisco Bay; inc. 1905. It is a deepwater commercial port and an industrial center with oil refineries and railroad repair shops.
..... Click the link for more information. is the capital, and Virginia BeachVirginia Beach,
resort city (1990 pop. 393,069), independent and in no county, SE Va., on the Atlantic coast; inc. 1906. In 1963, Princess Anne co. and the former small town of Virginia Beach were merged, giving the present city an area of 302 sq mi (782 sq km).
..... Click the link for more information. the largest city; other large cities are NorfolkNorfolk
. 1 City (1990 pop. 21,476), Madison co., NE Nebr., on the Elkhorn River; inc. 1881. A trade and railroad center in a fertile farming region, it has a livestock market. Its industries produce animal feeds, food and beverages, and electronic products.
..... Click the link for more information. ; Newport NewsNewport News,
independent city (1990 pop. 170,045), SE Va., on the Virginia peninsula, at the mouth of the James River, off Hampton Roads, near Norfolk; inc. 1896. It is a port for transatlantic and intracoastal shipping; commodities handled include coal, oil, tobacco, grain,
..... Click the link for more information. ; ChesapeakeChesapeake
, city (1990 pop. 151,976), formed independently by the merging of the city of South Norfolk and Norfolk co., SE Va.; inc. 1963. Within its vast area are residential sections; much farmland, with related agricultural industries; and a large part of the Great Dismal
..... Click the link for more information. ; Hampton; PortsmouthPortsmouth.
1 City (1990 pop. 25,925), Rockingham co., SE N.H., a port of entry with a good harbor and a state-owned port terminal at the mouth of the Piscataqua River opposite Kittery, Maine; inc. 1653.
..... Click the link for more information. ; and AlexandriaAlexandria.
1 City (1990 pop. 49,188), seat of Rapides parish, central La., on the Red River; inc. 1818. It is a trade, rail, and medical center for a rich agricultural and timber area.
..... Click the link for more information. and ArlingtonArlington,
county (1990 pop. 170,936), N Va., across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Arlington is a residential and commercial suburb of Washington. Within its boundaries are Arlington National Cemetery; Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial; the Pentagon; the U.S.
..... Click the link for more information. (officially a county), both suburbs of Washington, D.C. Economy Virginia has an economy that is highly diversified. Agriculture, once its mainstay, now follows other sectors in employment and income generation. Tobacco, Virginia's traditional staple, is still the leading crop, and grains, corn, soybeans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, cotton, and apples (especially in the Shenandoah Valley) are all important. Wine production is also important; but the major sources of agricultural income are now poultry, dairy goods, and cattle, raised especially in the Valley of Virginia. The coastal fisheries are large, bringing in especially shellfish—largely oysters and crabs. Coal is Virginia's chief mineral; stone, cement, sand, and gravel are also important. RoanokeRoanoke
, city (1990 pop. 96,397), independent and in no co., SW Va., on the Roanoke River; settled c.1740, inc. 1882, as a city, 1884. It is situated between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mts., at the southern end of the Shenandoah valley.
..... Click the link for more information. is a center for the rail transport equipment industry, and a high proportion of the nation's shipyards are concentrated at Hampton RoadsHampton Roads,
roadstead, 4 mi (6.4 km) long and 40 ft (12.2 m) deep, SE Va., through which the waters of the James, Nansemond, and Elizabeth rivers pass into Chesapeake Bay.
..... Click the link for more information. , especially in Newport NewsNewport News,
independent city (1990 pop. 170,045), SE Va., on the Virginia peninsula, at the mouth of the James River, off Hampton Roads, near Norfolk; inc. 1896. It is a port for transatlantic and intracoastal shipping; commodities handled include coal, oil, tobacco, grain,
..... Click the link for more information. . Norfolk is a major U.S. naval base, and Portsmouth is a U.S. naval shipyard; HamptonHampton,
city (1990 pop. 133,793), independent and in no county, SE Va., a port of Hampton Roads at the mouth of the James River, connected to Norfolk by bridge and tunnel; settled 1610 by colonists from Jamestown, inc. 1849.
..... Click the link for more information. is a center for aeronautical research. N Virginia has become the home of one of the largest concentrations of computer communications firms in the U.S. Other leading industries include tourism and the manufacture of chemicals, electrical equipment, and food, textile, and paper products. Tens of thousands of Virginians work in government, especially in the District of Columbia or in nearby "Beltway" suburbs like Reston and Langley. Government, Politics, and Higher Education Virginia is officially styled a commonwealth. The Virginia constitution was revised extensively in the late 1960s. The legislature (called the general assembly) consists of a house of delegates of 100 members and a senate with 40 members. The governor serves a four-year term and is ineligible for reelection. Mark R. WarnerWarner, Mark Robert,
1954–, U.S. politician, b. Indianapolis, grad George Washington Univ. (B.A., 1977), Harvard Law School (J.D., 1980). After settling in Virginia and working as a congressional staff member, Warner founded (1989) a successful venture capital fund that
..... Click the link for more information. , a Democrat, was elected in 2001; he succeeded James S. Gilmore 3d, a Republican. Warner's lieutenant governor, Democrat Timothy M. KaineKaine, Tim
(Timothy Michael Kaine), 1958–, U.S. politician, b. St. Paul, Minn., B.A. Univ. of Missouri, 1979, J.D. Harvard, 1983. After a clerkship, he was a lawyer in private practice, and taught legal ethics as an adjunct professor (1988–94) at the Univ.
..... Click the link for more information. , was elected governor in 2005. Republicans regained the governorship after Robert F. McDonnell was elected in 2009, but Democrat Terry McAuliffe won in 2013, and McAuliffe's lieutenant governor, Democrat Ralph Northam, won in 2017. Virginia sends 11 representatives and 2 senators to the U.S. Congress and has 13 electoral votes. Long a Democratic stronghold, the commonwealth now has highly competitive two-party politics. Among Virginia's many institutions of higher learning are the College of William and Mary in Virginia, mainly at Williamsburg; George Mason Univ., at Fairfax; Hampton Univ. (formerly Hampton Institute), at Hampton; the Univ. of Mary Washington, at Fredericksburg; Randolph College, at Lynchburg; Randolph-Macon College, at Ashland; Sweet Briar College, at Sweet Briar; the Univ. of Virginia, mainly at Charlottesville; Virginia Commonwealth Univ., at Richmond; Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee Univ., at Lexington; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ., at Blacksburg; and Virginia State Univ., at Petersburg. History Early Settlements of the Virginia Company Virginia (named for Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen) at first included in its lands the whole vast area of North America not held by the Spanish or French. The colony on Roanoke IslandRoanoke Island,
12 mi (19 km) long and 3 mi (4.8 km) wide, NE N.C., off the Atlantic coast between Croatan (W) and Roanoke (E) sounds in the Outer Banks. Manteo is the chief town, and tourism and fishing are the principal industries.
..... Click the link for more information. , organized by Sir Walter RaleighRaleigh or Ralegh, Sir Walter
, 1554?–1618, English soldier, explorer, courtier, and man of letters. Early Life
As a youth Raleigh served (1569) as a volunteer in the Huguenot army in France.
..... Click the link for more information. , failed, but the English soon made another attempt slightly farther north. In 1606 James I granted a charter to the London CompanyLondon Company,
corporation composed of stockholders residing in and about London, which, together with the Plymouth Company (see Virginia Company), was granted (1606) a charter by King James I to found colonies in America.
..... Click the link for more information. (better known later as the Virginia Company), a group of merchants lured by the thought of easy profits in mining and trade. The company sent three ships and 144 men under captains Christopher NewportNewport, Christopher,
1565?–1617, English mariner, commander of early voyages to Virginia. He commanded a privateering expedition to the West Indies (1592) that returned to England with the Spanish vessel Madre de Dios,
..... Click the link for more information. , Bartholomew GosnoldGosnold, Bartholomew
, fl. 1572–1607, English explorer and colonizer. In 1602 he commanded the Concord on a voyage of exploration. He navigated the coast from Maine to Narragansett Bay, naming Cape Cod and several islands and building a small fort, which was soon
..... Click the link for more information. , and John Ratcliffe to establish a base, and the tiny force entered Chesapeake Bay in Apr., 1607. On a peninsula in the James River they founded (May 13, 1607) the first permanent English settlement in America, which they called JamestownJamestown.
1 City (1990 pop. 34,681), Chautauqua co., W N.Y., on Chautauqua Lake; founded c.1806, inc. as a city 1886. It is the business and financial center of a dairy, livestock, and vineyard area.
..... Click the link for more information. . It soon became clear that the company's original plans were unrealistic, and the Jamestown settlers began a long and unexpected struggle to live off the land. By 1608, despite the firm and resourceful leadership of John SmithSmith, John,
c.1580–1631, English colonist in America, b. Willoughby, Lincolnshire, England. A merchant's apprentice until his father's death in 1596, he thereafter lived an adventurous life, traveling, fighting in wars against the Turks in Transylvania and Hungary, and
..... Click the link for more information. , hunger and disease had reduced their numbers to 38. The company responded by sending supplies and men as well as new leadership in the person of Sir Thomas GatesGates, Sir Thomas,
fl. 1585–1621, English colonial governor of Virginia. He was knighted for his services under the 2d earl of Essex in the successful expedition against Cádiz in 1596.
..... Click the link for more information. , who was to take charge as deputy governor under the authority of a new charter (1609). Gates arrived in 1610 to find that only a handful of settlers had survived the terrible winter (the "starving time") of 1609–10. He decided to take them back to England, but as they were about to abandon the colony in June, 1610, his superior, Gov. Thomas West, Baron De la WarrDe la Warr, Thomas West, 12th Baron
, 1577–1618, English colonial governor of Virginia. He saw fighting in the Netherlands and was knighted when serving in Ireland. He succeeded to the peerage in 1602.
..... Click the link for more information. , ordered them to reoccupy Jamestown. Although sickness and starvation continued to take a heavy toll, the settlement at last began to make headway under the harsh regimes of Sir Thomas DaleDale, Sir Thomas,
d.1619, acting governor (May–Aug., 1611, 1614–16) of the Virginia colony. Sent by the London Company to restore order, he arrived (1611) in Virginia with three ships of settlers and governed until another fleet under Sir Thomas Gates arrived four
..... Click the link for more information. , De la Warr's successor in 1611, and later under that of Sir Samuel ArgallArgall, Sir Samuel
, d. 1626?, English ship captain, prominent in the early settlement of Virginia. He commanded a ship sent to Jamestown in 1609 and had charge of one of the ships Baron De la Warr brought to the failing colony in 1610.
..... Click the link for more information. . Tobacco, first cultivated by John RolfeRolfe, John
, 1585–1622, English colonist in Virginia. He reached the colony in May, 1610, and introduced (1612) the regular cultivation of tobacco, which became Virginia's staple.
..... Click the link for more information. in 1612, gave the company new hope of a profitable return on its investment. To encourage settlement and improve agricultural productivity it granted colonists (still technically employees and shareholders) the right to own private gardens, then, at the urging of Sir Edwin SandysSandys, Sir Edwin,
1561–1629, English statesman, leading promoter of the colony in Virginia; son of Archbishop Edwin Sandys. He studied law and was first returned to Parliament in 1586.
..... Click the link for more information. , promised to give 100 acres (40 hectares) of its land to purchasers of stock and 50 acres (20 hectares) to settlers who brought over other settlers at his own expense (the "head-right" system). The company also set up smaller joint-stock companies to settle vast tracts known as "colonies" or "hundreds." In 1619, at the instruction of the company, Gov. George YeardleyYeardley, Sir George
, c.1587–1627, British colonial governor of Virginia (1618–21, 1626–27). He was shipwrecked (1609) in the Bermudas but managed to reach Virginia in 1610.
..... Click the link for more information. provided additional incentives to settlers by forming a house of burgesses—the first representative assembly in the New World—and in 1620 by beginning to send women to the colony. Although these various expedients did succeed in attracting new settlers and strengthening the colony, the company itself failed to prosper. Rolfe's marriage (1614) to PocahontasPocahontas
, c.1595–1617, Native North American woman, daughter of Chief Powhatan. Pocahontas, meaning "playful one" (her real name was said to be Matoaka), used to visit the English in Virginia at Jamestown.
..... Click the link for more information. , daughter of chief PowhatanPowhatan
, d. 1618, Native North American chief of the Powhatan tribe in Virginia, whose personal name was Wahunsonacock. He greatly extended the dominion of the Powhatan Confederacy and after the marriage (1614) of his daughter Pocahontas to John Rolfe kept peace with the
..... Click the link for more information. , secured good relations with the Native Americans for a time, but in 1622 Powhatan's son Opechancanough led the Powhatan ConfederacyPowhatan Confederacy,
group of Native North Americans belonging to the Algonquian branch of the Algonquian-Wakashan linguistic stock (see Native American languages). Their area embraced most of tidewater Virginia and the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay.
..... Click the link for more information. in a surprise attack on the colony, killing 350 settlers (about one third of the total community). English retaliation effectively ended Native American resistance, except for a final uprising of the Confederacy in 1644. However, the 1622 attack had delivered a fatal blow to the company, and in 1624, beset by internal dissension, it surrendered its charter to the crown. A Royal Colony After almost two decades as a private enterprise, Virginia became a royal colony, the first in English history. Partly because the English kings were occupied with affairs at home, the Virginia house of burgesses was able to continue its functions and won formal recognition in the late 1630s. Thus representative government under royal domain was assured. By 1641, when Sir William BerkeleyBerkeley, Sir William,
1606–77, colonial governor of Virginia. Appointed governor in 1641, he arrived in Virginia in 1642. Berkeley defeated the Native Americans and the Dutch, extended explorations, and encouraged agriculture, but so persecuted dissenters that many of
..... Click the link for more information. became governor, the colony was well established and extended on both sides of the James up to its falls. Three fourths of the European settlers (about 7,500 in 1641) had come as indentured servants or apprentices, but many of them became freemen and small farmers. In 1641 there were also about 250 Africans (the first had arrived in 1619 on a Dutch ship), most of whom were indentured servants rather than slaves. The freeholders, together with the merchant class (from which were descended most of the "first families of Virginia"), controlled the government. Only white males were enfranchised, and property-owning qualifications for voting continued during and after the colonial period. Most of the white settlers were Anglicans, and during the civil war in England, many well-to-do Englishmen (mainly Anglicans and supporters of Charles I, if not actually Cavaliers) came to Virginia. The colony was understandably loyal to the crown until 1652, when an expedition sent by Oliver Cromwell forced it to adhere to the Puritan Commonwealth. With the Commonwealth busy at home, Virginia was practically independent until 1660, engaging in free trade with foreigners, especially the Dutch, and enjoying the profits of the expanding tobacco and fur trade. This prosperous era came to an end with the Restoration in 1660. The Navigation ActsNavigation Acts,
in English history, name given to certain parliamentary legislation, more properly called the British Acts of Trade. The acts were an outgrowth of mercantilism, and followed principles laid down by Tudor and early Stuart trade regulations.
..... Click the link for more information. forced the tobacco trade to use only English ships and English ports, which were at first insufficient to handle it; tobacco piled up in Virginia and in England, and prices plummeted. The wealthy planters weathered this depression, but the small farmers faced ruin. Serious discontent spread and was aggravated by Gov. Berkeley's high-handed policies, by his favoritism toward the wealthy tidewater planters, and by his refusal to sanction a campaign against the Native Americans who had been attacking frontier settlements. These grievances brought the eruption of Bacon's RebellionBacon's Rebellion,
popular revolt in colonial Virginia in 1676, led by Nathaniel Bacon. High taxes, low prices for tobacco, and resentment against special privileges given those close to the governor, Sir William Berkeley, provided the background for the uprising, which was
..... Click the link for more information. in 1676. The unfortunate death of Nathaniel BaconBacon, Nathaniel,
1647–76, leader of Bacon's Rebellion in colonial Virginia. An aristocrat (he was kin to Francis Bacon, had been educated at Cambridge and Gray's Inn, and was a member of the governor's council), Bacon nevertheless became the champion of the discontented
..... Click the link for more information. left the yeomen leaderless, and they were put down so ruthlessly that Berkeley was recalled to England. Tidewater Plantations and Westward Migration Expansion of the plantation system was made possible only with the use of slave labor (first recognized in law in 1662), and tens of thousands of Africans were being imported every year by the end of the century. Small, independent cultivators, unable to compete with the plantation-slave system, formed the nucleus of a poor white class that drifted southward or pioneered to the west. Also contributing to westward settlement were the French Huguenots, who came to Virginia by the end of the 17th cent. and began to settle the Piedmont. Westward movement was stimulated under Gov. Alexander SpotswoodSpotswood, Alexander,
1676–1740, colonial governor of Virginia, b. Tangier, Morocco. Appointed in 1710, he was officially lieutenant governor under the nominal governorship of George Hamilton, 1st earl of Orkney.
..... Click the link for more information. , who himself discovered (1716) the Swift Run Gap in the Blue Ridge Mts., leading into the Shenandoah valley. Spotswood also imported (1714–17) Germans to work his iron furnaces in the Piedmont area, and numerous others followed their countrymen. They helped settle the Shenandoah valley (beginning c.1730) as did many newcomers from Pennsylvania—German Lutherans, English Quakers, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, and a lesser number of Welsh Baptists. Soil exhaustion from continuous tobacco cultivation hastened the westward march, as did the settlement activities of land speculators like Spotswood and William ByrdByrd, William,
1674–1744, American colonial writer, planter, and government official; son of William Byrd (1652–1704). After being educated in England, he became active in the politics of colonial America.
..... Click the link for more information. (d. 1744). Many of these speculators were indebted eastern planters attempting to salvage their fortunes. The Ohio CompanyOhio Company,
organization formed (1747) to extend settlements of Virginia westward. The members were mostly Virginia planters interested in land speculation and the fur trade.
..... Click the link for more information. grant (1749) furthered exploration beyond the Allegheny Mts. but brought conflict with the French. The activities and interests of the new frontier settlements contrasted sharply with the plantation life of the tidewater region, where the lavish material life of the planter aristocracy was complemented by high cultural accomplishments and by the spread of the ideas of the Enlightenment. The last of the French and Indian WarsFrench and Indian Wars,
1689–1763, the name given by American historians to the North American colonial wars between Great Britain and France in the late 17th and the 18th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. , in which Virginians—notably Col. George WashingtonWashington, George,
1732–99, 1st President of the United States (1789–97), commander in chief of the Continental army in the American Revolution, called the Father of His Country. Early Life
He was born on Feb. 22, 1732 (Feb. 11, 1731, O.S.
..... Click the link for more information. —were prominent, ended the French obstacle to westward migration. After the war many indebted planters were disturbed by England's own limitations on westward settlement. The American Revolution Along with Massachusetts, Virginia was a leader in the movement that culminated in the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution,
1775–83, struggle by which the Thirteen Colonies on the Atlantic seaboard of North America won independence from Great Britain and became the United States. It is also called the American War of Independence.
..... Click the link for more information. although, despite the burning oratory of Patrick HenryHenry, Patrick,
1736–99, political leader in the American Revolution, b. Hanover co., Va. Largely self-educated, he became a prominent trial lawyer. Henry bitterly denounced (1765) the Stamp Act and in the years that followed helped fan the fires of revolt in the South.
..... Click the link for more information. and the enlightened political writings of Thomas JeffersonJefferson, Thomas,
1743–1826, 3d President of the United States (1801–9), author of the Declaration of Independence, and apostle of agrarian democracy. Early Life
Jefferson was born on Apr. 13, 1743, at "Shadwell," in Goochland (now in Albemarle) co.
..... Click the link for more information. and other brilliant native spokesmen, Virginia was never as politically discontent or radical as Massachusetts. In 1773 the burgesses at WilliamsburgWilliamsburg,
historic city (1990 pop. 11,530), seat of James City co., SE Va., on a peninsula between the James and York rivers; settled 1632 as Middle Plantation, laid out and renamed 1699, inc. 1722.
..... Click the link for more information. (the capital since 1699), led by Richard Henry LeeLee, Richard Henry,
1732–94, political leader in the American Revolution, b. Westmoreland co., Va.; brother of Arthur Lee, Francis L. Lee, and William Lee. He served in the house of burgesses (1758–75), where he favored ending the slave trade.
..... Click the link for more information. , formed an intercolonial committee of correspondence. The Virginia leaders proposed (May, 1774) a congress of all the colonies, delegates were chosen at the First Virginia Convention (Aug.), and in September Virginia's Peyton RandolphRandolph, Peyton,
c.1721–1775, American political leader, first president of the Continental Congress, b. Williamsburg, Va. After a general education at the College of William and Mary, he studied law in England.
..... Click the link for more information. was elected president of the First Continental Congress. The next year, in June, George Washington was made commander in chief of the Continental Army. After the patriots forced the royal governor, John Murray, earl of DunmoreDunmore, John Murray, 4th earl of,
1732–1809, British colonial governor of Virginia, a Scottish peer. Appointed governor of New York in 1770, he remained there for about 11 months before being transferred to
..... Click the link for more information. , to flee, the Fifth Virginia Convention (May 6–June 29, 1776) declared the colony's independence, instructed the Virginia delegates to the Continental Congress to propose general colonial independence (resulting in the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson), and adopted a declaration of rights and the first constitution of a free American state, both drawn up by George MasonMason, George,
1725–92, American political leader, b. Fairfax co., Va. He was one of the most affluent of the colonial Virginia planters. In his triple capacity as trustee of Alexandria (1754–79), justice of the Fairfax county court, and vestryman of Truro parish,
..... Click the link for more information. . Patrick Henry was elected the first governor. Although the British had burned Norfolk in Jan., 1776, they did not invade the state in full force until 1779, when they took Portsmouth and Suffolk. Continentals under Lafayette came to Virginia in 1780, and the British cause was lost as American land forces and a French fleet combined to bring about Cornwallis's surrender (Oct. 19, 1781) in the Yorktown campaignYorktown campaign,
1781, the closing military operations of the American Revolution. After his unsuccessful Carolina campaign General Cornwallis moved into Virginia to join British forces there.
..... Click the link for more information. . Meanwhile, George Rogers ClarkClark, George Rogers,
1752–1818, American Revolutionary general, conqueror of the Old Northwest, b. near Charlottesville, Va.; brother of William Clark. A surveyor, he was interested in Western lands, served (1774) in Lord Dunmore's War (see Dunmore, John Murray, 4th earl
..... Click the link for more information. and his Virginians had wrested (1779) the Northwest Territory from the British, and in 1784 Virginia yielded its claim to this area to the federal government. Virginia's Role in the New Nation During the Revolution a degree of religious freedom had been instituted in Virginia under the lead of Jefferson. Other reforms had removed entail and primogeniture from land tenure, liberalized the legal code, and abolished further importation of slaves. A liberal law for formal emancipation of slaves was passed in 1782 and remained in force for more than 20 years. In 1786 a statute for religious freedom, championed by James MadisonMadison, James,
1751–1836, 4th President of the United States (1809–17), b. Port Conway, Va. Early Career
A member of the Virginia planter class, he attended the College of New Jersey (now Princeton), graduating in 1771.
..... Click the link for more information. , completed the disestablishment of the Anglican Church and established complete religious equality for all Virginians. In replacing the unsatisfactory Articles of Confederation with the Constitution of the United States, Virginians, especially James Madison, again played leading roles. Other leaders such as Patrick Henry, Edmund PendletonPendleton, Edmund,
1721–1803, American jurist and political leader in the American Revolution, b. Caroline co., Va. He began law practice in 1741 and was elected (1752) to the Virginia house of burgesses, where, although a leading conservative, he became an outstanding
..... Click the link for more information. , and Edmund RandolphRandolph, Edmund,
1753–1813, American statesman, b. Williamsburg, Va.; nephew of Peyton Randolph. He studied law under his father, John Randolph, a Loyalist who went to England at the outbreak of the American Revolution.
..... Click the link for more information. at various times opposed the document, but the state ratified it (June 26, 1788) with both tidewater and western support. Later, another Virginian, Chief Justice John MarshallMarshall, John,
1755–1835, American jurist, 4th chief justice of the United States (1801–35), b. Virginia. Early Life
The eldest of 15 children, John Marshall was born in a log cabin on the Virginia frontier (today in Fauquier co., Va.
..... Click the link for more information. , later gave the document much of its strength. The Old Dominion ceded (1789) a portion of its Potomac lands to the United States for the creation of the District of Columbia. In 1792, Kentucky, a Virginia county since 1776, was admitted to the Union as a separate state. After Madison and Jefferson raised an opposition to the financial program of Treasury Secretary Alexander HamiltonHamilton, Alexander,
1755–1804, American statesman, b. Nevis, in the West Indies. Early Career
He was the illegitimate son of James Hamilton (of a prominent Scottish family) and Rachel Faucett Lavien (daughter of a doctor-planter on Nevis and the estranged
..... Click the link for more information. , Virginia supported the emerging Democratic-Republican party's struggle against the Federalists and became a hotbed of states' rights sentiment (see Kentucky and Virginia ResolutionsKentucky and Virginia Resolutions,
in U.S. history, resolutions passed in opposition to the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were enacted by the Federalists in 1798. The Jeffersonian Republicans first replied in the Kentucky Resolutions, adopted by the Kentucky legislature in Nov.
..... Click the link for more information. ). Of the first 12 Presidents of the United States, seven were Virginians—Washington, Jefferson, Madison, James MonroeMonroe, James,
1758–1831, 5th President of the United States (1817–25), b. Westmoreland co., Va. Early Life
Leaving the College of William and Mary in 1776 to fight in the American Revolution, he served in several campaigns and was wounded (Dec.
..... Click the link for more information. (these four comprising the "Virginia Dynasty"), William Henry HarrisonHarrison, William Henry,
1773–1841, 9th President of the United States (Mar. 4–Apr. 4, 1841), b. "Berkeley," Charles City co., Va.; son of Benjamin Harrison (1726?–1791) and grandfather of Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901).
..... Click the link for more information. , John TylerTyler, John,
1790–1862, 10th President of the United States, b. Charles City co., Va. Early Career
Educated at the College of William and Mary, he studied law under his father, John Tyler (1747–1813), governor of Virginia from 1808 to 1811, and was
..... Click the link for more information. , and Zachary TaylorTaylor, Zachary
, 1784–1850, 12th President of the United States (1849–50), b. Orange co., Va. He was raised in Kentucky. Taylor joined the army in 1808, became a captain in 1810, and was promoted to major for his defense of Fort Harrison (1812) in the War of 1812.
..... Click the link for more information. . Later, in the 20th cent., the name of Woodrow WilsonWilson, Woodrow
(Thomas Woodrow Wilson), 1856–1924, 28th President of the United States (1913–21), b. Staunton, Va. Educator
He graduated from Princeton in 1879 and studied law at the Univ. of Virginia.
..... Click the link for more information. was to further lengthen the generally distinguished list of Virginian presidents. The native sons who led the country during the 1800s sometimes expanded national power and national development to an extent that many states' rights Virginians deemed unconstitutional. However, Virginia itself, stimulated by western complaints, embarked on a vigorous policy of internal improvements in the second and third decades of the 19th cent. The tidewater majority made few concessions to western demands for male suffrage and other reforms in the constitution of 1830. Economically, however, the whole state benefited from transportation improvements, from the growth of scientific agriculture and the spread of wheat cultivation, and from the growth of such industries as tobacco processing and iron manufacture. Slavery, Insurrection, and Civil War As the cotton economy grew in the newer Southern states the tidewater became a breeding ground for the slaves they needed. Elsewhere in the state, especially in the west, antislavery sentiment was strong in the early 19th cent., and following the slave insurrection (1831) led by Nat TurnerTurner, Nat,
1800–1831, American slave, leader of the Southampton Insurrection (1831), b. Southampton co., Va. Deeply religious from childhood, Turner was a natural preacher and possessed some influence among local slaves.
..... Click the link for more information. the house of delegates voted down a bill to abolish slavery by the narrow margin of seven votes. The insurrection did result in harsher laws and more conservative policies regarding African Americans. The constitution of 1851, granted suffrage to "every white male citizen," and thus effected reapportionment of representation. For the most part Virginians labored to avert conflict between North and South. But "fire-eaters" such as Edmund RuffinRuffin, Edmund
, 1794–1865, American agriculturist, one of the Southern fire-eaters, b. Prince George co., Va. His interest in improving impoverished land led him to become a pioneer in soil chemistry.
..... Click the link for more information. and abolitionists such as John BrownBrown, John,
1800–1859, American abolitionist, b. Torrington, Conn. He spent his boyhood in Ohio. Before he became prominent in the 1850s, his life had been a succession of business failures in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New York.
..... Click the link for more information. of Harpers FerryHarpers Ferry,
town (1990 pop. 308), Jefferson co., easternmost W Va., at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers; inc. 1763. The town is a tourist attraction, known for its history and its scenic beauty. John Brown's seizure of the U.S. arsenal there on Oct.
..... Click the link for more information. fame, shaped the course that led to the Civil War. Secession came (Apr. 17, 1861) only after all attempts to keep peace had failed. Virginia joined the Confederacy, and Richmond became the Confederate capital. Robert E. LeeLee, Robert Edward,
1807–70, general in chief of the Confederate armies in the American Civil War, b. Jan. 19, 1807, at Stratford, Westmoreland co., Va.; son of Henry ("Light-Horse Harry") Lee.
..... Click the link for more information. entered the military service of the South's new government, but not a few Virginians such as Winfield ScottScott, Winfield,
1786–1866, American general, b. near Petersburg, Va. Military Career
He briefly attended the College of William and Mary, studied law at Petersburg, and joined the military.
..... Click the link for more information. , George H. ThomasThomas, George Henry,
1816–70, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Southampton co., Va. He served in the Seminole War and in the Mexican War. Later he taught at West Point and served in Texas.
..... Click the link for more information. , and David G. FarragutFarragut, David Glasgow
, 1801–70, American admiral, b. near Knoxville, Tenn. Appointed a midshipman in 1810, he first served on the frigate Essex, commanded by David Porter, his self-appointed guardian, and participated in that ship's famous cruise in the Pacific
..... Click the link for more information. remained loyal to the Union. Most Virginians who lived west of the Appalachians also opposed secession, and on June 20, 1863, this section was admitted to the Union as the new state of West Virginia. As the conflict progressed, Virginia emerged as the chief battleground of the Civil War. In the beginning the Union armies repeatedly suffered setbacks—at the first battle of Bull RunBull Run,
small stream, NE Va., c.30 mi (50 km) SW of Washington, D.C. Two important battles of the Civil War were fought there: the first on July 21, 1861, and the second Aug. 29–30, 1862. Both battlefields are included in Manassas National Battlefield Park (est. 1940).
..... Click the link for more information. (July 21, 1861), in the Seven Days battlesSeven Days battles,
in the American Civil War, the week-long Confederate counter-offensive (June 26–July 2, 1862) near Richmond, Va., that ended the Peninsular campaign. After the battle of Fair Oaks the Union general George B.
..... Click the link for more information. of the Peninsular campaignPeninsular campaign,
in the American Civil War, the unsuccessful Union attempt (Apr.–July, 1862) to capture Richmond, Va., by way of the peninsula between the York and James rivers. The Plan
Early in 1862, Gen. George B.
..... Click the link for more information. (April-July, 1862) after the Monitor and MerrimackMonitor and Merrimack,
two American warships that fought the first engagement between ironclad ships. When, at the beginning of the Civil War, the Union forces abandoned the Norfolk Navy Yard at Portsmouth, Va., they scuttled the powerful steam frigate Merrimack.
..... Click the link for more information. had clashed in Hampton Roads, and in lesser but related campaigns such as the triumph of Thomas J. (Stonewall) JacksonJackson, Stonewall
(Thomas Jonathan Jackson), 1824–63, Confederate general, b. Clarksburg, Va. (now W.Va.), grad. West Point, 1846. Like a Stone Wall
..... Click the link for more information. in the Shenandoah valley. The second battle of Bull Run (Aug., 1862) was a smashing victory for Lee, but in the Antietam campaignAntietam campaign
, Sept., 1862, of the Civil War. After the second battle of Bull Run, Gen. Robert E. Lee crossed the Potomac to invade Maryland and Pennsylvania. At Frederick, Md., he divided (Sept.
..... Click the link for more information. (Sept., 1862) he fared no better than Union Gen. George B. McClellanMcClellan, George Brinton,
1826–85, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Philadelphia. After graduating (1846) from West Point, he served with distinction in the Mexican War and later worked on various engineering projects, notably on the survey (1853–54) for
..... Click the link for more information. in invading enemy country. However, in the battles of FredericksburgFredericksburg, battle of,
in the Civil War, fought Dec. 13, 1862, at Fredericksburg, Va. In Nov., 1862, the Union general Ambrose Burnside moved his three "grand divisions" under W. B. Franklin, E. V.
..... Click the link for more information. (Dec. 13, 1862) and ChancellorsvilleChancellorsville, battle of,
May 2–4, 1863, in the American Civil War. Late in Apr., 1863, Joseph Hooker, commanding the Union Army of the Potomac, moved against Robert E.
..... Click the link for more information. (May 2–4, 1863), the Federals under Gen. Ambrose E. BurnsideBurnside, Ambrose Everett,
1824–81, Union general in the U.S. Civil War, b. Liberty, Ind. He saw brief service in the Mexican War and remained in the army until 1853, when he entered business in Rhode Island.
..... Click the link for more information. and then under Gen. Joseph HookerHooker, Joseph,
1814–79, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Hadley, Mass. After fighting the Seminole and serving in the Mexican War, Hooker resigned from the army in 1853 and was for several years a farmer in California.
..... Click the link for more information. were again repulsed. Thus encouraged, Lee and his lieutenants—James LongstreetLongstreet, James,
1821–1904, Confederate general in the American Civil War, b. Edgefield District, S.C. He graduated (1842) from West Point and served in the Mexican War, reaching the rank of major. At the outbreak of the Civil War he resigned from the U.S.
..... Click the link for more information. , R. S. EwellEwell, Richard Stoddert,
1817–72, Confederate general, b. Georgetown, D.C., grad. West Point, 1840. Ewell rose rapidly in the Confederate army, becoming a major general by Oct., 1861. In 1862 he fought under T. J.
..... Click the link for more information. , A. P. HillHill, Ambrose Powell,
1825–65, Confederate general in the American Civil War, b. Culpeper, Va. He served briefly in the Mexican War and had a varied army career until he resigned in Mar., 1861, to support the Confederacy.
..... Click the link for more information. , and J. E. B. StuartStuart, James Ewell Brown
(Jeb Stuart), 1833–64, Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War, b. Patrick co., Va. Most of his U.S. army service was with the 1st Cavalry in Kansas.
..... Click the link for more information. —undertook another invasion of the North but failed against George G. MeadeMeade, George Gordon,
1815–72, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Cádiz, Spain. Graduated from West Point in 1835, he resigned from the army the next year and became a civil engineer. In 1842, Meade reentered the army in the corps of topographical engineers.
..... Click the link for more information. in the Gettysburg campaignGettysburg campaign,
June–July, 1863, series of decisive battles of the U.S. Civil War. The Road to Gettysburg
After his victory in the battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate general Robert E. Lee undertook a second invasion of the North.
..... Click the link for more information. (June–July, 1863). That campaign marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy, although it took considerable bloody pounding by Gen. U. S. GrantGrant, Ulysses Simpson,
1822–85, commander in chief of the Union army in the Civil War and 18th President (1869–77) of the United States, b. Point Pleasant, Ohio. He was originally named Hiram Ulysses Grant.
..... Click the link for more information. in the Wilderness campaignWilderness campaign,
in the American Civil War, a series of engagements (May–June, 1864) fought in the Wilderness region of Virginia. Early in May, 1864, the Northern commander in chief, Grant, led the Army of the Potomac (118,000 strong) across the Rapidan River into the
..... Click the link for more information. (May–June, 1864) and the siege of PetersburgPetersburg,
city (1990 pop. 38,386), politically independent and in no county, SE Va., on the Appomattox River; inc. 1850. A port of entry and an important tobacco market, it has industries producing chemicals, pharmaceuticals, furniture, structural steel, lumber, paper goods,
..... Click the link for more information. (1864–65) before Lee surrendered what remained of his Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse (see under AppomattoxAppomattox
, town (1990 pop. 1,707), seat of Appomattox co., central Va.; inc. 1925. Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S. Grant at nearby Appomattox Courthouse on Apr. 9, 1865. After Gen.
..... Click the link for more information. ) on Apr. 9, 1865. President Jefferson Davis had already fled Richmond, and the Confederacy soon collapsed. Postwar Political Reform and a New Economy The war left its marks on the land and the people. The Shenandoah Valley was particularly desolate after the campaigns of Confederate Gen. Jubal A. EarlyEarly, Jubal Anderson,
1816–94, Confederate general, b. Franklin co., Va., grad. West Point, 1837. After fighting against the Seminole in Florida he resigned from the army (1838), studied law, and practiced at Rocky Mount, Va. He fought briefly in the Mexican War.
..... Click the link for more information. and Union Gen. Philip H. SheridanSheridan, Philip Henry,
1831–88, Union general in the American Civil War, b. Albany, N.Y. Although not a brilliant general, Sheridan's flair for leadership and his ready fighting ability made him the outstanding Union cavalry commander.
..... Click the link for more information. in 1864. But poverty-stricken as it was after the war, the state, under Gov. Francis H. PierpontPierpont, Francis Harrison,
1814–99, Union leader in Virginia during the American Civil War, "Father of West Virginia," b. near Morgantown, Va. (now W.Va.). When Virginia seceded, he became a leader of the disaffected Unionist forces in the western part of Virginia and was
..... Click the link for more information. , escaped the worst aspects of ReconstructionReconstruction,
1865–77, in U.S. history, the period of readjustment following the Civil War. At the end of the Civil War, the defeated South was a ruined land. The physical destruction wrought by the invading Union forces was enormous, and the old social and economic
..... Click the link for more information. . Radical Republicans were but briefly in power. On the recommendation (1869) of President Ulysses S. Grant, Congress allowed Virginia to vote without coercion, and the state passed the essential clauses of a constitution that the Radicals had drafted (1868), providing for free public schools and heavy taxes on land. More importantly, Virginia was allowed to elect to office its own moderate party, the "white Republicans," led by Gen. William MahoneMahone, William
, 1826–95, Confederate general in the American Civil War and Virginia politician, b. Southampton co., Va. He was president, chief engineer, and superintendent of the Norfolk-Petersburg RR when the Civil War broke out.
..... Click the link for more information. . Radical sway was ended. In 1870, after the Virginia assembly had ratified the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, the state was readmitted to the Union. The abolition of slavery and the hard agricultural times of postwar decades ended the plantation system in Virginia and brought some increase in farm tenancy, but the economy benefited from diversification as fruit farming and the tobacco industry became important. To offset declines in demand for dark Virginia tobacco, the bright-leaf variety was increasingly grown. Politics and Industry in the Early Twentieth Century In 1902 a new state constitution demanded rigorous literacy tests for voters, thus completing the long process of reducing the black electorate. During the years preceding World War I, Virginia's prosperity grew as dairy farming in particular gained importance. During the war agriculture boomed, as did industry. Especially prosperous were the important shipbuilding works at Hampton Roads. In the mid-1920s, Harry Flood ByrdByrd, Harry Flood
, 1887–1966, U.S. senator from Virginia (1933–65), b. Martinsburg, W.Va.; brother of Richard E. Byrd. Educated at Shenandoah Academy in Winchester, Va.
..... Click the link for more information. assumed direction of the state's powerful Democratic organization, formerly headed by U.S. Senator Thomas S. Martin and Methodist Episcopal Bishop James Cannon, Jr. Byrd, governor from 1926 to 1930 and U.S. Senator from 1933 until 1965, became the most influential figure in the state. As chief executive he initiated a sound reorganization of the state government, brought about the passage of the first antilynching law adopted by any state, and improved the highway system. However, the organization's chief boast was that the state was entirely free of debt due to a rigid "pay-as-you-go" policy. Liberals criticized this financial policy for scrimping on public education and welfare. In the Great Depression of the 1930s Virginia fared better than many states. Its industries had not been overexpanded, and, more important, the state's economy was built around consumer goods—foods, textiles, and tobacco—that remained in relatively high demand. Farmers benefited from the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, but conservative Virginians resisted some of the economic policies of the New Deal. In World War II Virginia was the scene of much military training, and the shipyards at Hampton Roads and other industries again aided the war effort. In the prosperous postwar period the conservative Byrd organization maintained its power. Desegregation and Growth After the 1954 Supreme Court decision on public school integration, attempts at desegregating Virginia's schools proceeded slowly. After Virginia courts and federal courts ruled illegal the order by Gov. J. Lindsay Almond, Jr., to close public schools in nine counties, a lame compromise of "local option" was adopted. With the exception of Prince Edward County, where schools remained closed from 1959 until 1964, all parts of Virginia had accepted at least token integration by the mid-1960s. In 1989, L. Douglas WilderWilder, L. Douglas
(Lawrence Douglas Wilder), 1931–, American political leader, b. Richmond, Va. The grandson of slaves, Wilder studied law at Howard Univ. A Democrat, he was elected a state senator in 1969, becoming the first African American to serve in the Virginia
..... Click the link for more information. , a Democrat, became the first African American elected governor in Virginia. Virginia has benefited in recent decades from increased federal spending. In the 1980s the Hampton Roads area saw a naval shipbuilding boom. The greatest growth, however, has come in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where expanded federal offices and hundreds of quasi-official and private organizations engaged in lobbying, communications, and other businesses that owe their existence to proximity to the seat of the government have in turn spawned trade and service hubs like Dale City and Tysons Corner. Bibliography See F. B. Simkins et al., Virginia: History, Government, Geography (1957); C. H. Ambler, Sectionalism in Virginia from 1776 to 1861 (1910, repr. 1964); P. A. Bruce, Social Life of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century (1907, repr. 1964), Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century (2 vol., 1896; repr. 1966), and Institutional History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century (2 vol., 1910; repr. 1964); H. J. Eckenrode, The Political History of Virginia during the Reconstruction (1904, repr. 1971); J. Gottmann, Virginia in Our Century (1969); C. C. Pearson, The Readjuster Movement in Virginia, 1847–1861 (1917, repr. 1969); E. S. Morgan, American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia (1975); V. Dabney, Virginia, the New Dominion (1971, repr. 1983); D. Staff, Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer (1989); G. Milton, Big Chief Elizabeth: The Adventures and Fate of the First English Colonists in America (2000).
Virginia, Confederate name for the ironclad Merrimack. See Monitor and MerrimackMonitor and Merrimack,
two American warships that fought the first engagement between ironclad ships. When, at the beginning of the Civil War, the Union forces abandoned the Norfolk Navy Yard at Portsmouth, Va., they scuttled the powerful steam frigate Merrimack.
..... Click the link for more information. .
Virginia, in Roman legend, daughter of the centurion Virginius. Her father stabbed her to save her from the lust of Appius ClaudiusClaudius,
ancient Roman gens. Appius Claudius Sabinus Inregillenis or Regillensis was a Sabine; he came (c.504 B.C.) with his tribe to Rome.
..... Click the link for more information. Crassus, decemvir. This precipitated the fall of the decemvirs. The story occurs often in literature.
Virginia, city (1990 pop. 9,410), St. Louis co., NE Minn., on the Mesabi range; inc. 1892. In addition to its iron mines—both open-pit and underground—the city has foundries, lumbering, and food-processing and manufacturing plants. Dairy cattle and poultry are raised and oats and alfalfa are grown. Tourism is economically important, and many recreational and ski areas are nearby. The Minnesota Museum of Mining is there.Virginia State Information Phone: (804) 786-0000
www.virginia.gov
Area (sq mi):: 42774.20 (land 39594.07; water 3180.13) Population per square mile: 191.10
Population 2005: 7,567,465 State rank: 0 Population change: 2000-20005 6.90%; 1990-2000 14.40% Population 2000: 7,078,515 (White 70.20%; Black or African American 19.60%; Hispanic or Latino 4.70%; Asian 3.70%; Other 4.40%). Foreign born: 8.10%. Median age: 35.70
Income 2000: per capita $23,975; median household $46,677; Population below poverty level: 9.60% Personal per capita income (2000-2003): $31,087-$33,730
Unemployment (2004): 3.70% Unemployment change (from 2000): 1.40% Median travel time to work: 27.00 minutes Working outside county of residence: 51.80%
List of Virginia counties:Virginia Parks- US National Parks
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Arlington House-Robert E Lee Memorial
Booker T. Washington National Monument
Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park
Colonial National Historical Park
Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
George Washington Birthplace National Monument
| George Washington Memorial Parkway
Green Springs National Historic Landmark District
Jamestown National Historic Site
Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac
Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Petersburg National Battlefield
| Prince William Forest Park
Red Hill Patrick Henry National Memorial
Richmond National Battlefield Park
Shenandoah National Park
Theodore Roosevelt Island Park
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
|
- Urban Parks
Carvins Cove Natural Reserve
| Mount Trashmore Park
| Newport News Park
| |
- State Parks
Bear Creek Lake State Park
Belle Isle State Park
Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve
Breaks Interstate Park
Bush Mill Stream Natural Area Preserve
Caledon Natural Area
Chippokes Plantation State Park
Claytor Lake State Park
Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Douthat State Park
Fairy Stone State Park
False Cape State Park
First Landing State Park
| George Washington's Grist Mill Historical State Park
Goshen Pass Natural Area Preserve
Grayson Highlands State Park
Holliday Lake State Park
Hungry Mother State Park
James River State Park
Kiptopeke State Park
Lake Anna State Park
Leesylvania State Park
Mason Neck State Park
Natural Tunnel State Park
New River Trail State Park
Occoneechee State Park
| Pocahontas State Park
Raymond R. "Andy" Guest Jr. Shenandoah River State Park
Sailor's Creek Battlefield State Park
Shot Tower Historical State Park
Sky Meadows State Park
Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park
Staunton River Battlefield State Park
Staunton River State Park
Twin Lakes State Park
Westmoreland State Park
Wilderness Road State Park
York River State Park
| |
- Parks and Conservation-Related Organizations - US
American Association for Leisure & Recreation (AALR)
American Bird Conservancy (ABC)
American Canoe Association (ACA)
American Park & Recreation Society (APRS)
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA)
Conservation Fund
Conservation International (CI)
| Corporation for Jefferson's Poplar Forest
Cousteau Society
National Association of County Park & Recreation Officials (NACPRO)
National Recreation & Park Association (NPRA)
National Society for Park Resources (NSPR)
National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
Nature Conservancy
| Public Lands Foundation (PLF)
Shenandoah National Park Association
Society of Park & Recreation Educators (SPRE)
Trout Unlimited (TU)
Water Environment Federation (WEF)
|
- National Wildlife Refuges
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge
Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge
Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge
| Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
James River National Wildlife Refuge
Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge
Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
| Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge
Presquile National Wildlife Refuge
Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge
|
- National Trails
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
| |
- National Scenic Byways
Colonial Parkway
| George Washington Memorial Parkway
| Skyline Drive
| |
- National Heritage Areas
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District
| |
- National Forests
George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
| |
- Marine Sanctuaries
Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
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Virginia a state in the eastern part of the USA. Area, 105,700 sq km. Population, 4.5 million (1970 census), more than one-fifth of whom are Negroes. Urban population 56 percent (1960). Administrative center, Richmond. The Atlantic Lowland, deeply indented by the Chesapeake Bay and its river estuaries, is in the eastern part of Virginia. The Appalachian Mountains (elevation, 1,743 m) are in the west and the Piedmont Plateau is in the central part of the state. The suburbs of Washington, D.C., the capital of the USA, extend into northeastern Virginia. The mean temperatures range from —1° to 5° C in January and from 23° to 26° C in July. Annual precipitation amounts to more than 1,000 mm. The most important rivers—the James and the Potomac—are navigable in their lower courses. There are coniferous and deciduous forests on the slopes of the Appalachians. Virginia is an industrial-agrarian state. Its industrial development has been facilitated by its advantageous geographical position, its transportation conditions, and by the presence of large reserves of coal and waterpower. Coal mining (33 million tons in 1967) in the Appalachian Coal Basin is the most important branch of the mining industry (15,000 employees in 1968). Lead, zinc, and building materials are also mined. The capacity of the state’s electric power plants totaled 6-million kilowatts (kW) in 1968, including 900,000 kW from hydroelectric power plants. Processing industries employed 360,000 people in 1968. The chemical industry is at the highest stage of development with the production of cellulose and synthetic fibers (Roanoke and Newport News), fertilizers, and so on. There is large-scale commercial and military shipbuilding in the Hampton Roads Harbor (Norfolk, Newport News, and Portsmouth). The knitting, textile, and garment industries are well developed (on the basis of chemical fibers), as are the tobacco, food, paper, furniture, electrical equipment, and radioelectronics industries. The principal farm crop is tobacco, primarily in the Piedmont; Virginia is third or fourth in tobacco production in the USA. Virginia’s other crops include wheat in the northwest, peanuts in the south, early potatoes and vegetables, and fruits. Approximately one-half of the commercial agricultural output is accounted for by livestock breeding, including poultry raising (broilers); in 1968 there were 1.4 million head of cattle (including 260,000 dairy cows). Oysters are harvested and shrimp are caught along the coast. The major ports in Hampton Roads Harbor are Norfolk and Newport News. V. M. GOKHMAN Virginia is one of the original states of the USA. It was established in 1776 during the War for Independence in North America (1775-83) in place of the British colony of the same name, which had been founded in 1607. During the Civil War (1861-65), Virginia was a member of the slave-holding Confederacy. The sharpening of relations between the slaveholding planters of the eastern region of Virginia and the farmers of the western part of the state led to the secession of West Virginia in 1863 and its establishment as an independent state. Virginia Tenth state; adopted the U.S. Constitution on June 25, 1788 (seceded from the Union in April 1861, and was readmitted on January 26, 1870) State capital: Richmond Nicknames: Old Dominion; Mother of Presidents; Mother of Statesmen State motto: Sic semper tyrannis (Latin “Thus ever to tyrants”) State beverage: Milk State bat: Virginia big-eared bat (Corynorhinus (= Plecotus) townsendii virginianus) State bird: Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) State boat: Chesapeake Bay Deadrise State dog: American foxhound State festival: Virginia Covered Bridge Festival. State fish: Brook trout (salvelinus fontinalis) State flower: American dogwood (Cornus florida) State folk dance: Square dance State folklore center: Blue Ridge Institute State fossil: Chesapecten jeffersonius (scallop) State insect: Tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus Linne) State shell: Oyster shell (Crassostraea virginica) State song: “Carry Me Back to Old Virginia” had been state song since 1940; the state held a contest to choose a new song in 1998, but none has been selected (as of April, 2008) State tree: American dogwood (Cornus florida) More about state symbols at: www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?FeatureID=138
www.virginia.gov/cmsportal2/facts_and_history_4096/facts_4104/trivia_facts.html
www.vatc.org/pr/facts/factsymbols.asp SOURCES: AmerBkDays-2000, p. 476 AnnivHol-2000, p. 106 STATE OFFICES: State web site: www.virginia.gov Office of the Governor Capitol Bldg 3rd Fl Richmond, VA 23219 804-786-2211 fax: 804-371-6351 www.governor.virginia.gov Secretary of the Commonwealth 830 E Main St 14th Fl Richmond, VA 23219 804-786-2441 fax: 804-371-0017 www.soc.state.va.us Library of Virginia 800 E Broad St Richmond, VA 23219 804-692-3500 fax: 804-692-3594 www.lva.lib.va.us Legal Holidays:| Columbus Day and Yorktown Victory Day | Oct 10, 2011; Oct 8, 2012; Oct 14, 2013; Oct 13, 2014; Oct 12, 2015; Oct 10, 2016; Oct 9, 2017; Oct 8, 2018; Oct 14, 2019; Oct 12, 2020; Oct 11, 2021; Oct 10, 2022; Oct 9, 2023 | | Day after Thanksgiving | Nov 25, 2011; Nov 23, 2012; Nov 29, 2013; Nov 28, 2014; Nov 27, 2015; Nov 25, 2016; Nov 24, 2017; Nov 23, 2018; Nov 29, 2019; Nov 27, 2020; Nov 26, 2021; Nov 25, 2022; Nov 24, 2023 | | Lee-Jackson Day | Jan 14, 2011; Jan 13, 2012; Jan 18, 2013; Jan 17, 2014; Jan 16, 2015; Jan 15, 2016; Jan 13, 2017; Jan 12, 2018; Jan 18, 2019; Jan 17, 2020; Jan 15, 2021; Jan 14, 2022; Jan 13, 2023 |
Virginiafirst of the Thirteen Colonies. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 289]See: FirstsVirginia a state of the eastern US, on the Atlantic: site of the first permanent English settlement in North America; consists of a low-lying deeply indented coast rising inland to the Piedmont plateau and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Capital: Richmond. Pop.: 7 386 330 (2003 est.). Area: 103 030 sq. km (39 780 sq. miles) MedicalSeeHendersonVirginia
Related to Virginia: Virginia Beach, Virginia TechVIRGINIA. The name of one of the original states of the United States of America. This colony was chartered in 1606, by James the First, and this charter was afterwards altered in 1609 and 1612; and in 1624 the charter was declared to be forfeited under proceedings under a writ of quo warranto. After the fall of the charter, Virginia continued to be a royal province until the period of the American Revolution.
2. A constitution, or rather bill of rights, was adopted by a convention of the representatives of the good people of Virginia, on the 12th day of June, 1776. An amended constitution or form of government for Virginia was adopted January 14, 1830, which has been superseded by the present constitution, which was adopted August 1, 1851.
3. The legislative, executive, and judiciary departments, shall be separate and distinct, so that neither exercise the powers properly belonging to either of the others; nor shall any person exercise the powers of more than one of them at the same time, except that justices of the peace shall be eligible to either house of assembly. Art 2.
4.-Sec. 1. The legislature is composed of two branches, the house of delegates and the senate, which together are called the general assembly of Virginia.
5.-1. The house of delegates will be considered with reference, 1. To the qualifications of the electors. 2. The qualifications of members. 3. The number of members. 4. Time of their election.
6.-1st. Every white male citizen of the commonwealth, of the age of twenty-one years, who has been a resident of the state for two years, and of the county, city, or town where he offers to vote for twelve months next preceding an election, and no other person, shall be qualified to vote for members of the general assembly, and all officers elective by the people: but no person in the military, naval, or marine service of the United States shall be deemed a resident of this state, by reason of being stationed therein. And no person shall have the right to vote, who is of unsound mind, or a pauper, or a non-commissioned officer, soldier, seaman, or marine in the service of the United States, or who has been convicted of bribery in an election, or of any infamous offence.
7.-2. The general assembly at its first session after the; adoption of this constitution, and afterwards as occasion may require, shall cause every city or town, the white population of which exceeds five thousand, to be laid off into convenient wards, and a separate place of voting to be established in each, and thereafter no inhabitant of such city or town shall be allowed to vote except in the ward in which be resides.
8.-3. No voter, during the time for holding any election at which he is entitled to vote, shall be compelled to perform military service, except in time of war or public danger; to work upon the public roads, or to attend any court as suitor, juror or witness; and no voter shall be subject to arrest under any civil process during his attendance at elections, or in going to and returning from them.
9.-4. In all elections votes shall be given openly, or viva voce, and not by ballot. But dumb persons, entitled to suffrage, may vote by ballot. Art. 3.
10.-2d. Any person may be elected a delegate who shall have attained the age of twenty-one years, and shall be actually a resident within the city, county, town, or election district, qualified by this constitution to vote for members of the general assembly: but no person holding a lucrative office, no minister of the gospel, or priest of any religious denomination, no salaried officer of any banking corporation or company, and no attorney for the commonwealth shall be capable of being elected a member of either house of assembly. The removal of any person elected to neither branch of the general assembly, from the county, city, town, or district for which he was elected, shall vacate his office. Art. 4, s. 5, Sec. 7.
11.-3d. The house of delegates is to consist of one hundred and fifty-two members. Art. 4, Sec. 2.
12.-4th. The members of the general assembly are to be chosen biennially. Art. 4, Sec. 2.
13.-2. The senate will be considered in the same order that the house of delegates has been. 1. The qualifications of electors are the same as for electors of delegates. 2. Any person may be elected a senator who has attained the age of twenty-five years, and shall be actually a resident within the district, and qualified to vote for members of the general assembly. The other qualifications are the, same as those for delegates. Art. 4, s. 5, Sec. 7. 3. The number of senators is fifty. Art. 4, Sec. 3.
4. Senators are to be elected for the term of four years. Upon the assembling of the senators so elected, they shall be divided into two equal classes to be numbered by lot. The term of service of the senators of the first class shall expire with that of the delegates first elected under this constitution; and of the senators of the second class, at the expiration of two years thereafter; and this alternation shall, be continued, so that one-half of the senators may be chosen every second year. Art. 4, Sec. 3.
14.-1. The chief executive power of this commonwealth shall be vested in a governor. He shall hold the office for the term of four years, to commence on the ____ day of _______ next succeeding his election, and be ineligible to the same office for the term next succeeding that for which he was elected, and to any other office during his term of service.
15.-2. The governor shall be elected by the voters at the times and places of choosing members of the general assembly. Returns of the election shall be transmitted under seal by the proper officers to the secretary of the commonwealth, who shall deliver them to the speaker of the house of delegates, on the first day of the next session of the general assembly. The speaker of the house of delegates shall within one week thereafter, in the presence of a majority of the senate and house of delegates, open the said returns, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the highest number of votes shall be declared elected; but if two or more shall have the highest and an equal number, of votes, one of them shall be chosen governor by the joint vote of the two houses of the general assembly. Contested elections for governor shall be decided by a like vote, and the mode of proceeding in such cases shall be prescribed by law.
16.-3. No person shall be eligible to the office of governor unless he has attained the age of thirty years, is a native citizen of the United States, and has been a citizen of Virginia, for five years next preceding his election.
17.-4. The governor shall reside at the seat of government; shall receive five thousand dollars for each year of his service, and, while in office, shall receive no other emolument from this or any other government.
18.-5. He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed; communicate to the general assembly at every session the condition of the commonwealth; recommend to their consideration such measures as he may deem expedient; and convene the general assembly on application of a majority of the members of both houses thereof, or when in his opinion the interest of the commonwealth may require it. He shall be commander-in-chief of the land and naval forces of the state; have power to embody the militia to repel invasion, suppress insurrection and enforce the execution of the laws; conduct, either in person or in such other manner as shall be prescribed by law, all intercourse with other and foreign states; and, during the recess of the general assembly, fill pro tempore all vacancies in those offices for which the constitution and laws make no provision but his appointments to such vacancies shall be by commissions to expire at the end of thirty days after the commencement of the next session of the general assembly. He shall have power to remit fines and penalties in such cases and under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by law; and, except when the prosecution has been carried on by the house of delegates or the law shall otherwise particularly direct, to grant reprieves and pardons after conviction, and to commute capital punishment. But be shall communicate to the general assembly at each session, the particulars of every case of fine or penalty remitted, of reprieve or pardon granted and of punishment commuted, with his reasons for remitting, granting or commuting the same.
19.-6. He may require information in writing from the officers in the executive department upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices; and may also require the opinion in writing of the attorney-general upon any question of law connected with his official duties.
20.-7. Commissions and grants shall run in the name of the commonwealth of Virginia, and be attested by the governor with the seal of the commonwealth annexed.
21.-8. A lieutenant governor shall be elected at the same time, and for the same term, as the governor: and his qualification and the manner of his election in all respects shall be the same.
22.-9. In case of the removal of the governor from office, or of his death, failure to qualify, resignation, removal from the state, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the office, the said office, with its compensation, shall devolve upon the lieutenant governor; and the general assembly shall provide by law for the discharge of the executive functions in other necessary cases.
23.-10 The lieutenant governor shall be president of the senate, but shall have no vote; and while. acting as such, shall receive a compensation equal to that allowed to the speaker of the house of delegates. Art. 5, Sec. 1-10.
24.-Sec. 3. The judicial powers are regulated by the sixth article of the constitution, as follows:
25.-1. There shall be a supreme court of appeals, district courts and circuit courts. The jurisdiction of these tribunals, and of the judges thereof, except so far as the same is conferred by this constitution, shall, be regulated by law.
26.-2. The state shall be divided into twenty-one judicial circuits, ten districts and five sections.
27.-3. The general assembly may, at the end of eight years after the adoption of this constitution, and thereafter at intervals of eight years, rearrange the said circuits, districts and sections, and place any number of circuits in a district, and of districts in a section; but each circuit shall be altogether in one district, and each district in one section; and there shall not be less than two districts and four circuits in a section, and the number of sections shall not be increased or diminished.
28.-6 For each circuit, a judge shall be elected by the voters thereof, who shall hold his office for the term of eight years, unless sooner removed in the manner prescribed by this constitution. He shall at the time of his election be at least thirty years of age, and during his continuance in office, shall reside in the circuit of which he is judge.
29.-7. A circuit court shall be held at least twice a year by the judge of each circuit, in every county and corporation thereof, wherein a circuit court is now or may hereafter be established. But the judges in the same district may be required or authorized to hold the courts of their respective circuits alternately, and a judge of one circuit to hold a court in any other circuit.
30.-8. A district court shall be held, at least once a year in every district, by the judges of the circuits constituting the section and the judges of the supreme court of appeals for the section of which the district forms a part, any three of whom may hold a court; but no judge shall sit or decide upon any appeal taken from his own decision. The judge of the supreme court of appeals of one section, may sit in the district courts of another section, when required or authorized by law to do so.
31.-9. The district courts shall not have original jurisdiction, except in cases of habeas corpus, mandamus and prohibition.
32.-10. For each section, a judge shall be elected by the voters thereof, who shall hold his office for the term of twelve years, unless sooner removed in the manner prescribed by this constitution. He shall at the time of his election be at least thirty-five years of age, and during his continuance in office, reside in the section for which he is elected.
33.-11. The supreme court of appeals shall consist of the five judges so elected, any three of whom may hold a court. It shall have appellate jurisdiction only, except in cases of, habeas corpus, mandamus and prohibition. It shall not have jurisdiction in civil causes where the matter in controversy, exclusive of costs, is less, in value or amount than five hundred dollars, except in controversies concerning the title or boundaries of land, the; probate of a will, the appointment or qualification of a personal representative, guardian, committee or curator; or concerning a mill, road, way, ferry or landing, or the right of a corporation, or of a county to levy tolls or taxes; and except in cases of habeas corpus, mandamus and prohibition, and cases involving freedom, or the constitutionality of a law.
34.-12. Special courts of appeals, to consist of not less than three nor more than five judges, may be formed of the judges of the supreme court of appeals, and of the circuit courts, or any of them, to try any cases remaining on the dockets of the present court of appeals when the judges thereof cease to hold their offices; or to try any cases which may be on the dockets of the supreme court of appeals established by this constitution, in respect to which a majority of the judges of said court may be so situated as to make it improper for them to sit on the bearing thereof.
35.-13 When a judgment or decree is reversed or affirmed by the supreme court of appeals, the reasons therefor shall be stated in writing, and preserved with the record of the case.
36.-14. Judges shall be commissioned by the governor, and shall receive fixed and adequate salaries which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office. The salary of a judge of the supreme court of appeals shall not be less than three thousand dollars and that of a judge of a circuit court not less than two thousand dollars per annum, except that of the judge of the fifth circuit, which shall not be less than fifteen hundred dollars per annum; and each shall receive a reasonable allowance for necessary travel.
37.-15. No judge during his term of service shall hold any other office, appointment or public trust, and the acceptance thereof shall vacate his judicial office; nor shall he during such term, of within one year thereafter, be eligible to any political office.
38.-16. No election of judge shall be held within thirty days of the time of holding any election of electors of president and vice-president of the United States, of members of congress or of the general assembly.
39.-17. Judges may be removed from office by a concurrent vote of both houses of the general assembly, but a majority of all the members elected to each house must concur in such vote; and the cause of removal shall be entered. on the journal of each house. The judge, against whom the general assembly may be about to proceed, shall receive notice thereof, accompanied by a copy of the causes alleged for his removal, at least twenty days before the day on which either house of the general assembly shall act thereupon.
40.-22. At every election of a governor, an attorney-general shall be elected by the voters of the commonwealth, for the term of four years. He shall be commissioned by the governor, shall perform such duties and receive such compensation as may be prescribed by law, and be removable in the manner prescribed for the removal of judges.
41.-23. Judges and all other officers, whether elected or appointed, shall continue to discharge the duties of their respective offices after their terms of service, have expired, until their successors are qualified.
42.-24. Writs shall run in the name of the commonwealth of Virginia and be attested by the clerks of the several courts. Indictments shall conclude, against the peace and dignity of the commonwealth.
43.-25. There shall be in each county of the commonwealth, a county court, which shall be held monthly, by not less than three, nor more than, five justices, except when the law shall require the presence of a greater number.
44.-26. The jurisdiction of the said court shall be the same as that of the existing county courts, except so far as it is modified by this constitution or may be changed by law.
45.-27. Each county shall be laid off into districts, as nearly equal as may be in territory and population. In each district there shall be elected by the voters thereof, four justices of the peace, who shall be commissioned by the governor, reside in their respective districts, and hold their office for the term of four years. The justices so elected shall choose one of their own body, who shall be the presiding justice of the county court, and whose duty it shall be to attend each term of said court. The other justices shall be classified by law for the performance of their duties in court.
46.-28. The justices shall receive for their services in court, a per diem compensation, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the country treasury; and shall not receive any fee or emolument for other judicial services. AcronymsSeeVAVirginia
Related to Virginia: Virginia Beach, Virginia TechSynonyms for Virginianoun a state in the eastern United StatesSynonyms- Old Dominion
- Old Dominion State
- VA
Related Words- Battle of Bull Run
- Bull Run
- Chancellorsville
- Battle of Fredericksburg
- Fredericksburg
- Petersburg Campaign
- Petersburg
- battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse
- Spotsylvania
- Wilderness Campaign
- siege of Yorktown
- Yorktown
- Shenandoah National Park
- U.S.A.
- United States
- United States of America
- US
- USA
- America
- the States
- U.S.
- Confederacy
- Confederate States
- Confederate States of America
- Dixie
- Dixieland
- South
- capital of Virginia
- Richmond
- Blacksburg
- Jamestown
- Newport News
- Norfolk
- Lynchburg
- Portsmouth
- Roanoke
- Virginia Beach
- Mount Vernon
- Alleghenies
- Allegheny Mountains
- Blue Ridge
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- Chesapeake Bay
- Clinch River
- Elizabeth River
- Hampton Roads
- James River
- James
- Potomac
- Potomac River
- Rappahannock
- Rappahannock River
- Shenandoah River
- Shenandoah Valley
- Wilderness
noun a town in northeastern Minnesota in the heart of the Mesabi RangeRelated Words- Gopher State
- Minnesota
- North Star State
- MN
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