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CultureGrams
States Edition
2014
Virginia
Old Dominion
Established 1788
10th State
General Stonewall Jackson is buried in two different places in Virginia. His left arm, which was amputated after a
battle, is buried on a farm near Chancellorsville. The rest of him is buried in Lexington.
More than 18 trillion gallons of water fill Chesapeake Bay.
Eight U.S. presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Harrison, Tyler, Taylor, and Wilson) and six
presidents’ wives were born in Virginia.
More than one-third of Virginia’s potato crop is used for potato chips.
The story about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree and then confessing “I cannot tell a lie” is a
lie. An author made up the story.
Thomas Rolfe, the only son of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, was born in Virginia in 1615.
Virginian Robert E. Lee was asked by President Abraham Lincoln to become the commander of the Union army
in the Civil War, but Lee decided to fight on behalf of his home state.
A slave named Henry Brown had himself shipped in a box with food and water from Richmond to Philadelphia,
where he was freed!
Patrick Henry, an early statesman, delivered the famous “Give me liberty or give me death” speech in Richmond.
Climate
Summers in Virginia are hot and humid. Winters are mild and wet in the eastern part of
the state. The mountains in the west of the state are colder and get about 30 inches (76
cm) of snow in the winter. Depending on where you are in the state, January could be
below freezing and snowy or a mild 45°F (7°C) and clear. Virginia’s southeast has a
climate that allows farmers to grow their crops about eight months of the year, from late
March to halfway through November.
Average Seasonal High and Low Temperatures
Spring: 67/45°F
Summer: 85/65°F
Fall: 69/49°F
Winter: 48/30°F
Geography
Virginia has 3,315 miles (5,335 km) of shoreline. That’s about the same distance as it is
from Seattle to Miami! How is that possible? Virginia actually has only 112 miles (180
km) of ocean coastline, but because of the many inlets and peninsulas, Virginia’s
shoreline is as long as the United States is wide. The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary, a
place where freshwater meets saltwater. It’s one of the largest estuaries in the world.
Chesapeake Bay pollution has become an issue because of industrial waste,
overfishing, and overcrowding from the many people who want to live along the coast. 1
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Virginia
Virginia has two main land regions. The east is part of the Coastal Plains, also called
the Tidewater. The name Tidewater comes from the ocean tides that rise and fall in the
bays and inlets. The land is fairly flat and nearly at sea level. Swamps and marshes
often border the rivers. The Coastal Plains area extends west until it hits the Fall Line,
where the land rises quickly to 300 feet (91 m). From this point westward, the land
changes from rolling hills and fertile soil to forested mountains.
Resources and Economy
Services and manufacturing, especially of foods, electrical equipment, textiles, and
chemicals, are the largest industries in Virginia. But the state’s largest employer is the
federal government. Although Virginia’s economy is less dependent on agriculture than
it once was, agriculture is still important. Tobacco has always been and still is one of
the main crops. Livestock is another top product. Virginians have also taken advantage
of their natural resources. Coal is a major part of the mining industry. Also, the forests
in the west are harvested to produce wood and paper products.
Time Line
Native American tribes settle along the coast and in the river valleys
thousands of years before the first European explorers and
missionaries come
AD 1500
AD 1524
Giovanni da Verrazzano sails the coast of what is now Virginia
1584
Sir Walter Raleigh names much of the eastern coast of North America
“Virginia,” after Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen
1600
1607
Jamestown is established
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1614
British colonist John Rolfe marries Pocahontas, the daughter of
Powhatan, a Native American chief
1676
Nathaniel Bacon rebels against Virginia’s English governor
1700
1788
Virginia ratifies (approves) the Constitution, becoming the 10th state
1789
Virginian George Washington becomes the first U.S. president
1800
1831
Nat Turner leads a slave rebellion in Southampton County
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Virginia
1861
Virginia joins the Confederacy
1863
West Virginia breaks away from Virginia
1865
General Robert E. Lee surrenders to the Union army
1900
1902
A revision of the state constitution effectively strips African Americans
of the right to vote
1954
The Supreme Court demands that schools desegregate (allow a mix of
races)
1959
Schools begin to be integrated
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1989
Virginia
L. Douglas Wilder becomes the first African American in the United
States elected as governor
2000
2007
Virginia celebrates the 400th anniversary of the founding of
Jamestown; a Virginia Tech student kills 32 students as well as
himself, wounding 17 others
PRESENT
Peace and Plenty
Native Americans built extensive communities in the area because of the plentiful fish
and game. These first settlers grew corn, squash, beans, and other vegetables. They
also farmed tobacco and later taught the colonists from Jamestown how to grow it.
Several Native American tribes lived in the area at the time. Today, around a dozen
tribes recognized by the state government still exist in some numbers, most of them in
the Tidewater and Piedmont regions.
Settlement: Starvation to Success
In 1607, the Virginia Company established Jamestown, the first permanent English
settlement in Virginia. Many there died from hunger, lack of shelter, and disease. The
miserable winter of 1609–10, called the “starving time,” started out with five hundred
colonists. By May, only about 60 were still alive. To make matters worse, the settlers
attacked and were attacked by the Powhatan. In 1614, John Rolfe married Pocahontas,
the chief’s daughter. Their marriage created peace for a while. However, following their
deaths, both sides began the attacks again. The fighting lasted for more than 30 years.
Old Dominion Revolts
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Although Virginia was believed to be named Old Dominion for its loyalty to the crown,
the colony grew unhappy with British rule. Virginians such as Patrick Henry played an
active part in the Revolution. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence,
and George Washington led the Continental Army. After the Revolution, Virginia
remained heavily involved in the new nation. Four of the first five presidents were
Virginians. Also, John Marshall became chief justice of the Supreme Court. Many of his
decisions strengthened the Constitution and still affect law today.
The Civil War
A Virginia slave named Nat Turner believed God wanted him to free his people, so he
led a bloody rebellion against slave owners in 1831. Out of anger and fear, Virginians
made their slave laws stricter. The state decided to secede (leave the United States) in
1861, when President Lincoln asked it to fight the other southern states that had
already seceded. In May of that year, Richmond became the Confederate capital. The
first major battle of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run, was fought in Virginia. In
fact, much of the war was fought in this state. The area between the James and
Potomac rivers saw the most fighting. Eventually, the North’s larger numbers and
supplies won out. General Lee surrendered in Virginia on 9 April 1865. Some in the
South still call the Civil War the War for Southern Independence.
Reconstruction
After the war, Virginia was millions of dollars in debt. The state also lost one-third of its
land when West Virginia became its own state in 1863. Many impoverished whites
turned their anger toward the newly freed slaves. Although the 15th Amendment gave
all men the right to vote, Virginia and the rest of the South found ways to prevent blacks
from doing so. Jim Crow laws required segregation (keeping blacks apart from whites)
in schools, businesses, and neighborhoods. In 1954, the Supreme Court decided that
schools must be desegregated. Rather than desegregate, some Virginia schools
closed.
The Last Century
Leaders have continued to come from Virginia in the 20th century. President Woodrow
Wilson led the country through World War I. Harry F. Byrd was involved in Virginia’s
politics for 40 years and helped develop the state’s highways and rearrange the state’s
government. However, he also resisted desegregation. Eventually, that led to the
breakup of the political organization he had built. In 1989, L. Douglas Wilder became
the first elected African American governor in the United States.
Population
In the 1950s, less than half of Virginians lived in urban (city) areas. Now, more than 70 percent do. One reason why
urban areas have expanded, especially in the northeast, is because of the growth in government and military. This
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development has created economic differences between northeast and western Virginia that persist today. Virginia
Beach is the largest city.
Government
Capital: Richmond
State Abbreviation: VA
Governor: Bob McDonnell (Republican)
U.S. Senators: 2
Tim Kaine (Democrat)
Mark Warner (Democrat)
U.S. Representatives: 11
Republicans: 8
Democrats: 3
State Senators: 40
State Representatives: 100
Counties: 95, plus 39 independent cities
Virginia’s state legislature (lawmaking body), called the General Assembly, is the oldest in the United States.
Virginia’s governor has more power than most other states’ governors.
Famous People
Ella Fitzgerald
Arthur Ashe — Professional tennis player
Sandra Bullock — Academy Award–winning actress
Willa Cather — Author
Katie Couric — Television journalist
Missy Elliott — Rapper
Ella Fitzgerald — Jazz singer
William Henry Harrison — Ninth U.S. president
Patrick Henry — Statesman
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Aimee Mann
Virginia
Thomas Jefferson — Author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. president
Robert E. Lee — Confederate general
James Madison — Fourth U.S. president
Aimee Mann — Musician
John Marshall — Supreme Court chief justice
James Monroe — Fifth U.S. president
Alonzo Mourning — Basketball player
Christopher Newport — Sea captain and founder of Jamestown
Pocahontas — Powhatan’s daughter
Edgar Allan Poe — Poet and short-story writer
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson — 1930s dancer and actor
Zachary Taylor — 12th U.S. president
John Tyler — 10th U.S. president
George Washington — General and first U.S. president
Martha Washington — 1st First Lady of the United States
Woodrow Wilson — 28th U.S. president
Edgar Allan Poe
George Washington
Native America
Before the first English colonists arrived in what is now Virginia, a large group of
Algonquin tribes lived in the coastal and Tidewater region in the east. A weroance, or
chief, named Wahunsunacock (or Powhatan) united more than 30 tribes into a
chiefdom called Tsenacommaco (or Powhatan, by the English).
English colonists began to arrive in 1607. Many colonists wanted to live and trade
peacefully with the natives, and they were able to for a short time. But the two cultures
of the Powhatan and the English were so different that conflict soon arose. More and
more settlers came wanting land. After Chief Powhatan and his daughter Pocahontas
died, violence broke out between the natives and the settlers. Toward the end of the
1600s, the Powhatan chiefdom was almost completely destroyed. Today, the
descendants of the Powhatan live scattered across Virginia. There are no federally
recognized tribes left in Virginia, although there are several recognized by the state.
Colonial Williamsburg
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For many years, the city of Williamsburg was the capital of the Virginia Colony. Since
Virginia was the largest colony in America at the time, Williamsburg was an important
center for government, education, and culture. In the 20th century, Reverend Dr.
W.A.R. Goodwin began a movement to preserve and restore the old historic buildings
before they decayed completely. In 1932, Colonial Williamsburg opened as a living
history museum, meaning the workers dress up in period costumes and act out scenes
of daily life in 18th century Williamsburg, when the city was in its heyday. Millions of
visitors have passed through Colonial Williamsburg since it opened, and it is a favorite
with families and school classes on field trips. Children can participate in many
authentic colonial activities, such as dipping their own candles or kneading the clay
used to make bricks.
Hogan's Alley
The FBI Training Academy is located in Quantico, Virginia. Future special agents are
educated at this facility before they begin their field work. Next to the main complex is
an area known as Hogan’s Alley. Hogan’s Alley is an entire mock city, where agents
participate in simulated crime scenarios. The FBI employs a cast of actors who pretend
to live in the city, playing the roles of robbers, terrorists, drug dealers, and innocent
bystanders. The town includes a bank, hotel, homes, barber shop, pool hall, and many
other buildings. Agents participate in simulated gunfights and car chases against
professional stuntmen driving getaway cars and firing paintball guns. In Hogan’s Alley,
trainees also learn the latest firearms techniques and defensive strategies so they will
know what to do when they find themselves in an actual crime situation.
State Symbols
State Bird
Cardinal—In England, this bird was once called the Virginia nightingale.
State Tree
American dogwood—Virginians chose this flowering tree as the state flower in 1918
and as the state tree in 1956.
State Flower
American dogwood—Thomas Jefferson grew dogwoods at Monticello.
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State Shell
Oyster—Chincoteague Island has the world’s only oyster museum.
Other Symbols
Beverage: Milk
Folk Dance: Square dance
Dog: American foxhound
Fish: Brook trout
Fossil: Chesapecten jeffersonius
Insect: Tiger swallowtail butterfly
State Motto
Sic Semper Tyrannis—This Latin phrase means “Thus Always to Tyrants.”
Pro Sports Teams
There are currently no professional sports teams in Virginia.
For More Information
See www.virginia.gov or contact the Virginia Tourism Corporation, 901 East Byrd Street, Richmond, VA 23219; phone
(800) VISIT-VA; web site www.virginia.org.
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