In 1806, Virginia's General Assembly passed a law that required enslaved people who had been freed after that date to leave the state within one year's time. Those who remained in the Commonwealth more than a year could be re-enslaved and sold. Often, however, the law did not always operate to full effect. Some people petitioned the General Assembly to remain in Virginia, some received permission from the local court where they lived, and sometimes the local community simply looked the other way.
Clara Robinson was 60 years old when she petitioned the General Assembly in 1848. She asked to remain in Richmond after she was emancipated by Elizabeth Gibson. Clara Robinson was an established and successful midwife, who had been trained to assist women in childbirth. Richmond lawyer James A. Seddon and several prominent white physicians who had relied on her services signed a statement supporting her request. The House of Delegates referred the petition to the committee on the Courts of Justice, which recommended approving her petition. The bill allowing her to remain failed in the state senate, but it was introduced again in the next session and was approved in March 1850. There is no further information about Clara Robinson afterwards.
Petitions to the General Assembly were the primary catalyst for legislation in the Commonwealth from 1776 until 1865. Public improvements, military claims, divorce, manumission of slaves, division of counties, incorporation of towns, religious freedom, and taxation were just some of the concerns expressed in these petitions. Learn more about legislative petitions and search for other examples here.
Learn more about petitions to remain in The UncommonWealth blog.
Women played many roles during the American Revolution, but only a few are known to have disguised themselved as men and participated in battle. The penalties for being discovered could be severe. Women who fought in the army tried hard to keep their identities a secret to avoid punishment and it may never be known how many fought in the American Revolution or received a military pension for their services. One example is Anna Maria Lane who was one of the few women to receive a military pension for service as a veteran.
Anna Maria Lane was a native of Connecticut who followed her husband, John Lane, who had enlisted with the Continental Army in 1776. Female camp followers supported the soldiers by doing laundry, cooking meals, and repairing uniforms and other fabric items. It is not known why Anna Lane chose to disguise herself as a soldier or if her husband was aware of her actions. Anna and John Lane fought in military campaigns in Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. During the Battle of Germantown near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 3, 1777, Anna Lane sustained a severe injury that affected her ability to walk for the remainder of her life. It is believed that she refused treatment for her injury out of fear of being discovered. She continued to follow the troops and fight with the men, even as her husband re-enlisted with the Virginia Light Dragoons, a calvary unit, which saw action in many decisive battles during the Revolution. Anna Lane was with her husband when he was wounded in the wiege of Savannah, Georgia, in 1779.
After the Revolutionary War ended in 1781, Anna and John Lane lived in Fluvanna County where he found work at a state arsenal. They later moved to Richmond, where he joined the public guard. Anna Lane volunteered at a military hospital tending the injured and sick. There she met Dr. John H. Foushee, who asked the governor to pay her for her work. In 1807, Anna Lane was too frail to continue working as a result of her war-time injuries. Early in 1808, Governor William H. Cabell requested that the General Assembly provide pensions for soldiers who had sustained lasting injuries in the war. Anna Lane proved that she had fought in the war and was destitute, as she could no longer work. Governor Cabell wrote a letter to the House of Delegates giving Anna special mention for her acts of service during the war.
Anna Lane was commended for her bravery and extraordinary services to the military. The General Assembly gave John Lane $40 a year for life, but Anna Lane received $100 a year for life for her remarkable courage as a solider. Anna Maria Lane died on June 13, 1810. In 1997, a state historical marker honoring Anna’s remarkable story was placed in Richmond near the bell tower in Capitol Square.
Citation: Letter, William H. Cabell to Speaker of the House of Delegates, Jan. 28, 1808, Governor’s Office, Executive Letter Books, William H. Cabell, 1807–1808, Record Group 3, Acc. 35358, Library of Virginia.
Related Entry: Molly Pitcher at the 1778 Battle of Monmouth
VS.1, VS.9, USII.1, USII.4, VUS.1, VUS.8
Preview Activity
Look at it: Look at the letter's comments about Anna Maria Lane. What do you notice about them? What does it tell you about Anna?
Post Activities
Analyze: General George Washington established the rule that women could be punished for dressing as and fighting as soldiers just prior to the Battle of Germantown in 1777. Why do you think he established this rule? What impact might the rule have had on the women who were camp followers?
Food for Thought: Why would a woman, such as Anna Maria Lane, decide to become a soldier? List 3 or 4 reasons with explanations.
Artistic Expression: Create an image of Anna Maria Lane that depicts a moment from her story. Be sure to write a caption for your image that describes the basis for your depiction.
After the Battle of Great Bridge on December 9, 1775, Lord Dunmore and his fleet abandoned the city of Norfolk. Patriot soldiers from North Carolina and Virginia took control of the city. They refused to provide food and supplies to the British fleet. Patriot sharpshooters were used to prevent British ships from approaching Norfolk. On January 1, 1776, British naval vessels in the Elizabeth River fired shots into the city, which the Americans let burn to prevent the British from retaking Norfolk and possibly reestablishing it as a naval base.
Some residents escaped to safer locations before the attack. The resulting destruction of homes in the region left many families homeless or in need of shelter. At the time, there were no social services programs or organizations to assist families in need. While some families could take refuge in the homes of others and the wealthier families could escape to their plantations or country homes in other areas, others were not as fortunate. Many families had no choice but to remain in Norfolk during and following the siege.
Such was the case of Mary Webley, a Norfolk woman with three young children and a husband who had lost an arm in an accident years before the attack on Norfolk. As her husband could not easily find work, the family struggled financially. Mary was nursing her youngest child during the attack and her leg was broken when a cannon ball was shot into her home. Mary Webley's family lost their home, as many did that day,
In October 1776, under the newly formed state legislature, Mary Webley petitioned for and received the sum of £10 (possibly worth about $2,000 in the 21st century) as a one-time compensation. It was unusual for a woman to make this request, as women were not considered to be the head of the family, but Mary Webley made every effort to ensure that her family had a chance to recover from their losses. There are no known records available that provide information about what happened to the Webley family.
The right to petition the legislature played a vital role in Virginia politics from the American Revolution to the Civil War. It was not restricted by class, race, or sex, which meant that even Virginians who couldn't vote could address the General Assembly on a wide variety of issues such as repairing turnpikes, filing claims for public assistance, asking for a divorce, or requesting freedom for an enslaved person, among many other concerns.
Citation: Petition of Mary Webley, City of Norfolk, 1776, Legislative Petitions Digital Collections, Library of Virginia.
VS.1, VS.9, USII.1, USII.4, VUS.1, VUS.8
Preview Activity
Scan it: Scan the document and the transcription. What happened to Mary Webley that led her to petition for support from the state legislature?
Post Activities
Analyze: The events in Norfolk occurred less than a month after the Battle of Great Bridge. How were these two events related? Why might have the decision to let Norfolk burn been considered controversial at the time?
Be the Journalist: You are a reporter working on a historical account of the events of January 1, 1776, in Norfolk with emphasis on telling Mary Webley’s story. Write a short narrative description of the events of the day and how it impacted the lives of those who remined in Norfolk and witnessed the destruction.
Social Media Spin: Create a post for social media commemorating the events in which you provide a brief historical account of the event.
The New York State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NYSAOWS) was one of the most active anti-suffrage groups in the state of New York. There were several auxiliaries of the group throughout New York. NYSAOWS would receive requests for information, advice or assistance from women in other states, including Virginia, where a group of Richmond women established the Virginia Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage in 1912. Other anti-suffrage groups around the country would use material published by NYSAOWS to rally women in their states around the ideals of the anti-suffrage movement.
Formed in April 1895, the New York association consisted of prominent women who opposed women's right to vote. They gave speeches, handed out materials, distributed pamphlets, and also published a journal. NYSAOWS members believed that women participating in politics would be "disruptive of everything pertaining to home life." They considered that women's roles as mothers and caregivers meant they did not have to do "further service" as citizens. The members also believed that a majority of people were on their side and all they had to do was advocate for women to “recognize the vital need for a division of the world's work between men and women.” In 1896, NYSAOWS believed that only 10% of women actually wanted the vote. NYSAOWS also used tactics such as associating women's suffrage with "support for socialist causes.” Although not based in Virginia, materials published by this organization were widely circulated throughout the commonwealth.
Preview Activity
Look at It: Look at the title. What does it tell you about the group who wrote the broadside? List three ideas you have about the women who may be the topic(s) of this broadside.
Post Activities
Analyze: Look at the title. What does it tell you about the group who wrote the broadside? Why do you think this title was chosen? How is the title reflected in the arguments expressed in the broadside?
Up for Debate: In small groups, prepare a brief statement in which you take a side and present why your group is in favor of or is opposed to the suffrage movement.
Social Media Spin: Using hashtags and memes, convert the messages of this broadside into short, social media-style messages that may have been used had the technology existed at the time.
Artistic Exploration: Create a placard that an anti-suffragist may have carried, sharing the views from the "Economical Woman."
“The Age of Iron” was published by the New York printing firm of Currier and Ives in 1869. It satirized the woman suffrage movement that was gaining widespread support in America during that time.
The woman suffrage movement took root in 1848 at the first women's rights convention, which was held in Seneca Falls, New York, with the participants calling for political equality and the right to vote. As the movement gained more support throughout the country, it also brought about a great deal of public scrutiny. Many people, including some women, questioned how women would be able to complete their domestic duties in the private sphere while also participating in activities outside the home in the public sphere. Since colonial times in America, women had been classified as a dependent class under the responsibility of their fathers or husbands. In Virginia, for example, married women had no right to manage property that they owned until 1877.
Political cartoons were often used as a medium for expressing opinions and concerns. The message of “The Age of Iron: Man as He Expects to Be” illustrates the fears of some people that society would suffer if women gained the right to vote and participated in politics—that their behavior would change and they would leave their domestic duties behind.
“The Age of Iron” depicts two men, one sewing and the other doing laundry. At the same time a woman is shown leaving the house and approaching a carriage driven by another woman, with a third woman in the back. Not only does this speak to the fear among men that they would have to take care of domestic duties while women left the home, it also shows the concern that male servants would be replaced by women. Many men feared that their own status could change dramatically if women successfully challenged the idea of private and public spheres and gained political equality.
Citation: “The Age of Iron: Man As He Expects to Be.” lithograph. [New York]: Currier & Ives, 1869. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.
Preview Activity
Look at It: Look at the depiction of the men and women in this lithographic image. How are women represented? Why do you think that the women are shown in this way?
Post Activity
Analyze: Read the caption under the image. What does it suggest about the ideologies of those opposed to the suffrage movement? How might women who supported the suffrage movement feel about this description?
Current Connections: Think about your own home and those of older generations. Are some things still considered “women’s work” and “men’s work”? For example, who is responsible for the cooking/laundry/yard work? Who is called first when a child is injured? How might culture play a role in the roles of men and women?
Artistic Exploration: Draw a version of this lithograph for today. In your drawing, show men in what might be considered traditional women’s roles. Write a caption which describes how society may view your image.
"Agitate – Educate – Legislate” was the slogan of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, which advocated the prohibition of alcohol. Established in 1874 in Ohio, the union became a national movement and Virginia women established a state chapter in 1883. The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) placed a special emphasis on encouraging women and children to support prohibition. The WCTU saw alcohol abuse as especially harmful in the home, where its effects could lead to impoverishment and endanger the lives of children or women. At the time, women did not have many legal rights and their families were often at the mercy of their husbands or fathers. The stated goal of the WCTU was “protection of the home,” which appealed to many women. The WCTU first followed the path of other temperance societies, encouraging adults and children to sign pledges of “Capital T total" (or “teetotal”) abstention from consuming alcohol. Although the pledge campaigns were successful, the WCTU feared that voluntary pledges were not sufficient and members started to push for government intervention in the form of prohibition legislation.
In 1879, Frances Willard became president of the WCTU and expanded its scope, moving from moral persuasion to political action. Willard's personal motto was "Do Everything," which encouraged many women to become active in a variety of social issues that they believed could be solved with a woman’s perspective. By 1896, 25 of the 39 departments of the WCTU addressed non-alcohol-related issues, including women's voting rights, shelters for abused women and children, an eight-hour work day, equal pay for equal work, prison reform, promotion of nutrition and the Pure Food and Drug Act, and world peace. In order to achieve these goals, the WCTU was one of the first organizations to actively lobby Congress to promote its progressive agenda. In 1901, the WCTU was instrumental in securing passage of a law requiring temperance instruction in all public schools. The 18th Amendment outlawing the manufacture and sale of alcohol was ratified in 1919 and repealed in 1933.
Outreach to children, the next generation, was central to the WCTU mission. In the 1890s, the WCTU started the Loyal Temperance Legion (LTL), an international club for boys and girls who pledged total abstinence from alcohol. Monthly meetings included such activities as plays, picnics, parades, and singing temperance songs. The first slogan of the Loyal Temperance League was “Tremble, King Alcohol, We Shall Grow Up!” In 1887, the WCTU began publishing an illustrated magazine, The Young Crusader, and it continued after Prohibition was repealed. In a 1934 story entitled “The Kittens Bring the Light,” Joan and Jimmy are crying because “Daddy went out with some of his friends to celebrate REPEAL.” The LTL mascot, Humpy the Camel, wrote a folksy monthly editorial encouraging children to stay focused on temperance even though alcohol had been legalized again. The featured story, “Good Times and Bob,” follows three boys on their way to school as they discuss how the end of Prohibition has impacted their families.
Preview Activities
Take a Look: Look at the cover art and title of the magazine. What might be the purpose of the image? Who might be The Young Crusader? What does the combined image and title suggest the purpose of the magazine might be?
Scan It: Read the titles of the articles. Guess what the articles may be about without reading the actual article? Look at the image at the bottom of the page, what clues does it give you about the purpose of the magazine?
Post Activities
Analyze: Why would the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union target children? Do you think it was effective? Why or why not?
Current Connections: How does "Good Times and Bob" from the Woman's Christian Temperance Union compare to the anti-drug and -alcohol programs in schools and society today? What is different? What is similar?
Taking a Side: Imagine that you represent the local chapter of the WCTU. How would you influence and promote the concept of alcohol abstinence? Create your own artwork and write a paragraph supporting your positon.
Preview Activity
Scan and Look: Scan the information in the transcribed broadside, if you were interested in joining a women’s organization in 1804, what words or phrases would appeal to you? Why?
Post activities
Analyze: What was the goal of the Female Charitable Society of Portsmouth, Virginia and who was it intended to help? Who was excluded?
Take a stand: Josiah Fox took a risk in allowing women the to meet at his home. If you were in his position, what arguments would you make to defend your choice? How might being a Quaker be used to justify the choice?
Another Perspective: Why might some people be opposed to women organizing associations or philanthropic groups? How might they perceive women taking on roles outside of the home?
Art Connection: The broadside sets forth the rules for the organization but does not include an image. Create a broadside poster which depicts the work of the Female Charitable Society of Portsmouth, Virginia that could be used to increase interest and membership.
Touted as the largest and most magnificent exposition of all time, the New York World’s Fair opened at Flushing Meadows in April 1939. In the Court of States, one exhibition was strikingly different from the rest: the Virginia Room, “an island of quiet” amid the fair’s raucous and more sensational attractions. Leslie Cheek, Jr., chair of the Department of Fine Arts at the College of William and Mary and designer of the Virginia Room, and his team of artists developed a plan for a spacious circular lounge with the visitor’s focus drawn to an ornamental fountain theatrically lit from above and below. The design offered tired fairgoers a place to sit, a chance to enjoy a complimentary glass of ice water served by a white-jacketed waiter, and an array of large photograph albums prepared by the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce.
The Virginia Room albums can be thought of as a sprawling infomercial for the state, promoting it as a place not just of historic shrines and natural beauty, but as one of scientific, artistic, and intellectual sophistication. A modern state of concrete highways, world-class museums, unversities, and business-friendly public policies. When the World’s Fair closed, it was estimated that more than one million people had visited the Virginia Room and viewed its photograph collection. The photograph of the Pocahontas statue was one of the images selected to be in the Virginia Room.
By this period Pocahontas had moved into mythological status as the daughter of paramount chief Powhatan, conversion to Christianity, and marriage to colonist John Rolfe. Her images frequently were incorporated to promote Virginia and Virginia made products.
The statue of Pocahontas by William Ordway Partridge was erected at Historic Jamestowne National Park in 1922. The statue became an iconic image of Pocahontas that was often used in advertisments and for decades formed the basis for imagery of Indigenous women in major film and televison productions. Then as now, visitors photograph themselves holding hands with the staute as a momento of their visit to the park.