Document Bank of Virginia
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  • Collection: Revolution and the New Nation

dunmoreproclamation.jpg
John Murray, fourth earl of Dunmore, was the last royal governor of Virginia. Assuming office in September 1771, he won support during what became known as Lord Dunmore’s War in 1774. Ostensibly to protect white settlers in the Ohio Valley region,…

slavebilly.jpg
By 1775 more than half a million Black Americans, most of them enslaved, were living in the thirteen colonies. Thousands participated in the American Revolution. They gave their loyalty to the side which offered the best path to freedom from…

A Planters Address 179-_10_0562_001.jpg
In February 1790, the Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society, led by Benjamin Franklin, submitted a plea to Congress to debate the issue of slavery and abolish the slave trade. Congress considered the petition and formed a committee for further…

Religious-Freedom-Act_1786_07_0771 01-02.jpg
When the first English settlers arrived in 1607, the Church of England served as the official church of the Virginia Colony. Under the 1689 English Act of Toleration, Protestants who were not members of the Church of England were still required to…

runawayslave.jpg
Located amongst the Accomack County court records from 1758 is this advertisement for a fugitive enslaved person named Will. It was placed by prominent Richmond County planter Landon Carter who enslaved hundreds of men, women, and children. The…

Freeing slaves who  served as soldiers, 1783.jpg
By 1775, approximately half a million enslaved Americans were living in the thirteen colonies. During the American Revolution, thousands of Black Americans participated. Some joined the British, while others fought with the Americans depending on who…

William H Cabell regarding Anna Maria Lane 1808_050042_01 highlighted.jpg
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…

The Federalist_cover_09_1025_01.jpg
After members of the Convention of 1787 drafted a new constitution for the United States, James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton wrote a series of 85 essays in support of the new government under the pen name "Publius" (a statesman who…

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Before the Civil War, white women of wealthy backgrounds in urban areas sometimes came together to establish charitable or religious-based organizations to aid the poor and promote virtue. Such activities were seen by some as socially appropriate…

FinisDocument_72dpi.jpg
Virginia's General Assembly first met in July–August 1619. At that time twenty-two burgesses representing eleven settlements assembled in Jamestown with the royal governor and his councilors, or advisors. They approved legislation related to tobacco…
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