Browse Items (15 total)

In 1801, the Virginia State Legislature decreed that county commissioners of the revenue were to return a complete list of all free "Negroes" in their district on an annual basis. This list was to contain names, gender, residence, and trade of each…

The second quarter of the nineteenth century was dominated by reform movements:  the Second Great Awakening, abolition, women’s suffrage, utopian societies, free public schools, and reforms of prisons, hospitals, and mental institutions. All…

The Map of Spain and Portugal                 When examining the map of Spain and Portugal for the first time, the effort that the cartographer put into each aspect is seen. The map contains many details that the cartographer drew with…

Portrait of Simón BolívarThis portrait depicts Simón Bolívar, leader of the movement for independence of Spanish American colonies. Little is known about this antique portrait, and many aspects remain a mystery. It was painted during the lifetime…

This document shows a photograph, taken in 1939, of one of the monuments that stands in Charlottesville, Virginia, dedicated to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Named after its leaders, Virginia natives Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the Lewis…

In December 1814, the United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent which was ratified by Congress in February 1815 and officially ended what came to be known as the War of 1812. As part of this treaty, England agreed to turn over to…

These two engravings by the Scottish-born artist William Charles (1776–1820) contrast the resistance—or lack thereof—to the British invasions of Alexandria, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland during the War of 1812. Having their cities under…

Western Virginia's mineral-spring resorts were extremely popular in the nineteenth century. Travelers from throughout the United States, but especially from the South, visited the resorts, taking the "cure" and enjoying the bucolic rural landscapes…

This map depicts the United States following a rapid territorial expansion due to the Louisiana Purchase. Completed in 1803, the Purchase gave the United States approximately 828,000,000 square miles of territory from French emperor, Napoleon…

In 1850, the United States was embroiled in the slave vs. free state debate as more territories were being added to the Union. Recently elected President Zachary Taylor opposed any legislation that would address the problem, and felt that the issue…