Browse Items (217 total)
Thomas Paine and Common Sense, Pamphlet, 1776
Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was the most prolific writer of pro-independence tracts during the Revolutionary War. He wrote for average Americans, so his works—notably Common Sense and The American Crisis—reached thousands of readers and convinced many…
Virginia Constitution of 1776
The last of Virginia's Revolutionary Conventions met from early May through July 5, 1776, to establish a new government for the independent Commonwealth of Virginia. In this session, the delegates unanimously passed the Virginia Declaration of Rights…
Declaration of Independence, 1776
The Revolutionary War erupted with battles at Lexington and Concord and at Bunker Hill in 1775, but throughout the following year many colonists continued to believe reconciliation with Great Britain was possible. Some members of the Continental…
Petition of 10,000 Dissenters for Religious Freedom, 1776
Since the establishment of the Virginia colony in 1607, the Church of England (Anglican) was the only religious denomination recognized by the government. Anyone not worshipping with the recognized church was labeled a dissenter. Dissenters did not…
Mary Webley, Petition to the General Assembly, 1776
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…
Final Meeting of the House of Burgesses, 1776
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…
The Virginia Declaration of Rights (George Mason's Draft)
Virginia's Fifth Revolutionary Convention met at the Capitol in Williamsburg from May 6 to July 5, 1776, and declared independence from Great Britain. The delegates also voted to prepare a constitution for Virginia as well as a statement of rights.…
Battle of Great Bridge, William Woodford Letter, 1775
The Battle of Great Bridge, fought in December 1775, was Virginia’s first large-scale battle in the American Revolution. The Virginia militia fought against British regular troops and Loyalist militia that included a unit of Black soldiers. The…
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death, Patrick Henry Speech, 1775
In March 1775, the American colonies appeared to be on a path to war with Britain. Tensions increased over British treatment of Bostonians after Parliament passed the Coercive Acts (also known as the Intolerable Acts) in 1774. In Virginia, Governor…
Proclamation Against Patrick Henry, 1775
Patrick Henry (1736–1799) could be considered Virginia’s most outspoken revolutionary. Born in Hanover County, Henry studied law on his own and was admitted to the bar in 1760. In 1763, he spoke out against the action of the king's Privy Council,…