Nicknamed the “Old Dominion” and sometimes the “Mother of Presidents” after the eight U.S. presidents born there, Virginia has much to offer for sightseeing, history buffs, and outdoor fun at beaches, mountains, and forests.
Historic Jamestown is the site of North America’s first permanent English settlement. It represents the very foundations of whom and what we are as a people and a nation.
Virginia was one of the 13 Colonies in the American Revolution. It joined the Confederacy in the Civil War when Richmond was made the Confederate capital and Virginia’s northwestern counties separated to form the state of West Virginia.
Stories about historical figures, such as those surrounding Pocahontas and Captain John Smith, George Washington’s childhood, or the plantation elite in the slave society of the antebellum period, have created numerous myths of state history.
Along with its great history, Virginia provides numerous beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, 30 National Parks, 35 State Parks, and two National Forests.
Head for the Chesapeake Bay, or the Blue Ridge Mountains, George Washington’s Boyhood Home, and numerous Civil battlefields. Explore underground caves or lush green forests or go shopping for unique treasures of another kind.
Kathy R. Weiser-Alexander
Owner/Editor
Virginia Flag – Virginia’s official state flag was adopted in 1861. The flag has a deep blue background with a white circle in the center. In the center are the words “Virginia” and “Sic Sempter Tyrannis,” which is Latin for “thus always to tyrants.” Depicting the state’s motto on the flag is the goddess Virtue holding a sword and a spear, who has defeated a tyrant lying on the ground and holding a chain and a scourge. Nearby is the tyrant fallen crown. Virtue symbolizes Virginia, and the tyrant represents Britain. Red Virginia creepers and green leaves surround the scene. A white silk fringe is on the edge farthest from the flagstaff.
Initial Battles For Independence
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Buckroe Beach Resort in Hampton
Nathaniel Bacon — First American Rebel
Chatham Manor and the Lady in White
Confederate Ranger John S. Mosby’s Hidden Treasure
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Fort Monroe – Largest Stone Fort
Jamestown – First Successful English Settlement
Mad Gassers of Virginia and Illinois
Midland Trail – First Transcontinental Auto-Trail
The Old Dominion – Settling Virginia
Pirates – Renegades of the Sea
Robert E. Lee – Celebrated General of the South
Pocahontas – Legendary Indian Princess
Powhatan Tribe – Dominating Virginia in History
Settling America – The Proprietary Colonies
Settling of America – New England Settlements
Captain John Smith – Settling the First Colony
Virginia’s Early Relations With Native Americans
The War of 1812 – American Independence Confirmed
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated May 2023.
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