The geography of Virginia has shaped both the history and economy of the state. It brought settlers and wars to the region, the federal capital to its edge, and its harbors facilitated commerce and the twentieth-century military buildup.

James Armistead Lafayette was an enslaved man who, during the American Revolution, volunteered to join the Continental Army and served under the Marquis de Lafayette.

From providing protection from enemy combatants to finding dinner for a family, weapons have played a significant role in Virginia history.

Thomas Jefferson wrote that Natural Bridge is “the most sublime of nature’s works”: “It is impossible for the emotions arising from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here.” 

Learn about Thomas Jefferson's private interests and accomplishments, including architecture, gardening, and agriculture.

The importance of Summary View is proven by the reappearance in the Declaration of most of its ideas, beginning with Jefferson’s relentless attack of the king.