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Time Period
1764 to 1824
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British taxation—introduced to pay for a British military presence in America—was unexpected by the Virginia gentry and resented. Those Americans began to view British policy as a plot against their liberty. They played leading roles in the Continental Congresses that debated independence, in the fighting of the American Revolution, and in the conception and implementation of a new government. Virginia also provided four of the new nation’s first five presidents. Virginia leaders advocated equality for all but they never considered extending it to women and African Americans.
Time Period
1925 to Today
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A century of foreign wars expanded the presence of both the federal government in Northern Virginia and the military in the Hampton Roads area. Growth in those regions helped transform the state from a rural to a primarily urban one, from a poor to a relatively affluent one, and from a state with few non-natives to one with many. Only painstakingly, however, have minorities gained equality. Since 1960, the population has doubled. The largest employer now is the government, next is agriculture, which adds billions of dollars to the state’s economy.
Exhibition
A Better Life for Their Children
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From 1912-37, the Rosenwald schools program built thousands of schools, shops, and teacher’s homes across 15 Southern...
Exhibition
A Landscape Saved
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This exhibition celebrated the efforts in preservation and horticulture made by the Garden Club of Virginia during its...
Exhibition
A Material World
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Featuring 43 iconic images from the archives of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and accompanied by historical objects that...
Exhibition
Agents of Change
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Organized in conjunction with the statewide Women’s Suffrage Centennial, this exhibition featured artifacts from the...
Exhibition
Apollo: When We Went to the Moon
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Through objects and artifacts from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s archives, this exhibition explored the social and...
Exhibition
Artists4ERA
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Artists4ERA is part of ongoing efforts to ensure that the ERA becomes the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution...
Article Set - Chapter
Before the War
Born into a Virginia family whose members had for generations assumed public leadership roles, Robert E. Lee followed the
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Brown I and Brown II
In 1950 the NAACP decided that it would no longer file lawsuits seeking equal educational facilities, but only those that
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Byrd Family
A man driven by enormous ambition, William Byrd II of Westover was an exceptional figure in colonial America. Educated in
Exhibition
Coming Out, Affecting Change
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For centuries, social and legal discrimination forced most lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+)...
Article Set - Chapter
Conclusion
Throughout the twentieth century and during the past decade, apologists for John Brown have turned out imagery and
Article Set - Chapter
Copies and Adaptations of de Bry
For more than two centuries, the 1590 engravings of Virginia Indians by de Bry and van Veen were copied for other
Article Set - Chapter
Danville
The most violent episode of the civil rights movement in Virginia occurred in Danville during the summer of 1963—at about the
Exhibition
Determined
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This exhibition examined the long history of black Americans in North America as they have fought for freedom, equal...
Article Set - Chapter
Elections from 1789 to 1828
This section contains information and memorabilia on the elections from 1789 to 1828. Scroll down the page to learn more
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Elections from 1924 to 1964
This section contains information and memorabilia on the elections from 1924 to 1964. Scroll down the page to learn more
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Elections from 1968 to 2016
This section contains information and memorabilia on the elections from 1968 to 2016. Scroll down the page to learn more
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Equal Access to Public Accommodations
Although integrating the nation's schools was the first priority of the civil rights movement, the denial of equal access to