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Céloron Plate
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One of the most important artifacts to survive from Virginia’s colonial period, this lead plaque was placed at the...
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Christmas Cards
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Christmas cards are ephemeral, and this essence is the very reason they can be of interest to researchers. Scholars...
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George Washington Portrait by Charles Peale Polk
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This depiction of George Washington (1732–1799) as commander of the Continental army was painted in the 1790s by Charles...
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How Did Civilians Suffer?
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White women and children were left to fend for themselves, and many became widows and orphans when one in five...
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Men of Color To Arms?
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When the war began, many black Americans—North and South—volunteered to serve as soldiers. United by a belief in black...
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Offense or Defense?
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To win the war, United States troops needed to invade and control an unfriendly South and subdue Confederate armies.
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Political Sheet Music
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Politicians have long appreciated the value of a campaign song during an election year. A popular tune can rally the...
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Robert E. Lee after the War
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After the Civil War, Robert E. Lee left his life in the military and accepted the position of president of Washington...
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Robert Edward Lee
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Robert Edward Lee (1807–1870) was born at Stratford in Westmoreland County, Virginia, in 1807, the son of Revolutionary...
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Speed or Strength?
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Early in 1862, Confederate general Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson decided to “move swiftly and strike vigorously” against...
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The Battle of Five Forks
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Union victory at the Battle of Five Forks resulted in the capture of the Southside Railroad and ushered in the final...
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The Battle of Five Forks
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Learn about the Battle of Five Forks during the Civil War.
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The Deadliest Enemy?
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It wasn’t bullets, but bacteria and viruses. Antibiotics and antiviral drugs—the effective treatments against these...
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The First Modern War?
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The technology of the industrial revolution applied to the science of killing made the Civil War a turning point between...
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Thomas Jonathan Jackson
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Learn about "Stonewall" Jackson and read an eyewitness account of his wounding during the Civil War.
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Valentines
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February 14 has a long history as a day for friends and sweethearts to exchange tokens of affection. By the end of the...
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War or Murder?
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Throughout the war, both sides sought a single decisive victory long after it was clear that no such event was...
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Washington's Mentor: Governor Dinwiddie's Correspondence, 1751-58
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Robert Dinwiddie's name is little known today, but this Scottish merchant-turned-government official played a key role...
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Who Was American?
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By 1861, the United States population was steadily growing more diverse. Most nineteenth-century immigrants settled in...
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Why Richmond?
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Once Virginia seceded, the Confederate government moved the capital to Richmond, the South’s second largest city. The...