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Maggie Lena Walker
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Maggie Lena Walker (1864–1934) was the daughter of Elizabeth Draper, a former kitchen slave and then cook in the Civil...
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Mark Catesby
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The first accounts of the strange flora and fauna of the New World created a great demand among European scientists for...
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Murals Inspired by the Story of Virginia
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Richmond is now home to more than 100 outdoor murals, and this popular form of artwork reflects the city’s modernity and...
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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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Opiate Addiction in the Civil War's Aftermath
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In the Civil War’s wake, thousands of veterans became addicted to morphine and opium, medicines used to treat painful...
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Oysters in Virginia
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Learn about the history of oyster in Virginia's food culture, tourism, and economy.
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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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Rural Life in Virginia
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Learn more about rural life and agricultural history in Virginia.
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Scandal in Virginia
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The salacious love life of Warren Seymour Lurty, now memorialized in boxes and boxes of letters, proves to us that...
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Shaving Kits
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Before the invention of the disposable double-edged safety razor in 1895, a straight razor was the easiest, most...
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Silver in Virginia
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Colonial Virginians acquired much of their important silver from London. After the Revolution, population growth, a...
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The Brook Hill Collection
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In 2018, the VMHC was gifted an extraordinary collection of books, documents, and art associated with the Stewart and...
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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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The History of Virginia's Natural Bridge: "So Beautiful an Arch"
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In the late eighteenth century, when Thomas Jefferson “discovered” Natural Bridge and purchased it from the King of...
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Tiny Tomes
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Defined as no more than three inches in height or width, miniature books were first produced with convenience in mind...
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Transportation in Virginia
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Transportation began to change early in the nineteenth century with the introduction of steam power and the development...
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Urbanization in Virginia
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Learn about the process of urbanization in Virginia.
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Virginia Landscapes: Sublime & Picturesque
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Thomas Jefferson wrote that Natural Bridge is “the most sublime of nature’s works”: “It is impossible for the emotions...
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Virginia’s Sweet History – Chocolate-Making in the Commonwealth
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Production methods and flavorings have changed in the 4,000 years since chocolate was consumption began, but it remains...
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Why is there a West Virginia?
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Secession from Virginia was the hope of some western Virginians as early as 1829. Many western Virginians felt...