Virginia Guide

The Commonwealth of Virginia is a Southeastern state on the Atlantic Coast in the United States of America. It is the 35th-largest in the U.S. and 12th-most populous, with over 7.5 million residents. It is named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the Virgin Queen because she never married. The Virginia Colony was the first part of the Americas to be continuously inhabited by colonists from its founding on April 10, 1606 under the Virginia Company of London, up to the American Revolution. The commonwealth was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution to form the United States of America.

The capital is Richmond and the most populous city is Virginia Beach. The most populous local jurisdiction is Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The largest city in land area is Suffolk, which includes a large portion of the Great Dismal Swamp.

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Virginia began a convention about secession on February 13, 1861 after six states seceded to form the Confederate States of America on February 4. The convention deliberated for several months, but, on April 15 Lincoln called for troops from all states still in the Union in response to the firing on Fort Sumter. On April 17, 1861 the convention voted to secede. With the entry of Virginia into the Confederacy, the decision to move the Confederate capital from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond was made on May 6 and enacted on May 29. Virginians ratified the articles of secession on May 23.[2] The following day, the Union army moved into northern Virginia and captured Alexandria without a fight.

The first major battle of the Civil War occurred on July 21, 1861. Union forces attempted to take control of the railroad junction at Manassas for use as a supply line, but the Confederate Army had moved its forces by train to meet the Union. The Confederates won the First Battle of Manassas (known as "Bull Run"in Northern naming convention) and the year went on without a major fight.

The first and last significant battles were held in Virginia. The first being the Battle of Manassas and the last being Battle of Appomattox Courthouse. During the American Civil War, Richmond was the capital of the Confederate States of America. The White House of the Confederacy, located a few blocks north of the State Capital, was home to the family of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

In April 1865, Richmond was burned by a retreating Confederate Army and was returned to Northern control. Virginia was administered as the "First Military District" during the Reconstruction period (1865-1870) under General John Schofield. The state formally rejoined the Union on January 26, 1870.

The flag of Virginia consists of the Seal of Virginia against a blue background. The current version of the flag was adopted at the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861. The flag is decorated with a white fringe along the fly.

The Latin motto, "Sic semper tyrannis," at the bottom of the state seal means "Thus Always to Tyrants." This quote is attributed to Brutus during the assassination of Julius Caesar in Rome. The woman is "Virtus the genius of the Commonwealth, dressed as an Amazon" (Code of Virginia § 7.1-26) and represents Virginia. The prostrate man represents tyranny; note the fallen crown to the right. The Tyrant is holding both a chain and a scourge.

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Virginia Fine Arts...

The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities works to improve commonwealth's civic, cultural, and intellectual life. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is a state-funded museum with the largest collection of Fabergé eggs outside of Russia. The Chrysler Museum of Art is home to many pieces, stemming from the Chrysler family collection, including the final sculpture of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Other museums include the popular Science Museum of Virginia, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, the Frontier Culture Museum, and the Mariners' Museum.