Turning Points in Virginia History
Virginia has perhaps 15,000 years of unwritten history, to be deciphered through archeology. Since the arrival of Europeans, we have documented how various groups of people jockeyed for political and economic advantage. The style of government in Virginia today has been shaped by 400 years of competition for power and control.
We could have developed a different political culture. It was not predestined that we would end up a democracy, with a vibrant two-party system competing in peaceful elections. Through most of Virginia, in fact, that was not the process for selecting our public officials. We have zigged and zagged to this point, and understanding those turning points illuminates how we ended up here... and perhaps hints at where we are headed next.
Powhatan Creates An Empire
The Start of Democracy
The Native American Military Option Fails - Twice
Bacon's Rebellion
The Taming of the Royal Governors
Tobacco Inspection - Finally
The War For - Land Grants?
A Successful Revolution - But What Changed?
Importation, Manumission, Colonization, Black Codes, and the End of Jim Crow
The Two Constitutions That Failed to Satisfy the Western Counties
Secession
The Rise and Fall of William Mahone and the Readjusters
The Wilder Surprise
Government and Politics
Geography of Virginia