106-696: Pembroke Manor is a historic home located at Virginia Beach, Virginia . It was built in 1764, and is a two-story, five-bay, Georgian style brick dwelling. It is topped by a shallow hipped roof. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. This article about a property in Virginia Beach, Virginia on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach , officially
212-674: A Norfolk address. NAS Oceana is the largest employer in Virginia Beach; it was decreed by the 2005 BRAC Commission that NAS Oceana must close unless the city of Virginia Beach condemns houses in areas designated as "Accident Potential Zones." This action has never been the position of the United States Navy; indeed, the Navy had not recommended NAS Oceana to the BRAC Commission for potential closure. Both NAS Oceana and Training Support Center Hampton Roads are considered to be
318-555: A charter for two companies. The first, the Virginia Company of London (now known generally as the "Virginia Company of London"), covered what is now Maryland , Virginia and Carolina , between latitude 34° and latitude 41° north. Gosnold's principal backers were Sir Thomas Gates , Sir George Somers , Edward Wingfield and Richard Hakluyt . The second company, the Plymouth Company of London (today known as
424-552: A forest". While it did portray the Powhatan as peace-loving, it threatened to deal with any who resisted conversion to Anglicanism as enemies of their country. (Johnson was the son-in-law of Sir Thomas Smythe , treasurer of the company in London and leader of its "court" faction.) The company began to turn a profit after 1612, when planting a couple of new varieties of tobacco yielded a product that appealed more to English tastes than
530-399: A high order in case of other necessity, otherwise the settlers were forbidden to store gunpowder at home,) and received clothes and food from the common store. After seven years, they were to receive land of their own. The gentlemen, who provided their armor and weapons, were to be paid in land, dividends, or additional shares of stock. Initially, the colonists were governed by a president and
636-468: A household was $ 83,245, with family households having a median income of $ 103,451 and non-family households $ 54,258. The per capita income was $ 44,287. Out of the 447,930 people with a determined poverty status, 10.0% were below the poverty line . Further, 14.4% of minors and 8.8% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of English descent made up 11.7% of
742-529: A hub of international commerce, as nearly 200 foreign firms have established a presence, an office location or their North American headquarters in Hampton Roads. Twenty internationally based firms have their U.S. or North American headquarters in Virginia Beach, including companies like Stihl , London Bridge Trading Company , Busch Vacuum Solutions, IMS Gear , and Sanjo Corte Fino. Other major companies headquartered in Virginia Beach include Amerigroup ,
848-602: A letter to the people of Bermuda seeking their aid in the war: To THE INHABITANTS OF THE ISLAND OF BERMUDA Camp at Cambridge 3 Miles from Boston, September 6, 1775. Gentn: (In the great Conflict, which agitates this Continent, I cannot doubt but the Assertors of Freedom and the Rights of the Constitution, are possessed of your most favorable Regards and Wishes for Success. As Descendents of Freemen and Heirs with us of
954-400: A male householder with no partner present, and 28.1% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was 2.49 and the median family size was 3.08. The age distribution was 21.7% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37.8 years. The median income for
1060-502: A municipal parking lot and potential future development. Real estate, defense, and tourism are major sectors of the Virginia Beach economy. Many local public and private groups have maintained a vested interest in real-estate redevelopment, resulting in a number of joint public-private projects, such as commercial parks. Examples of the public-private development include the Virginia Beach Convention Center,
1166-826: A particular region of the world. Profits were shared among the investors according to the amount of stock that each owned. More than 6,300 Englishmen invested in joint-stock companies between 1585 and 1630, trading in Russia, Turkey, Africa, the East Indies, the Mediterranean, and North America. Investors in the Virginia Company hoped to profit from the natural resources of the New World. In 1606 Captain Bartholomew Gosnold obtained King James I
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#17327809014381272-488: A popular vacation spot. Virginia Beach gained status as an independent city in 1952, although ties remained between it and Princess Anne County. In 1963, after voters in the two jurisdictions passed a supporting referendum, and with the approval of the Virginia General Assembly , the two political subdivisions were consolidated as a new, much larger independent city, retaining the better-known name of
1378-599: A principal city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Virginia Beach is a resort city with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront . Near the point where the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean meet, Cape Henry was the site of the first landing of
1484-568: A reprieve. All the settlers were put ashore again, and Sir George Somers returned to Bermuda aboard the Patience to obtain more food. (Somers died there, and his nephew, Matthew Somers, the captain of the Patience , sailed the vessel to Lyme Regis in England instead, to claim his inheritance.) The third Virginia Charter or Charter of 1612, was essentially the same as the Charter of 1609, with
1590-524: A seven-member council selected by the King. Leadership problems quickly erupted. Jamestown's first two leaders coped with varying degrees of success with sickness, assaults by Native Americans, poor food and water supplies, and class strife. Many colonists were ill-prepared to carve out a new settlement on a frontier. When Captain John Smith became Virginia's third president, he proved the strong leader that
1696-627: A small Space; their Arms disgraced, and Suffering all the Calamities of a Siege. The Virtue, Spirit, and Union of the Provinces leave them nothing to fear, but the Want of Ammunition, The applications of our Enemies to foreign States and their Vigilance upon our Coasts, are the only Efforts they have made against us with Success. Under those Circumstances, and with these Sentiments we have turned our Eyes to you Gentlemen for Relief, We are informed there
1802-461: A state of perpetual hostility would exist between them and Christians. In 1609, the company issued instructions to settlers to kidnap Native American children so as to educate them with English values and religion. These instructions also sanctioned attacking the Iniocasoockes , the cultural leaders of the local Powhatans . Only after Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr arrived in 1610, was
1908-595: A system of indentured service was fully developed in the colony; the same year the home government passed a law that prohibited the commercial growing of tobacco in England. In 1624, the company lost its charter, and Virginia became a royal colony. A spin-off , The Virginia Company of London of The Somers Isles (fully the Company of the City of London for the Plantation of The Somers Isles, but generally referred to as
2014-546: Is humid subtropical ( Köppen : Cfa ). For the Trewartha climate classification the climate is the northern limit of Cf ( subtropical ). Much of the year in Virginia Beach is mild to warm. The long summer season from late May through late September is often hot and humid, with frequent (but brief) late day thundershowers. Winters are cool with little frozen precipitation, and snowfall is light. The official weather statistics are recorded at Norfolk International Airport on
2120-464: Is 84 °F (29 °C) from July 1942, while a normal year's warmest night averages 80 °F (27 °C). Additionally, the geographic location of the city, with respect to the principal storm tracks, is especially favorable which is why it has earned the reputation as a vacation destination. It is south of the average path of storms originating in the higher latitudes, and north of the usual tracks of hurricanes and other major tropical storms, with
2226-500: Is a very large Magazine in your Island under a very feeble Guard; We would not wish to in volve you in an Opposition, in which from your Situation, we should be unable to support you: — We knew not therefore to what Extent to sollicit your Assistance in availing ourselves of this Supply; — but if your Favor and Friendship to North America and its Liberties have not been misrepresented, I persuade myself you may, consistent with your own Safety, pro mote and further this Scheme, so as to give it
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#17327809014382332-534: Is known about them but archeological evidence suggests they may have been related to the Carolina Algonquian , or Pamlico people. They would have spoken one of the Algonquian languages . These were common among the numerous tribes of the coastal area, who made up the loose Powhatan Confederacy , numbering in the tens of thousands in population. The Chesepian occupied an area which is now defined as
2438-711: Is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the longest pleasure beach in the world. It is located at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel , which was the world's longest bridge-tunnel complex until the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge opened in 2018. The Chesepian were the historic indigenous people of the area now known as Tidewater in Virginia at the time of European encounter. Little
2544-639: Is one of the earliest Englishmen to settle in this area, which was developed as Virginia Beach. At the age of 18, he had contracted as an indentured servant to pay for passage to the Virginia Colony in the hopes of bettering his life. He earned his freedom after several years and became a leading citizen of the area. In 1629, he was elected to the House of Burgesses for Elizabeth Cittie [ sic ], one of four "cities" (or incorporations) which were subdivided areas established in 1619. In 1634,
2650-511: Is summer, specifically July to early September, with August the single wettest month, averaging over 5.5 inches of rain. From October to June, average monthly precipitation is remarkably consistent, ranging between 3.1 and 3.7 inches. Virginia Beach averages 2200 hours of sunshine annually, higher than the USA average. The highest recorded temperature to date was 105 °F (41 °C) in July 2010, and
2756-405: Is the most populated city within the metropolitan area, it functions as a suburb . Virginia Beach is 19 miles (31 km) east of Norfolk, Virginia , 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Chesapeake, Virginia , 208 miles (335 km) south of Washington, D.C. , 107 miles (172 km) southeast of Richmond, Virginia , and 200 miles (320 km) northeast of Raleigh, North Carolina . When
2862-596: Is widespread. Other plants like the Windmill Palm , Sabal palmetto , Butia odorata (in protected locations), and Oleander are successfully grown here while they succumb to the colder winter temperatures to the north and inland to the west. The hardiness zone is 8b along the coast and in Urban areas, and 8a inland and to the northwest. On April 30, 2023, an EF-3 tornado struck the Great Neck neighborhood in
2968-451: The 2010 Census , the racial composition of Virginia Beach was as follows: As of the 2000 Census , there were 425,257 people, 154,455 households, and 110,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,712.7 inhabitants per square mile (661.3/km ). There were 162,277 housing units at an average density of 653.6 units per square mile (252.4 units/km ). There were 154,455 households, out of which 38.8% had children under
3074-465: The 34th parallel at Cape Fear north to the 41st parallel in Long Island Sound . As part of the Virginia Company and Colony, the Virginia Company of London owned a large portion of Atlantic and inland Canada. The company was permitted by its charter to establish a 100-square-mile (260 km ) settlement within this area. The portion of the company's territory north of the 38th parallel
3180-525: The Christian Broadcasting Network and Operation Blessing International . Other major employers include GEICO , VT and Navy Exchange Service Command . In addition, Virginia Beach is home to a number of small, innovative companies, such as Morphix Technologies , who cater for military industry. In September 2023, it was announced that Amazon will build 2 new operational delivery facilities in Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach
3286-760: The City of Virginia Beach , is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census . Located on the southeastern coast of Virginia, it is the sixth-most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic and the 43rd-most populous city in the U.S . Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay , Virginia Beach is
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3392-598: The Company of the City of London for the Plantacion of The Somers Isles , which administered that colony until losing its royal charter in 1684. Bermuda remained strongly linked to Virginia (the nearest English territory to it until Carolina Colony was settled from Bermuda in 1670 under William Sayle ); however, until the American War of Independence , when rebel General George Washington of Virginia would address
3498-558: The James River about 40 miles (64 km) upstream from its mouth at the Chesapeake Bay . Later in 1607, the Plymouth Company established its Popham Colony in present-day Maine , but it was abandoned after about a year. By 1609, the Plymouth Company had dissolved. As a result, the charter for the Virginia Company of London was adjusted with a new grant that extended from "sea to sea" of the previously shared area between
3604-547: The Susan Constant , and Bartholomew Gosnold , captain of the Godspeed and leader of the expedition of three ships, on their duties upon reaching the land they named Virginia. There were no instructions for administration or governance. The First Virginia Charter established provisions for the governance of the colony. It was to be governed by a colonial council, which proved ineffective. A governor, Lord De La Warr ,
3710-547: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 497 square miles (1,290 km ), of which 249 square miles (640 km ) is land and 248 square miles (640 km ) (49.9%) is water. It is the largest city in Virginia by total area and third-largest city by land area, and by far the largest by water area. The average elevation is 12 feet (3.7 m) above sea level . A major portion of
3816-437: The "Plymouth Company"), was empowered to settle as far as 45° North, encompassing what is present-day Pennsylvania , New Jersey , New York , and New England . The company paid all the costs of establishing each colony, and in return controlled all land and resources there, requiring all settlers to work for the company. The first leader of the Virginia Company in England was its treasurer, Sir Thomas Smythe , who arranged
3922-625: The 1609 charter. He had been governor of the East India Company since 1603 and continued with one break until 1620. In an extensive publicity campaign, Wingfield, Gosnold and a few others, circulated pamphlets, plays, sermons and broadsides throughout England to raise interest in New World investments. Investors could buy stock individually or in groups. Almost 1,700 people purchased shares, including men of different occupations and classes, wealthy women, and representatives of institutions such as trade guilds, towns and cities. Proceeds from
4028-475: The 38th and the 40th parallels . It was amended in 1612 to include the new territory of the Somers Isles (or Bermuda ). The Virginia Company of London struggled financially, especially with labor shortages in its Virginia colony. Its profits improved after sweeter strains of tobacco than the native variety were cultivated and successfully exported from Virginia as a cash crop beginning in 1612. By 1619
4134-658: The Citizens of America, your Brother Colonists, into Arms; We equally detest and lament the Prevalence of those Councils, which have led to the Effusion of so much human Blood and left us no Alternative but a Civil War or a base Submission. The wise disposer of all Events has hitherto smiled upon our virtuous Efforts; Those Mercenary Troops, a few of whom lately boasted of Subjugating this vast Continent, have been check'd in their earliest Ravages and are now actually encircled in
4240-590: The Colony was divided into the original eight shires of Virginia , soon renamed as counties . Thoroughgood is credited with using the name of his home in England when helping name " New Norfolk County " in 1637. The following year, New Norfolk County was split into Upper Norfolk County (soon renamed Nansemond County ) and Lower Norfolk County . Thoroughgood resided after 1634 was along the Lynnhaven River , named for his home in England. Lower Norfolk County
4346-649: The English colonists who eventually settled in Jamestown ; modern Virginia Beach was established in 1906. It is home to several state parks, protected beaches, and military bases. Virginia Wesleyan University , Regent University , Christian Broadcasting Network , the U.S. headquarters of Stihl , and the Association for Research and Enlightenment are based in Virginia Beach. It also hosts the annual East Coast Surfing Championships and Neptune Festival . The city
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4452-583: The Green Line, an urban growth boundary dividing the urban northern and rural southern sections of the city. Infill and development of residential neighborhoods has placed a number of operating constraints on Naval Air Station Oceana , a major fighter jet base for the U.S. Navy. While the airbase enjoys wide support from Virginia Beach at large, the Pentagon Base Realignment and Closure commission has proposed closure of Oceana within
4558-510: The Islands were "first christened Virginiola as a member of [the Virginia] plantation, but now lately resolved to be called Sommer Islands, as well in respect of the continual temperate air, as in remembrance of Sir George Sommers that died there". Administration of the Somers Isles, alias Islands of Bermuda, was in fact transferred in 1615 to a spin-off of the Virginia Company of London titled
4664-725: The Norfolk and Virginia Beach Railroad and Improvement Company at the oceanfront, near the tiny community of Seatack . The hotel was foreclosed and the railroad was reorganized in 1887. The hotel was upgraded and reopened in 1888 as the Princess Anne Hotel. In 1891, guests at the new hotel watched the wreck and rescue efforts of the United States Life-Saving Service for the Norwegian barque Dictator . The ship's figurehead, which washed up on
4770-621: The Oceanfront Hilton Hotel, and the Virginia Beach Town Center . The city assisted in financing the project through the use of tax increment financing: creating special tax districts and constructing associated street and infrastructure to support the developments. The Town Center opened in 2003, with related construction continuing. The Convention Center opened in 2005. The city has begun to run out of clear land available for new construction north of
4876-484: The Somers Isles Company), operated until 1684. In Renaissance England, wealthy merchants were eager to find investment opportunities, so they established several companies to trade in various parts of the world. Each company was made up of investors, known as "adventurers", who purchased shares of company stock. The Crown granted a charter to each company with a monopoly to explore, settle, or trade with
4982-466: The Virginia Beach resort. The Alan B. Shepard Civic Center ("The Dome"), a significant building in the city's history because of the many famous musical acts played there, was constructed in 1958, and was dedicated to the career of former Virginia Beach resident and astronaut Alan Shepard . As the area changed, the Dome was frequently used as a bingo hall. The building was razed in 1994 to make room for
5088-526: The Virginia Company received its Second Charter, which allowed the company to choose its new governor from among its shareholders. Investment boomed as the company launched an intensive recruitment campaign. Over 600 colonists set sail for Virginia between March 1608 and March 1609 . Sir Thomas Gates , Virginia's deputy governor, bound for the colony in the Third Supply aboard the Sea Venture ,
5194-511: The Virginia colony. When the Crown and company officials proposed a fourth charter, severely reducing the company's ability to make decisions in the governing of Virginia, subscribers rejected it. King James I forthwith changed the status of Virginia in 1624, taking control of it as a royal colony to be administered by a governor appointed by the King. However, the government's colonial policy of export restrictions did not change. The Crown approved
5300-536: The abundance of food which Gates' expedition brought from Bermuda (which had necessitated the building of two ships), it was clear the colony was not yet self-sufficient and could not survive. The survivors of Jamestown were taken aboard the Deliverance and the Patience , and the colony was abandoned. Gates intended to transport all the settlers back to England, but the fortuitous arrival of another relief fleet, bearing Governor Lord De la Warre , granted Jamestown
5406-533: The age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.14. The age distribution was 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
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#17327809014385512-487: The area fronting the Atlantic Ocean. Princess Anne County was known as a jurisdiction from 1691 to 1963, over 250 years. In the early centuries, this area was rural and developed for plantation agriculture. In the late 19th century, the small resort area of Virginia Beach developed in Princess Anne County after the 1883 arrival of rail service to the coast. The Virginia Beach Hotel was opened and operated by
5618-462: The beach several days later, was erected as a monument to the victims and rescuers. It stood along the oceanfront for more than 50 years. In the 21st century, it inspired the pair of matching Norwegian Lady Monuments , sculpted by Ørnulf Bast and installed in Virginia Beach and Moss, Norway . The resort initially depended on railroad and electric trolley service. The completion of Virginia Beach Boulevard in 1922, which extended from Norfolk to
5724-695: The city a murder rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people. For 2007, Virginia Beach had 16 murders, for a murder rate of 3.7 per 100,000 people. That was lower than the national average that year of 6.9. The city's total crime index rate for 2007 was 221.2 per 100,000 people, lower than the national average of 320.9. According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Virginia Beach, Virginia ranks 311th in violent crime among 385 cities containing more than 75,000 inhabitants. 34.4% of
5830-521: The city drains to the Chesapeake Bay by way of the Lynnhaven River and its tributaries. The city is located at the southeastern corner of Virginia in the Hampton Roads area bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The Hampton Roads metropolitan area (officially the Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News, VA–NC Metropolitan Statistical Area) is the 37th largest in the United States, with a total population of 1.7 million. While Virginia Beach
5936-411: The city rejected several further development proposals. This rejection was significant from two perspectives. First, cities reject building very rarely, demonstrating the shift in public perception. Second, these rejections led to lawsuits by the developers. The rejection of these lawsuits in the courts provides precedent for other sorts of local climate change adaptation efforts in the future. Discussing
6042-576: The city was 60.3% White, 18.8% Black or African American, 7.2% Asian, 2.9% some other race, 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 0.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, with 10.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.0% of the population. Of the 179,752 households, 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.2% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 7.1% were couples cohabitating, 18.0% had
6148-437: The city's population is affiliated with religious congregations, compared to the 50.2% nationwide figure. There are 146,402 adherents and 184 different religious congregations in the city: Virginia Beach is composed of a variety of industries, including national and international corporate headquarters, advanced manufacturers, defense contractors and locally owned businesses. The city's location and business climate have made it
6254-574: The city. Farmers are able to sell their goods and products at the city's Farmer's Market. Virginia Beach is home to several United States Military bases. These include the United States Navy 's NAS Oceana and Training Support Center Hampton Roads , and the Joint Expeditionary Base East located at Cape Henry. Additionally, NAB Little Creek is located mostly within the city of Virginia Beach but carries
6360-423: The colonial administration. The records of the company record a discussion during one of its first meetings about publishing a justification of their business enterprise methods to "give adventurers, a clearness and satisfaction", a public debate where Catholics and neutrals might attack them. Whereas Catholic arguments would be in support of Spanish legal claims to the New World under the Treaty of Tordesillas , it
6466-413: The colony needed. Industry flourished and relations with Chief Powhatan 's people improved. After so many failed colonizing attempts in the 16th century such as the Roanoke Colony , and with the ascension of King James to the throne of England on 24 March 1603, the effort to colonize was renewed, but this time in the form of joint-stock companies, which did not involve the king's treasury, also known as
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#17327809014386572-411: The colony. It is also of great significance for it provides governance independent of the Crown. An assembly took place in a church composed of Governor Sir George Yeardley and 22 select men representing seven regions. They then organized into a legislative body, establishing a precedent for self-governance, a pivotal point in American history. After 1620, with growing demand for tobacco on
6678-451: The company able to commence a war against the Powhatan with the First Anglo-Powhatan War . De La Warr was replaced by Sir Thomas Dale , who continued the war, which continued until a truce was made with the marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe in 1614. The military offensive was accompanied by a propaganda war: Alderman Robert Johnson published Nova Britannia , in 1609, which compared Native Americans to wild animals—"heardes of deere in
6784-402: The company would not accept. Thus, Opchanacanough's attack , on 18 April 1622, may have been a pre-emptive attempt to defeat the colony before reinforcements arrived. In about a day, the Powhatan killed 350 of 1,240 colonists, destroying some outlying settlements. The Virginia Company quickly published an account of this attack. It was steeped in Calvinist theology of the time: the massacre
6890-475: The continent, the company arranged to sell Virginia tobacco in the Netherlands, but the next year and despite company pleas to maintain the privilege of freedom of trade, the Privy Council forbade the export of any product of Virginia to a foreign country until the commodities had been landed in England, and English duties had been paid. By 1621, the company was in trouble; unpaid dividends and increased use of lotteries had made future investors wary. The company debt
6996-437: The difference being territorial jurisdiction, expanding it to the Atlantic Islands like Bermuda and from "sea to sea". In "domestic correspondence" written by John Chamberlain to The Right Honorable Sir Dudley Carlton , Knight, His Maties [read: Majesty's] Ambassador at Venice dated 12 February 1612, Chamberlain wrote: 2. There is a lotterie in hand for the furthering of the Virginia viage, and an vnder companie erecting for
7102-433: The eldest son of King James I of England . These English colonists of the Virginia Company of London moved on from this area, as they were under orders to seek a site further inland, which would be more sheltered from ships of competing European countries. They created their first permanent settlement on the north side of the James River at Jamestown . Adam Thoroughgood (1604–1640) of King's Lynn , Norfolk , England
7208-459: The election of a Virginia Assembly in 1627. This form of government, with governor and assembly, would oversee the colony of Virginia until 1776, excepting only the years of the English Commonwealth . Bermuda had been separated from the Virginia Company in 1614, when the Crown briefly took over its administration. In 1615, the shareholders of the Virginia Company created a new company, the Somers Isles Company , which continued to operate Bermuda. It
7314-426: The exception of Hurricane Isabel in 2003. Because of the moderating effects of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia Beach is the northernmost location on the east coast in which many species of plants (both subtropical and tropical) will reliably grow. Spanish moss , for example is near the northernmost limit of its natural range at First Landing State Park , and is the most northerly location where it
7420-464: The extreme northwestern border of Virginia Beach. The mean annual temperature is 59.6 °F (15.3 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 5.8 inches (150 mm) at the airport to around 3.0 inches (76 mm) in the southeastern corner around Back Bay. Average annual precipitation (the large majority rainfall) is high, ranging between 47 inches (1,200 mm) at the airport to over 50 inches (1,300 mm) per year at Back Bay. The wettest season
7526-406: The fairest prospect of Success. Be assured, that in this Case, the whole Power and Execution of my Influence will be made with the Honble. Continental Congress, that your Island may not only be Supplied with Provisions, but experience every other Mark of Affection and Friendship, which grateful Citizens of a free Country can bestow on its Brethren and Benefactors. I am &c. By this Charter, neither
7632-597: The first governor of Virginia between 1610 and 1618. (The English colonists named the Delaware River and Native American Lenape tribe, called the Delaware Indians, after him.) The business of the company was the settlement of the Virginia colony, supported by a labor force of voluntary transportees under the customary indenture system. In exchange for 7 years of labor for the company, the company provided passage, food, protection, and land ownership (if
7738-473: The independent cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach. In 1607, after a voyage of 144 days, three ships headed by Captain Christopher Newport , and carrying 105 men and boys, made their first landfall in the New World on the mainland, where the southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. They named it Cape Henry, after Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales ,
7844-526: The land's fertility. From the outset, settlers thought that the abundance of timber would be the primary leg of the economy, as Britain's forests had long been felled. The seemingly inexhaustible supply of cheap American timber was to be the primary enabler of England's (and then Britain's) rise to maritime (merchant and naval) supremacy. However, the settlers could not devote as much time as the Virginia Company would have liked to developing commodity products for export. They were too busy trying to survive. Within
7950-519: The largest of their respective kind in the world. Furthermore, located in nearby Norfolk is the central hub of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet , Naval Station Norfolk . 54% of the 171,000 people working in Virginia Beach live in the city, 12% live in Chesapeake, and 10% live in Norfolk. An additional 99,600 people commute from Virginia Beach, with 35% going to Norfolk and 23% going to Chesapeake. Unemployment has been cut almost in half over
8056-471: The largest sub-division in Tidewater when completed, Bay Colony, Bayside , Cape Henry, Chesapeake Beach , Croatan Beach , Great Neck Point , Green Run , Kempsville , Larkspur , London Bridge , Lynnhaven , Newtown, The North End, Oceana , Ocean Park, Pembroke Manor , Princess Anne , Pungo , Red Mill Commons , Sandbridge , Shadowlawn, Thalia, and Thoroughgood. The climate of Virginia Beach
8162-607: The lowest recorded temperature was −3 °F (−19 °C) in January 1985, both being recorded at Norfolk International Airport. The coldest daily maximum on record was 12 °F (−11 °C) in December 1917, whereas the 1991–2020 normals had a coldest maximum average of 29 °F (−2 °C). This means that in spite of the mild normals, most years record at least one ice day, with rare exceptions. Summer nights are sometimes really hot. The all-time record warmest low temperature
8268-561: The matter, Mayor Dyer noted, "It's a confrontation with reality. Not everybody's going to be happy." On May 31, 2019, a shooting occurred at a municipal government building in Virginia Beach. A former employee entered the building and shot indiscriminately, killing 12 people and injuring four others before dying from a gunshot wound fired by responding officers. Virginia Beach is located at 36°51′02″N 75°58′40″W / 36.8506°N 75.9779°W / 36.8506; -75.9779 ( Virginia Beach ) . According to
8374-471: The modern city of Virginia Beach was created in 1963, by the consolidation of the 253 square miles (660 km ) Princess Anne County with the 2 square miles (5.2 km ) City of Virginia Beach, the newly larger city was divided into seven boroughs: Bayside, Blackwater, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, Pungo, and Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach has many distinctive communities and neighborhoods within its boundaries, including: Alanton , Aragona Village,
8480-557: The native tobacco. Tobacco became the commodity crop of the colony, and settlers were urged to cultivate more. The colony struggled with labor shortages as mortality was high. In 1622, the Second Anglo-Powhatan War erupted. Its origins are disputed. English apologists for the company say that Opchanacanough initiated the war. Robert Williams , a 21st-century Native American law professor, argues that Opchanacanough had secured concessions from Governor Yeardley which
8586-412: The next decade. In 2012 a Navy jet that took off from Oceana experienced engine failure and crashed into an apartment complex. This land crunch led to floodplain development. During Hurricane Matthew , the heavy rainfall flooded over 2000 homes and left some neighborhoods with standing water for days. Given the rising risks of flooding due to climate change and the impetus of the hurricane damage,
8692-607: The north side of the Elizabeth River , east of what developed as Norfolk . Following the increased settlement, in 1691 Lower Norfolk County was divided to form Norfolk and Princess Anne counties. Princess Anne, the easternmost county in South Hampton Roads, extended from Cape Henry at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, south to what became the border of the North Carolina colony. It included all of
8798-495: The northeastern section of the city. It was on the ground from 5:48 to 5:53 PM EST. Miraculously, no one was killed nor injured. It is the strongest tornado on record to hit the city. As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 455,618 people and 179,752 households. The population density was 1,861.8 inhabitants per square mile (718.8/km ). There were 191,169 housing units at an average density of 781.2 per square mile (301.6/km ). The racial makeup of
8904-405: The oceanfront but also cluster around Virginia Beach Town Center and other parts of the city. Restaurants and entertainment industries also directly benefit from Virginia Beach's tourism. Virginia Beach has a large agribusiness sector which produces $ 80 million for the city economy. One hundred-seventy-two farms exist in Virginia Beach, mostly below the greenline in the southern portion of
9010-482: The oceanfront, opened the route for automobiles , buses , and trucks . The passenger rail service to the oceanfront was eventually discontinued as traffic increased by vehicles. The growing resort of Virginia Beach became an incorporated town in 1906. Over the next 45 years, Virginia Beach continued to grow in popularity as a seasonal vacation spot. The casinos were replaced by amusement parks and family-oriented attractions. In 1927 The Cavalier Hotel opened and became
9116-488: The past two years going from a high of 4.2% in January 2017 to 2.8% in June 2019. London Company The Virginia Company of London (sometimes called "London Company") was a division of the Virginia Company with responsibility for colonizing the east coast of North America between latitudes 34° and 41° N . The territory granted to the Virginia Company of London included the eastern coast of North America from
9222-417: The population of the town, followed by German at 10.6%, Irish at 9.6%, American at 6.8%, Italian at 5.1%, Sub-Saharan African at 2.4%, Polish at 2.3%, French at 1.9%, Scottish at 1.9%, Scotch-Irish at 0.9%, Caribbean (excluding Hispanics) at 0.8%, Dutch at 0.7%, Swedish at 0.6%, Norwegian at 0.6%, Welsh at 0.5%, Czech at 0.5%, Ukrainian at 0.5%, and Greek at 0.5%. According to
9328-473: The population were below the poverty line , including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over. 7.1% of the people under the age of 65 years are disabled while 8.6% people don't have health insurance. The city of Virginia Beach has a lower crime rate than the other regional cities of Hampton Roads , Newport News , Norfolk , and Portsmouth , which all exceed national average crime rates. In 1999 Virginia Beach experienced 12 murders giving
9434-569: The public treasury. Thus it became, from a royal perspective at least, a largely risk-free endeavor. Although a profit-driven enterprise, the king was motivated by international rivalry and the propagation of religion, and the individuals who ventured to the New World were motivated by a chance to improve their economic and social standing. Thus King James awarded a patent to a group of investors which included detailed instructions for everything from where to place watchmen and with how many, to where to plant. It instructed Christopher Newport , captain of
9540-407: The sale of stock were used to help finance the costs of establishing overseas settlements, including paying for ships and supplies and recruiting and outfitting laborers. A single share of stock in the Virginia Company cost 12 pounds 10 shillings, the equivalent of more than six months' wages for an ordinary working man. The largest single investor was Thomas West, Lord de la Warre , who served as
9646-614: The same Glorious Inheritance, we flatter ourselves that tho' divided by our Situation, we are firmly united in Sentiment; the Cause of Virtue and Liberty is Confined to no Continent or Climate, it comprehends within its capacious Limits, the Wise and good, however dispersed and separated in Space or distance.) You need not be informed, that Violence and Rapacity of a tyrannick Ministry, have forced
9752-581: The site of Jamestown Island , further upriver and on the northern shore, as the place to build their fort. In addition to survival, the early colonists were expected to make a profit for the owners of the Virginia Company. Although the settlers were disappointed that gold did not wash up on the beach and gems did not grow in the trees, they realized there was great potential for a wealth of other kinds in their new home. Early industries, such as glass manufacture, pitch and tar production for naval stores, and beer and wine making took advantage of natural resources and
9858-494: The stock issue of 1609 nor the authorized lottery system mitigated the shortage of cash flow. This was an ordinance and constitution that proceeded from a set of instructions issued in 1618 to the governor and the Council of Virginia known as An Ordinance and Constitution of the Virginia Company in England on 24 July 1621. This document replaced military law with common law, and provided for land ownership for settlers living in
9964-473: The three-sided fort erected on the banks of the James, the settlers quickly discovered that they were, first and foremost, employees of the Virginia Company of London, following instructions of the men appointed by the company to rule them. In exchange, the laborers were armed (though gunpowder was stored separately at the powder magazine, to be distributed in definite quantities monthly for hunting purposes, or by
10070-687: The trade of the Bermudas, wch have changed theyre name twise within this moneth, beeing first christned Virginiola as a member of that plantation, but now lastly resoued to be called Sommer Islands , as well in respect of the continuall temperat ayre, as in remembrance of Sr George Sommers that died there. This is also quoted in Bermuda under the Sommer Islands Company 1612–1684 by A. C. Hollis Hallett: The contemporary letter-writer and social commentator, John Chamberlain, wrote that
10176-461: The worker survived). In December 1606, the Virginia Company's three ships , containing 105 men and boys as passengers and 39 crew members, set sail from Blackwall, London and made landfall on 26 April 1607 at the southern edge of the mouth of what they named the James River on the Chesapeake Bay . They named this shore Cape Henry . They were attacked by Native Americans, and the settlers moved north. On 14 May 1607, these first settlers selected
10282-403: Was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 48,705, and the median income for a family was $ 53,242. Virginia Beach had the 5th highest median family income among large cities in 2003. The per capita income for the city was $ 22,365. About 5.1% of families and 8.2% of
10388-404: Was dispatched in 1610 to provide firmer governance of the colony. The council back in London whose directives and interests Lord De La Warr represented was composed of knights, gentlemen and merchants who had invested in the company. This charter also limited the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company of London to 100 miles from the seaboard and from 38 degrees to 45 degrees latitude north. In 1609,
10494-756: Was feared that the neutral "pen-adversaries" might "cast scruples into our conscience" by "criticising the lawfulness of the plantation." It was decided to forego such a publication of a justification. In 1608, Sir Edward Coke , in his capacity as Lord Chief Justice , offered a ruling in Calvin's Case that went beyond the issue at hand: whether a Scotsman could seek justice at an English Court. Coke distinguished between aliens from nations at war with England and friendly aliens, those from nations in league with England. Friendly aliens could have recourse to English courts. But he also ruled that with "all infidels" (i.e. those from non-Christian nations), there could be no peace, and
10600-609: Was large when first organized, defined as from the Atlantic Ocean west past the Elizabeth River , encompassing the entire area now within the modern cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach. It attracted many entrepreneurs, including William Moseley with his family in 1648. Belonging to the Merchant Adventurers Guild of London, he immigrated from Rotterdam of the Netherlands , where he had been in international trade. He settled on land on
10706-616: Was now over £9,000. Worried Virginians were hardly reassured by the advice of pragmatic Treasurer Edwin Sandys who warned that the company "cannot wish you to rely on anything but yourselves". In March 1622, the company's and the colony's situation went from dire to disastrous when, during the Indian massacre of 1622 , the Powhatan confederacy killed one-quarter of the European population of
10812-456: Was ranked at number 45 on Forbes list of best places for business and careers. Tourism produces a large share of Virginia Beach's economy. With an estimated $ 857 million spent in tourism related industries, 14,900 jobs cater to 2.75 million visitors. City coffers benefit as visitors provide $ 73 million in revenue. Virginia Beach opened a Convention Center in 2005 which caters to large group meetings and events. Hotels not only line
10918-496: Was shared with the Plymouth Company , with the stipulation that neither company found a colony within 100 miles (161 km) of the other. The Virginia Company of London made landfall on 26 April 1607, at the southern edge of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay , which they named Cape Henry , near present-day Virginia Beach . Deciding to move the encampment, on 4 May 1607 they established the Jamestown Settlement on
11024-645: Was shipwrecked in Bermuda , along with the admiral of the company, Sir George Somers , Captain Newport, and 147 other settlers and seamen. When Gates finally arrived to take up his new post in 1610, with most of the survivors of the Sea Venture (on two new ships built in Bermuda, the Deliverance and the Patience ), he found that only 60 of the original 214 colonists had survived the infamous "Starving Time" of 1609–1610 . Most of these were dying or ill. Despite
11130-479: Was subsequently, also known officially as The Somers Isles (for the Admiral of the Virginia Company, Sir George Somers ) until being dissolved in 1684 and made a royal colony. Meetings were held at town hall to discuss the distribution of the tobacco. The instructions issued to Sir Thomas Gates , on 20 November 1608, called for a forcible conversion of Native Americans to Anglicanism and their subordination to
11236-416: Was the work of Providence in that it was justification for the destruction of the Powhatan, and building English settlements over their former towns. New orders from the Virginia Company of London directed a "perpetual war without peace or truce" "to root out from being any longer a people, so cursed a nation, ungrateful to all benefitte, and incapable of all goodnesses". Within two years, the Crown took over
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