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87-556: Major Robert Stobo (1726/27–1770) was an 18th-century Scottish-born colonial American frontiersman and soldier. Stobo was an officer in the Virginia militia who, during the French and Indian War , acted as a spy while a prisoner-of-war at Fort Duquesne . He was later convicted as a spy in Quebec and, while a prisoner there, was able to gain invaluable knowledge of the local area which

174-545: A land supposedly called Wingandacoa . "Virginia" was originally a term used to refer to England's entire North American possession and claim along the east coast from the 34th parallel (close to Cape Fear ) north to 45th parallel . This area included a large section of Canada and the shores of Acadia . The name Virginia for a region in North America may have been originally suggested by Raleigh, who named it for Queen Elizabeth I in approximately 1584. In addition,

261-706: A proprietary charter to two competing branches of the Virginia Company, which investors supported. These were the Plymouth Company and the Virginia Company of London . By the terms of the charter, the Plymouth Company was permitted to establish a colony of 100 sq mi (260 km ) between the 38th parallel and the 45th parallel (roughly between Chesapeake Bay and the current U.S.–Canada border). The London Company

348-664: A relatively low percentage of the overall population, as opposed to the earlier massacre (the 1622 attack had wiped out a third; that of 1644 barely a tenth). This was followed by an effort by the settlers to decimate the Powhatan. In July, they marched against the Pamunkey , Chickahominy , and Powhatan proper; and south of the James, against the Appomattoc , Weyanoke , Warraskoyak, and Nansemond , as well as two Carolina tribes,

435-527: A ship from Halifax , he rejoined British forces at Louisburgh on the island of Cape Breton shortly after General James Wolfe had departed for Quebec. Following after him, Stobo was able to catch up to Wolfe and provide him with knowledge of the area including the landing site chosen for Wolfe's forces during the capture of Quebec . In November 1771 George Washington wrote a letter to Stobo concerning land claims under Governor Dinwiddie; however Stobo killed himself on 19 June 1770. His memoirs were kept in

522-648: A six-mile-long palisade was completed across the Virginia Peninsula . The palisade provided some security from attacks by the Virginia Indians for colonists farming and fishing lower on the Peninsula from that point. On April 18, 1644, Opechancanough again tried to force the English to abandon the region with another series of coordinated attacks, killing almost 500 colonists. However, this was

609-496: A small force. In February 1779, Clark returned to Vincennes in a surprise winter expedition and retook the town, capturing Hamilton in the process. The winter expedition was Clark's most significant military achievement. The Virginia militia system, as a compulsory service composed of the body of the people trained to arms as envisioned by George Mason , remained intact until the end of the American Civil War . During

696-621: A smaller proportion of the growing population than had been killed in the 1622 attacks. In 1620, a successor to the Plymouth Company sent colonists to the New World aboard the Mayflower . Known as Pilgrims , they successfully established a settlement in what became Massachusetts . The portion of what had been Virginia north of the 40th parallel became known as New England , according to books written by Captain John Smith , who had made

783-400: A sufficient partie well armed." In 1661 Governor William Berkeley stated, "All our freemen are bound to be trained every month in their particular counties." The British county lieutenant system was employed as the population grew; each county had a lieutenant, appointed as the county's chief militia officer. The militia system was originally used to defend against Native American tribes in

870-419: A truce with the Powhatan and proposed a toast using liquor laced with poison. 200 Virginia Indians were killed or made ill by the poison, and 50 more were slaughtered by the colonists. For over a decade, the English settlers attacked the Powhatan, targeting their settlements as part of a scorched earth policy. The settlers systematically razed villages, captured children, and seized or destroyed crops. By 1634,

957-586: A voyage there. In 1624, the charter of the Virginia Company was revoked by King James I, and the Virginia Colony was transferred to royal authority in the form of a crown colony . Subsequent charters for the Maryland Colony in 1632 and to the eight lords proprietors of the Province of Carolina in 1663 and 1665 further reduced the Virginia Colony to roughly the coastal borders it held until

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1044-592: A well-coordinated series of surprise attacks on multiple English colonial settlements along both sides of a 50-mile (80 km) long stretch of the James River, which took place early on the morning of March 22, 1622. This event resulted in the deaths of 347 colonists (including men, women, and children) and the abduction of many others. The massacre caught most of the Virginia Colony by surprise and virtually wiped out several entire communities, including Henricus and Wolstenholme Towne at Martin's Hundred . Jamestown

1131-540: Is herein after directed, it shall and may be lawful to and for the chief commanding officer, then present, to cause such offender to be tied neck and heels, for any time not exceeding five minutes, or inflict such corporal punishment as he shall think fit, not exceeding twenty lashes... Four companies of Virginia militia participated in the Sandy Creek Expedition in February 1756, however the expedition

1218-608: Is now Maine . Approximately three months later, the group landed on a wooded peninsula where the Kennebec River meets the Atlantic Ocean and began building Fort St. George. By the end of the year, limited resources caused half of the colonists to return to England. The remaining 45 sailed home late the next year, and the Plymouth company fell dormant. In 1609, with the abandonment of the Plymouth Company settlement,

1305-634: The Susan Constant , and two smaller ships, the Godspeed , and the Discovery , with 105 men and boys, plus 39 sailors. After an unusually long voyage of 144 days, they arrived at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and came ashore at the point where the southern side of the bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, an event that has come to be called the "First Landing". They erected a cross and named

1392-479: The weroance Necotowance and the subtribes formerly in the confederacy each became tributaries to the King of England. At the same time, a racial frontier was delineated between Indian and English settlements, with members of each group forbidden to cross to the other side except by a special pass obtained at one of the newly erected border forts. The extent of the Virginia Colony open to patent by English colonists

1479-650: The American Revolution . (The border with North Carolina was disputed until surveyed by William Byrd II in 1728.) After twelve years of peace following the Indian Wars of 1622–1632, another Anglo–Powhatan War began on March 18, 1644, as a last effort by the remnants of the Powhatan Confederacy, still under Opechancanough, to dislodge the English settlers of the Virginia Colony. Around 500 colonists were killed, but that number represented

1566-680: The British Museum for nearly a century until 1854 when the manuscript was published in Pittsburgh in part due to efforts by Liverpool merchant James McHenry. Virginia militia In 1623, the year following the outbreak of the first major Anglo-Powhatan War in Virginia, the Virginia General Assembly commanded, "that men go not to work in the ground without their arms; That no man go or send abroad without

1653-670: The Chowanoke and Secotan . In February–March 1645, the colony ordered the construction of four frontier forts: Fort Charles at the falls of the James, Fort James on the Chickahominy , Fort Royal at the falls of the York and Fort Henry at the falls of the Appomattox , where the modern city of Petersburg is located. In August 1645, the forces of Governor William Berkeley stormed Opechancanough's stronghold. All captured males in

1740-572: The Discovery for the colonists' use. However, death from disease and conflicts with the Native Americans took a fearsome toll on the colonists. Despite attempts at mining minerals, growing silk, and exporting the native Virginia tobacco, no profitable exports had been identified, and it was unclear whether the settlement would survive financially. The Powhatan Confederacy was a confederation of numerous linguistically related tribes in

1827-559: The English Civil War . Under the tenure of Crown Governor William Berkeley (1642–1652; 1660–1677), the population expanded from 8,000 in 1642 to 40,000 in 1677. Despite the resistance of the Virginia Cavaliers , Virginian Puritan Richard Bennett was made governor answering to Oliver Cromwell in 1652, followed by two more nominal "commonwealth governors". Nonetheless, the colony was rewarded for its loyalty to

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1914-669: The Kingdom of Great Britain in 1775, before the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted, the Virginia Colony became the Commonwealth of Virginia , one of the original thirteen states of the United States, adopting as its official slogan "The Old Dominion". The entire modern states of West Virginia , Kentucky , Indiana , and Illinois , and portions of Ohio and Western Pennsylvania were later created from

2001-471: The Province of Virginia , and occasionally as the Dominion and Colony of Virginia or His Majesty's Most Ancient Colloney and Dominion of Virginia . According to tradition, in gratitude for the loyalty of Virginians to the crown during the English Civil War , Charles II gave it the title of "Old Dominion". The colony seal stated from Latin en dat virginia quintum , in English 'Behold, Virginia gives

2088-472: The Sea Venture was the mission's Vice Admiral Christopher Newport. Hundreds of new colonists were aboard the ships. However, the weather was to affect the mission drastically. A few days out of London, the nine ships of the third supply mission encountered a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. They became separated during the three days the storm lasted. Admiral Somers had the Sea Venture , carrying most of

2175-725: The Virginia House of Burgesses because of their support of the city of Boston against the closing of the Port of Boston by Lord North . On May 15, 1776, the Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously for independence and to have a declaration of rights drawn up. Colonel George Mason became the principal author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights which was published on June 12, 1776. Mason drew from his own previous writings upon his founding of

2262-955: The Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership at Mary Baldwin College , the Fishburne Military School , the Massanutten Military Academy , and the Commandant of Cadets and Assistant Commandants of Cadets of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University shall be commissioned officers of the Virginia militia, unorganized, and subject to the orders of the Governor and the same rules and regulations as to discipline provided for other commissioned officers of

2349-465: The tidewater area. As the slave population grew in the Virginia Colony , the militia played a role in keeping slaves from running away or from revolting – through the use of militia patrollers. This Virginia militia system was put to the test in 1676 during Bacon's Rebellion . The Crown's militia was victorious over Nathaniel Bacon , who tried to seize power. Virginia militia under

2436-609: The Civil War, the Virginia militia was the main recruiting body for first the Provisional Army of Virginia and later the Virginia state regiments of the Confederate Army . After the Civil War, Reconstruction governments forced upon Virginia an all-volunteer militia system in opposition to Virginia's Bill of Rights. The militia became statutorily composed of the volunteer and the unorganized militia. In 1971,

2523-875: The Crown . The Virginia Company's two settlements, Virginia and Bermuda (Bermuda's Puritans were expelled as the Eleutheran Adventurers , settling the Bahamas under William Sayle ), Antigua and Barbados were conspicuous in their loyalty to the Crown and were singled out by the Rump Parliament in An Act for prohibiting Trade with the Barbadoes, Virginia, Bermuda and Antego in October 1650. This dictated that: [D]ue punishment [be] inflicted upon

2610-425: The English either stay in their fort or leave Virginia. Enraged, De la Warr had the hand of a Paspahegh captive cut off and sent him to the paramount chief with another ultimatum: Return all English subjects and property, or the neighboring villages would be burned. This time, Powhatan did not respond. On August 9, 1610, tired of waiting for a response from the Powhatan, West sent George Percy with 70 men to attack

2697-515: The Fairfax County Independent Company of Volunteers on September 21, 1774. This company was a paramilitary organization independent of the Crown's militia. Article 13 of the Virginia Declaration of Rights which established the militia clause as a fundamental right was based upon three solid English rights: the right to revolution, the right to group self-preservation and the right to self-defense. Under Article 13 of

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2784-686: The French in South Carolina ( Charlesfort , 1562–1563). Farther south, the Spanish colony of Spanish Florida , centered on St. Augustine , was established in 1565, while to the north, the French were establishing settlements in what is now Canada ( Charlesbourg-Royal briefly occupied 1541–1543; Port Royal , established in 1605). In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert established a charter in Newfoundland . Once established, he and his crew abandoned

2871-532: The London Company organized another supply mission. They set sail from London on April 1, 1610. Just after the survivors of the Starving Time and those who had joined them from Bermuda had abandoned Jamestown, the ships of the new supply mission sailed up the James River with food, supplies, a doctor, and more colonists. Lord Delaware was determined that the colony was to survive, and he intercepted

2958-493: The London Company's Virginia charter was adjusted to include the territory north of the 34th parallel and south of the 40th parallel , with its original coastal grant extended "from sea to sea". Thus, according to James I's writ, the Virginia Colony in its original sense extended to the coast of the Pacific Ocean, in what is now California, with all the land in between belonging to Virginia. For practical purposes, though,

3045-651: The Netherlands all had competing claims to the region, none of these prevented the English from becoming the first European power to colonize successfully the Mid-Atlantic coastline. The Spanish had made earlier attempts in what is now Georgia ( San Miguel de Gualdape , 1526–1527; several Spanish missions in Georgia between 1568 and 1684), South Carolina ( Santa Elena , 1566–1587), North Carolina ( Joara , 1567–1568) and Virginia ( Ajacán Mission , 1570–1571); and by

3132-601: The Ohio River at Fort Massac and marched to Kaskaskia , taking it on the night of July 4. Cahokia , Vincennes , and several other villages and forts in British territory were subsequently captured without firing a shot, because most of the French-speaking and American Indian inhabitants were unwilling to take up arms on behalf of the British. To counter Clark's advance, Henry Hamilton reoccupied Vincennes with

3219-548: The Paspahegh capital, burning the houses and cutting down their cornfields. They killed 65 to 75 Powhatan and captured one of Wowinchopunk's wives and her children. Returning downstream, Percy's men threw the children overboard and shot out "their Braynes in the water". The queen was put to the sword in Jamestown. The Paspahegh never recovered from this attack and abandoned their town. Another small force sent with Argall against

3306-776: The United States, who are at least 16 years of age and, except as hereinafter provided, not more than 55 years of age. The militia shall be divided into three classes: the National Guard , which includes the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard ; the Virginia Defense Force ; and the unorganized militia . The Code of Virginia, Section 44-117 states, "The officers of the Virginia Military Institute ,

3393-495: The Virginia Bill of Rights under Article I, Section 13, was changed to the following by popular vote That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases

3480-593: The Virginia Declaration of Rights he wrote: That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state, that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. Shortly after the Revolutionary War began, Kentucky County, Virginia

3567-517: The Warraskoyaks found that they had already fled, and they destroyed an abandoned Warraskoyak village and the surrounding cornfields. This event triggered the first Anglo-Powhatan War . Among the individuals who had briefly abandoned Jamestown was John Rolfe , a Sea Venture survivor who had lost his wife and son in Bermuda. He was a businessman from London with some untried seeds for new, sweeter strains of tobacco he brought from Bermuda and some novel marketing ideas. It would turn out that Rolfe held

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3654-423: The York (Pamunkey) river. Necotowance thus ceded the English vast tracts of still-uncolonized land, much of it between the James and Blackwater. English settlements on the peninsula north of the York and below the Poropotank were also allowed, as they had already been there since 1640. While the newer Puritan colonies, most notably Massachusetts , were dominated by Parliamentarians , the older colonies sided with

3741-493: The area of their rights. The London company formed Jamestown in its exclusive territory, while the Plymouth company formed the Popham Colony in its exclusive territory near what is now Phippsburg, Maine. The Popham colony quickly failed because of famine, disease, and conflicts with local Native American tribes in the first two years. The London Company hired Captain Christopher Newport to lead its expedition. On December 20, 1606, he set sail from England with his flagship ,

3828-504: The authority aforesaid, That every person so as aforesaid inlisted (except free mulattoes , negroes, and Indians) shall be armed in the manner following, that is to say: Every soldier shall be furnished with a firelock well fixed, a bayonet fitted to the same, a double cartouch-box, and three charges of powder, and constantly appear with the same at the time and place appointed for muster and exercise, and shall also keep at his place of abode one pound of powder and four pounds of ball, and bring

3915-455: The care of Captain Coulon de Villiers at Fort Duquesne until at such time they could be released in a prisoner exchange . During his captivity, he was an open prisoner and spent his time making detailed sketches of the fort and plans for its destruction. In a letter containing these plans he wrote, "For my part I would die ten thousand deaths to have the pleasure of possessing this fort..." His plans concluded that one hundred Indians could take

4002-416: The claim. The company's possession of Bermuda was made official in 1612 when the third and final charter extended the boundaries of Virginia far enough out to sea to encompass Bermuda. Upon their arrival at Jamestown, the survivors of the Sea Venture discovered that the 10-month delay had greatly aggravated other adverse conditions. Seven of the other ships had arrived carrying more colonists but little in

4089-414: The colonists rarely ventured far inland to what was known as the "Virginia Wilderness." For the third supply, the London Company had a new ship built. The Sea Venture was designed to emit additional colonists and transport supplies. It became the flagship of the admiral of the convoy, Sir George Somers . The third supply was the largest, with eight other ships joining the Sea Venture . The captain of

4176-434: The colony because of the war between England and Spain. When he finally did return in 1590, he found the colony abandoned. The houses were intact, but the colonists had disappeared. Although there are numerous theories about the fate of the colony, it remains a mystery and has come to be known as the "Lost Colony" . Two English children were born in this colony; the first was named Virginia Dare ( Dare County, North Carolina ,

4263-456: The command of Colonel James Patton fought an Iroquois war party at the Battle of Galudoghson in December 1742. This was the first military action between Virginia soldiers and Native Americans in western Virginia. During the French and Indian War (1754–1763), a formal act came into effect. WHEREAS it is necessary, in this time of danger, that the militia of this colony should be well regulated and disciplined...And be it further enacted, by

4350-405: The county shall cause a general muster and exercise of all the companies within his county, to be made in the months of March or April, and September or October, yearly; and if any soldier shall, at any general or private muster, refuse to perform the command of his officer, or behave himself refractorily or mutinously, or misbehave himself at the courts martial to be held in pursuance of this act, as

4437-507: The departing ships about 10 miles (16 km) downstream of Jamestown. The colonists thanked Providence for the colony's salvation. West proved far harsher and more belligerent toward the Indians than any of his predecessors, engaging in wars of conquest against them. He first sent Thomas Gates to drive off the Kecoughtan from their village on July 9, 1610, then gave Chief Powhatan an ultimatum to either return all English subjects and property, or face war. Powhatan responded by insisting that

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4524-438: The eastern part of Virginia. The Powhatan Confederacy controlled a territory known as Tsenacommacah, which roughly corresponded with the Tidewater region of Virginia. It was in this territory that the English established Jamestown. At the time of the English arrival, the Powhatan were led by the paramount chief Wahunsenacawh, known to the English as Chief Powhatan . On May 31, 1607, about 100 men and boys left England for what

4611-473: The era of the Protectorate and Commonwealth of England . From 1619 to 1775/1776, the colonial legislature of Virginia was the General Assembly, which governed in conjunction with a colonial governor . Jamestown remained the capital of the Virginia Colony until 1699; from 1699 until its dissolution, the capital was in Williamsburg . The colony experienced its first significant political turmoil with Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. After declaring independence from

4698-432: The fifth', with Virginia claimed as the fifth English dominion after England, France , Scotland and Ireland . The Commonwealth of Virginia maintains "Old Dominion" as its state nickname . The athletic teams of the University of Virginia are known as the " Cavaliers ", referring to supporters of Charles II, and Virginia has a public university called " Old Dominion University ". Although Spain, France, Sweden, and

4785-445: The fort. He was able to get these sketches to British forces by giving them to the Lenape warrior Keekyuscung who smuggled them out of the fort, however these papers were recovered by the French after the Battle of the Monongahela and he was sent to Quebec where he was tried and convicted as a spy. Stobo was sentenced to death, although his sentence was commuted to closed confinement. He managed to escape from prison and, arriving on

4872-488: The key to the colony's economic success. By 1612, Rolfe's strains of tobacco had been successfully cultivated and exported, establishing a first cash crop for export. Plantations and new outposts sprung up starting with Henricus , initially both upriver and downriver along the navigable portion of the James and thereafter along the other rivers and waterways of the area. The settlement at Jamestown could finally be considered permanently established. A period of peace followed

4959-448: The marriage in 1614 of colonist Rolfe to Pocahontas , the daughter of Chief Powhatan. Another colonial charter was issued in 1611. The relations with the Natives took a turn for the worse after the death of Pocahontas in England and the return of Rolfe and other colonial leaders in May 1617. Disease, poor harvests, and the growing demand for land to cultivate tobacco caused hostilities to escalate. After Chief Powhatan died in 1618, he

5046-423: The military organizations of the Commonwealth." Permanent faculty members of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) are normally offered commissions in the naval or unorganized militia of Virginia. The Superintendent of VMI is normally a Lieutenant General of the unorganized Virginia militia unless the superintendent is a regular US military officer of higher rank. The corps of cadets also serves as cadet members of

5133-445: The military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. The current Virginia Militia under Virginia Code states § 44-1. Composition of militia. The militia of the Commonwealth of Virginia shall consist of all able-bodied residents of the Commonwealth who are citizens of the United States and all other able-bodied persons resident in the Commonwealth who have declared their intention to become citizens of

5220-411: The mission's supplies, deliberately driven aground onto the reefs of Bermuda to avoid sinking. However, while there was no loss of life, the ship was wrecked beyond repair, stranding its survivors on the uninhabited archipelago , to which they laid claim for England. The survivors at Bermuda eventually built two smaller ships, and most of them continued to Jamestown, leaving a few on Bermuda to secure

5307-479: The north bank of the James River and Popham Colony on the Kennebec River in modern-day Maine , both in 1607. The Popham colony quickly failed because of famine, disease, and conflicts with local Native American tribes in the first two years. Jamestown occupied land belonging to the Powhatan Confederacy ; it was also on the brink of failure before the arrival of a new group of settlers and supplies by ship in 1610. Tobacco became Virginia's first profitable export,

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5394-419: The point of land Cape Henry in honor of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales , the eldest son of King James. They were instructed to select a location inland along a waterway where they would be less vulnerable to the Spanish or other Europeans seeking to establish colonies. They sailed westward into the Bay and reached the mouth of Hampton Roads , stopping at a location now known as Old Point Comfort . Keeping

5481-424: The production of which had a significant impact on the society and settlement patterns. In 1624, the Virginia Company's charter was revoked by King James I, and the Virginia Colony was transferred to royal authority as a crown colony . After the English Civil War in the 1640s and 1650s, the Virginia colony was nicknamed "The Old Dominion" by King Charles II for its perceived loyalty to the English monarchy during

5568-541: The said Delinquents, do[es] Declare all and every the said persons in Barbada's, Antego, Bermuda's and Virginia, that have contrived, abetted, aided or assisted those horrid Rebellions, or have since willingly joyned with them, to be notorious Robbers and Traitors, and such as by the Law of Nations are not to be permitted any maner of Commerce or Traffique with any people whatsoever; and do[es] forbid to all maner of persons, Foreiners, and others, all maner of Commerce, Traffique and Correspondency whatsoever, to be used or held with

5655-477: The said Rebels in the Barbada's, Bermuda's, Virginia and Antego, or either of them. The act authorized Parliamentary privateers to act against English vessels trading with the rebellious colonies: "All Ships that Trade with the Rebels may be surprized. Goods and tackle of such ships not to be embezeled, till judgement in the Admiralty; Two or three of the Officers of every ship to be examined upon oath." Virginia's population swelled with Cavaliers during and after

5742-441: The same with him into the field when he shall be required...And for the better training and exercising the militia, and rendering them more serviceable, Be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That every captain shall, once in three months, and oftner if thereto required by the lieutenant or chief commanding officer in the county, muster, train, and exercise his company, and the lieutenant or other chief commanding officer in

5829-556: The shoreline to their right, they then ventured up the largest river, which they named the James , for their king. After exploring at least as far upriver as the confluence of the Appomattox River at present-day Hopewell , they returned downstream to Jamestown Island , which offered a favorable defensive position against enemy ships and deep water anchorage adjacent to the land. Within two weeks, they had constructed their first fort and named their settlement Jamestown. In addition to securing gold and other precious minerals to send back to

5916-402: The site and returned to England. On the return trip, Gilbert's ship capsized, and all aboard perished. The charter was abandoned. In 1585, Raleigh sent his first colonization mission to Roanoke Island (in present-day North Carolina) with over 100 male settlers. However, when Sir Francis Drake arrived at the colony in the summer of 1586, the colonists opted to return to England because there

6003-420: The term Wingandacoa may have influenced the name Virginia." On his next voyage, Raleigh learned that while the chief of the Secotans was indeed called Wingina, the expression wingandacoa heard by the English upon arrival actually meant "What good clothes you wear!" in Carolina Algonquian and was not the name of the country as previously misunderstood. The colony was also known as the Virginia Colony ,

6090-409: The territory encompassed, or claimed by, the colony of Virginia at the time of further American independence in July 1776. "Virginia" is the oldest designation for English claims in North America. In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh sent Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe to explore what is now the North Carolina coast. They returned with word of a regional king ( weroance ) named Wingina , who ruled

6177-453: The unorganized militia. Staff members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets also may hold officer appointments in the Virginia Militia, unless they hold higher rank as active or retired US military officers. All graduates of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, who complete either a leadership track or ROTC education, are automatically commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the Virginia Militia. Virginia Colony The Colony of Virginia

6264-611: The venture ultimately proved unsuccessful. A favorite of colonial Lieutenant-Governor Robert Dinwiddie , he was appointed a captain in the Virginia militia shortly before the French and Indian War . In order to ensure the compliance of the surrender terms agreed to by Major George Washington following the Battle of the Great Meadows , he and Captain Jacob Van Braam were left as prisoners-of-war on 28 July 1754 in

6351-402: The village over age 11 were deported to Tangier Island . Opechancanough, variously reported to be 92 to 100 years old, was taken to Jamestown. While a prisoner, Opechancanough was shot in the back and killed by a soldier assigned to guard him. His death disintegrated the Powhatan Confederacy into its component tribes, whom the colonists continued to attack. In the peace treaty of October 1646,

6438-609: The waiting investors in England, the survival plan for the Jamestown colonists depended upon regular supplies from England and trade with the Native Americans . They selected a location largely cut off from the mainland with little game for hunting, no natural fresh drinking water, and minimal ground for farming. Captain Newport returned to England twice, delivering the first and second supply missions during 1608 and leaving

6525-636: The way of food and supplies. Combined with drought and hostile relations with the Native Americans , the loss of the supplies that had been aboard the Sea Venture resulted in the Starving Time in late 1609 to May 1610, during which over 80% of the colonists perished. Conditions were so adverse it appears, from skeletal evidence, that the survivors engaged in cannibalism. The survivors from Bermuda had brought few supplies and food with them, and it appeared to all that Jamestown must be abandoned, and it would be necessary to return to England. Samuel Argall

6612-419: Was a British colonial settlement in North America between 1606 and 1776. The first effort to create an English settlement in the area was chartered in 1584 and established in 1585; the resulting Roanoke Colony lasted for three attempts totaling six years. In 1590, the colony was abandoned. But nearly 20 years later, the colony was re-settled at Jamestown , not far north of the original site. A second charter

6699-402: Was a lack of supply ships, abandoning the colony. Supply ships arrived at the abandoned colony later in 1586; 15 soldiers were left behind to hold the island, but no trace of these men was later found. In 1587, Raleigh sent another group to attempt to establish a permanent settlement. The expedition leader, John White , returned to England for supplies that same year but was unable to return to

6786-681: Was defined as: All the land between the Blackwater and York rivers, and up to the navigable point of each of the major rivers – which were connected by a straight line running directly from modern Franklin on the Blackwater, northwesterly to the Appomattoc village beside Fort Henry, and continuing in the same direction to the Monocan village above the falls of the James, where Fort Charles was built, then turning sharp right, to Fort Royal on

6873-546: Was forced to turn back due to harsh weather and lack of food. In September 1756, Colonel George Washington was unsuccessful in raising a militia in Augusta County to attack the active Indian warriors on the Jackson River . Militia were required to man a series of strategically sited forts on the Virginia frontier. In 1774, revolution was at Virginia's doorstep when Royal Governor Lord Dunmore dissolved

6960-635: Was issued in 1606 and settled in 1607, becoming the first enduring English colony in North America . It followed failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583 and the Roanoke Colony (in modern eastern North Carolina ) by Sir Walter Raleigh in the late 1580s. The founder of the Jamestown colony was the Virginia Company , chartered by King James I , with its first two settlements being in Jamestown on

7047-547: Was later used by British forces during the capture of Quebec . The only son of merchant William Stobo, Robert Stobo was born in Glasgow, Scotland and sent off to the Colony of Virginia when his parents died. In the care of Glasgow merchants, he worked in their store for much of his early childhood. When he came of age, he sold the property left to him by his parents and used the money to open his own business in Virginia although

7134-420: Was named in her honor), who was among those whose fate is unknown. The word Croatoan was found carved into a tree, the name of a tribe on a nearby island. Following the failure of the previous colonization attempts, England resumed attempts to set up colonies. This time, joint-stock companies were used rather than giving extensive grants to a landed proprietor such as Gilbert or Raleigh. King James granted

7221-543: Was organized with George Rogers Clark as head of its local militia. Clark asked Governor Patrick Henry for permission to lead a secret expedition to capture the nearest British posts, which were located in the Illinois country . Governor Henry commissioned Clark as a lieutenant colonel and authorized him to raise troops for the expedition. The Illinois campaign began in July 1778, when Clark and about 175 men crossed

7308-404: Was permitted to establish between the 34th parallel and the 41st parallel (approximately between Cape Fear and Long Island Sound ) and also owned a large portion of Atlantic and Inland Canada. In the area of overlap, the two companies were not permitted to establish colonies within one hundred miles of each other. During 1606, each company organized expeditions to establish settlements within

7395-526: Was spared from destruction because an Indian boy named Chanco learned of the planned attacks from his brother and warned colonist Richard Pace with whom he lived. Pace, after securing himself and his neighbors on the south side of the James River, took a canoe across the river to warn Jamestown, which narrowly escaped destruction. However, there was no time to warn the other settlements. A year later, Captain William Tucker and John Pott worked out

7482-407: Was succeeded by his own younger brother, Opechancanough . On the surface, he maintained friendly relations with the English, negotiating with them through his warrior Nemattanew . Still, by 1622, after Nemattanew had been slain, Opechancanough was ready to order a limited surprise attack on the colonists, hoping to persuade them to move on and settle elsewhere. Chief Opechancanough organized and led

7569-425: Was the captain of one of the seven ships of the third supply that arrived at Jamestown in 1609 after being separated from the Sea Venture , whose fate was unknown. Depositing his passengers and limited supplies, he returned to England with word of the colonists' plight at Jamestown. The king authorized another leader, Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr , later better known as "Lord Delaware", to have greater powers, and

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