Archives – The UncommonWealth

Virginia Untold Hires Part-Time Project Archivist

Hi! I'm Elle Kim, a new part-time Project Archivist for Virginia Untold: The African Narrative. In this blog post, I’ll formally introduce myself and describe…

Elle KimJune 24, 2026

A sketch drawing of a ship with sails raised, and flags on the front and back and each most of the ship. A label reads “Potomack River” in cursive underneath the ship.

Archives Digital Projects

Finding People Who Don’t Want to be Found: Students and the Chesapeake’s Unfree People

In 1673, a Black woman named Pendall escaped with her son from the Accomack County plantation of Tabitha Browne, where they were enslaved. They stole…

Guest ContributorJune 17, 2026

Archives Digital Projects

Permission to Explore: World War II Sight-Seeing

In the midst of World War II, some American men and women were lucky enough to experience fleeting moments of peace and safety where they…

Jessi BennettJune 15, 2026

Archives

George Mason and the Virginia Declaration of Rights

The Virginia Declaration of Rights that members of the Fifth and last of the Virginia Revolutionary Conventions unanimously adopted on June 12, 1776, was one…

Brent TarterJune 10, 2026

Archives The Stacks

Newly-Available Archival Accessions, January 1-March 31, 2026

The Library of Virginia maintains the most comprehensive collection of information about Virginia’s history, culture, and government. We hold more than 200 million manuscript items,…

Trenton HizerJune 1, 2026

Archives

The 442nd Regiment Combat Team at the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation

The Library of Virginia’s U.S. Army Signal Corps Photograph Collection includes a handful of photos of the 442nd Regiment Combat Team, which was a segregated…

Cara GriggsMay 27, 2026

Archives Education & Programming

“Declare the United Colonies free and independent”

Virginia's fifth Revolutionary Convention began on May 6, 1776, the same day that the House of Burgesses gathered as a body for the last time.…

Mari JulienneMay 13, 2026

Archives

Freedom’s Inherited Rights: A Richmond City Chancery Cause

The chancery cause of Arthur Brown vs. Rachel Goode, et al. (1872-113) was a dispute presented to the Richmond City Hustings Court. The suit revolved…

Sherri BagleyMay 6, 2026

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections Newspapers

2026 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the Library of Virginia!

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, out of the 331,449,281 people who reside in the United States, 7.5%—or 24,897,495—people in the United States identify as…

Cara GriggsMay 4, 2026

Archives

Finding Peter Crippen’s People

Back in January, we made a new connection with the Huntington African American Museum in New York. Executive Director & Chief Curator Tiarra Brown reached…

Lydia NeurothApril 29, 2026

Archives The Stacks

AI + Records Management: A New Era for Information Control

Every April, organizations across industries celebrate Records Management Month, as it is a time dedicated to recognizing the critical role that records and information professionals…

Teshawna ThreatApril 8, 2026

Archives Conservation The Stacks

The Winners of $2.25 Million in Circuit Court Record Preservation Grants for 2026!

March 24, 2026 The Circuit Court Records Preservation Program (CCRP) Grant Review Board met on March 24, 2026, to evaluate 151 grant requests from 104 circuit…

Library of VirginiaApril 6, 2026

Archives Education & Programming

April 1st is No Joke for the United States Census

April 1 is not only April Fool's Day, but every decade for more than 100 years it has also been Census Day, the official day…

John DealApril 1, 2026

Archives Newspapers

There’s Blood in the Salad Part II: The Clean Up

Editor's Note: This is part two of a two-part series. You can read the first part here. This case was grueling. What started as a…

Mary Ann Mason, They/ThemMarch 25, 2026

Archives Digital Projects

Joseph Jenkins Roberts: Norfolk to Liberia to Norfolk

In the 1940s, as shipyards and military installations swelled with new workers and service members, the city rushed to construct housing developments to accommodate them.…

Lauren CaravatiMarch 18, 2026