Archives – Page 18 – The UncommonWealth

Archives

A Marriage Divided: The Post-Civil War Divorce of Sarah and George Field

"I hate secession and all its hateful helpers. Cursed be the hand that raised its bloody flag to make desolate homes and wretched women,” wrote…

McKenzie LongSeptember 22, 2021

Archives

Random Reference: Riot in the Church!

Manakin Town, in present-day Powhatan County, was a unique community made up of Huguenot (French Protestant) refugees who settled there in 1700-1701. Although free from…

Bill BynumSeptember 15, 2021

Archives Digital Projects Manuscripts & Special Collections

Hazing on the High Seas

In 1823, Jacques Arago’s Voyage autour du Monde was published. After describing a line-crossing ceremony he had witnessed, he waxed philosophical, noting, “I have no…

Jessi BennettSeptember 1, 2021

Archives

Freedom is Never Free: The Untold Story of Reubenetta Dandridge

On 30 March 1857, Joseph Elam and two other white men broke into the house of Reubenetta Dandridge, a free Black woman living in the…

Lydia NeurothAugust 25, 2021

Archives

A Scandal in the Making: Ice Cream Saloons and the Unaccompanied Woman

This is an entry in our “Random Reference” series, which features interesting discoveries made and reference questions answered by our Archives & Library Reference Services…

Amanda MorrellAugust 16, 2021

Archives

“In the way that all slaves were married”: The Legal Legacy of Unjust Laws

To what lengths would you go to prove your identity if you had no documentation? One formerly enslaved woman was able to do so 150…

Tracy HarterAugust 11, 2021

Archives

Commonwealth v. Fanny

CONTENT WARNING: Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and…

Lydia NeurothJuly 28, 2021

Archives

Florida Connections in 1830s Richmond City Deeds

It is not uncommon to see immigration and migration references when processing local records collections, so it was not especially surprising to find a few…

Eddie WoodwardJuly 21, 2021

Archives

Building The Local Government: Drawings from the Buildings and Grounds Collection

The Library of Virginia’s Buildings and Grounds Collection consists of selected images from the Public Buildings and Grounds series of local government records. These items…

Greg CrawfordJuly 7, 2021

Archives Digital Projects The Stacks

Virginia Untold Hires Grant-Funded Project Manager

Hi, I’m Lydia, the new Project Manager for Virginia Untold. I’m using this blog post to introduce myself and my interest in this project. Going…

Lydia NeurothJune 30, 2021

Archives

Virginia Vaccination Vacillation

To vaccinate, or not to vaccinate? That has always been the question. It is particularly timely these days as people seek, or seek to avoid,…

Tracy HarterJune 16, 2021

Archives

The Veney Family of the Northern Neck: Rachel’s Story

In 1791, Rachel Veney’s mother Sarah won a case in the district court of Northumberland County for her freedom and the freedom of her descendants.…

Greg CrawfordJune 9, 2021

Archives The Stacks

Random Reference: What Happened to Uncle Harry?

The best thing about being a reference archivist is that every time you pick up the phone you have no idea what the question will…

Dawn TinnellJune 7, 2021

Archives Highlights

The Veney family of the Northern Neck: Sarah’s Story

Around 1712, two women were transported by ship to Virginia’s Northern Neck. The elder was named Mary and the younger Bess, who was about 13…

Greg CrawfordJune 2, 2021

Archives

Universal Leaf Tobacco Company of China, Federal, Inc., U.S.A.

Tobacco has been an important part of Virginia’s economy for centuries, starting with the Virginia Indians who cultivated native plants and John Rolfe’s attempts in…

Cara GriggsMay 26, 2021