American Revolution – Page 2 – The UncommonWealth

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

Revolutionary Provenance: Washington’s Letter and Cornwallis’ Cup at the Library of Virginia

Every record and artifact at the Library of Virginia not only tells a story, but also has a story. The latter is referred to as…

Kenneth ForestJune 5, 2023

Archives

Guns, Ships, and Petitions for Payment

The partnership between the French and the Continental Army during the American Revolution has been long celebrated and venerated. A prime example is the Marquis…

Emeline AlexanderJuly 20, 2022

Education & Programming Virginia Authors

The Perennial Past

Suzanne Stryk views her assemblages as more than just art. In the preface to her book The Middle of Somewhere: An Artist Explores the Nature…

Library of VirginiaJune 24, 2022

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

Peter Francisco: The Man, the Myth, the Prenup?

Peter Francisco was a revered Revolutionary War soldier with mysterious origins. It is believed that his American story began in 1765, after being discovered abandoned…

Dawn TinnellJune 6, 2022

Archives Education & Programming

Two Revolutionary War Petitions

For hundreds of years, Virginians have had the right to petition their government. Unlike the right to vote or hold public office during the 18th…

Mari JulienneMarch 9, 2022

Archives

Records of the Revolution: John Todd and the George Rogers Clark Illinois Expedition

As I was creating a finding aid for the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - George Rogers Clark Papers, Western Expedition Quartermaster Records, 1778-1784 (LVA…

Renee SavitsJanuary 6, 2021

Education & Programming

What’d I Miss?: Diving Deeper into the History Behind Hamilton

While Lin Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster musical hit Hamilton takes some artistic liberties with our American Colonial past, there is a lot of history packed into…

Library of VirginiaJuly 1, 2020

Manuscripts & Special Collections

A Virginian, a Tomahawk, & the American Revolution in the Old West

Editor’s Note: The Library of Virginia, in partnership with Virginia Humanities, sponsors residential fellows during the academic year to conduct in-depth research in the Library’s collections. Gregory…

Guest ContributorJune 12, 2019

Archives

Our History as Told by the Pittsylvania County Court Records

In the past few months, I have examined dozens of boxes of unprocessed Pittsylvania County court records dating back to the 1760s, searching for chancery…

Greg CrawfordSeptember 19, 2018

Manuscripts & Special Collections

No Retreat No Surrender? Not so Much: Yorktown Day

Yorktown Day marks the anniversary of the 19 October 1781 surrender of British forces to General George Washington ending the Revolutionary War. To celebrate, the…

Cassandra FarrellOctober 19, 2016

Archives

A Collection Within A Collection: Bounty Warrants Found In Chancery Causes

Military bounty land warrants, given by individual states or the Federal Government to reward military service or encourage enlistment, have long been a useful resource…

Callie FreedMarch 9, 2016

Archives

DAR Sponsorship to Preserve Records of Revolutionary War Payments

The Library of Virginia (LVA) recently completed the reformatting of the Auditor of Public Accounts, Receipts and Disbursements Journals, 1778-1797, (Accession APA 45). These twenty-one…

Paige NealNovember 4, 2015

Archives

“Lafayette, we are here!”

Twenty years ago, a small group of businessmen and former diplomats conceived a plan to build an authentic replica of the French frigate Hermione, the…

Sandra TreadwayMay 27, 2015

Archives

Independence didn’t come cheap

The fledgling United States of America found that a considerable public debt had been generated by the struggle for independence against Great Britain. Such was…

Sarah NerneyJuly 3, 2013

Archives

Prince Edward Co. Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions

While examining Prince Edward County court records for chancery suits, former Local Records Archivist Catherine OBrion found a group of declarations to the justices of the…

Greg CrawfordJanuary 18, 2012