VA250: 250th Anniversary of America’s Independence

Celebrate 250 years of America in Virginia.

From the first English settlement at Jamestown to the surrender of the British at Yorktown. From “Give me liberty or death” to “all men are created equal.” From Washington and Jefferson to Madison and Monroe. From Powhatan and Pocahontas to James Armistead Lafayette and Gowan Pamphlet. From the ideas that inspired it to the battlefields that decided it. There is simply no America without it, and no better time than now to reconnect with your country in the place that made it possible.

The Semiquincentennial is not simply about our past; it reflects how our founding continues to shape our present and future. Our founders knew there was more work required 250 years ago, and work remains to be done. This is why the VA250 Commission has chosen “To Form a More Perfect Union” as its theme.

The overarching goals of VA250 are:

to educate Americans, including our students, about our history, our founding ideals, and our system of government;
to engage with every community and every Virginia locality in events that tell a complete story; and
to inspire us all to commit to the values inherent in American citizenship.

VA250 Programs at the library

Event

Lunch & Learn: Aquia Freestone Quarrying in the FXBG Region

Dec 5th | 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Online Event

Learn about Aquia Freestone, a type of sandstone was Stafford County’s longest-lived industrial venture from the 1740s to the 1930s.

Event

The Fairfax-Washington Connection: Family Genealogies & More

Dec 13th | 11:00am - 12:30pm

Porter Branch

This presentation will focus on the histories of the Fairfax and Washington family lines and how they were intertwined.

Event

Fabulous Friday: American Revolution

Jan 9th | 4:30pm - 5:15pm

Fredericksburg Branch

Games and activities to celebrate VA250. For grades K-6.

Grades K-5

Event

Historic Stafford Places and Their Stories

Jan 17th | 11:00am - 2:30pm

Howell Branch

Find out how Stafford County has played a vital role in the founding of this nation. Presented by Jerrilynn Eby MacGregor.

All VA250 Events

Genealogy Workshops

Learning with the Library

Staff List

Colonial America

A comprehensive list of all things Colonial America, along with books specifically about growing up in Colonial Virginia.

CRRLKids

Blog Post

Book Corner: Revolutionary reads to commemorate Virginia 250

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.'s founding with histories of the era and join in book discussions on selected titles.

Tracy

Staff List

Movies for the 4th of July

These films and TV series, mainly geared to adult audiences, can be enjoyed while waiting for the fireworks to begin.

CRRLAdults

Blog Post

VA250: Virginia's Voices for Liberty

Read on to learn about the lives of Virginia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence, our nation’s founding document.

John

Staff List

Colonial America

A comprehensive list of all things Colonial America, along with books specifically about growing up in Colonial Virginia.

CRRLKids

Blog Post

Book Corner: Revolutionary reads to commemorate Virginia 250

Celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.'s founding with histories of the era and join in book discussions on selected titles.

Tracy

Staff List

Movies for the 4th of July

These films and TV series, mainly geared to adult audiences, can be enjoyed while waiting for the fireworks to begin.

CRRLAdults

Blog Post

VA250: Virginia's Voices for Liberty

Read on to learn about the lives of Virginia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence, our nation’s founding document.

John

More Events

Expand each section to learn more.

January 10, 1776: The pamphlet "Common Sense" is released

Common Sense was a 47-page pamphlet authored by Thomas Paine, a recent English immigrant. In electric prose, Paine made a forceful case in defense of separation. On multiple scores, the pamphlet radiated a radical democratic spirit. In plain, unadorned writing, it appealed to the common capacities of all people to evaluate the case for independence. Common Sense seized public opinion, propelling American colonists toward independence.

See more about the pamphlet here.

February 27, 1776: The Battle of Moore's Creek, NC

June 7, 1776: The Lee Resolution

June 7, 1776

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced this resolution in the Second Continental Congress, proposing independence for the American colonies.

Transcript

Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.

That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances.

That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.

From the National Archives

March 17, 1776: The British Evacuate Boston, MA

June 28, 1776: The Battle of Sullivan's Island, SC

Expand each section to learn more.

July 4, 1776: The Signing of the Declaration of Independence

A Transcription

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

See the full transcript from the National Archives.

August 27, 1776: The Battle of Brooklyn, NY

September 16, 1776: The Battle of Harlem Heights, NY

The buckwheat field that saw the heaviest fighting during the Battle of Harlem Heights is now the location of Columbia and Barnard Universities, bisected by Broadway, in New York City. This American victory gave the Patriot forces a brief but sorely needed boost of morale as British forces fought their way into New York. American forces abandoned the city and retreated into New Jersey by the end of the following month.

From the American Battlefield Trust

March 17, 1776: The Battle of Valcour Bay, NY

The naval Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, took place on October 11, 1776, on Lake Champlain. The main action took place in Valcour Bay, a narrow strait between the New York mainland and Valcour Island. The battle is generally regarded as one of the first naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, and one of the first fought by the United States Navy.

Despite losing 11 ships and nearly 200 sailors to capture or casualty, the American defense of Lake Champlain stalled British plans to reach the upper Hudson River valley.

From American Battlefield Trust

November 16, 1776: The Battle of Fort Washington, NY

On the island of Manhattan, the Battle of Fort Washington was the final devastating chapter in General Washington’s disastrous New York Campaign. At 3:00 P.M., after a fruitless attempt to gain gentler surrender terms, Fort Washington was surrendered along with its 2,800 surviving defenders to the British.

Four days later, the British captured Fort Lee in New Jersey.

From American Battlefield Trust

December 26, 1776: A Turning Point - The Battle of Trenton

After crossing the Delaware River in a treacherous storm, General George Washington’s army defeated a garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton. The victory set the stage for another success at Princeton a week later and boosted the morale of the American troops. Only 5 Americans were wounded in the Battle of Trenton; no casualties. The Americans also managed to capture critical supplies, including food and clothing, in the process.

Celebrate 250 years of America in Virginia.

Thank you to our Community Partners

VA250 Programs at the library

Genealogy Workshops

Genealogy Workshops

Learning with the Library

See more about the pamphlet here.

A Transcription

See the full transcript from the National Archives.

From the American Battlefield Trust