Virginia was among the first thirteen colonies that the English settled in 1607. The colonialists set up Jameson town on the bank of River James, which would later be home to George Washington and other American presidents. Between 1775 and 1783, Virginia played a critical role in the American Revolution and the later on (1861-1865) in the Civil War leading to the formation of the United States of America. During the Civil War, Virginia’s city of Richmond was, by default, the headquarters of the Confederacy. Analysts indicate that most of the wars were fought in Virginia notably Arlington, which is located across the Potomac River. In the history of the United States, Virginia is the most important state because most of those who agitated for independence were its members. Patrick Henry, in his famous speech “give me liberty or to give me death” was from Virginia . It is recorded that the speech was in 1775. The states were highly divided and the colonialists wanted people to live separately to be able to rule them easily. The colonial policy of divide and rule was evident, but Henry’s speech served a critical role of sensitizing people to be aware of their freedoms and rights.
In Virginia still, the British army encountered the strongest rebellion forcing the British to give in to the demands of George Washington. This confrontation was the most important since it ended the American Revolution effectively. The British administration was winning the war, but the fighters at Virginia handed it a resounding defeat leading to their surrender. The Virginia Company of London established the colony and took over the role of management. Sir Walter Raleigh was in charge having paid the colonial ventures. The investor saw a lot of potential in Virginia, but he wanted to spread the risks leading him to distribute shares to fellow English traders. The King in England appointed a representative to oversee the public affairs based on the advice of the company. Since the government was weak and was unable to control the actions of private investors, he gave out an order which put vested powers on the investors. Since the settlers were unable to agree on some matters, they appointed a governor to control public affairs and ensure the colony achieves economic development. The first two governors issued strict orders termed as Lawes Divine decrees. The other orders were christened the Morall, and Martiall.
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"Contributions of Virginia to the Formation of the United States".
The colony operated under semi-military dictatorship, but discoveries of tobacco and other cash crops led to the establishment of the legislature. However, the wealthiest farmers managed to clinch influential political positions in elections leaving the poor under their mercy. The white ruling class denied Virginians their rights. This was the beginning of the problem. The French and Indian war of 1754 to 1763 complicated the issue further since the company had many debts. The king approved an order that permitted the governor to collect additional taxes to pay for the debts. A stamp tax was among the new fees charged on farmers and traders. Unfortunately, the idea of extra taxation applied to the rest of the colonies at the time. The farmers were facing difficulties and the only option they had was to protest the new governmental order. The riots became chaotic, with citizens arguing that parliament had no permission to impose additional taxes. The citizens believed that people’s representatives were the only ones with the mandate to issue tax notices.
Since the colony was losing both economically and politically, parliament bowed to pressure and repealed the stamp act. However, it had to pass the declaratory act that permitted it to pass any other law in the future. The leaders at the time, such as Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, ad Richard Henry opined that it was high time for Americans to lead themselves. Other states were following closely what was happening in Virginia. In 1775, war erupted and Jefferson declared independence. In 1776, he made it official that Virginia would no longer be under the British rule. Virginia became the first colony to attain semi-autonomous government with a bicameral legislature, a constitution, and a governor.
Virginia introduced the new system of parliament with two chambers. The current American legislature borrowed heavily from this system. Without gallant soldiers from Virginia, the United States could not have managed to free itself from the British administration at the time. The contributions of its leaders, such as Jefferson and Henry helped in discouraging the British from pushing on with their agenda. Virginia went on to produce several leaders who contributed in drafting of various policies and laws in the country.
Jefferson and Washington are among the best American presidents based on what they achieved for the country. The state continues to be the epicenter of the American politics to date where its citizens are always quick to demand for justice and freedom from the government. The idea of ruling through the governor emanated from Virginia, even though the British administration tried to bar it several times. The Indians in Virginia were against the idea of paying taxes without consulting them. The same idea has been adopted in many other states since the local government must seek people’s support through a referendum before introducing taxation or permitting some issues.
- Bradburn, Douglas, and John C. Coombs. Early Modern Virginia: Reconsidering the Old Dominion. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011.
- Kupperman, Karen Ordahl. The Jamestown Project. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007.
