This article is a timeline of the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.
Pre-European Era and 16th century
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Great Indian Warpath had a branch that led from present-day Lynchburg to present-day Richmond. 1585 – Walter Raleigh is granted a charter by Queen Elizabeth I, naming the North American coast "Virginia" in tribute to her. This leads to the establishment of a colony on Roanoke Island with 108 men. 1590 – John White and the Watts expedition men discover the Roanoke Colony abandoned
17th century 1600s
1602 – Captain Bartholomew Gosnold, Captain Bartholomew Gilbert, Captain Gabriel Archer, and others explore the New World coast with the intention of starting a colony but occupy Cuttyhunk Island for only a few weeks before returning to England 1606 April 10 – Virginia Company of London is formed by Bartholomew Gosnold from a charter from King James I of England, with plans to create a proprietary colony in "Virginia" (which describes coastline that is now known as Carolinas and north to New England) Drought begins in Eastern Virginia and the Tidewater region. It will last six-years, affecting colonists and natives alike.Blanton, Dennis B. "Drought as a Factor in the Jamestown Colony, 1607-1612." Historical Archaeology 34, no. 4 (2000): 74-81. . 1607 Chief Powhatan inherits the Powhatan Confederacy of about 4–6 tribes, with its base at the Fall Line near present-day Richmond and with political domain over much of eastern Tidewater Virginia, an area known to the Powhatans as "Tsenacommacah." April 26 – First landing of the English settlers occurs at Cape Henry April 30 – European settlers arrived at Old Point Comfort and established settlement of Mill Creek (later Phoebus) just outside the Algonquin village of Kecoughtan. May – Settlers deposit three pigs on Hog Island for safekeeping. May 14 – Jamestown Island is selected (by decree of Edward Maria Wingfield) as the settlement site. The settlement is named "James His Towne" in tribute to James I of England. May 21 – Christopher Newport, Gabriel Archer, and other explorers visit the Weanock native people June 15 – Initial construction of James Fort concludes. June 22 – Jamestown colonists begin to succumb to disease due to non-potable water and mosquito-borne illnesses. Chief Powhatan sends corn and venison to the malnourished Jamestown settlers. September 10 – Council President Edward Maria Wingfield is deposed/impeached and arrested for allegedly hoarding food. John Ratcliffe becomes president. George Kendall is imprisoned for mutiny, and held on the Discovery. December – John Smith is taken by Opechancanough to Werowocomoco, either to be inducted as a ceremonial tribe member or to be executed. Pocahantas participates. 1608 January – Only 38 to 40 colonists remain alive. 1609 Fort Algernon is built near Jamestown. September – Captain John Smith, now President of Virginia Colony, sends another force of 120 men under Francis West to settle "West's Fort" in what is now the Rockett's neighborhood; Smith then purchases the Powhatan village from the chief Parahunt and renames it "Nonsuch", however, the native inhabitants resist the settlers, forcing them to return to Jamestown.
1610s 1610 Fort Algernon, Fort Charles, and Fort Henry were built. First Anglo-Powhatan War begins, resulting in a seven-year "Peace of Pocahontas" between the English and the Powhatan confederacy. May 24 – Thomas Gates and Thomas Dale issue Lawes Divine, Morall and Martiall , also known as "Dale's Code", a martial law/authoritarian system of government. July 9 – European settlers permanently drove out the Native Americans from Kecoughtan. 1611 Henricus is founded on Farrar's Island Puritan Reverend Alexander Whitaker arrives in Jamestown. John Rolfe cultivates Nicotiana tabacum as a viable cash crop for smoking tobacco (marketed as "Orinoco tobacco") 1612 Drought in Eastern Virginia and the Tidewater region finally ends. The town of "New London" (later named St. George's) is founded, becoming the oldest continuously inhabited British town in the New World. 1613 Thomas Dale founds "Bermuda Cittie", which was renamed to be "Charles City" (and then later, City Point, Virginia) April 13 – Samuel Argall abducts Pocahontas for use in prisoner exchange for return of English captives by Powhatan 1614 First Anglo-Powhatan War ends. 1615 – Pocahontas gives birth to a son, Thomas Rolfe, at Varina Farms 1619 July 30 – The first Virginia General Assembly convenes at the Jamestown Church. Dale's Code is no longer law. August – First Africans in Virginia landed at Point Comfort.
1620s 1622 Second Anglo-Powhatan War made living away from Jamestown treacherous for colonial settlers. Attempts to continue settlement at Henricus continued, but only 22 inhabitants and 10 "dwelling houses" were there in May 1625. December 20 – Ship Abigail arrives with hungry, diseased passengers. The colony is reduced to 500 settlers over the winter. 1623 The Virginia House of Burgesses creates a five-member appellate court, which is to meet quarterly to hear appeals from the lower courts. 1624 May 24 – The Virginia Company's royal charter is revoked due to overwhelming financial and political problems, making the Colony of Virginia a Crown colony (under royal authority) instead of a proprietary colony. The General Assembly is dissolved. 1629 – Charles I of England grants his attorney general, Robert Heath, title and land south of Virginia. Dubbed "Carolana", it comprised present-day North Carolina, Georgia, and other parts of the Deep South.
1630s 1632 – Second Anglo-Powhatan War ends. 1634 – Syms School is established, becoming America's first free public school. 1635 – Captain Thomas Harris plants a tobacco farm at Curles Neck. 1639 The King formally approves the restoration of the General Assembly. Lynnhaven Parish Church is built.
1640s 1644 – Third Anglo-Powhatan War begins. 1645 Third Anglo-Powhatan War ends. To secure the border between the English and the Native Americans, the English built Fort Charles built at falls of the James and Fort Henry (commanded by Abraham Wood) at the falls of the Appomattox River. 1646 Opchanacanough dies, and leaves Necotowance as the Weroance (chief) of the Pamunkey tribe. Peace Treaty of 1646 ends Anglo-Powhatan War by giving English control of territory as far west as Mowhemencho (now Bernard's Creek on the James in Powhatan County, Virginia), as well as granted an exclusive enclave between the York and Blackwater Rivers. This physically separated the Nansemonds, Weyanokes and Appomattox, who retreated southward, from the other Powhatan tribes then occupying the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck, and effectively ends the Powhatan Confederacy
1650s 1654 – New Kent County was created from York County. The county's name originated because several prominent inhabitants, including William Claiborne, recently had been forced from their settlement at Kent Island, Maryland by Lord Baltimore upon the formation of Maryland. 1656 Battle of Bloody Run -- Mahocks, Nahyssans and Rehecrechians, recently defeated by the Five Nations in the Beaver Wars, camp at what is now called Church Hill. They combat a combined force of English and Pamunkey, and the spring runs red with blood, including that of dead Pamunkey chief Totopotomoi. Cockacoeske becomes chief of the Pamunkeys. 1658 — The first Indian reservation in the New World, the Pamunkey Indian Reservation, is established east of present-day Richmond.http://www.jessicacrabtree.com/journal1/2010/09/first-indian-reservation "Pamunkey-Mattaponi Reservation (Virginia, 1658) The first colonial record of an Indian reservation comes from the Virginia colony, where in 1658 – a hundred years before New Jersey's Lenape reservation was formed – the Virginia General Assembly voted on a land reserve for the Pamunkey and Mattaponi tribes."
1670s 1676 July 30 – Declaration of the People of Virginia. September 18 – Jamestown is burned/torched by Bacon's Rebellion forces. The Pamunkeys (led by Cockacoeske) and other tribes assist Nathaniel Bacon in his rebellion. October – Nathaniel Bacon dies, marking a death knell to the rebellion. Legislature temporarily uses Middle Plantation as a statehouse.
1680s 1680 – Town of Hampton was established per "Act of Cohabitation." 1682 – Norfolk Town founded.
1690s 1691 – King and Queen County is created from New Kent County. 1693 – College of William & Mary is established by royal charter. 1697 – Population estimate for the Virginia colony is 70,000. 1699 – Jamestown Colony capital permanently moves to Middle Plantation, which is renamed Williamsburg.
18th century 1700s 1702 King William County is created out of King and Queen County
1710s 1710 William Randolph's 2nd son Thomas begins building Tuckahoe Plantation near Manakin Town. 1715 – Hampton designated seat of Elizabeth City County. 1718 – Head of dead pirate Blackbeard was displayed on a pole at place later known as "Blackbeard's Point." 1719 – Hanover County was created on November 26, 1719, from the area of New Kent County called St. Paul's Parish.
1720s 1728 Goochland County (named after the new royal lieutenant governor Sir William Gooch is formed; this is the first county formed from Henrico Shire. Caroline County was established from Essex, King and Queen, and King William counties.
1730s 1733 – Richmond named by William Byrd II, after Richmond upon Thames, England. 1735 Amelia County was created from parts of Prince George and Brunswick counties. It was named in honor of Princess Amelia of Great Britain. 1736 – Town of Norfolk attains borough status.
1740s 1742 – Town of Richmond incorporated. 1743 – Thomas Jefferson is born at Shadwell Plantation. 1744 Virginia General Assembly creates Albemarle County from the western portion of Goochland County. 1749 Augusta Academy is founded. Alexandria founded. Chesterfield County is created from land carved out of Henrico County. Cumberland County is created from land carved out of Goochland County. The Coastal Hurricane of 1749 hit the Hampton Roads area, destroyed Fort George and created Willoughby Spit.
1750s 1752 February – Virginia House of Burgesses grants the fourth city charter in Virginia to Winchester. Portsmouth founded by politician William Crawford; named after Portsmouth, England. 1753 August 10 – Edmund Randolph is born in Williamsburg.
1760s 1767 – Gosport Shipyard, later renamed the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, founded by Andrew Sprowle.
1770s
1775 Second Virginia Convention held at St. John's Episcopal Church where Patrick Henry proclaims "Give me liberty or give me death!." James River bateau begin to ply the waters between Lynchburg and Richmond. Hampden–Sydney College is founded in Hampden Sydney, Virginia. It is the oldest privately chartered college in the Southern United States. October 24 – British troops directed by John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore raided Hampton, but were repulsed by patriot Virginia Militia November 15 – Battle of Kemp's Landing. 1776 Augusta Academy is renamed Liberty Hall Academy. January 1 – Burning of Norfolk. July 5 – Patrick Henry becomes the 1st Governor of Virginia. 1777 May – the Virginia General Assembly creates Powhatan County out of land from the eastern portion of Cumberland County between the Appomattox and James rivers. 1779 The Supreme Court of Appeals is established. It later becomes the Supreme Court of Virginia and is one of the oldest continuously active judicial bodies in the United States. Town of Alexandria incorporated. June 1 – Thomas Jefferson becomes the 2nd Governor of Virginia.
1780s 1780 Under Governor Thomas Jefferson, the Virginia capital moves to Richmond from Williamsburg to make it more secure from British attack. 1781