Next Stop: Virginia, USA
Virginia is one of the South Atlantic states of the United States, and the scene of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Many of the democratic principles on which the United States was founded matured in the colony begun at Jamestown in 1607. Virginians were prominent among the founding fathers of the nation, and George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe and, Thomas Jefferson were among the first presidents. Later presidents from Virginia were William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I of England, the “Virgin Queen.” Because so many presidents were born here, Virginia has earned the nickname of “The Mother of Presidents.” It is also named or called the Mother of States because eight states have been carved out of the territory once claimed by it. Virginia’s other nickname is the Old Dominion, a name given it because Charles II raised the colony to dominion status for its loyalty to the Crown during English Civil War.
Virginia is bordered in the north by West Virginia and Maryland, east by the Atlantic Ocean, south by North Carolina and Tennessee, and west by Kentucky. The capital of Virginia is Richmond. The largest city found in Virginia is Norfolk City.
Virginia is also the home of the famous “Natural Bridge.” It is a 90-foot arch which spans 215-foot gorge at by Cedar Creek. The bridge, long a tourist attraction, lies on a track of land once owned by Thomas Jefferson.
Located also on the said state is the Virginia Military Institute. This is an accredited state-supported college of arts and sciences for men, occupying a 415-acre campus in Lexington, Virginia. The Institute was established by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1839. Degrees offered are the A.B. in liberal arts, biology (premedicine), and mathematics, and the B.S. in chemistry, physics, mathematics and civil and electrical engineering.
Furthermore, present in the said state is the Virginia Creeper. It is a high-climbing woody vine, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, of the grape family, native to North America from New England south to Florida. It is a valuable wall cover, as it clings firmly by means of the adhesive tips of the tendrils, and is especially handsome in its autumn coloring. The leaves are dark green, elliptical, and palmate divided; the flowers are small and greenish; the fruit is bluish black and about ¼ inch in diameter. It is frequently mistaken for poison ivy, but can be distinguished by its five-parted, poison ivy hanging three. The vine is sometimes called woodbine.
Virginia is George Washington’s birthplace. At Pope’s Creek on the Potomac River, was made a national monument in 1939. The present house is a reconstruction of the original building, in which Washington spent the first three years of his life. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather are buried in a cemetery about one mile from the house.
Yorktown Battlefield is also located here. It is where Lord Cornwallis, the British commander, surrendered to combine American and French forces on October 19, 1781. This surrender marked the end of the Revolutionary War. The battlefield is part of a 9,400-acre national historical park.
Monticello, an outstanding example of Roman Revival Architecture, was designed and built by Thomas Jefferson between 1770 and 1809. All the materials in the house – even the nails – were fashioned on the spot by Jefferson’s slaves. The interior shoes much evidence of his mechanical ingenuity.
In addition to the prominent Virginians mentioned above, the next are notable for their outstanding contributions to the state.
Byrd, Williams II (1674-1744). He is an author, planter and colonial official. He is born Virginia, brought Huguenots to Manakin. He is a member of House of Burgesses and Council of State and defended the council’s power against Governor Spotswood.
Spotswood, Alexander (1676-1740). He is a colonial administrator. He was born in Tangier. He is a Lieutenant governor of Virginia from the year 1710-1722. He founded iron-works at Germanna; improved tobacco production. He tried to promote peace to the Indians and fought against piracy.
One cannot fully describe on how Virginia, USA is. One has his or her own perceptions of the state’s culture and its people. Virginia is indeed a good place to spend time to travel to.