On June 25, 1788, Virginia became the 10th state to enter the union.

VIRGINIA covers 39,598 square miles and was named for Britain’s never-married “Virgin Queen” Elizabeth. Its nickname is the President’s State, since eight presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, were born there – more than any other state in the nation. Richmond is its capital.

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Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Frances Drake were among the earliest explorers of the land that would become Virginia. Native Americans who lived there first include the Cherokee, Algonquin, Iroquois and Powhatan nations.

In 1607, 144 settlers led by Capt. John Smith arrived and established the colony of Jamestown.

Conflicts erupted between the settlers and the Powhatan nation over land used to grow tobacco – an important cash crop. In 1622 and 1646, the Powhatans were massacred, and by the mid 17th century, most of them were gone from Virginia.

In 1619, the first African slaves arrived, along with white servants to help grow the tobacco. This was the beginning of the slave trade in America.

In 1624, Virginia became a royal colony, meaning that it was governed by the British. During the English Civil War (1642-51), most colonists sided with the monarchy and many fled to Virginia after the war. It was then that King Charles II nicknamed it the Old Dominion, in recognition of its loyalty. However, after the French and Indian Wars (1754-63), the Virginia colonists were in a more revolutionary mood.

Virginia’s governor, Thomas Jefferson, wrote the Declaration of Independence, in which the 13 colonies proclaimed freedom from British rule.

During the Revolutionary War, the capital was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond, which was further inland and better protected from British forces.

In December of 1780, infamous traitor Benedict Arnold attacked Richmond and burned the city.

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Virginia was the site of the surrender of British Gen. Charles Cornwallis, which effectively ended the war.

On June 25, 1788, Virginia became the 10th state of the new nation.

Nearly 74 years later, on May 23, 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy during the Civil War (1861-1865). Richmond was named the Confederate capital.

Interestingly, the northwest part of the state did not support the Confederacy. During the Civil War, the area was known as the State of Kanawha and later became the independent state of West Virginia. After the war, Virginia was re-admitted to the union on Jan. 26, 1870.

Native sons Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the great expedition from 1804 to 1806 that explored the vast wilderness of the Louisiana Territory heading west from Illinois to Washington state and the Pacific Ocean.

Virginia is home to the Department of Defense headquarters, a five-sided, five-story structure called The Pentagon. It is the largest office building in the world, covering five acres.

The Pentagon was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001 when terrorists hijacked a 757 jet and crashed it into the structure. Two hundred people were killed and the building was damaged, but it didn’t collapse, as did the World Trade Center, which were also attacked that day.

If you visit, you’ll find that the weather is neither extremely hot nor cold. Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion and Colonial Williamsburg are among the state’s most popular attractions. The state is also home to Arlington National Cemetery, where many of our country’s war heroes are buried.

Fun Facts:

* The state fossil is a mussel shell called Chesapecten Jeffersonius, named for Thomas Jefferson in recognition of his interest in natural history.

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* Virginia is one of only four states in the nation that is a commonwealth, meaning that its government is based on the common consent of the people. The other commonwealth states are Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Kentucky.

* Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson were all born in Virginia.

* Other famous Virginians include jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, tennis great Arthur Ashe, author Tom Wolfe and actor Warren Beatty.

Today’s lesson fulfills the following standards: ELA 1c, 3c, 3d, 4a, 4b, 5a Social Studies Standard 1

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New York Post activities

* USE a map or globe to find Virginia. Locate its capital city of Richmond.

* LEARN more about Benedict Arnold. Discuss why you think he became a traitor.

* READ about Jamestown. Write an essay on what you think life was like.

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Category: WHY