British Virginia - VCU

04/21/2023

The British Virginia interns will be presenting their work at the VMHC on Tuesday, April 25 at 4:00 PM. Registration is required but free.

08/11/2021

02/04/2021

By 1656, a tribe of Indians, numbering several hundred men, women, and children, thought to be from Pennsylvania or New York, traveled south and into Virginia. In the 1600s tribes frequently relocated to new areas if conditions changed where they lived. These Indians made their way to Richmond and settled in what’s now called Church Hill. This arrival prompted the Virginia Assembly to act and brought Totopotomoy, the weroance and war leader of the Pamunkey, into an alliance with the English to confront the outsiders. The migrated tribe would be considered a mutual enemy of Totopotomoy’s people and the English.

Totopotomoy brought 100 warriors to join with 100 Englishmen under Colonel Edward Hill, who commanded a force of militia from Charles City and Henrico Counties. These allied Virginians marched upon the fortified settlement of invading Indians who had journeyed from the far north and taken up a settlement atop what is now modern-day Church Hill or Chimborazo Hill. Although the Virginia Assembly ordered the English militia commander to “first endeavor to remove the said new come Indians without making war if it may be, only in a case of their own defense…” he had other plans.

Hill decided to ignore his orders and attempted to meet or kill the Indians leaders and then attack without negotiation. That plan failed to move the enemy from their positions. Hill then beat a hasty retreat to save his own life, thus leaving Totopotomoy and his warriors engaged alone. The Pamunkey warriors took on the invading natives without many English allies – being outnumbered perhaps two or three to one. The Pamunkey leader and warrior, with his men, went down fighting along the foot of modern-day Chimborazo Hill. All were slain in this battle known as “Bloody Run.”

The militia commander, Edward Hill, was eventually censured and punished by the Virginia Assembly for his poor handling of the events that day. Totopotomoy, the slain war leader and weroance of the Pamunkey, was replaced by his influential wife, Cockacoeske. She would famously lead the Pamunkey through the later 17th century and effectively bring the last collective treaties of several of the former “Powhatan Chiefdom” tribes into peace with the English, including the Treaty of Middle Plantation in 1677.

12/02/2020

11/03/2020

Galerie Magazine

10/13/2020

While treaties between Indigenous peoples and the United States affect virtually every area in the USA, there is as yet no official list of all the treaties. The US National Archives holds 374 of the treaties, where they are known as the Ratified Indian Treaties. Here you can view them for the first...

10/13/2020

10/09/2020

Governor Ralph Northam, 73rd Governor of Virginia

07/31/2020

Who made this?? 😂

05/23/2020

This is part of our Take a Closer Look series. This regular feature offers a behind-the-scenes view of some of our hidden treasures in our library and what they reveal about our shared past.

05/19/2020

On this day in history peace negotiations between colonists and Virginia Indians ends with a deadly drink.

05/08/2020

Cornell, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and many more were created with wealth stolen from Indigenous people.

04/11/2020

04/07/2020

Captain John Smith created the first detailed map of Virginia upon arriving in Jamestown aboard the Susan Constant. Though the date listed on the map is 1606, Smith did not arrive in Virginia until 1607, and the map wasn’t published until several years later in England.

Note that though most maps today have North at the top, Smith’s map is oriented with North on the right side as sailors often drew maps based on how they were viewing or approaching the land.

What do you see on this map that’s familiar or different today? Can you find where Henricus was established in 1611? (Hint: You may want to visit the History of Henricus at henricus.org for a clue!)

To view the map full size and zoom: https://henricus.org/2020/04/07/john-smiths-map/
Right click the image on our website and select 'open image in new tab.'

03/30/2020

The Mashpee Wampanoag, the People of the First Light, have occupied the same region for over 12,000 years and have faced diminishment of their homelands since colonization. The latest decision is a blow to Tribal sovereignty and undermines the future and sustainability of the tribal nation. The Trib...

03/29/2020

https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/03/28/mashpee-wampanoag-reservation-secretary-interior-land-trust

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's reservation will be disestablished and their land taken out of trust, per an order from the secretary of the interior.

03/12/2020