Virginia Memory, Library of Virginia
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Shaping the Constitution: Units

All Available Units

Broadside Concerning the Repeal of the Stamp Act, May 16, 1766 icon

Becoming Free and Independent States: Virginia in the Revolutionary Era

Some historians have argued that the American Revolution, beyond being just a military action or a political break was an ideology that infused the nation and influenced all parts of life for the early citizens of the United States. The ideas of revolution were formed as the… more »

Articles of Confederation, March 1, 1781 icon

Forming a More Perfect Union: Virginia and the Debate over the U.S. Constitution

In the years following the American Revolution, crises faced the new nation that threatened to endanger the hard-won independence of the former British colonies. They centered on the structure and operation of the new American government. Not officially adopted until March 1… more »

Resolution Respecting a Baptist Petition, August 16, 1775 icon

Securing the Blessings of Liberty: Virginia and the Road to the U.S. Bill of Rights

During the American Revolution, Virginians produced some of the cardinal texts of American liberty and made important contributions to the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. Among the most important rights of Americans that received protection are free… more »

Bill of Sale for Two Slaves, January 25, 1854 icon

The Thirteenth Amendment

The first time that slavery is referred to explicitly in the United States Constitution is in the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished the practice. While the Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery throughout the nation, it did not provide for the rights of the newly-freed Afri… more »

Ruth Fulcher Petition for Support, April 6, 1691 icon

The Nineteenth Amendment

Women in the United States began agitating in the 1840s for the right to vote, long before all men in Virginia had gained the right to vote. The woman suffrage movement, which succeeded in 1920 with the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment, coincided with major national refo… more »