Charlottesville and Albemarle County were home to third United States president, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was the primary author for the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence did not free all people within the United States, nor did it recognize the impact European settlers had on the First Peoples. The legacy of the Declaration of Independence is still being realized today as the United States aims to build a more perfect union. The Charlottesville-Albemarle VA-250 Committee recognizes that the story of the United States begins with Americans who trace their histories back millennia, those who arrived yesterday, and everyone in between.
White men who enlisted in the Revolutionary War were assigned to the 14th Virginia Regiment, which was raised on September 16, 1776, in western Virginia for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth, and Siege of Charleston. Most of the regiment was captured at Charlestown, South Carolina on May 12, 1780, by the British Army. The regiment was formally disbanded on November 15, 1783.
This region saw relatively little action during the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War came to Charlottesville in 1778 when the prisoners captured during the battles of Saratoga of October 1777 were moved from Boston to Charlottesville. The victory at Saratoga was a turning point for the Revolutionary War.
As the second British invasion of Virginia, led by Benedict Arnold in December of 1780, began to threaten Richmond, the Virginia legislature moved its proceedings to Charlottesville. After Cornwallis had taken charge of all British forces in Virginia in early June of 1781, he sent Colonel Banastre Tarleton and a mounted British force on a lightning raid to Charlottesville. He hoped to capture members of the Virginia legislature and (at that time) Governor Thomas Jefferson. Captain John Jouett of the Virginia Militia galloped ahead of Tarleton and was able to spread the alarm, so the crisis was averted.
The Committee will also recognize the regional contributions of the Monacan Nation, the Black Patriots of Albemarle, the annual naturalization ceremony at Monticello on July 4th, the home of James Monroe, the legacy of the James River in Scottsville and more.
VA 250 Program Series - Enslaved Voices & the American Dream: What Did They Fight For?The ideals promised in the Declaration of Independence-life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness-were not extended to all people at the time of thei... Read More
Book Talk: The American Revolution and the Fate of the WorldAs part of Highland’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday, please join us at Highland on March 1st from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. for a conversati... Read More
Charlottesville Ballet Presents: America250: Voices of VirginiaIn honor of America’s 250th anniversary, Charlottesville Ballet and Opera on the James will present America250: Voices of Virginia in Charlottesvill... Read More
VA 250 Program Series - Freedom and Liberty in the American Civil WarOn November 19, 1863, President Lincoln consecrated the Union graves at Gettysburg in the name of a "new birth of freedom." Even as enslaved people an... Read More
VA 250 Program Series - The Price We Pay: Tax Policy and the Struggle for Equality in AmericaYou can learn a lot about a society by how it raises and spends the public’s money. In this talk, UVA professor and award-winning historian Andrew K... Read More
Give Me Liberty: Virginia and the Forging of a Nation ExhibitCelebrate 250 years of American History with the signature VA250 traveling exhibit, Give Me Liberty: Virginia and the Forging of a Nation, at Northsid... Read More
Black History Month Pursuits of Knowledge: Christopher Brown on Antislavery and the American RevolutionJoin us in conversation with Christopher Brown for a program reconsidering the Revolution through the lens of antislavery thought and action. Event... Read More
Declaration Under the DomeCome celebrate as UVA’s very own copy of the Declaration of Independence will be on display in the Dome Room of the Rotunda on Presidents Day – Mo... Read More
People and Places: Conservation Projects at HighlandToday’s landscape is formed in part by human activities past and present. Highland and the on-campus Institute for Integrative Conservation have col... Read More
Pursuits of Knowledge: Conversations at MonticelloJoin us for our ongoing Pursuits of Knowledge series exploring the enduring legacy of curiosity, innovation, and learning inspired by Thomas Jefferson... Read More
Pursuits of Knowledge: Conversations at MonticelloJoin us for our ongoing Pursuits of Knowledge series exploring the enduring legacy of curiosity, innovation, and learning inspired by Thomas Jefferson... Read More
Pursuits of Knowledge: Conversations at MonticelloJoin us for our ongoing Pursuits of Knowledge series exploring the enduring legacy of curiosity, innovation, and learning inspired by Thomas Jefferson... Read More
Pursuits of Knowledge: Conversations at MonticelloJoin us for our ongoing Pursuits of Knowledge series exploring the enduring legacy of curiosity, innovation, and learning inspired by Thomas Jefferson... Read More
