It's difficult to fathom in these days of GPS and navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze the oversized importance that maps played in the white settlement and economic development of Virginia. The earliest maps focused on the lifeblood of the colony: the Chesapeake Bay region and its navigable rivers. These maps were used to promote investment in the colony, guide exploration and settlement, navigate treacherous waterways, and settle boundary disputes. Read on to discover the early maps that made Virginia. (Cartouche on Fry-Jefferson Map by Francis Hayman courtesy of Library of Virginia) More » John Smith's map Virginia: Discovered and Discribed is the most famous map of colonial Virginia. It was the definitive map of Virginia from 1612 until 1673, when it was the most widely available map of the Chesapeake Bay region, and was the basis for most early maps of the colony. (Smith map courtesy of Library of Virginia) More » The reign of the Smith map ended in 1673 with the publication of Augustine Herrman's Virginia and Maryland As it is Planted and Inhabited this present Year 1670. It was the first accurate map of the Chesapeake Bay coast. (Herrman map courtesy of Library of Congress Geography and Map Division) More » The 1753 Fry-Jefferson map was the definitive eighteenth-century map of Virginia. It delineated the entire Virginia river system and displayed the orientation of the Appalachian Mountains. (Fry-Jefferson map courtesy of Library of Virginia) More » Make Your Own MapEncyclopedia Virginia's mapping tool lets you explore nearby history. Click on "History Near You" on EV's front page and our mapping tool will do the rest, allowing you to make your own geographic discoveries about Virginia history and culture. You can hover over a marker to get a snapshot of the significance of a location or zoom in to see more detail. Too much of a good thing? You can filter the results by clicking on "filter" and selecting a category from the list, from African American History to Women's History and everything in between. You can also click on "set location" and drop a marker on a different spot to discover new points of interest. Try it today! You Say You Want A Revolution?EV has your revolution—the American Revolution that is. We are pleased to announce that EV is the recipient of a $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a three-year project to tell the inclusive story of the American Revolution in Virginia. By the People: The Inclusive Story of Revolution in Virginia, 1763–1800 will promote a deeper understanding of the American Revolution and how it shaped our Commonwealth and country by prioritizing multiple historical perspectives and investigating the lives and circumstances of many different Virginians. Stay tuned for updates. (Watercolor drawing of Continental Army soldiers by Jean Baptiste Antoine de Verger courtesy of Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, Brown University Library) More » |