Part 1
# Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia ### By Torpey, Dorothy Margaret
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Transcriber's note:
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
HALLOWED HERITAGE
[Illustration: decorative]
Hallowed Heritage:
T H E L I F E O F V I R G I N I A
[Illustration: publisher's mark]
_by_
DOROTHY M. TORPEY
_Head of Social Studies Department_
FRANCIS C. HAMMOND HIGH SCHOOL
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
1961
WHITTET & SHEPPERSON, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
[Illustration: decorative]
Copyright 1961 by Dorothy M. Torpey
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 60-53266
Printed by Whittet & Shepperson, Richmond, Virginia
TO MY MOTHER AND BILL _whose encouragement and understanding were inspirational_
[Illustration: landing on shore]
INTRODUCTION
From the founding of the first permanent English settlement in America at Jamestown to the present-day launching of the country's largest ships at Hampton Roads, the name "Virginia" suggests a geographical area which has formed the background for innumerable local, state, national and international events. An understanding of "The Life of Virginia"--geographical, historical, economic, cultural and political phases of living--should result in a better appreciation of the unique role played by Virginia in the development and progress of the United States of America.
--D. M. T.
CONTENTS
Introduction 5
Chapter One: Geographical Life 11
_Location and Topographical Regions_ _Unique Features_ _Rivers and Lakes_ _Climate_ _Natural Resources_ _Human Resources_ _Summary_
Chapter Two: Historical Life, 1584-1775 24
_Exploration and Colonization_ _The Commonwealth and the "Golden Age"_ _The Pre-Revolutionary War Era_ _Summary_
Chapter Three: Historical Life, 1775-1860 63
_The Revolutionary War Era_ _The Adoption of the United States and State Constitutions_ _State and National Events (1789-1860)_ _Summary_
Chapter Four: Historical Life, 1860-Present 108
_The War Between the States_ _The Reconstruction Period and Its Aftermath_ _Twentieth Century Developments_ _Summary_
Chapter Five: Economic Life 150
_The Work Force_ _Types of Employment_ _Importance of Transportation_ _Summary_
Chapter Six: Cultural Life 163
_Literature_ _Art and Sculpture_ _Architecture_ _Music and Drama_ _Education_ _Summary_
Chapter Seven: Political Life 201
_Background of Present State Constitution_ _The Virginia Bill of Rights_ _Election Requirements, Offices and Procedures_ _Legislative, Executive and Judicial Departments_ _Local Governmental Units_ _Education and Public Instruction_ _Miscellaneous Provisions_ _The Amendment Process_ _State Symbolism_ _Summary_
HALLOWED HERITAGE
1
Geographical Life
_Location and Topographical Regions_
The Commonwealth of Virginia is located in the eastern part of the United States, approximately midway between the North and the South, and it is classified geographically as a South Atlantic State. The shape of the state suggests an irregular triangle: the base of the triangle, the southern boundary of the state which divides it from North Carolina and Tennessee; the left side or western side, dominated by the Blue Ridge, the Appalachian and the Allegheny Mountains; and the right side or eastern side, the Coastal Plain.
Virginia is bounded on the north by West Virginia, Maryland and the Potomac River which forms the boundary between Virginia and Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia; on the east by the Potomac River, Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by North Carolina and Tennessee; and on the west by Kentucky and West Virginia.
The area of the state is approximately 40,815 square miles. This area places Virginia thirty-sixth in rank in area among the States of the Union. Approximately 2,000 square miles of this area consist of water. The southern boundary extends approximately 450 miles from east to west and the distance from north to south is approximately 200 miles at its widest point. The geographical center of Virginia is at a point eleven miles south of east of the town of Amherst in Appomattox County. The highest point is Mount Rogers located in Smyth and Grayson Counties with an elevation of 5,719 feet. The lowest altitude is sea level along the Atlantic Coast. The average elevation of the state is 950 feet.
Topographically, Virginia may be conveniently divided into five major regions:
(1) the South Atlantic Coastal Plain--As the name suggests, this region extends along the coast from the Atlantic Ocean to the Fall Line Zone. The Fall Line Zone refers to a section where the streams pass from the rocky areas of the mountain region or high land to the level area or low land; at such points, falls or rapids develop. The Great Falls of the Potomac in Maryland and in Virginia, the Falls of the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg, the rapids of the James River at Richmond and the Falls of the Appomattox at Petersburg illustrate the concept of the Fall Line. Consequently, the so-called Fall Line extends from Washington, D. C., through Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Petersburg and Emporia in Virginia. Thus, the South Atlantic Coastal Plain region of Virginia is located along the Atlantic seacoast from the Potomac River at Alexandria to the North Carolina boundary line and as far west as the Fall Line Zone. The width of this area varies from 35 miles to 120 miles. This region is also called "Tidewater" Virginia because the level land here is so low that the ocean tides may often be seen in the inland streams. "Tidewater" Virginia includes five peninsulas formed by the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac, the Rappahannock, the York and the James Rivers. These five peninsulas are:
a. the Eastern Shore--Although most of Tidewater Virginia is located on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay, a unique peninsula called the Eastern Shore extends southward from Maryland and is separated from the rest of Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Thus, in order to travel by land from the mainland of eastern Virginia to the Eastern Shore, it is necessary to travel via Maryland.
b. the Northern Neck--This peninsula lies between the Potomac and the Rappahannock Rivers and is only 22 miles at its widest point.
c. the Middle Peninsula--This peninsula lies between the Rappahannock and the York Rivers.
d. the Peninsula of the Lower York-James Peninsula or the Williamsburg Peninsula--This peninsula is located between the York and James Rivers.
e. the Norfolk Peninsula--This peninsula is located between the James River and the Virginia-North Carolina boundary line. In general, the land in this region is a flat plain. The tidal rivers mentioned previously are actually estuaries of Chesapeake Bay and they flow periodically inland. Therefore, they are an unusual combination of waters from the Bay itself and from the Atlantic Ocean whose pressure pushes the tides inland. The strong influence of geography upon occupations in this region is exemplified by the importance of commercial fishing (especially oysters, scallops, clams and crabs), ocean transportation (the large area of deep water in the Chesapeake Bay encourages ocean-going commercial ships to seek inland ports in this region--especially around Hampton Roads), truck farming (the clay loam soil and the sandy loam soil here provide excellent productivity of potatoes, early vegetables, corn and hay), and the manufacturing of fertilizer (particularly from fish and fish scraps), bricks (an abundance of sand and gravel encourages the making of bricks), pulpwood, railroad ties, barrel staves and other lumber products (60% of the Tidewater area is covered with forests).
(2) the Piedmont Plateau--This region extends from the Coastal Plain westward to the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The word "Piedmont" literally means "at the foot of the mountain." A plateau is defined as a high lowland; therefore, this section is higher in elevation than the Coastal Plain region. This area is characterized by rolling hills and many swift streams. The width of the plateau varies from forty miles in Northern Virginia to one hundred ninety miles in the southern part, gradually broadening as one travels southward. The plateau rises gradually from an elevation of 200-700 feet at the eastern end of the plateau until, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it reaches approximately 1500 feet near the Virginia-North Carolina border. The Piedmont area located south of the James River is known as the Southside. Agriculture is the chief occupation because, in general, this land is fertile due to the presence of limestone soils and clay deposits. Large amounts of tobacco are grown here. The Piedmont also has a great variety of rocks, including granite and soapstone which are currently commercially important.
(3) the Blue Ridge and Valleys--Although the Blue Ridge Mountains are a part of the Appalachian Range, they are, geographically, sufficiently significant to afford them a separate listing in a topographical description of Virginia. The Blue Ridge Mountains, located between the Potomac and the Roanoke Rivers, cross Virginia in a northeast-southwest direction and are from three to twenty miles wide. The Blue Ridge of Virginia originates at the junction of the Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers and continues southwestward to the North Carolina line. From a distance the mountain ridges usually appear to be covered with a blue haze; therefore, the term "Blue Ridge" is believed to have originated from such an observation in early colonial Virginia days. This region constitutes a distinct contrast to the Piedmont area since the ridges appear abrupt yet lofty in height: in the northern half of Virginia, Stony Man Ridge (4,010 feet) and Hawksbill (4,049 feet); in the central part, Peaks of Otter (Flat Top--4,001 feet and Sharp Top--3,875 feet) and in the southwestern part, White Top Mountain (5,520 feet) and Mount Rogers (5,719 feet), the highest point in Virginia. In the southern part, the Blue Ridge becomes a rugged plateau with stony land and jagged ravines unsuited for commercial agricultural pursuits. This entire area is heavily forested with white pine, white oak, poplar, hemlock, black oak, yellow pine, chestnut, locust and chestnut oak trees. The famous Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park extends one hundred miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in this area from Front Royal to Waynesboro.
(4) the Appalachian Ridge and Valleys--This region is located west of the Blue Ridge and Valleys. The Appalachian Ridge consists primarily of a narrow strip of land thirty-five to one hundred miles wide. The Allegheny Mountains border Virginia along the west and numerous high, narrow ridges are found here. The Appalachian Valley in Virginia, like the Blue Ridge, originates at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. This valley extends for approximately three hundred and fifty miles to the borderline of Tennessee. The eastern part of this valley is often referred to as the Great Valley or the Valley of Virginia. This valley is actually a series of valleys separated by crosswise ridges and drained by five rivers: the upper James, Roanoke, New, Holston and Powell. An abundance of limestone makes the soil exceptionally fertile and productive. In the northern part of the Valley of Virginia is the famous Shenandoah Valley, about 150 miles long and ten to twenty miles wide, divided in the north by the Massanutten Mountain, a high ridge approximately forty-five miles long. There is a great variety of soils found here, and most of them have a fair degree of plant fertility. Corn and winter wheat are the agricultural specialties of the Shenandoah Valley. Other valleys included in the Valley of Virginia are the Abingdon Valley, Dublin Valley, Fincastle Valley, Powell Valley, Roanoke Valley, New River Valley, Holston Valley and Clinch Valley.
(5) the Appalachian Plateau--This region is located in southwestern Virginia and is often referred to as the Southwestern Plateau or Allegheny Plateau. It extends only a short distance into Virginia and consists mainly of rough, rugged terrain. Water gaps, gorges, sandstone walls, rock formations and dense forested areas make southwestern Virginia's scenery distinctly different and picturesque. The Cumberland Mountains form its western boundary. Coal-mining is the chief occupation in this region, and this is the area where the largest and most productive coal-fields of Virginia are located. Lumbering is also carried on extensively. In addition, some cattle, hogs, corn and vegetables are raised here.
The combination of these five regions suggests a one-word description of Virginia's topography, namely, diversified.
[Illustration: _Topographical Regions of Virginia_]
[Illustration: VIRGINIA STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
_Natural Tunnel_]
_Unique Features_
Each state of the United States generally has at least a few geographical oddities or unusual geographical formations. Virginia has been richly endowed with caverns, springs, unusual rock formations and a dense, swampy wilderness.
The chief caverns are called Endless (near New Market), Grand (at Grottoes), Luray (near Luray)--the largest in Virginia, Massanutten (near Harrisonburg), Melrose (near Harrisonburg), Shenandoah (near New Market) and Skyline (near Front Royal). These caverns are of limestone formation and contain stalagmites (upward-projecting forms on a cavern floor) and stalactites (downward-projecting forms from a cavern ceiling) in diverse shapes and colors. The Blowing Cave in Bath County received its name from the inhalation of cold air during the winter and the expulsion of cold air during the summer.
Burning Spring is located in Wise County and is so named because of the liquid flames which seethe through the surface of the earth in this area from unknown sources. Crystal Spring in Roanoke received its name from the approximately five million gallons of crystal water per day which likewise appear from some unknown source.
The famous Natural Bridge of Virginia is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the new world. It is located near Lexington in Rockbridge County (the county so-named because of the existence of the bridge of rock) and is a bridge of stone ninety feet long and two hundred and fifteen feet high spanning a gorge cut by Cedar Creek. So unique is this formation that Indian lore relates that it was referred to as "the Bridge of God." In this same region, in Patrick County, may be seen crystals in the shape of crosses in certain rock strata. So rare is their structure and clarity that they are often called "Fairy Stones" or "Cross Stones."
The Natural Tunnel located in Purchase Ridge near Big Stone Gap and Bristol is a tunnel approximately nine hundred feet long, one hundred and fifty feet wide and one hundred feet high, carved by flowing water through solid mountain terrain. The tunnel itself includes a reverse curve, and, at the present time, railroad tracks and Stock Creek waters run through it.
Crabtree Falls in Nelson County, Central Virginia, is believed to be one of the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. These falls are formed by a branch of the Tye River, the South Fork, descending two thousand feet below in cascade formation.
The Great Falls of the Potomac, located on the boundary between Virginia and Maryland, is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Rockies with an elevation of ninety feet.
The Natural Chimneys located at Mt. Solon are seven large towers of stone carved by erosion out of a mountain. These rock strata are so straight and so symmetrical that they resemble a series of chimneys suggesting their name. Two of the chimneys have tunnels carved through the bases, and cedar trees appear to grow out of the rock.
The Great Dismal Swamp, approximately fifteen hundred square miles in area, is shared by Virginia and by North Carolina. It is noted for its dense tropical growth, its fur-bearing game (particularly, black bear), its massive timber varieties and its disorderly plant vegetation. Juniper trees, sometimes called red cedar, and cypress trees are abundant around Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp. The swamp is more easily accessible from Virginia than from North Carolina.
In addition to the above natural wonders, there are numerous mineral springs, canyons, mountain peaks and deep gorges. Virginia has nine State Parks including Douthat State Park (near Clifton Forge), Fairystone State Park (near Bassett and Martinsville), Hungry Mother State Park (near Marion), Seashore State Park (near Cape Henry), Staunton River State Park (near South Boston and Halifax), Westmoreland State Park (near Montross and Fredericksburg), Claytor Lake State Park (near Dublin and Radford), Prince Edward Lake State Park (near Burkeville) and Pocahontas Memorial State Park (near Richmond and Petersburg). The Breaks Interstate Park controlled by Virginia and Kentucky has scenery so similar to the Grand Canyon that it is often refered to as "The Grand Canyon of the South." The Virginia area of the Breaks is located in the northern part of Dickenson County. Virginia also has a prominent National Park, Shenandoah National Park, established in 1935, which consists of approximately 193,000 acres. This park includes the beautiful Skyline Drive. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is located in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee as well as in Virginia.
_Rivers and Lakes_
Because of the varied topography, there are many swift streams which are available (although not yet completely utilized) for water power. Virginia has parts of eight different river systems within its boundaries. They are the Potomac River (including its chief tributary, the Shenandoah), the Rappahannock River (including its chief tributary, the Rapidan), the York River, the James River (including its tributaries, the Chickahominy and the Appomattox), the Meherrin, Nottoway and Blackwater Rivers (the chief tributaries of the Chowan River in North Carolina), the Roanoke River (including its chief tributary, the Dan), the New River and the Holston, Clinch and Powell Rivers (the chief tributaries of the Tennessee River System). These rivers furnish excellent waterpower and drainage.
In addition to these important rivers, Virginia has several valuable lakes. Included among these are: Crystal Lake near Cape Henry, Lake Drummond (the largest body of fresh water in the state, approximately five square miles in area and twenty-two feet in altitude) in the heart of the Dismal Swamp and in the highest part of the Dismal Swamp, Lake Jackson near Centerville, Mountain Lake near Blacksburg (thirty-five hundred feet above sea level and noted for the clarity of its water), Pedlar Lake in Long Mountain Wayside Park, Claytor Lake near Pulaski, Bear Creek Lake near Richmond, Bedford Lake at Bedford and Prince Edward Lake in Prince Edward State Park. Some of these lakes are noted for their fish, especially bass and trout, while others contribute primarily to the scenic grandeur of Virginia.
_Climate_
The climate of Virginia is classified as continental--characterized by frequent moderate extremes in temperature and a medium length summer growing season. Since elevation generally affects climatic conditions, the temperature in the Piedmont Plateau and Appalachian Ridge sections varies according to the altitude. In the Piedmont and Appalachian areas, during the winter months the temperatures are lower than on the plains; likewise, in the former areas, greater seasonal contrasts occur. In general, the climate of the entire state is mild with few extremes in temperature. The average temperature is approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit, winter; 60 degrees Fahrenheit, spring and fall; and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, summer. The greatest ranges of temperature occur in the Piedmont and in the Great Valley. Snow falls very infrequently except in the mountain areas and usually is of short duration whenever it appears.
With respect to annual precipitation, the average rainfall for Virginia is approximately forty-five inches, with variations in different regions. In some regions it is as high as forty-nine or fifty inches and, in others, as low as thirty-six or thirty-seven inches. Rainfall typically is abundant and well-distributed throughout the year. The heaviest rainfall usually occurs, however, during the summer. As a result of the climatic conditions of temperature and precipitation, the growing season varies from approximately one hundred and fifty to two hundred and ten days. Consequently, agricultural products are well diversified.
_Natural Resources_
The economic destiny of a region is greatly influenced by its natural resources as well as by its location. It has already been pointed out that Virginia has a most desirable location. Virginia also has numerous natural resources.
One resource so influential that it often shapes the economic pattern of a state is soil. Virginia is fortunate in having numerous types of soil: rich, black loam; light, sandy loam; clay and sand loam; limestone and clay soils. Most of these soils are easily adaptable to cultivation, and the use of crop rotation and of marl (a soil neutralizer) has fostered extensive production.
Forests constitute approximately three-fifths or 60% of Virginia's total land area. There are many hardwood and softwood varieties in Virginia. The term, "hardwood," is sometimes a misleading one because a few of the so-called "softwood" trees are actually hard in substance. Hardwood trees shed their leaves annually, and they are called deciduous trees. Since softwood trees bear cones, they are called coniferous trees. The southern or yellow pine is the leading softwood or coniferous tree which thrives in Virginia because of the sandy soil of the coastal plain. Other softwoods are red spruce, hemlock, red cedar and cypress. Hardwoods include oak, chestnut, locust, hickory, walnut, gum, white ash, magnolia and dogwood. Although the forests are scattered throughout the state, the Tidewater, Piedmont and western portions of the state have the largest forested area.
Fish are plentiful in Virginia because of the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay and the numerous rivers and mountain streams. Virginia usually ranks annually among the first ten states in the value of its fisheries. The principal fish are oysters and clams in Chesapeake Bay, blue crabs and shrimp in the Tidewater area, scallops in seacoast inlets, bads, bream, perch, pike, carp, catfish in inland waters and speckled and rainbow trout in mountain streams. Menhaden fish, found near the surface of the water, are inedible but are now being used for making fertilizer and oil in Virginia.
The amount of waterpower is above average in Virginia due to many swift streams and rivers and the high elevation. This resource combined with an ample supply of steam coal has resulted in the production of electric power in Virginia at a much cheaper rate than in many other states. Furthermore, it is estimated that Virginia industry at the present time is using only approximately 10 per cent of its available waterpower supply.
With respect to minerals, approximately one hundred and fifty kinds have been found in Virginia, and approximately forty have been mined and quarried recently. However, Virginia ranks nineteenth in United States mineral production and provides approximately 1.25% of the total United States mineral value.
The most valuable and most abundant mineral resource found in Virginia is coal. There are four types: bituminous (soft), anthracite (hard), semi-bituminous and semi-anthracite. The bituminous coal far surpasses the other types in quantity. The coal supply is found primarily in three areas: (1) the Piedmont region--the Richmond Basin and the Farmville area--bituminous; (2) the west side of the Great Valley of Virginia--anthracite and semi-anthracite and (3) the Southwestern Plateau--bituminous and semi-bituminous. The first coal to be mined in the United States was located near Richmond in 1745. At the present time, Virginia ranks sixth in the United States coal production and is believed to have more coal seams now available than any other mining district in the United States. Coal is mined most frequently in Buchanan, Wise and Dickenson Counties.
* * * * *
Various types of stone resources rank second in financial value of minerals. These include:
Calcareous marl (an earthy deposit containing usually lime, clay and sand)--in the Tidewater section--used as a soil neutralizer
Cement rock--limestone, marl, shale and clay--in the Coastal Plain and in Augusta, Botetourt, Norfolk and Warren Counties--used in forming portland cement and masonry cement
Dolomite (a brittle calcium magnesium carbonate)--in the Valley west of the Blue Ridge Mountains--used as a source of magnesium, for the manufacture of refractories, for building and crushed stone
Granite--in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge provinces--used for building monumental stone, crushed stone and paving blocks
Greenstone (a dark-green crystalline rock)--in Lynchburg and in the Piedmont area--used for crushed stone and one particular type is used for ornamental stone
Limestone--west of the Blue Ridge, in the Appalachian Valley and in the far west of the state--used in the production of lime and for manufacturing chemicals, for cement, as a soil conditioner, for crushed stone and rock wool insulation
Marble--in Rockingham, Rockbridge, Scott and Giles Counties--used extensively for monumental stone: jet black, green, white, red, reddish-brown, blue, gray, blue-gray, pink and variegated (different colors within one type); the pink marble is similar to the Tennessee marble and is found primarily in Smyth County