Virginia: Polity Style: 1607-2024 |
| 10/20 Apr 1606 |
a group of "adventurers" of London is named the First Colony and authorized to establish a colony in Virginia in accordance with a charter granted by the King of England on 10/20 Apr 1606 (Hening's Statutes of Virginia, 1:57-66) |
| 14/24 May 1607 |
the colony of Virginia is established on the arrival of first settlers as recorded in the diary of George Percy (Tyler 1946, p. 15) |
| 14/24 May 1607 - 29 Jun 1776 |
(First) Colony of Virginia : Colony and Dominion of Virginia : Province of Virginia [1] |
| 23 May/2 Jun 1609 |
a "body or commonality" is incorporated by the name of the Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Planters of the City of London for the First Colony in Virginia in accordance with a charter granted by the King of England on 23 May/2 Jun 1609 (Hening's Statutes of Virginia, 1:80-98) |
| 24 May/3 Jun 1624 |
the Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Planters of the City of London for the First Colony in Virginia are convicted of the usurpation of "liberties, privileges and franchises" which are declared to have been "taken and seized into the hands" of the King of England in accordance with a judgment under a writ of quo warranto made by the Court of King's Bench on 24 May/3 Jun 1624 (Virginia Company Records, 4:397-398) [2] |
| 13/23 May 1625 |
the government of Virginia, of Somers Isles (Bermuda) and New England is devolved on the King of England in accordance with a proclamation issued on order of the King on 13/23 May 1625 at Whitehall (British Royal Proclamations, pp. 52-55) |
| 15 May 1776 |
a "total separation from the crown and government of Great Britain" is proclaimed by a resolution of the Convention passed on 15 May 1776 (Virginia Convention 1776, pp. 31-32) |
| 15 May 1776 |
the delegates of Virginia in the Continental Congress are instructed to make a motion "to declare the United Colonies free and independent states" in accordance with a resolution of the Convention passed on 15 May 1776 (Virginia Convention 1776, p. 32) |
| 29 Jun 1776 |
the Constitution, or Form of Government is adopted by the Convention on 29 Jun 1776 (Virginia Convention 1776, p. 167; Virginia Ordinances 1776, pp. 5-13) [3] |
| 29 Jun 1776 - |
Commonwealth of Virginia [4] |
| 4 Jul 1776 |
the British colonies represented in the Continental Congress are proclaimed "free and independent states" in accordance with a declaration approved by the Congress on 4 Jul 1776, session of the Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Journals of the Continental Congress, 5:510-515) |
| 16 Dec 1777 |
the delegates of Virginia in the Continental Congress are authorized to ratify the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union in accordance with a resolution passed by the General Assembly of Virginia (House of Assembly on 15 Dec 1777; concurred in by the Senate on 16 Dec 1777) (Virginia House Journal, 1777-1780, p. 80; Virginia Senate Journal, 1777-1778, pp. 22-23) |
| 9 Jul 1778 |
the engrossed copy of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union is signed and ratified by the delegates of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina to the Continental Congress, session of the Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Journals of the Continental Congress, 11:677) |
| 1 Mar 1781 |
Virginia
formed part of the United States upon the taking effect of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (Journals of the Continental Congress, 19:213-223) |
| 17 Apr 1861 |
the ratification of the Constitution of the United States is repealed in accordance with an ordinance passed by the Convention of Virginia held in Richmond on 17 Apr 1861 (Portions of Journal of Secret Session of the Convention, withheld from publication at its session ending May 1, 1861, in Virginia Convention 1861a, pp. 8-12; Ordinances adopted by the Convention of Virginia, in Secret Session, in April and May, 1861, in Virginia Convention 1861a, pp. 3-4) [5] |
| 25 Apr 1861 |
the Constitution for the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America is adopted and ratified in accordance with an ordinance passed by the Convention of Virginia held in Richmond on 25 Apr 1861 (Portions of Journal of Secret Session of the Convention, withheld from publication at its session ending May 1, 1861, in Virginia Convention 1861a, pp. 18-23; Ordinances adopted by the Convention of Virginia, in Secret Session, in April and May, 1861, in Virginia Convention 1861a, pp. 5) [6] |
| 7 May 1861 |
Virginia is admitted to the Confederate States of America in accordance with an act passed by the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States on 7 May 1861 and signed into law on 7 May 1861 (Confederate Statutes at Large, p. 104; Confederate Congress Journal, 1:193) [7] |
| 14 Jun 1861 |
the ordinance repealing the ratification of the Constitution of the United States is ratified by a referendum held on 23 May 1861, the results are approved by a proclamation of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia dated 14 Jun 1861, the ordinance is signed by the members of the Convention on 14 Jun 1861 (Virginia Convention 1861a, pp. 240-241; Richmond Daily Whig, No. 142, 17 Jun 1861, p. 2) |
| 17 Jun 1861 |
the acts of the Convention held in Richmond are declared to have been void in accordance with a declaration passed by a Convention held at Wheeling on 17 Jun 1861 (Virginia Convention 1861b, pp. 17-18) |
| 26 Jan 1870 |
Virginia is re-admitted to representation in the Congress of the United States in accordance with an act passed by the Congress of the United States (Senate and House of Representatives on 24 Jan 1870), signed into law on 26 Jan 1870 (Statutes at Large, 16:67-68) [8] |
| |
| [1] |
The charter of 1606 referred to the colony as "First Colony" and "Colony of Virginia", also providing for the seal of the local Council with the legend: Pro Concilio primæ Coloniæ Virginiæ (in use between 1607 and 1652). The first appearance of "Colony and Dominion of Virginia" in the royal commissions of the governors is attested in the letters patent to Thomas Culpeper (1675) who was appointed "Lieut. and Governor General of all that our colony and dominion of Virginia in America." The commissions of his predecessor, Sir William Berkeley, referred to "colony and plantation of Virginia" (1641, 1650). The style Province of Virginia was also in official use, including the seals of the colony during the reigns of Anne and George III (legends: Virginia in America Sigillum Provinciæ, Sigillum Provinciæ Nostræ Virginia in America). |
| [2] |
In response to a proposal for alteration of the charter made by the Privy Council on 8/18 Oct 1623, the extraordinary meeting of the Company on 20/30 Oct 1623 resolved not to surrender the charter as proposed (Virginia Company Records, 2:472-475). Accordingly, the charter was not formally revoked (Osgood, 3:48-52), but the administration of the colony passed to the Commission for "settling a Government in Virginia" (15/25 Jul 1624). Virginia was declared "part of... Royall Empire" by a royal proclamation of 13/23 May 1625. |
| [3] |
The Constitution of 1776 did not specify the polity style, but provided for the issuance of commissions and grants in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The oaths of office prescribed by an ordinance passed on 5 Jul 1776 also referred to the polity as the Commonwealth of Virginia (Virginia Convention 1776, p. 181; Virginia Ordinances 1776, pp. 13-135 . |
| [4] |
Also in official use: State of Virginia. |
| [5] |
Full title: An Ordinance to repeal the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America, by the State of Virginia, and to resume all the rights and powers granted under said Constitution. |
| [6] |
Full title: An Ordinance for the adoption of the Constitution for the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America. |
| [7] |
Full title: An Act to admit the Commonwealth of Virginia as a member of the Confederate States of America. |
| [8] |
Full title: An Act to Admit the State of Virginia to Representation in the Congress of the United States. |
