Virginia On My Mind : 400 Years of History

Rather than focusing on Virginia’s political leaders, Virginia On My Mind: 400 Years of History surveys the broad landscape of the state’s past. It chronicles Virginians’ efforts to attain economic success and individual liberty with particular emphasis on commercial agriculture, African slavery, and the quest for racial equality. 

The text is divided into four parts. Part I covers the period from the first European encounters in North America through the ratification of the Constitution and discusses British, Native American, and American colonial objectives in the new world, as well as the growth of tobacco culture. Part II examines how the concept of “all men are created equal” failed in Virginia despite the leadership of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and John Marshall and how the idealism of the Revolution fell victim to partisan politics and deeply ingrained prejudices. Part III analyzes the experience of modern warfare in Virginia, highlighting the impact of “hard war” on civilians and soldiers. The final part traces the evolution of race relations from Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise speech through the Great Depression and Civil Rights Movement to the present. The Federal government’s expanding role in the state also receives significant attention. 

Virginia On My Mind provides students with a broad view of Virginia history from the settlement of Jamestown to the present. It was designed for history students and for those who plan to become classroom teachers. Virginia’s K-12 Standards of Learning were taken into consideration in the design of the text and are broken out by chapter in an appendix.

Philip D. Dillard is a United States Army veteran and a professor of history at James Madison University. He earned his Ph.D. in American history from Rice University and his master’s degree in American history from the University of Georgia. His teaching and research areas of expertise include the Civil War, southern history, military history, and Caribbean history.