Rachel Findley was a mother. She was a grandmother. She was a Virginian. She was also enslaved. The law defined Rachel as property. Because Rachel…
Library of VirginiaAugust 31, 2022
If only the dead could talk! This paradoxical statement proved sadly appropriate in the early 19th century. Enslaved people faced undue hardship from those who…
Sherri BagleyJuly 13, 2022
Nearly a week and a half ago, the country celebrated Juneteenth, which commemorates emancipation from slavery in the United States. Juneteenth refers to the historic…
Lydia NeurothJune 29, 2022
On her deathbed in 1848, Susan Mills called her brother Henry and her sister Nancy to her bedside. She told them that she wanted her…
Lydia NeurothFebruary 23, 2022
This month’s blog is a continuation of the story I posted last month of an enslaved man, Richard, who helped his nephew Tazewell seize his…
Lydia NeurothNovember 24, 2021
Several of my colleagues have shared the personal stories of enslaved individuals over the past nine years as we work our way through processing and…
Callie FreedOctober 4, 2021
Last month, I took my first road trip as project manager for Virginia Untold. I traveled to Clarke County courthouse, along with local records archivists…
Lydia NeurothSeptember 29, 2021
To what lengths would you go to prove your identity if you had no documentation? One formerly enslaved woman was able to do so 150…
Tracy HarterAugust 11, 2021
CONTENT WARNING: Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and…
Lydia NeurothJuly 28, 2021
In 1791, Rachel Veney’s mother Sarah won a case in the district court of Northumberland County for her freedom and the freedom of her descendants.…
Greg CrawfordJune 9, 2021
Around 1712, two women were transported by ship to Virginia’s Northern Neck. The elder was named Mary and the younger Bess, who was about 13…
Greg CrawfordJune 2, 2021
The 2013 film 12 Years a Slave adapted the historical memoirs of Solomon Northup, a free African American from New York who was kidnapped and…
McKenzie LongApril 7, 2021
The “Runaway Slaves” Records, 1791-1863, available at Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative, include reports, accounts, correspondence, court records, and receipts concerning expenses incurred by…
Greg CrawfordJanuary 27, 2021
For those who enjoy the art and intricacy of transcribing historical documents, the Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that a selection of Albemarle…
Tracy HarterJune 24, 2020
