On 17 March 1856, the General Assembly adopted a law entitled, “An Act providing additional protection for the slave property of citizens of this commonwealth.”…
Tom CrewMay 16, 2018
Often, researchers will utilize several collections or sources housed at the Library in order to get to the truth of a matter, or to gain…
Tracy HarterApril 11, 2018
Two years ago, the Library of Virginia launched Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative, a digital collection aimed at helping researchers break through the “roadblock”…
Greg CrawfordFebruary 7, 2018
Debt collateral usually consists of something prized by both parties. As a temporary form of payment, something of value is offered to hold or use…
Sherri BagleyJanuary 31, 2018
Ibby Jane Smith was born in January 1864 in Northampton County, Virginia, the daughter of Leah Smith, also called Leah Jacob, and Seth Smith, also…
Louise JonesMarch 29, 2017
As told in an earlier blog, James Dunlop of Petersburg emancipated his slave, John Brown, in April 1822 through a deed of manumission. One would…
Greg CrawfordFebruary 15, 2017
In 1856, the General Assembly decided that free African Americans could petition their county or city court to be enslaved. These individuals had to be…
Cara GriggsJanuary 11, 2017
On 23 August 1831, Governor John Floyd received a hastily written note from the Southampton County postmaster stating “that an insurrection of the slaves in…
Sonya ColemanOctober 12, 2016
Author and researcher Deborah Harding recently donated to the Library of Virginia a rare, firsthand account of slavery and its aftermath written by Willis M.…
Margaret RhettMay 11, 2016
In 1820, Rachel Findley won freedom for herself and more than 35 of her descendants in a Powhatan County court in a law suit dating…
Greg CrawfordFebruary 3, 2016
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts on the record types found in the forthcoming Library of Virginia research database: Virginia Untold: The…
Ed JordanJanuary 27, 2016
This is the third in a series of blog posts on the record types found in the forthcoming Library of Virginia research database: Virginia Untold: The…
Greg CrawfordJanuary 20, 2016
This is the second in a series of blog posts on the record types found in the forthcoming Library of Virginia research database: Virginia Untold: The…
Greg CrawfordJanuary 13, 2016
This is the first in a series of blog posts on the record types found in the forthcoming Library of Virginia research database: Virginia Untold: The…
Chris SmithJanuary 6, 2016
