This is the first in a series of four blog posts related to the “To Be Sold” exhibit which opens on October 27 at the…
Greg CrawfordOctober 1, 2014
With its roots in 19th-century Texas, Juneteenth has grown into a popular event across the country to commemorate emancipation from slavery and celebrate African American…
John DealJune 19, 2014
Prior to the abolishment of slavery, the idea of landownership was an impossible dream for most African Americans, but in the years following the Civil…
Sherri BagleyApril 9, 2014
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that digital images for the King William County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1868-1913, are now available online through the Chancery…
Bari HelmsMarch 12, 2014
The Library of Virginia has completed the digitization and transcription of the last of the cohabitation registers in its possession, the Henry County Cohabitation Register, 1866.…
Sonya ColemanFebruary 26, 2014
The release of the film 12 Years a Slave had us talking here at Out of the Box. Discussions on slavery are a common occurrence at the Library of…
Bari HelmsDecember 4, 2013
Digital images of Legislative Petitions to the Virginia General Assembly, 1776 to 1865, from Bath County through Essex County are now available on Virginia Memory, the Library…
Bari HelmsOctober 18, 2013
The Surry County Chancery Causes, 1785-1922 (bulk 1806-1917), contain valuable biographical, genealogical, and historical information and document a broad spectrum of citizens of Surry County—rich and…
Bari HelmsSeptember 6, 2013
Once a neglected subject, the role that African American slaves played in Southern colleges has become the focus of new research. Virginia being no exception,…
Laura CrouchAugust 14, 2013
In court documents from Lunenburg County Chancery Cause 1856-042, the petition of Araminta Frances reveals an interesting and life-changing request. On 10 March 1856 Araminta…
Joanne PorterJune 19, 2013
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the addition of Scott County and Washington County to the cohabitation register digitization project. This project, via the Virginia…
Sarah NerneyJune 7, 2013
In November of 1860, executor William F. Smith was in a pickle. Charged with settling the estate of Elizabeth P. Via of Augusta County, he…
Sarah NerneyFebruary 20, 2013
During the 1820s and 1830s, northern antislavery groups that demanded the immediate abolition of slavery began to emerge. Led by abolitionists such as William Lloyd…
Greg CrawfordJanuary 30, 2013
Here in Virginia, there are some pretty strong views on history. It isn’t merely in the past, it is occurring in the present as well. …
Sonya ColemanJanuary 22, 2013
