| A short history of the Virginia State flag | In honor of Queen Elizabeth I of England, Virginia was named, and in 1607 became the first permanent English settlement in North America, at Jamestown Virginia.Virginia was also one of the original states in the Union, and was a leading part in the revolutionary struggle. The seal shows Virtus with one foot on the dead body of Tyranny, whose crown has fallen off and lies nearby. The motto translates as "thus ever to tyrants". The central seal is within a wreath and was designed in 1776 by George Wythe. On April 17,1861 Virginia seceded from the Union and by the end of that month the seal was used in the flag. The seal appeared on a white disc in a plain blue field. In 1930 the seal was revised and the new version was used on the flag in 1931. The flag has remained unchanged since 1861. |
A short history of Virginia (The Old Dominion) | At Jamestown in 1607 the first chartered settlement was made in Virginia. By 1619 tobacco was under cultivation. The governor stepped down in 1775, and in 1781 the British surrendered at Yorktown. On June 25, 1788 Virginia ratified the Constitution and seceded on April 17, 1861 and was re-admitted to the union on January 26, 1870. |
| Area of Virginia | 40,767 sq. miles |
Capital | Richmond |
| Major Products | Corn, hay, peanuts, tobacco and tobacco products, coal |
| State Motto | Sic semper tyrannis ("Thus always to tyrants") |