Long reviled, Dunmore is now getting a second look by historians for his role in freeing some Virginia slaves.
Randy Walker
Randy Walker is a musician and freelance writer in Roanoke. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was formerly a staff writer on (as it was then called) the Roanoke Times & World-News. He can be reached at randywalker7983@gmail.com.
Posted inCardinal News 250
‘The effect of the day thro’ the whole colony was like a shock of electricity’
This month marks the 250th anniversary of when the House of Burgesses, in defiance of the royal governor, declared a “Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer.”
Posted inCulture
Saving ‘iconic’ farm buildings in Craig County
The Frists have restored what Tracy Frist says is “a great piece of American history.”
Posted inCardinal News 250
At Chiswell’s mines, a mixed crew of unwilling hands dug lead ore for patriot victory
Enslaved men and white criminals worked side by side at the lead mines in Wythe County to produce ammunition.
Posted inCardinal News 250
One enslaved naval officer won his freedom after fighting in the ‘War for Independence’
Enslaved Virginians served in the state’s tiny navy. Many won their freedom.
Posted inCardinal News 250
‘A time to pray and a time to fight’
One of the most stirring speeches of the revolution was given in Woodstock, and might have been delivered in German. That is, if it happened at all.
Posted inCardinal News 250
Proclamation Line of 1763 became a focus of anti-British resentment in Virginia
After the French and Indian War, King George III drew a line along the Appalachians and forbade settlement west of that. This became one of the sparks that lit the fuse for American independence.
Posted inEconomy
Thirty-eight years after the Flood of ’85, Roanoke is still preparing for the next one
Thanks to the city’s flood reduction project, 44% of the parcels in the city’s flood control map are now in a lower risk category.
Posted inEducation
Virginia Tech philosopher rights wrong done to Isaac Newton
A Virginia Tech philosophy professor has helped clear up a mistranslation of Newton’s famous First Law of Motion.
Posted inEducation
Virginia Tech study offers hope for breaking the recurrent nightmares of PTSD
Virginia Tech researcher Sujith Vijayan believes brain rhythms can be manipulated with auditory stimulation during sleep to restore the healing quality of sleep for PTSD patients. He’s also probing the connection between sleep and learning.