Cardinal News 250

Long reviled, Dunmore is now getting a second look by historians for his role in freeing some Virginia slaves.

Here’s what some communities have been doing to celebrate Virginia’s role in the American Revolution.

In 1774, at least 30 Virginia counties passed resolutions to protest the British response to the Boston Tea Party. Essex County has made a tradition of holding an annual public reading.

In 1774, more than 30 Virginia counties passed resolutions to protest Britain’s reaction to the Boston Tea Party. Essex County still reenacts theirs every year.

This spring and summer has seen a head-spinning series of events that have reshaped the political landscape, not just in Virginia, but throughout other Colonies, as well.

Virginia’s royal governor, Lord Dunmore, offered freedom to any enslaved laborers who enlisted with the British. After the war, those Black Loyalists were evacuated to Canada, where their legacy is still honored today.

Dave Nachmanoff, who grew up in Arlington, teamed with the “Year of the Cat” singer to memorialize the Americans who sided with the king.

The director and board member of the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Canada talk about their efforts to reconnect with relatives in Virginia.

British enforcement of customs laws leads to arrests, a political confrontation, and then a ship being set ablaze.

Cardinal News has embarked on a three-year project to tell the little-known stories of Virginia’s role in the march to independence.