Did Virginia Create America?

With America’s 250th anniversary here, the question of how this nation was shaped, and by whom, is worth revisiting. basic accounts of U.S. history show that this nation was not founded by one singular colony but rather the thirteen original colonies all together, but this does not mean that some colonies didn’t have a more vital role than others. Virginia is often called the “mother of presidents,” but the reason for this title is worth looking at further. The Commonwealth of Virginia didn’t “create” the United States, but the leaders, principles, and battles of Virginia played a central role in the founding of the United States.

A closer look at the history of Virginia and the United States unveils that Virginia was central to the beginnings of American independence. At the siege of Yorktown, French and American forces led by George Washington trapped General Cornwallis on the Yorktown peninsula. After twenty-one days, Cornwallis surrendered, the siege ended, and this brought an end to the military operations of the Revolutionary War. The deciding victory that achieved American independence happened in Virginia. French and American forces began their final push for independence in Virginia rather than in other early colonies, they naturally started in Virginia. Therefore, Virginia wasn’t just a battlefield for the Revolutionary war, but the final stage and ultimately where American victory was decided.

Many foundational decisions shaping the future of the United States were made in Virginia, for example the supreme law of the land, the U.S. constitution. Virginia ratified the Constitution in 1788, and Virginians such as James Madison, who is known as the Father of the Constitution, played a key role in its drafting. This further establishes Virginia being the political center for the early republic, another example of this would be that several of the earliest presidents were Virginians, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and more. This mirrors the strong influence of Virginia’s political leadership over early national government. Due to the dominance of early Virginian presidents, this period is often referred to as the “Virginia Dynasty”.

Virginia produced brilliant leadership that brought this nation to its birth and early success, but what we must not overlook, is the birth of American ideals taking place in Virginia. To understand this we must first look at Thomas Jefferson, who declared that a person’s rights come from nature and not that of the government when he says “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”—Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson articulated ideas that are still referenced today, equality, unalienable rights, and life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Another one of Jefferson’s major contributions was religious freedom, established in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom of 1786, he argued that one has the right to their own religious belief without the interference of the government, an idea that later influenced the First Amendment. With Jefferson’s early philosophy, inspired by John Locke, being the lead for U.S. government, this nation was able to establish strong ideals to build the foundation of the future America.

While we can see that Virginia had a very large contribution to the founding of this great nation, we must also credit other colonies in their efforts to independence as well. This includes the Boston Tea Party and early revolutionary activity in Massachusetts, the Continental Congress meetings in Pennsylvania, and the other colonies that provided sustainability for the United States early on. It is important to realize that independence for a new nation was a collective effort and not the doing of one colony. However, while we need to come to this conclusion of a multi-colony effort, we must also realize that through the battles of Virginia, the early leadership, and the philosophy that inspired the ideals of the nation to come, Virginia has been a dominating force in the role of the founding of the United States of America.

One may ask if Virginia still reflects its founding role. The answer to this question can be shown through modern day implications in politics like Virginia ranking among the top states in number of electoral votes with thirteen, showing their importance in national elections. Virginia also still preserves its founding role through the conservation of historical sites such as Mount Vernon, Monticello, and colonial Williamsburg. New ideas and debates about the role of government, the idea of liberty, and certain rights still trace back to original Virginia thinkers. Current debates over fundamental ideas such as freedom of expression, including issues like social media regulation, are continuing to show First Amendment ideals rooted in early Virginian thought.

In conclusion, Virginia did not “create” America alone because that would mean that the United States had a sole creator which does not reflect this nations beginning. However, through many attributes including strong leaders, multiple ideas like the Constitution and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, victory in Yorktown, and the early identity of Virginia that shaped what America is today, that Virginia played a disproportionately large role in the founding of the United States of America.