About

Welcome to The Virginia History Podcast which covers the rich history that has made the Commonwealth what it is today.

When most consider Virginia History, images of Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, or the Civil War flash through their minds. Rightly so. But there is much more than the fascinating events that took place in those locations across the Commonwealth.

This podcast will certainly cover Jamestown, Williamsburg, and the Civil war, but it also  draws great attention to the other key events, people, and locations that have shaped Virginia into what it is today.

Jamestown started as a debacle, but eventually it unfolded into the many James River Plantations that served as both Virginia’s and later the United States’ first industrial powerhouse.

The earliest families who emigrated into the region soon became a new type of elite farmer, merchant, tradesman, statesman, and leader. Families such as the Harrisons, Carters, Randolphs, Custis, and Lees influenced the land, state, and country in ways that few others could boast, while they networked into powerfully networked connections.

Those families molded thought and ideas in such a way that can still be felt today. In so doing they left a major legacy. But they left more than just their ideas behind. They also dotted the landscape with breathtaking homes, cities, and monuments as a tribute to their far reaching legacies.

As fascinating as those stories and legacies are, Virginia also has excruciatingly dark times as well, such as The Starving Time, Indian Raids, Slavery, War, and Rebellion. Those moments help make sense of the narrative in profound ways that command poignant reflection.

The podcast’s focus is to walk through Virginia’s story, all of it. Along the way, as that story is narrated, extra time will be taken to dig deeper, while illustrating certain places, people, and events more thoroughly. So, join us on our adventure, it proves to be a very exciting journey indeed!

If you have not already listened to the short podcast introduction, please do so here.

After getting acquainted, pick a series of episodes, and jump right in.

4 thoughts on “About”

  1. Hello:
    My name is Nancy E. Sheppard and I am the author of The AIrship ROMA Disaster in Hampton Roads (The History Press, 2016). My book is the first book length and most comprehensive telling of the forgotten tragedy of the U.S. Army Air Service airship, ROMA, which crashed in Norfolk on February 21, 1922, killing 34 of the 45 men on board. This was the single deadliest disaster of a U.S. hydrogen airship. Despite the enormity of their sacrifice in the line of duty, the victims nor the survivors were ever properly recognized for their sacrifices and heroism that day nearly 95 years ago. It has been my mission to tell their story, breathe life back into their sacrifices, and give them the respect and honor they so desperately deserve but were never given.

    The only memorial is a small stone, in disrepair, on private property, completely inaccessible to the public. Even the most seasoned of local historians know very little about this important moment in our nation’s history. With the support of the loved ones on ROMA, Norfolk Historical Society, and other historians, I have started a campaign to raise funds needed to place a Virginia Historical Highway Marker in Norfolk to tell their story in a manner that anyone can access. I am also pledging 100% of all my lecturing and speaking fees to this cause.

    I would love to share ROMA’s story with your listeners. Please forgive me for commenting as I did not find an e-mail address on the page.

    My e-mail address is AirshipROMA@gmail.com and the GoFundMe page can be found at: http://www.gofundme.com/romamemorial. I would be happy to make arrangements for my publisher to send a copy of my book to you for your preview.

    Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you soon,
    Nancy E. Sheppard
    AirshipROMA@gmail.com

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    1. Nancy, did you get my email. I wanted to make sure that it made it to you.

      I just saw that the VHS is going to host you for a lecture soon. That is tremendous news! If I can make it up there, I’ll be there.

      Robert.

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  2. Found your podcast this week. After listening to 5 or 6 episodes I am hooked. Though a Bostonian and Yankee by birth I’ve come to be fascinated with the rich history of Virginia and the Norfolk area I call home today. I look forward to learning more as I enjoy the other episodes. Thank you.

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