The capital of the state of Virginia, Richmond is a historic city. Deeply linked to the American Revolution and the American Civil War, it was once the capital of the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy was made up of the 11 proslavery states that withdrew from the United States and organized a separate and independent government in 1861.

Places of interest

The homes, museums, and historic buildings of Richmond are links to the city's past. The State Capitol was designed by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. The home of John Marshall, the fourth chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, is Richmond's oldest remaining 18th-century brick building. St. John's Church is where patriot Patrick Henry delivered a famous speech in 1775. In this speech Henry declared, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

The Richmond National Battlefield Park is a memorial to 11 Civil War battles fought in and around Richmond. The city's Monument Avenue is a wide, tree-lined street with statues of military figures.

Museums in Richmond displaying items relating to African American history provides a view into the city's culture. Other museums found in the city include the Maggie L. Walker House, the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, and the Valentine Museum. The White House of the Confederacy, built in 1818, is now a museum as well. Richmond's Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was the first museum of art in the United States to receive support from the government.

Economy

Tobacco is Richmond's most important product. The city's manufactures include chemicals, textiles, medicines, metals, and wood and paper products. Printing and publishing is another major industry in Richmond.

History

In 1607 a group of colonists sailed up the James River from Jamestown, the first permanent British settlement in North America. They made the first exploration of the area where Richmond now stands. A trading post was established there in 1637, and in 1644 Fort Charles was built.

The town of Richmond was laid out in 1737 on a site that became known as Church Hill. The first Virginia Convention met in Richmond in 1774, promoting anti-British feelings. In 1779, during the American Revolution, Richmond replaced Williamsburg as the state capital. A British force under the command of Benedict Arnold raided the town in 1781.

At the start of the American Civil War in 1861, Virginia withdrew from the Union and joined the Confederacy. The capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond. The city then became one of the main targets of Union forces.

In 1862 Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac approached Richmond but was driven away during the Seven Days' Battle. The city was not seriously threatened again until June 1864, when Richmond was surrounded and held captive by Union forces. Finally, on April 3, 1865, the defense of Richmond was broken and the city surrendered. Most of the business district was destroyed as the Confederate forces retreated. Richmond recovered rapidly during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, mainly because tobacco production thrived. Population (2000 census), city, 197,790; metropolitan area, 996,512.