Historic Virginia Documents
Pre 18th
Century Documents | 18th Century
Documents | 19th
Century Documents
20th Century
Documents
A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia [1588, 1590] - by Thomas Hariot (University of Virginia)
The Virginia Charters:
1606, 1609,
1611 - (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
1606,
1609,
1612
- (University of Groningen / Dept. of Humanities Computing)
Royal Charters between
England and Virginia including Bermuda
- (The Institute of North American and Atlantic Colonial History and Royal Gazette daily newspaper)
The royal charters, by which the London Company of Virginia obtained permission from the English ruler to establish a Colony in Virginia, includes texts of the Virginia charters of 1606, 1609, and 1612. Available at three web sites.
Instructions for the Virginia Colony, 1606 - Instructions from the King of England to the Virginia Company on how to run the Virginia Colony which was "established by means of a joint-stock company" for the purpose of trade and profit.(University of Groningen / Dept. of Humanities Computing)
An Ordinance and Constitution of the Virginia Company in England, July 24, 1621 - (University of Groningen / Dept. of Humanities Computing)
Ordinances for Virginia; July 24-August 3, 1621 - Instructions to Governor Yeardley to convene a Council of State and a General Assembly in Virginia in 1619 (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Declaration in the Name of the People, July 30, 1676
- (University of Groningen / Dept. of Humanities Computing)
Governor William Berkeley on Bacon's Rebellion, May 19, 1676
- (University of Groningen / Dept. of Humanities Computing)
Treaty between Virginia and the Indians, 1677 - (Baylink.org)
The Charter to the College of William and Mary by King William III and Queen Mary II, 1693 - (College of William and Mary)
Seventeenth Century Virginia Laws - (Virtual Jamestown/University of Virginia)
Jefferson Notes on Slavery - (University of Groningen / Dept. of Humanities Computing)
Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions, May 30, 1765 - (Colonial Williamsburg)
Early Virginia Religious Petitions, 1774-1802 - (Library of Congress/Library of Virginia)
Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12 1776 - (National Archives)
Preamble and Resolution of the Virginia Convention, May 15, 1776 - ( The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Resolution introduced in the Continental Congress by Richard Henry Lee - Proposing a Declaration of Independence, June 7, 1776 (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Virginia Bill of Rights - (The Library of Virginia)
Draft Constitution for Virginia; June 1776 - (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12 1776 - (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12, 1776 - (The Library of Virginia)
Jefferson's Preamble to the Virginia Constitution, June 29, 1776 - (Declaration Foundation)
The Constitution of Virginia; June 29, 1776 - (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Draft for a Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, - by Jefferson 1779 (University of Groningen / Dept. of Humanities Computing)
Memorial and Remonstrance, by James Madison, June 20, 1785 - (James Madison Center / JMU)
Resolution of the General Assembly of Virginia, January 21, 1786 - "Resolution of the General Assembly of Virginia, January 21, 1786, Proposing a Joint Meeting of Commissioners from the States to Consider and Recommend a Federal Plan for Regulating Commerce" (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1786 - (The Library of Virginia)
Text A Text B Text C: Variant texts of the Virginia Plan, presented by Edmund Randolph to the Federal Convention, May 29, 1787 - (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
The Northwest Ordinance, July 13, 1787 - (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Virginia; June 26, 1788 - (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Virginia Resolution, 1798 - A Virginia resolution against "Alien and Sedition Acts" (The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School)
Gabriel's Conspiracy Documents, 1800 - (Library of Virginia)
The Confessions of Nat Turner, 1831 (Documenting the American South/University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Nat Turner's Rebellion, 1831 (Library of Virginia)
John Brown Raid, 1859 (Library of Virginia)
Speech and Sentence of John Brown, November 2, 1859 (West Virginia University)
The Virginia Ordinance of Secession, April 17, 1861 - (West Virginia State Archives)
A Declaration of Rights of the People of Virginia, June 13, 1861 (West Virginia University)
Virginia Official State Documents from the Civil War - (University of North Carolina / Documenting the American South / The Southern Homefront 1861-1865)
The Constitution of Virginia, 1971 (pdf) - The 1971 edition of the Virginia Constitution is the one currently in effect. It was revised and agreed to by the General Assembly in the 1969 and again in the 1970 sessions. It was ratified by the people on November 3, 1970, and went into effect at noon on the first day of July, 1971 - (Virginia General Assembly)