Virginia played a decisive role in the fight for independence, from the fiery debates in Williamsburg to the climactic Siege of Yorktown. Its people, lands, and resources shaped the course of the Revolution and helped secure America’s ultimate victory.
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Known for Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, which promised freedom to any enslaved man who fought for Britain during the Revolution, Lord Dunmore served as governor of both New York and Virginia and as a staunch defender of the Crown.
When British forces besieged Charleston, Lincoln was forced to surrender over 5,000 men. Denied honors of war in surrender, Lincoln was paroled and returned to Washington’s army. After the Battle of Yorktown, Lincoln accepted the surrender from the British, allowing him to have revenge for his defeat in Charleston.
In 1779, after a stalemate in the north, Cornwallis went south as second in command to Sir Henry Clinton. Clinton captured Charleston in May 1780. Cornwallis pressed on to defeat General Horatio Gates at Camden, South Carolina, on August 16, 1780.
Responsible for coining "Give me liberty or give me death!" Patrick Henry stood as one of the staunchest defenders of American independence in Virginia.
