Encyclopedia Virginia Releases Free E-Book on Virginia’s Early Revolution

Virginia — As the nation approaches America’s 250th anniversary, Encyclopedia Virginia (EV), a program of Virginia Humanities, has released a new free e-book that traces how the earliest sparks of revolution ignited in Virginia.

Drawing from EV’s most authoritative entries, the e-book offers a definitive introduction to the political ruptures, frontier conflicts, and community-level organizing that pushed the colony toward independence.

Designed for educators, readers, and reporters looking for clear historical grounding, the volume translates more than a dozen EV entries into a single, portable resource compatible with all major e-readers. Topics include the Seven Years’ War in Virginia; the Proclamation of 1763; the rise of colonial resistance; the Fairfax Resolves; the Gunpowder Incident; Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation; and the Battle of Great Bridge — many accompanied by interpretive maps, illustrations, and primary-source context. 

The result is a tightly curated reference that makes Virginia’s revolutionary origins accessible to a broad public at a moment when interest in the nation’s founding is intensifying. 

“We’re excited to offer this resource from some of the nation’s leading historians that tells the compelling story of the early Revolution in Virginia, focusing on events and actors both well-known and not so famous,” said Patti Miller, managing editor of Encyclopedia Virginia. “As viewers dive into Ken Burns’s ‘The American Revolution’ series, they can learn more about the many ways that Virginia led the Revolution and the fascinating cast of characters that created the United States.” 

The release aligns with EV’s mission to make Virginia history more usable, navigable, and equitable. EV entries are written and reviewed by scholars, grounded in primary sources, and freely available at EncyclopediaVirginia.org. 

The new e-book is available now for free download. 
Download link: EncyclopediaVirginia.org/ebook 

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Encyclopedia Virginia (EV) is a reliable and user-friendly resource on the history and culture of Virginia. A project of Virginia Humanities in partnership with the Library of Virginia, EV publishes topical and biographical entries written by scholars, edited to be accessible to a general audience, and vigorously fact checked. Entries are accompanied by primary documents and media objects, including images, audio and visual clips, and virtual tours of historic sites. To learn more, visit EncyclopediaVirginia.org. 

Virginia Humanities is the state humanities council. We’re headquartered in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia, but we serve the entire state. We aim to share the stories of all Virginians — or, better yet, find ways for people to share their own stories. We want Virginians to connect with their history and culture and, in doing that, we hope we’ll all get to know each other a little better. Founded in 1974, we are one of fifty-six humanities councils created by Congress with money and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to make the humanities available to all Americans. To learn more, visit VirginiaHumanities.org.