On the 4th of July, time to remember our ‘forgotten founders’

Happy Fourth of July, but we have a bigger one coming up.

The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. We’ve all heard about Thomas Jefferson but the drive for independence involved a lot more than just a handful of men in white wigs meeting in Philadelphia. It also involved oridinary men and women, some of them free, some of them enslaved.

Among the people who played a role: Cesar Tarrant was one of at least 72 enslaved men who served in Virginia’s navy; he eventually won his freedom and today there’s a school named after him in Hampton. Clementina Rind was the first woman in Virginia to publish a newspaper; heading the Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg whose pages were considered “must reading” for those following the turbulent politics of the day. And then there were all the colonists who chafed at the king’s prohibition at settling west of a certain line through Southwest Virginia and pushed westward anyway . Historian Woody Holton calls these people some of the nation’s “ forgotten founders. “

Cardinal News has embarked on a three-year project to tell the little-known stories of Virginia’s role in the march to independence. This project is supported, in part, by a grant from the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission .

Here’s some of what we’ve had so far:

The role of Black Virginians: Enslaved Black men and white criminals worked side-by-side at the lead mines in Wythe County to produce ammunition for the patriot cause.

The role of women: When colonists decided to boycott British goods in an economic protest, colonial women aided the patriot cause by producing goods that previously were purchased from abroad.

The role of Native Americans: How Virginia’s Native Americans reacted to conflict between colonists and the crown.

The role of immigrants: One of the most stirring calls to action was delivered by a minister in Woodstock, and may have been delivered in German.

The role of hemp : The non-intoxociating version of cannabis was essential for both economic and national security.

We’ve also launched a podcast series, featuring interviews with Holton about those “forgotten founders,” journalist Jeff South about Rind and the role of the press in colonial days , and Cheryl Wilson , executive director of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission.

Along the way, we’ve written about some historical nuggets that aren’t well-known, such as how in 1772 Virginia tried to abolish the transatlantic slave trade but was overruled by London, how a sensational murder at a tavern in Cumberland County (today in Powhatan County) in 1766 illustrated how much the Virginia gentry was indebted to British merchants, how an Augusta County mob in 1765 murdered some visiting Cherokees and prompted a confrontation with royal authorities. And, lest we forget as we celebrate independence today, back then not everyone was on board with the idea. Montgomery County, in particular, was considered a “rasically county” that was a hotbed of Tories.

You can find all our stories from this project on the Cardinal News 250 page.

Sign up for Cardinal 250’s free monthly newsletter and be the first to see new stories and upcoming events:

The post On the 4th of July, time to remember our ‘forgotten founders’ appeared first on Cardinal News .