The long and rich history of Virginia, from British colony to unified state, has resulted in a watershed of wartime memorabilia. The State of Virginia is one of the thirteen original states to come together and form the United States of America. Virginia first appears on the radar as a British colony. Jamestown was founded in 1607 and named in honor of King James I. Jamestown was the original capital of the colony, Virginia, but the capital was later moved to Williamsburg due to a fire that burned down the State House. Williamsburg remained the capital city of the colony until the Revolutionary War. Poised on the brink of independence from British rule, Governor Thomas Jefferson declared Williamsburg much too vulnerable and soon moved the capital to Richmond. The Revolutionary War prevailed in favor of the newly declared United States of America, and Richmond became the official state capital in 1776. Many years later, Richmond was again transformed, this time becoming the capital of the Confederacy, a collection of states that seceded from the Union, eventually leading to the Civil War. More battles were fought on Virginia soil during the Civil War than in any other state. The state of Virginia is covered with cemeteries, battlefields and monuments marking its incredible role in the shaping of U.S. history. The celebration of Virginia's heritage is found in many different forms. Depictions of wartime scenes, from both the Revolutionary War and Civil War, are rendered in paintings, glassware, and sculpture and on the faces of coins. | 
