On this day in 1788, Virginia became our 10th state! The Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English colony in North America, which is why the state is nicknamed Old Dominion. It was one of the original 13 colonies, and several key battles were fought there during the Revolutionary War, and later the Civil War. Virginia’s state legislature, the Virginia General Assembly is the oldest current law-making body in North America.
Thanks to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is the largest seafood producer on the Atlantic coast, and the third largest in the country. Speaking of food, Virginians are also very serious about their favorite ham. Smithfield ham, also known as Virginia ham, is protected by state law and can only be produced in the town of Smithfield, Virginia. It was actually one of our country’s first exports, selling in Bermuda in the late 1700s.
Nearly 17% of employees in Virginia work for Government agencies. The U.S. Department of Defense, CIA, National Science Foundation, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are all headquartered there, and employ around 714,000 Virginians.
Things invented in Virginia include Mountain Dew, Chapstick, swivel chairs, and ice cream cones.
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