1.
Governor of Virginia
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The Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The current holder of the office is Terry McAuliffe, who was sworn in on January 11,2014 and his term will expire on January 13,2018. McAuliffe is a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the office on November 5,2013, candidates for governor must be United States citizens who have resided in Virginia and been a registered voter for five years prior to the election in which they are running. The candidates must be at least 30 years of age, Virginia governors are not allowed to serve consecutive terms, therefore, they cannot stand for reelection at the end of their term, as per the 1830 state constitution. However, a governor is permitted to run for a second term in a future election. Only two governors since 1830, William Smith and Mills Godwin, were elected to additional terms, the governor is the head of government in Virginia. At the beginning of regular session, he or she must report the state of the Commonwealth to the Virginia General Assembly. He or she must convene the legislature when two-thirds of each house calls for a special session. The governor must ensure that the laws of the Commonwealth are faithfully executed by either signing, or allowing it to come into law, or vetoing and they are responsible for the safety of the state, as they serve as commander-in-chief of the Virginia Militia. The governor has the power to submit recommendations and to call special sessions when he finds them necessary. All bills must be sent to the governor before becoming law, the governor may sign the bill, let it sit unsigned for seven days, after which it becomes law, or veto the legislation. After a veto, the returns to its house of origin. The governor also has the power to use a line-item veto and he may send legislation back to the legislature with recommendations and amendments. The legislature must either approve the changes by a majority in each house or override the veto with a majority in each house. The governor is commander-in-chief of Virginias militia forces, the governor may also communicate with other states and foreign powers. The governor has the power to fill vacancies in positions unless the position is appointed by the legislature, the governor may commute fines or sentences and issue pardons. The governor may also restore voting rights and overturn other political penalties on individuals, the position of Governor of Virginia dates back to the first permanent English settlement in America, Jamestown. The Virginia Company of London set up a government run by a council, the President of the Council basically served as governor
2.
Wyndham Robertson
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Wyndham Robertson was the Acting Governor of the U. S. state of Virginia from 1836 to 1837. He also served twice in the Virginia House of Delegates, the time during the American Civil War. Robertson was a Whig, and was an advocate for Union during the crisis that precipitated the Civil War. However, after Lincolns call for troops, he advocated secession, after the war, he was a member of the Committee of Nine that helped usher Virginia back into the Union. Robertson, a descendant of Pocahontas, published a book near the end of his life in her defense, Robertson was born near Manchester, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, the son of William Robertson and Elizabeth Bolling, a descendant of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. His father was a member of the Virginia Council of State, Robertson attended private schools in Richmond and graduated from The College of William and Mary in 1821. He then married Mary Trigg Smith, daughter of Captain Francis Smith, Robertson, a Governor of Louisiana, and John Robertson, a U. S. Congressman. Robertson studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1824, in 1827, he made a short trip to Paris and London, and in 1830 he was made Councillor of State. Robertson was re-elected to the Council of State in 1833, and on March 31,1836, he became the member of this body. When Governor Littleton Waller Tazewell resigned that day, Robertson became Governor. Robertson was then elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for the 1838 session and he was re-elected for three successive sessions, ending his service in 1841. He moved to his wifes home south of Abingdon, in southwest Virginia in 1841 and he was made a Justice of Washington County on July 25,1842, and was appointed a trustee of Abingdon Academy in 1843. In 1850, he leased the King Saltworks for five years, in 1858, he returned to Richmond. In 1859, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for the 1859-1861 session, when Virginia was struggling with the idea of seceding from the United States, Robertson was a staunch Unionist and tried to prevent its secession. He later wrote of himself as a friend to peace and the Union and he then proposed the following toast, The Constitutional Union of the States - The Union of the States is the harmony of the spheres. While obedient to the laws of their creation, they sing ever as they go glad tidings of great joy to all the world, rebelling against them, light and joy are swallowed up in darkness, and order falls back into primordial chaos. After South Carolina and several states started seceding in the winter of 1860-61. However, when President Abraham Lincoln made his call for troops on April 15,1861, the call for troops was precisely the scenario detailed in their Anti-Coercion Resolution and Virginia seceded
3.
Thomas Walker Gilmer
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Thomas Walker Gilmer was an American statesman. He served in an number of positions in Virginia, including election as the 28th Governor of Virginia. Gilmers final political office was as the 15th Secretary of the Navy, Gilmer was born to George and Eliza Gilmer at their farm, Gilmerton, in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was taught by tutors in Charlottesville and Staunton, and studied law in Liberty. He was, briefly, editor of the Virginia Advocate, a Charlottesville newspaper, on May 23,1826, Gilmer married Anne Elizabeth Baker of Shepherdstown, now in West Virginia. Her late father, John Baker, had been a member of the United States House of Representatives and they had a son, George Hudson Gilmer, a Presbyterian minister. In 1829, Gilmer purchased Israel Jefferson, a slave of Thomas Jefferson. Gilmer later agreed to let Israel pay his own price for his freedom after Gilmers election to congress, as Israel desired to stay with his wife. Gilmer first served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1829–36 and he returned in 1839-40 and was named Speaker. On February 14,1840, Gilmer was elected the 28th Governor of Virginia, while in office, he had a disagreement with the Virginia General Assembly over the extradition of slave stealers, which played a part in his running for Congress the following winter. In March 1841, he entered the 27th Congress, and although he had been elected as a Whig, Tyler had very little support in the Party and eventually served just the rest of the term. Gilmer however was re-elected to the 28th Congress as a Democrat in 1842 by a close vote and his competitor, William L. Goggin, contested the result without success. On February 15,1844, he was appointed by Tyler to be the U. S and his death meant the loss of a valuable ally for Tyler and some historians suggest that it may have delayed the Texas Annexation effort. 1842, Gilmer was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives with 50. 21% of the vote, Gilmer is buried at Mount Air Cemetery in Gilbert, Virginia. A year after his death, Gilmer County, Virginia, was named in his honor, the city of Gilmer, Texas, is also named for him. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, clerk of the House of Delegates, supervising. Speakers and Clerks of the Virginia House of Delegates, 1776-2007, richmond, Virginia, Virginia House of Delegates. A Guide to the Executive Papers of Governor Thomas W. Gilmer, 1840-1841 at The Library of Virginia
4.
Washington County, Virginia
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Washington County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,876, for thousands of years, indigenous peoples of varying cultures lived in the area. At the time of European encounter, the Chiska had a village near what is now Saltville. The Cherokee annexed the region from the Xualae around 1671, the county was formed by Virginians in 1776 from Fincastle County. It was named for George Washington, who was then commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, Washington County is among the first geographical regions to be named after the president of the United States. Washington County was raided by the Chickamauga Cherokee during the Cherokee–American wars, in July,1776, Chief Dragging Canoe led an attack on Blacks Fort. The area remained prone to attack until after Chickamauga leader Bob Benge was finally slain by settlers in Washington County in 1794, as with many other frontier counties, the boundaries and territory changed over the years. In 1786 the northwestern part of Washington County became Russell County, in 1814 the western part of what remained of Washington County was combined with parts of Lee and Russell counties to form Scott County. In 1832 the northeastern part of Washington was combined with part of Wythe County to form Smyth County, finally, with the incorporation of the town of Goodson as the independent city of Bristol in 1890, Washington County assumed its present size. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 566 square miles. The county is divided into seven districts, Harrison, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Taylor, Tyler. As of the census of 2000, there were 51,103 people,21,056 households, the population density was 91 people per square mile. There were 22,985 housing units at a density of 41 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 97. 56% White,1. 32% Black or African American,0. 11% Native American,0. 27% Asian,0. 03% Pacific Islander,0. 14% from other races, and 0. 58% from two or more races. 0. 63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,25. 80% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the family size was 2.84. In the county, the population was out with 20. 80% under the age of 18,8. 70% from 18 to 24,28. 30% from 25 to 44,26. 90% from 45 to 64. The median age was 40 years, for every 100 females there were 94.20 males
5.
Smyth County, Virginia
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Smyth County is a county located in the U. S. state of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,208, Smyth County was formed on February 23,1832, from Washington and Wythe counties. The county is named after Alexander Smyth, a general during the War of 1812 who was elected to the state Senate, House of Delegates, and as a Representative to the United States Congress. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 452 square miles. The population density was 73 people per square mile, there were 15,111 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 96. 86% White,1. 87% Black or African American,0. 15% Native American,0. 18% Asian,0. 32% from other races,0. 86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26. 00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12. 50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.83. In the county, the population was out with 21. 60% under the age of 18,8. 00% from 18 to 24,28. 10% from 25 to 44,26. 00% from 45 to 64. The median age was 40 years, for every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.50 males, the median income for a household in the county was $30,083, and the median income for a family was $36,392. Males had an income of $26,698 versus $19,712 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,105, about 9. 90% of families and 13. 30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15. 20% of those under age 18 and 14. 00% of those age 65 or over. The organization markets the area through www. VisitVirginiaMountains
6.
Virginia
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Virginia is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, as well as in the historic Southeast. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, the capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond, Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealths estimated population as of 2014 is over 8.3 million, the areas history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent New World English colony, slave labor and the land acquired from displaced Native American tribes each played a significant role in the colonys early politics and plantation economy. Although the Commonwealth was under one-party rule for nearly a century following Reconstruction, the Virginia General Assembly is the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World. The state government was ranked most effective by the Pew Center on the States in both 2005 and 2008 and it is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginias economy changed from agricultural to industrial during the 1960s and 1970s. Virginia has an area of 42,774.2 square miles, including 3,180.13 square miles of water. Virginias boundary with Maryland and Washington, D. C. extends to the mark of the south shore of the Potomac River. The southern border is defined as the 36° 30′ parallel north, the border with Tennessee was not settled until 1893, when their dispute was brought to the U. S. Supreme Court. The Chesapeake Bay separates the portion of the Commonwealth from the two-county peninsula of Virginias Eastern Shore. The bay was formed from the river valleys of the Susquehanna River. Many of Virginias rivers flow into the Chesapeake Bay, including the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James, the Tidewater is a coastal plain between the Atlantic coast and the fall line. It includes the Eastern Shore and major estuaries of Chesapeake Bay, the Piedmont is a series of sedimentary and igneous rock-based foothills east of the mountains which were formed in the Mesozoic era. The region, known for its clay soil, includes the Southwest Mountains around Charlottesville. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a province of the Appalachian Mountains with the highest points in the state. The Ridge and Valley region is west of the mountains and includes the Great Appalachian Valley, the region is carbonate rock based and includes Massanutten Mountain. The Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Mountains are in the southwest corner of Virginia, in this region, rivers flow northwest, with a dendritic drainage system, into the Ohio River basin
7.
Abingdon, Virginia
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Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States,133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census and it is the county seat of Washington County and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and features an arts and crafts scene centered on the galleries. The region was long the territory of varying cultures of peoples, including the Chisca. Between 1748 and 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker surveyed the land where the town of Abingdon is situated and it was on the Great Road that Colonel William Byrd III ordered cut through the wilderness on to Kingsport, Tennessee. In 1760, the famed frontiersman Daniel Boone named the area Wolf Hills, the site of the attack is on Courthouse Hill. In the twenty-first century, the town sponsored an art event, in which artists created 27 wolf sculptures. Most were later sold at an auction to raise money for Advance Abingdon, during Lord Dunmores War, Joseph Black built Blacks Fort in 1774 to protect local settlers in the region from attacks by the Cherokee of the Lower Towns. It consisted of a log stockade, with a few log cabins inside and they retreated to the fort in 1776 when attacked by the war leader Dragging Canoe and his Chickamauga Cherokee forces. Hoping to push out the colonists, the Cherokee had allied with the British in the American Revolutionary War, the settlement was known as Black’s Fort prior to being named Abingdon. Black, Briggs and Walker donated the 120 acres of land upon which the town was laid out. It was at the intersection of two great Indian trails, which had followed ancient animal migration trails through the mountains and it was a prime location as a trade center and access point to the west and south. In 1776 the community of Blacks Fort was made the county seat of the newly formed Washington county, in 1778, Blacks Fort was incorporated as the town of Abingdon, said to be named for the ancestral home of Martha Washington in Oxfordshire, England. Possible namesakes for the town include Jake Dores home in Abington, Pennsylvania, or Lord Abingdon, Martha Washington College, a school for women, operated in Abingdon from 1860 to 1932 in a former private residence. Since 1935 the building has occupied and operated as a hotel. The Barter Theatre, the theatre of Virginia, was opened in Abingdon in 1933 during the Great Depression. Abingdon is the final stop along the Virginia Creeper Trail, which allows pedestrian, cyclist and this trail is 35 miles long, extending from White Top Mountain through Damascus, Virginia, with the trailhead in Abingdon. The Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia, located in Abingdon, serves as a genealogy center
8.
Democratic Party (United States)
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The Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The Democrats dominant worldview was once socially conservative and fiscally classical liberalism, while, especially in the rural South, since Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal coalition in the 1930s, the Democratic Party has also promoted a social-liberal platform, supporting social justice. Today, the House Democratic caucus is composed mostly of progressives and centrists, the partys philosophy of modern liberalism advocates social and economic equality, along with the welfare state. It seeks to provide government intervention and regulation in the economy, the party has united with smaller left-wing regional parties throughout the country, such as the Farmer–Labor Party in Minnesota and the Nonpartisan League in North Dakota. Well into the 20th century, the party had conservative pro-business, the New Deal Coalition of 1932–1964 attracted strong support from voters of recent European extraction—many of whom were Catholics based in the cities. After Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal of the 1930s, the pro-business wing withered outside the South, after the racial turmoil of the 1960s, most southern whites and many northern Catholics moved into the Republican Party at the presidential level. The once-powerful labor union element became smaller and less supportive after the 1970s, white Evangelicals and Southerners became heavily Republican at the state and local level in the 1990s. However, African Americans became a major Democratic element after 1964, after 2000, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Asian Americans, the LGBT community, single women and professional women moved towards the party as well. The Northeast and the West Coast became Democratic strongholds by 1990 after the Republicans stopped appealing to socially liberal voters there, overall, the Democratic Party has retained a membership lead over its major rival the Republican Party. The most recent was the 44th president Barack Obama, who held the office from 2009 to 2017, in the 115th Congress, following the 2016 elections, Democrats are the opposition party, holding a minority of seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The party also holds a minority of governorships, and state legislatures, though they do control the mayoralty of cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Washington, D. C. The Democratic Party traces its origins to the inspiration of the Democratic-Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and that party also inspired the Whigs and modern Republicans. Organizationally, the modern Democratic Party truly arose in the 1830s, since the nomination of William Jennings Bryan in 1896, the party has generally positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party on economic issues. They have been liberal on civil rights issues since 1948. On foreign policy both parties changed position several times and that party, the Democratic-Republican Party, came to power in the election of 1800. After the War of 1812 the Federalists virtually disappeared and the national political party left was the Democratic-Republicans. The Democratic-Republican party still had its own factions, however. As Norton explains the transformation in 1828, Jacksonians believed the peoples will had finally prevailed, through a lavishly financed coalition of state parties, political leaders, and newspaper editors, a popular movement had elected the president
9.
Morristown, Indiana
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Morristown is a town in Hanover Township, Shelby County, in the U. S. state of Indiana. The population was 1,218 at the 2010 census, Morristown was platted in 1828 by Samuel Morrison, and named for him. The Morristown post office has been in operation since 1834, junction Railroad Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Morristown is located at 39°40′25″N 85°41′49″W, according to the 2010 census, Morristown has a total area of 2.37 square miles, of which 2.35 square miles is land and 0.02 square miles is water. As of the census of 2010, there were 1,218 people,467 households, the population density was 518.3 inhabitants per square mile. There were 519 housing units at a density of 220.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98. 6% White,0. 1% African American,0. 7% Native American,0. 1% Asian, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 3% of the population. 29. 6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12. 3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age in the town was 38 years. 24. 7% of residents were under the age of 18, 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24,24. 9% were from 25 to 44,21. 4% were from 45 to 64, and 20. 9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 45. 4% male and 54. 6% female, as of the census of 2000, there were 1,133 people,426 households, and 296 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,182.2 people per square mile, there were 444 housing units at an average density of 463.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98. 94% White,0. 53% Native American,0. 09% Asian, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 53% of the population. 27. 9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13. 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.12. In the town, the population was out with 28. 0% under the age of 18,9. 1% from 18 to 24,29. 0% from 25 to 44,18. 2% from 45 to 64. The median age was 35 years, for every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males, the median income for a household in the town was $36,417, and the median income for a family was $44,327. Males had an income of $32,625 versus $23,295 for females
