There are a number of histories of Virginia. William Stith, The History of the First Discovery and Settlement of Virginia (1747), is little more than a rehash of Captain John Smith's story. John Burk, The History of Virginia (1822), though more critical, is out of date since the author did not have access to a mass of documents now available to the historian. The same criticism applies to Charles Campbell, History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia (1860). Henry Howe, Historical Collections of Virginia (1845), brings together many facts, traditions, and biographical sketches. It also gives brief descriptions of contemporaneous life in the various counties. John Fiske's Old Virginia and her Neighbors (1900), is interesting, but untrustworthy. Edward D. Neill, Early Settlement of Virginia and Virginiola (1878), The English Colonization of America during the Seventeenth Century (1871), History of the Virginia Company of London (1869), Virginia Vetusta (1885), and Virginia Carolorum (1886), are based on primary sources and are still valuable. John Esten Cooke, Virginia: A History of the People (1884), is interesting but full of mistakes.
Other works on early Virginia history are Alexander Brown, The First Republic in America (1898), T. J. Wertenbaker, Virginia under the Stuarts (1914); Mary Newton Stanard, The Story of Virginia's First Century (1928); Matthew Page Andrews, The Soul of a Nation (1943), and Virginia, the Old Dominion (1937); William Foote, Sketches of Virginia (1850); Robert R. Howison, A History of Virginia (1848); Conway W. Sams, The Conquest of Virginia (1924); and Wesley Frank Craven, Dissolution of the Virginia Company (1932).
In 1957 the Virginia 350th Anniversary Celebration Corporation published a series of booklets on seventeenth-century Virginia history under the able editorship of Dr. Earl G. Swem. Among them are E. G. Swem and John M. Jennings, A Selected Bibliography of Virginia, 1607-1699; William W. Abbot, A Virginia Chronology, 1585-1783; Samuel M. Bemiss (ed.), The Three Charters of the Virginia Company of London; Wesley Frank Craven, The Virginia Company of London; Charles E. Hatch, Jr., The First Seventeen Years at Jamestown, 1607-1634; Thomas J. Wertenbaker, Bacon's Rebellion and The Government of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century; Richard L. Morton, Struggle against Tyranny and the Beginning of a New Era; Martha W. Hiden, How Justice Grew. Dr. Wilcomb E. Washburn, Virginia under Charles I and Cromwell, takes issue with most Virginia historians by coming to the defense of Governor John Harvey who was kicked out of Virginia because of his despotic rule, abuse of the courts, and disregard of law.
Among the special studies relating to the political history of Virginia are Philip A. Bruce, The Institutional History of Virginia (1910); Julian A. C. Chandler, The History of Suffrage in Virginia (1901); Oliver P. Chitwood, Justice in Colonial Virginia (1905); Percy S. Flippin, Financial Administration of the Colony of Virginia (1915); Armistead C. Gordon, The Laws of Bacon's Assembly (1914); Albert O. Porter, County Government in Virginia (1947); Mary N. Stanard, The Story of Bacon's Rebellion (1907); R. T. Barton, Colonial Decisions (1909); Edward Ingle, Virginia Local Institutions (1885); Elmer I. Miller, The Legislature of the Province of Virginia (1907); Lyon G. Tyler, The Cradle of the Republic (1906); Moncure D. Conway, Omitted Chapters (1888); H. J. Eckenrode, The Revolution in Virginia (1916); Hugh Blair Grigsby, The Virginia Convention of 1776 (1855); Charles R. Lingley, The Transition in Virginia from Colony to Commonwealth (1910); Charles S. Sydnor, Gentlemen Freeholders, Political Practices in Washington's Virginia (1952); Curtis P. Nettels, George Washington and American Independence (1951).
Biographies of prominent Virginians seem to come in pairs. There are two biographies of William Claiborne, Norton C. Hale, Virginia Venturer (1951), and John H. Claiborne, William Claiborne of Virginia (1917); two biographies devoted to the Lee family, Burton J. Hendrick, The Lees of Virginia (1935), and Cazenove G. Lee, Jr., Lee Chronicle (1956); two short studies of James Blair, Daniel E. Motley, Life of Commissary James Blair (1901), and Edgar L. Pennington, Commissary Blair (1936); two biographies of Edmund Pendleton, Robert L. Hilldrup, The Life and Times of Edmund Pendleton (1939), and David J. Mays, Edmund Pendleton (1952); there are several biographies of Captain John Smith.
Philip A. Bruce, The Virginia Plutarch (1929), gives brief biographies of Sir William Berkeley, Nathaniel Bacon, Alexander Spotswood, William Byrd II, Patrick Henry, and others. Among other biographies are Richmond C. Beatty, William Byrd of Westover (1932); Thomas J. Wertenbaker, Torchbearer of the Revolution, The Story of Bacon's Rebellion and Its Leader (1940); Leonidas Dodson, Alexander Spotswood (1932); Louis K. Koontz, Robert Dinwiddie (1941); Louis Morton, Robert Carter of Nomini Hall (1941); Kate Mason Rowland, Life and Correspondence of George Mason (1892); William Wirt Henry, Patrick Henry (1891); A. T. S. Goodrick, Edward Randolph (1898-1909); Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography.
There are numerous Virginia local histories, among them W. Asbury Christian, Richmond, Her Past and Present (1912); (1931); Ralph T. Whitelaw, Virginia's Eastern Shore (1951); John B. Bodie, Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia (1938); Marshall Wingfield, A History of Caroline County, Virginia (1924); and Herbert C. Bradshaw, History of Prince Edward County, Virginia (1955).
The Virginia Gazette is a major source for the history of Virginia in the eighteenth century. The scattered numbers still in existence have been photostated and copies deposited in some of the larger libraries. Their usefulness has been greatly enhanced by the preparation of an Index by Lester J. Cappon and Stella F. Duff.
Virginia historians will always be grateful to Dr. Earl G. Swem for his Virginia Historical Index, covering The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, volumes 1-38; William and Mary College Quarterly, first series, volumes 1-27; second series, volumes 1-10; Hening's Statutes at Large, and other publications.