Virginia: The founding history and architectural legacy of the Cradle of Presidents

Virginia, established at Jamestown in 1607 as the first permanent English colony in America, officially joined the Union as the 10th state on June 25, 1788. The state also holds the distinction of hosting the nation's first representative legislature, which was formed in 1619.

Known as the "Mother of Presidents," Virginia is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The state is also nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and the "Mother of States," as its original territory eventually formed the land for eight other U.S. states.

State officials moved the capital from Williamsburg to Richmond in 1779. The Virginia State Capitol, constructed between 1785 and 1792, stands as the first public building in the United States designed in the Classical Revival style.

Thomas Jefferson modeled the capitol’s design after the Maison Carrée temple in France. Today, it remains the second-oldest state capitol building still in active use in the United States.

Virginia’s historical designation as the "Mother of Presidents" and "Mother of States" is more than a nostalgic honorific; it underscores the Commonwealth’s role as the primary architect of the American political identity. The dominance of the "Virginia Dynasty"—which produced four of the nation’s first five executives—solidified the foundational governance structures and principles of the nascent Republic.

The architectural legacy of Thomas Jefferson, specifically his design for the Virginia State Capitol, served as a potent ideological manifesto. By intentionally modeling the structure after the Roman Maison Carrée, Jefferson signaled a decisive break from the Gothic aesthetics associated with the British monarchy. This neoclassical pivot was a calculated alignment with the ideals of the Roman Republic—democracy, the rule of law, and civic virtue. It reflected an elite aspiration to construct a new political order rooted in Enlightenment philosophy rather than the inherited traditions of the Old World.

In the contemporary era, Virginia has evolved into a pivotal swing state, serving as a microcosm of the demographic and political shifts currently reconfiguring the American landscape. Yet, its legacy as the foundational site of Anglo-Saxon institutional, legal, and cultural frameworks in North America remains the bedrock of its significance. Understanding Virginia’s trajectory provides a critical lens through which to analyze the enduring tensions and historical continuities that define the modern American narrative.

For the Vietnamese-American community—particularly in the vibrant enclaves of Northern Virginia—the history of the Commonwealth serves as a profound backdrop to their own stories of resettlement. While Virginia’s colonial founding may seem far removed from the modern realities of the nail salon industry, bustling phở restaurants, or the complexities of navigating F2B and H-1B visa categories, the narrative of building a society from scratch resonates deeply. Even if the state's early legislative milestones don’t directly dictate the flow of remittances, the core theme of forging a future in an unfamiliar land strikes a chord with those who arrived with little and rebuilt their lives from the ground up. In the neighborhoods surrounding Little Saigon, the story of Virginia’s inception mirrors the resilience of a diaspora that has successfully woven its own legacy into the American fabric.