Celebrating the Nation’s 250th Birthday: Part 1

America’s 250^th anniversary is an exciting time for Virginia communities and the United States.

Because this is truly a big deal, I will dedicate two columns to honor this remarkable moment in our history.

Our 250^th birthday is a historic milestone that inspires patriotic celebrations, festivities and traditions.

As the State at the epicenter of the independence movement, Virginia’s role cannot be understated.

VA250, a commission created by the Virginia General Assembly, was established to detail and commemorate the significant role that Virginia played in our country’s founding.

Numerous VA250 projects have been active in Virginia’s Ninth District.

The “Martinsville Missile,” a VA250 car project created in Martinsville, recently broke the world land-speed record for a stock car at 253 miles per hour!

I co-introduced a resolution with Senator Tim Kaine to recognize this tremendous feat. The resolution declares that the House of Representatives extends its congratulations to the VA250 Car Project.

While Virginia’s Ninth District continues to shape history in our 250^th year of independence, we can examine the ways in which American independence is rooted in our communities and our region.

One of my favorite columns from past years relates to historic figures from the American Revolution era for which our communities bear names.

Such names include those who were key to our nation’s Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Seven Virginians lent their names to this foundational document, including George Wythe, for which Wythe County is named.

Of the other 49 that signed the document, perhaps no figure enjoys as much acclaim as Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County is named in his honor.

Maryland’s Charles Carroll of Carrollton is credited for Carroll County’s namesake.

Virginia’s fingerprints are not just all over the Declaration of Independence, but also the battlefields where independence was won.

Most notably is George Washington, the commander of the Continental Army that defeated the British Empire at Yorktown, Virginia. Washington County celebrates its namesake for the great revolutionary leader.

One of Washington’s aides, William Grayson, helped in the revolutionary combat. Grayson County pays homage to his service through its name.

Montgomery County gets its name from Richard Montgomery, who led the invasion of Canada and died at the Battle of Quebec in 1775. A belief that cultural and identity similarities existed between Quebec and America fueled prospects of a 14^th American colony.

Meanwhile, militia leaders like Brigadier General Joseph Martin, for which Martinsville enjoys its name, helped preserve the frontier. At one time, Martin received a commission from then-Virginia Governor Patrick Henry to be a key diplomat on the frontier.

Henry, whose “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech helped fuel the revolutionary spirit, has both Patrick and Henry Counties named in his honor.

Another future Virginia governor, Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee, was a former revolutionary officer who would earn a Virginia County, Lee, in his name. At Washington’s memorial service, Lee eulogized our first president, “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Lee helped serve in campaigns that took place in the South.

Numerous frontiersmen and forces played vital roles in the South, including the Overmountain Men. These frontier units travelled from Abingdon to the Carolinas to fight the British at key battles such as Kings Mountain and Cowpens.

The Overmountain Men consisted of valiant soldiers like William Russell. Russell’s father by the same name served at the Battle of Point Pleasant, a conflict where Andrew Lewis helped lead American frontiersmen to defeat Chief Cornstalk and the Shawnee tribe.

The Russells fought with great resolve, and thanks to their revolutionary heroism, Russell County earns its name.

While American colonists sacrificed blood, sweat and tears on the battlefield, also meaningful were the contributions from foreign figures.

Polish count Casimir Pulaski was a European nobleman inspired by the American cause. Credited for saving George Washington’s life, he later died at the Battle of Savannah.

For Pulaski’s service, Pulaski County gets its name, and a U.S. Congressional resolution posthumously proclaimed Pulaski an honorary U.S. citizen.

Our country’s fight for independence took many forms that are immortalized in Virginia communities, history books and other materials. I will continue to honor and recognize the nation’s 250^th birthday in next week’s edition.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office.  You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.