Featured Articles
The Battle of Great Bridge by Robin Comfort. The Battle of Great Bridge, a decisive battle of the Revolutionary War, took place on 9 December 1775 in the village of Bridgetown. Learn more about this important battle in Robin’s article.
Mellon Foundation Announces $15 Million Emergency Funding for Humanities Councils. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has announced a $15 million emergency funding commitment to the Federation of State Humanities Councils in response to federal funding cuts that have devastated state humanities councils. This emergency funding will help provide support to all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils across the United States, including up to $250,000 for each council. Learn more about the Mellon Foundation and the grant the Virginia Humanities received from them.
Family History on the Hill by Sara Martin. Sara reports on the Records Preservation and Access Coalition (RPAC)’s second Family History on the Hill event held in April.
A Little AI Goes a Long Way by Kipp Hanley. Kipp explains that “While AI hasn’t replaced websites like ancestry.com or myheritage.com as the go-to sources for your family’s history, the use of this technology has become a valuable tool in the curation and analysis of primary source documents like wills, probates and deeds.”
Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Orange County Historical Society by Ray Ezell. As the Society celebrates its 60th anniversary, Ray reflects that “Orange County is a place where the people take their history seriously, conferring the appropriate amount of admiration on those by-gone times. However, their reverence is not just lip service to nostalgia. It is a recognition that the history of Orange County and its people is worthy to tell, and that those stories can still inform and teach us and our children in the 21st century and beyond.”
In addition to the feature articles, you’ll find upcoming events, the President’s message, book reviews, the “Glad You Asked That” column, and VGS Member reflections on the National Genealogical Society Conference held in Kentucky.
Members: Log into the website and access the newsletter under the Publications menu on the VGS home page.