Hampton Roads Virginia-Crossroads of History
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The Hampton Roads region of Tidewater Virginia has a history as old as our country. More than 400 years ago, Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in the New World and was the Virginia Colony’s first capital. Williamsburg usurped this honor later in the 17th century and both towns are now
celebrated museums of living history of colonial times.
The cities of Yorktown, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Suffolk and Newport News soon grew up around the deep, ice free natural harbor centrally located on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. This crossroads of history is where General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown, ending the American Revolution.
The first naval battle of the War of 1812 between the British Empire and 
our new nation was fought in Hampton Roads. Several forts were built in the ensuing era to defend this strategic harbor. The region was hotly contested during the Civil War and was the site of the infamous battle between the warships the Monitor and the Merrimac. In late 1862, Hampton Roads fell to Union forces and became a staging area for several important campaigns aimed at taking the Confederate Capital at Richmond.
Today, this region encompasses nearly 30 miles of some of the nicest ocean beaches on the Atlantic seaboard. It’s also home to renowned theme parks, wineries, museums and galleries. When you combine these with the intriguing historical attractions and the allure of the sand and surf, you have a vacation the entire family will long remember.
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March 23rd, 2011 at 5:17 pm
You know what is nice to do from time to time? To go on a vacation, far away from home and enjoy the view and the history of other regions and countries. I heard about Hampton Roads and their surroundings. If I am not mistaking the carnival cruise lines follow a period of time this route. I will love to go on a cruise.
June 1st, 2011 at 12:28 pm
That looks like a pretty fine ship!
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I enjoy reading the report, too. It?s easy to understand that a journey like this is the biggest event in ones life.