The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia are in the midst of recognizing and commemorating 250 years since the occurrence of the events, and episodes of the  American Revolutionary War and the creation of the United States of America.

In December, 2025 the VGA Steering Committee approved the establishment of the #USVa250 Professional Learning Series and committed $25,000 ($100/year since the American Revolutionary War) towards K12 professional learning opportunities and resources. These programs and resources will assist  with the teaching, learning, and contextualizing of the American Revolution through a geo-historical lens.

This page contains materials and resources sponsored by the Virginia Geographic Alliance. Of particular interest to educators is a series of webinars produced in conjunction the National Council for History Education and opportunities for field experiences. Information is being added frequently so please check back often. Click on the links below for more information.

Video Resources ‍

Learning Resources (Google Folder)‍ ‍

University of Richmond Library Resources ‍

Webinar Video Series

The interplay between geography and history is essential to understanding the events and episodes that shaped the first 250 years of the United States.  This webinar will introduce teachers to the power of using short classroom-ready GeoInquiries tailored to early US history topics.   These free dynamic activities bring the geography of these events to life while also introducing teachers and students to the power of geographic information.  Topics covered will include:  The American Revolution, Early European Exploration, The Protestant Reformation, and The 13 English Colonies.

*This webinar is part 1 of the 3 part series support by The Virginia Geographic Alliance, Virginia Council for History Education, and Esri.  Parts 2 and 3 will provide overviews of GeoInquiries that cover 19th century and 20th century US history topics.

Click to here to access a list of classroom  recommended GeoInquiries for teaching US History by time period (Early American, 19th, and 20th centuries).


The First Continental Congress met in September 1774, a gathering of delegates from 12 of the 13 American colonies that convened in Philadelphia to discuss the future of America. Join Joanne Freeman (Yale University), acclaimed professor specializing in the political history of revolutionary and early federal periods of US history, for a discussion of the impact of the First Continental Congress on 18th-century Americans and its legacy today. (Video courtesy of the National Council for History Education)

An American people, after a victory in Yorktown, colonists now turned their eyes towards the western edge of our colonies. What lied beyond? For thousands of colonists and pioneers, the answer was plain and already answered: opportunity. Already having strongholds in what was perceived as “no man’s land” and “indian territory,” the Scots-Irish ventured west along the Wilderness Road which Daniel Boone helped explore and plan for others ahead towards the hope of a bright future and a growing belief in what will eventually be coined “manifest destiny.”

As this third venture into Appalachia’s history unfolds, we will look at the events surrounding westward expansion through Appalachia ~ the doorway to the West, along with the many lives started, forfeited, and upended for the sake of spreading America’s wings.

Link to NCGE page

This webinar is part 3 of a 3 part series supported by The Virginia Geographic Alliance, Virginia Council for History Education, and Esri.

Click to here to access a list of classroom  recommended GeoInquiries for teaching US History by time period (Early American, 19th, and 20th centuries).


In this webinar, we will explore the experiences of Loyalists during the American Revolution, focusing on the choices they faced. When we center Loyalists, we can begin to see the ways that the American Revolution split families and communities. We will also explore some of the ways Loyalists have been memorialized and what they can reveal about how Americans have interpreted and reinterpreted the American Revolution.

Katie Schinabeck is a public historian and museum professional with interests in memory of the American Revolution and digital history. Schinabeck holds a PhD in Public History from NC State University and currently works as a Digital Content Researcher & Producer at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

As America celebrates her 250th birthday, the story of those who helped defend and create this great nation are needing to be told. The first in a series about Central Appalachia, “Early Appalachia and the Scots-Irish” begins the rich and diverse history of a region often still overlooked in history and culture today. It is a story of struggle, survival, determination, and the hope of a better life; while still holding on to it’s European culture and language into the twenty-first century.

TIn 1775, Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia, issued a proclamation that offered freedom to enslaved people who left their enslavers and joined the British army. Although the proclamation was only applicable in Virginia, Dunmore‘s edict had sweeping consequences on free and enslaved populations across the colonies. Join Noeleen McIlvenna, Wright State University professor who specializes in early American history, for a conversation about Dunmore, his proclamation, and the impact of his words.

Dr. Noeleen McIlvenna grew up in an era of great consternation — The Troubles in Northern Ireland. She now teaches colonial American History at Wright State University, Dayton OH, including graduate level courses on the American Revolution. She specializes in the southern colonies and has published three books on the colonial era since receiving her PhD from Duke University. (Video courtesy of the National Council for History Education)

This webinar will provide an insight into the documentary sources for the early conflict, setting the archival record in the wider context of British governance of its American colonies and the breakdown in the relationship between government and the governed. It will show how documents provide an insight into both events and attitudes to reveal how the early conflict rapidly deteriorated into all-out war. It will also show why working with original sources is so valuable for teaching colleagues and their students.

Continuing our dive into Central Appalachia’s history, part two of our series explores the role Appalachia played in the American Revolutionary War. Often overlooked in comparison to the more textbook headlining battles in New England and along the East Coast, the mountains of Appalachia did serve as an insulating blanket which both hid her people from sight, while also serving as the veil which most Appalachians allowed themselves to ignore the events in the rest of the colonies….until it didn’t. Finally recognized by the British as a potential stronghold and backdoor entry into a perceived ensured victory, Appalachia was finally drawn-in to the fray of fighting towards the latter-end of the Revolutionary War.


*This webinar is part 2 of a 3 part series supported by The Virginia Geographic Alliance, Virginia Council for History Education, and Esri.  Parts 3 will provide overviews of GeoInquiries that cover 20th century US history topics.

Click to here to access a list of classroom  recommended GeoInquiries for teaching US History by time period (Early American, 19th, and 20th centuries).



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