The James River

                  The James River is one of the most significant locations in all of Virginia history for a number of reasons. The two primary reasons for the importance of the James River are the colonization of Virginia and the defense it provided during the Civil War.

During the time of settlement, the James River which is the largest river in all of Virginia, acted as a main source of transportation of both goods and settlers. One of the important components of the James River is the fact that it flows around 340 miles which touches into the capital of Virginia which is Richmond. The Native Americans also found the river to be of importance for transportation as well.

The James River played a very significant role during the time of the Civil War for many reasons. As with many locations of significance during times of battle, the James River allowed for geographic advantages of protection and construction that helped to protect from various forms of attack. An attack lead by Union forces on a fort actually failed because of the positioning of the fort on a cliff. It was this strategic placement of the fort and barricading of the river that kept Richmond safe from other attacks. Although this battle did not yield many casualties, it was an important one in keeping Richmond a secure location.

            The Civil War occurred for a number of reasons, but the main reason was that the northern states and the southern states of America had large disagreement on whether or not slavery should be continued. The North was for the most part against the continuance of slavery, while the south was in favor of the continued enforcement of slavery. This lead to the Civil War which eventually had battles all over Virginia and Pennsylvania. Virginia in particular was an important location for the Civil War because not only did it contain a large amount of the battles that took place, but it also is the state where the Civil War came to a conclusion at the Appomattox Court house.

            By going to this location and walking along the railroad tracks beside the James River, I learned that location in fighting is a key aspect. It is clear to me that the location was chosen for the geography, which allowed for things like shooting down hill and forcing enemy shots to go up to higher elevation and lose accuracy. The weapons of the time were also not the most accurate, so by gaining higher ground, soldiers were able to shoot farther distances.

             Over all, while walking through this location in Lynchburg, you can feel a sense of significance and understand that geography has a largely important impact on the outcome of settlement and a battle, especially in the days of the Civil War and early colonization. It is incredible to think that I go to school so close to some of the most important locations in history as it pertains to the Civil War.