Lord Dunmore and the Campaign for the Chesapeake 1775-1776

"Delenda est Norfolk"

Learn about the role of the second Royal Governor, John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, and the Campaign for the Chesapeake, from Director of Education at Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area, Travis Shaw.

During the tumultuous summer of 1775, Virginians across the colony grappled with the question of whether to join the revolt against Britain. At the center of this debate stood the second Royal Governor, John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore. Dunmore’s actions during the revolution did much to galvanize the patriot movement in Virginia, and he has gone down in history as one of the most maligned men in Virginia. A villain to most, Lord Dunmore was also seen as a liberator by many enslaved men and women. By the summer of 1776, Norfolk lay in ashes, and Virginia was freed from British control.

This program is a collaboration with Loudoun VA250. Learn about the Loudoun VA250 Committee here and the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) here.

View all of our programs celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Please visit and subscribe to our YouTube Channel – Loudoun County Public Library Online Programs – for more programs.