В штате Вирджиния церковь временно стала столицей во время британского вторжения

Virginia’s Revolutionary secret: How a church became the state capitol STAUNTON, Va. (WSET) — What happens when an enemy army comes for your government? In the summer of 1781, Virginia found out. Five and a half years into the American Revolution, the commonwealth was struggling to defend itself. Virginia had sent soldiers, ammunition and weapons elsewhere to fight the British. That left the state vulnerable. The British took advantage. They burned Richmond. Virginia lawmakers fled to Charlottesville. Then British Gen. Charles Cornwallis saw another opportunity: capture outgoing Gov. Thomas Jefferson and Virginia’s relocated government. Historian Tom Howell said the consequences could have been devastating. “It would have totally crippled the state, and it could have very well cost Jefferson his life,” Howell said. “The Revolutionary War could have ended very differently,” said AJ Heine, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton. SEE ALSO: Governor Spanberger receives mixed reaction after stopping in Galax Then came a midnight ride: American Capt. Jack Jouett warned Jefferson that the British were coming. As British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton closed in on Monticello, Jefferson escaped. The General Assembly scattered. Virginia’s government was on the run. Lawmakers headed west, beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains, to Staunton. They found a place where they could continue governing. It was a church. The original Augusta Parish Church, where the lawmakers met, is gone. Trinity Episcopal Church now stands on the same ground. For 16 days in June 1781, Staunton served as Virginia’s temporary capital. Inside the church, lawmakers elected a new governor and confronted the enormous challenge of defending the commonwealth. They also considered an extraordinary idea: make George Washington dictator of Virginia. The proposal came from delegate Patrick Henry. The measure failed by just six votes. “That’s the great irony,” Howell said. “Give me liberty or give me death - but give me a dictator.” The proposal was eventually abandoned. SEE ALSO: 34 crashes reported along Route 460 stretch over five years, VDOT says Virginia’s militia was strengthened. The lawmakers returned to Richmond. The immediate crisis passed. But what happened in Staunton left behind a remarkable snapshot of just how uncertain the American Revolution really was. The original church may be gone, but the names of the lawmakers who gathered there remain. Today, they are displayed at Trinity Episcopal Church, marking the place where Virginia’s government took refuge during one of the most dangerous moments of the war. Heine said remembering that history carries tremendous responsibility. “With that comes both immense gratitude for all that they have handed over to us but also a lot of pressure,” Heine said. “I do not want to mess this up.” Amazing America 250 is sponsored by All Phase Roofing and Construction.