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Studies on Virginia history reveal that the state was originally inhabited by Red Indians, who entered the north American continent through Alaska, many millenniums ago. The land bridge that existed between Asia and Alaska from pre-historic times had enabled Asians to walk over into the Alaska and settle further down south in the area around Virginia. Even to this day, the population of Virginia is predominantly Red Indian. The true Commonwealth status of Virginia was not born until, a bloody period of the colonial history of Virginia had set in with the advent of the British.
The British entered Virginia, one of its colonies in America, with the purpose of commercially exploring the rich tobacco crop cultivation within the state. This intention of the British rulers, developed into reality when, Virginia transformed into the richest and most developed of British colonies. However, European settlement could not infiltrate the pagan Indian civilization of the Virginians, until the British rulers set up Jamestown in 1607. The state seal of Virginia depicts the victory of good over evil. Good is symbolized by a warrior-like depiction of the goddess Virtus, who stands for virtue and evil is denoted by a tyrant lying at her feet. Under this depiction is printed the state motto which reads as "Sic Semper Tyrannis" which means "Thus Always to Tyrants". The state seal was officially adopted on 1776, after Virginia relinquished its colonial status, and became an independent state of free America. Virginia' state flag has been designed on a blue background upon which is printed the state seal.
Red Indians, the first settlers in Virginia, followed a separate pagan religion of their own, but with the influx of Britishers and the European settlement, the main religion in Virginia has been Christianity. Protestant Christianity is the religion followed by most Virginians today. Closely associated with Virginia, is the history of another neighboring state of the commonwealth, West Virginia. West Virginia had gained independent status as a separate state, only after the American Civil War broke out. Conflicts over the issue of slavery caused the western region of Virginia to break away from its mother state and form a separate state of its own. On June 20, 1863, West Virginia was officially enrolled in the US Constitution as a separate state. After the break-up, the Commonwealth had transformed into the battlefield of the American Civil War and played a significant role in shaping up American and Virginia history.
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