Skip to main content

VA, USA

Richmond

16 sources organized by credibility tier.

▶Tier 1 — Institutional and Academic (5)
  • Benedict Arnold's Dispatch to Sir Henry Clinton: Report on the Richmond Raid, January 1781 — Public Record Office (National Archives, United Kingdom)

    Arnold's own account of the Richmond raid sent to his British commander. Describes the force composition, the ease of penetrating the capital, and the destruction of military stores. The British perspective on the operation's strategic purpose.

  • Richmond National Battlefield Park: Revolutionary War Resources — National Park Service

    NPS interpretive resources on Richmond's role in the Revolution, including material on the capital's establishment and Arnold's 1781 raid. Cross-references with state archives for government records.

  • Thomas Jefferson to Steuben, January 12, 1781 (Arnold's Raid Correspondence) — Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Papers

    Jefferson's frantic wartime correspondence as governor during Arnold's January 5, 1781, raid on Richmond. Reveals the near-total absence of organized defense and Jefferson's scramble to remove government records and supplies.

  • Virginia Convention at St. John's Church, Richmond: Proceedings, March 1775 — Library of Virginia

    Official record of the Second Virginia Convention held at St. John's Church, Richmond, where Patrick Henry delivered his 'Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death' speech. The proceedings document the vote to raise troops and Henry's committee assignments.

  • Virginia Executive Papers and Council Journals, 1779-1781 — Library of Virginia

    Library of Virginia homepage. Virginia Executive Papers and Council Journals 1779-1781 require researcher access.

▶Tier 2 — Reputable Secondary (9)
▶Tier 3 — General Reference (2)
  • American Civil War Museum: Richmond's Revolutionary Roots — American Civil War Museum

    Includes brief interpretive material on the colonial and Revolutionary-era capital context. Useful for situating Richmond within the longer arc of Virginia history as a state capital.

  • Arnold's Expedition to Virginia -- Wikipedia — Wikipedia

    General reference overview of the January 1781 raid. Useful for a quick chronology and order of battle, but should be cross-checked against Jefferson's correspondence for accuracy on the governmental response.

For details on how we evaluate sources, see our Methodology.