Alexandria, Virginia, has been witness to events which helped create America. Many of the nation's founding fathers and well-known historical figures, including George Washington and Robert E. Lee, lived in, worked in, and were a part of the city. Though it started out as a modest tobacco trading town and seaport, Alexandria has truly been at the crossroads of American history. Its citizens are proud of Alexandria's place in history and its importance as a city steeped in the narrative of the founding of the United States.Historic Photos of Alexandria depicts this colorful and varied history through still photos selected from the Library of Congress and the Local History–Special Collections branch of the Alexandria Library. From the occupation of Alexandria by Union troops during the Civil War to the thriving downtown shopping and dining district of the 1940s and 1950s, Historic Photos of Alexandria follows life and events throughout the city's history.

Historic Alexandria Foundation. This record of a famous port's architectural life includes 375 photographs of more than 500 buildings dating from 1749 to the mid-19th century.

Alexandria, Virginia, has been witness to events which helped create America. Many of the nation's founding fathers and well-known historical figures, including George Washington and Robert E. Lee, lived in, worked in, and were a part of the city. Though it started out as a modest tobacco trading town and seaport, Alexandria has truly been at the crossroads of American history. Its citizens are proud of Alexandria's place in history and its importance as a city steeped in the narrative of the founding of the United States. Historic Photos of Alexandria depicts this colorful and varied history through still photos selected from the Library of Congress and the Local History Special Collections branch of the Alexandria Library. From the occupation of Alexandria by Union troops during the Civil War to the thriving downtown shopping and dining district of the 1940s and 1950s, Historic Photos of Alexandria follows life and events throughout the city's history.

Alexandria, Virginia, has been witness to events which helped create America. Many of the nation's founding fathers and well-known historical figures, including George Washington and Robert E. Lee, lived in, worked in, and were a part of the city. Though it started out as a modest tobacco trading town and seaport, Alexandria has truly been at the crossroads of American history. Its citizens are proud of Alexandria's place in history and its importance as a city steeped in the narrative of the founding of the United States. Historic Photos of Alexandria depicts this colorful and varied history through still photos selected from the Library of Congress and the Local History Special Collections branch of the Alexandria Library. From the occupation of Alexandria by Union troops during the Civil War to the thriving downtown shopping and dining district of the 1940s and 1950s, Historic Photos of Alexandria follows life and events throughout the city's history.

Much of Arlington County typified the "sleepy Southern town," decades into the twentieth century. It was initially part of, then (merely) the closest neighbor to the District of Columbia. Often, Arlington was a place passed through on the way somewhere else. With better transportation at the beginning of the twentieth century, it became a destination instead. Towns sprang up along the rail lines. An overflow of home-seeking government workers joined the earlier settlers, ultimately developing the suburban community of today. The federal government joined in, placed facilities in the county, and developed the Custis-Lee estate into the national Arlington Cemetery. Historic Photos of Arlington County brings together many different images and perspectives on Arlington, from the non-recognizable rural nineteenth century to quite recognizable images from the 1970s. It captures the manifold aspects of the county in striking, black-and-white photographs. Images of local businesses, county-wide parades, and shaded streets mingle with those of presidential speeches ringing out from the steps of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Understanding the history of Alexandria, Virginia is key to the early history of the United States. This throrough overview examines its long and storied history, from former colonial tobacco port to vibrant modern community. Alexandria has a long and storied past. Founded as a colonial tobacco port by English and Scottish merchants in 1749, the city prospered. It became the social and economic center of Northern Virginia and the upper Potomac region. When the nation's capital was established in 1791, Alexandria became a part of the District of Columbia. In 1833, a canal intended to increase tradeand revenue nearly bankrupted the city. By the time Alexandria retroceded to Virginia in 1847, it had lost its standing among maritime cities on the Eastern Seaboard. Notable residents have included politicians and military heroes, such as George Washington, Robert E. Lee, and Gerald R. Ford, as well as cultural icons Willard Scott and Jim Morrison. Today's Alexandria includes descendants of free and enslaved African Americans and the progeny of 18th- and 19th-century European immigrants who have joined with "new" Americans to create vibrant 21st-century communities.