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Explore the Fredericksburg Region
Many historic sites offer year-round entertainment, educational programs, and hands-on activities. In addition to Colonial, Revolutionary, and Civil War sites, you’ll also enjoy scenic waterways, cultural and sporting events, winery tours, and recreational activities. Sightseers can tour by trolley, horse-drawn carriage, and riverboat. The charming historic downtown district is an attraction in itself, with art galleries, museums, antique and specialty shops, and restaurants housed in 18th and 19th-century buildings. Fredericksburg," America’s Most Historic City," is listed in The Great Towns of America: A Guide to the 100 Best Getaways for a Vacation or Lifetime, so you know you’ll have a great time! History
Evening travelers often see candles flickering in windows of area homes—a welcome sight reminiscent of earlier times. That’s part of the unique flavor of the Fredericksburg Region—an appreciation of history. Residents value the area’s heritage and its links to many of the nation’s early leaders. George Washington lived here from the ages of 6 to 20, James Madison was born here, and James Monroe began his law career in the city. In 1777, Thomas Jefferson penned Virginia’s Statute of Religious Freedom in Fredericksburg, which inspired the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. Long before the Revolutionary War, Powhatan Indians lived along theRappahannock and Potomac Rivers, an area explored by Captain John Smith. One of the first English settlers was the family of Colonel Giles Brent, who migrated from Maryland. Stafford County, named after Staffordshire, England, was formed in 1664, followed by Spotsylvania, Caroline, and King George in the 1720s. Fredericksburg became a regional center of commerce, receiving manufactured goods from England and exporting agricultural products and gold. Early business ventures in the region included Governor Alexander Spotswood’s Tubal Furnace, James Hunter’s Ironworks, and a variety of commercial mills. The region suffered turmoil during the Civil War, when both armies occupied the area. The b Today, visitors and residents relive the area’s history by visiting 6,000 acres of battlefields, historic sites and museums, homes of the Washington family, and a 40-block National Historic District filled with specialty shops and restaurants. Once primarily rural, the region is now one of the fastest growing areas in Virginia, experiencing unprecedented growth and prosperity in the last few decades. In 1970, about 77,000 people lived in the region. Today that number has grown to 280,000. The growth continues, yet it’s a comfortable place to raise a family and get involved with the community.
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Chamber Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce |
Fredericksburg was established in 1728 as a frontier riverport near the falls of the Rappahannock. The 50-acre town was named after Crown Prince Frederick. 
attles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania Courthouse, and the Wilderness resulted in 100,000 casualties. It took decades for the region to recover from the devastation.