Frontier settlers in Southwest Virginia joined the call for independence
months before the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Roanoke, VA

Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff

Published: 2:01 AM EST May 20, 2026

Edited: 2:02 AM EST May 20, 2026

ROANOKE, VA. — As Virginia and the nation prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, historians across the Commonwealth are revisiting the role Southwest Virginia played in the nation’s earliest fight for independence. Two hundred fifty years ago, the Roanoke Valley looked far different than it does today. Long before railroads, city streets and downtown skyscrapers, the region was a rugged frontier shaped by Native American communities, migrating settlers and the tensions building between the American colonies and Great Britain.

At the time, much of present-day Southwest Virginia was part of Botetourt County, which was established in 1769. Portions of the region later became part of Fincastle County, a sprawling frontier territory created in 1772 that stretched to the Mississippi River. Long before the City of Roanoke existed, Native American tribes lived throughout the valley, cultivating farmland and traveling the river systems that crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains. Historians say the area later became a major route for westward migration as European settlers traveled through the Appalachian frontier along the Great Wagon Road. The land that would later become Roanoke was originally known as “Big Lick,” named for the
salt marshes that attracted herds of animals to the valley. Salem was founded in 1802 and incorporated as a town in 1806. Roanoke County was established in 1838, and the City of Roanoke was officially incorporated in 1884 after the railroad transformed the region into a growing industrial center.

Months before Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech in Richmond, frontiersmen in Southwest Virginia had already declared their opposition to British rule.

On Jan. 20, 1775, fifteen men signed what became known as the Fincastle Resolutions, a document supporting the Continental Congress and condemning the British Parliament’s Intolerable Acts. Historians consider the resolutions one of the earliest public declarations of support for American independence from the western frontier. Many of the men who signed the document were veterans of Lord Dunmore’s War and the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant, according to the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, also known as VA250.

The document declared that “even in these remote regions the hand of unlimited and unconstitutional power has pursued us,” language that reflected the growing anger spreading through the colonies in the months leading up to the Revolutionary War. Historians also note that the resolutions referenced ongoing conflicts between settlers and Native American tribes on the frontier, underscoring the complicated and often violent realities of colonial expansion in the Appalachian region.

Virginia commemorated the 250th anniversary of the signing in January 2025 during a statewide event called “A Salute to Southwest Virginia,” recognizing the role frontier communities played in the early Revolutionary movement.

Today, local communities across the Roanoke Valley are participating in events connected to the nation’s semi quincentennial celebration through VA250, a statewide commission established by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020. The initiative highlights Virginia’s role in the American Revolution through educational programs, historical exhibits and cultural tourism events. Local historians say the anniversary offers an opportunity not only to celebrate the nation’s founding, but also to examine the complex history of the frontier communities that shaped western Virginia.

Historic sites throughout the region continue to draw visitors interested in Revolutionary-era history, including the Salem Museum & Historical Society and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest in neighboring Bedford County.

Upcoming VA250 and Revolutionary War Events:

·       Bedford: “Living History,” presented by The Fincastle Company — May 30, 2026, Bedford Central Library, 321 N. Bridge St.

·       Roanoke County: “Food, Lodging, Gas: Colonial Road Food” — June 8, 2026, South County Library, 6303 Merriman Rd.

·       Roanoke County: “Revolutionary Stories” — July 2, 2026, South County Library, 6303 Merriman Rd.

·       Bedford: Independence Day Celebration — July 4, 2026, Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 1776 Poplar Forest Parkway

·       Roanoke: “Freedom Festival & Fireworks” — 2026 details to be announced.

The Roanoke Rambler Staff