author

Charles Campbell

1807–1876

A 19th-century Virginia historian and Presbyterian minister, remembered for writing a major early history of colonial Virginia. His work drew on years of collecting papers and records, helping preserve stories from the colony's earliest days.

2 Audiobooks

History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia

History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia

by Charles Campbell

A letter to the Rev. Charles N. Wodehouse, Canon of Norwich, occasioned by his recent publication, entitled, "What is the meaning of Subscription?"

A letter to the Rev. Charles N. Wodehouse, Canon of Norwich, occasioned by his recent publication, entitled, "What is the meaning of Subscription?"

by Charles Campbell

About the author

Best known as a Virginia historian, he was also a Presbyterian minister. He is closely associated with History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia, first published in 1860, a substantial account of the colony's development from its founding through the Revolutionary era.

Archival records at William & Mary describe him as a Virginia historian and show that he assembled historical papers, correspondence, and manuscript volumes over many years. That record-collecting work helps explain the depth of his writing: he was not only telling Virginia's story, but also preserving the materials later generations would use to study it.

Because the surviving sources located here are limited, some biographical details about his personal life and career are not clear enough to state with confidence. What does stand out is his lasting place in early Virginia historiography and his role in keeping important historical documents in view.