In 1607, Virginia became the first colony when Jamestown was settled. Some 40 or 50 years later, what nickname was given to the colony, allegedly by King Charles II for its loyalty to the crown?

As the story goes, after the English Civil War in the 1650s, Charles II was installed as king after years of exile. He was apparently so touched by the colony's loyalty to him that he dubbed the state 'The Old Dominion'. Some historians doubt that story, but most agree that before 1700, official state documents referred to Virginia as ‘most Ancient Colloney and Dominion'.

Asked by Tom Cohen · Last updated 5 years ago · 43.6K views