The Commonwealth of Virginia--the "Old Dominion"--was not only the birthplace of several presidents of the United States but also the wellspring of much of American culture. Eight presidents were natives of the Commonwealth and eight states (or parts of states) were formed from the original Virginia territory. After the American Revolution, Virginians by the thousands went forth to settle much of the Southeast, Midwest, and Northwest, carrying their traditions with them.

The folk culture of Virginia is a synthesis of elements taken from the several cultures transplanted to the New World and from native American cultures. When Jamestown was settled by whites in 1607 numerous Indian tribes (with a total population of about 25,000) occupied Virginia. Most Virginia Indians were either pushed west, wiped out by the white man's guns or disease, or absorbed through intermarriage with whites and blacks. A few Indian groups remain in Virginia today, but they have retained very little of their traditional culture.