The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Richmond, Virginia, United States
Pre-European Era
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Great Indian Warpath had a branch that led from present-day Lynchburg to present-day Richmond. By 1607, Chief Powhatan had inherited the so known as the chiefdom of about 4–6 tribes, with its base at the Fall Line near present-day Richmond and with political domain over much of eastern Tidewater Virginia, an area known to the Powhatans as "Tsenacommacah."
17th century
1600s-1610s
1607 (May) – Capt. Christopher Newport leads a party of Englishmen on an exploration and they first visit "Pawatah", one of the capitals of the Powhatan Confederacy, at Shockoe hill overlooking the falls. 1608 (September) – Newport returns to the falls with 120 soldiers, to explore the Monacan country upriver. 1609 (September) – Captain John Smith, now President of Virginia Colony, sends another force of 120 men under Francis West to settle "West's Fort" in what is now the Rockett's neighborhood; Smith then purchases the Powhatan village from the chief Parahunt and renames it "Nonsuch", however, the native inhabitants resist the settlers, forcing them to return to Jamestown. 1610–1614 – First Anglo-Powhatan War resulting in a seven-year "Peace of Pocahontas" between the English and the Powhatan confederacy. 1610 (Fall) – Lord De La Warr, brother of Francis West and now colony governor, makes another attempt to establish a fort at the falls, but it too is abandoned in early 1611. He ultimately established West and Sherley Hundred in 1613. 1611 – The English establish Henricus a few miles downstream and make no further attempt to occupy the falls of the James for the time being. 1612 – Sir Thomas Dale and 350 others move to the upper James with intent on developing a settlement outside Jamestown. 1613 – Sir Thomas Dale establishes Charles City Point at the confluence of the Appomattox and James rivers and remarks how this area (Bermuda Hundred) resembles the newly settled Virginia colony of Bermuda. 1614 – On April 5, John Rolfe marries Pocahontas and they move to Varina Farms (across the James River from Henricus). For the next two years, they develop Nicotiana tabacum tobacco as a viable cash crop. Their son Thomas Rolfe is born here in 1615. 1617 – Rector and charter colonist of Henricus Alexander Whitaker drowns in the James River. 1619 Falling Creek Ironworks is built at confluence of Falling Creek with the James River. Thomas Dowse and John Polentine represent Henrico Cittie in the first meeting of the House of Burgesses at Jamestown After 38 settlers arrive safely at Berkeley Hundred, Thanksgiving is celebrated Berkeley Plantation on December 4. Samuel Jordan settles at Jordan's Journey (Jordan Point).
1620s-1640s
March 1622 – Henricus abandoned after Indian Massacre of 1622
From 1622 to 1632 the Second Anglo-Powhatan War made living away from Jamestown treacherous for colonial settlers. Attempts to continue settlement at Henricus continued, but only 22 inhabitants and 10 "dwelling houses" were there in May 1625. 1634 – The Virginia shire system is established, with most of Central Virginia included in Henrico Shire. with the county seat at Varina 1635 – Captain Thomas Harris plants a tobacco farm at Curles Neck 1636 – Fur trader Captain Henry Fleet drove the Appomattoc away from the falls of the Appomatox River, built a fort, and thereby opened that area for settlement. 1637 – William Farrar finally receives patent for the 2,000-acre tract around Henricus that he had abandoned in 1622. This ownership bestowed the family name to Farrar's Island. 1644–1645 – Third Anglo-Powhatan War 1645 – To secure the border between the English and the Native Americans, the English built Fort Charles built at falls of the James and Fort Henry (commanded by Abraham Wood) at the falls of the Appomattox River. 1646 Opchanacanough dies, and leaves Necotowance as the Weroance (chief) of the Pamunkey tribe. Peace Treaty of 1646 ends Anglo-Powhatan War by giving English control of territory as far west as Mowhemencho (now Bernard's Creek on the James in Powhatan County, Virginia), as well as granted an exclusive enclave between the York and Blackwater Rivers. This physically separated the Nansemonds, Weyanokes and Appomattox, who retreated southward, from the other Powhatan tribes then occupying the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck, and effectively ends the Powhatan Confederacy 1647 – Location of Fort Charles moved across the James River to "Manastoh", now Southside Richmond. 1649 – Necotowance dies, leaving Totopotomoi as the chief of the Pamunkeys.