Great Bridge, Virginia

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Great Bridge is a community located in the independent city of Chesapeake in the U.S. state of Virginia. Its name is derived from the American Revolutionary War Battle of Great Bridge, which took place on December 9 1775 and resulted in the final removal of British government from the Colony and Dominion of Virginia.

The original bridge from colonial times has been replaced several times; it's currently served by a modern drawbridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway.

The city hall as well as other major municipal buildings for Chesapeake lie within Great Bridge. Great Bridge was essentially a small town or crossroads until the late 1980s and 1990s, when it experienced significant growth. It contains large residential areas as well as a large shopping center.

Great Bridge High School is a notable competitor in high school wrestling. Its wrestling team has won the state title for 13 consecutive years and is consistently ranked among the top high school wrestling programs in the nation.

The main branch of the Chesapeake Public Library displays a 12 pound cannon, labeled as having been fired at the Battle of Great Bridge. The written histories of the battle are specific in stating that there were only two cannon at the battle, both British "four pounders." Someday, librarian Peggy Forehand Stillman, hopefully, will come in line with history.

The Battle of Great Bridge was the first colonial victory over the British. John "Lord Dunmore" Murray's 200 redcoats evacuated Fort Murray and withdrew to Norfolk. Some folks name Lexington and Concord as the first colonial victory notwithstanding that what occurred between Lexington was not a battle at all. In the British march from Lexington to Concord, British troops were subjected to occassional potshots from local farmers. T'was no battle.

Northern publishers need to be encouraged to teach the importance of Virginia's Battle of Great Bridge.

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