Virginia.
1699. In the preamble of the that act [of Parliament of 1699], the province [of Virginia] is styled “his Majesty’s ancient and great colony and dominion.”—W. H. Foote, ‘Sketches of Virginia,’ p. 49 (1850).
1812. How many children have you? You beat me, I expect, in that count, but I you in that of our grandchildren. We have not timed these things well together, or we might have begun a re-alliance between Massachusetts and the Old Dominion.—Tho. Jefferson to John Adams, June 11: from Monticello.
1817. The chief sickness in this ancientest dominion, is in the autumn; when you may chance to shake, on one day, so that you cannot hold into your chair; and, on the next, to burn so as to scorch your clothes.—Henry C. Knight (‘Arthur Singleton’), ‘Letters from the South and West,’ p. 69 (Boston, 1824). (Italics in the original.)
1826. The good Old Dominion, the mother of us all, will become a centre of ralliance to the states whose youth she has instructed.—Tho. Jefferson, Thoughts on Lotteries: ‘Works,’ ix. 509–10 (1859).
1828. His idea of the Ancient Dominion is very much confined to that part of the State which lies below and near to the tide water.—Letter to the Richmond Whig, Feb. 16, p. 2/3.
1833. They don’t raise such humans in the old dominion, no how.—James Hall, ‘The Harpe’s Head,’ p. 91 (Phila.).
1835. As well developed a specimen of fat female good nature and usefulness as may be found in the Old Dominion.—P. H. Nicklin, ‘Letters on the Virginia Springs,’ p. 76 (Phila.).
1835. See TUCKAHOE.
1836. I inferred from [Mr. Thompson’s] details of expenditure at the South, that the “Old Dominion” was not intended to be embraced in his designation of “the South.”—Mr. Vanderpoel of N.Y., House of Repr., April 6: Cong. Globe, p. 263, App.
1837. ‘Letters from the Old Dominion’ in the Yale Lit. Mag., June and July.
1841. So far from intending any hostility to the “Old Dominion,” I feel great pleasure in declaring, &c.—Mr. James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, U.S. Senate, Feb. 27: Cong. Globe, p. 215.
1841. No gentleman understands better than my colleague the uniform opposition of the Old Dominion to a national bank.—Mr. Hubard of Va., House of Repr., Aug. 4: id., p. 278, App.
1850. [He] was the occupant of the executive mansion, located in [Richmond] that famous metropolis of the Ancient Dominion.—Mr. Foote of Mississippi, U.S. Senate, Jan. 28: id., p. 237.
1850. I have a constituent who … is a native of the Old Dominion, and at the age of sixteen fought in the battles of Eutaw and Guilford Court House.—Mr. Campbell of Ohio, House of Repr., Feb. 19: id., p. 182, App.
1861. The Old Dominion has got the brunt of the war upon her hands.—Mr. Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, U.S. Senate, July 27: id., p. 296/1.
