Captain Christopher Newport first led English explorers in 1607 to the site later named Richmond after a suburb of London, England. Until that time, Indian tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy had lived in the region.

After two unsuccessful attempts to settle this naturally advantaged location for transportation and trade, settlers enjoyed a change of luck. By 1644, the construction of Fort Charles began attracting many new settlers. Soon, the community grew into a bustling trading post for furs, hides and tobacco.

Richmond was founded in 1737 by Colonel William Byrd II. He inherited the former Stegg lands on both sides of the James River from his father and became known himself as the "Father of Richmond." He visited here in 1733 and planned to build a city. Four years later, his friend William Mayo developed a map of Richmond and the first lots were sold.

Only 250 people lived in Richmond when it became a town in 1742. In early 1780, the State Capitol was temporarily moved to Richmond from Williamsburg at the request of the General Assembly, which desired a central location that was less exposed to British incursions. In May of 1782, eight months after the British surrendered at Yorktown, Richmond was incorporated as a city and officially became Virginia’s new capital. On July 19 of that same year, Richmond's first City Charter was legalized.