Downtown Richmond is the central urban area of Richmond, Virginia. From the early 1800s, Downtown Richmond rapidly expanded as a major player in the slave market, with Shockoe Bottom being the most famous slave market in the nation. When the American Civil War came, Richmond became a military town, and, in April 1865, the Confederates set fire to their city rather than let it fall into Union hands, leading to the destruction of 80% of Downtown Richmond. In the 1920s, several art deco buildings were constructed in Richmond, and department retailers set up flagships in booming Downtown Richmond. The central business district soon became home to Virginia's tallest buildings, and an influx of Fortune 500 companies led to migration to Richmond from the North, the suburbs, and from other countries (especially India).
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