Petersburg is an independent city in central Virginia, located on the Appomattox River and just 21 miles south of Richmond. In 1675, it was founded as a trading post known as "Peter's Point" in honor of the trader Peter Jones, and, in 1733, Richmond's founder William Byrd II conceived plans for a city at Peter's Point. Petersburg was founded on 17 December 1748, and it became a center of James River shipping traffic. In 1833, railroads connecting Petersburg to Richmond and North Carolina opened, stimulating industry in the city. During the American Civil War, Petersburg was a vital city for the Confederacy, and, in the Siege of Petersburg from 1864 to 1865, Union forces attempted to cut off Richmond's rail links by taking the city. Its fall in April 1865 led to the capture of Richmond and the defeat of the Confederacy shortly after. During the 1950s and 1960s, its old African-American community actively participated in the Civil Rights movement. By the 21st century, Petersburg was still a transportation hub and a historical heritage site, but it suffered from a high crime rate. In 2018, Petersburg had 31,567 residents.
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