1671Government
The land on which the city was founded was part of a tract patented in 1671.
1676Military
The Virginia General Assembly established a fort on the Rappahannock in 1676, just downriver of the present-day city.
1714Government
In 1714, Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood sponsored a German settlement called Germanna on the Rapidan River, a tributary of the Rappahannock upstream from the future sit...
1716Military
In 1716, he led an exploratory expedition westward over the Blue Ridge Mountains.
1720Government
As interest in the frontier grew, the colonial assembly formed Spotsylvania County in 1720, named after Royal Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood.
1728History
== Etymology ==
The independent city of Fredericksburg was named in 1728 for Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King George II.
1732History
Streets within the town were named after relatives of Frederick, Prince of Wales, who was the town's namesake., The county court was moved to Fredericksburg in 1732.
1738History
The presence of large landholdings nearby, such as Ferry Farm purchased in 1738 by Augustine Washington aligned with the town's role as a local hub.
1763History
Several citizens played active roles during the American Revolution (1763–1781).
1768Architecture
James House (built 1768), is open to the public only during Historic Garden Week).
1780History
Hence, the community served as county seat until 1780.
1781Government
Fredericksburg was incorporated as a town in 1781 and became an independent city in 1879, a legal status retained under Virginia's city-county separation framework.
1786Culture
The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library is located on the site where Monroe practiced law from 1786 to 1788.
1816Culture
Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, and the 1816 town hall and market house, now operated as the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center.
1837Government
By 1837, a north–south railroad, which became the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, linked the town to Richmond, the state capital.
1852Architecture
Important public buildings include the 1852 courthouse designed by James Renwick, whose works include the Smithsonian Institution's castle building in Washington and St.
1860History
Neither the city of Fredericksburg nor the surrounding counties reached the 1860 level of population again until well into the 20th century.
1862History
More than 10,000 African Americans in the region left slavery for freedom in 1862 alone, getting behind Union lines.
1863Military
and every one of them seemed to be in the best of humors."
The Second Battle of Fredericksburg was fought in and around the town on May 3, 1863, in connection with the Chancello...
1864Military
The battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House were fought nearby in May 1864.
1879Government
It received its charter as an independent city in 1879 and under Virginia law, was separated from Spotsylvania County.
1884History
While the News folded in 1884, the Star moved to daily publication in 1893.
1885History
The Free Lance was first published in 1885, and competed with two twice-weekly papers in the city during the late 19th century, the Fredericksburg News and The Virginia Star.
1900History
In 1900, the two companies merged, with both newspapers continuing publication until 1926, when they merged as a single daily newspaper under the current title.
1908Government
The University of Mary Washington was founded in Fredericksburg in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women, to train white women for teaching K-12 and industria...
1911History
The city adopted its present city manager/council form of government in 1911.
1927Military
Formed by an act of Congress in 1927, the national military park preserves portions of the battlefields of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Cou...
1938Education
Adopting the name of Mary Washington College in 1938, the college was for many years associated with the University of Virginia (then limited to white men) as a women's liberal ...
1958History
Musician Link Wray invented the power chord of modern rock guitar in Fredericksburg in 1958 during an improvisation of the instrumental piece "Rumble", a single subsequently rel...
1964Civil Rights
The college officially desegregated in 1964.
1970Education
The college became independent of the University of Virginia and began to accept men in 1970.
1988History
Bush did so in 1988.
1997Economy
From 1997 to 2005, Studio Ironcat, a small publishing company dedicated to publication of manga and later, Amerimanga, was based in Fredericksburg.
2001History
In 2001, the Arbitron media service began listing the Fredericksburg area as a nationally rated radio market.
2004Education
In 2004, the college changed its name from Mary Washington College to the University of Mary Washington.
2007History
Retail, real estate, and other commercial growth exploded in the early 21st century, eventually slowing during the Great Recession beginning in 2007.
2008Government
In the 2008 presidential election, voters in Fredericksburg gave Barack Obama a total of 63.6% of the vote.
2011History
Hispanic growth skyrocketed from 2011 to 2020, with Chancellor Green in nearby Spotsylvania County becoming a local enclave.
2014History
Until June 19, 2014, the Free Lance–Star was owned and operated by members of the Rowe family of Fredericksburg.
2015History
On December 31, 2015, the newspaper and associated website were purchased by Berkshire Hathaway's BH Media Group.
2016Government
In the 2016 presidential election, then-candidate Donald Trump garnered the lowest percentage of the city's vote for any Republican candidate since 1936; about two percent fewer...
2021Culture
=== Public Library ===
Central Rappahannock Regional Library
== Sports and recreation ==
The Fredericksburg Nationals minor league baseball team began play at Virginia Credit ...
2022History
=== American Community Survey 2022 ===
According to the 2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the median household income in the city is $83,445 and the median income...
2023Government
The FXBG Advance, a nonprofit Substack-based local news site, was founded in 2023.
2024Government
Fredericksburg operates with a council-manager government, with Kerry Devine as the current mayor, first elected in 2024.