Fredericksburg was founded in colonial times as a "port city" on the Rappahannock River. At the time, it was at the farthest point navigable by large ships trading goods with the Old World. The city was a center of trade for the plantation owners and farmers nearby, but it never matched the level of commerce enjoyed by Richmond and Alexandria. The city was contested during the American Civil War and changed hands several times. The most famous battle in Fredericksburg saw General Burnside repeatedly march thousands of his troops across the river and up Marye's Heights to their doom.In recent years, Fredericksburg's population and surrounding communities have boomed as housing costs closer to Washington, DC forced commuters to seek neighborhoods farther out. Many commuters living in Fredericksburg drive an hour to two hours each way to work in DC. Fredericksburg is also a popular home for Marines commuting to nearby Quantico.While the city has seen massive growth as a bedroom community, the historic downtown area and battlefields have been well preserved. http://wikitravel.org/en/Fredericksburg (Virginia)