University of Virginia Library

'Black Virginian' Topic Tonight
As Craven Gives Third Lecture

Wesley Frank Craven will discuss "The
Seventeenth Century Virginia - Black
Virginians" tonight in the third and concluding
part of this year's James W.
Richard Lectures.

Mr. Craven's speech will be held at 8
p.m. in Gilmer Hall Auditorium and is
open to the public. There is no admission
charge.

Mr. Craven spoke Monday night on
"White Virginians" in the opening lecture of
the three-part series before an overflow crowd.
He discussed the type of Englishman who
settled in colonial America, describing him as
"young, but not a child," and interested in
advancing himself by moving to the New World.

Mr. Craven described 17th Century Virginia
as society dependent upon immigrants for its
population since the male-female ratio in the
colony was about four to one. The ratio in New
England, by contrast, was three to two.

The greatest population expansion in Virginia
occurred between the years 1650 to 1674, Mr.
Craven said. The extreme variations in the
immigration rates during the century were due
to factors such as the political situation in
England at the time, among others.

Last night, the lecturer, a professor at
Princeton University, discussed "the Red Virginians."
He admitted Monday that the Indian
population should perhaps be discussed first,
since Indians were the first of the three races to
inhabit the area.

However, Mr. Craven chose to talk about the
English settlers first, since it is only through
their records that there is any information
about the Redmen of Virginia.

Mr. Craven was introduced Monday night
by Merrill Peterson, chairman of the Corcoran
Department of History at the University. Mr.
Peterson described the guest speaker as the
foremost Southern colonial historian in America.

Among Mr. Craven's most noteworthy
works are "The Southern Colonies in the 17th
Century," and "The Colonies in Transition."

Photo By David Hunt

Wesley Frank Craven Will Speak Tonight on Seventeenth Century Virginia

Mr. Craven Will Speak on Black Virginians Having Spoken of Red and Whites