University of Virginia Library

FIRST PERIOD — THE COLONY

CHAPTER I

EARLY ATTEMPTS AT COLONIZATION

Importance of Virginia History. — The history of the
English race in America begins with Virginia. Much
romantic interest clusters around the first settlement of
this famous state, whose soil became the birthplace of a
great nation; and a narration of the adventures and deeds
of her people constitutes one of the most important parts
of the annals of our country.

Why Virginia was Settled. — Toward the close of the sixteenth
century, a strong desire to take part in the conquest
and settlement of America began to stir the hearts of
the English people. To increase trade, to bring heathen
peoples under the influence of the Gospel, to have a colony
where the surplus of the home population might go, and to
check the rising power of Spain were the chief reasons
that made England look with longing eyes upon America.
Then, too, to found a nation upon the virgin soil of the
New World was in itself an attractive thing to the brave,
ardent, and restless English people.

Early Explorers. — In 1492, Columbus[3] discovered the

Bahama Islands, and then later the West Indies and South
America, but he did not reach the continent of North America.
In 1497, John Cabot, who commanded an English
fleet, touched upon the mainland, and took possession of
it in the name of England. Upon this fact, England
based her claim to a part of the country; but nearly a
hundred years passed away before she made any effort to
secure it. In 1576, however, Sir Martin Frobisher made
an ineffectual effort to plant a colony; and in 1583, Sir
Humphrey Gilbert made another, in which he lost his life.

Sir Walter Raleigh's Exploring Party. — After the death
of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, his half-brother, Sir Walter
Raleigh,[4] took up the subject of colonization in earnest,

and he readily obtained from Queen Elizabeth, who was
much interested in the colonization of America, letters
patent that gave him all the authority he needed. So he
equipped an exploring party, which in April, 1584, he sent
out in two ships under

Raleigh

the command of Philip
Amidas and Arthur Barlow.
This expedition
reached the coast of
North Carolina in July;
and the adventurers
landed on an island,
called by the Indians
Wocokon, near stormy
Cape Hatteras. Several
days passed, and then
some Indians visited
them and entertained
them in the most hospitable
manner. The English discovered and explored the
island of Roanoke, and after remaining till September,
they returned to England and gave a most glowing description
of the country.

Origin of the Name Virginia. — The voyagers to the new
land said that it was the "most plentiful, sweet, wholesome,

and fruitful of all other." Marvelous stories were
told about the country in the West. There the fruits were
more luscious, the flowers more beautiful, the trees taller,
the mountains more majestic, than any ever before seen.
There, too, the rivers ran over golden beds, and the Fountain
of Youth, which removed all traces of age and disease,
poured forth its crystal waters. At last, the western paradise
foreshadowed by the myths of ancient times had been
discovered! Such were the reports of the first explorers,
fancy furnishing what facts failed to supply. When Queen
Elizabeth, who took pride in being called England's Virgin
Queen, heard such charming accounts of the new land,
she named it after herself, Virginia.

As to the boundaries of the country, these an old writer
described as follows: "The bounds thereof on the East
side are the ocean, on the South lieth Florida, on the North
Nova Francia [Canada], as for the West thereof the limits
are unknown." Since the "South Sea," which was another
name for the Pacific Ocean, was supposed to be but a few
hundred miles away, this was usually taken as the western
boundary. As time passed, the domain called Virginia was
continually made smaller, till finally the name was restricted
to what is now embraced in the two Virginias.

First Roanoke Island Colony. — Sir Walter Raleigh now
made preparations for what he intended to be a permanent
settlement. In April, 1585, he sent out a fleet of
seven ships under the command of Sir Richard Grenville,
which carried to Virginia a colony of 108 persons, Ralph
Lane being the governor. These landed on Roanoke
Island, and made a settlement. They inquired of the
Indians the name of the country, and one of the savages
exclaimed, "Wingandacon!" — "You wear good clothes!"
They understood this to mean, "the good land"; and so

the coast of North Carolina was called Wingandacon.
They also understood the Indians to say that the Roanoke
River sprang from a rock so near the "South Sea," that
storms often dashed the waves into the spring from which
it gushed, and that at this place there was an abundance
of gold and precious stones. So Lane and some of his
men set out to find the "South Sea," and continued their
quest till they were forced to eat their dogs, to keep from
dying of hunger. When they returned, they found the
colony in great need and the Indians becoming hostile.
At this critical juncture, an unexpected opportunity came
for the settlers to return to England. In May, 1586, Sir
Francis Drake touched at Roanoke Island with his fleet,
and, yielding to the solicitations of the colonists, took
them all back to England. They carried with them many
interesting particulars about the nature of the new country,
and much information in regard to the habits, manners,
and government of the Indians, which had been collected
by several learned and accomplished men who were members
of the colony; but the greatest advantage that came
from this expedition was the discovery of the Chesapeake
Bay. It was in June that the settlers departed; and in
the following August, Sir Richard Grenville came bringing
for them fresh supplies, but found the island deserted. So
he left fifteen men to hold possession of it; but these were
doubtless slain by Indians, as they were never heard of
afterwards.

The Lost Colony. — The settlement of Virginia was dear
to Sir Walter Raleigh's heart; and in May, 1587, he dispatched
another expedition, consisting of three vessels,
which carried 116 persons, among whom were a number
of men with their wives and children. Their plan was to
found on the Chesapeake Bay a city to be called Raleigh;

but they were turned from their purpose, and landed on
Roanoke Island, where they saw the bones of a man on
the shore, and deer feeding around the deserted homes of
the former occupants. They found the Indians bitterly
hostile. This caused gloomy forebodings to fill their
minds, and made them feel so strongly their dependence
upon the mother country and their need of frequent aid
from her, that, after several months had passed, they
urged their governor, John White, to go to England for
fresh supplies. To this he reluctantly consented, and in
August, 1587, set sail, telling them that if for any reason
they changed their location before his return, to carve upon
some prominent object the name of the place to which
they had gone, and above it a cross if they went away
in distress. He left his daughter, the wife of Ananias
Dare, who just a few days before his departure had given
birth to an infant, christened Virginia. This was the first
white child born in North America. He could have given
no stronger pledge of his speedy return than he did in
leaving his loved ones behind him. But in vain did the
expectant colonists look for him. He found all England
ablaze with excitement over the threatened invasion of the
Spanish Armada. An attempt was made to send relief
to the colony, but it proved unsuccessful; for the Atlantic
was swarming with Spanish ships of war; and not till
August 15, 1590, did Governor White again reach Roanoke
Island. He found some tracks in the sand, and on a
tree the word Croatan, but there was no cross above it,
and this seemed to indicate that the colonists had gone of
their own accord to an Indian town called Croatan, which
was on a neighboring island. White set out for Croaton;
but, a fierce storm coming on, the captain of the ship
refused to continue the journey and sailed for England.

Searching for the Lost Colony

When Sir Walter Raleigh learned that the colony was no
longer on Roanoke Island, he manifested much anxiety
in regard to its fate, and dispatched, it is said, five different
expeditions in quest of the colonists; but no certain
trace of them has ever been discovered. They simply
disappeared from view. Had they become lost in the
primeval forests and died of starvation? Had they been
massacred by the Indians? Or had they joined the
savages and, wandering off into the interior, become lost
to civilization? These questions have never been satisfactorily
answered; and this disappearance of over a hundred
human beings constitutes a pathetic tragedy — the
first of a long series connected with the history of our
country.

QUESTIONS

• 1. Why is Virginia history so important?

• 2. What were the chief reasons England had for settling Virginia?

• 3. When did Columbus discover America? What points did he touch?

• 4. Who first discovered the mainland of North America?

• 5. Upon what did England base her claim to Virginia?

• 6. Who first tried to plant English colonies in America?

• 7. Who afterwards took up the subject of colonization?

• 8. From whom did he obtain authority to carry out his plans?

• 9. Where did Raleigh's first expedition land?

• 10. How were the explorers treated by the Indians?

• 11. Upon their return to England, what accounts did they give of the
  country?

• 12. How did the name of Virginia originate?

• 13. How were its boundaries described by an old writer?

• 14. By what other name was the Pacific Ocean known, and where was
  it supposed to be?

• 15. Give an account of Sir Walter Raleigh's first Roanoke Island
  colony.

• 16. Why did they call the coast of North Carolina Wingandacon?

• 17. What did they understand the Indians to say about the source of
  the Roanoke River?

• 18. What was the result of Ralph Lane's attempt to find the South
  Sea?

• 19. Who took the settlers back to England, and what information did
  they carry with them?

• 20. What was the greatest advantage that came from this expedition?

• 21. Give an account of the Lost Colony?

• 22. What did they urge their governor to do, and what agreement was
  made?

• 23. What pledge did he give of a speedy return?

• 24. What traces did he find of the colony upon his return?

• 25. Has its fate ever been known?

CHAPTER II

JAMESTOWN

Renewed Interest in Virginia. — Nearly twenty years
elapsed after the planting of the lost colony before another
effort was made to settle Virginia. Then the times grew
favorable for a renewal of the enterprise, and many influential
persons became interested in it. Men, too, were
found in abundance, who were eager to make personal trial
of this new field of adventure. It seemed to offer an easy
road to fortune and to renown. Fabulous stories written
about America, its heathen peoples and "monstrous strange
beasts," were read with delight; and maps, which showed
the location of new lands, cities, and rivers, were eagerly
examined. From the pulpit, clergymen declared that "Virginia
was a door which God had opened for England."

The London and the Plymouth Companies. — Two associations
were in 1606 formed to settle colonies in the vast
domain known as Virginia. To Sir Thomas Gates, Sir
George Somers, and others, who constituted what was
known as the London Company, authority was given to
found a colony in the southern part of Virginia, and it
was to be planted anywhere between the thirty-fourth and
the forty-first degrees of north latitude; that is, between
what is now the southern part of North Carolina and the
mouth of the Hudson River. Three years later, the boundaries
of the southern colony were enlarged, and made to

embrace the territory two hundred miles north and two
hundred south of what is now known as Old Point Comfort
and to extend "up into the land from sea to sea";
that is, from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. To the
Plymouth Company authority was granted to establish a
colony in the northern part of Virginia, afterwards named
New England; but no permanent settlement was made in
this territory till 1620, thirteen years after Virginia was
settled.

The First American Charter. — On April 10, 1606, King
James signed a charter, which he had himself prepared,
for the government of the colony the London Company
was to plant. The laws laid down were, on the whole,
unwise, and not calculated to advance the prosperity of
a struggling community. The chief provisions were as
follows: The colony was to be governed by a council
appointed by the king, the members of which were to
reside in England; and this council was to appoint a
subordinate one in Virginia, which was to govern according
to laws, ordinances, and instructions prescribed by the
king. The land was to be held free of any military or
other service to the king, but to him was to be given one
fifth of all precious metals that might be found. It was
also provided that for five years the settlers should have
things in common, but that after this land should descend
to the eldest son, as it did in England; that the Church of
England should be established; and that efforts should be
made to find a short and easy way to the "South Sea" and
to the East Indies. One provision is worthy of special
notice — that the colonists and their children were to have
forever the rights and privileges of native Englishmen.

The Beginners of the Nation. — One hundred men were
soon secured, who were to be the pioneers. Among them

were to be found men of every rank. There were some
carpenters, laborers, and tradesmen, but more than half
the number were gentlemen. Several of these were men
of property, but many were younger sons, who went out
from home in the hope of bettering their condition in life
by a sudden accession of wealth. On the whole, the emigrants
were not suited to bear the hardships of life in
an uncivilized land. A few, however, had the qualities
of leaders. These were Captain John Smith, who was
a man of unusual ability; Bartholomew

Captain John Smith

Gosnold, an experienced
explorer, who was one of
the most efficient promoters of
the undertaking; George Percy,
a brother of the Duke of Northumberland;
and Rev. Robert
Hunt, a minister of the Established
Church.

The Departure. — Finally all
preparations were completed,
and on December 19, 1606, the
expedition set sail from Blackwall,
below London. The event stirred the patriotic feeling
of England, and aroused great interest even in so busy
a city as London. Michael Drayton wrote a lyric poem in
honor of the argonauts, and prayers were offered up in
the churches for their success. They embarked in three
small ships, the Susan Constant of one hundred tons, the
Godspeed of forty tons, and the Discovery, a pinnace of
twenty tons. The expedition was under the command
of Captain Christopher Newport.

The Voyage. — Captain Newport sailed round by the
Canaries, following the usual route. Stormy weather made

the voyage long and dangerous. For four months the
ships were tossed and buffeted by the waves; and not till
April 26, 1607, did the adventurers reach the Chesapeake
Bay, the northern and southern capes of which they
named after the king's two sons, Charles and Henry.
Soon after passing the capes, they entered a beautiful
river, which in honor of their sovereign they called the
James, and a point of land at which they touched in entering
its mouth, they named Point Comfort. The banks of
this noble river, which the Indians called the Powhatan,
were covered with showy white dogwood blossoms, mingled
with brilliant red buds; and from either side the perfume
of spring flowers was wafted to the ships. To the storm-tossed
travelers the land looked like a veritable paradise,
and they decided that "heaven and earth had never agreed
better to frame a place for man's habitation."

The First Virginia Council. — The names of the first
Virginia Council had been put, by orders of the king, in a
sealed box, which was not to be opened till the expedition
reached Virginia. It was examined on the night of April
26; and the councilmen were found to be Bartholomew
Gosnold, John Smith, Edward Maria Wingfield, Christopher
Newport, John Ratcliffe, John Martin, and George
Kendall. Wingfield was elected president. But Smith
was at first excluded from the Council on the ground that
he had conspired to usurp all authority and make himself
"King of Virginia." This charge was at a later period
proved to be untrue, and he was then admitted.

Exploring. — Seventeen days were spent in exploring.
The following quaint description tells what happened when
a small party first landed: "At night, when wee were going
aboard, there came the savages creeping from the Hills
like Beares, with their Bowes in their Mouthes, charged us

very desperately, hurt Captain Gabrill Archer in both
hands, and a Sayler in two places of the body very dangerous.
After they had spent their arrowes, and felt the
sharpness of our shot, they retired into the Woods with a
great noise and so left us."

Location of Jamestown Chosen. — On May 13, 1607, the
settlers selected a site for a city, naming it Jamestown,
which they fondly hoped would grow into a great metropolis.

The location chosen was on the western end of a malarial
peninsula, lying on the north side of the river, about forty
miles from its mouth. The peninsula has since become
an island. The landing having been effected, the Council
elected Mr. Wingfield president, who then delivered an
oration, in which he explained why John Smith had been
refused admittance to the Council. After this the colonists
proceeded without delay to pitch tents, whose white
coverings were soon seen gleaming among the green trees.
They rendered their arms and their provisions secure, and
fixed a place to hold religious services. Later, cabins were
built on the peninsula; and the place began to assume the
appearance of a settled community.

A Fort Built. — Toward the end of May, as the men
were planting corn, a shower of arrows came hurtling
upon them, followed by the shrill war whoop of the savages.
One boy was slain and seventeen men wounded
Up to this time but little preparation had been made for
defense; but now all work was stopped till a strong fort
could be built and palisaded. This was soon completed,
and the settlers felt secure from attack.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What of the renewed interest in Virginia?

• 2. For what purpose were the London and Plymouth Companies
  formed?

• 3. What parts of Virginia were given to each company?

• 4. By whom was the charter for the London Company signed?

• 5. What were the chief provisions of this charter?

• 6. Give an account of the pioneers of Virginia.

• 7. Name those who possessed qualities of leaders.

• 8. In what year did they leave England?

• 9. What interest was shown in their expedition?

• 10. Give the names of the three ships in which they embarked? By
  whom were they commanded?

• 11. Give an account of their voyage.

• 12. When did they reach the Chesapeake Bay?

• 13. After whom were the capes Charles and Henry named?

• 14. What name did they give the river they entered?

• 15. Who constituted the first Virginia Council?

• 16. Why was John Smith at first excluded?

• 17. What is said of their explorations?

• 18. How did the colonists give the peninsula the appearance of a settled
  community?

• 19. What happened towards the end of May?

CHAPTER III

A TYPICAL PIONEER

Early History of Captain John Smith. — Fortunately for
the colony, it contained one man of remarkable ability —
John Smith. He was born in Willoughby, England, his
family being connected with the Lancashire gentry. By
nature he was fond of adventure, and he lived at a period
when the world was full of excitement and stirring deeds.
Before he reached manhood he had fought in Flanders in
the wars against Spain. In 1601 he enlisted with the
Germans against the Turks. At the siege of Regal he
slew three Turks in a tournament, and was honored with
a triumphal procession. In the bloody battle of Rottenton
he was captured by the Turks and sold into slavery;
but he slew his master with a flail, and escaped into Russia.
Then he wandered through Poland, Germany, France, and
Spain, returning to England in 1604. Such, according to
his account, were the leading events in his life before he
came to America.

Visit to Powhatan. — While the settlers were trying to
make themselves comfortable at Jamestown, Newport and
Smith with twenty-three others sailed up the James to discover
its head. They went as far as the falls of the river,
and on the trip paid a visit to Powhatan, the acknowledged
head of the Virginia Indians, whom they found in his
royal wigwam, just a short distance from where the historic
city of Richmond now stands. They were hospitably

entertained by the savages; but Powhatan did not look
with favor upon his guests, though he thought it best to
hide his feelings. When one of his followers complained

Powhatan

(From an old print)

of the coming of the English,
he replied that the
strangers did not hurt
them, but only took a
little of their waste land.

An Unexpected Calamity.
— Newport returned
with his party to Jamestown
the last of May,
and in June he sailed for
England, leaving a bark
or pinnace for the use of
the colonists. He had
hardly taken his departure
before an unexpected
disaster befell the settlers.
The marshy peninsula
was full of malaria;
and when July came, the men were attacked with such an
epidemic of fever that at one time scarcely ten of them
could stand. To add to their distress, the supply of food
soon became insufficient, half a pint of wheat and as much
barley boiled in water being each man's daily allowance.
The noise of labor ceased, and no sounds were heard save
the groans of the sick. At times as many as three or four
died in a single night. Speaking of this period, Smith
says, "Our drink was water and our lodgings castles in
the air"; and George Percy wrote: "There were never
Englishmen left in a foreign country in such misery as we
were in this newly discovered Virginia." The facts show

that this statement was not exaggerated; for by September
half the men were dead, the brave Gosnold being among
the number, and the remaining fifty in a deplorable condition,
weakened by disease and by the lack of nourishment.

Half Survive. — When the supply of food had been
exhausted, and the men were about to die of starvation,
their wretched condition so moved the hearts of the savages,

that they gave them of their own fruit and provisions.
Smith also obtained additional supplies by trading
with the Indians and by intimidating them. The frosts
of autumn brought health to the fever-stricken men; and
now an abundant supply of food came from an unexpected
quarter. Wild fowl appeared in large numbers, swimming
upon the bosom of the river; and deer and other game
came near the settlement. So the men feasted and half
were saved.

Supposed Breadth of North America. — So little was
known of the dimensions of the continent at this period
that it was commonly supposed that the Pacific Ocean, or
the "South Sea," as it was called, could be easily reached
by sailing a little way up any of the rivers that ran from
the northwest. To find a way to this sea was one of the
objects set before the colonists by the London Company;
for it was believed this would open an easy route to the
East Indies, and pour out a golden tide of prosperity upon
the shores of England.

Smith a Captive. — Complaint having been made that
nothing had been done to discover the "South Sea,"
which had been the eager quest of so many of the early
explorers, Smith, who was the leading spirit of the colony,
sailed up the Chickahominy River to look for it. In the
swamps of the river the Indians captured him, after which
they set out on a march of triumph, exhibiting him to various
tribes and spending their time in feasting. Finally
they carried their captive to Powhatan, who was at Werowocomoco,[5]
his favorite resort, which was on the York
River, only a few miles from the historic field of Yorktown.
The Indians, after holding a consultation, decided
that Smith must die.

His Rescue. — Two great stones were brought, and the
head of the struggling captive forced down upon them,

while a number of warriors raised their clubs to dash out
his brains. But as they were about to strike, Pocahontas,
a dearly beloved daughter of Powhatan, then a girl about
thirteen years of age, rushed forward and, throwing her
arms around Smith, laid her head upon his to save him
from death. The stern heart of Powhatan was so touched
by his daughter's act that he spared Smith's life, and two

Rescue of Captain John Smith

days later sent him back to Jamestown, telling him that
he would in the future regard him as his son.[6]

Various Events. — When Smith returned to Jamestown,
he found the colony reduced to forty, and again in need
of food. But in January, Newport came with fifty additional
emigrants; and another ship containing seventy more
arrived in May. These ships brought supplies also, and

Newport and Smith obtained corn by trading with the
Indians. A fire at Jamestown early in the year destroyed
much that the colony possessed, and progress was further
delayed by a gold fever, which took possession of the men
because they found yellow sand near Jamestown, a shipload
of which Newport carried to England.

Smith Explores the Chesapeake Bay. — Smith's active
nature did not allow him to remain quietly at Jamestown
for a long period. On June 2, he set out, accompanied
by fourteen men, to explore the Chesapeake Bay. In an
open boat, with no instrument but a compass, he traversed
the whole of the Chesapeake on both sides. He
not only did this, but also made frequent journeys into the
interior, and opened communications with various tribes
of Indians. As a result of these researches, he constructed
a map of Virginia, which represented so correctly
the natural outlines of the country that it was not superseded
for many years; and even as late as 1873, it was
referred toas authority on the disputed boundary line
between Virginia and Maryland. When we consider the
slender resources at Smith's command, the results he
accomplished rightly place him in the highest rank among
those who have enlarged the bounds of knowledge, and
opened a way into an unknown land for colonies and for
commerce.

Change of Rulers. — The first rulers proved incompetent.
Wingfield was deposed by the people because he
tried to seize the pinnace and escape to England, and
Ratcliffe was made president. He was in turn deposed
for bad management, and, in September, 1608, Smith was
elected in his place. In times of adversity capable men
always come to the front, and Smith was virtually the
leader long before he became president. During the

autumn and winter that followed his election he had entire
control of affairs; and under his vigorous management,
everything took on a better appearance. When food was
needed he obtained it from the Indians, by fair means if
he could, and by force when nothing else availed.

Promises that Could not be Fulfilled. — About the end of
autumn, Newport came again, bringing with him another
supply of emigrants, among whom were Mrs. Forest and
her maid, Anne Burrus, the first English women that had
ever settled in the colony. This time he had promised to
do some impossibilities; for he had pledged himself not
to return to England without obtaining a lump of gold,
discovering the "South Sea," or finding one of Sir Walter
Raleigh's lost colony. He was also instructed to crown
Powhatan as a king acknowledging allegiance to England;
and this he did, putting on Powhatan's head a tinsel
crown, and giving him a scarlet cloak and other mock insignia
of royalty. The haughty Indian monarch, in return
for the presents he had received, sent King James
a robe of raccoon skins and a pair of his old moccasins.
The other undertakings Newport could not accomplish.

A New Charter. — In the summer of 1609, Captain Samuel
Argall came on a trading expedition, bringing from
England the news that Captain John Smith had been
deposed. This proved to be true. King James had
granted a new charter, which enlarged the limits of the
colony and authorized the London Company to choose the
English Council, and this Council was in turn to appoint
a governor for the colony. Virginia was to have not only
a governor, but also a lieutenant governor and an admiral;
Lord Delaware, Sir Thomas Gates, and Sir George Somers
had been elected to these offices, while Captain Newport
had been appointed vice admiral.

The New Emigrants arrive, but the New Government does
not. — Under the new organization, money enough was
speedily obtained to send nine ships containing five hundred
emigrants, to Jamestown. The fleet sailed from
England in May, 1609, leaving Lord Delaware to follow,
which he expected to do in a short time. To Gates,
Somers, and Newport, commissions were given, authorizing
the first one of the three that reached Virginia to administer
the government till Lord Delaware arrived. The
leaders were jealous of one another, and to keep one from
securing an advantage over the others by a prior arrival,
they all sailed together in the Sea Venture, the flagship of
the vice admiral. In August, about three hundred of the
emigrants, inadequately provisioned, arrived at Jamestown,
bringing the news that the Sea Venture, containing the
officers of the government and the rest of the party, had
been lost in a storm.

New Settlements. — As none of the officers authorized
to take charge of the government had arrived, Smith
retained control of affairs. He induced some of the newcomers
to settle at Nansemond under the command of
John Martin, and others at the falls of the James River
under Francis West, a brother of Lord Delaware.

Smith leaves Virginia. — While Smith was returning
from a visit to the settlement at the falls of the James,
he was severely wounded by the accidental explosion of
a bag of gunpowder. Toward the end of September, when
the ships that brought the emigrants returned, his enemies
succeeded in having him sent back to England, charging
him with having instigated the Indians to attack the settlers
at the falls, because they had been insubordinate to
him, and with plotting[7] to acquire a right to Virginia by

marrying Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan. Smith
afterwards explored the coast of New England; but he
never returned to Virginia. He died in London in 1631.

His Character. — The testimony of those who knew him
shows that he was a man of action, craving restless movement,
and taking pleasure in unremitting toil. He was
fertile in expedients and full of energy, difficulties serving
only to bring out the strength of his character, while his
hopefulness under adverse circumstances enabled him to
inspire others with confidence in him and in themselves.
His researches in geography are unusually accurate for
his times, and on practical subjects and colonization he
wrote much that contains the highest wisdom. With all
these strong qualities, he was at the same time so vain
that, when he gave an account of his own exploits, his
fervid imagination led him to color his narrative too
highly. His character is paradoxical, and has to be
studied in order to be understood. He has been called
the "Father of Virginia"; and there is no doubt as to
the great value of the services he rendered the colony.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What was the early history of Captain John Smith?

• 2. Give an account of the visit of Smith and Newport to Powhatan.

• 3. How did Powhatan regard his guests?

• 4. What calamity befell the Jamestown colony?

• 5. Why did the savages give them provisions?

• 6. From what source did the settlers obtain abundant supplies?

• 7. What was the supposed breadth of North America?

• 8. Describe the capture of John Smith.

• 9. Give an account of his rescue.

• 10. Upon his return to Jamestown, in what condition did he find the
  colonists?

• 11. Why were the first rulers deposed, and who was finally elected
  

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48





• 12. Who were the first English women that emigrated to the colony?

• 13. What had Newport promised to do?

• 14. Give an account of the crowning of Powhatan.

• 15. When Argall came to Virginia, in 1609, what news did he bring
  from England?

• 16. What changes had been made in the government of the colony?

• 17. What officers had been appointed?

• 18. Why did John Smith remain at the head of affairs?

• 19. What new settlements did he make?

• 20. Why did Smith leave Virginia?

• 21. Give an estimate of his character.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• 1. Give a general description of the Virginia Indians.

• 2. Describe their weapons, wigwams, and customs

• 3. What was their method of warfare, and how did they treat their
  prisoners?

• 4. What is said of their education?

• 5. Describe their religion

• 6. What is said of Powhatan?

• 7. Why did the English wish to settle Virginia?

• 8. Mention some early explorers and what they did.

• 9. Give an account of the early attempts at colonization.

• 10. Relate the story of the Lost Colony.

• 11. Why were the London and Plymouth Companies formed, and what
  territory was granted each?

• 12. What were the chief provisions of the first American charter, and
  by whom were they signed?

• 13. Mention some of the beginners of the nation, and describe their
  departure and voyage

• 14. When and where did they make a permanent settlement?

• 15. Give the early history of Captain John Smith.

• 16. Give an account of his capture by the Indians, and his rescue.

• 17. Describe his last years, and give an estimate of his character.

CHAPTER IV

THE STARVING TIME—THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF
DELAWARE, DALE, AND ARGALL

The Starving Time. — Disasters came fast after Smith's
departure. The colony would not recognize the authority
of George Percy, the acting president, and became divided
into factions, each one of which had a leader. Francis
West and a party of men who went in a ship to procure
corn, sailed away, leaving the colony to its fate. The
Indians renewed their hostility, and, filled with the determination
to destroy the colony utterly, killed all who fell
into their hands. Ratcliffe, who attempted to trade with
the savages, was tortured to death by Indian women, and
thirty of his men were slain. When the provisions were
exhausted, the domestic animals were next consumed; and
then the horrors of what is known as the "starving time"
set in. During this period, one man deserves special mention
as being apparently the only one who devised a plan
to save the colony from utter destruction. This was Daniel
Tucker, who built a boat and caught fish in the river, which,
Percy says, "kept us from killing one another to eat." In
six months the colony was reduced from nearly five hundred
to sixty. The end was drawing near.

The Wreck of the Sea Venture. — There is no more romantic
story in history than that of the Sea Venture,
which is supposed to have suggested "The Tempest" to
Shakespeare. The ship was wrecked on the coast of

the Bermudas, which were at that time "accounted as an
inchaunted pile of rockes and a desert habitation for
Divels." "But all the fairies of the rocks were but flocks
of birds, and all the Divels that haunted the woods were
but herds of swine." This is what Sir Thomas Gates and
his companions found to be true. They fared well, notwithstanding
they had been shipwrecked, and "lived in
such peace and plenty" that some wished to spend their

Wreck of the Sea Venture

lives there. But out
of the wreck of the
Sea Venture, they
constructed with the
aid of cedar timber
found growing on the
islands, two barges,
which they christened
the Deliverance and
the Patience, and embarked
for Virginia.

The Rescue. — They
reached Jamestown
on May 24, 1610, just
in time to save the
remnant of the settlers.
There was some talk of resuscitating the colony;
but, when it was found that the provisions brought from
the Bermudas would not last more than two or three
weeks, they decided to abandon Jamestown. So on June
7 the whole party was crowded into the Deliverance, the
Patience, and two pinnaces that were at Jamestown. The
little fleet dropped down the river, and the next morning
reached its mouth, where it met Lord Delaware, whose
ships were just entering Virginia waters. The whole party

now returned to Jamestown, feeling that the hand of God
had stayed their departure.

Administration of Lord Delaware. — Lord Delaware was
the first executive officer in Virginia who bore the title
of governor, and he came commissioned to rule with the
sword of martial law. He maintained a mild but decided
authority; and his influence for good was much enhanced
by the virtues for which he was distinguished. He established
regular hours for labor, tolerating no idlers but
requiring the colonists to work during six hours of the day.
Twice each day all had to attend brief religious services
in the church, which was kept decorated with wild flowers.
In every way he proved himself an efficient governor.
He had the dwellings at Jamestown repaired, the forts
garrisoned, and taught the Indians again to fear the English.
But his health gave way under his duties, and, in
March, 1611, he returned to England.

Sir Thomas Dale. — On May 10, 1611, Sir Thomas Dale
came to take charge of the government, bearing the title
of High Marshal. He received the appointment through
the influence of Prince Henry, who took great interest in
the welfare of the colony. Dale ruled by martial law with
inhuman cruelty, putting offenders to death by torture,
and even breaking one poor criminal on the wheel. Five
men, captured in an attempt to escape to some Spaniards,
who were reported to be near the settlement, were burned
at the stake. A poor thief, for purloining a little oatmeal,
was chained to a tree and allowed to starve. During
Dale's reign of terror, no letters of complaint were allowed
to reach England; and his administration, which came to
an end in 1616, was known as "the five years of slavery."
Dale lived in a cruel age, and he was a cruel representative
of his age.

Results Accomplished by Dale. — Dale's administration
had the happy effect of causing law and order to be
properly respected, and it greatly advanced the material
prosperity of the colony, though this was done by reducing
the people to a bondage that was intolerable. He had
much corn land cleared, and largely increased the number
of horses, cattle, and hogs. One experiment which he
tried produced results that proved to be important. He
allowed each old settler to have a private garden patch
of three acres, the proceeds of which belonged to him,
while the rest of his labor went for the common good.
From this it appeared that one man working for himself
would make as much as ten men whose labor went into
the public stock. This led at a later period to the private
ownership of land, and the adoption of this system brought
about great changes for good.

Argall. — Captain Samuel Argall now becomes prominent
in Virginia history. In 1617, he was appointed
lieutenant governor, and he had no sooner entered upon
his duties than he proceeded to oppress the people under
the cover of martial law, and to rob both the colony and
the London Company, sending to England, while doing
this, favorable reports of the condition of affairs. Cattle
belonging to the colony he sold, and kept the proceeds.
The Indian trade he carried on with the men and ships
of the Company, and pocketed the profits. He plundered
everybody with a pirate's rapacity, and even robbed Lady
Delaware. When his high-handed proceedings became
known in England, the London Company ordered all his
goods and property to be seized. But Lord Rich, who
afterwards became Earl of Warwick and took a prominent
part in the Puritan movement, was Argall's partner in
England and, indeed, had secured his appointment as governor

of Virginia. Now when he found that his confederate's
downfall was certain, he dispatched a swift sailing
vessel to Virginia, in which Argall escaped with his booty
before the Company's orders could be executed.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What happened to the colony after Smith's departure?

• 2. Describe the starving time.

• 3. Who deserves special mention during this period, and why?

• 4. Give an account of the wreck of the Sea Venture.

• 5. How were the survivors of the colony saved from starvation?

• 6. Why did they decide to abandon Jamestown?

• 7. Who first bore the title of governor of Virginia?

• 8. By what means did Lord Delaware accomplish much good in the
  colony?

• 9. Why did he return to England?

• 10. Who succeeded Lord Delaware?

• 11. Give an account of Dale's administration.

• 12. What was it called?

• 13. What good results did Dale accomplish?

• 14. What experiment of his proved important?

• 15. When Argall became governor, how did he act toward the people,
  and the London Company?

• 16. How did he escape with his ill-gotten gains?

CHAPTER V

POCAHONTAS

Her Friendship for the English. — The story of Pocahontas
is one of the most beautiful connected with the early

Pocahontas

history of Virginia, and will always be
read with interest by English people.
She first appeared at Jamestown during
the winter of 1607-8, bringing food
to the colonists, who were in great need.
After this she made frequent visits, attended
by a train of Indians bringing
baskets laden with corn and venison.
In 1609, when John Smith was in her
father's country trying to secure corn,
she came at night and warned him of
a plot the Indians had formed to kill
him and his party; and when Ratcliffe and his men were
slain, she saved one man and a boy from death. Many
other acts of kindness are related of her, which show that
she had a woman's tender heart, though she was an untutored
savage.

Her Capture. — In 1612, Captain Samuel Argall went to
the Potomac country to trade for corn. While on this
mission, he learned from an old chief named Japazaws,
that Pocahontas was in the neighborhood, and he conceived
the idea of capturing her. So he bribed Japazaws
to induce her to come on board of his sloop, which lay in

Marriage of Pocahontas

the Potomac River, and carried her off to Jamestown a
prisoner, sending a messenger to Powhatan to demand, as
a ransom for her release, the restoration of all English
prisoners held by him, and the return of all arms and
tools that had been stolen from Jamestown by the Indians.

Her Marriage. — Powhatan was not disposed to accede
to these terms, and threatened war. But while negotiations
were going on in regard to the occurrence, the
matter was settled in a most unexpected manner. While
Pocahontas was at Jamestown, John Rolfe, a young Englishman,
fell deeply in love with her, and she reciprocated
his passion. She professed faith in Christ, and was baptized
under the name of Rebecca in the little church at
Jamestown, from a font made of the trunk of a tree. Then
she was married to Rolfe with the approval of her father.

The Cause of Peace. — To the colony, the marriage
brought peace; for after it had taken place, Powhatan and
the various tribes over which he had influence became
friendly to the English. Even the Chickahominies, who
were fierce fighters, were led by it to enter into an alliance,
by which they acknowledged themselves subjects of King
James, calling themselves New Englishmen.

Visits England. — Pocahontas lived happily with her
husband, and with him visited England in 1616, when Sir
Thomas Dale returned. Her arrival in London created
a sensation, and all classes did her honor on account of
her romantic history and the services she had rendered to
the colony. She was presented at court by Lady Delaware,
and was accorded the rank of a royal princess.

Her Death. — In March, 1617, she died at Gravesend,
England, just as she was getting ready to embark for her
native land, being only about twenty-two years of age
when her eventful life came to an end. She left one son,
Thomas, who was brought up in England. He married in
London, but settled in Virginia, where he became a man
of prominence, and where a number of his descendants
are to be found among the honored citizens of the commonwealth.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What is said of the story of Pocahontas?

• 2. How did she show her friendship for the English?

• 3. Describe her capture by Argall.

• 4. What ransom was demanded of Powhatan for her release?

• 5. What unexpected settlement of the matter took place?

• 6. Give an account of the marriage of Pocahontas.

• 7. What benefit did it bring to the colony?

• 8. How was Pocahontas treated when she visited England?

• 9. When and at what age did she die?

• 10. Has she any descendants in Virginia?

CHAPTER VI

THE FOUNDING OF A STATE

The Crisis of Colonization. — The real crisis of colonization
had now come. Dale's tyrannical administration and
Argall's rule of robbery and ruin, had given Virginia such
a bad reputation, that emigrants were no longer willing to
go to a land where so many woes were experienced. One
convict, who was offered the choice between transportation
to Virginia and death by hanging, promptly chose hanging.
The organizers of the London Company had hoped that
they would reap large profits, as the stockholders of the
East India Company were doing; but the colony had not
proved a success financially; and it was now seen that
commercial motives would have to become secondary, or
else the whole scheme abandoned.

Triumph of Patriotic Motives. — Higher motives prevailed.
"Divers lords, knights, gentlemen, and citizens
grieved to see this great action fall to nothing"; and patriotic
feeling was deeply stirred. The London Company
passed under the control of a body of liberal statesmen,
who put the founding of a state before the making of
fortunes, and determined to adopt such means as were
necessary to restore credit to the Virginia experiment.

The Great Charter. — Under the influence of such patriotic
men as the Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare's friend,
and Sir Edwin Sandys, the great advocate of popular
liberty, the London Company on November 13, 1618,

granted to Virginia a "Great Charter or Commissions of
Priviledges, Orders, and Lawes." No copy of this charter
is extant, but it is known that it limited the power of the
governor, and provided for a legislative body to be composed
of burgesses elected from the different settlements. This
was the beginning of constitutional government in America;
and the first House of Burgesses met at Jamestown on
July 30, 1619, at the call of Governor Yeardley. The
Great Charter provided also for an allotment of land to all
settlers who were in the colony when Sir Thomas Dale
took his departure; and so the oldest Virginia land titles
date back to it.

Good Results. — In the spring of 1619, the people heard
of the Great Charter and the changes it would bring, and
they were filled with joy, feeling "now fully satisfied for
their long labors, and as happy men as there were in the
world." At the close of Argall's administration, the colony
numbered not more than four hundred, but now emigrants
came in large numbers. Twelve hundred and sixty-one
arrived in the year 1619, and thirty-five hundred more
within three years. All honor to such men as Sir Edwin
Sandys, who founded in Virginia an English state with
a constitution and a representative government, before
England herself was delivered from the tyranny of the
Stuarts.

Homes in the Wilderness. — When the founding of a
state was made the first object, then the London Company
became convinced "that a plantation can never flourish
till families be planted, and the respects of Wives and
Children fix the people on the Soyle." In 1619, Sir
Edwin Sandys stated that the English in Virginia "were
not settled in their mindes to make it their place of rest
and continuance." During the same year, ninety young

women were induced to emigrate to the colony. These
found many suitors, as did others who came in later years.
In 1624, the governor felt it to be his duty to issue a proclamation,
threatening with punishment young ladies who
betrothed themselves to more than one lover at a time.
Happy marriages followed the coming of the women; and
soon men began to look upon Virginia as their home. An

Young Women come to Virginia

interesting feature of these early marriages is that a man
was required, after winning his wife's hand, to pay for
bringing her to the colony in tobacco, which was then a
costly commodity.

Introduction of Negro Slavery. — Almost simultaneously
with the birth of free government came the curse of African
slavery. In August, 1619, a Dutch man-of-war sailed
up the James River, and sold to the settlers twenty negroes,

who became the property of their purchasers and were
made permanent servants. This was the beginning of an
institution that was destined in after years to become
fraught with harm. The traffic in negroes, when it had
once begun, continued, but grew so slowly at first that
thirty years after its introduction, the white population
outnumbered the black fifty to one.

Indented Servants. — There was a class of persons in
the colony known as indented servants. The term was
applied to any one who was bound by a legal agreement
to work for a prescribed time for another person. Some
entered into an arrangement of this kind to defray their expenses
in coming to Virginia, others were prisoners taken
in war and sold by their captors into temporary servitude.
It by no means follows that all persons of this class were
of humble origin. Among them were to be found the
sons of gentlemen. Some convicts were also sent to
the colony, but the number was small compared with the
population; and the offenses committed by many of these
had been of a political nature.

Friendly Intercourse with the Indians. — After Pocahontas
married Rolfe, there had been peace between the
English and the Indians. This had continued for so long
a time that the Indians were no longer looked upon with
distrust, nor did they display any hostility to the whites;
and it seemed probable that the two races would continue
to dwell in amity.

The Massacre of 1622. — In 1618 Powhatan died, and
was succeeded by his brother, Itopatin, and he in a short
time was supplanted by Opechancanough, a chief who was
cunning, artful, and able. He at once formed a plot to exterminate
the English, and for four years he schemed and
planned, bringing tribe after tribe into the conspiracy.

To keep his design from being suspected, just before he
was ready to strike he entered into a treaty of peace with
the English. His plot was well conceived, his plan being
to fall upon all the plantations and settlements at the same
time, and by an unexpected blow to destroy the colony
utterly. The Indians manifested the greatest friendliness
for the whites up to the very time when the murderous
design was to be put into execution; and, even on the

The Massacre of 1622

morning of the fatal day, they came freely among them,
and in some cases took breakfast with the persons they
had planned to kill. At midday on March 22, 1622, they
swarmed out of their hiding places and engaged in a
wholesale butchery, sparing neither men, women, nor
children. By sunset 347 persons had been slain. But
the conspiracy met with only partial success. At some of
the plantations the settlers succeeded in beating off their
assailants. Jamestown and the places next to it received,
through a converted Indian, warning in time to get ready
for the danger that was impending, and when they were
attacked, they easily put the savages to flight.

Effects of the Massacre. — The immediate effects of the
massacre upon the colony were disastrous in the extreme.
Many of the plantations were abandoned, and the alarmed
people were crowded upon a territory so limited that it was
hardly large enough to afford them a bare subsistence,
and much sickness prevailed. In consequence of these
hardships many became disheartened and returned to
England, so that a year after the massacre, the number
of inhabitants had been reduced from about four thousand
to twenty-five hundred.

Retaliation. — The people were at first thrown into a
panic; but they soon realized that they were strong enough
to protect themselves, and entered upon a fierce though
desultory warfare, which lasted for ten years. Before
the massacre, it seemed probable that the Indians would,
for all time, occupy the land along with the English;
but by their treachery they lost the opportunity they
had of retaining a part of their heritage in the territory
of Virginia. They were now regarded by the whites as
unworthy of receiving the treatment shown to enemies in
civilized warfare, and were relentlessly pursued and shot
down whenever opportunity offered. From this time on,
the aboriginal inhabitants of Virginia were forced to retire
from their homes and hunting grounds before the ever-rising
wave of white settlers, and began, tribe after tribe,
to fade out of existence.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What brought on the crisis of colonization?

• 2. How was the London Company disappointed in its expectations?

• 3. What was the character of the statesmen who now obtained control
  of the London Company?

• 4. When was the Great Charter granted to Virginia?

• 5. What is known of its provisions?

• 6. When and where did the first House of Burgesses meet?

• 7. What good result followed the granting of the Great Charter?

• 8. Why did Sir Edwin Sandys and the men that acted with him
  deserve special honor?

• 9. Of what did the London Company become convinced?

• 10. In 1619, what was said of the English in Virginia?

• 11. What was done to help matters?

• 12. What good results to the colony followed?

• 13. What was an interesting feature of the early Virginia marriages?

• 14. When and how was negro slavery introduced into Virginia?

• 15. What were indented servants?

• 16. Were all such servants of humble origin?

• 17. After the marriage of Pocahontas, how had the whites learned to
  look upon the Indians?

• 18. Describe Opechancanough's plot to exterminate the English.

• 19. Give an account of the massacre of 1622.

• 20. What were its effects?

• 21. From this time on, what became of the Indian tribes?

CHAPTER VII

TOBACCO

How regarded by the Indians. — Tobacco was growing
in America when the first settlers came. The Indians
regarded it as the gift of their Great Spirit, and planted
it in their gardens along with their vegetables. To it
they attributed many wonderful virtues. They threw
tobacco powder into the air in a time of drouth to bring
rain; tossed it upon the water to produce a calm when a
tempest was brewing; and their priests cast it upon the
sacrificial fires to propitiate evil spirits.

Introduced into England. — Ralph Lane and his companions,
who learned to smoke it from the Indians, carried
it to England. Sir Walter Raleigh, speedily becoming
fond of it, introduced it among the nobility, and in a
short time it became popular at the court of Queen Elizabeth.
It is related that, as Sir Walter was sitting in his
library, a servant, who came to bring him some water, saw
smoke issue from his mouth, and hastened to pour the
water over him, thinking that he was on fire. King James
wrote a book against tobacco, and Parliament denounced
it, but its consumption continued to increase in England
till its smoke arose alike in the palace of the prince and in
the cottage of the peasant.

The Foundation of Virginia's Prosperity. — Tobacco became
the foundation of Virginia's prosperity. John Rolfe
began the systematic cultivation of it in 1612, and it

became in a few years the universal crop. In 1617 it was
seen growing in waste places in the streets of Jamestown,
and even in the public squares. As the demand for
tobacco increased, it became the chief source of revenue,
and all other crops were neglected for it. Many persons
of means settled in Virginia in order to raise it. It also
rendered negro labor profitable, and thus encouraged the
traffic in slaves.

Led to a Fondness for Country Life. — The cultivation
of tobacco kept the population scattered. Each planter
desired as large a farm as he could get, for it was discovered
at an early date that tobacco grew most kindly
upon virgin soil. This made it desirable that each plantation
should contain a large area covered with original
forest, so that as soon as the acres under cultivation
became somewhat exhausted, new land could be cleared
and substituted for them. This had a great effect in
shaping the life of the Virginia people, for it tended to
isolate the settlers, thus creating a fondness for the country
and causing city life to be looked upon with little favor.

QUESTIONS

• 1. How did the Indians regard tobacco?

• 2. In what ways did they use it?

• 3. Who first carried tobacco to England?

• 4. What nobleman made it popular at the court of Queen Elizabeth?

• 5. What anecdote is told of him?

• 6. How was tobacco looked upon by King James and Parliament?

• 7. Who first began a systematic cultivation of tobacco?

• 8. What was the result of its increased production?

• 9. How did it encourage slavery?

• 10. What effect did tobacco have in shaping the lives of the Virginia
  people?

CHAPTER VIII

THE COLONY UNDER THE KING

Virginia Becomes a Royal Colony. — In England the
struggle for Parliamentary freedom was going on, and
the kingdom was divided between the Royalists and the

Lord Baltimore

supporters of Parliament. As a
political measure, King James resolved
to crush the London Company,
because a majority of its
members took sides against him.
This he did, in 1624, by process
of law. When the Company was
dissolved, Virginia became a royal
colony, and the king announced
his intention of framing a code of
fundamental laws for its government, but died in 1625,
leaving this work unfinished. Charles I., who succeeded
him, introduced no radical changes.

Lord Baltimore. — In 1629 George Calvert, Lord Baltimore,
a Catholic, though in no sense a bigot, came with a
plan to establish, within the limits of the colony, a separate
plantation as a refuge for persons of his belief. The people
belonged to the Established Church, and were unwilling
to see this done. There was a good reason also why
they should be opposed to Lord Baltimore personally.
He was the enemy and rival of Sandys, and had belonged
to a faction in the London Company which had striven to

prevent the granting of the Great Charter; and now he
came desiring to establish, for the promotion of his own
interests, a colony of his people in the settled parts of the
country. The House of Burgesses informed him that
permission would be given to him to carry out his plan
only upon condition that he would take an oath acknowledging
that the king had supreme authority in religious
matters. This he refused to do, and took his departure.
But during his visit he found that there were no settlements
on the north side of the Potomac River; and he
readily obtained from Charles I., with whom he was a
favorite, the promise of a charter to found a colony in that
part of Virginia. Lord Baltimore died before the charter
was issued, but his son planted the colony of Maryland.
The Virginians made a vehement but unavailing protest
against this division of their territory.

Opposition to British Encroachment. — Even at this early
period, the Virginians began to appreciate their liberties
as only a people who have known oppression can do.
If we trace to its origin the unwavering opposition to British
encroachment, which was manifested in later years,
we find it had its beginning in 1624, when the House
of Burgesses declared that, without its consent, no royal
governor could levy taxes. In regard to other matters
also, the people claimed the right to sit in judgment upon
the acts of governors. This came out in the action they
took in the case of Sir John Harvey, who was appointed
by the Crown, in 1630, to rule over the colony. He was
heartily detested by the people because he had sided with
Lord Baltimore in the quarrel that had taken place over
Maryland; and in his administration he was tyrannical,
levied taxes that were unauthorized, and was unscrupulous
as to the means he adopted to obtain money. So in 1635,

the people shipped him back to England, sending at the
same time commissioners bearing charges against him.
The king reinstated the deposed governor; but the occurrence
deserves a place in history as being the first open
resistance to tyranny and vindication of constitutional
rights that took place in America.

Sir William Berkeley Begins his Administration. — In
February, 1642, Sir William Berkeley was appointed governor,
and entered upon his duties at a period full of stirring
events. He was about forty years of age when he came,
and was for thirty-five years, with brief intermissions, at
the head of affairs, holding office for a longer period than
any other governor. He descended from an ancient English
family, received his education at Oxford, had traveled
extensively in Europe, and was "the perfect model of an
elegant and high-minded cavalier." Soon after his arrival,
he introduced some salutary measures which were very
acceptable to the people, and thus his administration
began auspiciously.

Opechancanough Strikes once More. — Opechancanough
was still the ruler of the Virginia Indians; but he was now
very old, and so decrepit that he could not walk. Neither
could he see unless his eyelids were raised, as he had an
affection which caused them to droop. But in his enfeebled
frame the feeling of revenge still fiercely burned;
and when he heard that the English were divided in the
mother country, he decided that this was a favorable time
to try once more to free his land from them. So in
1644, he rallied his braves for the last time and, falling
upon the settlements on the upper waters of the York and
Pamunkey rivers, slew about five hundred whites. But as
soon as the English collected in force, the savages fled as
they had done in 1622. Sir William Berkeley pursued

them with a body of horse, and captured Opechancanough.
He was carried to Jamestown, where he was
kindly treated. But one of his guards basely shot him
in the back, and this caused his death. He was unsubdued
to the last, and died as he had lived, the relentless
foe of the white man.

QUESTIONS

• 1. How and why did Virginia become a royal colony?

• 2. What was Lord Baltimore's plan to establish a settlement?

• 3. Who opposed it, and why?

• 4. On what condition did the House of Burgesses give their consent?

• 5. Did Lord Baltimore accept the condition?

• 6. What grant did he secure from Charles I.?

• 7. Who carried out his plans?

• 8. Against what did Virginia protest?

• 9. To what event can opposition to British encroachment be traced?

• 10. What action did the people take in the case of Sir John Harvey?

• 11. Which did the king sustain?

• 12. Why does this case deserve a place in Virginia history?

• 13. Who was Sir William Berkeley, and when was he appointed
  governor?

• 14. Give an account of Opechancanough's last attempt to exterminate
  the English.

• 15. What was the result?

• 16. Tell of his death.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• 1. Give an account of the starving time, and tell how the colony was
  rescued.

• 2. Compare the administrations of Lord Delaware and Sir Thomas
  Dale, and give results accomplished by each.

• 3. Give an account of Argall's administration.

• 4. Relate the story of Pocahontas.

• 5. What is known of the "Great Charter," and what good results
  followed from it?

• 6. When was slavery introduced, and what were indented servants?

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• 7. Describe the massacre of 1622, and give its effects on the people.

• 8. What is said of tobacco?

• 9. How and by whom was it introduced into England?

• 10. What influence did its cultivation have on the prosperity of Virginia?

• 11. How did Virginia become a royal colony?

• 12. Why did the people refuse to allow Lord Baltimore to make a
  settlement in their midst?

• 13. When did Virginia begin to show her opposition to British encroachment?

• 14. What happened in the case of Sir John Harvey?

• 15. Who was Sir William Berkeley, and when was he appointed
  governor?

• 16. Describe the massacre of 1644.

CHAPTER IX

THE COLONY UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH[8]

Execution of Charles I. — In England the struggle between
the king and Parliament had grown so bitter that,
in 1642, civil war broke out — the Puritan

Charles I

contest against royalty. The country was
divided into two hostile parties. Those
who supported the king and the Established
Church were known as Cavaliers, while
those who took sides with Parliament in
its opposition to the king belonged
to the Puritan party, and were
known as Parliamentarians, or Roundheads.
In all the strife that went
on, Virginia had no part, but remained
quiet and prosperous, though
communication with the mother
country was interrupted. The people were, on the whole,
royalists; and, as the difficulties that surrounded the unhappy
Charles I. increased, they were filled with apprehension
as to the result that would ensue. Finally their
worst fears were realized, when the king was captured by
his enemies, sentenced to death, and on the 30th of January,
1649, executed.

The Colony Loyal to Charles II. — The Virginians refused
to recognize the authority of the Commonwealth, which
ruled in England after the death of the king. The House
of Burgesses met in October, 1649; and its very first act
was to express the greatest respect for "the late most
excellent and now undoubtedly sainted king." All reflections
on his memory were declared to be treasonable, as
were any doubts that might be expressed in regard to the
right of Charles II. to succeed him.

The Coming of the Cavaliers. — After the king's cause
had gone down in disaster, many Cavaliers fled from
England to Virginia, where they were most cordially
welcomed by the governor and by the people. Many
persons of means belonging to the nobility, clergy, and
gentry came over at this period. The importance of this
immigration is shown by the fact that in 1650 Virginia
contained about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and in 1670
forty thousand. The coming of the Cavaliers added to
the loyalty of the people; for the exiles aroused sympathy
by their misfortunes, and caused increased interest to be
felt in royalty by the accounts they gave of the war that
had been waged for the unfortunate king.

The Commonwealth Asserts its Authority. — For three
years Virginia continued to acknowledge Charles II.
as her sovereign; and, during this period, Parliament
was too busy with affairs in England to give attention
to colonies that were rebellious. But at the end of this

time, it had triumphed over its enemies at home, and it
then sent a squadron to reduce the Virginians to obedience.
The ships reached Virginia waters in March, 1652,
and found that Governor Berkeley had made preparations
for vigorous defense. But, when negotiations were
opened, the Virginians agreed to acknowledge the authority
of the Commonwealth, provided their submission was considered
as voluntary, it being understood at the same time
that their country was not to be treated as if it had been
conquered, but that the people were to enjoy all the liberties
of free-born Englishmen, and should not be subjected
to taxes without the consent of the House of Burgesses.
Upon these terms a treaty was made between the Burgesses,
who acted for the colony, and commissioners appointed by
Parliament to represent the Commonwealth. When this
took place, Governor Berkeley resigned, and was succeeded
by Richard Bennet, one of the commissioners.

The Colony Prospers during the Time of the Commonwealth.
— During the existence of the Commonwealth in
England, which lasted from 1649 to 1660, Virginia enjoyed
freedom of commerce with the whole world, and along
with it came prosperity and a rapid development of the
country. Many of the emigrants, who had poured into
the colony during the civil strife in England and after the
death of the king, were men of education and property,
who now gave their time and energies to the care of
their plantations. Virginia grew in reputation as a desirable
place in which to live. The soil was so fertile,
was so well watered by the many rivers, creeks, and brooks
that coursed through it, and responded so easily to cultivation,
that visions of limitless wealth were entertained as
the result of new products, which, it was hoped, could be
introduced. The gay-plumaged birds, the game that filled

the majestic forests, the fish that were to be found in the
waters, added to the attractions of the country, especially
to the new settlers. It was declared to be "the best poor
man's country in the world," and it was said, "If a happy
peace be settled in poor England, then they in Virginia
shall be as happy as any people under heaven."

QUESTIONS

• 1. What state of affairs in England led to civil war?

• 2. How did it affect Virginia?

• 3. What was the unhappy fate of Charles I.?

• 4. What was Virginia's attitude towards the Commonwealth?

• 5. Give an account of the coming of the Cavaliers.

• 6. What effect did it have on the loyalty of the people?

• 7. Why did the Commonwealth have to assert its authority?

• 8. Upon what conditions did Virginia agree to acknowledge its
  authority?

• 9. What did Berkeley do when the House of Burgesses signed the
  treaty?

• 10. What privileges and prosperity did Virginia enjoy under the
  Commonwealth?

• 11. Why was it declared to be "the best poor man's country in the
  world"?

CHAPTER X

THE RESTORATION TAKES PLACE AND THE LOYAL COLONY
IS OPPRESSED TILL IT IS READY TO REVOLT

The Restoration. — In May, 1660, Charles II. ascended
the English throne; and the event caused much joy in
Virginia. Even before the Commonwealth came to an
end, it is said that Sir William Berkeley invited the king;
who was living in exile in Holland, to come to the colony,
and raise his standard. From this, it is supposed, the
country obtained the name of "Old Dominion"; for it
was a place "where the king was king, or might have
been, before he was king in England." There is a tradition
that Charles II., at his coronation, wore a robe made
of silk from Virginia, in token of his appreciation of her
loyalty.

Berkeley's Return to Power. — Early in 1660, when it
became evident that the end of the Commonwealth was
drawing near, the House of Burgesses elected Berkeley
governor; and the first act of Charles II., in regard
to colonial matters, was to confirm the appointment of
the stanch old royalist by sending him a commission.

Why Attached to Royalty. — This devotion to the king
seems inconsistent with the principles of popular freedom,
which the people had so cherished that they had almost
unconsciously developed a republican form of government;
but it must be remembered that their experience with royalty
had thus far been encouraging; for under Charles I.

Coronation of Charles II

they had been practically independent, and during the
interregnum, the Commonwealth left their liberties untouched.
From Charles II. they had a right to expect
the very best treatment; but they were doomed to bitter
disappointment.

The Navigation Laws. — Parliament, in 1660, at the very
first session held after the Restoration, decided to put into
operation navigation laws to secure to England a monopoly
of the colonial trade. These measures required that
all tobacco exported from Virginia should be shipped in
English vessels going to England, and that all foreign
goods imported must be brought to Virginia in English
ships. This policy stopped the free trade which Virginia
had for some time enjoyed with the world, and worked
the greatest injustice. When it went into operation, the
result was that a ring of some forty or fifty English merchants
had the whole trade in their hands, and reaped

almost all the profit that came from the production of
tobacco, fleecing alike the rich and the poor. Tobacco fell
to a low price, while the cost of all imported goods was
greatly enhanced. The colony sent Governor Berkeley to
England to protest against the enforcement of these unjust
laws; but he returned without accomplishing his mission,
though he secured some very advantageous patents for
himself.

The Royalists in Power in the Colony. — Even in Virginia
a radical change took place after the Restoration.
During the Commonwealth, the impulses for the advancement
of the masses, which had been stirring England and
the world at large, had been quietly at work in the colony,
and had caused greater consideration to be shown to the
common people, as is evidenced by the character of the
colonial legislation that took place during this period.
Now all this was changed; and it is not hard to see why
it was so, if it be remembered that Virginia was but a part
of England transplanted, and contained the same differences
in society. The germ of an aristocracy had existed
from the first settlement, and its rising power had been
much increased by the emigrant royalists who came over
during the interregnum. With the Restoration, this aristocracy
came into power. A political revolution had taken
place in Virginia, which proved fatal to many of the rights
and privileges cherished by the people.

Oppressive Colonial Legislation. — The House of Burgesses
quietly repealed the law which conferred upon
the members a term of service extending through only
two years, and thus legislated itself into an indefinite
continuance of power. The government was now
conducted in an expensive manner. All the officers re-taxed

to pay them. Oppressive taxes were levied also
for other purposes, such as for arms and ammunition, to
provide cannon and to maintain forts. The people could
not see that the funds were always used for the purposes
for which they were raised. They did see, however, that
Governor Berkeley and his friends grew continually richer.
Not only the taxes themselves, but the method by which
they were levied caused the greatest dissatisfaction. They
were laid, not on property, but on persons. They were
poll taxes so heavy that they proved an intolerable burden
to the poor, while the rich felt them but little. Religious
intolerance came in also to increase the general discontent,
laws being enacted which punished severely all dissenters.
Finally, even political rights were abridged. In 1670,
the right of suffrage, which for fourteen years had been
enjoyed by all freemen, was restricted to freeholders and
housekeepers.

Obstinacy of Berkeley. — In vain did the people protest
that the Burgesses no longer represented them, and call
for a new election. Berkeley persistently refused to dissolve
a House which proved so subservient to his will,
saying, in explanation of his refusal, that they were more
valuable on account of their experience than new men
would be. For twelve years complaints were sent to
England against Berkeley, but they availed nothing. At
last patience ceased to be a virtue, and there were indications
enough that the people, exasperated by their
multiplied grievances, were ready to rise against their
oppressors; but Berkeley heeded not the mutterings of
the storm that was gathering.

Criminal Prodigality of Charles II. — Oppression, unjust
legislation, and robbery under the form of law were surely
enough to exasperate a people so liberty-loving as the Virginians;

but this was not all. The king, to whom they
had been ever loyal, showed himself so utterly indifferent
to their rights, that a large part of the population felt
insecure in the possession of their homes. Charles II.,
while wandering in exile, soon after the execution of his
father, had granted to a number of distressed Cavaliers
the stretch of country between the Rappahannock and the
Potomac rivers, known as the Northern Neck, by which
act he gave to his favorites much land that had been long
in cultivation. But now he committed an act that surpassed
all others in prodigality. In 1673 he gave to Lords
Culpeper and Arlington "all that entire tract, territory,
and dominion of land and water called Virginia, together
with the territory of Accomack," for the term of thirty-one
years. All rents and escheats were to belong to them,
as was the power to convey all vacant lands and, indeed,
to manage matters in general as they wished.

Ready for Revolt. — When this act of the king became
known, loud was the outcry raised against it. The whole
population rose in protest. They had been loyal to
the king in the past; but now they were only kept from
breaking out in open rebellion by the efforts of influential
men, who restrained them. The House of Burgesses in
alarm dispatched envoys to England to bring about a
change in the terms of the grant or else to buy it up for
the benefit of the colony.

QUESTIONS

• 1. How was the news of the restoration of Charles II. received in
  Virginia?

• 2. From what incident is Virginia supposed to have obtained the
  name of Old Dominion?

• 3. What tradition is given in connection with the coronation of
  Charles II.?

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• 4. By what authority did Berkeley again assume charge of the government?

• 5. Why was Virginia so attached to royalty?

• 6. Did she receive considerate treatment from the king?

• 7. What were the Navigation Laws?

• 8. How did the English merchants take advantage of these laws?

• 9. What action did the colony take, and with what result?

• 10. Under the Commonwealth, what advancement of the masses took
  place?

• 11. What change occurred after the Restoration?

• 12. Give an account of the oppressive colonial legislation.

• 13. Why did Governor Berkeley persistently refuse to dissolve the
  House of Burgesses?

• 14. What was the result of his obstinacy?

• 15. Why did the people feel insecure?

• 16. While in exile, what part of Virginia had Charles II. given away?

• 17. What was his crowning act of prodigality?

• 18. When this became known, what did the people do?

• 19. How did the House of Burgesses quiet them?

CHAPTER XI

BACON'S REBELLION

Justice too long Delayed. — The king informed the envoys
"that he was graciously inclined to favor his said subjects
of Virginia," and promised a new charter for "the settlement
and confirmation of all things," which he even
ordered to be drafted; but notwithstanding the most persistent
efforts made by the colony's representatives, it was
so much delayed that before it was issued, a new cause of
alarm furnished the people with what they desired — a
pretext for appearing in arms in an effort to resist oppression
by revolution.

Indian Troubles. — The Indians furnished the occasion
for a popular uprising. In 1675, they began committing
depredations and murders in some of the frontier
settlements, and there were rumors that all the friendly
tribes were about to break the peace that had existed
for thirty years. There appeared, too, to be sufficient
cause for such apprehension; for all along the border
plantations prowling savages in blind fury murdered men,
till the people became frenzied at the horrors of insecurity
that hung over their homes. An appeal for protection
was made to the governor; but he showed so little disposition
to take prompt action that a suspicion was aroused
that he secretly favored the Indians; and it was even
hinted in explanation of his tardiness that he feared a
war would injure the beaver trade with the savages, of

which he had secured a monopoly for himself and his
friends. Early in 1676, he did order out a force, under
the command of Sir Henry Chicheley, to pursue the
Susquehanna Indians who had slain thirty-six persons
in the upper settlements of the Rappahannock and Potomac
rivers; but as the troops were about to set out,
he suddenly changed his mind and had them disbanded.
At last the people began to organize for their own defense;
and soon after in the territory around the heads of
the James and the York rivers, the citizens, including
most if not all of the civil and military officers, tumultuously
assembled and selected Nathaniel Bacon, Jr., as
their leader.

The People's Leader. — Bacon was a native of Suffolk
County, England, and was of good descent, his family
apparently belonging to the gentry. He was a cousin of
Lord Culpeper, and his wife a daughter of Sir Edward
Duke. He was educated at St. Catherine's College, Cambridge,
where he entered in 1660, and took his M. A.
degree in 1667. Reared during the stormy period of the
Puritan contest against royalty, he had been influenced by
the spirit of his times, and was animated by an ardent
love of freedom rather than by an attachment to monarchy.
He possessed natural talents of a high order, was
eloquent as a speaker, engaging in manner, violent when
excited, and recklessly brave. He had settled about the
year 1672 on the upper James River, his plantation being
one upon which murders had been committed by the savages.
The high esteem in which he was held is attested
by the fact that, though he had been in the colony only
about three years, he had been appointed to a place in the
Council, an unusual honor for one so young, for he was
but twenty-nine. Such was Nathaniel Bacon, whom his

countrymen enthusiastically chose as their commander,
and well was he qualified for the office.

Other prominent leaders on the popular side were Richard
Lawrence, a brilliant Oxford man, and Drummond, a
Scotchman, who had been governor of North Carolina.

Declared to be Rebels. — Bacon's men collected their
arms, and asked to be led against the Indians. But their

commander, before complying with
their request, applied to the governor
for a commission, so that his acts might have the sanction
of law. Berkeley did not send the commission; and
so Bacon, in May, 1676, set out on his expedition without
it, deriving his authority directly from the will of the
people. But as he was on his way news reached him that
he and his men had been declared to be rebels by the
governor, and ordered to disperse. Some men of estates
obeyed, but the rest continued on their way to the frontier
and, after defeating the Indians, started back to the settlement.

Berkeley makes Concessions. — In the meantime the governor
had taken vigorous action. He collected troops and,
leaving Jamestown in haste, pursued Bacon; but he was
suddenly stopped by the alarming news that all the lower
counties along the James and York rivers had flamed out
in rebellion under the leadership of Joseph Ingram and
George Wakelet. Berkeley returned to Jamestown, and
in view of the difficulties that faced him, decided to make
some concessions. He accordingly dissolved the Burgesses,
dismantled the frontier forts, which were the
source of much complaint as being a useless burden, and
in other ways showed a conciliatory spirit in the hope that
he might keep the colony loyal to his authority.

A New House of Burgesses. — Berkeley ordered a new
House of Burgesses to be elected, and the result was a
surprise. The feeling of the people against the restriction
of the suffrage was shown by the election, in some of
the counties, of freedmen as burgesses. Bacon was unanimously
chosen a burgess from his county of Henrico. The
new House, which met early in June, represented the people,
and a majority of the members were in sympathy with
Bacon.

Bacon's Arrest and Apology. — When Bacon appeared
to take his seat in the House, Sir William Berkeley did the
only thing that he could do under the circumstances —
arrested him. But he speedily paroled him, and an effort
was made to harmonize matters. There was in the Council
a near relative of Bacon, Nathaniel Bacon, Sr., "a rich,
politic man." He, as was believed, induced Bacon, "not
without much pains," however, to make a written apology

for his acts. Bacon agreed to do this, his friends claimed,
on the promise of a commission to fight the Indians. After
he had thus humbled himself, he was pardoned by the governor,
and restored to his seat in the Council. When this
took place, many men from the upper country, who had
hurried to Jamestown on hearing of Bacon's arrest, returned
to their homes; and for a few days it looked as if
the trouble was at an end.

Berkeley and Bacon

Bacon's Flight and Return. — If a commission was promised
Bacon, none was ever sent to him. After waiting
several days, he grew apprehensive that the governor's
generous action in pardoning him was but a cloak to conceal
his real purpose. Fearing that he would be arrested
again after his friends had left, he fled from Jamestown,
but in a short time returned at the head of about five
hundred armed men. The House of Burgesses met in

haste. The governor and his Council came out of the
assembly room, and Bacon advanced to meet them.
"Here, shoot me, 'fore God, a fair mark — shoot!" cried
Berkeley. "No," Bacon replied, "may it please your
honor, we will not hurt a hair of your head, nor of any
other man. We are come for a commission to save our
lives from the Indians, which you have so often promised,
and we will have it before we go."

Bacon Before the Burgesses. — Bacon himself appeared
before the Burgesses, and addressed them on the Indian
troubles, on the condition of the public revenues, and
on the grievances of the country. He was the next day
appointed by the House commander in chief against the
Indians, and this Governor Berkeley ratified. An act
was passed pardoning Bacon and his followers for their
proceedings, and a letter was even drafted to the king,
highly commending them. The House also passed a
number of salutary laws that were well adapted to reform
abuses and to relieve the people; and to these Berkeley,
who was for the time completely subdued, assented.

Berkeley Takes Refuge in Accomac. — Berkeley, finding
that he could not depend on the support of the House
of Burgesses, dissolved it, and then repaired to Gloucester,
counting upon the loyalty of the planters there. He again
declared Bacon a rebel, and, raising the royal standard,
tried to rally the citizens to its defense. But he received
only a half-hearted support; for, while the people acknowledged
him as governor, they informed him that "they
thought it not convenient at present to declare themselves
against Bacon, as he was now advancing against the common
enemy." The governor did not remain long unmolested,
for Bacon, on hearing of the proclamation he had
issued in Gloucester, abandoned the expedition against the

Indians, and marched to attack him. But Sir William hastily
embarked in a small vessel and sailed across the Chesapeake
Bay to the "Kingdom of Accomac," as it was called,
which was regarded as a separate country, though it was
controlled by Virginia.

The Convention at Middle Plantation. — At the news of
the governor's flight, Bacon addressed a proclamation to
the people of Virginia, inviting all who loved their country
and their homes to assemble in convention and throw off
the tyranny of Berkeley. The call was answered with
alacrity. The most eminent men of the colony, four of
whom were members of the Governor's Council, met at
Middle Plantation, now Williamsburg, on August 3, 1676.
The convention, after a stormy session, subscribed to an
oath to make common cause with Bacon against the
Indians, to support him against Berkeley, and even to
resist any force that might be sent from England till the
people's cause could be laid before the king. This oath
was prescribed by Bacon, and it was administered by the
lawful magistrates in nearly every county.

The Indians Defeated and Dispersed. — Bacon, now feeling
sure of the support of the people, turned his attention
to the Indians. He attacked and defeated the Appomattox
tribe in the neighborhood of the present city of Petersburg,
and then scattered the savages that were on the
Nottoway, the Meherrin, and the Roanoke rivers. The
Indian power was now broken, and Bacon disbanded most
of his troops.

Berkeley's Return to Jamestown. — While Bacon was
pursuing the Indians, Giles Bland, one of his followers,
with a fleet of four ships sailed for Accomac to capture
the governor. But one of the men turned traitor to
Bacon's cause and gave up one of the ships to Berkeley,

who then captured the others. After this stroke of good
fortune, Sir William secured sixteen or seventeen sloops,
and by means of this fleet transported his soldiers, numbering
from six hundred to a thousand, across the bay;
and on September 7,
1676, he took possession
of Jamestown.

Destruction of Jamestown

Destruction of
Jamestown. — When
Bacon heard what
had happened, he
started at once for
Jamestown, with
such of his followers
as he could hastily
collect, and traveled
"with marvelous celerity,
outstripping
the swift wings of
fame." As he advanced,
reinforcements joined him; but, when he reached
Jamestown, his force was still inferior to Berkeley's. He
prepared to cannonade the town; but Berkeley, evacuating
it in haste, embarked with his troops on board the ships
which lay in the river. Bacon entered the town; and,
as his army was too small for him to leave a garrison in
the place, after consulting with his officers, he decided to
burn it so that it should no more furnish a refuge for the
royalists. This was done on September 19, 1676, Lawrence
and Drummond putting the torch to their own homes.
The destruction was complete; and now only the ruins of
the tower of the church and the graves in the adjacent
cemetery mark the site of Virginia's ancient capita'.

Death of Bacon. — Bacon now had all Virginia with him,
and he was full of hope that he could establish for the
colony a free government subject to Great Britain; but he
did not live long enough to carry out any of his plans.
During the siege of Jamestown he contracted a fatal sickness;
and in October, 1676, he died at the house of Mr.
Pate, in Gloucester. He was secretly buried by his faithful
followers, and the place of his interment has never
been discovered.

Collapse of the Rebellion. — At the news of Bacon's
death there was widespread dismay; and a momentous
change at once took place. There was

Ruins of Jamestown

no leader to succeed
him; and his followers
became broken up into
separate bands, which
Sir William Berkeley
attacked and defeated
in detail. The people
grew weary of the desultory
warfare that was
carried on, in many
cases, it appeared, only
for plunder and revenge,
and longed for
a return of peace.
Berkeley exerted
himself to encourage
this pacific spirit. Finally, he entered into negotiations
with Ingram and Wakelet, two of the most influential
leaders, offering them full pardon if they would lay down
their arms; and upon these terms they surrendered.
Thus the rebellion which, in September, 1676, was triumphant
everywhere, had, by the end of the year, fallen
to pieces for lack of a head; and Governor Berkeley was
again in authority.

Berkeley's Revenge. — Now that Sir William Berkeley
was in possession of the government again, instead of
adopting a policy calculated to heal the wounds of the
colony, he displayed a spirit of revenge, which seemed
to kill all humane feelings in his heart. He threw into
prison many who had been prominent in the rebellion;
and, knowing that when they were brought to trial they
would be cleared by juries, he established martial law, by
which men were condemned to death without fair trial,
and then hurried off to execution.[9] Thus he brought
about a reign of terror in the land, no man knowing
when he might be arrested and hanged. Finally, after
twenty-three executions had taken place, the House of
Burgesses, in February, 1677, restrained him, by voting
an address "that the governor would spill no more blood."
"Had we let him alone," said one of the members, "he
would have hanged half the country." "The old fool,"
exclaimed Charles II., on hearing of Berkeley's acts, "has
hanged more men in that naked country than I have done
for the murder of my father!"

Berkeley's Recall and Death. — Sir William Berkeley was
recalled by the king, and passed out of office on the 27th
of April, 1677. When he departed, the Virginians kindled
bonfires and fired salutes, while a wave of joy passed over
the land. On reaching England, he found that his conduct
in Virginia was looked upon with horror by his
friends, and that he was not sustained by the king. All

this is said to have broken his heart, and on July 13, 1677,
he died under a load of infamy, which dimmed the fair
reputation he had won in his youth.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What did the king promise?

• 2. Did he send a new charter at once?

• 3. What cause for alarm now demanded attention?

• 4. Give an account of the Indian depredations.

• 5. How did Governor Berkeley treat the appeal of the people for protection?

• 6. Of what did they suspect him?

• 7. Finally, what action did the people take?

• 8. Who was Nathaniel Bacon, and why was he chosen leader?

• 9. What fact attested the esteem in which he was held?

• 10. Give the names of two other men chosen.

• 11. What request did Bacon make of Governor Berkeley?

• 12. Was it granted?

• 13. By whose authority did Bacon set out, and what news reached him?

• 14. In the meantime what action had the governor taken?

• 15. By what was he prevented from carrying out his plan?

• 16. What did he do now?

• 17. What was the sentiment of the new House of Burgesses?

• 18. Tell of Bacon's arrest and apology

• 19. Give an account of his flight from Jamestown and return.

• 20. What did he demand from the governor?

• 21. On what subjects did Bacon address the Burgesses, and with what
  result?

• 22. Why did Berkeley dissolve the House of Burgesses, and repair to
  Gloucester?

• 23. What did he again declare Bacon?

• 24. What did the people inform Berkeley?

• 25. On hearing the governor's proclamation, what did Bacon do?

• 26. Where had Berkeley gone?

• 27. What proclamation did Bacon make?

• 28. Give an account of the convention at Middle Plantation.

• 29. To what did Bacon now turn his attention?

• 30. Tell of Berkeley's return to Jamestown.

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• 31. Give an account of the burning of Jamestown.

• 32. What is left to mark the site of Virginia's ancient capital?

• 33. Tell of Bacon's death.

• 34. What happened when the people heard of his death?

• 35. How did Berkeley try to pacify them?

• 36. In what way did he seek revenge?

• 37. Finally what did the House of Burgesses have to do?

• 38. What did Charles II. exclaim on hearing of Berkeley's acts?

• 39. Give an account of his recall and death.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• 1. Give an account of the struggle in England between the king and
  Parliament.

• 2. What was the Commonwealth of England?

• 3. How did it assert its authority in Virginia, and how did the colony
  prosper under its rule?

• 4. What is said of the restoration of Charles II.?

• 5. What were the navigation laws, and how did they affect the commerce
  of Virginia?

• 6. Tell of the oppressive colonial legislation, and of Berkeley's obstinacy.

• 7. What is said of the criminal prodigality of Charles II., and to what
  did it lead?

• 8. Who was Nathaniel Bacon?

• 9. Why did Berkeley declare Bacon and his men rebels?

• 10. Give the leading facts of Bacon's Rebellion up to the convention
  at Middle Plantation.

• 11. What was done at this convention?

• 12. Describe the destruction of Jamestown.

• 13. Tell of Bacon's death, and the collapse of the Rebellion.

• 14. Describe Berkeley's revenge, and his death.

CHAPTER XII

FROM BACON'S REBELLION TO THE FRENCH AND INDIAN
WAR

After Bacon's Rebellion. — The efforts of the people
under Bacon to secure better government ended in failure.
All the tyrannical legislation that had been enacted, including
the restriction of the suffrage, was put into full
operation again; and freedom in the colony depended
entirely on the royal will, except in so far as the inhabitants
enjoyed the rights of Englishmen, which the common
law accorded them. The rebellion was made a
pretext by the king for refusing the liberal charter he
had promised; and the one that was finally sent over
was unsatisfactory, and did not contain a single political
franchise.

The Tobacco Rebellion. — So dissatisfied were the people
that they would have revolted again had not the disastrous
effects of Bacon's Rebellion been fresh in their minds.
As it was, small disturbances did occur, notably one which
is known as the Tobacco Rebellion. This was partly the
result of a law passed by the House of Burgesses to encourage
the building of towns, which required ships to be
loaded at specified places on the rivers instead of at the
different plantations, the idea being that the observance of
this law would render the erection of warehouses necessary,
and that thus the foundations of cities would be laid. Many
planters refused to obey the law, and, as ships were not

allowed to touch at their wharves, they were prevented
from disposing of their tobacco. This, together with the
navigation laws, caused so great dissatisfaction that, in
1682, riotous proceedings took place; and in the counties
of Gloucester, New Kent, and Middlesex, the planters
destroyed a large part of the growing crop by cutting up
the plants. The disturbances were quelled by the militia;
and several of the ringleaders were hung. One, it is said,
agreed to build a bridge, and on this condition was pardoned.

Governors not Interested in the People. — The royal governors
who came and went during the period just after
the rebellion showed, as a rule, but little interest in the
people, and generally regarded their office as a means of
advancing their own interests. One of the most avaricious
was Lord Culpeper, who was appointed in 1675, but did
not come to the colony till 1680. He sought perquisites
of every kind, and endeavored to make the most money
in the shortest time possible. Some relief came in 1684,
when the Culpeper and Arlington grant was annulled and
Virginia again became a royal province.

Good Effects of the English Revolution of 1688. — The
English revolution, which drove James II. from the
throne, because he violated the fundamental laws of the
land, and endeavored to subvert the constitution, caused
government to be regarded as a trust to be used for
the benefit of the people, and not as an inheritance to be
abused as a sovereign might see fit. The triumph of these
ideas in England led, in a few years, to beneficial results in
Virginia. The governors became less arbitrary, approved
such legislation as was conducive to the good of the
colony, and, in general, showed more consideration for
the people. In 1690, when Governor Nicholson came to

the colony, the people were on the eve of rebelling again,
but he adopted a mild and conciliatory policy in accordance
with the new views of government, and the danger
of an insurrection gradually passed away.

The Coming of the Huguenots. — Toward the end of the
seventeenth century, the persecution of the Huguenots
on account of their religion began in France, and forty
thousand took refuge in England. A number of them

afterwards came to Virginia, where they found happy
homes. Their principal settlement was at Manakin town
on the upper James. These emigrants were brave, intelligent,
and industrious. From them descended many
distinguished families.

The Close of the Seventeenth Century. — As the century
drew to a close, the people became much interested in the
idea of having a college, where the young men could acquire
the higher education which they were forced to seek in

England. The matter was pushed with vigor, and resulted
in the founding of William and Mary College in 1693,
named in honor of the reigning sovereigns. It was located
at Middle Plantation, where five years later Governor
Nicholson also founded the city of Williamsburg, to which
he moved the seat of government. He designed that the
streets of the new city should, when laid out, form the
letters W and M as a compliment to William and Mary;
but this plan was never fully carried out. When the
century ended, Virginia had a population of seventy thousand,
and was rapidly advancing in prosperity and importance.

Alexander Spotswood. — In 1710, the illustrious Colonel
Alexander Spotswood, a gallant officer, who had served
under Marlborough, and had been wounded in the famous
battle of Blenheim, was appointed governor. He was in
the prime of manhood, courteous in manner, active and
enterprising in nature. He met with a most cordial welcome,
and he brought a formal confirmation of the writ of
habeas corpus,[10] a right cherished by the people. Governor
Spotswood had the welfare of the colony at heart, and
exerted himself to develop its resources. He established
the first iron furnaces ever located in America, and on account
of this he was called the "Tubal Cain" of Virginia.

Spotswood Crosses the Blue Ridge. — A few years after
he reached the colony, a love of adventure filled him
with the desire to penetrate the country beyond the Blue
Ridge, which had been supposed for a long time to present
a barrier forever impassable to men. In 1716, he
with a number of his companions, well mounted and attended
by "rangers, pioneers and indians," set out on a

journey of exploration. They succeeded in ascending the
range, and on its top drank the health of the king, after
which they went down into the beautiful valley, naming
the river running through it, which we now call the Shenandoah,
the Euphrates. Spotswood, to commemorate his
triumph, presented to his companions small golden horseshoes,
set with garnets and other jewels inscribed with the
motto, "Sic juvat transcendere montes."[11] From this incident
the order of the "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe"
originated. Spotswood ceased to be governor in 1722; but
he spent the remainder of his days in Virginia,[12] where his
memory is much honored and where many of his descendants
still live.

Richmond and Petersburg Founded. — In 1733, Colonel
William Byrd[13] laid the foundation of two new cities at
places "naturally intended for Marts." These he named

Richmond and Petersburg; and they soon grew into substantial
towns. The Virginia Gazette, the first newspaper
that appeared in the colony, was issued in Williamsburg in
1736; and its columns contained an advertisement inviting
everybody to come and live at Richmond.

Settlement of the Valley. — The people of Virginia made
their homes first near the seacoast, along the lowland rivers.
Up these they gradually extended their settlements till,
about a hundred years after the founding of Jamestown,
they had reached the mountains. These, Spotswood had
shown were not impassable; and so some years later a
wave of population from the lowlands began to cross the
mountains and to pour itself into the fertile Shenandoah
valley. Just before this happened, a tide of immigration
from Pennsylvania had come into the lower valley. This
consisted of Scotch-Irish and Germans, who had been
drawn to the country by rumors of its many advantages.
These early settlers of the valley were of excellent material
to make good citizens. The history of the Scotch-Irish
in America has never been fully written. When
this is done, it will appear that their immigration was next
in importance to the coming of the Cavaliers to Virginia
and the Puritan migration to New England, so great has
been its influence.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What was the condition of the colony after Bacon's Rebellion?

• 2. What was the Tobacco Rebellion?

• 3. How did the royal governors regard the people?

• 4. In what manner did Lord Culpeper treat the people?

• 5. Relief came in what way?

• 6. How was the English revolution of 1688 beneficial to Virginia?

• 7. What policy did the government adopt, and with what result?

• 8. Who were the Huguenots, and why did they come to Virginia?

• 9. When and where was William and Mary College founded?

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• 10. What city was founded at the same place?

• 11. Describe Governor Nicholson's design for the streets.

• 12. What population did Virginia have at the close of the seventeenth
  century?

• 13. Who was Alexander Spotswood, and how was he received?

• 14. What legal right did he bring to the people?

• 15. What did he establish in Virginia?

• 16. Give an account of Spotswood's crossing the Blue Ridge.

• 17. What did they do on reaching the summit, and how did they commemorate
  the event?

• 18. When and by whom were the cities of Richmond and Petersburg
  founded?

• 19. What invitation did the Virginia Gazette give to the public?

• 20. Give an account of the gradual settlement of the valley of Virginia.

• 21. Of what nationality were its settlers?

CHAPTER XIII

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

The Question of Supremacy. — The rivalry existing between
France and England, which had caused so many
bloody wars in Europe, was transferred also to America.
Both had planted extensive colonies; and, as these grew,
their interests came into conflict. Which nation was to
rule in the New World? This question had to be decided;
and as the middle of the eighteenth century drew near,
it was evident that the settlement was not far off.

The Plan of France. — The French had secured possession
of the two great rivers of the country, the Mississippi
and the St. Lawrence. They had Canadian France
in the north and Louisianian France in the south; and
they conceived the bold idea of connecting these settlements.
So they built a line of forts which ran from
Quebec to the Great Lakes, and then down the Illinois
and the Mississippi rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. Thus
they planned to hem the English colonies in on the Atlantic,
and not to allow them to extend themselves further
toward the west.

The English Plan. — The English suddenly awoke to the
fact that they were about to lose the heart of the continent,
and decided to colonize the rich country west of the
Alleghany Mountains. For this purpose the Ohio Company
was formed; and in 1752, it received a grant of half
a million acres of land on the east bank of the upper

Ohio — the territory now contained in West Virginia and
southwest Pennsylvania.

Protest from Virginia. — The French watched the movement
the English were making, and decided to stop it by
building a new line of forts from Lake Erie to the head of
inland navigation — the point where the Alleghany River
joins with the Monongahela to form the Ohio. In carrying
out this plan, they proposed without ceremony to possess
themselves of territory that belonged to Virginia.
When this design was suspected,

Robert Dinwiddie, who
was then governor, resolved to
send a messenger to M. de St.
Pierre, the French commander,
who was at a fort about fifteen
miles south of Lake Erie, to
inform him that the territory
on the Ohio belonged to Virginia,
and to protest against
any invasion of it.

The Envoy Selected. — For
the discharge of this duty,
Governor Dinwiddie selected a
native Virginian, George Washington, who was destined to
fill a prominent place in the history of his country. He
was born in Westmoreland County on February 22, 1732,
and descended from a family that belonged to good English
stock. His father died when he was but ten years
old, and so he had learned at an early age to rely upon
himself. Though he had received but a common school
education, yet he had made the best use of his opportunities;
and when sixteen years old had been engaged by
Lord Fairfax to survey land he owned across the Blue

Ridge. This led to a lifelong friendship between the two
men; and Washington doubtless derived much benefit
from his association with Fairfax, who had grown up in
the most elegant society in London. Washington in all
his actions during his boyhood and early manhood had
borne the highest reputation for judgment, administrative
ability, and integrity of moral character. He was just
twenty-one when he set out on his dangerous mission.

The Journey and the Result. — The journey was full of
perils and hardships; but finally Washington reached his
destination. M. de St. Pierre received him most courteously;
but, when he read Dinwiddie's letter, he sent back
the reply that, in all he had done, he had been acting
under the instructions of the governor of Canada, and that
he should continue to obey orders, as was the duty of a
soldier. With this unsatisfactory answer, Washington
was forced to return. His journal giving an account of
his expedition, which was published both in Virginia and
in England, first unfolded the hostile intentions of the
French. It was now seen that their encroachments could
only be stopped by an appeal to arms, which would involve
a contest with the Indians also, for they had formed an
alliance with the French.

The Opening of Hostilities. — In January, 1754, a company
of Virginia pioneers, less than fifty in number, took
possession of the forks of the Ohio River, where Pittsburg
now stands, which was the strategic point of the whole
disputed territory, and commenced building a fort. But
in April they were dispersed by the French, who completed
the stronghold, and named it Fort Duquesne, in
honor of the nobleman who was governor of Canada. In
the meantime Virginia had equipped a small force which,
under the command of Washington, was pushing on

toward the forks of the Ohio. But, on the way, Washington
learned that the French had already secured possession
of the coveted position. He continued his march,
however, till he reached a place called Great Meadows,
about forty miles distant from Fort Duquesne, where he
met and defeated a small French force. He then halted
and built Fort Necessity. This the French besieged and
captured, but allowed Washington and his men to march
back to Virginia.

England sends General Braddock to Virginia. — The affair
at Great Meadows caused the English government to take
vigorous action. Early in 1755, one thousand of the king's
regular troops were sent over, first to capture Fort Duquesne
and after this other French forts toward the Great Lakes.
These were under the command of General Edward Braddock,
who was a brave man; but he made the fatal mistake
of supposing that war could be carried on with success in an
American wilderness on the same plan as upon the plains
of Europe. Warnings were repeatedly given him that he
had to fight, not only the French, but also the Indians,
whose peculiar method of warfare, added to the wild character
of the country, gave them an advantage over regular
troops, and made them an enemy to be feared. To Benjamin
Franklin, who spoke to him of the danger he would
have to guard against from this source, he replied impatiently,
"These savages may be indeed a formidable
enemy to raw American militia, but upon the king's
regular and disciplined troops, sir, it is impossible to make
any impression."

Braddock's Defeat. — Some time was consumed in preparations;
but finally the army, reinforced by about one
thousand colonial soldiers, began to move toward Fort
Duquesne, Braddock confident that an easy victory was

before him. In July the army crossed the Monongahela
River, at a point about ten miles from the fort, where it
was attacked by a force of Canadians and Indians, and
literally cut to pieces. Half the English fell, killed or
wounded, and the remainder fled panic-stricken toward
Virginia. General Braddock received a mortal wound,
from the effects of which he died. Washington, who had
accompanied the expedition as a member of Braddock's
staff, put himself at the head of the colonial troops, and
covered the retreat of the regulars as far as was possible.
Thus the campaign that was to accomplish so much ended
in dire disaster.

Predatory Inroads on the Frontier. — The whole western
frontier of Virginia was now unprotected. The Indians in
the country toward the Ohio, encouraged by the success
that attended their arms in the contest with Braddock,
began boldly to attack the frontier, and even advanced as
far as the neighborhood of Winchester, their line of march
being always marked by murders and outrages of the most
blood-curdling kind.

Virginia Defends her Frontiers. — The House of Burgesses
raised and equipped additional forces which were
put under the command of Washington, who was so much
distressed by the conditions confronting him that, while
at Winchester, he wrote Governor Fauquier a letter in
which he said: "The supplicating tears of the women
and moving petitions of the men melt me into such deadly
sorrow that I solemnly declare, if I know my own mind, I
could offer myself a willing sacrifice to the butchering
enemy, provided that would contribute to the people's
ease." He exerted himself to the utmost to stop the
atrocities of the savages, building a fort at Winchester and
others along the border, to which the distressed inhabitants

could fly for refuge; and he met with a wonderful degree
of success in his efforts, when the limited supply of men
and means at his command are taken into consideration.

End of the War. — For some time, in the struggle that
was going on, success seemed about to rest with the
French; but in 1758, the English began to prosecute the
war more vigorously. During this year another expedition,
under the command of General John Forbes, was
sent against Fort Duquesne. His army numbered about
six thousand, sixteen hundred of whom were Virginians
under Washington. This time the Virginians led the advance.
On the approach of the army, the French blew
up the fort and retreated. This event brought the worst of
the border troubles to an end, though the Indians continued
to commit occasional outrages for some time. The following
year, the English captured Quebec, which virtually
decided the contest. A few years later France yielded her
possessions east of the Mississippi River to England.

QUESTIONS

• 1. Give an account of the rivalry existing between France and
  England.

• 2. What was now the question to be decided?

• 3. Give the plan adopted by France.

• 4. The English plan

• 5. How did the French decide to stop the English?

• 6. What message did the governor of Virginia send the French
  commander?

• 7. Who was George Washington, when and where born?

• 8. What led to a lifelong friendship between Washington and Lord
  Fairfax?

• 9. What is said of his character?

• 10. Give an account of his journey, and of its result.

• 11. Tell of the opening of hostilities

• 12. What happened at Great Meadows?

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• 13. Whom did the English send to capture Fort Duquesne, and what
  fatal mistake did he make?

• 14. On being warned by Benjamin Franklin, what was his reply?

• 15. Tell of Braddock's defeat.

• 16. Who then took the head of the colonial troops?

• 17. Encouraged by this victory, what did the Indians do?

• 18. What was the letter Washington wrote to Governor Fauquier?

• 19. In what way did he try to stop the atrocities of the savages?

• 20. In what year did Fort Duquesne fall into the hands of the English?

• 21. How did the war end?

CHAPTER XIV

COLONIAL LIFE

Its Golden Age. — In the eighteenth century, colonial
life had passed through the formative period, and reached
the full flower of its development.

A Pioneer

The settlers
in the Valley, it is true,
were still undergoing
the hardships of pioneer
life; but in eastern
Virginia, along the
rivers, a prosperous
people lived in luxury
and security. Before
entering upon the stirring
events of the Revolution,
it will be interesting
to take a brief
glance at Old Dominion society
in the good old days when
life was easy and men were happy.

Classes that formed Society. — Society was
composed of a number of classes. There
were the large planters and the small planters, both owning
land and slaves. The line between these classes was
not clearly marked, for they shaded into one another.
They dwelt harmoniously together, and stood shoulder to

shoulder in any time of public need. There was also, to
some extent, a separate class, made up of men who were
called overseers, because they were employed by large
land owners to overlook their servants and their property.
Many of these became themselves land owners and the
holders of slaves. Mention must also be made of still
another class, composed of the descendants of indented
servants and of convicts. They were ignorant, indolent,
and turbulent, but were few in number, and were unimportant
both socially and politically. These various
classes, with the negroes, who were rapidly increasing in
numbers, constituted the different elements of Old Virginia
society.

Life on a Large Plantation. — Each large plantation
was a little community, which produced nearly everything
needed for its own use. It furnished not only food
for all who dwelt upon it, but also the raw materials out
of which clothes, shoes, and the various articles for common
use were manufactured. All the work was done by
negroes, under the supervision of their masters, mistresses,
or overseers.[14]

Life of the Planter. — It is evident that the planter, who
had such varied interests to look after did not, as a rule,
live a life of idleness and ease, as has often been stated.
It is true that he had his amusements, horse-racing, fishing,

hunting, and chasing the fox, being his favorite
sports; but the greater part of his time, he spent in
superintending the different operations which took place

Virginia Hospitality

upon his estate, and in looking
after the welfare of all
the people who lived on it.
He dispensed a most generous
hospitality to his
friends and to strangers,
keeping open house for all
who came. This was rendered
easy by a large retinue
of servants and by the
abundant supplies of food
which the plantation furnished.
The free entertainment
of guests was so
common that, in the seventeenth
century, a law was
passed requiring even an
innkeeper, if he wished to
charge for food and shelter, to notify a guest upon his
arrival; otherwise he could not make him pay anything.

Life of a Planter's Wife. — Domestic affairs occupied to
a great extent the time of the mothers and daughters of a
household. Needlework that knew no end, the training
of servants, and looking after the general affairs of the
establishment, were the monotonous but useful occupations
of the Virginia women. Toward the end of the
eighteenth century, a visitor to Mount Vernon says that
she found Mrs. Washington in a room nicely fixed for all
kinds of work. She then continues: "On one side, sits
the chamber maid, with her knitting; on the other, a little

coloured pet, learning to sew. An old, decent woman is
there, with her table and shears, cutting out the negroes'
winter clothes, while the good old lady (Mrs. Washington)
directs them all, incessantly knitting herself. She
points out to me several pairs of nice coloured stockings
and gloves she had just finished, and presents me with

In a Virginia Home

a pair half done, which she begs I will finish and wear
for her sake."[15] Bishop Meade, in commenting on this
description says: "If the wife of General Washington,
having her own and his wealth at command, should thus
choose to live, how much more the wives and mothers
of Virginia with moderate fortunes and numerous children."

The "Great House." — The dwelling house on a large
plantation was known as the manor house, or the "great
house." It was not necessarily large, but its name originated
from the contrast it presented to the other buildings
on the place. In the seventeenth century, the typical
dwelling was a framed building of moderate size, possessing

more width than depth, and having usually a chimney
at each end. Many houses were, however, built of brick,
and some of stone. For a long time, the dwellings displayed
but little architectural beauty; but, during the
eighteenth century, when the planters had grown wealthy,
a number of elegant residences, resembling those of the
English gentry were erected. Some of these were square
or nearly so, two stories or more high, had deep cellars,
large rooms, broad halls, and rejoiced in great fireplaces.
If there was an overseer on the plantation, he dwelt in
a separate house, which was less pretentious than the
"great house" in appearance.

Furniture. — The furniture was generally imported, and
that used by the better classes was usually of mahogany,
or else made of less costly material, covered with thin strips
of mahogany called veneer. The bedsteads were so high

Colonial Furniture

that frequently steps were needed
to reach them. They had tall
posts, and were inclosed by
curtains. Underneath them,
trundle-beds, which were
used for the children of
the family, were kept
during the day. These
were hid from view by
narrow curtains. The
rich man's spoons
were of silver, those of
the poor man of iron or
pewter. Dishes and plates
were made of earthenware or
pewter. Knives were of steel,
but forks were not in general use till the eighteenth century.
A treadle wheel for spinning flax, a large wheel for
spinning wool, and a hand-loom for weaving cloth were
common household articles.

The Kitchen. — The kitchen was some distance from the
"great house," and its most striking feature was a fireplace,
sometimes twelve feet wide. The cooking utensils
were iron pots, gridirons, kettles, saucepans, frying pans,
etc. As each article of food was cooked in a separate

vessel, it possessed an individual flavor that is unknown
in cooking that comes from the stoves and ranges of the
present day.

Food. — The hardships of pioneer days were gone; and,
in no part of the world was a more bountiful supply of
food of various kinds to be found than in Virginia. There
were beef, pork, venison, mutton to a limited extent, game
of all kinds, vegetables and fruits to suit every taste. Such
viands as they were, prepared in the homes of the better
classes, could not fail to please the most fastidious.

The Negro Quarters. — The negroes dwelt together in a
settlement which presented the appearance of a village,
the houses of which were of the plainest kind, built of logs
or undressed planks. Each cabin, however, contained
furniture enough to make the occupants comfortable. As
a rule the negroes were well fed and well clothed; and it
cannot be said that they were an unhappy race. Free
from all the responsibilities of life, they brought up large
families, and enjoyed to the fullest extent such blessings
as came to them.

Relation of Master and Servant. — In the olden times,
the negroes were usually called servants, not slaves.
They were generally kindly treated, though there were
exceptional cases of cruelty to them; and it was by no
means uncommon for genuine affection to exist between
a master and his servants. Bruce, in his Economic History
of Virginia,[16] says: "There is no reason to doubt that
the planters were as a body just and humane in their treatment
of their slaves. The solicitude exhibited by John
Page of York was not uncommon; in his will he instructed

his heirs to provide for the old age of all the negroes who
descended to them from him, with as much care in point
of food, clothing, and other necessaries, as if they were
still capable of the most profitable labor."

Dress. — The wealthy planter showed a child's fondness
for ornamentation; and he had an opportunity to gratify
his taste when the frequent gatherings of friends took
place at his home, at Christmas, at weddings, and when
he attended services at the parish church. On such occasions,
with his bright-colored coat and breeches, made frequently
of plush, with his embroidered waistcoat, his long
silk stockings, silver buttons and shoe-buckles, his ruffled
shirt, and his head adorned with a flowing wig, he presented
an appearance that was truly gorgeous. But his
wife was fully his equal; for she was apt to appear in
crimson satin bodice trimmed with point lace, a petticoat
of rich, black oriental silk, costly shoes, and silk hose.

Education. — Primary education was given in the "old
field" schools, where the three R's were taught, and perhaps
something more. There were some private academies
also; but the higher education had to be sought in
England till William and Mary College was founded, and
so was denied to all except the sons of the rich in the early
days.

Roads. — For a long time the numerous creeks and
rivers, which traverse the country, furnished the only
highways for trade and also for travel. There were but
few roads till late in the eighteenth century. Travel
across the country had to be done on horseback along
bridle paths, which were frequently so indistinct that the
way would be lost. When a traveler reached a stream,
he rarely found a bridge across it, and he would have
to ford it or else swim over, in order to continue his

journey. Toward the end of the seventeenth century,
some coaches, chaises, and chariots began to be seen;
but not till the eighteenth century did even the wealthy
use them generally.

Advantages of the Plantation Life. — Though the Virginia
social system had its elements of weakness, yet it
possessed also its strong points. In it were to be found
gallantry, chivalry, and love of honor. It was adorned
by the gentler virtues of life, and it developed a broad
manliness of character in the people. When the Revolution
came, it brought many changes in habits and customs,
but disturbed in no radical way plantation life, which
preserved its distinctive features till the system went down
in the wreck that followed the Civil War.

QUESTIONS

• 1. In what century was colonial life at its best?

• 2. Of what classes was society composed?

• 3. Describe the life on a large plantation.

• 4. What is said of the life of a planter?

• 5. Give a description of Mrs. Washington's home life.

• 6. What is Bishop Meade's comment?

• 7. Describe the "Great House."

• 8. What of the architecture of this period?

• 9. What is said of the overseer's house?

• 10. Tell of the furniture.

• 11. Describe the kitchen, and the method of cooking.

• 12. Tell of the negro quarters.

• 13. How were the negroes generally treated by their masters?

• 14. What does Bruce say of this?

• 15. Describe the planter's dress, and that of his wife.

• 16. What of the roads, and how was traveling done?

• 17. What were the advantages of plantation life?

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• 1. What is said of the governors who ruled after Bacon's Rebellion?

• 2. When and where was William and Mary College founded?

• 3. Who was Alexander Spotswood, and when was he appointed
  governor?

• 4. Give an account of his crossing the Blue Ridge.

• 5. When and by whom were the cities of Richmond and Petersburg
  founded?

• 6. What caused the French and Indian War?

• 7. Why did Virginia send a protest to the French commander?

• 8. Whom did she select to carry her protest, and what is said of his
  early life?

• 9. Describe his journey, and its result.

• 10. How did the hostilities begin?

• 11. Who was General Braddock, and how was he defeated?

• 12. Tell of the close of the war, and what possessions were yielded
  by France to England?

• 13. What is said of colonial life at its golden age, and of the classes
  that formed society?

• 14. Describe the life on a large plantation, the life of the planter, and
  that of his wife.

• 15. What is said of the "Great House," and other buildings of this
  age?

• 16. Describe the furniture, kitchen, and negro quarters.

• 17. What is said of the relation of master and servant?

• 18. Describe the dress of a wealthy planter and that of his wife.

• 19. Tell of the educational advantages of this period, and how traveling
  was done.

• 20. What advantages had plantation life?

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS (1492-1763)

                                                             

1492.	Columbus discovered America.
1497.	John Cabot discovered Labrador.
1585.	Sir Walter Raleigh's first Roanoke colony.
1587.	Sir Walter Raleigh's second Roanoke Island colony.
1606.	First charter granted to Virginia.
1607.	The English made a settlement at Jamestown; the first permanent English settlement in America, May 13.
1609.	Virginia received her second charter.
1610.	The Starving Time.
1612.	Virginia received her third charter.
1612.	Culture of tobacco commenced.
1613.	Pocahontas married John Rolfe.
1617.	Death of Pocahontas.
1618.	The Great Charter issued.
1619.	First Colonial Assembly convened at Jamestown, July 30.
1619.	Slavery introduced into Virginia.
1622.	Indian massacre.
1624.	Virginia becomes a royal piovince.
1644.	Second Indian massacre.
1649-60.	Virginia under the Commonwealth.
1653.	Virginians establish a settlement on Albemarle Sound in North Carolina.
1660.	Navigation Acts put into operation.
1673.	Culpeper and Arlington grant.
1676.	Bacon's Rebellion.
1693.	William and Mary College founded.
1732.	Washington born, February 22.
1733.	Founding of Richmond and Petersburg.
1754.	The French and Indian War begun.
1754.	Battle of Great Meadows.
1755.	Braddock's defeat.
1758.	Fort Duquesne captured.
1763.	End of the French and Indian War.