University of Virginia Library

SECOND PERIOD—FROM THE REVOLUTION
TO THE CIVIL WAR

CHAPTER XV

CAUSES THAT LED TO THE REVOLUTION

Condition of the Colony after the War with France. — After
the termination of the war between England and France,
Virginia enjoyed a period of peace, during which she increased
rapidly in population, and was

George III

blessed with abundant prosperity. The
people, as their country grew and developed
began to feel more and more strongly
that they were able to take care of themselves,
and so they were more disposed
than they had ever been, to resist any
encroachment upon their rights and privileges.
The time soon came when they
felt justified in resisting by force of arms even the mother
country, to which they had so long acknowledged allegiance.

Opposition to the King's Prerogative. — George III.,
who ascended the English throne in 1760, was a man
of strong convictions, but very narrow and bigoted; and
he determined to enjoy all royal prerogatives to the fullest
extent, and if possible, to increase them. One of the

rights that had been exercised by the king was that of
vetoing colonial legislation; but in England he dared not
veto an act of Parliament. As time passed, this prerogative
of the king began to be called into question more and
more; for it was held that acts of the House of Burgesses
should be as supreme for Virginia in regard to all local
matters, as those of Parliament were for Great Britain.

The Parsons' Case. — The opposition to the veto power
of the king, which came out in 1763 in the famous Parsons'
Case, gave one of the first indications of an approaching
conflict. Briefly stated, the case was as follows:

Patrick Henry

Tobacco was used as money; and
the House of Burgesses, at a time
when a failure in the crop made
the settlement of obligations press
heavily upon the people, passed an
act that all debts which were to be
paid in tobacco could be settled in
money, at the rate of twopence per
pound for tobacco. The clergymen
had been receiving sixpence per
pound. They appealed to the king, and he annulled the
law. Thereupon Rev. James Maury brought suit in the
county court of Hanover to obtain what was due him.
When the case, which was regarded as a test one, came
up for final trial, Patrick Henry[17] appeared in behalf of
the people, and leaving out of consideration the technicalities
of the case, boldly denied the right of the king to
annul legislation that was for the good of the people, declaring
in regard to this particular act of the Burgesses
that "a king who annulled and disallowed laws of so salutary
a nature instead of being the father of his people,
degenerated into a tyrant, and forfeited all right to obedience."
His eloquence won the case; for though the jury
was compelled, as the law stood, to decide in favor of the
plaintiff, yet a verdict was returned after a few minutes'
deliberation, awarding one penny damages. The announcement
was received with a shout of applause, and
Henry's friends, in token of their appreciation of his
matchless effort, carried him round the court green upon
their shoulders.

Power of Parliament. — The theory held by the people
as to the allegiance they owed to Great Britain was, that
Virginia constituted an integral part of the king's dominions,
subject to the king but not to Parliament. They,
therefore, denied the right of Parliament to legislate for
them in regard to local matters, or to exercise jurisdiction
over the House of Burgesses. While much irritation was
caused when the king annulled acts of the Burgesses, yet
more serious trouble arose when Parliament, under the
influence of George III. and his party, decided to lay a
direct tax upon the people without the consent of the
House of Burgesses, a thing that Charles II. had promised
should not be done.

The Stamp Act. — The first attempt thus to levy taxes
was in 1765, when Parliament passed the Stamp Act,
which required that the colonies should use upon all documents,
pamphlets, newspapers, and almanacs, revenue
stamps costing from a half penny up to fifty pounds. As
a result of this law, it was expected that a handsome sum
would be raised annually for the Crown, which would help
Great Britain to pay off the heavy debt she had incurred
in her wars in Europe.

Patrick Henry's Resolutions. — When the Stamp Act
came up for discussion in the House of Burgesses, Patrick
Henry, who was now a member and a popular leader,
offered resolutions declaring that only the House of Burgesses,
together with the king or his substitutes, had the
right to levy taxes, and that any attempt to take this power

from the House of Burgesses was unconstitutional. He
urged the adoption of these spirited resolutions with an
ardor that alarmed the more conservative members of the
House. Suddenly, while speaking against the Stamp Act,
he exclaimed, "Cæsar had his Brutus, Charles the First
his Cromwell, and George the Third" — cries of "Treason!"
"Treason!" here interrupted him. But fixing his eye upon
the Speaker of the House, he added, "and George the
Third may profit by their example. If this be treason,
make the most of it."

Repeal of the Stamp Act. — The resolutions went through;
and the news of what had happened in Virginia was carried
with wonderful quickness all over the country. Other
colonies adopted similar resolutions, and everywhere such
a determined spirit of opposition was manifested to the
Stamp Act, that it was found to be impossible to put it
into execution, the people absolutely refusing to use the
stamps. Finally Parliament yielded, and in 1766 repealed
the Stamp Act, but at the same time declared that it had
legislative supremacy over the colonies.

A Second Attempt at Taxation. — There was much rejoicing
in Virginia when the repeal of the Stamp Act became
known, but it was of short duration; for Great Britain had
by no means abandoned her plan of taxing the colonies.
The year following, Parliament laid duties on tea, paper,
glass, and painter's colors. Against this, complaints were
heard on all sides; and the loyalty of the people was
much weakened by the irritation caused by Great Britain's
policy.

The Virginia Resolves. — In 1769, the House of Burgesses
passed the famous Virginia resolves, in which they boldly
affirmed that the colonies alone had the right to tax themselves,
and protested against having persons who were
accused of treason carried to England for trial, as Parliament
proposed to do on account of the disturbances in
America.

The Non-Importation Agreement. — When Lord Botetourt,
who was governor at this time, heard what had happened,
he felt that, as the king's representative, he could not
indorse such rebellious proceedings, and so he at once
dissolved the Burgesses; but they met again at the Raleigh

Tavern in Williamsburg, reaffirmed their action, and, in
addition, unanimously adopted an agreement not to import
commodities from England till the duties were taken off.
The Non-Importation Agreement was presented to the
Burgesses by George Washington, but it was drawn up

George Mason.

by George Mason,[18]
who was one
of the greatest
men of the revolutionary
epoch.

The Duties repealed
except the
one on Tea. — The
other colonies,
animated by the
spirited course
with which Virginia
contended
for her rights,
passed similar resolutions, and in some cases adopted hers
as their own. The Non-Importation Agreement became
quite general; and the British government, finding the
colonies on the verge of rebellion, repealed all the duties
except one of threepence per pound on tea, which was
retained for the purpose of establishing a precedent for
taxation. The colonies, however, decided that they would
purchase no tea till the duty was taken off. Thus for a
time matters stood.

Committee of Correspondence. — It became evident, as
the dispute with Great Britain continued, that there

must be some way of securing united action. To bring
about this desirable object, the House of Burgesses appointed
a committee of correspondence, the duty of which
was to give the people news of what was taking place in
Great Britain, and to keep up communication with the
other colonies. Lord Dunmore, who had succeeded Botetourt
as governor, on hearing of what had happened,
hastily dissolved the Burgesses; but the important action
they had taken led to the formation of similar committees
by the thirteen colonies that afterwards constituted the
United States. The meaning of this was that henceforth
there would be unity of action.

Destruction of the Tea at Boston. — In the other colonies,
as well as in Virginia, the people, actuated by a love of
freedom, made vigorous resistance to the policy pursued
by Great Britain. Massachusetts, though not more determined
than Virginia to contend for her rights, had been
so open in her opposition that British troops had been
quartered in Boston. This led to a collision between the
soldiers and the citizens, which inflamed the passions
of the people to the highest pitch; and now an event happened
which gave them an opportunity to display their
defiance of British authority. The East India Company
shipped supplies of tea to different American ports to be
sold in the colonies. Three vessels brought cargoes to
Boston. An organized party, disguised as Indians,
boarded the ships, and threw the tea into the sea. When
news of these bold proceedings reached England, Parliament
ordered that the port of Boston should be closed
on the 4th of June 1774, and the city cut off from all
trade.

Virginia Espouses the Cause of Massachusetts. — The
House of Burgesses was in session, when the action of

the British government against Boston became known in
Williamsburg. The consideration of all other business
was at once postponed, and a protest was passed against
what had been done on the ground that it was subversive
of liberty. The 1st of June was appointed a day of
fasting, humiliation, and prayer. Again Lord Dunmore
dissolved the Burgesses, but the next day they met, regardless
of him, at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg,
and issued a call for a general congress. Massachusetts
had already done the same thing; and the measure met
with approbation, all the colonies appointing delegates except
Georgia.

The First Congress. — The first Congress met at Philadelphia,
on September 5, 1774. Its proceedings were calm and
moderate. A declaration of rights was drawn up, and two
addresses issued, one to the people of Great Britain, and
the other to the people of the colonies. At this time there
were but few men who wished the colonies to renounce
their allegiance to Great Britain.

The wise action of this representative assembly won
many friends in England for the cause of the colonies.
"I know not," said Lord Chatham in the House of Lords,
"the people or Senate, who, in such a complication of
difficult circumstances, can stand in preference to the
delegates of America assembled in General Congress in
Philadelphia."

QUESTIONS

• 1. What was the condition of the colony after the war with France?

• 2. What kind of a man was George III, and what right did he claim?

• 3. How did the people of Virginia regard this?

• 4. Give an account of the Parsons' Case.

• 5. Who appeared in behalf of the people, and what were his words?

• 6. What was the verdict, and what is said of Patrick Henry?

---

129





• 7. What was the theory held by the people as to their allegiance to
  Great Britain?

• 8. Hence what right did they deny Parliament?

• 9. What did George III. now do?

• 10. What was the Stamp Act, and what was England's object in passing
  it?

• 11. Give the resolutions of Patrick Henry.

• 12. While speaking against the Stamp Act, what did he exclaim?

• 13. Why was it found impossible to put the Stamp Act into execution?

• 14. What was Parliament forced to do?

• 15. The following year a tax was laid on what articles?

• 16. This led to what action on the part of the Burgesses?

• 17. When the governor heard this, what did he do, and with what
  result?

• 18. What was the Non-Importation Agreement, and by whom drawn
  up?

• 19. Did the other colonies follow Virginia's example?

• 20. What did England agree to do, and how was this received by the
  colonies?

• 21. What did the House of Burgesses decide to appoint?

• 22. What important action did this bring about?

• 23. What was happening in the other colonies?

• 24. What became of the tea that was sent to Boston?

• 25. What order did Parliament give on hearing of this?

• 26. How did Virginia show her sympathy for Massachusetts?

• 27. What happened at Raleigh Tavern?

• 28. When and where did our first Congress meet?

• 29. What is said of its proceedings?

• 30. What did Lord Chatham say with regard to its action?

CHAPTER XVI

THE LAST EVENTFUL YEARS OF LORD DUNMORE'S ADMINISTRATION

Lord Dunmore's War. — While the colonies were on the
eve of war with Great Britain, Virginia was called upon
once more to defend her western frontier from the savages,
who rose in arms to drive the settlers out of the territory
south of the Ohio River. The struggle which followed was
called Dunmore's war, because the governor was charged
with having brought it on through his agent, Dr. Conolly,
who made statements which the backwoodsmen understood
to be equivalent to a declaration of hostilities. The trouble
began with the killing of some friendly Shawnees by a
party of whites. This unprovoked act was followed by the
murder of the entire family of a friendly chief named
Logan. These and other outrages committed by the
whites, caused a number of western tribes to unite under
the leadership of a famous chief called Cornstalk, and begin
a war of extermination on the settlers west of the mountains.
Lord Dunmore hastily collected an army to meet
the impending danger, and proceeded to the seat of war.

Battle of Point Pleasant. — As one wing of Dunmore's
army, which was commanded by General Andrew Lewis,[19]

was about to cross the Ohio River, it was suddenly attacked
by the savages in great numbers. A hard-fought battle
then took place, which lasted from sunrise till nearly sunset;
but in the end the Virginians won a complete victory,
though at the loss of a number of brave men. The Indians
then made a treaty with Lord Dunmore, promising that
they would no more hunt south of the Ohio nor disturb
voyagers on the river. This battle was important, because
it opened the way for the settlement of Kentucky, and
enabled Virginia a few years later to conquer her western
territory, and thus make good her title to it.

The Prophetic Words of Patrick Henry. — The Indian
war being over, the contest with Great Britain occupied
the attention of the public to a greater extent than ever.
The situation had now become alarming, and the people
began to arm themselves. On the 20th of March, 1775,
a convention for the consideration of public affairs
met at Richmond in St. John's Church. Patrick Henry
promptly introduced a measure for arming and drilling a
body of militia; and, in advocating its adoption, he made his
famous speech, the closing words of which were: "If we
wish to be free, we must fight. It is too late to retire from
the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and
slavery. The war is inevitable, and let it come. The next
gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the
clash of resounding arms. I know not what course others
will take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."

The First Clash of Arms. — His words seemed almost
prophetic; for on April 18, 1775, a detachment of British
troops was ordered by General Gage, the British commander
at Boston, to proceed to Concord and destroy some
military stores which the Americans had collected. When
the soldiers reached Lexington, they encountered a body

St. John's Church, Richmond

of Massachusetts minutemen, and a collision occurred in
which the first blood of the Revolution was shed. This was
followed by a second engagement at Concord; and, with
these skirmishes, the struggle that had so long been impending
commenced.

The Gunpowder. — The day after the battle of Lexington,
Lord Dunmore had a quantity of gunpowder removed from
the old powder magazine at Williamsburg, and put on
board a British man-of-war lying off Yorktown. When
this became known in Williamsburg, the people flew to
arms and were with difficulty restrained from attacking the
governor's palace. In other parts of Virginia also, the
incident caused the greatest excitement. In Fredericksburg,
more than six hundred minutemen assembled to
march against the governor; but George Washington and

Edmund Pendleton induced them to disband. This they
did after signing a paper in which they pledged themselves
to defend "Virginia or any sister colony." The paper
closed with the words: "God save the liberties of America,"
which now took the place of "God save the King." But
Patrick Henry thought the time for action had come. He
put himself at the head of a Hanover company, and set

Removing Powder from the Magazine at Williamsburg

out for Williamsburg.
As he drew
near, he was met by
a messenger from
Lord Dunmore with
an offer to pay for
the powder, and he
accepted this settlement
of the matter.

Flight of Lord Dunmore.
— About two
months later, Lord
Dunmore, not deeming
it safe for him to
remain in Williamsburg
longer, took
refuge on the Fowey,
a man-of-war, which
was anchored near Yorktown. Before taking his departure,
he addressed a communication to the Burgesses, stating
that he deemed it advisable for the safety of himself
and family to leave Williamsburg. In reply, the Council
and the House of Burgesses jointly invited him to return to
the head of affairs, assuring him that they would unite in
carrying out any plan that might be deemed necessary for
his personal safety. But he declined to leave his place of

refuge, though he offered to continue to discharge his
functions as governor on board the man-of-war. After
this, the Burgesses had no further communications with
him; and thus the royal government in Virginia came to
an end, after it had existed for more than a hundred and
fifty years.

Flight of Lord Dunmore

Provisional Government organized. — The Burgesses now
saw that it was necessary to provide an executive for Virginia,
and so a convention was called, which met in Richmond
on July 17, and committed the supreme authority
not to one person, but to the famous Committee of Safety.[20]
This body was endowed with absolute power, being responsible
only to the convention. It was fortunate that this

provisional government was organized so promptly, for the
people had soon to protect themselves from the governor
they had renounced.

Dunmore's Ravages. — Lord Dunmore, incensed at his
expulsion from his government, decided to make war on
Virginia with such forces as he could collect. He had at
his command a fleet of several ships and two companies of
regulars. With these he commenced a series of predatory
incursions along the shores of the Chesapeake. He made
his headquarters in Norfolk. From there, he proclaimed
martial law and offered freedom to all slaves who would
join him and fight against their masters. By such means
as these, he collected a mixed force sufficient to enable
him to do much damage. But, in December, he was defeated
at Great Bridge near Norfolk by a company of Virginians
under Colonel William Woodford, and forced to
embark on his ships. On the 1st of January, 1776, he
bombarded Norfolk, and under cover of the cannonade,
a body of marines landed and at his command set fire to
the town. After this exploit Dunmore carried on for
some months along the shores of the various rivers of
eastern Virginia, hostilities that bore more resemblance to
the incursions of pirates than to open, honorable war, affording
the melancholy spectacle of a governor plundering
the people whom he had come to rule over and protect.
Finally, he fortified himself at Gwynn's Island at the head
of the Piankatank River in Mathews County. From this
retreat he was driven by General Andrew Lewis, of Point
Pleasant fame, and this was the last of Dunmore in Virginia.
He retired first to New York, and then in a short
time went back to England, where he entertained royalists
who fled from Virginia, and continued to manifest the bitterest
hostility to the American cause.

QUESTIONS

• 1. While the colonies were on the eve of war, what was Virginia
  called to do?

• 2. How did the trouble begin, and by what was it known?

• 3. What did the Indians now do?

• 4. Who was General Andrew Lewis?

• 5. Tell of the battle of Point Pleasant.

• 6. What treaty did Lord Dunmore make with the Indians?

• 7. Why was this battle so important?

• 8. What contest now occupied the people?

• 9. When and where was a convention held?

• 10. What measure was introduced by Patrick Henry?

• 11. Give his prophetic words.

• 12. When and where was the first clash of arms?

• 13. What act of Governor Dunmore's enraged the people?

• 14. What did they attempt to do?

• 15. Who induced them to disband?

• 16. What was the nature of the paper signed?

• 17. What action did Patrick Henry take, and with what result?

• 18. Give an account of the flight of Lord Dunmore.

• 19. What action did the Burgesses take, and with what result?

• 20. How long had the royal government lasted in Virginia?

• 21. Tell of the provisional government organized.

• 22. What did Lord Dunmore now decide to do?

• 23. Where did he make his headquarters, and what did he proclaim?

• 24. What occurred at Great Bridge?

• 25. How and where did he continue his depredations?

• 26. What was the last of Dunmore in Virginia?

CHAPTER XVII

THE REVOLUTION—FROM ITS BEGINNING TO BURGOYNE'S
SURRENDER

Operations at the North. — While Virginia was defending
herself from Lord Dunmore, stirring events had
been taking place at the North. The skirmishes at Lexington
and Concord were followed a few weeks later by
the capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point by the
Americans. Generals Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne came
from England with reinforcements for General Gage,
while an American army of some fifteen thousand collected
around Boston and laid siege to the city. The hotly
contested battle of Bunker Hill, which was fought on June
17, 1775, settled the question that there would be a war.
It proved, too, a source of much encouragement to the
Americans; for though they were driven from the field,
they had, by their gallant defense of their position, shown
that they could measure arms with the disciplined troops
of England.

Washington Appointed Commander in Chief. — In view
of the public need, Congress met in Philadelphia and,
after declaring that hostilities had commenced with Great
Britain, appointed George Washington, who was a delegate
from Virginia, commander in chief of the army at Boston.
He accepted the position, but refused to receive any pay
for his services. On his way to his post of duty, he heard
of the battle of Bunker Hill, and at once asked, "Did the

militia stand fire?" Receiving an affirmative answer, he
replied, "Then the liberties of the country are safe."

Washington's Appointment a Political Necessity. — Washington
well deserved the honor of being put at the head of
the army; for he was the only soldier in any of the colonies
of more than a local reputation, the one able leader of men
who had been tried and found to be competent. At the
same time, his appointment was a political necessity. The
Northern colonies recognized the importance of enlisting

Washington

Virginia actively in the war,
for it was known that all the
Southern colonies would follow
her. As she was the most
ancient, the most populous,
and the most influential of the
colonies, and the devotion of
her people to the cause of popular
liberty commanded respect
everywhere, her influence was
absolutely necessary to bring
about a union of all the colonies
into one political body,
without which nothing of importance could be accomplished.

Virginia takes an Active Part in the War. — Now that
hostilities had actually commenced, Virginia did not hesitate
as to her duty. She threw herself into the struggle
with all her strength, and responded promptly to the call
of Congress for troops, her quota being fixed at fifteen
battalions. Volunteers formed themselves into companies,
and set out for the seat of war, even while their own homes
were threatened with destruction by Lord Dunmore. Upon
every battlefield of the war, Virginia was well represented.

She was in her structure and temper more thoroughly English
than any of the colonies; and the soldiers she put in
the field were the equals of any Great Britain could bring
against them.

First Period of the War. — At first the war was waged
for a redress of grievances, not for separation from Great
Britain. The colonies were not ready for the contest;
and Washington, who well knew what an army ought to
be, occupied himself for some time in drilling and equipping
the main army, which he had to do in the face of
great difficulties, and while thus engaged he kept up the
siege of Boston.

Virginia takes Action for Independence. — Virginia had
ever shown herself most jealous of her constitutional rights.
In their defense she had, under Bacon, risen in open rebellion
in 1676; and now, one hundred years later, she
took a step in the cause of freedom which proved to be far-reaching
in its effects upon the destinies of America. On
May 15, 1776, she, through her convention which met in
Williamsburg, instructed her delegates in Congress to propose
that the United Colonies should be declared independent.
This action was on the next day read to the
troops at Williamsburg, and was received by them and by
the people generally with loud acclamation.

Bill of Rights. — After instructing the delegates in
Congress, the convention on the same day adopted a Bill
of Rights which contained a clear exposition of the American
theory of government; for it declared the equality of
men politically, that they possessed certain inherent rights,
such as "the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means
of acquiring and possessing property and pursuing and
obtaining happiness and safety," of which they could not
by any compact deprive their posterity; that government

Thomas Jefferson

was derived from the people and was to be used for the
benefit of all, and that when not so used the majority had
the right to alter or abolish it; that the press should be
free, and that men should have the right to follow their
consciences in religion.

Adoption of a Constitution. — The Bill of Rights was
followed on June 29 by the adoption of a constitution,
which made the government consist of a House of Delegates
and a Senate, and provided that these should elect
annually a governor and a privy council to assist him.
This constitution, which was the first written one in the
world, contained also a declaration of independence. Thus
Virginia proclaimed herself an independent commonwealth
amid the universal rejoicing of her people. Her new government
went into operation at once, Patrick Henry being
elected governor and Edmund Randolph attorney general.

Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence. — When
the Virginia delegates in Congress received the instructions
from the convention,

Jefferson's Desk

Richard Henry Lee
brought in a motion,
"That these United Colonies
are and ought to
be free and independent
states, and that all political connections between them and
the State of Great Britain is and ought to be dissolved."
After a three days' debate the motion was adopted, and a
committee was appointed to draw up a Declaration of
Independence. The Declaration was written by Thomas
Jefferson;[21] and Congress, after making a few changes,
adopted it as written by him, on July 4, 1776.

Virginia among the First. — Virginia was first among
the foremost in the resolutions condemning the Stamp
Act, in the formation of the Committee of Correspondence,
in the movement for a Continental Congress, and in the
decisive steps that led to the independence of America.
More considerate treatment by the British government
would have kept her loyal; but, under a sense of oppression,
the revolutionary impulse
caused her to renounce utterly
an allegiance of which she had
in former days been proud to
boast.

A Seal Adopted. — After declaring
herself independent, Virginia
adopted a new seal, devised
by George Wythe,[22] which expressed
the spirit that animated
the people. It represents Virtue, the tutelary goddess of
the commonwealth, draped as an Amazon, bearing in one

hand a spear and in the other a sword, trampling under
foot tyranny, symbolized as a prostrate man, having near
him a broken chain and a scourge, while his crown has
fallen from his head. Above the figure of Virtue is the
word "Virginia," and underneath the motto — "Sic semper
tyrannis."

Religious Liberty. — The Episcopal Church had been
the established church in Virginia, as it is in England
to-day; and at times, harsh laws had been enacted against
those who dissented from its doctrines. But one form of
belief does not satisfy all people; and at the time of the
Revolution, Quakers, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists
had gained a strong foothold. In her Bill of Rights,
Virginia was the first state in the world to separate absolutely
Church and State, declaring as she did that her
government should be built upon the foundation stone of
religious liberty; and when the General Assembly met
in October, 1776, all persons who did not accept the doctrines
of the Established Church were determined to see
that laws should be enacted to carry out the principles
of religious freedom that had been announced. A great
struggle ensued, which lasted for nearly two months.
Edmund Pendleton[23] and John Page[24] defended the Episcopal
Church, while Thomas Jefferson was the champion

of the dissenters. Religious freedom finally won a complete
triumph. Penalties for nonconformity to the Protestant
Episcopal Church were abolished, and all men were
left free to worship God according to the dictates of their
own consciences.

The Law of Primogeniture. — In England, when a man
dies, his property is not distributed equally among his
children, but it goes to his eldest son, and in this way the
aristocracy is kept up. This Law of Primogeniture, as it
is called, had been in full force in Virginia; but now an
attack was made upon it by Thomas Jefferson, who wished,
as he himself stated, to "eradicate every fiber of ancient
and future aristocracy." Edmund Pendleton, who was
the most conservative of the Revolutionary leaders, defended
it with great skill; but the bill for its repeal passed
the General Assembly without amendment, and it ceased
to be a law.

A Dictator Proposed. — The first military operations after
the Declaration of Independence were disastrous to the
Americans. In the summer of 1776, General Howe, who
had succeeded General Gage as commander in chief of the
British troops, defeated the American army at Long
Island, in consequence of which Washington was forced
to abandon New York and New Jersey, and retire across
the Delaware into Pennsylvania. To the General Assembly,
the outlook seemed so gloomy that it was
proposed to appoint a dictator for Virginia, who should
have absolute power, both civil and military, over persons
and property, the precedent for such action being sought
in the history of Rome. The discussion of this measure
created feelings so bitter that its advocates and its opponents
would not walk on the same side of the street
together. To Patrick Henry, who was to receive the

appointment, Archibald Cary,[25] the leader of the opposition,
sent the message that on the day he became dictator, he
should fall from a thrust of his dagger. There is no
evidence that Patrick Henry either knew of or approved
the scheme. The plan was suddenly dropped, and it
appears to have been but a desperate measure that was
considered to meet a desperate need.

Washington crossing the Delaware

Washington restores Confidence — A few weeks later,
Washington restored confidence by recrossing the Delaware,
and winning the brilliant victories at Trenton and
Princeton. The people now began to realize his greatness
and to esteem him the equal of any commander of
antiquity, for he showed that along with a cause full of
grandeur, he possessed the genius needed to defend it.

Burgoyne's Invasion. — The next summer General Burgoyne
left Canada with a part of the British army and
marched by way of Lake Champlain into New York, his
plan being to seize the line of the Hudson and cut New
England off from the Middle and Southern states. All
went well with him till he reached the upper Hudson,
where the American army under General Gates had taken
a stand to oppose his further progress. Burgoyne had in
his army a number of Indians; and these ferocious allies

Daniel Morgan

so harassed the Americans
that Gates wrote Washington
that they almost produced a
panic.

Morgan and his Riflemen.
— Washington had among
his troops a corps of picked
Virginia riflemen from the
Shenandoah valley and the
upper James, commanded by
the distinguished Colonel
Daniel Morgan. These he
sent to reinforce Gates. It is
said that the aim of these men
was so accurate "that any one of them could toss up an
apple and shoot all the seeds out of it as it fell." Accustomed
to the Indian method of warfare, they soon struck
terror into the breasts of the savages, who said that the
rifles of these sharpshooters "were more terrible than the
lightnings of the Great Spirit." They certainly contributed
much to turn the tide of battle against Burgoyne. At
Bemis Heights, near Saratoga, where Burgoyne fought a
desperate battle in an unsuccessful attempt to drive the
Americans from their position, the Virginia riflemen dispersed

the Canadians and Indians, who covered the flanks
of the right wing of Burgoyne's army and were brought
to a stand only when they encountered the British line
of battle. A few weeks later, when Burgoyne made a
reconnaissance with fifteen hundred picked men, drawn
up in three columns, Morgan's corps fell upon the right
column, which was commanded by General Frasier, and

Burgoyne's Surrender

forced it to fall back, Frasier himself being mortally
wounded by one of the riflemen.

Burgoyne's Surrender. — After these reverses Burgoyne
retired to Saratoga, where, on October 17, 1777, he surrendered
his entire army to General Gates. The political
effect of this victory in Europe was very great. France
had favored the Americans from the first, and had rendered
them some aid. This she had done secretly; but,

after the surrender of Burgoyne, she acknowledged the
independence of the thirteen United Colonies and on February
6, 1778, entered into a treaty, promising to help
them with money, men, and war supplies. Saratoga is
put down by Sir Edward Creasy as one of the fifteen
decisive battles of the world; and much of the credit
of winning it justly belongs to the Virginians.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What events were occurring in the North?

• 2. What battle had decided the question of war, when and where
  fought?

• 3. Who was chosen commander, and on what condition did he accept?

• 4. What is said of Washington, and why was his appointment a
  political necessity?

• 5. Tell what active part Virginia took in the war, and what of her
  soldiers?

• 6. Was the war waged at first for separation from Great Britain?

• 7. What was Virginia's action for independence?

• 8. What was the Bill of Rights, and what followed its adoption?

• 9. What was the Constitution, and what did it contain?

• 10. Who was elected first governor under this Constitution?

• 11. What motion did Richard Henry Lee bring up in Congress?

• 12. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

• 13. Who was Thomas Jefferson?

• 14. Virginia was foremost in what decisive steps?

• 15. Describe Virginia's new seal. By whom was it devised?

• 16. Give the controversy as to religious liberty in Virginia.

• 17. Who defended the established church, and who the dissenters?

• 18. What was the result?

• 19. What was the Law of Primogeniture?

• 20. Who made an attack upon it, and with what result?

• 21. Why was a dictator proposed for Virginia?

• 22. What feelings did this arouse?

• 23. How did Washington restore confidence?

• 24. Tell of Burgoyne's invasion.

• 25. What is said of his Indian allies?

---

149





• 26. Give an account of Morgan and his riflemen.

• 27. Where was a desperate battle fought, and with what result?

• 28. When and where did Burgoyne surrender?

• 29. What did France do after the surrender of Burgoyne?

• 30. What does Sir Edward Creasy say of the battle of Saratoga?

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• 1. Why did the colonists object to the veto power of the king?

• 2. Relate the Parsons' Case.

• 3. What was the Stamp Act, and why was it repealed?

• 4. What was the Non-Importation Agreement, and why was it adopted?

• 5. Why was the tea destroyed at Boston?

• 6. When and where did the first Congress meet?

• 7. Give an account of Lord Dunmore's war.

• 8. When and where was the first clash of arms that marked the
  beginning of the Revolution?

• 9. How did the royal government come to end?

• 10. Describe Dunmore's ravages.

• 11. What battle settled the question as to war?

• 12. Who was appointed commander in chief of the colonial troops,
  and why was his appointment a political necessity?

• 13. What was the object of the colonists at first, and what active part
  did Virginia take in the war?

• 14. Tell of Virginia's action for independence, of her Bill of Rights, and
  her Constitution.

• 15. What was the Declaration of Independence, by whom written, and
  when adopted?

• 16. In what ways did Virginia take the lead for independence?

• 17. Describe the seal adopted.

• 18. Give an account of the controversy for religious liberty.

• 19. What was the Law of Primogeniture, and through whose influence
  was it abolished?

• 20. Why was a dictator proposed, and with what result?

• 21. Give an account of Burgoyne's invasion.

• 22. What is said of Morgan and his riflemen?

• 23. When and where did Burgoyne surrender, and what is said of it?

CHAPTER XVIII

THE LAST YEARS OF THE REVOLUTION

The War in the South. — After the battle of Saratoga,
the British transferred the war from the North to the South.
They reduced Georgia and South Carolina to submission;
and then Lord Cornwallis, one of their ablest generals,
undertook the conquest of North Carolina. The need of
troops in the South was so great that Virginia exerted herself
to the utmost in gathering recruits and in hurrying
them off to the seat of war.

The British attack Virginia. — During the first years of
the war, the central position of Virginia had protected her
from invasion; but the British now decided to attack her
in earnest to keep her from sending so much aid to the
South. A fleet was first sent under General Matthews,
who took possession of Portsmouth, burned Suffolk, and
destroyed at Norfolk and Gosport great quantities of military
stores. The British soldiers also made incursions into
the country, carrying destruction far and wide, while British
men-of-war ruined the coasting trade of the state by destroying
more than one hundred ships.

Benedict Arnold in Virginia. — The British followed their
first attack by a determined effort to subjugate Virginia,
believing that, if she was conquered, this would ensure the
permanent subjugation of the Southern states. Early in
January, 1781, Benedict Arnold, who a few months before
had turned traitor to the American cause, sailed up the

James with an army of nine hundred men, and the invasion
began in earnest. Thomas Jefferson, who had succeeded
Patrick Henry as governor, called out the militia to
defend Richmond. But Baron Steuben, who had general
command of military matters in Virginia, had just sent all
the men he could raise to the South. Arnold accordingly
captured Richmond without opposition. He held possession
of the city for a few days, destroyed her archives,

Marquis de Lafayette

plundered her stores, and
then returned to Portsmouth,
ravaging the
country on his way.

Lafayette. — In the
spring, the British sent
General Phillips with
two thousand additional
troops to Virginia. He
captured Petersburg after
a skirmish with a body
of militia under Steuben,
and then proceeded to
Richmond. But here he
found a body of regular
troops drawn up ready to give him battle. They were
under the command of the Marquis de Lafayette, an ardent
young French nobleman who had come to serve in the
American army as a volunteer and without pay; but Congress
had commissioned him a major general, and Washington,
whose confidence he had won, had sent him to
cooperate with Steuben in the defense of Virginia. General
Phillips decided not to attack Lafayette, but retreated
to Petersburg, where he died from fever a few days after
his arrival.

The Virginians at King's Mountain. — While these events
had been occurring in Virginia, the war had been prosecuted
energetically further South. In conducting the campaign
in North Carolina, Cornwallis sent Colonel Ferguson,
one of his ablest partisan leaders, with a force of eleven
hundred to invade the mountain region. This caused the
pioneers of Virginia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas to rise

in arms, and soon fourteen hundred assembled, four hundred
coming from Washington County, Virginia, under the
command of Colonel William Campbell, who was chosen
leader of the entire force. Ferguson, finding that he was
in danger, retreated to King's Mountain, upon the top of
which he took what he regarded as an impregnable position.
But the frontiersmen took his camp by storm and all
his followers were either killed or captured, he himself
being among the slain.

Morgan at Cowpens. — Daniel Morgan and his men were
always to be found where fighting was going on, and they
were now in the South, where they proved so troublesome
to the British that Cornwallis sent Colonel Tarleton with
eleven hundred men against them. Tarleton pursued Morgan
and coming up with him at Cowpens, a grazing ground
not far from King's Mountain, at once attacked him. But
Morgan displayed wonderful skill in the way he managed
the battle. In an open field he surrounded and nearly
annihilated the British forces, which were superior to his
own, Tarleton escaping with only two hundred men.

Virginia becomes the Seat of War. — Cornwallis's army
was much depleted by the battles he had fought, and so
he decided to march northward, unite his forces with the
British troops in Virginia, and complete the subjugation of
the Old Dominion before he undertook any further operations
in the Carolinas. Acting upon this resolution, he
reached Petersburg soon after the death of General Phillips,
and at once took command of the British troops in Virginia.

Maneuvers of Cornwallis and Lafayette. — Lafayette
was at this time below Richmond with about four thousand
men, and Cornwallis, with nearly double that number,
looked forward to an easy victory over him. "The boy
cannot escape me," he wrote in a letter to England. But
Lafayette though young had prudence, and was unwilling
to risk a battle till he was reinforced by General
Wayne, who was coming with eight hundred Pennsylvanians
to join him. So as Cornwallis advanced, Lafayette
retired till he reached Culpeper County, where he met
Wayne. Cornwallis followed as far as Hanover County,
where he halted, camping on the North Anna River.
While these maneuvers were going on, his cavalry under

Tarleton was laying waste the whole James River country
with fire and sword, destroying what they did not need.
They made a raid on Charlottesville, hoping to capture the
legislature, which was in session in that place, and also
Governor Jefferson, who was at Monticello, but failed in
this attempt.

Cornwallis Entrapped. — Cornwallis finally selected Yorktown
as the basis of his operations, where he fortified himself
strongly. Washington, learning through Lafayette
that the Count de Grasse was coming with a French fleet
to take part against the British, at once decided to combine
the French and American armies, and capture Cornwallis
before he could be reinforced. The plan was kept a
secret, the movement being covered under an apparent
design of laying siege to New York. This deceived the
British till it was too late to relieve Cornwallis, who did
not realize his danger till the French fleet appeared in the
waters of the Chesapeake, and landed three thousand
troops to reinforce Lafayette, followed a few days later
by the arrival of Washington and the Count de Rochambeau
with land forces. The combined French and American
armies amounted to sixteen thousand, and the British
army numbered eight thousand. Cornwallis now saw that
he was hemmed in both by land and by sea; but he prepared
to make a desperate defense.

Siege of Yorktown. — The siege of Yorktown now began.
For more than a week a vigorous cannonade was kept up,
and then the outer lines of Cornwallis's works were carried
at the point of the bayonet. The British still held the
inner fortifications; but these were swept by the fire of
the American batteries. The situation of Cornwallis becoming
desperate, on the 19th of October, 1781, he surrendered.
On this memorable occasion, the American

Surrender of Cornwallis

and French troops were drawn up in two columns, Washington
and Rochambeau being at their head; and between
them the conquered British marched out and laid down
their arms, the bands playing "The world's upside down."

Peace at Last. — A great victory had been won; and
Congress set apart a day for thanksgiving and prayer,
while Washington ordered that all persons under arrest
should be set free so that they, too, might share in the general
rejoicing. The surrender at Yorktown was virtually
the closing scene of the war, and it was fitting that it should
occur in the Old Dominion, where the prelude to the Revolution
had taken place.

Governor Nelson. — Among the Virginia patriots of the
Revolution, Thomas Nelson, who succeeded Jefferson as
governor, stands preeminent. He was a man of great

wealth, all of which he sacrificed to his country's needs.
When two Virginia regiments were ordered to the Carolinas,
before the soldiers started, he gave them all that was
due them as back pay out of his own private fortune. At
a time when the public credit was in a very depressed condition,
the state tried to borrow two million dollars to aid

Nelson at the Siege of Yorktown

in carrying on the war, but the amount could not be
obtained on the security of the commonwealth. Seeing
this, Nelson added his personal security to that of the
state, and in this way a large proportion of the sum was
raised. At the siege of Yorktown, Nelson noticed that
the American gunners refrained from firing at his house,
which had become a refuge for the British. Thereupon
he directed the first gun at it himself, and offered five
guineas to the cannoneer who would put the first ball
through it. He was for some time before the end of
the war commander in chief of the Virginia forces; and
Washington made special mention of the services rendered
by him in bringing the siege of Yorktown to a successful
issue. Nelson has many honorable descendants
living in Virginia.

QUESTIONS

• 1. After the battle of Saratoga, where was the seat of war transferred?

• 2. Why did the British decide to attack Virginia?

• 3. What did they do in Portsmouth and elsewhere?

• 4. In subjugating Virginia, what did they believe would follow?

• 5. What depredations did Benedict Arnold commit?

• 6. What did the British do in the spring?

• 7. Who was Marquis de Lafayette?

• 8. How had the war progressed in the Carolinas?

• 9. What was the result of the battle of King's Mountain?

• 10. Describe the battle of Cowpens.

• 11. What was Cornwallis's plan after these battles?

• 12. Give an account of the maneuvers of Cornwallis and Lafayette.

• 13. Why did Tarleton make a raid on Charlottesville?

• 14. How did Washington entrap Cornwallis?

• 15. Describe the siege of Yorktown.

• 16. When and where did Cornwallis surrender?

• 17. Describe the situation of the armies at the time.

• 18. What did Congress order to be done?

• 19. What is said of the surrender of Cornwallis?

• 20. Who was Thomas Nelson?

• 21. In what ways did he show his patriotism?

CHAPTER XIX

VIRGINIA'S CONQUEST OF HER NORTHWEST TERRITORY

British Occupation of the Northwest Territory. — The
vast domain north of the Ohio River, Virginia claimed
belonged to her by the terms of the charter of 1609, in
which her territory was said to reach "up into the land
from sea to sea." But the British had taken possession
of this country, and had captured from the French the
military forts at Kaskaskia and Vincennes. Still, in sentiment,
the people were anti-English, and were ready to
acknowledge the authority of Virginia.

The "Hannibal of the West." — Before the Revolution
ended this territory was brought under the jurisdiction of
the Old Dominion, as the result of a most daring enterprise,
which was successfully carried through by a native
Virginian, George Rogers Clark, whose exploits gave
him the title of the "Hannibal of the West." He had
moved to Kentucky, which had been made a county of
Virginia, and, finding that the Ohio Indians, instigated
as he believed by the British, were invading the country,
he conceived the daring project of protecting it by
conquering the Northwest Territory for Virginia. So he
journeyed back to Virginia, and unfolded his plan to Governor
Henry, who enthusiastically indorsed the scheme,
and took steps to equip an expedition to carry it out.
Clark was commissioned colonel, supplied with money,
and authorized to enlist men in any county of the commonwealth

till he had raised seven companies of fifty
each. After much difficulty he equipped three companies,
and with these he started; but on his way he was
joined by some Kentuckians, which raised his force to
nearly two hundred.

Capture of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes. — After a
long march through the wilderness, he reached Kaskaskia,
and attacked the place by night. He thus describes the
result. "I immediately divided my little army into two
divisions; ordered one to surround the town; with the
other, I broke into the fort, secured the governor, Mr.
Rocheblave, in fifteen minutes had every street secured;
sent runners through the town, ordering the people on
pain of death to keep close to their homes, which they
observed; and before daylight, had the whole town disarmed."
The people, after being assured by Colonel
Clark that their rights would be respected, readily took
an oath of allegiance to Virginia. They even organized a
company of volunteers, who marched to Cahokia, a French
town sixty miles north of Kaskaskia, and this settlement
gave in its submission. Vincennes, having grown weary
of British rule, now surrendered without a struggle, the
inhabitants agreeing to garrison the fort, which Clark left
in charge of one of his men.

Clark gets Control over the Indians. — The Indians were
amazed at what had happened, and their chiefs, within a
circuit of five hundred miles, hastened to Cahokia to see
the big warrior of the "Long Knives," as they called the
Virginians. Clark met them in council, and, showing them
a peace belt and a war belt, bade them take their choice,
manifesting at the same time no concern as to which they
might select. One after another declared for peace; and
thus Clark obtained control over them.

Clark at the Indian Council

The British recapture Vincennes. — Clark made this conquest
in 1778; but toward the end of the year, Colonel
Hamilton, governor of Canada, descended the Wabash
River with eight hundred men, and recaptured Vincennes.
After this he made preparations for a grand campaign
when the spring opened, his plan being to take Kaskaskia
from Clark, subdue Kentucky, and then, coming further
into Virginia, overrun the settlements west of the Alleghanies.
This alarming news Clark obtained from Colonel
Vigo, a Spanish merchant of St. Louis, who also informed
him that for the winter Hamilton had with him at Vincennes
only eighty men to garrison the place, having sent his other
troops away until he should need them in the spring.

Clark surprises Hamilton. — Clark decided, as he himself
stated, that he would take Hamilton before Hamilton

could take him, and so he at once set out for Vincennes
with his little army. In midwinter he made a march of
two hundred and fifty miles, which for hardship has rarely
been paralleled. The rivers were swollen by the winter
rains, and the Illinois prairies were full of water and ice.
For miles in the low grounds of the Wabash River, the
troops were compelled to wade through water breast high;
but under the influence of their intrepid leader, they persevered
in spite of all obstacles. Great was Governor
Hamilton's surprise when Clark appeared and demanded
his surrender. He made the best defense he could, but
finally was forced to submit. Clark sent him to Virginia,
a prisoner of war.

Civil Government Organized. — As soon as Virginia had
established her claim to her Northwest Territory, Governor
Henry appointed Colonel John Todd to administer the
civil government. Courts of justice and military companies
were organized at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes; and
the machinery of a complete civil government set into
operation.

Importance of the Conquest. — For the conquest of the
country north of the Ohio, Congress never furnished a
dollar nor a soldier. The glory of the undertaking belongs
exclusively to Colonel Clark and to Virginia. Its
importance can hardly be overestimated; for the fact that
Virginia was in possession of the country at the close of
the Revolution enabled the United States to hold it when
peace was made with England. Had it not been conquered
by Virginia, it would doubtless be Canadian territory
to-day.

QUESTIONS

• 1. What was the extent of Virginia's Northwest Territory?

• 2. Who took possession of this territory?

• 3. What was the sentiment of its people?

• 4. By whom was it restored to Virginia, and by what title was he
  known?

• 5. Who was George Rogers Clark, and what was his plan?

• 6. Give an account of the capture of the three forts.

• 7. What did the inhabitants agree to do?

• 8. How did Clark get control over the Indians?

• 9. What happened soon after he made this conquest?

• 10. How did Clark surprise Governor Hamilton?

• 11. What was the result?

• 12. What did Virginia do as soon as her claim was established?

• 13. To whom does the glory of this conquest belong, and why was it
  such an important one?

CHAPTER XX

VIRGINIA IN THE UNION

Virginia Cedes her Northwest Territory. — The colonies
had won their independence by united action; but at the
close of the Revolution many rivalries existed between
them. The claims which seven of the thirteen states made
to western lands, caused so many disputes that the Articles
of Confederation, adopted by Congress during the
Revolution, were not signed by all the states till 1781.
Maryland would not agree to them unless the states owning
western land would cede it to the United States. Virginia,
earnestly desiring union, surrendered her territory[26]
north of the Ohio to bring this about. Her patriotism in
this act becomes conspicuous when the greatness of her
possessions is considered and the soundness of her title,
which was based both upon her charter and upon conquest.

Boundary Dispute between Virginia and Pennsylvania. —
The territory beyond the western boundary of Maryland
was claimed by both Virginia and Pennsylvania; and in

their contest over the matter, they almost went to war.
But commissioners, appointed by the states to settle the
quarrel, agreed to begin at the Delaware River and to extend
Mason and Dixon's line[27] due west five degrees of
longitude for the southern boundary of Pennsylvania, and
then to draw a meridian from the western extremity of the
state to its northern limit for its western boundary. The
"Pan-Handle" is the part of Virginia that was left north
of Mason and Dixon's line and east of the Ohio River.
The extension of the line was not completed till 1785.

Virginia Leads the Movement for a more Perfect Union.
— After the Articles of Confederation had been signed
they proved insufficient for the government of the country.
The states soon began to quarrel in regard to commerce,
and some laid taxes on articles imported from others. So
great were the difficulties which confronted the Confederation
that the legislature of Virginia invited the states to
hold a convention to consider the regulation of the trade
and commerce of the United States. This convention met
in Annapolis in 1786; but, as only five states were represented,
the delegates adjourned after passing a resolution
requesting the states to call a convention in order to
revise the Articles of Confederation. This body met in
Philadelphia, and after a discussion which lasted for four
months, on September 17, 1787, adopted the present
Constitution of the United States.

The Constitution Ratified. — There was great opposition
to the Constitution in Virginia; and in every county
speeches were made for it and against it. The people
were divided into two great parties, and much bitterness
was manifested in the discussions that took place. On
June 2, 1788, a convention met at Richmond, which was
now the capital, to consider the adoption of the new plan
of government. A vehement struggle occurred, as is
shown by the reports of the speeches that were made
on this occasion. Patrick Henry led the opposition, and
James Madison the party in favor of ratification. Finally
on June 25, the Constitution was adopted by a vote of
eighty-nine to seventy-nine. The result was largely due to
the influence of Washington, which was exerted in favor of
the Constitution. It was ultimately signed by all the states.

Virginia Proposes another Revision. — Though Virginia
had adopted the Constitution, yet she was far from being
satisfied with it. So strong was her belief that some
essential changes should be made in it that, in 1788, her
legislature addressed a communication to Congress, asking
that a new convention should be called to revise it.
Fortunately for the permanence of the Union this was not
done; but Congress at its first session adopted a number
of amendments to the Constitution, which did much to
remove the discontent. Notwithstanding this, Virginia
was for a long time prominent in her dissatisfaction with
the Constitution, her people fearing that under it a strong
central government would be formed which would impair
the sovereignty of the states.

The Alien and Sedition Laws. — In 1798, during the
administration of President Adams, who succeeded Washington,
Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Laws, the
first giving the President power to banish any foreigner

who was regarded as dangerous to the peace of the country,
while the second laid heavy penalties upon persons who
should resist government officials in the discharge of lawful
acts, and upon those who might speak or publish anything
that would bring the government or its officers into
bad repute. These laws met with a most vigorous opposition

Mt. Vernon, Washington's Home

in Virginia, on the ground that they were an exercise
of powers not granted in the Constitution. On December
2, 1798, the legislature passed resolutions, in which it was
affirmed that the powers of the government were limited
to such as were specially mentioned in the compact between
the states, and that, if the Federal government should go
beyond the authority given to it, the states had a right to
declare such action unconstitutional. The excitement that
had been aroused by the obnoxious laws led to no serious
result at the time; but the strict interpretation of the
Constitution, as expressed in the famous resolutions of
1798, became the fundamental principle of the State-Rights
party in Virginia.

Washington's Tomb

The Great Virginian. — Washington was the first President
elected under the Constitution. He took the oath
of office in New York on April 30, 1789. Of all the great
men of Virginia and of the United States, he stands first
for ability and distinguished service. His management
of the American army during the Revolution places him
high in the rank of the world's greatest commanders;

and the wisdom he displayed during his presidency, in
carrying the country safely through the dangers that
threatened to subvert it after independence had been
won, gave him a reputation for statesmanship of the highest
order. Truly he was "first in war, first in peace, and
first in the hearts of his countrymen." He died at his
home, Mount Vernon, in 1799, beloved by all.

Period of Prosperity. — At the end of the Revolution the
people of Virginia were very poor. The war had taxed
their resources to the utmost, and during its last years much
of their property had been destroyed by the British soldiers.
But in a few years, a great change for the better set in; and
toward the close of the eighteenth century, Virginia entered
upon an era of prosperity which extended through more
than half of the nineteenth century. Her tobacco found
ready sale in Europe at high prices, and was the source of
much wealth. So the people lived in plenty and contentment.
Under the influence of liberal laws, labor had its due
reward; and but few paupers were to be found in the state.

"The Mother of States and of Statesmen." — A few
years after the Revolution, Kentucky, which was a part of
Virginia, was admitted into the Union as a separate state.
This was done with the consent of Virginia, whose limits
were thus reduced to what is now contained in the two
Virginias. At a later period, out of the magnificent territory
north of the Ohio, which Virginia had given to the
United States, the great states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan,
Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota were successively
carved; and thus the Old Dominion became known
as the "Mother of States." She was also called the
"Mother of Statesmen," because so many distinguished
men were nurtured on her soil. She furnished four of the
first five presidents — Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and

Monroe, each of whom served two terms. Tyler was also
from Virginia, and Harrison and Taylor were born in Virginia,
though they were residents of other states when
elected. Thus she has given to the Union more presidents
than any other state.

Burning of the Richmond Theater

Burning of the Richmond Theater. — A domestic calamity
that occurred on the night of December 26, 1811, claims a
place in history. This was the burning of the Richmond
theater, when it was filled with a fashionable audience of
about six hundred, who had assembled to witness a drama

called the Bleeding Nun. During the performance a
spark fell on the curtain of the stage, and from this the
building was speedily enveloped in flames. A panic ensued,
and seventy persons lost their lives, many of whom
belonged to the most influential families in the state.
This memorable disaster filled the city with mourning.
Throughout the state, and indeed all over the country, it
caused the deepest sorrow. The Assembly of Virginia
by resolution requested its members to wear crape for
thirty days, and the same action was taken by Congress.
The next year, Monumental Church was erected where the
theater had been. The church still stands, and at the door
there is a marble monument, upon which are the names of
a number of those who perished in this disaster.

War of 1812.[28] — In the war which the United States
waged against Great Britain in 1812, volunteers enlisted
from all parts of Virginia in the service of their country;
and the state patriotically sustained the Federal government.
Only once during the war was the territory of Virginia
invaded. This was just a few months before the
termination of hostilities, when Admiral Cockburn, who
commanded a British fleet, entered the waters of the Chesapeake
and laid waste its banks. He captured Hampton;

and, during the short time he occupied the place, rendered
himself infamous by allowing his soldiers and negroes that
followed them to commit outrages of every kind upon
the defenseless inhabitants.

What Virginians did for the Union. — During the first
half of the nineteenth century, the territory of the United
States was nearly quadrupled; and Virginians were instrumental
either directly or indirectly in bringing about the
greater part of this tremendous increase of area. The
territory of Louisiana was purchased by Thomas Jefferson
while he was President. This province, which had been
ceded by Spain to France, extended from the Gulf of
Mexico on the south to Canada on the north, and from the
Mississippi River on the east to the Rocky Mountains on
the west; in securing this, Jefferson more than doubled the
area of the United States. Nor was this all that he did to
extend the dominion of the Union. In 1804 he sent Captains
Lewis and Clark of Albemarle County, Virginia,
with a party of men to explore the territory of Louisiana.
They ascended the Missouri River as far as they could in
boats, and proceeded on foot till they came to its source.
After this, making their way across the Rocky Mountains,
they explored the valley of the Columbia River, till they
reached the Pacific Ocean. The discoveries which were
made by Lewis and Clark proved to be important, as
they aided the United States, at a later period, in establishing
her title to Oregon. President Monroe, during his
administration, purchased Florida from Spain, thus adding
another large area to the public domain. General Sam
Houston, a native of Rockbridge County, led the Texans to
victory in their struggle for independence from Mexico;
which resulted in the admission of Texas to the Union.
In the war with Mexico which followed, two Virginians,

Generals Taylor and Scott, commanded the United States
armies, when they achieved that wonderful succession of
victories, which led to the submission of Mexico and to the
dismemberment of her territory, a large part of which came
to the United States.[29]

"The Pathfinder of the Sea." — To the scientific investigations
of a Virginian, Matthew Fontaine Maury, not only
the United States but the whole civilized world is indebted.
He entered the navy in 1825, and in 1842 was
appointed Superintendent of the Depot of Charts and
Instruments at Washington. At this time the sailing
maps in use were very inaccurate, and but meager information
had been obtained in regard to ocean currents.
Maury soon published a chart, which he called a "Fair
Way to Rio." This proved to be so accurate and valuable
that Congress authorized him to make systematic observations
of winds and currents. This he did, and as a result
originated a system of "Wind and Current Charts," which
was speedily adopted by mariners of all nations. By its
use thousands of lives were annually saved and millions of
dollars in the cost of voyages. Maury also instituted deep
sea soundings,[30] which convinced him that the bottom of
the ocean between Newfoundland and Ireland was a
plateau, the surface of which was not disturbed by either

waves or currents. He suggested that the wires of a submarine
telegraph could be safely laid upon this. His idea
was followed up, and in 1858 Europe and America were
connected by the first Atlantic cable. Upon Maury the
principal nations of Europe conferred many honors in
recognition of his services to mankind. His Physical
Geography of the Sea, which has been translated into many
languages, is an enduring monument to his genius.

Virginia's Influence upon other States. — The Old Dominion,
whose hardy pioneers began at an early period to
push their way out into the South and West, has done her
full part in bringing about the settlement and development
of the United States. As early as 1653, ten years before
the profligate Charles II. granted North Carolina to "lord
proprietors," Roger Greene, with one hundred men from
Virginia, settled on the northern shore of Albemarle
Sound, and thus laid the foundation of the colony that
grew into North Carolina. In 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker
and a company of Virginians explored a part of Tennessee
and discovered the Cumberland River and Mountains,
which they named after the Duke of Cumberland. John
Sevier and James Robertson, both Virginians by birth,
were the leaders in founding the earliest settlements in
Tennessee, and Sevier was elected first governor of the
state. In such enterprises as these Virginia has borne a
prominent part. Her influence has been great in some
states of the West, and the beginning of nearly all government
in the South can be traced to her. Her University,
which was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, and may
justly be called the noblest work of his life, was for a long
time the educational center of the whole South. Its halls
are still filled with students from many states, and its
alumni are to be found all over the country.

QUESTIONS

• 1. Why did Virginia cede her Northwest Territory to the Union?

• 2. What is said of her patriotism in this act?

• 3. Give an account of the disputed boundary line between Virginia
  and Pennsylvania.

• 4. What was Mason and Dixon's line?

• 5. Why did Virginia invite the states to hold a convention?

• 6. What resolution did this convention pass?

• 7. When and where did a second convention meet to revise the
  Articles of Confederation, and what was done?

• 8. How was the Constitution regarded in Virginia?

• 9. When did she ratify it?

• 10. Why did she propose another revision?

• 11. What were the Alien and Sedition Laws, and why did Virginia
  oppose them?

• 12. What resolutions did the legislature adopt in 1798?

• 13. What is said of George Washington?

• 14. What is said of Virginia's prosperity?

• 15. Why was Virginia called the "Mother of States"?

• 16. Why the "Mother of Statesmen"?

• 17. Give an account of the burning of Richmond theater.

• 18. What action was taken by the legislature and Congress in regard
  to it?

• 19. What has been erected on the spot?

• 20. What was the War of 1812?

• 21. How did Virginia suffer in this war?

• 22. How much did the territory of the United States increase during
  the first half of the nineteenth century?

• 23. What purchase did Jefferson make while President?

• 24. Describe the Lewis and Clark expedition.

• 25. What territory did President Monroe purchase from Spain?

• 26. Who led the Texans in their war for independence?

• 27. State the cause of the Mexican War.

• 28. What part did Virginians take in this war?

• 29. Who was Matthew Fontaine Maury?

• 30. How did he benefit mankind?

• 31. What is said of Virginia's influence upon other states?

CHAPTER XXI

SLAVERY

Encouraged by England. — After the first negroes were
brought to Virginia in 1619, so profitable did the slave
trade become that England encouraged it in every way.
There was at this time no moral sentiment against slavery,
as is shown by the fact that Queen Anne herself owned a
large part of the stock of the Royal African Company.

Attitude of Virginia. — While the Virginians could use
negroes with profit in agriculture, yet the wisdom of
making this system of labor the corner stone of the prosperity
of the people was early called into question, some
of the wisest men foreseeing that it was likely to prove
the cause of much disaster. During colonial days over a
hundred petitions were sent from Virginia to the king and
to Parliament, asking that the further importation of negroes
from Africa should be stopped; but these proved unavailing.
After the Revolution the feeling against the slave
trade continued; and in 1787, when Congress passed the
Ordinance for the government of the Northwest Territory,
one clause of which prohibited slavery, Virginia fully
approved this action. Many of her ablest statesmen regarded
the system as a bad one, and hoped the time would
come when she herself would be free from it.

New England's Connection with Slavery. — When the
Revolution began, slavery existed in all the colonies; but
in the North it was dying out, because it was not profitable.

For some time before the Revolution, the people of New
England began to engage in the business of importing
negroes from Africa to sell to the people of the South, and
this soon became to them a money-making employment.
So during the Revolution, when a bill, which was favored
by Virginia and other states, was brought before Congress
to put an end to the slave trade, it was opposed by New
England and the cotton states—by New England, because
she had so much money invested in slave ships, and by the
cotton states because they wished more negroes for their
cotton fields. For this reason not till early in the nineteenth
century was the trade forbidden by law; and even
after this it was for a time carried on secretly.

Change of Feeling in the North in regard to Slavery. —
So long as the New England people were engaged in the
slave trade, they did not take an active stand against
slavery; but soon after the importation of negroes was
stopped by law, the belief that slavery was an evil that
should not exist in the country at all began to win adherents.
The inhabitants of the North had nothing to lose by
the destruction of the institution; for it had never gained
any foothold among them, and had practically been
abolished by the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Gabriel's Insurrection. — The negroes in Virginia were
kindly treated by their masters, and as a rule gave but
little trouble from insubordination. Several servile insurrections,
however, mar the history of the commonwealth.
The first occurred in 1800, and was instigated by a negro,
named Gabriel, who belonged to a farmer near Richmond.
He formed a plot to capture Richmond, kill the citizens,
and plunder the place. He collected his followers, armed
them with scythe blades, and set out on his nefarious expedition
on a dark summer night. But he was doomed to

disaster from the beginning. A violent storm made a
creek in his front impassable, which delayed his operations.
Before he could make his proposed attack, he
learned that his plot had been discovered; and thereupon
he and his deluded companions at once fled to the woods
and swamps for refuge. Gabriel was captured, and with
a number of others was condemned to death.

Nat Turner's Insurrection. — Thirty-one years later the
tranquillity of the state was disturbed by a second insurrection,
which resulted more seriously. A negro preacher by
the name of Nat Turner, who belonged to a Mr. Travis
of Southampton County, succeeded in persuading his
people that he was a prophet. He appealed to their
superstitions by tracing on a sheet of paper in blood a
crucifix, a representation of the sun, and other mystic
signs, which he claimed indicated the approach of the
most remarkable events. As a result of his intriguing, the
negroes all through the South Side fell under his influence
and became frenzied with excitement. When his plot was
ripe, he started the insurrection in Southampton County,
by killing his master and family with an ax. Next a
lady and ten children were slain, and then a number of
school children. Now reveling in blood, and half crazy with
excitement, the negroes marched to Jerusalem, now called
Courtland, where they were dispersed by a party of armed
citizens. They hid in the woods and swamps, where some
were killed and the rest captured. Twenty-one were
brought to Jerusalem for trial, and thirteen of them, Nat
Turner among the number, were hanged. Fifty-five white
persons, nearly all of whom were women and children,
were the victims of this uprising.

Sentiment in Virginia in Later Times. — The feeling
which Virginia had repeatedly manifested against slavery

continued. In 1832 an emancipation bill was introduced
in the legislature. The measure did not pass; but a
resolution, postponing the consideration of the matter till
public opinion had further developed, was adopted. Had
Virginia been let alone and no attempt been made to interfere
with her domestic matters, she would doubtless have,
in due time, set her slaves free in a manner that would
have been best for them and for her own welfare.

Fugitive Slaves. — The Federal Constitution recognized
slavery fully, and it contained a provision that negroes
who might escape from their homes and go into another
state should be returned to their masters. To carry out
this provision effectually, Congress passed a special law
that all runaway negroes found in the Northern states
should be arrested and, without trial by jury, be sent back
to their masters. But the execution of this law was resisted
in the North, and in a number of states Personal Liberty
Laws were passed which nullified the act of Congress.

John Brown's Raid. — The excitement over slavery was
greatly intensified by an attempt that was made to bring
about the emancipation of the negroes of Virginia by inciting
them to raise an insurrection. This was the act of
John Brown, a native of Connecticut, who had taken part
in the struggle in Kansas to keep that state from adopting
a constitution authorizing slavery. On the night of October
16, 1859, he, with twenty followers, took possession of
Harper's Ferry, captured a number of citizens whom he
held as hostages, and seized the United States arsenal at
the place, intending to obtain from it arms for the negroes
whom he expected to join him. But in this he was mistaken,
for none of them came to his support.

Brown Captured and Executed. — Governor Wise called
out a force of volunteers and militia to put down the disturbance.

Capture of John Brown

But before the state troops could reach Harper's
Ferry, a number of Brown's gang had been killed
and the rest captured by Colonel Robert E. Lee[31] and a body
of United States marines, who had been dispatched to the
scene of action. Several citizens and one negro were killed
by Brown's party before the termination of the affair.
Brown was among those captured, and he with six of his
followers were tried and hung for treason, insurrection, and
murder.

Report of the Senate Committee. — A committee of the
United States Senate looked into the matter, and made a
report in which it was stated that Brown's attack upon
Virginia "was simply the act of lawless ruffians, under the
sanction of no public or political authority, distinguishable
only from ordinary felonies by the ulterior ends in contemplation
by them, and by the fact that the money to maintain
the expedition and the large armament they brought with
them had been contributed and furnished by the citizens
of other states of the Union under circumstances that
must continue to jeopard the safety and peace of the
Southern states, and against which Congress has no
power to legislate."

Political Significance of Brown's Attack. — Brown brought
with him to Harper's Ferry a number of muskets, pistols,
and about fifteen hundred pikes which were made expressly
for him in Connecticut, and which he thought would be
effective weapons in the hands of the negroes. An investigation
of the insurrection showed that Brown had the
sympathy and the help of a number of persons at the
North in this plot to raise a servile war. This fact convinced
Virginia that the Constitution and the laws of the
Union were not sufficient to protect her, and it hastened
the breaking out of the Civil War.

QUESTIONS

• 1. Why did England encourage the traffic in negroes?

• 2. What did Virginia do to prevent its growth?

• 3. What was New England's connection with slavery?

• 4. Why was it encouraged both by the New England and cotton
  states?

• 5. What change of feeling in regard to slavery had taken place in the
  North?

• 6. Give an account of Gabriel's Insurrection.

• 7. Of Nat Turner's Insurrection.

• 8. What was the sentiment in Virginia in later times?

• 9. What is said of fugitive slaves?

• 10. Who was John Brown, and what is said of his raid?

• 11. By whom was he captured?

• 12. Give the leading facts in the life of Robert E. Lee.

• 13. What was Brown's fate?

• 14. Give the report of the Senate Committee on this raid.

• 15. What weapons did John Brown bring, who were they for, and
  where made?

• 16. What did an investigation show?

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• 1. Describe the battles of King's Mountain and Cowpens.

• 2. Give an account of the maneuvers of Cornwallis and Lafayette.

• 3. How was Cornwallis entrapped?

• 4. Describe the siege of Yorktown and Cornwallis's surrender.

• 5. Who was Governor Nelson, and what is said of his patriotism?

• 6. Give an account of the exploits of George Rogers Clark, by which
  Virginia recovered her Northwest Territory.

• 7. What generous spirit did Virginia show in order to bring about a
  union of the states?

• 8. Why was the present Constitution formed to take the place of the
  Articles of Confederation?

• 9. Describe the Alien and Sedition Laws, and tell of the resolutions
  adopted by Virginia in regard to them.

• 10. Why is Virginia called the "Mother of States and of Statesmen"?

• 11. Describe the burning of Richmond theater.

• 12. What was the cause of the War of 1812?

---

182





• 13. What important services did Virginians render the Union?

• 14. What was Virginia's attitude toward slavery?

• 15. Give New England's connection with slavery, and tell about the
  change of feeling at the North in regard to it.

• 16. What is said of fugitive slaves?

• 17. Give an account of John Brown's Raid, his capture and execution.

• 18. What was the report of the Senate Committee, and the political
  significance of this raid?

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS (1763-1860)

                                                     

1765.	Stamp Act passed by Parliament.
1766.	Stamp Act repealed.
1767.	A tax imposed on tea and other articles.
1769.	Famous Virginia resolves passed by the House of Burgesses.
1770.	All duties except on tea repealed.
1773.	The tea thrown overboard at Boston Harbor.
1774.	The first Continental Congress met at Philadelphia, September 5.
1775.	Battles of Lexington and Concord, April 19.
1775.	End of royal government in Virginia.
1775.	Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17.
1776.	Declaration of Independence signed, July 4.
1777.	Burgoyne's surrender, October 17.
1778.	American independence acknowledged by France.
1779.	Clark's conquest of the Northwest Territory.
1780.	Battle of King's Mountain, October 7.
1781.	Richmond captured by Arnold.
1781.	Battle of Cowpens, January 17.
1781.	Surrender of Cornwallis, October 19.
1787.	Constitution of the United States adopted in convention, September 17.
1788.	Virginia ratifies the Constitution.
1789.	Washington inaugurated, April 30.
1799.	Washington died at Mt. Vernon, December 14.
1803.	Louisiana purchased from France, April 30.
1811.	Richmond theater burned, December 26.
1812.	War declared against England.
1846.	Mexican War.
1859.	John Brown's Raid, October 16.