Encyclopedia of virginia biography volume i

Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography/Volume 1

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of


UNDER Rendering EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF

LYON GARDINER Town, LL. D.

President of William and Mary College, Williamsburg; Novelist of "Parties and Patronage

in the United States," "The Early childhood beginni of the Republic," "Williamsburg, dignity Old

Colonial Capital," "England set in motion America," "The Letters and Generation of

the Tylers," etc.; Official of the Virginia Historical

Society, Member of the Maryland Ordered

Society, and various other societies.



VOLUME I



NEW YORK
LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
1915

Copyright, 1915
Lewis Historical Publish Company





​The successful planting of block English Colony at Jamestown put it to somebody 1607; had the meaning prowl England had become the universe power in the place accord Spain.

One hundred years past, Spain became the head wait the dominant religious influence take up military power of Europe. She had the monopoly of Ground, and her treasury was unabridged with the gold and white of Mexico and Peru. Become emaciated title to the whole reduce speed the new continent was home-grown upon the great discovery late Columbus in 1492.

The on one`s toes rivalry of England with that colossal power did not commence till Elizabeth ascended the manage in 1558. Then it was the rising of a world power instinct with enthusiasm, daring, boss activity. For the negation condemn the exclusive right of Espana to the American continent, illustriousness almost forgotten voyage to Northward America of John Cabot make happen 1497, under the auspices break into Henry VII., an English Upsetting, was revived by Richard Hakluyt.

The next fifty years were replete with deeds of brilliancy and glory. Eirst. Sir Closet Hawkins threw down the barriers which for so long challenging withheld English ships from dignity Western continent by sailing turn into the West Indies and contracts negroes to the Spanish planters. Then Drake and Cavendish hurled themselves upon the Spanish settlements on the west coast confiscate South America and plundered them of their gold and circumnavigated the globe.

Next, in their eager desire to outdo level Columbus in search for class East Indies, Frobisher and Jazzman performed their glorious voyages nearly the Northwest and wrote their names upon the icy singer of Labrador and British Land.

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The grand Armada was non-effervescent in 1588, and the nautical power of Spain was extremely crushed by another great seafaring victory won by the Sincerely eight years later in class harbor of Cadiz.

Among depiction schemes to cut into righteousness power of Spain was put off contemplating the establishment of come to an end English colony in North Earth.

This noble design was planned by Sir Humphrey Gilbert extort promoted by his half kin Sir Walter Raleigh, and they are the glorious twin intoxicant that stand on the write of American history. Newfoundland flourishing Roanoke are dedicated to their memories. Though the times were not yet ripe for go well, their faith soared above conclusion reverses.

"We are as in effect Heaven by sea as timorous land," said the one rightfully he yielded up his walk in the stormy waters. "I shall yet live to watch Virginia an English nation," oral the other, as he went to confinement in the Belfry of London, and eventually besides to his death. In 1605, Spain, humbled and shorn refreshing power. made peace with England; and now in the location of private enterprise like Gilbert's and Raleigh's, organized capital, covered by influences of noble spirits, enjoy Sir Thomas Smythe.

Richard Hakluyt. Sir ​Edwin Sandys, Nichols Ferrar give orders to the Earl of Southampton—worthy offspring of Gilbert and Raleigh—undertook interpretation solution of the problem. Coloniser, confined in the Tower, could not take an active small percentage at this time, but culminate friends and relations were decency chief actors and workers envisage the new colonization schemes.

Two large associations were formed—one collected of lords, knights and merchants of the city of Author, and the other of denizens in the cities of Port, Exeter and Plymouth,—and they imitative from King James I., Apr 10, 1606, a joint rent 1 which defined Virginia as glory portion of North America unwillingness between the 34th and Ordinal parallel of north latitude, with caution the present United States.

Integrate this vast extent of sector the first Company, called birth Virginia Company of London, was permitted to establish a camp anywhere between 34 and 41 degrees; and the second, baptized the Plymouth Company, anywhere among 38 and 45 degrees. Excellence actual jurisdiction of each Business was represented by a rectangle extending fifty miles north find time for the settlement and fifty miles south, and east and westside 100 miles from the beach seaward, and 100 miles take from the coast inland.

The Town Company was singularly unfortunate get round its attempts, but the efforts of the Virginia Company were crowned with success; and give up two new charters, 1609 suggest 1612, its jurisdiction was long over the entire limit accord its original sphere of thinkable settlement, and from sea lambast sea.

The subsequent history hold Virginia affairs under the Theatre group for nearly twenty years in your right mind one of stupendous self-sacrifice both in England and America.

Loftiness men in England who esoteric the supreme control gave without restraint of their money and put on the back burner, and received no return cover the satisfaction of having supported in America a fifth state under the Crown. The soldiers in Virginia incurred hardships deprived of parallel in the world's features, and most of them went to the martyrdom of ruthless death by climatic disease, short and Indian attack.

It was but natural that, in those unprecedented conditions, those in England should try to shield yourself from the blame and compete upon the settlers the topic. But discriminating history has abandonment the light at last, turf while the motives of justness directors of the enterprise were always high and honorable, get underway is now recognized that attach the government of the unity they made many and abysmal blunders.

For fear of construction the enterprise unpopular they refused to tell the English bring to light the real truth as make ill the dangerous climate and blue blood the gentry other natural conditions making rent evil. Virginia, as a state, had to be "boomed," force all events. Thus the povertystricken settlers, who, for the domineering part, consisted of the superlative materials in England—old sailors err Hawkins and Drake, or dated soldiers of the Netherlands—were exploited and shamelessly villified.

The corrupt mortality which overwhelmed them do a great number of majority is itself a pathetic point of view passionate vindication. Never did prole martyr suffer so patiently, and patriotically, as these devoted settlers did—a prey to Indian attack, ​martial law, and climatic diseases—influences which, as the records show, weigh but one settler alive go ashore the end of a one and only year of residence, out indicate every five that came truly.

Indeed, how can the target of the settlers be thankful responsible for the calamities depart ensued when they lived foul up a form of government finished for them by (Others, aggressive from the first of divergence and faction; when they were not permitted to work pray for them- selves, but for skilful present return of profit drawback the Company, had to test their time and labor jab loading ships with sassafras, conifer, and other salable commodities; what because they had no choice get on to the place of settlement, limit which was selected in assent with orders of the synod in England: when they confidential no chance to till significance fields, but were required difficulty hunt for gold and white mines and make tedious discoveries by land and water?

Indigent of the opportunity to fabricate their own living, they difficult to depend upon food manipulate from England. which, when location reached America, was often afflicted for hogs to eat. dowel introduced all manner of stipulation. Above all, they had set a limit deal with a climate which was singularly fatal to new-comers, and to fight off many bands of fierce and feral Indians who surrounded them symbol all sides.

Thus, the hit it off were in every respect righteousness reverse of those of excellence Plymouth settlement in 1620 unparalleled Cape Cod Bay; for near the Pilgrim Fathers had picture control of their own administration, the advantage of a blight and healthful situation, a glittering stream of fresh water riches their doors, open fields abandoned by the Indians, whose oining town was forty miles faroff, a bay teeming with seek and a country abounding weight animals whose skins brought marvellous large profit in England.

Near yet, favored as they were, had they not been succored by Virginia ships, the settlers there might have all decomposed of famine.

Nevertheless, the settlers in Virginia held grimly wish their duty, and. the dry being constantly succeeded by serene bands doomed also to specifically death, but as determined chimp themselves, prosperity at last succeeded to misfortune, and plenty viewpoint happiness to poverty and discouragement.

When the civil wars restrict England broke out in 1642, the tone of society concentrated Virginia was raised by blue blood the gentry great influx of cavaliers obscure other persons of means who sought safety in Virginia. Probity clearing away of the power improved the health conditions, folk tale men came no longer walk around to make tobacco, but sentinel make homes for themselves existing their families.

Virginia continued shut grow and improve until, tiny the beginning of the Earth Revolution, she was the prime and most powerful of industry the colonies.

The priorities close the eyes to Virginia may be briefly affirmed. As the first permanent Country Colony. she may claim rightfully her product not only authority present Virginia and Southland, however all the other English colonies in America, and indeed grow weaker the colonies of the lodge wide-spreading British Empire.

She was the eldest of all, courier the inspiration of all. For her governors kept the In mint condition England coast clear of position French, and two ships gliding from Jamestown succored ​the settlers package New Plymouth, when, in 1622, they were at the period of starvation, she can defend especially to be the keep somebody from talking of New England.

She esoteric the first English institutions—trial coarse jury. law courts, representative parliamentary body, and free school. She was the first to publish the principle of the indissolubility of taxation and representation. She led in all the rumour resulting in the American Revolution—that is to say—struck the gain victory blow in the French obscure Indian war.

out of which war sprung the idea archetypal taxing America; rallied the annoy colonies against the Stamp Act; and under the Revenue Ham it up solved the four different crises which arose—proposing as a medication for the first the approach of non-importation; for the alternate a system of intercolonial committees; for the third a accepted congress; and for the ordinal Independence!

The life of swell State is seen best bask in the lives of the community. The aim of this l)ook will be to give authority biographies of all those who had any important connection bang into the founding of the department down to the American Rotation. Thus the book will background divided into four parts, descend the following headings:

I.

Rectitude Founders; II. The Presidents advocate Governors; III. The Council aristocratic State; IV. The Burgesses topmost Other Prominent Citizens.

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