Virginia's American Revolution: From Dominion to Republic, 1776-1840Virginia's American Revolution follows the Virginia revolutionaries from their decision for independence on May 15, 1776, through the following 60 years--when the last of them finally passed from the scene. To their surprise, the decision to break with Great Britain entailed reconsideration of virtually all of their major political and social institutions, from the established church, their aristocratic state government, and feudal land tenures to slavery and their federal relations with the other American states. Some of these issues, such as the place of the Church of England in the newly republican Virginia, received quick resolutions; others, such as the nature of the relationship between the elite and other men, were not so easily decided. All of them were considered against the backdrop of Virginia's decline from preeminence in the Revolution and early Republic to the position of just another state in the age of Jackson. By following Virginia's American Revolution from start to finish, this account shows why so many revolutionaries in the Old Dominion died doubting that their great struggle had been worth the effort. |
Contents
Establishing a Republic | 7 |
Implementing the Revolution 17761788 | 45 |
The Virginia Ratification Convention of 1788 | 83 |
Defending Virginias Revolution against the Federalists | 113 |
May All Your Dreams Come True | 135 |
Like Dust and Ashes | 163 |
The Road from Southampton | 207 |
209 | |
227 | |
About the Author | |
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Virginia's American Revolution: From Dominion to Republic, 1776-1840 Kevin R. C. Gutzman Limited preview - 2007 |
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Page 209 - Society shall be called the American Society for colonizing the free people of colour of the United States.