The Worldview of William Byrd II of Westover
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of a person is their private life. I know that I do different things when I am alone or with close friends, which leads many of us to wonder what William Byrd, a wealthy Virginia planter, did in both his social and private sides of life, as well as what prompted him to write the various statements in his diary.
At first glance, William Byrd II gave me the impression of a spoiled, rich boy who feels he can do as he pleases. In reality, he did do what he pleased since he was a major Virginia planter and owner of many slaves. His hard work consisted of writing letters to England or talking to the other council members, considering the fact that if he was not doing either of those tasks, then he was walking around his plantation, reading in his private library, entertaining guests, or gambling away his money in some game.
If I had a nickel for every time he said the phrase good health, good thoughts, and good humor, thanks be to God Almighty, then I would easily be much wealthier than Byrd. However, this statement does show us that he was a religious man, as well as the fact that he prays every morning and evening. I did notice that he would occasionally neglect his prayers, and it seems as if he simply treats his prayers as chores, and some days he really does not want to do that chore.
Although he may skip his daily chores of praying, he does attend church, and some days he is the one who must read the sermon, since many people (anyone without wealth) could not read or write. However, a few times he mentioned that he did not invite anyone back to his manor after church. I think he believes that people would attend church so that they would be invited to Byrd’s estate, which in turn made their trip to church completely useless if they did not really want to be there.
There were a few times when he mentioned a dream he had one night, and how that dream had foreshadowed something. No matter how wealthy and powerful you are, there is a time when you must admit that you or your dreams do not predict the future, but William Byrd “The Great” probably believed that he was endowed with natural talent.
As soon as Johnson was made president he began to disagree with Congress, particularly those Congressional members of his opposing party. Later, he even broke ties with his own party citing the fact that he wouldn’t endorse a new amendment to the Constitution granting blacks the rights of citizenship. Congress did not approve of President Johnson’s plans for Reconstruction. The Wade Davis Plan returned power to the same people who had tried to break the Union by granting them amnesty. The Congress mainly opposed this plan because it contained no provision to protect the free slaves. The Freedman’s Bureau Act was intended to help former slaves to shift from slavery to emancipation and assured them equality before law.
William Bradford was born in 1590. He was a very smart child, and taught himself how to several languages. He also studied the bible quite frequently. When he turned 18, he was in a separatist group and they broke away from the church. They went to Holland so they wouldn't be killed. He then was one of the members on the Mayflower heading to America. He made it there in December 1620.
Many characters in Shakespeare had dreams. Romeo dreamed of true love, Tybalt dreamed of social power and the Montagues’ demise, and Friar Lawrence dreamed of a peaceful and united Verona. All of those dreams lead to tragedy for the characters. With this, Shakespeare implied that, perhaps, dreams aren’t all as good as fairy tales make them seem to
Johnson did not do well as president because first he let personal matters and viewpoints affect his legislation for reconstruction instead of working with Congress to find a workable solution. When Andrew Johnson was young, his family was poor and the wealthy aristocrats tortured him and his friends, so “anger was directed at the Southern aristocrats, not the entire South, and he sought to transfer political power in the region from the planters to Unionist yeoman farmers and mechanics” (Miller 143). Johnson let this vengeance of destroying aristocrats get in the way of solving how to get the South back into the union by working with Republicans, because he was a “plebeian” and wasted time attempting to fulfill revenge that would fail in the end (ibid.). Johnson’s outlook on slavery also affected the way his plan for reconstruction would get through by being “an uncompromising racist” and “insist[ing] that the blacks did not deserve citizenship [,]” which shocked moderates [so much that they] voted with the radicals to override the presidential veto[,]… [and they also] refused to acc...
As a child, Davis received few opportunities to make his own decisions. His father, Samuel Davis, was decisive yet distant in his son’s life. Samuel reportedly withheld “such expression [of emotion] that his son later remembered as remarkable a single occasion when his father had hugged him” (Essay I, p.5, ll.34-36). Constantly searching for a father figure, Davis highly regarded the older men in his life. This included Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor (his first father-in-law), and his brother, Joseph Davis, among others. Joseph in particular began fathering Davis, even before their father’s death when Davis was seventeen. Since Davis never questioned the men above him, with all obedience and loyalty he followed the paths they advised or appointed to him (a trait that carried on throughout his career). The paths, beginning with military academy, were good of themselves, but ...
After a few years, Cecil Gaines left the plantation. At first, Cecil Gaines could not find food, work, or a place to sleep until he broke into a shop, got caught, and asked the man for a job. The man said “yes.” Shortly after, Cecil Gaines was offered another position at the White House as a butler. He took the position and joined a t...
Franklin looks back on his fervent love of books, particularly Dr. Cotton Mather’s Essays to do good wherein the minister preaches about the importance of human courtesy and doing good unto others. He concludes that Dr. Mather’s essays “gave [him] a Turn of
Before examining the war hero turned politician, an examination must be made into the life of the man that was Wade Hampton III. Born on March 28, 1818, in historic Charleston, South Carolina, Wade Hampton III was bred into the lap of luxury. Hampton was born to Dragoon and Revolutionary War Wade Hampton II, husband of Charleston native and richest women in the Charleston area, Ann Fitzsimmons Hampton. Hampton grew up in a home suited for a king. He never had a worry or a care about anything in the whole world. Wade Hampton through his childhood years before university received only the best of individualized instruction and spent most of his free time in an aristocratic manner. Hampton’s childhood was spent in lavish homes across both South and North Carolina, spending tremendous amounts of time at his family mountain estate, High Hampton.
George started out by managing his estate, from whom he inherited from his father, in a very professional fashion when he was only in his early twenties. While there was very little schooling in Virginia at the time, George Washington still received a ...
One of the most inspiring and instructive stories in black history is the story of how Carter G. Woodson, the father of black history, saved himself.
On April 13, 1743, in the Shadwell plantation located in central Virginia, a boy was born to a wealthy, elite family. He would later grow to be one of the most important people in American history. This boy’s name was Thomas Jefferson. His mother was a member of the proud Randolph clan, which had high social status. His father was a successful farmer as well as a skilled surveyor and cartographer. Young Jefferson spent his time playing in the woods, reading, and practicing violin.
When Douglass begins his novella, he preludes Madison Washington’s introduction by informing the reader that the history of the state of Virginia has not included “one of the truest, manliest, and bravest” (B: 1255) of its “multitudinous array of statesmen and heroes” (B: 1254). The
The deep spiritual significance of the dream came to him when he was older and wiser.
When reading “My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to my Nephew”, it was clear that Baldwin was not just writing a letter to his nephew but to society by interacting personal thoughts with public awareness.
http://www.archives.gov/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf>. L. A. Anson.