The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region ca. 1600-1925

Go directly to the collection, The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region ca. 1600-1925, in American Memory, or view a Summary of Resources related to the collection. History topics include:

Introduction | Colonization of Virginia and Maryland | The New Nation | Slavery | Civil War and Reconstruction | The Development of Washington, D.C. | Urbanization and the Problems of Cities

Colonization of Virginia and Maryland

The Capital and the Bay has a strong collection of documents on the founding of the colonies of Maryland and Virginia. The earliest work, which dates to 1607, is "A Discourse of Virginia," by Edward Maria Wingfield, first president of that colony. Wingfield deals with relations with the Indians, illness in the colony, his ouster as president due to disputes with the colonists, and the story of Pocahontas. Interestingly, Charles Deane, who edited the volume when it was published in 1859, argues that the story of Pocahontas was not true (see note 8 on page 32). Some of Smith's own writings, including his recounting of the rescue by Pocahontas (see page 101), are provided in the document "The Generall Historie of Virginia."

• What reasons does Deane give for not believing the story of Smith's rescue by Pocahontas? Does Wingfield's account support or refute Deane’s claim?
• What is Deane's general opinion of Smith? What language in the note conveys that opinion?
• Read Smith's account of his rescue. Does the story seem "awkward" to you? Why or why not? Can you think of another explanation for why the story was omitted from Smith's earlier accounts? (The Virginia Company did not want frightening stories about Virginia Indians to scare potential colonists so badly that they would decide not to migrate to Virginia.)
• Much of what we know about the early years of the Virginia colony comes from Smith's writing. How might that fact affect our understanding of the period? Read Smith's account of events in 1609 (pages 180-182 of Chapter XI of the history). What accomplishments does Smith mention? What problems faced the colony? What did Smith do to try to solve the problems? Imagine that you are one of the colonists. How might you have reported on "the Presidents order for the drones"? (Note that while the record is slanted in Smith's favor, historians believe that his efforts in the difficult early years did save the Virginia colony.)

Page 141, “The history of Virginia, in four parts” [page turner view]

Use the Subject Index or search by keyword to find other sources on early relations between the Virginia settlers and the Indians in the area. Drawing information from at least two sources, create a timeline depicting important events in settler-Indian relations in Virginia. Expand your analysis by looking at sources that focus on Indians in Maryland.

Information about the founding of Maryland can be found in "The Calvert Papers" and "A Relation of the Successefull Beginnings of the Lord Baltemore's Plantation in Mary-land." Comparing and contrasting the early years of the colonies in Maryland with those in Virginia will demonstrate the varying reasons people had for coming to the New World and the different relationships between the colonies and the mother country.

Foreign visitors to the United States have been an interesting source for historians, providing a fresh perspective on Americans and their culture but also bringing their own biases to their observations. The Capital and the Bay includes the account of a 1686 visit to the colonies in "A Frenchman in Virginia," a document that provides insights not only on how life in the colonies had evolved by the latter part of the 17th century but also on how a European viewed those developments, a view that was not always positive, as the following quotation suggests:

THE place where we landed was in the county of Gloucester, outwardly one of the most charming in all Virginia, but neither the most healthy nor socially the most agreeable; there are, indeed, no gentlemen living there. My compatriot came on board daily to take me off in his canoe; but after seven or eight days of that experience, being weary of it, I thought of renting lodgings on shore, where I might stay until the ship was refitted. They demanded sixteen shillings a month for a single mean room.

(Page 13, "The North River Neighbourhood in Gloucester," in "A Frenchman in Virginia")

The observations in this document, particularly those in "Chapter XI: The Present State of Virginia in 1686," might be compared with those in "A Letter from Mr. John Clayton," who traveled to Virginia to serve as the rector at Wakefield in Yorkshire and was asked by the Royal Society to report on his observations.

• What aspects of Virginia does Mr. Durand praise? What aspects of Virginia does he criticize?
• The editor of "A Frenchman in Virginia" notes that "Durand is more accurate in recording what he saw than what he heard" (note 27, page 137, "Notes"). Identify three passages in which Durand is reporting something he heard rather than something he saw. How might you check the accuracy of these reports?
• How is Mr. Clayton's account of Virginia different from Mr. Durand's? How are their accounts similar?
• Imagine that you are living in England in 1690. You are thinking about setting out for Virginia. You read Mr. Clayton's and Mr. Durand's descriptions of the colony. Would you go? Why or why not?

Introduction | Colonization of Virginia and Maryland | The New Nation | Slavery | Civil War and Reconstruction | The Development of Washington, D.C. | Urbanization and the Problems of Cities