Started class by submitting our Mid-term Community Self-Assessment before doing our mindful minute. Discussed the assignment briefly, mentioning how reading the self-assessments might influence the way our class works in the future.
Professor Dolson passed around a sign-up sheet to schedule an individual meeting to discuss the self-assessments one on one. Prof. Dolson will bring along a sample of a past self-assessment to show what kind of writing she’s looking for.
Next Assignment:
Find one source from Richmond’s Unhealed History, listed in the endnotes and numbered chronologically, and do more research on a source Campbell used in the book that you’re interested in. We will be meeting with a library instructor, a requirement for all FYS courses, who will help us find our way around the library. Then we will find two more sources not used in the book that make us curious. Then, using these sources, we will create an annotated bibliography. We will talk more about the annotated bibliography when the library instructor is here. Try to come to class on Thursday (10/12) with your fist source, physical copy if possible, but online sources cited in the book are fine too.
The class took time to read each others prep notes. Professor Dolson says that she really enjoyed the way the prep notes reference prior in-class discussions and to other classes which discuss related topics. We also talked about that the way the class is taking the reading very seriously, which is a really good thing. We also mentioned that it’s really difficult to read content that is very serious, horrific, and that there are resources and strategies that can keep us from being overwhelmed, mention in Prof. Dolson’s blog post linked here.
Chapter 4 Discussion:
Kaylee talked about tobacco economy, mentioned how some tobacco farmers prioritized growing tobacco instead of food to feed themselves. Ana mentioned that this is an example of how a want for profit can cloud one’s judgment, which also related back to the importance of cotton and the demand for slaves it caused, showing how the desire for profit can compromise our morals. Brice and Julia both discussed how important tobacco and the kind of economy it caused laid the foundations for how Virginia grew and how the demand for labor drew people into the colonies (pg 61-62). It was also mentioned how England incentivized people to travel to the colonies by offering land grants for people who paid for their own journey or the journey of others. Prof. Dolson mentions contracts discussed on pg. 29.
Nick J. mentions that although there were some people who came to the New World to pursue the three G’s (God, Gold, Glory) most settlers were rejects from England. He also brings up the point that it’s probably a bad idea for England’s social rejects to go to the New World and try to establish a colony. Prof. Dolson mentioned that the colonies seem like they weren’t really planned well, and wonders how the people of the Virginia Company thought about establishing the colonies.
Kristine mentioned how reading about the way people were classified in colonial Virginia based on their blood, introducing the word “white” to Virginia law. She related this back to another one of her classes where they discussed how having any African American ancestry automatically made one “black”.
Prof. Dolson mentions the quote from John Smith on pg. 60, which we read together. The quote talks about how Jamestown fell apart because everyone was too focused on planting tobacco, planting tobacco everywhere they could, compromising their infrastructure. Prof. Dolson asks why this tunnel vision might have come about. Julia says that it’s possible they were intending to sacrifice short term comforts for long term economic gains. Haven also mentions how many settlers were second or third sons of families, thus wouldn’t inherent any land, and were trying to pursue economic gain. Haven also mentions how the lack of a family structure in the colony due to a lack of women might have led to this lack lack of structure and support. Brice brings up that not having to provide for a family might have also led to settlers changing their priorities. Kaylee brings up the idea that since a lot of the settlers were poor or criminals, they might have jumped at any opportunity to make money.
Prof. Dolson mentions how the Virginia Company distributed land to certain settlers and established the head-right system. We take a look at the endnote associated with this info (endnote 124). It’s from the Henrico County Historical Society, and is a description of a property granted to a man named Thomas Harris. Prof. Dolson talks about how land has been passed down from one owner to another. This all said to point out how land grants from the king made the people who succeeded in growing tobacco even more wealthy, which probably played a big part in the development of the social order in the colony, such as tenants, bondservants, and apprentices.
“Individuals are always reacting to the things around them”.
Prof. Dolson mentions how people of different races were set up in different roles with different opportunities and rights. 90% of the population lived in bondage, 10% controlled all the land. Campbell uses this to lead into the discussion of Bacon’ s Rebellion. Nick J mentions how Bacon’s army was initially united by anti-Native American sentiment that shifted to anti-Great Man settlement. he also talks about how the hate for the class system united people in the colony of all races, which if the rebellion had succeeded might have led to a different standard in the colony. However, because of its failure, it may have led to the separation of races and a more racially oriented system.
We discuss how the Great Men’s power was threatened, leading them to make laws discriminating against African American people in an attempt to prevent rebellions, restricting travel, restricted large group gatherings (including marriages and burials), and that a black person was not allowed to raise their hands against any “Christian” person. This led us into a discussion about how important religion was to early settlers and how the term “Christian” grew into using “white” to increase racial discrimination. Prof. Dolson mentions how race is a construct of the time in which people live.
On page 110, Ana mentions a quote relating back to the idea of “King Cotton” dictating the necessity of slave labor. Ana also asks about the location of the historic slave market in Richmond, Prof. Dolson says that we will be visiting the location in person at a later date, and says that it is close to the James River.
Prof. Dolson also mentions how she really liked how Will L. said the history of Richmond “bleeds through” to show us the painful history of Richmond. Will also talks about how his prep note brought up Confederate quotes scrawled across a bridge in Richmond while they burned the city to keep it out of Union hands during the Civil War.
Julia sniffle count: 49
Theresa Dolson
thank you for tracking Julia’s sniffles?