I thought starting off today’s class by discussing our next assignment and solidifying plans for the next week was very useful in clearing up some questions about the library visit and what Prof. Dolson expects of us. I also enjoyed taking the time to read everyone’s prep notes because I was interested in people’s commentary and thoughts on chapters 4-6. Thank you again Prof. Dolson for your post about how to cope with some of the topics we are reading.

I thought that our discussion about Chapter 4 was very insightful because we were able to break down some really intense reading that was filled with statistics and historical facts. While reading, I personally found it hard to digest all of the information that was being thrown at me, so taking the time in class to break it down made it a lot more manageable to understand. Additionally, I like how Prof. Dolson pointed out that it’s important to connect this information to what we may have learned in our previous or current classes.

Something that I thought was very interesting during our discussion was the evolution of the white race, and how Bacon’s rebellion was one of the key turning points in this divide. This reminded me of what we read in the book that the Governor attempted to stop Bacon and his men from killing innocent Native Americans, but ultimately Bacon and other lower class individuals prevailed. This made me wonder if the Governor could foresee the situation, and that people would soon find out he and the Great Men had too much power.

Even though we only had the opportunity to dive into one of the three chapters, I think it was vital to take a closer look at what Campbell is trying to convey and how he is doing it through the use of primary sources and his own commentary mixed in. Overall, it has helped us get a better understanding of the book and of Richmond’s deep history.