The Economic Role Of Williamsburg

By: William W. Boddie, Pub. 1923, Reprinted 2021, 664 pages, Soft Cover, Index, ISBN #0-89308-754-8. Williamsburg County was created in A pine tree on the north bank of the Black River, called the King's Tree by an early explorer, became the focal point of settlement in what is now Williamsburg County, and gave the name to the county seat. This interesting history begins with an account of the first settlement under the Lords Proprietors and gives the names of everyone who had settled there by 1737. It is particularly rich in genealogical material, which is contained in sketches of individuals, lists of county officers, lists of ministers and members of churches, early documents, names of settlers and officials, wills with names if family members involved, sketches of Revolutionary War officers and lists of land claims and owners in 1788. Genealogical information is also found in the census of 1790; taxpayers and amounts paid in 1811; muster rolls of the Civil War units, with officers, deaths of soldiers and excerpts from diaries; lists of teachers, officers of banks and lists of soldiers in the Spanish-American War and World War I. The general history of the county is discussed under the topics of economic and agricultural conditions, churches, government, social life, wars, religion, roads and ferries, nullification, transportation, slavery, and Secession, Reconstruction, post-Civil War history, education and growth and development of the county in the 20th Century.

Celebrated for their rarity, historical importance, and beauty, the maps of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries in the collection of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation provide an invaluable resource for the history of settlement in America. In the colonies, maps were essential in facilitating trade and travel, substantiating land claims, and settling boundary disputes. Today, knowing exactly what maps were owned and used during the period gives us a much richer understanding of the aspirations of early Americans.This large, handsome volume -- a carefully researched cultural investigation -- examines how maps were made and marketed, why people here and abroad purchased them, what they reveal about the emerging American nation, and why they were so significant to the individuals who owned them. Among the rare or unique examples included here are several maps that have never before been published. A must for map collectors and historians, this book will also be treasured by the millions who travel each year to Colonial Williamsburg to celebrate their American heritage.

By the American Revolution, the farmers and city-dwellers of British America had achieved, individually and collectively, considerable prosperity. The nature and extent of that success are still unfolding. In this first comprehensive assessment of where research on prerevolutionary economy stands, what it seeks to achieve, and how it might best proceed, the authors discuss those areas in which traditional work remains to be done and address new possibilities for a 'new economic history.'