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Cradle of America: Four Centuries of Virginia History
Virginia is definitely for lovers—of history!
As the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, the birthplace of a presidential dynasty, and the gateway to western growth in the nation's early years, Virginia can rightfully be called the "cradle of America." In this first single-authored history of Virginia since the 1970s, Peter Wallenstein traces major themes across four centuries in a brisk narrative that recalls the people and events that have shaped the Old Dominion.
Historical accounts of Virginia have often emphasized harmony and tradition, but Wallenstein focuses on the impact of conflict and change. From the beginning, Virginians have debated and challenged each other's visions of Virginia, and Wallenstein shows how these differences have influenced its sometimes turbulent development. Casting an eye on blacks as well as whites, and on people from both east and west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he traces such key themes as political power, racial identity, and education.
Bringing to bear his long experience teaching Virginia history, Wallenstein takes readers back, even before Jamestown, to the Elizabethan settlers at Roanoke Island and the inhabitants they encountered, as well as to Virginia's leaders of the American Revolution. He chronicles the state's dramatic journey through the Civil War era, a time that revealed how the nation's evolution sometimes took shape in opposition to the vision of many leading Virginians. He also examines the impact of the civil rights movement and considers controversies that accompany Virginia into its fifth century.
The text is copiously illustrated to depict not only such iconic figures as Pocahontas, George Washington, and Robert E. Lee, but also such other prominent native Virginians as Edgar Allan Poe, Carter G. Woodson, and Patsy Cline. Sidebars throughout the book offer further insight, while maps and appendixes of reference data make the volume a complete resource on Virginia's history.
As people in Virginia and elsewhere prepare to observe the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's settlement, Wallenstein's fresh interpretation marks a significant commemoration of that beginning of Virginia—and America—and shows us that the adventure of Virginia has in many ways been the adventure of America.
As the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, the birthplace of a presidential dynasty, and the gateway to western growth in the nation's early years, Virginia can rightfully be called the "cradle of America." In this first single-authored history of Virginia since the 1970s, Peter Wallenstein traces major themes across four centuries in a brisk narrative that recalls the people and events that have shaped the Old Dominion.
Historical accounts of Virginia have often emphasized harmony and tradition, but Wallenstein focuses on the impact of conflict and change. From the beginning, Virginians have debated and challenged each other's visions of Virginia, and Wallenstein shows how these differences have influenced its sometimes turbulent development. Casting an eye on blacks as well as whites, and on people from both east and west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he traces such key themes as political power, racial identity, and education.
Bringing to bear his long experience teaching Virginia history, Wallenstein takes readers back, even before Jamestown, to the Elizabethan settlers at Roanoke Island and the inhabitants they encountered, as well as to Virginia's leaders of the American Revolution. He chronicles the state's dramatic journey through the Civil War era, a time that revealed how the nation's evolution sometimes took shape in opposition to the vision of many leading Virginians. He also examines the impact of the civil rights movement and considers controversies that accompany Virginia into its fifth century.
The text is copiously illustrated to depict not only such iconic figures as Pocahontas, George Washington, and Robert E. Lee, but also such other prominent native Virginians as Edgar Allan Poe, Carter G. Woodson, and Patsy Cline. Sidebars throughout the book offer further insight, while maps and appendixes of reference data make the volume a complete resource on Virginia's history.
As people in Virginia and elsewhere prepare to observe the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's settlement, Wallenstein's fresh interpretation marks a significant commemoration of that beginning of Virginia—and America—and shows us that the adventure of Virginia has in many ways been the adventure of America.
- GenresHistory
494 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 6, 2024
Not only was Virginia the mother of presidents, it was also the mother of states.
Virginia is now one of the more defense-dependent states in the nation. . . creating a technology-based economy in northern Virginia and many naval jobs.
- Got a job in Virginia (not in the defense industry lol) so time to do my research. This book covered an extremely broad time period, chronicling political movements and events occurring in Virginia beginning with the founding of Jamestown in 1607 through present day (2007). After summarizing much of the colonial period, the book takes a large focus on the Virginian intellectuals of the Revolutionary war period before stepping into the impact of the slave trade on late eighteenth and early nineteenth century politics. The book briefly estimates some casualty impacts of the Civil War felt in Virginia before stepping into more contemporary issues such as civil rights, education, and religion in the twentieth century. Overall, this book seemed to be less a local history of Virginia and more about how American history intersected with Virginia which created weird holes in the continuity - for example, the section on civil rights didn’t mention MLK Jr.
C+
Virginia is now one of the more defense-dependent states in the nation. . . creating a technology-based economy in northern Virginia and many naval jobs.
- Got a job in Virginia (not in the defense industry lol) so time to do my research. This book covered an extremely broad time period, chronicling political movements and events occurring in Virginia beginning with the founding of Jamestown in 1607 through present day (2007). After summarizing much of the colonial period, the book takes a large focus on the Virginian intellectuals of the Revolutionary war period before stepping into the impact of the slave trade on late eighteenth and early nineteenth century politics. The book briefly estimates some casualty impacts of the Civil War felt in Virginia before stepping into more contemporary issues such as civil rights, education, and religion in the twentieth century. Overall, this book seemed to be less a local history of Virginia and more about how American history intersected with Virginia which created weird holes in the continuity - for example, the section on civil rights didn’t mention MLK Jr.
C+
October 12, 2011
Slow read as most history books are but discovered some new facts about the Alexandria area. Doesn't cast judgements about slavery but stated facts. Contributions to state history of women, non-whites and non-blacks glanced over.
June 18, 2024
This is a somewhat disappointing read in that the author either spends significant amounts of time on national subjects not directly related to Virginia (explaining the American Revolution, the Civil War, and so forth) or, in later chapters, on "firsts" (the first woman or minority at this or that college or hospital). When the author focuses on major changes to Virginia's society and government the story can be fascinating.
One of the most surprising events to me was the 1799 repeal of the "glebes," or landed supports for Episcopal clergy in Virginia, and the 1802 law for the sale of them. In a 1815 US Supreme Court case, Terrett v. Taylor, from Alexandria County and thus from what was then DC, the sale was declared invalid, based on no specific provision of the Constitution, but Virginia ignored and thus nulified the case. This was a disestablishment similar to the 1530s in England. Also, Henry Ruffner became famous in 1847 for his "Address to the People of West Virginia" where he condemned slavery for its bad economic effects and proposed both black education and black colonization. In the 1870s his son, William Henry Ruffner, became the first superintendent of Virginia's new public school system and an important proponent of what became Virginia Tech, founded in 1872 as the land-grant school for the state, which was matched by designation of the Hampton Institute for African-Americans. The adoption of the "Gray Plan" for massive resistance in 1955, which allowed a local option for or against segregation, won in a referendum to the people 2-1, but the Byrd Organization took that as a mandate to forbid any local options at all the next year (the "Stanley Plan"), which led to closing of schools until it was struck down by courts in 1959 (Governor Lindsay Almond won state-wide elections the same year to help keep the schools open too).
The history of Virginia is indeed fascinating and distinct. I wish it had a more focused telling.
One of the most surprising events to me was the 1799 repeal of the "glebes," or landed supports for Episcopal clergy in Virginia, and the 1802 law for the sale of them. In a 1815 US Supreme Court case, Terrett v. Taylor, from Alexandria County and thus from what was then DC, the sale was declared invalid, based on no specific provision of the Constitution, but Virginia ignored and thus nulified the case. This was a disestablishment similar to the 1530s in England. Also, Henry Ruffner became famous in 1847 for his "Address to the People of West Virginia" where he condemned slavery for its bad economic effects and proposed both black education and black colonization. In the 1870s his son, William Henry Ruffner, became the first superintendent of Virginia's new public school system and an important proponent of what became Virginia Tech, founded in 1872 as the land-grant school for the state, which was matched by designation of the Hampton Institute for African-Americans. The adoption of the "Gray Plan" for massive resistance in 1955, which allowed a local option for or against segregation, won in a referendum to the people 2-1, but the Byrd Organization took that as a mandate to forbid any local options at all the next year (the "Stanley Plan"), which led to closing of schools until it was struck down by courts in 1959 (Governor Lindsay Almond won state-wide elections the same year to help keep the schools open too).
The history of Virginia is indeed fascinating and distinct. I wish it had a more focused telling.
January 8, 2021
The scope of this book us broad and Wallenstein admits right up front that his focus is the first two and a half centuries. That's understandable, considering a cradle gets used when a child is young and they don't need it so much once grown. In the same way, Virginia's influence and impact on US history was predominant when English America was an infant, waning considerably after she joined the other slave states rebelling against the United States, becoming a footnote after Reconstruction when the Industrial Age shifted the balance of economic and political power northward and to the west.
History can be dry for those who don't love the subject, and that is decreased by including stories of the living people of the time and how the times affected them, but Wallenstein's hat tip to that principle is awkward and somewhat perfunctory. The individuals' stories he relates don't have any connection with each other or the grand sweep they're meant to illustrate. Still, the whole was interesting enough to hold my attention through most of the 19th Century.
Overall, "Cradle of America" reads as an adequate Virginia History textbook (and is vastly superior to my own junior high textbook, which I often joke ended shortly before Appomattox). The sidebars were distracting, but the information was good. The biggest thing I took away from it was how much energy was devoted by the political elite even after Reconstruction to insure white men wouldn't have to compete with African-Americans on a level playing field for jobs, housing, education, or any other resource. I don't think that was the author's actual intention.
History can be dry for those who don't love the subject, and that is decreased by including stories of the living people of the time and how the times affected them, but Wallenstein's hat tip to that principle is awkward and somewhat perfunctory. The individuals' stories he relates don't have any connection with each other or the grand sweep they're meant to illustrate. Still, the whole was interesting enough to hold my attention through most of the 19th Century.
Overall, "Cradle of America" reads as an adequate Virginia History textbook (and is vastly superior to my own junior high textbook, which I often joke ended shortly before Appomattox). The sidebars were distracting, but the information was good. The biggest thing I took away from it was how much energy was devoted by the political elite even after Reconstruction to insure white men wouldn't have to compete with African-Americans on a level playing field for jobs, housing, education, or any other resource. I don't think that was the author's actual intention.
March 12, 2023
Project Read-a-History-of-Every-State-in-Order-of-Statehood #10
My native state so one that I have a natural fondness for, the Old Dominion ranks high among historically significant states, as clear by the author's title, and he's right. Mother of Presidents, hotbed of the Revolution and producing some of early America's finest minds, Virginia has a lot of title to history, but also a lot of negative tendencies. Slavery springs to mind. Lots of racism. So much political inequality (and slavery) that the western chunk broke off and became West Virginia. In the 60s, rather than desegregate, the goddamn state decided to close schools. My point is, there's a lot of bad with a lot of good. Wallenstein covers it all and with a succinctness that might bother the more trivial-minded, since he moves pretty briskly for a state survey, and glosses over some things (there's not much culture: Patsy Cline and obligatory country music mentions). On the other hand, there's a lot here about black Virginians and Virginian women, so that's a nice change.
All around, one of the tighter state histories I've read, if not exhaustively comprehensive. Only lost that fifth star because there isn't a single consarnin' map in the whole book!?!
My native state so one that I have a natural fondness for, the Old Dominion ranks high among historically significant states, as clear by the author's title, and he's right. Mother of Presidents, hotbed of the Revolution and producing some of early America's finest minds, Virginia has a lot of title to history, but also a lot of negative tendencies. Slavery springs to mind. Lots of racism. So much political inequality (and slavery) that the western chunk broke off and became West Virginia. In the 60s, rather than desegregate, the goddamn state decided to close schools. My point is, there's a lot of bad with a lot of good. Wallenstein covers it all and with a succinctness that might bother the more trivial-minded, since he moves pretty briskly for a state survey, and glosses over some things (there's not much culture: Patsy Cline and obligatory country music mentions). On the other hand, there's a lot here about black Virginians and Virginian women, so that's a nice change.
All around, one of the tighter state histories I've read, if not exhaustively comprehensive. Only lost that fifth star because there isn't a single consarnin' map in the whole book!?!
December 14, 2022
A very brief history of the state. Might deserve a higher rating if the author could write a coherent sentence. Some sentences are so poorly written that you can't even understand what the author is trying to say. Sometimes, the events the author chooses to focus on seem strange or insignificant. In general, I would not recommend this book.
April 28, 2021
So I read this book for a project I am working on about Virginia. But honestly, it's so well-written and well-researched, that it's worth a read even if you aren't using it for research. I found it very thorough and very interesting and I really recommend it!
March 5, 2021
I was looking for a general history of Virginia and this seemed to be the best fit. It was rich in information but dragged on with too much detail.
August 21, 2012
The state of Virginia is known for primarily for being home to presidents, the founders of America, the end of the Civil & Revolutionary Wars & the settlement at Jamestown. Across a 400 year history, Peter Wallenstein takes us on a journey across the history of the Old Dominion & shows the struggles & biases that pervaded the nations oldest settled state. In segments divided into the important periods in US history the overview provided of the state is both shocking & remarkable as Virginia goes through multiple constitutions, periods of racial & political upheaval & dares to defy the Supreme Court. The story of the Old Dominion state told by Wallenstein is interesting to this non-resident & provides a fascinating look at a state that I now have a far better understanding of now than I did before.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews