Early Modern Virginia: Reconsidering the Old Dominion

Abstract

Inspired by the editors' article, “Smoke and Mirrors: Reinterpreting the Society and Economy of the Seventeenth-Century Chesapeake” (Atlantic Studies, Oct. 2006), the essays in this volume were originally presented in 2007 to mark the anniversary of the settlement at Jamestown. Researching Virginia's early history can be challenging. Unlike those of neighboring Maryland, many Virginia records were lost to haphazard storage conditions, occasional fires, and the chaotic conditions of military campaigns. The relative completeness and convenience of Maryland records have attracted more scholarly attention—especially from museum and public history professionals. Consequently, many scholars have been tempted to accentuate the similarities of the two Chesapeake colonies. Contributors to this volume convincingly argue that the history of the Old Dominion is sufficiently different to deserve closer scrutiny, regardless of the difficulties involved. The editors Douglas Bradburn and John C. Coombs reject the adjective colonial in favor of the more useful early modern to emphasize interpretive frameworks that connect Virginia with the Atlantic world of the seventeenth century. An introduction by Lorena S. Walsh and conclusion by Philip D. Morgan provide a useful overview of the Chesapeake school's methodologies and analytical tools, while placing the volume's essays within historiographical and multidisciplinary context.