Valley of Virginia, 1760s

Valley of Virginia, 1760s. . , Virginia Frontier Farm , European settlers in western Virginia built one-room log cabins like the one on this exhibit. The rectangular floor plan and gable end chimney reflect English and Irish building traditions, while log construction was introduced by Scandinavian and German immigrants to Colonial America., Beginning in the 1720s, the first Europeans arrived in the Valley of Virginia seeking personal independence through private land ownership. These early settlers were attracted to the region by the favorable land policies of Virginia's colonia government. The communities created by these small farmers were more ethnically and religiously diverse than in eastern Virginia., An Imperial Frontier , Virginia's colonial government encouraged the resettlement of the Valley with Europeans to secure its western boundary against attacks by other European powers and their Indian allies. They also wanted to prevent the establishment of independent communities of runaway slaves in this remote region. When Virginia opened the Valley to settlers, Germans and Irish farmers from Pennsylvania flocked to the new frontier., European Settlement and Commercial Development , A typical farmstead included 300 acres of land with access to streams, rivers, or springs. Early trade was largely local, with households exchanging farm produce and labor with each other. Relations with American Indians were peaceful, and trade in skins and furs flourished. By the 1760s, increased world demand for wheat flour, hemp, and meat encouraged farmers to produce surplus crops and livestock to ship to eastern markets. Prosperity followed, as stores and shops in thriving market towns supplied the rural farming community with specialized services, imported goods, and farm supplies. This commercial development also led to the growth of slavery as many settlers purchased enslaved Africans to perform farm work., [Caption:] , Alexander Spotswood, Virginia's lieutenant governor from 1710 to 1722, led an expedition to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1716 to scout the economic and strategic potential of the region. Charles Bridges, "Portrait of Alexander Spotswood (1676-1740)." The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Museum Purchase.