The Tidewater Gentry

The Tidewater Gentry. . This area of Virginia is part of what is known as the Tidewater region, so named for its numerous tidal creeks and rivers. , The Tidewater region developed a distinct culture based on a plantation economy that gave rise to the gentry, a small segment of the population who acquired wealth and large land holdings, through the cultivation and sale of tobacco. The gentry held sway over much of 17th and 18th century life Virginia. , Cultivating and selling tobacco, through the use of enslaved labor, was part of the gentry way of life. In addition to managing the business of tobacco plantation, gentry men were expected to serve in government and community positions that preserved the social, economic, political, and religious order. , Eighteenth-century gentry women were expected to maintain an orderly home, where they educated and prepared their children to participate in gentry society. The state of the household was considered a reflection of the woman’s personal virtue and skill in domestic pursuits. , This culture was at the heart of the society into which George Washington was born, and the values of the Tidewater gentry would have been a powerful influence in his life. , How do you think the culture into which Washington was born influenced him? , (portrait caption) , A contemporary of George Washington’s father and an extreme example of the gentry, Robert “King” Carter was the richest man in the Northern Neck by the time of his death in 1732. He owned more than 295,000 acres and at least 700 enslaved individuals lived and worked on his properties.