Social Divisions In Colonial Virginia

Everyday life in Colonial Virginia, much like society today, was shaped by social divisions. It’s influence was seen in almost every aspect of a person’s life: their home, their religion, their education, and their leisure time. Having a certain status was not enough for the gentry of this time, it was just as important that the wealthy were able to flaunt how much they had to give away. Events like going to church or going to a tavern were now key social outings that reinforced one’s place in society. Although social mobility was slim, everyone strived to assert their dominance amongst their social peers. In Colonial Virginia, success was based on location, and location was based on status. One prevalent social distinction that shaped
Colonial Virginia was the location of homes in the colony. The wealthiest Virginians purchased land along rivers to set up plantations. Here, the land was fertile and provided farmers with easy access to trade within the colonies.# Plantation complexes were hundred or thousands or acres large, complete with a great house, their own mills, and an abundance of slaves to tend to the crops. Smaller farms, on the other hand, were located further away from the rivers.# These farms were much smaller in size because the owners could not afford as many acres or as much help to maintain the upkeep. Another differences between social classes was the type of home built on their farm. Gentlemen, such as William Bryant, strived to replicate the houses in London in order to emphasize they were true Englishmen. Their homes were symmetrical, multiple stories high, and included glass windows.# When someone rode up to a gentlemen’s home, they would be in awe of the massive size and know this man was wealthy because he was able to import glass and bricks all the way from Europe. Inside the homes, large ballrooms were reserved to host dancing celebrations. “When a householder opened the resources of his plantation to guests, the opportunities for self-assertion, display, and conviviality were at their greatest.”# It could be argued that the purpose of these large gatherings were for bragging rights as much as much as they were to celebrate an occasion. The guest list was a social distinction that separated the richer and the poorer, the upper and lower classes. Hosts would invite high status guests to solidify their social circle while showing their peers how extravagant of a party they could afford. Smaller farmers, although usually not invited to the plantations for these events, hosted their own, scaled-down celebrations. Farmers would be hesitant to invite their wealthier peers in fear of being unable to impress them; however, they would invite their equal and lesser counterparts in hopes to emphasize they were at the top of their particular division. Church was the center of life in Colonial Virginia, both literally and figuratively.
Most churches were located near the center of a town and were accessible by roads.# This was essential for easy access and to ensure there would be a crowd. During this time period, church was less of a place for piety and more a social harbor. “The seating plans of the Virginia churches-accentuated by the manner of entry and exit-exhibited the community to itself in ranked order.”# The wealthier plantation owners had the option of renting the front pews by donating money to the church. Not only did this put them to closer to the minister, it also demonstrated their closer relationship to God while reinforcing the idea the wealthier were more worthy of going to heaven.# Those who were able to sit up front did not have to worry about arriving to sermons early to find a good seat. On the contrary, wealthier Virginians showed up late to assert their status. They would walk down the length of the church in their best clothes, shake hands with everyone they knew along the way, and show off their social status as they made their way to the front. Everyone who was already sitting down was reminded that these people had the ability and status that only comes to those who can afford it. Church was the center of life in Colonial Virginia because it was one of the best places to show off your wealth. It was also a place to increase your wealth. Many merchants and plantations owners brought items to sell and trade to church because almost the entire town was gathered in one place. It allowed smaller farmers to make social connections with the wealthy and, therefore, increase their own social status. Although church has a reputation of building a relationship with God and being humble, church played an important role in reinforcing social
divisions. Wealth affected more than just where one sat at church, it also impacted how Colonial Virginians spent their leisurely time. On most days colonists could be found in ordinaries and betting on cockfights or horse races. The ordinary was the most significant place in Virginia; Isaac writes, [The] aspect of everyday experience in Virginia…can most clearly be seen in a number of popular sports that were closely associated with gatherings of the countryfolk at the…ordinaries.”# The abundance of ordinaries within one area further reiterates it’s popularity.# Any man was welcomed in the taverns, but it was customary to find more gentlemen, colonels, and esquires- the wealthier population.# Here, men would buy and sell goods, discuss business, debate, play games, and drink. An ordinary was also a good place to socialize and show off one’s wealth. Gentlemen would try to assert their status by buying a drink for another man and gambling on dice games or billiards, trying to outdo their peers. Many fights broke out after one man refused to toast his neighbor or someone’s status was undermined. While ordinaries were known as a place for men to profess his dominance, any type of gambling was used to show someone’s worth. Horse racing and cockfighting were especially popular but, of course, social distinction came into play. It was the rich who owned the horses# and made up most of the betting at the races. Small farmers, although invited to bet, could not produce the same wagers as the rich and, therefore, just watched. Because of this, farmers were more likely to be seen betting on roosters. While horse racing was a public spectacle that was looked upon as lavish entertainment, cockfights began as a “vulgar pastime” that was below the gentry class. Nevertheless, it’s violent nature attracted the wealthier and soon it was not uncommon to see the bets on these races reach high stakes as everyone was trying to out bid each other. One of the most significant social distinctions during Colonial Virginia nested in education. The ability to read and write was almost exclusive to the gentry class, as there was “a close correlation between signature rate and social rank.”#