Project Gutenberg 2009-04-02 Public domain in the USA. 166 Wertenbaker, Thomas Jefferson 1879 1966 Wertenbaker, Thomas J. 59011227 Patrician and Plebeian Or The Origin and Development of the Social Classes of the Old Dominion Produced by Mark C. Orton, Jeannie Howse and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net "Patrician and Plebeian in Virginia" by Thomas Jefferson Wertenbaker is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The work examines the origins and development of the social classes in Virginia, particularly focusing on the aristocracy rather than the commonly held belief that they descended primarily from noble English families. The book delves into the interplay of economic, political, and social factors that shaped Virginia's class structure, revealing a more complex history than previously understood. The opening of the work offers a detailed preface where Wertenbaker argues against the traditional narrative surrounding Virginian aristocracy, stating that it arose from a mixture of merchant swells and less distinguished immigrants rather than from English gentry or Cavaliers. He discusses the shift in status and identity among Virginia planters over time, their relationships with the mother country, and how they adapted to local conditions. This portion sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the political and economic dynamics that influenced social hierarchy, dispelling myths and painting a vivid picture of colonial Virginia’s societal evolution. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 57.5 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 Virginia -- Social life and customs -- To 1775 F206 Text Category: History - American 405586 2025-08-11T14:52:13.376285 text/html 408373 2021-01-04T22:41:19 text/html 218039 2025-08-11T14:52:22.302208 application/epub+zip 220203 2025-08-11T14:52:16.897243 application/epub+zip 200760 2025-08-11T14:52:15.445232 application/epub+zip 418151 2025-08-11T14:52:25.889207 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 389354 2025-08-11T14:52:21.163242 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 370037 2022-09-13T09:15:58.670587 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 328309 2025-08-11T14:52:12.684238 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 328153 2021-01-04T22:41:19 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 328144 2021-01-04T22:41:19 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20229 2025-08-11T14:52:26.024183 application/rdf+xml 14042 2025-08-11T14:52:15.986233 image/jpeg 3698 2025-08-11T14:52:15.728243 image/jpeg 118772 2021-01-04T22:41:19 application/octet-stream application/zip 133265 2021-01-04T22:41:19 application/octet-stream application/zip 118713 2021-01-04T22:41:19 application/octet-stream application/zip 207127 2025-08-11T14:52:13.402273 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia