Rhys Isaac evaluates the cultural changes taking place in Virginia during the years 1740-1790. Isaac proposes to define the meaning that 18th Century inhabitants attached to their environment. In doing so he applies a “landscape” view to society in an effort to examine the way of life in Chesapeake during the time period. In this landscape view concept the society is shaping the environment in such a way that coincides with ideas of well being and adaptation. The marks society leave behind on the land they occupied gives insight into their lives, distribution of wealth, and access to resources. He addresses the role of authority portrayed by religious institutions and the challenge to such a role by the hierarchal organization of society. The men at the top with wealth and power, the gentry, challenged the supposed authority of such institutions. Isaac divides the work into three sections, addressing first the traditional ways of life then the various movements and events taking place in Virginia. In conclusion he evaluates the changes that took place within society.
The community organization is explained in such a way that demonstrates the Virginia community landscape. One means of wealth demonstration by the gentry is in the construction and design of their homes. The main house is the central focus of a gentry’s home, but is usually supported by symmetrical subordinating structures on each side. Gentry wealth was tied to their land with credit, instead of money, used as a means of exchange. Credit was freely extended to those with high social standing. The lesser individuals of society lived in humbler dwellings of one or one and a half stories with little more than two rooms, usually away from main waterways. Little attention is granted to slave quarters in the main body of the work. Isaac will revisit slave organization at the end suggesting their living organization hints at an existing social system within their clustered quarters.
Isaac describes the social experiences of Virginians as sharing close communities of interlocking families, yet these families may have members who have settled westward. It was necessary to move due to the value of extensive land holding for tobacco production. The continued division of such holdings, among various heirs in a family, depleted individual growing power. Although religion was considered a major part of community life, Isaac points out this too was a social necessity. The act of attending church was a social show of status, expressing gentry dominance rather than one’s devout nature. Piety was reserved for the old and infirm. Attempting to portray the power of the gentry within the church Isaac explains parson qualifications, simplifying it to one who could carry both his religion and liquor as a gentleman should.
Addressing relations of church and community there was an apparent power struggle between church leadership and community leaders. Various parsons were accused of living lives of scandal, lacking moral fortitude, leading to their dismissal and community leadership suggesting increased salaries to attract better parsons. Conflict continues as Isaac describes various religious movements taking place. The gentry felt their authority threatened by the more formal and orderly congregational community evangelicals offered to the less fortunate experiencing the harsh realities of day to day life. The traditional life established by the gentry was filled with pride and gaiety, contributing to the frustrations of those falling on the lesser end of the social spectrum. Such religious movements sparked debate, confrontation, and frustration.
Isaac portrays the landscape view of society rather well in section one, yet abandons it in section two, only to address it further in conclusion. The agrarian society remained while the influence of gentry and religion continued to conflict. The parish church disappeared, being replaced by reorganized “evangelical meetinghouses” dotting the community landscape. Although a breakdown of hierarchal society organization seems to be indicated, it is not necessarily the case. Gentlemen still existed, and even somewhat assimilated into the changing religious patterns. There continued to be those less fortunate and those more pious. The physical landscape changed as cities grew and society adapted to changing values and expectations.
Overall, Isaac presents an informative account of the changes and conflicts within Virginia. The landscape view is a unique description for changing societies and organization of study. It presents the assumption that those living in their environment not only influence it in a physical sense that is obvious to observers, but in a social sense that can be evaluated by those willing to observe closer and question the relationship of physical and social changes.