Full Answer
Who is William Berke?
William Berkeley (governor) (1605–1677), colonial governor of Virginia William Berkeley (Royal Navy officer) (1639–1666), English naval officer William Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton (died 1741), English politician and judge William Berkeley, 1st Earl FitzHardinge (1786–1857), British landowner and politician
Where did Berkeley die and when?
Berkeley died at Berkeley House in London on July 9, 1677, and was buried four days later at Twickenham, Middlesex. William Berkeley studies law for two or three years at the Middle Temple and takes a two-year European tour. William Berkeley earns an AM from Oxford University and is elected a fellow of Merton College.
What did Sir William Berkeley do in 1641?
Berkeley, Sir William. Sir William Berkeley, 1606–77, colonial governor of Virginia. Appointed governor in 1641, he arrived in Virginia in 1642. Berkeley defeated the Native Americans and the Dutch, extended explorations, and encouraged agriculture, but so persecuted dissenters that many of them left the colony.
What did William Berkeley do as governor of Virginia?
Sir William Berkeley, 1606–77, colonial governor of Virginia. Appointed governor in 1641, he arrived in Virginia in 1642. Berkeley defeated the Native Americans and the Dutch, extended explorations, and encouraged agriculture, but so persecuted dissenters that many of them left the colony.
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What was William Berkeley famous for?
Sir William Berkeley (1605-1677) was governor of Virginia longer than any other man, from 1642 until 1652 and from 1660 until his death in 1677. He advocated economic diversification and promoted trade between the colonists and the Virginia Indians.
When was Berkeley born?
1605William Berkeley / Date of birthSir William Berkeley, (born 1606, Somerset, Eng. —died July 9, 1677, Twickenham, Middlesex), British colonial governor of Virginia during Bacon's Rebellion, an armed uprising (1676) against his moderate Indian policy.
How did William Berkeley feel about bacon?
In the face of a brewing catastrophe, Berkeley, to keep the peace, was willing to forget that Bacon was not authorized to take the law into his own hands. Berkeley agreed to pardon Bacon if he turned himself in, so he could be sent to England and tried before King Charles II.
Who forced William Berkeley to come back to England?
As a result, Governor William Berkeley was renounced of his position as governor of Virginia and he was forced to return to England by demand of King Charles II (Billings, 235).
Who was Lord Berkeley?
John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton (1602 – 26 August 1678) was an English royalist soldier, politician and diplomat, of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley family. From 1648 he was closely associated with James, Duke of York, and rose to prominence, fortune, and fame.
What did John Locke write and why is it important?
John Locke's Publications Locke's “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” (1689) outlined a theory of human knowledge, identity and selfhood that would be hugely influential to Enlightenment thinkers.
Was Bacon a hero or a traitor?
In short, Nathaniel Bacon defied the orders of the colonial governor, William Berkeley, and led a revolt against several native tribes in western Virginia. To historians that depict him as a hero, his 'Declaration in the Name of the People' of 1676, is pointed to as a precursor to the Declaration of Independence.
What were the greatest killers in Virginia during the 1600s?
What were the greatest killers in Virginia during the 1600s? Epidemic diseases like typhoid fever and malaria.
Why was Jamestown burned?
Bacon's Rebellion was triggered when a grab for Native American lands was denied. Bacon's Rebellion was triggered when a grab for Native American lands was denied. Jamestown had once been the bustling capital of the Colony of Virginia.
How did Bacon's Rebellion affect slavery?
Historians believe the rebellion hastened the hardening of racial lines associated with slavery, as a way for planters and the colony to control some of the poor.
Was Bacon's Rebellion justified?
Many historians believe Bacon's Rebellion was unjustified and wrong, but many other historians believe his actions are benevolent. Bacon's attack on the Natives is correct because the government was neglecting the citizens, teaching Natives the use of firearms, and the Natives stealing major crops from the citizens.
Was Bacon's Rebellion a turning point?
Many historians point to an event known as Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 as a turning point.
How old is the city of Berkeley?
The City of Berkeley, California was incorporated on April 1, 1878 from two distinct settlements. Much of the area surrounding Berkeley was given the Peralta family as a land grant from the Spanish king in 1820.
What is the origin of Berkeley?
Berkeley, California was named for Bishop George Berkeley and inspired by poetry – specifically his allusions to ancient Greece, the original “model” for the University of California as envisioned by its founders.
Why is Berkeley called Berkeley?
Trustees from the private College of California in Oakland meet at Founders Rock and name their future campus site Berkeley after 18th-century philosopher George Berkeley.
What is the GPA to get into Berkeley?
3.0The minimum GPA requirement for UC Berkeley applicants is 3.0, but to be truly competitive, students should aim for a GPA of at least 3.89 (unweighted) or 4.25 (weighted) for the best chances of gaining admission.
Why did Sir William Berkeley return to England?
Governor Sir William Berkeley returns to England to mount a campaign for support from the newly restored King Charles II. September 1662. Governor Sir William Berkeley returns to Virginia with a royally backed program of economic diversification. The program fails.
What did Berkeley write about Virginia?
Berkeley lobbied publicly and privately for almost a year, and he wrote and published Discourse and View of Virginia, which put forth his prescriptions for improving Virginia.
Why did Berkeley send his wife to London?
Berkeley sent his wife to London to defend his administration, while he engaged in a contest with Bacon that became a duel to the death over who would control Virginia. With Bacon occupied in the search for someone to fight, Berkeley again proclaimed his enemy a rebel and tried to catch him. The governor got little support and fled to the Eastern Shore when Bacon doubled back on him and tried to establish his own command of the colony. He issued several public pronouncements denouncing Berkeley and playing for popular support. More pointedly, he sent a small fleet across Chesapeake Bay to dislodge Berkeley from his stronghold, while he again went off in search of Indians.
Why did John Coke send Berkeley to the Netherlands?
Secretary of State Sir John Coke sent Berkeley to the Netherlands to persuade the queen’s mother, Marie de Medici, not to visit England for fear that her presence would aggravate the king’s mounting political difficulties.
Who was involved in the rebellion against the Governor of Virginia?
The House of Burgesses gathers in Jamestown. Among the participants is Nathaniel Bacon of Henrico County who, with James Crewes, is engaged in a rebellion against Governor Sir William Berkeley in part over Bacon's intentions to attack Virginia Indians.
Who led the rebellion in Virginia in 1676?
October 27, 1676. King Charles II of England signs a proclamation for putting down the rebellion in Virginia led by "Nathaniel Bacon the Younger.". The king does not know that Bacon died the day before. 1677. By the first weeks of the year, Governor Sir William Berkeley has suppressed the last of Bacon's Rebellion.
Who was the king who appoints William Berkeley as governor?
Having won a diplomatic posting to Turkey, Sir William Berkeley convinces King Charles I to instead appoint him governor and captain general of Virginia.
Where was Berkeley buried?
Death. Berkeley died in Berkeley House, Mayfair, England, on 9 July 1677, and he was "buried half a world away from the place that had become his home" in the crypt of St Mary's Church, Twickenham, where there is a memorial window to him and his brother, Lord Berkeley.
Where was William Berkeley born?
Berkeley was born in 1605 in Bruton, Somersetshire to Maurice Berkeley (died 1617) and Elizabeth Killigrew, of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley family, both of whom held stock in the Virginia Company of London. Referred to as "Will" by his family and friends, he was born in the winter of 1605 into landed gentry. His father died when he was twelve and, though indebted, left Berkeley land in Somerset. His elder brother was John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton .
What was the name of the play that Berkeley wrote for Charles I?
That position gave him entré into a court literary circle known as "The Wits". Berkeley wrote several plays, one of which— The Lost Lady: A Tragy Comedy —was performed for Charles I and Henrietta Maria and was published in 1638. It is also included in the first and fourth editions of Dodsley's Old Plays, and A Description of Virginia (1663).
Why was Berkeley so hostile to the Puritans?
Berkeley was "bitterly hostile" to Virginia's Puritans and Quakers. In an attempt to oppress them, Berkeley helped enact a law to "preserve the Established Church's [The Church of England] Unity and purity of doctrine". It punished any minister who preached outside the teachings and doctrine of this church, thus oppressing Puritans, Quakers, and any other religious minority. : p254
Why did Berkeley retire?
Berkeley's downfall came with the advent of his second term. He returned from retirement in 1660 due to the early death of Governor Samuel Mathews. At his return, Berkeley appealed to England for financial support of Virginia's economy. Charles II denied Berkeley's appeal "in favour of free trade".
Why did Berkeley oppose public education?
Though he was unable to foresee the eventual establishment of such schools, he held that they would bring "disobedience, heresy, and sects into the world," and were for such reasons destructive to society. He also held printing at the same level as public education.
What did Berkeley learn from his elders?
: p6 His informal education consisted of observing his elders; from them he learned "the moves that governed the larger English society and his privileged place in it". : p6 Also, as part of the English country gentry, he was aware of agricultural practices, : p6 knowledge which would influence his actions as governor of Virginia.
Why was the confrontation with Berkeley always uncertain?
The confrontation with Berkeley had always been uncertain, because he still retained the post of governor. After Bacon died in October 1676, the rebellion began to wane. Berkeley unwisely took vengeance by executing 23 rebel leaders and confiscating their property.
What was the first chance for Berkeley to serve in America?
Berkeley's first chance for service in America came in 1632, when he was made one of England's commissioners for Canada. In 1641 Charles I appointed Berkeley governor of Virginia. The problems facing him in Virginia were formidable. He mollified disgruntled planters by granting them an important role in the government and rectifying abuses of previous administrations. Berkeley's vigorous prosecution of the Native American wars was crucial in winning the Virginians' confidence. He pressed the campaign on the frontiers, personally taking the field to command, and captured the aged Native American chief Opechancanough, thereby gaining a period of relative peace. His resolute action unified the colonists behind his leadership.
Who was the governor of Virginia in 1660?
Upon Charles II's assumption of the throne in 1660, Berkeley was reappointed governor. Visiting England in 1661, he demonstrated the dual loyalty to the Stuarts and Virginia that characterized his career. He had returned to England both to pay homage to the new ruler and to support Virginia's complaints against new mercantile legislation. Evidence of Charles II's satisfaction with Berkeley was the designation of Virginia as the King's "Old Dominion." Moreover, Berkeley was included among the eight proprietors of Carolina. But Berkeley was less successful in his work for the colony of Virginia. He could do nothing to relax the mercantile requirement that Virginia's tobacco be shipped to England. In a pamphlet (1662) he noted that thousands of Virginians were thereby "impoverished to enrich little more than forty [English] merchants." He returned to the colony with little to show for his efforts.
What did William Berkeley teach Virginians?
His leadership taught Virginians how to settle differences peacefully or to live with differences that could not be settled peacefully. Although Bacon's Rebellion of 1676 almost destroyed Berkeley's legacy, the political culture that Berkeley helped create survived for two centuries. Oil on canvass.
Who was the governor of Virginia in 1652?
Sir William Berkeley (1605-1677) was governor of Virginia longer than any other man, from 1642 until 1652 and from 1660 until his death in 1677.
Who sent the complaints of bloodshed to Sir William Berkeley?
Frequent complaints of bloodshed were sent to Sir William Berkeley from the heads of the rivers, which were as often answered with promises of assistance. These at the heads of James and York rivers (having now most people destroyed by the Indians) grew impatient at the many slaughters of their neighbours and rose or their own defence, who choosing. Bacon for their leader, sent oftentimes to the Governor, humbly beseeching a commission to go against those Indians at their own charge.
What was Berkeley's role in the English Civil War?
During the English Civil War he declared his support for the king. When Oliver Cromwell achieved power Berkeley was forced into retirement and until 1660 concentrated on developing his plantations in Virginia.
What was the cause of the rebellion against Bacon?
In 1676 Bacon organized his own expedition. Fearing a large-scale war with Native Americans, Berkeley turned his forces against Bacon and his men. Bacon captured Jamestown and Berkeley was forced to flee to the Eastern Shore. However, when Nathaniel Bacon died of fever in October, 1676, the rebellion quickly collapsed. Berkeley took revenge by hanging all the leading figures. One settler commented that he believed "the Governor would have hanged half the country, if they had let him alone". This upset Charles II who had pardoned the men and Berkeley was recalled to England. William Berkeley died in Twickenham on 9th July, 1677.
Who took Jamestown?
Bacon stormed it (Jamestown) and took the town, in which attack were twelve men slain and wounded, but Governor Berkeley, with most of the followers, fled back down the river in their vessels. Here, resting a few days, they agreed to the burning of the town. Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Drumond, owning the two best houses save one, set fire each to his own house, which example the soldiers following laid the whole town (with church and statehouse) in ashes, saying the rogues should harbor no more there.
Who was the governor of Virginia in 1639?
William Berkeley was born in Somerset, England in 1606. Soon after graduating from Oxford University in 1624 he was employed in the colonial office. Knighted by Charles I in 1639, Berkeley was appointed as governor of Virginia.
How many men did Bacon have to fire the Palisades?
Mr. Bacon, with fifty-seven men, proceeded until the fired the palisades, stormed and burned the fort and cabins, and (with the loss of three English) slew 150 Indians.
Overview
Death
Berkeley died in Berkeley House, Mayfair, England, on 9 July 1677, and he was "buried half a world away from the place that had become his home" in the crypt of St Mary's Church, Twickenham, where there is a memorial window to him and his brother, Lord Berkeley.
Biography
Berkeley was born in 1605 in Bruton, Somersetshire to Maurice Berkeley (died 1617) and Elizabeth Killigrew, of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley family, both of whom held stock in the Virginia Company of London. Referred to as "Will" by his family and friends, he was born in the winter of 1605 into landed gentry. His father died when he was twelve and, though indebted, left Berkeley land in So…
Notes
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Bullen, Arthur Henry (1885). "Berkeley, William (d.1677)". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
Further reading
• Hitchens, Harold Lee. [1] "Sir William Berkeley, Virginian Economist." The William and Mary Quarterly 2nd ser. 18 (1938): 158–73. JSTOR. Sojourner Truth, New Paltz. 23 March 2009.
• Sydenstricker, Edgar, and Ammen Lewis Burger. School History of Virginia. Lynchburg: Dulaney-Boatwright, 1914.
External links
• Friends of Green Spring a large interactive web site with streaming video and more than a dozen essays ("The voices of Green Spring")
• Library of Virginia, William Berkeley web page
• Sir William Berkeley by Warren M. Billings at Virtual Jamestown
Colonial Service
- Berkeley's first chance for service in America came in 1632, when he was made one of England's commissioners for Canada. In 1641 Charles I appointed Berkeley governor of Virginia. The problems facing him in Virginia were formidable. He mollified disgruntled planters by granting them an important role in the government and rectifying abuses of previous administrations. Ber…
The Restoration
- Upon Charles II's assumption of the throne in 1660, Berkeley was reappointed governor. Visiting England in 1661, he demonstrated the dual loyalty to the Stuarts and Virginia that characterized his career. He had returned to England both to pay homage to the new ruler and to support Virginia's complaints against new mercantile legislation. Evidence of Charles II's satisfaction wit…
Bacon's Rebellion
- The uprising known as Bacon's Rebellion (1675-1676) reflected Berkeley's failure during his last years as governor. Within a short period, the governor, who had been called "the Darling of the People," became a party to the struggle that has marred his reputation ever since. There were several causes of Bacon's Rebellion: economic depression (resul...
Berkeley's Ignominy
- The fury of Bacon's Rebellion was directed primarily against the Native Americans. The confrontation with Berkeley had always been uncertain, because he still retained the post of governor. After Bacon died in October 1676, the rebellion began to wane. Berkeley unwisely took vengeance by executing 23 rebel leaders and confiscating their property. He continued the exec…
Further Reading
- A biographical account of Berkeley may be found in Philip Alexander Bruce, The Virginia Plutarch (2 vols., 1929). Two conflicting estimates of Berkeley's career and role in Bacon's Rebellion are offered in Thomas Jefferson Wertenbaker, Torchbearer of the Revolution: The Story of Bacon's Rebellion and Its Leader (1940), and in Wilcomb E. Washburn, The Governor and the Rebel: A His…