Aug 28, 2007
The Greatest Virginians?!
Like Kevin Levin at Civil War Memory, I've received an email from the Library of Virginia and from the Richmond Times-Dispatch asking me to nominate...
For each century - the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th - we would like you to name and write a short explanatory paragraph (about 200 words per nominee) for (1) a most influential Virginian and (2) a greatest Virginian. Please do not name the same person twice, and do not feel that the most influential Virginian necessarily left a 100-percent positive legacy. Fill in names only for the centuries your knowledge and comfort-level support. If you choose to focus on only one or two centuries, please feel free to do so - we expect it.
And if you would like to include a name and paragraph for a most important Virginian the public doesn't know about, or a Virginian with the most destructive legacy, please feel free to do that as well. Be creative. The Times-Dispatch likely will publish a number of these, and we look forward to reading what our jury has to say.
Naturally, I'll be making some nominations for seventeenth and eighteenth-century Virginia. There's already a pretty lively discussion at Kevin's, but here are some of my thoughts for the seventeenth century:
1. Wahunsonacock [Powhatan]
2. Opechancanough
3. Amonute/Metoaka [Pocahontas]
4. Sir William Berkeley
5. Cockacoeske, Werowansqua of Pamunkey
6. Nathaniel Bacon
7. Emanuel Driggus
8. not a person, but how about tobacco?
What are your thoughts? Suggestions welcome in the comments!
For each century - the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th - we would like you to name and write a short explanatory paragraph (about 200 words per nominee) for (1) a most influential Virginian and (2) a greatest Virginian. Please do not name the same person twice, and do not feel that the most influential Virginian necessarily left a 100-percent positive legacy. Fill in names only for the centuries your knowledge and comfort-level support. If you choose to focus on only one or two centuries, please feel free to do so - we expect it.
And if you would like to include a name and paragraph for a most important Virginian the public doesn't know about, or a Virginian with the most destructive legacy, please feel free to do that as well. Be creative. The Times-Dispatch likely will publish a number of these, and we look forward to reading what our jury has to say.
Naturally, I'll be making some nominations for seventeenth and eighteenth-century Virginia. There's already a pretty lively discussion at Kevin's, but here are some of my thoughts for the seventeenth century:
1. Wahunsonacock [Powhatan]
2. Opechancanough
3. Amonute/Metoaka [Pocahontas]
4. Sir William Berkeley
5. Cockacoeske, Werowansqua of Pamunkey
6. Nathaniel Bacon
7. Emanuel Driggus
8. not a person, but how about tobacco?
What are your thoughts? Suggestions welcome in the comments!
I'm tempted to suggest Indians, Africans, and indentured servants because I generally fear that these sorts of things become polls for the most well-known English folks. So I'm trying to think of some less widely known but certainly important and influential folks from the early centuries. I'll post my final list before the September 20th deadline.