The Proceedings of the Convention of Delegates for the Counties and Corporations in the Colony of Virginia
by Virginia
| The Proceedings of the Convention of Delegates for the Counties and Corporations in the Colony of Virginia | |
 Title page from The Proceedings of the Convention of Delegates for the Counties and Corporations in the Colony of Virginia, volume one, George Wythe Collection, Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary. | |
| Author | Virginia |
| Published | Williamsburg: Printed by Alexander Purdie |
| Date | 1775 |
| Edition | First |
| Language | English |
| Volumes | 1 volume set |
| Pages | 59 |
| Desc. | 23 x 18 cm. Autograph: George Wythe. |
This text reflects the proceedings of the Third Virginia Convention, which convened on July 17, 1775 and ended August 26, 1775. The Convention delegates elected Peyton Randolph, President, and John Tazewell, Clerk.[1] Prior to the Third Convention, Governor Dunmore ordered the removal of Virginia’s gunpowder stores to a warship, threatened to free Virginia’s slaves, and warned that he would burn Williamsburg. Violence loomed, and Dunmore took shelter on the Fowey, another warship, on June 8, 1775.[2]
After Patrick Henry’s impassioned “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” speech at the Second Virginia Convention in March of that year, the attendees at this next gathering were more fully convinced of the impending threats against Virginia and the budding nation. This Convention established a Committee of Safety, to which Edmund Pendleton and George Mason were elected, so the colonists would be prepared to defend themselves. It provided for volunteer regimens in each Virginia county and a fixed system to maintain the militia, arms, and ammunition. Notably, the Convention also appointed Patrick Henry colonel and elected Thomas Jefferson and George Wythe as representatives to the General Convention for one year.[3]
Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library
Wythe definitely owned this title—a copy at the College of William & Mary is inscribed "G. Wythe" on the title page. Two of the Wythe Collection sources (Brown's Bibliography[4] and George Wythe's Library[5] on LibraryThing) include this title.
Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy
On permanent loan from the Earl Gregg Swem library at the College of William & Mary.
View this book in William & Mary's online catalog.
References
- ↑ Jacob Neff Brenaman, A History of Virginia Conventions (Richmond, VA: J.L. Hill Printing Co., 1902), 21.
- ↑ “WPA Guide to Virginia: Virginia History” in Virginia: A Guide to the Old Dominion (Richmond: Virginia State Library and Archives, in cooperation with the Virginia Center for the Book, 1992), accessed Nov. 7, 2013.
- ↑ Brenaman, A History of Virginia Conventions, 21-26.
- ↑ Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433
- ↑ LibraryThing, s. v. "Member: George Wythe," accessed on June 28, 2013, http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe
