The Queens of American Society
ANY view of society in the United States must, of necessity, take in a variety of aspects. During the existence of the Republic, there has been no period when its social condition was like that of a compact nation which had been a unity in its origin, growth, and development. In the early colonial days, the leading society in the North, in the East, and in the South was composed of diverse elements; in each section differing from that of others. Virginia—the first colony that could boast an aristocracy—traced her proud and gentle blood to ancient families of England; in Pennsylvania, and farther south, the best society came of that stock of continental Protestantism—the French and Flemish refugees—whom the bigotry of Philip the Second in one century, and of Louis XIY. in the next, drove from their homes and places of worship, to seek, in the wild solitudes of a new world, " freedom to worship God." To these, in Pennsylvania, were added the Quakers, who came to the country with William Penn. In ISTew England, the Puritan element mingled with an aristocracy created by prosperity and growing wealth. Thus the social phases presented had various aspects, modified, in the progress of years, by the various modes of living. The unity of -feeling produced by the Revolution caused some change and assimilation, so far as the great cities were concerned; in other portions of the Union social differences not only continued to exist, but developed into more marked peculiarities. We cannot help observing this in the most general survey. About the middle of the last century we find a ruling class in families of wealth and distinction living hundreds of miles apart. We note this when we read of George Washington being entertained at the house of Beverley Robinson, and being captivated by the charms of his host's fair sister-in-law, Mary Philipse. She was the daughter of the lord of the old manor of Philips-borough, who owned an immense estate on the Hudson. Her marriage afterwards with Captain Roger Morris, and the confiscation of that portion of the Philipse estate, led to the formation of a home of another character. Both Mrs. Morris and her sister, Mrs. Robinson, who shared in the outlawry and attainder, were leaders in the society of that period, and remarkable for graces and accomplishments.
"1100647576"
The Queens of American Society
ANY view of society in the United States must, of necessity, take in a variety of aspects. During the existence of the Republic, there has been no period when its social condition was like that of a compact nation which had been a unity in its origin, growth, and development. In the early colonial days, the leading society in the North, in the East, and in the South was composed of diverse elements; in each section differing from that of others. Virginia—the first colony that could boast an aristocracy—traced her proud and gentle blood to ancient families of England; in Pennsylvania, and farther south, the best society came of that stock of continental Protestantism—the French and Flemish refugees—whom the bigotry of Philip the Second in one century, and of Louis XIY. in the next, drove from their homes and places of worship, to seek, in the wild solitudes of a new world, " freedom to worship God." To these, in Pennsylvania, were added the Quakers, who came to the country with William Penn. In ISTew England, the Puritan element mingled with an aristocracy created by prosperity and growing wealth. Thus the social phases presented had various aspects, modified, in the progress of years, by the various modes of living. The unity of -feeling produced by the Revolution caused some change and assimilation, so far as the great cities were concerned; in other portions of the Union social differences not only continued to exist, but developed into more marked peculiarities. We cannot help observing this in the most general survey. About the middle of the last century we find a ruling class in families of wealth and distinction living hundreds of miles apart. We note this when we read of George Washington being entertained at the house of Beverley Robinson, and being captivated by the charms of his host's fair sister-in-law, Mary Philipse. She was the daughter of the lord of the old manor of Philips-borough, who owned an immense estate on the Hudson. Her marriage afterwards with Captain Roger Morris, and the confiscation of that portion of the Philipse estate, led to the formation of a home of another character. Both Mrs. Morris and her sister, Mrs. Robinson, who shared in the outlawry and attainder, were leaders in the society of that period, and remarkable for graces and accomplishments.
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The Queens of American Society
The Queens of American Society
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940013920484 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | VARIETY BOOKS |
| Publication date: | 03/02/2012 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 4 MB |
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