William Byrd II
(1674 – 1774)
Michael Bazarove, Esther Li,
Christian McGuik, John Tong
Biography [John Tong]
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Born on March 28, 1674 at
Westover, Virginia
Son of plantation owners
Went to England at age 2
Studied law in London
Elected to the Royal Society
for his accomplishments in
improving natural knowledge
Agent to the Virginia House
of Burgesses
Went back to Virginia upon
the death of his father and
got married
Biolography cont.
[Esther]
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Age 35: began Secret
Diary
Wife died of smallpox
Age 54 – 62: Surveyor
+ wrote journal
Westover Library –
collected 4,000
volumes
President of Virginia
Council of State
Died August 26, 1744
Reflection of Time
[Esther]
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Westward
expansion
Religious impact
WB – “modern” vs.
the devoted
Puritans
The different nature
of the societies
Literary Contributions –
Titles [Esther]
The Secret Diary (in
code)– secular life
 A Discourse Concerning
the Plague
The Westover Manuscripts
 A History of the Dividing
Line – Virginia to North
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Carolina, New England
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A Journey to the Land of
Eden
A Progress to the Mines
 In modern language
Excerpt [Michael
Bazarov]
Literary Impact on British
North American Colonies
[John McGuirk]
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The Histories of the Dividing Line
Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina
– Negative Southern stereotype
– Positive Native American
depiction
 Assimilated into white society
– Nature is a source of great
bounty
 Inspired settling of the West
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A Discourse Concerning the Plague
– Proposed use of inoculation for
smallpox defense
– Led to successful development
of vaccine
Physical Impacts [John
McGuirk]
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Westover estates 
Richmond
Surveyed dividing
line between
Virginia and North
Carolina
Observed the New
England colonies
and the Indians