I don't have the sources at hand (Hening's Statutes at Large) but I
seem to recall that the status of ports-of-entry in the colonial period
was dictated by law. They should not be confused with landings. A
1680 statute designated four tobacco ports from which tobacco could be
shipped, and I'm guessing a subsequent act either extended that list to
include Williamsburg or Williamsburg replaced a James City as one of the
tobacco ports.
David Kiracofe
David Kiracofe
History
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