There was a tremendous sense of social distinctions in the planter
class.  The first questions any Virginian from that social level
asked was," Who are your people, and where is your land?"  The
answers to those questions, told everyone within hearing who the
person was.  It was as definitive as dogs sniffing each other.  This
was still true when I was a boy in Gloucester.  GW definitely
understood from whence he was starting, and knew where he wanted to
go, just as Lonny spells out.

-- Stephan

Stephan A. Schwartz
932 North Oriole Drive  *  Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
Schwartzreport:  http://www.schwartzreport.net
Personal Website:  http://www.stephanaschwartz.com

On 8 Dec 2005, at 14:35, Lonny J. Watro wrote:

> I must agree with Jurretta on some accounts also. Because I believe
> that GW
> himself felt he was below others of his day. He was a younger son of a
> second wife. To class of people he lived among that in and of
> itself made
> him less important and of a lower class than even his eldest half
> brother.
> So there was a certain "pecking order" even among the Viginia
> planter class.
>
> Lonny J. Watro
>
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