Wythe the Politician

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House of Burgesses Clerk (1748)

Beginning in 1699, Williamsburg became the capital of colonial Virginia.[1] Located in Williamsburg, the House of Burgesses met irregularly and sought to imitate the British provincial system and royal hierarchy. [2] George Wythe was appointed October 28, 1748 to clerk to the "largest and most important standing committees."[3] He served on "Privileges and Elections" and "Propositions and Grievances."[4] Serving as a representative of one’s county in the House of Burgesses was "ambition’s chief point of vantage."[5] During this time, Wythe’s job included keeping the minutes of the proceedings of these committees. [6] At the young age of twenty-two, his time in the House of Burgesses served as an educational endeavor for Wythe in colonial legislation.[7] It also provided Wythe the opportunity to "rub shoulders" with some of the most influential men in the colonies at that time.[8] In 1752, Wythe was reappointed clerk for the "Privileges and Elections" and "Propositions and Grievances" committees. [9]

Interim Attorney General (1754)

The position of Attorney General was considered more prestigious than his seat in the House of Burgesses. Wythe was first appointed Acting, or Interim, Attorney General, by Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie in January of 1754, and served for about one year.[10] During his time as Interim Attorney General, Wythe was involved in many conflicts between the House of Burgesses and the Royal Government.[11] The first dispute Wythe became wrapped up in was the Pistol Fee Crisis of 1753-1754.[12] The Pistole Fee Crisis was a dispute between the House of Burgesses and Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddie.[13] Dinwiddie wanted to charge individuals a pistole for land patents that had previously been unenforced in Virginia.[14] A pistole was worth about 18 shillings at the time, which was about 6 days' wages for a skilled tradesman, according to the UK National Archive.[15] The controversy was so contentious that Dinwiddie and the House of Burgesses had to go before the Privy Council in London to argue their sides.[16] The Privy Council, unsurprisingly, sided with Dinwiddie’s pistole fee.[17] This crisis foreshadows future tax conflicts between the colonies and the Royal Government which would of course surface almost a decade later in 1765 with the Stamp Act.[18] Wythe only served as Attorney General for a year before he was forced to vacate the position in favor of reinstating Randolph who had believed when he left the position to go to London, it would only be temporary and his job would be waiting for him upon his return.[19] Wythe would take on the role of Acting Attorney General once more, for about six months between November of 1766 and June of 1767, appointed by Lieutenant Governor Francis Fauquier.[20]

Williamsburg Seat, House of Burgess (1754-1756)

At the age of 28, Wythe was lifted up from his position of clerk to serve in the Williamsburg Seat of the House of Burgess.[21] The French & Indian War began in May of 1754, so Wythe was immediately thrust into a wartime government.[22] Wythe entered the Fourth Session of the House of Burgess (1752-1755).[23] During his time on the Burgess, Wythe worked on an appropriation to aid war efforts in the West.[24] Wythe worked on a committee specially assigned to ensure the funds the House of Burgess given for the war effort was not exclusively for English use in the West, but that the allocated funds were helping serve the colonies' interests.[25] Wythe was also appointed to serve on the "Privileges and Elections" subdivision, and the "Propositions and Grievances" subdivision during his time in the Williamsburg Seat.[26] While these two subdivisions were familiar to him, Wythe was also appointed to serve on the "Courts of Justice," which was a new challenge.[27]

William & Mary Representative Spot (1758-1761)

In 1756, George Wythe ran for the House of Burgesses seat in Elizabeth City County, where he was a notable landholder[28], but he placed fourth, beaten by residents who held more political appeal than external landholders[29]. After the election, allegations of non-resident voting[30] and the use of alcohol in campaigning led to an inquiry into the election, chaired by none other than George Wythe himself[31]. Two years later, in 1758, Wythe only received a single vote for Elizabeth City County’s seat[32], but he returned to the House of Burgesses through another avenue. Since its founding in 1693, William and Mary’s faculty had been granted the right to send a representative to the House of Burgesses[33], and they historically chose prominent lawyers for the role[34]. In 1758, after the resignation of Peyton Randolph to take the Williamsburg Seat, the faculty chose George Wythe as their new representative[35]. Upon returning to the House, he swiftly regained his positions on the Committees of Privileges and Elections, Propositions and Grievances, and Courts of Justice, becoming the only legislator to serve on three standing committees[36]. Wythe returned to a government still in the midst of the French and Indian War, which imparted a significant workload upon the house. During the war effort, Wythe was directly involved in handling compensation requests by Virginians for their personal losses from the conflict[37]. In 1759, Wythe also joined the Committee of Correspondence, directing the activities of the colony’s representative in England, Edward Montague[38]. He was also appointed to committees managing currency issued during the French and Indian War and regulating the silk industry in Virginia[39]. During this term, Wythe also contributed to the writing of four acts, including two on slavery, one on municipal boundaries, and one to promote inland navigation[40].

Elizabeth County Seat (1761-1767)

Alderman (1768?-1772)

The City of Williamsburg had a government consisting of a mayor, a recorder, an upper chamber of six aldermen, and a lower chamber of twelve common councilors[41]. For an undetermined amount of time, George Wythe served as one of six aldermen for the City of Williamsburg, having been selected by the extant city government to fill a vacancy. He possibly served since as early as 1750, when he signed on record the oath of allegiance to the City, something required of sitting aldermen [42]. He must have been an alderman by 1768, as this would have been required for his subsequent appointment to mayor in the same year[43][44]. Although his specific activities as Alderman are unknown, he would have been responsible for the creation of city ordinances, the selection of new city government members in the event of a vacancy, and the organization of local fairs and markets[45]. George Wythe served until 1772, when he resigned for unknown reasons[46] and was replaced by Dr. James Blair[47].

Mayor of Williamsburg (1768-1769)

From his position as alderman, George Wythe was elected mayor by the other members of the city government[48], taking office on November 30th, 1768[49]. Wythe served a single term as mayor, until November of 1769[50]. As mayor, Wythe would have overseen major endeavors of the city in collaboration with the rest of the city government, including repair of streets, organization of events, and the creation of ordinances[51].

Clerk of the House (1768-1775)

After an unsuccessful bid to replace Peyton Randolph as Attorney General of Virginia[52], George Wythe was elected to be Clerk of the House in March of 1768, filling the vacancy left by the new Attorney General John Randolph[53]. Next to the Speaker, the Clerk of the House of Burgesses was the most significant office in the legislative body[54]. Alongside the standard roles of recording and maintaining records, the Clerk of the House of Burgesses presided over the election of the Speaker and could inform the Governor directly of proceedings within the House[55]. Wythe notably focused on elevating the standard of the office, ordering materials for the creation of bookplates[56] and a robe in the style of the British House of Commons[57]. He also used the privileges of his office to peruse records from prior clerks, building a familiarity that he would draw on during his post-revolutionary career[58]. Despite the fact that he could not be a sitting member of the House during his clerkship, Wythe continued to influence proceedings as an advisor to political leaders and novices in the legislature, especially as trans-Atlantic tensions rose [59][60]. According to one apocryphal account[61], Wythe used his position as Clerk to intentionally delay the delivery of the House’s minutes to Governor Botetourt in May of 1769, preventing the governor from dissolving the legislature while they were drafting appeals of protest for King George III[62]. Although Wythe’s direct participation in legislating was limited during this time, his name nevertheless appears as Clerk on several significant documents produced by the House of Burgesses during the leadup to the Revolution. For example, the Resolution Designating a Day of Fasting and Prayer, issued in May of 1774 to show solidarity with occupied Boston, was issued by Wythe[63]. He served as Clerk until June 1775, when Virginia’s colonial legislature dissolved for a final time, making Wythe the final Clerk of the House of Burgesses[64].

Delegate to the Second Continental Congress (1775-1777)

Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (1777-1778)

Delegate to the Constitutional Convention (1787)

Delegate to the Virginia Ratifying Convention (1788)

Virginia Elector (1800)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gruber, C. K. E. (2021, February 17). Williamsburg during the Colonial Period. Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/williamsburg-during-the-colonial-period/#:~:text=Williamsburg%20was%20the%20capital%20of%20the%20Virginia%20colony%20from%201699%20until%201779
  2. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. University of Virginia. pg 53.
  3. ↑ Ibid pg 53.
  4. ↑ Ibid pg 54.
  5. ↑ Ibid pg 53.
  6. ↑ Ibid pg 54.
  7. ↑ Ibid pg 54.
  8. ↑ Ibid pg 54.
  9. ↑ Ibid pg 57.
  10. ↑ Virginia House of Delegates Clerks Office. (n.d.). House history. https://history.house.virginia.gov/members/2394#:~:text=Acting%20Attorney%20General%20of%20Virginia,Francis%20Fauquier%20sometime%20shortly%20after
  11. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. University of Virginia. pg 62.
  12. ↑ Ibid pg. 62.
  13. ↑ Olson, C. A. G. (2020, December 7). Pistole fee dispute, the. Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/pistole-fee-dispute-the/.
  14. ↑ Ibid.
  15. ↑ The National Archives. (2024, February 13). Currency converter: 1270–2017. Currency converter. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/#currency-result.
  16. ↑ Ibid.
  17. ↑ Ibid.
  18. ↑ Ibid.
  19. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. University of Virginia. pg 71.
  20. ↑ Virginia House of Delegates Clerks Office. (n.d.). House history. https://history.house.virginia.gov/members/2394#:~:text=Acting%20Attorney%20General%20of%20Virginia,Francis%20Fauquier%20sometime%20shortly%20after
  21. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. University of Virginia. pg 59.
  22. ↑ French & Indian War Timeline: Lake George NY history. The French & Indian War Society, Inc. (2020, March 3). https://www.frenchandindianwarsociety.org/timeline/.
  23. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. University of Virginia. pg 60.
  24. ↑ Ibid pg 61
  25. ↑ Ibid pg 61
  26. ↑ Ibid pg 62
  27. ↑ Ibid pg 62
  28. ↑ Kirtland, Robert B. (1986). George Wythe: Lawyer, Revolutionary, Judge. New York: Garland Publishing, 89.
  29. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 79.
  30. ↑ Miller, Elmer I. (1907). "The Legislature of the Province of Virginia: Its Internal Development." New York: The Columbia University Press, 75.
  31. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 79-81.
  32. ↑ Dill, Alonzo Thomas. (1979). George Wythe: Teacher of Liberty. Williamsburg, VA: Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission, 16.
  33. ↑ King William III and Queen Mary II. (1693). "Royal Charter of William and Mary." Swem Library. https://guides.libraries.wm.edu/wm/charter.
  34. ↑ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. (1907). "George Wythe" in Great American Lawyers, vol. 1. Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Company, 57.
  35. ↑ Dill, Alonzo Thomas. (1979). George Wythe: Teacher of Liberty. Williamsburg, VA: Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission, 16.
  36. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 166-167.
  37. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 167-168.
  38. ↑ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. (1907). "George Wythe" in Great American Lawyers, vol. 1. Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Company, 57-58.
  39. ↑ Shewmake, Oscar L. (1921). "The Honorable George Wythe: Teacher, Lawyer, Jurist, Statesman." William & Mary Faculty Publications, No. 1374, 27.
  40. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 168-169.
  41. ↑ "Williamsburg-The Old Colonial Capital." (1907, July). The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 16, No. 1, 16.
  42. ↑ Walker, Leola O. (1967, Jan.). "Officials in the City Government of Colonial Williamsburg." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 75, No. 1, 38-48.
  43. ↑ Walker, Leola O. (1967, Jan.). "Officials in the City Government of Colonial Williamsburg." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 75, No. 1, 36.
  44. ↑ "Past Mayors & Governors." City of Williamsburg. https://www.williamsburgva.gov/573/Past-Mayors-Governors.
  45. ↑ "Williamsburg-The Old Colonial Capital." (1907, July). The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 16, No. 1, 16.
  46. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 258.
  47. ↑ Goodwin, W.A.R. (1938). "George Wythe House." Department of Research and Record: Colonial Williamsburg, 11.
  48. ↑ Walker, Leola O. (1967, Jan.). "Officials in the City Government of Colonial Williamsburg." The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 75, No. 1, 36.
  49. ↑ Hemphill, W. E. (1937). George Wythe the Colonial Briton. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia, 250.
  50. ↑ "Past Mayors & Governors." City of Williamsburg. https://www.williamsburgva.gov/573/Past-Mayors-Governors.
  51. ↑ "Williamsburg-The Old Colonial Capital." (1907, July). The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 16, No. 1, 16.
  52. ↑ Wythe, George. (1766, June 23). "George Wythe to Benjamin Franklin, 23 June 1766." National Archives. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-13-02-0112.
  53. ↑ Kukla, Jon. (1981). Speakers and Clerks of the Virginia House of Burgesses 1643-1776. Richmond, VA: Virginia State Library, 153.
  54. ↑ Sydnor, Charles S. (1952). Gentlemen Freeholders: Political Practices in Washington's Virginia. Williamsburg, VA: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, 96.
  55. ↑ Pargellis, S. M. (1927, April). "The Procedure of the Virginia House of Burgesses." The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 2, 76-81.
  56. ↑ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. (1919). Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine. Richmond, VA: Richmond Press, 290.
  57. ↑ Dill, Alonzo Thomas. (1979). George Wythe: Teacher of Liberty. Williamsburg, VA: Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission, 26.
  58. ↑ Kirtland, Robert B. (1986). George Wythe: Lawyer, Revolutionary, Judge. New York: Garland Publishing, 92.
  59. ↑ Kirtland, Robert B. (1986). George Wythe: Lawyer, Revolutionary, Judge. New York: Garland Publishing, 92.
  60. ↑ Dill, Alonzo Thomas. (1979). George Wythe: Teacher of Liberty. Williamsburg, VA: Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission, 26.
  61. ↑ Dill, Alonzo Thomas. (1979). George Wythe: Teacher of Liberty. Williamsburg, VA: Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission, 26-27.
  62. ↑ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. (1907). "George Wythe" in Great American Lawyers, vol. 1. Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Company, 60.
  63. ↑ "Resolution of the House of Burgesses Designating a Day of Fasting and Prayer." (1774 May 24). National Archives https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-01-02-0082.
  64. ↑ Kirtland, Robert B. (1986). George Wythe: Lawyer, Revolutionary, Judge. New York: Garland Publishing, 92-93.

External links

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