The Formation of a Society on Virginia’s Eastern Shore closely examines the development of an early settlement after the demise of the Virginia Company in the seventeenth century. James R. Perry does not research the Eastern Shore of Virginia in a conventional way. The goal of the author was to show how the society in Virginia developed through analyzing the relationships created in a networking pattern. Through analyzing court documents and landholdings of individuals in the Eastern Shore, the reader gains a sense of how these individuals helped shape the community by the exchange of resources they owned. James R. Perry expands on other significant studies done on early society in Virginia. Perry notes other historians such as Robert Beverley, Susie M. Ames, and Ralph T. Whitelaw who have contributed to the study of Virginia and its Eastern Shore. These historians have also had limited resources and have come up with innovative ways to gain some knowledge about the area. The Formation of a Society on Virginia’s …show more content…
Living next to cousins, uncles, and in-laws created a community of people who would help each other maintain property and have a sense of community. He also notes that the male population in the Eastern Shore was a lot higher than the women there and death at an early age was a normal occurence. As previously discussed in class, more men meant more options for women in these early communities, so land ownership was also a key to gaining a prospective tie to an established family. Neighbors without family also created relationships in order to maintain stability. Settlement created a more stable society. Perry also notes interaction between natives and early settlers. Court documents show land sold to settlers by natives who also inhabited the Eastern Shore. The interaction between settlers and native were initially peaceful in the Eastern Shore