Of Time and Place: A Shifflett–Morris Saga - Softcover

From indentured servants on Tidewater tobacco plantations to farmers displaced by the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia laws and history impacted these families. Who we are and what we become is largely dependent upon the time and place that we are born. Our genetic heritage and the particular circumstances of our immediate environment are cradled in the era, the history, and the assumptions of people living in a given setting. In this fully documented family history, works of prominent historians set the stage on which Shifflett and Morris ancestors were the key players. In the early 1700s, they got free passage from England to Virginia in exchange for years of servitude. Colonial laws specified the terms and conditions of their life. After earning their freedom in a time of beginning westward expansion, many found their place in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Courthouse recordings of marriages reflect the changing laws. Wills, deaths, and deeds provide evidence of their 19th-century ups and downs. In the larger society, early 20th-century dreams of a “wilderness” escape in the populous Eastern United States led to the displacement of hundreds of families along the 105-mile Skyline Drive in Virginia. This disruption of mountain contentment and traditions aroused a turmoil of bittersweet emotions. It was a frighteningly bitter pill for many who lost their means of livelihood as well their network of friends and neighbors. However, there were sweet expectations for those who accepted the adjustments and looked forward to the opportunities of life in a new place.