William Berkeley
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Sir William Berkeley (1605/1606-1677) was a governor of Virginia, appointed by King Charles I, of whom he was a favourite. His actual date of birth was unknown; it was in either 1605 or 1606.
He arrived to take up his post in Virginia in 1642, and was a popular administrator. In 1644 he returned to England to fight in the Civil War, although he returned to Virginia the following year, in time to organize a force to put down an Indian uprising, which captured Opchanacanough against Berkeley's orders, and killed him. In 1652 he was forced from office by a fleet sent by Oliver Cromwell, remaining in the colony. He had intended to extend the colony northwards; and while he did manage to get the land he wanted, he did not allow white settlement west of a line until he negotiated with the tribes.
In 1660 he was recalled to government and for fourteen years governed Virginia with no major incident. In 1675, when troubles broke out with the Indians on the north frontier, Berkeley refused to allow Nathaniel Bacon and the frontiersmen to take action against all tribes, whether friendly or otherwise: civil war (given the name of Bacon's Rebellion) broke out. Before troops sent by Charles II could arrive, Berkeley was able to put down the rebellion, but in such a harsh manner that he was removed from office.
He was co-proprietor of New Jersey from 1664 to 1674. He sold his share to a group of quarrelsome Quakers because of the political difficulties created by New York Governor Richard Nicolls, George Carteret, and himself. He effectively split New Jersey into two colonies: East Jersey (belonging to other proprietor Sir George Carteret) and West Jersey. The colony was divided until 1702 when West Jersey went bankrupt and the colony was given back to the English crown, who unified the colony again.
Berkeley died in London on 9 July 1677.
See also
External links
- Discourse and View of Virginia (http://www.mith2.umd.edu:8080/eada/html/display.jsp?docs=berkeley_discourse.xml&action=show)