The Transformation of Virginia, 1740–1790 facts for kids
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| Author | Rhys Isaac |
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| Country | United States |
| Genre | history |
| Publisher | University of North Carolina Press |
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Publication date
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1982 |
| Pages | 462 |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for History (1983) |
| ISBN | 978-0807848142 |
The Transformation of Virginia, 1740–1790 is a 1982 nonfiction book by Australian historian Rhys Isaac, published by the University of North Carolina Press. The book describes the religious and political changes over a half-century of Virginian history, particularly the shift from "the great cultural metaphor of patriarchy" to a greater emphasis on communalism. In this Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Rhys Isaac chronicles dramatic confrontations with the use of many “observational techniques of the cultural anthropologist”. Isaac historically recreates and dissects Virginian society when moments of profound changes were taking place. This book is said to be a landmark of cultural history and “has inspired many subsequent historians to incorporate ethnography into their methods of inquiry”. Isaac's account of Virginia's historical transformation provides avid descriptions of “Virginia’s social life and customs”. Many of the book's original reviewers questioned the absence of “innovative studies of early American religious life” in The Transformation of Virginia. Some reviewers claim that Isaac's “treatment of causality in Virginia history remains The Transformation of Virginia's central weakness”.
Historical Significance
The Transformation of Virginia describes moments of profound change in Virginia's history. Rhys traces the evolution of Virginian society by illustrating a timeline of events. The book is divided into three sections. In the first, “Traditional Ways of Life,” Isaac describes eighteenth century Virginia as a society where all whites belonged to one community, and both civil and religious authority were important in establishing an individual's position in society. The second section, “Movements and Events,” illustrates the rise of this “counterculture” of evangelical Christianity and the role that it played in breaking down the hierarchical social structure. The final section, “Afterview,” presents Virginia's social world after experiencing change. Rhys describes the changing role of African Americans in Virginian society that resulted in the degradation of social structure. This book traces the historical transformation of Virginia from a communitarian system to an individualistic one.
Awards
In 1983, Rhys Isaac won the Pulitzer Prize for History for the book. He remains the only Australian historian ever to win a Pulitzer Prize.
