Privileged Upbringing.

William Byrd II was "born to one of the amplest fortunes" of late-seventeenth-century Virginia. His father, William Byrd I, inherited vast landholdings in America along with lucrative interests in the rum, slave, tobacco, and fur trades. The father's wealth and importance gained him a seat in the Virginia governor's council, a position of great influence that could be exploited to gain even more wealth. By the time of his death William Byrd I had amassed a huge estate of twenty-six thousand acres and had secured his family's place in the highest ranks of Virginia society. To prepare his heir for even greater achievements the elder William sent his son to London at the age of seven. There the younger William grew up receiving some of the best training England had to offer in commerce, letters, and...