author
Robert Beverley
Best known for writing one of the earliest histories of colonial Virginia, this planter and public official left a vivid firsthand account of the colony’s politics, people, and daily life. His work remains a key window into early American history.
1 Audiobook
The History of Virginia, in Four Parts
by Robert Beverley
About the author
Born in Virginia around 1673, Robert Beverley Jr. was a colonial official, planter, and writer who became one of the best-known early historians of the colony. He served in public roles including clerk of the House of Burgesses and was also a member of the House of Burgesses itself.
He is most remembered for The History and Present State of Virginia (1705), often described as the first published history of a British North American colony written by someone born there. The book mixes politics, natural history, and observations about everyday life in Virginia, which helps explain why it has remained important to readers and historians.
Beverley died in 1722. While reliable pages about him were easy to confirm, I could not verify a suitable real portrait image from the pages I checked, so no profile image is included.