Journal of a Young Lady of Virginia, 1782

A young Virginian lady’s handwritten journal from 1782 opens a window onto the genteel world of post‑colonial Virginia. While staying with relatives such as the Lees and Washingtons, she records the names, homes and personalities of the families she encounters, from the bustling “Wilderness” estate to the modest charms of nearby riversides. Her entries capture the rhythm of social visits, dinner gatherings, and the polite expectations that shaped a woman’s daily life in that era.

Beyond the names and places, the journal offers vivid, personal reflections—her delight in walking beside moss‑covered banks, the quiet pleasure of reading in company, and the subtle judgments of character she makes about friends like Lucy Gordon. The prose is simple yet lively, preserving the authentic voice of a clever adolescent who balances curiosity with the decorum of her time. Listeners will hear a rare, unfiltered portrait of 18th‑century Virginia society, its customs, and the intimate world of a young woman navigating it.