This book is a history of the families who owned vast tracts of land along the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers in Virginia. Written by Moncure Daniel Conway, a Virginia-born abolitionist and minister, this book includes biographical details about the families and their connections to political and social events in Virginia and the wider United States. A fascinating glimpse into the history of one of the most important regions in American history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.