How did the slaveholding gentry dominate eighteenth-century Virginia politics?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The slaveholding gentry dominated eighteenth-century Virginia politics because voting requirements favored the wealthy, particularly those who owned land. This effectively excluded poor whites and non-land-owning free blacks from participating in politics, allowing the wealthy slaveholders to maintain their power and influence. Additionally, many of the leading politicians themselves were slaveowners and used their wealth and social status to gain political power and influence. There is no evidence that they paid poor whites for their vote or that they relied on violent intimidation or slave voting for their dominance.

How Did the Slaveholding Gentry Dominate Eighteenth-Century Virginia Politics