As the delegates rode home after the convention had concluded its work, the minds of some must have gone over the developments of those seventeen decades, the heritage of self-government which their ancestors had brought with them from England, the struggle to defend their liberty against the assaults of despotic Kings and despotic Governors, the spirit of self-reliance fostered by life in the New World, and now the attempts of a reactionary government in Great Britain to turn back the hands of the clock and deprive them of the rights they had won. It had been James I and Charles I, and even George III who, in their dealings with the colonies, had insisted upon "obedience," but the colonists insisted upon another word, the word "liberty." Now that they had won liberty, it remained to be seen whether they could preserve it against the attacks of the British armies and navy. And none could foresee that at Yorktown, but a few miles away, British armed might in America was destined to be broken, as its political power had already been broken at Williamsburg. FOOTNOTES: [1] _Virginia Gazette_, P. and D., Oct. 27, 1768. [2] _Ibid._ [3] CO5-1332, Feb. 18, 1769. [4] _Virginia Gazette_, P. and D., May 18, 1769. [5] _Ibid._ [6] CO5-1332, Botetourt to Hillsborough, May 19, 1769. [7] _Journals of the House of Burgesses_, 1766-1769: 227. [8] _Virginia Gazette_, P. and D. Oct. 18, 1770. [9] _Ibid._, Supplement. [10] William Smith, _Diary_, Dec. 1, 1770; July 9, 1771. [11] _Virginia Gazette_, P. and D., Sept. 17, 1771. [12] _The writings of Thomas Jefferson_, ed. A. A. Lipscomb, 1: 7. [13] _Ibid._ [14] T. J. Wertenbaker, _Norfolk: historic southern port_, 55. [15] _Journal of Philip Vickers Fithian_, ed. H. D. Farish, 257. [16] _The writings of Thomas Jefferson_, ed. A. A. Lipscomb, 1: 9. [17] _Journals of the House of Burgesses_, 1773-1776: 124. [18] _Virginia Gazette_, P. and D., June 2, 1774. [19] _The writings of Thomas Jefferson_, ed. A. A. Lipscomb, 1: 11. [20] _Ibid._, 10. [21] _Lower Norfolk County Antiquary_ 5: 32-35. [22] _Writings of George Washington_, ed. Jared Sparks, 2: 389. [23] Dunmore papers, No. 22. [24] _Burke's speech_, ed. S. C. Newsom, 105, 106. [25] Dunmore papers, Dunmore to Dartmouth, March 14, 1775. [26] _Ibid._, No. 28. [27] _Ibid._, No. 30. [28] _Ibid._, No. 26. [29] William Wirt, _Life of Patrick Henry_, 139-141. [30] _Philip Vickers Fithian, journal_, eds. Albion and Dodson, 24. [31] Dunmore papers, no. 26. [32] _Ibid._ [33] _The Virginia Gazette_, Pinckney, May 11, 1775. [34] Dunmore papers, No. 28. [35] _Ibid._ [36] _Journals of the House of Burgesses_, 1773-1776: 174, 175. [37] _Ibid._, pp. 219-221. [38] Dunmore papers, No. 28. [39] _Ibid._ [40] _Ibid._, No. 29. [41] _Journals of the House of Burgesses_, 1773-1776. [42] Dunmore papers, No. 22. [43] _Proceedings of the Convention_, etc.; C. R. Lingley, _Transition in Virginia_. [44] _Ibid._ [45] _Dunmore papers_, No. 29.