Another colonial Virginia historian is Reverend William Stith. He used colonial records, personal papers of his uncle, Sir John Randolph, London Company official records and material available in the Byrd Library to write a most comprehensive history of Virginia entitled "The History of Virginia from the First Settlement to the Dissolution of the London Company." Although it has been criticized for its extreme length and detailedness, this history is a scholarly, authoritative source still used by researchers for knowledge of this period of history. As the colonists in America were beginning to rebel against the mother country, were gradually learning the feeling of freedom and democracy and were becoming more settled in their mode of living, their interests changed from problems of existence to serious thoughts concerning government, rights of individuals and political theories. The changing thoughts of the colonists were reflected in the type of writings which began to appear prior to the Revolutionary War. George Washington, who is usually remembered foremost as the first President of the United States and as the great military leader of the Revolutionary War, must not be overlooked in the literary field. Washington left numerous addresses, official documents, orders and letters of various types. However, one of his finest literary works is a personal diary kept by him, at the age of sixteen, while on a surveying trip in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It has become famous for its human quality and is simply named, "Journey over the Mountains, 1748." Washington's acceptance as Commander-in-chief of the United States Army, his "Farewell Speech" to the soldiers at the end of the war, his acceptance of the Presidency and his "Farewell Address"--all reveal the literary qualities which he possessed. Patrick Henry of Hanover County spoke in dramatic fashion about ideas and ideals which abounded in the minds of many other Americans. Henry's arguments in the "Parsons' Case," his authorship of the Virginia Resolutions prefaced by his famous "Caesar-Brutus" Speech, his pleading address at the Continental Congress for the arming of Virginia and his famous "Give me Liberty or Death" Speech--all these words, written or spoken, are recorded for posterity in the literature of the times.