The Development and Gentrification of Musical Commerce in Williamsburg, Virginia, 1716-1775

• Main Author: LeHuray, Joshua R.
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2013
• Subjects: Music Williamsburg Gentry Gentrification Virginia Industry Commerce; Arts and Humanities; History
• Online Access: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/576; http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1575&context=etd

This thesis explores the burgeoning musical commerce industry in Williamsburg, Virginia between approximately 1716 to 1775. It especially focuses on the gentrification of this industry and the ways in which elite Virginians made use of music to establish themselves as inheritors of British culture and musical entertainment. A diversity of musical businesses appeared in Williamsburg during the eighteenth century, including instrument sellers, music and dancing teachers, and two theaters utilized by theatrical troupes, to name a few. Drawing on evidence from the Virginia Gazette, as well as journals, letters, playhouse reports, and account books, the thesis concludes that music provided an important means for the formation of an elite colonial identity in a time and place heavily influenced by an American consumer revolution and a desire for refinement.