William Nelson (governor)
Encyclopedia
William Nelson was an American
planter and colonial leader from Yorktown, Virginia
. In the interim between the royal governors Norborne Berkeley and Lord Dunmore
, he served as governor of colonial Virginia
in 1770 and 1771.
In the early stages of the American Revolution
he was an active supporter of the colonial cause, and his son Thomas Nelson, Jr.
(Major General) went on to sign the Declaration of Independence
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
planter and colonial leader from Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
. In the interim between the royal governors Norborne Berkeley and Lord Dunmore
John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore
John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore was a British peer and colonial governor. He was the son of William Murray, 3rd Earl of Dunmore, and his wife Catherine . He is best remembered as the last royal governor of the Colony of Virginia.John was the eldest son of William and Catherine Murray, and nephew...
, he served as governor of colonial Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in 1770 and 1771.
In the early stages of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
he was an active supporter of the colonial cause, and his son Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Thomas Nelson, Jr. was an American planter, soldier, and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia. He represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and was its Governor in 1781. He is regarded as one of the U.S. Founding Fathers since he signed the Declaration of Independence as a member of the...
(Major General) went on to sign the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
.