The Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition took place in 1716 in the British Colony of Virginia. It is a frequently recounted event of the History of Virginia. Jump to: navigation, search // Events August 5 - In the Battle of Peterwardein 40. ... -1... Jump to: navigation, search // Native Americans in Virginia Virginia Indian chief in engraving after John White watercolor At the end of the 16th century, among Native American people living in what now is Virginia were the Cherokee, Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Meherrin, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottaway, Pamunkey, Pohick, Powhatan, Rappahannock, Saponi, and Tuscarora. ...

The Expedition

Alexander Spotswood became acting royal governor of Virginia in 1710, by which time pressure on the colony to expand had become more acute than ever. In 1716, Governor Spotswood, with 62 other men and 74 horses, led a real estate speculation expedition up the Rappahannock River valley during westward exploration of the interior of Virginia. They reached the base of the mountains west of today's Stanardsville on the eighth day. The men were impressed with the fact that they were surrounded on all sides by steep mountain terrain as their axemen cleared a way along the path of a creek named Swift Run along the eastern slope. Alexander Spotswood c. ... This is a list of colonial governors of Virginia. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events April 10 - The worlds first copyright legislation became effective, Britains Statute of Anne Ongoing events Great Northern War (1700-1721) War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713) Births January 3 - Richard Gridley, American Revolutionary soldier (d. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Rappahannock at sunset For the river in New Zealand, see Rappahannock River, New Zealand The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi (294 km). ... Stanardsville is a town located in Greene County, Virginia. ...

The party reached a rock-covered place between several peaks along the top ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Swift Run Gap (elevation 2,365 feet) on September 5, 1716. There, they drank the special toasts to the king and to Governor Spotswood, and named a peak for each. [1] The taller summit, dubbed for Great Britain's King George II, was named "Mount George" by Spotswood. This was probably today's High Top Mountain. Blue Ridge Mountains (NPS) Most of the rocks that form the Blue Ridge Mountains, United States, are ancient granitic and metamorphosed volcanic formations, some exceeding one billion years in age. ... Jump to: navigation, search September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... Several notable men were named George II. These include: George II of Great Britain (October 30, 1683–October 25, 1760) George II of Greece (July 19, 1890–April 1, 1947) George II of Württemberg-Mömpelgard (1626–1699) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that...

Upon descending into a portion of the Shenandoah Valley on the east side of Massanutten Mountain, they reached a point near the current town of Elkton, where they celebrated their arrival on the banks of the Shenandoah River with more multiple toasts of wine, brandy, and claret. [2] Canoeing on the Shenandoah River near Winchester, Virginia. ... Massanutten Mountain is a mountain range that runs down the center of the Shenandoah Valley from approximately Frederick County, Virginia in the North, to its highest peak in Rockingham County, Virginia in the South. ... Elkton is a town located in Rockingham County, Virginia. ... This article is about the river in Virginia in the United States. ...

After the journey, Spotswood was believed to have given each member of the expedition a pin made of gold and shaped like a horseshoe on which he had inscribed the words in Latin "Sic jurat transcendere montes", which translates in English to "Thus he swears to cross the mountains." The members of Governor Spotswood's expedition soon became popularly known as the "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe." Jump to: navigation, search General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... Modern horseshoes are most commonly made of iron and nailed onto the hoof. ... Jump to: navigation, search Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

Heritage

At a practical level, word of the expedition, and descriptions of the fertile valley land beyond the mountain range, apparently didn't do much in the short-term to open the Shenandoah Valley for development from the east. The mountain range was a formidable barrier. Instead, most of the early settlers came up the Valley from the north, many of German and Scottish decent. Groups of Mennonites migrated from Pennsylvania, and settled in the general area of present-day Rockingham County and Harrisonburg, where their descendants may still be found today. Scottish can refer to: (as an adjective) things to do with Scotland (see also Scotch) (as a noun) the Scottish people. ... The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations based on the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... Location in the state of Virginia Formed 1778 Seat Harrisonburg Area  - Total  - Water 2,210 km² (853 mi²) 6 km² (2 mi²) 0. ... Harrisonburg is an independent city within the confines of Rockingham County in the U.S. state of Virginia. ...

Spotswood's expedition, which from all reports, traveled at a leisurely pace, encountered little or no loss of life or conflict with Native Americans, and included frequent stops for celebrations and libations, earned a somewhat legendary status. This was especially true after The Knights of the Golden Horse-Shoe, an early historical romance, was authored by William Alexander Caruthers and first published in 1841. (Caruthers is considered the first important Virginia novelist, and Knights is considered the best of his books. Jump to: navigation, search Chief Quanah Parker of the Quahadi Comanche Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory which is now encompassed by the continental United States... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

A historical plaque and pyramid-shaped stone at Swift Run Gap (at the south side of U.S. Highway 33 mark their historic crossing of 1716. [3] The Skyline Drive and the Appalachian Trail both pass nearby as well. Also at this location, a Virginia Historical Highway Marker, # D10 Knights of the Golden Horseshoe, is located. It reads: United States Highway 33 is a north-south United States highway that runs northwest-southeast for 709 miles (1,141 km) from northern Indiana to Richmond, Virginia. ... Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Piedmont region of Virginia. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Pocosin cabin along the trail in Shenandoah National Park The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A.T., is a 2,174 mile (3500 km) marked hiking trail in the eastern United States, extending between Springer Mountain in...

"On 5 Sept. 1716, in this region, it is believed Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood and his party of government officials, gentry, Native Americans, soldiers, and servants crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley. Their adventure into Virginia's western lands began at Germanna late in Aug. and ended when they returned there on 10 Sept. According to legend, Spotswood gave his companions small golden horseshoes on their return and the group became known as the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe. The journey has been fictionalized and mythologized in literature since the 19th century."

External links

• Virginia Places web site a large site with lots of educational information about the Geography of Virginia
• Governor Spotswood's Expedition to the Blue Ridge - 1716 a fact-filled webpage of Potomac-Appalachian Trail Club