William Berkeley is known to history mainly for his time spent as a Royal Governor of the Virginia colony. His years spent in that position were critical years for Virginia, and he both contributed to and delayed key developments in colonial society and prosperity.

In some ways he is considered something of a Renaissance man. For example, due to his connections at the court of England's King Charles I, he was exposed to some of the greatest intellectual and creative minds. As a result he was able to develop his own creative abilities, and is the author of plays and other works of literature. His rural upbringing in England helped him to become what might be described as a seventeenth-century Jefferson; for, Berkeley was endlessly interested in experimenting with a wide variety of crops from around the world. Also like Jefferson, he was sympathetic towards the Indians, curious about their culture, and more protective of their land rights and society than most Virginia settlers.

Berkeley was born to Sir Maurice and Elizabeth Killigrew Berkeley. Both his parents were holders of Virginia Company of London stock, foreshadowing their son's future. Unfortunately, his father died when Berkeley was only twelve, and left mostly debts, but also some land in Somerset, England. William, known as "Will" by family and friends, was an enthusiastic learner, interested in all things around him. Realizing his quick wit, his family sent him to grammar school and then later to Oxford, where he received a B.A. By the early 1630s he had drawn the notice of King Charles I, who gave him a place in his household. It was here that Berkeley began to write, largely through the inspiration of the famous court literary circle known as "The wits."

In 1641 he was appointed to replace Sir Francis Wyatt as Governor of Virginia. His first initiative in that position included the encouragement of developing a diverse agriculture. He set the example for other planters, small and large, by turning his own splendid plantation, Green Spring, into a showplace and a laboratory for agricultural experimentation and cultivation. He planted a wide variety of crops, including corn, wheat, barley, rye, rape, tobacco, oranges, lemons, grapes, sugar, and silk. He also experimented with flax, fruits, spirits, and potash. He was a governor who was hands-on, interested in making the colony a success in every way.

However, in two areas he remained dogmatically British. First, he suppressed public education. Thanks to his strenuous efforts, Virginia settlers -- as a whole -- had little to no access to education, unlike their New England cousins, who made it a top priority. But Berkeley believed it would lead to the development of what he called "sects." Essentially he sought to keep everyone in their place. He was wise enough to determine the connection between knowledge and power.

Second, he was vigorously opposed to the presence of Quakers and other Protestant dissenters in his colony, and enacted laws against anyone who did not support and worship in the court-sanctioned church, the Church of England. In other respects he could be more compassionate, as in the case of his support for the American Indian tribes of Virginia.

The average Virginia settler was not happy about the stand the governor took, and resentments strengthened to the point that Berkeley's wife's nephew -- Nathaniel Bacon -- sided with the angry settlers and led a violent rebellion against Berkeley's government. It was such a serious matter that Lady Berkeley traveled to London to obtain support in suppressing the rebellion. But by the time the troops arrived in Virginia Bacon was dead and Berkeley had restored order. Still, King Charles II was so angered by the way Berkeley had been treated by the settlers that he recalled him to London, where he lived out the remainder of his life.