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'Embrace The Prudent Alliance': William Byrd Of Westover And Intermarriage Between Europeans And Native Americans, Katie Rose Guest Pryal

Katie Rose Guest Pryal

This paper provides a rhetorical examination of the powerful colonial figure William Byrd of Westover's "History of the Dividing Line" and his call for interracial marriage as a path to peace with Native Americans. Byrd’s proposal of intermarriage, or biological assimilation, can only be read in its complex sociopolitical and legal contexts. The tone of Byrd’s writings could be read to imply an ironic stance on the part of the author. I argue, however, that because of the significant issues he addresses — war, land rights, and religion — and the seemingly favorable context in which he wrote, his ironic …