Charles Snyder Whitmer

In the middle of this war, Mary Elizabeth, Charles’ first daughter was born in 1814. Two years later a second son Nimrod was born on 7 July 1816. At the age of 26 Charles lived through an unparalleled phenomenon known as the “year without a summer.” Due to an eruption of a volcano, Mt Tambora, in Indonesia in 1816, temperatures in the summer remained unusually cold across America and food production suffered. Conditions included average temperatures of 45 degrees Fahrenheit and a dry fog that would not go away with rain and hung in the air, reddening the sky. American’s tried moving to other parts of the country but were unable to escape the effects of the unusual weather patterns. Beadon’s community, like many others, experienced a religious revival as people looked to faith for an explanation of the unusual weather phenomenon.

Two years after this event, a second daughter, Sarah was born on 25 June 1818. The following year brought the first major peacetime financial crisis in the U.S. After the war of 1812 and the economic bubble that followed, swelling crop yields in Europe caused imported food to be cheaper than home-grown food especially with an inflated currency. Many were forced off their farms and out of their homes. Debtor prisons were full of those unable to pay their bills.

Charles and his family seemed to weather this crisis and on 21 October 1820 another daughter, Rebecca was born. Just over three years later another son, William Franklin was born on 5 Apr 1824.

Then somewhere in the following couple of years another son John was born to them.In 1828, their youngest daughter Catherine was born and then in 1830 during a period of time known as “The Great Awakening’’ in America, their youngest son Isaac was born. This “Awakening” was a protestant revival movement prompted by deteriorating religious excitement and lack of faithful devotion, where numerous preachers were traveling the country and giving lectures to large assembled crowds to rekindle faith. This new-found religious fervor produced thousands of new members in existing churches and also formed the foundation of new denominations such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which some of his Children would later join.

Race relations were very touchy in Virginia at this time. In 1831 Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in Virginia that had a severe backlash with heavy consequences for the black community. White reaction was swift and harsh, and militias killed many innocent free blacks and black slaves as well as those directly involved in the rebellions.

The Virginian legislature passed laws restricting the rights of free black members of the community: they were excluded from bearing arms, serving in the militia, gaining education, and assembling in groups.

Around this time, during the first half of the 19th century, tobacco prices declined and tobacco lands lost much of their fertility.

Planters adopted mixed farming, with an emphasis on wheat and livestock, which required less labor. Railroads began to be built throughout Virginia hauling coal from the mines, as well as moving produce throughout the country.

The next decade was a period of conflict as the U.S. government fought with many Native American tribes ultimately forcibly removing them from the South and forcing them to reservations in the West. Around a third of the Cherokees, Muskogees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminoles that were forced to relocate died during the 1,200 mile-long winter march from Southeast Arkansas to Oklahoma. Those that survived what would become known as the “Trail of Tears” were forced to live on hostile reservations far from the land that had been their home for hundreds of years.