It is very interesting that the men gathered to discuss the establishment of the University of Virginia at a tavern of all places. When I think of a tavern, I just think of a bunch guys sitting around, drinking, and having a good time, not a group of scholars and academics commissioning the establishment of a major university. Why would they not choose a more formal location, such as some type of government building? I know taverns were vital meeting places for people to relay messages and meet during the civil war, so I assume this role carried over into 1818. I also think that it is interesting that the document contains the words "by law." This formality seems to be evident of the culture of the times. My final question is as follows: is there any significance as to why Rockfish gap was chosen as the meeting place?

This quote seems to be extremely Jeffersonian with its emphasis on education and reminds me of one of the goals of UVA which is to develop citizens of our nation. Furthermore, the fact that education has the most vital role in creating happiness in our nation connects to my engagement class, Poverty Counts. Education plays a key role in poverty because people often times do receive enough education in order to get higher paying jobs. As a result, they either work trivial, low-paying jobs or do not work at all. Truly, education plays an important part in the happiness and well-being of an American citizen.

I wonder what the authors of the Rockfish Gap report meant by "all sects of religion?" Did they mean all different kinds of religion, such as Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, or did they merely mean the various sects of Christianity? I do think that the authors meant all different kinds of religions. However, the authors' meaning of "religion" can be called into question just as Thomas Jefferson's meaning of "men" in the Declaration of Independence because of its broad nature as a word. Furthermore, I wonder if there really was equality of "all sects of religion" in practice at the University of Virginia because UVA, similar to the United States, often times did not practice what it claimed to practice in reality. It is worth noting that while the Rockfish Gap Report did not specify the religious practice of the University's founders and only covered the topic of religion briefly, the founding charter of Yale University specifies the faith of its founders as followers of the "Christian Protestant Religion." Did Yale place a greater emphasis on religion or even favor Christian Protestants, while UVA treated all religions equally? -- David Gazewood

It is worth noting that the writers of "The Rockfish Gap Report" recognized the importance of international affairs, particularly when it came to their closest neighboring states. The desire to teach Spanish further reveals the wish that students of the University of Virginia might play an active role in those international affairs by effectively communicating with the populations of those neighboring states. This section of the report reminds me of the Monroe Doctrine when James Monroe declared the independence of the Americas from European colonialism in 1823. Therefore, the desire to teach Spanish reflects the desire to form a powerful allegiance among the states of the Americas, particularly against Europe. I also found it interesting that they mention that the early history of the Americas was written in Spanish. As a result, by teaching Spanish, the students will be able to directly translate and learn of the history of the Americas.

-- David