How did William Byrd understand his role in Virginia society

Byrd was a man active in the political processes of Virginia. From this portion of his diary we learn that he was a statesman and served as a member of the Council of Virginia. Undoubtedly he was a highly educated man, a wealthy man and was extremely religious, and he used this attributes to establish his role in society. Byrd’s diary reveals that as a political man he was at top of his class. …

…his fellow elites felt that their status of power in society was granted to them in part by their wealth. And that this wealth separated themselves from those of lower classes. Although generally he used this status to be help make advances in his community, such as his role in the establishment of the college. But at other times he used his status to exploit those who in his view were not at his level.