Governor Spotswood was active and eager to explore the resources of the colony. One of his achievements was to lead a group of adventurous persons to the summit of the Blue Ridge and blaze the way for westward expansion. He also was interested in bringing over from the German Palatinate colonists adept in iron mining, and establishing them on the edges of older settlements. This brought about the creation of several counties as we shall see later.
In 1721 the "Upper Inhabitants" of Richmond County because of their great distance from the courthouse petitioned to become a separate county. The eastern part lying below "Charles Beaver Dams and from the head thereof by a north course to Westmoreland County" was to retain the name Richmond and the part above the said dams and course was to be King George County. The name, of course, honored George I.
When New Kent was formed in 1654 its western bounds were indefinite. By 1721, however, the "Upper Inhabitants" of this county were sufficiently numerous to petition for division on account of their great distance from court. It was ordered that "that part of the county lying below the Parish of St. Paul" was to remain New Kent and the part lying in St. Paul's Parish was to be known as Hanover County. The name again honors the reigning monarch.
Also in 1721, a third new county was formed and called Spotsylvania for the energetic and capable Governor. Spotsylvania was taken from Essex, and parts of King and Queen and King William. The bounds of Spotsylvania specifically laid out in the Act creating it were "upon Snow Creek up to the mill, thence by a southwest line to the river, North Anna, thence up the river as far as convenient and thence by a line to be run over the high mountains to the river on the northwest side thereof, so as to include the northern passage through the said mountains, thence down the said river until it comes against the head of Rappahannock thence, by a line to the head of Rappahannock River; and down that river to the mouth of Snow Creek." Within the portion of Spotsylvania that was taken from Essex, the Governor, some years before, had located a group of German immigrants at a place called Germanna on the Rapidan River.