A Summary, Historical and Political, of the First Planting, Progressive
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SUMMARY, Historical a nd Political, O F T H E First P lanting, Progressive Improvements, and Present State os the British' Set tlements in North-America. CONTAINING The H istory of the Provinces tures, T rade and Navigation, and Colonies of New-Hamp Laws and Government. shire, Rhode-Island, Connec II. T heir Natural History, Re ticut, New-York, New-Jer- ligious Sectaries, Paper Curren sies, Pensylvania, Maryland, cies, and other Miscellanies. and Virginia ; their several III. S everal Medical Digressions, original Settlements and gra with a curious Dislertation on dual improvements; their Boun the Treatment of the Small- daries, Produce and Manufac Pox, and Inoculation. By W ILLIAM DOUGLASS, M. D. VOL. II. Historians, l ike sworn Evidences in Courts of Law, ought to declare the W h o l e Truth (so far as comes to their Knowledge) and nothing but the T r u t h. BOSTON, N ew-England, Printed: LONDON, re-printed for R. B a l d w i N in Pater-ncster-Row. M.DCC.LV. Ox'' THE CONTENTS Of V ol. II. Ntroduction i I Treaty w ith Abnaquie Indians — — 3 Nova-Scotia a ffairs continued — — — 7 Cape-Breton a ffairs continued ' m ,9 Paper c urrencies continued ■ *3 Massachusetts-Bay h urt by Sh. administration J7 A p lan of this summary i ■ ■ — *9 Provincef o New-Hampshire 22 Claims i n property and jurisdiction ibid. A d igression concerning colony legislatures — 33 A d ispute between the governor and representatives 35 73 British a nd French claims in America 43 Legislature a nd courts of judicature ■ 48 Produce, t rade and navigation — — 50 Miscellanies — 51 A d igression of America timber and naval stores 52 fColony o Rhodz-Isl and 76 The s undry original settlements ■ 77 Government o r jurisdiction ... 8? Paper c urrencies continued . 87 The n umber of people and valuations ■ 89 I.Vol. I A Boun- CONTENTS. Boundaries o f the colony ■ ■ go Courtsf o judicature ■ ■ 94 Produce, t rade and navigation 98 Pretensions t o a further extent of jurisdiction 102 A c ase of ministerial lands > ■ 104 Valuations c ontinued ■ 107 Paper c urrencies continued 1 1 ibid. Metallick o res ■ — - 108 Digression c oncerning religious sectaries — — — 102 Societies f or propagating religion — — • 1 19 Miscellanies 1 51 Colonyf o Connecticut * - 158 The o riginal voluntary associations ibid. Boundaries — ■ ■ 1 60 Trade, a nd navigation ■ 162 The c harter ■ — 1 64 Legislature a nd courts of judicature 166 Rates a nd taxes Militia a nd number of people IT* Produce, m anufactures and trade — 180 Connecticut c ollege — 183 Mountains a nd rivers - 190 Paper c urrencies continued • 192 Abstractf o some of their Taws , 1- 193 A d igression of grain, grazing, &c. 203 Concerning t he natural history of New-England 209 Miscellanies — - *- — 219 Province o f New-York 220 The E nglish conquest of New- Netherlands and confirmed by t he Dutch to the English 22 1 Boundaries 2 24 British a nd French claims in North-America continued - 226 The f ive great inland lakes, the New-York Six nations of Indians 2 35 Its i slands and corporation towns - — 236 Their F rench and Indian wars 240 Successive g overnors of the province — 246 Legislature a nd some peculiar laws 250 Paper c urrencies continued _— ■ 254 Courtsf o judicature ■ 256 Produce, m anufactures, trade and navigation — — 257 Mountains a nd rivers ■ 260 Miscellanies ' « ■ ■ ' • »•■ 262 Province CONTENTS. Provincef o New-Jersey 267 Several t ransfers of property and jurisdiction — — ibid. A digression concerning Indian grants, and proprietor quit- rents in the colonies . ■ 29C Disputes i n this province concerning property which have occasioned m uch confusion — — 277 Mountains a nd rivers ■ ■ 282 Inhabitants a nd valuations ■ . 286 Successive g overnors ■ ■■ Jbyp Legislature a nd some municipal laws —— 290 Courtsf o judicature ■ 20* Produce, m anufactures, trade and navigation , 2oj Miscellanies - — — 2 94 Provincef o Pensylvania 297 Original g rants ______ ibid. King C harles II. patent to Mr. Penn - 298 Mr. P enn's charter of liberties and privileges, 1682 300 second c harter, 1683 — — ■ 302 third c harter, 1700 — — . 303 Assortment o f goods demanded by the Indians 306 Boundaries o 0- Dispute b etween lord Baltimore and the Penns ♦ 309 Rivers _ __ -ail Concerning I ndian affairs —— —_ ofj Congress w ith the Indians at Lancaster, 1744 — 31* City a nd port of Philadelphia 319 Entries a nd clearances at Philadelphia — . 324 Legislature ■ . o 2■ Courtsf o judicature o2 1 a xes ■ ■ ■ 3*20 Produce, m anufactures, trade and navigation 30 1 Religious s ectaries 3?* Successive g overnors and lieut. governors . 34. •> A m edical digression ■ ■ . i 34c Province o f Maryland 353 ^ Original p atents and discoveries ibid. Lord B altimore's patent, 1632 —— » . 3-- Boundaries ■ . 356 Taxes ■ - . Negro s laves ■ — — ... ofo Rivers a nd mountains — - . o0I Numbers o f whites and blacks — — . osi^ Quit-rents ■ i bid. C: 6 N T E N T S . Currencies • - ■— Corirts, l egislative arid .executive 365 Proprietors and deputy governors 3 68 RroSuce arid manufactures ■— 37° Miscellanies ' •' '• -^—i 377 Medical d igression continued •■- I 3 82 "!■ -' - Colony of Virginia A GMginal d iscoveries and settlements ibid. JJoiBidaries " » 3 91 Digression c oncerning the small-pox 392 Management of the small-pox in general 403 Concerning inoculation of the small-pox 416 Virginia s ettlements 414 County c ourts - 415 'Q- > A S ummary, Historical and Political, of the first Planting, progressive Improve ments, and present State os the British Settlements in North-America. VOL. I I. Part I. A S upplement to the first Volume; And Introduction to the second Volume. THE w riter of this historical summary, does not affect a studied elegancy. This is a plain narrative of incontestible facts delivered with freedom, a collection or common-place of many years observations, designed at first only for the writer's private amusement or remembrancer; but at the desire of some friends it is published for ther benefit of the publick, and for the use of future historians, Deus nobis hæc otia fecit. As the writer is independent, being in no publick office, no ringleader of any party, or faction ; what he writes may be deemed impartial : Jf facts related in truth. offend any governor, commo dore, or other great officer, he will not renounce im partiality and become sycophant. Vol. I I. ' B As 2 A S ummary, Historical and Political, Sec. As t his summary has been discontinued many months from an * incident which may in course be mentioned by way of a digreflional amusement ; I find myself in clined to continue the history of sundry affairs down to this time, April 1750. I. T he naval affairs upon the continent coast of British North- America. Here -J- ends (a peace being concluded at Aix la Chapelle) our naval wars with France and Spain upon the coast of North- America; the peace of Aix la Chapelle was signed October 7th, 1748, and proclaimed in Boston, May 10, 1749. In a utumn 1 747, Commodore Kn — les arrived in the harbour of Boston with a squadron of men of war from Louisbourg of Cape- Breton, ordered all our 4. men of war stationed for the protection of the North- American trade, to join him at Boston to prosecute some secret expedition against the French and Spaniards in the gulph of Mexico ; the reduction of St. Jago de Cuba was the principal de sign, and was not effectuated ; but en passant, he happened to surprize the French fort of Port Louis of the island of Hifpaniola, and had the better in a sea engagement with a Spanish squadron off the Havannah of the island of Cuba ; these occurrences are not within the limits of our history, which is confined to the British conti nent settlements in North- America ; and the admiral Kn ' s conduct in these expeditions, as it is said, is now u pon the carpet at home. Our coast being thus left naked in May 1748, about fourteen French and Spa- * T he great man of the province for the time being, finding that the writer, though of his personal acquaintance, was not a sycophant, but wrote transactions with a true and impartial freedom, endeavour ed that his own management might remain obscure, and not stare himself and the publick in the face ; this he attempted in many forms, in diverting, impeding, or rather defeating this publick-spirited la borious undertaking. f T he sea bickerings of Georgia and St. Augustine are left to the section of Georgia. 4. T hey were only frigates, not fit for line of battle, or for bat tering of land forts. nish 7 Introduction t o Vol. II. j nish p rivateers were roving from South-Carolina to New- York : They sailed up Delaware bay and river so high as New-Castle* and with their armed boats to within five miles of Philadelphia : Philadelphia news- papers fay, " foreign trade is now at a stand, and the port as much " shut up as if the river was frozen." In Chesaepeak bay of Virginia they went so high as Repahanock river and carried off several ships. In September 1748 two Spanish privateers sailed up Cape- Fear river of North-Carolina, landed Men, plundered Brunswick, took possession of six vessels, but from some casual disasters, they soon re turned down the river. Here was a fine opportunity given to the French and Spaniards to plunder our conti nent ports, or put them to high contributions ; but the French and Spanish pusilanimity favoured us.