American Nehemiah

Michael C. Batinski. Jonathan Belcher: Colonial Governor. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1996. xviii + 212 pp. $39.95, cloth, ISBN 978-0-8131-1946-5. Reviewed by Michael P. Gabriel Published on H-Pol (July, 1997) Most students and scholars of colonial history Batinski begins his narrative by examining are familiar with such Massachusetts governors Belcher's family background, focusing on his fa‐ as John Winthrop and Thomas Hutchinson. Far ther, Andrew, who rose from a modest peddler to fewer, however, know of Jonathan Belcher, who become one of New England's leading merchants held that post from 1730-1741. In this well-re‐ through a wise marriage and aggressive business searched biography, the frst ever on Belcher, dealings. Batinksi provides a fascinating view of Michael C. Batinski argues that the governor rep‐ Andrew's systematic program to establish his resents an important transition fgure between family's prominence and groom Jonathan for po‐ the colony's early Puritan leaders and later, more litical leadership. This regimen included a Har‐ secular ones. According to the author, the Ameri‐ vard education, which Andrew lacked, and sever‐ can-born Belcher can best be understood as he en‐ al trips to Europe to refine young Jonathan, give visioned himself, as an American Nehemiah. The him greater prestige in America, and establish his Old Testament Nehemiah, a Jewish leader in the connections overseas. During his journeys, Belch‐ service of the Persian king during the post-exilic er twice visited Hanover, providing him with con‐ period, gained permission to restore the walls of tacts to its royal family before it ascended to the Jerusalem. He simultaneously instituted religious British throne. While in Europe, Belcher learned reforms to renew the Israelites' covenant with to dress in the latest styles and to maneuver his God. Belcher similarly protected his people by at‐ way through the intricate networks of Britain's tempting to preserve the traditional Puritan lega‐ commercial and political elite. Rather than broad‐ cy while maintaining the colony's charter from ening his basic views, however, these trips merely the British king. Belcher did not operate in the confirmed to him the superiority of New Eng‐ world of the Puritan founders, however. Rather, land's institutions. Belcher was struck by Euro‐ he served in the increasingly commercial and po‐ pean decadence and the great disparities in litical one of the later colonial era. wealth. Upon returning home he assumed his place in the family business and entered a mar‐ H-Net Reviews riage arranged by his father. For the rest of Belch‐ lieved that such an action would undercut the as‐ er's life, he remained under his father's influence. sembly's power and independence. He repeatedly Batinski analyzes the effects Andrew's domi‐ played one faction against another to obtain his nance had on Belcher psychologically and comes goals, all the while informing his masters in Lon‐ up with a plausible, though not entirely convinc‐ don of his valiant efforts to implement their in‐ ing, conclusion. Although talented, wealthy, and structions. Overall, Belcher proved extremely suc‐ influential in his own right, Batinski argues that cessful in Massachusetts and enjoyed a stable and Belcher saw the world as a fearful, combative successful term. Later, as royal governor of New place but could not confront his opponents open‐ Jersey, Belcher would play an active role in estab‐ ly. Instead, he raged in his personal thoughts and lishing a college to train ministers which would correspondence at perceived enemies and often eventually become Princeton University. saw himself as a martyr to the machinations of Belcher's experiences in Massachusetts were others. He rarely acted upon these impulses, not duplicated in New Hampshire, which he also though, and when he did it was often "volcanical‐ headed as governor of the Bay Colony. There he ly." Interestingly, Belcher pressed his own sons the pursued bitter partisan struggles against his polit‐ same way that his father treated him, with similar ical foes which ultimately led to his administra‐ results. tion's downfall. Batinksi explains this difference In 1729 Belcher was in England on behalf of by noting the small size of New Hampshire's gov‐ the Massachusetts assembly, then in a dispute ernment, making it more susceptible to manipula‐ with the sitting royal governor, William Burnet, tion, Belcher's fewer personal ties to the colony, over granting him a permanent salary. When and his own inconsistent behavior. word arrived of Burnet's unexpected death, Belch‐ This book neatly complements many existing er was named to the position. According to Batins‐ colonial works with its blend of political, econom‐ ki, this provided Belcher with the perfect opportu‐ ic, and social history. Jonathan Belcher easily nity to play the Nehemiah role. Although a gifted could be a case study for Bernard Bailyn's Origins businessman and political manipulator who of American Politics. Batinski puts a human face craved recognition, Belcher was, at heart, a Puri‐ on the factionalism that Bailyn describes in both tan who in many ways identified with the spiritu‐ American and British politics. Readers also ac‐ al beliefs of ministers such as Jonathan Edwards quire more understanding of the importance of and George Whitefield. patronage in both systems, and how it worked dif‐ During his tenure, Belcher employed his con‐ ferently in America because of the availability of siderable skills as a courtier to protect his colony's fewer positions and a larger electorate. In such traditional beliefs and interests and, at the same Anglo-American disputes over the royal gover‐ time, to maintain his role as a loyal servant to the nor's salary and the use of paper money, one also Crown. For example, Belcher upheld the establish‐ catches an early glimpse of issues which would ment of the Congregationalist Church against An‐ eventually contribute to the growing imperial cri‐ glican attempts to gain that status for their institu‐ sis in the 1760s and 1770s. tion considering that Massachusetts was a royal Batinski's detailed descriptions of the Belch‐ colony. Despite the wishes of the British govern‐ ers' commercial ventures, land speculation, and ment, he refused to enforce imperial trade regula‐ interest in sound currency help readers under‐ tions that hurt his political allies and supported stand the growing complexity of the colonial the assembly's refusal to grant the royal governor economy. The book also clearly illustrates the hu‐ a permanent salary. In this latter case Belcher be‐ man cost of such developments. These included 2 H-Net Reviews lengthening poverty rolls and disturbances caused by grain shortages and rising prices, which harkens to Gary Nash's Urban Crucible. The Puritan ideals of community and the just price fell before the quest for profits. Batinski concludes his book with a biblio‐ graphic essay which demonstrates the depth of his research into primary sources and his com‐ mand of the secondary ones. He has organized his book in a logical manner and possesses a clear, in‐ teresting writing style. Overall Batinski success‐ fully presents Jonathan Belcher as a man who linked two worlds: that of his Puritan forbearers and that of an increasingly cosmopolitan society. In doing so he adds to our knowledge of the so‐ cial, political, and economic maturation of the American colonies in the mid-eighteenth century. Copyright (c) 1997 by H-Net, all rights re‐ served. This work may be copied for non-profit educational use if proper credit is given to the au‐ thor and the list. For other permission, please con‐ tact [email protected]. [The book review edi‐ tor for H-Pol is Lex Renda <ren‐ [email protected]>] If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at https://networks.h-net.org/h-pol Citation: Michael P. Gabriel. Review of Batinski, Michael C. Jonathan Belcher: Colonial Governor. H-Pol, H-Net Reviews. July, 1997. URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=1144 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 3.

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