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1618. guilty, and condemned; but his sentence was respited, and he appealed to the treasurer and council, who reversed the judgment First appeal of the court martial. This is the first instance of an appeal, carried from an American colony to England.1

from Ame

rica to England. Edicts of

Argal.

State of
Virginia.

Somer islands.

Argal published several edicts, which "mark the severity of his rule, but some of them evince an attention to the public safety.' ."2 He ordered that all goods should be sold at an advance of twenty five per centum, and tobacco taken in payment at three shillings per pound, and not more nor less, on the penalty of three years' servitude to the colony; that there should be no private trade or familiarity with the Indians; that no Indian should be taught to shoot with guns, on pain of death to the teacher and learner; that no man should shoot, excepting in his own necessary defence against an enemy, until a new supply of ammunition were received, on pain of a year's servitude; and that every person should go to church on Sundays and holidays, or be kept confined the night succeeding the offence, and be a slave to the colony the following week; for the second offence, a slave for a month; and for the third, a year and a day. Twelve years had elapsed since the settlement of the colony; yet, after an expense of more than £80,000 of the public stock, beside other sums of private planters and adventurers, there were remaining in the colony about 600 persons only, men, women, and children, and about 300 cattle; and the Virginia company was left in debt nearly £5000. The only commodities, now exported from Virginia, were tobacco and sassafras; but the labour of the planter was diminished, and the agricultural interest advanced, by the introduction of the plough.3

Powhatan, the great Virginia king, died this year.4

The Somer Isles, by direction of the council and company of Virginia, were divided by lot into tribes; and a share was assigned to every adventurer. This measure essentially promoted the interests of the infant colony settled in those islands.

1 Chalmers, b. 1. 38. "It is equally remarkable, that it was made to the company, and not to the king in council; to whom appeals were not probably transmitted till, by the dissolution of the corporation, the reins of government were grasped by royal hands: Nor were they commonly prosecuted till a period subsequent to the Restoration."

2 Marshall, Life of Washington, i. 60.

3 Stith, 147, 149, 159, 281. Chalmers, i. 37.

4 Smith, Virg. 125. He was a prince of eminent sense and abilities, and deeply versed in all the savage arts of government and policy. Penetrating, crafty, insidious, it was as difficult to deceive him, as to elude his own stratagems. But he was cruel in his temper, and showed little regard to truth or integrity. Beverly, 51. Keith, 132. Stith, 154. Belknap, Biog. ii. 63.

5 Smith's Virg. Bermudas, b. 5. 187-189, where are the names of the adventurers and the number of the several shares; also in Ogilvie's map of Bermudas. Smith says, the colony had previously been "but as an unsettled and confused chaos; now it begins to receive a disposition, form, and order, and becomes

1619.

First Gen

THIS is the memorable epoch, in the history of Virginia, of the introduction of a provincial legislature, in which the colonists were represented. Sir George Yeardley, appointed governor general of the colony, arriving in April with instructions favourable to freedom, convoked a colonial assembly, which met at June 19. James Town on the 19th of June. The people were now so eral Assemincreased in their numbers, and so dispersed in their settlements, bly in Vir that eleven corporations appeared by their representatives in ginia. this convention, where they exercised the noblest function of freemen, the power of legislation. They sat in the same house with the governor and council, in the manner of the Scotch parliament.1

Henrico.

The king of England having formerly issued his letters to the College at several bishops of the kingdom for collecting money, to erect a college in Virginia for the education of Indian children, nearly £1500 had been already paid toward this benevolent and pious design, and Henrico had been selected as a suitable place for the seminary. The Virginia company, on the recommendation of Sir Edwin Sandys, its treasurer, now granted 10,000 acres of land, to be laid off for the university at Henrico. This donation, while it embraced the original object, was intended also for the foundation of a seminary of learning for the English.2

King James, by proclamation, prohibited the sale of tobacco in Tobacco. gross or retail, either in England or Ireland, until the custom should be paid, and the royal seal affixed. Twenty thousand

indeed a plantation." In 1618, governor Moor was succeeded by captain Butler, who, in 1619, brought over "four good ships with at least 500 people along with him," and there were “500 there before." Harris' Voy. i. c. 27. In 1619, 1620, 1621, there were sent to Bermudas 9 ships, employing 240 mariners, and carrying about 500 people for settlement. Purchas, v. 1785. In 1622, the English had 10 forts at Bermudas, 3000 people, and 50 pieces of ordnance. Josselyn, Voy. 250.

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1 Smith, Virg. 126. Stith, 160, 161. Of the 11 corporations, 4 had been recently set off. "The governours have bounded foure Corporations; which is the Companies, the University, the Governour's, and Gleabe land." Smith, 127. The next year was held another assembly," which has through mistake and the indolence and negligence of our historians in searching such ancient records as are still extant in the country, been commonly reputed the first General Assembly of Virginia." Stith. See A. D. 1621. The colonists had been hitherto ruled rather as soldiers in garrison, by martial law, or as the slaves of a despot, than as English subjects who settled in a desert territory of the crown, and who were justly entitled to possess former privileges, as fully as so distant a situation admitted. Yet it will be somewhat difficult to discover, in this most ancient portion of colonial annals, peculiar immunities, or provincial authority, exclusive of parliamentary jurisdiction." Chalmers, b. 1. c. 2.

2 Stith, 162, 163. Anderson. A. D. 1618. The first design was, "to erect and build a college in Virginia, for the training up and educating infidel children in the true knowledge of God."

1619. pounds of tobacco were exported this year from Virginia to England, the whole crop of the preceding year.1

Voyage of

T. Dermer to N. Eng

land.
May 20.
Passes
through

L. Island
Sound.

of Mr. Robinson's church.

A great mortality prevailed among the people of Virginia, not less than 300 of whom died.2

Thomas Dermer, employed by Sir Ferdinando Gorges on a fishing voyage to New England, loaded a ship of 200 tons with fish and furs at Monahigan, and despatched it for England.3 Proceeding in a small bark for Virginia, he sailed between the main land and Long Island; and was the first person who ascertained this to be an island.4

The origin of the English Puritans has already been observed. Retrospect The first half century of their history has been passed over; but it is resumed where it becomes necessary to the illustration of the annals of New England. In 1606, the Puritan, or Reformed church in the north of England, had, on account of its dispersed state, become divided into two distinct churches, to one of which belonged Mr. John Robinson, afterward its minister, and Mr. William Brewster, afterward its ruling elder. This church, in common with other dissenting churches throughout England, being extremely harassed for its nonconformity, sought at length an asylum in Holland, where religious toleration was sanctioned by the laws. Mr. Robinson and as many of his congregation, as found it in their power, left England in the years 1607 and 1608, and settled in Amsterdam; whence in 1609 they removed to Leyden.5 After residing several years in that city, various causes influenced them to entertain serious thoughts of a removal to America. These causes were, the unhealthiness of the low country where they lived; the hard labours to which they were subjected; the dissipated manners of the Hollanders, especially their lax observance of the Lord's day; the

1 Chalmers, i. 47. The reason assigned for the king's proclamation, is that "divers conceal and utter tobacco without paying any impost."

2 Belknap, Biog. ii. 65.

3 Smith says, every sailor had £16. 10 for his seven month's work; and Harris, that every sailor had, beside his charges, £17 clear money in his pocket.

4 Smith, Virg. 127, 129. Prince, 1619. Purchas, b. 9. c. 2, 3, 13. Harris' Voy. i. 852. Morton's Memorial, under A. D. 1620. Dermer, in his account of this passage through Long Island Sound [in Purchas], says, "Wee found a most dangerous catwract amongst small rocky islands, occasioned by two unequall tydes, the one ebbing and flowing two houres before the other." This was doubtless what is now well known by the name of Hell Gate, an appellation derived from the Dutch: " quem nostri inferni os, vulgo het Hellegat, appellant." Laet, 72. A place of this name is mentioned in Grimston's History of the Netherlands. One of the articles of a treaty in 1583, between the duke of Anjou and the States, is: "The armie shall passe into Hellegat, where it shall be furnished with victuals" &c. In England a similar name is found in Camden's Britannia: "In hujus agro tres sunt miræ profunditatis putei, Hell Kettles vocat vulgus id est, Inferni caldaria quia per antiperistasin calescat in illis aqua."

5 See A. D. 1550. Morton, Records of the First Church at Plymouth in Haz. Coll. i. 349-354. Prince, 1606-1609, from governor Bradford's MS. History; by which "it seems as if they began to remove to Leydon at the end of 1608."

apprehension of war at the conclusion of the truce between Spain 1619. and Holland, which was then near its close; the fear, lest their young men would enter into the military and naval service; the tendency of their little community to become absorbed and lost in a foreign nation; the natural and pious desire of perpetuating a church, which they believed to be constituted after the simple and pure model of the primitive church of Christ; and a commendable zeal to propagate the gospel in the regions of the New World. In 1617, having concluded to go to Virginia, and settle in a distinct body under the general government of that colony, they sent Mr. Robert Cushman and Mr. John Carver to England, to treat with the Virginia company, and to ascertain whether the king would grant them liberty of conscience in that distant country. Though these agents found the Virginia company very desirous of the projected settlement in their American territory, and willing to grant them a patent with as ample privileges, as they had power to convey; yet they could prevail with the king no farther, than to engage that he would connive at them, and not molest them, provided they should conduct peaceably. Toleration in religious liberty by his public authority, under his seal, was denied. The agents returned to Leyden the year following to the great discouragement of the congregation.

Resolved to make another trial, they sent two other agents to Agents sent England, in February of this year (1619), to agree with the from HolVirginia company; but, dissensions then arising in that body, the land into England. business was necessarily procrastinated. After long attendance, the agents obtained a patent, granted and confirmed under the Patent obseal of the Virginia company; but, though procured with much tained. expense and labour, it was never used, because the gentleman, in whose name it was taken out, was prevented from executing his purpose of accompanying the Leyden congregation. This patent, however, being carried to Leyden for the consideration of the people, with several proposals from English merchants and Preparafriends for their transportation, they were requested to prepare removing to immediately for the voyage. The success of their enterprise America. designates a new Period; for "the settlement of New England forms an epoch in the history of colonization."2

1 See NOTE XXI. The truce, mentioned in the text, was concluded between Spain and the United Netherlands in 1609. After a war of above 30 years, this truce, principally through the mediation of the kings of England and France, was concluded for 12 years. Histoire de la Republique des Provinces-Unies, 1609. Anderson, 1609. The Hollanders had, in a few preceding years, taken and destroyed more than 30 of the great galeons of Spain.

2 Plymouth Church Records, in Haz. Coll. i. 354-370, and p. 87. Hubbard, c. 9. Prince, 1616-19. Verplanck's Discourse before the New York Historical Society. The person, in whose name the patent was taken out, but who was prevented from coming to New England, was Mr. John Wincob, "a religious gentleman, belonging to the countess of Lincoln."

tions for

PART II.

BRITISH AMERICAN COLONIES.

PERIOD II.

FROM THE SETTLEMENT OF PLYMOUTH, IN 1620, TO THE
UNION OF THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES, IN 1643.

English Puritans leave Leyden.

Sept. 6.
Sail for
America.

1620.

THIS year is memorable for the first settlement of New England. It was agreed by the English Congregation at Leyden, that some of their number should go to America, to make preparation for the rest. Mr. Robinson, their minister, was prevailed on to stay with the greater part at Leyden; Mr. Brewster, their elder, was to accompany the first adventurers; but these, and their brethren remaining in Holland, were to continue to be one church, and to receive each other to Christian communion, without a formal dismission, or testimonial. Several of the congregation sold their estates, and made a common bank, which, together with money received from other adventurers, enabled them to purchase the Speedwell, a ship of 60 tons, and to hire in England the Mayflower, a ship of 180 tons, for the intended enterprise.

Preparation being thus made, the adventurers, having left Leyden for England in July, sailed on the 5th of August from Southampton for America; but, on account of the leakiness of the small ship, they were twice obliged to return. Dismissing this ship, as unfit for the service, they sailed from Plymouth on the 6th of September in the Mayflower. After a boisterous passage, they at break of day on the 9th of November discovered the land of Cape Cod. Perceiving that they had been carried to the northward of the place of their destination, they stood to the southward, intending to find some place near Hudson's river, for

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