THE UNITED STATES.*

SECTION I.

Settlement and Early History of the COLONIES:- Virginia, New York; Colonies of New England; Indian Wars; Maryland; Pennsylvania.-From A. D. 1607 to 1682.

1. The vanity of nations, like that of families, inclines them to lay claim to a high antiquity; and the obscurity in which their early history is, in most instances, involved, affords them an opportunity to indulge this propensity. But with regard to the United States, circumstances are different. The vanity of the people of this country inclines them to dwell upon their recent origin, and their rapid growth; and the promise which these afford of future greatness. Of all independent nations of any importance, now existing, this has had the most recent origin, and its early history is the best known: nor do the annals of the world afford another instance of a nation rising, in so short a space of time from its first settlement, to an equal degree of power and freedom.

2. Various circumstances have concurred to promote the rapid increase in population and wealth, and the progress of society, which have been witnessed in this country. The first settlers were emigrants from countries advanced in civilization, and they brought with them the arts of civilized life. A great portion of thein were men distinguished for intelligence and enterprise, and were strenuous advocates for civil and religious liberty; and at the first foundation of their settlements, they paid particular attention to the promotion of education. A vast field of enterprise has been constantly presented before them, with ample rewards to industry. The means of subsistence have been abundant and easily obtained; and extensive tracts of fertile and unoccupied lands, suitable for new settlements, have always been procurable on moderate terms. The political and commercial relations of

* The national existence of the United States, properly so called, commenced July 4th, 1776. Before that period, the inhabitants were in a state of colonial dependence on Great Britain, and were styled the British Colonies in America. Louisiana, which was formerly a French colony, and Florida, formerly a Spanish one, have since been annexed to the United States.

the inhabitants have connected them with the most enlightened nations in the world; and have afforded them the means of being acquainted with the progress of literature and science, and with the various improvements in the arts of civilized life. 3. The colonization of this country originated either in religious persecution, carried on in England against the Puritans and other denominations of Christians, or in visionary schemes of adventurers, who set out for the new world in quest of settlements, and in pursuit of gain. It was the former cause which peopled the colonies of New England; and it was to the latter that the colonies of Virginia and New York owed their origin. These may be considered as the original or parent colonies.

4. They struggled long with the hardships and difficulties incident to all new establishments on barbarous shores, remote from civilized society, and from the means of procuring aid in supplying their wants, and in protecting themselves against the hostilities to which they were exposed. They were, at times, reduced to great extremities by sickness, disease, and want, and by the attacks and depredations of the Indians, insomuch that, in some instances, it was resolved to abandon the settlement of the country as impracticable. All these impediments, however, being gradually overcome, by perseverance, industry, and enterprise, the colonies at last began to flourish, and to increase both in wealth and population.

5. The first grant from the crown of England, under which effectual settlements were made in North America, was dated April 10, 1606. By this charter, all the country in America, between lat. 34° and 45° N., was called Virginia. But Ly this charter, two companies were constituted; one called the London Company, the other the Plymouth Company. To the former was assigned the territory between lat. 34° and 41° N., called South Virginia; to the latter, the part of the territory lying to the north, called North Virginia.

6. Some unsuccessful attempts to form a settlement in Virginia before this charter was granted, have been already mentioned. The first effectual attempt was made in 1607, by a company of 105 adventurers, who came in a vessel commanded by Captain Newport. They sailed up the Powhatan or James River, built a fort, and commenced a town, which, in honor of king James, they called Jamestown. The government of the colony was, at first, administered by a council of seven persons with a president chosen from among their number.

7. The name of the first president was Wingfield; but the most distinguished member of the council was Captain John Smith, who was the second year chosen president, and who has been styled the Father of the colony. He had commanded a company of cavalry in the Austrian army, in a war with the Turks had been taken prisoner and sent to Constantinople as a slave; from which condition he had extricated himself. He was a man of undaunted courage, romantic disposition, and an ardent spirit of enterprise; and to his superior talents, the company were greatly indebted for their success.

8. The colonists were soon involved in contests with the Indians, whose hostilities against the English were not unprovoked, as they had been previously treated by them with cruelty. In 1585, Sir Richard Grenville burnt a whole Indian town, and destroyed their corn, in revenge for their stealing a silver cup; and Mr. Lane, the leader of the adventurers left by Sir Richard, slew a sachem, and killed and took captive several Indians.

9. The year in which the settlement was commenced, an accident happened to Captain Smith, which lent to his history the attraction of romance. While engaged in hunting, he was taken prisoner by a body of 200 Indians; but he so charmed them by his arts and his valor, that they released him. Soon afterwards, he was again taken by another party of 300, who carried him in triumph before Powhatan, the greatest chief in the region.

10. The sentence of death was pronounced upon him; his head was placed on a stone, and the savages were about to beat out his brains, when Pocahontas, the favorite daughter of the chief, who was only about 12 years of age, after having in vain implored mercy for him, rushed forward, and placing her head upon that of the captive, appeared determined to share his fate. Powhatan relented, and set the prisoner free.

11. Two years afterwards (1609), Pocahontas gave information to captain Smith of a plot formed by the Indians for the destruction of the colony, which was, by this means, prevented. This extraordinary Indian female was afterwards married, with the consent of her father, to Mr. Rolfe, a respectable young planter. Their nuptials were celebrated with great pomp, and Pocahontas was highly useful in preserving peace between the colonists and Indians. She accompanied her husband to England; was instructed in the Christian religion, and baptized She died soon after her return to America, at the age of about 22, leaving one son, from

whom are sprung some of the most respectable families in Virginia.

12. During the first year, the colonists suffered severely by the scarcity and badness of provisions; diseases were in consequence introduced, which, in a few months, swept away one half of their number. But others were added by new arrivals, so that, at the end of the year, they amounted to 200.

13. In the latter part of the year 1609, captain Smith, at once the shield and sword of the colony, returned to England. Soon after his departure, the company was reduced to the greatest extremities. A party of 30 men, under Captain Ratcliffe, were all slain by the Indians; and in consequence of a waste of provisions, a most distressing famine prevailed, which was known, for many years afterwards, by the name of the starving time.

14. So dreadful was its effect, that in the space of 6 months, the colonists were reduced from nearly 500 to 60. This small remainder, being exceedingly enfeebled and disheartened, resolved to abandon the settlement, and return to England; and for this purpose they had actually embarked; but meeting with Lord Delaware, who had been appointed governor, under a new charter, with 150 men, and a large supply of provisions, they were induced to remain; and the affairs of the company soon began to assume a more auspicious appearance.

15. At the expiration of 12 years from the first settlement, there remained only about 600 persons; but during the year r619, the number was increased by the arrival of 11 ships, bringing 1216 new settlers. The planters were mostly adventurers, destitute of families, and caine with the hope of obtaining wealth, intending eventually to return; but with a view to make their residence permanent, and attach them to the country, an expedient was devised for supplying them with wives; and for this purpose, in the years 1620 and 1621, 150 unmarried females, "young and uncorrupt," were sent over from England, to be sold to such as were inclined to purchase. The price of a wife, at first, was 100 pounds of tobacco; but as the number for sale decreased, the price was raised to 150 pounds; the tobacco being valued at three shillings a pound. About the same time, 20 negroes were carried to Virginia in a Dutch vessel, and sold for slaves. This was the commencement, in English America, of the unhappy systein of slavery.

16. The colonists having turned their attention to agriculture, particularly to the cultivation of tobacco, and their numbers being increased yearly by the arrival of new emigrants,

began to enjoy a degree of prosperity, when, in 1622, they experienced a stroke which came near proving fatal. Opecancanough, the successor of Powhatan, concerted a plan for the destruction of the settlement; and in so artful a manner was the plot devised, that it might have been effectually accomplished, if a large part of the colonists had not been informed of it a few hours before the time appointed for its execution. The Indians, notwithstanding, succeeded in putting to death, almost instantaneously, 347 persons. A war of extermination followed this massacre; not long afterwards, another distressing famine; and in 1624, of 9,000 persons who had been sent from England, only 1,800 existed in the colony. But its severe losses were soon repaired by new arrivals.

17. The colony suffered by restrictions on its trade and by the arbitrary government of Sir John Harvey; but in 1639, Sir William Berkeley, a man of superior talents, was appointed governor; and during his administration, which lasted, except during the protectorate of Cromwell, nearly 40 years, it was generally prosperous. The restrictions, however, imposed upon its trade by Charles II., occasioned discontents; and, in 1676, near the end of Berkeley's administration, gave rise to an insurrection, memorable in the history of Virginia, and known by the name of Bacon's Rebellion, so called from its leader. Many parts of the colony were given up to pillage ; Jamestown was burnt; and all the horrors of a civil war were felt for a time, till at last the rebellion was terminated by the death of Bacon.

18. The population, in 1660, amounted to about 30,000, and in the 28 succeeding years, the number was doubled. The first adventurers came out with the hope of acquiring wealth by the discovery of the precious metals; and the ships in which they arrived, were sent back, one of them loaded by the miners with a glittering earth, which they vainly hoped contained gold; the other, loaded with cedar. In about 1616, the cultivation of tobacco was commenced, which soon became the chief object of attention with the colonists, and constituted the principal part of their property. It formed the medium of trade, and was received by the government in the payment of

taxes.

19. In 1609, Henry Hudson, an Englishman in the service of the Dutch, on a voyage in quest of a north-west passage to India, discovered the noble river which bears his name. The first permanent settlements were made by Dutch adventurers,