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1688. application; but neither the applications made by the agents, nor any other solicitations, had the least influence upon measures in New England.1

N. York &

jurisdiction

land.

It being determined to superadd New York and the Jersies to N. Jersies the jurisdiction of the four colonies of New England; a new added to the commission was passed in March, appointing Andros captain of N. Eng- general and vice admiral over the whole. Francis Nicholson was soon after named his lieutenant, with the accustomed authority. The constitution, established on this occasion, was a legislative and executive governor and council, who were appointed by the king, without the consent of the people. The king's order to governor Dongan, to deliver up the seal of the province to his Excellency Sir Edmund Andros, was read in the provincial council on the 28th of July, and ordered to be recorded among the records of the province of New York.3

Expedition

of Andros

against the eastern In

dians.

Episcopal church.

Population of New France.

The eastern Indians having renewed hostilities, Andros marched against them at the head of 800 men. On his approach, they retired into their fastnesses; but, by establishing garrisons, by detaching numerous parties to attack their settlements and destroy their scanty provisions, he reduced them to the greatest distress, and secured the country from their incursions.*

The first episcopal church in Massachusetts was erected in Boston, in Tremont street, and called King's Chapel.5

The French, settled in New France, now amounted to 11,249 persons.

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3 Collections of N. York Historical Society, iii. 353. On the 24th of August, Sir Edmund Andros issued a proclamation, dated that day at New York, ordering a general thanksgiving for her majesty's safe delivery of a prince, to be observed in this city and its dependencies, on Sunday 2 September, and 14 days after, in all other parts of his dominions. Ib.

4 Chalmers, 429. Belknap, N. Hamp. i. 242-244. Hutchinson, i. 370. Dr. Belknap says, Andros had 700 men. The lands from Penobscot to Nova Scotia had been ceded to the French by the treaty of Breda. The baron de St. Castine had for many years resided on those lands, and carried on a large trade with the Indians, with whom he was intimately connected, having several of their women, beside a daughter of the sachem Madokawando, for his wives. In 1686, a ship, belonging to Pascataqua, landed some wines at Penobscot, supposing it to be within the French territory. The agents of the duke of York at Pemaquid went and seized the wines; but, by the influence of the French ambassador in England, an order was obtained for the restoration of them. On this occasion, a new line was run, which took Castine's plantation into the duke's territory. In the spring of 1688, Andros went in the Rose frigate, and plundered Castine's house and fort. This base action provoked Castine to excite the Indians to a new war; they, on their part, not wanting pretences for its renewal.

5 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. iii. 259.

6 Univ. Hist. xl. 47.

PART II.

BRITISH AMERICAN COLONIES.

PERIOD IV.

FROM THE REVOLUTION OF WILLIAM AND MARY, IN 1689, TO
THE SETTLEMENT OF GEORGIA, IN 1732.

1689.

KING JAMES having abdicated the throne, William, prince of William & Orange, and Mary, the daughter of James, were proclaimed on claimed in Mary prothe 16th of February. A report of the landing of the prince England. of Orange in England had reached America; but before the news of the entire revolution arrived, a most daring one was effected in New England. The colonists had borne the impositions of the new administration about three years. Their patience

was now exhausted. A rumour, that a massacre was intended in Boston by the governor's guards, was sufficient to kindle their resentment into rage. On the morning of the 18th of April the town was in arms, and the people poured in from the country to the assistance of the capital. The governor, and such of the Sir E. Ancouncil as had been most active, with other obnoxious persons to dros seized the collective number of about fifty, were seized and confined; oned. and imprisand the old magistrates were reinstated.2

1 Blair's Chronol. James abdicated, and went to France 23 Dec. 1688. 2 The rumour of an intended massacre might have been the more easily credited, on account of the military orders given out on the reception of a copy of the Prince of Orange's Declaration. "A proclamation was issued, charging all officers and people to be in readiness to hinder the landing of any forces, which the Prince of Orange might send into those parts of the world."-Captain George, of the Rose frigate, was first seized and imprisoned; and, some hours after, Sir Edmund Andros was taken in his fort. No less than 1500 men surrounded the fort on Fort Hill, which surrendered. The next day, the governor

1689.

Council of safety.

Assembly

meets in Boston.

Charter resumed.

William &

Mary proclaimed in

Boston.

Addresses

to the king.

R. Island

govern

The new council, inviting others to join with them, took the title of "A council for the safety of the people and conservation of the peace;" and chose Mr. Bradstreet their president. On the 2d of May, the council recommended, that an assembly by a delegation from the several towns in the colony should meet on the 9th of that month. Sixty six persons met, and, having confirmed the new government, it was agreed, that on the 22d day of the same month there should be a meeting of the representatives of all the towns in the colony. On that day, the representatives of 54 towns met at Boston; and, after various debates, it was determined "to resume the government according to charter rights." On the 24th, the governor and magistrates, chosen in 1686, signed a paper, declaring their acceptance of the care and government of the people according to the rules of the charter, until by direction from England there be an orderly settlement of government. On the 29th, king William and queen Mary were proclaimed, with great ceremony, in Boston. Addresses were sent to the king. These addresses were sent, for presentation, to Mr. Ashurst, Mr. Leveret, and Mr. Richard Hutchinson. Sir Henry Ashurst, a member of parliament, was more particularly engaged to act in behalf of the colony; and Mr. Hampden, another member of parliament, showed great friendship for the colony. The house of commons voted the taking away of the charters of the plantations to be a grievance ; and a bill was passed for restoring charters, in which those of New England were expressly mentioned; but whilst the bill was in the house of lords, the parliament was prorogued. After the loss of this chance in parliament, it was in vain to try for the restoration of the old charter. Application being made, in the mean time, for express authority to exercise government according to the old charter until a new one could be settled, this privilege was obtained.2

The freemen of Rhode Island, on hearing of the imprisonment resumes its of Andros, met at Newport, on the 1st of May, and voted to resume their charter. The assembly agreed, that since Sir Edmund Andros was seized and confined with others of his council, at Boston, and his authority silenced and deposed, it was their

ment.

was confined in the fort under strong guards. On that day also, the castle on Castle Island was summoned, and surrendered. Chalmers, 469, 470. Captain George was obliged to give leave to go on board his ship, and bring the sails on shore. The troops, which collected around Fort Hill, pointed the guns of the South battery toward the fort on the summit, and thus brought the governor's garrison to submission.

1 Each town gave instructions to its delegates, whether to resume the charter or not; and 40 of the 54" were for reassumption." Hutchinson.

2 Hutchinson, Hist. Mass. A. D. 1689. Chalmers, 429-431. Belknap, N. Hamp. i. 235, 236. There are no public records from the dissolution of the old charter government in 1686 until the restoration of it in 1689. Hutchinson, i. 354.

duty to lay hold of their former charter privileges; and, avowedly 1689. professing all allegiance to the crown of England, they replaced all the general officers, who had been displaced three years before.1

The government of Connecticut, which had been assumed by ConnectiSir Edmund Andros, was reestablished by the freemen of that cut. colony in May; and the laws which had been suspended, and the courts of justice which had been interrupted, were declared to have the same force, and to be invested with the same powers, as they had before.2

tion in New

Information of the accession of William and Mary to the Effects of throne was received with joy at New York, and the lieutenant the Revolu governor and council waited with anxiety for orders to proclaim York. them; but while the principal officers and magistrates were assembled to consult for the public safety, Jacob Leisler, with 49 men, seized the garrison at New York, and held it for the prince of Orange. William and Mary were proclaimed there in June; and the province was now ruled by a committee of safety, at the head of which was Leisler.3

The inhabitants of Virginia and Maryland at once proclaimed Virginia & William and Mary king and queen of England.4 Maryland.

lished in

England.

At the abdication of king James, all was done for the safety of Governthe nation, that the critical and perilous emergency would admit. ment estabBy the advice of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the principal persons of the commons, prince William caused letters to be written to the several counties, cities, universities, boroughs, and cinque ports, for the choosing of such persons to represent them, as were of right to be sent to parliament, to meet at Westminster on the 22d of January, in order that their religion, laws, and liberties, might not again be in danger of being subverted. The convention, when formed, proceeded to assert their rights and liberties, and to elect the Prince and Princess of Orange to be King and Queen of England, France, and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging. This establishment of the British government was long after appealed to by the American colonists, in vindication of their rights. "It was," said they, "begun by colonists. the convention with a professed and real view, in all parts of the British empire, to put the liberties of the people out of the reach of arbitrary power in all time to come."5

Appealed

to by the

On the 27th of June, the Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagos, and Indians reOneidas, renewed their covenant with the English.6

1 Callender, 49.

2 Day, Hist. Judiciary of Connecticut.

3 Smith, N. York, 59.

4 Chalmers, 431.

Chalmers, 591, 592. Hutchinson, A. D. 1689.

5 Otis, Rights of the British Colonies.

6 Colden, 99. This renewal of covenant was previous to the arrival of count Frontenac, who came over 2 October this year, as governor of Canada, at the age of 68 years. M. Denonville was recalled. Ib. 96.

new covenant.

1689.

Loss at
Dover.

Descent of

Montreal.

On the 27th of June, major Waldron was surprised in his garrison at Dover, New Hampshire, by the Pennicook Indians, and was killed with 20 others; and 29 were taken prisoners. Five or six houses, with the mills, were burnt.1

On the 26th of July, 1200 Indians of the Five Nations, inIndians on vading the island of Montreal, burned all the plantations, and made a terrible massacre of men, women, children. The whole French colony was thrown into consternation; and Valrenes, the the commander at Catarocuay, by order of Denonville, abandoned the fortress at that place.2

Indians take Pemaquid fort.

Conference

between the English and Five Nations.

French and Indian incursions.

Feb. 8.
Destroy

Schenec

tady.

On the 22d of August, the Indians besieged the fort at Pemaquid. This fort was so situated as to be overlooked from an adjacent rock, from which the Indians galled the garrison so severely, that the next day it capitulated.3

A conference was holden at Albany, in September, between several commissioners from the colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Connecticut, and the Five Nations. The commissioners endeavoured to engage the Five Nations against the Eastern Indians, who were then at war with New England; but, though they would not enter into that war, they ratified their friendship with the English colonies. "We promise," said they, "to preserve the chain inviolably, and wish that the sun may always shine in peace over all our heads, that are comprehended in this chain."4"

1690.

COUNT FRONTENAC detached from Canada three parties of French and Indians, who were to take three different routes into the English territories. One party, consisting of 150 French Indian traders and as many Indians, surprised and destroyed Schenectady. They entered the village on Saturday night, about 11 o'clock, when the inhabitants were in a profound sleep and the gates unshut, and began to perpetrate the most inhuman barbarities. The whole village was instantly in a blaze. Sixty nien, women, and children, were massacred, and 27 carried

1 Belknap, N. Hamp. i. 201. Boston Chronological Table.

2 Smith, N. York, 56. Charlevoix, Nouv. France, i. 549. Univ. Hist. xl. 49-51. Smith says, 1000 French were slain in this invasion, and 26 carried into captivity and burnt alive. Charlevoix' account of the barbarities of the Indians, in the massacre at Montreal, is too horrid to translate: "Ils ouvirent le sein des femmes enceintes, pour en arracher le fruit, qu'elles portoient, ils mirent des enfans tout vivans à la broche, et contraignirent les meres de les tourner pour les faire rôtir.".

3 Hutchinson, i. 296. The terms of this capitulation, Hutchinson says, were kept with Indian faith, some of the men being butchered, and the others carried captive.

4 Smith, N. York, 63. Colden, 100-104.

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