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1614-47

Growth of the Colony.

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chants was given the exclusive right to trade for three years with all this territory. In the grant thus made the region was named New Netherlands (1614)'. Previous to this grant, however, little fortified trading houses had been built in the province, one of them on the island of Manhattan. Another was built just south of the present city of Albany, which brought he Dutch in friendly relations with the Mohawks, the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois (ir-o-kwoiz'), or Five Nations.

7. A few years later thirty families arrived from Holland. Several of these settled at Orange, now Albany, while "a party under the command of May, who has left his name on the southern county and cape of New Jersey," ascended the Delaware river and on its eastern bank built a fort. In 1626, Peter Min'-u-it came as the governor of New Netherlands. He soon contracted with the Indians for the purchase of Manhattan island, giving beads, buttons, and other glittering trinkets, to the value of about twenty-four dollars, for more than twenty thousand acres of land. Fort Amsterdam was built, and about this centre wooden huts, with roofs of straw and chimneys of wood, soon began to cluster.

Growth of the colony.

8. The growth of the colony was not rapid, although every individual who succeeded in forming a settlement of fifty persons had a large tract of land granted to him. These land-holders were called patroons; and in quite recent times the claims of their descendants to rent, led to the anti-rent troubles in the State of New York. Minuit was succeede'i by the renowned Wouter Van Twil'-ler, and he, in turn, by Kieft (keeft); and all this time there were disputes with the English settlers on the Connecticut. The Dutch had first explored the river, and even occupied its banks. There were disputes, too, with the Swedes, who had planted a colony in the southern part of New Netherlands. There were also troubles with the Indians.

9. The prosperity of the colony dates from the arrival, in

'Brodhead spells the name New Netherland, in the singular form.

1647, of the brave and honest Peter Stuyvesant (sti'-vesant), the last of the Dutch governors. In his early military career he had lost a leg, which was replaced by a wooden one

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with silver bands, giving rise to the tradition that he wore a silver leg. As governor of New Netherlands he made peace with the. English settlers in Connecticut and with the Indians; he subdued the Swedes on the Delaware 1555); and tried in every way to encourage trade and agriculture, as well as to induce people to join the settlement.1

DUTCH HOUSE.

In 1698, the Earl of Bellamont became governor. As commerce was greatly disturbed by pirates, he sent out a bold captain named Kidd, to capture their vessels; but Kidd was a bad man, and knowing that Kidd. there were very many Spanish ships carrying across the ocean gold, silver, an other treasures from America, he determined to turn pirate himself. He continued on this career for several years, and is said to have obtained immense quantities of gold and rich treasures, some of which he is reported to have buried on

1664

New Netherlands Lost.

New

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10. These dangers were scarcely settled before a new and greater one appeared; for Charles the Second, caring nothing for the claims of the Dutch, granted to his brother, the Duke of York, all the country from the Connec- The ticut river to Delaware bay; and a fleet was sent English take to take possession of it. When the fleet appeared Netherlands. before New Amsterdam, the citizens, hoping for greater priv ileges under English rule, were unwilling to make any defense. But Stuyvesant, faithful to his trust to the last, reluctantly, and not till the English were in actual possession of the town, was compelled to march out of the fort and surrender New Netherlands. With this change of masters, New Amsterdam, having a population of fifteen hundred souls speaking eighteen different languages, changed its name to New York, and Fort Orange was presently called Albany (1664). In less than ten years after, while England was at war with Holland, the Dutch regained their former possessions, but, after fifteen months, returned them to the English.1

11. In the course of its colonial history, New Jersey passed through many ownerships. The claim of the English king Henry VII. came first, by reason of the discoveries of the

Long Island and in other parts of the country. At last he was seized and sent to England, where he suffered death for his crimes (1701). His buried treasures have been sought for at various places.

Leisler

and

Milborne.

1 In consequence of the arbitrary conduct of James II., a revolution took place in England; the king fled to France, and the English crown was bestowed upon William and Mary (1688-9). The news of these proceedings was received in New York with demonstrations of satisfaction. Jacob Leisler, aided by several hundred armed inen, and with the general approbation of the citizens, took possession of the fort there in the name of the new sovereigns He continued at the head of affairs, managing with prudence and energy, for more than two years, his son in-law, Milborne, acting as his deputy. On the arrival of Governor Sloughter, bearing a commission direct from William and Mary, Leisler surrendered all authority. This would not satisfy his enemies; they were bent upon his destruction. So he and Milborne were arrested.. tried on a charge of treason, and condemned to death. Sloughter, while drunk at a feast, signed the death warrant, and both men were executed

younger Cabot. Then, as part of New Netherlands, it was a Dutch possession. Then, by a gift from King Charles the Second, it, with New York, became the property

New Jersey. I of the Duke of York. It was next sold to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret,1 receiving its name in honor of Sir George, who, as governor of the little island of Jersey, in the British channel, had defended it for the king's father, Charles I., during that monarch's contest with the parliament. Then, Berkeley selling his interest to two Quakers, New Jersey was owned by three persons. Again, for a period of thirteen months, the Dutch were in possession; and then the English. English proprietors effected a division of the territory into eastern and western portions, one of the parts being called East Jersey, and the other West Jersey. By purchase (in 1682), the province became the property of twelve Quakers, of whom William Penn was one; but twenty years of rule were twenty years of strife and trouble, and the Quakers finally surrendered their powers of government to the crown. New Jersey, as a royal province, was united to New York, and so continued for thirty-six years.1

12. We have seen that the Dutch built a fort on the east bank of the Delaware, in New Jersey. A number of families, Dutch and Swedes, also made their homes in the province, the former in the eastern part, the latter in the southwestern part. But the actual colonization of New Jersey did not commence before 1664. In that year, some Puritans

1 Berkeley and Carteret were already the proprietors of Carolina. 2 In 1674, Sir Edmund Andros was appointed governor of New York and received its surrender by the Dutch after their fifteen months' repos session of it. In 1680 he seized the government of East Jersey, depriv ing the governor, Philip Carteret, brother of the proprietor, of his office. In 1681 he was recalled to England. New England having been consoli dated, he was appointed its governor in 1686. In 1688, New York and New Jersey were added to his jurisdiction. (Brodhead's History of New York, and Palfrey's of New England, treat the story of the rescue of the Connecticut Charter and its concealment in the hollow of a tree as a tradition.' Palfrey says: No writing of the period alludes to this remarkable occurrence.

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1632

Lord Baltimore.

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from New England, who had dwelt for a time on Long Island, left the island and established themselves at Elizabethtown, now Elizabeth; and there the first governor, Carteret, brother of the proprietor, took up his abode.1

Maryland.

13. Among the notable persons in attendance at the court of James I. was Sir George Calvert, distinguished for his learning and benevolence. Becoming a Roman Catholic, he freely confessed the same to the king, and resigned

Lord

a high office which he was holding at the time. Baltimore. Two acts of James showed that Calvert continued to be held in esteem by that monarch notwithstanding the latter's conversion to the Catholic Church. The title of Lord Baltimore was conferred upon Calvert, and to him also was given a large part of the island of Newfoundland. "How zealous Calvert was in selecting suitable emigrants for his Newfoundland colony, how earnest to promote order and industry, how lavishly he expended his estate in advancing the interests of his settlement,-is related by those who have written of his life.” But his efforts, owing to the severe cold of the climateboth land and sea were frozen the greater part of the time were not rewarded with success; and he asked for an uncultivated domain in a warmer climate. This request was granted, not, however, by King James, but by his successor,

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1 The opposition of Massachusetts to the Navigation Act," and other obnoxious laws of Parliament, displeased the king, Charles II., and ae declared her charter void. His death occurring not long after, his successor, James II., pursued the same arbitrary policy, and, in 1686, deprived Massachusetts of her charter government. In the same year Andros was appointed royal governor of New England. These proceedings on the part of King James rendered him so unpopular, that, when the news of the English Revolution and of his dethronement reached Boston, in 1689, it caused great rejoicing. Andros and his officers, whose tyranny had made them odious to the people, were seized and sent to England, when the New England colonies established their former modes of gov ernment. (See ¶ 39, p. 74.)

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