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from an independent jury, who with himself were imprisoned until an unjust penalty was paid.

4. In 1631, he purchased of Charles the tract now called Pennsylvania, for an acquittance of sixteen thousand pounds due to his father: and soon after, he obtained from the Duke of York a conveyance of the town of New Castle, with the country which now forms the state of Delaware. The first colony, which were chiefly of his own sect, began their settlement above the confluence of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers. In August, 1682, this amiable man embarked, witt about two thousand emigrants, and in October, arrived in the Delaware.

5. Besides his own people, he was aided in the first settle ment by Swedes, Dutch, Finlanders, and other English. The first legislative assembly was held at Chester, at that time called Upland. Among the first laws was one which de clared that none,, acknowledging one God, and living peaceable in society, should be molested for his opinions or his practice; nor be compelled to frequent or maintain any ministry whatever." Philadelphia was begun in 1683, and in 1699, it contained seven hundred houses, and about four thousand inhabitants.

6. During the first seventy years of this settlement, no instance occurred of the Indians killing unarmed people. The wise and good man, Pern, urade every exertion and sacrifice to promote the peace and prosperity of his favorite colony; and between the persecution he had to encounter in England, and the difficulties in Pennsylvania, his life was a continued scene of vexation-his private fortune was materially injured by the advances he made--he was harrassed by his creditors, and obliged to undergo a temporary deprivation of his personal liberty.

7. He died in London, in 1716, leaving an inheritance to his children ultimately of immense value, which they en joyed until the revolution, when it was assigned to the com monwealth for an equitable sum of money. In the interval between 1730 and the war of the revolution, in this state, there was a great influx of emigrants, principally from Germany and Ireland; and these people early brought the useful arts and manufactures into Pennsylvania. To the Germans she is indebted for the spinning and weaving o linen and woolen cloths; to the Irish, for various trades indispensable to useful agriculture.

8. Delaware was first settled in 1627, by the Swedes and Finlanders, and the colony bore the name of New Sweden. It was afterwards conquered by the Dutch from New York,

and remained subservient to that colony, until it passed into the hands of the English.

9. Georgia was the last settled of the thirteen colonies that evolted from Britain. It received its name from George II. #November, 1732, one hundred and sixteen persons embarked at Gravesend, under Oglethorpe; and early in the ensuing year arrived at Charleston. From this port they proceeded to their destined territory, and laid the foundation of Savannah.

10. The Spaniards laid claim to this territory, and made extensive preparations to attack it. But through the finesse of Oglethorpe, in practising an innocent deception, their plans were defeated. For many years, this settlement languished from a variety of causes. General Oglethorpe was distinguished as a soldier, a statesman, and a philanthropist. At the beginning of the American revolution, he was offered the command of the British ariny in America, but this from principle he declined. After the contest was decided, he died at the age of ninety-seven years, being the oldest gene ral in the British service.

QUESTIONS.

By whom was New York Arst settled }
When was it surrendered to the English?

By whom, and under what creamstances, was Pennsylvania settled?
When, and by whom, was Georgia settled 7

SECTION V.

War with France and conquest of Canada.

1. NEARLY coeval with the first English settlement at James Town, in Virginia, was the establishment of a French colony at Quebec, on the great river St. Lawrence. The question of boundary between England and France, had long been a subject of unavailing negotiation. France, begides having Canada in the north, had also discovered and settled on the Mississippi in the south; and in 1753, she etrove, by a military chain, the links of which were to be formed by outposts stretching along the Ohio and the lakes to connect these two extremities, and thus restrain the British colonists to a small territory on the Atlantic ocean, if not entirely expel them from the country.

2. The question of jurisdiction remained to be decided by the sword. Repeated complaints of violence having come to the ears of the Governor of Virginia, he deterinined to send a suitable person to the French commander at Fort Du Quesne, (now Pittsburgh,) demanding the reason of his hostile proceedings, and insisting that he should evacuate the fort which he had recently erected. For this arduous un

dertaking, George Washington, a major of militia, then little more than twenty-one years of age, offered his services. 3. The execution of this task seems to have been accom plished with all that prudence and courage, which were se eininently displayed by this hero in after life. At imminent peril, being waylaid and fired at by the Indians, he not only faithfully accomplished the errand on which he had been sent, but gained extensive information of the distances and bearings of places, and of the number, size, and strength of nearly all the enemy's fortresses.

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4. The reply of the French commander brought matter to a crisis; and in 1754, the Virginian assembly organized regiment, to support the claims of the English over the territory in dispute: of this regiment a Mr. Fry was appointed colonel, and the young Washington, lieutenant-colonel. Col. Fry dying, the command of the whole devolved on Washington. The French having been strongly reinforced, Washington was obliged to fall back-was attacked in works which he had not time to complete, and, after a brave defense, was obliged to capitulate,-the enemy allowing him to march out with the honors of war, and retire unmolested to the inhabited parts of Virginia.

5. The next year, 1755, General Braddock was sent from Europe to Virginia, with two r. giments, where he was joined by as many provincials as made his force amount to twenty-two hundred. Eraddock was a brave man, but lacked that courtesy which could conciliate the Americans, and that modesty which should profit from the knowledge of those who better knew the ground over which he was to pass, and the mode of French and Indian warfare, than himself. He pushed on incautiously, until within a few miles of fort Du Quesne, he fell into an ambush of French and Indians.

6. In a short time, Washington, who acted as aid to Braddock, and whose duty called him to be on horseback, was the only person mounted who was left alive, or not wounded. The van of the army was forced back, and the whole thrown into confusion. The slaughter was dreadful. Braddock was mortally wounded. What was remarkable, the provincial troops preserved their order, and covered the retreat under Washington; while the regulars broke their ranks, and could not be rallied.

7. Three successive campaigns procured nothing but expense and disappointment to the English. With an inferior force, the French had succeeded in every campaign; and gloomy apprehensions were entertained as to the destiny of the British colonies. But in 1756, a change of ministry in

England took place. William Pitt was placed at the helm 1 To despair, succeeded hope; and to hope, victory. Supplies were granted with liberality, and given without reluctance'; voldiers enlisted freely, and fought with enthusiasm.

8. In a short time the French were dispossessed, not only of all the territories in dispute, but of Quebec, and her an cient province of Canada; so that all which remained to her of her numerous settlements in North America, was NewOrleans, with a few plantations on the Mississippi. Full of youth and spirit, the gallant General Wolf, who led the Eu ropean and colonial troops to victory, fell before the walls of Quebec, in the moment of success. In 1762, hostilities hav ing raged nearly eight years, a general peace was concluded France ceded Canada, and Spain relinquished, as the price of recovering Havana, which had been taken by the British, both the Floridas to Great Britain..

QUESTIONS.

What settlernents had the French in America?

In what way did France endeavor to confine the English within narrow lin ks, or to drive them from the continent?

When and what method did the Virginia assembly adopt to support the Eng. sh claims over the disputed territory 3

When and with what force was General Braddock sent over to support these claims?

What was the success of Braddock's expedition ?

How many campaigns were attended only with expense and disappoinunert to the English?

What led to a change in English prospects?

What celebrated English general was killed in the capture of Quebec,

SECTION VI.

Difficulties between Great Britain and the Colonies, and the consequent War of the Revolution.

1. ALTHOUGH the American colonies had principally contributed to the great extension of the power of Great Britain, o-operating with the vigilance of more than four hundred cruisers on the sea, and furnishing more than twenty-four thousand soldiers; yet the latter regarded her plantat.ons as mere instruments in her hands. On the contrary, the high sentiments of liberty and independence nurtured in the co onies from their local situation and habits, were increased by the removal of hostile neighbors. Ideas favorable to independence increased; and whilst combustible materials were collecting in the new world, a brand to enkindle them was preparing in the old.

2. In 1765, under the auspices of the minister, George

Grenville, the obnoxious stamp act passed in the British parliament, by which the instruments of writing in daily use were to be null and void, unless, executed on paper or parch ment stamped with a specific duty: law documents, leases icods and indentures, newspapers and advertisements, alma nacs and pamphlets, executed and printed in America,—all mus contribute to the British treasury.

3. The bill did not pass without the decided opposition of patriots in the British legislature, who foretold the result, and who declared that, the colonies being planted by British oppression, and having assisted the mother country, the mother had no claim on the child to derive from it a revenue. The bill did not take effect until seven months after its passage; thus giving the colonists an opportunity of leisurely exami ning and viewing the subject on every side.

4. They were struck with silent consternation; but the voice of opposition was first heard in Virginia. Patrick Henry, on the 20th of May, brought into the house of burgesses in that colony, a number of resolutions, which were adopted, and which concluded with declaring, "That every individual, who, by speaking or acting, should assert or maintain that any person or body of men, except the general assembly of the province, had any right to impose taxation there, should be deemed an enemy to his majesty's colony."

3. These resolutions were immediately disseminated through the other provinces,-the tongues and the pens of well-informed men labored in the holy cause,-the fire of liberty blazed forth from the press. The assembly of Massachusetts passed a resolution in favor of a continental congress, and fixed a day for its meeting at New-York, in October. The other colonies, with the exception of four, accepted the invita tion, and assembled at the appointed place. Here they agreed on a declaration of their rights. There was, however, a considerable degree of timidity evinced in this congress.The boldest and most impressive arguments were offered by James Otis of Massachusetts.

*. 6. The time arrived for the act to take effect; and the aver sion to it was expressed in still stronger terms throughout the colonies. By a common consent, its provisions were di、 regarded, and business was conducted, in defiance of the parliament, as if no stamp act was in existence: associations were formed against importing British manufactures until the law should be repealed; and lawyers were prohibited from instituting any action for money due to any inhabitant of England.

7. The spirited conduct of the colonists affecting the in

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