Rollinfon feulp G.WASHINGTON of the United States President of the Publifhid by I-Reid NewYork 1796. AN HISTORICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, COMMERCIAL, AND PHILOSOPHICAL VIEW OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND OF THE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENTS IN AMERICA AND THE WEST-INDIES. BY W. WINTER BOTHAM. THE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS AND IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. I. NEW-YORK: PRINTED BY TIEBOUT AND O'BRIEN, No O event ever proved so interefting, to mankind in general and to the inhabitants of Europe in particular, as the difcovery of the new world, and the paffage to India by the Cape of Good Hope: it at once gave rise to a revolution in the commerce and in the power of nations, as well as in the manners industry and government of almoft the whole world. At this period new connections were formed by the inhabitants of the moft diftant regions, for the supply of wants they had never before experienced. The productions of climates fituated under the equator were confumed in countries bordering on the pole; the industry of the north was transplanted to the south; and the inhabitants of the weft were clothed with the manufactures of the east; in fhort, a general intercourse of opinions, laws and cuftoms, difeafes and remedies, virtues and vices, were eftablished amongst men. In Europe, in particular, every thing has been changed in confequence of its commerce and connection with the American continent; but the changes which took place prior to the late revolution, (which established the liberties of the United States, and transformed the dependent colonies of Britain into an independent commonwealth, or rather a fociety of commonwealths) only served to increase the mifery of mankind, adding to the power of defpotism, and rivetting fafter the fhackles of oppreffion; the commerce of Spain, in particular, with the new world, has been fupported by a fyftem of rapine, murder and oppreffion; a system that has spread defolation and distress not only in America, but in Europe and Africa. She has, however, benefitted but little by it, for her ftrength, commerce and industry, have evidently declined in proportion to the influx of the gold of the new continent. With Great-Bri |