the confederacy, fuch admission shall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be a lefs number of free inhabitants in the State than fixty thoufand. "Art. VI. There fhall be neither flavery nor involuntary fervitude in the faid territory, otherwife than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party fhall have been duly convicted: provided always, that any perfon efcaping into the fame, from whom labour or fervice is lawfully claimed in any of the original States; fuch fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed, and conveyed to the perfon claiming his or her labour or fervice as aforefaid.” Such is the prefent government of the western territory, and fuch the political obligations of the adventurers into this fertile and delightful part of the United States.. CHA P. XVI. SOUTHERN STATES. THIS third, which is much the largest divifion of the United States, comprehends MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY, NORTH CAROLINA, TERRITORY S. of the OHIO, This divifion is bounded on the north by Pernfylvania and the Ohio river; on the weft by the Miffifippi; on the fouth by East and West Florida; ard on the eaft by the Atlantic ocean and the Delaware State. It is interfected in a N. E. and S. W. direction by the range of Allegany mountains, which give rife to many noble rivers, which fall either into the Atlantic on the caft, or the Miffippi on the weft. From the fea coafl, fixty, eighty, and in fome parts an hundred miles back towards the mountains, the country, gener ally speaking, is nearly a dead level, and a very large proportion of it is covered, in its natural flate, with pitch pines. In the neighbourhood of flagnant waters, which abound in this level country, the inhabitants are fickly, but in the back, hilly and mountaneous country, they are as healthy as in any part of America. HISTORY OF ITS SETTLEMENT, &c. MARYLAND. THIS State was granted by a patent of King Charles I. June 20. 1632, to George Calvert, Baron of Baltimore in Ireland, who had been obliged, on account of the French government, to abandon the province of Avalon, in Newfoundland, after having expended twenty-five thousand pounds in its advancement. The government of this province was by charter vefted in the proprietary; but it appears, that he either never exerciled thefe powers alone, or but for a fhort time; for we find, in 1637, that the freemen rejected a body of laws drawn up in England, and tranfmitted by his lordfhip, in order to be pafled for the government of the province. In the place of thefe they propofed forty-two bills to be enacted into laws, by the confent of the proprietary these were, however, never enacted, at leall they are not on record, The first cinigration to Maryland confifted of two hundred gentlemen of confiderable fortune and rank, with their adherents, chiefly Roman Catholics, who hoped to enjoy liberty of confcience under a proprietary of their own profcition. They failed from England in November, 1632, and landed in Maryland the beginning of 1633. The Honourable Leonard Calvert, brother to Lord Baltimore, who was the firt governor, very wifely and juftly parchated, by prefents of various goods, the rights of the Indians, and with their free confent took poffeffion of their town, which he called St. Mary's The country was settled with fo much ease, and furnished with fo many conveniences, that emigrants repaired thither in fuch numbers, that the colony Yoon became populous and flourishing. In 1638 a law was paffed, conftituting the firft regular House of Affembly, which was to confift of fuch reprefentatives, called burgefles, as fhould be elected pursuant to writs iffued by the governor. Slavery feems to have gained an early establishment in Maryland, for an act of this Affembly defcribes "the people" to confift of all Chriftian inbabitants, "flaves only excepted." The perfecuting laws which were paffed by the Virginians, foon after this period, again the Puritans, made the latter einigrate in confiderable numbers to Maryland, that they might enjoy, under a Popish proprietary, that liberty of confcience of which they were deprived by the fellow Proteftants. In 1642 it was enacted, that ten members of the Affembly, of whom the governor and fix burgeffes were to be feven, fhould be a Houfe ; and if ficknefs should prevent that number from attending, the prefent should make Houfe. a In 1644 one Ingle excited a rebellion, forced the governor to fly to Virginia for aid and protection, and feized the records and the great feal; the fall of which, with most of the records of the province, were loft or destroyed. From this period to the year 1647, when order was reflored, the proecedings of the province are involved in almost impenetrable obfcurity. In July, 1646, the Houfe of Affembly, or more properly the burgeffes, requefied that they might be feparated into two branches-the burgeffes by themielves, with a negative upon bills. This was not granted by the lieutepant-general at that time; but in 1650, an act was paffed dividing the Affembly into two houfes; the governor, fecretary, and any one or more of the conncil, formed the upper houfe: the delegates from the several hundreds, who now reprefented the freemen, formed the lower houfe. At this time there were in the province but two counties, St. Mary's and the Ifle of Kent, but another (Ann Arundel) was added the fame feffion. This was during the adminiftration of Governor Stone. In this year there was alfo paffed "an act against raising money without the confent of the Affembly." It enacted, 6. That no taxes fhall be affeffed or levied on the freemen of the province without their own confent, or that of their deputies, firft declared, in a general affembly." The printed words and early date of this Maryland act are worthy of particular notice. The acts of the General Affembly and governor were of the fame force in their own province as acts of parliament in England, and could not be repealed without the concurring affent of the proprietary or his deputys with the other two eftates. In 1654, during Cromwell's ufurpation in England, an act was paffed reBraining the exercise of the Roman Catholic religion. This must have been procured by the mere terror of Cromwell's power, for the firft and principal inhabitants were Catholics. Indeed the power of Cromwell was not efl-blithed in Maryland without force and bloodthed. His friends and foes came to. an open rupture, an engagement iffued, Governor Sten: was taken prifoner, and condemned to be fhot; this fentence, however, was not executed, but he was kept a long time in confinement. In March, 1658, Jofiah Fendall, Efq. was appointed lieutenant-general of Maryland by commiffion from Oliver Cromwell; he diffolved the upper houfe, and furrendered the powers of government into the hauds of the delegates. Upon the restoration in 1660, the Honorable Philip Calvert, E'q. was appointed governor; the old form of government was revived; Fendall and one Gerrard, a councellor, were indicted, found guilty and condemned to banifhment, with the lofs of their ellates; but, upon petition they were pardoned. In 1689, the government was taken out of the hands of Lord Baltimore by the grand convention of England; and in 1692, Mr. Copley was appointed governor by commiffion from William and Mary. In 1692, the proteflant religion was effablished by law. In 1699, under the administration of Governor Blackifton, it was enacted, that Annapolis fhould be the feat of government. At the In 1716, the government of this province was reflored to the proprietary, and continued in his hands till the late revolution, when, though a minor, his property in the lands was confifcated, and the government affumed by the freemen of the province, who formed the conftitution now exiding. clofe of the war, Henry Harford, Efq. the natural fon and heir of Lord Baltimore, petitioned the legiflature of Maryland for his eftate, but his petition was not granted. Mr. Harford eftimated his lofs of quit-rents, valued at twenty-five years purchase, and including arrears, at two hundred and fiftynine thoufand, four hundred and eighty-eight pounds, five fillings, dollars ac 7/6—and the value of his manors and referved lands at three hundred and twenty-feven thoufand, four hundred and forty-one pounds of the fume money. VIRGINIA. THE enterprifing genius, which added fo much fplendour to the ative reign of Elizabeth, continued its influence even during that of her indolent fucceffor. Captain Bartholomew Gofnold having made a voyage to the Virginian coaft, in 1602, was fo well picaled with the country, that he refolved to establish in it a plantation. and accordingly, he, with fome other projectors. applied to James I. "for licence to deduce a colony into anar part of America called Virginia." This propofal pleated that monarch, natural y fond of novelty; and, in order to promote fo noble a work, he, on the 10 h of April, 1606 granted letters patent, under the great feal of England, to Sr Thomas Gates and his affociates. All thofe territories in America which ei ther belonged to that monarch, or were not then poffed by any other chrif tian prince or people, lying between the 34th and 45th degrees N. latitude, were granted to this company. They were divid d' at their own delire ino two companies. The one confifling of adventurers of the city of London, was filed the first colony, and was required to eftablish its fettlement, between the 34th and 41ft degrees of latitude-the other, compofed of merchants of Bristol and other wellern towns, named the fecond colony, was ordered to pant between 38 and 45 degrees; yet fo that the colony last formed, should not be planted within one hundred miles of the prior ettablishment. Each of thefe colonies, under the general name of South and North Virginia, had a council of thirteen men to govern them. This is the moit ancient colonial charter, and comprehended almoft the whole of the prefent territory of the United States. 1 Both companies early enterprifed fettlements within the limits of their refpective granis. A fmall fleet of tranfports, with emigrants, under the command of captain Chriftopher Newport, failed from the Thames, in December, 1606. But the month of April, 1607, is the remarkable epoch of the arrival of the firft permanent colony on the Virginian coaft. On the 26th of this month they entered the Chesapeak bay, landed, and foon after gave to the most fouthern point, the name of Cape Henry, which it ftill retains. On May 13, they elected Mr. Edward Maria Wingfield prefident for the year, and next day landed all their men, aud began a fettlement on James' river, at a place which they called James' Town. This is the first town that was fettled by the English in North America. The June following, captain Newport failed for England, leaving with the prefident one hundred and four perfons. In Auguft, a mortal fickness prevailed in the colony, and carried off nearly half their number; and, among others, extremely regretted, captain Gofnold, the firft and zealous projector of this colony, and one of the council. The following winter Jamestown was burnt, and the colony reduced to the greateft extremity. In 1608, the London company fent captain Nelfon with two fhips, and one hundred and twenty perfons, to Jamestown; and, the year following, captain J. Smith, afterwards prefident, arrived, and failed up a number of the rivers, making very important difcoveries in the interior parts of South Virginia. In September, captain Newport arrived, with feventy perfons, which increased the colony to two hundred fouls. In May 1609, parily in order to augment the number of the adventurers, by the addition of perfons of the greatest confequence in the nation, but more to explain former, and to acquire new privileges, the London company applied for, and eafily obtained, from the favour of their fovereign, a new charter. The fecond patent recited and confirmed the firft. There were now added to the former adventurers, many of the firit nobility and gentry, at the head of whom was Robert, earl of Salisbury, most of the companies of London, a numerous body of merchants and tradefmen; and all these were incorporated by the name of the treasurer and company of adventures, of the eity of London, for the first colony of Virginia." The addition of fo many perfons of rank, influence, and fortune, augmented the reputation, not less than the wealth of the former adventurers, and they were now enabled to prefs on, with bolder fleps, to the gaol of their wishes. In June of this year, 1609, fir Thomas Gates, admiral Newport, fir George Somers, with seven ships, a ketch, and a pinnace, having five hundred fouls on board, men, women, and children, failed from Falmouth for South Virgi nia. In crolling the Bahama Gulf, on the 24th of July, the fleet was overNo. 26. taken by a violent form, and feparated. Four days after, fir George Somers ran his veffet afhore on one of the Bermuda iflands, which, from this circumflance, have been called the Somer oflands. The people on board, one hundred and fifty in number, all got fafe on thore; and there remained until the, following May. The remainder of the fleet arrived at Virginia in Auguft. The colony was now increased to five hundred men. Capt. Smith. then prefident, a little before the arrival of the fleet, had been very badly burnt by means of powder which had accidentally caught fire. This unfortunate circumflance, together with the oppofition he met with from thofe who had lately arrived, induced him to leave the colony, and return to England; which he accordingly did the laft of September. Francis Weft, his fucceffor in office, foon followed him, and George Piercy was elected prefident. In 1610, the South-Virginia, or London company, fealed a parent to lord de la War, conflituting him governor and captain general of South-Virginia. He foon after embarked for America with captain Argal, and one hundred and fifty men, in three fhips. The unfortunate people, who, the year before, had been shipwrecked on the Bermuda lands, had employed themfelves, during the winter and fpring, under the direction of fir Thomas Gates, ir George Somers, and admiral Newport, in building a floop to transport themfelves to the continent. They embarked for Virginia on the 10th of May, with about one hundred and fifty perfons on board; leaving two of their men behind, who chose to stay ; and landed at Fameflown on the 23d of the fane month. Finding the colony, which, at the time of capt. Smith's departure, confifled of five hundred fouls, now reduced to fixty, and thole few in a diftreffed and wretched fituation, they, with one voice, relolved to return to England; and, for this purpofe, on the 7th of June, the whole colony repaired on board their velf-ls, broke up the fettlement, and failed down the river, on the way to their native country. Fortunately, lord de la War, who had embarked for Jamestown the March before, met them the day after they failed, and perfuaded them to return with him to Jamestown, where they arrived, and landed the 10 h of June. The government of the colony, of right, devolved upon lord de la War. From this time we may date the effectial fettlement of Virginia. la April 1613, John Rolf, a worthy young gentleman, was married to Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, a lainous Indian chief. This cons nexion, which was very agreeable both to the English and Indians, was the foundation of a friendly and advantageous comineice between them. In 1616, Rolf, with his wife Pocahontas, viliied England, where he was treated with that attention and refpett which he had merited by her important fervices to the colony in Virginia. She died the year following at Gravefend, in the twenty-fecond year of her age, juft as the was about to embark for America. She had embraced the chriftian religion; and in her life and death, evidenced the fincerity of her profellion. She left a fon, who, having received his education in England, came over to Virginia, where he lived and died in affluence and honour, leaving behind him an only daughter. Her defcendants are among the moll refpectabic families in Virginia. Tomecomo, a fenfible Indian, brother-in-law to Pocahontas, accompanied her to England; and was directed by Powhatan to bring him an exact account of the numbers and strength of the English. For this purpofe, when he arrived at Plymouth, he took a long flick, intending to cut a notch in it fur every perfon he fhould fee. This he foon found impracticable, and threw Vol. IV. |