dress, in which they spread their grievances before the throne, and prayed for relief from their burthens, and the restoration of their ancient chartered privileges. In their address they stated that the pressure on commerce sunk the price of tobacco so low, that they were unable to pay their taxes, and the poor were unable to feed and clothe their families; but vain were their remonstrances ; deaf was the king, and desperate was their cause. In the midst of these distresses, the Dutch began to rival them in their trade with the natives, and divert it to New-York. This provoked their resentment, and they abus-. ed the Indians; they in their turn resented the injury, and murdered the traders; this provoked war, and Virginia saw herself in the midst of poverty, distress, war, and despair. We will now bring forward the colony of NewYork, down to this period, 1675. CHAPTER IV. NEW-YORK. DISCOVERY OF NEW-YORK-RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE COLONY. E We have noticed the general discovery of the Atlantic shores of North-America, by the different adventurers, down to the settlement of Virginia and Carolina; we have, noticed the patent of King James I. granted to the colonies of North and South Virginia, bearing date April, 1606. This patent embraced all lands between the 34th and 41st degrees of north latitude, and extended one hundred miles back into the main land. We have noticed the patents that divided this grant between the London and Plymouth Companies, which opened the way for the settlement of Virginia and New England. The settlement of NewEngland under the Plymouth Company, has been noticed, and carried forward to the peace of 1763, as a confederacy distinctly marked from the settlement of the other colonies. This patent, which was previously called North-Virginia, extended from the 38th to the 45th degrees of north latitude; and although part of the colony of New-York is herein twice conveyed, yet New-England, in running the division line with New York, never claimed below the 41st degree of north latitude. In the year 1608, Captain Henry Hudson, as has been noticed, under a commission from King James I. discovered Long-Island, and the river in the colony of New-York that bears his name, and returned to England. In 1610, Captain Hudson, (for some reason not very satisfactorily explained,) sailed from Holland in the service of the Dutch, and again visited his former discovery; and in the year 1614, the States-General granted a patent to several merchants, for an exclusive trade upon the North, or Hud son's River, who built a fort at Albany, and another at Manhadoes, (now York Island.) At this time Sir Thomas Dale, governor of Virginia, sent Captain Argall to dispossess the French at Port Royal, in Novascotia, who having executed his commission, visited the Dutch settlement at Manhadoes, and took possession in the name of the king of England, and reduced it to the government of Virginia. In 1623, the Dutch, who had never regarded the conquest of Captain Argall, or the governor of Virginia, continued to enjoy their trade; and to render this yet more profitable, they attempted to engross the trade of Connecticut River, and to this end they erected a trading house at the mouth of a small stream, where Hartford now stands, and called it the Hirse of Good-Hope. In 1621, the StatesGeneral, by letters patent, granted this district of country to the Dutch West-India Company, under the name of New-Netherlands. Walter Van Twiller, who was their first governor, arrived in the year 1629, and took possession of Fort Amsterdam, at Manhadoes, and entered upon his government. Gov. Van Twiller published his commission, in the following stile. "We, Director and Council, residing in New-Netherland, on the Island of Manhattans, under the government of their High Mightinesses, the Lords, the States-General of the United Netherlands, and the privileged West-India Company." The controversy, concerning the trade and possession of Connecticut River, which sprang up between the Dutch and the colony of Connecticut, has been fully noticed under that colony. The Dutch claimed not only Connecticut River, and the lands lying west of it, as far as the Hudsou; but, to the south also, as far as the Delaware Bay; including all lands on the Delaware, (then called South) River. They claimed also, to the north, as far as the St. Lawrence, or River of Canada, and called the country north-west of Albany, Terra Incognita. In 1638, William Keift appears as governor of this colony, and enters into the controversy about lines and boundaries. In 1640, the English attempted to possess themselves of Long-Island; but the Dutch, under the command of Jan Jansen Alpendam, dispossessed them, and held the jurisdiction. In 1643, the famous New-England League commenced, between the four colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New-Haven; and Connecticut and NewHaven attempted to arm the League against the Dutch, not only to punish them for furnishing the Indians with arms, but to drive them from their borders. Massachusetts ́declined the enterprise, and New-Haven applied to Oliver Cromwell, then Lord-High-Protector upon the throne of England Cromwell listened favourably to the application, and attempted to make provision to carry the plan into effect; but the pressure of his affairs prevented. In 1646, Peter Stuyvesant, was appointed governor, to succeed Gov. Keift, and in 1647, he entered upon the duties of his office. Claims upon New-Netherlands multiplied upon all sides, during this administration; NewEngland on the east, Maryland on the west, and the Dutchess Dowager of Sterling, through her agent, Captain Forrester, (a Scotchman,) claimed Long-Island; and the Swedes claimed and encroached upon Delaware. In the year 1626, Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, instituted by letters patent, a Swedish West-India Company, for the purpose of making settlements on the American coast. In 1627, a company of Swedes and Fins, entered the Delaware Bay, sailed up the river, and made a general purchase of the adjoining lands. They commenced their settlements at Christeen, on the west side of the Delaware, and proceeded to settle Lewistown, Tenecum, and Cliester, and erected forts in all these settlements. Tenecum, which was also called New Gottenburg, became the seat of government. The colony of New-Haven about this time,": commenced a settlement on the east side of the river; but the Dutch and Swedes drove them off, and the Swedes took possession of their ground, which gave them the command of the river; this also incensed the Dutch. At this time a Swedish vessel entered the Raritan River;' and the Dutch governor seized her, which opened a controversy; the Swedes rose in arms, under their governor Rising, and seized on Fort Casimer, which the Dutch had built upon the Delaware. Gov. Stuyvesant assembled a force and embarked in person at the head of his troops, to recover the fort; he landed his troops, and summoned the fort the commandant capitulated, and resigned up the fort. Flushed with this success, Gov. Stuyvesant march-.. ed up to Fort Christina, and Rising gave up the fort upon the first summons, September, 1655. Rising was sent to Eng. land, and such of the Swedes as did not swear allegiance. to the States-General, were sent to Sweden, and thus the country was cleared, and New-Swedeland was added to the possessions of New-Netherland. New-Swedeland now took the name of the Three Lower Countries upon. South River, and Johan Paul Jaquet, received a commission, as their first vice-director, or lieutenant-governor, from the director-general at New-Amsterdam. The successors of Jaquet were Alricks, Hinnojossa, and William Beckman; these lieutenants had full powers to grant lands, and their titles have ever been considered as valid. The following commission granted to Alrick, as lieutenant-governor or vice-director in the year 1657, shews: the full extent of the Dutch claims, in New-Swedeland upon South (now Delaware) River. |