Project Gutenberg's A Source Book in American History to 1787, by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: A Source Book in American History to 1787 Author: Various Editor: Willis Mason West Release Date: May 25, 2014 [EBook #45757] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOURCE BOOK AMERICAN HISTORY *** Produced by Richard Tonsing, K Nordquist and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) A SOURCE BOOK IN AMERICAN HISTORY TO 1787 COLLECTED AND EDITED BY WILLIS MASON WEST SOMETIME PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AND HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ALLYN AND BACON Boston New York Chicago COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY WILLIS MASON WEST. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing Co.—Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. FOREWORD Early American history is especially suited for "source work" in secondary schools and undergraduate college classes. After the year 1800, there are too many documents and many of them are too long. The student can get no systematic survey nor any sense of continuity; and source work is therefore merely illustrative of particular incidents. But, for the early period, it is possible, by careful selection and exclusion, to lay a basis for a fairly connected study. To do this, it is necessary to combine in one volume selections which are usually grouped separately, as "Documents" and as "Readings,"—such, for instance, as the Massachusetts charter, on the one hand, and Winthrop's letters to his wife, on the other. Rigid scholarship may object to the inclusion of such different sorts of sources between the same covers. But students cannot be expected to own or use more than one volume of sources in American history; and the practical educational advantages of the combination seem to me to outweigh all possible objections—besides which, something might be said for the arrangement in itself, for young students, on the side of interest and convenience. A number of admirable collections of sources for schools are already in use. And yet, in preparing my American History and Government,[1] I found no single volume which contained the different kinds of source material desirable for illustration, while much of the most valuable material was still inaccessible in any collection. Some two-thirds of the selections in the present volume, I believe, have not previously appeared in Source Books; and, for many of the customary documents, I have found it desirable to print parts not usually given. Thus, for Gorges' Patent for Maine, instead of reproducing the territorial grant (which is all that is given in the only Source Book which touches on that document), I have chosen rather to give the portion authorizing a degree of popular self-government (the reference to the "parliament in New England"). In a few cases, documents which might have been expected are not given, because extracts from them are used freely in the American History and Government, to which this is a companion volume. The most important cases of this character are noted at appropriate points. In general, in the selection and arrangement of documents, special emphasis has been given to the following topics: (1) the idealistic motives back of American colonization in Virginia as well as in Puritan New England; (2) the evolution of political institutions in Virginia and in typical Northern colonies,—especially of representative government and of the town meeting, and of such details as the use of the ballot; (3) the very imperfect nature of democracy, political and social, in colonial America,—so that the student may better appreciate our later growth; (4) social conditions,—necessarily a rather fragmentary treatment; (5) the evolution of commonwealths out of colonies in the Revolution; and (6) the breakdown of the Confederation and the making of the Constitution. Many typical documents are given entire. Other selections are excerpted carefully. In such cases, omissions are indicated, of course, and the substance of the omitted matter is usually indicated in brackets. In the case of a few selections, like those from Winthrop's History, the original document has already been published in standard editions with modernized spelling. Such editions have been followed. The text of all other documents has been reproduced faithfully, except for such departures as are authorized in the American Historical Association's Suggestions for the Printing of Documents; i.e., regarding the spelling out of abbreviations, and the modern usage for the consonantal i and u, and the modernizing of punctuation when absolutely needful to prevent ambiguity. Some students may find a slight difficulty at first in the vagaries of seventeenth century orthography. But this difficulty is quickly surmounted; and, apart from the added flavor that comes from the quaintness of the original, and from the consciousness that the copy has been strictly adhered to, there is often a distinct historical advantage in the practice. The falling away in book-culture in the second generation of New England colonization can hardly be suggested so forcibly in any other way as by following the degeneration of spelling by town officials—as in the Watertown records in Number 83. The peculiarities of type in printed documents have been preserved so far as possible, but here I have taken a greater liberty than in any other matter of this kind. Italics and black-faced type have been introduced freely, to call attention to matter of special importance for instruction. Sometimes this practice has been noted in the respective introductions; and in other cases there will be little difficulty in deciding which passages owe their prominence of this sort to the editor. I have tried also to add to the teaching value of the book by a free use of introductions to the various extracts, and by footnotes and addenda, with occasional "Hints for Study." WILLIS MASON WEST. Windago Farm, November, 1913. TABLE OF CONTENTS NUMBER PAGE I. England in the Century of Colonization 1. Classes of Englishmen; by William Harrison; from Holinshed's Chronicles (1577) 1 A. SOUTHERN COLONIES TO 1660 II. Motives for Early Colonization 2. Sir George Peckham's "True Report" (1582) of Gilbert's expedition; from Richard Hakluyt's Voyages and Discoveries of the English Nation 4 3. Richard Hakluyt's Discourse on Western Planting (1584); from the Maine Historical Society Collections 4 4. Michael Drayton's Ode to the Virginian Voyage (1606) 7 5. "Goodspeed to Virginia" (1609); by Robert Gray; from Brown's Genesis of the United States 7 6. "Nova Britannia" (1609); anonymous; from Peter Force's Historical Tracts 10 7. The "True and Sincere Declaration" by the London Company (1609), with a "Table of such [colonists] as are required"; from Brown's Genesis of the United States 12 8. Marston's Eastward Hoe! (1605) 15 9. Crashaw's "Daily Prayer" for use in Virginia (1609); from Force's Historical Tracts 15 10. Crashaw's "Sermon" before Lord Delaware's Expedition (1610); from Brown's Genesis of the United States 16 11. A letter by Sir Edwin Sandys (1612) to stockholders of the London Company; from Neill's Virginia and Virginiola 17 12. The glories of Virginia; from a letter from Sir Thomas Dale (governor in Virginia) to Sir Thomas Smith (head of the London Company), in 1613; from the Records of the Virginia Company of London, edited by Susan Kingsbury 17 13. A defense of the London Company (declared not mercenary) by Captain John Smith (1616); from Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia 18 14. A plea for colonization on patriotic and religious grounds (1631), by Captain John Smith; Works 18 III. Virginia (1606-1619), to the Introduction of Self-government 15. The charter of Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1578); from Hakluyt's Voyages and Discoveries 20 16. The Virginia charter of 1606; from the Appendix to Stith's History of Virginia 23 17. Instructions by King James to the London Company (November 20/30, 1606); from Hening's Statutes at Large 29 18. Instructions from the Council of the Virginia Company to the first Jamestown expedition (December, 1606); from Neill's Virginia Company 32 19. The early settlers and their sufferings: a. A "Discourse" by Master George Percy (1607); from "Purchas his Pilgrimes" (1625) 35 b. An account of "gentlemen" in Virginia, by Amos Todkill (1608); from Smith's Works 36 20. The Virginia charter of 1609 (with hints for study); from the Appendix to Stith's History of Virginia 37 21. The Virginia charter of 1612 (the portions relating to a more democratic organization of the Company and its powers); ib. 44 22. The danger from Spanish attack: correspondence of Spanish and English ambassadors with their respective governments; from Brown's Genesis of the United States 47 IV. Virginia under the Liberal Company, 1619-1624 23. Rules of the Virginia Company (1619); from Force's Historical Tracts 51 24. An "Order" of the Company authorizing temporary self-government in its plantations (February 2/12, 1619/1620); from Susan Kingsbury's Records of the Virginia Company of London 53 25. Records of the Assembly of 1619; from Wynne and Gilman's Colonial Records of Virginia 53 26. The "Declaration" by the Company (drawn by Sandys), June 22/July 2, 1620, justifying the liberal management; from Susan Kingsbury's Records of the Virginia Company of London 63 27. The Ordinance of 1621,—a grant of limited self-government by the Company to the settlers, with authorization of a representative Assembly; from the Appendix to Stith's History of Virginia 70 28. Attempts by King James to control the elections in the Company in favor of the "court party" in 1620 and 1622; from Susan Kingsbury's Records of the Virginia Company of London 73 V. Virginia a Royal Province: Struggle to save the Assembly 29. Royal Commission to Governor Wyatt and his Council (1624), ignoring the Assembly; from Hazard's State Papers 80 30. Royal commission to Governor Yeardley (1625), to like purpose; from Hazard's State Papers 82 31. Protests in the Colony: a. The Assembly's precautionary "bill of rights," with statement of the principle, "No taxation without representation" (three laws from the session of March, 1624); from Hening's Statutes at Large 83 b. Requests from the colony for aid, and, indirectly, for an Assembly: 1. Letter from the Governor and Council to the Special Commission in England (April, 1626); from the Aspinwall Papers, in Massachusetts Historical Society Collections 84 2. Letter from the same to the same (May, 1626); from the Virginia Magazine of History 85 32. Restoration of the Assembly by royal authority (1629): a. Captain Harvey's "Propositions" (after appointment as governor); ib. 86 b. The King's answer to the same; ib. 86 c. Royal instructions to Governor Berkeley (1641); ib. 87 33. Virginian legislation, financial and moral; from Hening's Statutes at Large 87 VI. Virginia under the Commonwealth 34. Terms of settlement between Parliamentary Commissioners and the Assembly (1652); from Hening's Statutes at Large 90 35. Legislation restricting the franchise, and restoring it to the old basis; ib. 92 VII. Maryland to 1660 36. Lord Baltimore's letter to Charles I (1629), describing the hardships of the Avalon colony and asking for a grant in "Virginia"; from Scharf's History of Maryland 93 37. The Maryland charter of 1632; from Bacon's Laws of Maryland 94 38. Extracts from the Avalon charter of 1623 (with comparison with the Maryland grant); from Scharf's History of Maryland 99 39. Excursus: Extracts from the Plowden grant of New Albion of 1634, and the Gorges grant of Maine of 1639 (for comparison with the foregoing, in tracing the development of royal approval of representative institutions in the colonies); the documents from Hazard's State Papers 100 40. The "Toleration Act" of 1649; from the Maryland Archives 102 B. NEW ENGLAND TO 1660 VIII. An Early Exploration 41. Captain George Weymouth's "True Relation" of his voyage in 1605 to the coast of Maine; from the Massachusetts Historical Society Collections 106 IX. The First Source of New England Land Titles 42. The charter of 1620 for the Plymouth Council (sometimes called the Council for New England); from Hazard's State Papers 109 X. Plymouth Colony 43. Negotiations between the Pilgrims and the Virginia Company for the Wincob charter: Cushman's letter explaining the delay; from Bradford's Plymouth Plantation 113 44. Articles of Partnership between Pilgrims and London merchants; ib. 114 45. The "farewell letter" from Pastor Robinson: the Pilgrims a "body politic" with power of self- government; ib. 116 46. The Mayflower Compact; ib.; with addendum—The Exeter Agreement; from Hazard's State Papers 116 47. The Peirce charter of June, 1621, from the New England Council; from the Massachusetts Historical Society Collections 118 48. Early history and hardships:[2] a. Edward Winslow's letter of December, 1621, to a friend in England; from Arber's Story of the Pilgrim Fathers 120 b. Captain John Smith's account, in 1624; Works 122 49. The final source of Plymouth land titles: a. Bradford's Patent of 1630; from Hazard's State Papers 124 b. Bradford's surrender of the same to the colony; ib. 126 50. Extracts from the "Fundamental Laws" of 1636; ib. 127 XI. The Founding of Massachusetts Bay 51. The Gorges claim: a. The charter from the New England Council to Robert Gorges (1622); from Sir Ferdinando Gorges' "Briefe Narration," in Hazard's State Papers 129 b. The Gorges expedition of 1623; ib., in Massachusetts Historical Society Collections 131 52. The founding of Salem and Charlestown: White's "Relation" (1630); from Young's Massachusetts Chronicles 132 53. The Massachusetts Company's charter of 1629; from the Records of the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay, edited by Nathaniel Shurtleff (usually quoted here as the Massachusetts Colonial Records) 137 54. The docket of the above charter, as it was presented for royal approval (showing the King's expectation that the charter was to remain in England); from the Massachusetts Historical Society Proceedings for 1869-1870 144 55. Excursus: discussion of the original intention of the grantees in the Massachusetts charter as to removing to America, with illuminating extracts from the "Charter of the Company of Westminster for the Plantation of Providence Isle"; (the document from the manuscript in British Record Office) 146 56. Agreement between the Massachusetts Company in England and the Rev. Francis Higginson, on his removal to America; from Young's Chronicles of Massachusetts 148 57. Establishment of a subordinate government in the colony (April, 1629), by order of the Company in England; from the Massachusetts Colonial Records 150 XII. The Colony Becomes Puritan 58. The decision to transfer the government and charter to the colony: a. The first official proposal, by Governor Cradock, at a meeting of the Company in London (July 28, 1629); from the Massachusetts Colonial Records 153 b. The Cambridge Agreement; from Young's Chronicles of Massachusetts 154 c. The final decision by the Company; from the Colonial Records 156 59. Decision of Puritan gentlemen to settle in the colony: a. John Winthrop's argument for a Puritan colony; from Winthrop's Life and Letters of John Winthrop 157 b. Winthrop's reasons for himself coming to America; ib. 159 c. The decision of John Winthrop, Jr.; ib. 160 d. Higginson's "News from New England"; from Young's Chronicles of Massachusetts 161 60. The attitude of the early Puritan colonists toward the Church of England: a. Winthrop's farewell letter to the Church of England; Life and Letters 162 b. Captain John Smith's opinion of the Puritans in 1630 (not Separatists); from Smith's Works 164 61. Political principles of the Puritan leaders (distrust of democracy): illustrated by extracts from Calvin's Institutes 164 62. Early hardships and religious tendencies: a. From Winthrop's History of New England, 1630-1631 168 b. From Winthrop's letters to his wife; Life and Letters 171 c. From Thomas Dudley's letter to the Countess of Lincoln (1631); from Young's Chronicles of Massachusetts 174 XIII. Development of Democracy 63. Oligarchic usurpations in 1630-1631; from the Colonial Records 178 64. The "Watertown Protest" against taxation without representation (the first popular movement), in 1632, and the consequent resumption by the democracy of some of their rights; from Winthrop's History of New England 180 65. Sample legislation under aristocratic rule, 1630-1633; from the Colonial Records 183 66. The beginning of town government, at Dorchester; from the Dorchester Records 188 67. The development of representative government: a. Winthrop's account; from his History of New England 189 b. The official records of the revolutionary General Court of 1634; from the Colonial Records 191 68. Political reaction: the magistrates demand a "negative voice"; from Winthrop's History of New England 194 69. The Puritan government denies free speech in political matters; ib. 195 70. The adoption of the ballot in elections in the General Court; ib. 196 71. The first use of the ballot in local elections; ib. 197 72. A military commission with power of martial law; from the Colonial Records 198 73. Winthrop's account of various political actions: a "Life Council"; extension of the ballot by the use of proxies; restriction of "churches" to the organizations recognized by the government; from Winthrop's History of New England 199 74. The Wheelwright controversy, with special reference to political phases; ib. 199 75. Political and social conditions in Massachusetts in 1636: a. "Proposals" of Lords Say and Brooke, with the answers of John Cotton; from the Appendix to Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts Bay 201 b. Legislation of 1651 regarding dress of different classes; from the Colonial Records 205 76. Attack upon the charter: a. An order in Council in England for its surrender; from Hutchinson's Original Papers 206 b. The defiant refusal of the Colony; from Winthrop's History of New England 207 77. Democratic discontent with aristocratic privilege in 1639 (Winthrop's denial of the right of petition; the abolition of Life Council; delay in conceding a written code); ib. 210 78. The "Body of Liberties"; from Whitmore's Bibliographical Sketch of the Laws of Massachusetts Colony 214 79. A Puritan view of the rules of fair trade (Cotton's sermon upon the conviction of a shopkeeper for exacting exorbitant profits); from Winthrop's History of New England 225 80. The separation of the General Court into two Houses (the first two-chambered legislature in America); the story from Winthrop's History of New England, and the preamble of the act of 1644 from the Colonial Records 226 81. A town code of school laws (1645); from the Dorchester Records 230 82. Colonial school laws (1642 and 1647); from the Colonial Records 233 83. Representative town records (Watertown Records, 1634-1678) 236 XIV. Massachusetts and Religious Persecution 84. Puritan arguments for and against persecution: a. From Nathaniel Ward's Simple Cobbler of Aggawamm (1647) 246 b. From Captain Edward Johnson's Wonder-working Providence of Sions Saviour in New England (1654) 248 c. The discussion between Saltonstall and Cotton (about 1650); from Hutchinson's Original Papers 249 85. Criticism of the Massachusetts way, by a moderate Episcopalian and royalist (Lechford's Plaine Dealing; 1641) 252 86. A Presbyterian demand for the franchise in 1646 (the letter of Dr. Robert Child and others to the Governor and General Court); from Hutchinson's Original Papers 255 87. Trial and punishment of nonconformists for not attending approved churches; from the Colonial Records 259 88. Quaker Persecutions: a. Edward Burrough's appeal to King Charles (1660); from Burrough's Sad and Great Persecution and Martyrdom of Quakers in New England 260 b. Trial of the Quaker, Wenlock Christison (1661); from Besse's Collection of the Sufferings of the People called Quakers 263 XV. Rhode Island to 1660 89. The first covenant at Providence (1636): a compact in "civil things only"; from the Early Records of the Town of Providence 267 90. Roger Williams' argument that religious freedom is consonant with civil order (the ship illustration); from Arnold's History of Rhode Island 268 91. The Patent for Providence Plantation from the Council of the Long Parliament (1644), restricting the government to civil matters; from the Rhode Island Colonial Records 269 92. Rhode Island's answer to the demand of Massachusetts (a refusal to exclude Quakers); from the Appendix to Hutchinson's Massachusetts Bay 270 XVI. Connecticut before 1660 93. The Fundamental Orders of 1639; from the Connecticut Colonial Records 273 XVII. The New England Confederation 94. The constitution (Articles of Confederation); from the New Haven Colonial Records 280 95. The demand of Massachusetts for more weight in the union, with the answer of the Congress of the Confederation; from the Plymouth Colony Records 285 96. Nullification by Massachusetts, with the protest of the Congress of the Confederation; ib. 287 C. COLONIAL AMERICA XVIII. Liberal Charters 97. The Connecticut charter of 1662; from the Connecticut Colonial Records 290 98. The Rhode Island charter of 1663 (parts referring especially to religious liberty); from the Rhode Island Colonial Records 293 XIX. An English Colonial System 99. Royal instructions for the "Councill appointed for Forraigne Plantations" (1660); from O'Callaghan's Documents relative to the Colonial History of New York 298 100. The English commercial policy: a. The "first" Navigation Act (1660), regarding shipping and "enumerated" colonial exports, with note from the Act of 1662 explaining that "English" ships include colonial; from Statutes of the Realm 300 b. The Navigation Act of 1663 (regarding colonial imports); ib. 301 c. The Sugar Act of 1733; ib. 303 101. The Duke of York's charter for New York (1664); from O'Callaghan's Documents relative to Colonial History of New York 305 102. Penn's grant of Pennsylvania (1680); from the Charters and Laws of Pennsylvania 307 103. Penn's grants to the Pennsylvanians: a. "Laws agreed upon in England" (1683); from Hazard's Annals of Pennsylvania 311 b. The "Charter of Privileges" of 1701; from Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania 314 104. Berkeley's Report on Virginia in 1671; from Hening's Statutes 319 105. The franchise in Virginia restricted (the Act of 1670); ib. 324 106. "Bacon's Laws" (the legislation of the revolutionary Assembly of 1676); ib. 325 107. The proclamation of July, 1676, by Nathaniel Bacon, "Generall by Consent of the People"; from the Massachusetts Historical Society Collections 328 108. Testimony by various county courts showing that democratic political discontent was a chief cause of Bacon's Rebellion; from the Virginia Magazine of History 329 109. The abolition of Bacon's reforms: a. The royal order; from Hening's Statutes at Large 330 b. The repeal of "Bacon's Laws" by the Assembly of 1677; ib. 331 110. Self-government in Massachusetts restricted: a. Randolph's report to the Lords of Trade; from Hutchinson's Original Papers 331 b. The Massachusetts charter of 1691; from Acts and Resolves of the Province of Massachusetts Bay 333 111. Attempts by England at closer control: a. Recommendation of the Board of Trade (1701) that all charter colonies be transformed into royal provinces by act of parliament; from the North Carolina Colonial Records 339 b. The feeling of the colonists (extracts from a pamphlet by John Wise, minister of Ipswich) 342 c. The action of a Boston town meeting relative to a proposed permanent salary for the colonial Governor; from the Boston Town Records 343 d. Connecticut's refusal to obey a royal officer commissioned to command her militia (a private letter of Governor Fletcher, describing his repulse); from the New York Colonial Documents 347 112. The commission of a royal governor (from George III to Benning Wentworth); from the New Hampshire Provincial Papers 349 113. Freedom of speech vindicated: the trial of John Peter Zenger for criticising the governor of New York; from Zenger's Brief Narrative of the Case and Tryall 352 114. Franklin's "Albany Plan" for the union of the colonies under the crown: a. An account of the motives for the proposal; from Franklin's Works 358 b. The document; from New York Colonial Documents 359 XX. Harsh Phases of Colonial Life 115. Legal punishments in Virginia: "pillory and ducking stoole" in 1662-1748; from Hening's Statutes at Large 364 116. White "servants" (indentured and others) in 1774; from Eddes' Letters from America 364 117. Advertisements for runaway servants; newspaper extracts for the years 1770-1771, from the New Jersey Archives 366 D. THE REVOLUTION XXI. Preliminary Period—to 1774 118. The Sugar Act of 1764; from the Statutes of the Realm 369 119. The Stamp Act of 1765; ib. 373 120. Reception of the Stamp Act in America: a. Patrick Henry's Resolutions; from the Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia 374 b. A Virginia County Association against the Act; ib. 375 c. The stamp distributor for Virginia persuaded to resign (the letter from Governor Fauquier to the Lords of Trade); ib. 377 d. Threat of violence against any who should use stamped paper; a notice in the New York Gazette of February 27, 1766; reproduced in the New Jersey Archives 380 121. Origin of the Virginia non-importation agreement: a. Protest of the Burgesses against the proposal of the English government to send Americans to England for trial (May 16, 1769); from the Journals of the House of Burgesses 380 b. The "association" of the ex-Burgesses (May 18, 1769); ib. 383 122. The origin of the Massachusetts town-committees of correspondence; from the Boston Town Records 387 123. The creation of Intercolonial Committees of Correspondence: a. Jefferson's later account; from Jefferson's Writings 390 b. The action of the Virginia House of Burgesses; from the Journals 391 c. Letters from other colonies received by the Virginia Committee, approving the recommendation; ib. 392 124. Intimidation of the owners of tea ships (a Philadelphia handbill by "The Committee for Tarring and Feathering"); from Scharf and Westcott's History of Philadelphia 394 XXII. The Rise of Revolutionary Governments 125. The Virginia Burgesses suggest an annual Congress (1774): a. Extract from a letter by a member of the Assembly; from Force's American Archives 396 b. Jefferson's account of the plan for declaring a day of prayer and fasting, on receipt by the Burgesses of the news of the Boston Port Bill; from Jefferson's Works 397 c. Resolution of the Burgesses appointing June 1, 1774, a day of prayer and fasting; from the Journals 398 d. The consequent dissolution of the Assembly by the Governor; ib. 399 e. The ex-Burgesses suggest an annual Continental Congress; ib. 399 f. Letters from the Virginia Committee of Correspondence to the other colonies, conveying Virginia's suggestion for an annual Congress; ib. 401 g. The answer of Rhode Island to Virginia, with the appointment of delegates to the proposed Congress; ib. 403 126. A "call" for the Continental Congress from the Massachusetts Assembly (June 17) 405 127. A Virginia county (Frederick) suggests a Continental Congress and a "General Association" of the colonies (June 8); from Force's American Archives 406 128. Virginia issues the first call for a provincial convention (to elect delegates to the Continental Congress); ib.: a. Suggestion from the ex-Burgesses, May 30, 1774 407 b. Sample notice of the call by an ex-Burgess to his county (a letter from Thomas Mason of June 16) 408 c. Typical call (June 27) by a county committee for a county meeting (Norfolk) to instruct delegates to the coming provincial convention 409 129. Typical Instructions by Virginia county meetings: a. Westmoreland County 410 b. George Washington's county (Fairfax) 412 c. Nansemond County 416 d. York County 417 e. Middlesex County (disapproval of the Boston Tea Party) 417 130. The First Continental Congress: a. The decision upon how the colonies should vote; from John Adams' "Diary" in his Works 418 b. Adams' impressions of the meeting at its close; ib. 420 c. The Declaration of Rights; from Ford's Journals of the Continental Congress 421 d. The Act of Association; ib. 427 131. Typical resolutions by a Virginia county (Prince William) approving the Association of the Continental Congress; from Force's American Archives 432 132. Virginia county conventions become de facto governments (typical action by Fairfax County, organizing a Revolutionary militia January 17, 1775); ib. 433 133. The Virginia Provincial Convention becomes a government: a. Cumberland County instructs delegates for preparation for war; ib. 435 b. The Second Virginia Convention arms and taxes the colony; ib. 436 c. The Third Convention (June, 1775) assumes the forms of a government; from Virginia Calendar of State Papers 442 XXIII. Independence 134. Charlotte County, Virginia, instructs delegates (April 23, 1776) to the coming Fourth Virginia Convention to favor independence and an independent State constitution; Force's American Archives 443 135. The Virginia Convention, May 15, instructs for independence and adopts resolutions for a bill of rights and a constitution; ib. 445 136. The Virginia Bill of Rights; from Poore's Charters and Constitutions 446 137. Virginia's Declaration of Independence, June 29, 1776; from Jefferson's Writings 450 138. Revolutionary State Governments: a. The recommendation of Congress of May 15, 1776; from Ford's Journals of Congress 452 b. John Adams' comment; from John Adams' Letters to Abigail Adams 453 139. The Maryland Convention instructs its delegates in Congress against independence; from Proceedings of the Conventions of Maryland 454 140. Lee's motion for Independence in Congress; from Ford's Journals 458 141. The Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776; from Ford's Journals of Congress 459 142. Anti-social tendencies of pre-Revolutionary measures: a. The effect of closing the courts (Adams' account of his welcome by his horse-jockey client); from John Adams' Works 463 b. A Tory's protest against mob violence, in a parody on Hamlet's soliloquy; from Moore's Diary of the American Revolution 464 c. Correspondence between a Tory and a Committee, showing how the Tory was induced to sign a recantation; from Niles' Principles and Acts of the Revolution 464 143. An oath of allegiance to a new State (Pennsylvania): a facsimile, from Scharf and Westcott's History of Philadelphia 466 144. A Loyalist's pretended "diary" of the year 1789 (written in 1778), to show the danger of French conquest; from Tyler's Literary History of the American Revolution 467 145. A statement of how the Revolution set free social forces; from David Ramsey's History of the American Revolution 468 E. CONFEDERATION AND CONSTITUTION XXIV. The Articles of Confederation 146. Debates in the Congress on the Articles; from John Adams' Works 470 147. The Articles; from the Revised Statutes of the United States 475 XXV. The National Domain 148. The desire for Statehood in the West, and Western self-confidence; a statement by a convention of the proposed State of Frankland 485 149. Organization of the Western Territory by Congress: a. The Ordinance of 1784; from the Journals of Congress 486 b. The Northwest Ordinance (1787); ib. 488 XXVI. Drifting toward Anarchy 150. Gouverneur Morris to John Jay, on the prospect of a military dictator; from Sparks' Life and Works of Gouverneur Morris 497 151. Shays' Rebellion: a. A statement of grievances by Hampshire County; from Minot's History of the Insurrection in Massachusetts 497 b. Washington's alarm; letters to Henry Lee and to Madison; from Washington's Writings 500 152. A shrewd foreigner's view of the social conflict over the adoption of a new Constitution (Otto's letter to Vergennes, on the failure of the Annapolis Convention); from the Appendix to Bancroft's History of the Constitution 502 XXVII. Making the Constitution 153. The call issued by the Annapolis Convention for a Federal Convention; from the Documentary History of the Constitution 506 154. Typical credentials of delegates to the Federal Convention (the Georgia credentials); from Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention 510 155. George Mason's account of the preliminaries at Philadelphia (a letter to George Mason, Jr., May 20, 1787); ib. 512 156. The "Virginia Plan"; ib. 514 157. George Mason on aristocratic and democratic forces in the Convention at its opening (letter to George Mason, Jr., June 1); ib. 517 158. The "New Jersey Plan"; ib. 518 159. Hamilton's plan; from Hamilton's Works 521 160. Character sketches of men of the Convention, by William Pierce, a delegate from Georgia; from Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention 522 161. One day in the Convention,—the critical day's debate on the Connecticut Compromise; ib. 532 XXVIII. Ratifying the Constitution 162. George Mason's objections to the Constitution; from Kate Mason Rowland's Life of George Mason 543 163. Mason's explanation of the preparation of his "Objections"; from Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention 546 164. A Federalist account of how John Hancock was induced finally to support the Constitution in the Massachusetts ratifying convention; by Stephen Higginson, in Writings of Laco 547 165. The Federal Constitution 551 Index of Sources. 576 Subject Index. 580 FOOTNOTES: Allyn and Bacon. 1913. Bradford's Plymouth Plantation, the main source for this topic, is quoted so extensively in the American History and Government that it is not used here in this connection. A SOURCE BOOK IN AMERICAN HISTORY I. ENGLAND IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 1. Classes of Englishmen William Harrison, in Holinshed's Chronicle (1577). Cf. No. 75 on like social divisions in early New England; and see American History and Government, § 65. We in England divide our people commonlie into foure sorts, as gentlemen, citizens or burgesses, yeomen, ... or [and] laborers. Of gentlemen the first and cheefe (next the king) be the prince, dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons: and these are called gentlemen of the greater sort, or (as our common usage of speech is) lords and noblemen: and next unto them be knights, esquiers, and last of all they that are simplie called gentlemen, ... Who soever studieth the lawes of the realme, who so abideth in the universitie giving his mind to his booke, or professeth physicke and the liberall sciences, or beside his service in the roome of a capteine in the warres, or good counsell given at home, whereby his commonwealth is benefited, can live without manuell labour, and thereto is able and will beare the port, charge, and countenance of a gentleman, he shall for monie have a cote and armes bestowed upon him by heralds (who in the charter of the same doo of custome pretend antiquitie and service, and manie gaie things) and, thereunto being made so good cheape, be called master, which is the title that men give to esquiers and gentlemen, and reputed for a gentleman ever after.... ... our merchants [are] to be installed, as amongst the citizens (although they often change estate with gentlemen, as gentlemen doo with them, by a mutuall conversion of the one into the other).... Yeomen are ... free men, borne English, and [who] may dispend of their owne free land in yearelie revenue, to the summe of fortie shillings sterling, or six pounds as monie goeth in our times. ... This sort of people have a certeine preheminence, and more estimation than labourers and the common sort of artificers, and commonlie live wealthilie, keepe good houses, and travell to get riches. They are also for the most part farmers to gentlemen ... or at the leastwise artificers, and with grasing, frequenting of markets, and keeping of servants (not idle servants as the gentlemen doo, but such as get both their owne and part of their master's living) do come to great welth, in somuch that manie of them are [1] [2] able and doo buie the lands of unthriftie gentlemen, and often setting their sonnes to the schooles, to the universities, and to the Ins of the court, or otherwise leaving them sufficient lands whereupon they may live without labour, doo make them by those means to become gentlemen. These were they that in times past made all France afraid. ... The fourth and last sort of people in England are daie labourers, poore husbandmen, and some retailers (which have no free land) copie holders, and all artificers,—as tailers, shomakers, carpenters, brickmakers, masons, etc. As for slaves and bondmen we have none, naie such is the privilege of our countrie by the especiall grace of God, and bountie of our princes, that if anie come hither from other realms, so soone as they set foot on land they become so free of condition as their masters. ... This fourth and last sort of people therefore have neither voice nor authoritie in the common wealth, but are to be ruled, and not to rule other; yet they are not altogither neglected, for in cities and corporat townes, for default of yeomen they are faine to make up their inquests [juries] of such maner of people. And in villages they are commonlie made churchwardens, sidemen, aleconners, now and then constables, and manie times injoie the name of hedboroughes. Unto this sort also may our great swarmes of idle serving men be referred, of whome there runneth a proverbe; 'Young serving men, old beggers,' bicause service is none heritage.... A. SOUTHERN COLONIES TO 1660 II. MOTIVES FOR EARLY ENGLISH COLONIZATION 2. From Sir George Peckham's "True Report" Richard Hakluyt's Voyages ... and Discoveries (1589), III, 167 ff. Peckham was a partner in Gilbert's enterprise. His Report, a considerable pamphlet, was written in 1582. ... To conclude, since by Christian dutie we stand bound chiefly to further all such acts as do tend to the encreasing the true flock of Christ by reducing into the right way those lost sheepe which are yet astray: And that we shall therein follow the example of our right vertuous predecessors of renowned memorie, and leave unto our posteritie a divine memoriall of so godly an enterprise: Let us, I say, for the considerations alledged, enter into judgement with our selves, whether this action may belong to us or no. ... Then shal her Majesties dominions be enlarged, her highnesse ancient titles justly confirmed, all odious idlenesse from this our Realme utterly banished, divers decayed townes repaired, and many poor and needy persons relieved, and estates of such as now live in want shail be embettered, the ignorant and barbarous idolaters taught to know Christ, the innocent defended from their bloodie tyrannical neighbours, the diabolicall custome of sacrificing humane creatures abolished.... 3. A Discourse on Western Planting by Richard Hakluyt, 1584 Maine Historical Society Collections, Second Series, II (1877). This pamphlet was written by Hakluyt, an English clergyman and an ardent advocate of American colonization, at Raleigh's request, to influence Queen Elizabeth. It fills 107 pages of the volume of the Maine collections. Chapter I. That this Westerne discoverie will be greately for thinlargemente of the gospell of Christe, whereunto the princes of the Refourmed Relligion are chefely bounde, amongeste whome her Majestie ys principall. Nowe the meanes to sende suche as shall labour effectually in this busines ys, by plantinge one or tuoo colonies of our nation upon that fyrme, where they may remaine in safetie, and firste learne the language of the people nere adjoyninge (the gifte of tongues beinge nowe taken awaye), and by little and little acquainte themselves with their manner, and so with discretion and myldeness distill into their purged myndes the swete and lively liquor of the gospel. Otherwise for preachers to come unto them rashly with oute some suche preparation for their safetie, yt were nothinge els but to ronne to their apparaunte and certaine destruction, as yt happened unto those Spanishe ffryers, that, before any plantinge, withoute strengthe and company, landed in Fflorida, where they were miserablye massacred by the savages. Now yf they [Romanists], in their superstition, by means of their plantinge in those partes, have don so greate thinges in so shorte space, what may wee hope for in our true and syncere relligion, proposinge unto ourselves in this action not filthie lucre nor vaine ostentation, as they in deede did, but principally the gayninge of the soules of millions of those wretched people, the reducinge of them from darkenes to lighte, from falsehoodde to truthe, from dombe idolls to the lyvinge God, from the depe pitt of hell to the highest heavens. And this enterprise the princes of the relligion (amonge whome her Majestie ys principall) oughte the rather to take in hande, because the papistes confirme themselves and drawe other to theire side, shewinge that they are the true Catholicke churche because they have bene the onely converters of many millions of infidells to Christianttie. Yea, I myselfe have bene demannded of them, how many infidells have been by us converted? ... Yet in very deede I was not able to name any one infidell by them converted. But God, quoth I, hath his tyme for all men, whoe calleth some at the nynthe, and some at the eleventh houer. And if it please him to move the harte of her Majestie to put her helpinge hande to this godly action, she shall finde as willinge subjectes of all sortes as any other prince in all Christendome. Chapter V. That this voyadge will be a greate bridle to the Indies of the Kinge of Spaine. ...