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AMERICA.
MERI C. A...

СНА Р. III.

The UNITED STATES of AMERICA.

The firft Settlement, Progrefs, and prefent State of th
States.

THE English, conducted by John Cabot, in the yea

though the difcovery has generally, but erroneously, been attri fecond fon Sebaftian, who at that time could not have been more years of age) found the way to North America foon after Colum cefsfully croffed the Atlantic; but as the torrents in that coun down no gold, and the Indians were not bedecked with any ments, no attempts were made to explore the country for nea after its difcovery. Sir Francis Drake, who traverfed the w ference of the globe in one voyage, and in one fhip, which had atchieved before, when afterward annoying the Spaniards in the and on the mein, gained fome knowledge of the eaftern fhore of ern continent, as he had before of the weflern parts about the fam Sir Walter Raleigh, however, was the firft navigator who explore beflowed on it a name, and attempted to fettle a colony; but the overfpread with thick woods, the caprices of a favage race were ed, their jealoufies of new fettlers to be removed, or their power pofed; and, when all thefe difficulties fhould be furmounted, muft continue fubject to the first condemnatory fentence denoun human race," by the fweat of their brow to eat their bread."

At that time colonization made no part of the fyftem of gover that there were few ftimulents to abandon a native foil for the feeking poffeffions in another hemifphere. At length a powerfu arofe, fronger than the influence of kings, than the love of eafe dread of mifery. Religion, which had long been converted inte powerful engine which human fubtlety ever made ufe of to fub mafs of mankind, no fooner ceafed to be fo perverted, than by proper force it impelled large bodies of people to renounce every p joyment, the infinitive love of a native foil, rooted habits, and de nections, and to fettle in the dreary wilds of a far diftant continent.

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When England, by a very fingular concurrence of circumftance off the papal yoke, flate policy fo predominated in the meafure, that fciences of men were fill required to bend to the difcipline, confor ceremonials, and afcent to the doctrines which the governing power lifhed. Although a diffent from the church of Rome was confid meritorious, yet a diffent from the church of England was held to tical, and an offence to be punished by the civil magiflrate. The mind, fomewhat awakened from a long fufpenfion of its powers by a cliffe, farther enlightened by an Erafmus and Melanthen, and at called forth into energy by the collifion of thefe two ardent and fpirits Luther and Calvin, then began to bend all its attention towa ligious enquiries; and exercifed all its powers in fuch purfuis. Hence aro a vaft diverfry of opinions, which gave rife to numerous fc&ts and denomiuations of Chriflians; but as the proteftant establishment in England, held

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.............picau the country.

Perhaps no event in the hiftory of the world has been more important than the Revoluion in America, which the contentions between the mother country and the colonies produced, and which at lalt terminated in a total feparation of

Penobscot

R.S? Croix

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TATIONS

Jigious enquiries; and exercifed all its powers in fuch purfuits. Hence arofe a vaft diverfity of opinions, which gave rife to numerous fects and denominations of Chriftians; but as the proteftant eftablishment in England, held

it eflential to preferve a unity of faith, thofé novel opinions obtained no more quarter there than under papal power.

The callern coalt of North America, comprehending a vast extent of country, was confidered as of right belonging to England, and was then known by no other names than those of North and South Virginia, which it had received from Sir Walter Raleigh. The perfecuted and defperate religionists cafity obtained a royal grant of a very extenfive track of land, whither they repaired, not to amafs wealth, or to exterminate the inhabitants, but to fubfift by induftry, to purchafe fecurity by honourable intercourfe with the natives, and to acquire frength under the aufpices of freedom. The ellablishment made by the quakers, under the conduct of Penn, realized these protellions, in other parts a spirit of intolerance too much prevaled, and infiduous arts were practifed on the Indians, which foon excited rancorous anifomnofity in those tribes. The Spaniards had found the fouthem divifion of this vaft continent peopled with a pufillanimous and defenceles race of men, whom they facrificed without fcruple or remorse to their ambition and avarice; the European fettlers on the coaft of North America were not actuated by fuch a cruel and exterminating spirit; they had juster nations of the rights of man: they alfo found the inhabitants of that country polleling very different characteristics, lefs numerous indeed than toward the south, but fubfifting by hunting, expert in the ufe of offenfive weap, fagacious, perfevering, not infenfible of kindnelles conferred, but implacable when offended, and ever gratifying their revenge by means the moft artful, concealed, and crue!. An acquaintance with Europeans has ever been baneful to uncivilized communities in all parts of the globe. Thefe Indians foon difcovered a fondness for fpirituous liquors with which the artful traders were too ready to fupply them; by the exceffive use of thefe, their natural ferocity has been increased, their pallions enflamed, their best principles perverted, difeafes never before known introduced, their lives thortened, and their numbers rapidly reduced.

The attention and allillance which Great Britain gave to these colonies increafed with the increafing commercial fpirit of the nation; indeed the English Americans may be faid to have been, like Minerva, born adult. Arts and Sciences were cultivated ere their woods were cleared; their minds were enlarged without their manners being depraved. Their towns were built far from the din of war; their people had multiplied amidst the bleffings of peace; their fituation and employments rendered them robust and enterprizing, without becoming fanguinary. The inroads of the Indians, thole Aborigenes, whofe territory they had in moft inftances rather feized upon than honourably purchafed, were confined to their back fettlements, and ferved to keep them attentive without endangering the general fafety. The apprehenfions from the encroachments of the French were difpelled foon after they had been feriously entertained, and the fortunate termination of that four years' conflict ferved to teach them to value a fecurity which then becane permanent. Civil commotions and inteftine wars have flained with blood every kingdom and flate, both in ancient and modern times the Americans were not to expect an exemption from the common lot of humanity; and the time at length arrived, when the horrors and defolations of wat were to overspread the country.

Perhaps no event in the hiftory of the world has been more important than the Revoluion in America, which the contentions between the mother country and the colonies produced, and which at lalt terminated in a total feparation of

the colonies from the mother country, and in the establishment of the freedom, fovereignty, and independence of the United States.

We shall now lay before our readers a short account of this revolution and of the circumflances which are fuppofed to have prepared the way for fo important an event.

An account of the American Revolution, which at last terminated in the Independence of the United States.

Ar the conclufion of the war between Great Britain and France,

which terminated in the year 1763, the British colonies of North America were in a flate of high political propensity. Their population, commerce and wealth, advanced with a rapid pace. Their internal government was conducted with a degree of fleadiness, frugality and wisdom, which have been feldom, or perhaps never equalled.

During that war, the fleets of Britain had planted the standard of victory, over all the fear, and her conquefts had enlarged her dominion with an immenfe territory in both the Indies. Such a fudden increase gave her in the eyes of all the world a fplendour, which excited envy and admiration; but within het felf fhe was continually reduced to grieve at her own triumphs. Crushed with a load of debt to the enormous amount of 648,852,500 dollars, that coff her an intereft of 21,6,73,928 dollars, he was with difficulty able to fupport the current expences of the flates, with the revenue of 46,620,000 dollars, and that revenue, far from increafing, was not even fecure of continuance.

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In confequence of this fituation of affairs, the taxes in Great Britain began to be greatly increafed lands and houfes were charged with a higher tax than they had ever been heretofore; new duties were also laid on windows, and cyder and beer, the drink of the common people likewife became objects of taxation. In fhort every fpring was Arained; every power of the body police was extended to the utmost fretch.

The crifis was a violent one. It was time to give the people fome relief; but how could this be effected. They could not be eafed by a deminution of expences, thofe being inevitable. The British minifiers, therefore, after fome confideration, thought of the expediment, of calling in the American colonies to the aid of the mother country, by making them bear a part of the burden.

Accordingly, in March 1764, a bill was paffed by which heavy duties were laid on goods imported by the Americans, from fuch West India iflands as did not belong to Great Britain, at the fame time that these duties were to be paid into the exchequer in fpecies; and in the fame fellion, another bill was framed to restrain the currency of paper money in the colonies themfelves. These acts coming fo close upon each other threw the whole continent into the utmoft ferment. Remonftrances were made to the miniftry, and every argument ufed, which either reafon or ingenuity could fuggeft: but without effect. Their reafoning, however, convinced a great number of people in Great Britain and thus the American caufe began even there to be confidered as the caufe of liberty,

The Americans finding all argumentation vain, at la united in an agree ment to import no more of the manufactures of Great Britain, but to encourage to the utmost of their power, every thing of that kind amongst themselves. Thus the Britife manufactures also became a party against

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