freehold estate of the value of two hundred and fifty dollars, without any incumbrance. In all other states of the Union, persons of color, or those of African descent, are excluded from the right of voting at elections.

Ministers of the gospel are not eligible as legislators in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. In South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri, they are eligible neither as governors nor legislators. In New York and Delaware they are not eligible to any office whatever.

New Hampshire and Massachusetts are the only states whose constitutions make provision for religious establishments. In New Hampshire, the legislature is empowered to authorize, and in Massachusetts the legislature is enjoined to require, the several towns, parishes, &c., in the state to make adequate provision, at their own expense, for the support and maintenance of protestant teachers, or ministers of the gospel.

The council of censors is peculiar to Vermont; that body is chosen once in seven years, and among their other powers, they can call a convention to amend the constitution of the state.

Massachusetts is the only state whose constitution appoints titles to the officers of government. The governor is entitled "His Excellency," and the lieutenant-governor "His Honor."

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE

Of the principal political and other Events in American History, from the Discovery in 1492 to 1846.

1492. Aug. 3, Columbus sets sail from Palos, in Spain.

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Oct. 12, First land discovered (one of the Bahamas).
66 27, Cuba discovered.

Dec. 6, Hayti or Hispaniola discovered.

Jan. 16, Columbus returns to Spain.

Sept. 25, Columbus sails from Cadiz on his second voyage.

Dec. 8, Columbus lays the foundation of Isabella, in Hispaniola, the first

European town in the New World.

May 5, Jamaica discovered.

Mar. 10, Columbus sails again for Spain.

1494.

1496.

1497.

June 24, Newfoundland discovered by the Cabots.

1498.

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May 30, Columbus sails from Spain on his third voyage.
July 31, Trinidad discovered.

St. Lawrence river first navigated by Aubert.

April 2, Florida discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon.

Baracoa, the first town in Cuba, built by Diego Velasquez.

Sept. 25, Pacific ocean discovered by Vasco Nunez de Balboa.

Rio de la Plata discovered by Juan Diaz de Solis.

Patent granted by Charles V. for an annual import of 4,000 negro slaves to
Hispaniola, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.

Yucatan discovered by Francis Hernandez Cordova.

Mar. 13, Cortes lands at Tabasco, in Mexico.

Montezuma dies.

Nov. 7, Straits of Magellan discovered by Ferdinand Magellan.

1519.

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April 22, Cortes arrives at San Juan de Ulloa.

1520.

66

1521.

1522.

1525.

1528.

1531.

1532.

First colony founded in Peru by Pizarro.

1535.

1537.

1539.

Aug. 13, Mexico taken by Cortes.

Bermudas discovered by Juan Bermudez.

First invasion of Peru by Pizarro and Almagro.

Pizarro appointed governor of Peru.

Second invasion of Peru by Pizarro.

Chili invaded by Almagro.

California discovered by Cortes.

May 18, Ferdinand de Soto sails from Havana, on an expedition for the con-
quest of Florida.

Aug. 6, Orellana explores the Amazon, and arrives at the ocean.
Mines of Potosi, in South America, discovered.

Slaves first imported into the West Indies by the English.

Elizabeth's and Frobisher's straits discovered by Martin Frobisher.
June 26, Virginia visited by Sir Walter Raleigh.

1639.

1642.

Aug. 5, Puritans sail from Southampton, England, for America.
Nov. 10, Puritans anchor at Cape Cod.

first white child born in New England.

Slaves first introduced into Virginia by the Dutch.

May 12, first marriage at Plymouth.

Boston settled.

Oct. 19, first general court of Massachusetts colony, holden at Boston.
Delaware settled by the Swedes.

First church built at Boston.

First house erected in Connecticut, at Windsor.

Maryland settled.

Roger Williams banished from Massachusetts.
Hartford, Connecticut, settled.

Providence founded by Roger Williams.

First synod convened at Newtown (now Cambridge), Massachusetts.
New Haven founded.

Harvard college founded.

June 1, earthquake in New England.

Jan. 14, convention at Hartford, Connecticut, for forming a constitution.
April, first general election at Hartford.

First printing-press established at Cambridge, Massachusetts, by Stephen Day.
Oct. 9, first commencement at Harvard college.

1643. May 19, union of the New England colonies.

1646.

1647.

1648.

First act passed by the general court of Massachusetts, for the spread of the gospel among the Indians.

May 19, first general assembly of Rhode Island.

First execution for witchcraft.

New London settled.

Harvard college chartered.

Constitution of Maryland settled.

Navigation-act passed by Great Britain.

1652. First mint established in New England.

1654.

1663.

1664.

Yale college first projected by Mr. Davenport.

Jan. 26, earthquake felt in New England, New Netherlands, and Canada.
Aug. 27, surrender of New Amsterdam to the English.

1665. June 12, New York city incorporated.

1672.

1673.

1675.

1676.

1681. 1682.

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1683.

66

1686.

First copyright granted by Massachusetts.

Mississippi river explored by Marquette and Joliet.
June 24, commencement of King Philip's war.
Aug. 12, death of King Philip.

Mar. 4, grant of Pennsylvania to William Penn.
Oct. 24, arrival of William Penn in America.
Louisiana taken possession of by M. de la Sale.
First legislative assembly in New York.

Roger Williams dies, in his eighty-fourth year.
First episcopal society formed in Boston.

1687. First printing-press established near Philadelphia, by William Bradford.

1688.

New York and New Jersey united to New England.

1690. Feb. 8, Schenectady burned by the French and Indians.

1693. Episcopal church established at New York.

First printing-press established in New York, by William Bradford.
Rice introduced into Carolina.

First French colony arrive at the mouth of the Mississippi.
Captain Kidd, the pirate, apprehended at Boston.

1695.

1698.

1699. 1700.

1701.

Oct., Yale college chartered and founded at Saybrook.

1711.

1712.

Episcopal church established in Pennsylvania.

Episcopal church established in New Jersey and Rhode Island.
Culture of silk introduced into Carolina.

Duty of £4 laid on imported negroes, in Massachusetts.

Tonnage duty laid by Rhode Island on foreign vessels.

Act" to prevent the growth of popery," passed by Maryland.

First newspaper (Boston News Letter) published at Boston, by Batholomew
Green..

Bills of credit issued by Carolina.

First printing-press in Connecticut, established at New London, by Thomas
Short.

South Sea Company incorporated.

Free schools founded in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

1714. First schooner built at Cape Ann.

1717.

Yale college removed from Saybrook to New Haven.

1718. Impost duties laid by Massachusetts on English manufactures and English

1719.

ships.

First presbyterian church founded in New York.

1720. Tea first used in New England.

1721. 1722.

1725.

1726.

1727.

Inoculation for smallpox introduced into New England.
Paper-money first issued in Pennsylvania.

First newspaper in New York (the New York Gazette), published by Wil-
liam Bradford.

First printing-presses established in Virginia and Maryland.
Earthquake in New England.

1730. First printing-press and newspaper established at Charleston, South Carolina. 1732. Tobacco made a legal tender in Maryland at 1d. per pound, and corn at 20d. per bushel.

Feb. 22, George Washington born.

First printing-press and newspaper established at Newport, Rhode Island.
Georgia settled.

Freemason's lodge first held in Boston.

Earthquake in New Jersey.

College founded at Princeton, New Jersey.

Jan. 1, General Magazine and Historical Chronicle, first published by Benjamin Franklin.

Defeat of General Braddock.

Earthquake in North America.

First newspaper (Connecticut Gazette) published at New Haven.

May 17, war declared with France by Great Britain.

First printing-press and newspaper established at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, by Daniel Fowle.

July 26, Louisburg taken by the English.

Aug. 27, Fort Frontenac taken by the English.

Nov. 25, Fort Du Quesne (now Pittsburgh) taken by the English.
Ticonderoga taken by the English.

Sept. 18, Quebec taken by the English.

Mar. 12, earthquake in New England.

Feb. 10, treaty of peace signed at Paris, between the English and French.
First newspaper published in Georgia.

1764. Mar., right to tax American colonies voted by house of commons.

April 5, first act for levying revenue passed by parliament.
"21, Louisiana ordered to be given up to Spain.

1765.

May 29, Virginia resolutions against the right of taxation.

66

66

June 6, general congress proposed by Massachusetts.

Oct. 7, congress of twenty-eight delegates convenes at New York, and publishes a declaration of rights.

1766. Feb., Dr. Franklin examined before the house of commons, relative to the

1767.

1769.

66

770.

repeal of the stamp-act.

Mar. 18., stamp-act repealed.

Tax laid on paper, glass, painters' colors, and teas.
Dartmouth college incorporated.

American philosophical society instituted at Philadelphia.
Tea-plant introduced into Georgia.

Tea thrown overboard at Boston.

Boston port-bill passed.

Sept. 4, first continental Congress at Philadelphia.
Dr. Franklin dismissed from the postoffice.

April 19, battle of Lexington.

1773. 1774.

66

66

1775.

66

May 10, Ticonderoga taken by the provincials.
June 17, battle of Bunker's Hill.

Dec. 13, resolution of Congress to fit out a navy of thirteen ships.
"31, assault on Quebec, and death of General Montgomery.
Jan. 3, battle near Princeton.

March 17, Boston evacuated by the British.

July 4, declaration of independence.

Sept. 11, battle of Brandywine.

66 15, the British take possession of New York.

"27, the British take possession of Philadelphia. Oct. 4, battle of Germantown.

"22, battle of Red Bank.

"28, battle of White Plains.

Nov. 16, capture of Fort Washington by the British.
Dec. 26, battle of Trenton.

Sept. 19, battle near Stillwater.

June 28, battle at Monmouth courthouse.

Dec. 29, Savannah taken by the British.

March 15, battle of Guilford.

Sept. 5, Fort Trumbull, Conn., taken by Arnold, and New London burnt. 66 8, battle at Eutaw.

Oct. 19, surrender of Lord Cornwallis.

March 4, resolution of the house of commons in favor of peace.

April 19, independence of United States acknowledged by Holland.
July, evacuation of Savannah.

Feb. 5, independence of the United States acknowledged by Sweden.

66 19, peace proclaimed in the army by Washington. Sept. 3, definitive treaty of peace signed at Paris.

Oct. 18, proclamation for disbanding the army.