people, they cheerfully bore all punishment visited upon them. Before the persecution had run its course several of the sect suffered martyrdom for conscience sake.

85. Salem Witchcraft.-In 1692 occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, what has since been referred to in history as "Salem Witchcraft." A belief prevailed at that time that a human being could suspend the laws of nature by the aid of evil spirits, and, while under their control, invoke injury to his fellows. The "delusion" became general, and for six months a reign of terror prevailed in Salem. Before it ran its course nineteen persons had been hanged and fifty-five tortured as witches. Some of the most eminent people had been engaged in this persecution, among others, the noted clergyman, Cotton Mather. One of the judges who had condemned some of the witches to death was so stricken with remorse that he afterwards rose in his place once a year in church, confessed his error, and asked the forgiveness of the people. While at its height, no one dared deny a belief in the delusion, as it was in the power of any ignorant or vicious person who had a grudge against another to declare him a witch. If more than one person so testified in court it was likely to go hard with the person accused.

86. Andros. During the early existence of the colony, Massachusetts had not suffered any serious annoyances from the home government, as the colony had friends in parliament who looked after its interests. Like Virginia, Massachusetts had felt the enforcement of the Navigation Act, but on the whole, had continued to prosper. The governors of the colony had been for the most part chosen from among themselves, and the liberal character of the charter granted by Charles I. had permitted almost perfect self-government. By the many evasions of the Navigation Act, and by the independence the colonists manifested in the dispute over the New Hampshire boundaries and the separation of Maine Charles II. was angered, and in 1684 secured the revocation of the charter by a decision of the Court of King's

Bench. In 1686 James II. appointed Sir Edmund Andros governor of the New England colonies, with headquarters at Boston. During the three years of his incumbency, the colony was in a constant turmoil. Contrary to the wishes of the colonists, he set up the Church of England, even seizing one of their meeting houses for that purpose. So obnoxious did Andros become, that the colonists rose against him and, even before the banishment of his royal master from England, had determined to rid themselves of him. When news of the banishment of James II. reached them they at once seized Andros (1689) and sent him to England for trial. He, however, escaped punishment and later served a term as governor of Virginia.

Through the efforts of Increase Mather, who was in England at that time as the agent of the Massachusetts Bay colony, a new charter was obtained after the banishment of Andros. In securing this charter, difficulties had arisen in connection with Plymouth colony, England being determined that Plymouth should not be separately chartered. Indeed Plymouth colony had never been able to obtain a charter from the king, because of its avowed opposition to the Church of England. By the terms of this new charter, obtained in 1691, the territories of the Massachusetts Bay colony, the Plymouth colony and Maine were united under the name of Massachusetts and became a royal province, its governor to be appointed by the king.

NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MAINE

87. Gorges and Mason.-The history of these colonies is closely allied to that of Massachusetts. Several years before a charter had been granted to the latter colony Sir Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason had obtained a grant of land reaching from the Kennebec to the Merrimac River. They established several fishing stations, one at Dover, another near Portsmouth. When the Massachusetts grant was made, it lapped over three miles on the New Hampshire grant. An

attempt was afterwards made to rectify the error, but the work was not well done and the Massachusetts colony never admitted the claim of the Gorges and Mason heirs. It led to endless dispute, as the heirs were persistent in demanding their rights. The matter was finally somewhat quieted by the payment of a sum of money by the Massachusetts colony. By an agreement between Gorges and Mason, the latter took the land west of the Piscataqua, calling it New Hampshire; the former took the part east of that river and called it Maine. Maine never had a separate existence from Massachusetts, as it was always claimed by that colony. New Hampshire was several times united to Massachusetts for protection from the Indians. It finally became a royal colony and remained so until the Revolution. The first settlement of New Hampshire was made at Dover, in 1623. Maine was settled in the same year.

CONNECTICUT

SAYBROOKE, 1635

88. The New England Pilgrims and the Dutch Forts.Connecticut was settled almost entirely by people from Massachusetts. Dutch traders had early settled at Hartford on the Connecticut River, and had built a fort at its mouth, but, being few in number, they were not able to hold it against Lords Say and Brooke, who had received a grant on the river from the king. The English proprietors made John Winthrop, son of the Massachusetts governor, their agent. With a small colony from Massachusetts, he sailed, in 1635, into the mouth of the Connecticut River, drove the Dutch away and made a settlement he called Saybrooke, in honor of his patrons. The tendency toward too close an alliance between church and state had become a matter of alarm to certain of the residents of Massachusetts towns, notably in Dorchester, Watertown, and Cambridge. In 1636, under the leadership of the pastor at Cambridge, Thomas Hooker, a party made their way through the wilderness and made settle

ments at Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield. These settlements increased rapidly in the next few years. The immigration from England to Massachusetts at this time was very heavy; and at this time also occurred the religious dissensions caused by Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. In 1637 a party of wealthy immigrants from England settled New Haven. Their government was made to resemble a theocracy as nearly as possible. The Bible was their guide. Trial by jury, for instance, was denied, because it was not known in the Mosaic law.

89. The Written Constitution.-In 1639 the different settlements on the Connecticut River met at Hartford and drew up a written constitution. New Haven was not represented because she did not agree with the upper settlements in matters of religion. The constitution was most liberal in its provisions and showed thus early the remarkable growth of democracy in New England.

Church and state were separated by requiring no religious qualification of the voter; every township had representation in the Assembly; provision was made for the establishment of free schools; no reference whatever was made to a king.

90. Pequot War.-The Indians with whom the New England colonists had to deal, were, for the most part, peaceably inclined, and, as they were generally treated with fairness, the earlier years passed with little friction. However, it was not in Indian nature to see the white man increasing in numbers and strength, and the ancient hunting grounds of his fathers changing to cultivated fields, without entering a protest. As time passed, the Indian awoke to the fact that in the sale of his land he had forfeited his right forever. The realization of this fact caused him to become suspicious of all acts of the white settlers. Warlike in nature and accustomed to take counsel only of his wrongs and the possible power to redress them, physical retaliation was his first thought. It was, therefore, but a few years until the more warlike tribes were in open revolt against the whites.

The Pequots, a small tribe occupying the eastern part of Connecticut, were the first to give trouble. When the Massachusetts emigration in 1635-37 took place, the settlers were at once subject to annoyance from these Indians and soon a massacre of the whites occurred. This was charged to the account of the Pequots, and a band of settlers, under the leadership of the redoubtable John Endicott, retaliated. The Pequots then attempted to organize a confederacy, but, not being able to secure the help of the Narragansetts, the influence of Roger Williams having kept that tribe friendly, they took the warpath alone. The colonists acted with promptness. Captain John Mason, with a band of Connecticut settlers, aided by John Underhill and a company from Boston, with some seventy friendly Indians, attacked and burned their palisaded fort. Accounts differ as to the number killed, but it is certain that from four hundred to six hundred men, women, and children, met death, either at the hands of the attacking party or in the flames. The few that escaped were sold into slavery, and thus the whole tribe was exterminated-a piece of Old Testament justice which seems terrible to contemplate, but which, judged from the provocation and the ideas of justice held in that day, might possibly be excused. Certain it is that the Indian mind of all that region was so deeply impressed with the power of the whites that an entirely new generation of warriors was necessary before the famous King Philip could organize his confederacy.

91. The United Colonies of New England.-1643.—The Pequot War, the renewed attempts of the Dutch to regain control of their lost territory, the encroachments of the French and Indians on the north, and the war between Charles I. and his subjects, made it seem desirable that a general union of the colonies should be encouraged. On the proposition of Connecticut, the people in every town in New England except those of Rhode Island met in their town meetings and elected delegates to a General Court to