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SERIES FOUR

LECTURES TEN TO FOURTEEN

Colonial Social and Economic Conditions, 1607-1764

10. General Conditions, Population, Government, Political Life

11. Social Life of the People

12. Intellectual and Religious Life

13. Industrial, Commercial and Labor Conditions

14. The Colonial Land System; Real and Personal Property Values

THE UNITED STATES

CHAPTER I.

1609-1764.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: POPULATION: GOVERNMENT: ETC.

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Population of the various colonies - Exports and Imports of the colonies- Dates when printing was first introduced - Tables of population as given by Chalmers and Bancroft - First newspapers in Northern coloniesLiberties granted colonists under charters - The three distinct forms of government The legislative assembly and the council in the English colonies - Government in New Netherland under the Dutch and English The judiciary Revenues, taxes and salaries in the South - Conditions in New England and Middle colonies.

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S we are now approaching the period of the Revolution, it would seem best to pause a while to review the progress made by the colonies in their economic, intellectual and social development. Here and there notes have been made calling the attention of the reader to the development of wealth and industry in the colonies, but it would appear to be of great value here to incorporate a brief review of conditions in general.

The colonies had now reached a considerable size, not only in extent of territory, but in population. In Virginia at the beginning of the Eighteenth century there were approximately 60,000 whites and 6,000 negroes. In 1750 the population was about 160,000, exclusive of slaves. Printing was first established in Virginia in 1729, the first newspaper to be published in that colony being the Virginia Gazette, which was published at Williamsburg, 1736. There

were annually shipped from Virginia and Maryland about 100,000 hogsheads of tobacco, valued at about £800,000 and 200 ships were employed in carrying the tobacco raised in these two provinces. The annual gain to England from this trade was about £500,000.

The population of Maryland in 1734 was about 36,000 above sixteen years of age. In 1748 this had increased to 98,357 free whites, 6,870 redemptioners, 1,980 convicts, and 42,764 negroes. Society and social manners were similar to those in Virginia. The first printing press in Maryland came there in 1726, three years before Virginia enjoyed that privilege, and the first permanent newspaper in the colony was the Maryland Gazette, established at Annapolis in June, 1728. Tobacco was made legal tender for the payment of all debts, at a penny per pound, and Indian corn at 20 pence

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per bushel. The salary of public officers was low in this colony.

In 1710 the population of North Carolina was 6,000 whites and about 3,000 negroes, which by the middle of the century had increased to 110,000, including negroes. The first permanent newspaper in the colony was the North Carolina Gazette, published at New Berne in December, 1755.

The population of South Carolina in 1700 was somewhat less than 6,000. Twenty-three years later it had risen to 32,000, of whom 18,000 were slaves, and by 1750 this had increased to about 40,000 whites and an equal number of slaves. In addition to trade with England, this colony kept up an extensive trade with the West Indies, New England, Pennsylvania and New York. Printing was established in this colony in 1730, and the first permanent newspaper was the South Carolina Gazette, published at Charleston, January 8, 1732.

In Massachusetts at the beginning of the Eighteenth century there were approximately 75,000 inhabitants; in 1731 there were about 120,000 freemen and 2,600 slaves; and by 1750 the population had grown to 200,000. There were about 600 ships and sloops engaged in trade, amounting to at least 38,000 tons; about 6,000 persons were employed in the fisheries.

Connecticut in 1700 had only about 25,000 inhabitants, but in 1750 had about 135,000 inhabitants. During this period Yale College had sprung

into life; in 1701 a charter was obtained by ten clergymen for the founding of the Collegiate School of Connecticut, which was first located at Saybrook, the classes being taught at Killingworth until 1707. In 1716 the school was removed to New Haven and in 1718 its name was changed to Yale College, in honor of Elihu Yale who had given generously to the institution.*

In 1700 Rhode Island contained only about 10,000 people; in 1730 there were 18,000, of whom 985 were Indians and 1,648 were negro slaves; in 1750 there were 40,000 inhabitants. Newport, the metropolis, contained somewhat less than 5,000 people, including negroes and Indians. The first newspaper was published in 1732. In 1738 Newport contained seven churches; there was a large society of Quakers at Portsmouth, and in the other eleven townships there were twenty-five religious societies.

In 1700 the population of New Hampshire was only about 5,000, but in 1750 the population is computed to have been 24,000, though some estimates place it as high as 50,000.

In New York at the beginning of the century, there were about 30,000 people, which had increased in 1750 to nearly 100,000. The annual exports of the colony were about £100,000; and about 225 vessels entered

Doyle, English Colonies in America, vol. iii., p. 381 et seq.; Fiske, New France and New England, p. 218 et seq.

POPULATION.

and left the port with various cargoes. There was considerable contraband trade in tea.

In New Jersey in 1738 the population was 47,367, of whom, approximately, 4,000 were slaves. In 1750 the population was 75,000. In 1736

North Carolina.... South Carolina

Totals

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Bancroft (1st ed. vol. iv., p. 130,

Nassau Hall, later Princeton College, last ed. vol. ii., pp. 389-391) estimates

was founded at Princeton.

For Pennsylvania and Delaware there are no absolutely reliable estimates; undoubtedly the population at this time of both colonies together was considerably less than Virginia, probably in the neighborhood of 185,000. Philadelphia, in 1731, is supposed to have contained about 12,000 inhabitants, being somewhat in advance of New York, and soon after the middle of the century the number of inhabitants had increased to 30,000, making it the largest city in the English colonies. Lancaster, with 10,000 population, was the largest inland town; York was about the same size; Wilmington and Newcastle, in Delaware, were thriving and prosperous.

Chalmers (American Colonies, vol. ii., p. 7) estimates the population of the colonies in 1715 as follows:

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the population in 1754 as follows:

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The first newspaper printed in English America was Public Occurrences, both Domestic and Foreign (Boston, September 25, 1690) but only one number was printed. The first permanent newspapers in the Northern colonies were the Boston News Letter, Boston, April 17, 1704; The Boston Gazette, Boston, December 21, 1719; The American, Philadelphia, December 22, 1719; the New York Gazette, New York, October 16, 1725; The Rhode Island Gazette, Newport, September 27, 1732; the Weekly Journal, New York, November 15, 1733; the Connecticut Gazette, New Haven, January 1, 1755; and the

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