b a. J. P. Zen party having attacked the measures of the governor 1732. and council with some virulence, the editor was thrown into prison, and prosecuted for a libel against the government. Great excitement prevailed; the editor was zealously defended by able counsel; and an independent jury gave a verdict of acquittal. с 34. The people applauded their conduct, and, to Andrew Hamilton of Philadelphia, one of the defenders of the accused, the magistrates of the city of New York presented an elegant gold box, for his learned and generous defence of the rights of mankind and the liberty of the press. 2This important trial shows the prevailing liberal sentiments of the people at that period, and may be regarded as one of the early germs of American freedom. 35. In 1741 a supposed negro plot occasioned great excitement in the city of New York. There were then many slaves in the province, against whom suspicion was first directed by the robbery of a dwelling house, and by the frequent occurrence of fires evidently caused by design. The magistrates of the city having offered rewards, pardon, and freedom, to any slave that would testify against incendiaries and conspirators, some aban doned females were induced to declare that the negroes had combined to burn the city and make one of their number governor. 36. There was soon no want of witnesses; the 4. number of the accused increased rapidly; and even white men were designated as concerned ir the plot. Before the excitement was over more than thirty persons were executed ;-several of these were burned at the stake; and many were transported to foreign parts. 37. When all apprehensions of danger had subsided, and men began to reflect upon the madness of the project itself, and the oase character of most of the witnesses, the reality of the plot began to be doubted; and the people looked back with horror upon the numerous and cruel punishments that had been inflicted. 1. 1735. c. July. How did and magis the people trates regard the conduct of 2. the jury? What did show, and result be re this trial how may its garded? 1741. 3. What is negro plot related of the of 1741 1 What was the excite the result of 5. ment? How was the affair re garded when appre hensions of danger ded? 6. What should we 38. Boston and Salem have had their delusions of wnchcraft, an.' New York its Negro Plot, in each of learn from which many innocent persons suffered death. These mournful results show the necessity of exceeding cau such instan ces of publi excitementi 1741. tion and calm investigation in times of great public excitement, lest terror or deluded enthusiasm get the predominance of reason, and "make madmen of us all." 1745. 1. What is related of the subsequent his ory of New York? a. Nov. 1748. b. Oct. 7. See p. 173, 39. The subsequent history of New York, previous to the commencement of the French and Indian war, contains few events of importance. In 1745, during King George's war, the savages in alliance with France made some incursions into the territory north of Albany, and a few villages were deserted on their approach. The province made some preparations to join the eastern colonies in an expedition against Canada, but in 1748 a treaty of peace was concluded be tween the contending powers, and New York again enjoyed a short interval of repose, soon to be disturbed by a conflict more sanguinary than any which had preceded. A connected history of that contest, in which all the colonies acted in concert, is given in the "French and Indian War." Of what does 2. In rohat was New Jersey at ded? 3. Give an uccount of the early settlements. CHAPTER VII. NEW JERSEY.* 1. The territory embraced in the present state of New Jersey was included in the Dutch province of first inclu- New Netherlands; and the few events connected with its history, previous to the conquest by the English in 1664, belong to that province. In 1623 Fort Nassau was built on the eastern bank of the Delaware, but was soon after deserted. Probably a few years before this the Dutch began to form settlements at Bergen, and other places west of the Hudson, in the vicinity of New York; but the first colonizing of the province dates, more properly, from the settlement of Elizabeth1664. town in 1664. * NEW JERSEY, one of the Middle States, bordering on the Atlantic, and lying south of New York, and east of Pennsylvania and Delaware, contains an area of about 3,000 square miles. The northern part of the state is mountainous, t'e middle is diversified by hills and valleys, and is well adapted to grazing and to ost kinds of grain, while the southern part is level and sandy, and, to a great extent, barren; the natural growth of the soil being chiefly shrub oaks and yellow pines. † Elizabethtown is situated on elizabethtown Creek, two and a half miles from its portion of did the York convey 2. 'Soon after the grant of New Netherlands to the 1664. Duke of York, and previous to the surrender, the duke a. July 3, 4. conveyeda that portion of the territory which is bernded 1. What on the east, south, and west, respectively, by the Hud- his territory son, the sea, and the Delaware, and north by the 41st degree and 40th minute of latitude, to Lord Berkeley away, and to nd Sir George Carteret, who were already proprietors of Carolina. "This tract was called New Jersey, in compliment to Carteret, who had been governor of the sland of Jersey,* and had defended it for the king during the civil war.b 3. To invite settlers to the country, the proprietors soon published a liberal constitution for the colony, promising freedom from taxation, except by the act of the colonial assembly, and securing equal privileges, and liberty of conscience to all. In 1665 Philip Carteret, the first governor, arrived, and established himself at Elizabethtown, recently settled by emigrants from Long Island, and which became the first capital of the infant colony. d 4. New York and New England furnished most of the early settlers, who were attracted by the salubrity of the climate, and the liberal institutions which the inhabitants were to enjoy. Fearing little from the neighboring Indians, whose strength had been broken by long hostilities with the Dutch, and guarded by the Five Nations and New York against the approaches of the French and their savage allies, the colonists of New Jersey, enjoying a happy security, escaped the dangers and privations which had afflicted the inhabitants of most of the other provinces. 5. After a few years of quiet, domestic disputes began to disturb the repose of the colony. The proprietors, by their constitution, had required the pay ment, after 1670, of a penny or half penny an acre for the use of land; but when the day of payment arrived, the demand of the tribute met with general op whom? 2. What given to this name was tract, and why? b. Note p. 61 1665. c. Feb. 20. 3. What is said of the formed by the propri constitution etors? d. Aug. Who was ernor, and the first gov. what was the capital of the prov ince? entrance into Staten Island Sound, and twelve miles S.W. from New York city. It was named from Lady Elizabeth Carteret, wife of Sir George Carteret. (See Map, p. 117, and p. 226.) *The island of Jersey is a strongly fortified island in the English Channel, seventeen miles from the French coast. It is twelve miles long, and has an average width of about five miles. 1. What troubles follored? T 1670. position. Those who had purchased land cf the Indians refused to acknowledge the claims of the proprietors, asserting that a deed from the former was paramount to any other title. A weak and dissolute son of Sir George Carteret was induced to assume the government, and after two years of disputes and confusion, the established authority was set at defiance by open insurrection, and the governor was compelled to return to England. a. 1670. b 1672. 1673. 8. What occurred in ing year! e. See p. 127. Further pro 6. In the following year, during a war with Holland, the Dutch regained all their former possessions, the follow including New Jersey, but restored them to the English in 1674. After this event, the Duke of York 1674. obtained a second charter, confirming the former d. July 9. grant; and, in disregard of the rights of Berkeley and 3. Relate the Carteret, appointed Andros governor over the whole ceedings of re-united province. On the application of Carteret, however, the duke consented to restore New Jersey; but he afterwards endeavored to avoid the full performance of his engagement, by pretending that he had reserved certain rights of sovereignty over the country, which Andros seized every opportunity of asserting. the Duke of York. e. July 11. f. Oct. 1674. 4. How did dispose of Berkeley his territory? 4. March 28. 7. In 1674 Lord Berkeley sold his share of New Jersey to John Fenwick, in trust for Edward Byllinge and his assignees. In the following year Philip Carteret returned to New Jersey, and resumed the gov ernment; but the arbitrary proceedings of Andros long 1675. continued to disquiet the colony. Carteret, attempting account of to establish a direct trade between England and New ties between Jersey, was warmly opposed by Andros, who claimed, Carteret for the duke his master, the right of rendering New Jersey tributary to New York, and even went so far as to arrest Governor Carteret and convey him prisoner to New York. 5. Give an and Andros. 8. What disposal did share, and 8. Byllinge, having become embarrassed in his Byling fortunes, made an assignment of his share in the prov make of his ince to William Penn and two others, all Quakers, what was whose first care was to effect a division of the territory assignees between themselves and Sir George Carteret, that they might establish a separate government in accordance done by the vision of was done by proprietors? settlers in vid the colony, and 4. with what result! What subferred to Sir Jones for de ject was re William cision? with their peculiar relig ous principles. The division* 1676. was accomplished without difficulty; Carteret receiv- a. July 11. ing the eastern portion of the province, which was 1. What di called EAST JERSEY; and the assignees of Byllinge the province the western portion, which they named WEST JERSEY. was made! *The western proprietors then gave the settlers a free 1677. constitution, under the title of "Concessions," similar b. March 13. to that given by Berkeley and Carteret, granting all 2.What the the important privileges of civil and religious liberty. the western 9. The authors of the "Constitution" accompanied 3. How were it publication with a special recommendation of the province to the members of their own religious fraternity, and in 1677 upwards of four hundred Quakers came over and settled in West New Jersey. The settlers being unexpectedly called upon by Andros to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Duke of York, and submit to taxation, they remonstrated earnestly with the duke, and the question was finally referred to the eminent jurist, Sir William Jones, for his decision. 10. The result was a decision against the pretensions of the duke, who immediately relinquished all claims to the territory and the government. Soon after, the conduct he made a similar release in favor of the representatives of the duke? of Carteret, in East Jersey, and the whole province thus 6. What became independent of foreign jurisdiction. 11. In 1681 the governor of West Jersey convoked the first representative assembly, which enacted several important laws for protecting property, punishing crimes, establishing the rights of the people, and defining the powers of rulers. "The most remarkable feature in the new laws was a provision, that, in all criminal cases except treason, murder, and theft, the person aggrieved should have power to pardon the offender. 12. After the death of Sir George Carteret, the trustees of his estates offered his portion of the province for sale; and in 1682 William Penn and eleven others, 1680. the result,and what 1681. were the proceedings assembly in of the first West Jersey? c. Dec. 5. 7. What was a remarka ble feature in the new d. 8. laws? Dec. 1679 What dis posal was made of East Jersey and what is clay's ad said of Bar ministration! * According to the terms of the deed, the dividing line was to run from the mos southerly point of the east side of Little Egg Harbor, to the N. Western extremity of New Jersey; which was declared to be a point on the Delaware River in latitude 41° 40', which is 18 23 farther north than the present N. Western extremity of the state. Several partial attempts were made, at different times, to run the line, and much controversy arose from the disputes which these attempts occasioned |