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1676] The "Stuart Tyranny in New England" 105

diminished the power of the New England colonies to resist the renewed attacks of their enemies in England. The chief causes of complaint on the part of the English authorities were the non-observance of the Navigation Acts, the independent attitude of the colonists in King Philip's War, and the purchase of Maine by Massachusetts.

attack on

Massachu

setts, 167684. Fiske's New England, 253

266.

In 1676 Edward Randolph arrived at Boston. He came Renewed as the bearer of a letter from the king, in which the monarch vigorously complained of the action of Massachusetts as to the Navigation Acts. Randolph's further duty was to spy out irregularities in the conduct of the government, on which a suit could be founded for the revocation of the Massachusetts charter. He had no difficulty in discovering many unlawful proceedings, and he drew up a report stating the results of his observations. The attack on Massachusetts was part of a general scheme for the consolidation of all the colonial governments, save Pennsylvania and Carolina, under the direct control of the crown. Had the plan been carried

annulled,

1684. Hart's Contemporaries, I, No.

out, the whole power of the English-American colonies would have been wielded by one hand. This would have greatly increased the power of England to resist French aggressions, and would also have led to a corresponding diminution in the ability of the colonists to withstand the attacks of king and of Parliament. After a prolonged legal Massachucontest, the Massachusetts charter was annulled (1684) and setts charter the government of Massachusetts was confided to Joseph Dudley, son of one of the founders of the colony. He was soon replaced by Sir Edmund Andros, once governor of New York. 97. The "Stuart Tyranny in New England."— Sir Edmund Andros was a faithful servant of bad masters. He was directed to exercise in Massachusetts powers similar to those wielded by the governor in the conquered province of New York. All authority was given to his council; but the latter was so servile that it is correct to say the governor possessed sole power. No provision was made for any representative legislative body: Andros decreed laws,

135.

Andros in

New Eng-
land. Fiske's
New Eng-
land, 267–
271; Wen-
Mather.

dell's Cotton

Old South Leaflets, 2d series.

The

dominion of New England, 1688.

Hart's Contemporaries, I, 122.

levied taxes, executed the law, and, through judges who owed their appointments to him, exercised judicial power.

Sir Edmund Andros

Many of his acts, which seemed harsh to the Puritans of that time, do not appear so severe to us. For instance, he compelled witnesses to kiss the Bible when they took an oath to give true testimony, and he insisted that those whose land titles were defective should have them confirmed by himself as representative of the king. But Andros's methods of performing his duties

[graphic]

were most ungracious, and he abused his power to seize private property. It must be remembered, however, that he had to deal with a most able opposition.

Never

Steps were also taken to secure the revocation of the charters of Connecticut and of Rhode Island, but no judgment was ever recorded against these colonies. theless, Andros took control of them, in conformity with a new commission issued in 1688. This commission greatly extended the limits of his authority: the Dominion of New England, of which he was appointed governor, included all the English possessions on the continent south of the St. Lawrence and north of Pennsylvania. Boston remained the principal seat of government, and Andros was represented at New York by a deputy governor, Francis Nicholson. The revocation of the Maryland charter was also in contemplation, and the plans of the Stuart monarchs seemed

1688]

Policy of the New Government

107

about to be accomplished, when the "Glorious Revolution of 1688" hurled James II from the throne. It may be said, therefore, that the Revolution had as important consequences for America as it had for England.

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Overthrow

of Andros.

Fiske's New England, 272; Stedman and

Hutchinson, II, 72;

98. The "Glorious Revolution” in America. -The news of the landing of William of Orange, in November, 1688, reached Boston in March, 1689, and the flight of James II was probably known to the colonial leaders not long after. At all events, on the morning of April 18, the town was full of armed men; Andros was arrested and placed in confinement, and the commander of an English frigate, which hap- *Hart's Conpened to be in the harbor, was compelled to strike her temporaries, I, No. 136. topmasts and send her sails on shore. A provisional government was then formed under the old charter, and William and Mary were proclaimed king and queen. Connecticut and Rhode Island re-established their old charter governments.

Stedman and

In New York there was serious trouble, due to the sharp "Leisler's political and religious divisions which prevailed in that Rebellion." colony. The power passed to Jacob Leisler, a German Hutchinson; merchant and captain of the trained band of New York. He was a man of force, but he lacked discretion, and he also was opposed by the extreme English faction.

II, 478;

Chandler's

Criminal

Trials,

Hart's Contemporaries, I, No. 157; Roberts's New York, 1, ch. xiii.

In Maryland, the Protestants, especially those of the 257-266; Established Church, were opposed to the proprietary's rule. Led by John Coode, they seized the government and sent an address to William and Mary. On the other hand, Baltimore was peculiarly unfortunate: he dispatched a messenger to Maryland directing his governor there to proclaim the new monarchs, but the bearer of this order died while on the way, and the successors of James were not proclaimed. 99. Policy of the New Government. When William and William's his advisers were able to look away from the British Isles colonial policy. and to examine into the condition of affairs in England's possessions beyond the sea, they found themselves greatly perplexed. The case of Maryland was clear enough: they could not allow the province to remain in the hands of a

nobleman who did not recognize their authority. A royal governor was sent to Maryland, but the charter was not revoked. Some years later, in the time of Queen Anne, a Protestant Lord Baltimore regained the jurisdiction. As to

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Pennsylvania, the government of that province was confided to the governor of New York, but afterwards it was restored to Penn. The Baltimores and the Penns continued to exercise the powers of proprietaries until the American Revolution.

1691]

Policy of the New Government

109

The

of Leisler. Roberts's

New York,

I, 206–214.

chusetts

In New York, affairs did not progress so smoothly. new government at first recognized Leisler's authority, but later appointed a governor, Henry Sloughter, to supersede him. Unfortunately, Sloughter fell under the influence of the English party. Leisler had laid himself open to a Execution charge of technical treason; he was convicted and sentenced to death. Sloughter, while intoxicated, signed a warrant for his execution, and Leisler was hanged before the intemperate governor came to his senses. Afterwards the English government did what it could by a public funeral and a pension to his widow to atone for this murder of one of the best friends of the "Glorious Revolution." The people of Connecticut and of Rhode Island were not The Massafurther molested. With regard to Massachusetts, the case was different her charter had been annulled. Besides, the Bay colony had shown too much strength to be permitted Fiske's New again to become practically independent A new charter, England, usually called the Province Charter, was drawn up and Winsor's issued in 1691. This established a form of government America, midway between that of an independent colony like Con- V, 87-92. necticut, and that of a royal province like Virginia: the governor, secretary, and treasurer of the new province were to be appointed by the king; the council, however, was to be elected by a body representing the people, subject to the confirmation of the governor; to the representatives was also confided the initiative in financial matters, which gave the skilled politicians of Massachusetts the chance to take away from the governor most of the power which the charter had given to that official.

Province
Charter, 1691.

273-278;

Massachu

setts.

Massachusetts, as a province, included New Plymouth, Limits of Maine, and the English possessions to the eastward; but New Hampshire was given a government of its own. form of words was used in the new charter to describe the boundary between these provinces which the English Privy Council, of a later day, interpreted to mean that Massachusetts extended to a point three miles northward of the most southern point of the Merrimac only, instead of to a point

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