ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

efpecially when not already provided for by marriage. The wives of fuch perfons as fhould furvive them, were to be, during their lives, entitled to the manfion-house, and one half of the lands improved by their husbands. No man was to be permitted to depart the province without licence. If any of the lands granted by the truftees were not cultivated, cleared and fenced round about with a worm fence, or pales fix feet high, within eighteen years from the date of the grant, fuch part was to revert to the trust, and the grant with respect to it to be void. All forfeitures for non-refidences, high treatons, felonies, &c. were to the trustees, for the use and benefit of the colony. THE USE OF NEGROES TO BE ABSOLUTELY PROBIBITED, and alfo THE IMPORTATION OF RUM. None of the colonists were to be permitted to trade with the Indians, but fuch as fhould obtain a special licence for that purpose.

Thele were fome of the fundamental regulations established by the trustees of Georgia, and perhaps the imagination could fcarcely have framed a fyftem of rules, worfe adapted to the circumstances and fituation of the poor fettlers, and of more pernicious confequence to the profperity of the province. Yet, although the trustees were greatly mistaken with refpect to the plan of fettlement, it must be acknowledged their views were generous. As the people fent out by them were the poor and unfortunate, who were to be provided with neceffaries at their public store, they received their lands upon condition of cultivation, perfonal refidence, and defence.

Silk and wine being the chief articles intended to be raised, they judged negroes were not requifite for thefe purposes. As the colony was defigned to be a barrier to South-Carolina against the Spanish fettlement at Auguftine, they imagined that negroes would Father weaken than ftrengthen it, and that fuch poor colonists would run in debt, and ruin themselves by purchafing them. Rum was judged pernicious to health, and ruinous to the infant fettlement. A free trade with the Indians was a thing that might have had a tendency to have involved the people in quarrels and troubles with the powerful favages, and have expofed them to danger and deftruction. Such were, probably, the motives which induced the trustees to impofe fuch foolish and ridiculous reftrictions on their colony. For by granting their finall eftates in tail male, they drove the fettlers from Georgia, who foon found that abundance of lands could be obtained in America upon a larger fcale, and on much better terms. By the prohibition of negroes, an act which we muft, however, have

praised

praised if it had originated in principles of humanity, they rendered it impracticable, in fuch a climate, to make any impreffion on the thick forefts, Europeans being utterly unqualified for the heavy task. By their discharging a trade with the Weft-Indies, they deprived the colonists of an excellent and convenient market for their lumber, of which they had abundance on their lands. The trustees, like other diftant legiflators, were liable to many errors and mistakes ; and, however good their defign, their rules were found improper and impracticable. The Carolinians plainly perceived that they would prove infurmountable obftacles to the progrefs and profperity of the colony, and therefore, from motives of pity, began to invite the poor Georgians to come over Savannah river and fettle in Carolina, being convinced that they could never fucceed under fuch im politic and oppreffive restrictions.

Befides the large fums of money which the trustees had expended for the fettlement of Georgia, the Parliament had alfo granted, du ring the two last years, thirty-fix thousand pounds towards carrying into execution the purpofe of the corporation. But after the representation and memorial from the legislature of Carolina reached Britain, the nation confidered Georgia to be of the utmost importance to the British fettlements in America, and began to make ftill more vigorous efforts for its fpeedy population. The firft embarkations of poor people from England, being collected from towns and cities, were found equally as idle and useless members of society abroad as they had been at home. An hardy and bold race of men, inured to rural labour and fatigue, they were perfuaded, would be much better adapted both for cultivation and defence. To find men pofseffed of these qualifications, they turned their eyes to Germany and the Highlands of Scotland, and refolved to fend over a number of Scotch and German labourers to their infant province. When they published their terms at Inverness, an hundred and thirty Highlanders immediately accepted them, and were tranfported to Georgia. A township on the river Alatamaha, which was confidered as the boundary between the British and Spanish territories, was allotted for the Highlanders, in which dangerous fituation they settled, and built a town, which they called New-Inverness. About the fame time an hundred and feventy Germans embarked with James Oglethorpe, and were fixed in another quarter; fo that, in the space of three years, Georgia received above four hundred British fubjects, and

about

about an hundred and feventy foreigners. Afterwards feveral adı venturers, both from Scotland and Germany, followed their country men, and added farther strength to the province, and the trustees flattered themselves with the hope of foon fecing it in a promifing condition.

Their hopes, however, were vain: their injudicious regulations and restrictions, the wars in which they were involved with the Spaniards and Indians, and the frequent infurrections among themfelves, threw the colony into a ftate of confufion and wretchedness; their oppreffed fituation was reprefented to the trustees by repeated complaints; till at length, finding that the province languished under their care, and weary with the complaints of the people, they, in the year 1752, furrendered their charter to the King, and it was made a royal government. In confequence of which, his Majefty appointed John Reynolds, an officer of the navy, governor of the province, and a legislature, fimilar to that of the other royal govern ments in America, was established in it. Great had been the expense which the Mother Country had already incurred, besides private benefactions, for fupporting this colony; and fmall had been the returns yet made by it. The veftiges of cultivation were scarcely perceptible in the forests, and in England all commerce with it was neglected and despised. At this time the whole annual exports of Georgia did not amount to ten thoufand pounds sterling. Though the people now poffeffed the fame liberties and privileges which were enjoyed by their neighbours, yet feveral years elapfed before the value of the lands in Georgia was known, and that spirit of industry broke out in it, which afterwards diffused its happy influence over the country.

In the year 1740, the late Rev. George Whitefield founded an orphan houfe academy in Georgia, about twelve miles from Savannah. For the fupport of this, he collected large fums of money from all denominations of Chriftians, both in England and America. A part of this money was expended in erecting proper buildings to accommodate the ftudents, and a part in fupporting them. In 1768 it was propofed, that the orphan house should be erected into a college; whereupon Mr. Whitefield applied to the Crown for a charter, but, in confequence of fome difpute, the affair of a charter was given up, and Mr. Whitefield made his affignment of the orphan house, in truft, to the late Counters of Huntingdon. Mr.

Whitefield died at Newbury port, in New-England, September 30, 1770, in the fifty-fixth year of his age, and was buried under the Prefbyterian church in that place.

Soon after his death, a charter was granted to his inftitution in Georgia, and the Rev. Mr. Piercy was appointed prefident of the college. Mr. Piercy accordingly went over to execute his office, but, unfortunately, on the 30th of May, 1775, the orphan house building caught fire, and was entirely confumed, except the two wings, which are still remaining. The American war foon after came on, and put every thing into confufion, and the funds have ever since lain in an unproductive state. It is probable, that the college estate may hereafter be so incorporated with the univerfity of Georgia, as to subserve the original and pious purposes of its founder.

From the time Georgia became a royal government, in 1752, till the peace of Paris, in 1763, she struggled under many difficulties, arifing from the want of credit from friends, and the frequent molestations of enemies. The good effects of the peace were fenfibly felt in the province of Georgia. From this time it began to flourish, under the fatherly care of Governor Wright.

During the late war Georgia was over-run by the British troops, and the inhabitants were obliged to flee into the neighbouring States for fafety. The fufferings and loffes of its citizens were as great, in proportion to their numbers and wealth, as in any of the States. Since the peace the progrefs of the population of this State has been rapid its growth in improvement and population has, however, been checked by the hoftile irruptions of the Creek Indians, which have been frequent, and very diftreffing to the frontier inhabitants.*

Having thus briefly sketched the history of the fettlement of the States comprehended in this divifion, we now proceed to a more particular-defcription of them.

* For a more minute historical account of this State, fee Hewitt's Hiftory of SouthCarolina and Georgia,

VOL. III.

F

STATE

STATE OF

MARYLAND.

THIS

SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES.

HIS State is fituated between 37° 56′ and 39° 44′ north latitude, and 0° and 4° 30' weft longitude, from Philadelphia-its length is about one hundred and thirty-four miles, and its breadth one hundred and ten. It is bounded on the north by the State of Pennsylvania; on the caft by the State of Delaware; and on the south-eaft and fouth by the Atlantic ocean; and a line drawn from the ocean over the peninfula (dividing it from Accomack county in Virginia) to the mouth of the Potomack river; thence up the Potomack to its fource; thence by a north line till it interfects the fouthern boundary of Pennsylvania, in latitude 39° 43′ 18′′; fo that it has Virginia on the fouth, fouth-weft and weft; it contains about fourteen thousand fquare miles, of which from one-fixth to one-fourth is water.

AIR AND CLIMATE.

The climate of this State is in general mild and agreeable, fuited to agricultural productions, and a great variety of fruit trees: the air in the interior of the country is falubrious, and favourable to the inhabitants, who, in the hilly parts, are as healthy as in any part of the Union; but in the flat lands, in the neighbourhood of marshes and stagnant waters, as in the other Southern States, they are subject to intermittents and other complaints common to swampy fitua

tions.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY, &c.

East of the blue ridge of mountains, which stretches across the western part of this State, the land, like that in all the Southern States, is generally level and free of ftones; and appears to have

been

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »