in 1664.
New Hampshire, settled by Puritans in 1729, became a royal colony in
1679; Maryland, settled by Catholics from England, in 1632, became a
royal colony in 1691; Connecticut, settled by Dutch and English in 1633,
became a royal colony in 1662; Rhode Island was settled in 1638, and
never became a royal colony. She was excluded from the New England
federation because she harbored all kinds of religions. She especially
reserved to herself a State government alone, and a right to secede in
any case. So this terrible crime of secession had birth in that pious,
patriotic north that so bitterly condemned the states of Dixie Land for
clamoring for a future right.
Delaware, settled by Swedes in 1638, became a separate colony, owned
by William Penn, in 1703. North Carolina, settled by Virginians and
Quakers in 1653, became a royal colony in 1729; New Jersey settled by
the English in 1665, became a royal colony in 1702. Pennsylvania,
settled by Germans, Dutch and Scotch-Irish in 1681, was given by King
Charles II of England, to Wm. Penn in 1770. South Carolina, settled by
French Huguenots and Germans in 1691, became a royal colony in 1729.
Georgia, the last English colony, was settled by the English in 1732
and had her royal charter in 1762.
I have given the colonial dates in regular order of chronology. A more
convenient division may be made thus: the New England colonies were
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island, all
belonging to England except Rhode Island.
The middle colonies were New York, Delaware, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, two belonging to England, and two to Wm. Penn. The
Southern colonies were Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina
and Virginia, all belonging to England. Brought together by common cause
were English, French, Germans, Dutch, Swedes, Quakers, Episcopalians,
Catholics and all desired forms of religious worship. Wise legislation
indeed was needed to harmonize these conflicting elements and
dispositions merely on general principles. But when grave questions came
then trouble began. What was to the commercial interest of one section
seemed to militate against the prosperity of the other, and the glorious
ending of the war for independence was soon clouded by the acts of
Congress concerning the polity of the United States.
The African Slave Trade, begun by the North for purposes of profit,
became a bone of contention till the year 1808, when the law was
passed
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