as sent out by
Phillips to Madagascar to trade with the pirates and who then turned
pirate himself. From the first voyage Phillips and Burgess cleared
together L5,000, the proceeds of trade and slaves. The second voyage
yielded L10,000 and three hundred slaves. Burgess married a relative of
Phillips and continued piracy, but was caught and imprisoned in Newgate.
Phillips spent great sums of money to save him and succeeded. Burgess
resumed piracy and met death from poisoning in Africa while engaged in
carrying off slaves.--"The Lives and Bloody Exploits of the Most Noted
Pirates":177-183. This work was a serious study of the different sea
pirates.
[25] Colonial Docs, iv:533-534. On November 27, 1700, Bellomont wrote to
the Lords of the Treasury: "I can supply the King and all his dominions
with naval stores (except flax and hemp) from this province and New
Hampshire, but then your Lordships and the rest of the Ministers must
break through Coll. Fletcher's most corrupt grants of all the lands and
woods of this province which I think is the most impudent villainy I
ever heard or read of any man," iv:780.
[26] This is the inventory given in "Abstracts of Wills," 1:323.
[27] "Journal and Letters," 1767-1774.
[28] Sparks' "Life of Washington," Appendix, ix:557-559.
[29] Bigelow's "Life of Franklin," iii:470.
[30] "Colonial New York," 1:232.
CHAPTER III
THE RISE OF THE TRADING CLASS
The creation of the great landed estates was accompanied by the slow
development of the small trader and merchant. Necessarily, they first
established themselves in the sea ports where business was concentrated.
Many obstacles long held them down to a narrow sphere. The great
chartered companies monopolized the profitable resources. The land
magnates exacted tribute for the slightest privilege granted. Drastic
laws forbade competition with the companies, and the power of law and
the severities of class government were severely felt by the merchants.
The chartered corporations and the land dignitaries were often one group
with an identity of men and interests. Against their strength and
capital the petty trader or merchant could not prevail. Daring and
enterprising though he be, he was forced to a certain compressed routine
of business. He could sell the goods which the companies sold to him but
could not undertake to set up manufacturing. And after the companies had
passed away, the landed aristocracy used its power to
|