The Life of George Washington, Vol. 1 | Page 4

country, that the work
appeared to the author to be most sensibly incomplete and
unsatisfactory, while unaccompanied by such a narrative of the
principal events preceding our revolutionary war, as would make the
reader acquainted with the genius, character, and resources of the
people about to engage in that memorable contest. This appeared the
more necessary as that period of our history is but little known to
ourselves. Several writers have detailed very minutely the affairs of a
particular colony, but the desideratum is a composition which shall
present in one connected view, the transactions of all those colonies
which now form the United States.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.

Commission of Cabot.... His voyage to America.... Views of discovery
relinquished by Henry VII.... Resumed by Elizabeth.... Letters patent to
Sir Humphry Gilbert.... His voyages and death.... Patent to Sir Walter
Raleigh.... Voyage of Sir Richard Grenville.... Colonists carried back to
England by Drake.... Grenville arrives with other colonists.... They are
left on Roanoke Island.... Are destroyed by the Indians.... Arrival of
John White.... He returns to England for succour.... Raleigh assigns his
patent.... Patent to Sir Thomas Gates and others.... Code of laws for the
proposed colony drawn up by the King.
CHAPTER II.
Voyage of Newport.... Settlement at Jamestown.... Distress of
colonists.... Smith.... He is captured by the Indians.... Condemned to
death, saved by Pocahontas.... Returns to Jamestown.... Newport
arrives with fresh settlers.... Smith explores the Chesapeake.... Is
chosen president.... New charter.... Third voyage of Newport.... Smith
sails for Europe.... Condition of the colony.... Colonists determine to
abandon the country.... Are stopped by Lord Delaware.... Sir Thomas
Dale.... New charter.... Capt. Argal seizes Pocahontas.... She marries
Mr. Rolf.... Separate property in lands and labour.... Expedition against
Port Royal.... Against Manhadoes.... Fifty acres of land for each
settler.... Tobacco.... Sir Thomas Dale.... Mr. Yeardley.... First
assembly.... First arrival of females.... Of convicts.... Of African
slaves.... Two councils established.... Prosperity of the colony....
Indians attempt to massacre the whites.... General war.... Dissolution of
the company.... Arbitrary measures of the crown.... Sir John Harvey....
Sir William Berkeley.... Provincial assembly restored.... Virginia
declares in favour of Charles II.... Grant to Lord Baltimore.... Arrival of
a colony in Maryland.... Assembly composed of freemen.... William
Claybourne.... Assembly composed of representatives.... Divided into
two branches.... Tyrannical proceedings.
CHAPTER III.
First ineffectual attempts of the Plymouth company to settle the
country.... Settlement at New Plymouth.... Sir Henry Rosewell and

company.... New charter.... Settlements prosecuted vigorously....
Government transferred to the colonists.... Boston founded.... Religious
intolerance.... General court established.... Royal commission for the
government of the plantations.... Contest with the French colony of
Acadié.... Hugh Peters.... Henry Vane.... Mrs. Hutchison.... Maine
granted to Gorges.... Quo warranto against the patent of the colony....
Religious dissensions.... Providence settled.... Rhode Island settled....
Connecticut settled.... War with the Pequods.... New Haven settled.
CHAPTER IV.
Massachusetts claims New Hampshire and part of Maine....
Dissensions among the inhabitants.... Confederation of the New
England colonies.... Rhode Island excluded from it.... Separate
chambers provided for the two branches of the Legislature.... New
England takes part with Parliament.... Treaty with Acadié.... Petition of
the non-conformists.... Disputes between Massachusetts and
Connecticut.... War between England and Holland.... Machinations of
the Dutch at Manhadoes among the Indians.... Massachusetts refuses to
join the united colonies in the war.... Application of New Haven to
Cromwell for assistance.... Peace with the Dutch.... Expedition of
Sedgewic against Acadié.... Religious intolerance.
CHAPTER V.
Transactions succeeding the restoration of Charles II.... Contests
between Connecticut and New Haven.... Discontents in Virginia....
Grant to the Duke of York.... Commissioners appointed by the crown....
Conquest of the Dutch settlements.... Conduct of Massachusetts to the
royal commissioners.... Their recall.... Massachusetts evades a
summons to appear before the King and council.... Settlement of
Carolina.... Form of government.... Constitution of Mr. Locke....
Discontents in the county of Albemarle.... Invasion from Florida....
Abolition of the constitution of Mr. Locke.... Bacon's rebellion.... His
death.... Assembly deprived of judicial power.... Discontents in
Virginia.... Population of the colony.

CHAPTER VI.
Prosperity of New England.... War with Philip.... Edward Randolph
arrives in Boston.... Maine adjudged to Gorges.... Purchased by
Massachusetts.... Royal government erected in New Hampshire....
Complaints against Massachusetts.... Their letters patent cancelled....
Death of Charles II.... James II. proclaimed.... New commission for the
government of New England.... Sir Edmond Andros.... The charter of
Rhode Island abrogated.... Odious measures of the new government....
Andros deposed.... William and Mary proclaimed.... Review of
proceedings in New York and the Jerseys.... Pennsylvania granted to
William Penn.... Frame of government.... Foundation of Philadelphia
laid.... Assembly convened.... First acts of the legislature.... Boundary
line with Lord Baltimore settled.
CHAPTER VII.
New charter of Massachusetts.... Affairs of New York.... War with
France.... Schenectady destroyed.... Expedition against Port Royal....
Against Quebec.... Acadié recovered by France.... Pemaquid taken....
Attempt on St. Johns.... Peace.... Affairs of New York.... Of Virginia....