II. THE ENGLISH PERIOD. 1664–1776

CHAPTER VIII. THE FIRST DECADE OF ENGLISH RULE

Changes in New York.-With the surrender of New Amsterdam to Nicolls eight or nine thousand colonists became English subjects. But the chief changes were in names rather than institutions. New Netherland became New York, and Nicolls was the first English governor. The burgomasters became magistrates; the schepens, aldermen; the schouts, sheriffs; the koopmen, secretaries. New Amsterdam was renamed New York, while Fort Amsterdam was called Fort James. Orange was changed to Albany, and Esopus to Kingston.

Fort

Popular Convention.-Nicolls had received minute instructions how to govern the captured province. He invited the towns to send two delegates to a general meeting to be held at Hempstead (March 1, 1665). Thirtyfour delegates responded, hoping to receive for the people the coveted liberty of New England, and the right to elect their own officers and to tax themselves. Instead they were only permitted to accept a previously prepared code of "The Duke's Laws" intended to gradually replace the Dutch laws. Religious liberty, equal taxation, Dutch customs, and the security of land titles were guaranteed, but the governor was directed.

to appoint all officers and to impose all taxes. The landholders were required to renew their titles, the fees for which went into the governor's pocket.

Nicolls was not as able a ruler as Stuyvesant, but he knew how to manage the people. Although he ruled a people who were mostly Dutch and was forced to lay heavy taxes on them to secure the province against attack, yet his popularity with the Dutch was greater than with the English colonists. The dispute with Connecticut over boundaries was settled by a compromise. The Duke of York received Long Island, and Connecticut obtained land which determined her western boundary line in 1683. The town of New York was granted a city charter and Thomas Willet was appointed first mayor (1665).1

The Dutch Recapture New York-In 1667 Nicolls, after three years of creditable rule, gave up his office, preferring to win glory on European battle-fields. Lord Francis Lovelace succeeded him. He soon made enemies of the people. In answer to a petition from the towns against unjust taxes, he ordered the paper burned and said that the people should have no liberty. During his rule war broke out between England and Holland. A Dutch fleet entered New York harbor, six hundred men were landed above the city and were joined by four hundred Dutch, when the English commander surrendered. In a few days all New York, New Jersey, and Delaware were again under Dutch con

1 Thomas Willet was an Englishman who had lived among the Puritans at Leyden, Holland, and at Plymouth, Mass. At the latter place he had succeeded Miles Standish as captain of the militia. He died in 1674, and is buried at East Providence, R. I.

trol. The blustering Captain Anthony Colve was made governor and the province again became New Netherland (Aug., 1673), but for a brief time only. Early in 1674 a treaty ended the war, and after fifteen months the English regained possession of New York (Nov.). Condition of the Colony.-During this period the population had increased to ten thousand, six thousand of whom were Dutch. Each town was required to build a church. "Almost every settlement had a regular school taught by more or less permanent teachers." Settlements were spreading up the Hudson and the Mohawk. The relations with the Indians were friendly and profitable. The first post-rider carried "letters and small portable goods" to Boston and return monthly (1673). Trade and commerce were thriving. The English and Dutch were gradually intermingling and the colony was generally prosperous. Along the line of political liberty, however, but little progress had been made. For a hundred years New York was to remain in the hands of the English.

CHAPTER IX.-THE FIRST VICTORY FOR SELF

GOVERNMENT

Governor Andros. To make the grant doubly good the king gave to the Duke of York a second deed. The duke had already sold New Jersey to Berkeley and Carteret, but now contended that the Jersey grants were still tributary to New York. To guard his interests the duke made Edmund Andros governor over the whole country from the Connecticut River to Lord

Baltimore's domain. To establish the claim Andros first sailed with armed sloops to the Connecticut River. At Fort Saybrook he was defeated and forced to return to New York. His effort to rule New Jersey was resisted by the legislature and baffled. Even in New York his administration was rather unsuccessful because he adhered too strictly to instructions from the duke. The people demanded a share in legislation, but the duke said, "I cannot but suspect assemblies would be of dangerous consequences."

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His Description of New York. When Andros returned to England in 1678 to be knighted, he wrote a fine description of New York. This showed the character of the government. There were twenty-four towns in the colony. A few of the buildings were of stone or brick, but most were wooden. The province exported about 60,000 bushels of wheat, and also peas, beef, pork, fish, tobacco, furs, timber, horses, pitch and tar. All the estates were valued at about $900,000. Some few of all nations" were in the colony. Ministers were so scarce and religions so many that the list of births, marriages, and deaths could not be given. There were no beggars and few slaves. Andros's enemies at court secured his dismissal in 1680. He had reorganized the militia, strengthened the defenses, increased trade, raised the social condition of the people, and held the Iroquois faithful allies of the English.

First General Assembly. In 1683 Thomas Dongan arrived in the province as governor of the duke's possessions in America. One of his first acts was to appoint a council" of not more than ten men " to aid him in conducting the government. Obeying the duke's in

structions and the "desires of the colony," Dongan called a general assembly of the freeholders. Seventeen delegates were elected, and these with the governor and his council constituted the legislature. This first assembly met in Fort James and adopted fourteen acts, the most important being the "Charter of Liberties." This document declared that "the supreme legislative authority shall forever be and reside in a governor, council, and the people met in general assembly," and also that no tax shall be imposed except by consent of the assembly. Both the governor and the duke signed the charter. The duke reserved a veto on all laws, however. In 1685 the duke, as king of England, repudiated the charter of freedom.

Important Laws. This newly organized government passed some excellent laws. One divided New York into ten counties-New York, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, and Albany.1 Another important act provided for four distinct courts: town courts, for the trial of small cases, to be held monthly; county courts, to be held quarterly; a general court, to sit twice a year in each county; and a supreme court of chancery, composed of the governor and council. Appeals could be made to the king. A third law provided for the naturalization of foreigners upon very easy terms. Dongan gave the city of New York a charter (1686).2

Boundary Disputes.-The eastern and northern boundaries of New York engaged the attention of Dongan.

1 Duke's county and Cornwall county included lands outside of New York.

2 See Wilson, Mem. Hist. of N. Y., I., 437.