The next year just a hundred years to a day from the time the "Bacon Assembly" had met at Jamestown - another assembly, the "Continental Congress," met at Philadelphia. On motion by a delegate from Virginia they voted the adoption of the Declaration of Independence which Jefferson wrote and which Washington drew his sword to defend.

53. Summary. - Jamestown, Virginia (1607), was the first permanent English settlement made in the New World. There (1619) the first American legislature was convened; the same year saw the introduction of negro slaves. Tobacco was the great staple which built up the commerce of the colony, though that commerce was seriously hampered (1660) by the English Navigation Laws. Virginia was strongly Royalist, but it was also determined to resist oppression. There was a period of bad government, and Bacon (1676) began a movement of reform which was temporarily successful. Later (1775) the spirit of independence made the "Old Dominion" a leading colony in the Revolution.

II. NEW NETHERLAND OR NEW YORK (1614).

54. New Netherland, or New York (1614); Henry Hudson's search for a passage to the Indies; the "River of the Mountains." In 1609 the Dutch East India Company -England's great commercial rival-sent out Captain Henry Hudson to discover a passage through America to the Indies. While examining the coast he entered that noble stream originally called the "River of the Mountains," but which to-day bears the name of its English explorer. Sailing up the river, Hudson passed the Highlands and the Catskills, and reached the point where Albany now stands. Shallow water forced him to turn back. He was delighted with the country. "It is as beautiful a land," said he, " as the foot of man ever trod upon.' After a short stay he returned to Europe.

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55. The Dutch build fur-trading stations (1614) on the Hudson River. The Dutch at once (1610) sent out an expedition to open fur-traffic with the Indians. Soon afterward (1614) they built a few log cabins on the southern portion of Manhattan Island, and erected Fort Nassau just below the present site of Albany.

Fort Nassau was practically at the head of ship navigation on the Hudson. It also stood at the eastern terminus of the great central Indian trail running to Lake Erie. Such a station was admirably located for carrying on the fur

trade with the Iroquois. On the other hand, the post on Manhattan Island would control the entrance to the river, and thus give the Dutch a monopoly of one of the most important water-ways on the eastern coast of America.

56. A trading company formed; colonization; purchase of Manhattan Island (1626).

Hudson River

RensselaerCo

Columbia Co

Lake Champlain

Fort

Orange

In the autumn of the same year (1614) the Dutch Republic of the United Netherlands. granted a charter 74 to a commercial corporation giving it the exclusive right to trade with the country called "New Netherland." The territory bearing that name embraced not only the valley of the Hudson, but the entire region between Virginia and Canada. The object of the Company was not to plant colonies, but to engage in traffic with the natives. But some years later (1621) a new corporation, the Dutch West India Company, obtained a charter giving them all the rights originally possessed by the first Company and the privilege of sending over colonists besides. They soon (1623) shipped a number of Walloons, or Belgian Protestants, to New Netherland. Part of the emigrants landed on Manhattan Island, but most of them went up the river and helped to build Fort Orange — now Albany.

New Amsterdam.

In 1626 the Company sent out Peter Minuit as governor; before the close of the year he purchased the Island of Manhattan from the Indians for "the value of sixty guilders," or about $24.00. The town of thirty houses on the Island now received the name of New Amsterdam.

57. Establishment of the patroon system. A few years later (1629) the Company established the patroon system, in the hope of thereby promoting the rapid settlement of the colony. The patroon stood in the place of the old feudal lord; under him the colonist played the part of serf or semi-slave.

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The following were the privileges of the master: Every member of the Company who bound himself to take or send over at least fifty emigrants over fifteen years of age was to receive the honorary title of "Patroon [or Patron] of New Netherland." 1. He was entitled to hold an estate having sixteen miles frontage on one side of a navigable river, or eight miles on each side," and extending as far into the country "as the situations of the occupiers will permit." 2. As lord of the manor, he was empowered to hold civil and criminal courts on his estate, and from his decisions as judge there was practically no appeal." 3. He had the right to appoint officers and magistrates in all cities and towns founded on his lands. This, of course, gave him almost entire control of such places, since the inhabitants had no voice in the elections. 4. He held his estate" as a perpetual inheritance," and by handing it down in the line of the eldest son could keep his vast property undivided in his family forever.

On the other hand, all emigrants taken or sent out to New Netherland by a patroon were held as follows: 1. They bound themselves to serve him for a term of years (like the indented apprentice of Virginia planters). 2. They agreed to grind their grain in his mill and to pay for the grinding. 3. They were not to hunt or fish without their master's permission. 4. They pledged themselves not to weave any cloth for themselves or others, but to buy it from the Company, on