1687

Under the encouragement of the new administration an Episcopal society was organized in Boston, which was the first in that place.

Andros introduced the Episcopal service in the Old South Church in Boston, against the will of its proprietors. In October Andros went to Hartford, accompanied by his troops, where the general assembly was in session, and, demanding the surrender of the Connecticut charter, declared the government under it to be dissolved. The charter, however, was preserved, through the zeal of Captain Wadsworth, of Hartford, who secreted it in the hollow of an oak-tree. That tree, known in history as the Charter Oak, was held in veneration until it was blown down by a storm more than one hundred and fifty years afterward.

1688 The administration of the government by Andros was so oppressive to the inhabitants of Massachusetts, they despatched an agent to England to represent their grievances to the king. The first Episcopal church edifice in Massachusetts was built in Boston and called the King's Chapel.

1689

1690

The news of the abdication of King James and of the accession of William and Mary to the throne arrived in Boston in May. In April, before the news of the revolution in England had reached America, the people of Boston and the surrounding country rose in arms, seized and confined Andros, and such of the council as had been most active, together with several of the inhabitants who had made themselves obnoxious, and reinstated the old magistrates in power.

The freemen of Rhode Island, on hearing of the imprisonment of Andros, met at Newport on the first of May, and voted to resume their charter; and replaced all the general officers who had been displaced three years before.

The government of Connecticut was re-established by the freemen of that colony in May, and the laws which had been suspended were declared to have the same force as they had before.

Information of the accession of William and Mary to the throne was received in New York with great satisfaction. About fifty of the inhabitants seized the garrison, formed themselves into a committee of safety to hold and rule the province until the government should be established by the new king. A bitter strife and feud were now inaugurated between two contending factions of the citizens for the temporary control of the government.

New Rochelle, in New York, was settled this year by a colony of French Huguenots. The French language was chiefly spoken there for at least two generations.

The French in Canada organized three expeditions, composed of French and Indians, to devastate the English colonies. One party entered the village of Schenectady on the night of the eighth of February, surprised the inhabitants when asleep, and set the town on fire. Sixty men, women, and children were massacred, and twenty-seven carried away pris

oners; the rest fled, nearly naked, towards Albany. Another party surprised Salmon Falls, in New Hampshire, on the 18th of March. The place was pillaged and burned; about thirty of the inhabitants were killed, and fifty-four made prisoners. On the 17th of May the fort and settlement of Casco were attacked and destroyed. These depredations alarmed the country, and preparations were soon made to make an attack on the French settlements in Nova Scotia. A fleet of eight vessels, carrying nearly eight hundred men, was despatched under the command of Sir William Phips to attack Port Royal. Upon the arrival there of the expedition, the place, being in no condition to stand a siege, surrendered with little or no resistance. Sir William Phips now took possession of all the coast from Port Royal to the English settlements. An expedition was soon after organized to subjugate Canada, and on the 5th of October it arrived at Quebec. On learning the strength of the place, the invaders abandoned their project and returned to Boston. Success had been so confidently expected, that adequate provision had not been made for the payment of the troops. In this emergency the government of Massachusetts issued bills of credit as a substitute for money, and these were the first that were issued in the American colonies.

A large number of French Protestant refugees emigrated to America this year, and settled in Carolina and Virginia.

The whale-fishery at Nantucket was commenced on a large

scale at this time.

The first newspaper published in America was issued at Boston on the 25th of September, and was called Public Occurrences. Before the second number appeared the legislature suppressed its publication.

The first paper-mill in America was established this year, by William Bradford, near Philadelphia.

1692 King William granted to Connecticut and Rhode Island the right to resume their old charters, and he gave to Massachusetts a new charter. Under this the colony of Plymouth was united with that of Massachusetts. The jurisdiction of Massachusetts extended over the provinces of Maine, Nova Scotia, and other territory.

1693

1694

Twenty persons were put to death this year in Massachusetts, upon their conviction of the charge of practising witchcraft.

A party of French and Indians surprised and nearly destroyed the whole town of York, in Maine, on the 25th of January, massacring about seventy-five of the inhabitants and carrying away captive about the same number.

A charter was obtained from the crown for a college to be established in Virginia under the name of "The College of Willliam and Mary in Virginia."

A whipping post, pillory, and ducking-stool were established in the city of New York.

William Bradford was appointed printer to the government of New York, and set up the first press in that province.

A body of Indians commanded by a French officer attacked

1695

1696

1697

a village on Oyster river in New Hampshire, burned twenty houses and massacred and took captive in all about one hundred of the inhabitants.

The planting of rice in Carolina was commenced this year. A brigantine from Madagascar touching at Carolina on her way to Great Britain, anchored off Sullivan's Island. The captain of the vessel presented a bag of seed-rice to one of the colonists, and gave him directions how it should be planted, with information of its growth in Eastern countries, and of its incredible increase. The rice was distributed among several of the inhabitants, who made the experiment of planting it in different soils. The success fully equalled their expectations, and from this small beginning arose the staple commodity of Carolina, which soon became the great source of its opulence.

The first Episcopal church in Pennsylvania was erected this year in Philadelphia.

At this period, New England had about one hundred thousand inhabitants and one hundred and thirty churches.

The city of New York contained five hundred and ninety-four houses and six thousand inhabitants. The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, at New York, received a charter of incorporation. The Spaniards built a church, a fort, and some dwelling houses at Pensacola.

A cargo of negro slaves direct from Africa arrived in Rhode Island. Some were sold there and the remainder in Boston. Trinity Church in New York was completed, and opened for worship on the 6th of February.

Paper was commenced to be manufactured at Germantown, Penna.

The streets of New York were now ordered to be lighted oy the Common Council. The lighting was to be done in a lantern suspended from a pole stretched out from the window of every seventh house. A night-watch was also instituted.

1698 A town was laid out in Virginia, and called Williamsburg in honor of the king. The seat of government was removed there from Jamestown.

1699

There were at this time about four thousand Indians in Massachusetts.

Louis XIV. of France projected the settlement of a colony in Louisiana, and sent over two vessels to visit the country and gather information in regard to it.

The seat of government for Maryland was removed from St Mary's to Annapolis.

William Kidd, the noted pirate, was apprehended in Boston, committed to prison, and sent to England for trial, where he was afterward condemned and executed. Kidd was formerly known as one of the boldest and most successful shipmasters that sailed from New York. In May, 1691, the Common Council of New York awarded him £150 for service to the colony. Receiving from King William a commission as captain of a galley of thirty guns for the suppression of piracy, he sailed

1700

1701

from England in 1696, but turning pirate himself, returned in 1698 with a large booty to New York

The authorities of New York and Massachusetts passed acts for the banishment of all Popish priests and Jesuits from those provinces.

At this period Boston contained about 7000 inhabitants and ́ about 1000 houses. There were about 5500 whites in Carolina. The first public library instituted in America was this year founded in New York. This library was subsequently merged with the Society Library, which was founded in 1754.

Yale College was founded this year. It was chartered by the Assembly, and its trustees appointed Saybrook for its location.

The number of the inhabitants in the American colonies at this period was estimated at 262,000.

The first permanent settlement in Michigan was founded this year by the French. Sieur de la Motte Cadillac, accompanied with one hundred men, departed from Quebec on the 8th of March, and arrived on the site of the present city of Detroit on the 24th of June. He at once erected a fort, a palisaded structure, near the present Jefferson Avenue, Shelby and Woodbridge streets.

1702 King William died on the 8th of March, and was succeeded by Queen Anne.

A rupture having taken place between England and Spain, the Governor of Carolina organized an expedition against St. Augustine. The enterprise was unsuccessful, and entailed a debt of £6000 on the colony; to pay this, the provincial assembly of Carolina passed an act for the issue of bills of credit. This was the first paper money issued in Carolina.

East and West Jersey were now united under one government by Queen Anne, and received the name of New Jersey. The first Episcopal society in that province was organized.

The erection of the first Episcopal church at Newport was commenced.

The Episcopal was made the established Church in Maryland, and all the citizens were required to be taxed for its mainte

nance.

A pestilent fever brought from the West Indies to New York ravaged that city, and carried off one tenth of the population. 1703 Virginia contained at this time about 6000 inhabitants.

1704

Several settlements in Maine were attacked by the French and Indians, and about one hundred and fifty of the inhabitants were massacred or taken away captive.

The "King's Farm" in the city of New York was granted to Trinity Church by Queen Anne. This gift laid the foundation of the vast revenues of that society.

The Legislature of Maryland passed an act to prevent the growth of Popery in that province.

A party of French and Indians set fire to the town of Deerfield, in Massachusetts, massacred forty-seven of the inhabitants, and took away one hundred and twelve as captives.

1706

The Church of England was made the established church in Carolina.

The first newspaper published in America (excepting the single issue in 1690) was issued on the 24th of April, at Boston, and called The Boston News Letter. It was published weekly, and was printed on a half sheet twelve inches by eight.

The first Episcopal church built in New Jersey was erected at Burlington.

A large force of French and Spaniards sailed into the harbor of Charleston, in Carolina, to assault that place, but they were repulsed by the colonists, with a loss of three hundred men. 1707 Two regiments embarked from Nantasket, Mass., in May, to proceed against the French at Port Royal. They made an attempt to bombard the fort and failed, and the enterprise was abandoned.

1708

1709

The first Episcopal society in Connecticut was formed at Stratford.

A body of French and Indians attacked the town of Haverhill, in New Hampshire, burned several houses, and plundered the rest. Nearly forty persons were massacred, and many carried away as prisoners.

An extensive plan was determined on by the colonies of New York, New Jersey, and New England, to subdue the French in Canada, Arcadia, and Newfoundland. Five regiments of regular troops were to be sent from England to join in the enterprise. Affairs on the Continent obliged England to abandon sending her troops to America, and the project was thereby frustrated. To defray the expenses of this projected expedition, the colonies of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut issued bills of credit for the first time.

The first printing-press established in Connecticut was set up this year in New London.

A slave-market was established in the city of New York. 1710 An expedition set sail from Boston, on the 18th of September, against the French fort at Port Royal. On the 2d of October the place capitulated, and its name changed to that of Annapolis, in honor of Queen Anne.

1711

A post-office establishment for the colonies in America was created by an act of Parliament. The chief office was made at New York, and sub-offices at such other places as the Postmaster-General might direct.

A large expedition, consisting of an armament from England and a large body of colonial troops, sailed from Boston on the 30th of July, to attack the French in Canada. In proceeding up the St. Lawrence River the fleet struck upon the rocks, and eight or nine of the transports were wrecked, and about one thousand lives lost. Upon this disaster the design was relinquished and the fleet turned about, and the English vessels returned directly to England. Another large expedition, intended to act in concert with the other, left Albany on the 28th of August, and commenced a march toward Canada, but bear