Their advance was certainly most rapid; yet the details are scanty, and in many cases doubtful. They were favoured by a combination of circumstances almost unprecedented. An industrious race, skilled in agriculture, were transported to a country where land to any extent could be easily obtained. The abundance of the necessaries of life thus produced, removed all check to marriage and the rearing of children; while the same circumstances invited a continual influx of emigrants from Europe. Hence arose a rapid increase of population, of which the modern world at least had never seen any example; doubling, it was supposed, in twenty-five or even twenty years. Of this a satisfactory proof was obtained from the imposing aspect under which the colonies appeared at successive periods; yet, down to the year 1790, no precise particulars were ever obtained.

Mr Bancroft, availing himself of the best materials within his reach, estimated the amount in 1688 at 200,000. Mrs Willard calculated the number in 1733 at 401,900; but this, we are convinced, is greatly underrated. For example, she gives the population of New England, in 1692, at 120,000 ; and in 1733, at only 187,000; though there is reason to believe that the increase was far greater. She supposes the whole inhabitants of the colonies in 1763 to have been 3,000,000; which appears too high. Congress, it is true, at the commencement of hostilities, about 1775, assumed the same amount; and Mr Jay, when examined at Madrid by Count Florida Blanca, maintained that, being furnished by the states themselves, with a view to the levies and supplies that would be required from them, it was probably under the truth.* Yet it is very curious that, in 1784, a similar estimate, formed with the same view, amounted only to 2,389,000. As, however, the census of 1790 gave nearly 4,000,000, the other was probably a good deal too low, and the preceding one perhaps nearly correct.

*

Bancroft, vol. ii. p. 452. Willard, pp. 84, 107, 182. Sparks' Diplomatic Correspondence, vol. vii. p. 227, &c.

The commercial progress of the colonies was equally rapid, and excited a still greater interest. Their exports consisted almost exclusively of the rude productions of land; a circumstance most grateful to the English people, since it naturally led to the desire to take their commodities in exchange. Their progress in agriculture, by absorbing at once their capital and their labour, prevented them from making any attempt to manufacture goods for themselves; while, by increasing their wealth, it induced them to prefer the fabrics of Britain to the rude home-made stuffs with which they had been at first contented. There was, however, a difficulty in finding articles, such as the rich products of the West Indies, which would obtain a place in the market of Europe. Silk and wine, the early objects of hope and pride, never succeeded; and though, in 1731, there were exported from Virginia three cwts. of the former, their expectations from this source proved ultimately fallacious. What they vainly sought, however, came upon them from unexpected quarters; and we have seen how tobacco forced itself into the place of a leading export. During the present period, Virginia and Maryland became the chief sources whence all Europe was supplied. In 1744 and the two succeeding years, Britain imported 40,000,000 pounds, whereof 30,000,000 were re-exported. Rice also was accidentally introduced in the manner already mentioned; and so congenial was the swampy soil of Carolina to its culture, that nearly the whole quantity consumed in Europe was raised in that plantation. The productions of the northern colonies being nearly the same with those of Britain, met with no demand from our merchants; but the surplus of grain found a market in Spain and Portugal; provisions and timber were sent to the West Indies; and thence they obtained the means of paying for our manufactures. To New England again, the fisheries and shipbuilding were a source of ever-increasing wealth. The following exhibits a view of the progressive increase of imports and exports from 1700 to 1763 :

British

Imports. Exports. Imports. Exports Imports. Exports.

£ £ £ £ New England 32,656 86,322 54,701 208,196 48,455 New York.. 18,547 31,910 8,740 64,356 35,634 Pennsylvania 5,220 12,003 10,582 48,592 28,191 Virginia and

Maryland... 235,738 199,683 346,823 150,931 508,939 Carolina. 16,973 13,908 151,739 64,785 191,607 Georgia..

む

343,659

74,815 258,854

267,130 217,713

53,988 238,560

38,228 284,152

349,419 642,294 555,391 133,037 282,366 250,132 1,942 2,125 14,469 44,908 *309,134 343,826 572,585 536,8601814,768 1,313,083,1,106,160 1,631,997

In 1769, a merchant, under the inappropriate title of The American Traveller (4to, London, 1769), published a very detailed statement of the commerce of the colonies, on an average of the preceding three years; and as this does not seem to be generally known, we here present a summary, which may interest some classes of readers :

21,500

6,000

27,500

Exports. 370,500 114,500 526,500 705,500 1,040,000 68,300 395,600 74,200 3,295,100) Imports.. 395,000 12,000 531,000 611,000 865,000 18,000 365,000 49,000 2,846,000

* Anderson's Origin of Commerce (edit. 1789), vol. iv. pp. 30, 36, 40, 43.

CHAPTER XI.

Revolution, from its Commencement to the Declaration of Independence.

Authorities for this Part of the Work-Secret Discontents— Plan of taxing America-Stamp Act passed-First Congress -Tumults in the Colonies-Marquis of Rockingham Minister Concessions Tranquillity restored-Charles Townshend-New Taxes imposed-Fresh Troubles-Non-importation Agreement-Lord North Minister-Repeal of TaxesMovements in America-They subside-Plan of Duty on Tea-Violent Proceedings at Boston-Indignation of Ministers-Shutting of the Port-Alteration of the Charters, &c. -Opposition by Burke, Chatham, and Others-Extreme Discontent in the Colonies-Meeting of General Congress-Its Proceedings-Debates in Parliament-Coercive MeasuresArming in Massachusetts-Battle of Lexington-Warlike · Operations — Addresses by Congress - Washington Commander-in-chief-Battle of Bunker's Hill-Hostile Movements in Virginia and other Colonies-State of Washington's Army-Proceedings in Parliament-Treaties with German Princes-American Expedition into Canada-Difficulties of Washington-Gage succeeded by Howe - His Plans Obliged to evacuate Boston-Washington marches to New York-Expedition against Charleston-Projects of Independence Opposition-Final Declaration.

We are now entering on the history of that great crisis which severed the American colonies from the mothercountry, and rendered them an independent state. This being the most important event in their annals, it may be proper to give a brief notice of the authorities and materials on which the narrative is founded. The author, considering the number of respectable writers by whom

this subject has been treated, had hoped to find his task comparatively easy, and to follow with safety a route already traced. Yet he had not proceeded far, when he felt it impossible to exhibit, even on the proposed scale, any satisfactory view of the train of events, without a diligent search into contemporary documents. The inquiry has been generally pursued in a violent partisan spirit, and without due research. The American authors, indeed, Marshall, Sparks, and Pitkin, have collected with industry, and, allowing for a venial tinge of national feeling, written with candour. But their researches have been confined exclusively to their own side of the Atlantic, and have not included even the most accessible of British materials. We shall only mention the records of the two houses of parliament, and the papers laid before them; the memoirs of Howe, Clinton, Burgoyne, Tarleton, and other commanders; with the vast mass of original documents published by Almon, under the title of the Remembrancer. Proceeding on such narrow grounds, they could obtain only a partial view of the subject, and, besides being misled as to facts, they had always to grope in the dark for the views and motives of the English government.

In regard to the narratives produced on the European side, we must acknowledge that we have formed a still lower estimate; party spirit being usually more violent, and information from every quarter less satisfactory. From this last censure, so far as English sources are concerned, Mr Adolphus must be excepted, to whom large acknowledgments are due. In that able writer, however, the bias in favour of Britain is so extreme, that it was impossible to dispense with an investigation into the original documents. The work of M. Botta possesses a high reputation, justified in so far by the animation and eloquence with which it is composed. As, however, he has not quoted in detail his sources of information, and could not have access to any private channel, it is not safe to rest upon him as an authority. There is reason to suspect, that his narrative is founded mainly upon