A Source Book in American History to 1787

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NUMBER	PAGE
	I. England in the Century of Colonization
1.	Classes of Englishmen; by William Harrison; from Holinshed's Chronicles (1577)		1
A. SOUTHERN COLONIES TO 1660
	II. Motives for Early Colonization
2.	Sir George Peckham's "True Report" (1582) of Gilbert's expedition; from Richard Hakluyt's Voyages and Discoveries of the English Nation		4
3.	Richard Hakluyt's Discourse on Western Planting (1584); from the Maine Historical Society Collections		4
4.	Michael Drayton's Ode to the Virginian Voyage (1606)		7
5.	"Goodspeed to Virginia" (1609); by Robert Gray; from Brown's Genesis of the United States		7
6.	"Nova Britannia" (1609); anonymous; from Peter Force's Historical Tracts		10
7.	The "True and Sincere Declaration" by the London Company (1609), with a "Table of such [colonists] as are required"; from Brown's Genesis of the United States		12
8.	Marston's Eastward Hoe! (1605)		15
9.	Crashaw's "Daily Prayer" for use in Virginia (1609); from Force's Historical Tracts		15
10.	Crashaw's "Sermon" before Lord Delaware's Expedition (1610); from Brown's Genesis of the United States		16
11.	A letter by Sir Edwin Sandys (1612) to stockholders of the London Company; from Neill's Virginia and Virginiola		17
12.	The glories of Virginia; from a letter from Sir Thomas Dale (governor in Virginia) to Sir Thomas Smith (head of the London Company), in 1613; from the Records of the Virginia Company of London, edited by Susan Kingsbury		17
13.	A defense of the London Company (declared not mercenary) by Captain John Smith (1616); from Smith's Generall Historie of Virginia		18
14.	A plea for colonization on patriotic and religious grounds (1631), by Captain John Smith; Works		18
	III. Virginia (1606-1619), to the Introduction of Self-government
15.	The charter of Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1578); from Hakluyt's Voyages and Discoveries		20
16.	The Virginia charter of 1606; from the Appendix to Stith's History of Virginia		23
17.	Instructions by King James to the London Company (November 20/30, 1606); from Hening's Statutes at Large		29
18.	Instructions from the Council of the Virginia Company to the first Jamestown expedition (December, 1606); from Neill's Virginia Company		32
19.	The early settlers and their sufferings:
	a.	A "Discourse" by Master George Percy (1607); from "Purchas his Pilgrimes" (1625)	35
	b.	An account of "gentlemen" in Virginia, by Amos Todkill (1608); from Smith's Works	36
20.	The Virginia charter of 1609 (with hints for study); from the Appendix to Stith's History of Virginia		37
21.	The Virginia charter of 1612 (the portions relating to a more democratic organization of the Company and its powers); ib.		44
22.	The danger from Spanish attack: correspondence of Spanish and English ambassadors with their respective governments; from Brown's Genesis of the United States		47
	IV. Virginia under the Liberal Company, 1619-1624
23.	Rules of the Virginia Company (1619); from Force's Historical Tracts		51
24.	An "Order" of the Company authorizing temporary self-government in its plantations (February 2/12, 1619/1620); from Susan Kingsbury's Records of the Virginia Company of London		53
25.	Records of the Assembly of 1619; from Wynne and Gilman's Colonial Records of Virginia		53
26.	The "Declaration" by the Company (drawn by Sandys), June 22/July 2, 1620, justifying the liberal management; from Susan Kingsbury's Records of the Virginia Company of London		63
27.	The Ordinance of 1621,—a grant of limited self-government by the Company to the settle rnal">225
80.	The separation of the General Court into two Houses (the first two-chambered legislature in America); the story from Winthrop's History of New England, and the preamble of the act of 1644 from the Colonial Records		226
81.	A town code of school laws (1645); from the Dorchester Records		230
82.	Colonial school laws (1642 and 1647); from the Colonial Records		233
83.	Representative town records (Watertown Records, 1634-1678)		236
	XIV. Massachusetts and Religious Persecution
84.	Puritan arguments for and against persecution:
	a.	From Nathaniel Ward's Simple Cobbler of Aggawamm (1647)	246
	b.	From Captain Edward Johnson's Wonder-working Providence of Sions Saviour in New England (1654)	248
	c.	The discussion between Saltonstall and Cotton (about 1650); from Hutchinson's Original Papers	249
85.	Criticism of the Massachusetts way, by a moderate Episcopalian and royalist (Lechford's Plaine Dealing; 1641)		252
86.	A Presbyterian demand for the franchise in 1646 (the letter of Dr. Robert Child and others to the Governor and General Court); from Hutchinson's Original Papers		255
87.	Trial and punishment of nonconformists for not attending approved churches; from the Colonial Records		259
88.	Quaker Persecutions:
	a.	Edward Burrough's appeal to King Charles (1660); from Burrough's Sad and Great Persecution and Martyrdom of Quakers in New England	260
	b.	Trial of the Quaker, Wenlock Christison (1661); from Besse's Collection of the Sufferings of the People called Quakers	263
	XV. Rhode Island to 1660
89.	The first covenant at Providence (1636): a compact in "civil things only"; from the Early Records of the Town of Providence		267
90.	Roger Williams' argument that religious freedom is consonant with civil order (the ship illustration); from Arnold's History of Rhode Island		268
91.	The Patent for Providence Plantation from the Council of the Long Parliament (1644), restricting the government to civil matters; from the Rhode Island Colonial Records		269
92.	Rhode Island's answer to the demand of Massachusetts (a refusal to exclude Quakers); from the Appendix to Hutchinson's Massachusetts Bay		270
	XVI. Connecticut before 1660
93.	The Fundamental Orders of 1639; from the Connecticut Colonial Records		273
	XVII. The New England Confederation
94.	The constitution (Articles of Confederation); from the New Haven Colonial Records		280
95.	The demand of Massachusetts for more weight in the union, with the answer of the Congress of the Confederation; from the Plymouth Colony Records		285
96.	Nullification by Massachusetts, with the protest of the Congress of the Confederation; ib.		287
C. COLONIAL AMERICA
	XVIII. Liberal Charters
97.	The Connecticut charter of 1662; from the Connecticut Colonial Records		290
98.	The Rhode Island charter of 1663 (parts referring especially to religious liberty); from the Rhode Island Colonial Records		293
	XIX. An English Colonial System
99.	Royal instructions for the "Councill appointed for Forraigne Plantations" (1660); from O'Callaghan's Documents relative to the Colonial History of New York		298
100.	The English commercial policy:
	a.	The "first" Navigation Act (1660), regarding shipping and "enumerated" colonial exports, with note from the Act of 1662 explaining that "English" ships include colonial; from Statutes of the Realm	300
	b.	The Navigation Act of 1663 (regarding colonial imports); ib.	301
	c.	The Sugar Act of 1733; ib.	303
101.	The Duke of York's charter for New York (1664); from O'Callaghan's Documents rel al">464
143.	An oath of allegiance to a new State (Pennsylvania): a facsimile, from Scharf and Westcott's History of Philadelphia		466
144.	A Loyalist's pretended "diary" of the year 1789 (written in 1778), to show the danger of French conquest; from Tyler's Literary History of the American Revolution		467
145.	A statement of how the Revolution set free social forces; from David Ramsey's History of the American Revolution		468
E. CONFEDERATION AND CONSTITUTION
	XXIV. The Articles of Confederation
146.	Debates in the Congress on the Articles; from John Adams' Works		470
147.	The Articles; from the Revised Statutes of the United States		475
	XXV. The National Domain
148.	The desire for Statehood in the West, and Western self-confidence; a statement by a convention of the proposed State of Frankland		485
149.	Organization of the Western Territory by Congress:
	a.	The Ordinance of 1784; from the Journals of Congress	486
	b.	The Northwest Ordinance (1787); ib.	488
	XXVI. Drifting toward Anarchy
150.	Gouverneur Morris to John Jay, on the prospect of a military dictator; from Sparks' Life and Works of Gouverneur Morris		497
151.	Shays' Rebellion:
	a.	A statement of grievances by Hampshire County; from Minot's History of the Insurrection in Massachusetts	497
	b.	Washington's alarm; letters to Henry Lee and to Madison; from Washington's Writings	500
152.	A shrewd foreigner's view of the social conflict over the adoption of a new Constitution (Otto's letter to Vergennes, on the failure of the Annapolis Convention); from the Appendix to Bancroft's History of the Constitution		502
	XXVII. Making the Constitution
153.	The call issued by the Annapolis Convention for a Federal Convention; from the Documentary History of the Constitution		506
154.	Typical credentials of delegates to the Federal Convention (the Georgia credentials); from Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention		510
155.	George Mason's account of the preliminaries at Philadelphia (a letter to George Mason, Jr., May 20, 1787); ib.		512
156.	The "Virginia Plan"; ib.		514
157.	George Mason on aristocratic and democratic forces in the Convention at its opening (letter to George Mason, Jr., June 1); ib.		517
158.	The "New Jersey Plan"; ib.		518
159.	Hamilton's plan; from Hamilton's Works		521
160.	Character sketches of men of the Convention, by William Pierce, a delegate from Georgia; from Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention		522
161.	One day in the Convention,—the critical day's debate on the Connecticut Compromise; ib.		532
	XXVIII. Ratifying the Constitution
162.	George Mason's objections to the Constitution; from Kate Mason Rowland's Life of George Mason		543
163.	Mason's explanation of the preparation of his "Objections"; from Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention		546
164.	A Federalist account of how John Hancock was induced finally to support the Constitution in the Massachusetts ratifying convention; by Stephen Higginson, in Writings of Laco		547
165.	The Federal Constitution		551
	Index of Sources.		576
	Subject Index.		580

[1] Allyn and Bacon. 1913.

[2] Bradford's Plymouth Plantation, the main source for this topic, is quoted so extensively in the American History and Government that it is not used here in this connection.

A SOURCE BOOK IN AMERICAN HISTORY

I. ENGLAND IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

1. Classes of Englishmen

William Harrison, in Holinshed's Chronicle (1577). Cf. No. 75 on like social divisions in early New England; and see American History and Government, § 65.

We in England divide our people commonlie into foure sorts, as gentlemen, citizens or burgesses, yeomen, ... or [and] laborers. Of gentlemen the first and cheefe (next the king) be the prince, dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons: and these are called gentlemen of the greater sort, or (as our common usage of speech is) lords and noblemen: and next unto them be knights, esquiers, and last of all they that are simplie called gentlemen, ... Who soever studieth the lawes of the realme, who so abideth in the universitie giving his mind to his booke, or professeth physicke and the liberall sciences, or beside his service in the roome of a capteine in the warres, or good counsell given at home, whereby his commonwealth is benefited, can live without manuell labour, and thereto is able and will beare the port, charge, and countenance of a gentleman, he shall for monie have a cote and armes bestowed upon him by heralds (who in the charter of the same doo of custome pretend antiquitie and service, and manie gaie things) and, thereunto being made so good cheape, be called master, which is the title that men give to esquiers and gentlemen, and reputed for a gentleman ever after....

... our merchants [are] to be installed, as amongst the citizens (although they often change estate with gentlemen, as gentlemen doo with them, by a mutuall conversion of the one into the other)....

Yeomen are ... free men, borne English, and [who] may dispend of their owne free land in yearelie revenue, to the summe of fortie shillings sterling, or six pounds as monie goeth in our times. ... This sort of people have a certeine preheminence, and more estimation than labourers and the common sort of artificers, and commonlie live wealthilie, keepe good houses, and travell to get riches. They are also for the most part farmers to gentlemen ... or at the leastwise artificers, and with grasing, frequenting of markets, and keeping of servants (not idle servants as the gentlemen doo, but such as get both their owne and part of their master's living) do come to great welth, in somuch that manie of them are able and doo buie the lands of unthriftie gentlemen, and often setting their sonnes to the schooles, to the universities, and to the Ins of the court, or otherwise leaving them sufficient lands whereupon they may live without labour, doo make them by those means to become gentlemen. These were they that in times past made all France afraid. ...

The fourth and last sort of people in England are daie labourers, poore husbandmen, and some retailers (which have no free land) copie holders, and all artificers,—as tailers, shomakers, carpenters, brickmakers, masons, etc. As for slaves and bondmen we have none, naie such is the privilege of our countrie by the especiall grace of God, and bountie of our princes, that if anie come hither from other realms, so soone as they set foot on land they become so free of condition as their masters. ... This fourth and last sort of people therefore have neither voice nor authoritie in the common wealth, but are to be ruled, and not to rule other; yet they are not altogither neglected, for in cities and corporat townes, for default of yeomen they are faine to make up their inquests [juries] of such maner of people. And in villages they are commonlie made churchwardens, sidemen, aleconners, now and then constables, and manie times injoie the name of hedboroughes. Unto this sort also may our great swarmes of idle serving men be referred, of whome there runneth a proverbe; 'Young serving men, old beggers,' bicause service is none heritage....

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