The Placer herald., 1872-04-20
Written for the HERALD.
THE UNITED STATES.
CIVIL AND POLITICAL REVIEW.
BY A. 4. CHER.
BY A. Il. CHER.
CHAPTER Ill.

ShAT II.
Anxious to secure Il share of the profits
which were to be gained by adventure IN the
new world, England lost no time in sending
out navigators to explore the hitherto un-
known seas and vast continents.
The most successful of these were John
Cabot and his son Sebastian, who early in
the year l497, under commission from
Henry VII, set out on voyage to the
new world with orders to conquer and occupy
any lands which they might discover, not al
ready in the possession OF a Christian nation.
They discovered the island of Newfoundland
and st Johns, sailed south along the coast
of the main land, and claimed for England
the whole country from the Gulf of Mexico
to an indefinite extent ON the north. From
this discovery originated the title of England
to North America. 1t was the custom that
the subjects of any country who should dis
cover unoccupied lands claimed those lands
for their sovereign, who held them under
title known as the Fright of discovery"
This law, it seems, was adopted in order to
prevent conflicting claims to the same terri
tory by different governments.
Though America was occupied, it seems
the claims of the inhabitants were Disregard
ed. 1t is true that those claiming the coun-
try by right of scovery did sometimes buy
their lands from the natives, though they
would not allow other nations the same priv
ilege; if they had, France, for instance, might
have Become in possession Of territory dis
covered by the English 1t has been ques-
tion Of dispute, among some, whether the
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just, as it was inhabited by a people whose
home it had been from time immemorable.
BY successive transfers large portion OF
North America has become invested in the
United States of America, which is acknowl-
edged as an independent nation throughout
the world, and however unjust their claims
may have been at first, their validity at pres
ent cannot be ovcrhrown.
Though Cabot discovered North America,
and by right of this discovery England
claimed it, it was not until the accession of
Elizabeth to the throne Of Great Britain that
any attempt was made to colonze the terri
tory thus added to her domains.
The first attempt was made by Sir Hum
phrey Gilbert in 1888. He received from
Elizabeth a patent to an extensive tract of
American territory, and Immediately attempt
ed to colonze it, but his efforts proved un-
successful. On his return his vessel was
wrecked, and he with the passengers and
crew were lost. Sir Walter Raleigh, the
wisest statesman and most skillful navigator
Of the times, next undertook the colonization
of America; but his efforts were defeated,
and still there existed no English colony on
this continent. Bartholomew Gosuod, while
exploring the coast of North America, in
1902, conceived the idea of planting a per-
manent colony. Accordingly he landed part of
his crew for this purpose, but soon after he
had left them they became discouraged and
returned to England.
About the beginning of the seventeenth
century, feeling an interest in the colonization
of the new world, the nobility of England
for this purpose formed two rich associations
known respectively as the London and the
Plymouth companies, and large tracts of land
in the new world were granted to each The
London company sent out an expedition under
Capt. Newport which was driven, contrary
to their intentions, into Chesapeake bay.
Once in the bay they determined to explore
this region further, and for this purpose they
sailed up what they afterwards called James
river. When some distance from the mouth
of the river, they landed and commenced a
settlement to which they gave the name of
jamestown, j and as this colony was never
afterwards deserted it became the first per-
manept English colony in America, 1907.
In 1614, the Dutch West India Company,
whose main object was to trade with the ma
t.ves. built some huts on Manhattan Island,
near the mouth of the Hudson River and
thus first settled New York. In 1923, this
same company sent out some families totheir
colony and from this time its growth became
rapid. This settlement was named by its
founders New Amsterdam, and the surround
ing country called New Netherlands: but af-
terwards when the Duke of York took pos
session of it, under the pretext that it was in
the limits of British territory, he named
both town and country after himself, New
York. In 1920, Massachusetts, was first set
tied by religious sect, commonly known as
Puritans or Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from
the Old World to escape persecution.
From this time the country began to be
fast settled; colony after colony was founded
in rapid succession. in 1923, New Hamp-
shire was settled by people whose object was
to trade with the Indians, Soon after this
fishing colonies were established at Ports
mouth and Dover. In 1929, Exeter was
founded, and from this time the colony began
to flourish. In 1924, New Jersey was first
settled by emigrants from New York, and
in short time became thriving colony.
Deleware was settled by Swedes, sent over
by one of their wise statesmen, Oxenstiern,
whose object was to extend the Protestant
religion in the New World. Maryland was
by Lord Baltimore in 1893, whose
object was to establish province where peo-
pie of all crecds might enjoy perfect religious
freedom. Though Connecticut was visited by
the Dutch as early as 1914, who established
some trading posts near the mouth OF the