USA > Massachusetts > The history of Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 9
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He had scarcely reached that city before he was appointed to command the naval forces in an expedition which, at the instigation of Massa-
144
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS.
[1690.
chusetts, New York and the New England colo- nies had consented to organize against Canada. The enterprise proved wholly unsuccessful. The land forces under Winthrop, taken principally from New York and Connecticut, and intended to march against Montreal-in the midst of complaints and bickerings among the men, and mutual recriminations between Winthrop and Milbourne, the commissary-proceeded as far as Lake George, when provisions became scarce, and the small-pox broke out among the troops. These disasters, joined to the insubordination which had crept into the army, speedily occa- sioned its disbandment.
The fleet under Phipps, consisting of thirty- two vessels, having on board two thousand men, had sailed in the mean while from Boston, with the intention of surprising Quebec. Nine weeks were spent in the cautious ascent of the St. Law- rence, during which time Winthrop's expedition had been broken up. Relieved from the defence of Montreal, Frontenac, apprized of the advance of Phipps, hastened to strengthen and reinforce Quebec. An attack under these circumstances not proving advisable, and the approach of win- ter preventing the operations of a siege, the provincial fleet returned home without effecting any thing. This want of success fell the more heavily upon Massachusetts, inasmuch as the great burden of the expense was borne by that
145
NEW CHARTER GRANTED.
1692.]
colony. The pressure of the debt thus created was partially relieved by the issue of bills of credit, this being the first introduction of paper- money into the American provinces.
Massachusetts continued to be governed by the aged Bradstreet and his council, until the year 1692, when a new charter was granted by the king, the provisions of which were scarcely so favourable as the people had been led to hope.
Under the new charter, the king reserved to himself the appointment of governor, lieutenant- governor, and secretary, and a negative within the term of three years upon all laws passed in the colony. The elective franchise was ex- tended to every inhabitant whose personal estate amounted to forty pounds sterling, and to every freeholder whose annual income exceeded forty shillings. By the style and title of " The Province of Massachusetts Bay," the new patent embraced within its jurisdiction the Plymouth colony, the province of Maine, and the territory of Acadia or Nova Scotia. At the instance of the agents in England, Sir William Phipps, always popular in the province, was commissioned as governor. William Stoughton, an excellent scholar, and a gentleman of good legislative abilities, received the appointment of lieutenant-governor.
It was at the beginning of this year, that many persons of piety and good understanding were again led to believe in the great prevalence
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146
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1692
of witchcraft in the province. Prominent among the most credulous of these was Cotton Mather, son to the Reverend Increase Mather, for some time past the agent of Massachusetts in England, and himself a clergyman. Mather had already written a book upon the subject of witchcraft, published some three years before, in which he had expressly avowed himself a believer in the existence of wizards and witches, and in their ability to hold intercourse with evil spirits. Many others also entertained similar opinions, and this credulity had been fortified by the strange conduct of four Boston -children, who, in 1688, by affecting to be afflicted in various ways, had procured the accusation and execution of an old Irish servant woman, against whom the oldest daughter of the family, a girl of thirteen, had imbibed a strong dislike. These children, probably imitating at first the example of their artful sister, and subsequently encouraged to persevere by the sympathy they excited, would bark like dogs, pur like cats, pretend to be lame, or halt, or blind, or dumb, and to have their limbs forced into strange and unnatural shapes. At other times they would complain of being pinched by invisible hands, or would cry out that they were pricked, or tortured by the same unseen agency.
The delusion was credited: and though it spread no further at that time, yet in February,
147
EXECUTION OF BURROUGHS.
1692.]
1692, the children of Mr. Parris, the minister at Salem village, now called Danvers, pretended to be seized in a manner similar to those whose ex- traordinary case Mather had recorded as wit- nessed by himself, four years previous in Boston. The alarm of witchcraft was again sounded abroad. The ministers fasted and prayed with the distressed father. The villagers of Salem also fasted and prayed; and the fear of demoni- acal influences becoming general, a day of fasting and prayer was specially set apart to be kept by the whole colony. The belief in witchcraft being thus solemnly recognised and fostered, it was not long before the delusion spread across the whole breadth of the province .- The number of victims so rapidly increased, that many of the colonists, perfectly panic-stricken, became the accusers of others, lest they should be brought under suspicion themselves. The execution at Salem village of Mr. Burroughs, a minister of a blameless life, was a terrible instance of the power which the delusion exercised over the strongest minds in the community. For fifteen months this strange belief held full possession of the popular faith. During this period, out of twenty-eight persons capitally convicted of witch- craft, nineteen had been hanged and one pressed to death. The audacity of their accusers increas- ing with their success, at length led them to rashly fulminate charges against persons of station and
148
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS.
[1692.
consequence. The sons of the aged Bradstreet, and many other persons of equal rank and piety, had already been compelled to seek safety in flight. One hundred and fifty individuals, a portion of whom had previously occupied re- spectable stations in society, were in prison awaiting their trial, and probable condemnation, when accusations of witchcraft were preferred against Lady Phipps, and against some of the nearest relatives of Increase Mather, who had returned to Boston, in May, with the new go- vernor.
From the moment these last charges were made, a doubt began to be entertained of the truth of those which had, preceded them. A citizen of Boston boldly met a similar accusation by arresting his accusers, and suing them for de- famation of character. The spell was dissolved. Those who had already learned to doubt, now had their doubts confirmed. Public opinion assumed a healthier character; and, at the ensuing trials of those already imprisoned, but three out of fifty were convicted of practising forbidden acts, and these the governor immediately reprieved.
The popular indignation now began to turn against the former witnesses, many of whom solemnly recanted their testimony, defending themselves on the plea of being constrained to perjure themselves in order to save their own lives.
1692.]
CONDUCT OF JUDGE SEWELL.
149
A portion of the clergy, among whom was Mather, still persisted in' asserting the truth of witchcraft; but this opinion did not prevent Sewell, one of the Salem judges, to publicly crave the prayers of the people for any errors he might have committed in the supposed dis- charge of his duty ; while Mr. Parris, the clergy- man from whose house at Salem village the de- lusion spread, finding that a solemn profession of repentance, publicly made, did not relieve him from the odium of the inhabitants, was finally compelled to resign his ministry, and seek a refuge elsewhere.
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1692.
CHAPTER XI.
Sir William Phipps-Fort built at Pemaquid-Treaty with the eastern Indians-Dissatisfaction in Massachusetts-Diffi- culties with Phipps-Summoned to England to answer charges-His acquittal and death-Stoughton's administra- tion-French and Indian hostilities-Descent on Durham- Recapture of Port Royal-Destruction of the fort at Pema- quid-Expedition of Church to the Bay of Fundy-Andover and Haverhill attacked-Peace of Ryswick-Arrival of Earl of Bellamont-His popular course-Dudley appointed go- vernor-Disputes with the assembly-War between England France, and Spain-Settlements in Maine destroyed- Burning of Deerfield-Charges against Dudley-Unsuc- cessful expedition against Port Royal-Expedition organized against Canada-Its disastrous result-Treaty of Utrecht- Unpopularity of Dudley-His recall-Governor Shute-His quarrel with the general court-Returns to England-Ad- ministration of Dunmore-Governor Burnet-His difficulties and death-Arrival of Governor Belcher-War with Spain -Paper money agitation in Massachusetts-Removal of Belcher-Governor Shirley-War with France-Capture of Louisburg-Treaty of Aix la Chapelle.
NOTWITHSTANDING the favour with which the elevation of Sir William Phipps to the chief magistracy was at first regarded by the people of Massachusetts, as an officer commissioned by the crown, he could not be expected to retain his popularity for any great length of time with colonists accustomed to elect their own rulers, and jealous of all interference. Upon his ele- vation to office, the hostile Indians were at first
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151
DEATH OF PHIPPS.
1695.]
disposed to court a peace with the New England provinces, but were eventually dissuaded from doing so by the intrigues of the French. Their sanguinary excesses on the Merrimack were, however, partially controlled by Phipps, who, at the head of a small force, marched to Pemaquid, and, building a fort at that important point, left a competent garrison for its defence.
The erection of this substantial military post so effectually overawed the eastern Indians, that during the following year they renounced their allegiance with the French, and made peace with the English. Still the people were not satisfied. The construction of the fort at Pemaquid had burdened the colony, already heavily in debt, with an additional weight of taxation ; and the enemies of Phipps took advantage of the warmth of his temper to provoke him into altercations unbecoming his position. After quarrelling with the collector of the port, and inflicting personal chastisement upon the captain of a man-of-war, articles of impeachment were preferred against him, which he was summoned to England to answer in person. On the day of trial, the charges were summarily dismissed, and the ac- count which Phipps gave of his administration having met with the approbation of the king, he was about to return to the colony, when he was seized with a fever, which ended fatally in the month of February, 1695. During the absence
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152
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS.
[1696.
of Phipps in England, the exercise of supreme authority had devolved upon Stoughton, the lieutenant-governor, in whose hands the admi- nistration continued until the arrival of the Earl of Bellamont, as successor to Phipps, in 1698.
The Indian treaty at Pemaquid did not remain long unbroken. In 1694, the war broke out afresh. Instigated by the missionary Thury, a party of warriors, led by French officers, fell suddenly upon the settlement at Oyster River, now known as Durham, and killed or made pri- soners of nearly one hundred inhabitants. Port Royal had already been recaptured by Villebon, and soon after the whole of Acadia returned to its ancient allegiance. On the 17th of August, 1696, the fort at Pemaquid was besieged by a mixed force of French and Indians, and the gar- rison compelled to surrender themselves prisoners of war. The fort was laid in ruins, and the sur- rounding settlement devastated. Church re- taliated by destroying Beau Bassin, a French settlement the Bay of Fundy. He even sought to dislodge Villebon from St. John's, but the attempt was not successful.
Animated to renewed exertions by the successes of the French, their Indian allies spread themselves over the territory of Massa- chusetts. During the early part of 1697, they penetrated to within twenty-five miles of Boston, attacked the towns of Andover and Haverhill,
153
DISPUTES WITH THE ASSEMBLY.
1702.]
killed a part of the inhabitants, and carried many others into captivity. The treaty of Rys- wick, proclaimed at Boston toward the close of the year, produced a temporary cessation of hostilities, while it restored to each party the conquests that had been respectively made.
Bellamont, who had also been commissioned to govern New York and New Hampshire, did not assume personally the administration in Mas- sachusetts until 1699. His course was at once popular and conciliatory. He sought and main- tained the friendship of the clergy by deferring to their religious opinions, and by observing great punctuality and decorum in his attendance His affability was not at church and lectures. without its reward. e liberality of the general court, with respect to his salary, was far greater than ever had been accorded to any preceding
governor. Upon the death of Bellamont at New York in 1701, the ambitious and unpopular Joseph Dudley was appointed governor of the province. His personal application for the office having proved successful, he reached Boston in June, 1702, and soon found himself engaged in a quarrel with that sturdy party of popular men, some of whom had risen against the tyranny of Andros, and still defended, to the utmost of their ability, the rights and privileges of the people. Carrying out the royal instructions, Dudley demanded of the assembly that the
154
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1704.
salaries of the governor and the crown officers should be permanently fixed, and not established by an annual grant as heretofore. But as the consequence of this would have been to render the governor and his subordinates independent of the legislature, the house of delegates declined compliance with the instructions, and was sus- tained in the adoption of this resolution by the action of the council.
In 1702, war having been again declared by England against France and Spain, preparations were actively made in Canada for a resumption of hostilities along the eastern frontiers. So perfect were the arrangements between the ยท French and their Indian allies, that on the day of the 10th of August, 1703, a simultaneous attack was made by them upon all the English settlements in Maine lying between Casco and
Wells. Most of the unfortunate inhabitants were either indiscriminately massacred or hur- ried off into an almost hopeless captivity.
In March, 1704, Hertelle, at the head of three hundred and fifty Canadians and Indians, traversed the deep snows bordering the Con- necticut, and entering at midnight the village of Deerfield, applied the torch to the houses of the sleeping inhabitants. Awakened to their danger by the crackling of flames, and the shouts of bloodthirsty men, forty-seven of the inhabitants fell victims to the fury of their enemies, while
155
1707.]
HOSTILITIES RECOMMENCED.
over one hundred others were taken prisoners to Canada. To revenge this barbarous onslaught, the veteran Church, the hero of King Philip's war, was sent with six hundred men against the French establishments on the Penobscot, an expedition which occasioned a great popular clamour against Dudley, who was unjustly ac- cused of abstaining from an attack upon Port Royal, out of consideration for the illegal traffic carried on with that place with his mercantile friends. In 1705, a suspension of hostilities was proposed by the governor of Canada, but rejected by the general court, much against the desire of Dudley, who, by delaying the negotiation, suc- ceeded for two years in preventing the resump- tion of warlike operations.
In 1707, hostilities recommenced. England had, in the mean time, promised to assist in the conquest of Canada; but the reinforcement not arriving, Massachusetts, assisted by Rhode Island and New Hampshire, undertook an expedition against Port Royal. One thousand troops were raised for this service and placed under the com- mand of Colonel March; but the enterprise ended disastrously. The fort being found too strong to be carried without breaching artillery, the surrounding settlement was devastated, and the scattered hamlets along the coast reduced to ruin. The army being met at Casco Bay on its return home by commissioners from Massachu-
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156
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1708.
setts, was prevailed upon to make a second attempt upon Port Royal; but the effort only occasioned a considerable loss of life from disease among the attacking forces, without inflicting any considerable damage upon the enemy.
In 1708, the fierce Hertelle again left Canada, and entering the valley of the Merrimack, fell upon Haverhill in the gray of morning, plundered and set fire to the houses, slew some fifty of the inhabitants, and, although hotly pursued, suc- ceeded in carrying off as many more prisoners into Canada.
To put an end to these daring incursions, the project of an invasion of Canada was revived. But the promised succours were delayed. And it was only by the solicitations of the governors of New York and the eastern provinces that Nichol- son and Vetch, sent as agents to England, could obtain the assistance of two ships-of-war and five hundred marines. This aid, even with the addition of the provincial forces, which consisted of four New England regiments, not being suffi- cient to justify operations against Quebec and Montreal, the army, under the command of Nicholson and Vetch, embarked in transports and sailed to attack Port Royal. The capture of that important fortress proved, from the weakness and insubordination of its garrison, an easy achievement. The commander reluctantly agreed to a capitulation. Acadia was once more
157
EXPEDITION AGAINST CANADA.
1711.]
in the hands of the English; but Vetch, who, with four hundred men, was left to garrison the new possession, soon found his post invested by the French and Indians.
At length, in 1711, such imposing preparations for the conquest of Canada were made by the English government, that the capture of that extensive French dependency was regarded as certain even before the sailing of the fleet. This fleet, comprising fifteen ships of war and forty transports, was commanded by Admiral Sir Hoveden Walker. The land forces, which ac- companied the expedition, consisted of seven regiments of regulars and a battalion of marines. It was intended that this formidable armament should proceed to attack Quebec, while the pro- vincial levies, already organized, marched to the assault of Montreal. As usual, the expedition shamefully failed. Eight of the vessels were wrecked in the St. Lawrence on the 22d of August, with a loss, by drowning, of nearly nine hundred men.
Glad of an excuse to abandon the expedition, Walker availed himself of the opportunity which this disaster afforded him, and ordering the ves- sels to put back, ingloriously returned home, rejoicing that by the loss he had already suffered he had been saved from hazarding the lives of the rest of his command, From this period the
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158
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1716.
war languished until 1713, when it was ter- minated by the Treaty of Utrecht.
Unpopular from the beginning, and regarded by many of the citizens as a degenerate son of their old and deeply venerated governor, Dudley could neither prevail upon the colonial delegates to carry out the king's instructions in respect to salaries, nor would they yield in the slightest degree to any measures which conflicted with their legislative independence. The debts in- curred in the prosecution of the late protracted wars pressing so heavily upon the colony as to depreciate the value of the paper currency, it was finally concluded to seek monetary relief in the creation of a public or a private bank. To the scheme of private banking Dudley was op- posed; and this opposition increasing the dislike of the wealthier class, a vigorous attempt was made to obtain the recall of the obnoxious go- vernor, which was soon after crowned with success.
On the arrival of Colonel Shute as governor in October, 1716, the advocates of private bank- ing again attempted to carry out their views. Shute declared himself in favour of the public bank, and consented to relieve the still existing scarcity of money by a large additional issue. This mode of mitigation being subsequently re- sorted to from time to time, in answer to the public clamour, the bills quickly depreciated,
159
GOVERNOR BURNET.
1728.]
while no measure of permanent relief could be devised by the general court.
It was not long before Shute found himself engaged in a controversy with the assembly, by. his rejection of Elisha Cooke, a popular leader, as a member of his council. The quarrel thus commenced, gradually extended through several years, until it embraced the question of per- manent salaries for the crown officers, which Shute attempted to exact in compliance with the royal instructions. The assembly, however, would consent to none other than annual grants; and, in 1721, as the dispute grew warmer, de- clined to vote any salaries at all until the gover- nor should agree to offer no opposition to the bills the house was about to pass. Wearied out at last by continual opposition, Shute, in 1722, having obtained permission to visit England, secretly quitted the province, leaving the duties of his office to be fulfilled by Dummer, the lieu- tenant-governor, who continued for the next six years to administer the affairs of the colony. By judiciously yielding to the authority exercised by the general court, Dummer was enabled to carry on the government without much disagree- ment until he was superseded, in 1728, by the amiable and upright Burnet, previously governor of New York. Strictly adhering to the tenor of his instructions, Burnet soon became involved in disputes with the general court similar to
160
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1739.
those which had imbittered the career of his predecessors. After a short time, these conten- tions unfortunately produced so great an effect upon his health, that, being seized with a fever, he died suddenly in September, 1729.
Jonathan Belcher, the agent of the general court in England, was appointed to succeed Burnet. He was authorized to compromise the long pending dispute in respect to salary by accepting a permanent annual grant of one thousand pounds. But, notwithstanding the fa- vour with which he was at this period regarded, the house, declining to sacrifice its independence, steadfastly adhered to its system of annual ap- propriations.
Unable to enforce his instructions, Governor Belcher at length consented to accept such yearly sums as the provincial delegates were disposed to allow. But, as the projects of the English government aimed at a complete restora- tion of the king's prerogative by coercing the general court to strictly conform to the royal instructions, Belcher was finally relieved from his provincial dependence by receiving his salary directly from the royal exchequer.
War breaking out between England and Spain in 1739, Massachusetts, in common with the other American provinces, was called upon to furnish its quota of troops to reinforce the im- posing armament which, under the command of
161
GOVERNOR SHIRLEY.
1741.]
Cathcart, made, soon after, the disastrous attempt upon Carthagena. At the time this demand was made, the province was engaged in a bitter dis- pute with Belcher in relation to a re-issue of paper money.
Belcher not only resolutely opposed extending the time for the redemption of the old paper currency, or the creation anew of a similar cur- rency, but distinctly denounced the various schemes for joint-stock banking which agitated the community. The projectors of these asso- ciations were, however, more powerful than the governor. They obtained a large majority in the house of delegates; and, while alarming Bel- cher with the fear of an insurrectionary move- ment to compel him to consent to their demands, were making secret applications in England for his removal.
In this object, greatly to the astonishment of Belcher, they succeeded, and, in 1741, William Shirley, a popular lawyer of English extraction, but a resident of Boston for eight years preced- ing his advancement, was appointed to assume the administration of the province. The sagacity of Shirley, and his thorough knowledge of the people over whom he had been commissioned to preside, enabled him for some years to con- duct the affairs of his government much more smoothly than his predecessor.
The first intimation received by Massachusetts
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162
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS.
[1741.
of a new war between France and England, was the capture of Fort Canso, in Nova Scotia, by a party of Canadians.
Annapolis, formerly known as Port Royal, was besieged soon after, but received timely relief through the activity of Shirley. The re- ports of the English prisoners of war captured at Canso, and subsequently released on their parole, indicating the possibility of taking, by a vigorous assault, the strong fortress of Louisburg, the legislature of Massachusetts, by a majority of one vote, authorized the organization of an expedition for that purpose. Of the forces em- ployed in this bold undertaking, three thousand two hundred men were raised by Massachusetts, five hundred by Connecticut, and three hundred from New Hampshire. This gallant little army, commanded by General Pepperell, and subse- quently assisted by four ships of war under Commodore Warren, landed on the island of Cape Breton on the 30th of April. After two weeks' immense labour, the troops succeeded in dragging the siege-artillery through an inter- vening swamp. The subsequent operations against the fortress being conducted with equal vigour and resolution, on the 16th of June the garrison, consisting of about two thousand regu- lars and militia, surrendered themselves prisoners of war.
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