Old Virginia and her neighbours, Part 1

Author: Fiske, John, 1842-1901. 1n
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Boston, Houghton, Mifflin
Number of Pages: 694


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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02390 3237


OLD VIRGINIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS


BY JOHN FISKE


-


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The Riverside Press


IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME I V.1 .


BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY Che Riverside Press, Cambridge 1899


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COPYRIGHT, IF BY JOHN FISKE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


TWELFTH THOUSAND


To MY OLD FRIEND AND COMRADE


JOHN KNOWLES PAINE


COMPOSER OF ST. PETER, OEDIPUS TYRANNUS, THE " SPRING" AND C MINOR SYMPHONIES, AND OTHER NOBLE WORKS


I dedicate this book


"Long days be his, and each as lusty-sweet As gracious natures find his song to be ; May age steal on with softly-cadenced feet Falling in music, as for him were meet Whose choicest note is harsher-toned than he !"


.


PREFACE.


IN the series of books on American history, upon which I have for many years been engaged, the present volumes come between " The Discov- ery of America " and " The Beginnings of New England." The opening chapter, with its brief sketch of the work done by Elizabeth's great sail- ors, takes up the narrative where the concluding chapter of " The Discovery of America " dropped it. Then the story of Virginia, starting with Sir Walter Raleigh and Rev. Richard Hakluyt, is pursued until the year 1753, when the youthful George Washington sets forth upon his expedition to warn the approaching Frenchmen from any fur- ther encroachment upon English soil. That mo- ment marks the arrival of a new era, when a book like the present - which is not a local history nor a bundle of local histories - can no longer follow the career of Virginia, nor of the southern colo- nies, except as part and parcel of the career of the American people. That "continental state of things," which was distinctly heralded when the war of the Spanish Succession broke out during Nicholson's rule in Virginia, had arrived in 1753. To treat it properly requires preliminary consid- eration of many points in the history of the north-


vi


PREFACE.


ern colonies, and it is accordingly reserved for a future work.


It will be observed that I do not call the present work a " History of the Southern Colonies." Its contents would not justify such a title, inasmuch as its scope and purpose are different from what such a title would imply. My aim is to follow the main stream of cansation from the time of Raleigh to the time of Dinwiddie, from its sources down to its absorption into a mightier streat. At first our attention is fixed upon Raleigh's Vir- ginia, which extends from Florida to Canada, Eng- land thrusting herself in between Spain and France. With the charter of 1609 (see below, vol. i. p. 145) Virginia is practically severed from North Virginia, which presently takes on the names of New England and New Netherland, and receives colonies of Puritans and Dutchmen, with which this book is not concerned.


From the territory of Virginia thus cut down, further slices are carved from time to time ; first Maryland in 1632, then Carolina in 1663, then Georgia in 1732, alinost at the end of our narra- tive. Colonies thus ,arise which present a few or many different social aspects from those of Oldl Virginia ; and while our attention is still centred upon the original commonwealth as both histori- cally most important and in personal detail most interesting, at the same time the younger common-


vii


PREFACE.


wealths claim a share in the story. A compara- tive survey of the social features in which North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland differed from one another, and from Virginia, is a great help to the right understanding of all four com- monwealths. To Maryland I find that I have given 107 pages, while the Carolinas, whose his- tory begins practically a half century later, receive 67 pages ; a mere mention of the beginnings of Georgia is all that suits the perspective of the pre- sent story. The further development of these southern communities will, it is hoped, receive at- tention in a later work.


As to the colonies founded in what was once known as North Virginia, I have sketched a por- tion of the story in " The Beginnings of New England," ending with the accession of William and Mary. The remainder of it will form the subject of my next work, already in preparation, entitled " The Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America ;" which will comprise a sketch of the early history of New York, New Jersey, Dela- ware, and Pennsylvania, with a discussion of the contributions to American life which may be traced to the Dutch, German, Protestant Freuch, and Scotch-Irish migrations previous to the War of Independence.


To complete the picture of the early times and to " malze connections " with " The American Revo-


viii


PREFACE.


lution," still another work will be needed, which shall resume the story of New England at the acces- sion of William and Mary. With that story the romantic fortunes of New France are inseparably implicated, and in the course of its development one colony after another is brought in until from the country of the Wabenaki to that of the Chero- kees the whole of English America is involved in the mightiest and most fateful military struggle which the eighteenth century witnessed. The end of that conflict finds thirteen colonies nearly ripe for independence and union.


The present work was begun in 1882, and its topics have been treated in several courses of lec- tures at the Washington University in St. Louis, and elsewhere. In 1895 I gave a course of twelve such lectures, especially prepared for the occasion, at the Lowell Institute in Boston. But the book cannot properly be said to be " based upon " lec- tures ; the book was primary and the lectures sec- ondary.


The amount of time spent in giving lectures and in writing a schoolbook of American history has greatly delayed the appearance of this book. It is more than five years since "The Discovery of America " was published ; I hope that " The Dutch and Quaker Colonies " will appear after a much shorter interval.


CAMBRIDGE, October 10, 1897.


.


الصف


CONTENTS.


VOLUME I.


CHAPTER L.


THE SEA KINGS. FAGB


Tercentenary of the Discovery of America, 1792 . 1 The Abbe Raynal and his book 2 Was the Discovery of America a blessing or a curse to mankind ? 3


4 The Abbé Genty's opinion . 4


A cheering item of therapeutics


Spanish methods of colonization contrasted with English


5


Spanish conquerors value America for its supply of precious metals · . Aim of Columbus was to acquire the means for driving the Turks from Europe


7


But Spain used American treasure not so much against Turks as against Protestants


8


0 Vast quantities of treasure taken from America by Spain . Nations are made wealthy not by inflation but by produc- tion . . 9 · Deepest significance of the discovery of America ; it opened up a fresh soil in which to plant the strongest type of European civilization . 10


America first excited interest in England as the storehouse of Spanish treasure . 11


After the Cabot voyages England paid little attention to America 12


Save for an occasional visit to the Newfoundland fisheries 13


Earliest English reference to America 15 13 Founding of the Muscovy Company 14 Richard Eden and his books


6


x


CONTENTS.


John Hawkins and the African slave trade 15. 16 Hawkins visits the French colony in Florida 17


Facts which seem to show that thirst is the mother of inven- tion . 1S


Massacre of Huguenots in Florida ; escape of the painter Le Moyne .


18


Hawkins goes on another voyage and takes with him young Francis Drake . 19


The affair of Sau Juan de Ulua and the journey of David Ingram 20


Growing hostility to Spain in England 21


Size and strength of Elizabeth's England 21, 22


How the sea became England's field of war 22 Loose ideas of international law 23 Some bold advice to Queen Elizabeth 23


The sea king's were not buccaneers 24


Why Drake carried the war into the Pacific Ocean 25


How Drake stood upon a peak in Darien .


Glorious voyage of the Golden Hind 26, 27


Drake is kuiglited by the Queen 27


The Goldeu Hind's cabin is made a banquet-room 28


Voyage of the half-brothers. Gilbert and Raleigh 2S


20


Gilbert is shipwrecked, and his patent is granted to Raleigh Raleigh's plau for founding a Protestant state in America may have been suggested to him by Coliguy . 30


- Elizabeth promises self-government to colonists in America 31 31


Amadis and Barlow visit Patulico Sound .


An Ollendorfian conversation between white men and red men The Queen's suggestion that the new country be called in honour of herself Virginia 32


Raleigh is knighted, and sends a second expedition under Ralph Lane 32


Who concludes that Chesapeake Bay would be better then Pamlico Sound . 23


Lane and his party on the brink of starvation are rescued by Sir Francis Drake 33


. Thomas Cavendish follows Drake's example and circumnavi- gates the earth 34 How Drake singed the beard of Philip II. 34


Raleigh sends another party under John White 35


The accident which turned White froma Chesapeake Bay to Roanoke Island . . 35


Defeat of the Invincible Armada . 86. 37


xi


CONTENTS.


The deathblow at Cadiz . . 38


The mystery about White's colony . 28, 39


Significance of the defeat of the Armada 30,40


CHAPTER IL.


A DISCOURSE OF WESTERN PLANTING.


Some peculiarities of sixteenth century maps . 41


How Richard Hakluyt's career was determined 42


Strange adventures of a manuscript 43


Ilakluyt's reasons for wishing to see English colonies planted in America . 44


English trade with the Netherlands 45


Hakluyt thinks that America will presently afford as good a market as the Netherlands . 46


Notion that England was getting to be over-peopled . 46


The change from tillage to pasturage . 46, 47


What Sir Thomas More thought about it 47


Growth of panperism during the Tudor period . 48 Development of English commercial and naval marine . 49


Opposition to Hakluyt's schemes 49


The Queen's penuriousness 50


Beginnings of joint-stock companies 51


Raleigh's difficulties 52.53


Christopher Newport captures the great Spanish carrack . 53


. Raleigh visits Guiaua and explores the Orinoco River 54


Ambrosial nights at the Mermaid Tavern . 54


Accession of James I. 35


Henry, Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare's friend, sends Bartholomew Gosnold on an expedition. 55


Gosnold reaches Buzzard's Bay in what he calls North Vir- ginia, and is followed by Martin Pring and George Weymouth .


55,56


Performance of " Eastward Ho," a comedy by Chapman and Marston 56


Extracts from this comedy


57-59


Report of the Spanish ambassador Zuñiga to Philip III. 59 First charter to the Virginia Company, 1606 . 60


" Supposed Sea of Verrazano " covering the larger part of the area now known as the United States 61


Northern and southern limits of Virginia 62


The twin joint-stock companies and the three zones .


. 62, 63


xii


CONTENTS.


The three zones in American history · 63 The kind of government designed for the two colonies 64 Some of the persons chiefly interested in the first colony known as the London Company 05-07 Some of the persons chiefly interested in the second colony known as the Plymouth Company . 07, 68 Some other eminent persons who were interested in western planting 03-70


Expedition of the Plymouth Company and disastrous failure of the Popham Colony . . 70. 71


The London Company gets its expedition ready a little before Christmas and supplies it with a list of instruc- tions 71,72


Where to choose a site for a town 72


Precautions against a surprise by the Spaniards 73


Colonists must try to find the Pacific Ocean :3 And must not offend the natives or put muek trust in them


The death and sickness of white men must be concealed from the Indians 75


It will be well to beware of woodland coverts, avoid malaria, and guard against desertion


The town should be carefully built with regular streets 75, 76 Colonists must not send home any discouraging news . 76


What Spain thought about all this . 76, 77 Christopher Newport starts with a little fleet for Virginia . 77


A poet lanreate's farewell blessing . . 77-79


CHAPTER III.


THE LAND OF THE POWHATANS.


One of Newport's passengers was Captain John Smith, a young man whose career had been full of adventure . 90


Many persons have expressed doubts as to Smith's veracity, but without good reason 81


Early life of John Smith 82


. His adventures on the Mediterranean And in Transylvania 84


How he slew and b-headed three Turks 85


For which Prince Sigismund granted him a coat-of-arms which was duly entered in the Heralds' College . . 86 The incident was first told not by Smith but by Sigismunnd's secretary Farnese


X111


CONTENTS.


Smith tells us much about himself, but is not a braggart . SS Ilow he was sold into slavery beyond the Sea of Azov and ernelly treated .


S5, 89 How he slew his master and escaped through Russia and Poland . 89, 90 The smoke of controversy . 90


In the course of Newport's tedious voyage Smith is accused of plotting mutiny and kept in irons . 91


Arrival of the colonists in Chesapeake Bay, May 13, 1607 92 Founding of Jamestown; Wingfield chosen president . .


93 Smith is set free and goes with Newport to explore the James River 93,94


The Powhatan tribe, confederacy, and head war-chief . . How danger may lurk in long grass . 95


Smith is acquitted of all charges and takes his seat with the council


Newport sails for England, June 22, 1607 . 06


George Percy's account of the sufferings of the colonists from fever and famine 97


Quarrels break out in which President Wingfield is deposed and John Rateliffe chosen in his place 99 Execution of a member of the council for mutiny . . 100


Smith goes up the Chickahominy River and is captured by Opekankano 101 Who takes him about the country and finally brings him to Werowocomoco, January, 1608 . 102


The Indians are about to kill him, but he is rescued by the chief's daughter, Pocahontas 103


Recent attempts to discredit the story 103-108 Flimsiness of these attempts 104


George Percy's pamphlet . 105


The printed text of the " True Relation " is incomplete 105, 106 Reason why the Pocahontas incident was omitted in the " True Relation " 106, 107


There is no incongruity between the "True Relation " and the " General History " except this omission . . 107 But this omission creates a gay in the " True Relation," and the account in the "General History " is the more in- trinsically probable 108


The rescue was in strict accordance with Indian usage . . 109


The ens ing ceremonies indicate that the rescue was an ordi- nary case of adoption 110


The Powhatan afterward proclaimed Smith a tribal chief . 111


xiv


CONTENTS.


The rescue of Smith by Pocahontas was an event of real his- torical importance .


111 Captain Newport returns with the First Supply, Jan. 8, 1608 112 Ratcliffe is deposed and Smith chosen president . 113 Arrival of the Second Supply, September, 1608 113


Queer instructions brought by Captain Newport from the London Company . · . 113


How Smith and Captain Newport went up to Werowocomoco, and crowned The Powhatan .


114


How the Indian girls danced at Werowocomoco . 114, 115


Accuracy of Smith's descriptions 116


How Newport tried in vain to search for a salt sea behind the Blue Ridge . 116


Anas Todkill's complaint 117


Smith's map of Virginia . 118


CHAPTER IV.


THE STARVING TIMIE.


How puns were made on Captain Newport's name 119


Great importance of the Indian alliance . 120


Gentlemen as pioneers 121 All is not gold that glitters . 122


Smith's attempts to make glass and soap . 123


The Company is disappointed at not making more money . 124


Tale-bearers and their complaints against Smith 124


Smith's " Rude Answer" to the Company . 125


Says be cannot prevent quarrels 125


And the Company's instructions have not been wise . 126


From infant industries too much must not be expected while the colonists are suffering for want of food 127


And while peculation and intrigue are rife and we are in sore need of useful workmen . . 128


Smith anticipates trouble from the Indians, whose character is well described by Hakluyt 129


What Smith dreaded 130


How the red men's views of the situation were changed 131


Smith's voyage to Werowocomoco . . 132


His parley with The Powhatan . 133


A game of bluff 134


The corn is brought 1:5


Suspicions of treachery . 136


CONTENTS. XV


A wily orator 137


Pocahontas reveals the plot . 138


Smith's message to The Powhatan


138, 139


How Smith visited the Pamunkey village and brought Ope- kankano to terms . . 139, 140


How Smith appeared to the Indians in the light of a worker of miracles . 141


What our chronicler calls " a pretty accident " . 1.41


How the first years of Old Virginia were an experiment in communism 142


Smith declares " He that will not work shall not eat," but


the summer's work is interrupted by unbidden mess- mates in the shape of rats . 143


Arrival of young Samuel Argall with news from London 143, 144 Second Charter of the London Company, 1609 . 144 The council in London . 145


The local government in Virginia is entirely changed and


Thomas, Lord Delaware, is appointed governor for life 146 A new expedition is organized for Virginia, but still with a communistic programme 147.448


How the good ship Sea Venture was wrecked upon the Ber- mudas . . 149


How this incident was used by Shakespeare in The Tempest 150 Gates and Somers build pinnaces and sail for Jamestown, May, 1610 . 151


The Third Supply had arrived in August, 1609 . 151


And Smith had returned to England in October 152


Lord Delaware became alarmed and sailed for Virginia . 152 Meanwhile the sufferings of the colony had been horrible . 153 Of the 500 persons Gates and Somers found only 60 survivors,


and it was decided that Virginia must be abandoned . 154 Dismantling of Jamestown and departure of the colony 154, 155 But the timely arrival of Lord Delaware in Hampton Roads prevented the dire disaster . 153


CHAPTER V.


BEGINNINGS OF A COMMONWEALTH.


To the first English settlers in America a supply of Indian corn was of vital consequence, as illustrated at James- town and Plymouth . 156


Alliance with the Powhatan confederacy was of the first im- portance to the infant colony 157


---


xvi


CONTENTS.


Smith was a natural leader of men . 157


With much nobility of nature 158


And but for him the colony would probably have perished . 159 Characteristic features of Lord Delaware's administration 160


Death of Somers and cruise of Argall in 1610 161 Kind of craftsmen desired for Virginia . 162


Sir Thomas Dale comes to govern Virginia in the capacity of High Marshal 163


A Draconian code of laws . 164


Cruel punishments 165


How communism worked in practice . 166


How Dale abolished communism 167


And founded the " City of Henricus " · 167, 168


How Captain Argall seized Pocahontas 168


Her marriage with John Rolfe . 169


How Captain Argall extinguished the Jesuit settlement at


Mount Desert and burued Port Royal . 170


But left the Dutch at New Amsterdam with a warning . 171


How Pocahontas, "La Belle Sauvage," visited London and was entertained there like a princess . 171, 172


Her last interview with Captain Smith 172


Her sudden death at Gravesend . . 173


How Tomocomo tried to take a census of the English 173


- How the English in Virginia begau to cultivate tobacco in spite of King James and his Counterblast . 174


Dialogue between Silenus and Kawasha . 175


Effects of tobacco culture upon the young colony . . 176, 177


The London Company's Third Charter, 1612 177, 173


How money was raised hy lotteries . 178


How this new remodelling of the Company made it an im- portant force in politics 179


Middleton's speech in opposition to the charter . 180


Richard Martin in the course of a brilliant speech forgets bimself and has to apologize 181


How factions began to be developed within the London Com-


pany . 182


Sudden death of Lord Delaware 183


Quarrel between Lord Rich and Sir Thomas Smith, resulting in the election of Sir Edwin Sandys as treasurer of the Company . 184


Sir George Yeardley is appointed governor of Virginia while Argall is knighted 185


How Sir Edwin Sandys introduced into Virginia the first American legislature, 1619 . 186


CONTENTS. xvii


How this legislative assembly, like those afterwards consti-


tuted in America, were formed after the type of the old English county court 187 How negro slaves were first introduced into Virginia, 1619 . 188 How cargoes of spinsters were sent out by the Company in quest of husbands 189


The great Indian massacre of 1622 · 189, 190


CHAPTER VI.


A SEMINARY OF SEDITION.


Summary review of the founding of Virginia . 191-191


Bitter hostility of Spain to the enterprise . 194


Gondomar and the Spanish match . . 195


Gondomar's advice to the king . 196


How Sir Walter Raleigh was kept twelve years in prison. 197


But was then released and sent on an expedition to Guiana 195


The king's base treachery . 199


Judicial murder of Raleigh 200


How the king attempted to interfere with the Company's election of treasurer in 1620 . 201


How the king's emissaries listened to the reading of the charter 202


Withdrawal of Sandys and election of Southampton . 203


Life and character of Nicholas Ferrar 203-205


His monastic home at Little Gidding . 205


How disputes rose high in the Company's quarter ses- sions . 206, 207


How the House of Commons rebuked the king . 207, 203


How Nathaniel Butler was accused of robbery and screened himself by writing a pamphlet abusing the Company 20S


Some of his charges and how they were answered by Vir- ginia settlers 209


As to malaria . 209


As to wetting one's feet 210


As to dying under hedges . 211


As to the houses and their situations


211, 212


Object of the charges . 212


Virginia assembly denies the allegations . 213


The Lord Treasurer demands that Ferrar shall answer the charges . . 214


A cogent answer is returned 214, 215


------.


xviii


CONTENTS.


Vain attempts to corrupt Ferrar .


· . 215, 216


How the wolf was set to investigate the dogs . 216 The Virginia assembly makes " A Tragical Declaration " . 217 On the attorney-general's advice a quo warranto is served 217, 218 How the Company appealed to Parliament, and the king re- fused to allow the appeal . 217, 218


The attorney-general's irresistible logic 219 Lord Strafford's glee . : 220


How Nicholas Ferrar had the records copied 221, 222


The history of a manuscript .


. 221, 222


CHAPTER VII.


THE KINGDOM OF VIRGINIA.


A retrospect . . 223


Tidewater Virginia 224


A reeeding frontier. 224, 225


The plantations . 225


Boroughs and burgesses . 226


Boroughs and hundreds 227,228


Honses, slaves, indentured servants, and Indians . 229


Virginia agriculture in the time of Charles I. 230


Increasing cultivation of tobacco . . 231


Literature; how George Sandys entreated the Muses with success 232


Provisions for higher education . 233


Project for a university in the city of Henricus ent short by the Indian massacre .235


234


Puritans and liberal churchmen


How the Company of Massachusetts Bay learned a lesson from the fate of its predecessor, the London Company for Virginia 236, 237 . 258 Death of James I. .


Effect upon Virginia of the downfall of the Company 238-240


The virus of liberty . 240


How Charles I. came to recognize the assembly of Vir- ginia . 241-2-43 Some account of the first American legislature . 243, 244


How Edward Sharpless had part of. one ear cut off . 245


The case of Captain John Martin 245


How the assembly provided for the education of Indians . 246


And for the punishment of drunkards 246


CONTENTS. xix


And against extravagance in dress . 246


How flirting was threatened with the whipping-post 247 And scandalous gossip with the pillory . 247


Ilow the minister's salary was assured him 247


How he was warned against too much drinking and card- playing . . 24S


Penalties for Sabbath-breaking . 24S


Inn-keepers forbidden to adulterate liquors or to charge too much per gallon or glass . 249


A statute against forestalling


249, 250


How Charles I. called the new colony "Our kingdom of Virginia " . . 251


How the convivial governor Dr. Pott was tried for stealing cattle, but pardoned for the sake of his medical ser- viees .




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