They were then considered as a great fund, out of which the debt of the revolution would be principally paid; and it was declared to be unjust, that certain states should engross the whole, “to replace, in a short time, their expenditures," while the others contributed equally to the acquisition of this property; and the prosecution of the war "would be left to sink under the pressure of an enormous debt." Influenced by a sense of common justice, and in pursuance of the resolution of the old congress, passed in 1780, the states of Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New-York, whose claims comprehend the whole territory northwest of the Ohio River, after making some few reservations, ceded the same to the United States. In 1787, South Carolina conveyed to the United States all her interest beyond her present boundaries. Since the adoption of the present constitution, North Carolina, in 1790, ceded to the United States all that territory beyond the Allegany mountains, which now forms the state of Tennessee; subject, however, to so many extensive claims previously derived from that state, that the government has realized no benefit from the sales. All the cessions conveyed to the United States the right of soil, as well as jurisdiction, to the territory granted, and declared, in terms similar to the language made use of in the cession of Virginia, whose title assumed to cover the whole northwestern territory, that the lands so ceded shall be considered a common fund for the use and benefit of such of the United States as have become, or shall become, members of the confederation, or federal alliance of said states, Virginia inclusive, according to their respective proportion in the general charge and expenditures, and shall be faithfully and bona fide disposed of for that purpose, and no other. The domains thus vested in the United States, was upon no contingency or event to revert back to the state making the cession, or to become the separate property of individual states. It was expressly made a common fund, and a trust and authority was reposed in congress. CHAPTER I. Birth, education, and early life of Columbus-Discoveries by Co- lumbus, and others, CHAPTER II. Plymouth Company. From the Settlement of Jamestown, to the Embarcation of the Captain Ratcliff made President, Fortifications erected at Jamestown, A conspiracy detected in the Colony, The Indians capture Captain Smith, Smith liberated by Pocahontas, More settlers and provisions arrive, Delusion respecting gold dust, Exploring party visits the Susquehannah, Tyranny of the Deputy Governor, ib. Sabbath laws, and penalty for breach thereof-punishment by slavery, ib. Females transported, and sold for wives, their price, CHAPTER III. From the Embarcation of the Plymouth Company, to the close of ib. Great drought in Plymouth, Charlestown settled, Fifteen hundred people arrive at Salem, John Winthrop made Governor, Churches established, Arrival of Messrs. Haynes, Stone, and Hooker, Connecticut river discovered, Difficulty with the Dutch at Hartford, Ravages of the Smallpox, Connecticut settled-sufferings, First Court holden in Connecticut, The fort and wigwams burnt, The Dutch restore two captive maids taken by the Pequots, and saved by means of a squaw, Battle with the Indians at Fairfield, The triple alliance at Hartford, Thanksgiving, on account of Peace, New-Haven discovered, Earthquake in New-England, Increase of settlements in Connecticut, New-Hampshire separated from Massachusetts, Prohibiting the use of tobacco, Arts and manufactures, Printing first introduced, Education and population, ib. PART II. CHAPTER IV. Discovery and Progress of the Middle and Southern States. Hudson's voyage and discoveries, Sir Thomas Dale and the Dutch, Peace restored in 1748, ib. PART III. CHAPTER VI. Washington appointed Commander-in-chief of the American forces, 168 |