pioneers of the old south-第36章

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led　and　misled　after　a　fashion　peculiar　to　himself。〃　So　with　those　mass
persons　called　countries。　Tension　would　come　about；　tension　would　relax；
tension　would　return　and　increase　between　Mother　England　and　Daughter
America。　In　all　these　colonies；　in　the　year　with　which　this　narrative
closes；　there　were　living　children　and　young　persons　who　would　see　the　cord
between　broken；　would　hear　read　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　Sobut
the　true　bond　could　never　be　broken；　for　mother　and　daughter　after　all　are
one。



THE　NAVIGATION　LAWS

Three　acts　of　Parliamentthe　Navigation　Act　of　1660；　the　Staple　Act　of
1663；　and　the　Act　of　1673　imposingg　Plantation　Dutieslaid　the　foundation
of　the　old　colonial　system　of　Great　Britain。　Contrary　to　the　somewhat
passionate　contentions　of　older　historians；　they　were　not　designed　in　any
tyrannical　spirit；　though　they　embodied　a　theory　of　colonization　and　trade
which　has　long　since　been　discarded。　In　the　seventeenth　century　colonies
were　regarded　as　plantations　existing　solely　for　the　benefit　of　the　mother
country。　Therefore　their　trade　and　industry　must　be　regulated　so　as　to
contribute　most　to　the　sea　power；　the　commerce；　and　the　industry　of　the
home　country　which　gave　them　protection。　Sir　Josiah　Child　was　only
expressing　a　commonplace　observation　of　the　mercantilists　when　he　wrote
〃That　all　colonies　or　plantations　do　endamage　their　Mother…Kingdoms；　whereof
the　trades　of　such　Plantations　are　not　confined　by　severe　Laws；　and　good
execution　of　those　Laws；　to　the　Mother…Kingdom。〃

The　Navigation　Act　of　1660；　following　the　policy　laid　down　in　the　statute
of　1651　enacted　under　the　Commonwealth；　was　a　direct　blow　aimed　at　the
Dutch；　who　were　fast　monopolizing　the　carrying　trade。　It　forbade　any　goods
to　be　imported　into　or　exported　from　His　Majesty's　plantations　except　in
English；　Irish；　or　colonial　vessels　of　which　the　master　and　three　fourths
of　the　crew　must　be　English；　and　it　forbade　the　importation　into　England　of
any　goods　produced　in　the　plantations　unless　carried　in　English　bottoms。
Contemporary　Englishmen　hailed　this　act　as　the　Magna　Charta　of　the　Sea。
There　was　no　attempt　to　disguise　its　purpose。　〃The　Bent　and　Design；〃　wrote
Charles　Davenant；　〃was　to　make　those　colonies　as　much　dependant　as　possible
upon　their　Mother…Country；〃　by　preventing　them　from　trading　independently
and　so　diverting　their　wealth。　The　effect　would　be　to　give　English；　Irish；
and　colonial　shipping　a　monopoly　of　the　carrying　trade　within　the　Empire。
The　act　also　aided　English　merchants　by　the　requirement　that　goods　of
foreign　origin　should　be　imported　directly　from　the　place　of　production；
and　that　certain　enumerated　commodities　of　the　plantations　should　be
carried　only　to　English　ports。　These　enumerated　commodities　were　products
of　the　southern　and　semitropical　plantations：　〃Sugars；　Tobacco；
Cotton…wool；　Indicoes；　Ginger；　Fustick　or　other　dyeing　wood。〃

To　benefit　British　merchants　still　more　directly　by　making　England　the
staple　not　only　of　plantation　products　but　also　of　all　commodities　of　all
countries；　the　Act　of　1663　was　passed　by　Parliament。　〃No　Commoditie　of　the
Growth　Production　or　Manufacture　of　Europe　shall　be　imported　into　any　Land
Island　Plantation　Colony　Territory　or　Place　to　His　Majestie　belonging　。。　。
but　what　shall　be　bona　fide　and　without　fraude　laden　and　shipped　in　England
Wales　＇and＇　the　Towne　of　Berwicke　upon　Tweede　and　in　English　built
Shipping。〃　The　preamble　to　this　famous　act　breathed　no　hostile　intent。　The
design　was　to　maintain　〃a　greater　correspondence　and　kindnesse〃　between　the
plantations　and　the　mother　country；　to　encourage　shipping；　to　render
navigation　cheaper　and　safer；　to　make　〃this　Kingdome　a　Staple　not　only　of
the　Commodities　of　those　Plantations　but　also　of　the　Commodities　of　other
Countries　and　places　for　the　supplying　of　them〃it〃　being　the　usage　of
other　nations　to　keepe　their　＇Plantations＇　Trade　to　themselves。〃

The　Act　of　1673　was　passed　to　meet　certain　difficulties　which　arose　in　the
administration　of　the　Act　of　1660。　The　earlier　act　permitted　colonial
vessels　to　carry　enumerated　commodities　from　the　place　of　production　to
another　plantation　without　paying　duties。　Under　cover　of　this　provision；　it
was　assumed　that　enumerated　commodities；　after　being　taken　to　a　plantation；
could　then　be　sent　directly　to　continental　ports　free　of　duty。　The　new　act
provided　that；　before　vessels　left　a　colonial　port；　bonds　should　be　given
that　the　enumerated　commodities　would　be　carried　only　to　England。　If　bonds
were　not　given　and　the　commodities　were　taken　to　another　colonial　port；
plantation　duties　were　collected　according　to　a　prescribed　schedule。

These　acts　were　not　rigorously　enforced　until　after　the　passage　of　the
administrative　act　of　1696　and　the　establishment　of　admiralty　courts。　Even
then　it　does　not　appear　that　they　bore　heavily　on　the　colonies；　or
occasioned　serious　protest。　The　trade　acts　of　1764　and　1765　are　described
in　〃The　Eve　of　the　Revolution〃。EDITOR。



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE

The　literature　of　the　Colonial　South　is　like　the　leaves　of　Vallombrosa　for
multitude。　Here　may　be　indicated　some　volumes　useful　in　any　general　survey。

VIRGINIA

Hakluyt's　〃Principal　Voyages。〃　12　vols。　（Hakluyt　Society。　Extra　Series；
1905…1907。）　〃The　Prose　Epic　of　the　modern　English　nation。〃

〃Purchas；　His　Pilgrims。〃　20　vols。　（Hakluyt　Society；　Extra　Series；　1905…1907。）

Hening's　〃Statutes　at　Large；〃　published　in　1823；　is　an　eminently　valuable
collection　of　the　laws　of　colonial　Virginia；　beginning　with　the　Assembly　of
1619。　Hening's　own　quotation　from　Priestley；　〃The　Laws　of　a　country　are
necessarily　connected　with　everything　belonging　to　the　people　of　it：　so
that　a　thorough　knowledge　of　them　and　of　their　progress　would　inform　us　of
everything　that　was　most　useful　to　be　known；〃　indicates　the　range　and
weight　of　his　thirteen　volumes。

William　Stith's　〃The　History　of　the　Discovery　and　First　Settlement　of
Virginia〃　（1747）　gives　some　valuable　documents　and　a　picture　of　the　first
years　at　Jamestown。

Alexander　Brown's　〃Genesis　of　the　United　States〃；　2　vols。　（1890）；　is　a　very
valuable　work；　giving　historical　manuscripts　and　tracts。　Less　valuable　is
his　〃First　Republic　in　America〃　（1898）；　in　which　the　author　attempts　to
weave　his　material　into　a　historical　narrative。

Philip　A。　Bruce's　〃Economic　History　of　Virginia　in　the　Seventeenth
Century〃；　2　vols。　（1896）；　is　a　highly　interesting　and　exhaustive　survey。
The　same　author　has　written　〃Social　Life　of　Virginia　in　the　Seventeenth
Century〃　（1907）　and　〃Institutional　History　of　Virginia　in　the　Seventeenth
Century〃；　2　vols。　（1910）。

John　Fiske's　〃Virginia　and　Her　Neighbors；〃　2　vols。　（1897）；　and　John　E。
Cooke's　Virginia　（American　Commonwealth　Series；　1883）　are　written　in
lighter　vein　than　the　foregoing　histories　and　possess　much　literary
distinction。

On　Captain　John　Smith　there　are　writings　innumerable。　Some　writers　give
credence　to　Smith's　own　narratives；　while　others　do　not。　John　Fiske　accepts
the　narratives　as　history；　and　Edward　Arber；　who　has　edited　them　（2　vols。；
1884）；　holds　that　the　〃General　History〃　（1624）　is　more　reliable　than　the
〃True　Relation〃　（1608）。　On　the　other　side；　as　doubters　of　Smith's
credibility；　are　ranged　such　weighty　authorities　as　Charles　Deane；　Henry
Adams；　and　Alexander　Brown。

Thomas　J。　Wertenbaker's　〃Virginia　under　the　Stuarts〃　（1914）　is　a
painstaking　effort　to　set　forth　the　political　history　of　the　colony　in　the
light　of　recent　historical　investigation；　but　the　book　is　devoid　of
literary　attractiveness。

MARYLAND

〃The　Archives　of　Maryland〃；　37　vols。　（1883…）　contain　the　official　documents
of　the　province。　John　L。　Bozman's　〃　History　of　Maryland〃；　2　vols。　（1837）；
contains　much　valuable　material　for　the　years　1634…1658。

J。　T。　Scharf's　〃History　of　Maryland〃；　3　vols。　（1879）；　is　a　solid　piece　of
work；　but　the　reader　will　turn　by　preference　to　the　more　readable　books　by
John　Fiske；　〃Virginia　and　Her　Neighbors〃；　and　William　H。　Browne；　〃Maryland；
The　History　of　a　Palatinate　〃　（〃American　Commonwealth　Series；〃　1884）。
Browne　has　also　written　〃George　and　Cecilius　Calvert　〃（1890）。

THE　CAROLINAS

〃The　Colonial　Records　of　North　C