When Oglethorpe settled the Colony, the charter under which he acted prohibited the introduction and use of negro slaves in the Colony. It is hard to say at this late day whether this portion of the charter was dictated1 by feelings of humanity, especially when we remember that in those days, and in most of the Colonies, there were many white people—men, women, and children—employed and used as slaves. From the very first, many of the Georgia colonists2 were anxious to introduce negro slaves, but the trustees firmly refused to allow it. There was a strong party in favor of introducing negroes, and those who opposed the movement presently found themselves in a very small and unpopular minority. By 1748 the excitement over the question had grown so great, that those colonists who were opposed to negro slavery were compelled to abandon their position. Rev3. Mr. Whitefield, the eloquent4 preacher, had already bought and placed negro slaves at his Orphan5 House at Bethesda, near Savannah. The colonists had also treated this part of the charter with contempt. They pretended to hire negroes' homes in South Carolina for a hundred years, or during life. They paid the "hire" in advance, the sum being the full value of the slaves. Finally negroes were bought openly from traders in Savannah. Some of them were seized; but a majority of the magistrates6 were in favor of the introduction of negroes, and they were able to postpone7 legal decisions from time to time.
Rev. George Whitefield, whose wonderful eloquence8 has made his name famous, and Hon. James Habersham, had great influence with the trustees; and it was mainly due to their efforts that the colonists were legally allowed to purchase and use negro slaves. Mr. Habersham affirmed that the Colony could not prosper9 without slave labor10. Rev. Mr. Whitefield, on the other hand, was in favor of negro slavery on the broad ground of philanthropy. He boldly declared that it would be of great advantage to the African to be brought from his barbarous surroundings and placed among civilized11 Christians13. When we remember what has happened, who can deny that the remark of the eloquent preacher was not more to the purpose, and nearer to the truth, than some of the modern statements about American slavery? What really happened (as any one may discover by looking into impartial14 history) was, that thousands of negroes who had been captured in battle, and made slaves of in their own country, were taken from that dark land and brought into the light of Christian12 civilization. Their condition, mentally and morally, was so improved, that, in little more than a century after White-field made his statement, the government of the United States ventured to make citizens of them. The contrast between their condition and that of the negroes who remained in Africa is so startling, that a well-known abolitionist, writing twenty years after emancipation15, has described slavery as a great university, which the negroes entered as barbarians16, and came out of as Christians and citizens.
The efforts of the Colony to secure a repeal17 of the act prohibiting slavery were successful. The trustees in London concluded that it would be better to permit slavery, with such restrictions18 and limitations as might be proper, than to permit the wholesale19 violations20 that were then going on; and so in 1749 the colonists of Georgia were allowed by law to own and use negro slaves.
Thus, when the cotton gin came fairly into use, slavery had been legally allowed in Georgia for nearly half a century. The rest of the Colonies had long enjoyed that privilege. The cotton gin, therefore, had a twofold effect,—it increased the cotton crop and the value of the lands, and it also increased the use of negro slaves. The Virginians and North Carolinians, who came to Georgia, brought their slaves with them; and the Georgians, as their crops became profitable, laid out their surplus cash in buying more negroes. The slave trade became very prosperous, and both Old England and New England devoted21 a large amount of capital and enterprise to this branch of commerce.
As the population increased, and the cotton crop became more valuable, the demand for land became keener. To this fact was due the intense excitement kindled22 by the Yazoo Fraud in 1794. The cotton gin had been introduced the year before, and the people were beginning to see and appreciate the influence the invention would have on their prosperity. Instead of selling land to speculators, they wanted to keep it for themselves and children, or at least to get something like its real value.
The cotton gin had increased not only the demand for negro slaves, but also the demand for land; and indirectly23 it was the cause of the various troubles the State had with the Indians after the close of the War for Independence. The troubles with the Indians also led finally to serious misunderstandings between the United States Government and that of Georgia. In May, 1796, a treaty was made between the United States and the Creeks24. This treaty created some indignation among the people, and was denounced as an interference by the General Government with State affairs. The lands which the Indians ceded25 to the United States were a part of the Territory of Georgia, and the transaction gave rise to much discussion and considerable bad feeling.
In ten years, from 1790 to 1800, the population in Georgia had increased more than eighty thousand. During the next ten years the increase in the population was more than ninety thousand. This increase meant a still greater demand for farm lands. Westward26 the Territory of Georgia extended to the Mississippi River. The agitation27 which began over this rich possession when the Yazoo Fraud was attempted, was kept up until 1800, when Georgia appointed four of her most prominent citizens to meet with commissioners28 appointed by the United States; and settle all questions that had arisen. The result was, that Georgia ceded to the General Government all her lands belonging to the State, south of Tennessee and west of the Chattahoochee River. These lands were to be sold, and out of the proceeds the State was to receive $1,250,-000. It was also provided that the United States, at its own expense, should extinguish the Indian titles to the lands held by the Creeks between the forks of the Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers, and that in like manner the General Government should extinguish the Indian title to all the other lands within the State of Georgia. Under this agreement, and the Indian treaty based upon it, nearly all of the lands lying between the Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers were opened up for occupation and cultivation29.
All the Territory of Georgia was looked upon by the people as a public domain30, belonging to the State for distribution among the citizens. The lands east of the Oconee were divided among the people under the plan known as the "Head Right System." By this system every citizen was allowed to choose, and survey to suit himself, a body of unoccupied land. This done, he received a title called a "head right land warrant," which was issued to him when he paid a small fee and a nominal31 price for the land. If no one had previously32 appropriated the same land, the warrant was his title. But much confusion arose in the distribution of titles, and serious disputes grew out of it. The poorer sections of land were neglected, and only the most fertile sections surveyed.
When the lands west of the Oconee were acquired, the clumsy Head Right System was given up for what is known as the "Land Lottery33 System." "All free white males, twenty-one years of age or older, every married man with children under age, widows with children, and all families of orphan minors," were allowed to draw in the lottery. Lists of these persons were made out in each count, and sent to the governor. The lottery was drawn34 under the management of five responsible persons. The tickets to be drawn were marked with the numbers of the land lots, and these were put into boxes with numerous blanks. Those who were fortunate enough to draw numbered tickets were entitled to plats and grants of their lots, signed by the governor.
The lots were not all of the same size. Some contained 202 1/2 acres, others 490 acres. Twelve months after the drawing was completed, the fortunate person was required to pay into the State treasury35 four dollars for every hundred acres contained in his lot.
Many of those who had the good fortune to draw prizes in the land-lottery scheme paid the necessary amount of money, and received titles to their land lots; but many others neglected to pay in the money, and thus forfeited36 their titles.
It has been said that the land hunger of the people at this time was both selfish and sordid37; but if we come to look at the matter closely, selfishness is behind much of the material progress that the world has made. The selfishness of individuals is not more conspicuous38 than the selfishness of communities, commonwealths39, and nations. In history we find the rumseller, the land grabber, and the speculator following hard upon the heels of the missionary40. The selfishness of nations is frequently given the name of "patriotism," and rightly so, since it is a movement for the good of all.
When Georgia had fairly begun to recover from the disastrous41 results of the War for Independence, the troubles that resulted in the War of 1812 began to make themselves felt. France and England were at war; and the United States Government tried to remain neutral, giving aid to neither the one nor the other. But this was not pleasing to either of these great powers. Both were interested in the trade and commerce of this country, and both issued orders affecting American affairs. The United States resented the interference, and protested against it Great Britain, with an arrogance42 made bitter by the remembrance of her humiliating defeat at the hands of a few feeble Colonies, replied to the American protest, declaring that American ships would still be searched, and American sailors impressed into the service of the British, wherever found on the high seas. In 1807 a British man-of-war fired on an American merchant vessel43 as it was leaving harbor. Three men were killed, eighteen wounded, and four sailors seized. This outrage44 inflamed45 the whole country, and in December of that year Congress passed a law preventing American vessels46 from leaving their ports to trade with foreign nations. This law was deeply resented by the New England States, and they held at Hartford, Conn., the first secession convention that ever met in this country.
British Impressement of Americans 188
Georgia was foremost among the States to denounce and resist the aggressive acts of Great Britain. In 1808 the Legislature sent an address to the President of the United States, approving the measures he had taken, and declared that the people of Georgia were strong in their independence, and proud of their government, and that they would never wish to see the lives and property of their brethren exposed to the insult and rapacity47 of a foreign power; but if the war should come, they would, in proportion to their number and resources, give zealous48 aid to the government of their choice.
The British, meanwhile, made arrangements to force a cotton trade with Georgia and South Carolina, and for the purpose fitted out a number of vessels of from ten to fifteen guns each. These vessels were to be employed in opening the ports of Georgia and Carolina. A war brig anchored at Tybee, and two of its officers went to Savannah. When they had made known their purpose, they were peremptorily49 ordered away. They returned to their vessel and put to sea; but as they were leaving, they fired at a pilot boat in the harbor, and committed other outrages50.
This incident and others aroused the indignation of the people. The Legislature passed resolutions, addressed to the President of the United States, declaring that all hope of a peaceful termination of the difficulty had been lost, that the duty of the United States was to maintain its sovereign rights against the despots of Europe, and that the citizens of Georgia would ever be found in readiness to assert the rights and support the dignity of the country whenever called on by the General Government. By the time the treaty of peace was made, the day before Christmas in 1814, the war spirit in Georgia had been roused to the highest pitch by the numerous outrages committed by the Indian allies of the British.
But the story of the Indian troubles belongs to a chapter by itself.
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1
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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14
impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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emancipation
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| n.（从束缚、支配下）解放 | |
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barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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17
repeal
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| n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消 | |
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restrictions
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| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
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wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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violations
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| 违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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ceded
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| v.让给，割让，放弃( cede的过去式 ) | |
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westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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lottery
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| n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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forfeited
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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commonwealths
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| n.共和国( commonwealth的名词复数 )；联邦；团体；协会 | |
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missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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41
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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42
arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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43
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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44
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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45
inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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47
rapacity
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| n.贪婪，贪心，劫掠的欲望 | |
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48
zealous
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| adj.狂热的，热心的 | |
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peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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outrages
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| 引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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