Parliament offered liberal bounties on the importation of various articles into Great-Britain, which were the growth and production of the Colonies. By the 3 and 4 Ann, c. 10, (1706) a large bounty was given on the importation of tar, pitch, rosin, turpentine, masts, yards, and bowsprits, from the Colonies; and at subsequent periods, a bounty was given upon indigo, hemp, and flax, and timber of different kinds, raw silk, and on pipe, hogshead, and barrel staves. The society also instituted at London, in 1753, "for the encouragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce," offered liberal premiums for the production and culture of certain articles in the British Colonies. In 1762, this society gave premiums on the importation of the following articles from the Colonies, viz. cochineal, sturgeon, raw silk, scammony, opium, persimon gum, silk grass, safflower, pot and pearl ashes; and on the culture of logwood, olive trees, vines for raisins, vines for wines, cinnamon, aloes, hemp, silk, and sarsaparilla. POPULATION, EXPORTS, AND IMPORTS OF THE COLONIES. In 1749, the whole white population of the North American Colonies, now the United States, was estimated at 1,046,000. ber in each Colony was estimated as follows, viz. The num At this period, the annual value of the imports into these Colonies. from England, was about £900,000 sterling. Dr. Franklin* states the value of the inports from Great-Britain, (exclusive of Scotland,) * Fourth volume Franklin's Works, page 69. into the northern Colonies, at two different periods, viz. from 1744 to 1748, and from 1754 to 1758, taken, as is supposed, from the English custom-house books, as follows, viz. The great increase of imports during the last period of five years was owing, undoubtedly, in no small degree, to the war then existing between England and France, and which occasioned greater shipments than usual to the Colonies, in order to supply the troops during those years. This war, which has generally been called the French war of 1755, was occasioned, in a great measure, by a contest for boundaries and limits in North-America, between the English and French. In all the former wars between these powers, the Colonists had been warmly engaged, and several attempts had been made by them to take possession of Canada and other parts of North-` America then in possession of the French. In consequence of these attempts, and in defending themselves against the attacks of the French from Canada, great expenses had been incurred by the Colonies; and having few resources, most of the colonial governments, at different periods, for the purpose of defraying these and other expenses, had issued paper money, but which in most if not in all instances depreciated. ! The Colonies felt themselves more than ever interested in the result of the contest, as to the boundaries between them and the French Canadian settlements. The French were making such encroachments on the western and northern frontiers, as, if acquiesced in, would leave them but a small strip of territory along the Atlantic. They now, more than ever, felt the necessity of union and concert among themselves, for their mutual protection and defence, against these encroachments, and also of a general treasury, from which the expense of such protection and defence might be defrayed. For the purpose of forming such an union, Commissioners from NewHampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, met at Albany, in July, 1754. Commissioners from the other Colonies were expected, but were not pre sent. A plan of union was agreed upon by the commissioners present. This plan was submitted to the King and Parliament for their approbation, and to the Assemblies of the several Colonies, but was rejected by the former, as vesting too much power in the Colonies, and was disapproved by the latter as giving too much power to the crown. By this plan," the general government was to be administered by a president general, to be appointed and supported by the crown, and a general council to be chosen by the representatives of the several Colonies met in their respective Assemblies." So far as respects the defence of the Colonies, the regulation of trade, and the collection of the taxes, this general government was authorized "to raise and pay soldiers, build forts for the defence of any of the Colonies, and equip vessels of force, to guard the coasts and protect the trade on the ocean, lakes, or great rivers; but they were not to impress men in any Colony, without the consent of the legislature. That for these purposes, they had power to make laws, and levy such general duties, imposts, and taxes, as to them should appear most equal and just, (considering the abilities, and other circumstances of the inhabitants in the several Colonies,) and such as may be collected with the least inconvenience to the people; rather discouraging luxury, than loading industry with unnecessary burdens." Had this plan been adopted, the separation of the Colonies from the parent country might have been postponed for many years. The importation and consumption of foreign articles into the Colonies increased with the increase of wealth and population. The following is an account of the value of imports from GreatBritain, into Pennsylvania, at different periods.* In 1723 the imports amounted only to 1730 they were 1737 1742 1747 £15,993 19 4 1752 1757 248,426 6 6 In 1766, Doctor Franklin, in his examination before the House of Commons, stated, that the value of imports at that time into Pennsylvania was computed by the merchants, to be above £500,000. The tables of Lord Sheffield, in his "Observations on American Commerce," taken undoubtedly from the custom-house books, shew the value of the trade between Great-Britain, and that part of America, now the United States, from 1700 to 1780, to be as follows: It is difficult to ascertain, with accuracy, the value of the trade of the Colonies, previous to the year 1776. A smuggling trade was carried *Fourth volume of Franklin's Works. on to a considerable extent, not only with the foreign West-India islands, but some parts of Europe. The custom-house books, therefore, do not furnish a true account of the whole trade of the Colonies. They must, however, be resorted to, as the best source of information. We have before stated, that, for some years previous to the American revolution, the trade of the Colonies was limited to Great-Britain, to that part of Europe lying south of Cape Finisterre, to the West-Indies, and to Africa. Table No. I. contains the official value in sterling money of the exports and imports from each of these countries, for the year 1769. From this it appears, that the exports from the several Colonies, now the United States, during that year, to Great-Britain amounted to And that the imports from Great-Britain amounted to or about twelve millions of dollars. Those who have a curiosity to see the quantity, as well as the value, of the various articles exported from the Colonies prior to the revolution, and the countries to which they were sent, so far as the custom-house books will shew, may consult table No. II. which contains an account of the principal articles exported from the North American Colonies, including the islands of New-Foundland, Bahama, and Bermuda, with their official value, and places of destination, for the year 1770.† * Taken from Macpherson's Annals of Commerce, vol. 3, page 571. |