s marked friendship for them which prevented his
appointment as commander-in-chief of the British forces during the
Revolution.

GROWTH OF THE AMERICAN COLONIES.

It will thus be seen that, beginning with Virginia, in 1607, the
American colonies had grown in a little more than a century and a
quarter to thirteen. These were strung along the Atlantic coast from
Maine to Florida, and in 1750 their population was about 1,260,000. This
was vigorous growth. All the colonists, although born on this side of
the Atlantic, considered themselves Englishmen, and were proud of their
king, three thousand miles away across the ocean. With such loyal
subjects, the English crown had the best opportunity in the world to
become the most powerful of all the nations.

[Illustration: A COMFORTIER, OR CHAFING-DISH.

(New York State Cabinet of Natural History, Albany.)]

But Great Britain was not free from misgiving over the rapid growth of
her American colonies. Nothing looked more probable than that before
many years they would unite in one government of their own and declare
their independence of the British crown. Then was the time for the
display of wise statesmanship, but unhappily for England and happily for
the colonies, such wise statesmanship proved to be lacking on the other
side of the water. The colonies displayed great industry. They grew
tobacco, rice, indigo, and many other products which were eagerly
welcomed by the British merchants, who exported their own manufactures
in exchange for them. The inevitable result was that England and the
American colonies increased their wealth by this means. Not only that,
but the colonies voted ships, men, and money to help the mother country
in the wars in which she was often involved.

As early as 1651, Parliament passed the first of the oppressive
Navigation Acts, which forbade the colonies to trade with any other
country than England, or to receive foreign ships into their ports. This
act was so harsh and unjust that it was never generally enforced, until
the attempt, more than a century later, when it became one of the
leading causes of the American Revolution.

[Illustration: EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND.]

[Illustration: PLACES OF WORSHIP IN NEW YORK IN 1742.

1. Lutheran. 2. French. 3. Trinity. 4. New Dutch. 5. Old Dutch. 6.
Presbyterian. 7. Baptist. 8. Quaker. 9. Synagogue.]

CHAPTER III.

THE INTERCOLONIAL WARS AND THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.

King William's War