The Frankfort Land Company was a company formed in 1686 of wealthy and distinguished persons of Germany and Holland. The members were chiefly Pietists, and they had intended going to Pennsylvania themselves, but gave up the idea, so the colonists were led by Francis Daniel Pastorius, a lawyer and scholar. They went to America in 1683, and began the foundation of Germantown the same year. Later the company was organized, and 25000 acres were purchased from William Penn. Research Frankfort Land Company
Slavery in the American colonies began with the importation of a cargo of slaves into Virginia by a Dutch ship in 1619. In the other colonies it was gradually introduced. The slave trade was favoured by the British Government during the eighteenth century. Meantime a sentiment unfavourable to it began to develop in the colonies. The Germantown Quakers drew up a memorial against it in 1688, Boston town meeting in 1701. Woolman and other Quakers preached against it. Slaves were few in the North, but numerous in the South, where their increase and the danger felt from them caused severe laws respecting them.
The American Revolution, as a movement for liberty, with its declaration proclaiming all men free and equal, joined with the humanitarian spirit of the close of the century to increase anti-slavery sentiment. The Northern States either abolished slavery or provided for gradual emancipation. All the States but the southernmost forbade the importation of slaves from abroad. But the sentiment soon declined.
In the Constitution of 1787, States were given representation in the House of Representatives for three-fifths of their slaves, and Congress was forbidden to prohibit the slave trade until 1808. The invention of the cotton-gin made slave labour more profitable than ever before, and the South began to defend slavery as a positive good, in spite of its obvious economic disadvantages.
Abolition societies, first formed about 1793, languished after 1808. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 arranged that the area west of the Mississippi and north of 36 degrees 30 minutes should not be open to slavery, except in the Case of Missouri. The Ordinance of 1787 had forbidden slavery in the region north of the Ohio.
The American Colonization Society tried to palliate the evils of slavery by emancipation and deportation. About 1830 the agitation against slavery took on a more ardentphase, and henceforth for thirty years slavery was the most absorbing of political themes. Slave labour demanded more and more new land, and the Government was led to the annexation of Texas and the war with Mexico largely by this need. After bitter disputes, the territory so acquired was thrown open to slavery if the settlers desired it; this was done by the Compromise of 1850. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 extended the same permission to territory north of 36 degrees 30 minutes, repealing the Missouri Compromise; and the Supreme Court sustained such repeal.
The question of slavery in the territories proved the crucial question. Many in the North who had no desire for the abolition of slavery in States where it was already existent and legal were unwilling to see it extended, while slave-owners claimed Constitutional right to protection of their property in slaves, as essential if they were to have any share in the common territories. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and the unwillingness of Northern people to execute it assisted to precipitate conflict. Finally, in 1860, the election of Abraham Lincoln was taken by the South as proof that their claims were to be disregarded, and secession and the American Civil War resulted.
In 1790 there were 698,000 slaves in the United States 40,000 in the North, 293,000 in Virginia, 107,000 in South Carolina, 103,000 in Maryland, 101,000 in North Carolina; in 1800, 894,000; in 1810, 1,191,000; in 1820, 1,538,000; in 1830, 2,009,000; in 1840, 2,487,000; in 1850, 3,204,000; in 1860, 3,954,000, the last being about one-fourth of the total population of the Southern States. Research Slavery in America
John Eager Howard was an American soldier. He was born in 1752 and died in 1827. A colonel, he joined the Revolutionary army at the outbreak of the American War of Independence, and was a captain under General Mercer at White Plains in 1776. He commanded as major at Germantown and Monmouth, fought at Camden in 1780 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and won great fame at Cowpens in 1781. He was Governor of Maryland from 1789 to 1792. In 1796 he declined the portfolio of Secretary of War in George Washington's Cabinet. He was a US Senator from 1796 to 1803. Research John Eager Howard
John Eager Howard was an American soldier. He was born in 1752 and died in 1827. A colonel, he joined the Revolutionary army at the outbreak of the American War of Independence, and was a captain under General Mercer at White Plains in 1776. He commanded as major at Germantown and Monmouth, fought at Camden in 1780 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and won great fame at Cowpens in 1781. He was Governor of Maryland from 1789 to 1792. In 1796 he declined the portfolio of Secretary of War in George Washington's Cabinet. He was a US Senator from 1796 to 1803. Research John Eager Howard
John Eager Howard was an American soldier. He was born in 1752 and died in 1827. A colonel, he joined the Revolutionary army at the outbreak of the American War of Independence, and was a captain under General Mercer at White Plains in 1776. He commanded as major at Germantown and Monmouth, fought at Camden in 1780 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and won great fame at Cowpens in 1781. He was Governor of Maryland from 1789 to 1792. In 1796 he declined the portfolio of Secretary of War in George Washington's Cabinet. He was a US Senator from 1796 to 1803. Research John Eager Howard
Anthony Wayne (known as Mad Anthony) was an American insurgent. He was born in 1745 at Pennsylvania and died in 1796. A surveyor in early life, he became a member of the Legislature and Committee of Public Safety, and commanded a regiment in the Canadian invasion of 1775-1776. Later he had charge of the Ticonderoga forts. Being appointed brigadier-general he was in charge of a division at Brandywine and conducted a successful retreat. He was surprised at Paoli, commanded the right wing at Germantown, and was distinguished at Monmouth. His famous exploit was the storm of Stony Point, on July the 15th, 1779. General Wayne suppressed the mutiny of the troops at Morristown, in January, 1781, had an honourable part in Virginia the same year and in Georgia in 1783. He was a member of the Pennsylvania ratifying convention of 1787. When the Indian affairs required a decisive policy, he was made major-general, and inflicted an overwhelming blow at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, which led to an Indian treaty the following year. Research Anthony Wayne
Charles Cornwallis (Lord Cornwallis) was a British soldier and the first marquess of Cornwallis. He was born in 1737 and died in 1805. He served in the Seven Years' War. He took his seat in Parliament and favoured the Americans during the preliminary troubles. Having been made lieutenant-general he was sent to America in 1776, fought in the Battle of Long Island, and pursued George Washington's army through New Jersey. He was defeated at the Battle of Princeton, decided the victory of Brandywine in 1777, and served at Germantown and Monmouth. Having been appointed to the command of the Southern army he overwhelmed Gates at Camden in 1780, but in his contest with Greene he was worsted, although he won a technical victory at Guilford Court House in 1781. Then followed his campaign in Virginia against Lafayette, the siege of his army in Yorktown, and its surrender to the Franco-American troops on October the 17th 1781. As Governor-General of India, from 1786 until 1793 and in 1805, he rendered valuable military and administrative services. He was also lord-lieutenant of Ireland, from 1798 until 1801, at the epoch of the Union. Research Charles Cornwallis
Charles Grey (Earl Grey) was a British soldier. He was born in 1729 and died in 1807. A major-general, he accompanied Howe from England in 1775, surprised and defeated General Wayne's force near the Schuylkill on September the 20th, 1777, had a command at Germantown and Tappan, and destroyed the shipping and stores at New Bedford in 1778.
Charles Grey (Ear Grey) was an English statesman. He was born in 1764 and died in 1845. The eldest son of Charles Grey, the first earl Grey, he was educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge. In 1786 he was returned to parliament as member for Northumberland. On the accession of the Grenville ministry in 1806, Charles Grey, now Lord Howick, was made first lord of the admiralty, and on the death of Fox succeeded him as secretary for foreign affairs and leader of the House of Commons. The death of his father in 1807 raised him to the House of Peers, and from this period up to 1830 he beaded the opposition in the Lords, and especially opposed the proceedings against Queen Caroline. On the accession of William IV and the retirement of the Wellington ministry, Earl Grey was summoned to office. The great event which marks his administration is the passing in 1832 of the first reform bill. In 1834 Earl Grey resigned, and was succeeded by LordMelbourne. The remainder of his life was chiefly spent in retirement. Research Charles Grey
Francis D Pastorius was a German colonist and abolitionist. He was born in 1651 and died in 1719. He went to America from Germany in 1683 and founded a colony of Germans and Dutch at Germantown, Pennsylvania. He signed, the first protest made in America against slavery in 1688. Research Francis Pastorius
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Frankfort Land Company
