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StephenSeveroWikiProject 6 - 21 Mar 2012 - Main.StephenSevero
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The wikipedia portion:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Disputes_Between_New_York_and_Connecticut | | | Gov. Dongan repudiated the 1664 agreement in a letter to Gov. Treat of Connecticut: “The King's Commissioners being strangers and relying upon your people, were assured by them that the River Mamranet was twenty miles every where from Hudon's River; as we have very creditable witnesses can testify...If you do not submitt to let us have all the land within twenty miles of Hudson's River, I must claime as far as the Duke's Pattent goes; which is to the River Connecticut. There is land enough for us all, and I love not to do my neighbors ill offices.” (CT 350) But despite the boisterous claim, New York was not prepared to follow through on such belligerence. | |
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< | New York was small and economically insecure. Unlike the other colonies, it was created by a grant to the Duke of York and not a charter to an independent corporation. Because of that, the Duke tells Dongan to be mindful of “immunities and priviledges beyond” (NY 376) those of the other Colonies that New York might require. As Dongan opines to the Duke, New York (at it's then borders) is not profitable. “Besides Connecticut, as it now is, takes away from us almost all the land of Value that lyes adjoyning to Hudsons River and the best part of the River itself. Besides as wee find by experience if that place bee not annexed to that Government it will bee impossible to make any thing considerable of his Majesties Customs and Revenue in Long Island they carry away without entring all our Oyles which is the greatest part of what wee have to make returns from this place: And from Albany and that way up the river our Beaver and Peltry. This Government too has an undoubted right to it by Charter which is late Majesty of Blessed Memory granted to our present King.” (NY 434) | >
> | New York was small and economically insecure. Unlike the other colonies, it was created by a grant to the Duke of York and not a charter to an independent corporation. Because of that, the Duke tells Dongan to be mindful of “immunities and priviledges beyond” (NY 376) those of the other Colonies that New York might require. As Dongan opines to the Duke, New York (at its then borders) is not profitable. “Besides Connecticut, as it now is, takes away from us almost all the land of Value that lyes adjoyning to Hudsons River and the best part of the River itself. Besides as wee find by experience if that place bee not annexed to that Government it will bee impossible to make any thing considerable of his Majesties Customs and Revenue in Long Island they carry away without entring all our Oyles which is the greatest part of what wee have to make returns from this place: And from Albany and that way up the river our Beaver and Peltry. This Government too has an undoubted right to it by Charter which is late Majesty of Blessed Memory granted to our present King.” (NY 434) | | | The profitability is razor thin (or at least as Dongan reports) “Its a very hard thing upon mee that coming over hither in troublesome times, finding noe Revenue established” and having to establish and maintain military strength while striving with Massachussets, Connecticut, East & West Jersey, and Pennsylvania over the respective boundaries.(NY 449) | | | But at all times, Dongan was instructed to view the colony as solely an investment vehicle and should “take care that the Dukes chardge be not increased thereby, but rather his revenue” (NY 392). The problem for Dongan was that merely controlling the Hudson was not enough – wherever a market could exist without having to pay Royal excises, willing Natives would flock to trade. “And as for Beaver and Peltry its impossible to hinder its being carried thither, the Indians value not the length of their journey soe as they can come to a good market which those people can better afford them than wee, they paying noe Custom nor Excise inwards or outwards.” (NY 434). | |
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< | The relative importance of down river settlements as opposed to upriver control is evident in the confusion of the 1644 agreement. At the time, the lines through the Connecticut Panhandle and Long Island were more immediately troubling than where the line intersected the Hudson. The prize jewel for Nicolls York was Long Island, and that's reflected in the eventual resolutions. Though ultimately New York lost profitable towns in Greenwich and Stamford, it retained Long Island. | >
> | The relative importance of down river settlements as opposed to upriver control is evident in the confusion of the 1644 agreement. At the time, the lines through the Connecticut Panhandle and Long Island were more immediately troubling than where the line intersected the Hudson. The prize jewel for Nicolls in New York was Long Island, and that's reflected in the eventual resolutions. Though ultimately New York lost profitable towns in Greenwich and Stamford, it retained Long Island. | | | That's not to say Dongan was unconcerned with his North and Western frontiers, but his concern there was more in controlling relationships with the Natives. The Five Nations are a “bulwark” between the English and their French and Native enemies, and Dongan claims he does not allow “Christians to converse with them any where but at Albany and that not without my licence.” (NY 434). For Dongan, the long-standing relationship is one of the great strengths of the colony. “Those Indians & the people of this Government have been in continued peace & amity one with another these fifty years. And those Indians about forty years agoe did annex their Lands to this Government & have ever since constantly renewed the same with every Governor that has been here both in the time of the Dutch & the English and in particular to myself who have given them largely in consideration of their lands. And I am certainly informed, that they have declared they will goe and live on the the other side of the lake than bee under any Government on this than ours.” (NY 434) |
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