ACHENWALL'S OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ON 
 
 NORTH AMERICA 
 
 1767 
 
 TRANSLATED BY 
 
 J. G. ROSENGARTEN 
 
 Reprinted from the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 
 'January, igoj 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 1903 
 

 ACHENWALL'S OBSERVATIONS ON NORTH 
 AMERICA, 1767. 
 
 [Franklin paid a short visit to Germany in the summer of 1766, and 
 at Gottingen met a number of the professors of the University. One 
 of them, Professor Achenwall, published in the " Hanoverian Magazine," 
 in the volume beginning 1767, p. 258, etc., "Some Observations on 
 North America and the British Colonies from verbal information of 
 Dr. Franklin," and this article was reprinted in Frankfort and Leipsic 
 in 1769. There is a copy of this reprint in the Loganian Library, 
 from which the following translation was made. There is a copy of the 
 Magazine in the Astor Library, New York. It is of interest as showing 
 the impression made by Franklin on his German auditors, although it 
 is clear that Achenwall did not report quite correctly. — J. G. R.] 
 
 The raofjt complete work on the British Colonies in North 
 America is the Summary historical and political by William 
 Douglas, of which the second improved edition was pub- 
 lished in London, 1760, in two 8vo. volumes. That doctor 
 collected material for many years and was in America, and 
 gives valuable intelligence, especially of the Colonies he 
 visited, but his book has no system. Prof. Kalm has much 
 that is good in his travels in North America, and often cites 
 Franklin, but did not altogether understand what he said, 
 and Franklin never saw Kalm's book until he came across 
 a German translation in Hanover. 
 
 The east coast of North America, where the British 
 Colonies lie, is generally colder than the countries on the 
 same stretch in Europe, nor has it been observed that owing 
 to the decay of forests and cultivation the climate is be- 
 coming noticeably milder. Almost the whole eastern coast 
 of North America is sandy, many little islands along the 
 coast are sand banks, thrown up gradually by the sea. The 
 coast of Florida is sandy and unfruitful, but the interior is 
 good laud. The native Indians consist of many small 
 
 1 
 
 / \^ 
 
 v\A 
 
2 Achenwall's Obsercations on North Amerira, 1767. 
 
 nations, each with its own language, quite different from 
 that of their neighbors. They are all of one figure as if 
 descended from a common ancestor, — all brown in color, 
 with straight black hair, eyes all of one color, and all beard- 
 less, and they call Europeans the bearded nation. They 
 live in the wilds, except a few that have been gathered in 
 villages and are partly civilized. They live on plants and 
 by hunting, without farms or cattle, chickens, horses etc. 
 
 Before the arrival of Europeans, their important plants 
 were Turkish corn or maize; a sort of beans; tobacco. 
 Maize aud Tobacco are found only in America, and were 
 l)rought from the new world to the old. Maize and Beans 
 they cook and use bear fat in place of butter as dressing, but 
 no salt. Smoking tobacco is an old custom, especially at 
 their national gatherings. These three plants they look on 
 as a special gift of heaven. According to an old tradition, 
 an American found a handsome young woman sitting on a 
 hill, — who in acknowledging a deep bow, said she came from 
 above and at the end of a year would come again to the same 
 hill. She was there again at that time, on her right hand 
 Maize, on her left Beans, and on her lap Tobacco, and these 
 three she left as a present for the American. Before Euro- 
 peans brought them, there were no other grain or vegetables 
 known than maize and beans, but all like the newcomers 
 have increased wonderfully. The Spanish historian de 
 Sohs is altogether wrong in saying that Mexico at the time 
 of the invasion, was a populous and mighty state. The 
 Mexicans were savages, without art or knowledge, and how 
 could they form a great state ? They had neither farming 
 nor cattle and could not find food for a large population nor 
 had they any means of transportation. The weapons ot 
 the savages in North America are bows and arrows, and 
 they shoot with the teeth of wild animals. They recog- 
 nize some of the principles of natural law and observe 
 them even with their enemies. They scalp usually only the 
 dead, — then they cut it off with a sharp weapon and keep 
 it as a sign of victory. Sometimes the victim comes to 
 
 "^^AZ '>^-^- 
 
Achmivall's Observations on North America, 1767. 3 
 
 life, — some such are in Pennsylvania, for scalping is not 
 necessarily mortal. They fight on foot, for they have no 
 horses. The savages living in western Pennsylvania were 
 called by the French Iroquois. The English call them the 
 Five Nations or the Confederate Indians, — they are united 
 and were so long before the English settled. The Mohawks 
 first united with another nation and others joined later. 
 Ifow there are seven altogether so united. They have 
 their regular stated meetings and their great council con- 
 siders the general good. The members are known only by 
 their dift'erent languages. They are called subjects of the 
 King, but they are not subject to British laws, and jiay no 
 taxes, but the Colonists give them a tribute of presents. 
 Their number does not increase. Those living near the 
 Europeans steadily diminish in numbers and strength. 
 Their two sexes are of a cold nature, — the mothers live alone 
 at and after the birth of children and during tlie years 
 they suckle them, — often (owing to the absence of soft 
 food) until their young can eat meat. Small pox and rum 
 have played sad havoc among them. 
 
 The English settlements in North America have grown 
 much more slowly than those in the West Indies, where 
 they came about 1640, and in twenty years had flourishing 
 Colonies, such as Barbadoes. In North America the Colo- 
 nists came sixty years before, but at the end of the 17th Cen- 
 tury were small in number and in exports. This is due to the 
 rich production of the Sugar Islands, the absence of Indians, 
 and the contraband trade witli Spain. The North American 
 Colonies have in the 18th Century greatly increased in 
 population and wealth, far beyond the West India Islands. 
 
 Franklin in a book published in 1751 showed that the 
 native born foreigners double every 25 years, in addition 
 is the steady emigration, and soiiie Colonies thus double 
 their population in 18, some in 16, and some in 14 years. 
 This will go on as long as there is plenty of farm land, 
 and this increases largely with the acquisition of Canada 
 and Louisiana. In 1750 there were a million, Douglas 
 
AchenwaWs Observations on North America, 1767. 
 
 ill his book estimated that in 1760 there were 1.051.000, 
 besides bhxclcw and soldiers, — on that basis in 1775 there 
 will be 2 millions, and at the close of the 18th Century, 4 
 millions. To attract foreigners, an Act of Parliament 
 granted English citizenship to every Protestant after seven 
 years' residence, a right that in England can only be 
 obtained with great expense and trouble by a special Act 
 of Parliament. The Certificate of the Provincial authorities 
 costs only a few shillings and is good through all England. 
 Near the coast and some miles beyond, all the Middle 
 Colonies are settled, and new improvements are extend- 
 ing deeper in the interior. In Pennsylvania, where the 
 Penn family own all the land, any one who wants to im- 
 prove the land, chooses a piece, pays the landlord for 100 
 acres 10 Pound Sterling local money, and binds himself to 
 pay an annual rent of half a penny for each acre, — he 
 then becomes absolute owner, and the little ground rent can 
 never be increased. Sometimes the hunter builds a wooden 
 hut, and the nearest neighbors in the wilderness help cut 
 the timber, build the log hut, fill the crevices with mud, put 
 on the roof and put in windows and doors, and in return the 
 owner pays them vnth a gallon of brandy, and by a like good 
 service in turn. Then he lays out his garden and pasture 
 and fields, cuts out the underbrush, tops the big trees and 
 strips the bark, so that he can sow and reap, the trees die 
 and hurt neither land nor crops. Many hunters have thus 
 settled the wilderness, — they are soon followed by poor 
 Scotch or Irish who are looking for homes, — these they find 
 in this half improved condition, — they buy fi'om the 
 hunters, get a patent from the Proprietors, paying the usual 
 charge. The hunter moves off into the wilderness and goes 
 to work again. The Scotch or Irishman completes the half 
 finished task, builds a better house of sawed timber, uses the 
 old log hut for a stable, later builds a house of brick and 
 his timber house is a good barn. Scotch and Irish often 
 sell to the Germans, of whom from 90 to 100.000 five in 
 Pennsylvania, and prefer to put all their earnings into land 
 
Achmivall's Obsa'vations on North America, 1767. 5 
 
 and improvements. The Scotch or Irish are satisfied with 
 a fair profit, put the capital into another farm, leaving the 
 Germans owners of the old farms. Li Pennsylvania there 
 is no law to prevent cutting up a farm into very small 
 holdings nor to forbid the purchase of very large bodies of 
 land. There is no danger from either course, for there is land 
 enough for rich and poor, and the former prefer the larger 
 profits from trade to the small return from land. In New 
 England, unlike Pennsylvania, a good deal of land is let to 
 farmers, for there are many rich owners of large estates, — 
 this is so too in the Carolinas, and in other Colonies where 
 owners of 10 or 20 or more thousands of acres bring settlers 
 at their own expense to improve their land. Kalm mentions 
 similar cases in New York. 
 
 "When an owner of land dies intestate, and there are many 
 children to inherit the father's farm, it is generally taken by 
 the eldest son, and the younger children get in money 
 their share of its appraised value, — the eldest son gets two 
 shares, the other children only one apiece. The father of a 
 large family takes from the Proprietary a large tract of land, 
 which on his death can be divided among all his children. 
 In New England improvement of the land is made in a 
 more regular way than in Pennsylvania, — whole towns are 
 laid out, and as soon as sixty families agree to build a 
 church and support a Minister and a Schoolmaster, the 
 Provincial government gives them the required privilege, 
 carrying with it the right to elect two deputies to the Legis- 
 lature, from the grant of 6 English square miles. Then 
 the town or village is laid out in a square, with the church 
 in the centre. The land is divided and each works his own, 
 leaving however the forest in common, and with the privi- 
 lege of laying out another ^^llage in time. In this way 
 new settlements grow in New England in regular order and 
 succession, — every new village touching on an old one, and 
 all steadily increasing in wealth and numbers. Nothing of 
 this kind is done in Pennsylvania, where the Proprie- 
 tor wants only to sell land and as much as any one wants 
 
6 AchcmralVs Observations on North America, 176 
 
 / . 
 
 and wherever he likes. The mistake of this was shown in 
 the Indian wars. On the border were scattered liouses and 
 farms, which conld not help one another, and they were 
 attacked singlj', ph;ndered and destroyed, and the ruined 
 owners with their families took refuge with the older settle- 
 ments, which became burthened with their care. 
 
 Blacks are found in Virginia, Maryland and the two 
 Caroliiias in large numbers, but very few in Pennsylvania 
 and further north. In Pennsylvania, on principle they 
 were prevented coming as much as possible, partly because 
 there was no such hard work as they were fitted for in 
 raising tobacco, rice and indigo. In Pennsylvania, every 
 negro must pay a tax of 10 pounds sterling and this the 
 master who brings him must pay. These negroes are pro- 
 tected by law in all the Colonies, as much as free men. 
 A Colonist, even if he is the owner, who kills a blackman, 
 is instantly sentenced to death, — if he overworks or ill 
 treats his slave, the latter can complain to the judge. Then 
 in their own interest the masters are obliged not to give 
 their slaves excessive tasks or insufhcient food, for their 
 death is a loss. The negro slaves have all the general 
 rights of humanity except freedom and property, neither of 
 which they possess. 
 
 The free in the Colonies are of two kinds, the one servant 
 and maid, bound for a half or a whole year, and the term 
 ends by mutual agreement. The other class consists of 
 poor Scotch, Irish and Germans, who to get to America 
 come without paying their passage, and the ship captain 
 finds them a master who pays it and thus secures their 
 service for food and lodging and clothing, without pay, 
 but only for a term of years, never for life. Sometimes a 
 father sells the services of his children to a master, who 
 must teach them some useful trade, farming, carpentering, 
 cooking. This lasts until majority, — with boys at 21, 
 with girls at 18, and in some cases for 8 years, but not 
 longer. Then the children are by law free, and their 
 master is bound to give them the needful articles for house- 
 
AcltenwaU's Observations on North Ameriai, 1767. 7 
 
 keeping, a cow, farming implements, tools etc. In this 
 way all poor children have the hope of establishing them- 
 selves on their majority in freedom. The poor fathers find 
 their comfort in this expectation, are relieved of the care of 
 their children in the interval, and know that they are 
 learning something useful and will start out in life wdth 
 money in hand ^vathout having to pay anything to the 
 master. The masters in turn are satisfied with the cheap 
 service. This law has been introduced to cure the old need 
 of servants and apprentices. 
 
 There is a special class of servants in the Colonies, be- 
 tween peasants and slaves, those transported from Great 
 Britain for certain crimes for from 7 to 14 years. It is an 
 exile from Great Britain under penalty of prison in case 
 of return. Such an offender is sold by the Courts to a 
 Ship's Captain who takes him to the Colonies and sells him 
 as a slave for a limited period. That over he is free. 
 Formerly such servants were welcomed on account of the 
 demand for laborers, but now they are no longer needed in 
 the populous Colonies, they remain worthless and are soon 
 sent to prison for fresh often ces. 
 
 The constitutions of the British Colonies differ according 
 to the original grants, 1" Eoyal, 2"'' Proprietary, 3'''' Charter 
 Governments, and the British Parliamentary Statutes call 
 them Plantations under Proprietors, under Charters, under 
 his majesty's immediate commission, Stat. 6 Anne, cap. 30, 
 sec. 2. The 1" class are arranged strictly according to the 
 British Constitution, with a Governor, who represents the 
 King, and two legislative branches, 1" the Council, called 
 the Royal Council, 2"'' Representatives of towns or counties, 
 belonging to one Colony, these two are like the two houses 
 of the British Parliament, and the Council is called the Up 
 per House, and the body of representatives of the people the 
 Lower House. In these three branches are vested the law 
 making powers of the Colony, but subject to the Crown, 
 hence united they are called the Assembly, although that is 
 popularly limited to the two Houses and often to the Lower 
 
8 Aehenwcdl's Observations on North Amej-ica, 1767. 
 
 or popular House. The King appoints the Governor and 
 recalls him at pleasure. The Council also consists of royal 
 officials dependent on the King as to terms and nature of 
 appointment, but generally selected from the principal per- 
 sons of the Colony, legal, financial and miUtary officers. 
 Governor and Councillors have fixed salaries and certain 
 fees, the Governor a large fiLxed salary, provided in advance 
 by the Colonies, thus the Governor of Barbadoes has £2000, 
 the Governor of Virginia £1000. The popular represent- 
 atives are elected annually and receive a Irxed per diem 
 allowance. They look after the rights and privileges of 
 the people, jufet as do the Council and the Governor after 
 those of the Crown. Every measure approved by the three 
 bodies becomes a law, but only provisionally, for it must 
 be sent to the King for approval, but if not vetoed within 
 three years, it is final. Tliis is the usual rule for Colonial 
 governments, (with some local exceptions) in all the West 
 Lidia Islands, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, both Caro- 
 liuas, New Georgia, New Scotland, New Hampshire, and I 
 believe Quebec, East and West Florida, and the newly 
 acquired Caribbean Islands, and the English consider it 
 the best way of securing the rights of the Mother Coun- 
 try, that is. Great Britain. The 2"'' class is that of heredi- 
 tary Proprietors, such as those of Pennsylvania and Mary- 
 land. In the former the English familj' of Penn, in the 
 latter the Irish Lords Baltimore are the hereditary Pro- 
 prietors and Governors, as over lords they draw a certain 
 income from all the Colonists in proportion to their land, 
 and all improved laud is sold at a fixed price. Both tax and 
 price are low, but the growth of both Colonies has made 
 both families rich. Lord Baltimore has the right of patron 
 of all churches in Maryland. As hereditary Proprietors 
 both appoint their Lieutenant Governors, who are confirmed 
 by the King, and reside in the Provinces. In both Colonies 
 there are Assemblies, — that in Maryland consists of the 
 Council and the House of Commons, and subject to the 
 
AchenwalVs Observations on North America, 1767. 9 
 
 right of the Proprietor, lias the same jurisdiction as that of 
 any other Colon}'. 
 
 The third kind of government is the Chartered or Free 
 government. This is nearest a Deraocracj', and is less 
 dependent on the Crown. This form of constitution exists 
 in the three Colonies of New England, completely in Con- 
 necticut and Rhode Island, — in Massachusetts with cer- 
 tain restrictions. The two tirst named Colonies have the 
 right to elect all their own officers, including the Gov- 
 ernor and Council, and to make all needfiil laws without 
 royal approval, nor can the decisions of their Courts be 
 appealed from. In Rhode Island even the ministers of the 
 Churches can be removed at the end of a year, so that they 
 liold office only for one year's salary. 
 
 Massachusetts Bay formerlj' had these popular rights, but 
 owing to abuses their former pri\aleges and freedom were 
 repealed by the King's Bench under Charles the Second, 
 and only partly restored by a new Charter from Wil- 
 liam the Third. Since then the King appoints the Gov- 
 ernor and the chief law and treasury and all military 
 officers. The representatives have the right to elect Coun- 
 cillors, but subject to a negative veto of the Governor. 
 This election in Massachusetts as well as in Connecticut 
 and Rhode Island, is made by both Houses, annually, 
 because the members ot the Council hold office only for a 
 year. 
 
 Laws passed by the Assembly must have royal approval, 
 and in cases involving over £300, there is an appeal to the 
 Privy Council in London. 
 
 The Governor of Massachusetts has no fixed salary, but 
 it is fixed every year by the Assembly. (Kalm says this is 
 so in New York also.) He must therefore be popular with 
 the Assembly or the King will replace him by another 
 likely to be so. This uncertain tenure is unpopular in Europe 
 because it aftects unfavorably the interests of the Colony 
 and makes that of Great Britain dependent on the Colony. 
 The Colonists answer that a tixed salarj- would enable the 
 
10 Aehenwall's Observations on North America, 1767. 
 
 Governor to live abroad and send only a Lieutenant 
 Governor as substitute. 
 
 Pennsylvania bas its own Constitution. Penn as Pro- 
 prietor draws a revenue of a half penny sterling local 
 currency for every acre of improved land, and every pur- 
 chaser of wild land can buy a hundred acres for £10 and 
 the usual quit rent. As Proprietor he sends a Deputy, 
 whom he pays, and appoints all Judges, but ministers are 
 chosen by their own congregations in every County. The 
 meeting of the Pennsylvania Legislature consists of only one 
 House, (because there is no Council) made up of repre- 
 sentatives of the various Counties. These are elected 
 annually October 1, each County holding its own meetings 
 for the purpose, — every inhabitant worth <£,50, resident for 
 12 years, has a vote, — these meetings elect 8 Deputies to the 
 Assembly, — every elector is eligible, but mostly well to do 
 citizens are elected. The County gives its representatives 
 six shillings a day, but the Deputies have to spend more out 
 of their own pockets. There is no bribery. Every voter de- 
 posits a written ballot, and the persons who have the highest 
 number are declared elected. The purchase of votes would 
 be very unsafe, as the voter could always write another 
 name on his ballot. This House \vith the Lieutenant 
 Governor is the law making power. The Governor how- 
 ever depends on the Assembly for his salary, as he has no 
 fixed allowance, which is voted only from year to year, and 
 if he displeases the Assembly, it votes him no salary for the 
 next year. The Assembly has been for six years on bad 
 terms Avith the Proi>rietor and has made no grant for the 
 Governor. The Assembly wants the Proprietor to pay tax 
 on his property especially towards the extraordinary \var 
 expenses. The decision rests with the King in Council, but 
 if the Assembly appealed, it would be sent to the King's 
 Bench. The fact that all Judges are appointed by the 
 Proprietor, makes difficulties, as he is in his own cases both 
 Judge and Plaintiff The newer Colonies have institutions 
 based on Acts of Parliament for New Georgia, New Scot- 
 
Aehenwall's Obsercattons on North America, 1767. 11 
 
 land, &c., but the older Colonies have Charters from the 
 King, and not from Parliament. These Colonies claim to 
 be subject to the King, but not to Parliament, at least not to 
 its arbitrary power, like the newer Colonies, which owe 
 their existence to Parliament. The latter are called Plan- 
 tations wthin his Majesty's Dominions, the former his 
 Majesty's Plantations. 
 
 The legal institutions of the Colonies are based on those 
 of England, for these are part of the Englishman's rights. 
 All personal relations are controlled by Statute Law and 
 Common Law. Roniau Law is recognized only in Courts 
 of Admiralty. The right of trial by a Jury of twelve men is 
 recognized just as in England. It was one of the grounds 
 of complaint against the Stamp Act, that questions arising 
 under it were not tried by Jury, but by courts specially 
 created. 
 
 Most of the Colonists of English descent are Presby- 
 terians. There is not one Bishop of the Established Church 
 in America, although there are many parishes belonging to 
 it. These are all under the Bishop of London, and every one 
 of their clergymen must be examined and ordained in Eng- 
 land, at a cost of at least £40 to £50, but their stay in 
 England helps their education. As the Bishops have spirit- 
 ual jurisdiction, there are no ecclesiastical Courts in the 
 Colonies, and matters pertaining to them are settled partly 
 by local Courts, partly by the Assemblies. The spiritual 
 Lords may have proposed to send a Bishop to America, 
 but since the time of Charles the First, that title has 
 been greatly disliked in the Colonies. Catholic Churches 
 are found in Pennsylvania as well as in Maryland, in the 
 former because freedom of religion is universal, in the latter 
 because the Baltimore family, the Proprietors, were formerly 
 Catholics, — none are found in the other Colonies. There are 
 Jews in Pennsylvania and New York, — in the latter there is 
 a Synagogue, in the former only Schools. Pennsylvania is 
 preeminent for the entire religious equality or toleration, 
 under which it has increased in population and wealth. 
 
12 Achenwall's Observations on North America, 1767. 
 
 Roman Catholics are however excluded from all offices and 
 from the Assembly, because they canuot take the usual 
 religious oath and subscribe under the test act. This oath 
 must be taken here as well as in England, as well as that 
 against the Pretender. All other Protestant faiths enable 
 the members to hold office. For education in science there 
 has long been a high school in Boston, the capital of Massa- 
 chusetts, and there is another founded in 1749 in Phila- 
 delphia, the capital of Pennsylvania. Franklin proposed 
 and founded it. The money was raised partly by subscrip- 
 tion, partly by Provincial grants. Most of the endowment 
 consists of land, not very jiroductive, but of value hereafter. 
 This University has a President with £250 salary, and four 
 Professors, — two with £200, two wth £150, besides fees 
 for private instruction. There is no College and therefore 
 no lodging built yet. It has the right to confer degrees. 
 In 1764 a Medical School was added, and it will no doubt 
 have the power to confer degrees. There is no Law School 
 yet and it is not likely there will ever be one of Theology. 
 The University was chartered by the Assembly for the 
 good of the Colonj-, but as there are so many religious faiths 
 all enjoying perfect equality, it is enough if the scholars are 
 taught their religious tenets in their own schools ^vith those 
 of their own faith, while Theology is excluded. 
 
 Farming, stocla-aising and fisheries flourish in all the 
 North American Colonies, and the forests suppl^^ all that is 
 needed for fuel and industry. Grapes are successfully culti- 
 vated in North America and wild grape vines are found in 
 some forests. The cheap wines from Canarj- interfere with 
 the production. Silk can be cultivated and mulberry trees 
 grow as far north as New England. Cod fishing is more 
 valuable than a silver mine, for it trains up good sailors and 
 helps many industries. New England, New Scotland and 
 New Foundland are most largely interested in it. Colonists 
 have the same fishing rights in these waters as Englishmen. 
 The largest market is Spain and Portugal. These Catholic 
 
Achemoall's Observations on North America, 1767. 13 
 
 countries are large consumers, and tlie tishermoi often bless 
 the Pope. 
 
 The French fisheries since the recent peace have greatly 
 diminished in extent, but the French take a good deal of 
 the trade, as their own consumption is supplied by French 
 fishing fleets. The New England fishermen supply Por- 
 tugal, Spain and Italy at a cheaper rate than the French. 
 
 Whale fishing is increasing, and the Island of Nantucket 
 owns hundreds of ships in this industry. It stretches fi-om 
 the mouth of the St. Lawrence, on the coast of Greenland, 
 as far south as Florida. Beasts of prey do little harm, — 
 bears and wolves rarely injure men, and bear meat is much 
 liked. Deer are plentiful and Buffalo are easily found and 
 can be tamed and used as in Asia ]Miuor, Persia, Egyjjt, 
 Ethiopia and the East Indies as draught animals. Kalm 
 praises the Sugar Maple and took some of the young trees 
 to Sweden. The sugar can replace that of the West 
 Indies, although it has not j^et done so. The bounty on 
 Pearl and Potashes has made a large industrj-, — over a 
 thousand tons are annually produced. 
 
 Ship building is groM'ing greatly in the North American 
 Colonies. Ships are all built of oak, some for use at home, 
 <,)thers for sale in England. 
 
 Pennsylvania is mainly farming and cattle growing, just 
 as are most of the German countries. It has little Fishery 
 trade, as it has a small coast, and it has no products that can 
 be used largely in commerce. 
 
 The growth of the neighboring Colonies is due to their 
 Fisheries, Tobacco, Rice and Indigo. Pennsylvania flour- 
 ishes on its farming and cattle. Horses are raised in some 
 Colonies, but it is better to raise oxen, which can be used 
 for twelve years and then killed or sold. 
 
 The farmers are industrious and frugal, educate their 
 families, and are growing rich in land if not in money. 
 
 Manufacturing, wool, flax, iron, steel, and copper, is 
 growing, — field pieces, rifled guns for hunters, and iron 
 cannon are all made in the Colonies. England does not in- 
 
14 AehenwalVs Observations on North America, 1767. 
 
 terfere with domestic jiroduction, but it prevents exporta- 
 tion, and does not allow hats to be made, lest the English 
 production, although made of American beaver, should be 
 lessened in demand in the Colonies. There is little ground 
 for fear of American competition, as workmen are few there, 
 and farming is always preferred to trades. Farmers are 
 good fathers, and large families helj^ economical living. 
 Even if manufacturing increases, it cannot keep pace with 
 the increase of population and the demand for goods. Li 
 34 years the population of Pennsylvania increased fourfold 
 at most, but the importation of English wares increased 
 from £16000 Sterling to £268000, — that is seventeen times 
 greater. In 172.5 the value of such importations was 
 £16000, in 1757, £268426. Four times the population 
 uses much more than four times, really seventeen times 
 more goods, because the population grows more rapidly in 
 wealth than in numbers. Manufactures must in time be 
 established in the Colonies, because with their prosperity 
 likely to increase for centuries to come, England and Ireland 
 cannot supply all the wares needed and the Colonies must 
 provide them for their future necessities. 
 
 The three largest cities are Boston, New York and 
 Philadelphia. In 1720 the first was as large as the other 
 two together, but since then they have grown faster. In 
 New England there are many sea ports, but the only ports 
 for New York and Pennsylvania are their two capitals, and 
 they are likely to be the largest cities in America. Phila- 
 delphia lias more than 3000 houses, and more than 20000 
 inhabitants. It is regularly laid out at right angles, and the 
 streets extend every year. 
 
 Virginia has the fewest villages and only one little town, 
 AVilliamsburg, its capital. The population is scattered and 
 every family lives on its own tobacco plantation. The 
 Chesapeake and its affluents reach every where and the 
 Colonists bring their tobacco by water to the Bay where it 
 is loaded on sea going vessels. 
 
 New York has great advantages for trading with the 
 
Aehemoall's Observations on North America, 1767. 15 
 
 native Indians, by means of the Hudson to Albany, and 
 thence by smaller streams to Oswego and Lake Ontario, 
 where the great fairs for dealing with the Indians are held. 
 From Lake Ontario there is water way to Lake Superior. 
 The Indians bring their skins and hides from the west by 
 water to Oswego, and 'Sew York excludes traders from 
 Pennsylvania. Philadelphia trades with New Jersey over 
 the Delaware River. Salt is imported in 50 or 60 vessels 
 from Spanish South America and the Cape Verde Islands 
 and Senegal, where it is made from salt water, by drying 
 in the sun. 
 
 The Colonies are greatly restricted in their export trade, 
 yet they have their own vessels, but they are not allowed to 
 exjjort their products, especially those needed for ship 
 building, such as masts, ship timber, iron, copper, hemp, 
 tlax, cotton, indigo, tobacco, tar, potash, skins and flirs, — 
 they must all be sent to England and sold there for export 
 in British ships with British sailors, and where there are 
 English Trading Companies, as in the East Indies, the 
 Colonies cannot trade directly. In 1765 the trade with the 
 Spanish and French AVest Indies was forbidden, but the 
 results were so bad that this restriction was removed. The 
 Colonies ship food stutis to the Portuguese Sugar islands, 
 meal, butter, meat, grain, wood and timber for house 
 building etc., and bring back Molasses, from which Rum is 
 made. Trade with the Spanish Americas is contraband, but 
 the Colonists run the risk for the sake of the hard money 
 it brings. Great Britain in 1766 established two free ports 
 in the West Indies, one in Jamaica, the other in Dominica, 
 the French have one in St. Domingo, the Dutch one in 
 St. Eustache, the Danes one in St. Tliomas, — the English 
 want to prevent the contraband trade with Spain, but have 
 made the restriction that foreigners can receive all goods 
 free of duty, but must sell only for cash, and not in exchange 
 for other goods. 
 
 Colonial shipping is important through the trade with the 
 Spanish and French West Indies, the English Sugar islands, 
 
16 Achenwall's Ohsei-vations on North America, 1767. 
 
 and the fisheries. It deals \\"ith the regions south of Cape 
 Finisterre, M-ith Africa, the Canary and other islands, and in 
 British ships with Portugal, Cadiz, Malaga, Marseilles, Leg- 
 horn and !N"aples, and it might deal with Turkey. It carries 
 the surplus prodxicts of the fisheries, grain, tiour, timber, 
 sugar and rice. The trade %vith Portugal is restricted be- 
 cause all its wine must be brought by way of England, so 
 only salt as ballast is brought back. Sugar is the onh- cargo 
 which the Colonial shipping can carry and sell through 
 Europe. England reserves the right to import and reship 
 American products, yet it sells more than three million 
 pounds and Ireland and Scotland two million pounds ster- 
 ling of products in America. Hard money is rare in the 
 Colonies, and is higher in price than in England. An 
 English shilling is 18 pence colonial, as against 12 pence in 
 sterling. A Guinea is 3-1 shillings, on account of its conven- 
 ience for exchange for goods. Spanish pieces of eight, 
 worth in England 4 shillings 8 pence, are M'orth in the 
 Colonies 7 shillings 6 p)ence, and gold pistoles have fallen 
 to 27 shillings, because they are so often filled mth base 
 metal. A credit on London costs 175 p. c, that is 1 
 English pound sterling If in Provincial currency, but the 
 price rises and falls, par is 133J, but it often goes \\\> to 166f 
 p. c. During the late war par was as low as 125, because 
 England spent so much money and so much was brought 
 over by English soldiers, — and it varies in ditFerent Colonies. 
 The Colonies have Paper-bills, Bills of Credit and Currency, 
 issued by the authority of the Assemblies which bind them- 
 selves to redeem them, — from £b down to 1 shilling, but 
 they are not good outside the Province that issues them. 
 It is used to raise large amounts for pressing needs, as in 
 the French War to pay the soldiers, arm and clothe and 
 feed them in the field. Sometimes the money is raised by 
 currency bills which are taken in piayment of taxes etc. 
 and are cancelled on return to the Treasury of&ce. This 
 was copied from the English Exchequer Bills introduced in 
 the reign of "William Third by Act of Parliament, but the 
 
AehenwaU's Observations on North America, 1767. 1 7 
 
 English bills carry interest, and those of the Colonies do 
 not. Another sort of currency is issued to meet the demand 
 for monej- on loan at interest, — the current rate is 6 p. c, 
 but these loans are made at 5 p. c, and the borrower must 
 pay one tenth of the principal annually. Thus the Colony 
 can supply the means of helping farmers to buy cattle, 
 agricultural implements etc. and thus impi'ove the land. 
 The issues were made too freely in some Colonies, and fell 
 15 to 20 p. c. and even more in the market. AJl the 
 Colonies used paper currency, until in some the English 
 government restricted its issue by law to a fixed amount. 
 The Mother Country did this to protect its trade from 
 suffering loss. Pennsylvania restricted and regulated its 
 issues also. The question has been much disputed as to 
 whether such issues are advantageous or injurious, but it is 
 still undecided. The taxes in the Colonies are very light, — 
 in Pennsylvania and Virginia there is a tax payable in rent 
 at a very low rate to the Proprietor in the former, to the 
 Crown iu the latter Colony, all other taxes are assessed by 
 authority of the Assembly, — generally a land tax, of 6, 12, 
 18 pence up to 2 J shillings on the pound of rent, and in- 
 comes of professions and oiRces are taxed. There are no 
 taxes on exports and imports or excise. There is a small 
 light house tax on shipping. The Stamp Tax acts met 
 universal opposition, — the Colonies claimed the right to 
 deal with their own finances, — they had accepted all other 
 Acts of Parliament touching their manufactures and trade, 
 limiting their freedom, but these did not affect them as 
 much as this direct attack on their purees. The Colonists 
 would not admit that Parliament had the right to tax them. 
 They claimed to be English citizens, and that no English 
 community could be taxed without its own consent, that is 
 through its representatives in the House of Commons, but 
 the Colonies have none, — such as the Scotch have, — but 
 only their own Assemblies, — there only can taxes be legally 
 le\'ied. Their money should be used to pay their own 
 debts, not the national debt of Great Britain. The last 
 
18 Achemrall's Observations on North America, 1767. 
 
 war put a heavy debt on all the Colonies, — this ought to be 
 first paid. The Colonies maintained at their own expense, 
 25000 men against the French, costing each Colony 
 yearly 20, 30, 50 and more thousands of pounds, — when 
 this debt is paid, the Crown would have the right to require 
 the Colonial Assemblies to raise a similar loan. All the 
 Colonies were unanimous on this point, and for the first 
 time met through their delegates in a Congress called to 
 object to the Stamp Act, and this they did on the right ot 
 English citizens to petition against any measure they think 
 ^vrong, and this right is ensured to any number, whether it 
 be 2, or 100 or 100000. 
 
 There are few fortified places in America. Philadelphia 
 is quite open to attack, and has only one Battery on the 
 river, to protect the city against invasion. There are a few 
 forts to protect the settlers from the Indians. The Provinces 
 have their own militia, maintained at their own cost, — the 
 King appoints the oflicers. New England has the largest 
 body of militia, and the little forts are manned by these 
 troops under the King's commanders. There are English 
 regiments in North America garrisoning the large forts, — 
 these are paid by the Crown. The English like to serve in 
 America, for they are paid in English sterling and are 
 supplied by the local authorities with provisions. The 
 conquest of Canada is advantageous alike to the English 
 nation and to the Colonies, for much of the exjiense ot 
 maintaining troops and forts is no longer required. Eng- 
 land supported 25000 men in the Colonies, and the Colonies 
 as many more in the last war. The royal rule in America, 
 when in harmony with the Colonies, is inexpensive in the 
 older Colonies, for the King's Cabinet rules by a stroke of 
 the pen. The Colonies are well pleased that France handed 
 New Orleans over to the Spanish. The Indians are sworn 
 foes of the Spanish, who are neither so intriguing nor so in- 
 dustrious as the French, and hence England can keep on 
 better terms with the Indians. 
 
 The general agreement of the Colonies as shown in re- 
 
AchenwaU's Obsercations on North America, 1767. 19 
 
 lation to the Stamp Act, is the more noteworthy, as the 
 Colonies have generally been jealous of one another. There 
 are many disputes between them as to their borders, rivers, 
 trade etc. If the Colonies were entirely independent, they 
 would soon be at war with one another. Only the pro- 
 tection of the King and his authority prevents open out- 
 breaks. This jealousy increases with the growth of the 
 Colonies. Pennsylvania gets along best, for it leaves all 
 trade both import and export open to all other Colonies, 
 only making such restriction in its own favor as may be 
 needed to meet restrictions laid on its trade by other 
 Colonies, but all laws of this kind require the royal approval. 
 
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