The local history of Westchester County from the beginning of the eighteenth century to the Revolution involves nothing remarkable, aside from the aspects of the peculiar character from the first assumed by the county which have been described in our account of the origin and erection of the great manorial estates. Following the lines of development naturally resulting from its selection as the seat of wealthy and influential landed proprietors, Westchester County very soon took a prominent position on this account, and, through the powerful and distinguished men whose homes and in-

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

terests were within its borders, exerted an influence of the first importance, both upon current public affairs and in the shaping of issues and conditions which were to lead to grand events. The history of Westchester County, as a county, during this period, is one of steady and reputable growth, but is not specially distinguishable from that of other rural New York counties. No large towns were built up, and aside from political contests nothing of exciting interest or unusual significance transpired to attract general attention to the county or to become memorable in a large way. The purely internal history of Westchester County for three-quarters of a century following the comparative completion of its settlement comprehends, indeed, nothing more than the ordinary chronicles of a lew scattered communities and of a mixed land-owning and farming population, living together in circumstances of good understanding and of xneasing though quite uneventful prosperity and progress. It is in the general historical associations attaching to the careers of representative Westchester men that the broad interest of our county's story up to the events antecedent to the Revolution is found.