Home / Brodhead, John Romeyn. History of the State of New York, Vol. I (1609-1691). New York: Harper & Brothers, 1853. / Passage

History of the State of New York, Vol. I (1609-1691)

Brodhead, John Romeyn. History of the State of New York, Vol. I (1609-1691). New York: Harper & Brothers, 1853. 376 words

A clergyman, comforter of the sick, or precentor who could also act as schoolmaster. A wheelwright. All other tradesmen would follow in time ; the above mentioned mechanics are the most necessary at first. In order to promote population through such and other means, the people must be provided with Freedoms and Privileges so as to induce them to quit their Fatherland, and emigrate with their families beyond the sea to this far distant New Netherland. And as poor people have no means to defray the cost of passage and other expenses, it were desirable that wealthy individuals would expend some capital, to people this country, or like the English of New England, at their own expense remove themselves with funds and a large body of working men, and provide those without means with land, dwelling, cattle, tools and necessary support; and that, until they could derive the necessary maintenance from the soil and the increase of cattle, after which time they would be able to pay yearly a reasonable quit-rent to their lords and masters from the effects in their possession. By the population and cultivation of the aforesaid lands those who will have disbursed funds for the removal of the laboring classes, the purchase of cattle and all other expenses, would, in process jof some years, after God had blessed the tillage and the increase of the cattle, derive a considerable revenue in grain, beef, pork, butter and tobacco, which form at first the earliest returns, and in time can be improved by industry, such as making pot and pearl ashes, clapboards, knees for ship building, staves, all sorts of pine and oak plank, masts for large ships, square timber and ash and hickory planks; in which a staple trade could be established. The English of New England put this in practice, as is to be seen, after the land had been first brought to proper condition; they sell their provisions at the Caribbean Islands, staves at Madeira and the Canaries, masts and fish in Spain and Portugal and bring in return all sorts of commodities; so much of these returns as they do not consume, are again distributed by them throughout all the islands known and inhabited in the Northern part of America.