Connecticut was contested ground between the Eng- lish settlers of Plymouth and the Dutch of New Neth- erlands. The Dutch, finding that the English were about to establish a colony in the valley of the Con- necticut River, built a fort at Hartford called tlie House
of Good Hope ; but this was not regarded by the Eng- lish as of ail)' riglit belonging to the Dutch, and they proceeded to settle the country from Plymouth. In 1(J35 a colony of sixty persons left Boston for Connect- icut, where they arrived in due time, and settled at Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield. A little later other settlements were formed, and in 1C39 the leading men of New Haven adopted the Bible as their political constitution. At the Restoration in England, Connect- icut obtained a royal charter, and tluis became a colo- ny free and independent in all except the name. Pu- ritan influence was in the ascendency, and the colony enjoyed great prosperity and freedom from invasion.
New York was settled originally by the Dutch as a trading -post. A colony was planted on JIanhattan Island (the present site of New York city), and the village was called New Amsterdam. In 1G23 a consid- erable addition was made to the numbers of the colony by the arrival of thirty families of Dutch Protestant refugees from Flanders, called Walloons. They came to America to escape the persecutions which they had to undergo at home. The settlements were extended rapidly, even to the present site of Albany. In 1626 Manhattan Island was purchased from the Indians for twenfg-four dollars. There was a bond of s_ympathy between the Walloons and the Pilgrims of Plymouth in that they were alike refugees from persecution at home, and, furthermore, the English remembered their kind treatment in Holland. Visits were exchanged and a friendly intercourse was kept up. The English noti- fied their neighbors of their own claim to the territory of the Hudson, and advised them to make good their titles by accepting deeds from the council of Plymouth. In 1664 the Dutch power in America was complete- ly broken. All tlie territory possessed by Holland in this country had been granted by Charles II to his brother James, duke of York, who made haste to se- cure the land thus granted. A squadron was sent against New Netherlands, and easily subdued the coun- try. Thereafter the country and city passed under the name of New York. English settlers were brought in, but they lived at peace with the Dutch; even the strifes of the two home governments failed to embroil the colonists of New York in a contest. From the time of the English conquest of the territory, the Episcopal Church was established by law. and was supported by the usual taxation and grants of land. Traces of both the Dutch and English forms of worship are abundant in New York at the present time. (Dutch) Reformed churches and societies are numerous, as also are the Protestant Episcopal.
New Jersey was at first a part of New Netherlands, and was settled by the Dutch, especially in the north- ern part in the vicinity of New Amsterdam (New York). But, on the reduction of the Dutch power to submission to the English, that portion of the territory likewise passed under the control of the duke of York. It was assigned, however, to lord Berkelej^ and Sir George Car- teret. A liberal government was provided, and in the first assembh', held in 1668, the Puritans were in the ascendency, and the customs of New England were largely adopted in New Jersey. In 1676 the colony was divided into two sections by a line starting at the southern point of land on the east side of Lit- tle Egg Harbor, and extending north-northwest to a point on the Delaware River in latitude 41'^ 40'. The territory Ij'ing east of this line was to be known as East Jersey, and remain under the control of Sir George Carteret; while that lying between the line and the Delaware was called West Jersey, and had been assigned to certain Quakers (William Penn and others) in trust for Edward Byllinge. The western section, being under the control of the Quakers, be- came a place of refuge for the persecuted of that name. Jlany Friends found homes here, and enjoyed great prosperity. In 1682 William Penn and some other Quakers purchased the territory of East Jersey from
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the heirs of Sir George Carteret, and extended their control over the whole province. Robert Barclay, an eminent Scotch Quaker, was chosen {governor for life, and continued to administer the government until 1G90, when he died. During this period East Jersey received a large accession of Scotch (.iuakers, and a still larger accession of Scotch Presbyterians. The northern sec- tion of the state retains a large number of the followers of the early Dutch Protestants, while the cantral and southern portions have the descendants of the Scotch Quakers and Presbyterians.
William Penn (q. v.) was greatly pleased with the success of the (Quaker colonies in New Jersey, and form- ed the project of establishing a free state on the banks of the Delaware, founded on the principle of universal brotherhood. After a vigorous effort, seconded by pow- erful friends in Parliament, he obtained a charter in 1681 by which he became proprietor of Pennsylvania. Emigrants flocked to the new colony, a liberal govern- ment was planned, the land was purchased from the In- dians, and relations of friendship were established with the savages which lasted for a long period of time. It is a pleasure to look back upon the history of Pennsyl- vania. It is one continued reign of peace and prosper- ity, resulting from the righteous principles upon which the colony was founded and maintained. Immigration was encouraged by the liberal policy of the proprietors, and "thousands of German Protestants, who fled from persecutions at home, came and settled to the westward of the English communities. Their descendants remain to this day, and are among the most industrious and thrifty people in the whole land. Many Huguenots also came from France and formed settlements, and Irish Protestants occupied lands still farther west. From these different classes of emigrants have sprung the va- rious prevailing religious bodies of Pennsylvania ; but the Quakers and Germans have made the deepest im- pression upon the country, and tliey have had more to do in shaping the religious sentiment and policy of the people than any other.