Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/276

252 and to extend along the coast towards the Penobscot. Emigrants from New England, partially filled up the places vacated by the exiled Acadiens. The Upper Connecticut, also began to be settled, and many families pushed forward across the Green Mountains, towards Lake Champlain. Emigrants from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, continued to pour over the mountains, despite a royal proclamation tending to restrain them, and occupied largely the lands on the Monongahela, claimed by the Six Nations as their property. In South Carolina, liberal inducements were held out to encourage free white laborers, from Ireland and Germany, principally, to settle in the upper districts of that province. Georgia, too, was rapidly increasing in population, Governor Wright having proved the agricultural value of the swamps and low lands, along the rivers and coast; and in 1763, the Georgia Gazette, the first newspaper in that colony, was commenced. East and West Florida, likewise began to increase in population, and the resources of that region began to be developped during the ten years following, more than had been done during the whole time of the Spanish occupation. Some emigrants from Canada settled in Louisiana, which was still under the French administration, although by the terms of the treaty of Fontainebleau, the island and city of New Orleans, and all of Louisiana west of the Mississippi, had been ceded to Spain. We may mention here, that the Spanish domination was by no means acceptable to the Louisianians. They did everything in their power to manifest their unwillinness and disgust, even proceeding to a show of force; but it was of no avail; the transfer to the Spanish rule took place in 1769. In the older settlements, there was, likewise, evident signs of advancement in wealth and population. Mr. Hildreth terms this, "the golden age" of Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina, whose population and productions were increasing at a rate never before or since equalled. "Norfolk and Baltimore began to assume the character of commercial towns Philadelphia and New York, sole ports to a vast back country, were growing fast; Boston had been stationary for twenty-five years, and continued so for twenty-five years to come, chiefly owing to the fact, that the trade and navigation, for a long time almost engrossed by Boston, was now shared by other towns fast springing up along the sea coast of New England. The harshness and bigotry of former times were greatly relaxed. A taste for literature, science, and social refinement began to be developped. The six colonial coleges received an accession of students By the efforts of Drs. Shippen and Morgan, both natives of Pennsylvania, medical school was added to the Pennsylvania College, the first institution of the kind in America. Even