. A brief history of the United States . h officers helped also to unitethe colonists. They made sport of the awkward provincialsoldiers. The best American officers were often thrust asideto make place for young British subalterns. But, in spite ofsneers, Washington, Gates, Montgomery, Stark, Arnold,Morgan, Putnam, all received their training, and learnedhow, when the time came, to fight even British regulars. CONDITION OF THE COLONIES.* There were now thirteen colonies. They numbered about 2,000,000people. The largest cities were Boston and Philadelphia, each contain-ing about eighteen thousa
. A brief history of the United States . h officers helped also to unitethe colonists. They made sport of the awkward provincialsoldiers. The best American officers were often thrust asideto make place for young British subalterns. But, in spite ofsneers, Washington, Gates, Montgomery, Stark, Arnold,Morgan, Putnam, all received their training, and learnedhow, when the time came, to fight even British regulars. CONDITION OF THE COLONIES.* There were now thirteen colonies. They numbered about 2,000,000people. The largest cities were Boston and Philadelphia, each contain-ing about eighteen thousand inhabi-tants. Three forms of governmentexisted — charter, proprietarv, androyal. Massachusetts, Rhode Island,and Connecticut, had charter govern-ments. Maryland and Pennsylvania(with Delaware) were proprietary—that is, their proprietors governed , Virginia, New Hampshire,New York, New Jersey, and the Caro-linas were directly subject to thecrown, the last three being at first pro-prietary, but afterward becoming THE STOCKS. The colonies were all Protes- - Read Barnesd Popular History of the United States, Cbap. 4, Colonial Life. 92 EPOCH II. [1763. tant. The intolerant religious spirit of early days had moderated, andthere had been a gradual assimilation of manners and customs. They had, in a word, becomeAmericans. In accord-ance with the customsof the age, the laws werestill severe. Thus inNew England, at onetime, twelve offenceswere punishable bydeath, while in Virginiathere were seventeencaj)ital crimes. Theaffairs of private lifewere regulated by lawin a manner that wouldnot now be endured. AtHartford, for example,the ringing of the watch-mans bell in the morn-ing was the signal forevery one to rise, and inMassachusetts a scoldwas sometimes gaggedand placed near her door, while for other minor offences the stocks andpillory were used. The social prejudices brought over from Englandstill sur\ived in a measure. Even in New England official positionsw
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