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            From Benjamin Franklin, who wrote in 1751: “So vast is the Territory of North America that it will require many Ages to settle it fully and, till it is fully settled, Labour will never be cheap here, where no Man continues long a Labourer for others, but gets a Plantation of his own”.

            In the 1700s the British colonies in America grew rapidly in population and wealth. A former, somewhat crude, society acquired an elite that was somewhat polished and numerous. Trade and cities flourished. The 250,000 settlers who had lived in the newly formed mainland colonies in 1700, became 1,500,000 by 1750 and 2,250,000 by 1775, only 25 years later.

            Perhaps it is difficult to comprehend the times and events occurring in the very middle of the 18th century.  George II was king of England, Scotland & Ireland, and was Hanoverian (German) in origin.  In Europe, the waltz was becoming its most popular dance, and the first golf club, in Edinburgh, Scotland, was just 6 years old.  In the colonies, the 5 major centers of affluence were Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, and Newport. The elite wore wigs, and slavery was an important part of the economy. The city of Richmond, Virginia was started in 1737, while Charlotte, North Carolina was just being settled in 1750. Benjamin Franklin was working on his lightning conductor. The Ohio River and Tennessee were just beginning to be explored. The beginnings of the American Revolution, the conflict where the colonists won their independence from Great Britain, were still 13 years away. George Washington was 18 years old, and Thomas Jefferson -- seven. The birth of the United States of America was 26 years away.

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