or his assignee shall there imploy him, according to the custome of the Countrey in the like kind.  In consideration whereof, the said ——­ doth promise and grant, to and with the said ——­ to pay for his passing, and to find him with Meat, Drinke, Apparell and Lodging, with other necessaries during the said terme; and at the end of the said terme, to give him one whole yeeres provision of Corne, and fifty acres of Land, according to the order of the countrey.  In witnesse whereof, the said ——­ hath hereunto put his hand and seate, the day and yeere above written.

     Sealed and delivered in the presence of ——­

—­Relation of the state of Maryland, pp. 62, 63.

[422] Modern Traveller, vol. i. pp. 122, 123.

[423] McMahon’s Maryland, vol. i. p. 278.

[424] 1st Pitkin’s United States, p. 133.

[425] McMahone says of this convict element:  “The pride of this age revolts at the idea of going back to such as these, for the roots of a genealogical tree; and they, whose delight it would be, to trace their blood through many generations of stupid, sluggish, imbecile ancestors, with no claim to merit but the name they carry down, will even submit to be called ‘novi homines,’ if a convict stand in the line of ancestry.”

[426] With perhaps the single exception of South Carolina, of which the reader will learn more farther on.

[427] American Annals.

[428] Dr. Holmes says, “The total number of mulattoes in Maryland amounted to 3,592,” in 1755.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE COLONY OF DELAWARE.

1636-1775.

THE TERRITORY OF DELAWARE SETTLED IN PART BY SWEDES AND DANES, ANTERIOR TO THE YEAR 1678.—­THE DUKE OF YORK TRANSFERS THE TERRITORY OF DELAWARE TO WILLIAM PENN.—­PENN GRANTS THE COLONY THE PRIVILEGE OF SEPARATE GOVERNMENT.—­SLAVERY INTRODUCED ON THE DELAWARE AS EARLY AS 1636.—­COMPLAINT AGAINST PETER ALRICKS FOR USING OXEN AND NEGROES BELONGING TO THE COMPANY.—­THE FIRST LEGISLATION ON THE SLAVERY QUESTION IN THE COLONY.—­AN ENACTMENT OF A LAW FOR THE BETTER REGULATION OF SERVANTS.—­AN ACT RESTRAINING MANUMISSION.

Anterior to the year 1638, the territory now occupied by the State of Delaware was settled in part by Swedes and Danes.  It has been recorded of them that they early declared that it was “not lawful to buy and keep slaves."[429] But the Dutch claimed the territory.  When New Netherlands was ceded to the Duke of York, Delaware was occupied by his representatives.  On the 24th of August, 1682, the Duke transferred that territory to William Penn.[430] But in 1703 Penn surrendered the old form of government, and gave the Delaware counties the privilege of a separate administration under the Charter of Privileges.  Delaware inaugurated a legislature, but remained under the Council and Governor of Pennsylvania.  But slavery made its appearance on the Delaware as early as 1636.[431]