Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II PROVINCIAL REORGANIZATION (1689-1692) WHEN the English revolution of 1689 opened the way for similar movements in America, the opposition gathered strength from various sources. The chartered colonies of New England desired their old local independence; their religious prejudices also were stirred by the support which the Andros r6- gime had given to the Anglican church, and by its toleration of what seemed to them a looser morality. The Catholicism of James and some of his agents was a prime factor in enabling the revolutionists of New York to discredit his authority in the province. There and in New England stanch Anglicans were suspected as possible tools of a Popish conspiracy. In Maryland, however, this religious antagonism had precisely the opposite effect, and contributed towards the temporary overthrow of the proprietor and the extension of royal control. One of the first acts of William III. was the appointment, in February, 1689, of a new Committee of the Privy Council on Trade and Plantations, including the leading ministers of state, both Whigand Tory. In the early months of 1689 the general principles of colonial policy were discussed with some care, and the new committee accepted, in large measure, the policy of its predecessors. Thus, in April, 1689, before the uprising in New England was known, the committee recommended the organization of such a government in New England, New York, and the Jerseys, as would enable the people to oppose the French with their united forces. Here the military motive appears to reinforce the commercial argument for closer control. In May of the same year the committee suggested as a proper subject for consideration by Parliament whether Maryland, the Carolinas, and Pennsylvania should not be brought into closer d...