60 AgRICT I TUB \I. M AM SlL 



taxes of his own, a resolute protest was sent to Queen Anne, and 

 New York became the first American colony to maintain definitely 

 her right of self-taxation. The struggle for this principle con- 

 tinued until the time of the Revolution, under varying degrees of 

 self-government, the greatest freedom being secured under the 

 leadership of Governor DeLancey. 



The territory occupied by Xew York, because of its geographical 

 position, was constantly under active dispute during the early 

 wars, and the colonists suffered greatly. Several times the colony 

 was garrisoned by large bodies of British troops. In spite of these 

 facts Xew York stood forth boldly, often alone, in her resistance 

 to British authority. 



In 170") the assembly appointed a committee to invite the other 

 colonies to join in a plan for a united protest against the Naviga- 

 tion Laws. The passage of the Stamp Act hastened the action of 

 the committee, and a congress of the various colonies met in New 

 York City, where a formal declaration of rights and grievances 

 drafted by Robert Livingston was passed. On the refusal by New 

 York to submit to the Stamp Act, England repealed the law. 

 Amidst great rejoicing in New York City, a "liberty pole" was 

 erected, in the defense of which, shortly afterward, the first blood 

 of the Revolution was shed, preceding the more famous Boston 

 massacre by six weeks. 



At Philadelphia, in 1774, the second Continental Congress 

 adopted a Declaration of Rights, which was written largely by 

 one of the foremost men in New York, John Jay. Philip Liv- 

 ingston, another New York patriot, was one of the committee of 

 three appointed to draw up the act. As difficulties became more 

 acute, the Xew York Provincial Congress was called, which met 

 in New York City in 1775. This marks the beginning of New 

 York as an independent state. 



IMPROVEMENTS IX TRANSPORTATION 



The facilities for transportation in the early days of the settle- 

 ment of this country were generally confined to the primitive 

 methods of journeys on foot, or journeys by water as far as the 

 streams would permit and the carrying of boat and goods across 



