THE HISTORY OF AMERICA. By WILLIAM ROBERTSON, D.D. 97 PRINCIPAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH, HISTORIOGRAPHER TO HIS MAJESTY AND MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF THE EIGHTH EDITION, In which is included the Pofthumous Volume, CONTAINING THE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA, TO THE YEAR 1688; IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: Printed by A. Strahan, Printers-Street, FOR T. CADELL JUN. AND W. DAVIES, STRAND, 1800. THE HISTORY OF AMERICA. BOOK IV. Continued. ROM the domeftic ftate of the Ameri IV. Fons, the tranfition to the confideration of their civil government and political inftitutións is natural. In every inquiry concerning the operations of men when united together in fo ciety, the first object of attention should be their mode of fubfiftence. Accordingly as that varies, their laws and policy must be different. The inftitution fuited to the ideas and exigencies of tribes, which fubfift chiefly by fishing or hunt. ing, and which have as yet acquired but an imperfect conception of any fpecies of property, will be much more fimple than those which must take place when the earth is cultivated with regular industry, and a right of property not only in its productions, but in the foil it felf, is completely ascertained. All the people of America, now under review, belong to the former class. But though they may all be comprehended under the general denomination of favage, the advances which they had made in the art of procuring to themselves a certain and plentiful fubfiftence, were very unequal. VOL. II. B |