REFERENCES.—See especially Thwaites, _The Colonies_, chaps. v., viii., and x. Add to preceding bibliography: M. C. Tyler, _History of American Literature_, Vols. I. and II.; C. F. Richardson, _History of American Literature_; B. Wendell, _Cotton Mather_ (“Makers of America”); B. Wendell, _Literary History of America_; E. A. and G. L. Duyckinck, _Cyclopædia of American Literature_, Vol. I. ----- [43] Born, 1663; died, 1728. Graduated at Harvard before he was sixteen; urged the witchcraft persecutions with great energy; wrote much against intemperance and on many other subjects, his learned and quaint works numbering about four hundred. [44] There were slaves in all the other colonies, and the institution of slavery was regarded by most persons as moral and legal; but they were not held in great numbers, and were by no means so profitable as in the South. [Illustration: FRENCH EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS] CHAPTER V. =DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLONIES, 1690–1765.= COLONIAL DISPUTES. =91. Character of the Period.=—During the first quarter, or indeed the first half of the eighteenth century, colonial history contains few salient features apart from boundary disputes, quarrels with royal governors, and struggles with the French and Indians. There was a steady growth in numbers, which may be measured by the fact that from the first to the middle of the century New England increased fourfold, the Middle colonies sixfold, and the Southern colonies sevenfold in population. Wealth and general prosperity increased in fair proportion also. During such a period of development historians rarely find events of a startling or romantic nature to chronicle. =92. Charters in Danger.=—The people of the various colonies were, however, disturbed from time to time by political events that were of considerable importance to them, as, for instance, by the attacks made in England upon their charters. These were in the main successfully warded off by the colonial agents in London, but they sometimes became serious. For example, it was proposed in 1715 to annex Rhode Island and Connecticut, which had liberal charters, to the royal colony of New Hampshire, which had no charter at all. In the case of the Carolinas, the proprietors, when threatened with a writ of _quo warranto_ on account of popular disturbances in their territories, surrendered their charters to the Crown for a compensation. Thereafter royal governors were sent to both South and North Carolina, the latter province having to that time been under a deputy of the governor of the former.