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Pennsylvania governor speaks... Nice reporting on the French & Indian War...
Pennsylvania governor speaks... Nice reporting on the French & Indian War...
Item # 693614
February 02, 1760
THE LONDON CHRONICLE, England, Feb. 2, 1760 Most of the front page is retaken up with: "The Speech of the Hon. James Hamilton, Governor of Pennsylvania...to the General Assembly of the said Province, met at Philadelphia".
Hamilton had just assumed his position of governor, and he extolls t the Assembly his plans, etc. He was also governor from 1748-1754. His father was the famed attorney Andrew Hamilton.
This address is followed by the gracious response from the penny. Assembly.
Page 5 begins with news headed: "American" with a New York dateline, and the same page has an: "Extract of a Letter From an Officer at Albany" which has fine content on the French & Indian War. It begins: "I am just returned to this place, after a very disagreeable campaign, attended with infinite difficulties and fatigues..." with more, carrying over to page 6. Further on: "...after the reduction of Fort Niagara, was to repair that fortress & put it in a good state of defence, to build a fort at Oswego, and ships to oppose the enemy's armed vessels on Lake Ontario..." with more on the war as shown in the photos.
Eight pages, 8 by 10 3/4 inches, minor rubbing & foxing at front page folds, otherwise very nice condition.
AI notes: On December 6, 1759, James Hamilton, lieutenant governor of colonial Pennsylvania, delivered a formal speech to the Pennsylvania Assembly at Philadelphia amid the closing phase of the French and Indian War. In his address, Hamilton reflected on the dramatic improvement in Britain’s military fortunes during the year—most notably the capture of Quebec in September 1759—and emphasized that French power in North America was nearing collapse, though continued vigilance was still required. He urged the Assembly to maintain adequate funding for frontier defenses, the provisioning of provincial troops, and the management of relations with Native American nations, warning that peace was not yet fully secured despite recent victories. Hamilton also stressed cooperation between the proprietary government and the Assembly, calling for unity in supporting the Crown’s war effort while protecting Pennsylvania’s settlements from lingering threats. The speech captured a transitional moment, balancing optimism about impending peace with practical concerns about security, finance, and governance in a colony long divided over military policy.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
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