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The Life of Gouverneur Morris Index       Page 1      Next > LIFE OF GOUVERNEUR MORRIS. CHAPTER I The Morris Family in America.--Birth and education of Gouverneur Morris.--His College Orations.--Studies law with William Smith, the Historian of New York.--Writes on the Finance of the Colony.--Practises law--Meditates a visit to Europe.--First movements in New York concerning the aggressions of England.--Mr. Morris's views of that subject.  Richard Morris was the original stock of a family, which, for more than a century, through the popular and commanding talents of some of its members, exercised a controlling influence in the political events of New York and New Jersey.  His descendants have now become numerous in both those States, and have spread into other parts of the Union.  Wearied with the unsettled condition of affairs in England, brought about by the wars of Cromwell, in whose armies he is said to have been a distinguished leader, he turned his views to America, and came over first to the West Indies, and shortly afterwards to New York.  Here he purchased an estate near Haerlem, ten miles from the city, containing more than three thousand acres of land.  By the Governor's original grant this domain was invested with manorial privi-       Page 1      Next > From The Life of Gouverneur Morris: With Selections from His Correspondence and Miscellaneous Papers; Detailing Events in the American Revolution, The French Revolution, and in the Political History of the United States, by Jared Sparks, Volume 1, Boston: Gray & Bowen, 1832, p 1. Some minor edits may have been made, but an attempt has been made to preserve the original spelling. Although some effort has been made to correct the limitations of OCR technology, if you find an error please report it to jvinci@colonialhall.com.     Designed and Edited by John Vinci Last modified August 20, 2006