By 1717 the
Palatines were enjoying the fruits of their labors, which only continued to
irritate Governor Hunter since they still had not paid the Seven Partners for
the land. He sent a message to Schoharie
that the Palatines were to send three men from each village to Albany to meet
with him. When those men arrived Governor
Hunter posed three questions to them, which were later recounted as follows.
Why
had the settled in Schoharie when they had been told they could not?
“…the utmost
necessity and poverty forc’d them to remove thither to earn their bread for the
maintenance of their Wifes and Children.”
The Governor had left them to fend for themselves, and from the beginning
their goal was to find land on which they could support their families.
Why
hadn’t they reached an agreement with the Seven Partners?
“If they
serv’d any body, it must be the King and not a privat person.” The Palatines continued to claim loyalty to
the Crown, while refusing to pay back the debt they owed it. They also felt that they had invested much
labor into improving the land, and the Seven Partners were demanding too much
money.
Why
did the Palatines concern themselves so much with the Indians?
“…they were
oblig’d to keep fair with the friendly Indians amongst Whom, they dwelt, which
was the only way to be protected and live in peace.” Since the Governor offered them no protection,
keeping the Indians as their allies was the safest course.
Governor
Hunter agreed to have the Schoharie farms assessed of the improvements the
Palatines claimed to have made. Until
the assessments were made and the land purchased at an appropriate price from
the Seven Partners, however, the Palatines were forbidden from planting any
more crops. The assessors never arrived
and the Palatines continued to farm the land.
Neither side
gained an advantage. The Governor was
unable to control the Palatines, and they still did not own any land.
References:
“Becoming
German” by Phillip Otterness “Documentary History of the State of New York”
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