Sunday 17 October 2010

Francis Cample (An Irish Catholic in Pennsylvania)

Francis Cample travelled from Dublin, Ireland to Pennsylvania, America in 1734 and became a Merchant, Farmer and Land Agent. This account details the creation of the town Shippensburg. Many early settlers to the United States told stories of its promise and the greatness of its size, Cample's journal is no different "It is not the grandeur of rocks, cascades and romantic glens, but it is the beautiful panorama of forest and plain spread out in all their beauty which meets you everywhere, and which will, at no very far distant day, become the happy home of intelligent, God-fearing people, when the savage shall have passed forever from its borders" This shows the aesthetic appeal America first had as there was vast areas of land untouched but for the Native Americans.

"James McCall, to-day, in sinking the well in front of his house, deeper, he struck a fine stream of good water, which will be of great advantage to us all." There was a huge supply of natural resources in America at the time which also made it very appealing for the early settlers. "Our settlement is increasing rapidly, and our village, which has been named Shippens-burg, has several substantial houses in it. The stone house of Samuel Perry, in which the Widow Piper now keeps tavern, together with that of Daniel Duncan, just finished, are both good substantial two-story houses." Cample tells of how quickly the town developed and began to become populated with other British and French settlers. This journal entry gives us an insight into what parts of America were like for early settlers and why it was so appealing.

However it was inevitable that with all these new settlers coming into the native land there would be disputes over who rightfully owns the land. "A quarrel occurred last night out at the Spring amongst a party of drunken Indians, during which, four of their cabins were set on fire, and burned to the ground. One of the Indians, named Bright Star, a desperate man, was seriously injured in the fight, and will likely die of his wounds." What began as settlers reaping the rewards of this new land was soon turned into greed as people wanted as much land as possible and the financial gain that came with it, this undoubtedly meant there would be disputes.

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