Papers Relating to an Act of the Assembly of the Province of New-York

This volume opens a vivid portrait of colonial New York’s tangled commerce, centered on a 1720 law that aimed to boost trade with the Five Nations while forbidding any exchange with the French in Canada. The act’s stated purpose—to keep Native alliances loyal to the Crown—reveals the fragile balance of power on the frontier, where goods and gratitude were currency as much as gold.

Inside, listeners will hear a lively exchange of voices: a petition from London merchants pleading for relief, a royal Order in Council directing the matter to the Lords Commissioners of Trade, and the detailed minutes of their deliberations. Reports from the provincial council and a memorial on the fur trade add layers of perspective, showing how officials and traders weighed profit against strategic security.

Together, these documents illuminate the everyday concerns of 18th‑century businessmen and governors, the anxiety over French competition, and the complex relationships with Indigenous peoples. The collection offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the negotiations that shaped early American economics and diplomacy.