The Foundations of America

[The-Doc]

From a late 17th century statute of Parliament cataloging the various "rogues and vagabonds" plaguing the countryside:

"All persons calling themselves Schollers going about begging, all Seafaring men pretending losses of their Shippes or goods on the sea going about the Country begging, all idle persons going about in any Country eyther begging or using any subtile Crafts or unlawfull Games and Playes, or fayning themselves to have knowledge in Phislognomya Palmestry or other like crafty Scyence, or pretending that they can tell Destenyes Fortunes or such other like fantasticall imagynacons; all persons that be or utter themselves to be Proctors Procurers Patent Gatherers or Collectors for Gaoles Prisons or Hospitalls; all Fencers abroade... all Juglers Tynkers Pedlers and Petty Chapmen wandring abroade; all wandring persons and comon Labourers... loytering and refusing to work for such reasonable wages as... commonly given in such Parts where such persons do... dwell or abide... all such persons as shall wander abroade begging pretending losses by Fyre or otherwise; and all such persons not being Fellons wandering and pretending themselves to be Egipcyans, or wandering the Habite Forme or Attyre of counterfayte Egipcians."

One can only wonder what these "counterfayte Egipcians" were up to.

Regardless many of these mountebanks were subsequently deported to the Americas including one Jenny Voss, eventually hanged as she couldn't:

"Forget her old Pranks, but used not only to steal herself, but incited all other that were her fellow Servants to Pillfer and Cheat" and had "Wheadled in a Son of the Planters, who used to Lye with her and supply her with Moneys."

Over 30,000 convicts were shipped to the colonies in the fifty years before the Revolution, and many others were brought, exiled or escaped overseas under other circumstances prior to that, mostly to Virginia and Maryland. Such were the foundations of America.

[Tskb18]

One can only wonder what these "counterfayte Egipcians" were up to.

Probably being subjected to persecution and ethnic cleansing; if it refers the Roma (a.k.a. Gypsies).

[The-Doc]

Probably being subjected to persecution and ethnic cleansing; if it refers the Roma (a.k.a. Gypsies).

I wonder how they got to calling them Egyptians. And apparently there was a problem with English youths running off to imitate them.

[Eusebio]

30,000 seems like a pretty small number. Wasn't the population of North America in the millions by then?

[Tskb18]

30,000 seems like a pretty small number. Wasn't the population of North America in the millions by then?

The 1790 census apparently reports 3,929,214 so i suppose even 30,000 would be noticeable... especially if the bulk occurred earlier. Presumably when it would have more impact and be a larger fraction of the overall total.

[Eusebio]

The 1790 census apparently reports 3,929,214 so i suppose even 30,000 would be noticeable... especially if the bulk occurred earlier. Presumably when it would have more impact and be a larger fraction of the overall total.

So calling it the foundations of America is a bit of a stretch. Especially when most of the founding fathers were wealthy merchantmen or slave owning aristocrats.

[The-Doc]

30,000 seems like a pretty small number. Wasn't the population of North America in the millions by then?

That was only the recorded number of convicts sent over a 50 year period, more had been sent before that and that isn't even taking into account those that went into indentured servitude to escape conviction or sentencing. So then it follows that a good part of the later colonial population would've been descended from these criminals and fugitives

So calling it the foundations of America is a bit of a stretch. Especially when most of the founding fathers were wealthy merchantmen or slave owning aristocrats.

The dregs were only a part of the population sure, but a significant part. I'd say they contributed more to the character of the nation than some planter on his estate writing political theory as a hobby.

[joak]

I wonder how they got to calling them Egyptians.

Gypsies = Egyptians appears in a lot of 18th century writing, including Tom Jones, where there's a memorable set of scenes where Tom hangs out with the "Egyptian" leaders (being of superior blood, he is of course welcomed into the leaders' tent) and his servant (not at all superior) gets scammed by a slut and her husband.

At least according to wikipedia, this is the real etymology--it wasn't just the words sounded alike, "Gypsy" really came into use because they thought they were Egyptians.

[Abdul Goatherd]

At least according to wikipedia, this is the real etymology--it wasn't just the words sounded alike, "Gypsy" really came into use because they thought they were Egyptians.

Not too sure whether it was simply assumed that by others, or whether they portrayed themselves as being of Egyptian origin. In English law, the first mention of them I know is the act of 1531 (1530 Old Style), where they are referred to as ""the outlandish people calling themselves Egyptians" (22 Henry VIII c.10), suggesting it was self-labelling.