Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

3-1981

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

History

Major Professor

Milton M Klein

Committee Members

LeRoy P Graf

Abstract

This is a biography of John Watts (1715-1789) a New Yorker whose political and business interests were closely tied to the DeLanceys—one of the province's leading eighteenth century families. The central purpose of the study is to separate Watts from the DeLanceys in order to distinguish him as an individual rather than to perceive him merely as a lieutenant of the more prominent family.

His first profession was commerce, an occupation to which he devoted most of his life. As a merchant and commission agent for the British military forces he grew rich and broadened his web of Anglo-American connections. His investments of surplus capital in shipping, land, English annuities, and wartime speculations, while not as extensive as the wealthiest New Yorkers, reveal some of the motives and methods common among the most influential class in the province.

His attempts to create a place for himself and his family by the cultivation of the best Anglo-American connections eventually caused him to view London rather than New York as the surest source of power and place. In his quest for preference and patronage he was a product of eighteenth century Anglo-American politics. He was not however totally bereft of ideological support for his political posture, which within the colonial New York context would be called the DeLancey, Anglican, or Court position. The liberties enjoyed by Americans, he believed, were better insured by the English hierarchical system than by the American mob, which he saw behind the revolutionary movement.

A substantial portion of the work is devoted to the decade before Watts's exile during which time he observed, participated in, and commented on the events leading to the American Revolution. His concern for stability and opposition to violence and republican government prompted him to become more supportive of British authority. His identification with the English administration for motives of both patronage and ideology forced him to choose an early exile.

He was disillusioned by what he found in England. Instead of his ideal he found what he believed to be a corrupt society and a government that proved to be not only corrupt but also inefficient. His fifteen year exile was the low point in his career—a period during which he frequently felt helpless and in need of meaningful occupation. These last years were devoted to obtaining compensation from the British government for his losses in America and attempts to assure the future success and happiness of his children.

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