"Upon the Encouragement Given of Having Land by Purchase": Proprietary Policy and the Bath County Land Rush of 1705 to 1711.

This article explores the sale of land in North Carolina's Bath County by the Lords Proprietors to Christoph von Graffenried and Franz Louis Michel in 1709. The sale was part of the proprietors' efforts to promote settlement and raise land revenue in the colony. However, the purchase of the land by the Palatine settlers resulted in the displacement of Indigenous peoples and tensions with the Tuscarora Confederation. The article argues that the sale was a calculated reaction to political circumstances and a continuation of the proprietors' land grant policies. It also discusses the shift in land grant policies in North Carolina from headright grants to purchase patents, as well as the challenges faced by the proprietors in collecting rent from colonists. The text further examines the political unrest and conflicts that arose during the Bath County land rush and the impact on Indigenous peoples. Overall, understanding the influence and priorities of the Lords Proprietors is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of North Carolina's history. [Extracted from the article]