[He goes on to cite the example of Sir William Johnson's work with the Mohawks as Indian Superintendent, and to explain further what he means by "civilization"- in particular, encouraging the use of agriculture instead of hunting].
“

"Territory we do not want; having, it is probable, already more than we well know how to manage. Instead therefore of countenancing that vagrant and unsettled way of life which has become habitual to so many of our people; and that very general passion they have to be for ever running back in quest of fresh lands; a practice not more unpropitious to all agricultural improvements, than likely to keep us involved in Indian wars; let us enlarge our empire by the civilization of the Indians; who already have a better title to any of our un-located lands, than we can possibly give any new comers"

— Jonathan Boucher

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets ""Territory we do not want; having, it is probable, already more than we well know how to manage. Instead therefore of countenancing that vagrant and unsettled way of life which has become habitual to so many of our people; and that very general passion they have to be for ever running back in quest of fresh lands; a practice not more unpropitious to all agricultural improvements, than likely to keep us involved in Indian wars; let us enlarge our empire by the civilization of the Indians; who already have a better title to any of our un-located lands, than we can possibly give any new comers"" in the context of "[He goes on to cite the example of Sir William Johnson's work with the Mohawks as Indian Superintendent, and to explain further what he means by "civilization"- in particular, encouraging the use of agriculture instead of hunting]." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Jonathan Boucher" (Quotes, "A View of the Causes and Consequences of the American Revolution" (London, Robinson, 1797): The book contains annotated versions of thirteen sermons preached by Boucher between 1763 and 1775, published in the aftermath of the French Revolution, with a dedication to George Washington, whose statesmanship Boucher considered a key factor in America's relatively smooth- and to him pleasantly surprising- transition from imperial possession to republic. These quotations are all taken from the first sermon in the book, preached at Hanover, Virginia, in 1763, following the declaration of peace at the end of the Seven Years' War.) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Jonathan Boucher

About Jonathan Boucher

Jonathan Boucher (12 May 1738 – 27 April 1804) was an English schoolmaster, priest, clergyman and philologist, who spent some years in America, leaving in 1775 because, despite being a close friend of George Washington, he consistently campaigned against the