My (Burr Cook) ancestors, the Gates family, a large number of which are buried at Hopewell, were early settlers in the area, coming from Keene NH. Route 20, passing through the middle of the township, was at that time a log road and the first toll turnpike in the state long before the thruway was thought of.
State of Nature. State of nature refers to a condition in which there is no established political authority. It is essentially a state of complete freedom. Political theorists have used it to better understand human nature and, typically, to justify the rationality of a particular type of government.
In this respect the state is of help to the individual. The laws and rules of state help in establishing order and discipline in the society. As man's nature forces him to live in a state, the state has been viewed as a natural institution. The state is regarded as a neutral, necessary and universal institution. In common parlance, the word, 'state' is used in different ways. At times, it has been used as a synonym of 'nation', 'government', or society. The constituent units of a federation, in some cases, are also called states. But in Political Science, 'state' has a specific meaning.