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 regard, Rousseauâs conception of the state of nature is entirely more positive than Hobbesâs conception of the same idea, as Hobbes, who originated the term, viewed the state of nature as essentially a state of war and savagery.