LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AN ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES BY ALLEN C. THOMAS, A.M. PROFESSOR OF HISTORY IN HAVERFORD COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA AUTHOR OF "A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES," ETC. BOSTON, U.S.A. D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS 1900 32665 Library of CojK'>"ess T\wu Copies HEcfi^'eo AUG 9 1900 SECOND COPY. Delivered to ORDER DIVISION, I SEP 11 1900 69703 Copyright, 1900 By D. C. Heath & Co. TViT PREFACE. It is the aim of this work to set forth the main facts of American History, particularly the earlier periods, in such a way as to attract and interest pupils of the earlier gram- mar grades. It is now very generally acknowledged that history is best approached through biography. Personal incident is more attractive to every one, and especially to children, than any narrative of events can possibly be. Most of the book, therefore, has been given to biographical sketches of representative makers of the nation. Effort has been made to choose those men who would best illustrate the most important phases of national growth. Some of these phases are : the difficulties and dangers of exploration, and how they were overcome by earnestness and perseverance ; the risks and hardships of settlement, and how they were met and conquered ; the independence and patriotism of the colonists, and how they triumphed ; the effect of environment upon character ; the develop- ment of the people in politics and government and in social life; and the progress of invention and its effect upon national development. It has not been thought advisable to break the conti- nuity of the narrative by dividing the text into sections, or to insert many dates or foot-notes, or to add analyses and appendices. At the end of each chapter an OutHne is given to summarize what has been said, and a few ques- iv Preface. tions added in the line of suggestion. Each teacher will use questions adapted to the age of the pupils and the circumstances of the occasion. The main idea in illustrating the book has been to give the most authentic representations possible of the man, the place, or the thing described, so as to round out and complete the mental impression gained from the text. A few illustrations which may be called imaginative have been admitted ; these are chiefly after paintings, based upon authentic knowledge and information, or which are among our national heirlooms. The maps have been made as simple as possible, and sometimes purely diagrammatic in character ; and, for the sake of clearness, only such details given in them as are called for by the story. Haverford, Pa., July, 1900. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. Old-Time Ideas Columbus The Cabots .... De Soto and Other Explorers Drake and Raleigh VniGiNiA AND Captain John Smith Henry Hudson The Pilgrims .... The Puritans .... Lord Baltimore and Maryland King Philip's War . Peter Stuyvesant and New Netherland . Father Marquette and La Salle Nathaniel Bacon William Penn Oglethorpe and Georgia .... Life in New England and Middle Colonies before the revolution Benjamin Franklin George Washington. — The French and Indian War The Revolution PAGE I 7 26 40 50 62 67 85 92 95 102 III 117 123 ^33 139 150 168 187 VI Contents. CHAPTER PAGE XXI. Daniel Boone 219 XXII. ThoxMAS Jefferson 232 XXIII. Lewis and Clark 241 XXIV. Zebulon M. Pike 248 XXV. Early Inventors (Fitch, Fulton, Whitney) . 253 XXVI. Andrew Jackson. — Tecumseh. — TheWar of 1812 265 XXVII. Canals, Railroads, Telegraphs, and Other In- ventions 277 XXVIII. Oregon. — Whitman's Ride 290 XXIX. Texas. — Mexican War. — California . . 299 XXX. Abraham Lincoln 306 XXXI. The Civil War 318 XXXII. The United States in Recent Years . . 329 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE George Washington Fi-ontispiece After the portrait by Gilbert Stuart CARA^'AN CROSSING THE DeSERT ........ 3 Prince Henry the Navigator 4 From a contemporary Ms. in the National Library at Paris. Christopher Columbus 7 From the bust in the Capitol at Rome Columbus explaining his Plan 'jo the Monks of Burgos . . 11 After the picture by F. M. Dumond. Columbus asking the Aid of Queen Isabella . . . -13 After the picture of the Bohemian artist, Vaczlav Brozik. Columbus parting from Ferdinand and Isabella . . . -15 Copied from De Bry's " Voyages," a book of the sixteenth century. Columbus on Board his Ship . • 17 Copied from De Bry's " Voyages," a book of the sixteenth century. Landing of Columbus. Early Morning, Oct. 12, 1492 ... 20 After the picture by Dioscora Puebla, the Spanish artist. A Caravel of Columbus 23 After the reconstructed model exhibited at the Columbian Exhibition. Sebastian Cabot 26 After the picture ascribed to Holbein. The Coast of Newfoundland in Winter 300 Years ago . , 28 After a drawing from nature by Lieut. A. Thompson in Bonnicastle's " Newfoundland." Americus Vespucius 29 After the picture attributed to Bronzino in the Massachusetts Historical Society's gallery. Facsimile from the CosmographL'E Introductio (1507) . . 30 Vasco da Gama . 32 Ponce de Leon 32 After an engraving in Herrera Edition of 1728. Ponce de Leon and his Men in Florida • ■ ■ • • ZZ By D. Munro. The scenery is from nature. Hernando de Soto ... 34 A Scene on De Soto's Route 35 From Charnay's " Ancient Cities of the New World." vii viii Illustrations. PAGE De Soto's Discovery of the Mississippi 36 After the picture by W. H. Powell in the Capitol at Washington. Sir Francis Drake 41 From an original oil painting at Buckland Abbey, England. In the Straits of Magellan 42 After the drawing by E. Whymper in Crawford's " Across the Pampas." Spanish Treasure Ship 44 After drawings in the English state papers sent home by an English spy. Sir Walter Raleigh 45 After the picture in the collection of the Duchess of Dorset. Jamestown '52 After the sketch made by Miss C. C. Hopley about 1857, showing the ruined church. Captain John Smith 53 From his " Description of New England." Palisaded Indian Village 55 Algonkin Village of Pomeiock in 1585, after John Wyeth. P(_)CAHONTAs 57 From the famous portrait in Booton Hall, Norfolk, England, painted shortly before she died. Shores of the Sound, Roanoke Island 59 After a sketch from nature. The Half Moon at the Highlands 65 After the painting by T. Moran. A House in Leyden 69 As it was in 1620. Leyden 70 From a bird's-eye view dated 1670. Model of the Mayflower 72 In the National Museum at Washington. Plymouth Bay in Midwinter 280 Years acjo 73 Autographs of the " Mayflower " Pilgrims 74 Plymouth Rock 76 From a photograph. Pilgrim Fort and Meeting-house 77 Peregrine White's Inlaid Cabinet ....... 78 In Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth. Brewster's Sea Chest and Standish's Iron Pot .... 78 In possession of the Connecticut Historical Society at Hartford. Platter and Kettle of Myles Siandish .... 79 The Sword of Myles Standish ... . ,80 In Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth. Illustrations. ix PAGE Governor Carver's Chair ......... 8i In Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth. The Chair of John Eliot , 8i Pilgrim Monument at Plymouth ....... 82 From a photograph. The Myles Standish House at Duxbury 83 Built in 1666, by his oldest son. John Winthrop 86 After the original in the Massachusetts Senate Chamber. Pine Tree Shilling 87 Cradle and Chair of the Time of the Puritans ... 90 Old House in Salem, Mass 90 Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore 93 After a portrait preserved in the British Public Record Office. King Philip 95 Indian Weapons 96 After Catlin. The Junkers Garrison House 97 After a painting by Susan Minot Lane. John Eliot 99 From a portrait in possession of the family of the late William Whiting. Title-page of Eliot's Bible 100 Reduced facsimile. Dutch Pleasure Wagon of the Olden Time .... 103 Early Dutch Costumes 104 Peter Stuyvesant 105 After the portrait in possession of the New York Historical Society. The Stadthuys, New York, 1679 108 After Brevoort's drawing. James Marquetpe in From the statue by G. Trentenove in the Capitol, Washington. Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle 114 After Margry's portrait. Bacon and Berkelev , . . .118 Bacon's Quarter Branch 120 William Penn 123 At the age of 22. After the portrait ascribed to Sir Peter Lely. Facsimile of Part of the Royal Deed given to Penn . 124. 125 Facsimile of the Title-page of "A Brief Account of the Prov- ince OF Pennsylvania" 126 Seal and Signatures to "The Frame of Government" . . 127 Illustrations. PAGE The Treaty Elm, Philadelphia ....... 129 From an old print. Wampum Belt 130 The First Town Hall and Court House, Philadelphia . -131 From an old print. James Edward Oglethori'e 133 After the painting by Ravenet. A View of Savannah, Georcja 135 From a print published in London in 1741, and " humbly inscribed to General Oglethorpe." Female Costumes of 1776 140 A Dame School 141 Facsimile from the New En(;lani) Primer 142 Tinder Box, P\int, and Steel 143 A New England Kitchen 144 A Spinning Wheel 145 CoNESTOGA Wagon 146 Facsimile of "Flyin(; Machine" Advertisement . . . .148 Franklin's Birthplace 150 Benjamin Franklin 151 After the portrait by Duplessis, painted in 1783. Franklin's Printing Press 157 In the custody of the Smithsonian Institution. Franklin's Old Book Shop in Philadelpiija 158 Franklin's Model of the Pennsylvania Fireplace . . .160 Now owned by the American Philosophical Society. Franklin's Grave 165 Birthplace of Washington 168 A Southern Homestead 170 From a photograph. Mount Vernon 173 British Foot Guard. 1745 179 From Grant's " British Battles." French Soldier 179 After a sketch in the Massachusetts Archives. Braddock's Field 181 General James Wolfe 182 After the print in Entick's " General History of the Late War." Quebec in the Eighteenth Century 183 From an old print. Stamps used in 1765 r . . 188 Illustrations. xi PAGE A Colonial Newspaper 189 Reduced facsimile. The Boston Tea Party 190 From an old print. Charleston in 1780 191 After a drawing by Leitch. Samuel Adams 193 After the portrait by Copley, in Boston Museum of Fine Arts. John Hancock 194 After the portrait by Copley, in 1744, in Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The Minute Man 195 From the statue at Concord, Mass. Paul Revere 196 After the picture by Gilbert Stuart. The Declar.\tion of Independence 199 After the painting by Trumbull. Facslmile of the First two PAR^vciRAPiis of the Declaration of Independence 200 Table and Chair used at the Sioning of the Declaration of Independence 201 In Independence Hall, Philadelphia. Valley Forge 202 After the painting by A. Gibert. Paul Jones 206 After the etching of A. V'aren. Join or Die 206 Device printed in Franklin's Pcunsylvavia Gazette, 1754. General Nathaniel Greene 208 From the painting by C. Wollson Peale in 1783. The Surrender of Cornwallis, October 19, 1781 . . . . 209 From the painting by Trumbull in the Capitol at \Vashington. The State House, Annapolis 210 From Scharf s " History of Maryland." A Facsimile of Washington's Accounts kept dukinc; the Revolution 212, 213 From "Monuments of Washington's Patriotism." Washington taking the Oath as President, April 30, 17S9 . 215 Daniel Boone 220 After the painting by C. Harding. Boone's Fort 226 From Collins's " Historical Collections of Kentucky." A Pioneer Home in Kentucky 2^0 xii Illustrations. PAGE Thomas Jefferson 233 After the painting by Gilbert Stuart. Patrick Henry addressing the Virginia Assembly . . . 234 After the painting by A. Chappel. Monticello — the North Front 239 Meriwether Lewis 241 After the drawing by St. Memin. William Clarke 242 From Lewis and Clarke's " Travels." Zebulon M. Pike 248 After an engraving by Gimbrede in the Analectic Magazine. Pike's Peak from the Garden of the Gods 249 Robert Fulton 254 From D. C. Colden's " Life of Fulton." " Perseverance " 255 John Fitch's first steamboat in 1787. The "Clermont" 258 From Rergart's " Life of Fulton." John Ericsson in 1S61 . . . . • . . . . 260 From W. C. Church's " Life of Ericsson." Eli Whitney 261 Whitney's Cotton Gin 263 After the original model. Andrew Jackson in 1830 265 After the portrait by R. W. Earl. Gold Medal presented by Congress to Andrew Jackson . . 272 De Witt Clinton 278 After the portrait by C. Ingham. Locks on the Erie Canal 279 As first constructed. Entrance to the Erie Canal at Troy 280 From an old print. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 1830 282 From an old print. First Train on the Camden and Amboy Railroad . . . 283 Letter Carrier of the Olden Time 283 Samuel F. B. Morse 284 From the last approved photograph. The "Great Eastern" picking up the Cable of 1865 . . . 289 Whitman Station 297 Scene of the massacre. Illustrations. xiii PAGE Chicago in 1820 . . 299 From an old print. The Overland Route . . , . . . . . . 302 A Californian Wagon Train 302 From an old print. View of San Francisco in 1847 303 After a lithograph. Abraham Lincoln , 307 From a photograph taken in i860. House in which Lincoln was born 308 From a photograph of the reconstructed log-cabin. Log-Cabin Furniture 309 A Mississippi Flatboat 311 A Worm Fence 312 The Capitol at Richmond 320 Fort Sumter before the Bombardment 321 Monitor and Merrimac 322 An incident of the Civil War, Farragut on the Main Shrouds 323 After the picture by W. Page. Ulysses S. Grant 324 From a photograph. McLean House, in which General Lee Surrendered . . . 325 From a photograph. The Grant Monument, New York 326 From a photograph. Robert E. Lee 327 From a photograph in 1862. View on the Union Pacific Railroad 332 From a photograph. William McKinlky, President of thk United States, 1896 , 333 From a portrait by Rockwood, New York. George Dewey 335 From a photograph taken in 1899. Morro Castle, opposite Havana, Cuba 336 From a photograph. Senate and Legislative Buildings, Honolulu, Hawaii , . 337 From a photograph. LIST OF MAPS. The World, showing the Possessions of the United States Page 2 of Cover Toscanelli's Map, 1474 Trade Routes to the East The World as known to Columbus Columbus's Route to the Wes! The Globe of Ulpius, 1542 Spanish Explorations Coast of Virginia in the Time of Ralekjh Virginia in Early Days Henry Hudson's Voyac;es . The Land of the Pilgrims and Puritans French Explorations Route of Braddock's Expedition The Colonies in 1776: Northern Section The Colonies in 1776: Southern Section The United States after the Revolution Boone's Trail Lewis and Clarke's Route Pike's Route Whitman's Ride The Territorial Growth of the United States The United States, 1900 Page 3 of 5 6 14 31 38 40 50 63 84 112 177 197 203 217 224 244 251 293 330 Cover TOSCANELLI'S MAP, I474. An old-time idea of the sea route to the East. An Elementary History of the United States. OLD-TIME IDEAS. There were many wise men and famous scholars in Europe four hundred and fifty years ago. But even the wisest of them did not know that beyond the Atlantic Ocean — the Sea of Darkness, as it was called — lay avast continent in which not one white man lived. Many strange stories were told of wonders far away; tales of beautiful islands, and of enchanted fountains that would bring back youth to the aged; of seas which were always covered with 2 History of the United States. mists and darkness or in which horrible monsters lived. No one had ever seen any of these things, but many believed that the stories were true. Quite as wonderful were the books which had been written and the tales which had been told by overland travellers to the East. Men knew so little about distant lands and seas that they were ready to believe almost any strange story. When Marco Polo wrote in his book of travels that one of the palaces in Cipango^ was roofed with fine gold, and that all the pavements of the palace and the floors of its chambers were entirely of gold, in plates like slabs of stone, a good two fingers thick, and that the windows were also of gold, men were very ready to believe him. But when another traveller, Sir John Mandeville, said that in his opinion the world was round and not flat, men laughed at the idea. Such a notion might do very well, they said, for some foolish geographer or map designer, but any practical man might know that the people on the other side of the world would surely fall off if it were round. Sir John Mandeville certainly told some incredible stories, but this true thing which he did say was thought to be the most incredible of all. Spices and jewels, silks and rich goods, came in those days from India, but the journey then was much longer and far more dangerous than it is now ^ Cipango was the old name for Japan. Old-Time Ideas. 3 Caravans crossed the deserts to the Mediterranean Sea, bringing goods to be sent over the water in ships, or carried over the mountains to the countries of Europe. Caravan crossing the Desert. To go by land was a journey of several months, and traders were likely to meet robbers and ene- mies on the way. Of these robbers and enemies none were feared so much as the rough and lawless Turks. So when the Turks captured the great History of the United States, commercial city of Constantinople, in 1453, trade with India was brought almost to a standstill, and the European nations became very eager to find a new way to the East. How to get to India was a question discussed in every seaport of Europe. We, of course, should think at once of sailing round Africa ; but at that time men thought that Africa stretched so far to the south that they could not pass it. There was one man, Prince Henry of Portu- gal, who thought differ- entlv. He was a learned man and a good sailor. He fitted out some ships, and sent them south to try to find India in that way. But his sailors were afraid to sail far enough. Though they came very near what is now the Cape of Good Hope, they did not quite reach it ; so Prince Henry never knew that his views were correct. One of the chief seaports in Europe was Genoa, in Italy. Here came ships from all the countries on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In its Prince Henry the Navigator. From a contemporary manuscript in the National Library at Paris. It represents him in mourning for his brother. Old-Time Ideas. "^ streets were seen men of every nation, and strange languages were heard on every side. Pirates, or corsairs, might be seen talking with merchants and scholars ; for in those days it was not thought wrong for private citizens to attack and to seize the ships of another country, and corsairs EXPLANATION: -■ ■ -- ~ Trade Route controlled by Venice ++♦«•♦♦ Trade Route controlled by Genoa — Middle Route —*■-*■— De Gama's Route Trade Routes to the East, were not ashamed of their calling. Many of the pirates were very rich; all of them could relate marvellous adventures, and we may fancy how eager the Genoese boys were to hear these tales of hair- breadth escapes, of sea-fights, and of great prizes captured. History of the United States. OUTLINE. Four hundred years ago no one knew of America. Monsters were thought to hve in the far-off seas, and enchanted islands were beyond the mists. Men laughed at the idea that the world was round. Rich goods from India were brought overland. The Turks interfered with this trade. How to get to India by sea was the great question. What did the men of old times think of the ocean and its islands ? Tell what Marco Polo wrote in his book. What were some of the stories that Sir John Mandeville told ? What kind of goods came from India? How were they brought? What is said of Prince Henry? MAP OF THE WORLD AS KNOWN TO COLUMBUS &^=- : ^ UNKNOWN I ~1 KNOWN COLUMBUS. From the bust in the Capitol at Rome. About the mid- dle of the fifteenth century, a bright, in- dustrious boy named Christopher Colum- bus was living in Genoa. His father was a woolcomber, and it is likely that he was poor. Columbus went to sea w^hen he was about fourteen years old, for the sea tales that he heard, and the ships which he saw, made him want to be a sailor. A sailors life is a rough one at any time, but it was a very rough life four hundred years ago. Columbus probably sailed with some of the pirates, and we suspect that he went at least once to the coast of Guinea in Africa, to get negro slaves. It is not at all unlikely that he also sailed far 7 8 History of the United States. north to Iceland. If he did, he heard the Norse sailors tell of a far-off land which some of their forefathers had visited many years before. This land they called Vinland, on account of the quantity of grapes found there. We do not know where this land was, but it may have been our New England. When Columbus was about twenty-six years old, he went to live at Lisbon, in Portugal, where his younger brother, Bartholomew, was engaged in the business of making and selling maps. When on shore Columbus also drew maps, and in this work he was very skilful. . For some years he had been studying books which told about the shape of the earth, and of the far-off lands which Marco Polo, and Mandeville, and others had visited. In the library at Seville, in Spain, there is now a book, on the pages of which are notes, in the hand- writing of Columbus, which show how carefully he he read and studied. When still quite young he had come to the con- clusion that the earth is not flat, but shaped like an orange, so that to reach China and the island of Cipango it was only necessary to sail directly west from Spain. He was not the first man who believed the earth to be round, for some of the old Greeks and Romans as well as Sir John Mandeville had thought so ; and, in one of the geographies which Columbus had studied, the same view was taught. Columbus. 9 Now, there was living in Italy a great astronomer named Toscanelli. He had been convinced by what Marco Polo had written about the shape of the earth, and he had drawn a map to show the earth as he imagined it. He had sent this map to King John of Portugal, at the same time urging him to send an expedition westward. Hearing that Columbus wished to visit the land of spices, Tos- canelli wrote to him also. Columbus, thinking that this would be a good time to carry out his plan, asked King John for ships to sail westward across the sea to seek for India and the east. He assured the king that great riches and glory would come to Portugal if this should be done. King John hesitated, for Portugal was at war, and the cost of such an undertaking would be great. However, he called his council together, and asked their advice. It is said that one of his council advised that Columbus should be asked for the plans of his proposed voyage, and that then the king should secretly send a ship to follow the course thus marked out. The king seems to have followed this advice, for he sent out a vessel, giving orders to the captain to sail along the route Columbus had laid down. The vessel had been at sea but a few days when a great storm arose, and the sailors were so fright- ened that they refused to go any further. The captain ordered the ship to be turned back ; and lo History of the United States. the seamen laughed at the idea that the East could be reached by saihng west. When Columbus found out how baselv the kinof ■J o had treated him, he was very angry, and left Por- tugal. He turned his steps toward Spain ; but it was a poor time to seek help from Spain. The plague, a terrible disease, had visited the country, and thousands of persons had died from it. The times were hard, and, above all, Ferdinand and Isa- bella, the king and queen, for more than three years had been at war with the Moors, trying to drive them out of the country. It is no wonder that but little attention was paid to Columbus. He was put off again and again, but still he followed the court as it was moved with the army from place to place. He persevered for two years ; then, weary of the long delay, he wrote to the king of Portugal, asking leave to return. Now that Columbus was thinking of going away, the king and queen of Spain ordered a company of learned men to be called together to hear what he had to say for himself. But this meeting was delayed, and Columbus was much cast down. For two years Columbus lived as the guest of a kind-hearted nobleman ; then he told his benefac- tor that, sick of waiting, he was going to P>ance, to seek aid from the French king. His friend did not wish Spain to lose the chance of gaining wealth and glory, so he wrote to Queen Isabella in favor of Columbus. Columbus. 1 1 The war against the Moors went on, and nearly two years more passed by before Columbus could get a hearing. At last his plans were laid before some learned men. Most of these men ridi- culed his ideas. But one Diego, a friar and the Columbus explaining his Plan to the Monks of Burgos. After the picture by F. M. Dumond. tutor of one of the royal princes, believed that Columbus was right, and persuaded the king and queen not to refuse him, but to say that when the war with the Moors was over they would see what they could do for him. The patience of Columbus was by this time quite 12 History of the United States. exhausted ; he had waited six long years, and yet he seemed no nearer success than when he had first come to Spain. He now made plans to go to France. He was very poor; he had to travel on foot, and to beg bread for himself and his little son who was with him. Just before he reached the port of Palos, where he hoped to find a ship that would take him to France, he called at a convent to ask for food. The prior at the head of this convent was a learned man, and much interested in geography. He was much impressed by Columbus and he invited him to stay at the convent and rest. Now it happened that this monk had been the confessor of Queen Isabella, and he determined to try to induce her to aid Columbus. But first he invited some of his friends to come and talk over these new plans with the Italian stranger. One of these men was a rich seaman and merchant, who was so greatly moved by what Columbus said that he offered to help fit out ships for such a voyage as was proposed. This was the best news that Columbus had heard for many a day. The prior went to see the queen, and succeeded in gaining her good-will ; she not only sent for Columbus, but also furnished him with money, in order that he might return to the court. Columbus reached the court in the midst of rejoic- ings at the great victory over the Moors, and no Col umous. 13 one cared to listen to the wild stories of a foreign seaman. He began to think that he was to fail again ; but this time he was to have his chance, for, as soon as the festivities were over, he was brought into the presence of the queen. Columbus asking the Aid of Queen Isabella. After the picture of the Bohemian artist, Vaczlav Brozik. Columbus was so sure of ihe riches he was to find that he asked great rewards. He said that he must be admiral and viceroy of the lands he should discover, and also that he must have one tenth of all the gold and silver that should be found. This was a great deal to ask, and we need not wonder that the queen hesitated ; but Columbus was firm, and said he would leave Spain rather than yieldc H History of the United States. In fact, he mounted a mule and started off once more for France. When his friends found that he was determined to go, they were very sorry. They told the queen that if he failed to find the Indies the loss would not be very great, while if he found them the gain would be vast. So earnestly did they plead, that the queen con- sented. A messenger overtook Columbus as he > <) K Til rJf v^, A M I-: K I C; A ^ • ^ • PalosT* * - ATLANTIC OCEAN First Voyage of COLUMBUS Columbus's Route to the West. was riding sadly away. At last the time had come for which he had been waiting all these weary years. It was ten weeks before three small vessels could be made ready for the great experiment. It was hard to find sailors who were willing to go on such a dangerous voyage, for all were afraid of the un- Columbus, IS known seas. But on Friday, August 3, 1492, a little before sunrise, the three small ships, or caravels, as they were called, started from the port of Palos in southern Spain. The names of the caravels were Santa Maria, Pinta, and Nina. Of these, the first was the larg- COLUMBUS PARTING FROM FERDINAND AND ISABELLA. Copied from " De Bry's Voyages," a book of the i6th century. est ; it was about sixty-five or seventy feet long, and was the only one that had a full deck. The Santa Maria was commanded by Columbus himself. Just before sailing, Columbus and all his men went to a church and asked the blessing of God 1 6 History of the United States. on their voyage. The vessels sailed first to the Canary Islands, where it was found necessary to refit the Pint a, as the vessel proved to be leaky. It was the 6th of September before the little fleet started again. The course chosen was due west. Head winds at first kept the vessels back, and the story goes that the sailors, like those of the Portuguese ships sent out by King John, rebelled, saying that it was of no use to try to go any farther. But Columbus was a very different man from the Portuguese captain ; he would not turn back. Soon a fair wind sprang up, and the ships went on. It was not long before the sailors saw objects which caused them to think that land could not be very far off. They saw land birds ; and then great quantities of seaweed, which usually is not found except near some coast ; then a live crab was seen ; then a piece of wood which had been carved, show- ing man's work. But still the days went by and they saw no land. All this time the wind had been blowing steadily from the east, and the sailors began to think that they never should have a chance to get back. Fortunately, just as they were about to rebel again, the wind suddenly shifted ; now their fears were dispelled, for they saw that the wind did sometimes change. One day a sailor called out " Land ! " We may be sure that there was great excitement on the ves- Columbus. 17 sels when a gray shape was seen on the horizon ; but the next day it proved to have been a cloud, Columbus on Board his Ship. Copied from " De Bry's Voyages," a book of the i6th century, C 1 8 History of the United States. and the disappointment was very great. Though they still saw many birds and quantities of seaweed, and on one day some grass with roots, yet no land was seen. In spite of the murmurs of the sailors, Columbus kept his vessels headed due west. As they anxiously watched the birds, it was noticed that their flight was toward the southwest, and after much persuasion the captain of the Pmta prevailed upon Columbus to change his course so as to follow the birds. Had he not done this the little fleet would have come to the coast of what is now the United States, and North America might have become Spanish instead of English. It came to be the thirty-fourth day since the sailors had seen land, and that is a long time to see nothing but sea and sky. Perhaps not one of them had ever had such a long voyage before, and we can well imagine that they were frightened. But Columbus encouraged them, telling them what riches would be theirs when India was reached. On the evening of the very next day, Columbus thought he saw a light moving in the distance. That nio^ht all was excitement on board the vessels. Early the next day, Friday, October 12, 1492, about two o'clock in the morning, Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor on the Pmta, shouted " Land ! " This time there was no mistake about it. It was land indeed, and it seemed to be about six miles away. Columbus. 19 When daylight came, boats were made ready, and Columbus, the captains of the Pinta and the Nina, and some of the sailors, with the royal standard of Spain flung to the breeze, started for the shore of what now was seen to be a small island. When Columbus landed, he took possession of the country in the name of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and all the little company fell on their knees and gave thanks that they had been brought safely over the sea to this beautiful land. As they stood upon the shore, copper-colored men and women met them. These people thought that Columbus and his companions were gods, and that the ships with their great white sails were huge birds. As offerings to the strangers, the natives brought fruits, balls of a kind of cotton thread, bright colored parrots, javelins, and, among other things, a few gold ornaments. Nothing, not even the curious fruits and dark-skinned men, charmed the Spaniards so much as the gold; for it was chiefly in hope of finding gold that they had braved the ocean's perils and crossed the unknown seas. The natives gladly gave what they had brought, in exchange for beads, red caps, little bells, and cheap ornaments. They wore no clothes, but their faces and bodies were painted with black, blue, red, or such colors as they were able to get. The men and women were excellent swimmers, and while the ships remained near the island they 20 History of the United States. would swim out to the vessels, bringing in their hands various articles, which they hoped to ex- change for beads or trinkets. The Spaniards could not understand the language of the natives, but managed to get a good deal of information by means of signs. Landing of Columbus, early Morning, October 12, 1492. After the picture by Dioscora Puebla, the Spanish artist. Columbus called the island San Salvador. It was one of the islands now known as the Bahamas, but which one of the group nobody is quite certain. Many believe it to be that one which is called Watling's Island. Columbus was so sure that he had reached India Columbus. 21 that he called the people Indians, and though it was soon known that he was wrong, they are still called Indians, and the islands are known as the West Indies. He did not stay very long at San Salvador, for the natives had not much gold, and they told him by signs that it came from a land still farther west. Moreover, he had not seen any precious stones, nor had he reached the cities about which Marco Polo had written. So he continued his search. For three months he sailed among the islands, seeing never a town, but still believing that he had come to India. When he reached the coast of Cuba, he thought first that it was the mainland, and then that it must be the island of Cipango. He was also greatly dis- appointed in the quantity of gold that he found among the natives. He was so much pleased with the island of Haiti, however, that he determined to build a city there. Through the carelessness of the pilot, the Santa Maria was wrecked, but out of its timbers a fort was built, to protect the little party of men that was to remain. On Friday, the 4th of January, 1493, the two little vessels sailed for Spain. They met with terrible storms, and more than once Columbus and his men in the Nina despaired of seeing their homes again. The ships were separated, and Columbus, 22 History of the United States. fearing that the knowledge of his discovery would be lost, wrote out an account of what he had seen, wrapped in waxed cloth the sheets on which it was written, and put the package into a barrel, which was thrown overboard. If the ships were lost, there would still be a chance for his discovery to become known. About the middle of February, the Nina reached the Azores. These islands belonged to the Portu- guese, and the officials took some of Columbus's men as prisoners, and threatened Columbus him- self. At length the men were set at liberty, and the Nina was left to continue her voyage. After touching at Lisbon, the ship entered the harbor of Palos on F'riday, the 15th of March, 1493. As soon as it was known that Columbus had come back, the bells were rung, the shops were shut up, and a great procession went to the church, to give public thanks for the success of the admiral. In the midst of these rejoicings, the Pi^ita came into the harbor. The captain of this ship was greatly taken aback to find that Columbus was ahead of him; for he felt sure that the Nina had gone down in some great storm, and he was about to claim for himself the glory of having discovered the new lands. When the ship arrived, the king and queen were at Barcelona, far away on the other side of their kingdom ; and they sent for Columbus to come to Columbus. 23 them. The long journey was Hke a triumphal march ; the people everywhere turned out to see the hero pass, and to gaze at the Indians and the strange things which he had brought with him. A Caravel of Columbus. After the reconstructed model exhibited at the Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893. He had a truly royal welcome from the king and queen. They raised him up when he would have kneeled, and made him sit down and tell them what he had seen and done. He showed them the natives and the curiosities and the gold. 24 History of the United States. There was not much gold, but Columbus assured their Majesties that, as the rich mines of Cathay and Cipango could not be far from the islands, wealth in abundance was within reach. Columbus soon made ready to go on another voyage, for he wished to see how the litde colony he had left was getting on, and he longed to sail still farther, until he should come to Cathay and Cipango. Columbus made four voyages to the New World, and passed through many hardships: he was ship- wrecked; his men mutinied; he suffered much. He sailed about the Caribbean Sea and discovered South America and Central America ; but he never saw the mainland of North America, or knew that he had discovered a new world. The Spanish colonists that came to the New World were a rough set ; they did not want to work, for when they left Spain they thought that gold and silver could be had for the picking up. Columbus was not a wise ruler, and his officers were jealous of him. Complaints of his severity and bad rule were brought back to Spain, and the king and queen sent a man to see how true these reports were. This man ordered Columbus to be seized, and sent back to Spain in chains. The chains were taken off as soon as he reached Spain, and the man who had treated him so harshly was punished; but Columbus was not restored to Columbus. 25 his old rank. He made his fourth voyage after this, but died a poor man, and neglected by those for whom he had done so much. He was buried in Spain, but about forty years later his body was carried to Haiti and interred in the cathedral there. When, about two hundred years later, that island was transferred to France, his bones were taken up and carried in state to Havana in Cuba. In 1898, when Spain was forced by the United States to give up Cuba, the bones of the great discoverer were carried back to Spain, and placed in the cathedral at Seville, January, 1899.^ OUTLINE. In 1492, after many difficulties, Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, to find a direct way across the Atlantic Ocean to India. After a voyage of more than a month he reached, not India, but America. He never, knew he had found a new world. He died poor and neglected. Tell the story of Columbus as a boy and as a sailor. Tell what happened to him in Portugal ; in Spain. How many ships did he have, and from what port did he start? Tell the story of the voyage ; the landing. What did the Spaniards wish to find more than anything else? Tell the story of the return voyage ; how Columbus was received in Spain ; of his latter years and death. ^ It is not at all unlikely that, through an error, the bones taken to Cuba were those of Diego, the son of Columbus. So it may be that the ashes of the great explorer still rest in Haiti. THE CABOTS. The news of the discoveries by Columbus quickly spread through Europe. John Cabot and his son Sebastian, natives of Ven- ice, Italy, were then living in Bristol, England. They were great sailors ; so, as soon as they heard what Columbus had done, they also were eager to go on a voyage of discovery, and they fitted out a vessel in which to sail to the west. It was needful, in those days, to get leave of the king to go on such a voy- age, for, unless a ship was under the protection of a king, it might be treated as a pirate. Henry VII., king of England, gladly gave them leave to go, and to have the use of any lands they might find, pro- vided he should be the acknowledged owner of the lands. The king might very well do this, for the expedition did not cost him a penny. The Cabots set out in 1497 from Bristol, and were gone about three months. Like Columbus they did 26 Sebastian Cabot. After the picture ascribed to Holbein. The Cabots. 27 not find India, but, unlike him, they did find the continent of North America, It is thought that they reached the coast of Nova Scotia and the island of Cape Breton. They went on shore and took possession of the land in the name of Henry VII. of England, and of Venice. They saw no inhabitants, but found some snares set for catching game, and a needle for making nets ; these they carried off. Their arrival in England caused great excite- ment. John Cabot " dressed himself in silk," says a man who was in England at that time ; " and the English ran after him like mad, and called him ' the great admiral.' " John Cabot longed to make another voyage, and the king, though he was miserly and disliked to spend any more money than was absolutely necessary, consented to help him. This time he had five vessels. He probably took with him his son Sebastian. So little did men know about the Atlantic Ocean that the Cabots sailed first almost to Iceland, and then toward Greenland. They went so far north that they met with many icebergs and much floating ice. Feeling sure that India could not be in that direction, they turned south. When near New- foundland they saw " bears come down to the shore and catch fish with their paws." " The sea 28 History of the United States. ^rV' The Coast of Newfoundland in Winter 300 Years Ago, After a drawing from nature by Lieut. A. Thompson, in " Bonnicastle's Newfoundland. The Cabots. 29 was so full of fish that the ships were hindered in sailing " — at least, this is the story they told. The Cabots still kept on, ever sailing south, until, it is supposed, they reached Chesapeake Bay, and possibly the coast of what is now South Carolina. On this voyage they became satisfied that these shores were not those of India or of Asia, but of " a new-found land, lying somewhere between India and Europe." But no gold or silver, or jewels, or silks, did they find. The English were dis- appointed, and, other mat- ters taking their attention, it was nearly a hundred years before they thought much of what John Cabot and his son Sebastian had done. Then they claimed the lands which those brave sailors had discovered, because the Cabots had sailed under the English flag, and had taken possession of the country, so many years before, in the name of an Ens^lish kinsf. An Italian sailor, Amerigo Vespucci, made several voyages to the New World. The account which he wrote was the first printed account of the new lands Americus Vespucius. After the picture attributed to Bronzino in the Massachusetts Historical Society's Gallery. 30 History of the United States. beyond the sea. From him the New World has been called America.^ Nuncvcro &he^ partes funtlatiusIuflTatsc/&^ alia quarta pars per Amcricu Vcfputiumc vt ialc^ ^ - quentibus audietur)inucnta eftrqua non. video cut Amc^ quis iurc vetet ab Americo inucntote fagads inge rico nfj viro Amcrigen quafi Ameridterram/iiue Amc licamdicendamtcum 8C Europa& Afiaamulicii^ bus fuafortita fint nomma.Eius fitu 8C gentis mo* f es eidbisl>ims.Ameridnauigaaonibus quf (irqaS turliquideintelligidatun F AC-SI MILE Of that part of the page in the " Cosmographiae Introductio " (1507), by Martin Waldsee- miiller, in which the name of America is proposed for the New World. OUTLINE. In 1497 John Cabot and his son Sebastian set sail from Bristol, England, and discovered the continent of North America, and claimed it for England. They made a second voyage, and sailed along the coast for many hundred miles. The New World is called America from Amerigo Vespucci, whose story was the first printed account of it. Who were the Cabots ? From what country did they set sail? Tell what they discovered. Tell in whose name they took possession of the land. Tell the story of the Cabots' second voyage. How did the New World come to be called America? 1 The Latin form of his name is Americus Vespucius. The Globe of Ulpius, 1542. DE SOTO AND OTHER EXPLORERS. In 1497, the same year in which the Cabots made their first voyage, Vasco da Gama, who was in the service of the king of Portugal, sailed along the coast of Africa until he came to the Cape of Good Hope. He did not stop, as others had done, but went round it, crossed the Indian Ocean, and reached a land which he found to be the true India. 31 Vasco da Gama. 32 History of the United States. The king of Calicut and other princes gave him rich gifts of gold, jewels, spices, and silks. After nearly two years' absence from Portugal, he re- turned, bringing with him these rich goods. It was Portugal, after all, and not Spain, that had discovered the way to get to India by sea. The Spaniards con- tinued to send out expedi- tions to the New World. One of the most famous of these was the enter- prise of Ponce de Leon. He had sailed once with Columbus ; he had passed through many hardships in various coun- tries ; be young and again. He believed in the fabled fountains of youth, one of which was sup- posed to be situated not far to the west of Cuba, and he resolved to seek After an engraving in " Herrara." Edition and he longed to strong Ponce de Leon. It of 1728. De Soto and Other Explorers. 33 He left Cuba in 1 5 1 3, and soon came to a land which he named Florida. He found there beauti- PoNCE DE Leon and his men in Florida. By D. Munro. The sceneiy is from nature ful trees and flowers, and rivers and streams, l3ut no fountain of health, though he searched far and wide. Before long he left Florida. After 34 History of the United States, some years he came back, intending to estabHsh a colony. Soon after landing, his party was attacked by Indians, and many of the Spaniards were killed, De Leon himself receiving a wound from an arrow, from which he died within a few weeks. Another brave Spaniard was Hernando de Soto. He, like so many others of his nation, set out in search of gold and adven- ture. He had been in South America, but had come back to Spain. Hear- ing of the lands to the north, which seemed to promise so much, he sailed again for the New World, taking with him about six hundred men. This was in 1538. De Soto went first to Florida, and, on landing, began at once to seek for gold. Whenever the Spaniards asked where gold could be found, the Indians always pointed toward the west ; there, they said, was a land where it was summer most of the year, and there, too, were great quantities of gold ; so plenty was it that men even wore golden shoes. Such a land was just the place for which De Soto Hernando de Soto De Soto and Other Explorers. 35 and his companions were searching, and, with hearts full of hope, they set out to find this land of sum- mer and of gold. They wandered about in Florida for months — now pushing through forests and swamps, now crossing rivers, and now getting lost in wildernesses of vines and tangled thickets. Still the Indians pointed ■^/f * '^^1 A Scene on De Soto's Route. From Charnay's " Ancient Cities of the New World. west. Once De Soto's little army attacked an Indian village, seized a hundred men and women, and carried them off. The poor captives were made slaves ; iron collars were clasped around their necks, and all the work of grinding maize and carry- ing the baggage was forced upon them. De Soto and his companions were not discouraged by their failure to find gold in Florida. On and on 36 History of the United States. they went into the wilderness. They were hungry and thirsty ; many were taken sick and died ; some- times bands of Indians made fierce attacks upon them ; but nothing coukl turn De Soto back. For three years they wandered on, until they came to a large stream, which the Indians called " The De Soto's Discovery of the Mississippi. After the picture by W. H. Powell, in the Capitol at Washington. Great River," but which is now known as the Mississippi. The water was muddy ; in the stream were many trees and branches carried down by the force of the current. It took the Spaniards thirty days to build two barges on which to cross the river. Still they went westward. De Soto and Other Explorers. 37 De Soto sickened and died. His illness and death were kept secret, through fear that the Indians, hearing of his death, would attack the little army. Finding that the Indians suspected what had hap- pened, and fearing that they would steal De Soto's body, the Spaniards wrapped it in blankets weighted with sand, and at midnight carried it in a canoe to the middle of the great river, and sunk it in the stream. De Soto's followers had now utterly lost heart, and longed to get back to their homes in Spain. They dared not attempt to return by the path along which they had come, but tried to find the nearest way to Mexico. After going some distance they lost all hope of being able to reach that country overland, and returned to the Mississippi. There they spent the winter. They determined to build boats in which to float down the river to its mouth, wherever that might be. There was only one ship-carpenter to direct the work. They cut down trees for the timbers ; they made nails out of the chains with which they had bound the poor Indian slaves ; they made sails out of some rude cloth which they obtained from the Indians, and, after weeks of hard work, they were ready to start on their almost desperate voyage. More than five years had gone by since they had left Spain ; and now about three hundred, all that remained of that brave band of six hundred 38 History of the United States. Spanish adventurers, were embarking in these rude boats and in a few small canoes. It was a sad, weary, famishing company. Their troubles were not ended, for on their voyage they were attacked by hostile Indians, who sunk some of their canoes, drownino: twelve of their number. THE TVZOS R IN I T I]/d ^S i N T 1 C E A N S iVV T H A .^I K K I C A MAP ILLUSTRATING SPANISH EXPLORATIONS. In fifty-two days they reached the Gulf of Mexico, and learned that there was a Spanish settlement not far off. When they reached the place they went on shore, and, falling down, kissed the ground and gave thanks to God for their deliverance. De Soto and Other Explorers. 39 OUTLINE. Vasco da Gama, in 1497, sailed round the Cape of Good Hope to India. Ponce de Leon sought the fountain of youth in Florida. De Soto searched for gold in Florida and the western wilderness. He discovered the Mississippi River, died, and was buried in its stream. His followers suffered great hardships. Tell who found out the way by sea to India. Tell the story of Ponce de Leon. Tell the story of De Soto. Describe his death and the hardships of his followers. DRAKE AND RALEIGH. The English did not begin to think much about the New World until some years after the great Elizabeth came to the throne. Eno-land had fought with Spain, and had been victorious on land and sea. She had grown to be COAST OF VIRGINIA IN THE TIME OF RALEIGH a great seafaring nation. Her captains had sailed to the West Indies and to South America, and had captured many Spanish treasure ships. The most daring of these captains was Erancis Drake. On one of his expeditions he landed on the Isthmus of Panama, where from a tree-top he saw, for the first time, the Pacific. He was filled with longing to sail upon that ocean which no Englishman had yet visited. He returned to Eng- 40 Drake and Raleigh. 41 land, however, and it was not until four years later, in 1577, that he set sail from Plymouth on his famous voyage. He started with five small vessels, well armed and fitted out for a long voyage. His chief aim was plunder. He sailed for the west coast of South America, where he hoped to get booty from the Spanish settle- ments, and to capture the Spanish ships laden with treasure from Peru. Queen Elizabeth herself was a partner in the venture. His own vessel, the Pelican, passed safely through the Strait of Magellan ; the other vessels either were lost or deserted him, and he searched for them in vain. He met severe storms, which drove him far out of his course. When fine weather came, he sailed to the north, touching at various places to get supplies and plunder. At Valparaiso, he and his men surprised and cap- tured a Spanish ship, the Captain of the Soictk, and secured great booty. At another place they landed and found a Spaniard sleeping with fourteen bars of silver near him ; they seized the silver and left the man asleep. Sir Francis Drake. From the original oil painting at Buckland Abbey, England. 42 History of the United States. In the Straits of Magellan. After the drawing by E. Whymper in Crawford's " Across the Pampas. Drake and Raleigh. 43 Thus they went on, capturing vessels and secur- ing treasure. Hearing that a richly laden ship had recently sailed for Spain, they pursued and captured it with little difficulty, as the captain had no idea that an English ship was in the Pacific. On board this vessel were many jewels and precious stones, thirteen chests of silver coins, eighty pounds' weight of gold, and twenty-six tons of uncoined silver. It was one of the richest prizes that had ever fallen into the hands of a freebooter. After this, Drake visited the coast of what is now California and Oregon, calling it New Albion. He then crossed the Pacific, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and, after three years' absence, reached Eng- land safely with all his plunder, being the first Eng- lishman to sail around the world. Queen Elizabeth received him with great favor, dined on board the Pelican, and made Drake a knight. Sir Walter Raleigh was at this time one of the most noted men in England, and a great favorite with tlTe queen. He was indeed a gallant gentle- man, a brave soldier, and a daring sailor. The story goes that once, when he was a young man, he had spread his richly embroidered cloak over a muddy place in the road, so that Elizabeth might not wet her royal feet, and that this act of gallantry greatly pleased the queen. It was not hard for Raleigh to gain the queen's permission to send out two ships, chiefly at his own 44 History of the United States. cost. The vessels reached what Is now Roanoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. This was about ninety years after the voyage of the Cabots. The explorers found a number of Indians who were very friendly. When some of the men landed, Spanish Treasure Ship. After drawings in the English State papers sent home by an English spy. the Indian chief sent them every day deer, fish, melons, and the " corn of the country," w^hich the English said was " very fair, white, and well tasted." As Raleigh had sent out the ships only to explore, it was soon time to return. The explorers brought Drake and Raleigh, 45 back with them, among other things, buffalo and deer skins, a bracelet of " pearls as big as peas," and two of the natives. When Raleigh heard the report of this expedition, he named the land Virginia, in honor of EHzabeth, who liked to be known as the Virgin Queen. After this voyage he styled himself "Walter Raleigh, soldier, lord, and governor of Vir- ginia." Raleigh sent out, the next year, 1585, about one hundred col- onists to settle on Roanoke Isl- and. These colo- nists had a hard time. Like so many others of the early days, they had gone out to the new country in the expectation of having an easier life than they had led at home; but they knew neither how to work nor how to adapt themselves to their surroundings. When the great captain, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh. After the picture in the collection of the Duchess of Dorset. 46 History of the United States. stopped at the island on his way home from the West Indies, though it was only about a year since Raleigh's colonists had left England, they were eager to go back with him. Drake tried to persuade them to remain, but a great storm arose, and leaving everything they hurried on board Drake's ships, which set sail for home. Only a few days after they had gone, a ship, loaded with supplies which Raleigh had sent for his infant colony, arrived and found no one. Two weeks later, three more ships came, but of course no trace could be found of the colonists. Sir Rich- ard Grenville, the commander, wishing to hold the place for the English, left fifteen men, with provi- sions enough to last them two years. About a year later, a ship with more colonists came to look after the little band Grenville had left. When they landed they found no living per- son, but only some human bones lying on the ground. The houses which the first party had built were still standing, but in the roofless huts, melons were growing and wild deer were feeding. Grenville had treated the natives with much harsh- ness and there could be little doubt that the miss- ing colonists had been murdered by the Indians, whose first kindly welcome had been met so ungra- ciously. Soon after the arrival of this new band, a little girl was born on Roanoke Island, — the first child Drake and Raleigh. 47 born in America of English parents. Her name was Virginia Dare. Shortly after, the ships returned to England, leaving the little colony to itself. England was at war with Spain, who was mak- ing every effort to crush her rival. Spain gathered together a great fleet, which she was so sure could never be beaten that she called it the '^ Invincible Armada." Raleigh, in common with all other Englishmen, was now thinking of the defence of his country, and could not send out any aid to the colony. But soon the Armada was scattered by a great storm, and the great danger to England and English ships had passed away. Vessels were again allowed by the government to sail, and an expedition set out for Roanoke Island. Three years had passed since anything had been heard from the settlers. When the vessels reached the place, the sailors blew with a trumpet and sang some English songs, but they received no answer. Not one of the colonists could be found. The houses had been taken down, and the whole place was desolate. At last, on the trunk of a tree, the bark of which had been stripped off, they saw carved, in clear, well- formed letters, the word Croatoan ; that was the only trace that was found of the former colonists. All had disappeared, including the little Virginia Dare, and to this day no one knows certainly what 48 History of the United States. became of them. It is most Hkely that for some reason they moved to another island, called Croa- toan. Here they doubtless had been attacked by the Indians, when some were killed and the others taken into captivity; for, many years after, stories were told of pale-faced persons living among the Indians. It was a hundred years after the discovery of the New World, and still England had no permanent colony in America. Raleigh had spent a large for- tune in trying to settle colonies, only to be sadly disappointed. But he was a man who put before himself the motto, " Do all things with thy might," so he tried again. This time he sent out Bartholomew Gosnold to seek for Nurembega, as New England was called. Gosnold sailed northward, and landed on one of the islands near the mouth of Buzzards Bay. Here, in 1602, he built a fort, but it was soon abandoned. The name Elizabeth, which Gosnold gave to the island in honor of the queen, a name now borne by the whole group, is all that remains to tell of this effort of Sir Walter Raleigh.' Sir Walter Raleigh's plans failed, but he was after all the pioneer in English settlement. He is remembered not only for his great perseverance, but also because to him, more than to any other person, Europe owes the early introduction of potatoes and tobacco. 1 The island is now called Cuttyhunk. Drake and Raleigh. 40 Raleigh took the potatoes which one of his ves- sels brought, and planted them in the fields of his estate in Ireland. This was many years before the efforts of a French king succeeded in making the vegetable a popular one in Europe. Raleigh, moreover, was the first to show Eng- lishmen how the strange Indian plant tobacco was used. It is said that his servant found him one day smoking in his room, and threw a bucket of water over him, thinking him to be on fire. OUTLINE. England paid little attention to the New World for nearly a century. In 1577 Drake started on his voyage to seek plunder in the Pacific. He passed through the Straits of Magellan. He had great success. Was the first English- man to sail round the world. Sir Walter Raleigh's* attempts to colonize. Failed twice ; at Roanoke Island, at Elizabeth Islands. Introduced potatoes and tobacco. Tell the story of Drake's voyage ; its chief object. Tell how far he sailed and how successful he was. Tell the story of Raleigh's expeditions. For whom did he name Virginia? What plants did he introduce into Europe ? VIRGINIA AND CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. Anglo-Saxons are not easily discouraged, and the failures of some did not keep others from trying their fortunes in the New World. There were many things to attract : boundless forests of fine trees; beautiful rivers and streams; wild animals without number, some of them good for food, others whose skins were valuable for their fur. VIRGINIA IN EARLY DAYS There were fertile fields, many wild fruits, and rivers and seas abounding with fish. Moreover, almost every one felt sure that somewhere in this wonder- ful country there must be an abundance of gold and silver. The hope of finding these precious metals was 50 Virginia and Captain John Smith. 51 enough to make many wiUing to cross the ocean. Crossing the ocean in those days meant more than it does now, for the largest ships were small compared with those of our day. The cabins were small, close, and unhealthy ; the rigging and sails were clumsy. There were no charts to guide the captains, no lighthouses to warn of dangerous shores, and no buoys to mark the rocks and shoals. Men felt that they were taking their lives in their hands when they started to cross the seas. In the year 1606, two English companies w^ere formed, for the double purpose of trading with the New World and of planting colonies in it. One was called the London Company, because most of those who belonged to it lived in or near London, and the other was called the Plymouth Company, because many of its members lived in or near Plymouth. Efforts at settlement were now begun in earnest, and, in the same year, the London Company sent out three vessels with men who expected to stay in the New World. Strange to say, they took no women with them, just as if men could be contented to live any length of time without wives, or could have real homes without women. It was a strange company. Of the one hundred and five men, only twelve called themselves labor- ers; about half said they were "gentlemen," which meant that they neither knew how to work nor wished to learn. There were four carpenters, only 52 History of the United States. one blacksmith, one bricklayer, one tailor, one mason, and two doctors. The vessels left England in December, and it was May, 1607, before they reached Chesapeake Bay. The capes at its mouth they named Cape Charles and Cape Henry, for two sons of the king, and a point of land opposite the mouth of the Jamestown. After the sketch made by Miss C. C. Hopley about 1857, showing the ruined church. bay seemed so cheering after their long voyage that they called it Point Comfort. A beautiful river they called the James, after the king, and on its banks they began to build a town which they named Jamestown. Among the colonists there was a young man who was called Captain John Smith. So many Virginia and Captain John Smith. 53 stories have been told about him that one hardly knows what to believe. What we really know about him shows that he was no common man, and, if half that he says of himself is true, few men ever had more surprising adventures. Many of his stories are quite as strange as those of Sir John Mandeville and Marco Polo. Captain Smith tells us that he ran away from home when he was a mere boy, that he became a soldier, and afterward a sailor. He was ship- wrecked ; he was robbed ; at one time he was thrown into the sea, because those on board the ship thought that he had been the cause of a great storm. He says that he fought, single handed, three in- fidels, and cut off their heads. At another time, he was taken prisoner by the Turks, and sold as a slave. He was then sent as a gift to a young Turkish lady, Captain John Smith. From the map in his " Description of New England. 54 History of the United States. who was attracted by his inteUigence, and much moved by his misfortunes. Dreading lest her mother should see that she was getting fond of her slave, and fearful that he might be sold, she sent him to her brother, who proved to be a very hard master. He treated Smith cruelly, put an iron collar round his neck, and set him to work beating out grain with a club instead of a flail. One day his master came along and struck him. This made Smith so angry that he raised the club he was using, and killed his master with it. Smith knew that there was nothing to do but try to es- cape, so he dressed himself in his master's clothes, leaped on a horse, and rode off as fast as possible. He managed to rid himself of his iron collar and to reach Russia; and, after many wonderful adventures, he came to England. When Smith heard of the expedition about to start for Virginia, he thought that this was just the thing for him, so he joined the company that was soino: out. But his adventures were not ended, for on the voyage he was accused of mutiny, and was put in irons until the vessel reached America. As soon as the company landed. Smith claimed the right to be tried ; a trial was granted, and he was found innocent. No matter what happened to him, Smith never seemed to be cast down ; his energy and self-reliance were equal to every occa- sion. Virginia and Captain John Smith. 55 Though he was only twenty-eight years old, fond of telling marvellous stories, and certainly a good deal of a boaster, he appears to have had more common-sense than any one else in the company. When the colonists arrived m America the weather was pleasant, and they were in no hurry to build houses, especially as that would be hard work, which they did not like. When the summer came, with its heat, so much greater than that of England, many were taken sick and died; the whole settlement, in _ ._ fact, was like a hos- pital. When this trouble was over, a number of men con- cluded to go back to England, but, by en- couraging some of them and threatening others, Smith man- aged to quiet their discontent. Food was scarce, so Smith, with six or seven others, set out to try to get some corn from the Indians. At first the Indians, know- ing that the white men were hungry, offered only a handful or so of the grain in exchange for the Palisaded Indian Village. Algonkin village of Pomeiock, on Albemarle Sound, in 1585. After John Wyth, copied in Morgan. 56 History of the United States. articles which had been brought. Smith soon saw that there was httle prospect of doing anything in the way of trade, and told his men to fire their guns. The noise and smoke frightened the Indians so that they ran off as fast as they could. After a while the Indians returned, and with some difficulty an arrangement was made with them by which, in exchange for beads, copper, and hatchets, they brought the Englishmen venison, tur- keys, wild fowl, and other articles of food. It was long since the settlers had had such a feast. Men still thought that America was a narrow country from east to west, and that there must be somewhere a strait, or river, through which ships might sail to India. Captain John Smith hoped to find such a passage, and several times made excursions around Chesapeake Bay in search of it. At one time, with a party he explored the Chicka- hominy River. He had some surprising adventures, and was captured by the Indians. He should have been killed, he says, had he not thought of his pocket compass. The moving needle which the Indians saw but could not touch, because of the glass cover, astonished them so much that they spared his life. But they did not let him go. He was led to a village where many Indians, who were gayly painted and strangely ornamented with skins and feathers, danced around him, yelling and screeching. Virginia and Captain John Smith. 57 He was then taken to a long hut and closely watched. He was given plenty of food, but he was afraid to eat much, for he thought that they were trying to make him fat before the time came to kill and eat him. At last the principal chief de- cided to put Smith to death. As Smith tells the story in one of his books, he was brought into a large hut, his head was placed on " two great stones," and the Indians had their clubs raised to beat out his brains, when the daughter of the chief, a girl ten or twelve years old, rushed out of the crowd, took Smith's head in her arms, laid her own upon it, and thus saved his life. This is Smith's own story, but, as he said nothing about this incident until several Pocahontas. years afterward, many think ''Zi'J::^:^ '^X^ in Booton painted shortly before she died. that it is one of the marvel- lous tales that he was so fond of telling. There is no doubt, however, that Powhatan and Pocahontas were real persons. Powhatan soon sent Smith back to Jamestown. He found the colonists in a bad way, and, had it not been for the corn which they got from the Indians, much of which Smith says was brought by Pocahontas, many must have starved. 58 History of the United States. Pocahontas was not only the means of supplying the Enghsh with food, but more than once, when the Indians were about to make attacks, she gave warn- ing, and thus put the colonists on their guard. Pocahontas afterward married John Rolfe, one of the Englishmen. She visited England with her husband, and, after being made much of, was about to start on her return to America when she was seized with smallpox and died. She left a little boy, from whom several well-known Virginia families are proud to trace their descent. The settlers were by this time almost completely discouraged, but soon more men arrived. These, however, were of the same sort as the first ship-load. Smith was now chosen president of the colony. He made a rule that nobody should eat who did not work. The so-called gentlemen did not like this rule at all, but they were forced by the others to obey, and, as long as Smith was at the head, affairs were in better condition. He was almost the only one of the early explorers who wasted no time in search- ing for gold and silver, and who saw the necessity of steady work. In the spring of 1609, five hundred emigrants from England arrived, among them some women and children. Smith's rule seemed harsh, and he became unpopular. He claimed to have suffered some bodily injury; at any rate, he said he must return to England to have his wound properly Virginia and Captain John Smith. 59 dressed. It is more likely that he was dissatisfied with the condition of affairs in the colony, and took advantage of a good excuse to get away. After he left, affairs went on from bad to worse. There was no one to take Smith's place in dealing with the Indians, and they became very hostile. No food could be had. Fishes abounded in the Shores of the Sound, Roanoke Island. After a sketch from nature. rivers and bay, but only one man seems to have thought it worth while to catch any. In their desperation, the colonists ate all the animals they had brought with them, not only their dogs but also their horses. Then they ate rats, mice, and snakes. By June, 1610, there were only sixty men left of the five hundred of the year before. 6o History of the United States. Just when there seemed to be no hope, two Httle vessels made their appearance. They were vessels which had been built at the Bermuda Islands by a crew shipwrecked on the way to Virginia. They had plenty of provisions, which they had collected on the islands, and so the lives of the colonists were saved. The settlers, however, thoroughly disheartened, determined to leave Virginia, and try to reach New- foundland, or some place where they might find a way to get back to England. All had embarked in the little vessels, and were actually sailing for the mouth of the bay, when they met a ship bringing a new governor for Virginia, and more colonists. So they decided to turn back and begin life over again in America. The London Company's Virginia business was poorly managed in England. Many persons had invested money, and complained that it was bring- ing no return. As the lands and goods were held in common by the colony, it soon came to pass that the lazy ones left all the work for the industrious to do, and many complaints came from the overworked colonists. The governor was harsh, and very likely unjust. In the colony there were few women ; and real homes, without which a settlement cannot become a permanent success, were unknown. Many young women were persuaded to go out to Virginia, the colonists paying their passage and Virginia and Captain John Smith. 6i other expenses, and taking them for wives. As the number of men was far greater than that of the young women, the latter could do much as they pleased. For thirteen years, this way of supplying wives was kept up. When there were homes in Virginia there was no more talk of returning to England ; and as the colonists, meantime, found a very profitable crop in tobacco, they were more than willing to remain. Then, too, children and young persons were grow- ing up who had never known England, and who loved the free life of the new country. OUTLINE. The hope of finding gold and silver made many cross the ocean. In 1606 two English companies were formed for trading and colonizing. The colonists were ill-fitted for their Hfe. They reached Virginia in 1607 and founded Jamestown. Captain John Smith, the clearest-headed man. His life. Story of the sufferings of the colonists, and what he did to help them. Powhatan and Pocahontas. Further history of the colony. Tell what two companies were formed for colonizing America ; the kind of men who went out. When did the ships reach Virginia, and what town did they establish ? Give the story of Captain John Smith's life. What did he do for the colony ? Tell the story of Pocahontas ; of the colonists after Smith left. HENRY HUDSON. The Dutch, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, were great sailors and traders. No country in the world owned more ships than did Holland. The Dutch had a large trade with the East Indies, and lonofed for a shorter route to these reo-ions. They were of the opinion that such a route could be discovered, either by sailing to the north of Europe, or else by finding a passage through the continent of North America. They wanted a sea captain to take charge of an exploring expedition, and they looked about for one who had sailed in the northern and western seas. Hearing of Henry Hudson, an English sailor who had made some daring voyages, they sent for him. Satisfied that he was the kind of man they wanted, they gave him the command of a small ship called the Half Moon, in which to search for the desired " Northwest Passage," or some other short route to India. Henry Hudson first sailed along the coast of Norway, passing North Cape ; but he met with so much ice that he had to turn back. This did not discourage him. He had received from his friend, 62 H enry Hudson. Captain John Smith, a letter which said that there was a strait north of Virginia which would lead to the south seas. Hudson turned his vessel westward across the Atlantic, and, passing near Greenland, reached the shores of Newfoundland. He then sailed to rhr..,-,prak,- Bav Map to illustrate Henry Hudson's Voyages. the south as far as Chesapeake Bay, but he saw no strait. Turning north, he came to Delaware Bay, but finding that this was not the passage of which he was in search, he pushed on still further north, scanning the shores very closely as he went. At last he came to an opening in the coast, which he thought must be the long-sought passage to India. The waters of the stream were salt. Con- 64 History of the United States. vinced that this was the strait of which Captain John Smith had written, Hudson, for a hundred miles or more, sailed up the beautiful river which now bears his name. The Half Moon was often visited by Indians. Around New York Bay and the lower part of the river most of them were unfriendly, but there were some who came in canoes to exchange tobacco and maize for knives and beads. At one time, twenty- eieht canoes full of men, women, and children were around the Half Moon. Hudson seized two Indians, intending to keep them, but one day they slipped quietly out of one of the port-holes of the vessel, dropped into the water, and swam off. When they had gone some distance they scornfully hailed the ship, making fun of the sailors. Farther up the river the natives w^ere very friendly, and brought tobacco, venison, and skins to the strangers. Hudson went on shore and visited an Indian chief, who made for him a great feast of roast pigeons and roast dog. The chief invited Hudson to stay all night, and broke his arrows to show that he meant no harm to his vis- itors. But Hudson thought that the cabin of the Half Moon was a safer place in which to sleep than the hut of an Indian chief. Greatly to Hudson's disappointment, the river now proved to be too shallow for his vessel, and he ■ Henry Hudson. 65 was forced to give up all hope of reaching India in that way. He returned to England in Novem- ber, 1609, and went thence to Holland to report his failure. He gave, however, such attractive accounts of what he had seen, and especially of the furs which ■' 'U^^ "^"^'d ^^^^ ,;xf ^^^%xi^^r^ The " Half Moon" at the Highlands. After the painting by T. Moran. could be obtained from the Indians in exchange for mere trifles, that the Dutch sent out men to trade with the Indians. Hudson now started on another voyage in search of a northwest passage to India. He went far to the north, and discovered the great bay which has been named for him. He spent three months in exploring the shores of this bay, and then, before 66 History of the United States. he could get away, his vessel was caught in the ice, and was held fast for more than seven months. Soon after the ice broke up, Hudson's men muti- nied, and seizing him and his son and six other men, who were sick or unfit to work, put them into an open boat. They were given a little food, some powder and shot, and then set adrift. One other man joined the castaways of his own accord. The little boat soon disappeared among the floating- ice. The mutinous crew suffered extreme privations, and many of them died. The survivors made their way out of the ice after a time, and, having met a ship which came to their assistance, finally reached^ Ireland. As for Hudson and his eight companions, nothing more was ever heard of them. OUTLINE. The Dutch wished to find a passage to India and em- ployed Henry Hudson. He sailed to Newfoundland, and along the coast to Chesapeake Bay ; turned back and discovered New York Bay and Hudson River; returned to Europe ; started on another voyage and discovered Hudson's Bay, where he met his death. Why did the Dutch employ Hudson? Tell the story of his first voyage ; of his discoveries« How did he meet his death? THE PILGRIMS. Three hundred years ago it was commonly thought that men and women should worship God in the way that the government of their country thought best. If any one refused to do this, he was punished : he might be made to pay a fine, his goods might be taken away from him ; he might be sent out of the country away from his home and friends, and forbidden to come back ; he might even be sold into slavery, or something very much like it. It may be hard to believe that England treated her own people thus, but even the great Queen Elizabeth held that all men should conform; that is to say, they should act alike in religious matters. Now in England there were good men and women who believed that there were many things in the church services which ought to be given up, in order that the worship of God might be more simple, or pure, as they liked to say. Because these people wished to purify the church service, they came to be called " Puritans." Others thought that the only thing to do was to leave the church or separate from it, so that they could worship as they thought right. Neither the " Puritans " nor the " Separatists," as these latter 67 68 History of the United States. were called, believed that the king of the country should be the head of the church. A little band of " Separatists " was accustomed to meet at a small village, not far from the centre of England, called Scrooby. They were watched day and night, and some were seized and put into prison. Sadly they came to see that, if they wished to keep on in their w^ay of worship and belief, they should have to leave their homes and seek another country in which to live. Hearing that in Holland there was freedom of worship for all men, they resolved to go there. The very same year in which Captain John Smith went to Virginia with the Jamestown colony, this little band of men and women began their journey to Holland. They hired a captain to take them in his vessel across the North Sea. They were to start from old Boston in Lincolnshire. The captain did not meet them as he had prom- ised, but kept them waiting a long time in uncer- tainty. When he did come, he took them on board the ship at night. Now they thought they were off at last, but the captain had told the king's officers all about them, and before the ship put to sea, the ofhcers came on board, seized the would-be emi- grants, put them into an open boat, and there searched them in a very rough manner, to see if they had any money. Deprived of their money, books, and other goods, The Pilgrims. 69 the poor emigrants were then cast into prison. After a month or so, most of them were set free, thouo^h others were detained still lono^er. The next spring some of these " Separatists " tried again to get away. This time they engaged a Dutch captain to carry them to Holland. All was |k__j im Ft iji- 1 i- A House in Leyden. As it was in 1620. going on well, a number of men were already on board and hope was high in their hearts, when some armed men were seen approaching the water- side. As soon as the Dutch captain saw them, he hoisted his sails and went off, parting husbands and wives, parents and children. It was a sad company on board the ship, but it was a sadder company on the shore. Most of those who were left were women and children, for 70 History of the United States. the husbands and fathers had reached the shore first, and many of them had gone on board the ship. The EngHsh magistrates did not know what to do with the women and children. These people had no homes to w^iich they could return ; they could not well be sent to prison for wishing to accompany their husbands and fathers ; and so after they had been sent from place to place, the m a 2: i s- strates were glad to get rid of them, and allowed them to go to Hol- Leyden. land as best From a bird's-eye view dated 1670. The bell tower marks the spot f ]-j^p y YTi i O" ll t where John Robinson, the pilgrim's pastor, was buried. -^ '^ Here, some at one time and some at another, they met with their friends and loved ones. The emigrants went first to Amsterdam, and then to Leyden. After staying in Holland eleven or twelve years, they began to talk of removing to another country. The dreary life they led kept others from joining them ; and many were growing old. It was bad for their children because of the temptations which surrounded th'em, and because The Pilgrims. 71 they could not be educated as their parents had been. The people among whom they lived spoke a different language, and it was not to be expected that boys and girls would grow up English boys and girls in Holland. Lastly, these earnest exiles longed to spread the Gospel in the far-off parts of the world. No country seemed to offer so many advantages as did that part of America known as Virginia. There they would be under the English rule ; there only the English language would be spoken; and in an English colony their children could grow up to manhood and womanhood, knowing only English customs and English home life. It was true that their little flock had been com- pelled to leave England, but they had some reason for thinking that King James would grant them liberty and freedom of religion in that far-off land. It was a long time before anything could be ar- ranged, but at length leave to plant a colony in America was obtained from the London Company. When the time came to go, only about one-third of the members of the church at Leyden started, for sufficient money could not be raised to take them all. The Pilgrims, for such they felt themselves to be, went first to Delfthaven, where their honored pas- tor, John Robinson, took leave of them with a loving farewell. They sailed to Southampton, and from 72 History of the United States. that place, August 5, 1620, two small vessels, the Mayfloiver and the Speedwell, set sail with the little band of emigrants. Well might these men and women be called Pil- grims. They had gone from England to Amster- ^7i^ ■w^ Model of the " Mayflower." In the National Museum at Washington. dam, from Amsterdam to Leyden, and now they were on their w^ay to wild and unknown lands beyond the great ocean, hoping to find a place where they might worship God as they thought right, and where they might bring up their children in His fear. The two ships had not gone far, when the Speed- The Pilgrims. 73 well was found to be leaking so badly that both vessels put back to Plymouth. The Speedwell was leit behindhand many of her passengers were crowded into the Mayflower, which set sail September 6. It was a long and stormy voyage ; nevertheless they held on their way. The Mayfloiver got far /^^"7^/r/ Plymouth Bay in Midwinter 280 Yf:ars ago. out of her course. The Pilgrims had expected to land near the Hudson River, but the first land they saw was Cape Cod. They went southward, but in a few hours met with so many shoals and breakers that they turned back, and took refuge near the end of Cape Cod, in what is now known as Province- town harbor. Here they cast anchor, November II, 1620. 74 History of the United States There were one hundred and two passengers In all. One had died on the voyage, but a child was born before they landed, so the number was just the same as when they started. While the Mayflower was in the harbor and J{s^^ ^%^ Autographs of the " Mayflower " Ph.grims. before any one went on shore, the Pilgrims drew up some rules by which to govern themselves. This paper, called the Mayflower Compact, they all signed, and then they chose John Carver to be their governor for the first year. Here, then, in the little cabin of the Mayflowei^, in the harbor of Cape Cod, was '' government of the people, by the The Pilgrims. 75 people, for the people," begun in America. It is not Hkely that the Pilgrims at the time thought of anything more than making rules to keep good order among themselves. It was clear that the sandy shore of a narrow tongue of land was not the place on which to make a settlement, and several small parties were sent out to seek for some good landing-place. Meanwhile many went on shore, the women to wash the clothes, and the others to walk about on the solid ground. A little exploring party set out in a boat under the lead of Captain Myles Standish, a stout-hearted soldier who had joined the Pilgrims because he liked their ways, though he was not a church member. After sailing some distance along the coast, they came opposite a place which seemed to be just what they wanted. As it was Sunday, they rested all that day on an island. The next day, December 21,^ 1620, they went across the harbor and landed on a rock, now so well known as Plym- outh Rock. They found cleared land which had been used by the Indians as corn-fields, a brook running at the foot of the hill, and many springs of water. Very near the shore were hills from the tops of which they could see a great distance, and on which they could plant cannon for their protection. 1 December 21 is the correct date ; through an error December 22 is usually celebrated as the anniversary. 76 History of the United States. Captain John Smith had once visited the place ; on his map of New England he called it Plymouth, and as old Plymouth was the port in England from which they had sailed, the Pilgrims kept the name. Myles S t a n d i s h and his party went back with the good news, and before long the Mayflower had cast her anchor in the harbor. The Pil- grims chose a spot under a high hill, close to the shore, for the site of their village, and set to work at once to build small houses. Many of the Pil- Q:rims were sick, ,,vr chiefly from the bad food they were forced PLYMOUTH ROCK. to cat ou thc voyagc, From a photograph. The monument covers the spot anCl alSO irOm tUC WCt on which tradition says the Pilgrims landed. i , i r\ ^ " and the exposure they had experienced after reaching Cape Cod. Not- withstanding the mild weather, about half of their number died during the winter, and their bodies were buried on the hill just above the rock on The Pilgrims. yj which they had landed. The graves were levelled, so that the Indians might not see how many had died. Part of the time there were only six or seven well persons, but these spared no pains to help those who were in need. William Brewster, their revered elder, ;^^:|iR/^'^3 Pilgrim Fort and Meeting-house. and Myles Standish, their captain, were two of the most active. They attended to the sick, prepared their food, washed their clothes, cut their firewood, and performed cheerfully and willingly the most humble services. ^ At length spring came. Early in March the birds sang in the woods, the trees and shrubs began to bud, and the poor Pilgrims felt that the worst of 78 History of the United States. their troubles were over. The Mayflower set sail on her return voyage in April, 1621; but though they had suffered so much, not one of the Pilgrims wished to go back on her. The Pilo^rims had been afraid of attacks by the Ind- ians. The smoke of Indian fires had been seen, and once the tools of Myles Standish and another man who had PEREGR1M-. W Hues Inlaid bcCU WOrkiug in the WOOds were stolen in their absence ; In Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth. but no attack had been made. One day in March an Indian walked boldly into the village, greatly alarming the colonists ; but they were glad to hear him say in English, " Welcome ! " He said his name was Samoset, and that he had learned a few words from some English fishermen whom he had met farther north. He also told them that a great pestilence had raged among the Indians in possession of the Connecticut His- 1 r 1 torical Society at Hartford. about four years before, and that most of those who had lived near the place where the Pilgrims had landed were dead. A few days later Samoset came again and brought with him an Indian named Squanto, who, Brewster's Sea Chest and Standish's Iron Pot. The Pilgrims. 79 he said, was now the only survivor of the tribe which once had lived near Plymouth. He had been carried away captive by some sailors, had been in London, and had learned to speak EngHsh. He came back to America, joining a tribe of Indians who lived thirty or forty miles west of Plymouth. Massasoit, the chief of this tribe, Squanto said, was near by with sixty men, and would soon visit the English. In about an hour Massasoit and his war- riors showed themselves on the top of a hill not far off. At first the English were afraid of the Indians, and the Indians were afraid of the English ; but by the help of Squanto the parties came together, and a treaty of peace and friendship was made platter and kettle 1 , r^ r^ J j-i OF Myles Standish. between Governor Carver and the chief, Massasoit, which was kept for more than fifty years. The Indians had their faces colored black, red, and yellow. Some were ornamented with crosses or other signs. Some were clothed in skins, and some were without clothing. Massasoit's face was painted red, and was well greased. He had a great chain of white bone beads around his neck. Tied to this chain was a bag of tobacco which he smoked himself and offered to the English. Squanto was much pleased with the Pilgrims, 8o History of the United States. and after a while came to Hve with them. He showed them where fish and clams were plentiful, and taught them to plant corn with two or three dead fish in every hill to make the ground rich. He also acted as their interpreter and guide. He liked to make himself important; to frighten the Indians he used to tell them that the English kept the plague buried in their storehouse, and that they could send it out against any one without The Sword of Myles Standish. In Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth. stirrins: from their houses. On the whole, he was a good friend to the Pilgrims, and when, after living with them a little over a year, he died, there was real sorrow in the colony. Before his death he asked Governor Bradford to pray that he might go to the Eno-lishman's heaven. After the first year's crops had been gathered in, Governor Bradford and the Pilgrims had a public Thanksgiving, the first in America. Massasoit, who visited them at this time, joined them with his The Pilgrims. 8i men, who brought five deer, and these with wild turkeys, which the Pilgrims had already shot, made a grand feast. For three days they feasted together; the Pilgrims rejoiced over their harvest, thanked God, and took courage. When the hunting season had passed, want again Thirty-five settlers stared the Pilgrims in the face Governor Carver's Chair, In Pilgrim Hall, Plymouth. The Chair of John Eliot, the Apostle to the Indians. had come from England, but had brought no sup- plies with them. These newcomers nearly doubled the number of the little band, which was now far too large for the small stock of provisions laid by for the winter. It was impossible to get much from the friendly Indians. Each person, therefore, was given only half the usual amount of food. The Indians, finding out their weak condition, began to threaten them. 82 History of the United States. Canonicus, the chief of the Narragansetts, sent a messenger " with a bundle of arrows tied about with a snakeskin, which their interpreter told them was a threatening and a challenge." The governor was not frightened, but sent back the snakeskin full of bul- lets, telling the Indians that if they would rather have war than peace, they might begin when they would. Canonicus, the chief, was so afraid of the bullets that he sent them back to Plymouth, and made no attack. There was abundance of fish in the streams and in the sea, but for lack of nets and fishing tackle few were caught. The strongest men of the col- ony were weak from hun- ger, and were hardly able to plant the crops. All through the springtime and early summer the Pilgrims were almost starv- ing, and it was not until the harvest came that they were free from want. Myles Standish was a brave man, ready to fight, Pilgrim Monument at Plymouth. " National Monument to the Forefathers. Erected by a grateful people in remem- brance of their labors, sacrifices, and sufferings for the cause of civil and reli- gious liberty." The Pilgrims, 83 ready to go on dangerous journeys, and ready to sail the stormy seas. He was, indeed, a most use- ful man to the little community, for he not only helped to protect the Pilgrims at Plymouth, but he also went on trading expeditions to various parts of the coast for furs and even crossed the ocean to buy supplies for the colony, and to look after its inter- ests. He lived to be an old man and to have the satisfaction of see- ing the colony grow and flourish. For many years his home was at Duxbury, on the opposite side of the bay from Plymouth ; a hill which he owned is still called "The Captain's Hill," and on it is a tall monument in honor of the brave man. '"^J.^'Vfff^ 1 The Myles Standish House at Duxbury. Built in 1666 by Alexander, Myles Standish's eldest son. OUTLINE. In order to gain liberty of worship, a band of " Sepa- ratists " left England and went to Holland. After about twelve years they concluded to go to America. They sailed in the Mayflower and reached Cape Cod December, 1620. They settled at Plymouth They suffered greatly during the first winter, and more than half their number died. Their captain was Myles Standish, a brave man. They had Httle trouble from the Indians. 84 History of the United States. Who were the Puritans ? the Separatists ? Tell the story of the Separatists in England ; how they went to Holland. Why did they wish to go to America? Tell the story of the voyage to America in the Mayflower. Why were they called Pilgrims? Where did they land? Tell the story of their first winter in America. Describe Myles Standish, and tell what he did. Tell the story of Squanto ; of the first " Thanksgiving." 4^ -'■p--^ The Land of ihk Pilgrims and Purmans. THE PURITANS. In 1630, just about ten years after the Pilgrims had come to Plymouth, five or six ships sailed into the harbor of Naumkeag, afterward known as Salem. They brought two hundred Puritan colo- nists. Everything was as different as possible from the landing *of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. It was in early summer. " Every hill and dale and every island was full of gay woods and high trees," and flowers were blossoming in abundance. The very land seemed to welcome them. It was the strongest company of emigrants that had yet come to the New World. In the next year eight hundred more arrived. These men and women crossed the sea to make for themselves homes ; they were willing to work, and expected to work hard. Their purpose in com- ing was to find a place where they could worship God in the way which they thought right ; where they could manage their affairs to suit themselves; where they could have their own laws ; where in new homes it would be possible for every one to better his condition. More Puritans kept coming over to Salem, and the surrounding country began to be settled. Some 85 86 History of the United States. of the immigrants were not satisfied with Salem, and looked about for a more attractive place. This they found in Massachusetts Bay, on a peninsula called by the Indians Shawmut, and by the Eng- lishmen Tri-mountain, from the three hills upon it. There was plenty of fresh water, and pasturage for the cattle ; and, as it was connected with the main- land by a narrow neck, it could easily be defended in case of danger. The settlers always retained a warm affection for their old homes in England, and gave the names of many English towns to the new villages in Amer- ica. So this new settle- ment was soon named Boston, after old Boston in England, from which place or its neighborhood many of the colonists had come. The Puritan colony was known as that of Massachusetts Bay. Its first resident governor was John Winthrop, a highly educated, wealthy gentleman, who emigrated with his family from England to seek a home in the New World. The Puritans were a band of hard-working, God- JoHN Winthrop. After the original in the Massachusetts Senate Chamber. The Puritans. 87 fearing folk. All worked ; those who were rich be- cause they thought it was right, and those who were poor because they did not wish to be dependent, and because work was necessary for their support. They began at once to lay out farms, and to plant the seed which they had brought with them from England. Governor Winthrop set a noble example. Re- ligion was interwoven with his whole life. He Pine Tree Shilliing, planted and traded, sowed and built, governed and fought, loved wife and children and neighbors in the fear of the Lord. He was sometimes narrow- minded, and even bigoted, but this was due rather to the nature of the times than to his own character, which was better and broader than that of most pub- lic men of his day. He built and launched the first sea-going vessel in New England. She w^as named the Blessing of the Bay, and was the forerunner of the great fleet of vessels which has done so much to make New Eng- land rich and prosperous. It seems very strange to us that the Puritans who 88 History of the United States. had left England to find a place where they might have freedom for themselves were not willins^ to give freedom to others. They wished to be let alone by those who did not think as they did, but they had no intention of letting others alone on the same conditions. They were determined to have the whole colony, as far as was possible, think in the same way in religious and church matters. Roger Williams, a young Englishman, arrived in Massachusetts during the winter of 1631. After a while he was chosen to be minister of the church at Salem. Roger Williams believed in religious liberty for every one. The Puritans believed in religious liberty for themselves. Roger Williams believed that laws should relate to a man's actions, and that he should be free to think as he liked. The Puri- tans believed that laws should be framed to punish a man for thinking, or saying, as well as for doing anything of which the colony disapproved. Williams refused to agree with the Massachusetts Puritans that religion was the chief business of the civil magistrate. He refused to uphold a law com- pelling every one to go to church. Soon he came to be regarded as a very dangerous person, and was told that it would be better for him to leave Salem. Still he kept on boldly denouncing the colony. When he said that the king of England had no right to give the land of the Indians to the colo- nists, the leading men of Boston and of the neigh- The Puritans. 89 boring towns thought it was high time to arrest him and send him out of the country, as had been done with other troublesome persons. Hearing of this, Williams made his escape into the forest. The snow was on the ground, and it was bitterly cold, but he pushed on until he reached the home of Massasoit, the friend of the Pilgrims. This chief received him very kindly and took care of him for the rest of the winter. In the spring, Williams began a settlement at Seekonk, just within the territory of the Plymouth Colony. Later, with five other men, he went farther down the river; as they rowed along, some Indians called out, " What cheer, ne-top ? " " How are you, friend ? " Encouraged by this welcome the little company turned the boat toward the shore and landed on what is known as " Slate Rock." But they embarked again, and rowed on until they found an attractive place where there was a good spring of water. Williams determined to begin a settlement here. He bought land of the friendly Indians, and dis- tributed it among the settlers. He named the new settlement " Providence," on account, as he said, of " God's providence to him in his distresses." Here, for the first time in the world's history, was there perfect liberty of thought. Roman Catholics and Protestants, infidels and atheists, were all pro- tected, and no man suffered for his opinions. 90 History of the United States. Cradle and Chair of the Time of the Puritans. Settlers soon came and established themselves on the island of Rhode Island, and the whole colony was later known as Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Puritans looked upon it as a danger- ous place, where heretics and lawless persons took refuge ; but notwith- standing this the colony flourished. Roger Will- iams, though he had been banished from Massachusetts, did not cher- ish ill feeling toward those who had caused him to leave his home and seek another in the wilderness. Once he learned that the Pequods, an Indian tribe in what fl is now Connecticut, I ''^^. w^ere doing their best to persuade the Nar- ragansett Indians to join them in an at- tack upon the white settlers in Massachu- setts. At the risk of his life, he w^ent to the council of the Narragansetts, prevailed upon them to refuse to join the Pequods, and thus saved Massachusetts from the horrors of an Indian attack. An Old House in Salem, Mass. The Puritans. 9 i Roger Williams was a robust and vigorous man ; when he was seventy- three years old, he rowed him- self in an open boat over thirty miles on Narragan- sett Bay to hold a discussion with some Quakers at Newport. He was a man of very decided opinions and sometimes used strong language, but he never persecuted any one. He was perhaps the first man to proclaim entire civil and religious liberty. OUTLINE. In 1630 two hundred Puritan colonists landed at Salem, Massachusetts. They came to find homes and 3. place where they could worship God as they wished. They were hard-working, God-fearing people. The Puritans wished everybody to think and act alike in religious matters. Roger Williams believed that church and state should not be joined together. He was threatened with arrest. He fled into the wilderness, and founded Providence, where he gave perfect liberty to thought and action. Where did the Puritans land? How many came the first year? Why did they come ? Describe the Puritans. Describe John Winthrop. Tell the story of Roger Williams. LORD BALTIMORE AND MARYLAND. The Pilgrims and the Puritans were not the only persons who wished to find a land where they could worship God as they pleased. The Roman Catho- lics were not allowed to have churches in England, and were persecuted in various ways. Among the wealthy English Roman Catholics was Sir George Calvert, better known as Lord Baltimore, the latter name coming from a small town in southern Ireland. He was brought up a Pro- testant, but became a Roman Catholic. He wished to found a colony where his Catholic brethren would be secure from interference. In 162 1, Lord Baltimore, ignorant of the length and coldness of the winters, founded a colony in Newfoundland. Later he himself went out intend- ing to remain, but the severity of the climate con- vinced him that he must seek some warmer country if his plans were to succeed. He went to Virginia to see what could be done there ; but, as he was a Catholic, the Virmnians did not welcome him. He next applied to the king, Charles L, who willingly granted him lands on Chesapeake Bay north of the river Potomac. The king named the colony Mary- land after his queen, Henrietta Maria. 92 Lord Baltimore and Maryland. 93 Sir George Calvert died before his charter was ready, and the king gave it to Sir George's son, Cecilius or Cecil, who became the second Lord Baltimore. No one in the colonies had been given such extensive powers. He was almost a monarch, for he was required only to give the king two Indian arrows every year, and one-fifth of any gold and silver that might be found, and to make no laws contrary to the laws of England. The first band of colo- nists, about two hundred in number, under the lead- ership of Leonard Cal- vert, a younger brother of Lord Baltimore, sailed from England in two ves- sels named the Ark and the Dove. The company reached the mouth of the Potomac River in March, 1634, and landed on a small island. There they cut down a tree, and made a cross which they set up ; then they kneeled before it, and gave thanks for having been brought safely to their new home. The colonists soon went over to the mainland. They treated the Indians justly, buying land of them and paying for it with axes, knives, and other Cecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore. After a portrait preserved in the British Public Record Office. 94 History of the United States. articles pleasing to the natives. The Indians gave up part of their village to the strangers and fur- nished them with corn to plant. The colonists built a little town which they called St. Mary's, because they had landed on the day named in honor of the Virgin Mary. The laws made in Maryland w^ere liberal, and for years that colony was one of the freest places in the world. Puritans and Episcopalians, Catholics and Quakers, came to Maryland to find peaceful homes. But even there infidels and Unitarians were alike unwelcome, and could have no privileges. OUTLINE. Lord Baltimore wished to found a colony for Roman Catholics. He tried Newfoundland ; the climate was too cold. King Charles granted him lands on Chesapeake Bay. He named the colony Maryland. He died, but his son Cecil carried out his plans. His laws were liberal, and, except Rhode Island, Maryland was the freest of the early colonies. Tell how Lord Baltimore came to found a colony. After whom was the colony named ? How much power did Lord Baltimore have ? Tell the story of the first band of colonists. Was there perfect freedom for religion in Maryland? KING PHILIP'S WAR. Massasoit, the friend of the Pilgrims and of Roger WiUiams, had two sons, — Wamsutta, who was called by the colonists Alexander, and Metacomet, who was called Philip or King Philip. When Massasoit died, Wamsutta became chief of the tribe. The governor of Plym- outh sent some soldiers to bring Wamsutta to Plymouth because it was reported that he was thinking of making an at- tack upon the English. Wam- sutta was unfortunately taken sick while at Plymouth. The Indians thought that he had been poisoned by the English, and as he died shortly after his return, they became convinced that foul work had been done. From various causes the neiohborincr Indians grew more and more hostile. They claimed with some justice that the English made them drunk and cheated them of land. They tried to arouse other tribes to join them in attacking the English. 95 King Philip. Belt and ornaments correctly- shown. 96 History of the United States. At one time they found some Indians who had warned their own English friends of the danger, and they seized the traitors, as they called them, and put them to death. It was not long before there was a war from which only a few tribes held aloof. The Indians fought after their own fashion. An Indian would creep from tree to tree until he came within gunshot of a white man, and then he would -^Hli^SsW^ / l| t shoot at him. When his vic- •nlf f Ir /^'fili f ^^^^^ ^^^^' ^^^^ Indian would rush ./ i !M--^i Wilis ' up to him, scalp him, and sud- denly disappear. Often the Indians would attack the log-cabins of the settlers at night, set them on fire, and shoot or tomahawk the inmates as they ran from the burning houses. No one who lived on the outskirts of the settlements felt safe, night or day. The Indians frequently chose Sunday for their attacks. Once the settlers of Hadley, Massachu- setts, who were in their meeting-house, were startled by an alarm of Indians. The men rushed out of Indian Weapons. After Catlin. King Philip's War. 97 the house, when a tall man with long gray hair and beard made his appearance, and shouting to the colonists, led them on against the foe. The Indians were repulsed, and the old man van- ished as suddenly as he had come. Many thought he was sent from heaven to deliver them. He was General Goffe, one of Oliver Cromwell's soldiers, who had voted to condemn Kins^ Charles I. of Eno:- land to death, and upon whose head a price was fixed. He had taken ref- uge in Amer- ica with some friends, and was living: in con- ^ The Junkins' Garrison House. CfalinpTit I — If Built against Indian attacks in 1675. Formerly on a hilltop saw the Indians '" Scotland Parish, near Newburyport, Mass. It was stand- ing until 1875. After a painting by Susan Minot Lane. coming, gave the alarm, and led the defence with his old fire and courage. There were about a hundred towns in New Ene- land at this time. Of these, forty were attacked by the Indians, and twelve were completely destroyed. It was not until the colonists adopted the Indian mode of fighting that they were successful. We can hardly believe the stories of the cruelties practised in this war, both by the Indians and by the 98 History of the United States. English. The colonists at one time attacked a fort on Narragansett Bay. It was a log fort in the midst of an almost impassable cedar swamp, and the Indians had brought there a large number of old men, women, and children. The English sur- prised the fort, but the Indians made a brave de- fence. More than tw^o hundred of the whites were killed, and about five times as many of the natives. The colonists were so inflamed against the Indians that they set fire to the wigwams, and many old men, women, and children were burned to death. Canonchet, the chief, was taken. He was offered his life if he would make peace, but he refused, saying w^hen he was about to be put to death, " I like it well ; I wish to die before my heart is soft or I say anything unworthy of myself." When the Indians attacked a settler's house or a village, they would often carry off the women and children captives, and many stories of hairbreadth escapes and of dreadful cruelties were long told to the New England boys and girls. Philip found that, with all his efforts, the Indians were steadily losing ground, and that his cause was hopeless. He wandered from place to place, and hid in swamps and forests. His wife and his young son were captured and sold as slaves to the Bermuda Islands ; for death or slavery was the punishment for Indians who had fought or had even taken sides against the English. King Philip's War. 99 Philip wandered back to the neighborhood of his old home near Mt. Hope on Narragansett Bay. He was traced to a swamp, and was shot by an Indian whose brother he had killed. The hands and head of the great Indian warrior were cut off; his head was sent to Plymouth, and placed on a high pole where it remained exposed to view for about twenty years. It seems very strange to us that the Pilgrims and Puri- tans should have been so harsh, but even in England at that time the heads of traitors and rebels were ex- posed on Temple Bar, a gate in London. The power of the Ind- ians was now broken, for their best warriors had been either killed or taken prisoners, and King Philip's War was the last great struggle with the natives in New England. Many of the colonists desired to civilize the red men, and to convert them to the Christian religion. One of the objects of the founding of Harvard Col- lege was to educate Indian youth for the ministry. John Eliot, a minister at Roxbury, near Boston, was the most unwearied worker in this good cause. John Eliot. From a portrait in the family of the late William Whiting. 4^C UPBIBLUM GOD NUKKONE TESTAMENT WUSKU TESTAMENT. loo History of the United States. He learned the language of some of the tribes in order to teach them in their own tongue. He was constant in visiting the Indian villages and preach- ing to the natives. He once said, " I have not been dry, night or day, from the third day of the week to the sixth ; but so travel, at nioht I pull off my boots, wring my stock- I ings, and so continue." I Eliot was very successful in his I work, and is said to have persuaded I more than three thousand Indians I to become Christians. But this was not all. He translated the Bible into the Indian language and had it printed. Indian boys learned to read in it, and were taught its lessons. These Indians are gone, their language has been forgotten, and probably not more than one or two persons are now able to read Eliot's Indian Bible. The book itself is rarely met with, but copies may be seen in some of the great public libraries. JOHN ELIOT i. . Tmmmwmmmwtmmimmvi Title Page ok Eliot's Bible. Reduced fac-siinile. OUTLINE. The Indians in New England, from various causes, be- came hostile to the English. A terrible war followed ; there were many atrocities. Philip, a son of Massasoit, was the leader. He united the tribes against the English. ' King Philip's War. loi He was at last shot, and the war came to an end. John EHot labored to convert the Indian^ to Christianity, and translated the Bible into their language. Tell who Alexander and Philip were. Describe the Indian methods of warfare. Tell the story of the attack on Hadley. Tell the story of King Philip. What did John l^liot do for the Indians? PETER STUYVESANT AND NEW NETHER- LAND. The first vessels sent to the river that Henry Hudson had discovered brought back such good reports of the country that the Dutch sent out more ships, for they were very quick to seize any chance for trade. Three vessels were sent in 1613. One of them, having taken fire at Manhattan Island, was burnt. Captain Adrien Block, her commander, at once set his men to work to put up some log huts in which to spend the winter. These were the first houses built by Europeans where New York City now stands. While at Manhattan Island, Captain Block built a small vessel, sailed through East River into Long Island Sound, and discovered the island now called by his name. Another captain sailed up the Hudson River and established Fort Orange, a trad- ing post near the place where Albany is now. Ten years later, the Dutch West India Company sent out a number of families to settle at Manhat- tan, at Fort Orange, on Long Island, and even as far as the Delaware River. The next year, 1624, Peter Minuit, the director-general of the colony, bought Manhattan Island from the Indians for Peter Stuyvesant and New Netherland. 103 about twenty-four dollars, and built Fort Amster- dam ; this was the beginning of New Amsterdam, afterward New York City. Soon after this, some of the directors of the com- pany bought large tracts of land along the Hudson River, and sent out colonists as tenants. These large landowners, who called themselves patroons, became very wealthy and powerful. They lived on their great es- tates very much as the old lords used to do in feudal times in the Middle Ages. In 1633, the first school- master came to the colony, and the school of which he w^as the first teacher is still flourishinor, the oldest school in the United States.' The colony was managed, however, not for the good of the settlers, but for the benefit of the Dutch Company. Among other things, the farm- ers were not allowed to buy any furs from the Indians, and the company tried to keep even the patroons out of this profitable trade, but with small success. For a few years the Dutch treated the Indians ^The Collegiate School of the Dutch Church, New York City. Dutch Pleasure Wagon of the Olden Time. I04 History of the United States. well. It is true that some of the settlers sold them guns and rum, and that the fur-traders cheated them ; but, on the whole, the Indians were not dissatisfied. Unfortunately, in 1637, the company sent out William Kieft, as director. He had been a merchant, and knew little or nothing about ruling Early Dutch Costumes. men. He could not be depended upon, for he did not keep his word. He was obstinate, cruel, and greedy of gain ; he treated the Indians very badly, and in this way provoked them to make savage attacks upon the settlers. For two years there was a war in which the colo- nists suffered greatly. The Indians would fire on the boats passing by on the river ; they would attack Peter Stuyvesant and New Netherland. 105 men and women travelling on the roads ; they would shoot the farmers as they worked in the fields. In- deed, the farmers hardly dared to do the necessary work for fear of being shot. Trade and commerce came almost to a standstill, and the colony began to suffer from hunger. Kieft now saw his mistake, and was only too glad to make peace with the Indians. After ten years of misrule, Kieft was remioved. The ship in which he was returning to Holland was wrecked in the English Channel he was drowned, and the fortune he was tak- ing back went down with him. The Dutch Company now chose Peter Stuyve- sant to succeed Kieft as director- general of New Netherland. Stuyvesant had been governor of Cura- 90a, in the West Indies, and had lost one of his legs from a wound in battle. He now stumped around on a wooden leg, bound with silver bands. He was hot-headed and easily made angry ; he was headstrong and used very hard words, but had not a bad heart. He was brave, full of cour- age, honest, and devoted to the interests of the com- Peter Stuyvesant. After the portrait from life in the pos- session of the New York Historical Society. io6 History of the United States. pany which employed him. He had a high idea of the position of a governor, and beHeved that he ought to have all the power in his own hands. Once, when some one threatened to appeal to the company, he said, " If he does, I will make him a foot shorter, and send the pieces to Holland." But he really had the good of the colony at heart, and, when the colonists came to know him, there was not much trouble. The Swedes wished to have a share in America, and had sent out a colony (1638) under Peter Minuit, the same man who had bought Manhat- tan Island for the Dutch. Minuit sailed up the Delaware River, bought land from the Indians, and, near the place where Wilmington, Delaw^are, now stands, he built a fort, naming it Christina, after the queen of Sweden. The Dutch objected strongly to this, but Stuyve- sant was too weak to prevent it. A few years later, however, Stuyvesant built a fort on the Dela- ware, very near the Swedish settlement. This fort the Swedes attacked and took. Stuyvesant, the people of New Amsterdam, and the Dutch Com- pany, were very angry when this news reached them. As soon as possible Stuyvesant made an attack upon the Swedes, and was successful in tak- ing all their forts. This brought Swedish rule to an end in America. The Swedes were not the only enemies of the Peter Stuyvesant and New Netherland. 107 Dutch. The Eno^lish settlers were increasino- north and south of New Netherland, and paid little atten- tion to the Dutch boundaries. Stuyvesant made several journeys to New England to defend his rights, and secured as o^ood terms as he could. But the English settlers kept coming upon Dutch terri- tory, and claimed nearly the whole of what is to-day the state of New York. Many of them had come to Long Island, and they disliked the Dutch rule. Stuyvesant saw the danger to the colony, but could do nothing, as the English outnumbered his men so greatly. One day in August, 1664, some English ships came sailing into the bay. Troops were landed, who took possession of Staten Island. Director Stuyvesant put all able-bodied men to work to repair the battery and to throw up fortifications ; but the stock of powder was small, and the people were not hearty in their support, for they preferred to go under English rule rather than have the town fired on and their property destroyed. In fact, not a few were quite ready to change rulers. Nicolls, the English commander, sent a letter saying that, if the Dutch gave up, no one should be hurt and that everything could go on as before, except that the English flag must fly over the town and the English rule be acknowledged. The coun- cil insisted that this letter should be read before the people, but Stuyvesant refused, for he was sure that io8 History of the United States. the people would wish to accept these terms. A sharp dispute followed, and Stuyvesant, in a rage, tore up the letter and threw the pieces on the floor. The council broke up, but the members told the people what terms the English had offered. Finally Stuyvesant was forced to yield. The English landed. The Stadthuys, New York, 1679. After Brevoort's drawing. (" Stadthuys " is Dutch for " statehouse.") hoisted their flag, and New Netherland became New York. The Dutch Company sent for Stuyvesant to come to Holland and explain why he had given up their colony. He was able to do this satisfactorily, for every one who had been on the spot knew that he had held out until resistance was useless. When Peter Stuyvesant and New Netherland. 109 peace was made between England and Holland, the English kept New York. Nine years later (1673) there was another war between England and Holland. One day some Dutch ships sailed into the harbor, just as the English ships had done, and found New York just as unprepared as before. The fort and town sur- rendered, and New York became Dutch again. But the very next year peace was made, and New York was Qiiven back to the Ens^lish. Peter Stuyvesant, after his return from Holland, lived in peace and plenty at his " bowery," as the Dutch called a farm; he died in 1682, when he was about eighty years old. He was fond of fruit and fiowers ; one of the pear trees which he planted stood over two hundred years, until 1867, when it was blown down in a storm. OUTLINE. The Dutch settled on Manhattan Island, 161 3. Peter Minuit bought the island from the Indians for twenty-four dollars. Patroons settled along the Hudson River, had large estates, and became wealthy. Governor Kieft was a very unwise ruler ; he brought on an Indian war. Peter Stuyvesant, a hot-headed but brave man, succeeded Kieft. He was the last Dutch governor of New Netherland. The Swedes settled on the Delaware River. The Dutch claimed the land, and after a time conquered the Swedes. The English, in 1664, took New Amsterdam without a struggle. iio History of the United States. The Dutch retook the town in 1673. When peace was made, 1674, New Netherland was given to the EngUsh. Give an account of Captain Block and his discoveries. Tell the story of the founding of New Amsterdam. Who were the patroons ? Tell about Governor Kieft ; Peter Stuyvesant. Tell about the Swedes. Tell how New Netherland became New York. FATHER MARQUETTE AND LA SALLE. For the most part, the English came to find homes in the New World, and so did not go far away from the Atlantic coast, though they claimed all the country to the South Sea, as the Pacific Ocean was then called. The French, on the other hand, were great explorers. Before the English settled Plymouth or Salem, and before Roger Williams, founded Prov- idence, or Lord Baltimore sent out the Ark and the Dove, French explorers, traders, and Jesuit priests had followed the course of the St. Lawrence River ; while Champlain had chosen the site of Quebec, and had discovered the beautiful lake which bears his name. About the time the English colonists were fiQ:htino^ Kino: Philip, Father Marquette, a French Jesuit priest, in com- pany with Joliet, a fur trader, III James Makqueitk. Who with Louis Joliet dis- covered the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien, June 17, 1673." From the statue by G. Trentenove, in the Rotunda of the Capitol, Washington. I 2 History of the United States. was pushing his way along the Great Lakes, and searching for a great river, of which the Indians had told him. Map to illustrate French Exi-lorations. Marquette and Joliet took with them smoked meat and Indian corn to eat; and beads, watches, Father Marquette and La Salle. 1 1 3 and many other articles to exchange with the natives for food. They had five men to paddle their canoes, but they carried no warlike weapons, for their errand was a peaceful one ; Father Mar- quette was a true missionary. They launched their canoes on the Wisconsin River, and after a week floated into the river of which they had heard, and which they so greatly desired to see. Now and then, as they floated down the stream, they saw many buffaloes on the banks, but it was long before they saw any traces of Indians. After a journey of hundreds of miles, they saw some foot- prints in the mud, and, landing, followed the tracks until they reached an Indian village, where the people proved to be friendly. The Frenchmen began their journey again, but when they reached the mouth of the Arkansas River, hearing from friendly Indians that there were hostile tribes farther on, they turned back ; yet they had gone far enough to be sure that the great stream must empty into the Gulf of Mexico. Father Marquette, worn out by his long journeys and the exposure, died on the shores of Lake Michigan, where the town of Marquette now stands. Another Frenchman, Robert Cavalier de La Salle, was so moved by the accounts of Joliet and others, and by the desire to increase the empire of France, that he resolved to go on with the explo- I IT4 History of the United States. rations which Father Marquette and JoHet had begun. He started in 1679, but was delayed by so many mishaps that he did not reach the Mississippi River for about two years. He took with him a party of Indians and Frenchmen, and marked his course by building little forts. These men suffered from hunger ; they slept on the open ground ; they would watch by night and march by day, loaded with bag- gage, such as blankets, clothing, kettles, hatchets, guns, powder, lead, and skins. Sometimes they thrust their way through thickets, sometimes climbed rocks covered with ice and snow, sometimes waded w^hole days through marshes where the water was waist deep, but they kept on, and at last reached the Mississippi. They continued their journey down the great stream, until, early in April, 1682, they reached its mouth. They were the first Europeans who had made a continuous voyage from the upper part of the mighty stream to its m.outh. Everywhere La Salle had claimed possession of the land in the name of the French king. RuUKkl C-WALIKR SlKUK DE LA Salle. After Margry's portrait. Father Marquette and La Salle, i i 5 Louis XIV., in honor of whom he called the country Louisiana. Not far frorh the mouth of the river he set up a column and a cross. On the cokmin he painted the nam,e of France and this inscription, " Louis the Great, King of France and Navarre, reigns, April 9th, 1682." La Salle returned to France ; two years later he took part in an expedition to found a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. The captain of the ves- sel went too far to the west, and then refused to sail back in search of the river. He landed La Salle and his companions on the coast of what is now Texas, and left them to their fate. La Salle encouraged his companions, and did all that was possible to establish them securely. He searched for the Mississippi River, but could not find it. About two years had gone by, and nothing had been heard from France. He now determined to go overland to Canada and get help. With one-half of the company, twenty in number, he set out on his difficult and perilous journey of two thousand miles. The men were poorly pro- vided with clothing. They had to depend for food upon what game they could find. There were no roads, and their progress was very slow. Some of his men rebelled. At length, at some unknown spot in the vast wilderness of eastern Texas, this brave and patriotic Frenchman was treacherously killed by one of his followers. ii6 History of the United States. OUTLINE. Father Marquette and Joliet explored the Mississippi River as far as the Arkansas River. La Salle explored the Great West. He and his party suffered great privations. They sailed down the river to its mouth, claimed the great territory for the French king, and called it Louisiana. La Salle made a second expedition to the Mississippi. He and his party suffered great hardships. He was killed by one of his followers. Tell the story of Marquette and Joliet. Tell the story of La Salle's expedition. What did he name the territory? Tell the story of his second expedition ; of his death. NATHANIEL BACON. While the New England colonies were fighting with King Philip, the Virginians were compelled to defend themselves against the southern Indians The orovernor of Viroinia at this time was Sir William Berkeley. He was a harsh, severe ruler, and had little sympathy with the people. He said of Virginia, " I am thankful that there are no free schools or printing-offices, and 1 hope that we shall not have them these hundred years." A traveller in Virginia, who went to see him in 1672, was asked by a Virginian if the governor had called him " dog " or " rogue," and when the trav- eller said " No," the Virginian returned, "Then you found him in his best humor, for those are his usual terms." Virginia was suffering from severe laws and heavy taxes imposed by the royal government. Berkeley would do nothing to help the people, and they were ready to rebel. When the Indians attacked the frontier, the people appealed to the governor for aid, but he refused. It is said that he was making much money from the fur trade with the Indians, and knew that if he sent forces against them he should lose this prof- 117 ii8 History of the United States. i table business. Perhaps he was afraid that if the people were armed they would turn against him, as soon as the Indian troubles were settled. When they found that the governor would not aid them, the people themselves raised a force of Bacon and Berkeley. volunteers. They chose Nathaniel Bacon, a liberal young Englishman, to be their leader, and marched against the savages. Governor Berkeley proclaimed Bacon and all who were with him rebels and trai- tors ; but Bacon was so popular that the governor's threats did not amount to much. When Bacon returned from the frontier he found himself the idol of the colony ; he had also been Nathaniel Bacon. i i 9 elected a member of the legislature, which the governor had been forced to call. The governor arrested him, but was compelled to set him free. In this legislature, through Bacon's influence, good laws were passed, and for years afterward they were known as " Bacon's Laws." Again the governor planned to arrest Bacon, but he escaped, and gathering a force of several hundred men, marched on Jamestown ; again the governor yielded, and Bacon was appointed "general against the Indians." Two months later he was once more proclaimed a rebel. Berkeley, finding that his course was not approved by many of the Virginians, took refuge in what he supposed was the most loyal part of the colony, but, to his disappointment, the people would hear nothing against Bacon. He then fled to the eastern shore of Virginia, across Chesapeake Bay. Here the governor was able to collect a force of a few hundred men and some vessels, and, com- ing back, took possession of Jamestown. Bacon was returnincr from a successful Indian campaign, and had discharged most of his men ; but when he heard that Berkeley held Jamestown, he decided to attack him. Men and women along the road brought food and drink to refresh his little army, and the women cried out, " (icneral, if you need help, send for us ! " Bacon very soon did find a way to make women I 20 History of the United States. y^ helpful. The peninsula on which Jamestown was built was connected with the mainland by a very narrow isthmus. Bacon occupied this neck of land, and in order to fortify it in safety, seized the wives and daughters of some of Berkeley's men, and sent one of them into Jamestown " to inform her own and other husbands that he meant to place their ^^ ^ wives in the fore >-\^ ^ ^ ' "^^^fe^ ^ ^ front of his men who were to throw up the earth- works." Notwithstand- ing this warning, Berkeley ordered an attack. His men were re- pulsed, and then, sure enough, the women were " exhibited to the view of their husbands and friends in the town, upon the top of the small work, where Bacon caused them to tarry till he had finished his defence." Of course they proved to be an ample protection. The governor now gave up the town and retreated with his men to the vessels. When it was learned that Berkeley had stolen away in the night, Bacon marched into the town and ordered the place to be burnt, so that " the rogues should harbor there no more." His orders were obeyed. Nothing — - V '5?-:7 Bacon Quarter Branch. Where Bacon had a plantation near the falls of the James. Nathaniel Bacon 121 remains of this earliest English town in America except the ruined tower of the old brick church. Bacon was now in control of Virginia, but he was worn out by excitement, fatigue, and exposure in the swamps ; before long he fell sick and died. Some of his friends, fearful that his body might be taken up and hung in chains, either buried it in some place still unknown, or sunk it in the river. With Bacon's death the rebellion ended. Berkeley regained power, and hanged twenty- three of Bacon's followers as rebels. King Charles, when he heard of this, said, " That old fool has hanged more men in that naked country than I have done for the murder of my father.*' Bacon had not lived in vain. Berkeley was re- moved by the king, and sailed for England amid the rejoicings of the people, who celebrated his departure with firing of cannon and blazing of bon- fires. The king for whom he had done so much refused to see him, and he died in diso'race in less than a year after Bacon's death. No royal governor dared again to oppress the Virginians as Berkeley had done. OUTLINE. Sir William Berkeley, the governor of Virginia, was a harsh man and a severe ruler. The people chose Nathaniel Bacon to lead them against the Indians. Bacon was very popular. Through his influence good laws were passed. 122 History of the United States. Bacon was the leader of a rebellion against the governor. He was successful, but died of disease. Berkeley was at last removed by the king. Describe Sir William Berkeley. Tell about Nathaniel Bacon, and how the governor treated him. Tell how Bacon attacked Jamestown ; his death. What was done to Berkeley? WILLIAM PENN. About the time that La Salle set out for Canada (1682) on his journey to explore the Mississippi River, and secure a great empire for France, a very different plan was being arranged in England. It was for the settlement of a new English colony, where there should be no war, where the people should make their own laws, where there should be political and religious liberty, and where the Indians should be treated justly. llie man who devised this plan and wished to carry it out was William Penn. He was at this time about thirty- seven years old. His father had been a very successful captain in the English navy, and had been rewarded by being At the age of 22. After the portrait attrlb- 1 1*1 T T uted to Sir Peter Lelv. made an admiral. He had been on terms of friendship with King Charles II. and with his brother James, the Duke of York. J 1 J 3^ \. 1 i J *^ William Pk.\n. 123 124 History of the United States. Fac-simile of Part OF THE Royal Deed given to Penn. Admiral Penn was a rich man, and had educated his son as other wealthy young Englishmen were educated ; that is to say, to be skil- ful in athletic games, to fence well, and to be a fine and courtly gentle- man. To finish his education, Will- iam had been sent to Oxford. We can imagine the fathers dis- pleasure when he heard that his son was thinkino^ of becominof a Quaker. The admiral was of such hasty temper that, when he found his son would not change his views, he flogged the young man and turned him out of doors. After a while, at the entreaty of Penn's mother, the young man was allowed to come back. For more William Penn. 125 IWHll II than two years, Admiral Penn tried in every possible way to make his son leave the Quakers. He floQ^Qred h ^&' mi again, he sent him away on a foreign tour, he reasoned with him, he threat- ened him, but in vain ; a Quaker young Penn would be. It is pleasant to know that Admiral Penn, at last, became reconciled to his son. Admiral Penn left to his son a large estate and a claim on the EnoHsh crown for money lent to the king, amounting to about sixteen thousand pounds sterling. Penn begged the king to give him lands in America in payment of this debt. Charles II., who was always short of money, gladly consented to pay his debt in this way. He granted to Penn a large tract west of the Delaware River and north 126 History of the United States. A brief Account of the ^^otjime of ^ettnfplbattia. Lately Granted by the KING, Under the GREAT Seal of England, TO WILLIAM PENN AND HIS Heirs and Affigns. Since (by the good Providence ol Cod, and the Favour of the King) a Country in Amtric4 is fallen to my Lot, 1 thought it not lefs my Duty, then my Honeft InterefV, to give fomc publick notice of J: to the World, that thofe of our own or other Nations, that arc inclin'd toTranfport Themfelves or Families beyond the Seas, may find ano- ther Country added to their Choice ; that if they fhall hapicn to like the Place, Conditions, and Government, (fo far as the prcfent Infancy of things will allow US any profpeO^ ihey may, if they plcafe, fix with me in the Pro- vince, hereafter defcrilxd. I. Ti&e KING'S ^'t^ to thU CoumrybefonhtgranteA tt. It is the Jm Ctnttum, or Law of Nations, that what ever Wafte, or uncuf- tcd Country, is the Difcovcry of any Princ^ it is the right of that Prince, that was at the Charge of the Difcovery : Now this frovinu is a Member of that part of AmricAy which the King of'^£/»^/4w^i Anccftors have been at the Charge of Difcovering, and vhich they aod he have taken great care to prcferve ani ""f"""- U. William William Penii, I 27 of Maryland, and insisted on calling it Pennsylvania, after Admiral Penn. William Penn at once began to prepare a form of government for his new province. He wished the people of Pennsylvania to be a " free, sober, and industrious people," and " to be governed by laws of their own makino-." ri S icrjofve^^ ^ fcaitoV Seal and Signature to the Frame of Government. So anxious was he to do what w^as best for all, that he called his plan, " An holy experiment." He wished his province to be a place of refuge for the persecuted, and especially for the Quakers, who had suffered very much. At one time, several thousand Quakers in England, were in prison simply because they insisted on worshipping God as they thought right. Before his plans were completed Penn sent a letter 128 History of the United States. to the Indians to let them know his kindly feeling toward them. Though the king had given him all the country, yet Penn would allow no land to be settled until it had been bought from the natives. He made just laws, in which the rights of the Indians were carefully looked after. In 1682, Penn himself came over with a number of emigrants, in the ship Welcome. On the voy- age, smallpox broke out among the passengers and the wealthy proprietor of Pennsylvania himself helped to nurse the sick. He was received with great rejoicing by the colo- nists. He had already directed that a city should be begun, which he called Philadelphia, the " City of Brotherly Love." Some of the settlers came to Philadelphia before their homes were ready for them ; and while the houses were building, they lived in caves along the banks of the Delaware River. One of Penn's first acts was to meet the Indians and assure them of his love and regard for them, and his desire that they and the people of Pennsylvania should always live together as neighbors and friends. On his visits to the tribes they would give him a warm welcome. Once he found the Indians en- gaged in running, jumping, and other sports. He had been very fond of such games in his youth, and though he was now nearly forty years old, he was lithe and active ; so he ran and jumped with the William Penn. I 29 rest, and actually beat them all, to the great delight of the Indians. He often met the Indians, and made treaties with them. Some of these were to show good-will, and some for the purchase of land. One of these meet- The Treaty Elm, Philadelphia. rom an old print. ings was held under a great elm tree liear Phila- delphia. William Penn wore a sky-blue sash tied around his waist, but he had no sword or gun, or any- thing more war-like in his hand than a roll of paper. The Indians, seeing that he was unarmed, threw down their bows and arrows, and seated themselves K I 30 History of the United States. on the ground. Penn then told them that he and his friends wished to Hve in peace and friendship with the Indians, that it was not their custom to fight, and so they had come unarmed. The principal chief of the Indians replied that the Indians and the Ens^lish must live in love as lono- as the sun and moon should endure. It is said that the Indians gave Penn a belt of wampum as a mark of friendship. There is a wampum belt in Phila- \\\A.MPUM Belt. delphia, having on it the figures of two men shaking hands, which was given to Penn on this or a similar occasion. Of this treaty, Voltaire, the great Frenchman, said " It was never sworn to and never broken." There was no trouble between the Indians and the Pennsylvanians, and not a drop of Quaker blood was knowingly shed by an Indian. For many years there was no war of any kind in Pennsylvania. Penn went back to England after two or three years; in 1699, he returned to Pennsylvania expect- ing to end his days in America, but he was forced to go again to England to protect his rights. He was arrested on a false charge of debt, brought by his William Penn. I '^i agent who had cheated him shamefully. Penn, rather than pay what he knew was unjust, went to prison. His friends, after a time, secured his release, but his health was broken down, and he died in 1718, leav- ing a name greatly renowned and respected. The First Town Hall and Court House, Philadelphla.. Pennsylvania was so free, and its soil so fertile, that large numbers of colonists were attracted to it. It soon became one of the richest and most popu- lous of the colonies. OUTLINE. William Penn, a wealthy young Englishman, joined the Quakers. His father was greatly displeased. William 132 History of the United States. Penn inherited large property. To pay him a debt King Charles gave him Pennsylvania. Penn founded a colony where justice was to be the law. The colony was to be a refuge for all the oppressed, but especially for the Quakers. Penn bought land of the Indians, treated them justly, and for years there was no trouble with the Indians. Penn returned to England. Pennsylvania became one of the richest of the colonies. Tell the story of William Penn as a young man. How did he get Pennsylvania ? What did he call his plan of government? What great city did he found ? How did he treat the Indians? Tell the story of the treaty. OGLETHORPE AND GEORGIA. The Cabots had claimed the Atlantic coast of North America for England in 1497, but it was not until 1607, more than a hundred years later, that Jamestown, the first successful English colony, was settled. It was another hundred years and more, before Georgia, the thir- teenth and last English colony, was established in 1733- The story of this colony is different from that of any of the others. The settlement was due entirely to one man, General James Edward Oglethorpe. He was an Englishman who had seen much of life. He had fouo^ht under the great Duke of Marlborough against Louis XIV. of France, and had fought against the Turks ; in his younger days, he had seen many wonderful adven- tures, but unlike Captain John Smith, he never wished to talk about them. A hundred and fifty years ago it was a very com- ^33 James Edward Oglethorpe. After the painting by Ravenet. 1 34 History of the United States. men thing, both in England and elsewhere, to send to prison one who could not pay his debts. A man might be imprisoned for owing even a shilling. And sometimes a debtor would spend years in prison because he could not pay a small sum. There was much suffering on account of this hard law. It happened that one of Oglethorpe's friends was sent to prison for debt, and suffered so much while there from the poor food, bad air, and hard treat- ment, that he died. This called Oglethorpe's attention to the sfreat number of men in debtor's prisons. He found also that those in prison were not the only sufferers, for their families were deprived of support. He bes^an to exert himself on behalf of the suffer- ers, and after much labor succeeded in getting Par- liament to modify the laws. He was also able to secure liberty for several hundred debtors. But this was not all. He knew that many of these unfortunate persons, even if set free, could get no work in England ; and the idea came into his mind that in the New World they could start afresh with some hope of success. After careful thought, he applied to King George for some land in America to found a colony. The kins granted him a tract of land south of the Savannah River. Oglethorpe named the colony Georgia, in honor of the king. It was intended not only for those Oglethorpe and Georgia. 13^ who were unable to pay their debts, but also for those who were oppressed, and especially for perse- cuted Protestants. Oglethorpe would not take the rule himself, but all power was given to a board of trustees. Many persons in England were interested in the plan, and gave money to carry it into effect. Ogle- it A View of Savannah, Georgia. From a print published in London in 1741, and humbly inscribed to General Oglethorpe. thorpe himself took out over one hundred emi- grants, who reached Georgia in 1733. Oglethorpe chose the site of the city of Savannah, and laid out Its plan. Like William Penn, he bought the land from the Indians, who for a long time remained very friendly. Once some of the Indians gave Oglethorpe a buffalo skin, on the inside of which 136 History of the United States. were painted an eagle's head and some feathers. " The feathers," they said, " are soft, and stand for love ; and the skin is warm, and means protection ; so love and protect us." Oglethorpe lived a whole year in a tent, doing all that he could to help the colonists. He would not allow any rum in the colony, nor would he have any slaves. He knew that industry is necessary for success, and, finding that mulberry trees would grow in Georgia, he sent to Europe for silk worms, which feed upon mulberry leaves, hoping that Georgia would become a great silk-producing country ; but the business did not pay very well, and after some years it was given up. The Spaniards in Florida were angry because of the settlement of Georgia, claiming that the colony was upon Spanish territory ; and they prepared for war. Oglethorpe, who was an old soldier, was not afraid of the Spaniards, and defeated them so com- pletely that there was no trouble for a long time. The news that Georgia was a place for the op- pressed soon spread over Europe, and Moravians and Lutherans from the Continent, and Highland- ers from Scotland, came over to the settlement. The colony promised well, but some of the laws which Oglethorpe and the trustees had made for the bene- fit of the colonists were not popular. Their neighbors in the Carolinas and in the Oglethorpe and Georgia. 137 other colonies had slaves, and these colonists wished to have slaves ; the rum trade also was very profita- ble, and they longed for a share in the business. They did not like the restrictions thrown around them, and one by one these had to be given up. Slaves were introduced before many years, and the rum trade was beo-un. One great reason why the colony did not at first prosper was that the colonists were not enterprising men. Many of them had fallen into trouble in Eng- land and had become debtors because they had not the knack of getting on in the \vorld ; and moving to Georgia had not changed their characters. The trustees, after t\venty years' trial, gave up their charter to the king, and Georgia became a royal colony, in its law^s and form of government resembling the other colonies. More emigrants came, and gradually Georgia entered on a prosper- ous career. Oglethorpe spent ten years or more in the col- ony, and then went back to England. He lived to see the independence of the United States. Some one who saw him in 1784 wrote, "Even then he was the finest figure of a man you ever saw ; but very, very old ; the flesh on his face Hke parchment." He died the next year, 1785, the last of the original English colonizers and one of the best. 138 History of the United States. OUTLINE. General Oglethorpe, moved by the hardships of pris- oners for debt, founded Georgia. This was the last of the English colonies to be established. He invited the op- pressed of all nations. He gained no profit for himself. Laws were made for the good of the people, but they did not like them. The colony was not prosperous for a long time. • Tell the story of Oglethorpe. What suggested to him the founding of a colony? Whom did he invite to his colony? What was it called? Why was it not successful? LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND AND THE MIDDLE COLONIES BEFORE THE REVOLUTION. The colonists in New England had come from England expecting to work, and they brought up their children in the same way of thinking. No idle persons were tolerated. In the early days, there was continual fear of the Indians in many parts of the country, and constant watch had to be kept for these dreaded foes. This fear led the people to live very much in villages, rather than on plantations as in Virginia, or on large farms as in Pennsylvania. The attention of the colonists was early turned to the sea, as the soil of New England is rocky and not very fertile. Soon there were no better sailors in the world than those of New England. Their vessels went to the banks of Newfoundland for codfish, and, besides this, a large and very profit- able trade sprang up with the West Indies. The vessels took fish, lumber, and flour, and brought back sugar, and especially molasses, out of which rum was made. The life of the people was simple and often severe. This was shown most in their reliction. We have seen how the old Puritans were unwilling for others 139 140 History of the United States. to act or even to think differently from them in re- gard to reHgious matters. This led the ministers and the magistrates to persecute the Quakers and others. Rhode Island alone of the New England colonies never persecuted men on account of their religion. Female Costumes of 1776. The minister, particularly in the earlier days, was the most important man in the community. The churches, or " meeting-houses," as they called them, were built usually of wood, with lofty pulpits and high-back pews. The meeting-house was not heated in winter, and to keep warm the church-goers carried from home hot stones or bricks, and, in later times, small foot-stoves. Sermons were often two hours long. The hymns and psalms were given out by the Life in New England, 141 minister or clerk, line by line, and sung by the whole congregation. It was the duty of the tithing-man to keep order in the meeting-house, and if boys and girls went to sleep or misbehaved in meeting, they would feel the rap of his stick on their heads. Men A Dame School. and women, if they fell asleep, were also waked up; the men, by the tap of one end of the stick, and the women, by the tickling of their faces with a fox- tail, which hung from the other end of the stick. Fines for misconduct in church were common, and 142 History of the United States. Yale College 'in we are told of one girl who was fined five shillings for laughing in meeting. The value in which education was held is shown by the founding of Harvard College in 1636 and 1 701. In most of the colonies children were Timetixi^^om^U compelled to go Both great and fmail; to school. The early school- ITfitfi^'jbcautcousVyife house, however, Made D-^-^::"^ ^ Braddock's Field. himself; he was everywhere on the fatal field, ex- posing himself regardless of danger. He had two horses shot under him, and four bullets passed harm- lessly through his clothes. The Indians thought that he bore a charmed life. He it was who 2:athered tos^ether what was left of the army and conducted the retreat. Though this expedition was such a failure, Washington came out 1«2 History of the United States. of it with a higher reputation than ever. He was made commander of the Virginia forces, and for three years guarded the frontier of the colony. This expedition was only one incident' of the war. The conflict was also carried on in other parts of the country. At last England appointed General James Wolfe, a brave man and a skilful officer, to lead an expedition against Quebec, the great stronghold of the French. Quebec was commanded by the Marquis Montcalm, one of the ablest of the French officers. The town stands on a high cliff; it is protected on three sides by water ; on one side are high rocks which seem well- nigh inaccessible. Wolfe almost despaired of taking the town, but, hearing of a path which led up the cliff, he deter- mined to make an attempt to scale the heights. One dark night, he and his troops floated down the river with the tide, and landed at the foot of the cliffs. A few soldiers climbed the path ; they surprised and captured the French sentinel at the top before he could give the alarm. Soon Wolfe's forces were on the heights, ready for the attack. General James Wolfe. After the print in Entick's " General History of the Late War." George Washington, • 83 Montcalm was amazed when he learned of Wolfe's feat. In the battle which followed, both generals were mortally wounded. As Wolfe fell, pierced by a shot in his breast, he heard a cry : " They run ! they run ! " " Who run ? " he asked. " The French," was the reply. " Now God be praised, I die in peace," he said, and died. Montcalm, struck down Quebec in the Eighteenth Century. From an old print. by a bullet, said to the surgeon : " How long shall I survive ? " " Ten or twelve hours, perhaps less," was the reply. " So much the better ; I shall not live to see the surrender of Quebec." In five days the town surrendered. The war dragged on, but France was conquered. In the treaty of peace (1763), France gave up 184 History of the United States. to England all her possessions in America as far as the Mississippi, except two small islands near Newfoundland, to be used as fishing stations. All the rest of the lands which she had claimed she gave to Spain. The English colonists now could settle where they pleased in the Ohio country, without fear of an enemy except the Indians. When the French withdrew from the Ohio coun- try, Washington had the pleasure of being with the British forces when they took possession of the smoking ruins of Fort Duquesne, which now became Fort Pitt, and later, Pittsburg. Before the close of the war, Washington was married to a charming, wealthy young widow, Martha Custis. His niece died, and he came into possession of his brother's large estates, including Mount Vernon, which was henceforth his home. He was only twenty-seven years old, and yet he was one of the foremost men of Virginia, admired as her best soldier, and respected by all. Whatever Washington did he did well. He became the most successful planter in Virginia. Of course, like all other rich men in the colony, he had slaves, but they were contented, and he never sold one of them. As his surveys made in his youth were unques- tioned, so now, when his name was seen on a barrel or a bag of flour or on a hogshead of tobacco, every- George Washington. 185 body knew that the flour or tobacco was exactly what it should be. He was fond of outdoor exercise, and he often went fox-hunting with his neighbors. For this recreation he would dress in a blue coat, scarlet waistcoat, buckskin breeches, and a velvet cap. When a youth he is said to have thrown a stone across the Rappahannock River, where nobody had done it before and nobody has done it since. He was six feet two inches tall, wore a number eleven shoe, and his gloves had to be made especially for him, his hands were so large. He kept his strength, for, when he was forty, he threw an iron bar to an almost incredible distance ; and when he was in the Revolutionary Army he once picked up the poles and canvas of his tent, and threw them into the camp wagon with ease. This was usually the work of two men. OUTLINE. George Washington was the son of a Virginia planter. He received a limited education. Became a skilled sur- veyor. Was sent on important missions to the French. Was aide to General Braddock during the French and Indian War. The French were defeated, and England gained the vast western country to the Mississippi River. Whatever Washington did he did well. He was strong and athletic. 1 86 History of the United States. When and where was George Washington born? Describe the Virginia of those days. Tell the story of Washington's school days. Tell the story of his surveying trip in the Shenandoah Valley. Describe the beginning of the conflict between England and France in the New World. Tell the story of Washington's expedition to the French fort. Tell the story of Braddock's defeat. Tell the story of the capture of Quebec. Describe Washington's marriage, his personal character, his bodily strength, and personal appearance. THE REVOLUTION. During the French and Indian War the colonists learned how strong they were. The war also made them better acquainted with each other, because the men of the middle and eastern colonies had stood side by side in battle. Moreover it made them feel that the French territory could not have been won without their aid. It helped to unite the colonies as nothing else had been able to do. It showed them that they had common interests, and even made some of them think that they could get along without England. They laid heavy taxes upon themselves, to pay the expenses of their own troops, and did it willingly; but when England began to tax them they objected. They claimed that, as they were not represented in the English Parliament, that body had no right to tax them. Many of the people of England could have made a similar claim, for Parliament was elected by a small number of voters, and many large towns were unrepresented. But the Ameri- cans felt that, if their money was to be spent, they should have some voice in deciding what should be done with it. . 187 I 88 History of the United States. There were many Englishmen who thought that the Americans were riorht. The EnHish grovern- ment, however, thought differently, and in 1765 Padiament passed the Stamp Act, a law which required all law papers, all agreements, all marriage certificates, and many other papers, in order to be of any use, to be written on paper which had a certain value stamped upon it. These sheets of stamped 8> Of\e Penny Stamps used in 1765. paper varied in value from one cent to sixty dollars, or even more. When the Americans heard of this plan of taxa- tion they were very indignant. They refused to buy any of the stamped paper, and no one dared to keep it for sale. The English government could not force the people to buy what they did not want, and so the plan failed. Parliament now thought it wise to repeal the law, but declared at the same time that it was right to tax the colonies. There was great joy in America and in England when the The Revolution. 189 repeal of the Stamp Act was known. The joy did not last long, for Parliament soon found another way to tax the colonists. It was said " The Ameri- cans are very fond of tea. They cannot grow it in America, and they will have to pay any tax wq Ttur.a.,, OQci^.j!. 1165 THE NUMB ug; PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL; AN D WEEKLY ADVEKTISER. EXP IRING: In Hopes of a RatittrectiontoLiTE again. □ am foriy to be obliged to ac- quaint my read- ers that as the Stamp Act is feared to be obligatory upon us after theJirjY of November ensumg (Tlie Fatal To-morrow), The publifherofthis paper, un- able to bear the Burthen, has thought it expedient to ftop awhile, m order to deliberate, whether any methods can be found to elude the chams forged for us, and efcape the infup- portable flavery, which it is hoped, froiu the laft reprefeiitation now made again ft that act, may be effected. Mean while I muft earneftly Requeft every individual of my Subfcribers, many of whom have been long be- hind Hand, that they would unmediately dif- charge their refpective Arrears, that I may be able, not only to fupport myfelf during the Inter- val, but be better prepar- ed to proceed again with this Paper whenever an opening for that purpofe appears, which I hope will be foon. WILLIAM BRADFORD. A Colonial Newspaper. A fac-simile about one-third the size of the original. choose to put upon it." So a tax of threepence, about six cents, was laid upon every pound of tea that should be brought into America. As soon as the Americans heard of this, they said, '' We will not drink any tea that comes from Eng- 190 History of the United States. land into America." When vessels havinof tea on board reached Boston they were ordered back, but the British officers refused to let them sail. Then one night a party of men, dressed as Indians, went on board the ships, hoisted up from the holds of the vessels more than three hundred chests of tea, broke them open, and emptied the tea over the sides of the The Boston Tea-party. From an old print. ships into the water. This performance was called " The Boston Tea-party." When tea ships went to Philadelphia and New York, the captains were not allowed to put the tea on shore. At Charleston, South Carolina, the tea was landed, but was stored in damp cellars, so that it soon spoiled. At Annapolis, Maryland, the tea was burned. The Revolution. 191 When the king and his ministers heard of these acts of violence they were very angry. There were only two courses for them to follow, — either to repeal the law or to try to enforce obedience. Naturally the government decided upon the latter. Massachusetts was the most unruly colony, and Parliament passed several laws to punish her. One of the laws provided that no ships should Charleston in 1780, After a drawing by Leitch. enter or leave Boston Harbor until the town should make good the loss of the tea, and agree to obey the laws. Another law took away several of the privileges which had been giv^en to Massachusetts in her charter. This law was the worst of all, for, if Parliament could change the charter of one colony, it could change the charters of all, and the liberty which had been given them would be at the 192 History of the United States. mercy of a government in which the colonists had no representation. Another law gave the British government the right to quarter troops on the colonists.^ When the news of these and other laws reached America, the whole country was stirred up. Meet- ings were held everywhere to protest against them. Meanwhile the people of Boston began to suffer from the closing of their port. Help came from all over the countryo Charleston, South Carolina, sent rice, New York sent wheat, and from other places came various kinds of provisions and also money. On the day on which the law was to go into effect the bells were tolled and the houses were hung with black. In Virginia, Washington presided at a meeting where it was resolved not to use anything British until the rights of the colonists were restored. In every one of the colonies such meetings were held, and similar resolutions were passed. Men and women wore homespun clothes, and rather than use anything imported from England, drank tea made of the leaves of raspberry or other plants, such as sassafras or sage. The British government had sent troops to Bos- ton, and had placed them under the command of General Gage, the military governor of Massachu- 1 To quarter troops is to force the inhabitants to board soldiers in their families. The Revolution. 193 setts. Already the colonies felt that the cause of Massachusetts was the cause of all, and that it would be well to consult together as to what was best to be done. All the colonies, except Georgia, whose governor managed to prevent it, chose men to go to Phila- delphia to meet and con- sider the whole question. This body was called the Continental Congress. It met in Carpenters' Hall, September 5, 1774. Each colony had chosen some of its best men. Massachusetts sent John Adams and Samuel Adams ; Virginia, George Washington and Patrick Henry; New York, John Jay; Pennsylvania, John Dickinson; South Caro- lina, John Rutledge. The Congress prepared addresses setting forth clearly the position of the colonies, and threatening resistance if Parliament and the king did not yield. It also advised that no British goods should be imported or used. All this had little or no effect on the king and his ministers. They resolved to force the Americans to submit. More British troops had been sent to Samuel Adams. After the portrait by Copley, in Boston Museum of Fine Arts. 194 History of the United States. Boston, and it needed only some slight trouble to bring on war. The course followed by the king and the major- ity in Parliament was opposed by some of the ablest English legislators, such as Edmund Burke and William Pitt, and also many English citizens, but without avail. General Gage in Boston, hearing that the Ameri- cans had been collecting powder, shot, and muskets at Concord, about twenty miles away, sent out se- cretly a force of eight hundred men to seize the supplies. The Ameri- cans decided to send Paul Revere to warn the two patriots, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, of the danger. Signal lanterns were hung out from the tower of the old North Church in Boston, to show that the soldiers were to cross the harbor, and soon alarm bells and swift riders were waking the farmers and minute-men.^ As Paul Revere galloped along the road to Con- ^ Minute-men : so-called because they were to be ready at a minute's notice. John Hancock. After the portrait by Copley painted in 1774, in Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The Revolution, 195 the regulars are coming out. cord, some one called to him, " You are making too much noise." " You'll have noise enough before long," he shouted back ; ...^ .-^ The reQ:ulars did come out, and they found the whole country roused and ready for them. But noth- ins: was done until Lex- ington was reached. There the soldiers found a body of minute-men drawn up on the green before the meeting- house. The British officer commanded the Americans to disperse, but they stood still. Then the officer ordered his men to fire, and several of the Americans were killed, and others wounded. The soldiers marched on to Concord, where more Ameri- cans were drawn up at a bridge. Again there was fir- ing. Then the British, hav- ing destroyed some stores, started on their return, and all along the road from Concord to Boston they were fired upon by the farmers and minute-men, who were behind barns and houses and stone walls. The Minute Man. From the statue at Concord, Mass. The inscription on the pedestal reads: " Here on the 19th of April, 1775, was made the first forcible resistance to British aggression. On the opposite bank stood the American militia, here stood the invading army, and on this spot the first of the enemy fell in the War of the Revolution, which gave independence to these United States. In gratitude to God and in the love of freedom this monument was erected a.d. 1836." 196 History of the United States, The battles of Lexington and Concord took place on the 19th of April, 1775. This was the beginning of the war between the colonies and the mother country. The Americans soon had an army encamped before Boston, shutting General Gage and his sol- diers within the city. He was not alarmed, for he did not think that the Yankee farmers would really fight ; but he soon saw his mistake. The Americans heard that he intended to take Charlestown, a village across the river from Bos- ton, and they resolved to prevent it. They left Cam- bridge in the evening of Paul Revere. After the picture by Gilbert Stuart. the 1 6th of June, marched to Charlestown, and began at once to throw up fortifications of earth. Early the next morning the British were amazed to find a wall of earth on the hill. Twice they tried to capture the works ; twice they were driven back with great loss of life ; a third time they were suc- cessful, for the powder of the Americans had given out, and they were forced to retire. This battle is known as the battle of Bunker Hill. Though the Americans were defeated, it showed that the colo- The Revolution. 197 nists could stand up against the regular British troops. The news of what had been done inspired hope throughout the land. When Washington heard of it he said " The liberties of the country are safe." — L ^ /^-^^Jl-^^ The Colonies in 1776: Northern Section. Meanwhile a second congress at Philadelphia had seen that there must be war, and with one voice appointed George Washington Commander-in-Chief of the army. He accepted the difficult trust. Under a great elm tree at Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 3, 1775, he formally took command. His head- 198 History of the United States. quarters were in the house so well known since as the home of the poet Longfellow. It was a strange looking army that Washington found. Supplies were scarce, most of the men were without uniforms, and they were wholly unused to military order and discipline, and were for a long time very unwilling to submit to necessary rules. They were, however, intelligent men and brave patriots. Out of such material as this was Wash- ington's army made up, but with it he forced the British, in March, 1776, to leave Boston. Washington did not rest, but marched his army to New York, where he knew an attack would be made. He reached New York in time, but was compelled to leave the city, as the British w^ere greatly superior in numbers to his forces. The Americans were defeated on Long Island, and Washington was forced to retreat across New Jersey toward Philadelphia. The retreating army was pursued by Lord Corn- wallis, the British general, and had not Washing- ton, with wise foresight, secured all the boats on the Delaware River for miles above and below Trenton, the British would have followed the Americans into Pennsylvania. In the meantime the Congress in Philadelphia had decided that the colonies should declare their independence of the mother country. On the 4th of July, 1776, the delegates in Congress adopted The Revolution, 199 200 History of the United States. the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the thirteen colonies free and independent. The name chosen for the new nation was the United States of America. Washington's retreat from New York, which took place about six months after independence had been declared, was most discouraging to the ^MiU ■ ^ ■ ■ .. . ' . ■a.^ma.^^tma^. \JKUA. nfy*X. Hu^ns.'to m% lit 1^1 -/«/»«^«L;dt;irrv. Fac-simile of the First Two Paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence. army and to the whole country. Washington saw that something must be done. He did not dare to attack the whole British army, for it was very much larger than his own. He resolved to attack part of it. Trenton was held by Hessians, German troops whom the En^'lish had hired to fiorht for them. They were having a good time on Christmas night, The Revolution. 20I 1776. It was stormy, but that was just what Wash- ington wished for. He had secretly collected a number of boats, and before the Hessians dreamed of what was coming, he crossed the river, seized the town, took a thousand prisoners, and returned to Pennsylvania. A few days later, he again crossed the river, and had a skirmish with Cornwallis, who had been Table and Chair used at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In Independence Hall, Philadelphia. sent to attack him. The night following, Wash- ington left his camp-fires burning, slipped past Corn- wallis, and hastily marched upon Princeton. The first that Cornwallis knew of Washington's where- abouts was the booming of cannon behind him. Of course, Cornwallis had to follow to protect his supplies, and soon most of New Jersey was regained by the Americans. 20 2 History of the United States. This was Washington's great campaign. It was fought against great odds, and had it not been successful, there is every reason to beheve that the Revolution would have failed. The British next cast their eyes upon Philadel- phia, but, being unwilling to meet Washington in New Jersey, they sent their army ar®und by sea to Valley Forge. Washington and Lafayette visiting the suffering army. After the painting by A. Gibert. Chesapeake Bay. The troops were disembarked at Elkton, near the head of the bay, and marched toward Philadelphia. Washington fought two battles to keep the city from falling into the enemy's hands, but was de- feated, and Philadelphia was taken. The winter of 1777-78, a bitterly cold one, was The Revolution. 203 spent by Washington's army at Valley Forge on the Schuylkill River, about twenty miles from Phil- adelphia. The army suffered terribly from cold, hunger, and want of supplies, but Washington did not despair. \ \ Charlntt,.svine*,Montioellr,V\o7 r The Colonies in 1776: Southern Section. While he had been fiohtino: one armv near Phila- delphia, another British army under Burgoyne was marching down from Canada. At Saratoga it was beaten by the Americans under General Gates, and Burgoyne and his army were made prisoners of war. This great victory made the European nations 204 History of the United States. believe that the colonists were going to succeed after all. Benjamin Franklin, before this, had been sent to France to try to get the French king to help the United States. French money had already been sent secretly, but it was not until after the victory at Saratoga that the French government made a treaty with the new nation, and agreed openly to help the United States in the struggle against England. The British army soon left Philadelphia, for it was feared that a French fleet might take New York, which, as a better seaport, was of great value to the English. The winter spent in Philadelphia had not made the troops better soldiers, for, while the poor fellows in the American army at Valley Forge had been suffering from hunger and cold, the British officers had been having a round of balls and amuse- ments, and the soldiers, for the most part, had had little fio-htino- to do. Dr. Franklin said, " The British have not taken Philadelphia, but the Philadelphians have taken the British." Washington quickly fol- lowed the enemy, and the armies were soon very nearly in the positions they had held two years before. The United States had a very small navy, but the ofificers and crews were brave and skilful. John Paul Jones was the most celebrated of these officers. On one expedition he sailed through the Irish Channel, and in less than a month, destroyed four vessels, seized a fort at Whitehaven, and burned the ship- The Revolution. 205 ping in the harbor. He also captured a prize, and took it with him to France. At another time, off Flamborough Head, on the eastern coast of England, his ship Lc Bonhomine Richard, fought the British ship Serapis. The two vessels came so close to each other, that Jones lashed them together. A desperate conflict took place. The Richard was so much injured that the Eng- lish captain called out " Have you struck? " Jones shouted back, " I have not yet begun to fight." The Serapis sur- rendered, but Jones's vessel was so injured that he trans- ferred to the prize everything that was possible. He had hardly done this when the Bonhomme Richard sank. These are only some of the exploits of John Paul Jones. Most of the naval warfare was carried on by priv- ateers, that is to say, private vessels licensed to make war on an enemy. There were several hun- dred of these American privateers, and the damage that they inflicted on British commerce was very great. The war dragged on. The English nation was getting tired of a war of which so many of their 1^ Paul Jones. After the etching by A. Varen. 2o6 History of the United States. people disapproved, and in which there seemed Uttle prospect of final success. On the other hand, the American army was so poorly supplied with food, clothing, and arms, that Washington had a hard time to keep his men together. Congress failed to provide money with which to buy supplies. Robert Morris, a patriotic citizen of Pennsylvania, and a few others, helped greatly in this trying time, by borrowing money to support the starving troops. But for this and the personal influ- ence of Washincjton over his army and oflicers, the American army might have disbanded. About this time came an event which caused much uneasiness among the Amer- icans. This was the treason of Benedict Arnold. Arnold had taken an active and helpful part in an expedition against Canada, and had fought bravely at Saratoga, where he was severely wounded. In 1778 he was placed in command at Philadelphia. While in that city he married the daughter of a Tory, as those who sympathized with England were called. He lived extravagantly and ran into debt; he was accused of using the funds of the army. He was tried and sentenced to be reprimanded by Washington. Washington did this as mildly as Device printed in Franklin's " Pennsyl vania Gazette," 1754. The Revolution. 207 possible, and afterward gave him the command of West Point, a fort which controlled the Hudson. But Arnold's pride was touched. He opened corre- spondence with Clinton, the British general in New York, and agreed to surrender the fort to the British. Major Andre, Clinton's agent in this business, was captured while on his way back to New York, and papers in Arnold's handwriting were found upon his person. The plot was dis- covered ; Andre was tried by courtmartial, and was hanged as a spy. Arnold heard of Andre's capture in time to escape. He was rewarded by the British with money and the rank of brigadier-general. He fought against his countrymen, and at the end of the war went to England, but was everywhere re- garded with contempt. In the south, the English had an army so much stronger than the American forces, that, notwith- standing the skill and bravery of such ofhcers as Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pick- ens, and William Washington, the Carolinas fell under British control. Aorainst WashiuQ^ton's advice. Congress sent General Gates to command the American army. Gates met Cornwallis at Cam- den, South Carolina, and was very badly defeated. Thinking all was lost, he jumped on his horse, and never stopped in his flight until he had left the battle-field seventy miles behind him. Congress now was willing to take the advice of 2o8 History of the United States. Washington, and, in accordance with his sugges- tion, General Nathanael Greene was sent to take the place of Gates. Greene was the best officer, next to Washington, in the Continental army. Greene did not fight much, for his forces were weak, but he managed to get the British army into such an awkward situation that Cornwallis found it best to leave the Carolinas; so he marched into Vir- ginia, and encamped on the peninsula of York- town. Washington now saw that the time had come to make a great effort. He therefore left the neighborhood of New York, with all the troops General Nathanael Greene. that he COuld mustcr From the painting by Charles WiUson Peale, aud SCCrCtly aud haStlly '^^^' marched across New Jer- sey, Pennsylvania, and Delaw^are, to Elkton, Mary- land. From this place he sent the greater part of his troops by water to York River, Virginia. He himself hurried thither by land, halting for two days at his beloved Mount Vernon, which he had not seen for six years. Washington had persuaded the commander of the French fleet to help the American army. Thus, The Revolution. 209 21 o History of the United States. shut in by sea and by land, CornwaUis was com- pelled to surrender to the combined French and American forces. It was a great victory, and every one felt that it decided the war. Though it was two years before peace was declared, no battle of importance was fought after York town. The thirteen colonies had won their The State-house. Annapolis. From Scharf's "History of Maryland." independence, and were recognized by the mother country as the United States of America. On the 20th of December, 1783, Washington went to Annapolis, Maryland, where the Continen- tal Congress was in session, to resign his commis- sion as Commander-in-Chief of the American army. There, in the hall of the old state-house, a building which is still standing, he laid down the charge he had accepted more than eight years before at Philadelphia. The Revolution. 2 1 i He said in his short address, " Having finished the work assigned me, and bidding an affection- ate farewell to this august body, under whose order I have acted, I here offer my commission and take leave of all employments of public life." He has- tened to Mount Vernon, and again became a Virginia planter. But his fellow-citizens did not let him remain long in the quiet of home life. Shortly before the end of the Revolutionary War the states of the Union entered into an agreement and adopted a set of rules known as the " Articles of Confederation." These rules were intended to govern the country, but they were faulty because they did not give Congress any power to enforce the laws. As Congress could not make people pay their taxes, it soon had no money to pay the debts of the nation, or even the regular expenses of the government. It could not make treaties with foreign nations, because it could not carry them out after they were made. It could not keep up an army or a navy, for it could not raise money to pay the men, or to build vessels. Each of the states wished to do as it pleased without regard to the others, and there was but little national feeling. Congress could only ask the states to supply money, and if any state did not wish to do so. Congress was helpless. The nation was in danger of being despised at home and ridi- culed abroad. It was clear that something must be ■^V^'^^^^^^^Jti? ,^tca^ c^x,£^c.j^ ^779 '^-f^ci^^i^. 6 % ^i^t^^ -^^^--^ .^%^ '6 -J ^.^Z^ ^^^ "^a^ c^.2^; ^t^^ c:^aCc^ 9a^ - .^c2^dr y^^ \^Ci^'iJ3 -J^Z'cyC .S'oCc f^/Z^^ 42 y2 / /s iljl;^3 .'3 // A Facsimile of Washington's Accounts kept during the Revolution From " Monuments of Washington's Patriotism." 212 o^^^_._^^^;^.^^^^7^^...(Sr (34- 0Z^tyt. 9. /C - - <=^^^ «^-^ - - ;§<^ ^^5&-__ ^..^ ^cZ^-^ .£^a^ ^c^- — __^^^ ^c2^- — ^.^a^ ^oi^-~ .^^,2^ ^^^--- /3y ^:3^^- /^^ -^.^^:^r %^ /^^.0c^^ ^,^___ /$^ - - c^.^^ ^^^^__- * Ay c^ OO/T^yf, ^^-7- ^at^'. 3^Z^<^ t/S^J^ .a^^-e-t^j?^-^ ./^J^/ ;^-^ ^^^if-/^ f/^,f^^3 A Facsimile of Washington's Accounts kept durinc; the Rex'olutio.n From " Monuments of Washington's Patriotism." 213 2 14 History of the United States. done if the United States was to become a strone nation or even to keep its independence. At length, in 1787, the states chose a number of their wisest men, among them George Washington, Benjamin FrankHn, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, to frame some better form of government which could enforce its laws and be truly national. After four months, they drew up the Constitution of the United States of America. In the course of a year, eleven of the states had adopted it, and it became necessary to choose a President. There was one man to whom all eyes turned, George Wash- ington, and he was chosen unanimously. John Adams was chosen Vice-President. New York City was the place at which Congress was sitting, and as there were no railroads or steam- boats or telegraph in those days, a special mes- senger was sent to tell Washington that he had been elected the first President of the United States. All the way from Mount Vernon, the roads along which Washington travelled were lined with people to see him and to cheer him as he passed. In every village, men and women from the farms and workshops crowded the streets to watch for his car- riage ; and the ringing of bells and firing of guns marked his comino^ and Qroine. Citizens of Baltimore went out to meet him and escort him into the city, while booming of cannon welcomed him. The governor of Pennsylvania, The Revolution. 215 with soldiers and citizens, met him at the state Hne and escorted him to Philadelphia. At Trenton, there was a grand arch of triumph, ^Y' 1 ,i, Steuben. Gov. A. St. Clair. Sec'y S. A. Otis. Roger Slierinaii. Gov. E. Clinton. Chancellor R. R, Livingston. John Adams Gen. Henry Knox George Washington. Washington taking the Oath as Preshjent, April 30, 1789. and young girls went before him, strewing flowers in his path, and singing songs of welcome. When he reached Elizabethtown, he embarked in a barge manned by thirteen master-pilots dressed in white, and was rowed by them to New York. He entered 21 6 History of the United States. the city to the sound of music, sakites of artillery, and ten thousand shouts of welcome. On the 30th of April, 1789, he took the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall, in the pres- ence of a great multitude. The new government had begun. Washington was reelected in 1792. He died in 1799; it was well said of him that he was " first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his fel- low-countrymen." OUTLINE. The English colonists learned their own strength dur- ing the French and Indian War. They were not repre- sented in the Enghsh Parliament, and objected to taxation without representation. ParUament passed in 1765 the Stamp Act. But it could not be enforced. The act was repealed and a tax on tea imposed. Colonists refused to receive tea or to pay the tax. Parliament passed several acts to punish Massachusetts. The people all over the country sided with Massachusetts. The action of the British brought on an appeal to arms. Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief. The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of In- dependence, July 4, 1776. After eight years of warfare, the British acknowledged the independence of the colonies. Washington resigned his commission 1783. The states had adopted an agreement by which the country was to be ruled, but it gave Congress no power to enforce its laws. A convention drew up the Constitution which was adopted. The United States after the Revolution. 217 21 8 History of the United States. George Washington was unanimously chosen the first president. The new government began on the 30th of April, 1789. Washington died 1799. What did the colonists learn from the French and Indian War? Why did they claim that Parliament had no right to tax them? What was the Stamp Act? Tell the story of the attempt to collect a tax upon tea. Tell the story of Paul Revere, and of Concord and Lexington. Describe the battle of Bunker Hill. Describe Washington's campaign in the neighborhood of Bos- ton ; New York. Tell about the Declaration of Independence. Tell the story of the surprise of Trenton ; of the New Jersey campaign. Describe the winter at Valley Forge. What induced France to help the Americans? Tell the story of John Paul Jones. Describe the treachery of Arnold. Tell the story of the war in the south ; of the surrender of Cornwallis. Why were the Articles of Confederation unsatisfactory? How was the Constitution framed? Who was the first president ? Tell the story of Washington's journey to New York. When did he take the oath of office? When did he die ? DANIEL BOONE. The English had gained Canada and all the country between the Alleghanies and the Missis- sippi River as a result of the great war with the French. It was a wild country. Numerous bands of Indians roamed from place to place in search of game. There were buffaloes, elks, deer, and wild turkeys. Among the wild animals to be dreaded were bears, wolves, panthers, rattlesnakes, and cop- perheads. There were vast forests tano-led with underbrush and thickets. The Indians claimed the land, but the greater part of it was used as hunting grounds by several tribes, and no one tribe could properly say that the land was its own. Up to 1763, the year in which peace was made between England and France, very few Englishmen had been in this western country. The land south of the Ohio River was almost an unknown wilder- ness. One of the first to cross the mountain rido^es which were the western boundary of the Atlantic settlements was Daniel Boone. Daniel Boone was born in Bucks County, Penn- sylvania, in 1734. His parents lived on the bank 219 2 20 History of th:^ United States. of the Delaware River, in that part of Pennsylvania which was still a wilderness. When the country became more settled, and while Daniel was a small boy, they moved to the valley of the Yadkin River in North Carolina, on the outer edge of the settlements. Daniel grew up to be a thorough backwoods- man. He became skilful with his rifie ; he learned the secrets of backwoods life, and, with a wonderful accur- acy, he could follow the trail of man or animal. No one could plough, hoe, or chop down trees better than he; and, like almost every active, able frontiersman, he could survey. For more than sixty years he was almost continually on the frontier. He had very little school-education, and he never learned to spell. Part of an old beech tree was shown at the Columbian Exposition, in 1893, on which could still be traced " D. Boon cilled a bar on tree in the ^ Like many others at that time, he did not spell even his own name always in the same way. There were many backwoodsmen as skilful as ^ D. Boon killed a bear on (this) tree in the year 1760. Daniel Boone. After the painting by C. Harding. the words : year 1760.' Daniel Boone. 221 Boone ; there were many who passed through as surprising adventures ; but, among men who often gave way to intemperance, he was always sober; he was patient, enduring, brave, daring when occasion called for it, but prudent, and always modest. He inspired confidence, and for this reason he was employed on many enterprises. He was able to make his skill and knowledge of advantage to others. He said he was an instru- ment ordained of God to settle the wilderness. He had made a number of excursions into the lands west of North Carolina, and had been greatly pleased by the beautiful country and by the abundance of game. On the 1st of May, 176Q, Boone, with five com- panions, started from the Yadkin valley to " wander through the wilderness of America in quest of the country of Kentucky." In about six weeks they reached the place for which they had set out. It more than satisfied their hopes. The country was full of game, and for six months they enjoyed such hunting as they never had known before. In December they were attacked by Indians, and Boone and one of his companions, named Stewart, were captured. Showing as little anxiety or fear as possible, they watched for a chance to escape, and one night, after a feast, when the Indians were asleep, Boone and Stewart succeeded in getting 222 History of the United States. away. When they reached their old camp they found it deserted, and with no trace of their former companions. Fortunately they soon fell in with two men who had come from North Carolina, partly to search for them, and partly to explore on their own account. One of these men was " Squire " Boone, Daniel's brother. Stewart was surprised and shot by an Indian, and the comrade of "Squire" Boone became so frightened that he returned home, leaving the two brothers. They spent the winter in a wilder- ness where there was no other white man, and then " Squire " Boone went back to the settled country for supplies. For several months Daniel Boone was entirely alone in the great forest. He lived as the Indian hunters lived. Day after day he carefully went over the country, exploring it and gaining much knowledge which served him well afterward. All the time he had to keep the closest watch for the Indians. Once he happened to look back, and was startled to see some Indians following him. He soon perceived that they had not seen him, but were only following his trail. He kept on, but though he went first this way and then that way, hoping to deceive them, he found that they were still on the trail. Just as he was wondering what was best to do, he came across a huge grape-vine hanging from the Daniel Boone. 223 hio^her branches of a tree. Boone had often swuns^ in grape-vines when a boy, and a bright thought struck him. He quickly cut off the vine not far from the ground, and then grasping it firmly gave himself a good swing and jumped into the air. As soon as he came to the ground he ran off in a direction quite different from that in which he had been going. When the Indians came up they could find no trace of his footsteps, and after a while they gave up the search. The Indians wore soft moccasins, which made no noise ; they could go through the forest without a sound and would slip from tree to tree until they were near enough to shoot their unsuspecting enemy. They would imitate the cries of animals, and particularly the gobble of the wild turkey. The unwary hunter, who longed for a good supper or breakfast, would follow the noise until he was wdthin reach of the Indian's rifle, w^hen he would be shot dow^n. Boone and many of his later companions soon learned to know the cries of the animals so w^ell that they could not be deceived. They also learned to surpass the Indian in his own woodcraft; the In- dians feared them as much as they feared the Indians. Others had been in Kentucky before, but to Daniel Boone must be given the credit of leading the first band of permanent settlers into that beau- tiful country. 2 24 History of the United States. This undertaking was full of risk. It was very different from the settlement of the Atlantic colo- nies, which were gradually pushed farther and farther into the wilderness. Kentucky was in the midst of the forests, and two hundred miles from the nearest settlements. Boone's Trail, The Indian title to the country between the Kentucky and Cumberland rivers was bought of the Indians, in 1775, by a land company, and Daniel Boone was chosen to begin a settlement. With thirty men he started, March 10, 1775, from a point in East Tennessee near the present boundary of North Carolina. For two hundred miles they cut a path through the woods. It went through the Cumberland Gap, across rivers and streams which had to be forded, as there were no Daniel Boone. 225 bridges. This path was known as " Boone's Trail," and as the " Wilderness Road." Later, tens of thousands of emigrants passed over this road on their way to the West. Early one morning, when Boone and his com- pany had almost reached the end of their journey, and were gathered around their camp-fires, they were attacked by the Indians, and two of the thirty were killed. The rest sprang up, seized their rifles, and stood ready to defend themselves. The Indians however, vanished as swiftly and as steathily as they had appeared, leaving the rest of the party unhurt. In April the party reached the Kentucky River, and began to build a little town or settlement, which they called Boonesborough. Again they were attacked by Indians. This time several of the set- tlers were killed and scalped, and some of the sur- vivors were so frightened that they returned to Carolina. But others came to take their places. The log cabins were built in straight lines with the backs of the cabins toward the forest. The spaces between the cabins were filled with high stockades ; that is to say, high fences or palisades made of heavy timbers driven into the ground. There were strong wooden gates which were shut at night or in time of danger. The houses were built of logs, and had steep roofs made of great clapboards. Wooden pins 226 History of the United States, served for nails. There were loopholes through which to watch the Indians and to fire upon them. The settlers cleared some land for farms, but for several years they lived in the stockade. It was a brave and hardy race that peopled the western and southern country. When the danger from the Indians became less, the settlers lived on their own land. The pioneer farmer first built "^'^'M. his loo: cabin, and , then made his clearing in the forest by burning the brush, cutting- down the small trees, and girdling the large ones.^ Corn was plant- ed among the stumps and dead trees, and it was a time of rejoicing when the ears were old enough for roasting. When the corn was harvested, the grains were broken into hominy, Indian fashion, by being pounded in a hollow, wooden block. Wild Boone's Fori-. From a drawing by Colonel Henderson in " Collins's Historical Collections of Kentucky." ^ To girdle a tree is to cut a groove around the trunk quite through the bark. This prevents the sap from ascending, and the tree soon dies. The absence of foUage on the dead trees allows the sun to reach the corn and ripen it. Daniel Boone. 227 turkeys, venison, and bear meat made a change of diet. In almost every home there was a spinning- wheel, and instead of flax the women used the beaten stalks of nettles. In 1776 and 1777 the settlers were attacked again and again by the Indians. One day Boone's daugh- ter and two other girls went in a canoe on the river; suddenly five Indians seized them and carried them off. As soon as Boone heard of this misfortune, he and seven men went in pursuit. The girls were badly frightened when captured, and two, including Boone's daughter, gave up to despair. The eldest of the three girls was sure that their absence would soon be noticed and their trail followed. So, to guide their rescuers, she broke off twigs as they went along. The Indians saw her doing this, and threatened to tomahawk her if she did it again. Then she tore off little bits of her dress and dropped them when she thought she could do it without beino- seen. o The Indians kept the girls apart from each other, and now and then made them walk in the brooks to hide all marks of their path. Boone started the very evening of the day they were captured, and followed their trail so accurately that he came up with the Indians in thirty-six hours. The Indians thought they were safe, and hav- ing killed a young buffalo were about to cook it. 2 28 History of the United States. Boone gave no sign of his approach, but when near enough he and a companion levelled their rifles and killed two of the Indians. The three others sprang up and ran off, leaving guns, tomahawks, scalping knives, and their captives. The girls were unhurt, and were escorted back in safety to their homes. Daniel Boone himself did not always escape. At one time he went with some companions to get salt from a salt spring, or " salt-lick," as it was called, and while he was out hunting, alone, a party of about a hundred Indians came upon him, and though he attempted to escape by running, he was overtaken and captured. His captors did not hurt him, but adopted him into their tribe, for the Indians greatly admired his skill. Boone quietly accepted his fate, and was appar- ently cheerful and happy. He took part in the games ; he shot at a mark with the Indians, but was careful not to shoot so well as to excite their envy. He showed no anxiety to be released lest he might cause them to watch him more closely, for the Indians did not quite trust him. Every time he went out hunting they counted his balls, and when he came back they looked to see how much powder he had used. On one excur- sion he found a body of warriors plotting to attack Boonesborough. He now felt that he must attempt to escape in order to warn his friends. One day he went out on his morning's hunt as usual, but as soon Daniel Boone. 229 as he was out of si^ht of the Indians he started off rapidly for Boonesborough, a hundred and sixty miles away. His path lay through forests and swamps, and across many rivers, among them the Ohio, which he crossed by means of an old canoe he found among the bushes on the banks. He lived upon a little dried venison which he had managed to hide, for until he crossed the Ohio he did not dare to shoot any game or light a fire. In less than five days he presented himself before his friends at Boonesborough. They could hardly believe their eyes, for all had given him up as dead. Even his wife believed that he must have been killed, and she had gone back to North Carolina. Some weeks afterward, a force of over four hun- dred Indians and a few Canadians appeared. There were but fifty fighting men in the stockade. After many attempts to get the little garrison to surren- der, an attack was begun ; it was kept up for nine days. The assailants tried to set fire to the fort ; they dug a mine, hoping to get under the stockade, but the fort was near a river, and the muddy water betrayed them. The Indians did not dare at any time to come very near, for the Kentuckians with their rifles would shoot any one who came within range. The women moulded the bullets, provided food, and helped to keep watch. 230 History of the United States. After twelve days the attacking party went away. The Kentuckians had two men killed, and four wounded, while the Indians lost ten times as many. The little party of defenders had been sparing of their powder and shot, but the besiegers had been wasteful of theirs, for Boone says, " We picked up Exterior. Interior. A Pioneer Home in Kentucky. one hundred and twenty-five pounds of bullets, besides what stuck in the logs of our fort." After this, Boone went to North Carolina and brought back his wife and those of their children she had taken with her. Daniel Boone had many other adventures and hairbreadth escapes. When the population in- creased, he moved to Missouri, about fifty miles west of St. Louis. This he did not only because game was scarce, but because he loved the freedom of frontier life, and wished, as he said, " more elbow- room." There he lived the rest of his life, dying in his eighty-sixth year. Daniel Boone. OUTLINE. 231 Up to 1763 the country west of the Alleghanies was almost unknown to the English settlers. Daniel Boone was one of the first to explore it. His first visit to Ken- tucky was in 1764. He found the country even more attrac- tive than he had expected. In 1775 he began to make a settlement. The settlers had much trouble from the Indians. Boone himself was captured, but succeeded in escaping. Boone was an ideal backwoodsman. He died in his eighty-sixth year. Tell the story of Daniel Boone's early life. Tell the story of Boone's first visit to Kentucky. Tell how the Indians attacked their foes. Tell the story of how Boone led a party of settlers into Ken- tucky. Describe how the settlers built their huts for defence. Describe the settlers' manner of life. Tell the story of the capture of Boone's daughter and her com- panions. Tell the story of Boone's own capture, and his escape ; of the Indian attack on the fort. THOMAS JEFFERSON. Thomas Jefferson was born in Virginia in 1743. His father, Peter Jefferson, had been one of the first settlers of that part of the country. He was a rich planter, and, like Washington, a land surveyor. Peter Jefferson was a man of great force of charac- ter. He was remarkable for his physical strength. It was said that he could stand between two hogs- heads of tobacco, each weighing about a thousand pounds, and set them both upon end at once. Thomas Jefferson inherited not only his father's height and physical strength, but also his spirit of sturdy self-reliance. He was an earnest and ener- getic boy, putting his whole heart into whatever he did. Above all things he hated sham and pretence. At school he was so industrious that he was able to enter an advanced class at William and Mary College when he was only seventeen years old. At college he is said to have studied from twelve to fifteen hours a day. He was graduated at the age of nineteen ; he was familiar with Latin and Greek, knew some French and Spanish, and was skilled in mathematics. He was also able to write and speak clear, forcible, and elegant English. But with all his devotion to study, young Jeffer- 232 Thomas Jefferson. 233 son did not neglect his physical education. He excelled in every manly exercise, was a good dancer, and a famous rider. While at college his study hours gave him little time for exercise, but every Thomas jkfff.rson. After the painting by Gilbert Stuart. evening, at twilight, he used to run to a certain stone and back again, — a distance of two miles. After he left college he kept up his habit of hard work, rising at five o'clock in the morning in winter, and earlier in summer, so that he might have time for study. 2 34 History of the United States. He was then six feet two inches tall ; straight as an arrow, with sharp features, a ruddy complexion, a deHcate skin, red hair and large, deep-set, hazel eyes. His manner was frank and cordial, full of sympathy and confidence. Much of his success Patrick Henry addressing the Virginia Assembly. After the painting by A. Chappel. was due to the buoyant, hopeful disposition which was his throuo"h life. He studied law and became a successful lawyer, though he was never a good speaker. In 1 765, while a law student at Williamsburg, then the capital of Virginia, he went to hear a debate on the Stamp Act, in the House of Burgesses. It was the day that Patrick Henry made his famous speech against Thomas Jefferson. 235 the Act, in which he said, " Caesar had his Brutus ; Charles the First his Cromwell ; and George the Third" — Here, thinkins: that the orator was about to suggest the death of the king, the Speaker of the House and others cried out, " Treason, trea- son ! " As soon as there was a pause, Patrick Henry, fixing his eyes upon the Speaker, added, " And George the Third may profit by their exam- ple." Ten years later, Jefferson was a member of the Virginia convention. It was just before the battle of Lexington. Patrick Henry now made another famous speech, in which he said : " We must fight ! I repeat it, sir, we must fight ! " and ending, " As for me, give me liberty or give me death ! " Jeffer- son never forgot these scenes. At the age of thirty-two, Jefferson was sent as a deleo-ate to the Continental Cons^ress at Philadel- phia. A year later he was on the committee to draw up the Declaration of Independence, and that document is almost wholly his work. From this time until he was an old man, Jeffer- son was constantly in the public service. He was the means of putting an end to a law in Virginia which provided that land should be inherited only by the eldest son of a family. The new law allowed land to be divided among a man's children. In man}^ of the colonies there was a state church ; that is, a church which everybody was taxed to sup- 236 History of the United States. port. Jefferson thought it very unjust that those who were not members of that church or of any church should be thus taxed. He persuaded the legislature of Virginia to repeal this law, so that all denominations should be treated alike. No state now taxes for church support. When Dr. Franklin asked to be allowed to return home from France, Jefferson was appointed his successor. " You replace Dr. Franklin, I hear," said the French minister to him. " I succeed him," replied Jefferson. " No one can replace him." Jefferson was five years in France ; then, while on his way back to America, he was appointed secretary of state by President Washington. On his return to his home in Virginia, his negro slaves were so glad to see him that they lifted him out of his carriage, put him on their shoulders, and carried him up the hill to his house. Jefferson was chosen Vice-President in 1796, and President in 1801. He was reelected in 1804, ^.nd so was President eight years. In 1800 the seat of government was changed from Philadelphia to Washington. Though Jefferson's home life was famous for its generous hospitality, he believed in simplicity of manner rather than in luxury and display. Wash- ington and John Adams had thought that, as the President was the highest officer in the land, he Thomas Jefferson. 237 should observe the strictest formaHty. Wash- ington had driven about in a fine cream-colored coach, with four and sometimes six horses. No visitor could approach him without much ceremony. When Congress met, Washington drove to the Cap- itol with a great deal of pomp and parade, and read his message in person. John Adams did the same. Jefferson at his inauguration changed all this. He came to the Capitol on foot, in his ordinary dress, escorted by a body of militia artillery, and accompanied by a few of his political friends. He read his speech in the Senate chamber with little or no ceremony. When the time came for an annual message, he sent by a messenger a written copy to Congress. This example has been followed ever since At the White House, the official residence of the President, almost any one could see and converse with Jefferson. On one occasion, a foreign minister was received by Jefferson in a dressing-gown, and a pair of old slippers. Since Jefferson's day, no President has ventured to appear in anything but citizen's dress, or to introduce very much formality at the White House. When Jefferson became President in 1801, the western boundary of the United States was the Mississippi River. Spain owned Florida, the land around the mouth of the Mississippi, and all west of the river. Citizens of what was then the western 238 History of the United States. part of the United States could not ship goods to Europe, or receive them from Europe, except through Spanish territory. While the Americans were thinkino; what was the best thing to do to get free navigation of the Mississippi, Spain transferred Louisiana, as all the land west of the river was called, to France. Jefferson desired to buy from France a tract of land at the mouth of the Mississippi, so that goods for the United States could be landed. To accom- plish this purpose, he sent envoys to France. To the surprise of the American envoys, Na- poleon, the ruler of France, offered to sell the whole of Louisiana. They accepted his offer, and secured the vast territory for the United States in 1803. This purchase doubled the national possessions, for it must be remembered that Louisiana then in- cluded all the country between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. The inhabitants of the United States could now spread westward without fear of a foreign enemy. The purchase of Louisiana was the most impor- tant event of Jefferson's term as President. It was one of the most important events in American his- tory. It was the first annexation to the territory of the United States. Jefferson's home was at Monticello, on the plan- tation which he had inherited from his father. Here he lived after his retirement from public life, Thomas JefFerson. 239 an object of affection to his household and to his neighbors, and of interest to his countrymen and to foreigners. Here he passed his dechning years, and welcomed with lavish hospitality the many who came to see him. He was a kind and considerate master to his slaves. He did not believe in slavery, and would gladly have seen it banished from the country. MONTICELLO. The North Front. He was much interested in education, and was the founder of the University of Virginia, near Char- lottesville. Jefferson was much more of a politician than Washington or Adams had been ; he was a good party manager, and was the first President who rewarded his political friends w4th public office. He lived to be an old man dying on the 4th 240 History of the United States. of July, 1826, just fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed. John Adams, the second President of the United States, died on the same day. These two men had done very much to bring about the independence of the United States, and they lived to see their country become one of the great nations of the world. OUTLINE. Thomas Jefferson was the son of a Virginia planter. He was born in 1743. He received a good education. He graduated at WiUiam and Mary College. He was a law- yer. He was sent to the Continental Congress and drafted the Declaration of Independence. He was constantly in public life. He was chosen Vice-President in 1796, and President in 1801. He believed in Democratic simpHcity. During his term of office Louisiana was bought from France. When and where was Thomas Jefiferson born ? Tell the story of his college Hfe. Describe his personal appearance. What celebrated document did he draw up? What ideas did he have in regard to luxury and display? What was the most important event of his term as President? Name some of his personal characteristics. When did he die ? LEWIS AND CLARK. Very soon after the Louisiana territory was turned over to the United States, President Jeffer- son sent out an expedition to explore the country, for it was almost unknown to white men. The party consisted of thirty-four men, under the lead of two captains, Meri- wether Lewis and William Clark. Both were from Virginia, and familiar with backwoods life. They set out from St. Louis in May, 1804. In order to secure the good- will of the Indians, they car- ried with them, among other thino^s, beads, coats, blankets, knives, and toma- hawks. They expected to live by hunting. Their orders were to follow the Missouri River to its source; to R 241 Meriwether Lewis. After the drawing by St. Memin graved by Strickland. 242 History of the United States. cross the Rocky Mountains, and follow the Columbia River to its mouth. This river had been first seen ^ by Captain Robert Gray, of the American ship Columbia in 1791.^ It was explored by him for several miles, in the following year, and was named after his ship, the Columbia. It was a beautiful time of the year to start on such a journey. All vegetation was fresh and green. The explorers were much pleased with the country. There were groves of hickory, walnut and cotton- wood trees along ' the river, and there was an abundance of wild fruit. It took them all the sum- mer to reach the Platte River. Here on the bluffs, over the river, they held a great council with Indians, and named the place Coun- cil Bluffs. The Indians were friendly, and there was little trouble in dealing with them, be- cause they were treated fairly. They were greatly pleased with the presents given them. The party of explorers went on, following the William Clark. From Lewis and Clark's " Travels ^ Some authorities state that it had been previously discovered by the Spaniards, in 1592. Lewis and Clark. 243 Missouri River until late in the autumn. Then, having found a place where there was plenty of tim- ber, they encamped and began to cut down trees with which to build huts for their winter quarters. As soon as the spring opened, they started again, and by the latter part of April reached the mouth of the Yellowstone River. They climbed some bluffs, and saw spread before them the wide plains watered by the Missouri and Yellowstone. Herds of buffalo, deer, elk, and antelope could be seen, and the wooded banks and irregular windings of the rivers gave a pleasing variety to the picture. The men resumed their march, and in a few weeks saw a snow-covered range of mountains, stretching north and south as far as the eye could see. These they knew must be the Rocky Mountains. One day Captain Lewis saw a mist in the distance. When he came nearer he found it to be caused by great falls in the river. For several miles the Missouri rushes along over rocks and precipices, through canons and narrow ways, now almost lost to view, now coming into sight again. The boats had to be drawn over the ground for miles, before they could be launched again. Soon the explorers found that these boats were not at all suited for the stream in which they were to be used, and so others were built out of trees which were cut down along the banks of the river. Before many days, the bed of the river became so 244 History of the United States. rocky and its current so swift that the men could not use the boats. To add to their discouragement, no Indian ofuide could be found, and it seemed im- possible to go on through the trackless wilderness. At last Captain Lewis set out alone, saying that he would not return until he found a guide. He kept on his solitary way until he came to a small gap in the mountains, where there was just room Lewis and Clark's Route. enough between the river and the cliff for an Indian trail. This he followed. After suffering many hardships. Captain Lewis reached an Indian village. The inhabitants could not believe that he had crossed the mountains alone. At length some of the Indians went back with him, and, finding his story true, furnished guides and horses for his party. Lewis and Clark. 245 The march was a difficult one ; sometimes the little company could go only five miles in a whole day. The path was often stony ; sometimes it led along steep precipices ; sometimes through wild canons. It was so difficult to find food that they ate their broken-down horses. Though the men were ragged, weary, footsore, and half-starved, they kept on. After a while they reached a river on which, their guides told them, it would be safe to embark. So they built new canoes, and began to descend the stream. As they journeyed they came to a larger river, which they called the Lewis ; and another river which joined farther on, they called the Clark. Then they floated into the Columbia itself. They were delighted with the beautiful scenery and the charming country through which they passed. It took them a long time to descend the great river, but the day of success came to them at last. It was a rainy, foggy morning in the autumn ; they could see only a short distance around them ; once they stopped to get some food at an Indian village on an island in the river. They started again, and had not gone far from this village when the fog lifted, and they " enjoyed the delightful prospect of the ocean — that ocean, the object of all their labors, the reward of all their anxieties." Soon they heard the roaring of the breakers, and their joy was complete. ^-. 246 History of the United States. It was now November, and far too late in the season for them to think of crossing the mountains again. So they chose a place in which to spend the winter, and made ready for their stay. During the winter they learned all that they could about the country ; its minerals, trees, shrubs, flowers, fruits, animals, fishes, birds, and even its insects. They found out how the Indians lived, what fish and animals they caught, and what furs they had to exchange. They wrote in a journal their adven- tures and what they had learned, and it has made a very interesting book. They began their return journey in March, 1806, and in the following September, two years and four months after they had set out, they reached St. Louis. They had explored a large part of the Louisiana territory, and had also discovered and explored a great region beyond the Rocky Mountains. In doing this they had helped the United States to gain a title to a vast territory. What they had to tell and what they had to show created great wonder and interest. The knowledge of their discovery spread over the land, and it was soon understood that Louisiana was a far greater acquisition than any one had ever imagined. Lewis and Clark. 247 OUTLINE. President Jefferson, in 1804, sent Captains Lewis and Clark to explore the territory of the Louisiana purchase. They had many adventures. They discovered the Colum- bia River and followed it to its mouth. The whole journey took nearly two years and a half. For what purpose did President Jefferson send out Lewis and Clark ? Tell the story of their journey to the Yellowstone River. Tell the story of their journey to the Columbia River. Describe their first sight of the Pacific. Of what value was their journey? ZEBULON M. PIKE. While Lewis and Clark were exploring the coun- try to the north, President Jefferson sent Lieuten- ant Zebulon Pike to find out the direction, the extent, and the character of the Red River and the Arkansas. He was also, if possible, to establish friendly relations with the Indians. Lieutenant Pike and his party of twenty-four men set out from St. Louis in July, 1806. They went in boats up the Osage River to some Indian villages, where they secured horses, and then began their long overland journey. On reaching the Arkansas River, the company divided, part following down the river to the Mis- sissippi, w^iile Pike and the others went up the stream to discover its source. For about a month they ascended the river. Now they found the stream very small, and Pike, to gain some idea of the country, climbed a high 248 Z. M. Pike. From an engraving by Gimbrede, in " The Analectic Magazine." Zebulon M. Pike. 249 Pike's Peak. From the Garden of the Gods. 250 History of the United States. mountain which has since fitly borne his name, " Pike's Peak." Like every one who has since stood on that peak, he was deeply impressed with the wonderful pros- pect spread out before him. There was the river winding along until it was lost in the horizon. There were the great plains, where thousands of buffaloes were roving. The air was so clear that he could see a great distance in every direction. Winter now came on, the streams were all frozen, and the trails were covered with snow. Pike and his companions went hither and thither, not know- ing which way to tarn; but, in spite of being almost starved and half-frozen, they never lost heart. At last Pike thought that they could not be very far from the Spanish town of Santa Fe. One of the company volunteered to try to find it, and started off. The others awaited the result. One day, while Pike was out hunting for game, he was greatly surprised to see two Spaniards come riding up to him. They told him that he was within two days' journey of Santa Fe, where his comrade had already arrived. Pike took the Spaniards to his camp without any distrust, and treated them kindly. A few days later a body of Spanish cavalry rode up, and took Pike and his companions prisoners, informing them that they were on Spanish territory, and would have to explain their presence. Zebulon M. Pike. 251 The little body of Americans presented a sorry appearance. Pike was wearing blue trousers, moc- casins, a blanket coat, and a scarlet cap lined with a fox skin. There was not a hat in the whole com- pany, and the men had on well-worn shabby leather leggins, coats, and breech-cloths. The Spaniards finally became satisfied that Pike had no wish to injure Spain, or to trespass on her Pike's Route. territory, and said that he and his men might return to the United States. They were, however, for- bidden to go back the way that they had come, and were sent home throuo-h Texas. While they were at Santa Fe, Pike was told by an American who was living there that he had found gold along the Platte River. This was then thought to be an idle story, but many years after, gold was discovered where the old hunter said he had found it. 252 History of the United States. OUTLINE. While Lewis and Clark were to explore the north, Lieutenant Pike and his party were sent to explore the south. He discovered Pike's Peak. They were captured by the Spaniards, but finally released. For what purpose was Lieutenant Pike sent out? Tell the story of his journey. EARLY INVENTORS, — JOHN FITCH, ROBERT FULTON, ELI WHITNEY. « Long before a successful steamboat was built, men had thought that steam could be used to pro- pel boats through water. One man proposed that steam should be used to move a paddle, shaped somewhat like a duck's foot, which would send the boat forward. Two men, about the same time, one in France, and James Rumsey in Virginia, thought that if water was sucked in from the bow of a vessel, and forced out at the stern, the boat would be pushed forward. Rumsey tried this plan, and succeeded in making a boat go at the rate of four miles an hour. Neither the duck's foot nor the suction plan, how- ever, worked well enough to come into practical use. Meanwhile there was a man who thouoht of a still better plan ; this was John Fitch. He was born in Connecticut in 1743; he was fond of books when a boy, but had little chance to study, for he was allowed to attend school only a few weeks in the year. When eleven years old he wished very much to have a geography. His father would not give him one, but allowed him to raise enough potatoes to pay for the book. 253 254 History of the United States. When he was older, he became a watch and clock- maker; then a button-maker; then a silversmith. He was in the Revolutionary army at V^alley Forge. He afterward went to Kentucky and became a land surveyor. Once he started from Pittsburg on a flat-boat to go to New Orleans ; but, before he had reached the Mississippi, he and most of his companions were captured by the Indians. The prisoners were forced to carry their own cargo to the Indian villages, Fitch was compelled to run the gantlet, and was used cruelly in other ways. His skill in making ornaments soon procured for him kindly treatment; after some months, he was ransomed by a British officer at Detroit. By indus- try he earned enough to pay for his ransom from the Indians ; and after a long time he was exchanged as a prisoner of war. There came into his mind the idea of a boat that could be moved by steam, and from that time until his death, he had this subject almost continually in his thoughts. After many difficulties, he had a boat built on the Delaware River. Instead of paddle-wheels, there were, on each side of the boat, six oars which were moved by a small engine. This steamboat he called the Perseverance. It went at the rate of about seven miles an hour. On the twelfth of October, 1788, it steamed from Early Inventors. 25s Philadelphia to Burlington, twenty miles, in three hours. This short voyage by steamer was the first in history. The working of this P^^i boat was so ex- pensive that the Perseverance failed to make good her name. Fitch visited Europe to see what he could do there, but was unsuccessful in accomplishing anything. He re- turned to America, and went to Kentucky, where he died in 1796. He used to say that the time " Perseverance." John Fitch's first steamboat, as seen on the Delaware in 1787; speed seven miles an hour. would come when steam- boats would sail reor- ularly on the rivers, and would cross the Atlantic Ocean, but he was laus^hed at and thought to be an idle dreamer. Another American was more fortunate than Fitch had been. This was Robert Fulton, the son of an Irish tailor, who Hved near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Robert Fulton was born in 1765. He was not fond of study when a boy, but he had a very in- RoBERT Fulton. From D. C. Colden's " Life of Fulton. 256 History of the United States. ventive mind and was continually making experi- ments. When he wished to have a pencil, he ham- mered one out of lead ; w^ien he wanted fireworks, he made rockets of his own. He invented an air gun ; he was fond of fishing, but did not like to row the boat, so he invented a boat to be rowed by paddles. He was so skilful with his brush that he decided to become an artist. When he was only seventeen, he went to Philadelphia, and supported himself by painting landscapes and portraits, and making draw- ings of machinery. He saved enough money to buy a farm for his mother, and then, when he was about twenty-one, went to study art in Europe. He remained in Europe many years. While there his mind was turned to practical thino^s. He became skilled in engineering ; he designed aque- ducts, bridges, canals, and other works. He invented a boat that would move under water and carry torpedoes to blow up war vessels. At this time he was thinking of moving vessels by steam. While in France he built a boat to be moved by steam, and everything was ready for the trial, when the weight of the machinery broke the boat in two, and it sank. Fulton had the machinery raised out of the water, and resolved to try again. He soon had another boat made laro^er and stronger than the first; and using the same machinery as before, he Early Inventors. 257 made another trial which was successful. But this boat was only an experiment. Fulton was so sure of success with larger vessels, that he ordered the various parts of a steam engine to be made. This work had to be done in Eng- land, for at that time there w^re no manufactories in America where they could be made. He shipped the engine to America, for he intended his next trial to be made in his ow^n country. While in Paris Fulton had formed a close friend- ship with Robert R. Livingston, the American minis- ter to France, a man of means and influence. It was by Livingston's help that Fulton was enabled to carry out his plan. As soon as Fulton arrived in the United States, he set about building a very much larger vessel than he had yet attempted. He w^as laughed at and ridiculed. His vessel was nicknamed Ficl- tojis Folly, and almost every one prophesied that it would be a failure. The vessel was finished in August, 1807. The English engines had been put together and placed in position. All was ready for the trial. A large crowd gathered on the wharves in New York to see what was going on, and to make sport of Fulton's Folly. Black smoke came out of the smoke-pipe, the wheels turned and then stopped. The crowd began to jeer, but the trouble with the engine w^as remedied, the wheels again revolved, the vessel kept 258 History of the United States. on, and the scoffing of the lookers-on was soon changed to hurrahs. The Clermont, as the little vessel was called in honor of Livingston's home, soon went up the river to Albany. The dense black smoke pouring out of her smoke-pipe, the noise of her machinery, her moving against wind, tide, and current, filled all The "Clermont." From Rergart's " Life of Fulton." those who saw her with wonder. On her return voyage, one man shouted, " See the sawmill going down the river, working as it goes." Some were so terrified when she passed them that they fell on their knees, or ran away from the dreadful sight. The Clermont made only five miles an hour, a speed much less than that of Fitch's Persever- ance ; but Fulton's paddle-wheels were far better than Fitch's oars, and the boat could be run at Early Inventors. 259 much less cost. To Fulton belongs the credit of inventing the first practical steamboat. Fulton did not get much money for his great invention, and died, in 18 15, a poor man. He is buried in Trinity churchyard. New York City. Before Fulton's death many steamboats were in use. As early as iSii, the Nezv Orleans, was launched at Pittsburg, and after a voyage of three days reached Louisville. She went on to New Orleans ; and in a few years many steamers were plying upon the Mississippi and its tributaries. In 18 1 9, the first steamer crossed the Atlantic Ocean. This was the Savannah, which sailed from Savannah, Georgia, for England. From England she went to St. Petersburg, Rus- sia, stopping at ports in Denmark and Sweden on the way. It should be stated, however, that she did not steam all the time, but depended to a great extent on her sails. In fact, her wheels were so arranged that they could be unshipped and taken on board, when not in use. For a long time only paddle-wheels were used as a means of helping the sails. The screw-pro- peller, invented by John Ericsson, has taken the place of side-wheels for ocean steamers, and now the great ocean liners depend upon steam alone. Cotton is one of the greatest crops now raised in the United States; but in 1784 eight bags of 26o History of the United States. cotton, taken to Liverpool in an American ship, were seized, because it was thought impossible for America to raise so much.^ At the present time, millions of bales of cot- ton are raised in America every year. This enor- mous increase in the size of the crop is, to a great extent, due to a single Eli invention — that of Whitney. Whitney was born in Westboro, Massachu- setts, in 1765. His father was a farmer, and more or less of a me- chanic as well. As soon as the son could handle tools, he was always try- ing to make something. He made a very good fiddle when he was only twelve years old. When his father, who was away from home at the time, came back, he was not very well pleased, and said, " Ah, I fear Eli will have to take his portion in fiddles." One Sunday morning, while the rest of the family were at church, Eli took his father's watch to PI I ^"X 9 K^^m L J ^m. 1 » ^hi ^^^-.^'tV^ilLlilJ./u Ai^.iJM^I'mm J. Ericsson in 1861. At the time he built the Monitor. From W. C. Church's " Life of Ericsson." 1 By the English law, at that time, ships were allowed to bring in only such articles as were raised in the country to which the ship belonged. Early Inventors. 261 pieces, and managed to get it together again before the family returned. In the time of the Revolutionary War, nails v^ere scarce and costly. Whitney asked his father to give him some tools with which to make nails. He made them by hammering them one by one out of a bar of red-hot iron. These sold well until the war came to an end, when it was no longer profit- able to make nails in that way. All this time he was working on the farm, and also mending everything that was brought to him for repair, for he soon gained the reputation of being able to mend any- thing. He did not neg- lect study. As soon as he was old enough, he taught in the village school, and partly by his teaching and partly by his mechanical work, he earned enough money to go to Yale College, which he entered when he was twenty-four. He studied well and took his degree in 1792. He engaged himself as tutor in a family in Georgia. The citizens of the state of Georgia were so grateful to General Nathanael Greene for Eli WiiJTNEV. 262 History of the United States. what he had done during the Revolution, in driving the British from the South, that they gave him a tract of land, not far from the city of Savannah. When Whitney reached Georgia, he visited the home of the Greenes, and while there he mended an embroidery frame for Mrs. Greene so skilfully that she was greatly pleased and much impressed with his ability. One day, when there was a company of gentlemen present, the conversation turned upon cotton and the difficulty of separating the cotton fibre from the seeds. The wish was expressed that some better and quicker way of accomplishing this hard task could be discovered. Mrs. Greene, hearing what was said, exclaimed, " Gentlemen, apply to my young friend here, Mr. Whitney; he can do anything ! " Whitney thought much about the matter, and before very long he had invented what is called a " cotton gin." ^ He worked under great difficulties, for he had to make his own tools, and draw his own wire. His simple and ingenious machine, by means of teeth and wires, separated the cotton fibre from the seeds. It had taken one person a day to clean with the fingers one or two pounds of cotton, while with the aid of Whitney's gin the same person could clean a hundred pounds. 1 Gin, the same as eno;ine, a machine, Early Inventors. 26 The difficulty and expense of ridding cotton of the numerous little seeds entangled in it had dis- couraged planters from the general cultivation of the cotton plant. Now that the fibre could be separated cheaply, the plant began to be raised extensively, and there was a great demand for negro slaves to labor in the cotton fields. The lower price of cotton led to the establish- ment of many mills for the purpose of weaving the fibre into cloth, the price of which soon fell so much that many more persons could buy it, and the demand for cotton cloth be- came very great. The larger crops demanded a larger number of vessels to carry the cotton to the Eastern states and to Europe. Whitney's Cotton Gin. After the original model. There are few inventions of man which have had more far-reaching effects than this one of a Yankee schoolmaster. Eli Whitney's invention was stolen from him while he was trying to secure a patent, and though he received a good deal of money, it was all spent in trying to defend his rights. He afterward settled near New Haven, Connecticut, and manu- factured firearms for the government, inventing 264 History of the United States. his own tools and machinery. In this undertaking he was very successful, and he died a wealthy man. OUTLINE. Various plans for propelling vessels through the water by steam were proposed at different times. John Fitch was the first who proposed a practicable steamboat, but the cost of running it was too great. Robert Fulton de- signed the first profitable steamboat. The Clermont went from New York to Albany in 1807. The SavaniiaJi, in 1 8 19, was the first steamer to cross the Atlantic. The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney increased enor- mously the growth of cotton in the United States, and affected many other interests. Describe Rumsey's plan for a steamboat. Tell the story of John Fitch and his experiments. Tell the story of Robert Fulton's early life ; of his experiments in Paris. Tell the story of the Cle7'm.ont. What steamer first crossed the Atlantic? When was it? Who invented the propeller? Tell the story of Whitney's early life. Tell the story of the invention of the cotton gin. What effect did the invention have upon the raising of cotton? Manufactures? Commerce? Did Whitney profit much by his great invention? ANDREW JACKSON.— TECUMSEH. OF 1812. THE WAR Andrew Jackson was born in 1767. He was the 'son of an Irish immigrant, who settled in North Carolina, and who died before he had been in his new home a year, leav- ing a widow and two sons. Andrew's mother was very poor, and her two boys passed their early years in poverty. Like many other backwoods boys, they went to a school kept in a log- cabin in the pine woods. Andrew was not long Andrew Jackson. at school, for those were in 1830. Age 63. After the portrait by R. W. . . . y J Earl in the U. S. National Museum. stu-rmg tmies. He was nine years old at the time of the Declaration of Independence. The home of the family was just in the line of march of the British army. Andrew and his brother Robert, young as they were, took their 265 266 History of the United States. part in fighting the enemy ; and once, when Andrew was about thirteen, they were both captured. The troops had been marching in the mud, and when the prisoners were brought to camp, a British officer pulled off his boots, and, throwing them to Andrew, ordered him in very rough language to clean them. The boy refused, and the angry officer struck him so sharply with his sword that he bore the scars for the rest of his life. Andrew's brother was treated in like manner, and then the boys were put in prison. Later they fell ill with small-pox; their mother managed to get them exchanged ; but Robert died soon after being released. Mrs. Jackson was full of pity for the American prisoners confined at Charleston, more than a hun- dred miles away. She went on horseback to visit and help them. While at Charleston she con- tracted the prison fever and died. Andrew, now about fourteen years old, was left alone. He made up his mind to learn a trade, choosing that of a saddler ; but he soon found that it was not suited to his active disposition, and gave it up. He next tried keeping a country store, but he did not like this much better ; then he studied law and taught school. His law studies were not very deep or extensive, but he was admitted to the bar. Thinking that he should have more chance of suc- cess in a new country, he went to what was then Andrew Jackson. 267 the frontier settlement of Tennessee. Here, before long, he was made a judge. He was well acquainted with the life and character of the people among whom he lived, and dispensed justice in a rough and ready fashion that was well suited to them. He had a mind and a will of his own, and said and did pretty much what he pleased. Everybody knew that he meant exactly what he said, that he was afraid of nobody, and that he would fight with any one who dared to dispute with him. In course of time, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives at Washington. He is described at this time as being tall and thin, hav- ing long hair which often used to fall over his face, and was worn behind in a cue tied up in an eelskin. Later still he was sent to the Senate. He was so accustomed to the rough ways of the backwoods that the sober and sedate habits of the Senate were very irksome to him. At times when something was said that he did not like, he would get so angry that, when he rose to reply, he would choke with rage and have to sit down without saying anything. He was glad to return to Tennessee, when the time came for him to do so. When the Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois regions became settled by the whites, the Indians were forced to remove farther and farther west. The more intelligent Indians saw that the time would soon come when they would be driven 268 History of the United States. out of their lands. Most of the white men seemed to think that the country belonged to them, and that the Indians were intruders. The settlers wdshed to own all the land. They were willing to pay the Indians something for any claim they might have ; but the Indian was com- pelled to accept the white man's offer. It was better that the white man should have the country; but too often he treated the Indian unjustly and took advantage of his ignorance. Tecumseh, an able Indian, and his brother, called the Prophet, resolved, as King Philip had done, to try to band together all the Indians, and drive the white men back. Governor William Henry Harrison, of Indiana territory, heard of this plan of the Indians, and did his best to persuade them not to o-Q to war. Tecumseh, however, came with four hundred Indian warriors to see Governor Harrison. He recounted to the governor the wrongs of the Indians, and told him that these wrongs would be borne no longer. When he had finished his speech, one of the officers, pointing to the governor, said, " Your father asks you to sit by him." Tecumseh replied with disdain: " My father ! The sun is my father, and the earth my mother ; on her bosom will I repose." He then seated himself on the ground. The conference was of no avail. Tecumseh now went to induce the southern Indians to join with Andrew Jackson. 269 him. He succeeded in persuading them to do so. Before he returned to his own tribe, he gave his aUies a bundle of sticks, telling them to throw away one stick each day. When all were gone, it would be time for them to attack the settlers, for by that time he would have attacked the northern whites. While Tecumseh was in the south, his brother, the Prophet, gathered his forces and proposed to fall upon the whites. General Harrison was familiar with Indian customs, and learned what the Prophet had in mind. He determined that, if there was to be a war, he, and not the Indians, should choose the time for beginning it. He therefore collected some troops and marched toward Tippecanoe,' an Indian village, where many w^arriors had gathered. When the Prophet found out that troops were near, he sent to Harrison, offering to make peace. This was only to put the general off his guard. The very next morning, about four o'clock, while it was yet dark, the Indians attacked Harrison's men. The first thing the sentinels heard was a terrible war-whoop. The troops sprang to arms, and a sharp battle was fought in the darkness. The Indians w^ere defeated, and their village was burned. This battle was fought November 7, 181 1. General Harrison after this was called " Tippecanoe." Tecumseh was bitterly disappointed and cha- ^ Tippecanoe was where Lafayette, Indiana, is now. 270 History of the United States. grined when he reached his old home and found out what had happened. The War of 181 2 with England soon began. He joined the British, and was killed in battle. England had been at war with France for a num- ber of years. France, under Napoleon, had secured control of a large part of Europe. England, in order to injure France, proclaimed that no vessels of any nation should trade with France or any country ruled by France. Napoleon retorted by issuine a decree that no vessel should trade with England. As the United States had a good trade with Europe, these laws hurt American commerce very much. The United States government tried in various ways to induce England and France to change these laws, but without success. These were not the only grievances. England had a large navy and needed many sailors. In order to secure them, when a war vessel was in an English port, naval officers would send men on shore to seize any able-bodied men they could find, and force them on board their vessel. This was called " impressing sailors." Of course it was much better to get men who were already sailors. The British naval officers, therefore, made it a practice to stop American merchant ships when they met them, and seize some of their men. They always claimed that such Andrew Jackson. 271 men were British citizens ' and could be rightfully- seized. These officers were not at all careful to find out whether a man had been born in England or not. If they saw a fine-looking seaman, they would say, " You must be an Englishman, we will take you." The captains and crews of the merchant vessels could do nothing but protest. Thousands of Americans were thus seized. The United States government would complain to the British government ; but there the matter usually would end, for the British ministry thought that the United States would not dare to do anything more than complain. At last, in 181 2, the United States declared war against England. A great many persons in America thought it very unwise to go to w^ar. England had about a thousand war vessels, while the United States had but ten or twelve first-class vessels. England's troops were numerous, well drilled, and had had much experience. The troops of the United States were few, poorly disciplined, and unused to w^ar. Those who were for peace not only pointed out these facts, but claimed that all matters in dispute could be satisfactorily arranged without ^ At that time all European nations held that a man was always a citizen of the country in which he was born, no matter where he might be, or to what country he might have emigrated. 2/2 History of the United States, fighting. It has since been seen that they were right. Though the American war-ships were few, they were the very best of their class, and were manned by the best sailors in the world. When a report reached England that the Constitution, an American frigate, had captured the Guei^riere, a British frigate, the English newspapers said that it could not be true, for such a thing was impossible. But it was true, nevertheless, and there were other American victories as well. On land the British were generally victorious, though after a while the Americans were able to hold their own on the Canadian border. The Americans had such a long coast line, and so few vessels to defend it, that the British had many opportunities to land a force in an unexpected place. The British made several attacks on the coast, the most important of which was on the shores of Chesapeake Bay. They captured Washington, and burnt the Capi- tol, as well as other public buildings. During the British bombardment of Fort Mc Henry, near Balti- more, Francis Scott Key, a young American patriot, was detained on one of their vessels. He was full of fear lest the fort might be taken, and, while watching the shot and shell through the long hours of the night, he wrote, on the back of an old letter, the poem " The Star-Spangled Banner," which Andrew Jackson. 273 afterward became a national sone. The British were compelled to retire without accomplishing their object. Before this time the Creek Indians in the south, who had been excited by Tecumseh, had attacked the whites. They seized Fort Mims, in which four hundred men, women, and children had taken refuge, and cruelly massacred all these captives, even burnino- some of them to death. Gold Medal presented by Congress to Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson had been a general of militia, and he now marched against these Indians and defeated them. It was a w^ar of extermination ; the whites gave no quarter, but killed every prisoner. This victory and other successes gave Andrew Jackson a great reputation, and he was, in conse- quence, placed in command of the southern army. Jackson expected that the British would attack New Orleans. He was rioht. Twelve thousand or more English soldiers, the best in the English army, 274 History of the United States. had been sent to take this important place. Jack- son made every effort to defend it. He released the prisoners from the jails, and armed them ; he also armed the free negroes ; he made defences and threw up earthworks ; then he waited for the attack. The British made their assault, January i8, 1815. A terrible battle followed. The British were driven back, with their general killed, and a loss of about two thousand men. The Americans lost less than one hundred. All this bravery on both sides and this loss of life were for nothing, because a treaty of peace had al- ready been signed in Europe. But there was no telegraph, no railroad, no ocean steamship in those days, and it was a long time before the sailing vessels brought the news. Strange to say, the impressment of sailors and the restrictions on trade were not even named in the treaty. France had been conquered. Eng- land was at peace with European nations, and no lono-er needed sailors. She had also learned that it would not be wise to try to take them by force. She had repealed the old laws restricting trade. Her people were tired of war, and were eager for peace. The people of the United States were also quite ready to stop fighting, and welcomed the news of the treaty with enthusiasm. They now devoted themselves to the arts of peace. Canals were constructed, roads were made, Andrew Jackson. 275 steamboats built, manufactures established, and thousands of new fields planted with various crops. For thirty years, with the exception of occasional troubles with the Indians, the country was at peace and prospered greatly. Andrew Jackson was elected President of the United States in 1828. He was the first man who had risen from the poorest in the land to that high office. He thought, and very many of his country- men thought with him, that he represented the whole people better than had any former President. Jackson had been hot-tempered and self-willed as a boy, and his disposition was not changed when he became a man. He was honest in his inten- tions, though often at fault in his judgment. He thought that all his political friends should be rewarded. Accordingly, he turned hundreds of men out of the public offices, and replaced them with those who had supported him in his campaign for the presidency. For about sixty years nearly every President fol- lowed his example. Now, under what are called the " Civil Service Rules," most of those who hold office are kept in their positions as long as they do their work well. Andrew Jackson was elected President a second time. He died in 1845. 276 History of the United States. OUTLINE. Andrew Jackson was born in 1767. His parents were very poor. He took part in fhe Revolutionary War. He removed to Tennessee, and became a prominent citizen. Was sent to Congress. Was appointed general of militia, and was actively engaged in the Indian wars, in which Tecumseh, an Indian chief, was leader. Tecumseh was one of the ablest of the Indians. The Indians were de- feated at Tippecanoe by General WilHam Henry Harrison. The British impressed American sailors, passed severe laws restricting trading, and refused to grant American requests. War broke out between Great Britain and the United States. The Americans were remarkably successful in naval warfare, but suffered many reverses on land. Peace was made, but before news of it reached America, General Jackson repulsed a British attack upon New Orleans, and won a great victory. Jackson was elected President in 1828, and reelected in 1832. He was honest, but prejudiced and self-willed. He was a great believer in rewarding his friends with public office. Tell the story of Andrew Jackson's youth. Describe his life in Tennessee. Tell an anecdote to show his quickness of temper. What led to a war with the Indians ? Tell the story of Tecumseh. What led to the War of 18 12 with Great Britain? Give some account of the war. Tell about the batUe of New Orleans. What kind of a man did Andrew Jackson make ? What rule did he follow in making appointments to public office? CANALS, RAILROADS, TELEGRAPHS, AND OTHER INVENTIONS. The people of the United States learned from the War of 1812 the necessity of better means of travelling and of conveying goods from one part of the country to another. Except near the sea, or where there were bays, rivers, or lakes, there was no better way to trans- port goods than in wagons or on the backs of horses or mules. For months in the year, the roads throughout the country were so bad that it was almost impossible to use them for hauling. Even in summer, hauling was slow and costly. While Jefferson was President, Congress appro- priated money toward building a great national road from Cumberland, Maryland, to the W^est. This road benefited only a part of the country, helping chiefly the trade of Philadelphia and Baltimore. New York had a large trade along the coast and on the Hudson River, but not with the interior country. She wished to secure a part of this inland trade. It was believed that a canal from Lake Erie to the Hudson River would accomplish this. 277 278 History of the United States. Many men, on the other hand, thought this proj- ect a wild one. Even President Jefferson said : " You talk of making a canal three hundred and fifty miles long through the wilderness. It is a little short of madness to think of it at this day." Those men, however, who had the matter at heart, persevered, and in 181 7 the canal was begun. De Witt Clinton, a prominent citizen of the State of New York, was greatly in- terested in having this canal made, and perhaps it is not too much to say that had it not been for him it mieht never have been finished. Like so many other men who have made great plans, Clinton was ridiculed, and the canal was called " Clinton's Big Ditch." The canal was, indeed, a stupendous work for the times. It had to be carried by bridges over streams ; ledges of rock had to be cut through, and where there were long hills, or rapid descents, locks ^ were 1 A canal lock is a part of the canal, confined within walls, and having gates at each end. By means of these gates the level of the water in the locks can be raised or lowered, and the boat rises or falls with the water. De Witt Clinton. After the portrait by C. Ingham. Inventions. 279 necessary, by means of which canal boats could be raised and lowered. It took eight years to finish the great work. The water was to be let in from Lake Erie on the 25th of October, 1825. To give notice to those Locks on the Erie Canal. As first constructed. who lived along the banks of the canal and the Hudson River, cannon were placed every five miles from Buffalo to New York City. When the gates were opened the first gun was fired, then that at the next station, and so on. The first one sounded at ten o'clock in the morning, and 2«0 History of the United States. one hour and a half later the last gun was fired five hundred miles away, at New York. As the first canal boat passed, gayly decorated with flags and streamers, there was great rejoicing. The travellers on it were received with cheers and salutes, and when they reached New York City there was a great celebration. Entrance to the Erie Canal at Tkoy. From an old print. Governor Clinton emptied a cask, which had been filled at Buffalo with the water of Lake Erie, into New York Bay, thus representing the meeting of the sea and the lakes throuQ^h the Erie Canal. The canal more than fulfilled the hopes of those who planned it. It offered such an easy way to go to the West that it helped wonderfully in develop- ing that vast region. It brought so much grain and Inventions. 281 produce to New York that the trade of that city was greatly increased, and it became the largest city in America. Before the Erie Canal was constructed, Philadelphia was larger than New York. Other states built canals, but none was so success- ful or so important as the Erie Canal. This want of success was due partly to the character of the country through which they passed, and partly to the introduction of railroads. Less than one hundred years ago the speediest means of getting from place to place was by horses, just as it was in the time of the Greeks and Romans. As soon as it was found that steam could be used as a power for moving machinery, men at once began to think about some way to make machinery move ships, wagons, and carriages. The steamboat has already been described. About , twenty years after Fulton's trial of the Clermont on the Hudson River, George Stephenson, at Darling- ton, England, made the first successful railroad loco- motive. Stephenson had formerly been a laborer in an English coal mine. The first passenger railroad in America was the Baltimore and Ohio, which was beo'un in 1828. Soon there were others built in all parts of the country, except the extreme w^est. The railroad could be built almost anywhere. If the hills were too high to be crossed, they could be 282 History of the United States. tunnelled, or if tunnelling was too costly, the rails could be laid around the hills; streams could be bridged, or passengers could be ferried over them. Even swamps could be crossed by driving in piles and building trestle work on which to lay the track. This seems a matter of course to us now, but every- thing was very different seventy years ago ; it is hard to imag- ine what a vast Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 1830. From an old print. change the rail- road has made in the condition of the country. Towns and vil- lages sprang up along the rail- way, as they had formerly along the rivers. New states were rapidly settled. The wheat, corn, oats, and other crops of the farmer were easily and safely carried to market, and woollen and cotton cloth, manufactured articles generally, and all needed sup- plies were brought back to him. Railroads and canals are among the most impor- tant bands which hold the country together. If it were not for the easy means of communication which they afford, the country would, doubtless, long ago have been divided into two or more independent nations. Inventions. 283 The telegraph is an invention which followed not many years after the railroad. It had long been The First Train on the Camden and Amboy Railroad. known that electricity could be carried along vari- ous substances, and scientific men had thought that messages might be conveyed by electricity ; but no one had found a satis- factory way of doing it. Samuel F. B. Morse, an American artist, be- came much interested in electricity and magnetism. He had heard of various at- tempts to convey in- telligence by means of electricity, and while on a voyage from Europe to America, in 1832, he thought much about the matter. Before he had reached America he had made a drawing of an instrument which, with Letter-carrier of the Olden Time. 284 History of the United States. the aid of wires, he thought would accompHsh the desired end. Five years later he constructed an instrument with which he was able by means of wires to send a mes- sage for a short distance. Morse at once saw that messages could be sent a great distance if wires were properly arranged. His invention was very simple, and there was very little about it that was origi- nal. After it was described, it seemed strange that scientific men had not thought of his method before. Morse, like almost all inventors, had much to contend with. He was poor, and had it not been for a young man, named Alfred Vail, who persuaded his father to lend Morse some money, it is quite possible that there would have been failure after all. Vail was an excellent mechanic, and helped very much in the construction of the instruments. He also secured for Morse a patent for the invention. In order to bring his invention before the public, Morse asked Congress, at Washington, to give thirty thousand dollars, to be used in constructing a tele- Samuel F. B. Morse. From the last approved photograph. Inventions. 285 graph line between Baltimore and Washington, a distance of forty miles. Some of the members of Congress made all manner of sport of Morse's project. One member proposed that the money should be spent in making a railroad to the moon. There seemed little prospect that the bill grant- ing the money would be passed. The story is told that Morse, weary and heart-sick, sat hour after hour in the gallery of the Senate Chamber, waiting for his bill to come up before Congress adjourned. When evening came, and there seemed no chance for its passage, he went to his hotel utterly dis- couraged, and prepared to leave for New York early the next day, as his money was exhausted. The next morning, while he was at breakfast, a young lady came in and said, " I congratulate you." "Upon what.^" said Morse, who was feeling very blue. " On the passage of your bill." " Impossible." "No," said she, "it was passed five minutes before the adjournment." "Well," said Morse, "you shall send the first messao^e over the lines." The line was constructed with the money thus secured. When all was ready Morse kept his prom- ise, and Miss Annie G. Ellsworth sent, at the sug- gestion of her mother, the words, " What hath God wrought!"^ This was on May 25, 1844. It was not many years before there were telegraphs over all civilized lands. ^ Numbers xxiii. 23. 286 History of the United States. Morse and others showed very soon that wires, if properly protected, could be laid under water, and so rivers and streams proved no barrier. But this was not all ; telegraph lines were to encircle the earth ; the ocean must be crossed. Cyrus W. Field, a wealthy New Yorker, was sure that a cable of telegraph wires could be laid from shore to shore of the Atlantic. Such an under- taking would be very costly, and it was a long time before a sufficient number of persons in Europe and in America could be induced to subscribe to an enterprise apparently so foolish. Two attempts to lay a cable on the bottom of the ocean were failures. But in 1858 a cable was successfully laid, through which Queen Victoria and President Buchanan exchanged messages of con- gratulation. A number of other messages were also sent, but, in less than a month, the wires ceased to work. It was harder than ever to get subscriptions for a new cable ; but Mr. Field was indefatigable, and crossed the Atlantic very many times in the inter- est of the cable company. Finally he succeeded in his efforts. A new cable was made, and the Great Eastern the largest vessel afloat, was chartered to lay it. More than half had been laid when the cable broke, and the end fell into the sea and was lost. This was a very great disappointment. Inventions. 287 Even now Mr. Field and his companions were not cast down. The next year a new cable was successfully laid. Not only was this done, but the lost cable was picked up from the bottom of the ocean, another cable was spliced to it, and this one also worked. This was in 1866. Many other cables have been laid, connecting America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceanica. Men have become so accustomed to hearing the news of The " Great Eastern " picking up the Cable of 1865. the world every day, that it is hard to realize that this great invention is so recent. It is largely by means of steamboats, railroads, and telegraphs that our great Union is made possi- ble ; the whole world, also, is bound closer together, for through them men of different countries learn to know each other better, and to see that all nations have many interests in common. These improved means of communication tend to make 288 History of the United States. men value peace more highly. More than this, for when difficulties arise between nations, it is much easier to arrange matters now than when it took three months, and sometimes longer, to get an answer to a question. Had there been a cable to England in 1812, very probably there would have been no war at that time. So we see that steamboats, railroads, and tele- graphs are great helps in increasing civilization and in making men wiser and better. OUTLINE. After the War of 181 2 the people of the United States turned their attention to domestic matters. Means of com- munication between different parts of the country were poor. Roads and canals were planned. The Erie Canal was constructed and became a great benefit to New York. Many other canals were planned. Railroads were intro- duced about 1830. These greatly increased the develop- ment of the country and helped to bind different parts of the Union together. The first practical telegraph was invented by Morse. From a telegraph on land it was not a long step to telegraphs under water called cables. These now circle the globe. Steamboats, railroads, and telegraphs are great helps in civilization. How was trade carried on with the western country in early days? Tell the story of the building of the Erie Canal. Tell the story of the opening of the Canal. Inventions. 289 When were railroads introduced into America? What effect did canals and railroads have on the settlement of the country? Tell the story of the invention of the telegraph. Tell the story of the first messages. Tell the story of laying telegraphic cables under the ocean. OREGON. —WHITMAN'S RIDE. When the treaty of peace was made between the United States and Great Britain, in 1783, it was found very hard to agree upon the dividing line between Canada and the United States. The great West, particularly the Oregon country, was thought by many able men in the United States to be of little value. This opinion was held for many years ; even Daniel Webster said : " What do we want with the vast, worthless area, this region of savages and wild beasts, of deserts, of shiftino^ sands and whirlwinds of dust, of cactus and prairie dogs ? What can we hope to do with the western coast . . . rockbound, cheerless, and unin- viting, and not a harbor on it ? " Other men spoke quite as strongly. A few settlers from the Eastern states, attracted by the reports of Lewis and Clark, had gone to Oregon and some of the churches had become interested in the Indians, and had sent out mis- sionaries in 1834 and 1836. One of these mission- aries was Dr. Marcus Whitman, of th*e State of New York; it was he who, in 1836, took the first wagon across the Rocky Mountains — an undertaking which had been said to be impossible. 290 Oregon. 291 Dr. Whitman and his fellow-missionaries were charmed with the beautiful forests, the fertile fields, the mountains, and the rivers of that far western land. They found that the English already had fur-trading stations and some settlements in Ore- gon ; and Dr. Whitman became sure that it was their purpose to gain possession of the land by bringing as many settlers as possible into the coun- try. He believed that the only way for the Ameri- cans to keep Oregon was to bring in more settlers than the English had done. One day, while dining at an English station, he witnessed the arrival of a messenger with the news that a large colony of English settlers were coming. A young Englishman in the company was so pleased that he sprang to his feet, crying, " Hurrah for Oregon ! America is too late. We have got the country ! " Dr. Whitman was convinced that his view was correct. He saw also how important it was that the English plan should be known to the govern- ment at Washington before any treaty should be made with England, and that the urgent need of inducing more American settlers to emigrate to Oregon should be brought home to the American people. Dr. Whitman said nothing, but within twenty-four hours he had left the station, and in less than three days was on his way to the East. His journey and 292 History of the United States. its purpose were kept a profound secret. He started on his long horseback ride, October 3, 1842. He was accompanied by a fellow-settler, Amos L. Lovejoy, and by a guide. They had three pack-mules. By making a great effort, they reached Fort Hall in eleven days, a ride of six hundred and forty miles. This was an English fort, and was situated in what is now the southeastern corner of Idaho. The commander of the fort did all he could to persuade Dr. Whitman to give up his purpose of riding to St. Louis. He said that the snow was twenty feet deep among the mountains ; that the rivers could not be crossed ; that the Pawnee and Sioux Indians were at war with each other, and that it would be almost certain death to enter their country. The only effect that these words had upon Whit- man was to make him follow a different route to the East. The little party found heavy snowdrifts and en- countered terrible snowstorms. At one time the guide refused to go any farther, and confessed that he had lost his way. They sought to retrace their steps to their last camp, but the snow had covered their path. They had given themselves up for lost, when one of the mules was seen to bend his ears forward. The guide at once cried out, "This mule will find the camp if he can live to reach it! " The Oregon. 93 reins were thrown upon the mule's neck, and he was allowed to do as he pleased. The mule seemed to understand what was wanted of him, and starting off, went on through snowdrifts, down precipitous paths, on and on, until he stopped over a piece of ground nearly bare of snow. To their amazement the men recognized the place as the camping ground they had left early in the morn- Whitman's Ride. ing. A few embers were still glowing, and they soon had a roaring fire. Their guide now refused to stay wath them, and Whitman, in order to secure another one, was forced to return to a trading-post which they had passed days before. When they reached Grand River, they found it frozen, except in the middle of the stream. The guide said, " It cannot be crossed." Dr. Whitman replied, " It must be crossed." He took a pole with 294 History of the United States. him, compelled his horse to swim the open stream, and then breaking the ice on the opposite shore with his pole, helped his horse to get to the bank. He soon had a good fire, and the rest of the party also crossed the stream. When their provisions gave out, they killed and ate a dosf which had followed them. At another time they killed one of their mules, the meat of which lasted them a number of days. Once, when the time for camping came, there was no fuel. On the opposite side of a stream near by there was plenty of wood. The river was covered with thin ice, hardly strong enough to bear a man. Whitman took an axe, lay down on the ice, and worked himself across. Having cut sufficient wood, he returned in the same manner, pushing the wood before him. In cutting the wood he split the handle of his axe, but bound it together with a piece of deer thong. That very night a thievish wolf, attracted by the deer thong, carried off the axe, handle and all. It was fortunate that this happened near the end of their journey, for had such a loss happened earlier it would have been a very serious matter. When they reached Fort Bent, about a thousand miles from St. Louis, Mr. Lovejoy was so worn out that he remained behind, while Dr. Whitman went on with a party just starting for the East. When he arrived at St. Louis, in the latter part of Febru- ary, he was rejoiced to hear that the Oregon ques- Oregon. 295 tion was not yet settled. " I am still in time," he cried. He hastened on to Washington, which he reached March 3, 1843. No wonder that men and women stopped to look at him as he walked about the streets. He wore coarse fur garments, buckskin breeches, a buffalo- skin coat with a hood, fur leggins, and boot moc- casins- — the same suit in which he had crossed the plains. He saw President Tyler, and Daniel Webster, Secretary of State, and gave them such information that there was no longer any talk of a boundary for Oregon south of the forty-ninth parallel of latitude. He published a pamphlet setting forth the advan- tages of Oregon, and describing the way to reach it. His companion in his adventurous ride, who had followed him to St. Louis, also spread the notice far and wide that Dr. Whitman and he would per- sonally conduct a party of emigrants to Oregon. A large number of emigrants started from St. Louis. Dr, Whitman had been delayed, but over- took them by the time they reached the Platte River. The company consisted of about a thousand men, women, and children, with about a hundred and fifty emigrant wagons, each drawn by twelve oxen. There were also more than a thousand horses and cattle. Day after day the long caravan toiled along. When night came the wagons were ranged in a 296 History of the United States. circle, the teams unyoked and let loose to pasture. Fires were lighted by which to cook the supper, tents were pitched, sentinels were posted, and every- thing was made ready for the night. After supper the company would gather within the circle of the waoons, the children would roll and tumble on the ground in sport, some one would bring out a violin or flute, and the young people would en- joy a dance. The older persons would tell stories of adventure, discuss the journey still before them, or plan for their life in the far-away western land for which they were bound. By ten o'clock all was quiet, and nothing was to be heard but the " All's well " of the sentinels, as they walked back and forth on their night watch. Early in the morning the caravan was on its way again. Twenty miles was a good day's journey. Late in September, 1843, the party reached its des- tination on the Columbia River. No such band of emigrants had ever been seen in Oregon before ; no such band had ever crossed the continent. Dr. Whitman had done his work well. He had carried news of the value of Oregon to the govern- ment; he had spread truthful reports throughout the land; he had brought back a large number of set- tlers to confirm the claim of the United States: in a word, he had saved Oregon for his country. He had done this without receiving or expecting any pecuniary reward. He believed that Oregon right- Oregon. 297 I fully belonged to the United States, and that it would be more prosperous under American rule. His motives were patriotic and seem to have been wholly unselfish. Whitman returned to his station, and for the next four years devoted himself to his missionary 'A^^ ^^;^^v=*> ^^^>^^^^>^^%^^^ Whitman Siation. Scene of the massacre. work. Then the Indians, who, in some way, had become stirred up against the missionaries, murdered him, his wife, and thirteen others, and carried off forty men, women, and children as captives. OUTLINE. For many years the Great West was thought to be of little value. Dr. Marcus Whitman went to the Oregon coun- 298 History of the United States. try as a missionary in 1836. He was greatly pleased with the country. He feared that the English would gain it, and he resolved that the government and people of the United States should be informed of the worth of Oregon. He rode on horseback to St. Louis on his way to Wash- ington. It was a terrible winter ride. He led back a large band of emigrants. He was, a few years later, killed by Indians. What was thought of the value of the great West ? Who was Dr. Whitman? How did he think Oregon could be kept for the United States? Describe his ride to St. Louis. How was he dressed ? What did he accoiui)lish? TEXAS. — MEXICAN WAR. — CALIFORNIA. During the time of which we have been reading, the country was steadily growing in wealth and population. The settlement of the United States was spreading farther and farther west. The prairies were planted with corn and wheat, while -^--f* ^^-^^l^S^^-*-'^"^ ^,^^^ ^. -::^^^^^^J Chicago in i ■ ji From an old print. towns and cities grew up along the rivers and lakes and on the lines of railways. By 1846, the original number of states had been doubled. States were formed west of the Missis- sippi River, and in the North and the South. Such were Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. 299 300 History of the United States. Southwest of the state of Louisiana there was a great country belonging to Mexico, known as Texas. Into this country American settlers began to venture. They found it attractive and fertile, and year by year more settlers came until there were many Americans in Texas. It was not an easy life for them. Some of the Indians were hostile. The Mexicans, who had at first invited Americans, became jealous; as descend- ants of the Spaniards they were not much pleased to see active Anglo-Saxons taking possession of the best parts of their country. Many of the Americans were pioneer settlers, like those of the earher days in Kentucky and Tennessee. Others were persons who had not been successful at home, and w4io hoped to do better in a new country. Some were men who had found Texas a safe refuge from their creditors, and a few were fugitives from justice. Texas was in those days truly a frontier country, resembling many of the more eastern states in their early history. The Mexican law forbade slavery, but notwith- standing this, some of the settlers brought slaves with them, calling them "servants.'' In 1836, the Americans and some of the Mexicans in Texas, declared their independence of Mexico, and set up the republic of Texas. One of the causes that led to the revolution was the refusal of Mexico to establish free schools. Texas. — Mexican War. — California. 301 Before long Texas asked to be annexed to the American Union as one of the states. This was very natural, because Americans formed the greater part of her population, and she was hardly strong enough to sustain a government of her own. There was gred^t difference of opinion among the people of the United States in regard to this request. The Southern states wished to have Texas in the Union, because many of the Texans were Southerners, and because its admission would increase the territory where slavery was allowed, and so would increase the influence of slaveholders in Congress. There were, of course, many people in the South and in the North who favored the annexation of Texas, and yet did not believe in slavery. They were of the opinion that the annex- ation would greatly benefit the United States. The Northern states, as a whole, were opposed to the annexation ; they did not wish to see the slave territory of the Union any larger. They believed also that the annexation would lead to a war with Mex- ico, because Mexico had never acknowledged the independence of Texas. Texas was admitted into the Union in 1845; the expected war followed, and Mexico was defeated. In the treaty of peace Mexico ceded to the United States, in exchanofe for a largre sum of monev, a great tract of country, comprising what is now Cali- fornia, Nevada, Utah, most of New Mexico, Ari- zona, and part of Colorado. 302 History of the United States. In 1848, almost at the time when the treaty of peace with Mexico was signed, gold was discovered in CaHfornia. As soon as the fact of this discovery became known, men from all parts of the United '^^-.T— %w f -T ^- " -^^i^mmSmi^^''.;i^. The Overland Route, States hastened by sea and by land to the gold fields. Some embarked in ships and went around Cape Horn, a voyage of three or four months. Some sailed to the Isthmus of Panama, and then, crossing the country, took ships on the Pacific A Californian Wagon Train. After an old print. Ocean. Some took the long journey overland, across the great plains and over the mountains. The overland route was the hardest journey of all. The travellers could go only in wagons or on horseback. They were exposed to hostile Ind- Texas. — Mexican War. — California. 303 ians and wild animals. They suffered much from fatigue, hunger, and thirst. Long afterward their path could be traced by the abandoned wagons, and the whitened bones of the horses and cattle which fell by the way, and even by the bones of some of the poor travellers themselves. View of San Francisco in 1847. After a lithograph. With American ships in the harbor. The recent discoveries of gold in the Klondike region, and the rush to these new gold fields, have brought back to many old persons the memory of the scenes of 1849. By the end of the year 1849 there were more than a hundred thousand persons in California. Seldom had there been seen a greater mixture of peoples; by far the greater number were Ameri- 304 History of the United States. cans, but there were also Indians, Mexicans, Peru- vians, Europeans, and South Sea Islanders. All these were working side by side in the search for gold. The California gold diggings proved to be among the richest in the world, and many men became very wealthy; others returned to their homes poorer than when they left them. California became a state in 1850. In addition to her mines, she has vast fields of grain, and thou- sands of acres planted with fruit trees of all kinds ; her fruit orchards and orano^e orroves are unsurpassed. OUTLINE. Americans began to settle in Texas, which was part of Mexico. In 1836 there were many Americans in that country, and they declared themselves independent of Mexico. Soon Texas asked to be annexed to the Unitexi States. The North opposed annexation, and the South approved. Texas was admitted to the Union, 1845. War with Mexico followed. The United States acquired from Mexico what is now California, Nevada, Utah, most of New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. Gold was discovered in California 1848. There was a great rush to the gold fields. California became a state, 1850. How many states were there in the Union in 1846? Where was Texas ? What sort of men went there to settle? Texas. — Mexican War. — California. 305 When Texas wished to join the Union how did the people of the North feel? Those of the South? When was Texas admitted to the Union ? What land did the United States acquire ? When was gold discovered in California? Tell how the seekers after gold reached California. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Among the early settlers in Kentucky was a man named Abraham Lincoln, who had come there about 1780. His ancestors were among the colo- nists who settled near Plymouth, Massachusetts. Some members of the family moved to New Jersey, and later to Virginia and Pennsylvania (Berks County). This Abraham Lincoln and his family had long been friends of the Boones ; it was prob- ably due to Daniel Boone that they had moved to this new home. They hved in a stockade, like the other settlers, as the Indians were still to be feared. All went well for eight years. Then, one day, while he and his three sons were at work in a clearing, the father was shot and killed by an Indian. This misfortune appears to have broken up the family, and Thomas, the youngest son, was left to shift for himself. Thomas Lincoln was a carpenter, and was suc- cessful enough to secure a farm by the time he was twenty-five. He married Nancy Hanks in 1806. The young couple were poor, but so were most of the early settlers in the West. Their life was rough, but it did not differ from that of other pio- neers at the same period. Indeed, the life of the 306 Abraham Lincoln, i°7 AisKAHAM Lincoln. From a photograph taken in i860. 308 History of the United States. Lincolns can be taken as a fair example of that of hundreds of others in the new settlements. Their home was a rude log-cabin, containing only one room, having but one door and no window. A large chimney, made of sticks and clay, leaned against the cabin, which, if it was like the ordinary cabin of the early settler, had no floor but the earth. The scanty furniture was of the rudest kind. The table and chairs were of boards, the legs fastened into auoer holes. The bedstead was of poles, and was sup- ported by the logs of the house on one side, and on the other by • stakes driven into the earth floor. Most of the dishes were wooden ; the spoons, knives, and forks were of iron. In this cabin, situated in Hardin County,' Ken- tucky, Abraham Lincoln, the future President, was born, February 12, 1809. Abe, as he was called, was seven years old when his father moved to the southwestern part of Indi- ana. The country was thickly wooded, and, in order to get to their new home, it was necessary to cut a roadway through the forest. 1 Now La Rue County. House in which Abraham Lincoln- was BORN. From a photograph of the reconstructed log-cabin Abraham Lincoln. 309 When they had reached their destination, the first thinor to be done was to build a " half-faced camp. This was a loe hut with but three sides. There were no doors, no windows, no floor but the earth. It was, indeed, nothing but a shed. All the cooking was done at a fire in front of the open LOG-CAlilN P^UKM 1 I Kj side of the hut. A buffalo skin was hung across the front for protection in winter. The family lived in this " half-faced camp " for a year, and then a cabin, very much like the one they had left in Kentucky, was built. This cabin had a loft, and here, on a heap of leaves, young Abe Lincoln slept. The boy went to one of the rude "ABC schools " whenever he had a chance ; but he used to say, in 3 1 o History of the United States. after years, that he was not at school more than a year all together. He was eager to learn, and at night would throw branches of spice-wood bushes on the fire in order to get more light, so that he could read and cipher. He did his figuring on a wooden shovel, or smooth board, with a charred stick. When the w^ork was done, he planed it off, and the board was ready for use again. Young Lincoln read every book that he could lay his hands on. Books were scarce on the frontier, and he had not much choice. Among them were " Robinson Crusoe," Weems's " Life of Washing- ton," a " History of the United States," " ^sop's Fables," Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progress," and the Bible. Some of these he had to borrow. Once his borrowed copy of Weems's " Washington " got wet, and to pay for the book he shucked corn for three days. When he could get paper, he would copy long extracts from what he read, using a pen made from the feather of a wild fowl, and ink made from the roots of briers. When he was ploughing, and it was necessary to give the horse a rest, he would pull out his book, perch himself on the top of a " worm fence," and read. He soon knew more than any of his com- panions, and he learned to write an excellent hand. His mother died when he was nine years old, and Abraham Lincoln. 311 her loss was a great one to the little boy. In about a year his father married again. Lincoln's step- mother was an able and energetic woman. She encourao^ed him in all his efforts to read and to study, and her stepson became very fond of her. She said of him, many years afterward, " Abe was a good boy — he never gave me a cross word or look ... he was a dutiful son to me always." A Mississippi Flat-boat. If young Lincoln dressed like the boys around him, he must have worn roughly tanned deerskin trousers, a linsey-woolsey shirt, moccasins on his feet, and a coonskin cap on his head. He was early taught to swing the axe, to handle the plough, to thresh the wheat with the flail, to carry the grain to the mill, and to do all kinds of work about the farm. Besides this, his father taught him his own trade which was that of a carpenter. He grew up an able-bodied, active young man. 312 History of the United States. He was six feet four inches tall, and of great strength. "He could outwork, , outlift, and outwrestle any man he came in contact with." He was good- natured, obliging, and, in fact, very popular. He was fond of telling stories, all of which were to the point and often very amusing. When he was nineteen, he went to New Orleans on a iiat-boat as a " bow-hand." His business was to work at the front oars. The unwieldy flat-boats were propelled by long sweeps, or oars, each of which often re- quired two men to handle it. These boats were loaded with farm produce, and with their cargoes were sold on reachinof New Orleans. This long voyage took weeks and sometimes months to ac- complish. For this work on the flat-boat Lincoln received eight dollars a month and his passage back. Soon after his return from New Orleans, his father moved to Illinois. Young Lincoln drove the ox- wagon in which the household goods were carried. It was a two weeks' journey. The family settled in central Illinois. Here Abraham Lincoln helped to build the log-cabin which was to be the new home, and with the aid of a companion he split the rails to fence in the ten A Worm Fence. Abraham Lincoln. 3 i 3 acres which were to be planted with corn for the first year's crop. After seeing his father and his family settled, and being now twenty-one years old, he " struck out for himself." He had little or no money ; and one of the first things he did was to spHt rails to pay for enough brown jeans to make him a pair of trousers. He took whatever employment offered. He worked as a farm hand, as a rail-splitter, and as a clerk in a country store. Once, late in the evening, a woman came to buy half a pound of tea ; Lincoln weighed it out correctly, as he thought, and gave it to the woman, who paid him and went off. Next morning he found that he had put a four-ounce weight on the scales. He closed the shop and went to deliver the amount of tea which was due the woman. Another time, in giving change, he made a mistake of six and a quarter cents ; ^ the same evening, after the store was closed, he walked three miles to return the money. Such conduct soon won for him the name of " Honest Abe." When the trouble with the Indians, known as the " Black Hawk War," arose, Lincoln joined the ^ A coin in common circulation at that time was the Spanish half- real, worth six and a quarter cents. It bore different names in dif- ferent places, as, "picayune," " fippeny bit," "sixpence." It went out of circulation during the Civil War. 314 History of the United States. volunteers and was made captain of his company. He was not called upon to take any very active part, but his chief exploit was to save, at the risk of his own life, an Indian who had wandered into the soldiers' camp. On his return, in 1832, Lincoln and another young man entered into partnership and bought out a country store. Lincoln's main object in life was studv rather than tradino;, and he trusted too much to his partner, whom he supposed to be a good business man. The young man, however, turned out to be a worthless, dissipated fellow, and it was not long before the business proved a failure. Lincoln was now responsible for several hundred dollars, which it took him years to pay. In the meantime he had begun the study of law, had mastered surveying, and had been appointed village postmaster. When he began to practise law, all who knew him and really wanted justice were glad to employ him, because they were sure that he was honest. He never would say anything that he did not believe, and if he was satisfied that a law case was unjust, he would not defend it. Once he was called upon to defend a young man who was charged with committino- murder. A wit- ness, who was an enemy of the prisoner, declared upon oath that he saw the murder committed on a certain night by the light of the moon. Lincoln Abraham Lincoln. 3 i 5 asked him to repeat his statement, and after this was done he pulled an almanac out of his pocket, and showed that there was no moon visible on that night. The accused was at once acquitted. Lin- coln refused to take any fee in the case, because, years before, he had been treated with great kind- ness by the young man's mother. In 1834, Lincoln was elected a member of the state legislature. In order to take his seat, he walked the entire distance to Vandalia, then the state capital, about a hundred miles. In 1846, he was elected a member of the United States Con- gress ; in this position he distinguished himself by opposing the Mexican War. A few years later (1850) there were great debates in Congress, and discussions over the whole country as to whether slavery should be allowed in the territories. Lincoln spoke boldly against any increase of slave territory. In 1858, he was a candidate for the position of United States Senator, and sustained himself in many debates in the state of Illinois with his oppo- nent, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln was not chosen, but he gained for himself a wide reputation for abil- ity, sound sense, and honesty of purpose. In i860, Lincoln was invited to deliver a speech in the largest hall in the city of New York. The subject was, " Slavery in the United States." Few political addresses have had such an effect, so clear, so forcible, so convincing were his words. 3i6 History of the United States. It is not strange that when the convention of the Repubhcan party met, soon after, to choose a can- didate for President, Abraham Lincohi was nomi- nated. He was elected; and the former backwoods boy, rail-splitter, country storekeeper, surveyor, law- yer, became President of the United States. OUTLINE. The Lincoln family originally came from near Plymouth, Massachusetts. They moved first to New Jersey, then to Virginia, then to Pennsylvania, and then to Kentucky. Thomas Lincoln lived in Hardin County, Kentucky. Here Abraham Lincoln, his son, was .born, February 12, 1809. When he was seven years old his family moved to Indiana and later to Illinois. They lived in a rude cabin like other frontier families. Abraham Lincoln learned to cut down trees, split rails, and to do all kinds of farm work. He went to New Orleans on a flat-boat. He was a store- keeper, postmaster, surveyor, and lawyer. He was called "Honest Abe." He was chosen a member of the state legislature, and of Congress. He was elected President of the United States in i860. Where did the Lincoln family originally come from? Describe the cabin of Thomas Lincoln. Where was Abraham Lincoln born? To what state did the flimily move when he was a little boy? In what sort of a hut did they live? How long did he attend school? Tell how he taught himself. Abraham Lincoln. 317 Name some of the books he read. Tell what his stepmother thought of him. Tell how he was dressed ; what he learned to do ; how he went to New Orleans. What did he do when the family moved to Illinois? Tell stories to show his honesty. What \vas he called ? (jive an account of him as a storekeeper; as a lawyer. To what positions did his fellow-citizens elect him? To what high position was he chosen by the people of the United States? THE CIVIL WAR. The m-eat Civil War between the North and the South began in 1861, soon after Abraham Lincohi became President. There had been for a long time much misunderstanding between the people of the North and the people of the South ; this was partly because they had been brought up very differently, and partly because they knew but little of each other. This want of knowledge on the part of each was due to several causes, the most important of which were the following : first, the main lines of travel in the United States have always been east and west ; men have gone in those directions rather than north and south ; secondly, there were few rail- roads in the South; thirdly, the warm climate of the South was not attractive to the men of the Middle and Northern states ; lastly, the Southern system of slavery was disliked by nearly all persons in the free states, and many thought it sinful. There were doubtless other reasons for this mis- understanding, but these are the easiest to be seen. The Southern people generally believed that slav- ery was right ; very many of the Northern people, on the contrary, thought that it was wrong. The Southern people also believed that negro slaves 318 The Civil War. 3 1 9 were necessary for raising cotton and other crops ; they wished to take their slaves into the territories, and to increase the number of states in which slav- ery was permitted. The free states had become the most populous and numerous ; this made the slaveholders feel that it would not be long before the -Northern states would take some steps to re- strict, perhaps even to abolish, slavery. In the North, there was a political party the mem- bers of which were called Abolitionists; they believed that slavery should be abolished. As this party had supported Abraham Lincoln, many prominent men in the Southern states feared that Lincoln would interfere with slavery. When Lincoln was elected, they thought that the time had come for the slave states to leave the Union, or to secede as it was called. Before he was inaugurated, in 1861, seven states had thus seceded and claimed to be out of the Union.^ These states formed themselves into a new gov- ernment called " The Confederate States of Amer- ica." Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, was chosen President, and Alexander H. Stephens, of Georgia, Vice-President, of this confederation. The great majority of the people of the Northern states were of the opinion that no state had the right to withdraw from the Union ; they did not ^ These were South Carohna, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Geor- gia, Louisiana, and Texas. 320 History of the United States. believe that the Southern people meant what they said, or that they would actually fight against the Constitution and the flag under which they had lived so long. President Lincoln was very much misrepresented in the South. He w^as careful to say that he did The Capitol at Richmonj) not think that the Constitution allowed him to interfere with slavery where it was legal, but he was careful also to say that he did not believe that a state could secede from the Union. He would not recognize the Confederate states as a govern- ment. The Civil War. 321 Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, was one of the United States forts; it was short of supplies, and the Southern authorities refused to allow any supplies to reach it. In April, 1 86 1, the Confederates demanded the surrender of Sumter ; the commander of the fort. Major Robert Fort Sumter before the Bo >m?ARi Anderson, refused to yield. On the morning of April 12th, the Confederate batteries began to fire on the fort ; the bombardment lasted thirty-two hours, and ended with the surrender of the fort. The garrison, about a hundred men all told, was allowed to march out with all the honors of war. Only one man had been killed, and he by accident. This attack began the Civil War. At once there was great excitement. North and South. Troops were enlisted on each side, and 322 History of the United States. large armies were gathered. The Confederate gov- ernment expected that all the Southern states would join the new Confederacy, but only four more did so, making eleven in all.^ The terrible conflict thus begun lasted four years. The armies on each side fought bravely. The people, both North and South, taxed them- Monitor and Merrimac. An incident of the Civil War. selves heavily to carry on the war, and bore the burden ungrudgingly. There was great suffering on the battle-fields, in the hospitals, and, saddest of all, in the military prisons. Great battles were fought, and there were many notable exploits on sea and land. There were able generals in the Union army, such as 1 These were Arkansas, North CaroUna, Virginia, and Tennessee. The Civil War. 323 Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Philip H. Sheridan, and George H. Thomas. In the navy such men as David G. F'arragut, Andrew H. Foote, and others, more than sustained the reputation of the American naval officer. In the Confederate army there were able generals as well : Robert E. Lee, Joseph E.Johns- ton, Thomas J. Jack- son, commonly known as "Stonewall" Jack- son, and J. E. B. Stuart. The war was prin- cipally carried on in the Southern states. The navy of the Union blockaded 4he ports of the Confed- eracy, so that very few ships could bring in supplies or carry out cotton to pay for the goods which Farragut in the main rigging were needed. The armies of the Union shut in the South on the land side so com- pletely that the Southern people could get very few supplies by land. Being shut in by land and sea, ^ A port is blockaded when no vessel is allowed to go in or come out. An incident of the Civil War. After the picture by William Page. 324 History of the United States. and having very few manufactories of any kind, the people suffered greatly for many articles. Woollen cloth, shoes, pins, needles, medicines, tea, coffee, sugar, salt, and many other things were almost un- obtainable. Ulysses S. Grant. From a photograph. Dried herbs or leaves of various shrubs were used instead of tea, roasted rye or wheat instead of coffee. Men and women wore homespun gar- ments, thorns served as pins, wall-paper, and indeed every kind of paper which was blank on one side, The Civil War. 325 was made use of for writing and printing, and many other ingenious devices took the place of what had been considered necessary. The South- ern people bore their privations courageously, because they believed that they were right and were fighting in defence of their homes. McLean's House. Appomattox Courthouse. In which General Lee surrendered to General Grant, 9th April, 1865. From a photograph This system of blockade and of cutting off sup- plies was part of the plan of the Union government to bring the South to terms. Without such meas- ures the Union forces could hardly have succeeded. Though the Northern and Western states were almost wholly free from the presence of contending armies and the ravages of war, thousands of homes were made desolate by the loss of husbands, sons, 326 History of the United States. and brothers, who had patriotically left all to save the Union. Many terrible battles were fought with an appall- ino- loss of life. At last the South became exhausted. The armies of the Union advanced steadily until at length Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, The Graint Monumeint, New York. From a photograph. was occupied by Union troops. A few days later, General Lee surrendered his army to General Grant at Appomattox, Virginia. The war was over. This war put an end to slavery in the United States, and now there is probably no one who would really wish it back. The war made the people of The Civil War. 327 the North and South respect each other. It showed that the American people are just as brave, just as patriotic, just as self-sacrificing, as they ever were. The union of the states was preserved, and it was shown that no state could withdraw from the Union. On April 14, 1865, only four days after Lee's surrender. Pres- ident Lincoln was shot by an assassin, and the rejoicing over the coming of peace was changed to the deepest mourning. The whole coun- try had come to re- gard Abraham Lin- coin as worthy of the hio^hest confidence ; he had inspired such admiration and affec- tion as had been given to no one except Washing- ton. His loss was mourned over the whole world as that of a devoted patriot, and a good and great man. Robert E. Lee. From a photograph in 1862. OUTLINE. The great Civil War began in 1861. The people of the North and the people of the South did not understand each other. The Southern people thought slavery was 328 History of the United States. right ; the Northern people, that it was wrong. The Southern people thought that a state could leave the Union if it wished ; the Northern people did not believe in secession, as it was called. Seven Southern states seceded and formed The Confederate States of America ; four other states joined them later. Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, was bombarded. This began the con- flict. The war lasted four years. It was carried on chiefly in the South. The people of the South suffered much from the blockade of their ports which cut off all supplies. There were many terrible battles and great loss of life on each side. The South was compelled to give up the struggle. The war put an end to slavery, and showed that no state could leave the Union. On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was shot by an assassin. His loss was mourned over the whole world. Tell why the people of the North and the people of the South did not understand each other better. How did the people of the South look upon slavery? How did the people of the North look upon it? Why did the people of the South wish to leave the Union ? How many states seceded? What name did the seceding states take ? How did the people of the North look upon secession? What did President Lincoln say ? Tell about the bombardment of Fort Sumter. How long did the war last ? Name some of the generals and naval officers. Tell what effect the blockade had on the people of the South. What questions did the war settle ? What sad event took place at the close of the war? How was President Lincoln regarded by all men? THE UNITED STATES IN RECENT YEARS. The Northern and Western states soon after the Civil War settled back into peaceful life. In the South the people had lost nearly everything, and many of them had to make a fresh start in life. The state and local governments had to be reorgan- ized and many difficult questions settled. But, as the years went on, the South recovered from her losses and prospered greatly. She has grown larger crops of cotton than ever before ; many railroads have been constructed, many mines have been opened, and many new manufactories have been established. In Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida great quantities of fruits and early vegetables are raised, w^hich, by means of steamers and rapid rail- road trains, find a ready market in the cities of the North and West. The whole country has steadily increased in popu- lation, wealth, and prosperity, notwithstanding times of depression in business. The United States bouoht the orreat Louisiana territory in 1S03; later, in 18 19, she bought Florida; later still Texas was annexed, the Mexican Cession gained, and Oregon secured. Another large addi- tion of territory was made in 1867, when Alaska was 329 C / i/^/^ c 330 The United States in Recent Years. 331 purchased from Russia. This great territory does not touch the rest of the United States at any point. It has a scanty population of Indians. Except along the coast the winters are very cold, and there is much ice and snow. There are high mountains, and large glaciers, some of which reach to the sea ; from these huge pieces of ice break off and fall into the sea, forming icebergs. Many fur-bearing ani- mals are still to be found in Alaska, and the islands in Bering Sea have been the resort of thousands of seals, but the rapacity of the seal hunters has nearly destroyed the herds. Alaska is rich in mineral wealth. Gold was discovered in the Klondike re- gion in 1898. Owing to the long winters and the rigorous climate, it will never be a second California, but it is already of very much greater value than any one thought possible when it was bought. The building of railroads has been one of the most striking features of the development of the United States. Settlement, of course, came in the East before railroads ; but in the West settlement, as a rule, has gone along with the railroad, without which the growth of towns and cities would not have been nearly so rapid. Men felt that unless there was some quick and easy way to get from the extreme East to the ex- treme West, those who lived on the Pacific coast might think that they could get along very well without those on the Atlantic coast, and those on 332 History of the United States. the Atlantic coast might care very Httle for those on the Pacific coast. This feehng led to the con- struction of the Pacific railroads. Congress made liberal grants of land and money, and the work of building the Pacific Railway was begun during the Civil War. The road was started from both the east and the west. On the loth of View on the Union Pacific Railroad, Colorado. From a photograph. May, 1869, the two construction parties met at Promontory Point, Utah. The junction was made with great ceremony. The last rail was fastened with a gold spike from California, a silver one from Nevada, and an iron one from Arizona. Two en- gines, one from the east and one from the west, blew their whistles loud and long, and touched each other to show that the great roadway from the Atlantic to the Pacific was completed. Other The United States in Recent Years. 333 Pacific railroads have been constructed since, and crossing the continent is no longer a journey to be dreaded. When men in Europe wish to go to Japan by the quickest route, they cross the Atlantic to America, William McKinlky. Elected President of the United States, 1896. . Photographed by Rockwood, New York. take the railroad to the Pacific coast, and embark in an ocean steamer, which brings them to Japan in thirty days or less from England. Columbus was right when he said that the best way to go to the east was by going west, but how different the journey to-day from that of which he dreamed ! 334 History of the United States. No one could have imagined that so great a nation as the United States could have come into existence in the western hemisphere. The wonder- ful prosperity and development of the great republic have been due in part to great natural ' advan- tages, but these alone would not have brought suc- cess. Without the earnestness, the frugality, the independent, self-reliant spirit, and the love of con- quering difficulties, all of which are characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon race, the natural advantages would have amounted to little. After more than thirty years of peace the United States became involved in a war with Spain in 1898. It was the first conflict with a European power since 181 5. For years Spain had oppressed and misgov- erned Cuba. The Cubans rebelled. Spain made fair promises of better treatment, but they were not carried out. Again the Cubans rebelled. Accounts of Spanish cruelty came from time to time to Amer- ica, causing many Americans to sympathize warmly with the Cuban insurgents. The large and profit- able trade which had existed between the United States and Cuba was almost ruined. The condition of the Cubans became worse and worse. The United States government sent the battle- ship Maine to Havana to protect American inter- ests. On February 15, 1898, she was blown up and sunk with over two hundred and fifty of her crew. The feelings of the great body of the American The United States in Recent Years. 335 people were so wrought up that Congress soon passed resokitions declaring that Cuba ought to be free, and that, if the Spaniards did not withdraw, the United States should compel them to go. Spain broke off all relations with the United States. The President ordered a blockade of parts of the Cuban coast, troops were enlisted, and war was begun. The United States had a fleet of war vessels under Commodore George Dewey at Hong-Kong, China. He was ordered to the Philip- pine Islands, a Spanish possession. On the ist of May he entered the harbor of Manila, and, eno^ao^inQr the Spanish fleet, captured or destroyed every vessel, without the loss of one of his own men. Meanwhile, the blockade of Cuba was kept up. Spain sent a fleet to Cuba ; this fleet w^as blockaded by American vessels in the harbor of Santias^o, and when it ventured out, it was pursued and totally destroyed by the American vessels, with the loss of but one American killed and two wounded. United States forces had been landed to attack the city of Santiago. After some sharp fighting the George Dewey. From a photograph taken in 336 History of the United States. city surrendered. Another expedition was sent to the island of Porto Rico. With httle difficulty the American troops overran a good part of the island, but before the capital was reached Spain had sued for peace. By the terms of the temporary agreement, Spain was to give up all claim to Cuba and to cede to the United States Porto Rico and the island of Guam (one of the Ladrones in the Pacific Ocean). Manila 3j^^s^WW^^S?>?'/«v-J!ji^^^ MoRRO Castle, opposite Havana, Cuba. From a photograph. was to be held by the United States until a formal treaty of peace should be made. The war had lasted one hundred and fourteen days. Meanwhile, the Hawaiian Islands had been an- nexed to the United States in July, 1898. In Feb- ruary, 1899, the United States Senate ratified the treaty of peace with Spain by which the United States, in addition to what had been agreed upon, gained the Philippine Islands. In less than a year the United States annexed the Hawaiian Islands, Porto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and assumed temporary control of The United States in Recent Years. 337 Cuba; in December, 1899, by agreement with Great Britain and Germany, she gained Tutuila and the islands near it of the Samoan group in the South Pacific. The United States has thus been changed Senate and Legislative Buildings, Honolulu, Hawaii. From a photograph. from a strictly American power to one of world-wide extent. It is not possible to foretell what the result of this change will be upon her people and her institutions. OUTLINE. After the Civil War the country settled back into peace- ful occupations. The South began a new career of pros- perity. Alaska was bought in 1867. It is rich in mineral wealth. The railroad has been of the greatest help in the settlement of the whole country ; it has been a means of 338 History of the United States. uniting the East and West. Natural advantages joined with the earnestness and self-reliant spirit of the Anglo- Saxon race have been the means of developing this great country. War with Spain broke out in 1898. Spain oppressed Cuba. The people of the United States sympathized with the Cubans. The Maine was sent to Havana, and was blown up. After a short war Spain sued for peace. The United States acquired Porto Rico, the Philippines, Guam, and assumed temporary control of Cuba. The United States has thus been changed to a world-wide power. Tell about the prosperity of the South after the Civil War. Describe Alaska. How has the railroad helped to develop the country? Tell about the Pacific railroads. Tell how it is that the United States has been so prosperous. Tell about the cause of the war with Spain. What did the United States gain as a result of the war? ■4;:;;; v/^^T ""r"-' I .^.^XLr>»- \^ ALASKA LIBRARY OF CONGRESS