brief history of the united states, a

8/3/2019 Brief History of the United States, A

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ABriefHistory

oftheUnitedStates

Barnes&Co.


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BARNESSONETERMHISTORY

PREFACE

Theexperienceofallteacherstestifiestothelamentabledeficiencyinhistorical knowledge among their pupils; not that children dislikethe incidentsandeventsofhistory,for,indeed,theyprefer them tothe improbabletaleswhichnowformthebulkoftheirreading,butbecausethebooksaredry.Thosewhichare interestingareapttobe lengthy, and themind consequentlybecomes confusedby the

multitudeof

details,

while

the

brief

ones

often

contain

merely

the

drybonesof fact,uninvitingandunreal.Anattractivebookwhichcanbemasteredinasingleterm,isthenecessityofourschools.ThepresentworkisanattempttomeetthiswantinAmericanhistories.In its preparation there has been an endeavor to develop thefollowingprinciples:

1.ToprecedeeachEpochbyquestionsandamap,sothatthepupilmaybecome familiarwith the locationof theplacesnamed in the

historyhe

is

about

to

study.

2.Toselectonlythemostimportanteventsforthebodyofthetext,and then,by footnotes, to give explanations, illustrations, minorevents,anecdotes,&c.

3. To classify the events under general topics,which are given indistincttypeatthebeginningofeachparagraph;thusimpressingtheleadingideaonthemindofthepupil,enablinghimtoseeataglance

theprominent

points

of

the

lesson,

and

especially

adapting

the

book

tothatlargeandconstantlyincreasingclassofteachers,whorequiretopicalrecitations.

4.Toselect, in thedescriptionofeachbattle,somecharacteristic inwhich itdiffersfromallotherbattlesitskeynote,bywhich itcanberecollected;thusnotonlypreventingasameness,butgivingtothepupil a point around which he may group information obtainedfromfullerdescriptionsandlargerhistories.

5. To give only leadingdates, and, as far aspossible, to associatethemwitheachother,andthusassistthememoryintheirpermanent


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retention;experiencehavingproved thecommittingofmanydatestobethemostbarrenandprofitlessofallschoolattainments.

6.To

give

each

campaign

as

awhole,

rather

than

to

mingle

several

bypresenting the events in chronologicalorder.Whenever,by theoperations of one armybeingdependent on those of another, thisplanmightfailtoshowtheinterrelationofevents,topreventsucharesultbysoarrangingthecampaignsthatthesupportingeventshallprecedethesupportedone.

7.Togive something of thephilosophy ofhistory, the causes andeffectsofevents,and,inthecaseofgreatbattles,theobjectssought

tobe

attained;

thus

leading

pupils

to

athoughtful

study

of

history,

andtoanappreciationofthefactthateventshingeuponeachother.

8. To insert, in footnotes, sketches of the more importantpersonages,especiallythePresidents,andtherebyenablethestudenttoformsomeestimateoftheircharacters.

9.Touselanguage,aclauseorsentenceofwhichcannotbeselectedorcommittedasananswertoaquestion,butsuchas,givingtheidea

vividly,will

yet

compel

the

pupil

to

express

it

in

his

own

words.

10. To assign to each Epoch its fair proportion of space; notexpandingtheearlieronesattheexpenseofthelater;butgivingdueprominencetotheeventsnearerourowntime,especiallytotheCivilWar.

11.TowriteaNationalhistorybycarefullyavoidingallsectionalorpartisanviews.

12.Togive thenewStates theattentiondue to their importancebydevoting space to each one as it is admitted into theUnion, andbecomesafeatureinthegrandnationaldevelopment.

13.Toleadtoamoreindependentuseofthebook,andtheadoptionof the topicalmode of recitation and study, as far as possible,byplacing the questions at the close of thework, rather than at thebottomofeachpage.

14. To furnish, under the title of Historical Recreations, a set ofreviewquestionswhichmayservetoawakenaninterestintheclassandinduceamorecomprehensivestudyofthebook.


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Finallythiswork is offered toAmerican youth in the confidentbelief thatas theystudy thewonderfulhistoryof theirnative land,theywill learn toprize theirbirthrightmorehighly,and treasure it

morecarefully.

Their

patriotism

must

be

kindled

when

they

come

to

seehow slowly,yethowgloriously, this treeof libertyhasgrown,whatstormshavewrencheditsboughs,whatsweatoftoilandbloodhasmoistened its roots,what eager eyeshavewatched every outspringingbud,whatbraveheartshavedefended it, loving it evenuntodeath.Aheritagethussanctifiedby theheroismanddevotionofthefatherscanbutelicitthechoicestcareandtenderestloveofthesons.


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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

FIRSTEPOCH.

EARLYDISCOVERIESANDSETTLEMENTS

SECONDEPOCH.

DEVELOPMENTOF

THE

COLONIES

THIRDEPOCH.

THEREVOLUTIONARYWAR

FOURTHEPOCH.

DEVELOPMENTOFTHESTATES,

FIFTHEPOCH.

THECIVIL

WAR

SIXTHEPOCH.

RECONSTRUCTIONANDPASSINGEVENTS

QUESTIONSFORCLASSUSE

HISTORICALRECREATIONS

DECLARATIONOF

INDEPENDENCE

CONSTITUTIONOFTHEUNITEDSTATES


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ASUGGESTIONTOTEACHERS

[EnteredaccordingtoActofCongress,A.D.1872,byA.S.Barnes&Co.,intheOfficeoftheLibrarianofCongress,atWashington.]

*****

The following method of using this work has been successfullyemployedbymanyteachers.AtthecommencementofthestudyleteachpupilberequiredtodrawanoutlinemapofNorthAmerica,at

least18

x24

inches

in

size.

This

should

contain

only

physical

features,viz.,coastline,mountains,lakes,andrivers.Ifdesired,theymaybemarkedveryfaintlyatfirst,andshadedanddarkenedwhendiscovered in theprogressof thehistory.As thepupilsadvance inthe text let them mark on their maps, day by day, the placesdiscovered,thesettlements,battles,politicaldivisions,etc.,withtheirdates. Theywill thus see the country growing afresh under theirhand and eye, and the geography and the history will beindissolubly linked.At the closeof the term theirmapswill show

whatthey

have

done,

and

each

name,

with

its

date,

will

recall

the

historywhichclustersaroundit.

Recitations and examinationsmaybe conductedbyhaving amapdrawnupontheblackboardwithcoloredcrayons,andrequiringtheclasstofillinthenamesanddates,describingthehistoricalfactsastheyproceed.Inturn,duringreview,thepupilshouldbeable,whenadateorplaceispointedout,tostatetheeventassociatedwithit.

Itwill

be

noticed

that

the

book

is

written

on

an

exact

plan

and

methodofarrangement.Thetopicsoftheepochs,chapters,sectionsand paragraphs form a perfect analysis; thus, in each PresidentialAdministration, the order of subjects is uniform, viz.: DomesticAffairs,ForeignAffairs,andPoliticalPartiesthesubsidiary topicsbeing grouped under these heads. The teacher is thereforecommendedtoplaceontheboardtheanalysisofeachEpoch,andconducttherecitationfromthatwithouttheuseofthebookintheclass.


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INTRODUCTION.

WHOFIRSTSETTLEDAMERICA?Itwasprobably firstpeopledfromAsia,thebirthplaceofman.Inwhatwaythishappened,wedonotknow.Chinesevessels,coastingalongtheshoreaccordingtothecustomofearlyvoyagers,mayhavebeendrivenbystormstocrossthePacificOcean,whilethecrewswerethankfultoescapeawaterygravebysettlinganunknowncountryor,partieswanderingacrossBehring Strait in search of adventure, and finding on this side apleasantland,mayhaveresolvedtomakeittheirhome.

AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES.In various parts of the continent,remains are found of the people who settled the country inprehistorictimes.ThroughtheMississippivalley,fromtheLakestotheGulf,extendsasuccessionofdefensiveearthworks.

[Footnote: It isa singular fact thatbanksofearthgrassedoveraremore enduring than any otherwork ofman. The grassymoundsnearNinevehandBabylonhaveremainedunchangedforcenturies.

Meantimemassive

buildings

of

stone

have

been

erected,

have

served

longgenerations,andhavecrumbledtoruin.]

SimilarruinsarefoundinvariousothersectionsoftheUnitedStates.The largest forest trees are often found growing upon them. TheIndianshaveno traditionas to theoriginof these structures.Theygenerally crown steep hills, and consist of embankments, ditches,&c., indicating considerable acquaintancewithmilitary science.AtNewark,Ohio, a fortification existswhich covers an area ofmore

thantwo

miles

square,

and

has

over

two

miles

of

embankment

from

twototwentyfeethigh.

Mounds,seeminglyconstructedasgreataltarsforreligiouspurposesorasmonuments,arealsonumerous.One,oppositeSt.Louis,coverseightacresofground,and isninety feethigh.Thereare said tobe10,000ofthesemoundsinOhioalone.

A peculiar kind of earthwork has the outline of giganticmen or

animals.An

embankment

in

Adams

County,

Ohio,

represents

very

accurately a serpent 1000 feet long. Itsbodywindswith gracefulcurves,andinitswideextendedjawsliesafigurewhichtheanimalseemsabout to swallow. InMexicoandPeru,stillmorewonderful


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remainshavebeendiscovered.They consistnotaloneofdefensiveworks, altars, and monuments, but of idols, ruined temples,aqueducts,bridges,andpavedroads.

THE MOUND BUILDERS is the name given to the people whoerectedthemoundsofNorthAmerica.TheyseemtohaveemigratedtoCentralAmerica,andtheretohavedevelopedahighcivilization.Theybuilt cities,wove cotton,worked ingold, silver, and copper,laboredinthefields,andhadregulargovernments.

THE INDIANS who were found on this continent east of theMississippi,bythefirstEuropeansettlers,didnotexceed200,000in

number.In

Mexico,

Peru,

and

the

Indies,

however,

there

was

an

immensepopulation.TheIndianswerethesuccessorsoftheMoundBuilders,andwerebyfartheirinferiorsincivilization.Weknownotwhy the ancient race left, nor whence the Indians came. It issupposed that the former were driven southward by the savagetribesfromthenorth.

INDIANCHARACTERISTICS.

[Footnote: This description applies to the Indians inhabiting thepresentlimitsoftheUnitedStates.]

ArtsandInventions.TheIndianhasbeenwelltermedtheRedManof theForest.Hebuiltnocities,noships,nochurches,no schoolhouses.Heconstructedonly temporarybarkwigwamsandcanoes.Hemadeneitherroadsnorbridges,butfollowedfootpathsthrough

theforest,

and

swam

the

streams.

His

highest

art

was

expended

in

a

simplebowandarrow.

Progress and Education.He made no advancement,but each sonemulated theprowess ofhis father in the hunt and the fight.Thehuntingground and the battlefield embraced everything of realhonor orvalue.So the sonwas educated to throw the tomahawk,shootthearrow,andcatchfishwiththespear.Heknewnothingofbooks,paper,writing,orhistory.

[Footnote: Some tribes and families seem to have been furtheradvanced than others and to have instructed then children,


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fishesthattheirbonesshouldberespected.Heplacedgreatstressondreams,andhiscampswarmedwithsorcerersandfortunetellers.

THEINDIAN

OF

THE

PRESENT.Such

was

the

Indian

two

hundred years ago, and such he is today. He opposes theencroachments of the settler, and thebuilding of railroads.Buthecannot stop the tide of immigration.Unless he canbe induced togiveuphisrovinghabits,andtocultivatethesoil,he isdoomedtodestruction.ItistobeearnestlyhopedthattheredmanmayyetbeChristianized,andtaughttheartsofindustryandpeace.

THENORTHMEN (inhabitants ofNorway and Sweden) claim to

havebeen

the

original

discoverers

of

America.

According

to

their

traditions, thiscontinentwasseen firstabout theyear1000,byoneBiorne,whohadbeendriven to seabya tempest.Afterwardotheradventurersmade successfulvoyages, established settlements, andbarteredwiththenatives.Snorre,sonofoneofthesesettlers,issaidtohavebeenthefirstchildbornofEuropeanparentsuponourshore.

[Footnote:Snorrewasthefounderofanillustriousfamily.OneofhisdescendantsissaidtohavebeenAlbertThorwaldsen,thegreatDanish

sculptorof

the

present

century.

The

beautiful

photographs

of

ThorwaldsensDay,Night,andTheSeasons,whichhanginsomanyAmericanparlors,thusacquireanewinterestbybeinglinkedwith the pioneer boy born on New England shores so manycenturiesago.]

The Northmen claim to have explored the coast as far south asFlorida. How much credit is to be given to these traditions isuncertain.Manyhistoriansrejectthem,whileothersthinkthereare

tracesof

the

Northmen

yet

remaining,

such

as

the

old

tower

at

Newport,R.I.,andthesingular inscriptionsontherockatDighton,Mass.Admitting,however, the claimsof theNorthmen, the fact isbarrenofallresults.Nopermanentsettlementsweremade,theroutehither was lost, and even the existence of the continent wasforgotten.

[Footnote: See TheOldMill atNewport in ScribnersMagazine,March,1879,andtheMagazineofAmericanHistory,September,1879.]

The true history of this country begins with its discovery byColumbusin1492.Itnaturallydividesitselfintosixgreatepochs.


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FIRSTEPOCH.

EARLYDISCOVERIESANDSETTLEMENTS.

This epoch extends from the discovery ofAmerica in 1492 to thesettlement atJamestown,Va., in 1607.During this period variousEuropeannationswereexploringthecontinent,andmakingwidelyscatteredsettlements.

SECONDEPOCH.

DEVELOPMENTOF

THE

COLONIES.

ThisepochextendsfromthesettlementatJamestown,Va.,in1607,tothe breaking out of the Revolutionary War in 1775. During thisperiod the scattered settlements grew into thirteen flourishingcolonies,subjecttoGreatBritain.

THIRDEPOCH.

REVOLUTIONARYWAR.

ThisepochextendsfromthebreakingoutoftheRevolutionaryWarin 1775, to the adoption of the Constitution in 1787. During thisperiod the colonies threw off the government of England, andestablishedtheirindependence.

FOURTHEPOCH.

DEVELOPMENTOFTHESTATES.

ThisepochextendsfromtheadoptionoftheConstitutionin1787,tothebreaking out of theCivilWar in 1861.During thisperiod theStatesincreasedinnumberfromthirteentothirtyfour,andgrewinpopulation and wealth until the United States became the mostprosperousnationintheworld.

FIFTHEPOCH.


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THECIVILWAR.

ThisepochextendsfromthebreakingoutoftheCivilWarin1861,to

thesurrender

of

Lees

army

in

1865.

During

this

period

agigantic

strifewascarriedonbetweentheNorthernandtheSouthernStates,the former struggling for the perpetuation of theUnion, and thelatterforitsdivision.

SIXTHEPOCH.

RECONSTRUCTION,ANDPASSINGEVENTS.

This epoch extends from the close of theCivilWar to thepresenttime.During thisperiod the secedingStateshavebeen restored totheirrightsintheUnion,peacehasbeenfullyestablished,andmanyinterestingeventshaveoccurred.

REFERENCESFORREADING.

The following works will be found valuable for reference andadditional information.It isnot the intention togiveacatalogueofU.S.HistoriesandbiographiesofcelebratedAmericans,butsimplytonameafewworkswhichwillservetointerestaclassandfurnishmaterial for collateral reading. Bancrofts andHildrethsHistories,IrvingsLifeofWashington,andSparkssAmericanBiographies,aresupposed tobe inevery school library,and tobe familiar toeveryteacher.Theyarethereforenotreferredtointhislist.TheLivesofthe

Presidents,the

Histories

of

the

different

States,

and

all

works

of

local

valueareuseful,andshouldbesecured,ifpossible.TheMagazineofAmerican History will be found serviceable for reference ondisputed points of American History and Biography. HolmessAmericanAnnals is invaluable,and theearlyvolumesoftheNorthAmerican Review contain a great deal of interesting historicalmatter. The American Cyclopaedia and Thomass Dictionary ofBiography are exceedingly serviceable in preparing essays andfurnishing anecdotes. With a little effort a poem, a good prose

selection,or

acomposition

on

some

historical

topic

may

be

offered

bytheclasseachdaytoenliventherecitation.


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BeamishsDiscoveryofAmericaby theNorthmen.Bradfords AmericanAntiquities.BaldwinsAncientAmerica.SquierandDavissAmericanAntiquities and Discoveries in the WestSindings History of

Scandinavia.Cattins

North

American

Indians.

Thatchers

Indian

Biography.Stones Life and Times ofRedJacket, and Life ofBrandtCoopers Leather Stocking TalesMorgans League of the Iroquois.SchoolcraftsMemoirsofResidenceAmongtheIndians,andotherworksbythe same author. Fosters Prehistoric Races of the United States ofAmerica.BancroftsNativeRacesMatthewsBehemoth,aLegendoftheMound Builders (Fiction).Lowells Chippewa Legend (Poetry). Whittiers Bridal of Penacook (Poetry).Joness MoundBuilders ofTennesee.Goodrichs Socalled Columbus.Ancient Monuments in

America,Harpers

Magazine,

vol.

21.


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ABriefHistoryoftheUnitedStates

1

EPOCH1.

EARLYDISCOVERIES

AND

SETTLEMENTS.

GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE FIFTEENTHCENTURY.The people of Europe had then never heard ofAmerica.Aboutthattime,agreatdesireforgeographicalknowledgewasawakened.The compassand theastrolabean instrument forreckoning latitudehadbeen already invented.Voyagerswerenolonger compelled to creepalong the shore,butbegan to strikeout

boldlyinto

the

open

sea.

The

art

of

printing

had

just

come

into

use,

andbooksoftravelwereeagerlyread.

[Footnote: Questions on the Geography of the First Epoch.In theaccompanyingmap therearenodivisionsof thecontinent,asnoneexisted at that time. When they are called for in the followingquestions,theobjectistotestthepupilsgeographicalknowledge.

LocatetheWestIndies.SanSalvador(nowcalledGuanahani,gwah

nahhah

ne,

and

Cat

Island).

Cuba.

Hispaniola

or

Hayti

(he

te),

namegiventotheislandin1803byDessalines.(SeeLipp.Gazetteer.)Newfoundland.CapeBreton.RoanokeIsland.ManhattanIsland.

Describe theOrinocoRiver.MississippiRiver. St.LawrenceRiver.JamesRiver.OhioRiver.ColoradoRiver.ColumbiaRiver.St.JohnsRiver.

Where is Labrador? Central America? Florida? Mexico? New

Mexico?California?

Oregon?

Peru?

LocateStAugustine.SantaFe (sahntahfay).NewYork.Montreal.Quebec.Albany.Jamestown. PortRoyal. Isthmus ofDarien.CapeHenry.CapeCharles.CapeCod.ChesapeakeBay.HudsonBay.

Marco Polo and other adventurers returning from the East, toldwonderfulstoriesofthewealthofAsiaticcities.Genoa,Florence,andVenice, commanding the commerce of the Mediterranean, had

becomeenriched

by

trade

with

the

East.

The

costly

shawls,

spices,

andsilksofPersiaandIndiawerebornebycaravanstotheRedSea,thenceoncamelsacrossthedeserttotheNile,andlastlybyshipovertheMediterraneantoEurope.]


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2

Thegreatproblemof theagewashow to reach theEast Indiesbysea,andthusgiveacheaperroutetotheserichproducts.

COLUMBUSconceived

that

by

sailing

west

he

could

reach

the

East

Indies.Hebelieved the earth tobe round,whichwas thenanovelidea.He,however,thoughtitmuchsmallerthanitreallyis,andthatAsiaextendsmuchfurtherroundtheworldtotheeastthanitdoes.Hence, he argued thatby going a few hundred leagueswest hewouldtouchthecoastofEasternAsia.Hewasdeterminedtotrythisnewroute,butwastoopoortopayforthenecessaryships,men,andprovisions.

[Footnote:Several

facts

served

to

strengthen

the

faith

of

Columbus

in

the correctness of his theory. TheAzores and theCape deVerdeislandswere themostwesterly lands thenknown.Therehadbeenwashedontheirshoresbywesterlywinds,piecesofwoodcuriouslycarved, trees, and seeds of unknown species, and especially thebodiesoftwomenofstrangecolorandvisage.]

[Footnote:ChristopherColumbuswasborninGenoa,Italy,1435.Hewastrainedfortheseafromhischildhood.Beingtheeldestoffour

children,and

his

father

apoor

wool

comber,

much

care

devolved

uponhim.Itissaidthatatthirtyhishairwaswhitefromtroubleandanxiety.Hiskindandlovingdispositionisprovedbythefactthatinhispoorestdayshesavedpartofhispittance toeducatehisyoungbrothers and support his aged father.Columbuswas determined,shrewd,andintenselyreligious.Hebelievedandannouncedhimselftobedivinelycalledtocarrythetruefaithintotheuttermostpartsof the earth. Inspired by this thought, no discouragement orcontumelycoulddrivehimtodespairutterly.Itwaseighteenyears

fromthe

conception

to

the

accomplishment

of

his

plan.

During

all

thistimehislifewasamarvelofpatience,andofbravedevotiontohisonepurpose.Hissorrowsweremany;histriumphwasbrief.Evilmenmaligned him to Ferdinand and Isabella. Disregarding theirpromise that he shouldbe governorgeneral over all the lands hemightdiscover,thekingandqueensentoutanothergovernor,andbyhisorderColumbuswassenthomeinchains!Nowonderthatthewholenationwasshockedatsuchan indignity tosuchaman.It issad to know that although Ferdinand and Isabella endeavored to

soothehis

wounded

spirit

by

many

attentions,

they

never

restored

to

himhis lawful rights.From fluentpromises theypassed at last tototal neglect, andColumbus died a grieved and disappointed old


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3

man.At his request, his chainswereburiedwith him, a touchingmemorialofSpanishingratitude.]

COLUMBUSAT

THE

COURT

OF

PORTUGAL.He

accordingly

laidhisplanbeforeKingJohnofPortugal,who,beingpleasedwiththeidea,referredittothegeographersofhiscourt.Theypronouncedit a visionary scheme.With a lurking feeling, however, that theremightbetruthinit,thekinghadthemeannesstodispatchavesselsecretlytotestthematter.ThepilothadthechartsofColumbus,butlacked his heroic courage. After sailing westward from Cape deVerdeislandsforafewdays,andseeingnothingbutawidewasteofwildlytossingwaves,hereturned,ridiculingtheidea.

COLUMBUSATTHECOURTOFSPAIN.Columbus,disheartenedby this treachery,betookhimself toSpain.Duringseven longyearshe importunedKing Ferdinand for a reply.All thiswhile hewasregardedasavisionaryfellow,andwhenhepassedalongthestreets,eventhechildrenpointedtotheirforeheadsandsmiled.Atlast,thelearned councildeclared theplan too foolish for further attention.Turningawaysadly,ColumbusdeterminedtogotoFrance.

[Footnote:It

is

absurd,

said

those

wise

men.

Who

is

so

foolish

as

to believe that there are people on the other side of the world,walkingwith theirheelsupward, and theirheadshangingdown?Andthen,howcanashipgetthere?Thetorridzone,throughwhichtheymustpass, isaregionof fire,where theverywavesboil.Andevenifashipcouldperchancegetaroundtheresafely,howcoulditevergetback?Can a ship sailuphill?All ofwhich soundsverystrangetousnow,whenhundredsoftravelersmakeeveryyeartheentirecircuitoftheglobe.]

COLUMBUS SUCCESSFUL.His friends at the Spanish court, atthisjuncture, laid thematterbeforeQueen Isabella, and shewasfinallywontohiscause.Thekingremainedindifferent,andpleadedthewantoffunds.Thequeeninherearnestnessexclaimed,Ipledgemyjewelstoraisethemoney.Buthersacrificewasnotrequired.St.Angel, the court treasurer, advancedmost of themoney, and thefriendsofColumbus the remainder,inallabout$20,000,equal tosix times thatamountat thepresentday.Columbushadsucceeded

atlast.

COLUMBUSS EQUIPMENT.Though armed with the kingsauthority,Columbusobtainedvesselsand sailorswith thegreatest


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4

difficulty. The boldest seamen shrank from such a desperateundertaking. At last, three small vesselsweremanned; the Pinta(peentah),SantaMaria(mareah),andNinah(nenah).Theysailed

fromPalos,

Spain,

Aug.

3,

1492.

INCIDENTSOFTHEVOYAGE.Whentheshipsstruckoutboldlywestward on theuntried sea, and the sailors saw the last trace ofland fade from their sight,many, even of thebravest,burst intotears.As theyproceeded, theirheartswerewrungby superstitiousfears.Totheirdismay,thecompassnolongerpointeddirectlynorth,and theybelieved that theywere coming into a regionwhere thevery lawsofnaturewerechanged.Theycame into the trackof the

tradewind,

which

wafted

them

steadily

westward.

This,

they

were

sure,was carrying them to destruction, for how could they everreturn against it? Signs of land, such as flocks ofbirds and fresh,green plants, were often seen, and the clouds near the horizonassumedthelookofland,buttheydisappeared,andonlythebroadoceanspreadoutbeforethemastheyadvanced.Thesailors,sooftendeceived, lostheart,and insistedupon returninghome.Columbus,withwonderful tactandpatience, explainedall theseappearances.But themoreheargued, the louderbecame theirmurmurs.At last

theysecretly

determined

to

throw

him

overboard.

Although

he

knew their feelings,hedidnotwaver,butdeclared thathewouldproceedtilltheenterprisewasaccomplished.

Soon, signs of land silenced their murmurs. A staff artificiallycarved,andabranchofthornwithberriesfloatednear.Allwasnoweager expectation. In the evening,Columbusbeheld a light risingandfallinginthedistance,asofatorchbornebyonewalking.Laterat night, thejoyful cry of Land! rang out from the Pinta. In the

morningthe

shore,

green

with

tropical

verdure,

lay

smiling

before

them.

THELANDING.Columbus,dressed inasplendidmilitarysuitofscarlet embroidered with gold, and followed by a retinue of hisofficers and menbearingbanners, stepped upon the new world,Friday,Oct.12,1492.He threwhimselfuponhisknees,kissed theearth,andwith tearsofjoygave thanks toGod.He then formallyplantedthecross,andtookpossessionofthecountryinthenameof

Ferdinandand

Isabella.

Thewonderingnatives,whocrowdedtheshore,gazedonthemwithawe.Theysupposed theships tobehugewhitewingedbirds,and


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5

theSpaniardstohavecomefromheaven.Howsadlyandhowsoonthesesimplepeoplewereundeceived!

FURTHERDISCOVERIES.Columbus

found

the

land

to

be

an

island, which he named St. Salvador. He supposed that he hadreached the islands lying off the eastern coast of India, and hetherefore called the darkhued natives, Indians. Careful inquirieswere alsomade concerning the rich products of the East, such asspices,preciousstones,andespeciallygold.Thesimplepeoplehadonlyafewgoldenornaments.Thesetheyreadilybarteredforhawksbells.Cuba,Hayti,andotherislandswerediscoveredandvisitedinthevainhopeofsecuringOriental treasures.Columbusevensenta

deputationinto

the

interior

of

Cuba

to

afamous

chief,

supposing

himtobethegreatkingofTartary!

Atlast,urgedbyhiscrew,herelinquishedthesearch,andturnedhisvesselshomeward.

HISRECEPTION,onhis return,was flattering in theextreme.Thewholenationtookaholiday.Hisappearancewashailedwithshoutsandtheringingofbells.Thekingandqueenweredazzledbytheir

newand

sudden

acquisition.

As

Columbus

told

them

of

the

beautiful

land he had discovered, itsbrilliantbirds, its tropical forests, itsdeliciousclimate,andaboveall, itsnativeswaiting tobeconvertedto theChristian faith, they sank upon their knees, and gaveGodthanksforsuchasignaltriumph.

[Footnote:ThebodyofColumbuswasdeposited in theConventofSanFrancisco,Valladohd,Spain.Itwasthencetransported,in1513,to the Carthusian Monastery of Seville where a handsome

monumentwas

erected,

by

command

of

Ferdinand

and

Isabella

with

the simple inscriptionTo Castile and Leon, Colon gave a newworld.In1536hisbody,andthatofhissonDiego,wereremovedtothe city of Saint Domingo, Hayti, and interned in the principalchapel.But theywerenotpermitted to resteven there, for in1796theywerebrought toHavanawith imposing ceremonies.His finalrestingplaceintheCathedralismarkedbyaslabelaboratelycarved,onwhichisinscribedinSpanish,

Oh,rest

thou,

image

of

the

great

Colon,

Thousandcenturiesremain,guardedintheurn,Andintheremembranceofournation.]


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6

SUBSEQUENT VOYAGES.Columbus afterward made threevoyages. In 1498 he discovered the mainland, near the OrinocoRiver.Henever,however, lost thedelusion that itwas theeastern

coastof

Asia,

and

died

ignorant

of

the

grandeur

of

his

discovery.

HOWTHECONTINENTWASNAMED.AmericusVesputius (americus vespusheus), a friend of Columbus, accompanied asubsequent expedition to the new world. A German namedWaldseeMuellerpublishedaninterestingaccountofhisadventures,inwhichhe suggested that the country shouldbe calledAmerica.Thiswork,being the firstdescription of thenewworld,was verypopular,andthenamewassoonadoptedbygeographers.

JOHN CABOT, a navigator of Bristol, England,by studying hischarts and globes, decided that since the degrees of longitudediminish in lengthas theyapproach thepole, the shortest route toIndiamustbebysailingnorthwestinsteadofwest,asColumbushaddone.Heeasilyobtainedroyalauthoritytomaketheattempt.Afteraprosperous voyage, he came in sight of the sterile region ofLabrador, and sailed along the coast formany leagues. Thiswasfourteen months before Columbus discovered the continent. Cabot

supposedthat

he

had

reached

the

territory

of

the

Great

Cham,

kingofTartary.Nevertheless,helanded,plantedabanner,andtookpossessioninthenameofthekingofEngland.Onhisreturnhomehewas receivedwithmuchhonor,wasdressed in silk,and styledtheGreatAdmiral.Thebootywhichhebroughtbackconsistedofonlytwoturkeysandthreesavages.

[Footnote:ThereisamapofCabotspreservedatParis,onwhichtheland he first saw, and named PrimaVista, correspondswithCape

Breton.On

it

is

the

date

1494.

If

this

be

authentic,

it

will

give

the

priorityofthediscoveryoftheAmericancontinenttoCabotbyfouryears, and decide that Cape Breton, and not Labrador nor theOrinoco River, was first seen by European eyes. Very little isdefinitelyknownofJohnCabot,andeventhetimeandplaceofhisbirthanddeatharemattersofconjecture.]

SEBASTIANCABOTcontinuedhis fathersdiscoveries.During thesame summer in which Columbus reached the shore of South

America,Sebastian,

then

ayouth

of

only

twenty

one,

discovered

Newfoundland,andcoastedasfarsouthasChesapeakeBay.AshefoundneitherthewaytoIndia,norgold,preciousstones,andspices,his expedition was considered a failure. Yet, by his discoveries,


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7

Englandacquiredatitletoavastterritoryinthenewworld.ThoughhegavetoEnglandacontinent,nooneknowshisburialplace.

Weshall

now

follow

the

principal

explorations

made

within

the

limits of the futureUnited States,by the SPAINIARDS,FRENCH,ENGLISH, and DUTCH. The Spaniards explored mainly thesouthernportionofNorthAmerica,theFrenchthenorthern,andtheEnglishthemiddleportionalongthecoast.

SPANISHEXPLORATIONS.

Feelingin

Spain.America,

at

this

time,

was

to

the

Spaniard

aland

ofvague,butmagnificentpromise,where the simplenativesworeunconsciously the costliest gems, and the sands of the riverssparkled with gold. Every returning ship brought fresh news toquicken the pulse of Spanish enthusiasm.Now,Cortez had takenMexico,andreveledinthewealthoftheMontezumas;now,Pizarrohad conquered Peru, and captured the riches of the Incas; now,Magellan, sailing through the straits which bear his name, hadcrossed thePacific, and his vessel returning homeby theCape of

GoodHope,

had

circumnavigated

the

globe.

Men

of

the

highest

rank

and culture,warriors, adventurers, all flocked to the newworld.SoonCuba,Hispaniola,PortoRico, andJamaicawere settled, andruledby Spanish governors.Among the Spanish explorers of thesixteenthcenturywenoticethefollowing:

PONCEDELEON(ponthadalaon)wasagallantsoldier,butanoldman,andindisgrace.Hecovetedthegloryofconquesttorestorehis tarnished reputation, and,besides, he had heard of amagical

fountainin

this

fairy

land,

where

one

might

bathe

and

be

young

again.Accordinglyheequippedanexpedition,andsailed insearchofthisfabledtreasure.OnEasterSunday(PascuaFlorida,inSpanish),1512,hecameinsightofalandgaywithspringflowers.Inhonoroftheday,hecalled itFlorida.Hesailedalong thecoast,and landedhereand there,but returnedhomeat last,anoldman still,hayingfoundneitheryouth,gold,norglory.

[Footnote: About eight years afterward, De Ayllon (daileyon)

madeakidnapping

expedition

to

what

is

now

known

as

South

Carolina.DesiringtoobtainlaborersfortheminesandplantationsinHayti,heinvitedsomeofthenativesonboardhisvessels,and,whentheywereallbelow,hesuddenlyclosedthehatchesandsetsail.The


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8

speculation,however,didnot turnoutprofitably.Onevessel sankwithallonboard,andmany,preferringstarvation toslavery,diedon thevoyage.History tellsus that in1525,whenDeAyllonwent

backwith

the

intention

of

settling

the

country,

the

Indians

practised

uponhim the lessonofcrueltyhehad taught them.Hismenwereluredintotheinterior.Theirentertainers,fallinguponthematnight,slewthelargerpart,andDeAyllonwasonlytoogladtoescapewithhislife.]

BALBOAcrossedtheIsthmusofDarienthenextyear,andfromthesummitoftheAndesbeheldthewideexpanseofthePacificOcean.Wading into itswaterswithhisnakedsword inonehand,and the

bannerof

Castile

(kas

teel)

in

the

other,

he

solemnly

declared

that

theocean,andall theshoreswhich itmight touch,belonged to thecrownofSpainforever.

DENARVAEZ(narvaheth)receivedagrantofFlorida,and(1528)with300menattempteditsconquest.Strikingintotheinterior,theywandered about, lured on by the hope of finding gold. Wadingthrough swamps, crossingdeep riversby swimming andby rafts,fightingthelurkingIndianswhoincessantlyharassedtheirpath,and

nearlyperishing

with

hunger,

they

reached

at

last

the

Gulf

of

Mexico.Hastilyconstructingsomecrazyboats,theyputtosea.Aftersixweeks of peril and suffering, theywere shipwrecked, andDeNarvaezwas lost.Sixyearsafterward, fourtheonly survivorsofthis illfated expeditionreached the Spanish settlements on thePacificcoast.

FERDINANDDE SOTO,undismayedby these failures,undertookanewtheconquestofFlorida.Hesetoutwith600choicemen,amid

thefluttering

of

banners,

the

flourish

of

trumpets,

and

the

gleaming

of helmet and lance. For month after month this procession ofcavaliers,priests, soldiers,and Indiancaptivesstrolled through thewilderness, wherever they thought gold might be found. Theytraversedwhat is nowGeorgia,Alabama, andMississippi. In thethirdyearoftheirwanderings(1541)theyemergeduponthebankoftheMississippi.Afteranotheryearoffruitlessexplorations,DeSotodied.(SeeMap,EpochI).Atthedeadofnighthisfollowerssankhisbody in the river, and the sullenwatersburied his hopes andhis

ambition.He

had

crossed

alarge

part

of

the

continent,

says

Bancroft,andfoundnothingsoremarkableashisburialplace.DeSoto hadbeen the soul of the company.When he died, the otheradventurers were anxious only to get home in safety. They


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9

constructedboats and descended the river, little over half of thisgallantarrayfinallyreachingthesettlementsinMexico.

MELENDEZ(ma

len

deth),

wiser

than

his

predecessors,

on

landing

(1565) forthwith laid the foundations of a colony. In honor of theday,henamed itSt.Augustine.This is theoldest town in theUnitedStates.

[Footnote:Many Spanish remains still exist. Among these is FortMarion,onceSanMarco,whichwasfoundedin1565andfinishedin1755. It is built of coquinaa curious stone composed of smallshells.]

EXPLORATIONSONTHEPACIFIC.

California, in the sixteenthcentury,wasageneralnameapplied toalltheregionnorthwestofMexico.ItissaidtohaveoriginatedinanoldSpanish romanceverypopular in the timeofCortez, inwhichappearedacharacter calledCalifornia,queenof theAmazons.TheMexicans told the Spaniards thatmost of their gold and precious

stonescame

from

acountry

far

to

the

northwest.

Cortez,

therefore,

immediately turned his attention to that direction, and sent outseveralexpeditionstoexploretheCalifornias.Alltheseadventurersreturnedemptyhandedfromtheveryregionwhere,threecenturiesafterward, theworldwas startledby the finding of anElDoradosuchaswouldhave satisfied thewildestdreamsofCortezandhiscredulousfollowers.

CABRILLO (1542) made the first voyage along the Pacific coast,

goingas

far

north

as

the

present

limits

of

Oregon.

NEWMEXICOwasexploredandnamedbyEspejo(espayho)who(1582) founded Santa Fe,which is the second oldest town in theUnited States.Thiswas seventeen years after the settlement of St.Augustine.

EXTENTOFTHESPANISHPOSSESSIONS.

Spain,atthecloseofthesixteenthcentury,heldpossessionnotonlyoftheWestIndies,butofYucatan,Mexico,andFlorida.


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10

[Footnote:AwriterofthattimelocatesQuebecinFlorida,andamapofHenryII.givesthatnametoallNorthAmerica.]

TheSpanish

explorers

had

traversed

alarge

portion

of

the

present

SouthernStates,andof thePacificcoast.All thisvast territory theyclaimedbytherightsofdiscoveryandpossession.

[Footnote: The conquests of the newworld enriched Spain,whichbecame thewealthiestandmostpowerful country inEurope.ThismadeothernationsallthemoreanxioustofindthewesternpassagetoIndia.TheroutesbytheCapeofGoodHopeandbytheStraitsofMagellan were long and dangerous. To find the shorter

northwesternroute

now

became

the

great

wish

of

all

maritime

nations,andhasbeenanxiouslysoughtdowntothepresenttime.]

FRENCHEXPLORATIONS.

The French were eager to share in the profits which Spain wasacquiringinthenewworld.Withinsevenyearsafterthediscoveryofthe continent, the fisheries ofNewfoundlandwere frequentedby

theirmariners.

[Footnote: Cape Breton was named by the fishermen inremembranceoftheirhomeinBrittany,France.]

VERRAZANI(zahne),aFlorentine,wasthefirstnavigatorsentbytheFrenchkingtofindthenewwaytotheIndies.SailingwestwardfromMadeira (1524), he reached land near the present harbor ofWilmington.

[Footnote:A letterofVerrazanisgivinganaccountof thisvoyage,and,untiloflate,thoughttobereliable,isnowconsideredbymanytobeaforgeryperpetratedbysomeItaliananxioustosecureforhiscountrythegloryofthediscovery.]

Hesupposed thishadneverbeenseenbyEuropeans,althoughweknow thatCabot had discovered it nearly thirty yearsbefore.Hecoasted along the shores ofCarolina andNewJersey, entered the

harborsof

New

York

and

Newport,

and

returned

with

the

most

glowingdescriptionof thenew landshehadfound.Henamed thecountryNewFrance.ThistermwasafterwardsconfinedtoCanada.


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11

CARTIER (kartea) ascended theRiver St.Lawrence (1535) to theIndian village of Hochelaga (hoshelahga) the present site ofMontreal.Thetownwaspleasantlysituatedatthefootofaloftyhill

whichCartier

climbed.

Stirred

by

the

magnificent

prospect,

he

nameditMontReal(MongRaal),RegalMountain.

[Footnote:CartierhaddiscoveredandnamedtheGulfandRiverSt.Lawrence the previous year. In 15412, he and Lord RobervalattemptedtoplantacolonynearQuebec.Itwascomposedchieflyofconvictsandprovedafailure.]

JOHN RIBAUT (rebo) led the first expedition (1562) under the

auspicesof

Coligny.

[Footnote:JeanRibaut,ashisnameisgiveninColignysMs.andinhisownjournalpublishedin1563,wasanexcellentseaman.]

[Footnote: Coligny (kolonye) was an admiral of France, and aleaderof theHuguenots (Hugenots),as theProtestantswere thencalled.HehadconceivedaplanforfoundinganempireinAmerica.ThiswouldfurnishanasylumforhisHuguenotfriends,andatthe

sametime

advance

the

glory

of

the

French.

Thus

religion

and

patriotismcombinedtoinducehimtosendoutcoloniststothenewworld.]

The company landed at PortRoyal, S.C. So captivatedwere they,thatwhenvolunteerswerecalledfortoholdthecountryforFrance,somany came forward with such a goodwill andjoly corage,wroteRibaut, aswe hadmuch todo to stay their importunitie.Theyerectedafort,whichtheynamedCarolinainhonorofCharles

IX.,king

of

France.

The

fleet

departed,

and

this

little

band

of

thirty

wereleftaloneonthecontinent.FromtheNorthPoletoMexico,theywere theonlycivilizedmen.Foodbecamescarce.They tiredof theeternalsolitudeofthewilderness,andfinallybuiltarudeship,andput to sea.Here a storm shattered their vessel. Famine overtookthem, and, in their extremity, they killed and ate one of theirnumber.Avesselatlasthoveinsight,andtookthemonboardonlytocarrythemcaptivestoEngland.Thusperishedthecolony,butthenamestillsurvives.

[Footnote: Themost feeblewere landed in France. It is said thatQueenElizabethwhileconversingwith those sent toEngland, firstthoughtofcolonizingthenewworld]


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12

LAUDONNIERE (Lodonyare), two years after,built a fort, alsocalledCarolina,ontheSt.JohnsRiver.

[Footnote:The

history

of

this

colony

records

an

amusing

story

concerningthelonglifeofthenatives.Apartyvisitedachiefinthemidstof thewildernesswhogravelyassured them thathewas thefatheroffivegenerations,andhadlived250years.Oppositehim,inthe same hut, sat his father, amere skeleton,whose agewas sogreat that the goodman had lost his sight, and could speak oneonely word but with exceeding great paine. The credulousFrenchmen gazed with awe on this wonderful pair, andcongratulated themselves on having come to such a land,where

certainlythere

would

be

no

need

of

Ponce

de

Leons

fabled

fountain.]

Soonthecolonistswerereducedtothevergeofstarvation.

[Footnote:Theirsufferingswerehorrible.Weakandemaciated,theyfed themselves with roots, sorrel, pounded fishbones, and evenroastedsnakes.Oftentimes,saysLaudonniere,ourpoorsoldierswereconstrainedtogiveawaytheveryshirtsfromtheirbackstoget

onefish.

If

at

any

time

they

shewed

unto

the

savages

the

excessive

pricewhichtheytooke,thesevillaineswouldanswerthemroughly:Ifthoumakesogreataccountofthymerchandise,eatit,andwewilleatourfish; thenfelltheyoutalaughing,andmockeduswithopenthroat.]

Theywere on thepoint of leaving,when theywere reinforcedbyRibaut.TheFrenchnowseemedfairlyfixedonthecoastofFlorida.TheSpaniards,however,claimedthecountry.Melendez,about this

time,had

made

asettlement

in

St.

Augustine.

Leading

an

expedition

northwardthroughthewilderness,inthemidstofafearfultempest,he attacked Fort Carolina and massacred almost the entirepopulation.

CHAMPLAIN (shamplane), at the beginning of the seventeenthcentury,crossedtheAtlanticintwopigmybarksoneoftwelve,theotheroffifteentonsandascendedtheSt.Lawrenceonanexploringtour.AtHochelagaallwaschanged.TheIndiantownhadvanished,

andnot

atrace

remained

of

the

savage

population

which

Cartier

saw

thereseventyyearsbefore.


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13

[Footnote:Thisfactillustratesthefrequentandrapidchangeswhichtookplaceamongtheaboriginaltribes.]

Champlainwas

captivated

by

the

charms

of

the

new

world,

and

longed to plant a French empire and the Catholic faith amid itssavagewilds.

DEMONTS(mong)receivedagrantofalltheterritorybetweenthefortiethandfortysixthparallelsoflatitude.

[Footnote:BetweenthesitesofPhiladelphiaandMontreal.]

Thistract

was

termed

Acadia,

aname

afterward

confined

to

New

Brunswickand theadjacent islands,andnow toNovaScotia.WithChamplain,hefoundedPortRoyal,N.S., in1605.Thiswasthefirstpermanent French settlement inAmerica. Itwas three yearsbefore acabin wasbuilt in Canada, and twobefore theJames Riverwasdiscovered.

CHAMPLAINRETURNEDin1608,andestablishedatradingpostatQuebec.Thiswas thefirstpermanentFrenchsettlement inCanada.The

nextsummer,

in

his

eager

desire

to

explore

the

country,

he

joined

a

war party of theHurons against the Iroquois, or FiveNations ofCentralNewYork.

[Footnote:The interferenceofChamplainwith the Indians securedthe inveterate hostility of the Iroquois tribes.Not long after, theyseized themissionarieswho came among them, tortured and putthemtodeath.Thiscutoffanyfartherexplorationstowardthesouth.TheFrench,therefore,turnedtheirattentiontowardthewest.]

On thisjourney he discovered thatbeautiful lakewhichbears hisname.Amid discouragementswhichwould have overwhelmed alessdeterminedspirit,ChamplainfirmlyestablishedtheauthorityofFrance on the banks of the St. Lawrence. The Father of NewFrance, as he has been termed, reposes in the soil he won tocivilization.

THE JESUIT MISSIONARIES.The explorers of the Mississippi

valleywere

mostly

Jesuit

priests.

The

French

names

which

they

gave

still linger throughout that region. Their hopewas to convert theIndians to theChristian faith.Theypushed theirway through theforestwithunflaggingenergy.Theycreptalong thenorthernshore


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14

of Lake Ontario. They traversed the Great Lakes. In 1668 theyfounded themissionofSt.Mary, theoldestEuropeansettlement inMichigan.Manyofthemweremurderedbythesavages;somewere

scalped;some

were

burned

in

rosin

fire;

some

scalded

with

boiling

water. Yet, as soon as one fell out of the ranks, another sprangforward to fill the post.We shall namebut two of these patient,indefatigablepioneersofNewFrance.

FATHER MARQUETTE (market), hearing from some wanderingIndiansofagreat riverwhich they termed theFatherofWaters,determined to visit it.He floated in abirchbark canoe down theWisconsintotheMississippi(1673),andthencetothemouthofthe

Arkansas.

[Footnote:Soonafter,whileonanotherexpedition,hewentashoreforthepurposeofquietdevotion.Afterwaitinglongforhisreturn,hismen, seekinghim, found thathehaddiedwhileatprayer.Hewasburiednear themouthof theMarquette.Yearsafter,whenthetempest raged,and the Indianwas tossingon theangrywaves,hewould seek to still the storm by invoking the aid of the piousMarquette.]

LASALLEwas educatedas aJesuit,buthad establisheda tradingpostattheoutletofLakeOntario.Heundertookvariousexpeditionsfullofromanticadventure.InflamedwithadesiretofindthemouthoftheMississippi,hemadehisway(1682)totheGulfofMexico.HenamedthecountryLouisiana,inhonorofLouisXIV.,kingofFrance.

RESULTS OF FRENCH ENTERPRISE.Before the close of theseventeenth century, theFrenchhadexplored theGreatLakes, the

Fox,Maumee,

Wabash,

Wisconsin

and

Illinois

Rivers,

and

the

Mississippi from the Falls of St. Anthony to the Gulf. They hadtraversed a region including what is now known as Louisiana,Arkansas, Mississippi, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, theCanadasandAcadia.

[Footnote:Asweshallseehereafter,theEnglishatthistimeclungtoanarrowstripalongtheAtlanticcoast.]

In1688

it

had

apopulation

of

11,000.

*****


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15

ENGLISHEXPLORATIONS.

We have seen how the Cabots, sailing under an English flag,

discoveredthe

American

continent,

exploring

its

coast

from

Labrador to Albemarle Sound. Though the English claimed thenorthernpartofthecontinentbyrightofthisdiscovery,yetduringthe sixteenth century theypaid littleattention to it.At thecloseofthatperiod,however,maritimeenterprisewasawakenedandBritishsailors cruised on every sea.Like the other navigators of the day,theywereeagertodiscoverthewesternpassagetoAsia.

FROBISHERmadethefirstoftheseattemptstogonorthofAmerica

toAsiaCabots

plan

repeated.

He

pushed

through

unknown

waters, threadinghisperilouswayamong icebergs,until (1576)heentered Baffin Bay.Here he heaped a pile of stones, declared thecountryanappendageoftheBritishcrown,andreturnedhome.

[Footnote: One of the sailors brought back a stone which wasthought to contain gold. A fleet of fifteen vessels was forthwithequipped for thisnewElDoradoThenorthwestpassage toCathaywas forgotten.After innumerableperils incident toArctic regions,

theships

were

loaded

with

the

precious

ore

and

returned.

Unfortunatelyhistoryneglectstotelluswhatbecameofthecargo.]

SIRFRANCISDRAKEwasafamoussailor.Inoneofhisexpeditionson the Isthmus of Panama, he climbed to the top of a lofty tree,whencehesawthePacificOcean.Lookingoutonitsbroadexpanse,he resolved to sail an English ship on those seas. Returning toEnglandhe equippeda squadron.He sailed through theStraitsofMagellan, coasting along the Pacific shore to the southern part of

Oregon.He

refitted

his

ship

in

San

Francisco

harbor,

and

thence

sailingwestward,returnedhome(1579)bytheCapeofGoodHope.

[Footnote: He was thus the first Englishman who explored thePacific coast, and the second Europeanwho circumnavigated theglobe.]

SIRHUMPHREYGILBERTwasnotasailor,buthehadstudiedtheaccounts of American discoveries, and concluded that instead of

randomexpeditions

after

gold

and

spices,

companies

should

be

sent

outtoformpermanentsettlements.Hisattemptstocolonizethenewworld,however,ended fatally.Sailinghome inabarkofonly tentonsburden, in themidst of a fearful storm the light of his little


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16

vessel suddenlydisappeared.Neithershipnorcrewwasever seenagain.

SIRWALTER

RALEIGH

was

ahalf

brother

of

Gilbert,

and

adopted

his views of American colonization. Being a great favorite withQueenElizabeth,heeasilyobtainedfromherapatentofanextensiveterritory, which was named Virginia in honor of Elizabeth, theVirginQueen.

[Footnote:Raleighwasnotonlyamanofdauntlesscourage,buthealso added to a handsome person much learning and manyaccomplishments.MeetingQueenElizabethonedaywhileshewas

walking,he

spread

his

mantle

over

awet

place

in

the

path

for

her

to

treadupon.Shewassopleasedwithhisgallantrythatsheadmittedhimtocourt,andhecontinuedafavoriteduringherentirelifetime.Conversing with her one day upon the singular properties oftobacco, the new Indian weed which was coming into use, heassured her that he could tell the exactweight of smoke in anyquantityconsumed.The incredulousQueendaredhim toawager.Accepting it, Raleigh weighed his tobacco, smoked it, and thencarefullyweighing theashes, stated thedifference.Paying thebet,

Elizabethremarked

that

she

had

before

heard

of

turning

gold

into

smoke,buthewasthefirstwhohadturnedsmokeintogold.Thisincident illustrates the friendly relationsbetween Raleigh and theQueen.Afterherdeath,hewasaccusedbyJamesI.oftreason,wasimprisoned formanyyears,andat theageof65wasexecuted.Onthe scaffold he asked for the axe, and feeling the edge, observed,with a smile, This is a sharpmedicine,but a sound cure for alldiseases. Then composedly laying his bead on the block, andmovinghislipsasinprayer,hegavethefatalsignal.]

Raleighsfirst attempt toplant a colonywas onRoanoke Island.Thesettlersmade no endeavor to cultivate the soil,but spentmost oftheirtimeinhuntingforgoldandpearls.

[Footnote:Theybelieved theRoanokeRiverhad itsheadwaters ingoldenrocks,bythePacificOcean.Thewallsofagreatcitynearitsfountainwereaffirmedtobethicklystuddedwithpearls.]

Atlast

they

were

nearly

starved,

when

Drake,

happening

to

stop

thereononeofhisexploring tours, tookpityon themandcarriedthemhome.TheyhadlivedlongenoughinAmericatolearntheuseoftobaccoandthepotato.ThesetheyintroducedintoEngland.The


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custom of drinking tobacco, as itwas called, soonbecame thefashion.

[Footnote:An

amusing

story

is

told

of

Raleigh

while

he

was

learning

tosmoke.Onenteringhisstudyonemorning tobringhismasteracupofale,hisservantsawacloudofsmokeissuingfromSirWaltersmouth.Franticallydashing the liquor inhis face,he rusheddownstairsimploringhelp,forhismasterwouldsoonbeburnttoashes!]

Raleighs Second Attempt.Raleigh, undiscouraged by this failure,still clung to his colonizing scheme. The next time he sent outfamilies,insteadofsinglemen.JohnWhitewasappointedgovernor

ofthe

city

of

Raleigh,

which

they

were

to

found

on

Chesapeake

Bay.

AgranddaughterofGovernorWhite,bornsoonafter they reachedRoanoke Island,was the first English childborn inAmerica. Thegovernor, on returning to England to secure supplies, found thepublic attention absorbedby the threatened attack of the SpanishArmada. It was three years before he was able to come back.Meanwhile, his family, and the colony he had left alone in thewilderness,hadperished.How,wedonotknow.The imaginationcanonlypicturewhathistoryhasfailedtorecord.

Raleighhadnowspentabout$200,000,agreatsumforthatday,onthisAmerican colony; and, disheartened, transferred his patent tootherparties.

TRADINGVOYAGES.FortunatelyforAmerican interests,tradingventuresweremoreprofitablethancolonizingones.Englishvesselsfrequented theBanksofNewfoundland,andprobablyoccasionallyvisitedVirginia.

[Footnote:TheEnglishshipswereat that timeaccustomed to steersouthwardalong thecoastofSpain,Portugal,andAfrica,as farastheCanaryIslands,thentheyfollowedthetrackofColumbustotheWestIndiaIslands,andthencealongthecoastofFlorida]

Gosnold, amaster of a smallbark (1602), discovered and namedCape Cod, Marthas Vineyard, and other neighboring localities.Loading his vessel with sassafrasroot, which was then highly

esteemedas

amedicine,

he

returned

home

to

publish

the

most

favorable reports of the region he had visited. Some Britishmerchants accordingly sent out the next year a couple of vessels


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18

underCaptainPring.Hediscovered severalharbors inMaine,andbroughtbackhisshipsloadedwithfursandsassafras.

[Footnote:northward

to

the

point

they

wished

to

reach.

Navigators

knew thiswas a roundaboutway,but theywere afraid to try thenorthernroutestraightacrosstheAtlantic.Gosnoldmadethevoyagedirectly from England toMassachusetts, thus shortening the route3,000miles.Thisgaveagreatimpulsetocolonization,sinceitwasineffectbringingAmerica3,000milesnearerEngland.]

As the result of these various explorations, many felt an earnestdesire to colonize thenewworld.James I.accordinglygranted the

vastterritory

of

Virginia,

as

it

was

called,

to

two

companies,

the

LondonandthePlymouth.

THE LONDON COMPANY, whose principal men resided atLondon, had the tractbetween the thirtyfourth and thirtyeighthdegreesof latitude.ThiswascalledSouthVirginia.Theysentoutacolony in1607underCaptainNewport.HemadeatJamestownthefirstpermanentEnglishsettlementintheUnitedStates.

[Footnote:The

river

was

called

James,

and

the

town

Jamestown,

in

honorofthekingofEngland.TheheadlandsreceivedthenamesofCapeHenryandCapeCharles from thekings sons;and thedeepwater for anchorage which put the emigrants in good comfort,gavethenamePointComfort.]

THE PLYMOUTH COMPANY, whose principal men resided inPlymouth, had the tract between the fortyfirst and fortyfifthdegreesoflatitude.ThiswascalledNorthVirginia.

[Footnote:TheysentoutacolonyunderCaptainPopham(pooam),inthesameyearwiththeLondonCompany.HesettledatthemouthoftheKennebec,buttheentirepartyreturnedhomethenextspring,discouragedbytheseverityoftheclimate.]

THE CHARTER granted to these companies was the first underwhich English colonies were planted in the United States. It istherefore worthy of careful study. It contained no idea of self

government.The

people

were

not

to

have

the

election

of

an

officer.

Thekingwas toappointacouncilwhichwas to reside inLondon,and have general control of all the colonies; and also a council toreside in each colony, and have control of its local affairs. The


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19

ChurchofEnglandwas theestablished religion.Moreover, for fiveyears,all theproceedsof thecolonial industryandcommerceweretobeappliedtoacommonfund,noonebeingallowedthefruitsof

hisindividual

labor.

DUTCHEXPLORATIONS.

During all this time, theDutchmanifested no interest in the newworld. In the beginning of the seventeenth century, however,CaptainHenryHudson,anEnglishnavigator in theDutchservice,enteredtheharborofNewYork.HopingtoreachthePacificOcean,

heafterward

ascended

the

noble

river

which

bears

his

name

(1609).

On this discovery, the Dutch based their claim to the regionextendingfromtheDelawareRivertoCapeCod.TheygavetoitthenameofNewNetherland.

EXTENTOFTHESEEXPLORATIONS.

1.The

Spaniards

confined

their

settlements

and

explorations

to

the

West Indies and the adjacentmainland, and in theUnited StatesmadesettlementsonlyinFloridaandNewMexico.

2.TheFrenchclaimedthewholeofNewFrance,andmadetheirfirstsettlementsinAcadiaandCanada.

3. The English explored the Atlantic coast at various points, andclaimedthisvastterritory,whichtheytermedVirginia,havingmade

theirfirst

settlement

at

Jamestown.

[Footnote:Afterthistime,theEnglishistheonlynationthatdirectlyinfluences thehistoryof theUnitedStates.ThecountrywassettledmainlybyemigrantsfromGreatBritain,andinthenextepochallthecoloniesbecomedependenciesofthatempire.]

4.TheDutchlaidclaimtoNewNetherland,butmadenosettlementtill1613.

TheRivalClaims.These fourclaimsoverlappedoneanother,andnecessarily produced much confusion. While the first fewsettlementswere separatedbyhundredsofmilesofsavage forests,


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20

thiswasof littleaccount.Butas thesettlements increased, therivalclaims became a source of constant strife, and were decidedprincipallybythesword.

[Footnote: It is noticeable that the English grants all extendedwestward to thePacificOcean, theFrench southward from theSt.Lawrence to the Gulf, and the Spanish northward to the ArcticOcean.NoneoftheEuropeannationshadany ideaof the immenseterritorytheyweredonating.]

Two Centuries of Exploration and One of Settlement.Theseexplorationshadlastedduringthefifteenthandsixteenthcenturies,

andat

the

close

of

the

sixteenth

century,

the

only

permanent

settlementswere thoseof theSpaniardsatSt.AugustineandSantaFe. In the beginning of the seventeenth century, permanentsettlementsmultiplied.Theyweremadeby

TheFRENCHatPortRoyal,NS.,in1605;

TheENGLISHatJamestown,in1607;

TheFRENCH

at

Quebec,

in

1608;

TheDUTCHatNewYork,in1613;

TheENGLISHatPlymouth,in1620.

[Footnote:Here lay the shaggy continent fromFlorida to thePole,outstretchedinsavageslumber.OnthebankoftheJamesRiverwasa nest ofwoebegone Englishmen, a handful of furtraders at the

mouthof

the

Hudson,

and

afew

shivering

Frenchmen

among

the

snowdriftsofAcadia;whileamidstillwilderdesolationChamplainupheldthebannerofFranceovertheicyrockofQuebec.Thesewerethe advance guard of civilization, themessengers of promise to adesert continent.Yet, not contentwith inevitablewoes, theywererent by petty jealousies and miserable quarrels, while each littlefragmentofrivalnationalities,justabletokeepupitsownwretchedexistence on a few square miles, begrudged to all the rest thesmallestshareinadomainwhichallthenationsofEuropecouldnot

havesufficed

to

fill.Parkman.]


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21

SummaryoftheHistoryoftheFirstEpoch,arrangedinChronologicalOrder.

1492. ColumbusdiscoveredtheNewWorld,October121497. TheCabotsdiscoveredLabrador,July31498. TheCabotsexploredtheAtlanticCoast

SouthAmericawasdiscoveredbyColumbus,August10VascodeGamasailedroundtheCapeofGoodHopeanddiscoveredapassagetoIndia

1512. PoncedeLeondiscoveredFlorida,April6

1513.Balboa

saw

the

Pacific

Ocean,

September

29

151921.CortezconqueredMexico1520. Magellandiscoveredandsailedthroughthestraits

whichbearhisname,intothePacificOcean;andhisvesselreturninghomebytheCapeofGoodHope,hadmadethefirstcircumnavigationoftheglobe

1524. VerrazaniexploredthecoastofNorthAmerica1528. NarvaezexploredpartofFlorida153435.CartierdiscoveredtheGulfofSt.Lawrenceandascended

theriver

to

Montreal

153941.DeSotorambledovertheSouthernStatesandin1541discoveredtheMississippiRiver

154042.CabrilloexploredCaliforniaandsailedalongthePacificCoast

154142.RobervalattemptedtoplantacolonyontheSt.Lawrence,butfailed

1562. RibautattemptedtoplantaHuguenotcolonyatPortRoyal,butfailed

1564.Laudonniere

attempted

to

plant

aHuguenot

colony

ontheSt.JohnsRiver.ItwasdestroyedbytheSpaniards

1565. MelendezfoundedacolonyatSt.Augustine,Florida;firstpermanentsettlementintheUnitedStates

15767. Frobishertriedtofindanorthwestpassage;enteredBaffinBay,andtwiceattemptedtofoundacolonyinLabrador,butfailed

157880.DrakesailedalongPacificCoasttoOregon;wintered

inSan

Francisco,

and

circumnavigated

the

globe

1582. EspejofoundedSantaFe;secondoldesttownintheUnitedStates

1583. Gilbertwaslostatsea


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22

15837. RaleightwiceattemptedtoplantacolonyinVirginia1602. GosnolddiscoveredCapeCod,May141605 DeMontsestablishedacolonyatPortRoyal,Nova

Scotiafirst

permanent

French

settlement

in

America

1607 TheEnglishsettledJamestownfirstpermanentEnglishsettlementinAmerica,May23

1608 ChamplainplantedacolonyatQuebecfirstpermanentFrenchsettlementinCanada,

1609 HudsondiscoveredtheHudsonRiver,ChamplaindiscoveredLakeChamplain,

1613 SettlementofNewYorkbytheDutch,1620 PilgrimssettledatPlymouthfirstEnglishsettlement

inNew

England

December

21

REFERENCESFORREADING

Irvings ColumbusParkmans Pioneers of FranceJesuits inNorthAmerica, and Discovery of the Great WestLongfellows SirHumphrey Gilbert (Poem)De Veres Romance of AmericanHistoryAbbotts Biography of Illustrious Men and WomenT.

IrvingsDe

Soto

in

FloridaHelps

Spanish

Conquest

of

America

BiddlesSebastianCabotNichollssJohnCabotBarlowsVisionofColumbus(Poem)andPoemsonColumbusbySamuelRogersandFR LowellSimmss Damsel of Danen (Poem)Scibners Monthly,Nov 1874 art, Pictures from FloridaHarpersMagazine,Nov etc1874,artThefirstCenturyoftheRepublicPrescottsFerdinandandIsabella (Columbus)Hawks History of North Carolina (LostColony of Roanoke)Sheas Discovery and Exploration of theMississippiValleyWallacesFairGod (Fiction)BarnessPopular

Historyof

United

States


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23

EPOCHII.

DEVELOPMENTOF

THE

ENGLISH

COLONIES.

From1607theFoundingofJamestown,To1775theBreakingoutoftheRevolution.

ThisEpochtracestheearlyhistoryofthethirteencoloniesVirginia,Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut,Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, New York, Rhode

Island,New

Hampshire,

and

Georgia.

The

Cavaliers

land

in

Virginia,and thePuritans inMassachusetts. Immigration increasesand the settlementsmultiply along thewhole coast. The colonies,however,stillhavelittlehistoryincommon.Eachbyitselfstruggleswith thewilderness, contendswith the Indian, and develops theprinciplesofliberty.

[Footnote:QuestionsontheGeographyoftheSecondEpoch.NamesofplacesinitaliclettersmaybefoundonthemapforEpochIII.Locate

Jamestown.Salem.

Charlestown.

Boston.

Cambridge.

Swanzea.

Providence.Bristol.Hadley.Hatfield.Portsmouth.Dover.Hartford.Wethersfield.NewHaven.Windsor.Saybrook.NewYork.Albany.Schenectady. Elizabethtown. Wilminton. Philadelphia. St. Marys.Edenton.Charleston.Savannah.Haverhill.Deerfield.St.Augustine.Quebec.Louisburg.

LocateFortVenango.Oswego.Presque Isle.FortLeBoeuf.CrownPoint.FortTiconderoga.FortNiagara.FortduQuesne.FortWilliam

Henry.Fort

Edward.

DescribetheOhioRiver.MonongahelaRiver.FrenchCreek.ChowanRiver.AshleyRiver,CooperRiver.River St.John. PotomacRiver.James River. Hudson River. Connecticut River. Mohawk River.Delaware River. Kennebec River. Penobscot River. Mystic River.MiamiRiver.St.LawrenceRiver.

Locate Manhattan Island. Alleghany Mountains. Cape Breton.

MassachusettsBay.

Albemarle

Sound.

Chesapeake

Bay.]


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24

VIRGINIA.

THECHARACTER

of

the

colonists

was

poorly

adapted

to

endure

thehardships incident toasettlement inanewcountry.Theyweremostlygentlemenbybirth,unused to labor.Theyhadno families,andcameoutinsearchofwealthoradventure,expecting,whenrich,toreturntoEngland.Theclimatewasunhealthy,andbeforethefirstautumnhalfoftheirnumberhadperished.

JOHNSMITHsavedthecolonyfromruin.Firstasamemberofthecouncil,andafterwardaspresident,hisserviceswereinvaluable.He

persuadedthe

settlers

to

erect

afort

and

to

build

log

huts

for

the

winter.Hemadelongvoyages,carefullyexploringChesapeakeBay,securingthefriendshipoftheIndians,andbringingbackboatloadsofsupplies.Hetrainedthetendergentlementilltheylearnedhowtoswing the axe in the forest.He declared that hewhowould notwork,mightnoteat.Hetaughtthemthatindustryandselfreliancearethesurestguaranteestofortune.

[Footnote:CaptainJohnSmithwasborn toadventure.Whileyeta

boyhe

leaves

his

home

in

Lincolnshire,

England,

to

engage

in

Hollandwars.Afterafouryearsservicehebuildsalodgeofboughsinaforest,wherehehunts,rides,andstudiesmilitary tactics.NextwehearofhimonhiswaytofighttheTurks.BeforereachingFrancehe is robbed,and escapesdeath fromwantonlybybeggingalms.HavingembarkedforItaly,afearfulstormarises;he,beingaheretic,isdeemedthecause,andisthrownoverboard,butheswimstoland.In the East, a famousMussulmanwishes to fight some Christianknight toplease the ladies; Smith offers himself and slays three

championsin

succession.

Taken

prisoner

in

battle

and

sold

as

a

slave,hishead isshavedandhisneckboundwithan ironring;hekillshismaster,arrayshimselfinthedeadmansgarments,mountsahorse and spurs hisway to a Russian camp.Having returned toEngland,heembarks for thenewworld.On thevoyageheexcitesthejealousy of his fellows and is landed in chains;but hisworthbecomessoapparentthatheisfinallymadepresidentofthecolony.His marvelous escapes seem now more abundant than ever. Acertainfishinflictsadangerouswound,buthefindsanantidoteand

afterwardeats

part

of

the

same

fish

with

great

relish.

He

is

poisoned,

butovercomesthedoseandseverelybeatsthepoisoner.Hispartyoffifteen is attacked by Opechancanough (Opekankano), brotherand successor of Powhatan, with seven hundred warriors; Smith


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25

drags the old chiefby his long hair into themidst of the Indianbraves,who,amazedatsuchaudacity,immediatelysurrender.Heisshockinglyburnedonaboatbytheexplosionofabagofpowderat

hisside;

but

he

leaps

into

the

water,

where

he

barely

escapes

death

by drowning. These and many other wonderful exploits hepublished in abook after his return to England.Historians verygenerally discredit them, and even the story of his rescue byPocahontas (p. 48) is considered verydoubtful.His serviceswere,however, of unquestionable value to Virginia; and hisdisinterestednessappearsfromthefactthatheneverreceivedafootof land in the colonyhiswisdomhad saved.Ofhis last yearsweknowlittle.HediednearLondon,1631.]

SmithsAdventureswereof themost romanticcharacter. Inoneofhisexpeditionsup theChickahommyhewas takenprisonerby theIndians.Withsingularcoolnessheimmediatelyattemptedtointeresthis captorsby explaining the use of his pocket compass and themotionsofthemoonandstars.AtlasttheypermittedhimtowritealettertoJamestown.Whentheyfoundthatthisinformedhisfriendsofhismisfortune,theywerefilledwithastonishment.

Theycould

not

understand

by

what

magical

art

he

could

make

afew

marksonpaperexpresshis thoughts.Theyconsideredhimabeingofasuperiororder,andtreatedhimwiththeutmostrespect.Hewascarried fromone tribe to another, and at lastbrought to thegreatchief,Powhatan,bywhomhewascondemnedtodie.Hisheadwaslaidonastone,andthehugewarcluboftheIndianexecutionerwasraised to strike the fatal blow. Suddenly Pocahantas, the youngdaughter of the chief, who had already become attached to theprisoner, threw herselfupon his neck andpleaded for hispardon

(seenote,

p.

46).

The

favorite

of

the

tribe

was

given

her

desire.

Smith

wasreleased,andsoonsenthomewithpromisesoffriendship.Hislittleprotectorwasoften thereafter tobe seengoing toJamestownwithbasketsofcornforthewhitemen.

[Footnote:Thiswasundertakenbytheexpressorderofthecompanyto seek a passage to the PacificOcean and thus to India.CaptainNewportbefore his return to Englandmade a trip up theJamesRiverforthesamepurposebutonreachingthefallsconcludedthat

theway

to

India

did

not

lie

in

that

direction.

These

attempts

which

seem sopreposterous tousnow showwhat inadequate ideas thenprevailedconcerningthesizeofthiscontinent.]


42/333


26

[Footnote: His route was over the peninsula, since rendered sofamousbyMcClellanscampaign.]

[Footnote:As

another

evidence

of

the

simplicity

of

the

Indians,

it

is

said thathaving seized aquantity ofgunpowderbelonging to thecolonists,theyplanteditforseed,expectingtoreapafullharvestofammunitionforthenextcontest.]

ASECONDCHARTERwasnowobtainedby the company (1609).Thisvestedtheauthorityinagovernorinsteadofalocalcouncil.Thecolonistswerenotconsultedwithregardtothechange,nordidthecharterguaranteetothemanyrights.

THESTARVINGTIME.Unfortunately,Smithwasdisabledbyaseverewound and compelled to return to England.His influencebeing removed, the settlersbecame aprey to disease and famine.SomewerekilledbytheIndians.Some,intheirdespair,seizedaboatandbecamepirates.Thewinterof160910was longknownas theStarvingTime.Insixmonths theywerereducedfrom490to60.Atlasttheydeterminedtofleefromthewretchedplace.Nonedroppeda tear, for none had enjoyed one day of happiness. The next

morning,as

they

slowly

moved

down

with

the

tide,

to

their

great

joy

they met their new governor, Lord Delaware, with abundantsupplies and a company of emigrants.All returned to the homesthey had just deserted, and Jamestown colony was once morerescuedfromruin.

THETHIRDCHARTER.Up to this time thecolonyhadprovedafailureandwaspublicly ridiculed inLondon.Toquiet theoutcry,the charter was changed (1612). The council in London was

abolished,and

the

stockholders

were

given

power

to

regulate

the

affairsofthecompanythemselves.

THEMARRIAGEOFPOCAHONTAS(1613).The littleIndiangirlhadnowgrowntowomanhood.JohnRolfe,ayoungEnglishplanter,hadwonher loveandwished tomarryher. In the little churchatJamestown, rough almost as an Indians wigwam, she receivedChristianbaptism,and, inbrokenEnglish,stammered themarriagevowsaccordingtotheserviceoftheChurchofEngland.

Three years after, with her husband, she visited London. ThechildlikesimplicityandwinninggraceofLadyRebecca,asshewascalled,attracteduniversaladmiration.Shewas introducedat court


43/333


27

andreceivedeverymarkofattention.Asshewasabouttoreturntohernativelandwithherhusbandandinfantson,shesuddenlydied.

[Footnote:This

son

became

aman

of

wealth

and

distinction.

Many

of

the leading families of Virginia havebeen proud to say that thebloodofPocahontascoursedthroughtheirveins.]

FIRST COLONIAL ASSEMBLY.Governor Yeardley (yardle)believedthatthecolonistsshouldhaveahandeinthegoverningofthemselves.HeaccordinglycalledatJamestown,June28,1619,thefirst legislativebody that everassembled inAmerica. Itconsistedof thegovernor,council,anddeputies,orburgesses,astheywerecalled,

chosenfrom

the

various

plantations,

or

boroughs.

Its

laws

had

to

beratifiedbythecompanyinEngland,but,inturn,theordersfromLondonwerenotbindingunless ratifiedby the colonialassembly.These privileges were afterward (1621) embodied in a writtenconstitutionthefirstofthekindinAmerica.Ameasureoffreedomwas thus granted the young colony, and Jamestown became anurseryofliberty.

PROSPERITYOFTHECOLONY.Theoldfaminetroubleshadnow

allpassed.

The

attempt

to

work

in

common

had

been

given

up,

and

eachman tilledhis own land andhad the avails.Tobaccowas anarticleofexport.The colonists raised it soeagerly thatatone timeeven the streets ofJamestownwere plantedwith it.Goldhuntinghadceased,andmanyoftheformerservantsofthecompanyownedplantations.SettlementslinedbothbanksoftheJamesfor140miles.Bestofall,youngwomenofgood characterwerebroughtoverbythecompany.These sold readilyaswives to the settlers.Thepricewas fixed at the cost of thepassage100pounds of tobaccobut

theywere

in

such

demand

that

it

soon

went

up

to

150

pounds.

Domestic ties were formed. The colonists, having homes, nowbecame Virginians. All freemen had the right to vote. Religioustoleration was enjoyed. Virginia became almost an independentrepublic.

[Footnote:Intheearlylifeofthiscolony,particlesofmicaglitteringin thebrookweremistaken forgolddust. Therewasno talk,nohope,but dig gold,wash gold, refine gold, load gold.Newport

carriedto

England

ashipload

of

the

worthless

stuff.

Smith

remonstratedinvainagainstthisfolly.]


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28

SLAVERY INTRODUCED.In1619 thecaptainofaDutch tradingvesselsoldtothecoloniststwentynegroes.Theywereemployedincultivating tobacco. As their labor was found profitable, larger

numberswere

afterward

imported.

[Footnote:Fromthiscircumstance,smallasitseemedatthetime,themost momentous consequences ensued,consequences that, longafter,renttherepublicwithstrife,andmoisteneditssoilwithblood.]

INDIANTROUBLES.AfterthedeathofPowhatan,thefirmfriendoftheEnglish,theIndiansformedaplanfortheexterminationofthecolony.Sosecretlywasthismanagedthatontheverymorningofthe

massacre(March

22,

1622)

they

visited

the

houses

and

sat

at

the

tablesofthosewhosemurdertheywereplotting.Atapreconcertedmoment they attacked the colonists on all their widelyscatteredplantations.Over threehundredmen,women,and children fell inone day. Fortunately, a converted Indian had informed a friendwhomhewished tosave,and thusJamestownand thesettlementsnearbywereprepared.Amercilesswarensued,duringwhich thecolonywas reduced from 4,000 to 2,500;but the Indianswere soseverelypunished that they remainedquiet for twentyyears.Then

cameafearful

massacre

of

five

hundred

settlers

(1644),

which

ended

inthenativesbeingexpelledfromtheregion.

VIRGINIA A ROYAL PROVINCE.The majority of thestockholders gladly granted to the infant colony those rights forwhich theywerestrugglingathome.KingJames,becomingjealousof the companybecause of itspatriotic sentiments, took away thecharter (1624),andmadeVirginiaa royalprovince.Henceforth theking appointed the governor and council, though the colony still

retainedits

assembly.

APERIODOFOPPRESSION.TheBritishParliamentenforced theNavigation Act (1660), which ordered that the commerce of thecolonyshouldbecarriedoninEnglishvessels,andthattheirtobaccoshouldbeshippedtoEngland.Besidesthis,theirownassemblywascomposedmainlyof royalists,who leviedexorbitant taxes, refusedto go out of officewhen their term had expired, fixed their ownsalaryat250poundsoftobaccoperday,restrictedtherightofvoting

tofreeholders

and

housekeepers,

and

imposed

on

Quakers

a

monthlyfineofonehundreddollarsforabsencefromworshipintheEnglish Church. Two parties gradually sprung up in theirmidst;one,thearistocraticparty,wascomposedoftherichplantersandthe


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29

officeholders in the colony; the other comprised the libertylovingportionofthepeople,whofeltthemselvesdeprivedoftheirpoliticalrights.

[Footnote: It is a curious fact that the royalists who fled fromEngland in Cromwells time took refuge in Virginia, and werehospitably entertained, while the regicides (the judges whocondemned Charles I) fled to Massachusetts and were concealedfromtheirpursuers.]

BACONSREBELLION.Thesedifficultiescametoacrisis in1676,whenGovernor Berkeley failed to provide for the defence of the

settlementsagainst

the

Indians.

At

this

juncture,

Nathaniel

Bacon,

a

patrioticyounglawyer,ralliedacompany,defeatedtheIndians,andthen turned tomeet the governor,who had denounced him as atraitor.Duringthecontestwhichfollowed,BerkeleywasdrivenoutofJamestownandthevillageitselfburned.

[Footnote:GoinguptheJamesRiver,justbeforereachingCityPoint,one sees on the righthandbank the ruins of an old church. Thecrumblingtower,withitsarcheddoorways,isalmosthiddenbythe

profusionof

shrubbery

which

surrounds

it.

Its

moss

covered

walls,

entwined with ivy planted by loving hands which have sincecrumbledintodust,lookdesolatelyoutupontheoldchurchyardatitsback. Here, pushing aside the rank vines and tangledbusheswhichconcealthem,onefindsafewweatherbeatentombstonesAhugebuttomwood tree, taking rootbelow, hasburst apart one ofthese old slabs and now,with itsmany fellows spreads its loftybrancheshighoverthesolitarydead.AndthisisallthatremainsofthatJamestownwhosestruggleswehavehererecorded.]

In themidstof thissuccess,Bacondied.No leadercouldbe foundworthy to take his place, and the people dispersed. Berkeleyrevenged himself with terrible severity. On hearing of the facts,Charles II. impatientlydeclared, He has takenmore lives in thatnakedcountrythanIdidforthemurderofmyfather.

MASSACHUSETTS.

THE PLYMOUTH COMPANY made several attempts to exploreNorth Virginia. CaptainJohn Smith, already so famous in SouthVirginia, examined the coast fromPenobscot toCapeCod,drewa


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30

mapof it,andcalled thecountryNEWENGLAND.Thecompany,stirred to actionby his glowing accounts, obtained a new patent(1620) under the name of the Council for New England. This

authorizedthem

to

make

settlements

and

laws,

and

to

carry

on

trade

through a region reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, andcomprisingoveramillionsquaremiles.NewEngland,however,wassettledwithnoconsentofkingorcouncil.

PLYMOUTHCOLONY.

SETTLEMENT.LandingofthePilgrims.Onestormydayinthefall

of1620,

the

Mayflower,

with

aband

of

ahundred

pilgrims,

came

to

anchor in Cape Cod harbor. The little company, gathering in thecabin,drewupa compact, inwhich they agreed to enactjustandequal laws,which all should obey.One of their exploring partieslandedatPlymouth,asitwascalledonSmithschart,December21.

[Footnote:Theexactnumberofthepilgrimswas102.]

[Footnote: ThiswasDec. 11,Old Style. In 1752, elevendayswere

addedto

correct

an

error

in

the

calendar,

thus

making

this

date

the

22d. Only 10 days, however, should have been allowed, andthereforethecorrectdateisthe21st,NewStyle.]

Finding the locationsuitable forasettlement, theyallcameashore,andamidastormofsnowandsleetcommencedbuildingtheirrudehuts.

[Footnote: Theywere called Pilgrimsbecause of theirwanderings.

Aboutseventy

years

before

this

time

the

state

religion

of

England

hadbeenchangedfromCatholictoProtestant;butalargenumberoftheclergyandpeopleweredissatisfiedwithwhattheythoughttobea halfwaypolicy on thepart of the new church, and called for amorecompletepurificationfromoldobservancesanddoctrines.Forthis,theywerecalledPuritans.Theystillbelievedinastatechurch,thatis,thatthenationofEnglandwasthechurchofEngland;andthatthe queen, as the head ofboth, could appoint church officers andprescribe the form of religiousworship.They, however,wanted a

change,and

desired

the

government

to

make

it

to

suit

them.

The

government not only refused,butpunished thePuritan clergy fornotusingtheprescribedformofworship.Thisledsomeofthemtoquestiontheauthorityofthegovernment inreligiousmatters.They


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31

came to believe that any body of Christians might declarethemselvesachurch,choosetheirownofficers,andbeindependentof all external authority. When they began to form these local

churches,they

separated

themselves

from

the

Church

of

England,

andfor thisreasonarecalledSeparatistsandIndependents.OneofthesechurchesofSeparatistswasatScrooby,intheeastofEngland.Notbeingallowedtoworshipinpeace,theyfledtoHolland(1608),wherethey livedtwelveyears.Butevil influencessurroundedtheirchildren,andtheylongedforalandwheretheymightworshipGodin their own way and save their families from worldly follies.Americaoffered suchahome.They came, resolved tobraveeverydanger,trustingtoGodtoshapetheirdestinies.]

[Footnote:The little shallop sentout to reconnoitrebefore landing,lost,inafuriousstorm,itsrudder,mast,andsail.Lateatnight,thepartysoughtshelterunder the leeofasmall island.Theyspent thenext day in cleaning their rusty weapons and drying their wetgarments.Everyhourwasprecious,astheseasonwaslateandtheircompanionsintheMayflowerwerewaitingtheirreturn;butbeingyelastdayofyeweek,theypreparedtheretokeepeyeSabbath.Nowonderthattheinfluenceofsuchapeoplehasbe

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