A Shorter History of the United States for schools ... With maps, etc

Front matter

A SHORTER HISTORY or THE UNITED STATES FOR SCHOOLS WITH AN INTBODUCTOBY HISTOBY OF THE DISCO VEBY AND ENGLISH COLONIZATION OF NOBTH AMEBICA 80 its) fHajjs, starts, anft 3E...er.nc-s to iSuppltmentars Slatting HY ALEXANDER JOHNSTON PROFESSOR IN PRINCETON COLLEGE " NEW YORK HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY Copyright, 1UW), BY HENRY HOLT & CO. Robert Drummond, Electros y per and Printer, New York. PUBLISHERS' NOTE. It should be known that with the exception of a few trifling verbal modifications not affecting two pages in all, the lamented author left the text of this work, after two careful revisions, just as it is presented. A word regarding tbe chief characteristics of the book, can be said with confidence justified by frequent discussion with the author, and may occupy, but not fill, the place of the preface he expected to write.

Although the work was intentionally adapted for use in schools for which the author's larger history might be con sidered too elaborate, it was not made briefer by mere omission, aud especially, not by the omission of matter of great importance. It is not an abridgment of the earlier work, but rather a rewriting, Chapter X of the smaller book being the only portion not written entirely anew. The present work departs from its prototype in many respects; the chief of which are: I. Advantage is taken of the pupil's natural interest in per sons, to associate events with the leaders most prominent in them, and, so far as possible, to give to an idea a human representative. It is believed that the emphasis thus placed upon the personal element in national life will quicken attention and tighten the grip of memory.

II. The number of topics is considerably decreased, and many of those retained receive fuller treatment, in the belief that a text-book is made hard, not by much detail about a few things, but by a little about many different things. PUBLISHEE8' NOTE. III. The dates to be learned are reduced to a minimum, the narrative being kept clear by insistence upon historical connection in such a way that the pupil cannot escape the impression of cause and effect. IV. Each chapter is supplemented with volume-and-page references to pertinent poetry and fiction, as well as to standard histories. These references are partly for the pupil and partly for the teacher, who, it is believed, will find ample material in them not only for the verification and expansion of the narrative, but also, if he wishes, for its imaginative embellishment.

Introduction

. DISCOVERY AND COLONIZATION. PAGE Period I.— Discovery. 1 Period II. — Colonization ., 7 Period III.— English Colonization to 1748. ........ 13 Massachusetts Bay Colony , 17 New Hampshire .„ 22 Connecticut ........ , 22 Rhode Island , ............... 24 Vermont 26 New England in general. 26 Virginia..... ..... 30 Maryland.... ... 34 North Carolina. ................. 36 South Carolina... 38 Georgia 39 The Southern Colonies in general. ■ 39 New York , 42 New Jersey 46 Pennsylvania 47 Delaware 49 The Colonies in general 49 Period IV.— Colonial History, 1750-63 56 French Settlement 56 French and Indian War 60 Results of the War 63 Period V.— Colonial Resistance, 1763-75 65 Taxation without Representation 65 Lexington and Concord. 69 CONTENTS. XII HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. Chapter I.— The Revolution : 1775-81.

PAGE The Rise of the Republic J3 Events in New England '" Events in Canada 77 Events in England and on the Coast 78 Independence 79 Events in the Middle States, 1776-8 80 Burgoyne's Expedition, 1777 85 Aid from France, 1778 87 Events in the North after 1778 89 Events on the Sea 92 Events in the South, 1778-81 93 Yorktown, 1781 98 Peace, 1783 99 Chapter II. — The Confederation : 1781-9. Failure of the Confederation 104 The Ordinance of 1787 105 Formation of the Constitution 107 Chapter III. — The Establishment of National Government : 1789-1801. State of the Country, 1789 110 Washington's Administrations, 1789-1797 . 112 John Adams's Administration, 1797-1801 119 Chapter IV. — The Nation recognized Abroad and at Home : 1801-1829. Jefferson's Administrations, 1801-9 125 Madison's Administrations, 1809-17 131 Monroe's Administrations, 1817-25. 142 John Quiucy Adams's Administration, 1825-9 149 Ch/jv2r V.— The Introduction of Railroads : 1829-49.

Jackson's Administrations, 1829-37 153 Van Buren's Administration, 1837-41 164 Harrison's and Tyler's Administrations, 1841-5 168 Polk's Administration, 1845-9 172 Chapter VI.— Sectional Division: 1849-61. Taylor's and Fillmore's Administrations, 1849-53 183 Pierce's Administration, 1853-7 186 Buchanan's Administration, 1S57-61 CONTENTS. XIII Chapter VII.— The CrviL War : 1861-5. PAGE Lincoln's Administration, 1861-5 201 Eventsof 1862 208 In the West 208 On the Coast 212 In the East 214 Events of 1863 220 In the East 220 In the West : 222 Internal Affairs 226 Eventsof 1864 228 In the East. 229 In the West 231 On the Coast 234 On the Sea 236 Internal Affairs 237 Events of 1865 238 Conclusion of the War .'. 238 Military Summary of the War 241 Death of President Lincoln 244 Chapter VIII. — Reconstruction : 1865-77.

Johnson's Administration, 1865-9 248 Grant's Administrations, 1869-77 253 Chapter IX. — Recent Development: 1877-88. Hayes's Administration, 1877-81 v . . 261 Garfield's and Arthur's Administrations, 1881-5 .'. . . 264 Cleveland's Administration, 1885-9 268 Chapter X. — Past, Present, and Future. General Summary 273 State of the Country 274 Causes of Growth 279 The Future 282 Chapter XI. — The Constitution of the United States. 284 Appendix I.— The Declaration of Independence 295 Appendix II. — The Constitution of the United States 299 Appendix III. — Formation of States 313 Appendix IV. — Growth of the States 314 Appendix V. — Growth of the Cities 316 Appendix VI. — Washington's Farewell Address (Extracts) . . 317 Pronouncing Index NOTE ON THE MAPS. In the historical maps, the colors show the political divisions at the time the map refers to ; but to aid in impressing these on the memory, other political divisions, and prominent facts that may not strictly belong to the time, are sometimes indicated in black.

MAPS E^° See note on opposite page. COLORED. FACING PAGE The United States in 1890, . . . Frontispiece. European Provinces, 1655, . . . . . .13 British Cessions to 1732, . . . . .49 The United States at the Peace of 1783, . . .99 The United States, showing Acquisition of Territory, . 126 The United States in 1830, . . . . .156 The Areas of Secession, ...... 198 VNCOLORED. PAGE Columbus's Voyage, ....... 3 De Soto's Expedition, . . . . . .5 Atlantic Discoveries, . . . . . .6 Atlantic Settlements, . . . . . .8 Massachusetts Bay Colony. . . . . .19 Connecticut Colony, . . . . . .23 Rhode Island Colony, . . . . . .25 Early French Wars, . . . . . .28 Virginia Colony, . . . . . . .32 Maryland, . . . . . . . .34 Carolina, . . . . . . . .36 The Middle Colonies, . . . . . .43 French Forts, . . . . . . .58 MAPS.

PAGE The French War, . . . . . . .59 Lexington and Concord, . . . . . .70 Around Boston, . . . . . .76 The Campaign in the Middle States, . . . .81 Capture and Evacuation of Philadelphia, . . .84 Burgoyne's Expedition, . . . . . .86 The Revolution in the Southern States, . . .94 Surrender at Yorktown, . . . . . .99 Movements of British Troops by Land and Sea, . . 100 Bakbary States, ....... 126 War of 1812; Lake Region, . . . . .133 Niagara Frontier, ....... 134 Attack on Washington, . . . . . .135 Expedition against New Orleans, . . .138 War with Mexico, . ... . . .177 Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor, . . . 202 Washington and Vicinity, ...... 205 Mill Spring to Shiloh, ...... 209 Bragg's Raid, ....... 210 Hampton Roads, ....... 212 The Lower Mississippi, ...... 213 Peninsular Campaign, ...... 215 Seven Days' Battle, ...... 217 First Invasion of the North, ..... 218 Second Invasion of the North, ..... 221 The Vicksburgh Campaign, ..... 223 Murfreesboro to Chattanooga, . . . . . 224 The Wilderness Battles, ...... 229 From Chattanooga to Atlanta, ..... 231 Sherman's March to Savannah, ..... 233 On the Coast, ....... 235 Sherman's March Northward, ..... 239 Petersburgh and Appomattox, . . . . , INTRODUCTORY.

DISCOVERY AND COLONIZATION. PEBIOD I.—DISCOVEBY. (1493-1583.) 1. The White Race. — It is not often realized by young people that of the many thousand years in which the white race has led the world, it has known America only three hundred years and has really been active on American soil only about two hundred. To the labors of the white race are mainly due the development of religion, science, art, law, and politics, the use of steam, air, electricity, and other natural forces in machinery, the stopping of the old brutal customs of war, of the torture of prisoners, and of the imprisonment of persons who cannot pay their debts; and while that race has been at work in these matters for many thousands of years, probably the most important of these developments have been accomplished during the two hundred years in which the race has added America to its field of labor, and a startling portion of them, relatively considered, has been accomplished on American soil. 2.

The Discovery of America. — One of the greatest events in the history of the white race, and of the world, was the discovery of America. It opened a vast new continent, far larger than Europe, where the white race could increase in numbers and power. The colonization of this continent — that is, its settlement by parties of whites — has stirred up other men of that race to settle other parts of the world, until this race has already become the leading race of the earth, and will soon be the most numerous. So many of the great events which have since happened may be traced back to the dis covery of America, that men have come to consider this the greatest event of modern times (§ 695). 3. The Nations of Europe.— At the time of the discovery of America, the white race of Europe was, as now, divided into different nations; but these nations had not very much to do with one another, except in the wars which broke out among them from time to time.

Men lived and died within a few miles of their native villages, because generally it was not safe to go much farther away. Printing had lately been invented; but books were still scarce and dear, and most men did not care much about foreign countries, even when described in books. The nations along the Atlantic coast, England, Hol land, France, Spain, and Portugal, had ships, though they were small ones, and did most of what little commerce was done. Just about this time they had begun to use the mar iner's compass and other instruments of navigation, which enabled them to make longer voyages, out of sight of land; and they had begun to use gunpowder, which gave them a great advantage over the bows and arrows of savages. 4. Columbus. — It is not true that all men before Columbus believed that the earth was flat.

Most men thought and cared little whether the earth was round or flat; but there were books, even then, which gave the reasons for the belief that the earth was round.* Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa in Italy, and a sailor, was the first to try to prove that the earth was round, by sailing westward from Europe. Portuguese sailors had already explored the west coast of Africa, had reached the Cape of Good Hope (1486), and had thus found a way to the profitable trade with the East Indies. It should not be forgotten that this trade was of very great importance, and that it was in the hope of finding a still shorter way to them that Columbus started to sail directly westward around the world. Wealth was far less abundant then than now; Columbus had not the money to fit out the necessary ships himself; and the kings and queens to whom for many weary years he applied for help were too busy with other things to attend to him.

Finally, Ferdinand and Isa- * It is believed by many that the "Northmen" (the people ot Norway) discovered America by way of Iceland and Greenland, five hundred years before Co lumbus. bella, King and Queen of Spain, furnished him with three small ships, and he sailed out from Palos \jpah'-los\ in Spain, to change the history of the world. 5. Columbus's First Voyage. — The three ships went first to the Canary Isles, and thence due west, on a track which no ship had evei sailed before. The ignorant sailors grew frightened. When Columbus taught them that the earth was round, they became still more terrified Columbus's Voyage. at the thought that they were really sailing down hill and could never get back again. By one means and another he induced them to go forward, until after more than two months' sailing, they saw land, Oct. 12, 1492.

It was one of the Bahama Islands, to which Columbus gave the name of San Salvador. Sailing slowly south and southeast, he ex plored some of the islands of the West Indies; then his little fleet spread its sails and returned to Europe, bearing natives and new plants as proofs that a new world had been discovered. 6. America. — Columbus thought the earth to be about one third as large as we know it to be. He had no thought of a new world, but lived and died in the belief that he had reached the rich kingdoms of the East Indies. For this reason, he made no effort to have the new continent named after himself; the natives were called Indians*; and the islands * Another race, the "mound-builders," had inhabited the country before the Indians : they left certain curious mounds in the Mississippi Valley, and no other which he found on his first voyage are still known as the West Indies.

He never landed on the North American con tinent, though he visited the mainland of South America on his third voyage.* The whole continent was called America, from Amerigo Vespucci [yes-poof -cM] (in Latin, Americus Vespuciiis), a merchant and traveller of Florence, who was the first to describe it as a separate continent. 7. Spanish America. — Columbus's discovery caused a great excitement in Europe, as the printing-press scattered the news of it. Spanish vessels, with soldiers and sailors, began at once to sail westward across the Atlantic, making wonder ful conquests in Mexico and Peru. All South America and the southern part of North America was soon Spanish. Ponce de Leon discovered the coast of what is now eastern Florida, giving it this name because he had discovered it on Easter Sun day, called in Spanish Pasctia Florida.

Spanish discoveries went as far north as the coast of what is now South Carolina, but were mostly confined to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. f Some of the Spanish governors of Mexico sent expeditions northward into what is now New Mexico and California, but these accomplished little. The Pacific coast of North America was explored by Drake, an English sailor; but this part of the continent had very few inhabitants while it was a part of Spanish America and until it became a part of the United States (§ 451). 8. De Soto's Expedition. — De Soto, the Spanish governor of Cuba, landed in Florida (1539) with 900 men, seeking to record of their existence. The remnants of the Indian tribes are now mostly beyond the Mississippi River, cared for by the Government. The strongest of their tribes were the Five Nations (afterwards the Six Nations; see §97), in central New York, and the southern tribes, the Creeks, Chickasaws, Choctaws, and others. * Columbus, made four voyages in all.

He was ungratefully treated by the king to whom he " had given a new world," but who feared lest Columbus should make himself king of it. On one occasion he was even sent home in chains by one of Ferdinand's officials. + Florida remained Spanish for a loug time. The United States purchased it in 1819 (§ 355), and the old Spanish town of Saint Augustine (founded in 1565J became the oldest town in the United States, the Spanish town of Santa Fe in New Mexico (founded in 1582) being the next oldest. find and conquer some rich Indian kingdom. After marching for three years through the present States of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas, and finding only savages in a wilderness, he died, worn out by toil and exposure. His men succeeded in reach ing Mexico. An im portant result of the expedition was the discovery of the noble river, Missis sippi, which De Soto crossed near the southern boundary of Tennessee.

His death took place on the banks of the De Soto's Expedition. great river, and he was buried in its waters. The upper part of the river, however, remained unknown until it was dis covered by French explorers from Canada (§ 132). 9. The Portuguese Bargain. — Portuguese sailors had already made discoveries on the coast of Africa and in the East Indies (§ 4). Spain and Portugal agreed (1493) that Spain was not to interfere with Portugal in these discoveries, and that Portugal was not to interfere with Spain in America. Portugal therefore took hardly any part in American discovery. Holland was then subject to Spain, and attempted no settlements until it had become an independent country (§21)- 10. British America.* — The most important events to the future people of the United States, next to Columbus's discovery, were the voyages of the Cabots, for they gave England a claim to the central part of North America.

John Cabot, a merchant of Venice, Italy, then living in Bristol, England, * This name is now confined to that part of North America which was les t to Qreat Britain when the United States became au independent nation (§ 236). and his son, Sebastian Cabot, fitted out a ship, the Matthew, and discovered North America at Cape Breton Island, June 24, 1497. They called it Prima Vista ("first* sight")- The next ■ year, Sebastian I Cabot explored the I whole Atlantic I from Cape I Breton to Albe- 1 marie Sound, and iVAVAVAV claimed it for EngiVAVAVAV land. No attempt I was made to settle I the country for I many years, but I English o i I continued to t < > ! - H low the path of the I Cabots ' 'I northern Atlantic, in order to share in the Newfoundland fisheries. 11. French America, — French discoveries, like those of Spain, had very little to do with the future his tory of the United States.

The New foundland fisheries at tracted French sailors also across the Atlan tic, and one of them discovered the Gulf of St. Law rence. Car tier [/__..•'-_«-__] discovered the great river St. Lawrence (1534) ; and this drew the French off in that EABL Y SETTLEMENT. direction, so that whatever discoveries they made afterwards were made in Canada (§ 131). 12. Chronological Summary. — The discoveries of Spain, England, and France have been given separately. They may be collected, as follows: (Sp., Spanish; E., English; F., French.) 1492— Columbus (Sp.): West Indies §5 1497— The Cabots (E.): Cape Breton Island 10 1493 — Sebastian Cabot (E.): Cape Breton Island to Albemarle Sound. 10 1512— Ponce de Leon (Sp.): Florida 7 1534 — Cartier (F.): River St. Lawrence 11 1539-1541 — De Soto (Sp.): Mississippi River aud Southern States.. . . 8 1565 — Founding of St. Augustine (Sp.) 7 1579— Drake (E.): Pacific Coast 7 1582— Founding of Santa Fe (Sp.) 7 [Supplementary Reading. — Details as to the early voyages will be found in living's Life of Columbus; Prescott's Ferdinand and Isabella, Conquest of Mexico, and Conquest of Peru; Hildreth. i. ; Helps's Spanish Conquest in America, i. ; Bancroft, i. ; Bryant and Gay, i. ; Doyle, i. As to still earlier voyages of the Northmen, see Anderson's Amer ica Not Discovered by Columbus.

Novels: Reade's Cloister and the Hearth (for the social condition of Europe); Cooper's Mercedes of Castile; Simms's Vasconselos (for De Soto).] PEBIOD II— COLONIZATION. French, English, Dutch, and Swedish Claims. (1510—1638.) 13. French Failures. — The French had most to do with what is now Canada. Cartier (§11) made a settlement at Quebec (1540), but gave it up after the second winter. French vessels still sailed up the St. Lawrence River from time to time, but for sixty years there was no further attempt to make a settlement here. It seemed, at one time, that the French would turn to the southern Atlantic coast. They made a settlement at Port Royal (1562), but it was starved out, and the colonists went home. Another French settlement was made near St. Augustine (1564), but the Spaniards attacked and destroyed it.

Another French expedition took full re venge on the Spaniards, but there was no further attempt to continue the French settlement. EABL Y SETTLEMENT. 14. Canada.— It was not until more than a hundred years after Columbus's discovery that two Frenchmen, De Monts and Champlain, made successful settlements in America. De Monts settled in Acadia, the French name for Nova Scotia (1605), and Champlain at Quebec, three years afterward. Other Frenchmen soon settled along the St. Lawrence River, M/and took possession B^"'' 'what now the V Dominion of Canada. It remained a French H^]mi.-.-m<>ii until 1763 iw' (S 14ii). and the descend iB^T ants of the original settlers still often called French Canadians ' 15. English Failures. — For nearly a century after Columbus's discovery, the English did little in support of the claims which the Cabots had made for them, except that an English captain, Martin Frobisher, searching for gold, made an unsuccessful attempt to found a settlement in the cold and barren region called Labrador.

After a time, England and Spain drifted into war; and while Elizabeth was Queen of Eng land, English sailors like Drake (§ 7) were fighting the EABL Y SETTLEMENT. Spaniards on every sea. Most of these were little better than pirates. One brave and pious gentleman, Sir Humphrey Gil bert, saw that the American fisheries had more real value than any war could have ; and he undertook to make a settlement in Newfoundland. His first attempt (1578) was a failure; but he made another attempt, with five ships, five years afterward. His men were ungovernable, and he was com pelled to return, taking for himself the smallest and weakest vessel of the five. A violent storm arose ; Gilbert was be sought to go on board of a larger vessel; but he refused to desert his men, saying manfully, " We are as near heaven by sea as by land."

So they left the Admiral, sitting at the stern of his vessel, " reading a book." During the night, the watchers on the other ships suddenly saw the lights of his vessel go out, and Sir Humphrey Gilbert disappeared from history. 16. Raleigh. — Brave men were plenty in England, and Gilbert's half-brother, Sir Walter Raleigh, next took up the work. Wonderful stories are told of Raleigh, of his wit, his learning, his never-failing courtesy, which made friends for him everywhere; of the liking which Elizabeth had for him; of the dislike which her successor, King James I., felt for him; of the manliness which he showed through thirteen years of causeless imprisonment, and at his final execution. The common story is that he introduced into England, from the American Indians, the practice of smoking tobacco ; and that one of his servants, seeing him smoking and thinking him on fire, threw a pitcher of beer on him to put out the fire; but it is quite certain that tobacco was used in England before Raleigh's time.

He has, however, a better claim to our remembrance. He was the father of English colonization in America. He never landed in North America ; but he made every effort to make settlements there ; he talked and wrote of the importance of such settlements ; and he was the man who did most to set Englishmen thinking of it, and to prepare the way for final colonization.* * In spite of Raleigh's failures, his colony of Virginia was a success (,§ 67), before the year of his execution (1618). EABLY SETTLEMENT. 17. Raleigh's Colonies.— The colonies which Raleigh sent out landed on the coast of the present State of North Carolina.* Two of his vessels found a place for a colony on Roanoke Island (1584). Raleigh named the whole coast Virginia, in honor of Queen Elizabeth, who was unmarried and was fond of being called the " Virgin Queen," and the name is still given to a part of it, the present State of Virginia.

A colony was sent out the next year, but careful preparation had not been made, and the colony was starved out in a year. Another colony was sent out under White (1587). It began well. White's granddaughter, Virginia Dare, the first child of English parents born within the present limits of the United States, was so named because the colonists believed that the great colony of Virginia had now been begun. No one knows what calamity happened ; but when the colony was searched for three years afterward, it had disappeared, and no trace of the hundred or more persons who perished has ever been found, f This failure exhausted Raleigh's money for the time. 18. Gosnold and Pring. — For nearly twenty years, attempts at a settlement ceased ; but English fishing and trading ves sels were more often seen along the American coast, and their accounts of the new country kept alive the English desire for American settlements.

Bartholomew Gosnold found a new route across the Atlantic, by the Azores [a-zorz'~\ Islands, much shorter than that by way of the West Indies (1602). He was in search of sassafras ; but he built a fort at what is now Buzzard's Bay, in Massachusetts, and attempted to make a settlement. At the last moment, the men became frightened at the thought of being left in a strange land, and insisted on returning with him. Martin Pring, also in search of sassafras, examined and described the coast of New England; and no doubt there were many others, whose voyages have been quite forgotten. * For this reason, the capital city of North Carolina has been named Raleigh. t The tradition of the Indians was that the colonists, hungry and in despair, joined a neighboring Indian tribe. EABLY SETTLEMENT. 11 19.

The Two Companies. — Under King James I. two com panies were formed (1606) for the purpose of making settle ments in America. To the London Company the king granted the coast of North America from latitude 34° to lati tude 38°; that is, from about Cape Fear to the mouth of the Rappahannock River. To the Plymouth Company he gave the coast from latitude 41° to latitude 45°; that is, from the mouth of the Hudson River to the eastern point of Maine. The coast between the Rappahannock and the Hudson was granted to both companies ; but neither was to fix a colony within a hundred miles of any colony already planted by the other.* 20. The English Claim. — -The formation of these two com panies was the first real sign that Englishmen meant to en force the claim to central North America which the Cabots had made more than a hundred years before (§ 10).

To avoid the Spaniards to the south and the French to the north, the king had granted only the central portion of the continent ; and this circumstance has helped to give the United States their present boundaries. The settlements planted by the new companies were better prepared than Raleigh's colonies, and were able to protect themselves from the beginning. We may thus date the beginning of successful English settlement in North America at the London Company's first settlement at Jamestown (1607) (see § 24). 21. The Dutch Claim. — Holland had rebelled against Spain (§ 9) about the time of the first English failures, and had be come a strong naval power. Hendrik (Henry) Hudson, an Englishman in the Dutch service, discovered the mouth of the Hudson River (1609), and explored the coast more closely than other voyagers had done.

Dutch traders at once sent vessels to Manhattan Island (now New York City), to trade with the Indians ; and Holland granted the territory from Delaware Bay to the Connecticut River to the Dutch West * In 1609 the London Company's grant was enlarged to extend 200 miles north and south of Pt Comfort (84° to 40°). and westward to the Pacific Ocean. In 16:!0 the Plymouth Company was reorganized as the Council of Plymouth, and its grant was enlarged to extend from Philadelphia to the northern point of Nova Scotia (40-48°) aud westward to the Pacific. EABLY SETTLEMENT. India Company (1621). Two years afterward, this company established the city of New Amsterdam (now New York), and. called the whole territory New Netherlands. For the next forty years this continued to be a Dutch colony, thrust in be tween the English colonies to the north and to the south of it.

It was conquered by the English in 1664 (§ 102). 22. The Swedish Claim. — Sweden had no claims by discovery ; but Peter Minuit, who had been a Dutch governor of New Netherlands, but who had gone into the Swedish service, brought over a Swedish colony aud settled it in the present State of Delaware (1638). Its chief town was Christina, near the present city of Wilmington. The Dutch took this territory from the Swedes (1655); and the English finally took it from the Dutch, with the rest of New Netherlands. It was afterwards transferred to Penn (§ 113). 23. Chronological Summary. — All these steps are very important to our history, for one reason why our own country occupies its present territory is because at the be ginning a single people, the English, got control of it. Spain had chosen the territory to the south, and France the terri tory to the north ; Holland and Sweden tried to settle the territory between, but were not strong enough to resist England in the struggle for it ; and thus the whole Atlantic coast, from Florida to Nova Scotia, became English.