A history of the United States

Front matter

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Preface

The chief event in American history is the war between the states. Its causes, having their beginning before the formation of the Union, exerted a strong influence upon the early stages of the country's development. Its consequences are of the greatest magnitude.

Many years had to follow the close of the conflict before it was possible for an American to look upon its causes and its results without passion or prejudice. But the country has, at length, become united in sentiment as well as in name. The patriotism exhibited in the war with Spain — patriotism that recognized no point of the compass — showed that the last vestige of sectionalism has passed away.

The purpose of this book is to present the history of the United States in such a way that the pupils who study it may become proud of an American heritage. With prejudice eliminated from the account of the old sectional controversies, the minds of the children of a reunited country may be more readily directed toward the study of the marvelous progress of America. With this object in view, considerable stress has been laid upon the achievements of peace, which, after all, should have the foremost place in history.

For many valuable suggestions the author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to D. F. Houston, President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas;

vt PREFACE

D. D. Wallace, Professor of History and Economics in Wofford College, South Carolina; Rt Rev. Thomas F, Gailor, Bishop of the diocese of Tennessee, and James W. Thomas, Esq., of Cumberland, Md.; and to his publishers and their advisers. The author esteems it his good fortune that the part of his manuscript relating to the Civil War was reviewed by General H. V. Boynton of the Federal Army, and General John B. Gordon of the Confederate Army, for their intimate knowledge of that gigantic struggle was of great help toward rendering an accurate and impartial account of the war. He desires also to acknowledge his indebtedness to Miss Jessie Muse, of the Atlanta public schools, for her efficient aid in adapting the text to school use.

WADDY THOMPSON.

Atlanta, Georgia.

Contents

PARr I.— DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION.

CHAPTSR

I. The Old World and the New .

PART II.— THE COLONIAL PERIOD. 1607-1776 The Southern Colonies : Virginia

(^ConHnued,) Other Southern Colonies lie Middle Colonies • • « •

The French in America . . • •

The French and Indian War .

life in the Colonies (1763). Settlement of the West

PAGB

I

35 41

49 66

PART IIL— THE REVOLUTION. 1 761-1783

The Injustice of the Royal Government 144

First Year of the Revolutionary War (1775) . . • . Second Year of the Revolutionary War (1776) • • Third Year of the Revolutionary War (1777) Fourth and Fifth Years of the Revolutionary War (i 778-1 779) Sixth Year of the Revolutionary War (1780) . . . . Last Year of the Revolutionary War (1781) .

Part Iv.— The Confederation. 1781-1789

XX. Strengthening the Government XXI. The Country when Washington became President . XXIL Social Life in Washington's Time

161 169 178 185 192 198

206 215 221

PART v.— THE NEW GOVERNMENT. 1789-1817

XXIII. Administration of George Washington 227

XXIV. Administration of John Adams 236

XXV. Administration of Thomas Jefferson 240

XXVI. Administration of James Madison 248

XXVII. The United States in 181 7 a6l

▼ii

•••

VUl

CONTENTS

Part VI. — Sectional Dissension. 1817-1861 Chaftbr

XXVIII. Administration of James Monroe

XXIX. Administration of John Quincy Adams

XXX. Administration of Andrew Jackson .

XXXL Administration of Martin Van Buren

XXXII. Administrations of Harrison and Tyler

XXXIII. Administration of James K. Polk

XXXIV. Progress of the Country (1849) • XXXV. Administrations of Taylor and PiUmore

XXXVI. Administration of Franklin Pierce

XXXVII. Administration of James Buchanan .

PAGB

269 279 284 294 298

304 312

332 337

Part VII. — The Civil War. 1861-1865

XXXVIII. First Year of the Civil War (1861) 347

XXXIX. Second Year of the Civil War (1862) . . ... 358

XL. ThirdYearoftheCivil War (1863) 374

XLI. Fourth Year of the Civil War (1864) . . : . 385

XLIL TheEndoftheCivil War (1865) 400

XLIII. Life in the Confederacy 408

Part VIII. — Reconstruction And Reunion. 1865-1877

XLIV. Administration of Andrew Johnson 416

XLV. Administration of Ulysses S. Grant 427

1877-1897

Part Ix.— Industrial Development

XLVI. Administration of Rutherford B. Hayes

XLVII. Administrations of Garfield and Arthur

XLVIII. First Administration of Grover Cleveland

XLIX. Administration of Benjamin Harrison

L. Second Administration of Qeveland •

Part X.— Territorial Expansion. 1897

LI. Administration of William McKinley . . .

LII. Administration of Theodore Roosevelt • • •

LIII. Administration of William H. Taft . . . .

LIV. Administration of Woodrow Wilson . , . .

45 « 456

469 485 491

Appendices i

Index xxiii

LIST OF MAPS

PAGB

Map of the World, showing the United States and its Possessions

(colored) caver page 2

Trade Routes to the East (in text) 2

Map of the World as known to Columbus (in text) .... 5

Map of the Voyages of Columbus (in text) ...... 10

Map of Early Voyages ... 14

Map illustrating Spanish Explorations (in text) 32

Coast of Virginia in the Time of Raleigh (in text) .... 44

Virginia in Early Days (in text) « • • 53

European Colonies, about 1650 70

Map to illustrate French Explorations (in text) 123

Route of Braddock's Expedition (in text) 130

Central North America, 1755, at the Beginning of the French and

Indian War (colored) 132

Central North America, 1763, after the French and Indian War

(colored) . 132

Boone's Trail (in text) , , % 143

Sketch Map of Boston and Bunker Hill, 1775 (^° ^^^0 • • • • 165 Reference Map for the Revolution. Northern and Middle States

(colored) 166

Reference Map for the Revolution. Southern States (colored) . .194

Sketch Map of Yorktown (in text) 202

Land Qaims of the Thirteen Original States in 1783 (colored) . . 206

Lewis and Qark's Route (in text) 243

Map of the United States, 1810-1812 (colored) 248

Reference Maps for the War of 181 2 252

Map of the United States, 1820, showing the Missouri Compromise . 273

Route of the National Road (in text) 277

Map of the Erie Canal (in text) 280

The United States, 1825 (colored) 280-281

ix

X LIST OF MAPS

PAGB

Map of the Mexican War (in text) 306

Territory acquired from Mexico as the Result of the Mexican War

(colored) 310

Map of the United States, 1 861 (colored) 350

Reference Map for the Civil War, 1 861-1865 (colored) • . 360-361

Map of Hampton Roads, Virginia (in text) 371

Campaigns in Virginia (in text) 376

Map of the Vicksburg Campaign (in text) 380

Territorial Growth of the United States, 1 783-1 867 (colored) . 424-425

Standard Time (in text) ; . . . 448

Map of the United States and its Possessions (colored) • cover page 3

PART^ I. — DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION

1492-1609

Chapter I

I. The World before America was Discovered. — The Early

part of the world in which we live, the Western Hemi- co°di^oM^ sphere, is often called the " New World," and the other part, the Eastern Hemisphere, the "Old World." Until the year 1492, civilized people lived only in the Eastern Hemisphere. They had no knowledge of North America or South America, and therefore, when they found these continents, they found a world new to them.

Even as late as the middle of the fifteenth century little was known of the Old World itself except Europe, the western part of Asia, and the northern shore of Africa. The Mediterranean Sea, the center of the known world, was the highway of commerce. The boldest seamen feared to sail farther to the west than Iceland.^ They

^ Icelanders had made settlements in Greenland. Iceland is much nearer to Greenland than to any point in Europe. Icelanders are Norsemen, or Northmen, a race that also inhabits Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Their

S t A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

did not know where the broad Atlantic ended. They thought it was filled with monsters, and they called it the "Sea of Darkness."

Tkase Routes t bold sea-rovers, ot vikings, is the; called themselves, were as much at home on water as on land. In the year 876, a viking from Iceland was driven in hU ship by storms to a strange land to the westward. About a century later (986), Eric the Red, wiin a party of settlers from Iceland, came to this strange land, which he called Greenland. The Norse colony continued for more than foar hundred years and then disappeared. What became of it is a mystery. Ruins of its churches and houses are still to be found. The history of the Norsemen is told us in their records which they call sagas. Unfortunately ■nnch that is only tradition has crept into these records, and it is difficult to separate truth from fiction. The sagas slate that Leif Ericson, the son of Eric the Red, visited land to the southwest of Greenland about the year 1000, He called the country Vinland on account of the quantity of grapes found. Many believe that the Vinland of the sagas was on the coast of what we now call New iHngland. However, the discovery made no difference. It never became known over Europe, and was almost fcrgotten by Icelanders thenuelves. They thought Greenhuid was a part of Europe.

3. The Far East — People had a vague knowledge of the eastern part of Asia which was called India. From an- Earir tn cient times trade had been carried on with India, and had *"*' '"" become very important for all Europe. From India came silks, cashmeres, muslins, spices, ivory, diamonds, sapphires, and pearls. The Italian cities, Genoa and Venice, bustled with the coming and going of ships, for it was mainly through these cities that trade from the East reached the rest of Europe.

Genoa sent its vessels to Constantinople for Eastern products brought there overland by caravans. Venice

sent its ships to >

Cairo for cargoes coming up the Red Sea. At these points

Europeans met trad- _

ers from the East a Ci who told marvelous tales of their lands.

Now and then a merchant seeking fortune, or a priest wishing to spread the Christian religion, had reached some distant part of Asia, and had brought back glowing accounts of beautiful and populous cities and of lands rich in gold and precious stones and fragrant with delicious spices. But in 1365 the semibarbarous Turks, beginning to seize one point after another along the routes of trade, threatened to cut off all communication between Europe

L new route eeded.

lie African oast and Asia. As the loss of the Eastern trade would have been a calamity to Europe, people began to think of finding an ocean route to India.

3. Prince Henry the Navigator. — In seeking a water route to India, effort was first made to sail around Africa. But there were many difficulties to be overcome because everybody was ignorant of geography. It was generally believed that the equator could not be crossed because the heat was so intense that it would burn up any one who made the attempt. It was also supposed that Africa extended to the end of the world, or else was so joined to Asia in the far-off, unknown parts, that a ship could not sail to India. Fortunately there was a prince of Portugal who was deeply interested in the progress of science, and who wished to increase the knowledge of geography by explorations. Moreover, he was good as well as wise ; while he hoped to add to the glory of Portugal by discovering new lands, he sincerely desired to convert the heathen of those lands to Christianity. He spent so much time and money in sending out expeditions to explore the seas that he was called Prince Henry the Navigator. His seamen pushed their ships farther and farther down the western coast of Africa. By 1471 the Portuguese had crossed the equator.

4. Christopher Columbus. — Prince Henry's zeal had attracted to Portugal many able navigators and geographers, among whom was Christopher Columbus, a native of Italy. Columbus became convinced that the shortest route to India was westward across the Atlantic Ocean. He believed that the world was round, and that by sailing toward the west he would come to the east again. His idea that the world was round was not original, for some of the learned men of ancient times as well as many of th^ wise men of his own time held the same belief, yet it was Columbus still a matter of dispute. Almost all the people thought JIJ^^^^^ the world flat ; and if told that it was round, they asked how men could walk with their heads down, and how rain could fall upward.

5. Columbus before Kings. — Columbus needed money to buy and equip vessels with which to make a westward voyage to India. Prince Henry had died, so he asked aid of the king of Portugal, who referred the matter to a council in Pbrtugal of learned men. It did not occur to these men that there might be land, such as the American continent, in the way. They gave it as their opinion that even if it were possible to reach India by sailing westward, the route would be too long.^ Nevertheless, the king secretly sent out ships to discover for himself

the route suggested by Columbus. The attempt failed, and when Columbus learned of the king's treachery, he felt outraged and at once left Portugal.

Columbus next sought aid from Ferdinand and Isabella in Spain, of Spain. These sovereigns were busily engaged in war

^ In the matter of distance, the learned men were correct. In his argument for the western route Columbus made three errors: (i) He did not allow for another continent's being in the way; (2) he thought the earth much smaller than it is; and (3) he thought that Asia extended farther around the earth than it does. According to his calculations, Japan was in the Atlantic Ocean, and nearer to Europe than are the West Indies. But for these errors, Columbus would very likely never have started on his voyage.

MAP OF THE WORLD AS KNOWN TO COLUMBUS

I I KNOMfM

UHjgtOWN with the Moors, who still held parts of Spain, so they also referred his project to a council of learned men who would not be convinced by his arguments. Through many years he still pleaded his cause, frequently suffering poverty as well as the taunts and ridicule of those who looked upon him as a dreamer. At length, despairing of success in Spain, he was about to set out for France to ask aid of the king of that country, when Isabella consented to consider the matter.

Columbus The queen and the sailor came to terms. It was agreed

md Isabella, ^j^^^ Columbus and his heirs should have the rank of ad- 1492.

miral and viceroy of all lands he should discover, and that he should receive a part of any profits resulting from his discoveries. The rest of the profits were to go to Isabella, who, it is said, pledged her crown jewels in order to raise the money for the expenses of the voyage.

6. The Spirit of Columbus. — The best ships then in use were small and clumsy and unfit for any greater purpose than making voyages along the coast. What Columbus offered to do was truly astounding to the men of his time. Even those who shared his belief that the earth was round could not be sure of it. Some said that he might be wrong, and that if the earth should prove to be flat, the voyage to the end of the world would take so many years that one How the could hardly hope to get back. Scoffers declared that if ^eScted ^^^ earth were really round, the voyage could not be made, failure. sincc a ship in going or else in returning must sail uphill.

Ignorant and superstitious men asserted that dragons breathing fire, serpents with many heads, and other terrible creatures swarmed in the Atlantic, and that they would devour any crew that ventured into that unknown sea.

Yet Columbus was more firmly fixed than ever in the belief that he could sail westward to the shores of Asia.

He had held to his purpose so long in spite of trial and dis- The ipwt of

appointment, that he had come to believe that heaven was '-°''^°^'"-

directing him ; and he vowed to convert the heathen in the

lands he should win and to use his share of the profits for

rescuing the Holy Sepulchre from the Mohammedans who

held possession of Jerusalem.

7. Columbus sets SoiL — Three ships, called caravels,' were secured, the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the NifUt,

A CAKAVU, OS COLUHBUS.

AAer the model ihoira M the Columbia Eipotillon, Chicago, 1S93.

One would hardly dare to cross the ocean in such vessels nowadays. To man the ships for the perilous voyage, debtors had been relieved of their debts and prisoners The released from jail ; and with ninety men in all, Columbus, ^^pa^ur^ on August 3, 1492, set sail from Palos in southern 1493. Spain. The ships loosed their cables amid the prayers and waitings of the people on shore, who had little hope of seeing the sailors again. The fleet was hardly out of sight of land before the men themselves began to regret their rashness, and as the little ships sailed farther and farther westward, discontent grew into terror. But Columbus kept a brave heart, and would not turn back. Many anxious days and nights, many weary weeks passed. The men said one to another that they should never get back home.

Landing of Columbus, Early Morning, October 12, 149a.

and it seemed as though nothing could prevent their rising in mutiny. Still Columbus sailed on.

8. Columbus Lands. — At last, early on the morning of October 12,^ 1492, land was sighted. It was one of the Bahama group of the West India Islands.^ Columbus

• October iz, accordinE to the Old Style of reckonmE time ; October 11, ■ccotding to the New Style.

* It has never been determined which of the Bahamas Colnmbni first ughted. The honor is claimed for more than one of the islandi.

landed and took possession of the island in the name of Queen Isabella. The crew were overjoyed at the prospect of becoming rich quickly, and threw themselves at his feet to ask his forgiveness. They were watched by a crowd of natives who were unlike any people the Spaniards had ever seen.

Columbus believed that certain signs made by the natives meant that gold was to be found in countries to the south, and he thought that Asia must lie in that direction. He set sail again, and soon arrived at the great island now called Cuba, which he thought was the continent of Asia. Cuba. Guided by the natives farther toward the southeast, he reached the island of Hayti, which he took to be Japan. To this island he gave the name of La Espagnola (His- HaytL paniola), or " Spanish land." There he decided to return to Spain and report his discovery.

After a stormy voyage in which he narrowly escaped shipwreck, Columbus landed at Palos — the port from which he had sailed — on March 15, 1493. The people TheretunL who had despaired of his return now welcomed him with joy, and were ready to believe with him that a western route to Asia had been found. In triumph, Columbus sought the king and queen. He showed many curiosities, among them some of the natives of the new lands. He called them Indians because all of eastern Asia, including China and Japan, was then known as India. Ferdinand and Isabella received Columbus with honor.

9. Second and Third Voyages of Columbus. — The report that Columbus had found the Indies by a short route across the Atlantic caused intense excitement in Spain. The king and queen immediately made plans to secure the wealth of the country, and to convert the heathen. When a fleet was fitted out for Columbus to make another voyto A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

age, there was no difficulty in getting men to go with him.

Sons of the most distinguished families in Spain crowded

upon his vessels, eager to seek their fortimes in the Indies,

the land of untold wealth.

Second Columbus sailed on his second expedition with seventeen

'•oy««<.'493- vessels and about fifteen hundred men. On arriving

at Hispaniola, he built a town, which he named Isabella, in

F THB VOYAGES OF Columbus.

honor of the queen who had befriended him. He explored

neighboring islands, and could not understand why he

failed to find the wonderful cities of Asia. Meanwhile the

Unfortunate colony on Hispaniola did not prosper. Men who had come

conditloni In there hoping to obtain wealth quickly were disappointed.

14^-14/36. They quarreled among themselves, turned the natives

against them by their cruelty, and then blamed Columbus

for all their troubles.

THE OLD WORLD AND THE NEW ii

Columbus returned to Spain to explain the condition of affairs in the colony. His sovereigns received him gradously.and in 1498 sent him

on a third voyage. This ^

time he did not steer directly for Hispaniola, but turned his ships farther southward in the hope of passing around China and reaching India itself (Hindustan).

He found land, but it was part of what is now known as South America. Though Columbus knew that he had come upon a continent, yet ■ he still hoped that it was joined to Asia or separated from it by only a narrow strait Sickness compelled bim to abandon his explorations and return to Hispaniola.

10. Columbus sent Home In Chains. — Misfortunes now came fast upon Columbus. On arriving at Hispaniola, he found that in his absence the condition of the colony had gone from bad to worse. There was rebellion among the colonists, and there was war with the Indians. A man whom the Spanish government had sent out to make investiga-

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The Cabots and their discoveries.

tion of affairs, and take charge of the colony if necessary, had declared himself governor. He put Columbus in chains, and sent him back to Spain. The sight of the faithful discoverer in irons aroused the sympathy and indignation of the Spanish people. The queen ordered his immediate release. Once more he was promised all his rights in the Indies, but the promise was not kept.

11. The Fourth Voyage of Columbus. His Death. — In 1502 the Spanish government sent Columbus on a fourth voyage of discovery. The Pope, who was more powerful than any king, had divided the world in half, giving to Portugal all heathen lands east of a certain line, and to Spain all such lands west of the line. Both nations had accepted the division, and had agreed not to interfere with each other's explorations. The fact that the Portuguese had at last reached India by way of the Cape of Good Hope, made Spain more desirous than ever to complete the discovery of the western route to India. So Columbus searched the coast of Central America and Panama for the strait which he supposed lay between what he called Asia (Cuba) and his new continent (South America). Disappointed again, he returned to Spain in 1504, and died in Valladolid in 1506. The great discoverer never knew that he had found a new world.

12. The Voyages of the Cabots. — Now that Columbus had led the way, other navigators were not slow to cross the Atlantic. The first to see the mainland of North America was John Cabot, an Italian in the English service. He sailed with a single vessel in 1497, landed, and claimed the country for the king of England. The next year, accompanied by his son Sebastian, he crossed a second time to North America. The Cabots visited the coast somewhere between Cape Breton and Labrador.

They told of having seen great quantities of fish. Eng- whu

iand did not follow up these voyages, however, because it ^Riand

■' Inoughtoftho

was thought that the Cabots had found only a cold, bleak discovenes

part of Asia. What England wanted was India, the land c^""^

of spices and precious

stones. It was not until

many years later that the

voyages of the Cabots

assumed importance.

Then England cited them

as the basis of her claim

to North America,

13. How America received its Ifame. — Aniericus Vespucius, an Italian, whose name in his native

language was Amerigo

„ ^ ^ . , ^ Amerigo Vespucci.

across the Atlantic. In MMsachg««, K>noTic>i Socici,.

two of these voyages ^J'J^l":t^:^ZFiot^tiy^'^:1lt''Z^

(1501-1504) he followed iiiSeYill=,Spidii,iiiisi». Hi! {uoily.'u wealthy ,, , . ,■ r ■id he Rceived ■ good education. Aboul iia>

the long coast Ime of he mnond id Seville, ud then became engaged

Brazil, in South America. i'SStSt^'.i'.'To.S'^.

In writing to his friends w« though, tor manj- Teanthw Vetpucim «w

° , , , , tlie msunland of North Americ before C«bol, but

he deSCnbed the lands then ii now [itile doubt iHm Ihe hooot of diicav-

that he had seen, and his v'l^pVd^.^.'l'^^IIin'r.d -^i.". m!^- o!U^ letters were translated dj;|;h"li"„°',o''coi^"^*n^^i^,''^^cor

and printed in various dlKovered, to draw mipi and Cham, and 10 1 -1-1. _. t •upfrinKi'i lh« ippoinlmenl a( piloB.

languages. The part of

South America already discovered by Columbus lay above the equator, where Asia was supposed to be. Vespucius explored land far below the equator, in a region where no one had dreamed that land existed. Consequently,

In the confused minds of the geographers of that time, it

was thought that Columbus had found Asia, and Vespucius

had discovered a "New World.'* In 1507 a professor in

a university in an obscure German town published a small

book on geography. He divided the world into the three

parts already known for a long time, Europe, Asia, and

Africa, and then added as a "fourth part" the region The "fourth

described by Vespucius. He suggested that this "fourth Jl^rid^^ed

part, having been discovered by Amerigo," be called America.

America. The suggestion met with favor. The name,

given first only to Brazil, was gradually extended to the

continent of South America and then to the continent

of North America. Thus a mistake gave to Vespucius an

honor that rightfully belonged to Columbus.

1. The World before America was discovered.

2. The Far East. — Trade with India; goods ; the overland route ; com-

municai ion threatened ; result.

3. Prince Hx^^nry the Navigator. — A water route to India; Prince

Henry's explorations ; effect.

4. Christopher Columbus. — Shortest route to India ; shape of the world.

5. Columbus before Kings. — Treachery of Portugal ; Spain gives aid;

terms of contract.

6. The Spirit of Columbus. — Difficulties of the voyage ; faith of Columbus.

7. Columbus sets Saiu — Ships ; crew; danger of mutiny.

8. Columbus Lands. — Discoveries; settlement at Hispaniola; return to

Spain.

9. Second and Third Voyages of Columbus. — Effect of discoveries on

Spain; Hispaniola ; third voyage ; South America reached.

10. Columbus sent Home in Chains.

11. The Fourth Voyage of Columbus : Death. — Division of the world;

Portuguese route to India ; effect on Spain ; Columbus disappointed in hope of western route.

12. The Voyages of the Cabots. — North American discoveries; judged

unimportant.

13. How America received its Name. — South America visited ; Amerigo

Vespucci honored.

Chapter II The North American Indian

Origin of the Indian.

Physical traits.

Dress<

14. Origin of the Indian. — Though the great discoverer had not found India, he had found a new world and a new race. The name " Indian," which Columbus gave to this new race because he thought that he had reached India, remains the name of the race to-day. No one knows where the Indians came from ; doubtless they have lived in America for thousands of years.^

Indians are usually tall and erect. Their complexion is of a reddish brown or copper color. They have high cheek-bones, small, deep-set eyes, straight black hair, and little or no beard.

15. Dress and Ornament — The life of the North American Indians at the time of the discovery was quite different from their life to-day. Their dress was rude and meager. In summer the men wore no clothing except a short apron

•

1 In different parts of the United States there are mounds which have long been the subject of discussion. They are especially numerous in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. They are of various shapes, and some of them are so large that it must have taken great labor to build them. It was formerly the general belief that these mounds were made by a superior race that lived in this country before the Indians. This supposed prehistoric race is known as the " Mound Builders." Recent investigations tend to show, however, that Indians built the mounds, and that, while some are undoubtedly of great antiquity, none are as old as they were once thought to be. Some have certainly been built since the white men came to America, for tools, utensils, and trinkets of European origin have been found in them. The mounds were used 88 sites for towns, or places for defense, religious ceremonies, or cemeteries.