A brief topical survey of United States history

Front matter

TOPICAL SURVEY

UNITED STATES HISTORY

CORNMAN

Preface

This little work has been prepared in response to a general demand for a text-book which could be employed in teaching United States history by means of topical reviews. The topical outlines found in many of our best text-books have proved .unsatisfactory as a means of review, since their use does not result in much more than a mere restudy of the original text. In order to present the historical review from new and interesting points of view, many teachers have found it necessary to prepare outlines or syllabi of lectures that their classes may be furnished with definite material for study. The present work is an outgrowth of a series of such notes prepared by the authors for use in their respective schools.

The necessity for review is universally admitted. Almost all courses of study call for topical reviews in the various subjects of instruction, especially in history. Sound psychological and pedagogical considerations demand that this review should not consist of mere repetition, but should, as far as possible, be presented in fresh guise, and aid the pupil in organizing the knowledge which he has already acquired. The various elements of the matter to be reviewed should be closely interrelated, essential features emphasized, and a broader range of view disclosed, so that the knowledge as a whole may form an apperceptive system to which future acquisitions may be readily related. In the present w r ork the attempt has been made to furnish a text for such a method of reviewing United States history.

In adding this book to the large number of text-books on United States history already published, the authors feel that a further word of apology or justification is demanded. Many text-books attempt to steer a middle course between a reading book and study book. This attempt seems a rather unfortunate one, as neither end is attained, the result being a book not interesting enough to constitute a good reading book, nor yet concise enough for purposes of study. The present work is frankly a book to be studied. The elimination of all unnecessary detail has made possible the preparation of a brief, yet

iii iv PREFACE

comprehensive, review. Of course, the book assumes a previous detailed study of the facts of United States history, being intended for the use of pupils who have completed the study of one of the ordinary school histories. It is, therefore, especially adapted for use in higher grammar grades or in high schools.

For certain practical reasons, a comprehensive review of United States history by pupils of the upper grammar grades is very desirable. A large majority of such pupils do not enter the high school, and it is therefore important that they should not go dut into the world with their knowledge of history an inchoate mass of details, but that they should have, as far as possible, a broad knowledge of the history of their country and an intelligent attitude toward its institutions.

Acknowledgments are due to Professor Franklin Spencer Edmonds, of the Central High School, Philadelphia, who kindly read the manuscript of the work and made several valuable suggestions. The authors are also greatly indebted to Professor William MacDonald, of Brown University, for valuable assistance in the revision of the proof sheets.

Philadelphia, Pa.,

Part I Origin And Establishment Of The Republic Chapter Page

I. Discoveries and Explorations 2

II. Colonization of America — Establishment of English

Supremacy 14

III. The War for Independence 30

IV. The Adoption of a New Form of Government . . 40 V. Establishment of the New Government ... 52

Part II Troubles At Home And Abroad

VI. Troubles with Foreign Countries 64

VII. Indian Wars— Slavery and the Civil War ... 76

Part III Financial And Political History

VIII. Financial History 06

IX. History of Political Parties 108

v

VI

CONTENTS

Part IV Growth And Progress

CHAPTER

X. Growth in Territort and Population .

XL Progress in Science and the Useful Arts

XII. Progress in Education ....

XIII. Growth of American Literature .

XIV. Problems of To-day and the Near Future

PAGE

138 154 166 178

APPENDICES

A. The Constitution of the United States

B. Glossary of Terms

1 43

LIST OF MAPS

The United States and its Possessions (double page, colored) Frontispiece

PAGE

Map of Early Voyages 9

Map to illustrate the French Explorations (in text) . . . .11

Map of the Spanish Claim (in text) 12

Map of the English Claim (in text) 12

Map of the French Claim (in text) 13

Map of the Dutch Claim (in text) 13

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

Indian War (colored) 28

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

(colored) 28

Reference Map for the Revolution. Northern and Middle States

(colored) . . • 34

Reference Map for the Revolution. Southern States (colored) . 38

Lewis and Clark's Route (in text) 60

Route of the National Road (in text) 61

Reference Maps for the War of 1812 67

Map of the Mexican War (in text) . . . . .. . .71

Territory acquired from Mexico as the Result of the Mexican War

(colored) 72

The United States in 1820, showing the Missouri Compromise . . 83

Reference Map for the Civil War, 1861-1865 (double page, colored) 90

Campaigns in Virginia (in text) 92

Territorial Growth of the United States, 1783-1867 (double page,

colored) 128

The Centre of Population, from 1790 to 1900 (in text) . . . 132

The Westward Movement of Population (in text) .... 133

Chart showing how the Number of Immigrants has varied . . 135

Map of the Erie Canal 146

vii

A WORD TO THE TEACHER

This book is not a digest or chronology to be committed to memory by the pupils. It should rather be looked upon as notes taken in advance, as it were, for the pupils, to be utilized by them for purposes of home study, in order that the essentials of the instruction may be fixed and retained. The study of each part and chapter should supplement, not precede, the careful presentation of the topic by the teacher.

The teacher, in his presentation of the subject, should have recourse to such works as would invest it with a real and live interest. For this purpose original sources should be employed as far as possible. A very suggestive treatment of such sources for younger pupils will be found in " Studies in American History " by Mary S. and Earl Barnes. For more extensive work of this character Hart's " American History told by Contemporaries " w T ill be found very useful. The teacher will also find in John Fiske's series of histories and in John Bach McM aster's great work, " The History of the People of the United States," many topics presented so clearly and graphically as to be well within the range of comprehension of pupils of the higher grammar grades. Appropriate selections from these and other works should be read and discussed in class, and the pupils should be encouraged to make use of the great standard histories for collateral reading and for the preparation of essays upon special topics. Many of the historical articles of current literature may be similarly utilized, and the pupils' reading of fiction may also be directed along historical lines.

Channing and Hart's " Guide to the Study of American History " will be found an invaluable reference book for the teacher of history.

PAKT I ORIGIN AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REPUBLIC

CHAPTER I The Period of Discovery and Exploration The Renascence and its Consequences

Spanish Discoveries and Explorations English Discoveries and Explorations French Discoveries and Explorations Dutch Discoveries and Explorations .

Conflict of Claims ....

CHAPTER II Colonisation of America and Establishment of English Supremacy Period of Colonization

The English Colonies — Settlement of the Atlantic Coast The New England Colonies ......

The Middle Colonies

The Southern Colonies .......

Government of the Colonies .....

The French in America

The Establishment of English Supremacy

Consolidation of Colonies .

Early Plans for General Union .

Steps leading to the Constitution Articles of Confederation .

Formation of the Constitution .

16 16

CHAPTER III Causes of the Revolutionary War 31

Principal Events of the War ........ 34

First Period (1775-70, principally in New England and Canada) .'54

Second Period (177(1-78, principally in the Middle States) . . 37

Third Period (1778-81, principally in the Southern States) . 39

CHAPTER IV The Adoption of a New Form of Government

41 43 44 46 48

CHAPTER V Establishment of the New Government

Domestic Affairs Foreign Complications Growth and Development

53 56 59

Chapter I The Period Of Discovery And Exploration

The Renascence and its Consequences. — 1. The Renascence. 2. The New Spirit shown in Geography. 3. The Trade with India. 4. New Geographical Ideas — Christopher Columbus. 5. Search for a Passage through the New Continent. G. Motives of Early Explorations.

Spanish Discoveries and Explorations. — 7. Superiority of the Spanish Claim. 8. Discovery and Exploration of Florida. 9. Discovery of the Mississippi. 10. First Permanent Settlement in America. 11. The Spanish Claim.

English Discoveries and Explorations. — 12. Voyages of the Cabots. 13. Other English Explorers. 14. First Attempts at Colonization. 15. The English Claim.

French Discoveries and Explorations. — 16. Early French Explorers. 17. Exploration of the Mississippi Valley. 18. The French Claim.

Dutch Discoveries and Explorations. — 19. Henry Hudson. 20. The Dutch Claim.

Conflict of Claims. —21. Dutch and French Possessions secured by the English.

CHAPTER I

THE PERIOD OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION I. The Renascence and its Consequences

1. The Renascence. — For about a thousand years after the fall of Rome (476 a.d.) civilization declined. Very little attention was given to learning; ignorance and superstition prevailed. This period is often termed the Dark Ages. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, however, Europe awoke, as it were, from its long intellectual slumber. This period of awakening is known as the Renascence. Various causes helped to produce it. One of the important events of the period was the taking of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453. Hundreds of Greek scholars fled before the conquering Mohammedans, and carried learning and a zeal for study with them to Italy and other parts of Western Europe. Numerous books were thus brought to the notice of eager students in Italy, Germany, England, France, and Spain, and libraries were formed. There was increased activity of thought in all fields, but especially in science, with the result that numerous inventions were made. Among these were the printing press, which helped to spread the newly acquired learning; gunpowder, which, taking the place of the crude weapons of earlier times (spears, lances, etc.), made the foot-soldier the match of the mounted knight ; and the astrolabe and compass, which rendered possible the extensive voyages of this period.

2. The New Spirit shown in Geography. — Geography was one of the sciences which received especial attention. The old ideas in regard to the shape and size of the earth were questioned. Crusaders who had travelled over Europe and Asia into Palestine to wrest the Holy Sepulchre from the Mohammedans, came back with much interesting and wonderful information about the countries and peoples they had visited. As a result of these accounts, many were impelled to travel and make geographical discoveries from mere love of adventure. Many of the descriptions of foreign countries were nothing but glowing exaggerations of imaginative writers, e.g. those of Marco Polo. These stories, however, were widely read, and did much to create a longing to visit the strange lands and also to obtain a share of the great wealth which they were reputed to possess.

3. The Trade with India. — There had long been a considerable trade carried on between India and various Mediterranean ports. Venice and Genoa especially were centres of this commerce, importing large quantities of spices, silks, and precious stones. The pirates who infested the Mediterranean, and the brigands of the deserts who plundered the caravans on their overland routes to the Indies, made the commerce particularly dangerous. Another route to India was therefore eagerly sought. One of the first plans to suggest itself was that of sailing around the southern point of Africa and thence northeast to India. This attempt was successfully made by the Portuguese, whose excellent geographical position gave them a great advantage. In 1487 a Portuguese navigator, Bartolomeo Diaz, discovered the Cape of Good Hope, and ten years later (five years after America had been discovered) Vasco da Gama succeeded in reaching India by sailing around the coast of Africa.

4. New Geographical Ideas — Christopher Columbus. — At the same time that these discoveries were being made, the writings of the ancients which had now found their way into Western Europe were being eagerly read by large numbers of students. In many respects the people of Europe had retrograded during the Middle or Dark Ages. Superstition and ignorance characterized many of their beliefs. This was especially true of geography. Most of the people of that day believed the earth to be flat, although some of the ancient writers and geographers had reached the conclusion that it

DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION 5

was round. Among those who were bold enough to adopt the ancient belief was the Genoese sailor, Christopher Columbus. So sure was he in regard to the true shape of the earth that he wished to make the attempt to reach India by sailing west. With the aid of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain he finally succeeded in fitting out three small vessels. After a discouraging voyage of seventy days the island of San Salvador, one of the Bahama Islands, was sighted (1492). He also discovered Cuba and other islands of the West Indies, taking possession of all the land in the name of the King and Queen of Spain. He made three other voyages, in one of which, 1498, he touched the mainland of America at the mouth of the Orinoco River. Columbus did not know that he had discovered a new continent, but thought that the land was India. Many others made this error, which was natural enough since they were ignorant as to the real size of the earth, thinking it much smaller than it really is, and had no suspicion of the existence of a large continent between Europe and Asia.

5. Search for a Passage through the New Continent. — It soon became known, however, that the newly discovered land was really a new continent, and not merely a portion of Asia. Numerous attempts were then made to find a way through or around it. Nunez de Balboa, a Spaniard, while searching for gold in Central America, discovered the Pacific Ocean (1513). This led to the belief that the whole continent was very narrow, and explorers became anxious to find a water route through it, so that they could reach the coveted shores of India. Magellan, a Portuguese, in command of a Spanish fleet, by sailing through the straits which bear his name, in 1520 discovered the first and only practicable water route which has been discovered through America. One of the vessels of the fleet succeeded in circumnavigating the globe, thus definitely proving the earth to be round.

6. Motives of Early Explorations. — As soon as it became known that a new continent had been discovered, various nations of Europe hastened to claim its territory. Spain, England, France, and Holland were most active, and all sent out explorers to take possession of the land in the name of their respective sovereigns. In addition to these expeditions, however, there were many who sailed to the New World from other motives, — to acquire riches, to Christianize the natives, and some merely to seek adventure. A knowledge of these early discoveries and explorations is important, as the different nations of Europe based their claims to land in the New World upon them.

II. Spanish Discoveries and Explorations

7. Superiority of the Spanish Claim. — Of the various nations Spain had probably the best right to claim the newly discovered land. It was in Spain that Columbus had secured the assistance which enabled him to make the 'famous voyage of discovery, and he had taken possession of the land in the name of the Spanish king and queen. Spain's formal claim to the New World was based upon an edict of Pope Alexander VI (1493), who had divided the " Heathen Lands" between Spain and Portugal, the line of demarcation leaving for Portugal, however, but a small portion of what is now known as Brazil. There were two other important Spanish explorers who helped to justify Spain's claim. These were Ponce de Leon and Ferdinand de Soto.

8. Discovery and Exploration of Florida. — Ponce de Leon had been governor of Porto Rico, but on being removed from that office he determined to make explorations to the northward. Two important motives led him to take this step. These were the hope of discovering gold and of finding the " Fountain of Youth " which was reported to exist in that region. He was disappointed in both of these expectations, but he took possession of the southern portion of North America (1513). He named the country Florida on account of having landed on Easter Sunday, called in Spanish Pascua Florida. He later made an unsuccessful attempt to colonize the country that he had discovered.

DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION 7

9. Discovery of the Mississippi. — In 1539 De Soto undertook to subdue Florida. He set out from Cuba with a large force of men and horses, determined to find treasures of gold and to conquer the Indians. The expedition was one of the most cruel recorded in history, and the disappointment of their hopes in regard to gold was richly deserved. Only half of the number who started out reached the Spanish settlements in Mexico, and these were in a most miserable and wretched plight. They had wandered for two years through the region which now comprises the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. They finally discovered the Mississippi River, in whose waters De Soto himself was buried.

10. First Permanent Settlement in America. — Menendez, who was sent out to conduct an expedition against some French intruders in Florida, succeeded in driving them out and in founding St. Augustine (1565) — the first permanent settlement in America.

11. The Spanish Claim. — As a result of these discoveries and explorations by De Leon and De Soto, as well as the original discovery of America by Columbus, Spain laid claim to a large portion of North America. Florida was the name given to this region. It stretched northward without any definite limit, embracing a large part of the territory now occupied by the United States.

III. English Discoveries and Explorations

12. Voyages of the Cabots. — John Cabot, a Venetian, living in Bristol, England, was possibly the first to discover the continent of America (1497). Henry VII, who was then king of England, encouraged him to voyage westward, as Columbus had done, in order to find a " northwestern passage " to India and China, and thus secure the trade of that region for England. He failed in this, but seems to have discovered the mainland of America, landing somewhere in the region about the mouth of the St. Lawrence. He took possession of the land in the name of the king of England. Sebastian Cabot, a son of John Cabot, in 1498 explored the coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Cape Hatteras, also taking possession of this land in the name of Henry VII.

13. Other English Explorers. — It was not until nearly eighty years after the voyages of the Cabots that the English attempted to make explorations in the West. Since the Portuguese had discovered the route around southern Africa (see § 3), they had controlled the commerce of the Indies. In 1576 Sir Martin Frobisher set out to find a northwestern passage to India, but accomplished nothing of any moment. Captain John Davis later made a similar attempt, but also failed.

In 1578 Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a half brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, secured a charter from Queen Elizabeth, granting him any lands he might discover in America. His first expedition failed, but in 1583 he made another attempt and landed at Newfoundland, taking possession of it for the queen. On his homeward voyage Gilbert, together with the crew of his small vessel, were lost in a storm.

In 1577 Sir Francis Drake started on a plundering expedition against the Spaniards in South America. He reached the Pacific by way of Magellan Strait and then sailed northward, expecting to find a passage through to the Atlantic which might be used as a route for trading with the Indies. He took possession of the western coast of North America and called it New Albion. He returned to England by way of the Cape of Good Hope, being thus the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.

14. First Attempt at Colonization. — The purpose of most of the previous explorations was to find a way through the new continent to India. Sir Walter Raleigh, however, believed that America might be a valuable land to settle and colonize. The grant of land which he received from Queen Elizabeth extended from Maine to Georgia, and was named Virginia in honor of the queen. Although his attempts at colonization proved failures, they were important because they were the first serious efforts to plant an English nation in America.

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EARLY VOYAGES

15. The English Claim. — As a result of these discoveries and explorations, especially those of the Cabots, England laid claim to all the land from Florida to Labrador on the Atlantic coast, and westward to the Pacific.

IV. French Discoveries and Explorations

16. Early French Explorers. — No attempt was made by the French to obtain possessions in the New World until 1523, when an exploring expedition under Verrazzani was sent out by Francis I. He explored the coast of North America from North Carolina to Newfoundland in 1524, discovering New York and Narragansett bays.

Cartier was the next Frenchman to explore the New World. In 1535 he discovered the St. Lawrence River and sailed up to what is now the city of Montreal. He later made an unsuccessful attempt to plant a colony in Canada.

In 1608 Champlain, a famous French explorer, sailed up the St. Lawrence as far as Quebec, establishing the first permanent French colony in America. He later set out on an exploring expedition, getting as far south as the lake which bears his name, and claiming the country for France.

17. Exploration of the Mississippi Valley. — The main purpose of the French Jesuit missionaries, members of a Roman Catholic order, in coming to America was to convert the heathen to the Catholic faith. These missionaries were fired with religious zeal, and spared themselves no pain or privation to secure their ends. They accomplished a great work in the conversion of the Indians, living in the regions which they explored, at the same time taking possession of the land in the name of France.

In 1673 Joliet, a French explorer and trader, together with Father Marquette, a Jesuit priest, started on an expedition from Canada to find the Mississippi River. They made their way in canoes until they finally reached the river and were borne by the current to the region which De Soto had explored over a hundred years before. They feared to go farther south on account of the unfriendliness of the Indians. They then

DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION had to paddle up the river against the current to their startingplace.

Six years later (1679) an attempt was made by La Salle to

Map to illustrate French Explorations

complete the work begun by Joliet and Marquette. He went down the Mississippi, building forts on his way, and, after suffering great hardship, succeeded in reaching the Gulf of

Mexico. He had previously explored the Ohio. To this entire region he gave the name of Louisiana, in honor of Louis XIV, then king of France. Chicago, Mobile, and New Orleans were indirectly the result of these explorations.

18. The French Claim. — New France embraced the region from New York to Labrador on the Atlantic, and included Acadia (Nova Scotia), Canada, and the basin of the Great

PACIFIC

OCEAN

Spanish Claim

English Claim

Lakes and the Mississippi River. The claim to it was founded chiefly on the discoveries of Verrazzani, Cartier, and La Salle.

V. Dutch Discoveries and Explorations

19. Henry Hudson. — The motive which prompted the first Dutch exploration was to find a passage through the continent to India and China. This work was intrusted to Captain Henry Hudson, an Englishman in the employ of Holland. He reached the east coast of Greenland and explored the surrounding region. Later, in 1609, he set out in the service of the Dutch East India Company. He reached Nova Scotia, then sailed southward, exploring the coast as far as Chesapeake Bay. He then explored the river named for him, ascending it as far as the spot where Albany now stands. In 1614 Holland, finding from Hudson's report that a valuable fur trade could be carried on with the Indians, took possession of the valley of

DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION the Hudson River, naming it New Netherland. In 1623 the Dutch built a fort on the upper Hudson, which they named Fort Orange. They also made a treaty with the Iroquois Indians, which the latter kept faithfully.

20. The Dutch Claim. — N ew Netherland extended from Cape May to Nova Scotia and indefinitely westward, the claim to it being founded upon Hudson's discoveries and explorations.

French Claim

Dutch Claim

VI. Conflict of Claims

21. Dutch and French Possessions secured by the English. — It will be seen from the accompanying maps how the claims of these nations conflicted. This overlapping of claims, however, did not lead to serious trouble until the country became more thickly settled. In 1664 the English, under Nicolls, took possession of New Netherland and changed its name to New York. England thus had control of the Atlantic coast of North America, while the French held Canada and the Mississippi Valley, and the Spanish, Florida and Mexico.

The dispute over conflicting claims was ended by the French and Indian War. The battle of Quebec, one of the decisive battles of the world, settled the question of supremacy in North America. France retained two small islands off the coast of Newfoundland. Spain lost Florida, and England finally obtained control of North America east of the Mississippi.

Chapter II > Colonization Of America And Establishment Of English Supremacy

Period of Colonization. — 22. The Seventeenth Century. 23. The Most Successful Nations. 24. Length of the Colonizing Period.

The English Colonies — Settlement of the Atlantic Coast. — 25. Causes of Difference in the Characteristics of the Colonies. 2G. The Three Zones.

The New England Colonies. — 27. The Puritans in New England. 28. Growth and Prosperity.

The Middle Colonies. — 29. Motives of the Settlers. 30. New Netherland. 31. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. 32. Lord Baltimore and Maryland. 33. Growth and Prosperity of the Middle Colonies.

The Southern Colonies. — 34. Virginia. 35. Character of Settlers and Early Difficulties. 36. The Colony firmly Established. 37. The Carolinas and Georgia. 38. Character and Mode of Life.

Government of the Colonies. — 39. The Three Forms of Colonial Government. 40. Charter Government. 41. Proprietary Government. 42. Royal or Provincial Government. 43. Common Features of these Three Forms. 44. Differences. 45. Effects upon the Rights of the People. 46. Special Local Features of Government. 47. The Town System of New England. 48. The County System of Virginia.

The French in America. — 49. Attempts at Colonization. 50. Work of the Missionaries. 51. Efforts to establish an Empire.

Establishment of English Supremacy. — 52. Origin of the Conflict. 53. Intercolonial Wars. 54. The French and Indian War. 55. Important Strategic Points. 56. First Important United Action of the Colonies. 57. Success of the English. 58. The Treaty of Peace. 59. Effects of the French and Indian War.

CHAPTER II

THE COLONIZATION OF AMERICA AND ESTABLISHMENT OF ENGLISH SUPREMACY

I. Period of Colonization

22. The Seventeenth Century. — The history of America for about one hundred years after its discovery by Columbus is one of further discoveries, explorations, and occasional attempts at settlement. It was not until the seventeenth century that the true colonizing spirit developed and settlements were made by those who really wished to establish for themselves and their descendants permanent homes in the New World.

23. The Most Successful Nations. — England and Trance were the nations which were most successful in conducting these colonizing enterprises. The Spanish, it is true, had made the first permanent settlement (St. Augustine, 1565) and had triumphed over the Trench in securing possession of the southern part of North America. The Dutch also had attempted to develop New Netherland. The latter, however, were soon swallowed up by the greater power of their rivals, the English, who needed the Hudson River for both commercial and military reasons. The main motives of the Spanish — love of gold and conquest — were not the foundation on which to build prosperous colonies. Absence of worthy motives for colonizing, lack of industry and defects of government, prevented the growth of Spanish power in America, although at one time it had looked as if Spain might control the whole continent. Spain made a brilliant beginning and then stood still, while England and France, who failed at first, were successfully developing a New England and a New France in the New World.

24. Length of the Colonizing Period. — The colonizing period extended over about one hundred and fifty years, during the last half of which the English and French were disputing for the supremacy in a series of wars in which the English colonists finally triumphed (Quebec, 1759).