Niles's school history of the United States ...

Preface

In the preparation of this volume, my aim has been to include onlj' those events which should be known to everj^ citizen, together with such other matter as might have a tendency to deepen impressions, to broaden the view^, or add to the interest. I have tried to make all statements clear and accurate ; to treat the subject in such a manner as will leave the student with an abiding thirst for ■wider historical reading.

So far as seemed possible, in a work of this grade, the relation of cause and effect has been kept in view, and it is believed that all who carefully study these pages will see that history is made up of related events. In speaking of the measures of political parties, and other organizations, I have endeavored to lift tnyself above prejudice ; to give plain, uncolored statements.

Some space has been given to the men who dwelt here before us, but much more to the everj'-day life of our own people, in different sections of our country, and at different periods of our history. The great inventions of the last hundred years have been noticed, and their marvelous influence more fully traced than is usual in n-orks of this class ; and care has been taken to convey the idea that the bloodless xriumphs of peace are really as much a part of our country's history as are the triumphs of war.

To awaken the spirit of patriotism is regarded as one of the ends to be reached in the study of history. Keeping this fact in view, the stirring words of our great poets have been introduced, to supplement or round out the stories of patriotism told in simple prose. The heroes of the home, the hospital, the flood, smd the field, men and women alike, have been placed side bj' side — bright examples for the young to follow.

It is believed that the use of the topics prepared for recitations and reviews, the test questions and exercises near the close of the book, will lead to the best results. Such a method of study and work as is here outlined places the pupil in the proper mental attitude, trains to self-reliance, gives a clear understanding of the subject, and a good command of language.

SANFORD NILES.

Minneapolis, Minn.

Copyright, 1889, by D. D. Merrill.

Copyright, lyoi, by American Book Company.

NILES u.e.

E-P 4

II Hints To Teachers

How to Prepare the Lesson. — Pupils should be taught to think as they read ; to get ideas from the printed page ; to see the things spoken of in the text. For instance, if Lesson I. is to be prepared, the pupil, as he reads, should see the indented coast of Norway; the Northmen, in their strange little ships, speeding over the sea to Iceland ; the ship of Biorn driven before the gale ; the low, wooded coast ; the settlers in Greenland eagerlj' listening to Biom's tale ; Leif setting forth to find the land Biorn had seen ; Vinland, with its forests and vines ; the little settlement of Northmen, and also the canals, walls, and other remains. When these mental pictures are clearly defined, and can be recalled in their proper order, the pupil has taken the most important step in the preparation of his lesson, although he may not be able to repeat a line of the text. He has been getting ideas, not words, and this should be his first task whenever he attempts to prepare a lesson in history. He should next think of the words he will use to express his ideas. To tell what he has learned in the best way must be his aim — his stud^^ When he can do this, he is prepared for the recitation.

The Recitation. — For the convenience of teachers, the topics treated in each chapter have been grouped at its close. They may be written on the board or read from the book. When a topic is named, the pupil should be able to tell, in his own words, what he has learned under that head, from the text-book and from other sources. His recitation should be a reproduction, in his own, best language, of the ideas gained by study. Questions designed to stimulate thought are always in order, and should be freely used {See page 287)- Questions which serve onlyto remind the pupil of the words of the book, which tend to make his recitation mere parrot-work, should be avoided.

Geography and History. — Geography and history' go hand in hand. Geographical conditions often lie at the very foundation of history, and the^^ should be studied b}^ advanced classes. Why were the early settlements on or near navigable waters ? Why did slavery become profitable in the South ? Why are the people of the Mississippi Valley largely engaged in grain-growing and stock-raising ? Why does life in the Rocky Mountain region differ from life in New England ? Why did the French find their way into the Mississippi Valley? Questions like these will help even ordinary pupils to see how occupations, modes of living, the state of society , and even the laws of a people are largely determined by the conditions which physical geography imposes.

Maps and Sketching. — The lesson should he studied with the proper map before the pupil for easy and frequent reference. The large maps in an

6 HINTS TO TEACHERS.

advanced geography may sometimes prove more satisfactory' than the small maps in a school history. Outline maps drawn on strong paper, to be filled in bj^ pupils from day to day as the work advances, may be had at trifling cost, and are of great service. Maps indicating the routes of explorers, showing where early settlements were made, giving the boundaries of territorial acquisitions, illustrating military campaigns, etc., should be sketched by pupils while the recitation is in progress.

Topical Reviews. — Pupils should be able to saj' something of each of the historic characters, and the historic places named in the lists prepared for topical reviews. When the general topics are reached, they should place on the board something like the following :

SKELETON SUMMARY.

Population and territory.

Cities and villages.

How the people traveled.

Farm life.

The New Republic and Its People.

Mails and newspapers.

Schools and school-masters.

Lights and fuel.

How the people dressed.

Slavery in the states.

With this blackboard analysis before the class, the topics may be taken in order, the pupils telling what the\' have learned in the best language they can command. It maj' sometimes be foimd best to require one pupil to go over the entire chapter, another pupil taking the next, and so on.

The Open-Book Method. — In some cases it will be a good plan to go over the history', chapter by chapter, with the open book in the hands of the class. The several paragraphs of the chapter or lesson assigned may be read aloud b3' pupils, v^^ho should be made to feel entirely free to ask questions; to relate what they have learned by reading in other books, papers, or magazines ; to converse about points of sjjecial interest that may come up. This plan will enable teachers to see that different words are correctlypronounced ; tluit pupils kno\v the meaning of words and expressions used in the text ; that thcj^ refer to the map whenever such reference seems necessary-. Teachers should also direct pupils to other sources of information, test them b3'^ well-conceived questions, and give the class many interesting facts gleaned in their wider reading. In this way thej' maj' make the subject broader and deeper than they find it in anj' school text-book, limited, as it must be, in size and cost. On no account should the open-book method be allow^ed to degenerate into a mere reading lesson, without note or comment. The teacher who is full of his subject — a neverfailing fountain of inspiration to his class — will certainh' succeed in making this method a grand success.

•See Chapter XXV., page 135.

Contents

Chapter. Page.

I. A Legend of the Northmen, - - - - 9

II. The Story of Columbus, - - - - 11

Chapter I. A NORTHMAN SHIP

A LEGEND OF THE NORTHMEN.

Long ago, the people of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, then called Northmen, were known as skillful and daring seamen. In their strange little ships, urged along by sails and oars, they visited all the coasts of Europe, and often ventured far out upon the trackless ocean where the sailors of other lands had not been. Nearly a thousand years ago, Iceland was discovered and settled by Northmen, who went forth from the bays and fiords {fiords') of Norway, and from Iceland a colony was sent to Greenland.

Biorn and Leif the Lucky. — Among many legends of the Northmen, there is one that relates to Biorn {beern')^ and to Leif (life) the Lucky, a son of Eric the Red, the first settler of Greenland. In sailing from Iceland to

10 VINLAND FORGOTTEN.

Greenland in search of his father, Biom was driven to the southwest in a storm, until he came in sight of a low country covered wath trees. Reaching Greenland at last, Biom told his story to the settlers. Leif then fitted out a vessel and sailed, with thirty-five men, to find this strange land. The^^ finally came to a well- wooded coast where grapes and other Avild finiits grew. The grajjes w^ere so abundant that Leif named the country Vinland. The w^inter was spent on the bank of a small lake, near the source of a river, and the weather seemed to them very warm and pleasant. This was about the j^ear 1000. The relatives of Leif made other voyages to explore the country, and a colony w^as finally planted in Vinland, which, w-e are told, prospered for many years.

Where was Vinland?— Much more of the same sort is found in the legends of the Northmen, and we may well suppose that they were the discoverers of America, the first white settlers of the New World; but as no certain traces of their settlement are known to remain, we may never find out Avhether their fair land of vines was Nova Scotia, Rhode Island, or some other region.

In the basin of the Charles River, not far from Boston, ancient canals, whar^-es, dams, walls, pavements, forts, terraces, etc., have recentl3' been found; and it is claimed that these remains are memorials of the Northmen, who began a settlement here, A. D. 1007. It is also claimed that the site of a Norse citj- has been discovered near the junction of Stony Brook with Charles River; and a tower has been erected to mark the spot where, for three hundred and fifty years, the little city flourished.

Vinland Forg-otten.— The Northmen themselves seem to have forgotten the very name of Vinland, and the discovery of Leif was never known to the people of Southern Europe, not one of whom dreamed of a land across the "Dark Sea," as the Atlantic was then called, until nearly five hundred years later.

THE STORY OF COLUMBUS.

Topics. — In your own words, tell what you can about —

1. The Northmen.

2. Biom, and Leif the Lucky.

3. The countr3' called Vinland.

4. The old stone mill, etc.

5. Land beyond the "Dark Sea."

Chapter II. THE STORY OF COLUMBUS

BiPth and Early Life.— At Genoa, in Italy, about the year 1435, there was bom to a poor wool-comber, Dominico Colombo, a son, who was named " Christoforo Colombo " {creestof'o ro Colombo), or Christopher Columbus, as we spell it in English. At an early age the lad showed a strong desire to go to sea, and the education which the slender means of his father allowed was such as would best fit him for a seafaring life.

When about fourteen Columbus became a sailor. He made many voyages, and visited most of the seaports of the then known world. Sometimes the ships in w^hich he sailed w^ere engaged in trade, and at other times they went forth to battle with piratical craft, common in those days.

On one of those occasions, when the ship of Columbus was fighting a huge galley, and both vessels were in flames, it is said that Columbus threw himself into the sea, seized a floating oar, and saved his life by swimming to the shore, six miles away.

Strang-e Notions. — Before the days of Columbus, most people believed that the earth was flat. The Atlantic,

THE KNOWN WORLD.

stretching away to the west, was, to them, an unknowTi waste of waters, filled with terrible monsters. The western coast of Africa beyond Cape Verde was unexplored, and frightful stories had been told of burning heat that parched the land of the Torrid Zone, and caused the waters of the deep to boil. As the Northern seas were covered with ice, little was known of those regions.

The Mariner's Compass and the Art of Printing-.— But a change was taking place. A few wise men had already

learned the true form ct^ the earth.

The mariner's compass was coming into general use, and the sailor, no longer obliged to keep in sight

of the coast, could steer boldly out to sea, guided by his needle of steel. Later, came the astrolabe, an instrument by which the mariner told his latitude, or distance from the equator, by the height of the sun or stars. In 14-50, when Columbus was fourteen 3''ears old, the art of printing by movable t3'pes was invented, and books of travel began to appear and were read with great interest. All these things helped to make men better acquainted with the geography of the world, and expeditions w^ere constantly going out to explore distant regions. The Portuguese were sending their fleets along the western coast of Africa, hoping to reach the Indies by that route, and other nations were not idle.

MAP OF THE KNOWN WORLD. (The part of the world known when Columbus sailed is dark.)

THE IDEA OF COLUMBUS. 13

Trade with tlie East. — Long before the time of Columbus, Italy had established trade -with Persia, Arabia, and India ; spices, silks, gums, and perfumes were brought by caravans to ports on the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and taken thence by ship to Venice, Florence, and Genoa, to be distributed over "Western Europe. But traffic across the vast sandy deserts was slow^ and costly, and merchants began to seek some better route.

Stories of Travelers. — Travelers who had visited China, Japan, and other faroff lands in Eastern Asia, told of rulers who lived in palaces roofed with gold ; of great cities whose merchandise was "silks, precious stones, and diverse perfumes." These stories were read and believed, and how to reach those lands and open trade with them became the great question.

The Idea of Columbus.— After leaving school, Columbus continued to study geography and astronomy. He read books of travel, and was constantly drawing maps and charts. He himself says, "I had a hand sufficiently skilled and enough of knowledge to draw a globe with the position of cities, mountains, rivers, and all parts that there were." He hstened thoughtfully to stories told of huge reeds, of curiously carved wood, of the bodies of strange men found floating from the west, in the Atlantic, and became convinced that India might be reached by saihng westward. This idea grew so strong that he could not shake it off, and the thought of a voyage across the unknov^'n sea was in his mind at all times.

Columbus Seeks Aid.— But Columbus was too poor to fit out ships of his own for such a voyage, and he had to seek aid. Some listened to his plans, and did all they could to help him; but others ridiculed him, regarding him as half-crazed. He first applied to his native city for ships, but he pleaded in vain. Portugal was then one of the chief commercial countries, and the aid of King John II. was next sought. The king was inclined to favor Columbus, but he secretly sent a ship with another commander to see if there was land in the west. The commander and his sailors were soon discouraged, and returned to make a jest of the notions of Colimibus.

THE VOYAGE.

Finding that he had been deceived by the king, Columbus went to Spain to lay his plans before Ferdinand and Isabella, king and queen. These monarchs were carrying on a war with the Moors, and Columbus, poor and unknown, waited seven j^ears before he could obtain admission to the court. At last, Queen Isabella heard his story and favored his cause ; she offered to pledge her jewels for means to help him, but this was unnecessar3% as a friend

advanced the money for her.

After much delay, ships w^ere

made ready and crews placed

on board.

So, to a woman, the good queen, Isabella, Columbus was indebted for the means of carrying forward his plans and fulfilling his dreams. We are told that he spent eighteen years in poverty, begging a chance to discover a world.

The Voyag-e.— On Friday, August 3d, 1492, the little fleet of three ships, the Santa Maria (snhn'tah mahree' ah), on which Columbus hoisted his flag; the Pinta (peen\ tah), and Nina (nee'nah), commanded by two brothers named Pinzon {peen thone'), left the harbor of Palos (pah'loce), in Spain, and turned their prows toward the waste of waters in which the sun seemed to set. They sailed by way of the Canaries, where they stopped to repair one of the ships and take in a fresh supply of water. On Sunday, September 9th, they passed the last of these islands and steered westward across the unknown deep.

CAKAVELS OF CHRISTOPHEK COLUMBUS. [After an engraving published in 15S4 ]

THE DISCOVERY OF LAND. 15

No sailor in our day -would think of crossing the Atlantic in such ships. They were very small, and but one had a deck. The other two were open save at the bow and stem, w^here there were cabins for the officers and crew. Again and again the seamen lost heart, and they sometimes talked of throwing their commander overboard ; but he strove to quiet their fears, and his lofty spirit disarmed them.

Just at sunset, September 25th, the cry of "Land!" went up from the Pinta, and there was great rejoicing; but when morning dawned no land was in sight, and all was gloom again. The supposed land was a cloud just rising above the sea. On sped the ships over the quiet waters, bearing the timid sailors farther and farther from home. At last, land birds came about the ships, green rock-weeds and a branch of thorn floated by, and there seemed an odor of land in the breeze. All that night Columbus stood on deck watching for land.

The Discovery of Land. — In the morning they saw beautifully wooded shores, and birds of bright plumage hovered around. This was Friday, the 12th of October. Columbus made signals for the ships to anchor and the small boats to be armed and manned. He entered his own boat, clad in rich scarlet, and bearing in his hand the royal standard of Spain. The other boats bore banners on which were a green cross and the initials F. and I., with crowns above. Landing, the Spaniards took possession of the island in the name of their sovereigns, calling it San Salvador.

Character of the Natives. — The natives of the island crowded on the beach to watch the ships, which they thought came up from the sea during the night. When the boats approached the shore and they saw that the men were white and strangely clad, they fled in fear to the woods ; but, finding that they were not pursued, they slowly approached the Spaniards, prostrating themselves, and making signs of worship. The natives w^ore no clothing, and Columbus was much pleased with their simplicity and kindness. Supposing that he had reached the Indies, he named the inhabitants Indians.

"So loving, so tractable, so peaceable, art the people," says Columbus in his journal, "that I declare to your Majesties there is not in the world a better

OTHER VOYAGES.

nation, nor a better land. They love their neighbors as themselves; and their discourse is ever sweet and gentle, and accompanied with a smile; and though it is true that they are naked, yet their manners are decorous and praiseworthy." — Irving' 3 Life of Columbus.

Return to Spain — Other Voyag-es.— Columbus soon set sail, discovering Cuba, Hayti, and other West India islands. On his return to Spain he was received with great honors.

COLUMBUS IN IRONS.

The sovereigns waited for him under a rich canopy, In a vast and splendid saloon. Here, seated on a throne, and attended by the dignitaries of their court, they listened to his story. Columbus made three more voy-

DEATH OF COLUMBUS. 17

ages, visiting Jamaica, Porto Rico, and other islands, and reaching the mainland of South America near the mouth of the Orinoco River (1498).

Columbus in Irons.— The enemies of Columbus brought false charges against him, and, on his third voyage, when touching at Hispaniola — now called Hayti — they caused him to be arrested and sent home in irons.

The caravels set sail, bearing off Columbus shackled like the vilest culprit, amidst the scoffs and shouts of a miscreant rabble, who took a brutal joy in heaping insults on his venerable head, and sent curses after him from the shores of the island he had so recently added to the civilized world. — Irving,

It is said that Isabella wept when Columbus was brought before her in irons, and that she ordered his immediate release; but, though set free, he could get no redress for his w^rongs, and had to bear a heavy burden of sorrow during his few remaining years.

Death of Columbus. — in 1506, old, weary, and poor, Columbus passed a-way, ignorant of his discovery of a new^ world, but believing that he had found a new route to India. His body was deposited in a convent at Valladolid, Spain, from which place it was removed to Seville, where it remained for twrentythree years. It w^as then taken to Hispaniola, and finall3', two hundred and sixty years later, -was conveyed to the cathedral at Havana, w^here it still remains.

Topics. — Tell what you can, in your own words, about —

1. The birth and early life of Columbus.

2. Strange notions that prevailed.

3. The mariner's compass, and art of printing.

4. Trade with the East.

5. Stories of travelers.

6. The idea of Columbus.

7. Columbus seeking aid.

8. Voj-age of Columbus.

9. The discovery of land.

10. Character of the natives.

11. Return to Spain — Other vo3'ages of Columbus.

12. Columbus in irons — Death of Columbus.

VOYAGES OF THE CABOTS.

Chapter III. OTHER DISCOVERERS AND EXPLORERS

Excitement in Europe.— When Columbus returned to Spain, the news of his discoveries spread over Europe, and people became almost wild with excitement. They talked of the splendors of the newh'-found regions, whose river-sands, it was said, sparkled with gold ; w^hose inhabitants were decked with jewels, and dwelt in huts that glittered with pearls.

Voyag-es of the CabOtS.— England and France had missed the prize Columbus had brought to Spain, and they now set about securing w^hat they could. John Cabot, a wealthy merchant of Bristol, England, obtained permission of Henry VII. to cruise about the -world in his own ships, at his own expense. In the name of England, he was to take possession of any countries he might discover, and the Cabot famih^ was to have control of the trade of such countries, allowing the king a share of the profits. Cabot and his son, Sebastian, set sail (1497), taking a westerly course, in the hope of reaching India. They landed on the coast of Labrador, and were greatly astonished when they beheld, instead of the warm country they were seeking, a region of ice and snow, "fit to be the home of the w^hite bear." The Cabots had not found a new way to India, but they had discovered North America. On his

A FAMOUS YEAR.

return to England, John Cabot received much honor, and was thenceforth called "The Great Admiral." He dressed in silk, and was followed by crowds of admirers. A year later (1498), Sebastian Cabot, then but a little more than twenty-one years of age, made another voyage, exploring the coast from Labrador to Maryland, a distance of three thousand miles. During this voyage he became convinced that he had not reached India, but had discovered a new continent.

Sebastian Cabot discovered a large island which he named New Found Land, and he noticed the immense number of cod-fish in the surrounding waters. His story of the fish was told over Europe, and within five or six years the fishermen of England and France were gathering harvests of cod from the sea about Newfoundland. Although Cabot was called "The Great Seaman," and received high honors from kings. Queen Marj', of England, allowed the man who had given a continent to her country, to die in comparative poverty and obscurity, at the age of eighty years.

A Famous Year.— The year 1498 stands singularly famous in the annals of the sea. In May, Vasco da Gama (vas'co da gab'mah), of Portugal, reached Hindostan by the way of the Cape of Good Hope ; in August, Columbus discovered the firm land of South America and the river Orinoco, which seemed to him to flow from some large empire, or perhaps from the terrestrial paradise itself; and, in the summer, Cabot, the youngest of them all, made known to the world the coast-line of the present United States as far as the entrance to the Chesapeake. — Bancroft.

Amerig-o Vespucci {ahmaree'go ves poot' chee) . — Although Columbus is called the discoverer of America, it was named for Amerigo Vespucci, who visited South America in 1499. Vespucci landed on the coast of Venezuela, where he found a village of "forty-four houses, built on piles, shaped like bells, and having entrances like draw-bridges." He sailed along the coast for some distance, learning much about the natives, the strange animals, and plants.

20 DIS(-OYERY OF THE PACIFIC.

Vespucci wrote an interesting account of his travels, which was published some 3^ears later (1507) by a German, Avho used the word America in the title of his book. As the Avork w^as widel^^ read, the name America came into general use, especially when South America was spoken of. In this way our country received its name.*

Ponce de Leon {pone' tha da la own'). — A story of a "Fountain of Youth," concealed in the forests of America, had been told in Spain, and an aged warrior named Ponce de Leon, who had heard the tale, fitted out an expedition, hoping that he might find that \vondrous fountain, bathe in its waters, and become young again. His search was vain, and he had to "bear the burden of his years;" but on Easter Sundaj^ (1512), "Flowery Easter," as the Spaniards call it, he discovered a land of "forests and perpetual flowers," which he named Florida. After spending several weeks in exploring the coasts and islands he returned home.

Some years later, Ponce de Leon attempted to found a colony in the paradise he had discovered, but was attacked by Indians, many of his men were slain, and the rest were driven to their ships. Ponce de Leon himself was wounded by a poisoned arrow, and carried back to Cuba to die.

Balboa {bahl ho' ah) Discovers the Pacific— We have learned that Sebastian Cabot had concluded that America was not a part of Asia, but it remained for a Spaniard named Balboa to cross the Isthmus of Darien (1513), and gain the first sight of the vast ocean which separates America from Asia. Balboa knelt on the mountain top where he had his first view, and thanked God for the great discovery. He then descended to the shore, and, waving his sword over the water, took possession of the ocean for his sovereign, the king of Spain.

•Some writers now maintain that the name America came from the word Amerique, an Indian name for a range of mountains in Central America.

DISCOVERY OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 21

Magellan's Voyage Round tlie World.— People now knew that the land discovered w^as not a part of Asia, and voyages were made to find a way through or around it, so as to reach the wealth of the Indies by a shorter route than that discovered by Yasco de Gama. In 1519, Magellan, a Portuguese navigator, sailed from Spain in a southwest direction across the Atlantic. He passed through the strait which bears his name, and steered across the immense ocean, which he called the Pacific, on account of its smooth waters and steady winds. After much siiffering, three of his five ships reached the Ladrones, and, a month later, the Philippine Islands, where Magellan lost his life in a battle with the natives. Only one of his ships, and fifteen of his two hundred and thirt3'-four men, reached Spain in safetj', after a voyage of more than three years. This was the first voyage round the world.

Verrazzani's Voyag-e.— Verrazzani {ver rat sah' nee) , an Italian employed by the French, sailed (1524) in the ship Dolphin, by way of Madeira, and after a long, rough voyage reached the coast of North Carolina. He first passed some distance to the south, examining the coast carefully; then, turning northward, followed the shore, stopping at many points. He entered New York harbor, spent some time at Newport trading with the Indians, and from this place sailed slowly along the coast of New^ England to Nova Scotia. For King Francis I., Verrazzani took possession of the entire coast visited, giving it the name of New France. He wrote pleasant accounts of all he had seen, and the king was greatly pleased.