A history of our country

Front matter

THE LIBR;

QVO

1—1123

Introduction

T will be admitted that the history of no other country possesses so absorbing interest as our own. Although a New World, with no antiquity of government, science, or art, it presents the fruitage of the centuries of the Old World.

Builded on the lessons and experiences of the ages, its fabric is one of marvellous strength, endurance, and wisdom.

In its infancy it was hardened and made rugged by storm, by trial, by privation, and by suffering. The rigors of an unfriendly climate, the enmity of savages, the obstacle of vast primeval for¬ ests, and the choice between perishing from the earth or hewing the road to success, developed the highest form of mental and bodily vigor. Slavery in the Old World taught the blessings of liberty in the New, and our forefathers laid the foundations broad and deep and strong and sure. The Revolution brought the nation into existence and gave it a sisterhood among the peoples of the earth. The War of 1812 was necessary to gain and hold the respect of all countries, and the Civil War cemented and uni¬ fied the house once divided against itself. Beneath the furnace blast we underwent the “pangs of transformation,” and came forth purified by fire.

In this broad, appreciative spirit all children should study the history of our country. Its most impressive lesson will be lost on those who read it as a mere story, without an understanding of the meaning of historical movements and events.

Why did the Pilgrims leave their native land to plant their homes in the dismal solitudes of New England? Why did the Cavaliers settle in Virginia? What caused our forefathers to sever their allegiance to Great Britain, and undergo poverty, hunger,

VI

INTRODUCTION cold, heat, storm, hardship, and suffering unto death? What led to the establishment of the Constitution, the most perfect form of government ever framed for man? What brought about the War of 1812, that with Mexico, and the tremendous struggle for the preservation of the Union ? Why are Americans the bravest men, and the most successful of inventors, explorers, authors, and scientists? In short, why is the United States the greatest nation of history ?

To the intelligent teacher these questions convey their own answers, and the hints thus given suggest the true method of studying history. The subject naturally divides itself into periods, which should be mastered in all their details and in the full extent of their meaning. A list of topics is given at the close of each chapter, which the teacher should expand and supplement with others that will readily suggest themselves. The pupils should be required, upon reaching the close of each period, to construct a “ skeleton history,” on the plan of the model suggested, and finally to put together a complete skeleton history of the United States from the discovery of America to the present time.

Every American must be interested in the men who had most to do with making our history, yet the rule has been to give very little and sometimes no information at all concerning them. What boy or girl does not desire to know more about Nathanael Greene, the “ Quaker General,” “ Old Put,” the hero of so many stirring adventures, Baron Steuben, the grim veteran from Prussia, Marion, the “ Swamp Fox,” Franklin, the philosopher, Fulton, who intro¬ duced steamboat navigation, Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, Webster, the orator, and scores of other statesmen, warriors, and great men who helped to build our nation? We have, therefore, added at the close of each chapter — beginning with the Revolu¬ tionary period — brief biographical sketches of the men who figure most prominently in the incidents of the chapter itself. These contain information with which each pupil should make himself familiar, and which cannot fail to incite him to delve deeper in the rich historical mines of his native land.

Part I THE PERIOD OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION

CHAPTER PAGE

I. The Earliest Discoverers of America i

II. The Birth of Columbus, and his Long Struggle to se¬ cure Aid in sailing on his Voyage of Discovery . 7

III. The Great Discovery. 11

IV. Explorations in America. 19

Part II THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT

V. The Colonial History of Virginia . . . . *36

VI. The Colonial History of New York 53

VII. The Colonial History of New England .... 62

VIII. The Colonial History of New Jersey, Pennsylvania,

and Delaware .84

IX. The Colonial History of Maryland, the Carolinas,

and Georgia.92

X. The French and Indian War. 100

XI. Home Life in the Colonies . . . . . .115

Part III THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION

XII. Opening of the Revolution. 123

XIII. Events of 1776.14 1

XIV. Events of 1777.. . 155

XV. Events of 1778.167

vii

CONTENTS viii

CHAPTER PAGE

XVI. Events of 1779.176

XVII. Events of 1780.182

XVIII. Events of 1781.193

Part IV THE PERIOD OF FORMATION AND GROWTH

. XIX. Formation of the Government . . . . ' . 207

XX. Washington’s Administrations.—1789-1797 . . 213

XXI. John Adams’s Administration. — 1797-1801 . . 221

XXII. Jefferson’s Administrations. —1801-1809 . . . 226

XXIII. Madison’s Administrations. —1809-1817 . . . 235

XXIV. Monroe’s Administrations. —1817-1825 . . . 261

XXV. John Quincy Adams’s Administration. — 1825-1829 . 267

XXVI. Jackson’s Administrations. —1829-1837 . . .271

XXVII. Van Buren’s Administration.— 1837-1841 . . .281

XXVIII. Harrison and*Tyler’s Administrations.— 1841-1845. 284

XXIX. Polk’s Administration.—1845-1849 .... 292

XXX. Taylor and Fillmore’s Administrations.—1849-1853 299

XXXI. Pierce’s Administration. — 1853-1857 .... 303

XXXII. Buchanan’s Administration. —1857-1861 . . . 309

Part V THE PERIOD OF THE WAR FOR THE UNION

XXXIII. Lincoln’s Administration.—1861-1865. Events of

XXXIV. Lincoln’s Administration.— 1861-1865 ( continued ).

XXXV. Lincoln’s Administration.— 1861-1865 ( continued ).

XXXVI. Lincoln’s Administration.— 1861-1865 ( continued ).

XXXVII. Lincoln’s Administration. — 1861-1865 { concluded ').

CONTENTS ix

Part VI THE PERIOD OF REUNION AND PROGRESS

CHAPTER PAGE

XXXVIII. Johnson’s Administration. — 1865-1869 . . . 387

XXXIX. Grant’s Administrations. — 1869-1877. . . . 392

XL. Hayes’s Administration. — 1877-1881 .... 403 XLI. Garfield and Arthur’s Administrations.— 1881-1885 406 XLII. Cleveland’s First Administration. — 1885-1889. . 411

XLIII. Harrison’s Administration. —1889-1893 . . . 413

XLIV. Cleveland’s Second Administration. — 1893-1897 . 420

XLV. McKinley’s Administration.. —1897- .... 432

Appendix.441

Chronological Summary of Events.460

Index.471

A

HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY

Chapter I The Earliest Discoverers Of America

IHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, although honored as the discoverer of America, was not the first white man to visit the shores of the New World. Hundreds of years before he was born, the daring sailors of Norway and Sweden, who were called Norsemen, or Northmen, because their home was in the northern part of Europe, steered their vessels across the stormy Atlantic and caught sight of the American continent, and even landed, more than once.

Naddod, one of those sea-rovers, was caught in a tempest in the year 860 and driven upon the coast of Iceland. He called it Snowland, and left as soon as he could. Four years afterward another Norseman visited the island and took away so pleasing an account that a settlement was made, but it did not last long. The colonists returned home dissatisfied with the country. Ten years later another settlement was planted, and lasted hundreds of years.

The Icelander known as Eric the Red quarrelled with some of the settlers and sailed to Gunnibiorn’s Rocks, in Greenland, where he made his home. He called the cold, bleak country Green¬ land, and told such a glowing story about it that a good many Icelanders joined him on his return. So far as known, the sons of Eric the Red were the first white men that set foot on the mainland of America.

The eldest of these sons was Lief, afterwards known as Lief the Lucky. In the year 1000, he sailed southward, with a crew of

LANDING OF THE NORSEMEN thirty-five men, from the Greenland colony. The first land they saw is believed to have been Newfoundland. There they went ashore, spent a short time in looking around, and then sailed, as is thought, to Nova Scotia. Still steering southward, they finally caught sight of New England. They were amazed and delighted by the quantities of luscious grapes which they found. Lief named the country Vinland, and, when he finally set out on his return, he carried a great deal of the fruit, and specimens of the fine timber to show to his friends. It is not known where Lief and his men

THE EARLIEST DISCOVERERS OF AMERICA 3

landed, but is believed to have been in Rhode Island and probably on Narragansett Bay.

Eric the Red had another son, named Thorvald. He was a brave sailor and was eager to see the new country. Lief helped him to get ready, and in 1003 he sailed with thirty men. He found the spot visited by his elder brother, and the company spent the winter in hunting and fishing. They left no record of having

MEETING OF NORSEMEN AND INDIANS seen a single native in all that time. In the spring, a party ex¬ plored the coast of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Long Island. It is thought that they entered the harbor of New York. How different the scene that greeted them from that of to-day, for not even the smoke of a wigwam, nor a living being besides themselves, was visible.

In the spring of 1004, Thorvald, while sailing along the coast of

Cape Cod, was driven on the beach by a tempest. The ships were mended, and, liking the appearance of a certain spot on Massa¬ chusetts Bay, they dropped anchor and went ashore.

There, for the first time, they saw some natives. Nine of them were lying on the ground, under a rude tent, with no fear of danger. Why should any one wish to harm them? Yet hardly had the Norsemen discovered the innocent people, than they stole upon them and killed all except one. He managed to elude their heavy swords and dashed off into the woods.

But the victors suffered for their wickedness. The native that escaped carried the news to his friends, who determined to slay the dreadful beings that had invaded their home. They rushed upon them from all sides and attacked them with such spirit that the Norsemen had to retreat to their vessel, fighting as they went. The weapons of the natives were so weak, gompared with those of the white men, that only one of the latter was killed. He was Thorvald, whose breast was pierced so deeply by an arrow that he died. He was buried near the shore, and the survivors sailed to Vinland. The next spring, the colony returned to Greenland.

An expedition left Greenland in the spring of 1007, including more than a hundred men and women. They spent the first winter, it is supposed, on the shores of Buzzard’s Bay. They suffered for food, and many quarrels took place. A number of deserters were cast ashore at Iceland and punished by being re¬ duced to slavery. The others, after much hardship, sailed away in 1010. A new expedition, however, was formed in the following spring, but that, too, was broken up by wrangles, and those that survived returned to Greenland.

America lost to the Old World. — This ends the history of the Norsemen so far as it affects the New World. They had discovered and tried to colonize it but failed in every instance. The settle¬ ment in Greenland perished so utterly that hardly a trace remains. That vast body of land reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Arctic to the Antarctic Ocean, lay forsaken and un-

THE EARLIEST DISCOVERERS OF AMERICA known to Europe for hundreds of years. The waves that rolled against its shores brought the sail of no vessel from the far-away lands. The dusky warrior peering out from the bleak woods of New England, or from the sandy wastes of the Carolinas, or the lowlands of Florida, or the curving coast of Brazil, saw no strange vessel bringing the palefaces to in¬ vade his hunting grounds. Nor, along the immense line to the west¬ ward of the Andes, nor up the Pacific coast of North America to the fogs of Alaska, could the keen eyes discern any¬ thing besides their own tiny canoes, darting in and out among the head¬ lands and inlets, as they scanned the surface of the mightiest ocean on the globe.

Legends of Other Discoverers of the New World. — Besides the discoveries of the Norsemen, there are legends of still earlier visits to the New World. A Mexican historian claims that a party of Buddhist monks from China discovered the country in the fifth century, and the official history of China gives credence to the account. Still other traditions speak of a visit by a party of Arabian sailors in the twelfth century, and also of the discovery of the country, many years later, by Madoc, a Welsh chieftain.

All this, however, is so vague and shadowy, that we must give it little credit, until stronger proof appears.

Time rolled on, and America, once discovered and lost again, lay wrapped in the gloom of loneliness and desolation. Silence brooded over the forests and rivers and mountains, and the surges beat against the shores while the centuries came and went, until, in the fulness of time, the man was born and the hour came for the true discovery of America.

TOPICS.— The first visitors to the New World; the Norsemen; Naddod; Eric the Red; Lief the Lucky; Ihorvald; his death; the expedition of 1007; the last of the Norsemen in the New World; America lost to the Old World; the legends of earlier discoveries than those by the Norsemen.

THE WORLD IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY

Chapter II

THE BIRTH OF COLUMBUS AND HIS LONG STRUGGLE TO SE¬ CURE AID IN SAILING ON HIS VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY

IRTH of Columbus.—While there is a variation of twenty years among the biographers of Columbus, in the date of his birth, all agree that it took place at Genoa (jen'o-a), Italy.

The majority make the year 1435 or 1436.

His father was a wool-weaver. Columbus was the eldest of four sons, who, with the single daughter, were probably born under the same humble roof in Genoa.

Boyhood of Columbus. — We have no reliable knowledge of the boyhood and early life of Columbus. His education was gained mostly in the local schools of Genoa. He was a good penman and possessed skill in drawing. There came a time, in after years, when he supported his family by drawing maps. It is claimed that he studied awhile and taught at the University of Pavia. A drawing said to have been made by Columbus is carefully pre¬ served at that institution.

When about fourteen years old, Columbus went to sea. In those times the Mediterranean and Adriatic were filled with treasure ships from the Indies (in'diz). Jewels, gold, spices, and gums were brought overland through Africa to Venice (ven'iss) and Genoa, which were then in the height of their glory as conquerors of adjoining small states and masters of the seas. Pirates swarmed in the waters. The ships of one nation preyed upon those of an¬ other, while the Moors, who were sullenly withdrawing from Spain, assailed everything within reach. The Mediterranean, from Gib¬ raltar to the Dardanelles (dar-da-nels'), was lit up at night by the flames of destruction.

Columbus went to Portugal about 1473. For some years previous, the marine world was stirred by the efforts of Prince Henry of Portugal to find a southern route to the Indies. Columbus afterward married the daughter of one of the captains whom Prince Henry sent on voyages of discovery. In this way, no doubt, he gained a great deal of valuable knowledge. Although deeply interested in these attempts to find a westward route to the Indies, Columbus took no part in them. It was at this period that he supported himself and family by making and selling maps. His wife died shortly after, leaving one son, Diego (de-ah'go).

Columbus in the Service of Portugal. —About 1477, Columbus entered the service of Portugal, and many suspect that he made a voyage to Iceland. If so, he must have heard the legends about the visit of the Norsemen to the New World centuries before. At any rate, when he went back to Portugal, his faith in a western route to the Indies was so strong that he begged King John to give him command of a fleet with which to make such a voyage. The king referred the matter to a royal council, and they reported against it; but the treacherous king sent out a secret expedition of his own, which was driven back by a storm. Columbus was so indignant when he learned of the trick, that he left the country.

Discouragements of Columbus. — Trudging wearily along, hold¬ ing the hand of his little boy Diego, he at last came to a Fran¬ ciscan convent, in the southern part of Spain, near the little town of Palos (pa'los). The prior gave him kindly welcome, and Columbus remained for several days. The prior was much im¬ pressed by the views of Columbus, and called in a number of his friends, who talked over the matter with him. The prior set out to obtain an interview with the king and queen for Columbus, but it was a long while before he succeeded.

It may seem strange that Spain should have a king and queen ruling the country at the same time, for such things are not

THE BIRTH OF COLUMBUS

COLUMBUS AND HIS SON AT THE CONVENT known in these days. It is hard to imagine two rulers with equal authority, but Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile had joined by their marriage those two provinces, and sat upon sepa¬ rate thrones, although united by domestic ties. Their joint feat¬ ures were cast upon the coins of the country, but in matters of government the thrones were independent of each other.

It was not until Columbus had waited for years, and had actu¬ ally started to leave the country, that Queen Isabella was won over to his views and promised to give him the help without which he could not make his voyage. The king would not con¬ sent, his excuse being that the treasury had been drained by war; but Isabella offered to pledge her own crown of Castile and her jewels to raise the needed funds. This sacrifice, however, was not made, as the receiver of revenues in Aragon advanced the money, which, after all, probably came from the treasury of Ferdinand.

Isabella signed articles of agreement with Columbus by the terms of which he was to be admiral over all the lands and con¬ tinents that he might discover, and have the right to name three candidates for the government of each island; he was to receive one-tenth of the gold, precious stones, and merchandise in what¬ ever manner found; he was to bear one-eighth of the expense in fitting out the vessels, and to be given the same share of the profits. The money furnished by Columbus came from his friend Martin Pinzon, a wealthy navigator, who agreed to take part in the enterprise.

TOPICS. —The birth of Columbus; his boyhood; when he went to sea; piracy; Prince Henry of Portugal; the treachery of King John of Portugal; the discouragements of Columbus; King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella; the agreement between the queen and Columbus.

Chapter III The Great Discovery

[EFORE the Sailing of the Expedition.—The

news of the intended expedition spread dismay and resentment in Palos. Almost every one believed that the men who sailed upon the voyage would go to certain death. It looked for a time as if not a single sailor could be coaxed or driven to service on the ships.

The government tried to press them to the task, and offered to pardon many for crimes on condition of their going. It was only when Martin Pinzon, the friend of Columbus, and his brothers Vicente and Francisco volunteered, that sufficient seamen were secured to man the three little ships.

The Departure. — Columbus hoisted his flag on the Santa Maria ; Martin Pinzon was captain of the Pinta and his brother Francisco was pilot, while Vicente commanded the Nina. The total number of the crews was one hundred and twenty persons, among whom were several private adventurers, a physician and surgeon, servants, and ninety sailors. With gloom among the sailors, and deeper gloom among their friends on shore, the three ships sailed from Palos, on Friday, August 3, 1492.

The Santa Maria , the largest of the three, was only sixty-three feet long, over all, fifty-one feet along the keel, twenty feet beam, and ten and one-half feet in depth. The Nina and Pinta were open caravels, decked only at the ends, where were quarters for the officers and crews. The Santa Maria was what is called a carrack, since it was larger than the others and was used for carrying cargoes of freight. It was also slower, a fact which afterward caused a dispute as to who first saw land.

The Westward Voyage. — Sailing out on the vast unknown ocean, all went well for a time, though the sailors were ill at ease and anxious for something to occur that would cause Columbus to turn back. Little, however, did they understand the high cour¬ age and resolve of their commander. Nothing but heaven could change his purpose.

But trouble was certain to come. The seamen were in an ugly mood and felt that every day took them that much further from home. For a time Columbus held them well under control. He ordered that if the vessels became separated by accident, they should continue sailing westward for seven hundred leagues ; but it is doubtful if either of the other vessels would have held to the course so long. He was so afraid that land would not be found at the distance named that he kept two reckonings — a true and a false one. The latter was shown to the crews and made the progress seem less than was the fact.

A great surprise came to the discoverer on the night of Septem¬ ber 13, when some six hundred miles from the island of Ferro. Looking at the compass, he saw that, instead of pointing at the north star, as he had always seen it do, the needle turned several degrees to the northwest. The variation, too, increased with each day. He could not understand it, nor even at this late day is the cause clearly understood; but, afraid of the effect of the strange fact upon his men, he kept the secret as long as he could. By and by, however, the pilots discovered the truth and were terri¬ fied. But Columbus was ready with the theory that the needle pointed not toward the north star, but toward a fixed point near it, and the revolution of the star caused the seeming variation of the needle. The simple folk had so much respect for his learning that they accepted the explanation.

Signs of Land. — After a while, so many signs of land appeared that it is hard to understand why the sailors continued dissatisfied. On the day after the variation of the compass had been noticed,

THE GEE AT DISCO FEE V a heron and a tropical bird hovered around the ships for some time, as if trying to find out who the strange beings were. Since those birds never go far from land, no stronger proof could have been given of the near success of the voyage. Then the ships

THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS entered the mass of-floating seaweed known as the Saragossa Sea, and the sailors had great sport netting crabs and other shellfish.

Meanwhile, the trade-winds carried the ships smoothly forward. The signs of land became more- marked; but, as the days passed, and each morning the same limitless expanse of ocean bounded the horizon on every hand, the discontent of the sailors increased, until they were on the verge of mutiny. Despite all Columbus could do, their sullenness grew until in desperation he agreed that if land were not sighted at the end of three days, he would go back to Spain.

While a reward was offered to the one who first saw land, a penalty was imposed for a false alarm. The clouds were mistaken so many times for the misty shore of some island, that every few hours a gun boomed on one of the vessels as a signal that the great discovery had been made.

On the night of October n, Columbus climbed upon the roof of the cabin, at the stern of the Santa Maria. The twinkling stars overhead, the rippling of the water from the bow, the foamy wake stretching away in the night, the solemn stillness, the mur¬ mur of the voices of the crew, as they moved here and there or gathered in scowling groups, — all these were fit companions to the gloomy thoughts of the great navigator, who, on the eve of one of the grandest achievements of man, dreaded lest he should be forced to turn back with a disappointment more crushing than he could bear.

A Light over the Waters. — Suddenly his heart gave a quick throb. With his longing eyes piercing the night, he saw a light moving along the horizon like a star. And yet it could not be ! a star, for it danced up and down, as if a person bore it in his hand, while running. Afraid to trust his own senses, Columbus called to one of his friends and asked him whether he observed the light. Yes, he saw it. Then the discoverer asked another to climb up beside him, but the light had vanished. It flickered to view, however, several times, but the signal gun was not fired, owing to the doubts of several.

Land 1 — At two o’clock in the morning, a cannon on the Pinta boomed across the waters. One of the watchers had caught the dim but certain outlines of land several miles distant. Sail was shortened and daylight confirmed the glad news.

Landing of Columbus. — With the breaking of day, the admiral and his crews saw before them a level island, green and beautiful with vegetation and swarming with men, who ran from the woods to the edge of the sea and stared in wondering amazement at the

THE GREAT DISCO VER Y visitors. In obedience to the signals of Columbus, anchors were dropped and the boats were manned and armed. The discoverer himself was in full armor and bore the royal standard, while the Pinzon brothers each carried the banner of the expedition, em¬ blazoned with a green cross, containing the initials of Ferdinand and Isabella. Leaping out of the boat as it touched shore, the admiral sank upon his knees, kissed the ground, and thanked God from an overflowing heart. The rest did the same, for their grati¬ tude was as deep as his.

Then Columbus rose to his feet, drew his sword, displayed the royal standard, and with his companions grouped about him took possession of the island in the name of the sovereigns of Castile and Aragon. The men next crowded around their commander and humbly craved his forgiveness, — a prayer which he gladly granted. The natives viewed the scene in silent wonder and awe.

It has never been clearly established where the landing of Columbus was made. The weight of testimony is in favor of Watling Island, one of the Bahamas. The island was called Guanahani (gwah-na-hah'ne) by the natives and named San Salvador by Columbus. Believing that he had landed on one of the islands belonging to the coast of India, he called the natives Indians (in'di-ans), a name which has clung to them ever since.

The voyage from Palos had been made in forty-three days. The Spaniards wandered over the island, eating the delicious fruits and feasting their eyes upon the beautiful scenery. They treated the natives kindly and won their good-will. Two days later the discoverers rowed to the northward in their boats and examined the rest of the island. Columbus gave numerous pres¬ ents to the Indians, such as glass beads, hawks’ bills, and gaudy trinkets. For the first time the white men saw their canoes, hol¬ lowed from the trunks of large trees, and their hammocks swinging in the cool shade of the groves.

Other Discoveries. — It is not worth while to follow Columbus through all his explorations, for his experiences were quite similar. He discovered a number of other islands, among which was San

Domingo. He saw everything through magnifying glasses, as may be said, and his letters to the Spanish sovereigns were filled with such extravagant language as to awaken distrust in their minds.

Loss of the Santa Maria. — It was on December 6 that Colum¬ bus reached Haiti, landing on the western end of the island, to which he gave the name of St. Nicholas, known now as Mole St. Nicholas. Off Santo Domingo the careless pilot ran the Santa

WRECK OF THE SANTA MARIA

Maria on a sand bar. She was badly injured and could not be gotten off. She was therefore unloaded, and Columbus sailed in the Nina. The timbers of the Santa Maria were used in con¬ structing a fortification, which was named La Navidad. Forty-three Spaniards, by their own request, were placed in charge, and on January 16, 1493, Columbus hoisted sail for home.

Return to Spain. — It was in the depth of winter, the sea was tempestuous, and the trade-winds delayed them; but Columbus

THE GEE AT DISCOVERY and the Pinzons were skilful sailors, and they reached one of the Azores on February 18, without mishap. On March 4, the Nina , the ship of Columbus, anchored off Lisbon, and the discoverer was received with the highest honors by the king of Portugal. That ruler must have been filled with chagrin, when he reflected how he had thrown away the glory which might have fallen to his own country. Sailing again, Columbus came to anchor at Palos, on March 15, 1493.