Barnes's elementary history of the United States told in biographies

Preface

A text-book of American history for beginners should aim to present a clear and somewhat comprehensive account of the chief influences that have shaped the destiny of our country and have given to it its preeminence among the nations of the earth. Educators are now quite generally agreed that this can be done in the most satisfactory manner through a series of biographies of the famous persons who have had most to do in connection with those influences. Men make history ; and the telling of history in stories of the lives of its makers has a quality of concreteness very attractive to children/ who usually fail to be interested in chronological narratives wherein the personal element is less prominent.

In this volume only such .biographies are presented as are necessary to the continuity of the narrative as a whole. The story of no man's life is related merely because of the man, but because of its value as a link in our country's history. All the biographies in their order comprise a connected account of the discovery, settlement, and development of the United States. The plan of the

4 PREFACE

work has made some repetitions necessary ; it lias also obliged the omission of many details of secondary importance, which the pupil will learn in his later studies of the subject. There is a sharp line of distinction between a story-book and a history, — and yet the latter should scarcely fail to be as entertaining as the former. The narrative of the struggles and triumphs of the makers of America, and of the series of events which have culminated in the present commercial and political prosperity of our country, ought to be to young readers not only an interesting story, but an incentive to good citizenship and intelligent patriotism. To most American children a study of the " lives of great men" will scarcely fail to be a reminder that we also " can make our lives sublime."