Rudiments of national knowledge : presented to the youth of the United States, and to enquiring foreigners

Front matter

RUDIMENTS

OP

NATIONAL KNOWLEPaE,

Chapter I. North America (Discovery) - - 21

II. Aboriginal Inhabitants - - - 32

Indian Oratory - - - - 36

Do Worship - - - - 37

Do Morality and love of Truth - - 38

Do Anecdotes - - - 40, 42, 44

III. Settlement of the Colonies - - - 51

•- ion 1. Massachusetts - - - - - 52

16. South Carolina . . , ^ 86

18. Alabama and Mississippi - - = 90

19. States and Territories N. W. of Ohio river - 91

I

VI

CONTENTS.

BOOK II. Introductory

Chapter I. United States - - - -

Federal Convention - , -

Form of Government , , -

Comparative Reflections II. Waters of the United States Part 1st. Seas and Lakes - , , -

2nd. Rivers and Bays . - - -

Section 1. St. Lawrence

2. Mississippi and branches

3. Susquehanna and Chesapeak

5. Hudson, or North river - - -

6. Columbia river - - - .

Observations and Reflections

Chapter III. Mountains and Face of the Country ^

IV. Climates and Seasons , <. ..

T. Larg-e native Animals -

Indian method of taking" tlie Buffalo Encounter of Captain Lewis with a Bear Anecdote of two Eagles VI. Native Vegetable Productions VII. Agricultural Products VIII. Mineral and Geological Substances IX. Manufactures in general

Moral Reflections , , -

X. Salt Mines and Manufactories XL Sugar Manufactories . , -

XII. Manufactures of Potash XUI. Corporations - » " °

XIV. Insurances , , - -

XV. Banks , . - - -

XVI. The Mint - , , -

XVII. Post Offices . - - -

XVm. Patent Office . , ' -

XIX. Fisheries --•»-»

Anecdotes - • • 188,

Mode of attacking a Whale XX. Fur Trade - - . -

XXI. Commerce . . - -

. 100

- 104 109

- 113 ibid

' 115 ibid

- 116 118

- 119 ibid

- 120 ibid

- 125 130

, 131 132 134

, 136 137

- 140 143 i5r

. 158 161

- 163 164

- 169 172

- 178 181

- 183 185 190 191 195 198

189,

CONTENTS.

Vll

Chapter XXII. Commercial Emporiums - page 202

Washington City . - - - 204

Pittsburgh - - - - - 209

New Orleans - . - . 212

XXIII. Steam Navigation - - - 213

XXIV. Canals 217

XXV. Rail Roads - - . - 222

XXVI. Waterfalls, Medicinal Springs and Curiosities 226

XXVII. Lines of Measurement - - - 234

XXVIII. Education - - - - 237

XXIX. The Eagle Map - - - - 244

XXX. Agriculture, &c. . - . 246

II. Section 1

Maine ibid

. 273

Vermont - . . -

- ibid

New York - - . .

. 282

Anecdote of a drunken Bear

. 285 u.

Maryland

District of Columbia

- ibid

15,

South Carolina •

Georgia , ^ , .

Alabama and Mississippi

Louisiana . p » .

Vlll CONTENTS.

Section 19. Tennessee . . . , page 302

21. Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois - - - 304

23. Michigan Territory - - - - 309

24. Arkansas Territory - , , . ibid

Chapter III. Cities and Chief Towns - - - 311

IV. Tables of Counties, Seats of Judicature, &c. 345

General Table - - - ^ 571

V. Definitions of Legal Terms - . 372

A few inconsiderable errors in print having escaped timely no^ tice, are here pointed out for correction by the reader.

Page 47, line 9 — For "this," read ** their."

61, 3— For "Aquetnee," read "Aquetnec."

71, 24-^For ** Proprietor," read '* Proprietary." 113, 6— For "mankind," read "manhood."

115, 11 — For "Provinces," read "Province." 155, 19 — Between " by" and "portions," insert "different." 263, 17— For ** Mataposny," read " Metapony."

Introduction

More than fifty years have now elapsed since the question of the Independence of these United States, became settled. The actors engaged in the work of effecting the revolution, have nearly all passed away. The second generation from them are now in their different spheres of activity. Those who may be termed, according to the received calculations of the ages of men, the third generation, are in the morning of life — in the spring time of 3^outhful buoyancy and growing vigor; rising up as a new race of actors, to take the place of the present, in conducting the extensive and complicated concerns of a great nation.

The remembrance of transactions current at the birth of our national independence, is still preserved by the few remaining ancients; and their descendants have been taught to hail the period as one of allimportant interest.

History has been faithful in its office, in detailing the events of that deeply interesting period, in the order in which they occurred. A record of the national transactions, during the last half century, has been preserved in the public archives; and some of those transactions have been occasionally unfolded to us, by the later historian and the politician, as circumstances have called for their development.

In party contests of public opinion, and in popular assemblies, many interesting sentiments and circumstances have been from time to time thrown before the public view, clothed with enthusiastic ardor, in the form of popular declamation; and have been detailed with reiteration in periodical prints.

From these, and similar public stores, the general chain of events hitherto interesting to the nation, may

XiV INTRODUCTION.

perhaps have been sufficiently unfolded to the past and current active generations; who may have preserved in memory, each his own peculiar store of knowledge.

As time passes on, and the generations of men succeed each other, the ideas of things past, naturally become more and more faint, varied, and uncertain. Thus, the apprehension and comparative importance of things which have passed two generations ago, may wear a different aspect in the minds of the present very interesting race, in the morning of life, from that which they did in the minds of their forefathers.

Though many of our citizens now in the vigor of activity, may entertain the opinion, that the sources of general information are sufficiently multiplied, yet a little reflection may satisfy us, that the records of knowledge are becoming m.ore and more diffuse; and that the youth now rising, must, in order to arrive at a correct general understanding of important national subjects, glean their information from a great diversity of sources: and that, as time advances, this circumstance will still become more obvious, and the labor to obtain a store of correct general knowledge still more expansive.

The rising generation, will probably possess all the variety of taste and inclination which has heretofore marked the progress of the human mind. Their inquiries will pursue different subjects, according to their diversity of taste. Amongst those subjects, the great variety of our national circumstances, and national interests, v/ill occupy a prominent place, provided their youthful attention may be properly directed, by those having the important charge of their education: when the gratification of those various inclinations, may lead to their proper practical results, toward determining the pursuits, and forming the individual character of the future citizen.

Indulging in reflections such as the foregoing, it has appeared to the author of this little volume, that an im-

INTRODUCTION. XV

portant link in the chain of educational knowledge, adapted to the wants of the rising youth in our country, at the present day, remained unsupplied by the multiplied efforts of modern authors to provide for all the public demands.

The deficiency unprovided for, has appeared to him to be, a condensed view, in regular and easy connexion, and separated from extraneous matter, of the general rudiments of the history of the discovery of our country — the character and manners of the natives preceding us — the settlement of our early colonial establishments — their advancement to the period of the Declaration of Independence — the establishment of our great Federal Compact — the form of our national Constitution — a summary view of our great national interests — and a comparative geographical and statistical sketch of the present aspect of the different members of our political Union.

It has appeared to the author, that by presenting to the youth a connected stock of general ideas, those who may afterward have leisure or inclination to pursue the study of the whole, or any part of our national history, or general national interests, may, from such a v/ork, receive important aid in the pursuit of their different objects of study or inquiry, by haA'ing acquired thereby, a more enlarged, and at the same time a more connected and concentrated previous understanding. And that the very extensive and interesting portion of our great national family, the children of those efficieni citizens who are engaged in the laborious, and highly important occupations of the practical farmer, the manufacturer, the mechanic, and other branches of useful industry, and whose daily avocations, or circumstances in life, may limit their opportunities for study, or a more general course of reading, may, by the same means, enlarge their stock of information, and increase their qualification, to reason, reflect, and converse, on subjects of national interest, with a satisfaction which the mind of a free citizen of an enlightened community may derive from

XVI INTRODUCTION.

a rational employment of his mental powers, though under disadvantageous circumstances.

Under these considerations the present volume has been prepared. As the plan of the work is professedly rudimental, the unaspiring title of ^^ Rudiments of National Knowledge,'^ has been adopted.

It has accorded with the plan of the author, to avoid a detail of any of the military operations of the revolution. They appeared to him, to belong especially to the class of subjects proper to be embraced in a regular history; to be noticed as inclination might lead, after a condensed, connected sketch, of rudimental knowledge should be attained.

He has also thought proper to avoid the language of glowing declamation, calculated to excite in youth an unprofitable excess of chivalrous sentiment; and to substitute occasional moral reflections, designed for the use of the future practical citizen, as well in the enjoyment of the leisure of affluence, as in the common walks of industrious life; and calculated to lead the youth to a rational, interesting comparison, between our peculiar enjoyments, as a nation standing independent and alone, in the undisturbed occupancy of avast, unbroken territory, and the evils of the entangled alliances and trammelled' institutions of foreign realms.

To awaken in youth, a just sense of our national advantages and blessings, has appeared to the author, likely to be productive of important moral eifects, tending to the encouragement of a course of conduct calculated to promote and ensure their protracted enjoyment.

For the purpose of rendering the w^ork more entertaining to young minds, the author has taken the liberty, occasionally to introduce an interesting anecdote, having direct relation to the subject discussed.

Though many of the subjects treated upon, are no doubt familiarly known to the great mass of citizens, and may, therefore, at first view, seem to be scarcely deserving of a place in a work intended for juvenile

INTRODUCTION. XVll

instruction, yet we shall at once perceive, that knowledge of every description, must, with the youthful mind, have a beginning; and that if a fair view of any subject is at once exhibited, the labor of future inquiry is saved; and the mind prevented from satisfying itself with accidental conceptions of things, which, though at present supposed to be correct, may, when afterward recurred to, for any practical purpose, be found to be in reality, imperfect and vague.

As the author is disposed to offer his work to the favor and adoption of teachers, as an additional book of school exercises, he will cheerfully leave to their determination, whether the method of arrangement adopted in the geographical and statistical parts, be an improvement on former methods or otherwise; only requesting, as a stipulation, that his reasons offered at the commencement of those parts, may be candidly examined and considered, in connexion with his remarks in this introduction.

In some of the systems of Introduction to Geography, for the use of schools, very little, if any, more attention appears to have been bestowed upon the descriptions of our own country than upon those of distant parts of the world. This, with respect to the studies of the youth of a nation constituted as is ours, has appeared to the author to be an important error.

The very brief descriptions of other countries, may, perhaps, be all that may ever be practically useful for our youth in general to know of them. But, to the rising future representatives of a great nation, under a government of a republican form, where a general knowledge of all important national circumstances is desirable, to qualify for future thought and action, under the independent character of citizens, enjoying not only the name, but the essential realities, of moral and political freedom, a more expanded and comprehensive view of practical subjects relating to our own country, would appear proper to be familiar- 2*

XVlll INTRODUCTION.

ly impressed upon the youthful notice and memory. If, however, those very brief systems are merely intended for scholars in their childhood, or very early minority, the author will cheerfully leave them to their own merits, without designing any censure. The present volume, it will be perceived, is intended for those of more expanded understanding, advancing onward, in the further stages approaching to manhood.

Other authors, while they pursue the same course of extreme brevity, in descriptions simply geographical, seem to manifest a desire to exhibit, in one general system, a sketch of many branches of the knowledge of the laborious investigators of philosophical science: combining together, with their brief geographical descriptions of surface, the doctrines of geology, natural philosophy, &c. &c. in sketches equally brief and unimpressive. This plan has appeared, in the humble opinion of the author, as comprising an error equally inconvenient with the former, if the works are intended for the general study of the youth in our common schools.

To assume the office of public criticism, however, is not intended; nor is any desire felt to discredit the labors of others. The author would only further simply observe, that, in this little volume, the plan adopted, has been to confine his intention principally to the exhibition of practical facts and circumstances; bearing in their nature, some relation to the common business of life, and possibly adapted to the purposes of useful reference, when future business and future settlement, may become to the student, subjects of important consideration: leaving the doctrines of abstruse science, to be pursued by the inquiring student, as from leisure or inclination he may be inclined, in works especial!]/ devoted to them.

In the present performance, truth and accuracy have been intended. But as the principal part of the work, is little more than a compend of the ideas stored

INTRODUCTION. XIX

up in the author's own mind, derived from reading, conversation, and personal observation, through an extended course of years, his knowledge may, perhaps, in many instances, be found to be too superficial. When he has attempted corrections, by comparison with some of the popular treatises on geography, he has at once fallen upon so many and great inaccuracies, with respect to parts where he had been himself long personally acquainted, as to impair his confidence in their authority, with relation to other quarters of the Union. To some of these, the geographical notices will of course be found to be contradictory. He will, nevertheless, freely acknowledge that he has made unreserved use of those historical and geographical authorities which have fallen in his way, so far as he has found them to answer his purpose.

As the publication of the volume has been several years delayed in consequence of indisposition, the author has availed himself of the opportunities of correction of some of its parts, by a comparison with some works very recently published. He now ventures the emission of a small edition; subject to such censures for incorrectness as it may yet be found to deserve. Should his plan, and its general execution, so far meet the public approbation as to encourage a second edition, he would invite his intelligent patrons, in any part of the Union, to communicate freely, their views of necessary correction, or further brief elucidation, directed to the publisher; when, if health be permitted for a careful review, their communications shall be faithfully attended to.

From an apprehension that some such rudimental work might be useful to many who come to settle among us from beyond the ocean, he has enlarged his title by a reference to '^inquiring foreigners.''

If the volume should be honored with a share of the approbation of a judicious community, it will afford the author the satisfaction naturally arising from the performance of an acknowledged service to the

XX INTRODUCTION.

rising generation; in whose well being and well doing he feels himself peculiaHy interested. If otherwise, he will console himself with the reflection of having intended well, though bound to submit with resignation to the decision of public sentiment.

EUDIMENTS

OP

NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE.