A guide to United States history for young readers

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Introductory 11

II. How Europe Found America .... 15 Columbus — The Voyage.

Chapter I Introductory

DID you ever see a coral island? If not, you have heard or read of these strange islands that rise out of the sea. The coral is a tiny creature of the sea, with a very low form of life and with no power of movement from one place to another. It feeds on what is brought it by the waves. With myriads of its kind, probably far beneath the surface, it lives its little life and dies. Its porous body, having gathered lime from the water, becomes hard like stone, and to this is attached the next generation of coral, and so on and on. The growth continues for perhaps hundreds of years, when at last it rises to the surface of the water. Then come the birds and the waves with soil and seed, and at length we have a beautiful island with trees and flowers, and even the homes of men — all built on the petrified bodies of the tiny coral of the sea.

History is like a coral growth. Every generation of men is built up on the achievements of the preceding. The civilization of the present rests entirely on the past. There are few things indeed that we use in our everyday life for which we are not indebted to the past. If you sit down to write a letter, the pen you use, the chair on which you sit, and the clothes you wear are the product of machinery that took centuries to develop, and the alphabet you use is the inheritance of thousands of years. If you read a poem or study science, you are simply gathering up the wisdom of the past. The poem may have been written yesterday, but the poet himself is a product of the past. He has doubtless read the writings of Homer and of David, of Virgil, of Dante and of Shakespeare, and of many others, and each has played a part in making the poem what it is.

Man's mental powers have not grown or developed in historic times. We are no greater than were our ancestors. We live more comfortably than they only because we have added to what they bequeathed us. Each generation adds a little to what it receives from the past, and thus the conditions of the present rest on the accumulated inheritance from the ages. Were it possible to erase or destroy the past, man would be reduced to the lowest state of savagery, to the condition of the lower animals — without tools, or clothing, or language, or traditions.

A record of the past we call History. But historyis more than a record of the past; it is a study of humanity, the greatest of all studies, and is second only to the study of the human life in our own times, in which we are all unconsciously engaged every day.

Introductory

No one can pretend to be educated who is not to some extent a student of history.

The most interesting of all history to you and to me is the history of our own great land. It is the story of the life of our ancestors and of the growth of institutions which we enjoy.

The history of America is one of absorbing interest to all. Here had lived for unknown ages the wild man of the forest and of the plains. He dwelt in contentment with his family and his tribe amid the rude surroundings of his home. He chased the deer and the buffalo and fought with his enemy in battle. He knew nothing of the civilized life of lands that were far away.

At length the white man came from across the seas and began to clear away the forest and to build homes. The Indians were crowded toward the west and cities rose where the forest had waved above their wigwams. For nearly two hundred years the white man's colonies grew and strengthened, when they rose against the mother land, and, after a long and weary war, won their independence and founded a nation. The new nation became the home of the oppressed from every land. It increased rapidly in population, in wealth, and in extent of territory, and, though still in its youth, it is now one of the greatest nations of the world. What American is not proud of our vast country ? and who can be content without a good knowledge of its history ?

In this book I shall aim to tell you something about great events and leading characters. I shall also give many incidents and adventures which are not found in the school histories, though by so doing I must leave out much that is easily found in other books. My purpose in giving considerable space to the adventures, daring deeds, and mode of life of the pioneers is not merely to make the narrative more attractive to the reader, but to reproduce the spirit of those times and to emphasize the debt we owe to those early settlers.

The object of the book is to awaken in the reader a greater love of the history of our country, to foster a keener desire to know the sources and the growth of our civilization, to stimulate to more extensive reading of the story of our great land — all of which tend to a more wholesome growth of good citizenship.

Chapter II How Europe Found America

YOU can pick up a morning newspaper and read about what happened the day before on the opposite side of the earth.

In view of this fact, it seems strange that a little more than four hundred years ago half the land area of the globe was unknown to the inhabitants of the other half. For many centuries most people had believed that the earth was flat, that it was in the center of the universe, and that the sun and moon made a revolution around it every day — ^just as they seem to do.

When you look up the sky seems higher directly above you than at the horizon, and it was probably this appearance that led the people of Europe to believe that Europe was the center of all things. They also thought that they themselves were the most important people in the world. But then, perhaps, every people think themselves a little better than those of any other nation.

It was not until after the discovery of America that Copernicus taught the world that the sun is in the center of a great system, known as the Solar System, and that the earth is one of the planets that revolve about the sun. But for many centuries before the time of Copernicus educated people in Europe believed the earth to be a sphere ; and yet there were some puzzling questions. How could anybody live on the opposite side of the world, where they would have to walk with their heads do^vnward ? It was believed that since the earth is round, like an apple or an orange, it must slope downward in all directions, and if a ship went too far down the slope it would never be able to get back. For this reason mariners were careful not to sail too far from home.

Copernicus lived more than two hundred years before the time of Isaac ]*^ewton, who discovered the law of gravity by which the earth holds all loose bodies on its surface and keeps them from falling away from it. It was believed that men could not live on the sides or bottom of the earth, but only on top. Then there were other strange belief f in those days. One was that around the middle of the earth there was a torrid belt so hot that the seas boiled with fury and that no man or animal could live there. Another was that there was a gigantic bird so powerful that it could seize a ship in its talons and fly away with it into the air.

For hundreds of years these wild fancies were believed by vast numbers of people ; but most of them were given up before America was discovered. By this time most people had come to believe that the earth was round, and it began to dawn on the minds of some that one might reach the eastern coast of

How Europe Found America

Asia by sailing westward. To do this became the more desirable when, in 1453, the terrible Turk captured Constantinople and refused to permit the European traders to pass bj that route to Asia, as they had been doing. But who would venture on such a dangerous journey across the Sea of Darkness, as the Atlantic was called ? Its dark waves rolled on and on forever. Where was the man who would risk his life in trying to cross it?

Columbus

There was only one such man, and his name was Christopher Columbus. He was bom in the beautiful Italian city of Genoa, on the northern shore of the Mediterranean. Many a time, when a boy, he would sit on the green banks and watch the ships come and go. His eyes would follow the white sails dancing before the wind as the vessels plowed through the sparkling water, and Columbus resolved that he would become a sailor when he grew to be a man.

But he did not wait till he was a man. At the age of fourteen he launched out on the vocation of his life and became a sailor.

By the time he reached manhood he was a skillful mariner. Sometimes he engaged in sea fights. On one occasion he commanded a vessel which engaged in a death duel with another. After they had fought for some hours both vessels took fire, and Columbus saved his life by leaping into the water and swimming to shore, six miles away.

The Mediterranean must have seemed too small for Columbus, for he left his home and went to Portugal, and later to Spain. He studied geography and navigation, and made voyages down the coast of Africa. At one time he sailed far into the north, to the coast of Iceland. Here he may or may not have heard about Lief Ericson, who, five hundred years before, had found a land which he called Vinland far across the western seas.

Columbus thought and thought about finding Asia by sailing across the Atlantic to the west. He fully believed that it was possible to do so, and was willing to risk his life in making the attempt. But such a great undertaking required money and ships and men, and Columbus did not have them. He applied to the King of Portugal for aid, but the king thought him a dreamer, and refused to help him. He then went to Spain and laid his plans before the king and queen, Ferdinand and Isabella. They put him off for several years, then finally decided to help him in making the attempt. Whether they did this only to get rid of him, or whether they believed that he might make some important discoveries, it is difficult to say.

The Voyage

One bright morning, at the break of day, in August, 1492, three small vessels launched out upon the sea from the port of Palos, Spain. The commander of this tiny fleet was Christopher Columbus. He and his crew were starting out on one of the strangest

How Europe Found America

voyages ever made. They knew not where they were going. They supposed the earth to be round, but did not know, and in these three frail vessels they were starting out to cross a vast sea that no one else, as far as they knew, had ever crossed. No wonder they broke into sobs and wails as their friends waved them good-by from the receding shore. It was generally believed that they were setting out on a journey from which none would return.

For many weeks they glided through the waves toward the west. The weather was fine, but the men, one hundred and twenty in all, were filled with terror and superstitious fears. The vast expanse of water seemed boundless and fathomless. Every day they expected something dreadful to happen. Ear from friends and home, they seemed to be in another world. There was but one undaunted soul, and that was Columbus.

At length the men determined to turn back, but Columbus would listen to nothing of the kind. He promised them great riches if they should succeed. He threatened to put the leaders in chains if they did not obey him. Again and again they thought they sighted land, but it proved to be only banks of clouds lying low on the horizon.

This increased their fears. They felt that they were in a world of enchantment, and that the signs of land were delusions alluring them to destruction.

But at last, nearly ten weeks after they had left Palos, the signs of land were unmistakable — ^birds in the air that never reach midocean, a branch of thorn with berries on it, and floating weeds that grow only on land.

On the night of October 11th, Columbus, watching from the deck of his ship, saw a flickering light far away on the horizon. It moved here and there, and seemed like a torch carried by a man. ]^ot an eye was closed in sleep that night on the little vessels. Every eye was strained in the outlook for land, and at daybreak, behold ! there lay a verdant shore about six miles away. We can only imagine the joy of the sailors at the sight of land after their dreary voyage over the dark, deep sea.

Columbus and a few of his oflBcers went ashore and took possession of the new lands in the name of the King and Queen of Spain. He shed tears of emotion, returned thanks to God for his success, and bowed down and kissed the ground.

As the Spaniards came ashore they saw human beings gazing in silent wonder. Columbus believed that he had reached the East Indies, and he called the natives Indians, a name which was later applied to all the native inhabitants of the 'New World. The Indians, on seeing the Spaniards landing, ran away and hid themselves ; but presently came forth again and stood wondering at their strange visitors.

The place of landing was an island in the West Indies, which Columbus called San Salvador, but which is now called Watling's Island. The Spaniards cruised about for several weeks and discovered many islands, among them the great island of Cuba.

How Europe Found America

But Columbus was greatly puzzled. He thought he had reached the coast of China or of Japan. He had heard of the wonderful rivers and towered cities of China, but here he found none of these. He found waving forests and blooming flowers and naked savages. He bore with him a letter of greeting from the King and Queen of Spain to the Emperor of China. But no emperor could he find. Poor Columbus ! Little did he dream that China was ten thousand miles away, and that between him and that country a vast ocean rolled, far greater than the one that he had crossed.

When Columbus returned to Spain he was received by the king and queen with great honor. Thousands of people crowded the streets of the cities to see the great discoverer pass by. In the following years Columbus made three more voyages to the lands he had discovered. On the last of these voyages he discovered the mainland of South America, at the mouth of the Orinoco River. Still thinking he was in Asia, Columbus believed this to be one of the great rivers mentioned in the Bible as flowing from the Garden of Eden.

Many others were soon making voyages to the new lands, and one day, when some one said that it was not such a great thing to have made the discovery, it is said that Columbus took an egg and asked, who could make it stand on end. Several tried and failed. He then took the egg and cracked the shell, and stood it on end.

" It is quite easy," he said, '' when you know how ; 21 and so it is easy to make discoveries after I have shown the way."

Columbus died in 1506, and to the day of his death he never knew that it was not the coast of Asia, but a vast new continent which he had discovered.

The New World should have been called by the name of Columbus, but another was to receive this honor. Americus Vespucius was one of the many who made voyages across the Atlantic. He cruised along the coast of South America, and wrote a little book about it. It was believed that Americus had discovered a continent, while Columbus had discovered only a few islands, and the New World was called America.

Chapter III Exploring The New World

EUROPE had found America, a vast land of unknown bounds. But of what use could America be if unoccupied by civilized man ? Certainly of no more use than coal or iron before it is brought out of the earth by the miner.

First comes the discoverer ; then the explorer. An explorer is one who traverses a new country and finds out what he can about it. Within half a century after Columbus had made his great discovery a great many explorers came to America. They traversed vast regions in North and South America.

Some of the explorers came to hunt for gold ; some came for the love of adventure; others to win new territory for their native land, and still others to convert the Indians to Christianity. The explorers were Spanish and Portuguese and French and English, though at first there were very few English. I suppose most of them thought more about adventure than anything else. Boys enjoy sport that has in it an element of danger, such as coasting on a steep hill, riding an untamed colt, playing football and the like. And men are much like boys. They like dangerous sport, and for those who enjoyed such sport here was a great opportunity. The explorers had to encounter wild Indians and wild animals, to climb rugged mountains and to wade through vast swamps. A great many of them never returned to their homes; they found a grave in the wilderness. Some of them made splendid discoveries, for which they will ever be remembered.

You have no doubt heard about Balboa, who discovered the Pacific Ocean, which he called the South Sea, and of Magellan, who was the first to sail around the world. But we shall give the rest of this chapter to two or three other famous explorers.

Ponce de Leon

The first of these is the story of Ponce de Leon (pronounced P6n-tha-da-La-on). His first name was Juan or John, but it is seldom used.

Ponce de Leon was a famous cavalier in the Spanish wars against the Moors, before Columbus discovered America. He was chivalric and brave, and loved the din and danger of the battle field. When Columbus came to America on his second voyage Ponce came with him. About fifteen years later he was made governor of Porto Rico. You will remember that Porto Rico belonged to Spain until our war with that country in 1898, when it became the property of the United States.

While Ponce was in Porto Rico he heard a strange story that somewhere in the Bahama Islands there was a fountain of youth, a gushing spring of sparkling water which would restore youth to the aged who bathed in it. Ponce was a sensible man in most respects, but he believed this story. His brow was becoming wrinkled and his hair silvered with age. What a wonderful thing it would be if he could find this enchanting spring that would bring back the blithe step and the golden locks of boyhood ! As the story went, this fountain was surrounded by magnificent trees bearing golden fruit which was gathered by beautiful maidens. The story reminds one of the Garden of Hesperides believed in by the ancients.

In the spring of 1513 Ponce de Leon started out to find the magic fountain. He sailed among the Bahamas, and bathed in the waters of every fountain he found; but youth did not return. At length he left the islands and came to a land of splendid trees and blooming flowers. The air was laden with perfume. He named the place Florida, and it still bears that name as one of the States of our Union. Here for many days he searched for the magic spring, but he searched in vain. He met with an old Indian woman who was so bowed and wrinkled that she seemed to be a hundred years old. I fancy that Ponce thought that if there were a fountain of youth in that country she had never made use of it. He gave up the search and returned to Porto Rico.

Soon after this Ponce de Leon set sail for Spain. He told King Ferdinand that he had discovered a beautiful island covered with flowers, and the king made him governor of " the Island of Florida," for he believed it to be an island. A few years later Ponce made another voyage to Florida, and in a fight with the Indians he received a mortal wound. He was carried to Cuba, where he soon died, and thus ended the career of the one who made a pathetic search for the fountain of youth and could not find it.

Ferdinand De Soto

Our next story is about Ferdinand De Soto, the man who discovered by accident the great river that divides the United States in the middle, and thus he won more fame in American history than he deserved.

De Soto, like Ponce de Leon, had been trained in all the chivalry of Spain. He was a splendid rider and swordsman. He loved adventure, and had come to America, like many a Spanish youth, because he loved adventure and to search for gold. With Pizarro he aided in the conquest of Peru, and won a large fortune as his share of the spoils. But he spent his money with a lavish hand on his return to Spain, and soon saw that he must replenish his fortune. His thoughts turned again to America. He obtained permission of the king to conquer Florida, and he set out, thinking that gold could be found there as it had been found in Peru.

It was in the spring of 1539 that De Soto, with an army of nearly six hundred men, approached the coast of Florida. As the ships drew near the flowery land the men shouted and sang for joy. Here was the land that seemed to them a paradise, abloom with perpetual spring. And they believed also that it must be a land of gold, and that they would soon return to Spain laden with riches. But their dream was rudely dispelled when, on the morning after they landed, they were awakened by a shower of arrows from a horde of Indian warriors. Thus began the fateful journey of De Soto and his men in the wilderness, a journey from which many of that gay company were destined never to return.

For some months the Spaniards marched northward through grand forests of oak and pine, through prairies and dismal swamps. They came to many deserted Indian villages, the Indians having fled into the forest at the approach of the Spaniards. When the Spaniards found Indians and made known the object of their search, the Indians usually informed them that gold could be found farther on — a trick to get rid of the Spaniards that usually was successful.

The Indian Queen

After many months of weary marching, De Soto heard that far to the north there was a rich and powerful Indian nation called Cofachiqui that was ruled over by a queen, a beautiful girl of eighteen years. De Soto determined to direct his way thither. After a long march of several weeks they encamped on the bank of a river. It is now supposed that this was the Savannah River, and that this spot was Silver Bluff, in Barnwell County, South Carolina.

From the spot where the Spaniards had pitched their tents for the night they presently heard the barking of dogs and the shouts of playing children on the opposite bank of the river. Eagerly they awaited the morning, and at dawn they beheld an Indian village with many of the inhabitants, men, women, and children, standing on the bank gazing at their strange visitors. The horses, the bright armor, and the glittering swords of the Spaniards seemed very wonderful to the red children of the forest, as they had never seen such things before.

This was the land of Cofachiqui, the nation governed by the beautiful queen, and she was standing with her people, gazing in silent wonder at the Spaniards. At length she sent several of her warriors in a canoe across the river. As they approached they called out : " Do you come for peace or war ? "

De Soto had with him an interpreter, a Spaniard who could speak the Indian language, and he answered :

" We come for peace. We need food, and beg your assistance."

De Soto told the men that he was anxious to meet their queen, and they rowed back and made this fact known to her. Presently four warriors approached the water's edge bearing a kind of hammock called a palanquin (pal-an-keen), and from it stepped the queen, who was now rowed across the river.

As she came up to De Soto he was much impressed by her quiet dignity, her rich robes, and her great beauty. Through his interpreter he conversed with her for some time. As a token of friendship she threw around his neck a string of costly pearls, and he gave her a gold ring set with a ruby. She offered him the use of half the houses in the village if he and his army chose to stay for a time, and De Soto accepted the kind offer.

It was not long until the Spaniards made known the object of their journey, and the queen informed them that there was a great deal of gold in her territories, and not far from the village. She sent men to bring specimens. Spanish hopes now rose to the highest pitch. The men decided to load themselves with the precious metal and return to Spain. But their dream was soon dispelled, for the specimens proved to be a worthless alloy of copper, and the Spaniards again in sorrow turned their eyes to the wilderness.

On leaving the land of Cofachiqui, De Soto compelled the young queen to accompany him to the borders of her territory. This was his custom whenever he could get possession of a chief, and his object was to prevent attacks, for he knew that an Indian tribe would not attack him while he held their ruler. In this instance it seemed cruel to do so, after the queen had been so kind to him. But the queen was treated with the highest respect. She was carried along in a palanquin by her own warriors, and several of her maids walked by her side. After they had marched a day or two this dusky maid of the forest proved herself a true Indian, as well as a queen. She suddenlj leaped from her seat, darted into the forest with the fleetness of a deer, and was soon lost to view. The Spaniards searched for her, but thej never saw nor heard of her again. She probably returned to her ov\m people on the banks of the Savannaii River.

The Mississippi

The wandering in the wilderness by De Soto and his army continued for more than three years. Many a time they met hostile Indians and fought fierce battles. In each battle they lost a few of their number, and the army gradually decreased. One of these battles proved a dreadful blow to the Spaniards. It was the battle of Mobile in southern Alabama. This was one of the greatest battles fought between the white and red races. The Spaniards killed thousands of Indians in this battle and destroyed one of the most powerful tribes in the South; but their own loss was very heavy. Many of the men and horses were killed and nearly all the survivors were wounded. All their baggage, food, and medicine were destroyed.

After this destructive battle De Soto never seemed to be himself. His jovial spirits were gone. Many of his men wanted to return to civilization, but he refused to listen to such proposals. He seemed to prefer to die in the wilderness rather than to return without the gold he sought. They met many friendly Indians. With one tribe they remained several weeks, and when about to depart one of the Spaniards, who had fallen in love with the chief's daughter, wished to remain with the Indians. He did so, and married the daughter.

Two years had passed. De Soto's army became smaller and smaller. The bright uniforms with which the men had started were reduced to tatters, and at length they had to clothe themselves in skins of wild animals. Aimlessly they wandered from place to place, knowing and caring but little whither they went.

In the spring of 1541 they first came in sight of the Mississippi River. It was probably at a point near the boundary between the present States of Tennessee and Mississippi. The channel was a mile and a half in width, and great quantities of driftwood, logs, and whole trees were floating on its bosom. For countless ages the great river had rolled, unknown before to civilized man.