Stories of great heroes, discoverers, explorers, and Christianizers of America

Front matter

Class C/T I n

Book »Vi 5 -

Gop>iight I\ ]0

Preface

At the present time, educators are putting forth their best efforts to secure for the study of American History the important place that it deserves in the curriculum of our elementary schools. This commendable movement has the sympathy and the support of all teachers. It stands for progress and efficiency in forming aright the character of the young. It aims at producing the truest, the noblest, and the best specimen of American citizens.

With this purpose in mind, this book presents a number of brief biographies of the discoverers, explorers, and Christianizers of the New World. These stories, which have appeared in the columns of the North American Teacher, are eminently suited to give our Elementary School children correct ideas of the great men who, from 1492 to 1600, brought to our shores the torch of civilization and Christianity. They are written in a picturesque style that cannot but appeal to boys and girls. They are brimming over with accounts of daring on land and sea, in which the child's viewpoint dominates.

The reading of these narratives cannot fail to emphasize the fact that nearly all the great discoverers, explorers, and Christianizers of the New World, from 1492 to 1600, were Catholics ; and it will undoubtedly make our boys and girls proud of the important part taken by many of these pioneers in civilizing and Christianizing the natives of America.

vii viii PREFACE

The "Questions on the Text/' the " Correlated Studies," and the " Pronouncing Vocabulary " will be found helpful both to teachers and pupils. They are not to be regarded as complete or comprehensive ; they are merely suggestive.

If these stories give American boys and girls a proper appreciation of the great and far-reaching work of the noble heroes who came to our shores from 1492 to 1600, and if they help to foster and nourish the spirit of loyalty to God and country, this book fulfills its highest purpose.

TEACH AMERICAN HISTORY

As far back as the year 1884, the Archbishops and the Bishops of our country, in the following words, strongly recommended the study of American History to the Catholics of the United States.

"Teach your children to take special interest in the history of the United States. We consider the establishment of our country's independence, the shaping of its liberties and its laws, as a work of special Providence, — its framers ' building wiser than they knew' — the Almighty's hand guiding them.

"We desire, therefore, that the history of the United States should be carefully taught in all our Catholic schools ; and we have directed that it be specially dwelt upon in the education of the young ecclesiastical students in our preparatory seminaries. We also desire that it form a favorite part of the home library and the home reading.

"We must keep firm and solid the liberties of our country by refreshing our minds with the noble memories of the past, so that we may send forth from our Catholic homes not partisans but patriots."

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