A history of the United States for schools

Front matter

Qass Book j W

A HISTORY

OP

Preface

So many school histories of the United States are already in existence, and their preparation has bQen so excellent in the details of idea and execution, that some apology seems to be needed for this addition to their number. The apology will be found, it is hoped, in the special purpose with which this book has been written. It is submitted that tne designs which have usually controlled our school histories are impossible of fulfilment, and, even if possible, would not serve the most useful purpose. There are already in existence b:olvS i.. abundance which tell stories in the manner most attractive to pupils at the most imaginative period of life ; and the pupil's mind, if properly directed by the teacher, will turn to them naturally and derive more satisfaction and instruction from them than can be gained from any school history of usable compass. It hardly seems wise for a school history to force itself into a hopeless competition in a field which has already been so fully preempted. History is a task and a method of mental discipline; our school histories attempt to relieve it, as no one attempts to relievt grammar or arithmetic, by story -telling. One result has been that the history of the comparatively unimportant colonial period has been assigned an inordinately large space. So much room is given to the stories of Smith and Pocahontas, Putnam and the wolf, and similar episodes, that the real history of the United States is cramped, marred, and brought to a lame and impotent conclusion. Judging from the space usually assigned to each, a reader must conclude that the history of the United States deserves a much larger iv PREFACE.

treatment tor the time when the United States did not exist than for the time of its prominence as a nation — for a time when the population was but 200,000 than for the time when the population was 50,000,000.

The reason generally advanced for the transfer of the stirring stories of the past out of the reading book or general reading into the school histories is that they stimulate the minds of pupils to an emulation of the great deeds which are narrated. In isolated cases the reason may be valid; there may have been cases in which the mind of some pupil has been thus stimulated with useful effect. But the mass of pupils have no opportunity to exhibit any such result ; their need is to learn from the history of the past how best to perform the simple and homely duties of good citizenship. Very few of the boys in our schools will ever have an opportunity to exhibit, in the foundation of a colony, the patient virtues of the Pilgrim Fathers or the executive ability of John Smith ; almost every one of them will soon be called upon to give his conclusion by vote upon questions which involve some understanding of the political, financial, or economic problems of the past. It seems unfair, as well as unwise, to disregard the needs of the great mass in favor of the desires of the very few, especially as the latter will be certain to gratify their desires in a more natural way elsewhere.

In the ordinary school course, no place can well be made for treatises on the duties of citizenship, on political economy, or on finance. Even if they could be introduced, their most valuable portions would consist of deductions from the events recorded in a history such as this. The effort to inculcate the lesson with the facts, if applied to the usual school history, would' make it hopelessly bulky. Something must be dropped ; and it seems unwise to retain the stories where they conflict with far more important matters whose omission the ordinary school course will never supply. The typical school-boy must get his political, economic, and financial education from his school history of the United States, if he is to get it at all.

The design of this book, then, is not simply to detail the events which make up the history of the United States, but to group those events which seem likely to shed light on the responsibilities of the citizen to the present or future, and to give the student the light in connection with the event. In this process the effort has

PREFACE. V

been made, with caution and with a studied simplicity of lan^uajje, to interest the pupil in the wonderful development of the United States and the difficult economic problems which have s^rown out of it. If, in so doing, the peculiar province of the story-writer has been abandoned, the abandonment does not seem to the writer a real sacrifice. Wherever further compression has been necessary, it has been applied at the beginning, at the time when there was no " United States," with the design of giving as much space as possible to our national history. And in every place where it has seemed possible, the attention of the pu^iil has been directed to the peculiar circumstances and limitations of the time under consideration, and to the idea of growth to be attained by a comparison with the present. For much the same reasons, other topics, not essential to the main subject, such as the tribal institutions of the aborigines, and the Spanish conquests of Mexico and Peru, have been left untouched. And, in narrating the wars of the United States, while the effort has been made to give the pupil a definite idea of the purposes, plans, and results of campaigns, it has not seemed best to cumber the narration with a catalogue of engagements and commanders, whose very names are only a spring of confusion to the mind of the pupil.

As the book is not intended to be a story-book, so it is not intended to be a picture-book. Maps in abundance seem to the author the only legitimate embellishment of a school history. While the pictures in this volume have been restricted to illustrations of such persons and things as are pertinent to the text, they have been introduced with regret, and only as a yielding to the present prejudice which denies an effective audience to the school history not so illustrated. It is to be hoped that the time Will soon come when the space now surrendered to the graphic additions of the average school-boy's pencil will be utilized to better purpose.

The special features of treatment in the volume are grouped in the " Suggestions to Teachers," which follow, and the attention of those interested is invited to them.

The commanding position already attained by the United States, which can only become more overshadowing in the future, has made it evident that the future American citizen must be taught to think more of the responsibilities of the present than of the picturesque events of the past. The enormous political edifice which

VI PREFACE.

has appeared in central North America is rising with such increasing swiftness that every good citizen must feel a sense of personal responsibility for its continuance and good management. This volume is an attempt to lead American youth to he "good citizens," in this sense of the phrase ; and, whatever defects of execution it may show, the writer is confident that the spirit of the attempt will have the sympathy of every friend of education.

Pkinckton, N. J., June 1, 1885.

PUBLISHERS' NOTE

To THE Third Edition (1897).

The previous editions of this work have undergone a revision at the hands of Prof. W. M. Daniels of Princeton University. The changes made consist in minor alterations in the body of the text; in the substitution of the returns of the Census of 1890 for the earlier figures ; and in the addition of two chapters covering the last two Administrations, and a Bibliography.

SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS.

I. Geogkaphy has been applied to the history by the introduction of questions on the locations of the places referred to in the text. These have been placed at the end, instead of at the beginning, of the chapters, merely because most teachers prefer them in that position. They may be used at the end, at the beginning, or in connection with the text, according to the teacher's preference.

II. Maps have been supplied, the author hopes, in abundance. The general map contains most of the geographical names referred to in the text. In addition, the small maps will furnish the special locations called for by the chapter. But, in all cases, the school atlas is a better aid to recitation tlian any maps which a history can offer. It is recommended that the pupil be allowed and directed to keep his school atlas open before him during recitations, and to answer geographical questions from it. This is no more than is done by adults in reading history. This note will explain the occasional introduction of questions, such as the location of Geneva, Switzerland, which can only be answered from a school atlas.

III. Geographical Groups. — The text itself has been arranged, as far as possible, with careful attention to geographical unity. In the narrative of the Revolution, for example, the operations in each geographical section have been kept distinct and complete in themselves, with only the suggestion, by cross-references, of the connecting links which show the unity of the whole conflict.

IV. Chronology has been treated as subordinate, in the text, to the greater importance of geographical unity. It has not seemed proper to sacrifice it altogether ; and an exact chronological summary has therefore been added to each chapter. Geogviii SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS.

raphy and chronology, " the two eyes of history," have thus been given, it is hoped, their due and proper places.

V. Two Sizes of Type have been used throughout the book. The matter in larger type is itself a complete work. The smaller type is not intended necessarily for recitation, but for reading, for reference, or . for comment and amplification by the teacher. The plan of the work requires the introduction of a considerable amount of statistics. As a general thing these have been introduced in the finer type only. Where it has seemed necessary to introduce them in the coarser type, it is recommended that only round numbers be called for. To many pupils, their school history remains in after-life their chief book of reference on the subject. For this reason, it has been necessary to introduce more exact figures than should be demanded in recitation.

YI. Cross-References are, as teachers know, one of the most essential features of historical study. Under the current systems it is impossible to induce the average pupil fo use them, for they are placed in foot-notes, and expressed in language which requires a technical mode of thought to comprehend. The new feature of this book is that its sections are numbered consecutively from beginning to end, from § 1 to § 953. It is thus easy to introduce the cross-references, in parentheses, into the body of the text, where the pupil cannot fail to see them andean comprehend them with a single and very slight mental effort. Cross-references, are therefore prof use in this book. It is hoped that the teacher will make constant use of them, for they are in themselves the best of reviews.

VII. State Histories, in brief summary, have been given for all the new States. No pupil is expected to recite on any of them except that of his own State. This will explain the absence of questions for these portions of the work.

VIII. Questions are given at the foot of the page, except m the cases of the State histories just mentioned, and in some of the notes in fine print which are evidently only explanatory.

IX. Catch-words, covering the general topic under treatment, are printed in heavy type at the beginning of each section. It is recommended that, for each recitation, the pupil be required to write in order the catch-words of all the sections of the lesson, and that his list be used by him in following the recitation throughout. It is well, occasionally and without previous notice, to con-

SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS. ix

duct the recitation entirely from these lists, the teacher doing nothing more than call up successive pupils for recitation, and each reciting from the catch-word of the section under consideration.

X. Under all circumstances, it must be remembered that no school history can do anything more than provide the skeleton, which the teacher must direct the pupil in clothing with flesh and blood. A book which promises or attempts to do the teacher's work for him is a predestined failure and disappointment. The very best that can be hoped for a work of this kind is that it may add a percentage to the efficiency of the teacher's work. If that purpose has been attained, the author will feel under personal and professional obligations to teachers who direct his attention to defects or difficulties in execution.

Table Of Contents

mTRODUOTION.

DISCOVERY AND COLONIZATION.

PAGE

Chapter I. — The Revolution: 1775-83. PAGE

The Rise of tlie Republic , . . 97

Events at Boston 98

Events in Canada 102

Events in England and on the Coast 103

Independence , ." i04

Events in the Middle States, 1776-8 1Q&

Biirgoyne's Expedition, 1777 Ill

Aid from Fiance, 1778 114

Events in the North, 1778-83 \\Q

Events on the Ocean, 1776-83 ." 122

Events in the South, 1778-81 124

Chapter VI.— Madison's Administrations: 1809-17. Madison's Administrations 174

Declaration of War against Great Britain 174

Failures in the North, 1812-14 177

Successes on the Ocean 181

Successes on the Lakes 186

Disasters on the Atlantic Coast 189

Dissatisfaction at Home 191

TABLE OF CONTENTS. Xlll

PAGE

Successes in the North, 1814. 193

Successes in the Southwest, 1813-15 194

Chapter XVI. — Lincoln's Administration: 1861-5. Lincoln's Administration 297

Events of 1861 297

Events of 1863 307

Events of 1863 326

Events of 1864 338

On the Ocean 350

Events of 1865; Conclusion of the W-ar 353

Death of President Lincoln 357

Military Summary of the War 359