i Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/comichistoryofunOOhaza COMIC HISTOEY OF THE UNITED STATES. fWWm&h HSTMT OF THE IN WHICH MANY FACTS ARE GIVEN, NOT TO BE FOUND IN ANY OTHER BOOK. By HEROD OTIS, COMMONLY CALLED "THE FATHER OF HISTORY." WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS, not BY LEECH OR CKUIKSHANK. NEW YORK: LEAVITT & ALLEN, 1861. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, hy WILLIS P. HAZARD, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. CHAPTER I. ANCIENT AMERICA — DISCOVERY OF AMERICA BY COLON — INVENTION OP COLONIES — ENGLISH COLONIES — DISCOVERY OF NEWFOUNDLAND — IN- VENTION OF COD FISHINQ BY SEBASTIAN CABOT — WALTER RALEIGH — INVENTION OF SxMOKING — INVENTION OF THE IRISH POTATO. America used to be rather a wildish sort of country. It was covered all over with woods and forests. Indians, ANCIENT AMERICAN SCENERY. bears, buffaloes, catamounts, wolves, and other untamed animals possessed it. The Indians did not use Minie rifles for hunting the wilder beasts, but contented themselves with bows and arrows, spears and clubs. (5) 6 COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. NATIVE AMERICAN. The Europeans first found out where America was, through the voyage of one Kit Colon, commonly called Christopher Columbus. After Colon's true name, all the places in America settled by white people were called Colonies. Columbus came over with a fleet of three very small ships, and landed first on Cat Island, so called from being the place where Whittington sold his famous cat. Columbus gave Cat Island and all the rest of America to the King of Spain. From Cat Island he went to Hispaniola, and planted a colony. To reward him for his great services the King of Spain COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 7 LANDING OF COLUMBUS. — Aft r Panuegia/io. had Columbus put in irons, and otherwise disgraced ; and FIRST SPANISH SETTLEMENT IN HISPANIOLA 8 COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. one day Columbus died ; and the king settled a great many Spanish colonies in America. Then the English thought they would like to have some colonies too. So they sent out one Captain Sebas- tian Cabot, who discovered Newfound- land and invented the art of catching codfish with a piece of red flannel for bait. After Cabot, one Walter Ea- leigh came over to America ; and having learned from the Indians how to smoke a pipe of tobacco, he taught his countrymen that beautiful accom- plishment. To reward him for this great service. Queen Elizabeth made "^^^^"^^^ cK^o^.-From the ^. ^ ' ^ J. -11 n J o- original portrait by Holbein, him a knight, and. he was called bir, in possession of the Massachu- Ever since his time it has been the Historical Society. BIB WALTER RALEIGH. — From the original in the Capitol at Raleigh, N. C, COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. custom, when a boy is big enough to smoke, for people to call him Sir. Sir Walter Raleigh's first mate was an Irishman named Pat Molony. Landing somewhere down South, they came upon a patch of potatoes. Pat, "in coorse," filled his pockets with them, and took them home to Ireland and planted them. When you go to Dublin you can look in the great square for the statue erected to his honor as the inventor (which, you know, means finder) of the Irish potato. The pota- toes raised in Ireland in those days were considerably larger than those we raise now, as will be seen by the engrav- PLANTIHG OF THE POTATO IN IRELAND. After Raleigh, Captain Newport came over, and with him the famous Captain FIRST POTATO RAISED IN IRELAND. — From the original in possession of the Dublin His- torical Society. 10 COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. John Smith. He was the founder of the great Smith family, and of the Colony of Virginia. He had killed a great many Turks before he came to this country, and old King Pow- hatan captured Smith, and ordered one of his Indians to POCAHONTAS SAVING THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN SMITH. kill him. But Powhatan's little daughter, Pocahontas, THE INDIAN WHO DID NOT KILL CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. — From the original. Portrait hy Sir Godfrey Kneller, now in possession of the Virginia Historical Society. COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. H then about twelve years old, ran to Smith's assistance, and seizing by his long cue the Indian who was going to bang out the brains of the gallant captain, she pulled the savage over on his back. Old Powhatan, her father, called this proceeding a capital joke, and let Smith off. Smith, besides being a hard smoker, was the original in- ventor of the art of chewing nigger-head tobacco, for which CAPTAIN smith's PIPE, TOCACCO-Box, AND CANDLESTICK. — AW kept in the Towcr of London. invention he is greatly honored by the Virginians. One day, carelessly laying his pipe down on some gunpowder, he got badly blown up, and had to go home to England. To reward Pocahontas for saving the life of Captain Smith, the English, when she had grown a big girl, kid- napped her and kept her a close prisoner. She was the first colored person that was ever kidnapped in Virginia. While she was a prisoner, Mr. John Rolfe fell in love with her, and married her. The ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Richmond, and the wedding was attended by aU (12) COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 13 the first families in Virginia. After the wedding, the happy couple made a bridal tour to England, when that liberal monarch, King James the First, in acknowledgment of her great services to the Virginia Colony, presented her with a pair of the queen's old shoes. Pocahontas's shoes. — From the collection of Antiquities in the British Museum. The Virginians were very fond of raising tobacco, both for their own chewing and smoking, and for the London market. They planted on all the available ground they CULTURE OF TOBACCO IN VIRGINIA. 14 COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. could find. They planted it in their gardens, close to their houses, and even in the very streets of Jamestown, their capital. At first the labor of cultivating it was performed by white people. But all that is changed now, and it hap- pened in this wise: One day, there came into the harbor of Jamestown a Dutchman, with a cargo of negroes, which he had brought from Africa in a Baltimore clipper, hired for the ex- press purpose. This Dutchman, whose name was Hans Dunder und Blitzen, was the inventor of the Slave Trade. THE FIRST SLAVE SHIP. The Dutchman that inveiited the slave trade. The Virginians were very glad to have a supply of la- COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 15 borers ; and they bought all his negroes, paying him in Tobacco, which he sold at a great profit in Amsterdam. The first negro boy who was landed at Jamestown after- ward became very celebrated as Bill, the body-servant of General AVashington ; and the first negro wench that was JOYCE HETH. — From the original BILL. — From the original por- in possession of the Jamestown trait at Mount Vernon. Historical Society. landed, our readers will be very happy to learn, was no other than the celebrated Joyce, General Washington's nurse. Being now furnished with an abundant supply of "hands," the Colonists at Jamestown went on merrily with the cul- ture of tobacco, which soon became one of the great institu- tions of Virginia. CHAPTER II. SETTLEMENT OF NEW ENGLAND — ORIGIN OF THE WORD PURITANS SAILING OF THE MAYFLOWER — LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS — COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH AND ITS RESULTS — CHOWDER AND CLAM SOUP INVENTED — ENTERTAINMENT BY THE INDIANS. The settlement of New England took place after that of Virginia. It happened in rather a roundabout way, the settlers' going first to Holland and then to Massachusetts. The English lords and gentry of that period were very merry fellows, and wore long hair. One Mr. Brown brought in a fashion of cutting the hair very short, close to the head, ENGLISH LORD OF THE TIME OF THE PILGRIMS. (16) COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 1*^ EXGLISH GENTLEMEN OF THE TIME OF THE riLGKIMS. A BROWKIST OR PURITAN. vented the art of psalm -singing through the nose, and favored 2 18 COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. anxious meetings and very rigid and austere style of man- ners, which gave offense to the Enghsh court and the cava- Uers or gentlemen all over the country. So his followers, who were called Brownists, were persecuted so much that they incontinently fled to Holland, to enjoy what they called religious liberty. On their arrival in Holland they were hospitably received hy the Stadtholder of that period, who gave them a hand- some entertainment. On this occasion it was observed by the shrewd Hollanders that the Brownists drank their schnapps pure, that is, without any mixture of water or sugar. From this circumstance they received the name of Puritans, by which they are so well known in history. The Brownists lived several years in Holland, where they ELDER BREWSTER FISHING IN HOLLAND. COxMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 19 enjoyed perfect religious liberty, being allowed to crop their hair and sing psalms to their hearts' content. One of their leading men was Elder Brewster, a great theologian and trout-fisher. He was so fond of fishing that he was often seen pursuing his favorite sport among the muddy Dutch streams, Avhen it rained, as they say, cats and dogs. On these occasions Mrs. Brewster signalized her conjugal afi'ec- tion by attending on the elder with an umbrella. One evening, after a damp fishing excursion, Mrs. Brews- ter said to her husband : — " My dear, don't you think there is better trout-fishing in America than here'?" " Very likely," said the elder. "Suppose, then, we go there," said the lady. "Besides, there is another reason for going. We have now been in Holland ten years, and if we remain here always, all our chil- dren will be Dutchmen. What do you think of that, honey ?' " I never thought of that before," said the elder ; " You are a sensible woman, Mrs. Brewster, and our children shan't be Dutchmen. We will take the next steamer for America." Accordingly, an anxious meeting of the Puritans was held next day. The elder told the people it would never do to have all their children become Dutchmen, and it was de- cided to sail for America forthwith. The steamer Mayflower was char - ANXIOUS MEETING. 20 COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. tered, and the Puritans, with their wives and children, and an immense quantity of high- backed chairs and claw-feet tables, were speedily em- barked. The Dutch captain of the Mayflower hoisted the star-spangled banner, the band played Yankee Doodle, and so the party steamed merrily out of the harbor of Delft- haven, f VOYAGE OF THE MAYFLOWEE. They touched at Southampton to take the mails, and here CAPTAIN OF THE MAYFLOWER.— 4/i:er Vandyke. COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 21 they were joined by some more Puritans. These persons had intended to sail in the Speedwell ; but her machinery broke, and they all crowded on board the Mayflower, bring- ing along with them another immense quantity of high- backed chairs, claw-foot tables, and other furniture. A few gentlemen joined the party, who had urgent reasons for leaving the country, being anxious to avoid frittering away their estates by paying tradesmen's bills. tkadesmen's bills. The Mayflower appears to have had rather a long passage, as they did not make Cape Cod Light till they had been out sixty-six days. After amusing themselves with fishing for a day or two in this neighborhood, and signing a consti- tution of government, the party CAPE COD LIGHTHOD^E. One of the chief men among the Pilgrims, as they now began to be called, was Captain Miles Standish. He was- a short man, very hot-tempered, and fond of rambling in the woods, cutting down trees, and shooting Indians. Hence he is styled the pioneer of New Eng- land. The town of Salem has been cele-^ brated in all periods of history for its beautiful witches. Rambling over "^rom Plymouth to Salem, one day. Captain Standish saw and fell desperately in love with one of these- beautiful Salem witches. A long courtship followed; but the witch jilted him at last. This treatment the captain took so seriously to heart that he incontinently nailed a horseshoe over his front door to CAPTAIN STANDISH. COnRTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH, COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 25 prevent all access of witches to his house from that day forth forevermore. SwoKD of Captain Standish, his Razor, and tlie very Horseshoe which, was nailed over his door. The accommodations of the Pilgrims at Plymouth were not very good. Provisions at first were very scarce; but SETTLEMENT AT PLYMOUTH. 26 COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES the Pilgrims soon discovered plenty of clams on the beach, and soon found out the best methods of cooking them. John Carver, the first Governor of Plymouth, invented clam GOV. CARVER. chowder, and William Bradford, the second Governor, sug- gested important improvements in clam soup. He was so THE FIKST IIO:;SE THAT r>IRD. COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 27 fond of this delicious liquor, that he is said to have drunk it off as he would havd drunk schnapps. Soon after the arrival of the Pilgrims, all the horses, camels, oxen, and sheep they had brought with them, died — especially the horses. During the first winter of their residence in Plymouth, the Pilgrims saw no Indians. In the spring they received a friendly visit from Samoset, who said to them, " Welcome, Englishmen; I am glad you are not Dutchmen:" at which the Pilgrims greatly marveled. FKIENDLY VJSIT OF SAMOSET. This visit was followed that of King Massasoit, who. 28 COMIC HISTORY OF HE UNITED STATES. the next summer, gave a splendid entertainment, consisting of green corn, succotash, clams au naturel, and other delicacies of the season. The entertainment was attended KING MASSASOIT AND HIS PALACE. by the Governor of Plymouth and his suite, the Attorney- General, members of Congress, officers of the Navy and COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 29-. Army, the beauty and fashion of Plymouth, a handsome sprinkUng of Salem witches, many citizens of distinction, and the reporters of the daily press. After the wine had HouK-GLASs presented to Massasoit hy Governor Bradford. 30 COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. with Massasoit, one of the most remarkable events in New England history. After this, an Indian king, named Coobitouit, getting re fractory and threatening hostilities, Captain Standish, taking only a corporal's guard with him, went into the king's dominions, surrounded his palace, frightened him out of his seven senses, and made him sign a treaty. So say all the historians of New England. After this affair, Canonicus, chief of the Narragansetts, sent a bundle of arrows tied up with a rattlesnake's skin to the Pilgrims, by way of defiance. Governor Bradford coolly filled the rattlesnake's skin with powder and bullets, and sent it back. Thereupon Canonicus showed the white feather, and signed a treaty, with more grants of lands, which were bought by a Joint Stock Company, and laid out in town lots. Lithographed plans were sent to New York, and the lands were sold at the Exchange, bringing prices by which the Pilgrims " made a nice thing of it." Soon after the land fever was over, Pecksuot and other CAPTAIN STANDISH SLAYING TUE INDIANS. COMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 31 Indian chiefs getting saucy, and threatening to fight against the Plymouth Colony, the fiery Captain Standish got in a terrible passion, declaring that he would put an end to Indian impudence from that time forth. The governor offered to place the entire . army of the Colony at his dis- posal for the purpose ; but, taking only eight men with him, he marched straight into the enemy's country, and killed Pecksuot and sundry others with his own hand. This so terrified the Indians, says Winslow, that they forsook their homes, running to and fro like men distracted, living in swamps and other desert places, and so brought diseases on themselves, whereof many died. Here ended the first Indian wars of New England. THE END.