11 mMmdtUMtiW^HM Wi^>^W»tW#WlWWhfl^*' £/:4 Class Book ^ ( Z JCj Gopyii^htN^^^ilfi COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES BY WILBUR F. GORDY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, SPRINGFIELD, MASS.; AUTHOR OF "a HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FOR SCHOOLS," "AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES," "stories OF AMERICAN EXPLORERS," AND "COLONIAL DAYS" WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1909 I COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS ICI.A<:517 74 PREFACE This little volume is written in response to an urgent demand from many school superintendents for a narra- tive history to be used in the fifth and sixth grades of the Elementary School. In preparing it, the aim has been to select subject-matter that will most fittingly illustrate the spirit, purpose, and life of the American people, and at the same time will come within the range of the child's understanding and appeal to his interest. Such an aim involves not only the selection of typical events, but also the use of simple material. The con- crete and the personal, therefore, everywhere receive emphasis. There has been a persistent effort to make leaders and patriots the centre of great movements and important situations. By getting a glimpse of these men as they appeared to their friends and acquaintances, and also some notion, even though slight, of their per- sonal qualities, the pupil through his sympathetic imagi- nation comes into vital touch with the life of the past. In fact, in a very real sense he shares in that life, and thus not only enlarges his experience but shapes his thought and fashions his ideals after the manner of the great and the good of bygone days. To strengthen the vital quality of the narrative special attention has been given to the daily life of the people, not forgetting the part played by the boys and the girls vi PREFACE of the time. Moreover, it is hoped that the simphcity of the language and the excellent maps and illustrations will aid the pupils in getting living pictures and will thus prove valuable features of the book. But something more than vivid pictures of past reality should result from the study of history, even by young people in the grades for which this narrative is written. Some exact knowledge of historical facts should be gained. With this object in view ''Things to Remember" may be used to advantage after the reading and study of every chapter. They give in a nutshell some of the most significant facts mentioned in the text. These slight summaries, if rightly used, will fix definitely many of the typical and important events outlined in the narrative. A few significant "things" learned in this way will serve to give a quality to the pupil's knowledge which cannot result from a careless reading of ill-sorted facts, however interesting and colorful. The notes "To the Pupil " may be used to great advan- tage not only in testing his knowledge of the text, but also in stimulating his interest in men and events. The questions are not intended to cover all the facts in the text. They rather call attention to the more important ones and suggest other questions. They may be used in connection with the side topics to give variety to the recitation. Too much emphasis cannot be placed upon forming the important habit of locating every event on the map. Not only in preparing the lesson but also in reciting it maps should be brought constantly into use. Believing this, the author has taken special pains to see that the PREFACE vii maps of this book contain no useless matter. The aim has been to put into them that which will help the pupil to understand the meaning of the text. Equally important is discrimination in teaching the chronology of events. .Many dates are placed in the text to give the pupil the proper sequence. But only a few, like 1492, 1607, 1620, July 4, 1776, and 1861-1865— dates which indicate great landmarks — need be learned with absolute accuracy. In conclusion, I wish to acknowledge my obligation to Mr. Alfred M. Hitchcock, of the Hartford High School, who has read the manuscript and made many valuable suggestions; and also to my wife, without whose interest and assistance this little volume would not have been written. Wilbur F. Gordy. Springfield, Mass., October 1, 1909. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. The Discovery of America 1 II. The Spaniards in the New World 11 III. The English in the New World 17 IV. Early Colonial Days in Virginia and Maryland . . 24 V. Early Colonial Days in New England .... 41 VI. Life in New England in Early Colonial Days ... 66 VII. Early Colonial Days in New York and New Jersey . 73 VIII. Early Colonial Days IN Pennsylvania AND Delaware 83 IX. Early Colonial D.\ys in the Carolinas and Georgia 89 X. The Indians 95 XL The French in North A.merica 103 XII. The First Three Intercolonial Wars 113 XIII. The Last French War 118 XIV. How England Brought on the Revolution . . . 133 XV. The Revolution in New England 144 XVI. The Struggle for Control of the Hudson River 155 XVII. The Struggle for Control of the Hudson River — Continued 161 XVIII. Victories in the North-west and on the Sea . . . 169 XIX. The War in the South 176 XX. Years of Trial and Danger ........ 186 XXI. Early Days of the Republic ........ 190 X CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXII. The Mississippi Valley 195 XXIII. The War of 1812 ... 207 XXIV. Westward Migration ., 217 XXV. The North and the South 222 XXVI. New Territory and New Inventions 227 XXVII. Slavery and Abolition 238 XXVIII. The Outbreak of the Civil War 244 XXIX. The Blockade and War on the Sea 251 XXX. The Opening of the Mississippi River 259 XXXI. The War in the East 262 XXXII. The Last Year of the War 267 XXXIII. The New South 278 XXXIV. The New West 281 XXXV. The New Union 289 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Abraham Lincoln Frontispiece House Where Columbus Was Born 2 The Santa Maria 3 Columbus 4 The Landing of Columbus 5 Magellan's Fleet 9 Spanish Soldiers 12 De Soto's Discovery of the Mississippi 13 A Spanish Galleon or Treasure Ship of the Sixteenth Century ... 15 Old Spanish Gate at St. Augustine 1ft ■ Sebastian Cabot 18 The Great Harry, an English Ship of the Fifteenth Century ... 19 Sir Walter Raleigh 21 Queen Elizabeth 23 Jamestown in Early Days 26 John Smith 28 Smith's Determined Handling of the Indians 30 A Southern Planter 34 Slaves Loading Ships with Tobacco 35 Home of a Virginia Planter of the Colonial Period 36 - George Calvert— Lord Baltimore . .' 37 First Settlement in Maryland 40 The Mayflower 43 The Landing of the Pilgrims 45 Plymouth in Early Days 47 The Pilgrims Going to Church ... 48 A Pilgrim in Armor 49 Governor Winthrop 52 The Death of King Philip ... 55 Roger Williams in the Forest 57 - Roger Williams Making a Settlement 58 xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Thomas Hooker and His Party 61 The First Church in Hartford 62 The Pequot Fort 63 A Two-Story Block-House 66 A Log Cabin 67 A Kitchen Fireplace 68 A Wooden Tankard 69 A Schoolhouse in Early Days 69 A Jack-Knife 69 A Spinning Wheel 70 A Foot Stove 70 The Ducking Stool 71 The Stocks 71 The Pillory 72 A Matchlock Gun 72 The Half Moon on the Hudson 74 Henry Hudson and the Indians 75 New Amsterdam in Early Days 76 The Dutch Trading with the Indians 77 A Dutch Soldier 78 A Patroon 80 William Penn 85 William Penn and the Indians 86 A Wampum Belt 87 Rice 90 Indigo 90 A Mulberry Tree 91 James Oglethorpe 93 A Long House 96 An Indian Wigwam 96 Squaws Acting as Beasts of Burden 97 A Papoose on a Cradle Board 97 An Indian Chief 98 Moccasins ' 98 Indian Tomahawk 98 Indians on the War Trail 99 The Birch Canoe 99 On a Portage 100 A Dugout 100 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii PAGE Snow-Shoes 101 Indian Pipe .... 101 Indian Club 101 Indian Bow and Arrow 102 Champlain Fires the Fatal Gunshot 105 A Wood Ranger 106 Fur Traders Paddling Up-Stream 107 Marquette and Joliet on the Mississippi 108 La Salle at the Mouth of the Mississippi 110 La Salle's Death 112- The Attack on Schenectady 115 Hannah Dustin a Captive 116 The French Burying Leaden Plates . . 119 Washington Crossing the Alleghany River 122 The Expulsion of the Acadians 125 An English Soldier 126 General Wolfe 127 General Montcalm 128 A French Soldier 129 The Citadel— Quebec 130 - The Charter Oak 133 A Stamp 134 William Pitt 136 George the Third 137 Old South Church •. . . . 138. Samuel Adams 139 The Boston Tea Party 140 Patrick Henry 142 St. John's Church, Richmond 142 Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia 143 The Liberty Bell 143 A Minute Man 145 Paul Revere's Ride 146 Concord Bridge as It Is To-day 148 A Fowling Piece 148 John Hancock ,,..'.. 149 John Hancock's Home 149 Prescott at Bunker Hill 150 Bunker Hill Monument , . , ,,.... 150 xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGD The Washington Elm 15J . Washington Taking Command of the Continental Army .... 151 British and Hessian Soldiers 152 Independence Hall, Philadelphia 152 Reading the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia .... 153 Nathan Hale 157 A Hessian Soldier 158 The Marquis de Lafayette ... 161 Robert Morris 162 Reading the Declaration of Independence to American Troops . . 163 Benjamin Frankhn 164 A Printing Press 164 Old Bell Used in Camp at Valley Forge . . 165 Winter at Valley Forge 166 George Rogers Clark 171 Clark's Advance on Vincennes 172 John Paul Jones 173 The Fight Between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis . . . 174 Old Fort Putnam at AVest Point 178 The Capture of Andre 179 Marion and His Men 181 General Nathaniel Greene 182 The Evacuation of Charleston by the British 183 The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis 184 A Continental Soldier 187 Washington Taking Leave of His Officers 188 Chair Used by Washington at His Inauguration 190 Mount Vernon, the Home of Washington 190 A Ferry-Boat 191 A Mail Stage-Coach 191 Alexander Hamilton 192 An Old-Time Mail-Carrier 192 The Cotton-Gin 193 Thomas Jefferson 196 Monticello— the Home of Thomas Jefferson 196 A Pack-Horse 197 A Flatboat 197 Daniel Boone 198 Boonesboro 199 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xv PAGE AHand-MiU 200 Early Settlers 201- Lewis and Clark's Men Climbing the Rocky Mountains 205 The Impressment of American Seamen 208 The Constitution Making Her Escape from a British Fleet .... 209 Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie on His Way to the Niagara . . . 212 Fort McHenry 213 A Prairie Schooner 218 The Clermont 219 A Passenger Canal-Boat 219 Locks on the Erie Canal 220 Slaves Picking Cotton 222 A Slave's Cabin . 223 Henry Clay 224 Birthplace of Henry Clay 224 Daniel Webster 225 Marshfield, Daniel Webster's Home 225 Andrew Jackson 226 An Early Locomotive 228 An Early Type of Car 228 An Early Railroad Train 229 The Savannah — the First Ocean Steamer 230 -- The Lusitania — a Modern Ocean Liner 231 The First Telegraph Instrument 232 A Reaper 233 Sutter's Mill 235 Crossing the Plains for California 236 At the Gold Mines 236 A Caravan Being Attacked by Indians 237 Escaping by the Underground Railroad . 239 Lincoln's Birthplace 244 Lincoln as a Boatman , 245 Jefferson Davis 247 Capitol Park, Richmond, Virginia, Showing Capitol ...... 248 A Confederate Flag 248 Ruins of Fort Sumter . 249 A Blockade-Runner 258 The Sinking of the Alabama . , 254 The Merrimac 255 xvi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAQE The Monitor . . 256 A Confederate Soldier .... 259 General Robert E. Lee 264 Union Cavalry 265 United States Infantry Camp (150th Pa.) 266 General U. S. Grant 268 Military Telegraph Battery Wagon 268 13-Inch Mortar Dictator in Front of Petersburg 269 Sheridan Rallying the Troops at Cedar Creek 270 Railroad Bridge near Chattanooga 271 Sherman on the March to the Sea 272 Destroying the Railroad, Atlanta 273 The McLean House where Lee Surrendered 275-' Grand Review, 1865, Washington, D. C 276 A Steam Plough ..283 A Harvester 283 A Steam Thrasher '. 284 The Pony Express 284 The Overland Coach 285 A Train on the Union Pacific 286 Flume for Bringing Water down Mountain Side 287 Irrigating a Big Orchard in Arizona 287 The Great Eastern Laying the Atlantic Cable 289 ^^ At the Klondike Mines 290 The Statue of Liberty 292 Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie, April 24, 1889 295 Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie, May 10, 1899 ...... ^ ... 295 Cubans Drilling at Tampa, Fla •. 296 The Battleship Maine Entering Havana Harbor 297 TheOlympia 298 Rough Riders Just Before Leaving for Cuba 299 Surrender of Santiago 300 The Culcbra Cut, Panama Canal ., 302 The White House 304 \' LIST OF MAPS PAGE The First Voyage of Columbus, and Places of Interest in Connection with His Later Voyages 6 Routes Traversed by De Soto and De Leon 14 Raleigh's Various Colonies 22 Early Settlements in Virginia and Maryland 33 Early Settlements in New England 44 Early Settlements in New York and New Jersey 79 Early Settlements in Pennsylvania and Delaware 84 Early Settlements in the Carolinas and Georgia 89 English Colonies and French Claims in 1754 (Colored) 121 The French in the Ohio Valley 123 Quebec and Surroundings 127 Boston and Vicinity 147 The War in the Middle States 156 George Rogers Clark in the North-west 170 The War in the South 180 The United States in 1803, After the Louisiana Purchase (Colored) . 203 Lake Erie and Surroundings, in the Time of the War of 1812 . . . 211 Territory in Dispute between Texas and Mexico 234 The United States in 1861 (to show Free States, Seceding States, Slave StatQs that Did Not Secede, and Territories) (Colored) . 240 Campaigns in the West 200 The Country Around Washington and Richmond 203 The Route of Sherman's March to the Sea 274 The West Indies 298 The Philippine Islands 301 The Territorial Growth of the United States (Colored) 303 /^ ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES CHAPTER I THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA It seems pretty certain that America was first reached by Europeans in the tenth or the eleventh century. At that time, according to the story told by Icelanders, hardy sailors from Norway came to Iceland and Greenland. It is supposed that some of these daring explorers reached America. Among them, we are told, was Leif ^^!^ o ^ - ' Ericsson Ericsson, who, in the year one thousand, with five hundred and Viniand and thirty men, touched upon the coast of Labrador. Saihng south, he landed probably somewhere on the New England coast, and spent the winter. Because of the many grape-vines which grew there, he called the country Viniand. In the spring he went back to Greenland with a load of timber. The following year Leif's brother sailed to Viniand, where he passed two winters. In later years other Northmen visited the coast. But none remained long, for the natives were unfriendly and attacked them. Viniand was therefore soon forgotten. It was nearly five hundred years before the people of Europe again made voyages to that part of the world. They did so then under the pressure of a great need. For many hundred years Europe had carried on a large trade J^e FarEast with India and China. Merchants of Genoa, Venice, and 2 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES other ports in the Mediterranean Sea grew rich by this trade. They received from the Far East such luxuries as silks, gums, spices, ivory, and precious stones. All these things were brought by overland routes across x\sia to the ]Mediterranean Sea, and thence by sailing vessels to the Western ports. But when, in 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople, these overland routes were closed to trade, and the Mediterranean was made unsafe by Turkish pirates. From that time onward Europe began to search for an ocean route to India, China, and Japan. It was natural that Portugal and Spain, which were then two of the most powerful countries in the world, should Da Gama ^ake the lead in finding this water route. For seventy finds the " i i i • water route years Portuguese sea captains slowly but surely made their way down the west coast of Africa. At last, in 1497, Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good j i^^fS Hope, sailed on eastward to India and the I Spice Islands, and having collected a b • rich cargo of silks, jewels, and spices, L returned with it to Portugal. Thus the hT \^jf i first water route to the Far East was H ^^''^i\ S But some years before Da Gama's voy- I j p ^^if^^if age another great seaman had tried to B'^n a' " ■/' find a water route to India by sailing H west. This was Christopher Columbus. B I He failed, of course, to reach India, but m. ' ' ^ in the path of his voyage he discovered S ^--^j^ the New World. M ^^ ^ ^W Columbus was born in Genoa in 1436. W^^^^^^^ 1111 HOUSE WHERE COLDM- From boyhood days he had taken great sua was bokn THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA interest in geography, and when he grew up he became very skilful in making maps and charts. He was also fond of the sea. When about thirt3^-five years of age, he went Christopher to live at Lisbon, Portugal. At this time he was a fine- and his ideas looking man. His tall form and noble face, his clear gray eyes, and his white hair falling to his shoulders gave him a commanding presence, while his courteous manner made him pleasing to all he met. While in Lisbon he of course heard much about the Portuguese plan of reaching India and China by sailing around Africa. But he asked himself why these countries could not be reached by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean, for he believed, with many others of the time, that the world was round like a globe and that China was not more than three thou- sand miles west from Euroj^e. If he could find such a short and easy trade route to the Far East, he would bring wealth to Europe and secure honor and fame for himself. He was so taken up with his great scheme that he dreamed of it day and night. His dreams seemed "lH the more real because of the reports of Marco Polo and other travellers about the wealth and splendor of the East. ^,^"^7^!^^ td.i6S OI tJlG These men had told wonderful tales of palaces roofed East with gold, of golden rivers, of fountains of youth, and of precious stones the like of which Europe had never seen. Fired by these accounts, Columbus determined to seek a THE SANTA MARIA ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Years of trial The Sea of Darkness new route. He was not the first man to believe that the world was round, but he was the first man to be willing to test his belief by venturing out upon an unknown sea. As he was poor, he had to get money before he could carry out his })lan. First he consulted the King of Portu- gal, who refused to aid him. Then he left Portugal and went to Spain to secure the support of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. As they were then engaged in war with the Moors, and were moving their camp from place to place, it was seven years before Columbus coukl get a hearing. These were years of trial to Columbus. Men laughed at him, and even boys in the street pointed the finger of scorn. Yet he did not give up hope, and at last the king and queen Hstened to him and agreed to give him help. But his difficulties were not over. Sailors at that time called the Atlantic Ocean the Sea of Darkness. They believed it was full of dreadful monsters ready t(3 seize both men and vessels. Besides, the ships of those days were small and lightly built. They were not strong enough to battle against heavy seas. So the king had to compel sailors to go with Columbus, and in some cases criminals were taken out of prison to make up his crews. Of the three caravels made ready, the Santa Maria, the Nina, and the Pinta, none was much' larger than an ordinary fishing boat of to-day, and only one, the Santa Maria, which served as flag-ship, had a deck covering the entire hold of the vessel. COLUMBUS THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA Columbus in danger With these three vessels and one hundred and twenty men Cokimbus set sail a half hour before sunrise on August 3, 1492. We may imagine with what joy he found himself at sea. Not so the sailors. They were overcome with ^he sailors •^ overcome fear, and when they could no longer see land they wept with fear hke children. As week after week ])assed by, this fear gave way to despair. From time to time, it is true, their hearts were gladdened by the sight of birds, for this made them think that land was near. Sometimes a shout of "Land!" was heard. Then there was great excitement. But when that which their eyes had scanned melted away, they knew they had been looking at distant clouds. When the ships reached the belt of trade winds and the sailors were blown steadily farther away from home and the friends whom they expected never to see again, they were angry and despairing. They said Columbus was a ' ' c r a z y - b r a i n e d dreamer," and they plotted to throw him overboard. Columbus knew his life was in danger, but his courage did not fail. He still had faith that he would succeed. Finally, on October 11, a thorn branch with berries on it, a reed, and a carved stick came floating by. Then every heart was cheered, for these were sure signs of land. The sailors became alert. All were eager to catch a first THE LANDING OF COLUMBUS ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The landing of Columbus glimpse of land. About ten o'clock that night Columbus himself saw in the distance a moving light, and three or four hours later a sailor saw the shore, then four or five miles away. At early dawn next morning all the men went ashore. Columbus bore the royal standard. Weeping tears of Columbus honored COLUMBUS FritST VOY.K.K, 1402-3 .^-:>^'"//' ,y y-^*"' ^ CULF OF \) -■« <>»-"^>'°' /' Columbus J',' 4 MEXICO ,_r^«^./r — ^^^1 1492;3 S '5l'0RT0 KICO I. A N T Z C O C E A y PA CIFI O C£ A X THE FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS, AND PLACES OF INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH HIS LATER VOYAGES joy, he knelt and took possession of the land in the name of the King and Queen of Spain. The sailors fell upon tlieu- knees before him, kissed his hands, and begged him to for- give them for their unkind thoughts during the voyage. Columbus had landed upon one of the Bahama Islands. He thought that he had reached the East Indies and there- fore he called the natives Indians. Continuing his voyage, he sailed along the coast of Cuba and Hayti. Landing here and there, he looked for the wonderful cities of Eastern Asia, but of course he looked in vain. Early in January the return voyage was made. When he arrived in Spain, he was called into the presence of the king and queen. They honored him by rising when he entered the room and by allowing him to sit in their THE DISCOVERY OF .\MERICA 7 presence. The poor sailor, the idle dreamer, was^ow looked upon as a great man. Men of noble birth were ready to join him on a second voyage, which he took a few months later. He sailed in September, 1493, this time with seventeen vessels and fifteen hundred men. But these followers were bitterlv <^^" voyages disappointed because they did not find the silks, spices, jewels, and other precious things which they sought. Through failure and jealous}' they soon became enemies of Columbus, who now fell upon evil days. Yet he made two more voyages. In one he sailed along the northern coast of South America, and in the other along the eastern coast of Central America. Nowhere, however, did he find that which he sought. All Spain was disappointed. Many lost faith in the great navigator. Some, jealous of his fame, laid plots to ruin him. Then his friend and protector. Queen Isabella, died and left him without support. In his loneliness and dis- couragement he fell sick and died of a broken heart, httle dreaming that he had discovered a new world. A short time before Columbus discovered the American continent, .Americus Vespucius, a Florentine then hving in Spain, may have made a vovage to the Xew World. Americus ^ ' "^ - ^^ Vespucius In 1497, some have said, he was pilot on an expecUtion which reached the coast of South .\merica. It is certain that during the next ten years he sailed many times. During these voyages, which were made in the employ- ment of Spain or of Portugal, he sailed along the coast of Brazil and other parts of South America. Vespucius tells us that some of the Indians were un- friendly and shot arrows at the voyagers. Then at the 8 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The naming of the New World Magellan's plan sound of the white men's guns they ran for Ufe. Some, he says, were cannibals. One great chief boasted that he had eaten the bodies of three hundred Imman beings. But notwithstanding their unfriendly reception by the natives, the explorers were charmed with the birds of brilliant i:)lumage, the gay-colored flowers, and the mag- nificent trees. They were even ready to believe, as they were told, that the natives lived in this strange land to the age of one hundred and fifty years. The good accounts that Vespucius wrote of what he saw attracted the attention of German geographers. For this reason and because one of them believed he was the first man to discover it, the New World was called America in his honor. As we have seen, Columbus believed that the earth was round like a globe, but none of his voyages proved it. The honor of furnishing that proof belongs tq Ferdinand Magellan. He was a Portuguese who went with Da Gama on his voyage to India and the Spice Islands. Like Co- lumbus, he believed it possible to reach the land of silks and ivory by sailing west. His plan was to find a passage or strait in America through which he might sail, for it was now the common belief that America extended to the south pole. When he asked aid of his king and was re- fused, he entered the service of the Spanis!i king, and started on his famous voyage of discovery. With a fleet of five old vessels, manned by two hundred and eighty men, on September 20, 1519, he put to sea. Little did he know what troubles awaited him. Four days after the fleet left port a small vessel overtook the flag-ship with this message from the father of Magellan's THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA MAGELLAN S FLEET wife: "Be watchful. Some of your captains have said that if you give them trouble they will kill you." To make matters worse, a month of severe storms and scarcity of food and water bred a spirit of mutiny among the sullen sailors. It was nearly four months before the fleet reached the mouth of the La Plata River, and there Magellan spent three weeks in finding out that it was not a strait. During another two months he sailed along the coast of Patagonia in the midst of ceaseless and furious storms. But on the last day of March, six months after leaving the home port, he found a well-sheltered harbor, where he anchored. It is not strange that the sailors were disheartened. Magellan's '^ trials There was but little bread and wine left, and no hope of getting more. They begged Magellan to return. He stubbornly refused. Then open mutiny broke out. But he sternly put it down. A httle later one of the vessels was wrecked; yet even in the face of this discourage- ment, amid violent storms he pushed on. At length his fleet entered a passage of water which we now call the Strait of Magellan. From this place one of the ships stole away for Spain. Again the sailors on the three remaining vessels pleaded to go home. Magellan's answer was, ''I will go on if I have to eat the leather off the ship's yards." Still heading westward, they began the long, weary 10 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Famine and scurvy A long search for a northwest passage voyage across the Pacific. The sailors suffered from famine and scurvy. Many died. The survivors kept alive only by eating the skins and leather bound about the great ropes of the shij)s. Thus were the words of Magellan made true. At last they came to the Philippine Islands. Upon landing they had a desperate fight with the natives and had to retreat to their boats. Their l(3ss was heavy. Fearless, Magellan was, as always, the last in retreat. The natives pressed closely about him, bore him to the earth, and slew him. What were left of his men lifted anchor and steered their course homeward. It was still a long voyage. Not until September G, 1522, nearly three years after leaving Spain, did they arrive at the home port. Only one vessel returned, manned by eighteen starving sailors, who looked like staggering skeletons. This was the greatest voyage that had ever been made. It i^roved beyond doubt that the earth was round. More- over, the question in men's minds whether the land dis- covered by Columbus was really the East Indies, as he supposed, was also answered. America, beyond any doubt, was a new continent. Other great sea captains now began to search for a passage through America to the South Sea, as they called the Pacific Ocean. For although Magellan had found a passage, it was so far south' that the voyage through it to Asia was too long to be of advantage to trade. A route farther north was desired. If the New World was not very wide, a passage through it would make a short route to India, China, and Japan. For the next two hundred THE SPANIARDS IN THE NEW WORLD 11 years, therefore, navigators and explorers sought a north- west passage through North America as the shortest water route to the trade of eastern Asia. THINGS TO REMEMBER 1. Bold sailors from Norway were the first Europeans to reach America (1000). 2. Christopher Columbus, in trying to find a water route to India by sailing westward, discovered America in 1492. 3. The New World was called America in honor of Amer- icus Vespucius. 4. Magellan by his voyage proved that America was a continent and that the earth was round like a globe. TO THE PUPIL 1. Tell in your own words what Leif Ericsson did. 2. Why did Spain and Portugal wish to find a water route to India, China, and Japan ? 3. Why did Columbus think he could reach these countries by sail- ing across the Atlantic ? 4. Imagine yourself with Columbus and tell what happened on his first voyage. 5. What was the great work of Columbus ? What do you admire about him ? 6. What did Magellan do ? What do you admire in him ? 7. It is a good plan for you to make constant use of your map. CHAPTER II THE SPANIARDS IN THE NEW WORLD When Columbus made his second voyage to the New World, the Spaniards who went with him were eager for the gold and precious stones which they expected to find. Some, also, were eager for adventure. Among these was Ponce de Leon, who had been made governor of Porto Rico. 12 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The Fountain of Youth De Leon discovers Florida Narvaez in search of gold Rumor came to this aged soldier, whose health was somewhat broken, of a Fountain of Youth not far to the north. He was told that its waters would heal all his diseases and make him young again. Longing to drink at this magic source, he obtained permission from tlie king to explore and conquer the island where the fountain flowed. Sailing west from Porto Rico, in due time he reached land. This he named Florida from Pascua Florida, the Spanish name for Easter Sunday, the day on which he landed (1513). Of course the search was fruitless and he had to return home. I3ut although he found no Fountain of Youth, he discovered the country and gave it a name. Several years later, while making a second attempt to find the foun- tain, De Leon was killed by the Indians. Still another Spaniard who sought for gold in the New World was Narvaez. With four hundred men he anchored in Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida (1528). Marching inland with a company of three hundred men, he found, instead of gold, only a pathless wilderness and unfriendly Indians. The explorers suffered so for lack of food that they had to kill and eat their own horses. Disappoint- ed, they returned to the coast only to find their vessels gone. spamsh soldiers THE SPANIARDS IN THE NEW WORLD 13 At last, having built more vessels, with a scant supply of food and water they set sail westward. But on reach- ing the mouth of the Mississippi River they were ship- wrecked. Two of their boats were destroyed and two others cast ashore. Only four of the company es- caped alive. These men travelled more than two thousand miles and at the end of eight years reached the Gulf of Cahfornia, where by good fortune they found themselves among friends, at a Spanish outpost. Another Spanish explor- er who was eager to gain wealth, glory, and power was Hernando de Soto. At his request the king grant- ed him permission to conquer and settle Florida. He had already been to the New World, and it was there- ^^ Soto's purpose fore easy for him to get followers. Six hundred men, some of them from noble families, eagerly joined his expedition. In 1539 the whole company, with two hundred and twenty-five horses, landed at Tampa Bay. Then their troubles began. The journey inland was full of terror. The Indians were unfriendly. But when the Spaniards begged their leader to return, De Soto's grim answer was, "I will not turn back until with my own eyes I have seen the poverty of this country." DE SOTO S DISCOVl^KY OF Tilt Mlssltebll'I'I 14 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES ■X r/'" '^vl "^^v^ nh^^ 0'% / ^\ \ 1-2 [? Route ji-g j'^ >r '^ ^ly '^^•mL'3 '' T '^^ *\ * P /'rf. 1 "8 *«. t-®S''!'^;;T^''S!!?'*«lw{^i»>.'^ ^ nf> * ** p" ' '^'^!ji*^ ^*\InsV1'^V^'-c ^/?; >^j;i Tam^ja Bay^ ^ ^« 'v G ulf of Mearico "vt^s) vl'^ 1 ^1**^ /(^ • V£ //q I 'Sfi* ^ |~ ••■••' pgy-- He was cruel to the Indians. He cared nothing for their sufferings. Some he put to death and others he enslaved. They hated him bitterly and took their revenge. They promised to conduct him to a place where gold was plentiful. Eagerly the white men followed. They wandered many miles through patliless wilderness and suffered much from lack of food. Sometimes they had only berries, nuts, bear-oil, and wild honey. In the end they found a wild solitude. The Indians HOUTKS TRAVERSED B Y DE SOTO AND DE LEON' Jl ^ (1 d C C e 1 V C d t ll C m Their condition was pitiful. The men longed to return to home and friends, but De Soto was unyielding. "No," h^ said; ''we must go forward." At last they reached the banks of the Mississippi at a point where the river was more than a mile wide. After spending nearly a month in building boats, they crossed in safety. Then De Soto marched westerly. They found many Indian tribes, but still no gold. Finally hope died, and De Soto decided to go to the coast to build ships with which to send for aid. During the three years of struggle and suffering in the forest, he had lost two hundred and fifty men. Tired and spirit-worn, he soon fell sick himself, and a severe fever carried him off. His followers buried his body near the Indian village where they happened to be, but fearing to have the Indians know that their leader was dead, they THE SPANIARDS IN THE NEW WORLD 15 took it up again. Then wrapping it in blankets made heavy with sand, during the dark hours of night they lowered it into the black waters of the Mississippi. Thus died De Soto, the discoverer of the greatest river of the continent. The Spaniards were so busy in their search for gold that they allowed the French to make the first settlement in Flor- ida. At this time all France was astir with the civil war between the A SPANISH GALLEON OR TREASURE SHIP OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY Huguenots (French Prot- estants) and the Catholics. As the Catholics were getting the better of the Huguenots, Coligny, the great Huguenot leader, sought a refuge for his people in America. Accordingly, in 1562, he sent out a small colony to a place where Port Royal, South Carolina, now stands. But the settlers, not being the kind of men to meet the ?'^?„^^^'?<^^ ' * ^ _ m Florida demands of a rough backwoods life, soon tired and sailed back to France. Two years later Coligny sent out another colony, which went to St. John's River, many miles south of the first colony. These men also were unfit for their task and were soon in need of food. They were saved from starving only by the coming of new colonists with fresh supplies. But this glimmer of light soon went out completely. The Spanish king was so angry with the French for mak- 16 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The Span- iards in Florida ing homes on what he called Spanish soil that he sent a body of soldiers to destroy them. First the Spaniards built a fort. This was the beginning of St. Augustine, which is now the oldest town in the eastern part of the United States. Then they attacked the French settle- ment and brutally put to death at least seven hundred men, women, and children. A few only, perhaps a half dozen, escaped, and after pass- ing through many dangers, at last got back to France. Hearing of this massacre, a French ^nlrf, *'r leader fitted out, at his own expense, '^^S ;,^ an expedition for the purpose of punishing the Spaniards in Florida / ' / I for their cruelty. He captured two forts and put to death nearly all the Spanish soldiers. As his force was not strong enough to attack St. Augustine, he returned to France in the following year, leaving the Spaniards in control. CLD SPANISH GATE AT ST. AUGUSTINE THINGS TO REMEMBER 1. De Leon in searching for the Fountain of Youth discovered Florida (1513). 2. l)e Soto, who spent three years in looking for gold, discovered the Mississippi River (1542). 3. The Spaniards built a fort in Florida, which was the beginning of St. Augustine (1565). TO THE PUPIL 1. What was De Leon looking for, and what did he find ? 2. Explain how De Soto and his followers suffered. THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD 17 3. What was the best thing De Soto did ? What do you think of him ? 4. Remember that Columbus discovered America in 1492, and that De Soto discovered the Mississippi about fifty years later. CHAPTER III THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD At the time when Columbus sailed on his first voyage of discovery, another sea captain was planning to sail westward in search of the Indies. This was John Cabot, a Venetian living in Bristol, England. He had travelled Jo^n » ' ^ , Cabot much and had spent some time in Mecca, Arabia, where he had seen many caravans laden with spices. When he was told that they came from countries far away, he said to himself, ''They come from eastern Asia, and I can reach there by sailing west." After returning to England, he asked King Henry VII to let him go on a voyage of dis- covery. The king gave his consent. It was not until May, 1497, however, nearly five years after Columbus had first sailed, that Cabot stood out to sea. He went at the expense of some Enghsh Reaches * ^ the mam- merchants, with only one small vessel and eighteen men. land of Holding his course westerly, he landed on the coast of America Labrador. He was, therefore, the first navigator to reach the mainland of North America, for Columbus did not touch the continent until 1498. On Cabot's return to England he was called the Great Admiral. Honors were showered upon him, and the simple sea captain now dressed in handsome raiment, like the noted men of those , times. The following year he and his son Sebastian, with 18 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES ''^^V Spain and England five or six vessels, made another expedition. They sailed along the coast of Nova Scotia and went as far south as what is now North Carolina. Upon these discoveries of the Cabots England later based her claims to the continent. For a long time, however, the Enghsh thought very httle about the discovery, and America was regarded merely as a barrier blocking the way to Asia. They honored Cabot as a sea captain, yet his voyages meant little to the people of that day, because he had not suc- ceeded in bringing home the merchan- dise of the East. It was nearly a hundred years before other English navigators crossed the Atlantic. Meantime Spain was growing rich from the mines of Under the leadership of Cortez * and Pizarro, Spanish explorers had paid into the treasury of Spain gold and silver which would now be worth, as some think, five thousand million dollars. She was using this gold and silver to increase her power over other countries of Europe. As a Catholic country she vras at war for many years with the Netherlands, and later with England, both of which were Protestant countries. She even hoped to conquer England. With good reason, then. Englishmen hated Spain, and a well-known English sea captain, Francis Drake, made himself famous by capturing Spanish vessels loaded with * Cortez conquered Mexico in 1519-1521. Pizarro conquered Peru in 1531-1533. SEBASTIAN CABOT Mexico and Peru. THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD \9 golden treasures, and by attacking Spanish settlements in various parts of the world. In 1576, aided by friends, Drake secured command of a Drake's fleet of five ships. It was fitted out at great expense, violent and sailed early in November, 1577. The following ^^"'"'"^ August he entered the Strait of Magellan. For two weeks his vessels were tossed by violent storms, but finally made a safe passage, al- though a little later one deserted and another was lost. Before entering the strait he had already lost two others. His flag-ship only, the Golden Hind, now remained. With this single vessel, however, he bravely faced all danger and continued his voyage. Sailing northerly along the western coast of South America, after many weeks he made a harbor at or near what is now San Francisco. Indians in large numbers flocked to the shore to give him welcome. They believed that he and his men were gods, and insisted upon putting a crown on his head and hanging chains of bone about his neck. This was all to show that they wished him for their king. After a brief visit he put to sea once more and. The second 1 . . . voyage directing his course west and south, sailed around the around the Cape of Good Hope. Then heading northward he finally arrived in England in November, 1580, after a THE GREAT HARRY, AN ENGLISH SHIP OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY world 20 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Raleigh and Gilbert Sir Walter Raleigh voyage of nearly three years. Francis Drake was thus the second navigator to sail around the world. Upon his return, Queen Elizabeth dined on board the Golden Hind, and there made a knight of the brave captain who had carried the English flag around the world. He was now called Sir Francis Drake. Another famous English sea captain was Walter Raleigh. Like other great English navigators of his time, ho hated Spain and did much to weaken her power. He was also eager to find a northwest })assage to China. In company with his half brother. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, he tried a new plan. In 1578 the two captains sailed with a colony for Newfoundland. They wished to plant a settlement there, and from that place to sail in search of a north- west passage to China. But on account of misfortunes at sea they never reached Newfoundland. A few years later Sir Plumphrey Gilbert made another attempt. This also failed. In the mean time Raleigh had won the favor of Queen Elizabeth. She made him a knight and gave him costly gifts, even great estates. He lived now in much splendor. As a friend and follower of the queen, his dress was rich and dazzling. We may picture him as wearing a suit of silver armor glittering with precious stones, a hat with a pearl band and a black jewelled feather, and shoes tied with white ribbons and studded with gems. I^ut in the midst of •aW his wealth and extravagant living, Raleigh's thoughts roamed over the sea. He still wished to plant a colony, for he believed that in this way the greatest good would come to England. The attempt at Newfoundland had failed, but he believed the country THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD 21 lust north of Florida would be more favorable. In 1584 Sends two *" . ' vessels to therefore, with the consent of Queen Elizabeth he fitted the New out, at his own expense, two vessels and sent them under trusty captains to find out what sort of country this was. These vessels landed on an island in Pamlico Sound. After looking about for six weeks the exploring party returned to England with such glowing accounts of the new country that Queen Elizabeth called it Virginia in honor of herself, the Virgin Queen. The next year Raleigh sent out to Vir- ginia seven vessels, with one hundred and eight settlers. Sir Richard Grenville, a famous seaman, was commander of the fleet, and Ralph Lane was governor of the colony. They landed at Roanoke Island, where they made a settlement. But instead of tilling the soil, they spent their time in hunting for gold. Their minds were so bent upon getting rich that they believed the shell beads w^iich the Indians wore were pearls, and the old idea of find- ing a northwest passage to India took possession of them. They listened eagerly, therefore, when the Indians said, ''The Roanoke River flows out of a fountain in a rock, and Raleigh's first colony this rock is so near the Pacific Ocean that in time of storm the waves dash over into the fountain. The river," they added, ''is near rich mines of gold and silver in a country containing a town with walls made of pearls." Lane and some of his men foolishly sailed up the Roanoke in search of this wonderful land. They found, as usual, unfriendly tribes, and suffered so much from SIR WALTER RALEIGH 22 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The home- sick settlers Raleigh's second colony RALEIGH S VARIOUS COLONIES hunger that they had to kill their two dogs f(3r food. Returning, they reached Roanoke Island barel}' in time to save their friends from being murdered by the Indians. By -rare good fortune, Sir Francis Drake a little later anchored near the settlement, with a fleet of twenty-three vessels. He had come from the West Indies, where he had been plun- dering Spanish vessels and settlements. He agreed to let the home- sick settlers return to England on his fleet. They took with them no gold and silver, but carried other things of greater value. These were products of the soil — the white potato, Indian corn, and tobacco. It soon became the fashion in England to smoke tobacco after the manner of the Indians, who drew in the smoke and blew it out through their nostrils. Although the practice was strongly opposed by the king, men and women of high station in England smoked because they thought tobacco was good for the health. Some English- men used pipes with bowls of walnut shells and stems of straw. Raleigh smoked a silver pipe. Although his first colony failed, Raleigh was willing to make a second attempt. Two years later, therefore, he sent over three ships with one hundred and fifty settlers, including seventeen women and eleven children. John White was the governor of the new colony. They THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD 23 landed at Roanoke Island. Before long they were greatly in need of help, and begged White to return to England for provisions and more settlers. When he reached England, he found his countrymen were preparing to meet the attack of a great Spanish fleet called the Spanish Armada. As England needed for her defence all the ships and seamen she could muster, Raleigh was unable to send any help to his dis- tant colony. It was therefore almost three years before Governor White returned to Roan- oke. Then none of his friends could be found. Raleigh sent out five yUi-ExN' fcLIZABETH expeditions in search of them, but without success' What became of the lost colony no one has ever learned. His desire to make a new England in America was so strong that in his attempts to plant a colony Raleigh had spent a sum which would now be equal to two miUions ^^^* of dollars. He was unable to do more. His colony failed, taught the but he taught the English that they should value the New World not so much for gold and silver as for the homes they might build for themselves and their children. 24 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES THINGS TO REMEMBER 1. John Cabot landed on the coast of Labrador (1497) one year before Columbus reached the mainland of the New World. 2. Francis Drake was the second navigator to sail around the world. 3. Sir Walter Raleigh planted two colonies in the New World (1585 and 1587), both of which failed. He taught the EnglLsh to use the New World for building homes for themselves and their children. TO THE PUPIL 1. Remember that John Cabot discovered the mainland of the New World before Columbus did, and that upon this discovery England later claimed North America. 2. Why and in what way did Francis Drake try to injure Spain ? What important thing did he do ? 3. Explain in your own words why Sir Walter Raleigh's two colo- nies failed. What did he teach England ? What do you admire about him ? 4. Raleigh tried to plant his colonies about a hundred years after Columbus discovered America. 5. Are you tracing every event on the map ? CHAPTER IV EARLY COLONL\L DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND VIRGINIA About twenty years after Sir Walter Raleigh's failure to plant a colony, a body of merchants and rich men, called tlie London Com])any, decided to attempt a settle- ment in the New World. Their expectation was that the colony, by discovering gold and silver and by building up trade, would make them rich. EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 25 As the king claimed that the land belonged to him, their first step was to get a charter. This was a parch- J^^^^^^, ment containing a statement of just what land they should occupy and what they should be allowed to do. The king having granted a charter, the London Com- pany sent out one hundred and five settlers. They were not fit for the hardships of life in a new country. About half of them were ''gentlemen," or men who had not learned to work with their hands. There were no Jg^^tiers farmers among them, and no women, for they were not planning to build up homes. They were coming to America to pick up a fortune and then return to England to live at ease for the rest of their lives. The strange notions which the people of those times had as to the wealth of the New World is shown in an old play in which one of the characters is made to speak as follows: "I tell thee, gold is more plentiful there than copper is with us. Why, man, all their dripping pans are pure gold ; all the prisoners they take are fettered in gold ; and for rubies and diamonds they go forth on holidays and gather 'em by the sea-shore to hang on their children's coats and stick in their children's caps." With some such rosy expectation of their future the colonists set out from London on New Year's Day, 1607. They sailed in three frail vessels, with Captain Newport in ^^jq^'J^'Jj" command. Instead of heading straight across the ocean age as steamers do now, they first went southward to the Canar}^ Islands, as Columbus did, and then westward to the West Indies, where they delayed for some time. This roundabout voyage took them four months. They had planned to land on Roanoke Island, but being 26 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Jamestown JAMESTOWN IN EARLY DAYS @ The scarcity of food driven out of their course by a storm they entered Chesajjcake Bay. Here they found a quiet harbor and called it Point Comfort. After resting for a while, the voyagers passed on up the river, which they called the James, in honor of their king. This part of their journey was very pleasant, for it was in early ]\Iay. The trees ^.. _- _ ^. -h' I-r:^,^...- • ,,' - were in full bloom, and flowers of many colors covered the low banks of the river. About fifty miles from the mouth they chose a ])lace to settle and called it Jamestown. After landing on May 13, their first business was to build a fort for defence against the Indians. Then they had to provide themselves dwellings. These were either log cabins with roofs of sage or bark, or tents made of old sails, or in some instances merely holes dug in the ground. Equally simple was their first church. Its reading desk was a board nailed to trees, its seats logs of wood, and its roof an old sailcloth stretched overhead. But hardly had the colonists settled before trouble began to press upon them. Their long voyage of four months had used up much of their food, yet Captain Newport, instead of returning to England for more, had gone first on an ex]3loring expedition up the James River. By the time he left for England there was so little food that the settlers were put on short rations. Each man EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 27 had daily only a pint of wheat or barley, and this was already spoiled. To add to their distress the Indians were unfriendly. Only a short time after the colonists reached Jamestown, two hundred Indians had attacked the settlement. In this encounter one white man was killed and eleven others wounded. The settlers, therefore, had to take sickness and surfer- turns in doing sentinel duty, each man serving every ing at third night. During the long hours of their watch they often lay upon the bare ground and, already weak from lack of food, many fell ill. Fever and other diseases, brought on by the intense heat and the damp air rising from swamps and marshes, soon thinned their number. Said one, in writing of these trying times, "Our men night and day (lay) groaning in every corner of the fort, most pitiful to hear. And if there were any conscience in men, it would make their hearts to bleed to hear the pitiful murmurings and outcries of our sick men without relief, every night and day for the space of six weeks; some departing out of the world, many times three or four in a night." By the close of September nearly half of the settlers had died. All must have perished but for the bravery of John Smith. He was a young man, at this time twenty-eight years of age, who according to his own story had been the hero of many strange adventures. Twice he had |°^."L, barely escaped death, once by robbers and again by drown- adventures ing. Three times he had fought with powerful Turkish captains, and each time killed his man. Whether or not these tales be true, we know that at this time his courage and bold leadership held the Virginia colony together. 28 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Smith and Pocahontas Pocahontas brings food to James- town When autumn came, conditions changed for the better. The cold weather put an end to the fever. Wild swans, geese, and ducks flocked to the rivers and streams, and fish became plentiful. The ripened corn was at hand to be made into bread. It was natural that the gold hunters should now wish t(j begin the search for the short passage to the Pacific Ocean, which they believed to be not far west from Jamestown. With John Smith as leader, nine white men and two Indian guides started up the Chickahominy River. But they had not gone far when Smith was cap- tured by Indians. He gives a glowing account of what happened to him dur- ing the next few weeks. After many adventures he was taken to the long house of the Indian chief, Powhatan. Here, after some talk about what they should do with him, the Indians decided to put him to death. But just as they were about to dash out his brains, Pocahontas, a little Indian girl about twelve years of age, fell upon him, and begged her father, Powhatan, to spare his life. This the Intlian chief consented to do. When Smith returned to Jamestown after an absence of four weeks, he found the colonists without food. But that very day Captain Newport returned from England with fresh supfilies and with one hundred and twenty new colonists. Moreover, Pocahontas, attended by a band of Indian braves, soon came to the settlement, bringing corn, venison, and wild fowl, as she now formed a habit of doing. JOHN SMITH EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 29 The following summer Smith explored the Potomac River and various parts of Chesapeake Bay. He sailed three thousand miles and made very accurate maps of the country. On his return to Jamestown in September (1608), he was made president of the council. Again Captain Newport was just arriving from England with supplies, and seventy new colonists. He reported that the London Company were not altogether pleased that the settlers had found no gold and silver. On hearing this, Smith was angry, for he felt that the company knew ^l^^^ very httle about the trials and troubles of the colony. Answer" When, therefore, Newport returned to England the fol- lowing November, Smith in his ''Rude Answer" said to the company, ''We have sent you small quantities of tar, glass, soap ashes, and clapboards. When you send again, I beg you to let us have but thirty carpenters, husband- men, gardeners, fishermen, blacksmiths, masons, and diggers up of roots well provided, (rather) than a thousand of such as we have." Not many weeks after Smith became president a new danger threatened Jamestown. The Indians were again unfriendly. They began to realize, as the English in- creased in numbers, that the newcomers intended to re- main in the country for good. There were now two hun- dred " pale faces " in Jamestown, thriftless men who could not provide themselves with food. So the Indians planned f '"L*^/^^ to starve them out. They refused to let them have any Indians corn, and began to ask them how long they intended to remain. It was clear to Smith that the settlers must take a brave stand. With a company of about forty armed Englishmen he went to Powhatan's village and demanded 30 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Smith's firm rule corn. The guns were effective. He got the corn, and by his masterful handhng of the Indians prevented further trouble with them during his brief stay in the colony. It was well for Jamestown that Smith could also con- trol his own people, for, not long after he had forced corn from the Indians, a new cal- amity faced him. Swarms of rats, brought over in New- port's ships, ate up nearly all the food. When Smith heard of this he cried out, "If we are not to starve, every man must turn to and lend a helping hand. You have made me your leader, and you must obey me. He that will not work shall not eat." This law was strictly enforced. The shiftless set- tlers complained bitterly, but thoy joined together in cutting down trees, building houses, clearing up the land, and planting corn. As we should expect, the outlook of the colony at once began to brighten. Had Smith remained at Jamestown, no doubt everything would have gone well. But on account of an accident he had to go to, England for medical treatment. When he left Jamestown, there were five hundred set- tlers. Besides a storehouse, there were fifty or sixty dwellings, all strongly defended by palisades of logs twelve to fifteen feet high. There were also twenty can- SMITII S DETEKMINED IIANDUNG OF THE INDIANS EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 31 non, three hundred muskets, with horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs. This was a good beginning for a thrifty settlement. But he left behind no leader to take his place. Soon the Indians began to rob and plunder. They killed the hogs and shot down the settlers themselves. When cold weather set in, sickness and suffering were in every house, and sometimes there were several deaths in a single The starv- ' ^ mg time day. Before the end of winter the food was used up. To keep from starving, the people had to eat roots and herbs, and then their dogs and horses. Having consumed all these, they were driven to devouring the bodies of their own dead. At the close of that dreadful winter, called the "starving time," barely sixty of the five hundred men were left alive. Early in the following May, when two shiploads arrived from England, they found the settlers in Jamestown stag- gering from weakness and unable to do any work. As provisions were scarce, the entire number decided to sail ^^^^ ^^^^" ^ ' ware ar- back to England. But before they got out of the mouth rives of the James River they met Lord Delaware, the new governor, with three ships bearing men and supplies. Lord Delaware made wise laws and the colonists took hold in earnest. They built houses and forts, chopped down trees, and did whatever other work was needed. The colony began to prosper. But failing health forced Lcrd Delaware, the following year, to return to England, and Sir Thomas Dale was left in control of the colony. It was well that he was a stern ruler, for in a few months another company of emigrants, a quite worthless set, was sent out from England. He 32 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Dale's reform Rapid growth of the colony punished without mercy those who would not obey his severe laws. He flogged some, he branded others with hot irons, and he sentenced one man to death by starvation. He was cruel, but he brought about a much needed reform. Ever since the settlement of Jamestown, the colony had kept up the foolish plan of having a common storehouse. Into this every man put the j^roduct of his labor, and from it all had their needs supplied. The result was that thirty or forty men of energy did the work, while the rest would do nothing but eat, sleep, and waste their time. Dale's plan was to see that every man did his full share of the work. Each settler was to have three acres of land to himself, and was to turn into the common storehouse six bushels of corn a year. The rest of the crop was his own to be used as he pleased. The new plan worked well from the first. The shiftless had to labor or starve, and the thrifty kept for themselves what they earned. A true working spirit at once made itself felt in Virginia. Moreover, the culture of tobacco now jaelded a large return for labor. Another reform brouglit encouragement. Up to this time, the settlers had no share in the management of the colony. But in 1619 a new charter was granted which allowed each settlement — there were now eleven in all — to send two delegates to a representative assembly to help make the laws. The government consisted of three parts: the Governor, the Council, and the Assembly. Now that each man could keep for himself what he earned and have a share in making the laws, a better class of settlers found their way to Mrginia. Men with families were wilhng to bring their wives and children to EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 33 the new land. Within a year from the time the colony began to make laws for themselves, the people increased in number from six hundred to four thousand. The same year that the colony received its new charter Wives for the settlers (1619), the London Company sent out ninety young women to become wives of the settlers. Each settler had to win the consent of the one he chose for his bride. When he had done so, he paid the Company one hundred and fifty pounds, which was the cost of her pas- sage from England. The planters had now many reasons for being contented. They were making money rapidly by raising tobacco, and were growing in strength by a steady increase in their numbers. By 1622 the settlements extended from the coast up the James River as far as the present site of Rich- mond, and five or six miles on either side of the river. In some places the settlers had put up blockhouses and strong palisades in order that they might better defend themselves against attacks. Yet they feared no attack. For years EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 34 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Opekan- kano's plot Indian at- tacks they had been hving on a footing of peace and good-wili with the red men. The settlers freely visited the Indian villages, and the Indians freely visited the homes of the white men. But a change was about to take place. In 1618 Pow- hatan died, and his brother Opekankano became ruler. The new chief at once began secretly to I)lot the murder of all the white settlers in ^'irginia. In 1G22 he had a good excuse for bringing his plot to a head. An Indian called "Jack of the Feather" killed a settler, and in return the settlers killed him. Opekankano told the Indians that the white men must be punished, and he appointed a day for the massacre. But the Indians continued to ai)]^ear very friendly. Even on the day when .the out- break took ]5lace they took game as pres- ents to the colonists and sat down as friends at their tables. At an hour agreed upon, furious Indian attacks were made throughout the Virginia settlement, and before sunset on that day three hundred and forty-seven settlers had been slain. On many ])lan- tations all were murdered, and there was hardly a house- hold of which at least one member was not killed. The white men arose in their might, hunted down the Indians like wild beasts, and put them to death by hundreds. Having overcome the Indians, the colonists again took up the work of peace, which was mostly the culture of tobacco. As tobacco used up the soil rapidly, it was A SOUTHERN PLANTER EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 35 necessary for the planters to have large plantations. To The need cultivate these they had to have many laborers. This demand was first met by bringing over poor boys and girls who were bound to service until they should grow up. Later there came men who worked for a number of years to pay for their passage. These were called in- dentured servants. As need for laborers came to be more pressing, men were kidnapped in Eng- land and forced onto vessels sailing for Vir- ginia. Finally, negroes were brought over, the first cargo being brought by the Dutch in 1619. Now that the settlers could own their land, make their laws, secure a good supply of laborers, and get large profits from cultivating tobacco, they raised more and more of this crop every year. In fact they found that it paid better than anything else. Each planter tried to secure a plantation which faced upon some river, for there were many rivers in eastern Virginia. Thus he might have his own wharf where he '^°^^!^^° ^ ° _ and trade could load his tobacco. If a vessel could not sail up to with Eng- the wharf, the tobacco was loaded on rafts and pushed down stream. Sometimes hogsheads containing the tobacco were rolled down to the landing over what were SLAVES LOADING SHIPS WITH TOBACCO land 36 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Only a few towns called ''rolling roads." Passing through the hogshead was an axle, and to this were fastened shafts by means of which an ox or a horse pulled the tobacco to the wharf. When the vessel which took the planter's tobacco to England returned, it brought household furnitin^e, such as chairs and tables; cooking utensils, such as pots and kettles; farming implements, like axes, hoes, and ploughs; and clothing. In fact almost every- thing the planter need- ed for his house and for his plantation was brought from England by vessel to his wharf. Although the ])lanters lived at long distances from each other, the many rivers and smaller streams made it easy for them to visit one another. But if they could ncjt reach their neighbors by water, they were very likely to ride on horseback over bridle paths through the forest. As the people lived on plantations and traded almost wholly with England, there were few towns in Virginia, for centres of trade were not needed. HOME OF A VIRGINIA PLANTER OF THE COLONIAL PERIOD THINGS .TO REMEMBER 1. The first settlement in Virginia was made at Jamestown in 1607. 2. John Smith by his firmness and "jood sense in dealing with the Indians and with the settlers saved the colony from ruin. 3. Dale's plan was to do away with the common storehouse. 4. EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 37 In 1619 the first negro slaves were brought to Virginia, people lived mostly on plantations and grew tobacco. 5. The TO THE PUPIL 1. Why did the London Company wish to plant a colony in the New World ? What was a charter ? 2. What kind of men were the Jamestown settlers ? Describe their first dwellings and their church. Try to imagine yourself one of their number and explain how they suffered during the first siunmer. 3. What did Pocahontas do for John Smith and the colony ? 4. How did he save Jamestown from ruin ? What do you like about him ? 5. What excellent change did Dale bring about ? 6. Tell the story of the uprising of the Indians. 7. Why did nearly all the settlers live on plantations and raise to- bacco ? MARYLAND At the time when the Jamestown settlers were striig- ghng with disease, famine, and the Indians, the Catholics in England were also having an unhappy experience. Some of them were fined and some thrown into prison because they refused to attend the services of the Church of England. One of their Lord Balti- 1 X 1 T-. 1 • more's number, Lord Baltimore, earn- colony estly wished to lead a body of men and women of his faith to a place where they could worship God in their own way without fear of punishment. He therefore asked the King of England, who was his friend, for a charter which would allow him to plant such a colony in an unsettled region north of the Potomac River. By the GEORGE CALVERT— LORD BALTIMORE 38 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The landing of the settlers The In- dians friendly king's request this colony was called Maryland, in honor of the queen, Henrietta Maria. In November, 1633, two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, stood out to sea. There were on board between two and three hundred settlers, twenty of whom were gentlemen and the rest laborers. They had with them a good supply of food and tools, which Lord Baltimore had provided at his own expense. After a voyage of about three months they reached Point Comfort, Virginia. Having rested for eight or nine days, they sailed north to the Potomac, and near its mouth they landed on a little wooded island. Here they planted a cross as a sign that the land was to be settled by a Christian people. To them it was a beautiful land. They were charmed with the strange trees, the wild grape- vines, the flocks of wild turkeys, and the bright-colored birds. The blue-jay, the scarlet tanager, and the oriole seemed like messengers of hope. Sailing on up the Potomac, they entered St. Mary's River, Here was a good harbor and they landed and made a settlement at St. Mary's. They found the Indians peaceful and friendly, and bought from them a tract of land which they paid for with axes, hoes, and cloth. These Indians seemed glad to have the white strangers dwell in their country. They had been so cruelly treated by a stronger tribe to the north that perhaps they ex- pected the white men to 'aid them against their enemies. At all events, they let them have a part of their village, and one of their chiefs gave up his cabin to Father White to be used as a chapel. The Indian braves joined the white men in their work, and the squaws taught the white EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 39 women how to make bread of pounded corn. When later the Indians brought wild turkeys and venison to the settlement, they received a fair price and often spent the night with the colonists. Although the Indians gave the settlers no trouble, the people of Virginia did. They were angry because the Maryland settlers were occupying land once given to them. They disliked, also, to have a Catholic colony for such close neighbors. But people of all Christian faiths found a welcome in Maryland, and they came not only from the Old World but from other colonies of the New World. Among them aii°chds- were many Puritans who, before many years, formed a *^^° faiths '' ' J J J welcome powerful party. Then they turned against those who had been friendly to them, drove the Catholics out of office, and managed the affairs of the colony in their own way. The turmoil lasted for a period of years, but finally the Catholics again came into control of the colony and allowed all Christians to worship in their own way. In spite of these drawbacks Maryland grew and pros- pered. The climate was mild and healthful, the soil fertile, and game plentiful. In the forests were deer, pro^spers"^ turkeys, and pigeons; in the streams swans, geese, and ducks; and in Chesapeake Bay oysters and crabs were abundant. As in Virginia, nearly all the people lived on plantations, most of which were connected by water. Travel was largely by means of boats and canoes, which were con- stantly going back and forth between the plantations. On land, travel was by horses. There were no carriages, people ^ Everybody rode, and although highways were few there travelled 40 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The plan- tation and trade with England No chance for towns to grow were plenty of bridle-paths through the forests. Yet so wild was the country and so dense were the forests that lonely travellers sometimes lost their way and had to spend the night in the woods. Strangers always found a welcome in the set- tler's home; for at night, when the can- dles were lighted and the logs were blazing cheerfully in the open fireplace, they gave news of the outside world. The large planta- tions lay along the waterways afforded FIRST SETTLEMENT IN MARYLAND by rivers flowing into Chesapeake Bay. Ships brought to their doors wines, salt, fish, sugar, and such other things as were needed. In exchange for tables, chairs, china, linen, clothing, and other articles, the planters gave tobacco and corn. As in Virginia, from the inland plantations where the ships could not go, tobacco was brought to the river-front in casks over ''rolling roads." For the culture of tobacco much cheap labor was needed, and in Maryland, as in Virginia, tliis was supphed by slaves and indentured se'rvants. This rural life offered no chance for towns to grow. St. Mary's, the capital, was the only town until near the close of the century. Even then it was a poor straggling settlement of some thirty small houses, most of which EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 41 were built of logs, though a few of the better class were of brick. By this time, however, the little settlement planted among the wigwams of an Indian village had grown to a colony of from sixteen to twenty thousand. THINGS TO REMEMBER 1. Maryland was settled by the Catholics (1634) under the leadership of Lord Baltimore. 2. Like the people of Virginia, the Maryland settlers lived mostly on plantations. TO THE PUPIL 1. Why did Lord Baltimore wish to plant a colony for Catholics in the New World ? Give an account of the first settlement of Mary- land. 2. What were the relations of these settlers to the Indians ? 3. Why were there so few towns in Maryland ? 4. Why did the planters of Virginia and Maryland need slaves ? 5. What do the following dates stand for : 1492, 1607, and 1634 ? CHAPTER V EARLY COLONIAL DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND PLYMOUTH Like the settlers of Maryland, the Plymouth colonists sought a place where they could worship God in their own way. They desired, moreover, to live where they could make laws which seemed best for themselves and their children. A few words will explain more fully why they were willing to leave their native land. To-day we go to whatever church we like. This was The Puri- not true of the people who lived three hundred years ago ; Separatists for at that time the EngUsh king, James I, declared that 42 EI.EMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The Pil- grims Unhappy in Holland all his subjects must attend the services of the Church of England. But many disliked its forms of worship and wished to make them more simple, or to purify them. For this reason they were called Puritans. Others dis- liked the forms of worship and the doctrine so much that they wished to leave the church, or separate themselves from it. They were called Separatists. A few years after James became king, a number of the Separatists living in the village of Scrooby, England, made up their minds to form a church of their own. They used to meet for worship every week in the home of William Brewster, one of their members. When the king heard of this he was displeased. ' ' Since these men do not obey me," he declared, "they must be punished.'' Some of them were thrown into prison and some were hanged. But the Separatists believed they were right, and bravely decided to leave their country and go to Holland, where they knew they would be allowed to worship God as they pleased. ' First they went to Amsterdam, then to Leyden, and at last to America by way of England. On account of their wanderings they were called Pilgrims. In Holland they worked so hard and vv^ere so honest, that they won the respect and good will of the Dutch. Nevertheless they were not happy, for they could not bear to see their children growing up in Dutch ways and speaking the Dutch langiiage. They longed to go to a new country where they could train their boys and girls to be English in language, manners, and habits. They decided, therefore, to seek homes in the New World. But, as is often true with us of to-day, it was easier to EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 43 plan than to carry out. In the first place, King James was not willing that they should again live in a country under his rule, though at length he agreed not to disturb them in America if they gave him no trouble, second place, ready as they were to brave any danger, they were too poor to pay for their enterprise. But this difficulty too was overcome. They borrowed money, although on hard terms, and set sail from Delfthaven in In the Two diffi- culties THE MAYFLOWEK the Speedwell for Plymouth, England. Here they found some friends who were to join them, and a small ship, the Mayflower, which had been hired in London. After some delay, they put to sea in the two small ships, but on account of a leak the Speedwell had to return. Finally, on September 6, 1620, with one hundred and two '^i^.l^?*^^® passengers, they set sail. Then followed a long and stormy flower" voyage. Not until Saturday, November 21, after being at sea sixty-four days, did the Pilgrims anchor safely in the harbor of what is now the village of Provincetown, Mass. 44 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE I'XITED STATES On shore again Before landing, the men held a meeting in the ship's cabin. After agreeing to make and obey such laws as should seem best for all, they elected John Carver gov- ernor and Miles Standish military leader. EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN NEW ENGLAND On the following Monday morning the men and the women went ashore. As the water was not deej:) enough to float the boats, the men had to wade for several rods EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 45 THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS and carry the women in their arms. The weather was so cold that the men's clothing, wet from the ocean's spray, was soon covered with a coating of ice. In a short time fires were lighted, and all the women were engaged in boiling water and washing clothing, while the men stood ready v/ith their muskets to ward off any attack that might come from wild animals or Indians. It did not take long to find out that Cape Cod was not a fit place for a settlement. Two weeks dragged by, while exploring parties went up and down the coast in a vain search for a better place. Meanwhile the Pilgrims suffered much discomfort. The boys and girls, of whom there were thirty-three in all, must have longed for the comfortable homes they had left in Holland. 46 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE I'XITED STATES Although the weather was bitter cold, without further delay ten picked men set out on a more extended search. Among them were Governor Carver, William Bradford, and Captain Miles Standish. They went in the shallop In search of brought with thom in the Mayflower. At night they slept 3. pi3.C6 roi a settlement on shorc. With their cloaks wrapped about them and their feet turned toward a fire of blazing logs, all but the watchful sentinel lay down with no shelter but the great branches overhead. On the second morning, before liglit, some thirty or forty Indians made a sudden attack u{)on them. The colonists held their ground, and Captain Standish wounded the Indian leader. This caused the attacking party to beat a hasty retreat, dodging from tree to tree to avoid the deadly bullets. This danger overcome, the searchers put out to sea again, but before the day was over they had to battle with a furious storm which threatened to lash their frail boat to fragments. Ih)ur after hour they struggled to keep afloat. About nightfall they found refuge on an island. The following Monday, December 21, a month after their arrival at Cape Cod, they found a place which pleased The landing f^em. That vcry day the whole companv was brought at Plymouth j ^ i . )^ in the Maijjlower and landed. They named their settle- ment Plymouth after the English port from which they had sailed. In going ashore ft is said they stepped on a rock which still remains in the harbor, and is called "Plymouth Rock." In a short time all were busy, the men and boys chop- ping down trees and putting up log houses, and the women and girls attending to such household duties as washing clothes and cooking food. Within a few days EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 47 cannon were placed on a hill near by as a defence against Indian attacks. Then a building twenty feet square was put up, for a common shelter and storehouse. To this P® ^"^y I i ' home- beginning was added, in the course of the winter, a hos- builders pital, n meeting-house, and seven houses .to be used as private dwellings. These buildings, all rudely built of logs, were placed in two rows facing each other. Between them ran the village street, extending from the fort on the hill to the harbor. During the first winter good food was very scarce. Once in a while a deer or a wild fowl brought down by a hunter's gun supplied the luxury of meat; but bread made of wheat, rye, or barley was the ordinary diet. Instead of milk, tea, coffee, or chocolate, which we drink so freely to-day, the Pilgrims drank cold water. Too little food, and that of poor quality, lack of shelter from the severe winter cold, and many other hardships brought on much sickness. At one time only seven men ^ufj^''*"fjg were well enough to care for the sick, and at another time first winter there was a death every day. During the first terrible winter just one-half of the settlers died. Yet in spite of all calamities, when in the spring the Mayfloiver returned to England not a Pilgrim would leave Plymouth. No doubt the Pilgrims were surprised that during the winter no Indians appeared at Plymouth. The first Tf^f^'X^"'/^ PLYMOUTH IN EARLY DAYS 48 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES THE PILGRIMS GOING TO CHURCH Massasoit visits Plym- outh visit was sudden and unexpected. It was made one day in early spring by a dusky stranger named Samoset, who had learned a little English from fishermen. As he ap- proached and walked through the street, he surprised the Pilgrims with the friendly greeting, "Welcome, Englishmen!" Samoset's visit was short, but he returned a week or so later and announced that he would soon be followed by Massasoit, a chief living at Mount Hope, some forty miles southwest of Plymouth. On Massasoit's arrival Captain Miles Standish and his little band of soldiers escorted him to an imfinished house. Here Governor Carver and the Indian chief smoked the pipe of peace and signed a treaty. But not all the neighboring Indians were so friendly as Massasoit. One day a Narragansett brave ran through EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 49 the street and threw into the governor's house a bunch of f^aUengT arrows tied up in a rattlesnake's skin. This was a chal- lenge to fight. The Pilgrims at once sent back the skin stuffed with powder and bullets. When the Narragansett chief saw how fearless the new settlers were, he changed his mind about making war. The Pilgrims thought it wise, however, to be prepared Ja^^g and'the for attacks. So they surrounded Plymouth by a palisade blockhouse of logs ten to twelve feet high. They also built on ' ' Burial Hill," where the fort was, a large, square blockhouse, the lower part of which was used for a meeting-house. Here meetings of all kinds were held. On Sunday the Pil- grims made it a place of wor- ship; but when they wished to build a road or a bridge, they met here on week days and decided upon a plan, very much as we do in town meet- ings to-day. . With the coming of summer they had an easier time, and on the arrival of autumn con- ditions were still better. For the corn and barley which they had planted yielded a good return, and ducks, geese, wild turkeys, and deer were plentiful. When Massasoit and ninety .Indians came to visit Plymouth in the autumn, a three days' feast was A PILGRIM IN ARMOR 50 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The first held. This was the first Thanksgivina; ever celebrated Thanks- ^ ° giving in New England. But the Pilgrim men and women spent little time in feasting and none at all in merry-making. They had Success of come to the New World heavily loaded with debt, and it the Pilgrims "^ . was no easy matter for them to pay it off. Yet by trading with the Indians, by exporting fish, and by always working hard, they had freed themselves at the end of six years. Such people are bound to meet with success. Although they were poor in houses and lands, they were rich in strong will and high purpose. Their numbers grew slowly, however. At the end of four years the colony contained only one hundred and eighty persons and thirty-two houses. THINGS TO REMEMBER 1. The Pilgrims made a settlement at Plymouth in 1620. 2. During the first winter they suffered so much that half tlieir num- ber died. 3. In the following autumn they celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day. TO THE PUPIL 1. Who were the Pilgrims and why were they so called ? Why did the Pilgrims first go to Holland and later to New England ? 2. In imagination go with the ten picked men who selected Ply- mouth as a place for settlement, and tell as fully as you can what happened. 3. Explain how the Pilgrims lived during that first winter. 4. What preparation did they make against Indian attacks ? 5. What is there about these Pilgrim men and women that you like ? EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 51 MASSACHUSETTS BAY We have already seen that the Puritans (hd not Uke the Church of England because its forms of worship were not simple enough for them. For a long time, therefore, they xhe Puri- secretly held religious meetings of their own in private Jo^ieave"*^^ houses, barns, and out-of-the-way ])laces. Of course you England need not be told that the King of England was as ready to punish them for not going to the services of the Church of England as he had been to punish the Pilgrims. So, like the Pilgrims, they decided to leave Old England and go to a strange land across the Atlantic and form a new England. These Puritans were not poor like the Pilgrims. Many of them were rich. Some belonged to families of high rank, and some had great learning. But, like the Pilgrims, they were quite willing to suffer if by so doing they could secure a home where they might worship God in their own way. In 1628, therefore, some of their leaders, joining to- gether, bought from the Plymouth Company * a tract of land in America, and sent over a body of colonists, with John Endicott as leader, to what is now Salem. Two years later (1630) one thousand Puritans under John Winthrop followed and settled Boston, Charlestown, Dor- John Win- chester, and other towns near Boston. The company left his foiiow- England in eleven vessels. Not lacking for money, they "^ brought with them horses, cattle, and various kinds of implements. Care had been taken to sail from England *The Plymouth Company (in England), like the London Company, had received from King James (1606) a charter which permitted them to plant colonies in America. 52 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES The Salem colony in early spring so as to reach the new homes in time to get ready for winter. After a voyage of nearly nine weeks, Winthrop's ship cast anchor just outside of Salem Harbor. It was then about the middle of June. The sea was dotted with the shallops of fishermen, and upon landing the new- comers found ripe strawberries and also roses in full bloom. Although Winthrop and his followers were full of hope, their trials began at once. During the long voyage many had broken out with scurv}^, and not a few were still sick with fever. They had exj^ected that the colony at Salem would make ready for them, but instead they found that the colony was greatly in need. More than eighty had died the winter before, and many were still sick or too weak to work. Instead of fields planted with corn, it was soon learned that the Salem people had on hand hardly enough food to last two weeks, and no prosj^ect of more. After the voyage, there was little to eat left on the ship. So one vessel, the Lion, was sent back to Eng- land for supplies. To those who had lived in ease in England the new life was very hard. The change of food did not agree with them. They did not like the corn bread. "Bread was so very scarce," wrote one of their number, "that some- times I thought the veiy crusts from my father's table would have been very sweet to me. When I could have meal and water and salt boiled together, it was so good The new life -^y^Q could wish for better?" Lack of good water and of very hard ^ proper shelter made many ill. Before December two hundred had died, but there were no bitter words of GOVKRNOR WINTHROP EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 53 complaining among those brave men. Their leader, John Winthrop, a man of strong and beautiful character, said he was not sorry he had come. Yet all must have been glad when the .Lion returned from England early in February (1631), for by that time the supply of bread was nearly gone. When spring came, the colony was soon put on a firm footing. Then, we may be sure, the Puritans did not neglect the education of their boys and girls. Six years after John Winthrop and his colony reached New England, Harvard College had been founded at Cambridge (1636). '^^^ '^^^}- Less than twelve years later a law had been made which education required that every town of fifty families should have a school for teaching children how to read and write, and that every town of one hundred families should have a grammar school of its own. So we may be sure that even during this first winter the education of the children re- ceived attention. But beyond all other things the Puritans valued their religion. They had come to New England to worship God as they pleased. They believed that it was best for them ThePuritans ": . . value their and their children that none except members of their religion church should have part in managing the affairs of the community. They also believed that every one should be compelled to attend the services of their church whether he agreed to the Puritan faith or not. Some among them did not fall in with such ideas. Among these was Roger Williams, who, as we shall see a little later, gave the Puritans much trouble. The Quakers, too, were equally troublesome. They began to come to Massachusetts about twenty years after the first settlement, and did many things which the Puritans did 54 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES Why they punished the Quakers The Puri- tans make enemies not like. Accordingly some were thrown into jail, some were whipped or fined, and still others were banished from the colony. The Puritans felt that they were entirely right in treat- ing the Quakers severely. ''These people," they said, ''can go elsewhere. There is plenty of room for them in the world, but there is not room enough in Massachusetts for them and us. We only wish to be let alone to manage our affairs as we think best." In their harsh treatment of Roger Williams, the Quakers, and others, the Puritans made many enemies. In later years some of these went back to England and told King Charles II that the people in Massachusetts were rebels, and were doing many things that the king would not approve. They said, for instance, that the Puritans in Massachusetts were coining money without the king's consent, and that they had furnished shelter to two of the judges who had sentenced his father to death. These reports so displeased the king that he took away the charter that had been granted to the Puritans. A few years later (1692), Massachusetts received another charter, in which Plymouth was includetl as a part of the Massachusetts colony, but they never received back again all of the rights they had lost. The Puritans had other troubles besides those which had to do with their religion. You will recall the meeting between Governor Carver, and Massasoit in the early days at Plymouth and the treaty of peace they signed. During the life of Massasoit this treaty remained unbroken. When he died, in 1660, the people living in New England numbered something like fifty thousand whites and thirty thousand Indians. Philip, Massasoit 's son, the EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 55 The war cloud breaks new chief of the Wampanoasrs, saw that the white men Philip's . plan were getting possession of the red men's lands. He feared that in the end they would drive his people from their hunting grounds. Believing, therefore, that he was acting for the welfare of his race, he planned to destroy the white settlers. The war cloud broke upon the little village of Swansea, a group of forty houses not far from Philip's home. In June, 1675, while the people were gathered in the meeting-house to pray that there might not be war, a band of Indians stole into the town, set fire to the houses, slew the people, and carried off much of their property. Three days later, soldiers from Boston drove Philip from his home at Mount Hope. In September, Deerfield and Hadley were attacked and the people massacred. During the spring of the follow- ing year (1676), the Plymouth colony was overrun by Indians, and houses in nearly all the towns were burned. Every man able to handle a musket was called into service. The strength of the red foe began to wane. Their fields were laid waste, and they suffered from lack of food. They began to lose courage, and not a few gave them- selves up. To close the campaign. Captain Church was put at the ?^*!JP'^ head of a large force. From that time on Philip was hunted from one hiding place to another. Finally he