LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DDDD5bflt,DD3 » • ^ °^ * ^ * aP ^ ***** w^ » ^ »'. -w .' * v ** kPr, ^% Historical Epochs, WITH SYSTEM OF MNEMONICS, TO FACILITATE THE STUDY OP CHRONOLOGY, HISTORY, AND BIOGRAPHY. % /^ E. A. FITZ SIMOK NEW YORK: TAINTOK BROTHERS, MERRILL & CO., 758 BROADWAY. 1882. Copyright bt TAINTOR BROTHERS, MERRILL & CO. 1882. > Trow's Printing and Bookbinding Co, 201-213 Bast lith St., NBW TORK. CONTENTS. PAGE System of Mnemonics— Its Use— Method of Teaching it in Schools, 7-10 Great Eras of Ancient History, ...... 11 « Mediseval " 12 " Modern " 13 Mnemonic Table, 14 Epochs and Historical Notes from the Creation to the Present Time, 15-54 Leading Facts in the History of America from the Dis- covery by Columbus to the War of Independence, . 55-57 Memorabilia of the War of Independence, . . . 58-61 " Civil War, 62-70 MNEMONICS. This little treatise on artificial memory does not pro- fess to present a new idea to the student, since the Mnemonics Arundelian Marbles inform us that the science taught before . ' christian era. of Mnemonics was taught in the year 477 b.c, by Simonides the Younger. In a.d. 1730 Dr. Grey published a treatise on this sub- ject, called "Memoria Technica," and another system, Modem entitled New Art of Memory, was announced treatises on . „ . -««-»«•» mi the subject, in Germany m the year 1806. The question of introducing Mnemonics into the public schools was at one time discussed with some earnestness, but the subject, not being handled in a practical manner, was al- lowed to collapse. " The eye of history," as chronology has been aptly called, is required to show us the effects produced in chronology one country by the contemporaneous events the eye of His- J J J- tory. occurring in other parts of the world, and to trace the march of progress, as indicated by wedge and arrow-head, or by characters traced with the stylus, and finally set in types to be reproduced a thousandfold. The importance of dates being an acknowledged fact, students, it is hoped, will readily avail themselves of a sys- The study of tern whereby an ordinary memory may easily become^lLy store U P an array of figures that would be ap- fngtySeaid P a lhng ^ presented in their usual cut-and- of mnemonics. drie( j form . and tlie me thod here laid down, if fairly tested, will make the subject of chronology one of the most interesting studies in the school course. 8 HISTORICAL ErOCHS. Two modes of expressing numbers by alphabetic characters have been suggested, viz., the syllabic and Two modes of the verbal; the former uses for each figure numberTby a corresponding letter of the alphabet, thus letters. representing a date by one or more syllables ; the latter converts dates into worlds, by supplying re- quired letters. Grey's syllabic method recommended The syllabic by Blair, in his "Grammar of Useful Knowl- Sejreidy™" e &g e >" i s > w ^h some modification, here adopt- and practical. edj and it wiU fa found simple, ready, and practical. The figures are each represented by a vowel or diph- thong and a consonant, either of which may be employed Each figure at pleasure. Therefore STvowefor 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, are represented by £??££*. «, * <, 0, U, nant. and -fay ^ ^ ^ J^ ^ ^at J^ £he five VOW- els are naturally chosen to represent the first five figures ; b, the first consonant, stands for 1 ; d, the initial letter Explanation of duo, represents 2 ; 3 is expressed by its offeTtefsuse'd initial > t ; 4t bj its initial,/; and 7, the Roman for numerals, character iov fifty, is taken to represent 5. For the other figures, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, we employ au (1 and 5) ; oi (4 and 3) ; oo (4 and 4) ; ou (4 and 5) ; and the last vowel, y, designates the last figure. The corresponding consonants are s, the initial letter of six ; p, the second consonant in the Latin word septem (the first consonant being employed for six) ; the k of okto stands for eight ; nine is represented by its initial n ; and the last figure, 0, by the last letter, z. In large com- binations of figures g can be used for 100, and m (ini- tial of mille) for 1000. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 9 Thus we have : wels and consonants Vowels and ^ b _l ^ £_ 3 u> J_ 5 i, £>— 7 Oil, U— 9 SS'SSr* e > d ~ 2 >/~ 4 aM >*- 6 00 ^- 8 y. z ~° The system having been thus explained, and a suffi- cient number of examples given for illustration, the pupils Theory to be can then be exercised in forming mnemonic e^mpie^ 7 terms for the historical epochs (pp. 15-42), histodcai 16 which, being revised, should be committed to epochs. memory for recitation next day. As there can be several combinations of letters to ex- press the same figures, according to our choice of vowels Formation or consonants, the teacher will pronounce on terms. the term to be preferred, which should be adopted by all the class for convenience in recitation. The selection of any particular term is optional, but it will be better to choose the one most distinctive or eupho- nious; e..g., if the mnemonic for the signing of Magna Charta be required, five answers may be given. Signing of Magna Charta, a.d. 1215 : 1st, Chart — adal. 2d, Chart — bebu. 3d, Chart — heal. 4th, Chart — adbu. 5th, Chart — beau. The last of these terms, whatever favor it may receive, is least to be preferred, for orthoepical reasons, as its pro- nunciation might be mistaken for the syllables bo or be-au, which would represent the figures 14 or 126. Care should, therefore, be taken to select terms that may not be confounded with other forms of letters, and to mark the distinction between diphthongs and separate vowel-sounds. Hence the third term, beat, if retained, 10 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. must be pronounced in two syllables. The pupil^ should underline the term chosen, which, being added to the historical name, e.g., Chart — adal, may then be copied into a note-book kept for the purpose. The figures need not appear, although it may be well to place them beside the term until the pupil shall have acquired a facility in rendering the figures into syllables, and vice versa ; but in no case need the figures be committed to memory if mnemonics be employed. Should some object that it is as easy to learn dates as words, the answer is — trial will prove the contrary. is it as easy Even those who have "a memory for dates" as words? will find the ever-recurring ten figures liable to be confounded one with another, on occasions — an inconvenience avoided by the use of individual mne- monic terms combined with the historical name or event. It requires no effort, indeed, to commit a few dates to memory ; but if fifty or a hundred have to be learned, the Mahometan era may be given as 632 or 226, whereas the mnemonic hegira — sed will stamp 622 indeli- bly on the memory. As a matter of personal experience, five hundred dates were learned, and never forgotten, by the system of arti- Mnemonic n °i a l memory on page 8, in about one-tenth memorized 7 of tne time & woul( i have taken to learn them to be 1 ?^ 1 ! ot- le kv figures, the greater portion of which would £unded°Sne soon ^ ave been consigned to oblivion. with another. ^he epochs, pp. 15-42, will serve as land- marks to the student of history, and, being drawn up in chronological order, they can be learned by centuries. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. With regard to time, History lias been divided into Ancient, Mediaeval, and Modern. ANCIENT HISTOEY extends from the Creation to the destruction of the Western Empire of the Romans. B.C. — Its great epochs are : 4004 — The Creation. 2348— Deluge. 2247 — Confusion of Tongues. 1491 — The Exodus and Mosaic Law. Rise and Fall of the Great Monarchies : — 2217-538 — Assyria and Babylon, 2188-30— Egypt, 538-331— Persia, 331-146— Greece, 753-a.d. 476-1453— Rome. Fourth and fifth centuries — The Age of Greek Art. a.d. — The Christian Era and the New Law. 476 — Subversion of the Western Roman Empire by the heruli and the^ostrogoths. (For notes on these eras, see Historical Epoch*, pp. 16-84.) 12 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. MEDIAEVAL HISTOEY includes the period between the fall of the Western Empire and the discovery of America. These ten centuries are marked by : 410-1453— The Conquests and Eavages of the Goths, Vandals, Huns, Saracens, and Norse- men. 622-1453— Eise and Progress of Mahometanism. Eighth and ninth centuries — The Age of Charle- magne, Harun er Easchh), and Alfred the Great; The Feudal System and Chivalry. It is not kDOwn when or where the Feudal System originated, but it was developed by the Franks, who conquered Gaul, a.d. 485, and divided the country into fiefs, held on the condition of military service- Feudalism was afterward introduced into other countries of Europe, and was in full force until the Crusades, after which it began to decline, though some of its features ex- isted in France until the Revolution, and in Russia until the reign of the late Czar, Alexander II. Chivalry originated in the contests between the Moors and Christians, and attained its greatest influence during the Cru- sades. The "Cid," a celebrated chivalric epic, is one of the earliest productions of Spanish literature. Knights-errant were bound by vow to practise all Christian virtues and devote their lives to the service of the weak and oppressed, being thus the ' champions of justice in an age when the sword was the adjudi- cator of all quarrels. 1066 — Norman Conquest. 1215 — Magna Charta. 1095-1291 — The Crusades. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 13 Eleventh to Fifteenth centuries — Age of Architec- ture. (Gothic architecture attained its highest perfection in the thirteenth and four- teenth centuries.) Effects on navigation, war, and popular education produced by three great inventions, viz. : Thirteenth century — The Mariner's Compass ; Fourteenth century — Gunpowder ; Fifteenth century — Art of Printing. Fall of the Eastern Empire and Diffusion of Knowledge. (For notes on these eras, see Historical Epochs, pp. 34-42.) MODERN HISTORY is marked by the Renaissance in learning and the arts, which commenced at the close of the Mediaeval period. 1492 — The Discovery of America. 1529 — The Protestant Reformation. 1701-1709 — Struggle for Ascendancy between Charles XII. and Peter the Great, which raised Russia to the Rank of a Chief Power. 1776-1783 — War of American Independence. 1789 — Constitution of the United States. The French Revolution. 1804-1814 — Empire Founded by Napoleon Bona- parte. 1861 — New Kingdom of Italy. 14 historical epochs. 1861-1865 — Civil War in the United States, re- sulting in the Abolition of Slavery. 1871 — Franco-Prussian War ; France Proclaimed a Republic, and German Empire Established. Useful Inventions and Discoveries of the ' Nineteenth Century, chief among which are the application of Steam to locomotion, the Tele- graph, Submarine Cable, Balloon, Telephone, Phonograph, and Electric Light. Rapid Growth of the United States in Popu- lation, and Progress ln Arts and Manu- factures. (For notes on theae eras, see Historical Epochs, pp. 43-54.) MNEMONIC TABLE. See explanation of letters, p. 8. a e i o u ait, oi oo ou y 1234567890 h d t f I s p h n 2 g, 100. ra, 1,000. Note. — The vowel i is to be pronounced long, as in time ; y, short, as in myth. HISTORICAL EPOCHS AND REMARKABLE EVENTS. * B.C. THE CREATION OF MAN. 4004. Creat. — omo. The Bible says: "In the beginning God created heaven and earth," and the several works of creation are then spoken of, the indefinite term " day " being used to express the interval between each. Sacred Writ leaves the duration of this interval a matter of conjecture, but furnishes data by which a rough cal- culation can be made of the time that elapsed from the creation of Adam to the Christian era. THE UNIVERSAL DELUGE. 2348. Bel—etok.. The posterity of Adam and Eve, "the race of giants," lived under a patriarchal form of government until the Deluge. Primitive man had nine centuries in which to acquire and impart knowledge. Among the antediluvians we read of Tubal Cain, " an artificer in every work of brass and iron," and Jubal, " the father of them that play upon the harp and the organs." 16 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. BUILDING OF THE TOWER OF BABEL; CONFUSION OF TONGUES, AND DISPEESION OF MANKIND. 2247. Bab.— edqp. The antediluvians spoke one language, but the vain attempt to build the Tower of Babel led to the con- fusion of tongues, and the children of Noah separated to seek new settlements and found new governments. Regal power was then established, and the Chaldean (Assyrian and Babylonian) monarchy founded. Egypt and China were probably coeval with Assyria ; and in these countries the early arts — agriculture, music, architecture, and astronomy — were cultivated by the descendants of Noah. The Babylonians had so far progressed in astronomical science as to calculate eclipses of the moon accurately, and their skill in architecture and sculpture is attested by the excava- tion of Assyrian antiquities. NIMROD, grandson of Ham, founded the Baby- lonian Monarchy ; ASSUR, son of Shem, about this time, built Nin- eveh and founded the Assyrian Monarchy. 2245 (Lenglet). Nimrod-Assur — edol. Nimrod is supposed to have been the first king, and the Belus of secular history. Babylon derived its name from Belus or Bel (Lord). In Hebrew it was called Babel, from bilbel, to con- found, which plainly refers to the confusion of tongues. Nineveh was named after Ninus, the re- puted son of Belus. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 17 FO-HI FOUNDS THE CHINESE MON- ARCHY. 2240. Fohi— defy. The Chinese claim for their government an incredi- ble antiquity, though their historical chronology dates only from the seventh century before the Christian era ; but the record of twenty-two dynasties of kings, and of a series of eclipses computed for two thousand years before Christ, make it probable that Fo-Hi lived in the days of Noah, or was, as some assert, Noah. The many points of resemblance seen in the ancient Asiatic nations indicate a common origin. The Chal- deans, Egyptians, Chinese, Hindoos, and Persians were highly civilized at an early period, though beyond a certain point they made no progress. The art of making glass, gunpowder, the mariner's compass, and printing from wooden blocks, were known to the Chinese centuries before their introduction into Eu- rope ; yet it was from Europeans that the Chinese learned to improve and fully utilize these inventions. MENES, or MISRAIM, son of Ham, founded the Egyptian monarchy, which continued 1663 years, until subverted by Cambyses. 2188. Menes— daTcoo. The Egyptians constructed the most massive monu- ments of art, and taught the learned men of other nations geometry, astronomy, and philosophy. Thales, Pythagoras, Plato, and other Grecian philosopher* acquired much of their knowledge in Egypt. 18 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. CALL OF ABEAHAM FEOM CHALDEA TO THE PROMISED LAND. 1921. Ahv.—aneb. The Chaldean patriarch was the progenitor of the Jewish nation, and it has been ascertained from the cuneiform writings that the Chaldean and Hebrew languages have a common origin. MEMNON, KING OF EGYPT, said to have invented letters. 1822. Memnon — aJced. THE CHRONICLE OF PAROS, or the chro- nology of the Arundelian marbles, begins with the arrival of Cecrops in Attica. 1582. Cecrops — huhe. Several statues, busts, and inscriptions were found in the Grecian isles in the reign of James I. They were purchased by Lord Arundel, and were afterward presented to the Oxford Library. One of these mar- bles contains the chronicle of Paros, which was sculp- tured about 264 b.c. It gives the dates of the most remarkable events in Grecian history from the time of Cecrops to the First Punic war, 1582-264. THE DELUGE OF DEUCALION IN GREECE. 1529. Deucalion — aim. Deucalion was a king of Thessaly, and the inunda- tion which occurred in his reign was sometimes con- founded with the universal deluge. HISTORICAL EPHOCS. 19 CADMUS, a Phoenician prince, founds Thebes, and introduces letters into Greece. 1519. Cadmus — albou. Grecian civilization, and the origin of most of the languages of Europe, date from this period. Arith- metic, navigation, the art of making glass, and the coining of money, are also ascribed to the Phoenicians, who were a maritime pec pie in the days of Abraham. MOSES delivers the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Period of the Exodus and the Law. 1491. Moses; Is. — bona. The Pentateuch, the earliest historical record in existence, was written by Moses in 1452, the year be- fore his death. In 1451 Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land. THE AKGOXAUTIC EXPEDITION SAILS TO COLCHIS. 1356 (according to other computations, 1263). ArgOn TtlilaU. This event, celebrated by ancient writers, was either a commercial or a political enterprise. The A?yo, in which the Greeks sailed, had fifty oars, and is said to have been the first ship that made a sea-voyage. The Argonauts, fifty-four in number, were the most dis- tinguished men of the age. Jason commanded the expedition, and among his companions was Orpheus, whose poem on the subject, or one bearing his name, is extant. The poets adorned the legend with alle- gory and fable. 20 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. ASSYRIA frees herself from subjection to Babylon, and becomes a ruling power of Western Asia. 1273, or 1250. Assyria — aduz. The supremacy of Assyria continued for six cen- turies, a period which includes two monarchies. The first Assyrian monarchy lasted five hundred years. It was subverted a.c 745, and a new dynasty founded by Tiglath-Pileser II. The palaces, temples, paint- ings, and sculptures which recent discoveries have brought to light attest the splendor of this age. Assur-banni-pal, supposed to have been the Sarda- napalus of Greek writers, reigned from 667 to 625 — the golden age of Assyrian culture and magnificence. The second monarchy was overthrown by the Medes and Babylonians, a.c 606. TROY taken and burned by the Greeks after a ten years' siege. 1184. Troy—bako. DEDICATION OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE. 1004. Solomon — amo. The temple was destroyed by the Romans a.d. 70. REVOLT OF THE TEN TRIBES, in the reign of Rehoboam, son of Solomon. THE JEWISH MONARCHY divided into the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. 975. Judah; Is. — noil. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 21 The separated tribes made Jeroboam king of Israel ; the tribes of Judah and Benjamin adhered to Reho- boam. HOMEE and HESIOD flourished. 900. Homer; Hes. — oug. ELIAS THE PROPHET translated to heaven. 896. Elias — Icons. CARTHAGE founded by Elissa, a Phoenician princess, called by her people Dido (valiant woman). 869 or 853. Dido— haun. Yirgil makes Dido contemporary with iEneas, an anachronism of over three hundred years. The Tro- jan's desertion of the Phoenician queen was invented to account for the hatred between Rome and Carthage. THE FIRST OLYMPIAD, or ERA OF THE GREEKS. 776. Olym.— pois. From this epoch computation of time is more accu- rate. The Olympiads were periods of four years, at the expiration of which the Olympic games were cele- brated by all the states of Greece. A national spirit was thus fostered, and the athlete, poet, artist, or philosopher who gained the Olympic crown of olive was held in the highest honor. 22 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. EOME FOUNDED BY ROMULUS— The Roman epoch. 753 (according to Yarro). Rome— ^m^. From the foundation of the city to the expulsion of Tarquin, the last of the seven kings, comprised a period of 244 years. The republic, governed by two consuls, chosen annually, lasted 478 years. The em- pire, dating from battle of Actium to the deposition of Augustulus Romulus, last emperor of the "West, continued for 507 years. Thus the whole period of the Western Empire of the Romans was 1,229 years. The Eastern Empire existed until 1453 a.d., that is, 977 years after the fall of Rome. ERA OF NABONASSAR BEGINS. 747. Nabon.— pop. The Babylonian astronomers computed time from the accession of Nabonassar, who made Babylon inde- pendent of Assyria. The latter power, however, regained its ascendancy two years after, when Tiglath- Pileser II. ascended the throne. SALMANAZAR IV., King of Assyria, besieged Samaria, which was taken after three years during which the king died, and Sargon, commander of the forces, became ruler. THE TEN TRIBES LED INTO CAPTIV- ITY, terminating the kingdom of Israel. 721. Salman.; Israel — oida. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 23 END OF THE ASSYRIAN MONARCHY. Cyaxares, the Mede, joined by the Babylo- nians under Nabopolassar, father of Nebu- chadnezzar, capture and burn Nineveh. Saracus, the last king, set fire to his palace and perished in the flames. LATEE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE BEGUN. 606, or 625. Ninev.; Cyax.; Nabo. — shdu. Assyria and Babylonia were rival powers from their foundation. The latter held the ascendancy for the first thousand years. Assyria then rose to eminence, and was at the height of its glory when Nineveh was destroyed. Under Nebuchadnezzar, " the great building king," Babylon became the mistress of the world. Herodo- tus describes it as an exact square enclosing an area of 196 square miles, through which the Euphrates flowed diagonally. Within the walls, which were of immense height, were gardens and pasture grounds, and on each side of the square were twenty-five brazen gates. The hanging gardens, raised on terraces, and capable of bearing the largest forest-trees, were built by Nebuchadnezzar to gratify his queen, Amytis, and were reckoned among the wonders of the world. SOLON, archon and legislator of Athens, abol- ished the sanguinary laws of Draco, and formed a code which continued in existence for 400 years. 594. Solon — uno. 24 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. CONFUCIUS (Kung-fu-tze, learned master Kung), the Chinese philosopher, born. 551. Confucius — lub. The moral precepts of Confucius are still the Chi- nese code of ethics. BABYLON TAKEN BY CYKUS, who di- verted the course of the Euphrates and led his army through the bed of the river. Bel- shazzar slain in the midst of revelry. END OF THE BABYLONIAN MONAR- CHY— PEKSIAN EMPIRE BEGUN— RETURN OF THE JEWS FROM THE SEVENTY YEARS' CAPTIVITY. 538. Babylon ; Cyr.— III. Two centuries later Babylon was taken by Alexan- der the Great. After his death it rapidly declined, and the village of Hilleh now marks the site of the most famous city of antiquity. Literature of the First Great Monarchy. Modern research has not only brought to light the buried monuments of the first great monarchy, but has also found a key whereby its cuneiform writing can be deciphered. On some of the clay tablets lately discovered was an account of the creation, deluge, and other facts recorded in Sacred Writ. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 25 The Babylonians were celebrated as astronomers, and all the large cities of Chaldea had royal observa- tories and public libraries. "The Illumination of Bel," an astronomical work in seventy tablets or books, was compiled for the library of Sargon, and copies of it are found in some of the museums of Europe. THE TAEQUTN"S expelled from Kome, and the regal government abolished. 509. Tarquin — lyn. Period of the Commonwealth, 509-31 b.c. BATTLE OF MAKATHON, in which Milti- ades with 10,000 men defeats 100,000 Per- sians. 490. Marathon — ony. The fifth century is marked by the Persian inva- sion of Greece, and the fourth by Alexander's invasion of Persia. Age of Greek Art — These two centuries are also distinguished as the age of Greek art. Phidias, Agesander, Polycletus, Praxiteles, Ly sip- pus, and others, whose works have perished, brought sculpture to its highest perfection; whilst Parrha- sius, Zeuxis, and Apelles won imperishable fame as painters. 26 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. THE SPARTANS, under Leonidas, defend the pass of Thermopylae — Battle of Salamis — Victory of Themistocles. 480. Salamis— -fooz. The Persian fleet numbered 1,200 ships ; the vic- torious Greeks had only 380 sail. Xerxes fled pre- cipitately, leaving 300,000 men under the command of Mardonius. This force was beaten the following year at Platea, by 70,000 Greeks, commanded by Pau- sanias and Aristides, and on the same day the Persian fleet was destroyed at Mycale. KETKEAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND GREEKS, under Xenophon, after the bat- tle of Cunaxa. 401. Xenoph. — oza. This retreat, the most memorable in history, was made through a hostile country, and extended 1,600 miles — from Babylon to the Euxine. ROME TAKEN BY THE GAULS, under Brennus — The Capitol alone escaped the flames. 390. Brennus — iny. =%. TEMPLE OF DIANA, at Ephesus, accounted one of the wonders of the world, burned the night Alexander the Great was born. 356. Diana — tus. Herostratus set fire to the temple to render himself HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 27 immortal, but the Ephesians forbade any one to pro- nounce the incendiary's name. END OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE. DARIUS CADOINANNUS defeated by Alex- ander the Great at Arbela — Commencement of the Macedonian Empire. 331. Arbel.— til. Alexander was only twenty years old when he be- gan his career of conquest, which extended over twelve years. During that time he subdued the States of Greece, overturned the Persian Empire, and pene- trated as far as India. His course was marked by the foundation of several cities, chief among them being Alexandria, which subsequently became the great centre of commerce and learning. THE SEPTUAGINT VERSION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT— The translation of the Septuagint from Hebrew into Greek, made by order of Ptolemy Philadelphia. 285. Septuag. — eku. Archimedes, Euclid, Eratosthenes. Archimedes and Euclid, the celebrated mathema- ticians, and Eratosthenes, the astronomer, flourished about this time. 28 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. THE FIEST PUNIC WAR BEGINS — It lasted three years, and at its close Carthage was forced to cede Sicily and pay a heavy indemnity to the Romans. 264. Punic — dauf. BATTLE OF ZAMA, WHICH CLOSED THE SECOND PUNIC WAR— Hanni- bal defeated by Scipio, and Carthage made a dependent ally of Rome. 202. Zama — dyd. THIRD PUNIC WAR— Carthage taken by Scipio the Younger, and burned to the ground. 146. Carthage; Scipio — bos. The year 146 b.c is also memorable for the destruc- tion of Corinth, the last stronghold of Grecian liberty. The inhabitants were put to the sword, or sold into slavery ; and Greece, under the name of Achaia, be- came a Roman province. TIBERIUS GRACCHUS causes the enactment of the Agrarian law for dividing the Roman lands among the people. 133. Gracchus — bit. The Jugurthine, Cimbric, Social, and Mithridatic wars, in all of which the Romans were victorious, marked the interval between the years 111 and S4 b.c HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 29 CIVIL WARS commenced between the parties of Marius and Sylla. 88. . Marius; Sylla— koo. Marius and Cinna professed to represent the de- mocracy, and were the rivals of Sulla, who espoused the cause of the nobility. Their dissensions led to the proscription and massacre of 150,000 citizens. Marius, after sacrificing thousands to his ferocity, finally fell a victim to intemperance. Cinna, the partner of Marius in the consulship, was secretly assassinated. Sulla, after wading to power through an ocean of blood, unexpectedly resigned the dictator- ship and retired to private life. CATILINE'S CONSPIRACY quelled by Ci- cero. 62. Catiline — se. CAESAR, HAYING CONQUERED GAUL, invades Britain. 55. Caesar; Britain — hi. BATTLE OF PHARSALIA, in which Caesar defeats Pompey. 48. Pharsal.— ok. JULIUS CAESAR ASSASSINATED in the senate-house. 44. Caesar— of. BATTLE OF PHILIPPI— Brutus and Cassius defeated by Octavius Caesar. 42. Philippi- fe. 30 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. BATTLE OF ACTIUM, in which Caesar de- feats Antony— END OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC. 31. Actium — ib. Cleopatra, the last of the Ptolemies, committed suicide, and Egypt became a Roman province n.c. 30. OCTAYIUS, styled AUGUSTUS— Commence- ment of the Roman Empire, or FOURTH GREAT MONARCHY. 27. Augustus — &p. Authors of the Augustan Age. The Latin "Classics" — Cicero, Sallust, Cornelius Nepos, Yirgil, Horace, Livy, and Ovid — belong to the Augustan age, b.c. 63 ; a.d. 14. A.13. BERTH OF THE REDEEMER — THE CHRISTIAN EPOCH— Christ crucified in the nineteenth year of the reign of Ti- berius. LITERARY SYNOPSIS FROM THE CHRIS- TIAN ERA TO THE RENAISSANCE. Writer§ of the first and second centuries. The most distinguished writers of the first and sec- ond centuries were Strabo, Pliny the naturalist, Plu- tarch, Tacitus, Juvenal, Ptolemy, and Galen. The Fathers. The works of the Fathers date from the end of the second to the middle of the fifth century. The Iron Age. From the fifth to the eleventh centuries the Goths, Yandals, Saracens, and Norsemen successively de- vastated Europe, aud their course was marked with fire and sword. The Greek and Latin classics, mathe- matics, and philosophy had some earnest students, but learning was confined to a few, owing to the 32 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. ravages of war, the difficulty of procuring books, and the transition state of modern languages. At this period the Celts were the teachers of Eu- rope, and Irish schools were held in the highest repute. Arabian literature. About the year 800 the Arabs began to cultivate letters, and to them Europe owes the science of Alge- bra and the so-called Arabic numerals. The Scholastic Philosophers. The Schoolmen nourished from the eleventh to the thirteenth century. Renowned among the Scholastics were Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, and Roger Bacon. Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The scholastic period was also the age of architec- ture — the grand art of the Middle x\ges. THE NAME OF CHRISTIANS first given to the disciples of our Lord at Antioch. 40. Christian — oz. HERCULANEUM AND POMPEII over- whelmed by an eruption of Vesuvius. 79. Ilercul.; Pomp. — oin. These cities, buried for over sixteen hundred years, were forgotten in the lapse of time. The sinking of a well in 1720 led to the discovery of Herculaneum, and excavations were begun at Pompeii shortly after. Portici is built over the site of Herculaneum, and its HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 33 museum contains the statues, paintings, and manu- scripts recovered from the ruins of the underground city, of which but a small portion is disinterred. One- half of Pompeii has been excavated ; its streets and edifices exhibit the artistic skill and solid grandeur of the first century. ZENOBIA, Queen of Palmyra, defeated by Au- relian at Edessa — Longinus, the philoso- pher, put to death. 273. Zenobia — doit. THE ROMAN EMPIKE divided into four gov- ernments by Diocletian, and ruled by two Emperors and two Caesars 292. Dioclet.— doud. CONSTANTINE THE GREAT, first Chris- tian emperor, begins to reign — End of the persecution of the Christians. 306.. Constantine — tys. Constantine united the four governments under his command, but after his death the empire was again divided. BYZANTIUM, or CONSTANTINOPLE, made the capital of the Roman empire. 329. Byzan. — ten. DIVISION OF THE EMPIRE into the West- ern and the Eastern — Valentinian rules at Rome, Yalens at Constantinople. 361. Yalent.; Yal. — iso. 34 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. EOME SACKED AND BURNED by the Goths under Alaric. 410. Alaric — oby. Alaric died the same year at Cosenza, and was buried, with all his treasures, in the bed of the river Busento. THE VANDALS, under Genseric, attack the Roman power in Africa and lay waste the country. 429. Genseric— -fen. THE ROMANS, having occupied Britain for five hundred years, finally withdraw their forces — Yortigern solicits the aid of the Saxons against the Picts and Scots — Arrival of Hengist and Horsa. 449. ITeng. ; llor.—fon. THE HEPTARCHY was established in the fifth and sixth centuries. THE HUNS stopped in their career of conquest by the death of Attila, called " the scourge of God." 453. Attil.— oli ODOACER, King of the Heruli, dethrones AUGUSTULUS ROMULUS, the last em- peror of the West. 476. Odoacer— ^bw. Ancient history ends with the fall of the Western Empire. For its chief epochs, see p. 5. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 35 ODOACER, the first barbarian king of Italy, was defeated by Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, whose successors reigned until the year 568, when they were expelled by the Lombards. The last king of this race was dethroned by Charlemagne, to whom " the iron crown " of Lombardy passed. THE FRANKS, led by Clovis, conquer the Yisigoths and take possession of Gaul — The king and 3,000 of his warriors converted to Christianity. FRENCH MONARCHY ESTABLISHED. 510. Clovis— te. THE BOOKS OF THE CIVIL LAW— The Codex and Digest — compiled by Trebonian, and promulgated by the Emperor Justinian. 529. Justin.; Code — uen. The other books of Justinian's Code, namely, Pan- dects, Institutes, and Novels, published, 533-535. ARTHUR, Pendragon, or Sovereign of the Cam- brian Britons, killed in the battle of Camlan. 542. Arthur— lod. " The king whose exploits fill all the poetry of the Middle Ages, and whose very existence is doubtful." THE HEGIRA, or flight of Mahomet from Mecca to Medina, called the Mahometan era. 622. Hegira — sed. Mahomet succeeded by his father-in-law, Abube- ker, as caliph of the Saracens. 36 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. EISE OF THE SARACEN or Arab power, which spread rapidly. 633. Abubeker— sit THE ALEXANDRIAN LIBRARY burnt. 640. Alexandria — sob. The great library was founded by the Ptolemies, and contained 700,000 volumes. Its destruction is attributed to the caliph Omar. Attached to the library was the museum, a college in which learned men were maintained by the State. CHARLES MARTEL defeats the Saracens at Tours, and saves Europe from Mahometan subjugation. 732. Martel— pid. CHARLEMAGNE crowned emperor at Rome —NEW EMPIRE OF THE WEST. 800. Charlemagne — oozy. Age of Charlemagne and Haroun al Rasehid. Charlemagne's reign of forty-five years w r as dis- tinguished for extensive conquests, wise government, and patronage of learning. His contemporary, Ha- roun al Raschid, the renowned caliph of Bagdad, was also celebrated as a warrior, statesman, and patron of learned men, though his title of The Just may be called in question. EGBERT unites the Saxon Heptarchy under one government, and becomes the first king of England. 827. ' Egbert— hep. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 37 ALFRED THE GKEAT elected King- Reigned thirty years. 871. Alfred— oqpa. Age of Alfred the Great. Alfred is acknowledged to have been the greatest and best of the English monarchs. He freed his country from the tyranny of the Danes, enforced the strict administration of justice, formed a navy, estab- lished schools, and wrote several works for the in- struction of his people. The foundation of Oxford University is also attributed to him. . BATTLE OF CLONTARF, in which the Danes were signally defeated by Brian Boroihme, and their career of conquest checked. 1014. Clont. — ambo. CANUTE, or KNUT, King of Denmark, on the death of Edmund Ironsides, becomes sole monarch of England. 1017. Canute — majp. The Saxon line restored in 1042. THE NORMAL CONQUEST — Harold II., the last of the Saxon kings, conquered by William of Normandy, at battle of Hastings. 1066. Norman — maus. THE FEUDAL SYSTEM. WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR introduced the feudal system into England by appor- tioning the land among his retainers, who were called barons, i.e., lords of baronies. S8 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. THE CEITSADES. THE FIKST CRUSADE preached by Peter the Hermit, and sanctioned by a council at Clermont. 1095. Crusade — moul. The first crusade accomplished its object — the re- covery of the Holy Sepulchre. Jerusalem was taken from the Moslems and Godfrey proclaimed king. But the great crusader died a year afterward, and in 1187, after a siege of fourteen days, Jerusalem was retaken by the Turks, under the command of the celebrated Saladin. THE GHIBELLINE AND GTJELPH FAC- TIONS m ITALY— The League of Lom- bard} 7 formed by twenty-three Italian cities for local government. 1167. Ghibelline; Guelph — basoi. The English, under the command of Strongbow, invade Ireland. 1169. Strong. — masou. The Ghibellines were the adherents of the German emperors ; the Guelphs fought for Italian autonomy. By the treaty of Constance — 1183 — the privileges of the Italian cities were confirmed. The city republics, Venice, Genoa, Florence, etc., then rose to power. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 39 MOGUL EMPIRE. Jenghis Khan {Greatest Khan) proclaimed sovereign of the Mogul tribes. He founds a new empire. 1206. Jenghis — hezau. Jenghis, or Chingis, overran the empire of the Saracens, and extended his conquests to China, India, Persia, and Asiatic Russia. MAGNA CHARTA signed by King John at Runnymede. 1215 Chart.— adal. Through the exertions of Simon de Montfort the charter wrung from John was supplemented by the creation of a House of Commons, a.d. 1264. END OF THE SARACEN EMPIRE— Bag- dad taken by the Tartars under Hulaku, the grandson of Jenghis Khan. 1258. Bagdad; Tartar— Idoo. END OF THE CRUSADES— The Turks cap- ture Acre, the last stronghold of the Chris- tians in the Holy Land. 1291. Acre; Crusade — hena. The Crusades ended unsuccessfully as regards their primary object, but they gave a marked impetus to national development. The power of the feudal aris- tocracy was weakened, charters were granted to cities, trade and commerce were promoted, and the culture of the East was introduced into Western Europe. 40 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. OTTOMAN, or OTIIMAN, first sultan and founder of the Turkish Empire. 1299. Othman — adoun. BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN — Robert Bruce, with 30,000 Scots, defeats the army of Edward II., numbering 100,000. 1314. Bannock. — mibo. The battle of Bannockburn has been called the English Crecy. BATTLE OF CRECY — the French army totally defeated by Edward III. 1346. Crecy — mifau. Thirty thousand were engaged on the English side ; ninety thousand on the French. It is said that Ed- ward had cannon in this engagement, which was the commencement of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. mariner's Compas§ and Gunpowder. In the fourteenth century the Mariner's Compass came into general use, and gunpowder effected a revo- lution in warfare. According to Chinese records, a kind of compass was invented two thousand years before the Christian era, and was employed in navigation about a.d. 300. The Arabs probably borrowed it from the Chinese, and introduced it into Europe. Its improvement and practical application date from 1302, when Flavio Gioja, a Neapolitan navigator, is said to have devised HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 41 the modern mode of suspending the needle. Before his time it was put on two sticks, or bits of straw, in a vessel of water. Gunpowder was used by the Hindoos and Chinese in the time of Alexander the Great, but was not known in Europe until the latter part of the middle ages. Roger Bacon, in 1267, described its composition, and suggested its use in war. Ferrarius, a Spaniard who lived in Bacon's time, gave receipts for making Greek fire, rockets, and " thunder." The Moors had cannon at the siege of Cordova, in 1280, fifty years before the reputed invention of gunpowder by Schwartz. The Renaissance. The fourteenth century is also distinguished for the Renaissance in learning and the revival of art. The world-renowned poets, Dante, Petrarch, and Chaucer, Cimabue (who restored the art of painting), and his celebrated pupil, Giotto, belong to this age. Timoor's Empire. BATTLE OF ANGORA (Galatia)— Bajazet Ilderim (the Lightning) taken prisoner by Timoor the Tartar. 1402. Angor. — boze. Timoor, or Tamerlane, after laying waste Central Asia, made Samarcand the capital of his empire. Here the fierce conqueror patronized learning and the arts ; but after his death, in 1405, Tartary relapsed into its former barbarism. 42 historical epochs. JO AX OF AEO compels tlie English to raise the siege of Orleans — Charles VII. crowned at Eheims. 1429. Jeanne d'Arc — hoen. The heroic Maid of Orleans was taken prisoner the following year, and burned at Rouen ; but she had aroused the spirit of her countrymen, and the Eng- lish were soon after obliged to evacuate France. This closed the Hundred Years' War, which originated in the claim of Edward III. to the French throne. THE APT OF PRINTING from movable types invented. 1440. Printing — mofy. Printing, " the art preservative of all the arts," is called the great invention of the fifteenth century, though the principle was known to the Chinese two thousand years before. The people of Haarlem, in Holland, have a statue erected to Laurence Coster, for whom they claim the honor of having invented the art of printing from carved blocks of wood, a.d. 1438. About the year 1440 John Gutenberg, of Mentz, used movable types. John Fust and Peter Schoeffer printed from metal types in 1450. The first edition of the Bible, the Mazarin, was issued from the press of Gutenberg and Fust in 1455. EXTINCTION OF THE EASTEEN OE BYZANTINE EMPIEE— Constantinople taken by the Turks under Mahomet n., after a siege of fifty-three days. 1453. Constan. ; Turk — afut HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 43 The dispersion of Greek scholars after the fall of Constantinople, together with the multiplication of books caused by the invention of printing, gave a rapid impetus to the diffusion of knowledge at the close of the fifteenth century. Maritime enterprise was also a distinctive feature of this age. BATTLE OF BOSWORTH, in which Kichard III. is killed— Henry VIL, the first of the Tudor kings, unites the houses of York and Lancaster — End of the Wars of the Hoses, which lasted thirty years. 1485. Bosworth — hoku. DISCOVERY OF AMERICA — Columbus lands on Guanahani, one of the Bahamas ; takes possession of it in the name of Ferdi- nand and Isabella of Spain, and names it San Salvador. 1492. Columb. — mone. He reached the mainland in his third voyage, 1498. Granada was taken by Ferdinand V., thus putting an end to the Moorish dominion in Spain, the year " Co- lumbus gave a new world to Leon and Castile." The admiral's commission was dated from Granada, three days after the defeat of the Moors. THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION be- gun in Germany by Martin Luther. 1517. Luther — alboi. At the Diet of Spires, 1529, it was decreed that the status quo should be observed until the meeting of a 44 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. general council. Luther's friends protested against this — hence the name Protestants. THE FIKST VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD by a ship of Magellan's squadron, 1519-1522. 1522. Magel.— bued. Magellan, the first circumnavigator of the earth, was a Portuguese in the service of Spain. He was killed on his homeward passage, in a skirmish with the natives of the Philippine Isles, but his vessel com- pleted the voyage in three years and twenty-nine days. MARY STUART, Queen of Scots, beheaded at Fotheringay Castle. 1587. Mary Stuart — alkoi. THE SPANISH ARMADA defeated and dis- persed. 1588. Arm. — bukoo. Less than the half of Philip's mighty armament re- turned home. The Armada suffered considerably in several engagements, but the storms it encountered were still more disastrous to it. Elizabeth's fleet was commanded by Howard and Drake, who dispersed the cumbrous Spanish vessels by means of fire-ships. HENRY IY. OF FRANCE defeats the army of the League at the battle of Ivry. 1590. Ivry — muny. Henry's wise and just administration put an end to the civil wars— half political and half religious — which desolated France for over thirty years. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 45 Distinguished Writer§ of the Sixteenth Century. To the sixteenth century belong some of the great- est names in the literatures of Europe : Spencer, Shake- speare, Ariosto, Tasso, Camoens, Cervantes, Mon- taigne, Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, etc. The Great Masters. In art the ideal of excellence was attained by Michael Angelo, Raphael, Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Durer. The Thirty Years' War. GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS killed at the battle of Lutzen, after defeating the forces of the Emperor Ferdinand II. 1632. Lutzen — aste. Lutzen was the most memorable battle of the Thirty Years' War, in which most of the European powers took part. The struggle originated in the rival jealousies and religious differences of the Ger- man princes. The intervention of other countries was afterward called for, France joining Sweden against the house of Austria. The celebrated generals Tilly and Wallenstein fought on the emperor's side. Turenne and Conde led the French troops to victory at the close of the contest. THE PEACE OF WESTPHALIA or MUN- STEP— End of the Thirty Years' War. 1648. Munster — asoh. By the peace of Westphalia equal rights were ac- corded to Lutherans and Catholics. The treaty saved Germany from total dismemberment, but gave France 46 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. and Sweden an increase of territory and an influence in the Diet. 1642-1651— CIVIL WAR IN ENGLAND— De- cisive defeat of the royalists at the battle of Naseby. 1649— EXECUTION OF CHARLES I. OLIVER CROMWELL styled Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. 1653. Cromwell — bmdi. Cromwell ruled despotically for five years. After his death the monarchy was restored, the English re- public having lasted but eleven years. JOHN SOBIESKI, of Poland, relieves Vienna, and saves Europe from Turkish domination. 1683. Sobieski — asoot. REVOLUTION IN ENGLAND— DEPOSI- TION OF JAMES IL— WILLIAM OF ORANGE gives his assent to the Bill of Rights. 168S. Revol. — aslcoo. Age of Louis Qiiatorze. In the seventeenth century, the latter half of which has been called the Age of Louis XIV., literature, science, and art were fostered by the foundation of the French Academy, the Royal Society of England, and similar institutions in other countries in Europe. The French drama of this century attained perfec- tion in the tragedies of Corneille and Racine, and in inimitable comedies of Moliere. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 47 The great Spanish dramatists, Lope de Yega and Calderon, were distinguished for their wonderful versatility, and their productions furnished a rich mine from which later writers have drawn. Dramatists and Poets. In England, Shakespeare was succeeded by Ben Jonson, and Milton, in poverty and blindness, wrote his immortal epic, Paradise Lost. Philosophers and Astronomers. Bacon, Descartes, and Locke were founders of new schools of philosophy, and the laws of planetary mo- tion were discovered by Kepler, Galileo, and Newton. Painters. The distinguished painters of this age were Gnido, Salvator Rosa, Rubens, Vandyke, Claude Lorraine, Poussin, Rembrandt, and Murillo. BATTLE OF PULTOWA— Charles XII. of * Sweden defeated by the Czar Peter. 1709. Pult. — moizou. Charles was killed in 1718, at the siege of Frede- ricshall. His successful rival, Peter the Great, died in 1725, after raising Russia from barbarism to the rank of a great power. PEACE OF AIX LA CHAPELLE. 1748. Chapelle— ajpok. The war of the Austrian succession was concluded by this treaty, which confirmed the right of Maria Theresa to the throne of Austria. George II. of 48 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. England espoused the cause of the empress ; Frede- rick the Great of Prussia and Louis XV. of France upheld the claim of Charles, the Elector of Bavaria. 1775-1781— THE WAR OF AMERICAN INDE- PENDENCE — Washington appointed Com- mander-in-Chief. THE UNITED COLONIES declared free, sov- ereign, and independent. 1776 (July 4th). Union — apois. LORD CORNWALLIS surrenders to General Washington at Yorktown — End of the Revo- lutionary War. 1781. Yorktown — boika. THE ASSEMBLY OF THE STATES GENERAL opened at Paris — Capture of the Bastile — The French Revolution begun. 1789. Bastile — apoon. 1792— THE REIGN OF TERROR inaugurated by Danton, Robespierre, and Marat. 1793— EXECUTION OF LOUIS XYI. and Marie Antoinette. 1794— FALL OF ROBESPIERRE, and end of the Reign of Terror. DOWNFALL OF POLAND. 1795. Poland — moinu. The first partition of Poland took place in 1772, Russia, Prussia, and Austria each taking a share. In HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 49 1792 another division was made between Russia and Prussia; and in 1795 Poland ceased to exist as an independent nation. Music. In the eighteenth century Handel, Haydn, and Mozart inaugurated a new era in musical composition ; English School of Painting. and Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, and West founded an English school of painting. Great Writers of the Eighteenth Century. Among the most eminent writers of the age were : Addison and Steele, the founders of periodic litera- ture ; Pope, " the poet of town life and literary life ; " Goldsmith, novelist, poet, and dramatist ; Dr. John- son, "the colossus;" Burns, the poet of domestic life ; Swift and Sterne, pungent in satire ; Fielding, novelist; Linnaeus and Buff on, naturalists ; Benjamin Franklin, statesman and experimental philosopher; Edmund Burke, impassioned orator and sublime es- sayist ; Schiller, German historian and dramatist. The writings of Hume, Gibbon, Yoltaire, Rousseau, Kant, etc., belong to the school of scepticism and speculative ideas. BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR— Nelson defeated the fleets of France and Spain, and died in the moment of victory. 1805. Tr af al . — moozu. The destruction of the French fleet frustrated Na- poleon's design of invading England. 3 50 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. Steamboats. In 1803, Eobert Fulton, of Pennsylvania, launched his steamboat, Clermont, on the Seine, and ran one on the Hudson in 1807. In 1814 he constructed a war steamer for the United States. Railroads. The first locomotive was made by the English engi- neer, George Stephenson, in 1814. The Stockton and Darlington Railroad, constructed under his super- intendence, was opened in 1825. BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS— General Jackson repulses the British — End of the War of 1812. 1815. New Orleans — hoobu. In the war of 1812, which originated in the Eng- lish practice of impressing American seamen, the in- fant navy of the United States proved more than a match for British war-ships. Perry's victory on Lake Erie, the defeat of the English squadron on Lake Champlain by Commodore McDonough, and the re- pulse of the British at New Orleans, were the most brilliant achievements of the war. A treaty of peace with Great Britain was signed at Ghent, December 24, 1814, and ratified February 17, 1815. BATTLE OF WATERLOO — Napoleon de- feated by the English and Prussians under Wellington and Blucher. 1815. Waterloo — akal. The conqueror who had made and unmade kings, HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 51 and changed the map of Europe, died at St. Helena, after a captivity of six years. The Code Napoleon, by which a peasant proprie- tary was established in France, is a lasting monument to Bonaparte's memory. The operation of this great land act enabled France to raise on her own soil the enormous indemnity exacted by the Emperor of Ger- many in 1871. The Catholic Emancipation Bill passed under the administration of the Duke of Wellington, 1829. The Parliamentary Reform Bill passed, after violent opposition in the House of Lords, 1832. The Eeform Bill disfranchised fifty-six pocket boroughs, gave parliamentary representation to several towns, and extended the franchise. In 1833 the Reform Parliament abolished slavery in the British colonies. The Chartist agitation, 1848. The Peoples Charter advocated : 1st. Universal suffrage. 2d. Vote by ballot. 3d. Annual parliaments. 4th. Equal electoral districts. 5th. Payment of members of Parliament. 6th. Abolition of property qualification for members. The Chartist monster petition was sent to the House of Commons in cabs. 52 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. THE MEXICAN WAR. 1846-1S4S. Mexic.—boqfoo. The Mexicans, being defeated by General Taylor at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and Buena Yista, and by General Scott at Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and Churubusco, made a final stand at Chapultepec, the citadel of Mexico. This was taken after a desperate resistance on the part of Santa Anna, and the Ameri- can army entered the capital, September 14, 1847. In February of the following year the treaty of Guada- lupe Hidalgo was signed, by which New Mexico and Upper California were ceded to the United States. 1854-1856— THE CRIMEAN WAR— France and England unite against Russia in defence of the Ottoman Empire — Treaty of Paris signed. 1856. Crimea — aJcus. 1861— EMANCIPATION OF THE RUSSIAN SERFS decreed by the Czar, Alexander II. TREATY OF YILLAFR ANC A signed between Napoleon III. and Francis Joseph of Austria. 1859. Yillafranc. — moolou. This treaty concluded the war between Sardinia and France on one side, and Austria on the other. The Austrians, being defeated at Magenta and Sol- ferino, ceded Lombardy to the King of Sardinia. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 53 Kingdom of Italy e§tabli§Iied. Tuscany, Modena, Parma, Romagna, and the two Sicilies were added to his dominions the following year, and in 1861 Victor Emanuel was proclaimed King of Italy. The Papal territory was annexed in 1870. THE CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES begins— Fort Sumter taken by the Secessionists. 1861. Sumter — hoosa. LEE SURRENDERS TO GRANT at Appo- mattox Court House, April 9th — Johnston surrenders to Sherman, April 26th — Capture of Jefferson Davis and end of the Civil War. 1865. Appomat. — aksu. Lincoln proclaimed the freedom of slaves in the rebel States, January 1, 1863 ; Slavery abolished by the Federal Congress, February 1, 1865 ; the vote ratified by the States, December 18th. MAXIMILIAN, Archduke of Austria, accepted the crown of Mexico, 1864 — Captured by the Juarists, tried and shot, 1867 — A re- public proclaimed. FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR concluded after a six months' campaign — Capitulation of Paris — Treaty of Frankfort. 1871. Franco-Pruss. — moqpa. 54 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. Napoleon III., with an army of 80,000, surrendered at Sedan, September 1, 1870. Marshal Bazaine, with 170,000 men, being hemmed in by the Germans, surrendered at Metz, October 27th. By the treaty of Frankfort, Alsace and Lorraine were ceded to Prussia, and an indemnity of 5,000,- 000,000 francs was exacted by the victors. The Na- poleonic dynasty was overthrown, and France became a republic. New German Empire. King William of Prussia was proclaimed Emperor of Germany at Versailles, January 18, 1871, and the new empire became the dominant power in Europe. The nineteenth century is remarkable for mech- anical inventions, scientific discoveries, and literary versatility. Since its dawn, England, France, Ger- many and the United States have added a host of distinguished names to the catalogue of authors, artists, and inventors. Modern ingenuity has also perfected those two great factors in civilization and material progress, the steam-engine and the telegraph, which were dimly shadowed forth by the thinkers of previous centuries. The telephone and the phonograph belong exclusively to our own age ; and the application of electricity will doubtless have produced wonderful results before the next century is ushered in. LEADING FACTS IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA, From the Discovery by Columbus to the War of Independence. English Discoveries. 1496-1497— JOHN CABOT and his son Sebastian, Venetians residing at Bristol, are commissioned by Henry VII. to go on a voyage of discovery ; they reach Labrador. 1498— SEBASTIAN CABOT coasts southward to Albemarle Sound — England claims the territory on the Atlantic coast. Portuguese Discoveries. 1499-1500— BKAZIL DISCOVEEED BY PIN- ZON, a companion of Columbus — Pedro de Cabral, driven on its coast by a tempest, takes possession in the name of the King of Portugal. Spanish Discoveries and Conquests. 1512— PONCE DE LEON takes possession of Flo- rida for Spain. 1513— THE PACIFIC OCEAN discovered by Bal- boa. 56 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. Cortez. 1519-1521— MEXICO conquered by Fernando Cortez. French Discoveries 1524— AN EXPEDITION sent out by Francis X, under the command of Verrazzani, formed a set- tlement called New France. 1531— JACQUES CARTIER sailed round New- foundland and ascended the St. Lawrence as far as Montreal. Pizarro. 1535 — PERU conquered by Pizarro. 1535 — CHILI discovered by Aimagro. 1541-1512— FERDINAND DE SOTO discovered the Mississippi, and was buried in its waters. 1584— VIRGINIA taken possession of by Sir Walter Raleigh, and named after the virgin queen. Virginia colonized. 1606— CHARTERS granted to the Plymouth and London Companies by James I. 1607— JAMESTOWN, the first permanent English settlement, founded. Champ lain. 1608-1635— CHAMPLAIN, " the father of Canada," founded Quebec, which became a flourishing colony under his government. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 57 Hud§on Bay Territory. 1609— THE HUDSON RIVER and the country round it discovered by Henry Hudson, an Eng- lishman in the service of Holland. Pilgrim Fathers. 1620— THE PILGKIM FATHERS sail from Ply- mouth in the Mayflower ; land on the coast of Cape Cod (Plymouth Rock), December 21, 1620. Toleration in Maryland. 1633-1648— MARYLAND colonized by Lord Balti- more—St. Mary's founded— Freedom of religious worship decreed. Swedes. 1655— DELAWARE colonized by the Swedes; their settlement taken by the Dutch Governor, Peter Stuyvesant. Dutch. 1664— THE DUTCH POSSESSIONS taken by Richard Nichols, in the name of James, Duke of York— New Amsterdam called New York. Quakers. 1682— PENNSYLVANIA colonized by the Quakers, under William Penn. Quebec taken toy the English. 1759— QUEBEC taken from the French by General Wolfe— Death of Wolfe and Montcalm. 3* LEADING EVENTS IN THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. STAMP ACT passed by the British Parliament— Strongly opposed in the Colonial Assemblies — Patrick Henry, of Virginia, prominent in opposition, 1765 — Repealed the following year. Tea Act. — The duty resisted — Vigorous measures taken by the people of Boston, New York, Phila- delphia, and Charleston — An English ship, having a cargo of tea, boarded, and eight hundred and forty chests flung into Boston harbor, 1773. The Continental Congress at Philadelphia — Decla- ration of Bights drawn up, 1774. Skirmish at Lexington. First engagement between the English and Ameri- cans, at Lexington, April 19, 1775. George Washington appointed Commander-in- chief, May, 1775. Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. •• The United Colonies free, sovereign, and inde- pendent." Resolution introduced by Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, that the United Colonies "are, and ought to be, free, sovereign, and independent," June 7, 1776. Declaration of Independence. Declaration of Independence drawn up by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 59 Sherman, and Bobert Livingstone— Signed by the President, John Hancock, and fifty-five other mem- bers — Proclaimed July 4, 1776. Howe's Successes. General Howe takes Long Island, and repulses General Washington's army at White Plains, 1776. Battle of Trenton. Washington captures the Hessian garrison at Tren- ton, December 26, 1776. Lafayette and other European officers support the American cause, 1777. Battle of Bennington. Colonel Stark routs a detachment of Germans, In- dians, and Canadians, at Bennington, August 14, 1777. Engagements at Brandywine and Germantown. Washington's forces defeated at Brandy wine Creek and Germantown, 1777. He encamps at Valley Forge. Triumph of tlie American Arms. Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga 6,000 men, artil- lery, baggage, and stores to the American army under the command of General Gates, October 17, 1777. A Republic Established. The "Articles of Confederation" drawn up, and the United States formed into one government, No- vember 15, 1777. English Concessions— Treaty with France. The English government proposes to concede all the original claims of the colonists — Complete inde- 60 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. pendence demanded by the Americans — France forms an alliance with the United States, February, 1778. England declares war against France for the recog- nition given to the American Republic. D'Estaing's Fleet. France sends a fleet, under the Count D'Estaing, to blockade the English army in Philadelphia — Clinton evacuates the city, June, 1778. Massacre of Wyoming. Parties of Tories and Indians pillage, burn, and massacre — Slaughter in Wyoming Valley, 1779. Spanish Aid. Spain assists the United States, 1779. PAUL JOKES captures a merchant fleet convoyed by a heavy frigate, 1779. Reverses in tlie South. General Lincoln's army at Charleston surrenders to Sir Henry Clinton — The South under British domi- nation, 1780. Battle of Camden. Disastrous engagement at Camden — Gates defeated, with great loss, by Cornwallis — Death of Baron de Kalb, 1780. Arnold's Treason. Arnold's design to betray West Point discovered — Major Andre hanged as a spy, 1780. Intellectual Progress. Academy of Arts and Sciences founded at Boston, 1780. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 61 Success of the American Arms in the South. Morgan defeats Tarleton at Cowpens — General Green successful in the South, and confines the Eng- lish army within narrow limits — The British garrison in Pensacola captured by the Spaniards, 1781. Surrender at Yorktown— End of the War. Cornwallis, with his army of 7,000 men, surrenders to Washington and Rochambeau, at Yorktown, Octo- ber 19, 1781. Treaty of peace signed at Paris by all the belliger- ent powers, September, 1783. THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, which met in Philadelphia in 1774, continued to legislate for the Union until the election of Washington, the President of Congress being the head of the government. A Constitution Adopted. In 1787 a convention was held to revise the Articles of Confederation. It was decided that Congress should be composed of a Senate and House of Representa- tives, and that each State should have two senators, and one representative for every 30,000 inhabitants. First President and Vice-Pre§ident. George Washington elected President, and John Adams Yice-President, of the United States, 1789. Capital of United States. City of Washington made the capital, 1792. MEMORABILIA OF THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865. Origin of the Civil War. 1821-1865. — State sovereignty and the slavery question agitate the North and South. Secession. December 20-25, 1860. — South Carolina secedes from the Union and proposes a Southern Confederacy. January 9-26, 1861. — Secession of Mississippi, Ala- bama, Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. Confederate States. February 8. — The seceding States organize a provi- sional government. Jefferson Davis chosen President and Alexander II. Stevens Vice-President. March 4. — Texas secedes. Commencement of Hostilities. Fort Sumter, commanding the entrance to Charles- ton harbor, bombarded by Beauregard, and surren- dered, April 13th. The Federals march out with the honors of war. Call for Troops. April 15. — President Lincoln calls for 75,000 volun- teers, to recover " the forts, places, and property seized from the Union." April 17. — Virginia joins the Southern Confederacy. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 63 Privateers. April 17. — Jefferson Davis announces that letters of marque will be given privateers to prey on Northern commerce. Lincoln's Proclamation. April 19. — Lincoln proclaims that the ports of seced- ing States will be blockaded, and that Confederate privateers will be regarded as pirates. Harper's Ferry Arsenal and Gosport Navy Yard Destroyed. April 18-21. — The United States arsenal and armory at Harper's Ferry, Ya., blown up by Lieut. Jones, and the shipping and stores at Norfolk navy yard, valued at $50,000,000, destroyed by Commodore Macaulay, to prevent them falling into the hands of the Confederates. Maryland Saved to the Union. May-June. — The Southern army threatens "Wash- ington. General Butler occupies Federal Hill, com- manding the city of Baltimore, and secures a route for the Union army to the capital. Maryland decides against secession, owing to the vigorous measures of General Butler and General Banks. June 10. — Federal losses at Little and Big Bethel. June 15. — England and France recognize the Con- federate States as belligerents. McClellan's Campaign. July. — McClellan makes a successful campaign in Western Virginia. 64 HISTOEICAL EPOCHS. July 20. Confederate Congress sits at Kichmond, Ya. Bull Run. July 21. — First battle of Bull Run, or Manassas, Ya. A Federal panic. Aug. 29. — Fort Hatteras, N. C, surrendered to Butler and Commodore Stringham. 700 prisoners, 24 pieces of artillery, and 1,000 stand of arms taken by the Federals. November 1. — General McClellan appointed com- mander-in-chief of the Federal army on the resigna- tion of General Scott. Capture of Port Royal, S. C. November 7. — An expedition, under the command of General Sherman and Commodore Dupont, take Port Royal, S. C. November 19. — The Confederate commissioners, Mason and Slidell, taken by Captain Wilkes from the British steamer Trent and conveyed to Boston. Set at liberty, according to the provisions of international law, January 1, 1862. "The Stone Fleet." December. — Old whalers and hulks, purchased by the Government, filled with stone and sunk in Charles- ton harbor. The " stone fleet " numbered about sixty old vessels. A pipe, temporarily plugged, was put in each ; when the hulks reached the harbor the plugs were removed, and the vessels immediately sank. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 65 Union Successes February 6, 1862. — Fort Henry taken by Captain Foote's fleet. Federals command the Tennessee River. February 8. — General Burnside's force captures Roanoke Island, commanding the approach to Albe- marle Sound. Surrender of Fort Donelson to General Grant. The Cumberland opened to the Union army. April 6-7. — Battles of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. Death of Confederate General Albert Sydney Johnson. The gunboats, and the timely arrival of reinforcements under Buell and Kelson, save General Grant's army. On the second day the Union forces regained their camps, and the Confederates, under Beauregard, withdrew to their intrenchments. First Step toward Emancipation. April 11. — Slavery abolished in District of Colum- bia, $1,000,000 being appropriated for compensation. New Orleans taken. April 28. — Farragut's fleet and Butler's army attack New Orleans. The city surrenders to Captain Por- ter, who commanded the mortar flotilla. Retreat to Richmond. May 9. — The Confederates retreat toward Rich- mond, pursued by McClellan. " Stonewall " Jackson. May 24. — Banks pursues Jackson through the Shen- andoah Valley. Jackson, at Winchester, forces Banks to retreat, and becomes the pursuer. 6G HISTORICAL EPOCHS. May 31-June 1. — Battle of Fair Oaks, or Seven Pines — great loss on both sides. The Confederates fail in their attempt to drive McClellan beyond the Chickahominy. June 6. — Memphis taken by the Federals. The Siege of Richmond Raised. June 26-July 2. — Seven days' battle on the Chicka- hominy, before Richmond. Lee compels McClellan to abandon the siege. The army of the Potomac re- treats to a strong position on the James River. June-September. — General Pope's campaign unsuc- cessful. He is assigned the command of the North- west, and General McDowell demands a court-martial. July 26. — General Halleck commander-in-chief. Battle of Antietam. September 17. — The forces of Lee and McClellan were engaged from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Both armies en- camped for the night " close enough to look into each other's eyes." Next day Lee withdrew his army across the Potomac. Acts of Thirty-seventh Congress. December 1, 1862-March 4, 1863.— Slaves in the Rebel States to be manumitted. West Virginia to be formed into a separate State, without the consent of Eastern Yirginia. The President to be invested with extraordinary powers. Foreign interference declined. December 11-16. — Fredericksburg, Va., bombarded by the Federals. The Confederate works successfully defended by Lee, Jackson, and Longstreet. Burnside and Hooker forced to recross the Rappahannock. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 67 1863. Emancipation of Slaves. January 1. — Lincoln proclaims the Confederate States rebellious, and their slaves free. February 25. — Conscription bill passed. March 4. — Academy of Sciences founded at Wash- ington. Confederate Success. May 6. — Battle of Chancellorsville, Ya. General Hooker's nine days' campaign unsuccessful; he is obliged to recross the Rappahannock. " Stonewall " Jackson shot in mistake by his own men, as he was returning from a reconnoissance. Died May 10th. Battle of Gettysburg. July 1-3. — Lee's army repulsed by General Meade. The invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania checked. Yicksburg Taken. July 4. — Grant, assisted by Admiral Porter, com- pels the surrender of Yicksburg, after an obstinate defence by Pemberton. July 8. — Port Hudson, besieged by General Banks, surrenders "when the garrison had eaten its last mule." The possession of Yicksburg and Port Hudson gave the Federals command of the Mississippi. 6S HISTORICAL EPOCHS. Battle of Chattanooga (Lookout Mountain). November 24-25. — Grant, Hooker, Sherman, and Thomas defeat the Confederate army under the com- mand of Bragg. 1864. Several engagements fought with varied success. March 9 — General Grant appointed commander-in- chief. Battles in "the Wilderness." May 5, 6, 7, 12. — Grant's campaign in Virginia. Desperate, but indecisive encounters in " the Wilder- ness " — a barren tract, full of ravines and swamps, and covered with thick brushwood. Battle at Spott- sylvania ; 10,000 killed and wounded on each side. The Alabama Sunk. June 19. — The Alabama, Captain Semmes, dis- abled and sunk by the Kearsarge, Captain Winslow, in an engagement off Cherbourg. About thirty war steamers were fitted out by the Confederates, the most successful being the Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Tallahassee, and Shenandoah. The Tennessee Taken. August. — Farragut's wooden fleet captures the ram Tennessee, and disperses the Confederate fleet in Mo- bile Bay. August -September. — Sheridan's tactics against Early in the Shenandoah Valley. HISTORICAL EPOCHS. 69 September 19. — Sheridan defeats the Confederates at Winchester, and marches northward. Battle of Cedar Creek. October 20. — The arrival of Sheridan in the camp changed the Federal defeat into a victory. March through Georgia. November 16 to December 21. — Sherman's march from Atlanta to Savannah, through a belt of country from twenty to sixty miles in width. The loss to the State of Georgia was estimated at $100,000,000. North and South Carolina suffered a still greater loss in the campaign from February to March, 1865. 1865. February 1. — Slavery abolished in the United States by a vote of the Federal Congress. The amendment to the Constitution was submitted to the States and ratified by a majority of 27 to 9, December 18, 1865. Fall of Charleston. February 17. — The city of Charleston capitulates, after having been five hundred and forty-two days under fire. Evacuated by General Hardee and taken possession of by General Gilmore. An immense quantity of supplies lost to the Confederates. February 18. — The Union flag again hoisted on Fort Sumter. 70 HISTORICAL EPOCHS. Fall of E&iehinond, the Confederate Capital. April 2-3. — Petersburg and Bichmond evacuated by Lee's forces and occupied by Grant. Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. April 9. — Lee retreats toward Lynchburg, pursued by the Federal army. After being worsted by Sheri- dan's cavalry at Sailor's Creek, Lee surrenders with the army of Northern Virginia to Grant. Terms of capitulation signed at a farm-house, near Appomattox Court House. Assassination of Lincoln. April 14. — President Lincoln shot by John Wilkes Booth, at Ford's Theatre. April 15. — Andrew Johnson takes the oath of office. Johnston Surrenders to Sherman. April 15. — Surrender of General Joseph E. John- ston with all the forces under his command. End of the War. May 10. — Jefferson Davis captured at Irwinsville, Georgia ; imprisoned in Fortress Monroe for two years ; released on bail May 13, 1867. National debt at the end of the war, $2,700,000,000. The "Constitutional Amendment," granting civil rights to the negroes, passed 1866. * 80 V* ra&;\/ » j **. : ^ ^2 ► •" v ^ V\ ■ V. Pa * ^' '--.; : . \ r Deacidified using the Bookkeeper proi a -^ Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide O Treatment Date: -lAr 3) (i A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVA ^ ^ 111 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township, PA 16066 PreservationTechnolog