Class JUJli Book J COPMRIGHT DEPoifT. \ ■ 1 :;;■• 'Ji^^l ^^^^H h: ^^^^^^^1 i ^-^^H ^^^^^^^1 P^ 3J^ ^.S; 1 ^1 BySS^ •, 199 The United States, 1850 . . . 226, 227 The United State's, 1S61 . . . 252, 25:^ The States of the Union . . . 3:34, :W5 The United States and its Outlying Possessions 349 Territorial Development of the United States 361 A SCHOOL HISTOKY OF THE UNITED STATES INTRODUCTION The Indians. — A few hundred years ago there were no white men in our country. Nearly all the land was with- out inhabitants, but scattered about here and there were villages or groups of rude dwellings occupied by Indians. In what is now the main part of the United States thei-e were at that time fewer people than there are to-day in the single city of St. Louis. Indians had lived in America for no one knows how long — for many centuries at least. They were probably descended from the same people as the Chinese and other natives of eastern Asia; but where that people lived, and when, are alike unknown. It may be that America was first settled in that remote age when the Arctic regions were warmer than now, and when, as geology teaches, this continent was connected by land both with Asia and with Europe. At a later period, small parties may have crossed Bering Strait, or vessels may have been driven by winds and currents across the Pacific Ocean, their crews being thankful to escape a watery grave by settling a new country. American Antiquities. — The Indialis of Mexico, Central America, and especially Peru, had advanced almost to a 9 10 INTRODUCTION state of civilization ; and we find there the ruins of their ancient cities, stone temples, and paved roads. Within the limits of our own country the Indians were in a condition of savagery or barbarism. The most famous monuments of the prehistoric inhabitants of the country are mounds of earth found in vast numbers in the eastern half of the Mississippi valley. There are more than 10,000 of them in Ohio alone. They are of many shapes — circular, square, and irregular embankments, cones, pyramids, and figures of gigantic animals;' and are of all sizes up to several acres in area, or several hun- dred or thousand feet in length. On some of them were found growing forest trees of the largest size. The mounds were built by the Indians or their ancestors, for a variety of purposes : some were used for military defens<^, some served as burial mounds, some marked the sites of huts or villages, and some were designed for religious purposes. Buried in the mounds, often with the bodies of the dead, there have been found many articles used by the Indians, including shells, pottery, rude textiles, some implements of copper that was dug from old pits still to be seen in the Lake Superior region, and, in the later mounds, beads which must have been received from the early visitors to America from Europe. In the southwest of our country thei-e are ruins of cliff dwellings and pueblos (pweb'loz), and some pueblos that are still occupied. A pueblo was a vast apartment house, built of stone or of sun-dried clay, large enougli for a whole vil- lage of perhaps several thousand people. The pueblos were several stories high, and their rooms were entered ' An onibiinlcniciit in Afliims Crtnnty, Ohio, iciufscnts v<'ry accurately a siipcnt 1000 fc'ft louK. Its liody wiiirln with trracclnl curves, and in its widely extended juws lies a figure avIucIi tbe auinial seems about to swallow. THE INDIANS 11 through holes in the roof, which was reached by ladders. Such buildings were designed for protection against sud- t jt II A rUEBLO. den attacks by savage foes. The Pueblo Indians irrigated and tilled the soil, made good pottery, and wove cloth. Tribes. — The Indians of our country were divided into several hundred tribes, speaking different languages or dialects, and having different customs. In general, each tribe lived in a village or group of villages by itself. Ac- cording to their languages, the different tribes have been arranged in about fifty distinct groups, each group includ- ing the tribes of a common origin. Five of the most important groups are the Iroquoi'an, Algon'quian, Musk- ho'gean, Siouan (soo'an), and Shosho'nean. Of the In- dians now living in the United States more than half belong to these five groups. 12 INTHODUCTIUN The Iroquuiaii tribes lived in a large region surroiuid- ing Lakes Erie and (Ontario, and in a smaller district in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Among the tribes of this group which we shall meet later in the history of our (.'ountry are the five Iroquois tribes,' the Tuscaro'ras, and the Cherokees'. The Algonquian tribes were very numerous. Their ter- ritory surrounded the noi'thern Iroquoian region, and ex- tended from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi Riv^er in the region of the Ohio valley and the Great Lakes. The Muskhogean tribes lived in the South, east of the Mississippi River and north of the Gulf of Mexico. They were sun worshipers, and were better skilled in agricul- ture than most other Indians. The Siouaii tribes occupied the western side of the Mississippi basin. Some of them were among the most warlike of all Indians. The Shoshonean triljos occupied the greater part of the Rocky Mountain highland and the southern part of the Great Plains. Indian Characteristics. — Arts and Livrntions. — The Indian built no cities, no ships, no chui-ches, no school- houses. In general he constructed only temporary wig- wams of bark or skins, and canoes of bii*ch bark. He made neither roads nor bridges, but followed footpaths through the forest, and swam the streams. His highest art was expended in a simple bow and arrow. Progress aud Oovernment. — He made no advancement, • The Flvo Nations of Iroquois (Son'ecns, Cayu'sras, Oiiondajras, Onoi'das, aud Mo'- bawks) formod a confederacy slylcd tlic "Loiifr House," because those Indians dwelt in bark liouses often 2riO f(>et in lenfrth and :W feet wide, each htdding twenty or thirty families This leafine I'onned, in fact, a loosely organized reimblie, witli a con- gress of the chiefs or sachems of the ditterent tribes. Fierce, bloodthirsty, and fond of conquest, the Iroquois might perhaps luive subdued tlic continent if the white man bad not come. Early travelers called them the Romans of tlie New World. THE INDIANS 13 but each son emulated the prowess of his father in the hunt and the fight. The hunting ground and the battle- field embraced everythiug of real honor or value. So the sou was educated to throw the tomahawk, shoot the arrow, and catch fish with the spear. He knew nothing of books, paper, writing, or history. The Indian respected the chiefs or wise men of his tribe, but they governed by influence rather than by authority. Even when the tribal council decided to make war, every Indian was free to fight or not, as he chose. Domestic Life. — The Indian had neither cow nor beast of burden. He regarded all labor as degrading and fit only for women. His squaw, therefore, built his wigwam, INDIAN LIFE. cut his wood, and carried his burdens when he journeyed. While he hunted or fished, she cleared the land for his corn by burning down the trees, scratched the ground 14 INTRODUCTION with a crooked stick or dug it with a clam shell, dressed skins for his clothing, and prepared his food. The leav- ings of her lord's feast sufficed for her, and the coldest place in the wigwam was hers. Disposition. — In war the Indian was l)rave and alert, but cruel and revengeful, preferring trea<'liery and cun- ning to open battle. At home he was hizy, improvident, and an inveterate gaml)ler. He delighted in finery and trinkets, and decked his unclean pei'son with paint and feathers. His grave and haughty demeanor repelled the stranger ; but he was grateful for favoi's, and his wigwam always stood hospitably open to th(i poorest and meanest of his tribe. Endurance. — He could endure great fatigue, and in his expeditions often lay without shelter in the severest weather. It was liis glory to bear the most horril)le tor- tures without a sign of suffering. Relir/ion.^lt he had any ideas of a Supreme Being, they were vague and degraded. His dream of a heaven was of happy hunting grounds or of gay feasts. He wor- shiped no idols, but peopled all nature with spirits, which dwelt not only in birds, beasts, and reptiles, but also in lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. As he believed these had power to help or harm men, he lived in constant fear of offending them. He apologized, therefore, to the ani- mals he killed, and made solemn pi-omises to fishes that their bones should be respected. He placed great stress on dreams, and his camp swarmed with sorcerers and for- tune tellers. The Indian of the Present. — Such was the Indian three hundred years ago, and such is many an Indian to-day. He has opposed the encroachments of the settler, and the building of railroads. But he could not stop the tide of THE INDIANS 15 immigration. Almost all the Indians in this country now have been gathered into tracts of land called reservations. jJjJjnf^iS III, II) INDIAN HIEKOGI.YPHICS.' Many of them are supported in partial idleness by our government, in fulfillment of treaties ; but some of the tribes have become civilized and are jirosperous — they have good houses and schools, and live much like the white men. It is earnestly to be hoped that all the red men may yet be Christianized and taught the arts of in- dustry and peace. The Northmen (descendants of the early inhabitants of Norway, and Sweden) were probably the first Europeans to set foot on the American continent. Iceland was settled by Northmen more than a thousand years ago; and there are Icelandic traditions which tell about a Norse colony founded in Greenland, and about some early voy- ages to the land south of it. They say that one Bjarni ' This cut represents a species of pictui-e writing occasionally used by the Indians. Some Indian fjiiidos wished to iufonn their comrades that a company of fourteen wliites and two Indians had spent the iiight at a certain place. Nos. 9, 10 indicate the white soldiers and their arms, No. 1 is the captain, with a sword; No. 2 tlie secre- tary, with the book; No. 3 the geoh)gist, with a hammer; Nos. 4, 5, 6 are attend- ants; Nos. 7, 8 are the guides, without hats; Nos. 11, 12 show what they ate in camp, Nos. 13, 14, 15 indicate how many fires they made. 16 INTRODUCTION (be ar'iie) first saw the land to tlie south, while driven out of his course ou his way to Greenland. A few years later, they say, about the year 1000, Leif Er'iesson exi)lored the coast southward and discovered " Vinland" (i)erhaps New England), returning to Greenland with a load of timber. Afterwards other adventurers made successful yoyages, established a temporary settlement, and bartered with the natives. Snor'ro, son of one of these settlers, is said to have been the first child born of European parents upon our shore.' How much credit is to be given to these tra- ditions is uncertain, but the story is probably true in the main. There was certainly a Norse colony in Greenland not long after the time stated in the traditions; and ruins of its stone buildings are still to be seen. But on this continent the Northmen left no evidence of their visits." Admitting, however, the claim made for the Northmen, the fact is barren of all results. No permanent settle- ments were made, the route hither was lost, and even the existence of the continent was forgotten. The true history of this country begins with the dis- covery of America by Columbus in 1492. It naturally divides itself into six great epochs. First Epoch. — Early Discoveries and Exploration }<. — This epoch extends from the discovery of America in 1492, to the settlement at Jamestown, Va., in 1607. During this period various European nations were exploring the southern and eastern parts of our country. ' Snorro was tlio founder of an illustrious family. One of liis descendants is said to have been AltxMt Tliorwaldscn, tlii" trrcat Danisb Bciilptor of the ninef-eentli century. The iK'autiful pliotoitraphs of Thorwaldscn's "Day," "Night," and "The Seasons," which han^r in so many American homes, thus acquire a new interest by being linked with the l)()y born on New England shores so many centuries ago. !*The rock inscription at Dight. Iii(1ia:i Characteristics. <;. Tlio Indian Present. if the ^ a. 2 fount In. ( b. I'lifblus. a. Arts and Inven- tions. h. Progress and Gov- ernment. c. Domestic Life. d. Disposition. e. Endurance. f. Religion. Natural Divisions of United States History. I 1. Who were they? 2. Stories of Bjiinii and Leif EriissDii '.l. Who was .Siiono? 4. The NorthuiL-n in Greenlainl 5. Results. 1. First Epoch. 2. Second Epoch. 3. Third Epoch. 4. Fourth Epoch. .'5. Fiftli Epoch. C. S;.v;th Epoch. EPOCH I.- EARLY DISCOYERIES AND EXPLORATIONS Geographical Knowledge in the Fifteenth Century. — The people of Europe in the fifteenth centnry had never heard of America.^ About that time a great desire for geo- graphical knowledge was awakened. The compass and the astrolabe — an instrument for ascertaining latitude — had given a new impulse to navigation. Voyagers were no longer compelled to creep along the shore, but began to strike out boldly into the open sea. The art of print- ing had just come into use, and books of travel were eagerly read. Marco Polo and other adventurers returning from the East told wonderful tales of the wealth of Asiatic cities. Genoa and Venice, com- manding the commerce of the Mediterranean, had be- come enriched by trade with the East. The costly shawls, 1 At the opeuins of modern liistory the known -worll comprised only Europe, southwestern Asia, and a strip of northern Africa, Cape Nim was considered the limit of navitration on the African coast. The most absurd ideas prevailed in regard to the regions beyond. The water at the equator was thought to be boiling hot ; the tropic sun, it was said, would permanently blacken the skin of any white man who ventured farther i^outh; and the unknown seas wcro supposed to bo peopled by terrible sc;i monsters. 19 FIFTEENTH-CENTURT SHIP. 20 EARLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS [1453 spices, aDd silks of Persia and India were borne by cara- vans and ships to the Red Sea, thence on camels across THE KNOWN WORM) IN 1490. the desert to the Nile, and lastly by ship over the Medi- terranean to Europe; or they were carried by caravans to the Black Sea or to the Mediterranean, and thence by ship to western Europe. But when the Turks took Con- stantinople (1453) they put a sudden end to much of this commerce, and as they advanced on Egypt they threat- ened to end the Eastern trade entirely. The great problem of the age was how to reach the East Indies by sea, and thus give a new and cheaper route to their rich products.' ' Tlio Portuguese were at tliis time the iBOst euterprisliig navipators in Europe. Prince Henry devoted himself to the study of astrououiy, touudcd an observatory 1474J CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 21 The Discovery of America. — Columbus^ conceived that he could reach the East Indies by sailing west. He be- lieved the eai'th to be round, while almost every one then thought it to be flat. He, however, thought it was smaller than it really is, and that Asia extended much farther round the world to the east than it does. Hence he argued that by going a few hundred leagues west he would reach the eastern coast of Asia.' He was determined to try this new route, but was too poor to pay for the neces- sary ships and provisions. and a naval college, collected all existing information concerning the earth's em- face, and prepared new and more accurate charts for navigators. His father, John I., and his grandnephew, John II., encouraged maritime explorations. Under such auspices the Portuguese sailors made voyage after voyage along the African coast. They discovered the Azores' and Cape Verde Islands, crossed the dreaded equator, and finally, under Diaz (dee'ahth), reached the southern extremity of Africa, and sailed several hundred miles eastward (1486). On liis return, Diaz told of the cape which he called Stormy Cape ; but the king, believing the long-desired route to India was now found, rechristened it the Cape of Good Hope. 1 Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, about 1435. He was trained for the sea from his childhood. As he was the eldest of four children, and his father a poor wool comber, much care devolved upon him. It is said that at thirty his hair was white from trouble and anxiety. Columbus was determined, shrewd, and intensely religious. He believed himself to be divinely called to " carry the true faith into the uttermost parts of the earth." Inspired by this thought, no discouragement or contumely could drive him to despair. It was eighteen years from the conception of his plan to the time when he was en- abled to try his new route. During all this time his life was a marvel ot patience, and of ttrave devotion to his one purpose. His sorrows were many ; his triumph was brief. Evil men maligned him to Ferdinand and Isabella, the Spanish monarchs who supplied his ships. Disregarding their promise that he should be governor gen- eral over all the lands he might discover, the king and queen sent out another gov- ernor, and by his order Columbus was taken home in chains ! It is sad to know that although Ferdinand and Isabella endeavored to soothe his wounded spiiit by many attentions, they never restored to him his lawful rights. From fluent promises they passed at last to total neglect, and Columbus died a grieved and disappointed old man. At his request, his chains were buried with him, a touching memorial of Spanish ingratitude. ^ Several facts served to strengthen the faith of Columbus in the correctness of his theory. The Azores and the Madeira, Canary, and Cape Verde islands, being the most westerly lands then known, were the outposts of geographical knowledge. There had been washed on their shores, by currents from the west, pieces of wood curiously carved, trees and seeds of unknown species, and especiallj' the bodies of two men of atrange color and visage. 22 EAULY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLOKATIONS [1484 Columbus at the Court of Fortu/jal. — He accordingly laid his plan before King John of Portugal, who referred it to his geographers. They pronounced it a visionary scheme. With a lurking feeling, however, that there might be truth in it, the king had the meanness to dis- patch a vessel secretly to test the matter. The pilot had the charts of Columbus, but lacked his courage. After sailing westward from Cape Verde Islands for a few days, and seeing nothing but a wide waste of wildly tossing waves, he returned, ridiculing the idea. Columhus at the Court of Spain. — Columbus, disheart- ened by this treachery, betook himself to Spain. During seven long years he importuned Knig Ferdinand and others for help in his plan. All this while he was re- garded as a visionary fellow, and when he passed along the streets, even the children touched their foreheads and smiled. The learned council at Salamanca promptly de- clared the plan too foolish for serious attention.^ Colum- bus gained a few influential friends, but King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella declined to aid him. Turning away sadly, Columbus determined to go to Fiance. Columhus Successful. — His friends at the Spanish court, at this juncture, laid the matter before Queen Isabella, and she was finally won to his cause. The king remained indifferent and pleaded the want of funds. The queen in her earnestness exclaimed, "I pledge my jewels to raise the money." But her sacrifice was not required. The royal treasurer advanced most of the money, and the ' "It is ahsiml," said tiioec wise men. " Wlio is so foolisli as to l.clieve tliat there are people on the otlier side of tlie, world, walking with their heels upward and their heads hantrinfj down? And then, how ean a ship get there? The torrid zone, tlirongli whieh tliey must jiass, is a re>ri«n of tire, where the very waves boil. And even if a ship could perchance get around there safely, how could it ever get back? Can a shij) sail uphill f" All of which sounds very strange to us now, when every year hundreds of travelers make the entire circuit of the (ilobe. 1492] C'HKISTOPHEK COLUMBUS 23 friends of Columbus the remainder. Columbus had suc- ceeded at last, after eighteen years of waiting. Co lum bus's Equip- ment. — Though, he was armed with the king's author- ity, Columbus ob- tained vessels and sailors with the greatest difficulty. The boldest sea- men shrank from such a desperate undertaking. At last three small ves- sels were manned: the Pinta (peen'- tah), Smita Maria (salin'tah mah- ree'ah), and l^ina (neen'yah). They sailed from Palos (pah'los), Spain, August 3, 1492. Incidents of the Voyage. — They went first to the Cana- ries and then sailed westward on the untried sea. When the sailors saw the last trace of land fade from their sight, many, even of the bravest, burst into tears. As they pro- ceeded, their hearts were wrung by superstitious fears. To their dismay, the compass began to vary from its usual direction, and they believed that they were coming into a region where the very laws of nature were changed. They came into the track of the trade wind, which wafted them steadily westward. This, they were sure, was carrying them to destruction, for how could they ever return against it f Signs of land, such as flocks of birds and fresh, green plants, were often seen, and the clouds near the horizon assumed the look of land ; but they disappeared, and only 24 EAKLV DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS [1492 the bioad ocean spread out before them as they advanced. The sailors, so often deceived, lost heart and insisted upon returning home. Columbus, with wonderful tact and l)atience, explained all these appearances. But the more he argued, the louder became their murmurs. At last they secretly determined to throw him overboard. Al- though he knew their feelings, he did not waver, but declared that he would proceed till the enterprise was accomplished. Soon, signs of laii crew, a colony of forty men was left on this island — the first settlement of Spaniards in the western hemisphere. When Columbus came here on his second voyage he found that every one of these settlers had perished. 2G EAKLY DISCO VKRI KS AND MX I'LOK ATDJNS [1493 acquisition. As Columbus told them of the beautiful land he had found, its brilliaut birds, its tropical forests, its delightful climate, aud, above all, its natives waiting to be converted to the Christian faith, they sank upon their knoos and gave thanks to (Tod. The M'isfahc. of Cohinihii.s. — Columbus never even sus- pected that there was any such continent as America. People then supposed that all the land in the world was embraced in the three pai'tsor continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with the adjacent islands. Coluujbus did not set out to discover a new world. He was instead tiying a new route to the eastern coast of Asia, which he thought was much nearer than it really is. He found some tropi- cal islands and coasts about wliere he had expected to find those of Asia ; and for many years everybody thought that he had succeeded in his (^uest. Ho made three later voyages to tlie same region, exploring more islands and coasts.' But he never lost the delusion that these lands were on the eastern coast of Asia, and died ignorant of the fact that he had really discovered a new world.- How America was named, — Amer'icus Vespu'cius,^ an Italian in the service of Portugal, made a voyage along 1 It was not till 14'.»«, liowcver, that he ti)uchcd the inainhind of America. This was oil his third voyage, aud the laud foaiid was near the mouth of the Orinoco Kiver. -'The body of Columbus was Vniried at Valladolid. It was thence transported, in ISIS, to the Carthusian Monastery of Seville, nnd twenty-three years later to the city of Haiito Domiiifio, in the island of Haiti. In 179G the remains, as was snpi>osed, weing made near the Catheilral in Santo I>omin;j;o, a vault was opened and a leaden coHiu was found containinK human bonci--, and insirtbed in Ppiinis:) : " Illustrious and renowned man, Christopher Columbus." a In Italian this )ian>.e is Amerigo Vespucci (ah mfi rce'go ves poofchee). Vespu- cius marti' several voyages of discovery. It is believed that on the first voyage, under Piiizon (peen thon) and Sy way of Mexico or South America. Hence the con- nection of the Philippines witli the New World began more than three centuries before this great Spanish colony was ceded to the United States. 2 The natives of Cuba were subdued by Velasquez (va lahs'keth) in 1512, As in the other islands of the West Indies, the Indians were reduced to .slavery, and perished in great numbers. Havana, the greatest city of the West Indies, was founded in 1519. 30 EAKLV DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS [1511 present motive in their exploration of the New World was the desire to convert the Indians to Christianity. Among the Spanish explorers of the sixteenth century we notice the following: Ponce de Leon was the first governor of Porto Rico. As such, he conquered the natives, and in 1511 founded San Juan (sahn hoo ahn'), the oldest city in United States ter- ritory. The pext year, however, he was deprived of his government. Though an old man, he was still a gallant soldier, and he coveted the glory of further conquest to re- store his tarnished reputation. Besides, he had heard of a magic fountain, in a great island to the northwest, where one might bathe and be made young again. Accordingly, he equii)ped an expedition and sailed in search of this fabled treasure. On Easter Sunday {Pascua Florida in Spanish), 1513, he came in sight of land. In honor of the day he called it Florida. He sailed along the coast, and landed here and there, l)ut returned home at last, an old man still, having found neither youth nor glory. Balbo'a crossed the Isthmus of Panama the same year, and from the summit of the mountains beheld a wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean, which he called the South Sea.' Wading into its waters with his naked sword in one hand and a Spanish banner in the other, he solemnly de- clared that the ocean, and all the shores which it might touch, belonged to the crown of Spain forever. Narvaez (nar vah'eth) received a grant of Florida, and (1528) with 400 men attcmj)ted its conquest. Striking into the interior, they wandered about, lured on by the hope of finding gold. Wading through swamps, crossing deep rivers by swimming and by rafts, fighting the lurk- ing Indians who incessantly harassed their path, and I It was so called becaurse at this point the ocean is south of the land. 1528] SPANISH EXPLORATIONS 31 nearly perishiDg with hunger, they reached at last the Gulf of Mexico. Hastily constructing pomo crazy boats, they sailed westward. After several weeks of peril and suffering, they were shipwrecked, and Narvaez was lost. Eight years afterwards four persons — the only survivors of this ill-fated expedition — reached the Spanish settle- ments on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Ferdinand de Soto, undismayed by these failures, under- took anew the conquest of Florida. He set out with 600 men, amid the fluttering of banners, the flourish of trump- ets, and the gleaming of helmet and lance. For month after month this procession of cavaliers, priests, soldiers, and Indian captives marched through the wilderness, wher- 1)1. ^<^T(> FINDS THE JIISSISSIFPI. ever they thought gold might be found. They traversed what is now Greorgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. In the third year of their wanderings (1541) they emerged upon the bank of the Mississippi River. After another year of 32 EARLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS [1542 fruitless explorations, De Soto died.' The other adven- turers were now anxious only to get home in safety. They constructed boats and descended the river, little over half of this gallant array finally reaching the settlements in Mexico. Menendez (ma nen'deth), wiser than his predecessors, on landing (1565), forthwith laid the foundations of a colony. In honor of the day, he named it St. Augustine. This is the oldest town on tlie maiidand of the United States." Explorations on the Pacific. — Calijbrnia, in the sixteenth century, was a general name applied to all the region northwest of Mexico. It is said to have originated in an old Spanish romance very popular in the time of Cortes, in which appeared a queen whose magnificent country bore this name. The Mexican Indians told the Spaniards that most of their gold and precious stones came from a country far to the northwest, (brtes, therefore, turned his attention in that direction, and sent out several expe- ditions to exploi-e the Californias; but all these adven- turers returned empty-handed.^ Corond'do made the first extensive exploration of the southwestern part of our country. Starting from the Pacific coast of Mexico, he marched to the northeast as far as the present States of Kansas and Nebraska. He found the curious houses of the Pueblo Indians in New 1 At the cload of uight liis followers sank bis body in the river, anil the Bulleii waters Imried his hopes aud his ambition. " He hud croHsed a large part of tlie conti- nent," sajH Baneroft, " and found iiothinf; so remarkable aa his biu'ial plaee." - Many Spanish remains still exist. Among these is Fort Marion, once San Marco, wbieli was founded in 1505 aud finished in 1755. It is built of eoquina (ko kenu) — a curious stono composed of small sliells. 3 Ships were also sent from Mexico across the Pacific, aud one of these, driven out of its course, was wrecked on the Ha waiiau Islands (1527). Later this group was discov- ered by a Spanish explorer (1555) and was marked on a few old Spanish charts; but the Spaniards did not take possession of the islands. The natives, several hundred thousand in number, were left to themselves for more than two centuries, until the islauds were rediscovered by Captaiu Cook, the famous English navigator (1778). 1542] SPANISH EXPLORATIONS 33 Mexico, but of the gold that he sought he found none (1540-42). CabriUo (kah breel'vo) made the first voyage along what is now the ('alifornia coast (1542); he died in San Diego (sahn de a'go) harbor, but his pilot went many miles farther north. Espejo (es pa'ho) explored and named New Mexico (1582), and a few years later the Spaniards founded Santa Fe (sahn tah fa'), which is the oldest town in the western United States. Spanish Claims in North America in i6oo. — Spain, at the close of the sixteenth century, had conquered and held SPANISH EXPLORATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA TO 1600. possession of the West Indies, Central America, and Mexico. Besides this Spanish explorers had traversed the whole of the southern portion of the United States from the Atlantic to the Pacific. All this part of our B. HIST. U. 8.-3 y-i EAliLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS [1524 vast territory, aud moi'e, they claimed by the rights of discovery and exploration, though their only settlements in it were St. Augustine in Florida and Santa Fe in New Mexico. COLLATERAL READING Fisko'.s Discoi'crij of Aiiierini, vol. ii. pp. 500-511. FRENCH EXPLORATIONS The French were eager to share in the profits which Spain was acquiring in the New World. Within seven years after the discovery of the continent the waters of Newfoundland were frequented by their fishermen.* For many years after Magellan's voyage, mariners of various nations tried to find a "northwest passage" to India through or around North America." Verrazano (-tsah'no), a native of Florence, Italy, was the first navigator sent by the French king to find the new way to the Indies. Sailing westward from Madeira (1524), he reached land near the present harbor of Wilmington, N. C. He coasted along the shores of Carolina aud New Jersey, entered the harbors of New York and Newport, and re- turned with a glowing description of the lands he had found. He named the country New France. Cartier (kar tya') ascended the Eiver St. Lawrence^ (1535) to the Indian village of Hochelaga (ho she lah'gah), on the site of Montreal. The village was pleasantly sit- uated at the foot of a lofty hill, which Cartier climbed. 1 Cape Breton Island was nanierl by the flahermen in reiuetubranco of their home iu Brittany, France. •-! The routes by the Capo of Gooil Hrtpe and by the Strait of Magellan were loiii; and tedious. But it was at last found that the real northwest passage was still more dif- ficult. It was lirst traversed iu 1850-54, from Bering Sea to Baffin Bay. It is of no value to commerce. 3 The name St. Lawrence was that of the day on which Cartier entered the gulf. 1562J FRENCH EXPLORATIONS 35 Stirred by the magnificent prospect, he named the place Mont Real, that is. Mount Royal. Ribaut (re bo') led out the first expedition (1562) under the auspices of Coligny (ko leen yee').^ The company landed at the site of Port Royal, S. C. So charmed were they that when volunteers were called for to hold the country for France, many eagerly came forward — more than could be allowed to stay. They erected a fort, which they named Carolina in honor of Charles IX.,- king of France. The fleet departed, leaving a little band of thirty alone on the continent. From the North Pole to Mexico, they were the only civilized men. Food became scarce. They tired of the eternal solitude of the wilder- ness, and finally built a rude ship and put to sea. Here a storm shattered their vessel. Famine overtook them, and, in their extremity, they killed and ate one of their num- ber. A vessel at last hove in sight, and took them on board, only to carry them captives to England.^ Thus perished the colony, but the name still survives. Laudonniere (lo do ne ar'), two years after, built a fort, also called Carolina, on the St. Johns River in Florida. Soon the colonists were reduced to the verge of starva- tion.* They were on the point of leaving, when they were 1 Coligny was an admiral of France, and a leader of the Hu'guenots, as the French Protestants wei'e then called. He had conceived a plan for founding an empire in America. This would furnish an asylum for his Huguenot friends, and at the same time advance the glory of the French. Thus religion and patriotism combined to induce him to send out colonists to the New World. - The Latiu for Charles is Carolus; hence the name Carolina. ■■! The most feeble were landed in France. It is said that Queen Elizabeth first thought of colonizing the New World from conversing with the Huguenots sent to England. + Their sufferings were horrible. Weat and emaciated, they fed themselves with roots, sorrel, pounded fish bones, and even roasted snakes. " Oftentimes," says Lau- donnifere, " our poor soldiers were constrained to give away the very shirts from their backs to get one tish. If at any time they showed mito the savages the excessive price which they took, these villains would answer them roughly : ' If thou make so great 36 EARLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS Ll''6'> reeiiforced by Ribaut. The French now seemed fairly fixed on the coast of Florida. The Spaniards, however, claimed the country. Menendez, about this time, had made a settlement in St. Augustine. Leading an expedition northward through the wilderness, in the midst of a fear- ful tempest, he attacked Fort Carolina and massacred almost the entire population. Thus ended the attempt to establish a French colony in the Southeast. Champlain (sham plan'), at the beginning of the seven- teenth century, crossed the Atlantic in two pygmy barks — one of twelve, the other of fifteen tons — and ascended the St. Lawrence on an exploring tour. At Hochelaga all was changed. The Indian town had vanished, and not a trace remained of the savage population which Cartier saw there seventy years before.^ Champlain was overpowered by the charms of the New World, and longed to plant a French empii-e and the Catholic faith amid its savage wilds. De Monts (moN) received from the French king a grant of all the territory between the fortieth and forty-sixth parallels of latitude. This tract was termed Aca'dia, a name afterwards confined to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In 1605, with Champlain, he founded Port Royal (Nova Scotia), the first agricultural colony in America. Port Royal was soon abandoned, but a few years later, under other owners, it became a pei'manont settlement. Champlain made a second voyage to 2Vmeri(.'a in 1608, and established a trading post at Quebec. This was the first permanent French settlement in Canada. The next sum- mer, in his eager desire to explore the country, he joined a war party of the Ilurons against the Iroquois, or Five Na- account of thymerchaiidisc, eat it, aud wo will eatonr fisli ' ; then fell they out a lau^'h- in^, aud uiocked us with open throat." I This fact illustrates the frequeut aud rapid chaujces wlii( li tools place amons the ahoriu'inal tribes. 1609] FRENCH EXPLORATIONS 37 tions. On the banks of the beautiful lake which now bears his name, Champlain met and put to flight a band of Iro- CHAMl'LAIN FIGHTS THE IROQUOIS. quois. The Iroquois never forgot noi* forgave this defeat, and their enmity kept the French out of the present State of New York. Amid discouragements which would have overwhelmed a less determined spirit, Champlain firmly established the authority of France on the banks of the St. Lawrence. The " Father of New France," as he has been termed, reposes in the soil he won to civilization. The Jesuit Missionaries. — The explorers of the Lake region and the Mississippi valley were mostly Jesuit V priests. The French names which they gave still linger throughout that region. Their hope was to convert the Indians to the Christian faith. They pushed their way ' The Society of JesuH is one of the faraoiis religious orders of the Roman Catholic Church. It was founded by St. Ignatius Loyo'Ia in 1540, and at one time numbered over 20,000. The Jesuits are noted for the zeal, learning, and skill which they have displayed in missionary and other religious work in all parts of the world. 38 EARLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS [1668 through the forest with unflagging energy. They paddled up the Ottawa River and carried their canoes across to the waters of Lake Huron. They traversed the Upper Lakes. In 1668 they founded the mission of Sault (soo) Sainte Marie, or St. Mary, the oldest European settlement in Michi- gan. Many of them were murdered by the savages ; some were scalped ; some were burned in resin fire ; some were scalded with boiling water. Yet as soon as one fell out of the ranks another sprang forward to fill the post. Father Marquette (mar ket') was one of these patient, in- defatigable pioneers of New France. Hearing from some MAHi^Cl.l IK' wandering Indians of a great river which they termed the " Father of Waters," he determined to visit it. In company with the explorer Joliet (zho lya'), he crossed Lake Michi- gan and Green Bay in a canoe, ascended Fox River, and 1673] FRENCH EXPLORATIONS 39 floated down the Wisconsin to the Mississippi (1673), and thence to the mouth of the Arkansas (ar'kan saw)/ La Salle (lah sahl') was educated as a Jesuit, but had left that order and had established a trading post at the outlet of Lake Ontario." Inflamed with a desire to find the mouth of the Mississippi, he made his way down the river (1682) to the Gulf of Mexico. He named the country Louisiana, in honor of Louis XIY., king of France. Re- turning to France, he made ready to plant a colony near the mouth of the Mississippi ; but when his ships arrived in the (rulf of Mexico they missed the mouth of the Mis- sissippi and landed the colonists on the shore of Texas. La Salle was murdered^ by some of his own men while on his way to the French settlements in the north. The Texas colony soon perished. French Claims on North America in 1700. — Before the close of the seventeenth century, the French had explored the St. Lawrence basin, including the Great Lakes and their tributary streams ; the Ohio and its chief branches ; and the Mississippi from the Falls of St. Anthony to the Gulf, while they claimed the whole basin of that river, ex- tending indefinitely westward. They had several settle- ments on the St. Lawrence, one at Biloxi on the Gulf, and 1 Soon after his return, though in very poor health, he made a journey to an Indian village on the Illinois, to convert the natives tliere. On his way home again, while on Lake Michigan, he felt the approach of death, and with his two companions went ashore not far from the Marquette River. Patient and uncomplaining to the last, he died while at prayer. Years after, when the tempest raged and the Indian tossed on the angry waves, he would seek to still the storm by invoking the aid of the pious Marquette. -' This important post, with the lands adjacent, was granted him I)y the Freuch king in 1675. Before this time he had made an expedition into the country south of the Great Lakes, where he discovered the Ohio River and descended it as far as the site of Louisville. 3 The work begun by La Salle, however, was bravely carried on by otlier French- men. Iberville (e bSr veel) founded Biloxi, near the mouth of the Mississippi (1699), and his brother Bienville (be ax veel') founded New Orleans (1718). 40 EARLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS [1688 had planted here and there in the wilderness missions and rude forts or trading posts — the beginnings of civilization. In 1688 New France possessed a population of 11,000. FRENCH EXri.ORATIONS IN NUKTU AMERICA TO 1700. COLLATERAL READING FiHko's Discovery of America, xol. ii. pp. 511-522; or Parkiuau's La Hulte and the Digeorery of the Clreat West, chap. xx. ENGLISH EXPLORATIONS We have seen how the Cabots, sailing under the English flag, discovered the American continent, exploring its coast from Labrador to Cape Tod. Though the English claimed the northern part of the continent by right of this discovery, yet for two generations the^^ paid little attention to it. In Queen Elizabeth's time, however, maritime enterprise was awakened, and English sailors cruised on every sea.^ ' Sir Jolin TTawlfiiis cngaf,"'rt i" the slave trade, oarryinj? oarKoo.s of nejjrocs from Africa to sell to the Spaiiiards iu the West Indies. Soou, however, Eiijrlish sailors 1576] ENGLISH EXPLORATIONS 41 Like the other navigators of the day, they were eager to discover the northwest passage to India. Frob'isher made the first of these attempts to go north of America to Asia. Threading his perilous way among icebergs, he pushed into the little bay just north of Hud- son Strait (1576), and on a later voyage entered Hudson Strait itself. Next, John Davis pushed farther northwest and entered Davis Strait (1585). Sir Francis Drake was a famous sailor. In one of his expeditions on the Isthmus of Panama, he climbed to the top of a lofty tree, whence he saw the Pacific Ocean. Looking out on its broad expanse, he resolved to " sail an English ship on those seas." Returning to England, he equipped a small squadron. He sailed through the Strait of Magellan, and coasted along the Pacific shore to the southern part of Oregon. Having refitted his ship (1579), he sailed westward, and returned home hj way of the Capo of Good Hope. He was thus the first Englishman to explore the Pacific coast, and to circumnavigate the globe.^ Sir Humphrey Gilbert was not a sailor, but he bad be,can to rtispute with Spain tlie sovereiprnty of the sea, and English privateers — " sea doss," as they were called — began to rob the Spanish treasure ships whenever they could. The greed of gold, the love of adventure, a chivalrous contempt of danger, and tlie bitter hatred then existing between Protestant England and Catholic Spain, com- l)ined to inspire the sea dogs to the most daring deeds. 1 This voyage was in large part a plundering expedition. Along the coast of Chile and Peru, Drake robbed towns as well as ships, and he captured the great galleon that yearly sailed thence to Spain with precious stones, gold dust, and silver ingots. When he reached Plym'outh, England, after an absence of three years, his ship was laden with treasure to the amount of £800,000. The queen received a large share of thu spoils, knighted the freebooter, wore his jewels in her crown, and ordered his' ship, the Golden Ilind, to be preserved in i:icmory of her remarkable voyage. Open war hav- ing at last broken out between England and Spain, Drake, Cav'endish, and other free- booters went to the West Indies and the " Spanish Main," — the southern coast of the Caribbean Sea,— plundering and burning villages, and capturing Spanish treasure ships on their way home from the New World. The English privateers, however, could fight for their country as well as for private gain, and Drake, Hawkins, and Frobislier were in the very front of the little fleet that destroyed the " Invincible Aruia'da" (1588) and broke the Spanish power. 42 EARLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS 1583 studied the accounts of American discoveries, and eon- eluded that, instead of random expeditions after gold and spices, companies should be sent out to form permanent settlements. His attempts to colonize the New World, however, ended in his own death. As he was sailing home (1583) in a bark of only ten tons' burden, in the midst of a fearful storm the light of his little vessel suddenly disap- peared. Neither ship nor crew was ever seen again. |j||L. . -j^ J k^^^MMm JsM .'', 1^' ' .^^pV9^| wS^m^^i^^^k.- 1 S* '^B^H OT B 1 J^KKk JiJ^Hp" A 01 ^Btm^- ■J B ^i:- '(-I RALKKiH AND TJIK yDEKN. Sir Walter Raleigh ' (raw'li), a half-brother of Gilbert, shared his views of American colonization. He easily 1 Raleigh was not only a man of rtamitless courage, but lie also added to a hand- some person much learning and many accomplishments. Meeting Queen Elizabeth one day while she was walking, lie spread his mantle over a wet place in her path. 81ie was so pleased with his gallantry that she admitted him to court, and he contin- ued a favorite during her entire lifetime. After her death he was accused by James I. of treason, was imprisoned for many years, and was finally executed. On tne scaf- fold ho asked for the ax, and, feeling the edge, observed with a smile, " This is a sharp medicine, but a .sound cure for all diseases." Then composedly laying his head on the block, and moving bis lips as in prayer, he gave the signal for the fatal blow. 1584] ENGLISH EXPLORATIONS 43 obtained from Queen Elizabeth a patent* of any remote lands not inhabited by Christians, which he might dis- cover within six years. In 1584 he sent an expedition which explored the coast of what is now North Carolina. This whole region was named Virginia in honor of Eliza- beth, the Virgin Queen. RaJeigJi's First Attempt to riant a Colony was on E-oanoke Island (map, p. 52). The settlers made no endeavor to cultivate the soil, but spent their time in hunting for gold and pearls. At last they were nearly starved, when Drake, happening to stop there on one of his voyages, took pity on them and carried them home. They had lived long enough in America to learn the use of tobacco from the Indians. This they introduced into England. The custom of " drinking tobacco," as it was called, soon became the fashion.^ RaleigWs Second Attempt. — Raleigh, undiscouraged by this failure, still clung to his colonizing scheme. The next time, he sent out families instead of single men. A grand- daughter of John White, the governor of the colony, was born soon after they reached Roanoke Island ; she was the first English child born in America (1587). The gov- ernor, on returning to England to secure supplies, found the public attention absorbed by the threatened attack of the Spanish Armada. It was four years before he was able to come back. Meanwhile his family, and the colony he had left alone in the wilderness, had perished: how, we do not know. Raleigh had now spent about $200,000, an immense sum 1 A patent was a formal grant of land, with the right to plant colonies on it. - An amusing story is told of Raleigh while he was learning to smoke. One morn- ing a servant, on entering the room with a cup of ale for his master, saw a cloud of smoke Issuing from Raleigh's mouth. Frantically dashing the liquor in his master's face, he rushed downstairs, imploring help lest Sir Walter should be burned to ashes! 44 EARLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS [1602 for that day, on this American colony ; and, disheartened, he transferred his patent to other parties. Trading Voyages. — Fortunately for American interests, fishing and trading ventures were more profitable than colonizing ones. English vessels frequented the Banks of Newfoundland, and, probably, occasionally visited Vir- ginia. Bartholomew Gosnold,' a master of a small bark, discovered (1602) and named Cape Cod and Marthas Vine- yard. Loading his vessel with sassafras root, which was then highly esteemed as a medicine, he returned home to publish most favorable reports of the region. Some Eng- lish merchants accordingly sent out the next year two vessels under Captain Pring. He discovered several har- bors in Maine, and brought back cargoes of furs and sassafras. As the result of these various explorations, many felt an earnest desire to colonize the New World. James I. ac- cordingly granted two companies permission to found colonies in the vast territory of Virginia, as it was called. The South Virginia Company, called the London Com- pany because its principal men resided at London, was to have a block of land 100 miles square somewhere on the coast between the thirty-fourth and forty-first degrees of latitude. This company sent out a colony under Captain Newport. He made at elamestown,- in 1607, the 1 The English sbips were iiccustoiiicd to nteor poiitbward as far aa tho Canary Islands ; theu they followed the track of Columbus to tho West ludies, and theuce past the coast of Florida northward to tlie point they wished to roach. Navigators knew this was a roundabout way, but they were afraid to try the northern route straislit across tho Atlantic. Cosnold made the voyage dlrrclUj from England to Massachu- setts, thus shortening the route 3000 miles. This gave a great impulse to colonization, since it was, in eff-ct, bringing America ;iOOO miU-s nearer England. •i The river was called James, and the town Jamestown, in honor of the king of England. Tho headlands at the mouth of the Chesapeake received the names of Cape Henry and Cape Charles from the king's eons, and tho deep water for anchorage, " which put the emigrants in good comfort," gave the name Point Comfort. 1607J ENGLISH EXPLORATIONS 45 first permanent English settlement in the United States ^ (see map, p. 52). The North Virginia Company, called the Plymouth Company because its principal men resided at Plymouth, was to select a block 100 miles square on the coast between the thirty-eighth and forty- fifth degrees of latitude. The Charter ■ granted by the king to these two companies was the first under which Eng- lish colonies were planted in the United States. It is therefore worthy of careful study. It ENGLISH EXPLORATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA TO 1607. contained no idea of self-government. The people were not to have the election of an officer. The king was to 1 About eighty years before tliis the Spaniards had tried to establish a colony in the same locality as Jamestown, but had failed. The attempt was made under De AylloD - FouikIh Quebec. ( r. Vigil In Iroquois. 7 De Monts and Port Royal .,,... S a. Their seat. 8. Jesuit Missionaries. ^ ^ Marquette. 9. La Salle. 10. French Claims in 1700. 7. English Explorations. 1. English Claim and Maritime Zeal 2. Frobisher and Davis. 3. Francis Drake. 4. Humphrey Gilbert. 8. Dutch Explorations. 5. Raleigh. 6. Trading Voyages. 7. Companies formed. < 1. Henry Hudson. a. Tries to plant Col- ony. b. Second atlempt. a. Loudon Co. b. Plymouth Co. c. Their Charter. i 9. Conflicting Claims. 2. Dutch Claim. Permanent Settlements at the End of theSixteenth Century and the Beginning of the Seventeenth Century. 2. Claims of Nations. the Four 3. Result of these Conflicting ('lainis. a. The Spanish. b. The French, r. The Kiii/lish. d. The Dutch. EPOCH II.- DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH COLONIES This epoch traces the early history of the thirteen Eng- lish colonies — Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Penn- sylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Caro- lina, and Georgia, The Cavaliers land in Vii-ginia and the Puritans in Massachusetts. Immigration increases, and the settlements multiply along the whole coast. The country is settled mainly by immigrants from Great Britain ; for most of the colonies are founded as English dependencies, and the others soon become so. The col- onies, however, have little history in common. Each by itself struggles with the wilderness, contends with the Indian, and develops the principles of liberty. I. VIRGINIA The Character of the first Jamestown colonists was poorly adapted to endure the hardships incident to life in a new country. The settlers — about 100 in number — were mostly men of gentle birth, unused to labor. They had no families, and came out in search of wealth and adven- ture, expecting, when rich, to return to England. The climate was unhealthful, and before the first autumn half of them had perished, including Gosnold, one of their leaders. B. HIST. D. S.— 4 49 50 THE TllIKTEEX COLONIES [IGu: John ber of t Smith ' saved the eolouy from ruin. First as a mem- he council, and afterwards as president, he rendered invahia])le service. He persuaded the settlers to build log huts for the winter. He made long voy- at;es, carefully ex- ploring Chesapeake Bay, securing the friendship of the Indians, and bring- ing back boatloads of supplies. He trained the tender irentlemeu till they learned how to swing the ax in the forest. He declared that '' he who would not work might not eat." He taught them that industry and self-reliance are the surest guarantees to fortune. Smith's Adroifures were of the most romantic character. 1 Captain John Smitb was bum to adventure. WMle yet a boy be left bis bome in Lineolnsliire, England, to cuiragc in Holland wars. Later we bear of bini on bis way to fiffbt tbe Turks. In Franee be is i-obbed, and escapes death from want only by begfiing alms. At sea a fearful storm arises; be, being a heretic, is deemed the cause, and is tbrowa overboard, but be swims to land. Di the East a famous Mus- sulman wishes to fight some Christian kni;[:bt " to please tbo ladies"; Smith oflfers himself, and slays three cbauji>ions in succession! Taken prisoner in battle and sold as a slave, bis head is shaved and his neck bound with an iron ring; he kills his master, arrays himself in the dead man's garments, mounts a horse, and spurs bis way to a Russian camp. Having returned to England, be embarks for the New World. On the voy.-ige he excites the jealousy of bis fellows, and is landed in chains, but his worth becomes so apparent that be is linally made president of the colony. These and many other woiiilerfnl exploits be tells in a book pnblished after his return to Englanil. Many historians discredit them. However, bis services were of unques- tionable value to Virginia, and bis disinterestedness appears from tbe fact that he never received a foot of land in the colony his wisdom bad saved.