mmmmmmmm mmmKKmm MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY J.A.C.CHANDLER AND «» ^HITWOOD LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DDDD3E71Db7 51LY£JR»BURBETT ^COMPANY j. **. ^cy •4Qi Jr,* 4 ^ v*rrr«' ,«* fc^. %. c** .»■ •* .istr. % w .'<£&& *° Makers of American History A Beginner'' s Book in the History of Our Country By J. A. C. CHANDLER, Ph.D. Professor of English in Richmond College and O. P. CHITWOOD, B.A. Teacher of History in the Richmond Academy SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY NEW YORK ATLANTA BOSTON DALLAS CHICAGO LIBRARY of CONGRESS Twe Copies Received FEB 15 1904 *"\ Copyright Entry CLASS <*- X\c. No. ' COPY 3° Copyright, 1904, by SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY Preface This little book is an effort to sketch the lives of some of the makers of American history in such a way as to present the strong points of their characters, and at the same time to narrate the main events in our history. It is believed that the book has a place in the schools in that it may be used in at least three different ways : as a primary history, as a supplement to a more formal school history, and as a supplementary reader. (i) As a primary history. It is universally conceded that the proper way to teach history to children is by means of biography, and for this purpose the book has been written. Children in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades of school should be given elementary work in United States history, and in our belief this book is adapted to these grades. In order that it may serve as a primary history, geography and review questions have been added at the end of each chapter. (2) As a supplement to a school history. Many of our best text-books, in narrating the chief events of United States history, for want of space do not give much biography or many incidents in the lives of the prin- cipal participants in our history. In connection with such books this volume may easily be used, and thus the teacher can bring vividly before the pupil's mind the makers, as well as the facts, of our history. (3) As a supplemental-}' reader. The majority of the readers used in our schools are prepared as introductory books to the study of literature, and therefore contain chiefly selections from the best authors. Such readers should be supplemented in every grade by some historical matter, with a view to keeping before the children the greatness and importance of our country among the nations of the world. In the lower grades brief historical anecdotes of our great men should be given, but in the more advanced grades, beginning probably with the fourth reader, short con- 6 PREFACE. nected biographies can and ought to be read. As such a supplementary reader this book may be used. In attempting to prepare a book to serve the above-mentioned pur- poses, the authors realize that the task is a difficult one, but believing that this book contains much which will interest and inspire children, they venture to hope that it will aid teachers in making easier and more pleasant the imparting of a knowledge of United States history to our boys and girls. I.— Columbus II.—Americus Vespucius III.— -John and Sebastian Cabot . IV.— Ponce de Leon. Balboa. De Soto V. — Walter Raleigh .... VI. — John Smith VII. William Bradford and John Winthrop Yi i I.— Roger Williams and Thomas Hooker IX. Henry Hudson and Peter Stuyvesant X. — Lord Baltimore . XL — William Penn XII. — John Locke XIII. — James Oglethorpe XIV. — Marquette and La Salle XV.— James Wolfe XVI. — Daniel Boone XVII.— James Otis . XVIIL— Patrick Henry XIX.— George Washin< ;ton XX.— Georoe Rogers Clarke XX I .—Benjamin Franklin XX II.— Thomas Jefferson PAGE 13 24 30 35 45 5i 60 67 75 81 86 92 97 103 112 121 130 i35 144 158 165 176 8 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIII. — Robert Fulton XXIV. — Stephen Decatur XXV. — Andrew Jackson XXVI. — Sam Houston XXVII. — Zachary Taylor XXVIII.— Henry Clay XXIX. — Daniel Webster XXX. — John C. Calhoun XXXI. — Morse and McCormick XXXII. — Jefferson Davis XXXIII. — Abraham Lincoln XXXIV.— Robert E. Lee . XXXV. — Edison and Bell . XXXVI.— George Dewey . PAGE . I8 7 . 192 . 20I . 208 . 217 . 225 • 233 . 241 • 247 • 255 . 265 • 274 . 288 . 297 The Surrender of Cornwallis at Columbus and his Son Asking for Shelter Christopher Columbus . .... Queen Isabella An Indian Weapon Vespucius Talking with Colum- bus A Relic of the Aborigines . . . Americus Vespucius .... An Indian Bow and Arrow . . John Cabot Discovering Land . King Henry VII The Cabot Memorial Tower at Bristol, England The Royal Arms of England . De Soto in the Swamps of Florida Ponce de Leon • Balboa's First Sight of the Pa- cific De Soto Discovers the Missis- sippi River A Spanish Sword and Helmet . Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh Casting his Cloak before the Queen . . . Queen Elizabeth Yorktown . . Frontispiece PAGE AGE The Stone Marking the Site of 13 Old Fort Raleigh 47 15 On the Morning of Sir Walter 17 Raleigh's Execution .... 49 20 Indian Pipes 5° Captain John Smith 5 1 24 Pocahontas Saving Captain 26 Smith 5 1 27 James I. 5 2 29 The Landing of Settlers at 30 Jamestown 54 31 Pocahontas 55 All that now Remains of the 33 Settlement at Jamestown . . 57 34 Making a Clearing at Plymouth 60 35 The Landing of the Pilgrims. . 62 37 Governor Winthrop 64 A Log House . 66 39 Roger Williams Going into Exile 67 The First Church at Salem . . 68 42 Roger Williams Befriended by 43 the Narragansetts .... 7° 44 On the March to Connecticut . 73 Governor Stuyvesant Refusing a 44 Petition • • 75 45 The Landing of Henry Hudson . 77 IO ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Peter Stuyvesant 78 Stuyvesant Destroys the Demand for Surrender 79 Lord Baltimore 81 Taking Possession of Maryland . 81 Queen Henrietta Maria ... 83 The Seal of the Province of Mary- land ......... 85 William Penn 86 Penn's House in Philadelphia . 86 Admiral Penn 87 Penn Treating with the Indians . 90 Settlers Discussing the Constitu- tion 92 The Earl of Shaftesbury ... 93 John Locke 94 A View of Charleston .... 96 The Retreat from St. Augustine -97 James Oglethorpe 98 John Wesley Teaching the Indi- ans 101 A Spanish Ship on the Florida Coast 102 Transporting Marquette's Canoe 103 Marquette's Grave 105 The Chevalier De La Salle . . 107 King Louis XIV 108 A Birch-bark Canoe . . . .111 James Wolfe 112 The Heights of Abraham and Quebec 112 William Pitt 113 The Citadel of Quebec . . . .116 The Death of General Wolfe . .118 Boone's Encounter with his Brother 121 Pioneers in the Forest Attacked by Indians 123 PAGE Daniel Boone 125 The Defense of Boonesborough . 126 A Powder Horn 129 Otis Discovers the Receipted Bill 130 Faneuil Hall, "The Cradle of Liberty " 132 James Otis 133 Henry Pleading in Hanover Courthouse 135 Patrick Henry 137 Patrick Henry Making his Cele- brated Speech to the Burgesses 139 Colonists Burning the Stamp Seller in Effigy 140 An Early Revolutionary Flag . 142 Taking Aim 143 Washington's Army in Winter Quarters 144 The Monument at Washington's Birthplace 145 Martha Washington 148 St. Peter's Church 149 Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge 151 George Washington . . . .153 Federal Hall, New York . . .154 Mount Vernon in Washington's Time 1 57 Pioneers on the Ohio River . .158 Pioneer Explorers Accosted by Indians 1 59 George Rogers Clark .... 161 A Revolutionary Musket . . .164 Benjamin Franklin 165 Franklin Experimenting with Lightning 165 The Birthplace of Franklin . . 166 ILLUSTRATIONS. I I PAGE An Early Printing Press ... 167 Signing the Declaration of Inde- pendence l6 9 The Liberty Bell "71 Independence Hall *73 An Old Continental Bill . . • »75 Thomas Jefferson 176 At Work on the Declaration . .176 Monticello, Jefferson's Home . 178 The Committee Drafting the Declaration of Independence . 179 The Statue of Jefferson . . .181 The Grounds of the University of Virginia l8 5 Robert Fulton ...... 187 The Statue of Fulton .... 189 The Clermont I 9° A Modern Steamship . . . . 19 1 Decatur I 9 2 Burning the Philadelphia . . 192 American Sailors Firing on a Hostile Vessel *94 The Battle between the Mace- donian and the United States 197 A Chase on the High Seas . . 200 Andrew Jackson 201 The Capitol in 1825 201 The Hermitage 2 °3 The Battle of New Orleans . . 205 The Charge at San Jacinto . . 208 General Houston 210 The Alamo 2I 3 The Present Capitol of Texas . 214 The "Lone Star" Flag ... 216 "Give Them a Little More Grape, Captain Bragg" . .217 General Taylor 218 The Battle of Okeechobee . .219 General Taylor at the Battle of Monterey 22 ° Clay's Early Exercise in Oratory. 225 Henry Clay 227 Clay Making his Plea for Com- promise 229 Daniel Webster at School . . 233 Daniel Webster . ... . . .234 Senator Hayne 238 Webster's "Study" 240 Calhoun Studying Law . . .241 John C. Calhoun 243 McCormick Working in the Blacksmith Shop 247 S. F. B. Morse 249 A Modern Reaping Machine . 251 Cyrus H. McCormick . . . .252 Telegraph Wires 254 Beauvoir 2 55 Davis Taking the Oath of Office 255 Alexander H. Stephens . . .256 "The White House of the Con- federacy " 2 58 Jefferson Davis 2 6o The Davis Plot at Hollywood . 262 The Confederate "Stars and Bars " and the Battle Flag . . 264 Abraham Lincoln 265 The Hut where Lincoln was Born Young Lincoln at Work on the River 266 268 The National Capitol at Wash- ington 2 7 r The Great Seal of the United States 2 73 General R. E. Lee 274 Arlington, the Home of Lee . . 274 12 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE The Attack on Fort Sumter . . 275 The Birthplace of General Lee . 276 General Joseph E. Johnston . . 277 A Statue of " Stonewall " Jackson 278 General Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg 280 General Lee 283 General Grant 285 Caring for the Wounded . . . 287 Young Edison and the Rescued Child 288 PAGE Thomas A. Edison 290 An Electrical Display .... 293 Alexander Graham Bell . . . 295 Dewey on the Quarter Deck . . 297 General Fitzhugh Lee .... 298 The Battle of Manila Bay . . 300 Admiral Dewey 302 Lieutenant Hobson 304 The Merrimac Entering San- tiago Harbor 305 The American Flag .... 307 Maos. PAGE The World as Known in the Time of Columbus .... 14 The Route of Columbus's First Voyage 19 The Lands Columbus Discov- ered 22 The Long March of De Soto . . 40 The Site of the First Colo- nies 46 Map of Chesapeake Bay ... 58 Where the Pilgrims and the Puri- tans Settled 65 The Explorations of La Salle and Hennepin 109 How our Country was Divided after the French War . . . 120 The English Colonial Territory in 1750 146 The Territory of the Young Nation 155 The Old Northwest 162 The United States after the Pur- chase of Louisiana .... 183 The United States in 1846 . . 223 The United States in 1848 . . 223 The Oregon Cession .... 236 A Battle "Map of the Virginia Campaigns 282 CHAPTER I. Columbus. 1436(?)-1506. FOUR hundred and fifty years ago, little was known about the world and its geography. Nearly every one thought that the earth was flat and had four corners, and that the sun moved daily through the skies across the earth's surface. The only known countries were Europe, northern Africa, and western and south- ern Asia. No one dreamed that there might be a great continent to the west of Europe. Of all the peoples of Asia, only the Turks were well known to Europeans. The Turks conquered western Asia, passed into Europe, captured the great city of Constantinople, and made it the capital of their dominions. The Europeans carried on an extensive trade with India, from which country were brought silks, fine cloth and costly jewels. The Turks, on entering eastern Europe, interfered greatly with this trade by refusing to let the merchants of Europe go through their dominions. They would often seize the goods which Christian merchants were bring- ing in caravans across the deserts of Arabia. Venice and Genoa (Jen o-ah) in Italy, the chief commercial cities of Europe, had be- come rich and prosperous by trading with India. The loss of this trade was a matter of deep concern to their merchants, who were eagerly hoping that some new route to India might be discovered. H MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. West of Europe lay the Atlantic ocean, which in those days was believed to contain terrible monsters and sea-dragons. No man had dared to sail far upon this deep and unknown ocean until 1492, when a bold sailor crossed it in search of India. Let me tell you of this daring seaman, Christopher Columbus. His birthplace was the beautiful city of Genoa. His father was a wool comber, — a man "who prepared wool so that it could be made into thread and cloth. Christopher was the oldest of four children, having two brothers and one sister. His father was a poor man, so Christopher's education was neglected. The boy, however, learned reading, writing, some arithmetic and geometry, and draw- ing. He also attended a university, but his father soon put him to work combine wool. Unknown Easasi ° Columbus was ambi- tious and had a great de- sire to be a sailor. When a boy, he would visit the docks of the city, and watch the ships as they came in from distant parts of the world. The old sailors used to tell him about the marvels of foreign lands. He was not frightened by the stories they told him of giants and monsters, but only wished to see the lands where they were found. When he was fourteen years of age, his father allowed him to join an expedition against Naples, which was at war with Genoa. In this expedition, the boy Columbus by his bravery won the respect of the old soldiers and sailors. THE WORLD AS KNOWN IN THE TIME OF COLUMBUS. COLUMBUS. 15 A few years later, not far from the coast of Portugal, there was fought a naval battle between the Venetians and the Genoese, in which Columbus commanded one of the Genoese ships. He ordered the grappling-hooks to be thrown upon a Venetian vessel and his men to engage in a hand-to-hand encounter with the enemy. In the conflict, his ship was set on fire. When he saw that it was lost, he plunged into the water, and, being a good swimmer, reached the shores of Portugal. While in Portugal, Columbus became greatly interested in the study of geography. He married the daughter of a Portuguese ex- plorer, and from his wife he secured many maps and charts that her father had used in his explorations. The studies of Columbus caused him to believe that the world was round. He believed also that he could reach India by sailing west. Some to whom he made known his belief, laughed at him, but he was not to be discouraged by their ridi- cule. He became all the more determined to sail west into the At- lantic, if he could only get aid, for, being a poor man himself, he did not have the money to fit out ships for such a dangerous enterprise. Columbus first applied for help to King John of Portugal, who had a passion for exploration. King John, though he loved adventure, feared that the expedition proposed by Columbus was too hazardous, so he called together the Portuguese geographers. They said that no man could sail west to India, as the world was flat. The geographers thought that Columbus was crazy ; and the king refused to help him in such a scheme. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. l6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Disappointed, but full of courage, Columbus departed from Portugal. Like every true man who believes that he is right, he decided to continue in his efforts to prove that the earth is round, and that India could be reached by sailing across the Atlantic. How much we should admire Columbus for his perseverance and courage ! Columbus, on his departure from Portugal, went at once to Spain, hoping to get aid from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. From the queen he expected assistance, as she was always ready to help any enterprise which would bring good to her kingdom and increase the knowledge of her people. He had great difficulty, however, in getting permission to appear before the queen to tell of his plans, but at last she heard him. She called together the learned scholars of Spain to listen to the proposals of Columbus. They laughed at him and said that he was certainly a lunatic. " The earth cannot be round, as Columbus declares," said one man, " for, if it is, there will be people on the other side from us walking with their heels upward." Picture to yourself Columbus, the simple sailor, standing before these learned men. His clothes were ragged and he looked like a beggar. But he spoke with the power of a man inspired by a great cause. He grew eloquent as he stated and argued his views as to the shape of the earth, and the possibility of a voyage to India across the Atlantic. But he convinced only one man — a friar, who was a professor in one of the queen's colleges. This good man kept Queen Isabella from rejecting the plans proposed by Columbus, and finally persuaded her to help him, just as he was about to leave to seek aid in France. A large sum of money was needed to equip ships for the voyage. How was it to be raised? The treasury of Spain was empty, but the queen came to the rescue and said, " I will sell my jewels to raise the necessary funds." A great American named Washington Irving, who wrote about three hundred and COLUMBUS 17 fifty years afterwards, has said : "This was the proudest moment in the life of Isabella; it stamped her renown forever as the patroness of the discovery of the New World." But the good queen did not have to sell her jewels, for her offer to do so had the effect of making people believe that, after all, Columbus was not going upon a fool- ish voyage. As soon as Queen Isabella decided to help him, Columbus began at once to pre- pare for what was to be the most famous voyage in all history. When the ships were ready, few sailors were willing to go, because they believed that in the Atlantic there were great sea-monsters which would take the ships on their backs and toss them into the air, or sink them in the sea. At length two brothers, Martin and Vicente (Ve-sen'ta) Pin- zon (Pen-thon'), who were rich citizens of Palos, joined Columbus. They were seamen of great renown and ability. The magistrates of Palos forced other seamen to join the expedition, and, all being now ready, the last farewells were said, and the three little ships, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, and the Nina, sailed out of the harbor of Palos on the 3d of August (1492). A deep gloom QUEEN ISABELLA. 18 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. fell upon the city, for the people thought that the ships would never be seen again. Columbus sailed in a southwestern direction. He had with him the mariner's compass and a map drawn by his friend Tos- canelli. He carried also a letter of introduction from the King of Spain to the Emperor of China, which country he ex- pected to find on the voyage. On the third day of the voyage the rudder of the Pinta was broken. The sailors were ready to turn back, but Columbus insisted on going on, and soon reached the Canary Islands, where repairs were made. He then sailed due west into the unexplored ocean. When the Canaries passed from their view, the hearts of the crew failed them. The rugged seamen shed tears when they thought of their country, their friends and their families behind them, and of the mystery and peril which lay before them. After sailing for two weeks, they saw still no sign of land. Columbus had gone farther west than man had ever sailed before, so far that he was afraid to tell his men. The wind blew so constantly from the east that the sailors thought that they would never again see Spain, because there would be no winds from the west to carry them back. A month had passed since the Canaries had been left, and still no land came in view. The crew begged Columbus to return home, but he refused. They then openly defied him, believing that he was leading them to certain death on the unknown and mighty ocean. The sailors would probably have killed the brave man, had there not come signs of land. They saw certain fish which lived close to land. A branch with red berries on it floated by one ship, and a carved stick was picked up. All gloom then disappeared, for the crew believed that land was near. This was the afternoon of October 1 1, 1492 ; evening approached, and land had not yet been reached. No one on the ships could sleep that night. Columbus stood on the highest deck of his vessel, and about one o'clock he saw a COLUMBUS. 19 bright light shining at a great distance. It disappeared, and then he saw it again. The Pint a was in the lead, and about two o'clock in the morning one of her guns was fired to announce that land had been discovered. Rodrigo de Triana (Rod're-go da Tre'ah-nah) was the name of the sailor who first saw land in the New World. At the break of day, October 12, 1492, Columbus saw before him a beautiful green island. In spite of A20RES > ROUTE OF COLUMBUS TIIK ROUTE OF COLUMHLS S FIRST VOYAGE. all that the wise men of Spain had said, he had actually reached land by sailing west. Going ashore, he fell upon his knees and gave thanks to God for having brought him safely across the great sea. He and his companions wept for joy, and there upon their knees thanked God for His goodness to them. When Columbus rose from his knees, he drew his sword and claimed the land in the name of Ferdinand and Isabella. The flag of Spain was raised, and all the crew swore to obey Columbus as the ruler for the sovereigns of Spain. They then crowded around Columbus, embracing him 20 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. and kissing; his hands. Those who had resisted him on the voyage fell at his feet and begged him to forgive them. While Columbus was taking possession of the island, the natives saw the ships, and numbers of them came to the shore. They were afraid*, and stood at a great distance from Columbus and his companions. Finally they approached the Spaniards, bowing to the ground as they advanced. They took the Spaniards by the hands, and were amazed at their white skin. Never before had they seen a white man. The Spaniards were equally amazed at the naked sax- ages, with their skins painted in many colors. The natural color of their skin was copper, and their black hair was straight, long and coarse. They had high foreheads and piercing eyes. Columbus did not know to what race they belonged ; so he called them In- dians, because he thought the land was India. But instead of India, he had reached an island in the Bahama group which lies to the east of Florida. After a few days Columbus sailed away in search of other lands. He first explored the fertile islands of the Bahama group, and then, sailing southward, discovered Cuba and Haiti (Hay'te). In Haiti he found Indians living in towns containing as many as two thousand inhabitants. These Indians had many gold ornaments, and told Columbus that there was much gold in the mountains. With the hope of securing wealth for Spain, Columbus at once established a colony in Haiti. A fort was built, and thirty-nine Spaniards were left on the island. Columbus now turned towards Spain, and after a stormy voyage reached Palos in safety. He was received in triumph. The whole city came out to meet him, and his name was hon- ored in all Spain. The king and queen summoned him to Barcelona, and he at once set out on his journey to the court of AX INDIAN WEAPON. COLUMBUS. 21 Spain. In every city through which he passed, he was received as a prince, and the people looked with awe upon the Indians whom he had brought with him. When Columbus reached Barcelona, he was carried through the city with great pomp. As he entered the hall in which Ferdinand and Isabella awaited him, they rose from their seats, — an act of courtesy which, in those days, kings showed to princes only. They even ordered Columbus to be seated in their presence, which was permitted only to persons of royal rank. The king and queen heard the marvelous story of dis- covery, and then they offered prayers of thanksgiving to God. As long as Columbus stayed at Barcelona, he was treated as a prince, and was even invited to ride with the king. How changed now was his condition, for when he first entered Spain he was in rags, and was regarded as a poor dreamer who had probably lost his mind. Columbus soon prepared for a second voyage to the newly discovered lands. He wished to look after the colony at Haiti, of which he had been made governor, and believed that he would find there great quantities of gold. In preparing for his first voyage, he found it difficult to get sailors to go; but now many persons, even the nobles of Spain, were anxious to join the expedition. Columbus sailed the twenty-fifth of September, 1493, with seventeen ships and fifteen hundred men, all of whom had hopes of great wealth. When Haiti was reached, Columbus searched for the thirty-nine men whom he had left on the island, but not one could be found. It was learned that all of them had been killed by the Indians, for they had angered the natives by their deeds of cruelty. Columbus placed another colony on the island and built a city, which he called Isabella, in honor of the Queen of Spain. The land was very fertile, and gold was seen glittering in some 22 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. of the streams. But in a short while the settlers became dis- satisfied, because they did not find gold on every hand. Then they began to find fault with Columbus, as if he were to blame. Their murmurings caused the sovereigns of Spain to appoint another governor in his place. This new governor of Haiti was a cruel man, and by his order Columbus was sent back to Spain in chains, on the charge of having stolen money which belonged THE LANDS COLUMBUS DISCOVERED. (The'white spots show 7i>/iat Columbus discovered^) to the Spanish government. These false charges against Colum- bus angered the king and queen, who immediately released him and received him with much kindness. Columbus made two other voyages across the Atlantic, and, in addition to Cuba, Haiti and many small islands, he discovered the northern part of South America and a part of Central America, which lands he thought were parts of Asia. The people of Spain were disappointed because these discoveries did not open to them the wealth of India, and therefore Columbus did not receive from the Spaniards the honor which was due him. COLUxMBUS. 23 After his fourth voyage he returned to Spain, broken in health and feeble from age. Weighted down by disappointment, he was taken ill and died in 1506, being about seventy years of age. King Ferdinand realized, when Columbus was dead, what Spain had gained by his discoveries, and caused a monument to be erected to his memory. The honors which should have gone to Columbus, were given to his descendants, and they became nobles of Spain. Geography Study. Map of the World. Find China, Japan, India, Arabia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Canary Islands, Bahama Islands, Cuba, Haiti, North and South America. Locate the following cities : Constantinople, Venice, Genoa, Naples, Palos and Barcelona. Review Questions. — What were the known countries of the world 450 years ago ? What did the Turks have to do with trade to India ? What were the chief trading cities of Europe ? Tell of Columbus as a boy. Tell of his part in the wars against Naples and Venice. Tell of his residence in Portugal. What were his views about the earth ? How did he think India could be reached ? Tell of his proposal to King John of Portugal. How did the King and Queen of Spain receive him ? How did he manage to get aid for his enterprise ? What did the queen say ? Tell of the preparation for the voyage and why the sailors were afraid to go. Give an account of the voyage. In what way did Columbus take possession of the new lands ? Tell of the natives who came to see Columbus. What land had been discovered ? What large islands were discovered ? What did Columbus do in Haiti ? Tell of how he was received on his return to Spain by the people and by the king and queen. Tell of the second voyage. What ill-treatment did Columbus undergo ? How many other voyages did Columbus make and what lands did he discover ? Tell of his death. Write a composition telling what you think of Columbus. ^IBIPS Americus Vespucius, 1451-1512. THOUGH Columbus was the first white man to touch the shore of the New World, he did not know that he had dis- covered two new continents. It was Americus Vespucius or Amerigo Vespucci (A-mer-e-go Ves-poo'che), as the Italians called him, who first claimed that a new continent had been reached. Americus Vespucius was born in Florence, Italy. His early education was intrusted to one of his uncles, who was a learned scholar and a priest. Since Americus was to be a merchant, he was taught geography, and was told of the different people with whom he would trade. He also learned some astronomy and some Latin, but his great ambition was to be a good geographer. In this desire he was encouraged by that same Toscanelli who had drawn a map of the world for Columbus. Toscanelli lived in Florence, and we can imagine young Americus listening to his views about the shape of the earth and the location of the different countries. When his school days were over, Americus became a merchant, an occupation which many of the Floren- tines followed. He still devoted much time to the study of geography, and bought many charts and maps, which were very expensive in those days. AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. 25 While Columbus was on his first voyage of discovery, Ameri- cus went to Spain and became as excited as the Spaniards over the prospect of having a new route to India. When Columbus returned from his voyage, Americus met him and talked with him about the discoveries. Picture to yourself the two men as they sat together and talked about the wonderful voyage which Columbus had made. Columbus was a tall man with a dignified bearing. He had fair skin and light hair. By his side sat Americus, a thick-set, brawny man, with very black hair. Every expression of his face showed that he was a great thinker. Columbus believed that Asia had been reached, but Americus thought otherwise, because he knew that the world was so large that one could not reach Asia by sailing westward without going at least three times as far to the west as Columbus had sailed. In 1497, Americus determined to become an explorer, and he entered the service of the King of Spain, who provided him' with four ships in which he sailed from . Cadiz. After sailing west for twenty-seven days, he touched land somewhere in the West Indies. In some letters which he afterwards wrote to his friends in Florence, Americus told of the many wonderful things which he saw. According to his account, the Indians wore no clothes, were of middle size, and had skin of a reddish color, like that of a lion. They were good swimmers, the women even better than the men. For weapons they used only the bow and arrow, and had never heard a gun or a cannon. One day many natives came on board his ship, and in order to rid himself of them, he had a cannon fired into the air. This frightened them so badly that the men and women jumped overboard and swam to the shore. The Indians did not sleep in beds, but had nets (ham- mocks), which were suspended in the air. Their homes were made of logs, and were built in villages. They had no form of religion. When a person died, they buried him in a mound, in 26 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. which water and food were put for him. Some of these people never ate meat except the bodies of men and women taken in war. Others sometimes ate roasted snakes. They raised no grain, and their principal food was roots, worms, and fruits. After a voyage of more than a year, during which time Ameri- cus visited that part of South America now known as Venezuela, he returned to Spain. There he married a lady of noble birth, and was received at court by the king and queen. In 1499, at the request of the King of Spain, Americus went on his second voyage. He sailed southwest ward, and in twenty- four days touched the northern part of South America. Here Americus saw birds of many colors. Some were crimson col- ored, some had variegated green-and-lemon colored plumage, and others were entirely green, black, or flesh colored. _ The songs of these birds so delighted him that he often lingered beneath the trees to listen to their music. The trees were beautiful in their foliage, and the blossoms as fra- grant as balm. He almost imagined that they were the trees of paradise. One day as he was admiring the beautiful scenes about him, he came upon a huge and frightful serpent twenty- four feet long, and as large around its body as a man. How great must have been the interest with which his hearers listened to the wonderful tales which he told when he returned to Spain ! In the meanwhile some ships from Portugal, in trying to sail to Asia around the south of Africa, had been driven by the winds to the eastern coast of South America. This fact was reported at once to the King of Portugal, who sent a messenger to Spain asking Americus to command an expedition to the new-found AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. *7 land. After much persuasion Americus agreed to sail under the flag of Portugal. An expedition was fitted out (1501), and Americus sailed to the southwest, finally reaching the shores of Brazil. He then passed south of the Equator along the coast of South America till he reached the Antarctic Sea, where he saw great icebergs. This voyage was the most important that Americus made, because it convinced him that the lands which he saw were not a part of Asia, but were in reality a New World. Not one of all the ancient geographers knew of these lands, so when Americus first reported in Europe that a new continent had been discovered, the people would not believe him. He told so many things, however, about this voyage that his account was soon accepted as true. In 1503, he made a fourth voy- age, for the King of Portugal. He again visited Brazil and deter- mined its latitude and longitude. Upon this trip he became abso- lutely certain that a new continent had been found, and he convinced the European geographers of this fact, though Columbus claimed that the new lands were a part of Asia. Americus caused maps to be drawn showing to the southwest of Europe a new conti- nent, which was not a part of Asia. Now, the ancient geogra- phers had believed that there were four parts to the world : — AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. 28 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Europe was one ; Asia, another ; and Africa, another ; so, when the European geographers saw the maps they said that he had found the fourth part of the world. In 1507, a little geography was printed which told of this fourth part, and in this book the newly discovered lands were called America in honor of Americus Vespucius, because he had discovered a fourth continent. At first the name America was applied only to South America, but in a short while it was used for all the New World. Had our country been named after Columbus, we should now be living in Columbia. To Americus Vespucius properly belongs the honor of having given the name to the. lands lying west of Europe, because he first proved that they were new continents. You will also be interested to know that America is the only continent named after a man, for the other continents take their names from women. Shortly after his fourth voyage Americus left Portugal and went back to Spain, arriving just as Columbus, worn out and dis- couraged, returned from his last voyage. He talked to Columbus and tried to help and encourage him. In spite of the fact that Americus had left the service of Spain for that of Portugal, the Spanish king received him at court and made him the chief pilot of the kingdom. Again entering the service of Spain, Americus went on three other voyages. In 15 12 he died, honored and re- spected as an explorer, astronomer and geographer. Geography Study. Map of Europe. Locate Florence and Cadiz. Map of North and South America. Find the West Indies, Venezuela, Brazil, and the Antarctic Ocean. Review Questions. Tell of the boyhood of Americus Vespucius. What astronomer did he know ? How did he show his love for geogra- phy ? How did Americus meet Columbus ? Tell of their meeting. Compare the two men and their views. Why did Americus become an AMERICUS VESPUCIUS. 2 9 explorer ? How many voyages did he make for Spain ? How many for Portugal ? Tell of the Indians he saw. Tell of the birds, trees and the snake which he saw, on his second voyage. Tell of his third and fourth voyages. How did our country come to be named America instead of Columbia ? O CHAPTER III. John and Sebastian Cabot. As soon as the discoveries of Columbus became known, many of the European kings sent out expeditions in search of Asia. In the service of the King of Portugal Vasco da Gama (Vahs'co dah Gah'mah) sailed around the south of Africa and reached India, being the first European to pass around the Cape of Good Hope and to sail across the Indian Ocean. At this time the King of England was Henry VII. He was a very " stingy" king, and knew how to get and to save money. In order to add to his wealth he was anxious to acquire some of the riches of Asia, and determined to see if English ships could reach that wealthy land. The geographers claimed that there was a " northwest passage " around the islands which Columbus had discovered, so Henry VII. decided that an English expedi- tion should look for this way to India and China. At that time there lived in England a merchant named John Cabot, who, like Columbus, was a native of Italy. Little is known of the early life of John Cabot, but he resided for a long time in Venice, where he was probably born. He was a re- nowned sailor, and was a great traveler, having visited Jerusalem and Arabia. He was also a merchant and had traded with India JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT. 31 by means of the caravans which went through Arabia and western Asia. After many adventures he settled in Bristol, England, and became a wealthy merchant. John Cabot had three sons, of whom the best known was Sebastian, a good seaman, a great student of geography and a lover of adventure. Sebastian was a Venetian by birth and was brought to England when a mere lad. Wherever his father went, Sebastian usually accompanied him. We are told that the father and son made many voyages on the Atlantic Ocean, which, they believed, contained many islands. According to Sebastian's state- ment he and his father, as early as 1494, in a. western voyage touched a new land, which was probably the island of Cape Breton in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Returning to England they told of their discovery, and when they heard of the many discoveries which Columbus and others were mak- ing they applied to King Henry for permission to search for the northwest passage to India. Henry was greatly pleased at the opportunity to send out such daring seamen as the Cabots, and he readily granted to John Cabot and his three sons, Lewis, Sebastian and Sanzio, the permission which they sought. The king likewise fitted out one ship, which was joined by three others furnished by the citizens of Bristol. With these four vessels, John Cabot, in 1497, sailed from Bristol, England, to explore the western seas. He had not gone far before three of the ships turned back ; but the small vessel in which he sailed continued the journey. After about a month he discovered land, which he called Newfound- land. The new land was probably that part of North America ^M kjr W*l iy»i( JjtJ SKI 1 I* 1 1 » 1 Ml KING HENRY VII. 32 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. lying around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Cabot went ashore and took possession in the name of the King of England. After planting there a cross to indicate that the land was held in the name of Christ, he planted by its side the banner of England, to mark that the land was the property of the English crown. When Cabot got home he told of the new country, of the great icebergs which he had seen, of the white polar bears and of the deer larger than any in England. He announced that he had touched on the shores of China and that he had opened the treasures of all wealth to English ships and commerce. Cabot was called " High Admiral." The king promised him a fleet for a new expedition, and even gave him ;£io ($50) for discovering the new lands. The Cabots were anxious to find out more about the new land, and, with the consent of the king, prepared for another expedition. It seems that John Cabot died before he was able to set sail, and that the expedition was conducted by Sebastian. There were probably five ships in the voyage manned by three hundred men. Sebastian had two things in mind : one was to colonize the newly discovered land, and the other was to find the Emperor of China and to open up commercial relations between him and the King of England. He sailed in a northwestern direction and probably reached Greenland ; then turning south- ward, he touched the shores of North America as far north as Labrador, and, may be, he entered what is now Hudson Bay. Sebastian then sailed south looking for China. Some historians tell us that he went as far south as Florida, but the most reliable accounts say that he sailed no farther than North Carolina. He then returned to England, greatly disappointed because he had not found China with its store of wealth. The English king was worried because his money had been spent and no good results had been produced, and it is said that he blamed Sebastian Cabot. JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT. 33 ■ Sebastian lived many years longer, but, as Henry VII. did not appreciate his discoveries, he went into the service of the King of Spain, for whom he planned. new expeditions to the West Indies and South America. Years afterwards (1543), when Edward VI. was king, Sebastian returned to England. Edward took him into his service, and thus acknowledged that England owed much to the Cabots. The Cabots were the first Europeans to sail along the coast of North America, so to them belongs the honor of having dis- covered this continent. As peo- ple of English descent, we are proud that the land in which we live was discovered by two brave seamen sailing under the flag of old England. But for the fact that the Cabots, sailing under the English flag, discovered North America, the English would have had no claim on this great continent, and there might never have been an English colony in America. For this reason we should remem- ber John Cabot and his son, Sebastian. Geography Study. Map of the- World. Find India, Arabia, England, Portugal, Cape of Good Hope, Labrador, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Cape Breton, Bristol, Jerusalem, Indian Ocean, North Carolina and Florida. THE CABOT MEMORIAL TOWER AT BRISTOL, ENGLAND. 34 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY Review Questions. What did Vasco da Gama do? Tell of King Henry VII. What was the belief about a northwest passage? Who was John Cabot? Who was Sebastian Cabot? Tell of the first voyage of the Cabots. Tell of the second voyage. Tell of Sebastian Cabot's voyage in search of China. Why should we remember the Cabots? THE ROYAL ARMS OF ENGLAND. V % 'It gi 11 ;,•■: , ■ pfc i $& ,' ; ,|f -4' 1 < - De Soto in the Swamps of Fl CHAPTER IV. Ponce de Leon. Balboa. De Soto. 1460-1521. 1475-1517. 1496-1542. ONE of the men who were with Columbus on his second voy- age was Juan Ponce, usually known as Ponce de Leon (Pon'tha da La-on'), because he was a native of the Province of Leon in Spain. In his boyhood he had been brought up as a page in a noble family where he heard many stories of adventure. The wonderful things which were reported by Columbus after his first voyage caused Ponce de Leon to join the second expedition of Columbus to the New World. In Haiti he distinguished himself as a great fighter of the Indians. He conquered the eastern part of Haiti, and was made governor of that province. Then he longed to conquer the island of Porto Rico from the Indians, because he believed that it was very fertile, and that its moun- tains were filled with an immense amount of gold. One day Ponce de Leon made a visit to Porto Rico, where he was received in the most friendly way by an Indian ruler who took him into various parts of the island. From this ruler he heard wonderful stories of wealth, and was shown two rivers, the 36 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. bottoms of which contained pebbles that sparkled like pure gold. At once Ponce de Leon returned to Haiti, raised a small force of Spaniards, and invaded and conquered Porto Rico. It is interesting to note that this island remained in the hands of Spain until a few years ago when, at the close of the Spanish- American war, it was acquired by the United States. Ponce de Leon was a cruel ruler, and he deceived the Indians in many ways. He seized their gold and silver, and for fear that they might rise up against him, he claimed that he and his fol- lowers were gods. For a while, the Indians were deceived, but when one of the Spaniards was killed, they learned that the Spaniards were only human like themselves. At once they re- belled against Ponce de Leon, but he soon subdued all the tribes of the island. Ponce de Leon was a superstitious man. He heard many wonderful stories from the Indians, some of which he believed to be true. He was especially delighted to learn from them that not far west of Cuba was a rich land where there was a foun- tain, in which, if one bathed, even though aged, he might be restored to youth. Ponce de Leon determined to go in search of this " fountain of youth." Therefore he fitted out an expedi- tion and sailed west. On Palm Sunday, 15 13, just one week before Easter, he touched upon a land where the orange trees were blooming and the fields were gay with flowers. He called the land Florida, a word which in Spanish means " flowery." This is our present State of Florida. For nearly a year Ponce de Leon searched in this land of blossoms and orange groves for the wonderful fountain of youth ; and when, at last, he lost hope of finding it, he returned to Porto Rico and afterwards went to Spain. At the Spanish court many laughed at the old soldier for being foolish enough to look for a fountain of youth, but the king treated him kindly, and sent him back to America to continue his discoveries. PONCE DE LEON. BALBOA. DE SOTO. 37 Florida was first thought to be an island, but while leading an expedition against some Indians in the Caribbee (kar'i-be) Islands, Ponce de Leon heard that it was a land of vast extent. He immediately went there again. When he touched upon the coast, he was met by hostile Indians. A battle ensued, in which Ponce de Leon was wounded by an arrow. He was at once carried to Cuba where he died ( [ 52 1) from the effects of the wound. Upon his tomb was placed this curious inscription : " In this sepulchre rest the bones of a man who was a lion (Leon) by name and still more by nature." Ponce de Leon was the first Spaniard who reached any territory which lies within the present bound- ary of the United States. The same year in which Ponce de Leon first visited Florida, the Pacific ocean was discovered by an- other Spaniard named Vasco Nunez de Balboa (Vahs'co Noon'yath da Bahl-bo'ah). Balboa was of noble birth. When a young man he joined the colony at Haiti, where he made many debts and became an outlaw. In order to escape punishment he concealed himself in a barrel which was placed upon a ship sailing to Darien, a Spanish settle- ment upon the Isthmus of Panama. After the ship had gotten to sea, Balboa broke out the head of the barrel and appeared before the sailors, who at once accepted him as a companion. The vessel was wrecked in a storm, but Balboa reached Darien, where he soon became a leader. Filled with the desire for adventure, he made an expedition against some neighboring PONCE DE LEON. $$ MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Indians from whom he secured much gold. When this gold was being divided between Balboa and his followers, a dispute arose among some of the Spaniards as to the value of certain pieces of it. This so disgusted an Indian chief, who was standing by, that he struck the scales with his fists and told the Spaniards that they were quarreling over a mere trifle, and that, if they would climb the lofty mountains to the west, they would find a great sea, into which many small streams flowed. According to the Indian's account, all of these streams yielded gold in such abundance that it was more plentiful than iron among the Spaniards. Balboa also heard that in this land there was a great temple, to which the Indians had for hundreds of years been bringing vast quantities of gold. So much treasure had been deposited there that the temple was said to be filled. These stories aroused in the money-loving Spaniard a strong desire to secure the treasure, and he at once began to look for the temple of gold. The mountains were explored and great forests were crossed, but still the temple was undis- covered. Balboa then determined to climb the mountains in search of the great sea. After a perilous journey he reached their summit and — behold !— he saw to the west a vast ocean. He descended to it and claimed it and all the islands it contained for the King of Spain. Balboa called this great ocean the South Sea, but because its waters were so quiet and still, the new-found ocean was afterwards named the Pacific. Never before had a European stood, upon American soil and viewed its vast expanse. Balboa's discovery showed to the Europeans that America was separated from Asia by a great ocean. Balboa's fate was a sad one. Upon his return to Darien, he was accused of trying to overthrow the Spanish power in America. He was brought to trial, condemned as a traitor and put to death (15 17). TONCE DE LEON. BALBOA. DE SOTO. 39 The discoveries of Ponce de Leon and Balboa were of great importance in showing to the Europeans the extent of the New World; but the size of its rivers and the vastness of its forests BALBOA S FIRST SIGHT OF THE PACIFIC. were for a long time unknown. It was another Spaniard who discovered the Mississippi and first explored much of the region now included in the United States. This was Fernando de Soto (Fer-nan'do da. So'to). De Soto was a Spaniard of noble birth, but his parents were very poor. When a young man, he became interested in the Spanish discoveries in the New World. He was so thrilled with the stories of Cortez in Mexico, and with the accounts of the discovery of the Pacific by Balboa, and of the exploration of 4° MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Florida by Ponce de Leon, that he too wanted to go on an expedition ; but he was so poor that he could provide himself with only a sword and a shield. Finally an opportunity was offered him to gratify his ambition, and he went to Peru where he acquired much wealth from the Indians. Then the King of Spain made him governor of Cuba and afterwards of Florida. After Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, many Spaniards visited that region and heard from the Indians stories of great gold and silver mines in the regions to the west. De Soto, hoping to find these mines and the famous " foun- tain of youth," for which Ponce de Leon had searched in vain, determined to ex- plore this wonderful land. Six hundred men joined him, and, in 1539, they sailed for Florida, landing near Tampa Bay on the western coast of Florida. De Soto's plan was to go through the country wherever he heard there were gold and silver and precious jewels to be found. He met in Florida a Spaniard, John Ortez, who had been seized by the Indians some years before. Ortez had learned the Indian language, and De Soto took him as a guide to talk with the Indians and to hear their marvelous stories. The In- dians spoke all the time of great gold mines in the north, so De Soto went in that direction. He crossed parts of Georgia, Ala- bama and Mississippi. The country was filled with marshes, and often his followers stuck fast in the mud. There were no roads, and he had to follow the paths made by the Indians, At times hf\-\J t /I _--*-■*: ^ ys~--- \"\{ A • /-^Y/ t\ .•"Athens! N. f Wot,, 1 \rf/^ N \^ % knttchez MftgsttT" iw Orleans"' N. 1 \ * 5SE y iff^pA. r / 1 THE LONG MARCH OF DE SOTO. PONXE DE LEON. BALBOA. DE SOTO. 4 1 there was little food, but De Soto pushed on. Whenever he came upon an Indian settlement, he took from the Indians corn and other provisions. At first the Indians were friendly, but De Soto treated them cruelly. He made many of them slaves, and often compelled Indian chiefs to bear upon their backs great sacks of corn for his men. The Indians would probably, have killed De Soto and his followers ; but, never having seen white men before, they feared the Spaniards, believing that they were gods. After many months of weary travel, during which they found no treasure, De Soto and his followers finally reached a great, broad river. They inquired of the Indians its name, and they were told that it was the Mississippi, which is an Indian word for " Father of Waters." No white man had ever before seen this great river. De Soto first saw it near the present site of the city of Memphis in Tennessee. De Soto still believed the Indian stories about gold, so he built boats, crossed the Mississippi and went farther west. He passed into Missouri and Arkansas, but not finding the riches for which he had so eagerly sought, he turned back and again reached the Mississippi near where the city of Natchez now stands. De Soto was only forty-six years of age, but the long journey and the disappointment at not finding the great gold mines, had so preyed upon him that he fell sick and died (1542). The Indians believed that De Soto was a god, and that he could not die ; so his followers became frightened for fear that the Indians would learn of the death of their leader. If they learned of his death, they would know that the Spaniards were not gods and would kill them all. Therefore, De Soto's com- panions decided to bury him secretly. They were afraid to make a grave in the woods, because the Indians would discover it; so they tied rocks to the body, and then, in the dead of night, they 42 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. dropped it into the Mississippi River. Thus the discoverer of the great river was buried in its waters. De Soto's followers built two small boats and descended the Mississippi River to its mouth. They crossed the gulf of Mexico From a pai7iting by Powell. DE SOTO DISCOVERS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. and reached the Spanish settlement in Mexico. More than half of them perished on the journey. Though De Soto's expedition failed in its purpose of securing gold, it taught the Spaniards that the New World was of Geography Study. Map of North America. Find Porto Rico, Haiti, Florida, Caribbee Islands, Cuba, Isthmus of Panama, Darien and the Pacific Ocean. Map of the United States. Find Tampa Bay, PONCE DE LEON. BALBOA. DE SOTO. 43 Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Memphis and Natchez. Trace the course of the Mississippi River. Review Questions. What was Ponce de Leon's connection with Columbus ? How did he distinguish himself ? What island did he want to conquer ? Tell of his conduct in Porto Rico. What story did he hear in Porto Rico? Tell of his trip to Florida. How was he received in Spain? Tell of his death and the inscription on his tomb. Tell of the early life of Balboa. How did he get to Darien ? Why did he think of crossing the mountains and looking for a great ocean? Tell of the discovery of the Pacific. What was Balboa's fate? Tell something of De Soto's early life. Why did De Soto go to Florida ? Tell of his journey and the great river which he discovered. How did he treat the Indians ? Tell of De Soto's death and burial. What became of his followers ? Walter Raleigh 1552-1618. The Spaniards continued the explorations begun by Balboa, Ponce de Leon and de Soto, and in 1565 built St. Augustine, Florida, which was the first town permanently established within the present limits of the United States. During this time the English had been inactive and had made no attempt to colonize North America ; yet the English claimed the greater part of the continent, because of the discoveries of the Cabots. This claim, however, would have profited England little, if colonies had not been planted. To Sir Walter Raleigh (Ra'li) is due the credit of having aroused the English to the necessity of making settlements. Raleigh was born about 1552, in southern England. His family was very prominent, being related to many of the English nobility. At fifteen, he attended the University of Oxford, and while there he was regarded as a brilliant young man and he took a high stand, both as a student and as an orator. As was the case with many of the English gentlemen of that day, Raleigh soon became a soldier. He assisted in putting down an Irish rebellion, and for his services he was granted large estates in Ireland. Raleigh hated Spain, and it grieved him to see how rich she was growing by her commerce with the New World. He WALTER RALEIGH. 45 was therefore anxious to plant an English settlement In America, hoping by this means to increase the power of England and to prevent Spain from acquiring the whole of that continent. When a young man, Raleigh was received at the court of Queen Elizabeth. He was commanding in appearance, tall and handsome, and elegant in his manners. His clothes were made of gorgeous velvets, silk and satins, and were embroidered with gold. He wore diamonds and precious stones, which were worth as much as twenty thousand dol- lars. Elizabeth's court was -one of great magnificence. Raleigh was much admired by the queen because of his fine clothes and graceful manners, and he, in re- turn for her favor, was ever ready to serve her. On one occasion, while walking in her garden, she came to a place which the rains had made muddy. Raleigh at once spread upon the ground his beautiful new plush cloak upon which the queen trod without soiling her dainty slippers. The queen did not forget this act of gallantry, and afterwards rewarded him with many gifts and honors. She made him a knight, and that is why he is called Sir Walter Raleigh. Raleigh had a half brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who was a great seaman. Sir Humphrey obtained from the queen permis- sion to plant a settlement in North America, and made an unsuc- cessful attempt to colonize Newfoundland. As he was returning from Newfoundland to England, a great storm arose and all but one of the ships were destroyed. The vessel on which Gilbert QUEEN ELIZABETH 4 6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. sailed was lost and Gilbert was drowned. The sailors of the ship that stood the storm reported that, just before Gilbert's ship went down, he was seen sitting on deck with a book in his hand, and above the roar of the storm, he was heard to say to the sailors, " Be of good cheer, my friends. sea as by land." After the death of Gilbert, We are as near to Heaven by Raleigh took up the scheme of colonizing the New World. In 1584, he received a charter from the queen granting him the right to make a settlement, and he sent ships to explore the country. The sailors, on their return, reported that its soil was very fertile, the cli- mate mild, and the Indians friendly. In honor of Eliza- beth, the Virgin Queen, all of the lands from Maine to Flori- da received the name Virginia. In 1585, Raleigh sent over the first colony, consisting of one hundred persons, with Ralph Lane as governor, and a settlement was made at Roa- noke (Ro-a-nok') Island upon the coast of the present State of North Carolina. The colony did not prosper, as the men were lazy and by their cruelty made enemies of the Indians. It is probable that the colony would have perished from starvation but for the timely arrival of Sir Francis Drake. Drake had been plundering Spanish vessels in the West Indies, and came by Roanoke Island to see how Raleigh's colony was succeeding. The settlers were in such a pitiable condition that he took them back to England. THE SITE OF THE FIRST COLONIES WALTER RALEIGH. 47 From these colonists the English became familiar with three things, — Indian corn, white potatoes and tobacco. Raleigh planted some of the white potatoes on his farm in Ireland ; soon they came to be used by all the Irish, and to-day they are the principal food of the Irish people. For this reason, the white potatoes are usually called Irish pota- toes. Raleigh learned to smoke tobacco and taught the English people how to use it. One day, when Raleigh was smoking, a servant entered his room with a pitcher of ale. The servant had never seen any one smoking before, and on seeing smoke coming from THE STONE MARKING THE SITE FORT RALEIGH. Raleigh's mouth, he at once thought that his master was on fire. To save his master from burning up he threw the ale on Raleigh, and rushed out of the room shouting that his master was afire. The failure of Raleigh's first colony did not discourage him. He knew that the English must occupy North America, so in 1587 he sent out a second colony. John White was appointed governor. White took with INSCRIPTION. On this site in July-August, 1585 (O. S.), colonists, sent out from England by Sir Walter Raleigh, built a fort, called by them " The New Fort in Virginia." These colonists were the first settlers of the English race in America. They re- turned to England in July, 1586, with Sir Francis Drake. Near this place was born, on the 18th of August, 1587, Virginia Dare, the first child of English parents born in America — daughter of Ananias Dare and Eleanor White, his wife, members of another band of colonists, sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587. On Sunday, August 20, 1587, Virginia Dare was baptized. Manteo, the friendly chief of the Hatteras Indians, had been baptized on the Sunday preceding. These baptisms are the first, known celebrations of a Christian sacrament in the territory of the thirteen original United States. 48 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. him his daughter, who had married a Mr. Dare. The settlers landed at Roanoke Island, and set to work to rebuild the houses which had been occupied by the first colonists. Soon after they landed, a little girl was born to the Dares, the first English child born in America. In honor of the country the child was called Virginia. After a short while Governor White returned to England to get supplies for the new colony. Hardly had he reached home before England and Spain were at war. To subdue the English, King Philip of Spain had sent a great fleet, called the Spanish Armada. The English were so aroused that they had no time to consider the little colony at Roanoke, and White was not able to go back until the war was over. When this fleet had been defeated, Raleigh sent supplies at once to the new colony ; but when Roanoke Island was reached, not a trace of the settle- ment could be found. Where were the colonists ? Some thought that they had all died there, but no graves were discovered. Others believed that they had moved away, but no trace of them could be found. Only the one word Croatan was written on a tree. Croatan was the name of an Indian tribe in North Carolina, so we now think that the few settlers who survived were carried off by these Indians. Nobody really knows what became of this settlement, which is known in history as " the lost colony of Roanoke." Raleigh never tried again to colonize Virginia, but he always believed that the English ought to occupy the country, and he lived long enough to see a permanent English settlement at Jamestown. Soon after the failure of Raleigh's colonies,, he fell into dis- grace. He secretly married one of the maids of Queen Elizabeth, and this so angered the queen that she never really forgave him, though she was ever afterwards kind to him. When James I. became king, Raleigh was accused of plotting with the Spaniards WALTER RALEIGH. 49 to drive James from the throne. He was tried, and, though there was no clear proof that he was guilty, he was condemned to death. For fourteen years he was kept in prison, and was then finally executed. Raleigh's death was very touching. When Raleigh was led out to die, many of his friends were present. He turned to them, and in a speech of great feeling declared that he was not guilty of treason. As his friends were slow to leave him, Raleigh gently dismissed them by say- ing, " I have a long journey to make; therefore, I must take my leave of you." When they had de- parted, he turned to the headsman and asked to see the axe. The headsman hesi- tated, but Raleigh said, " Let me see it. Dost thou think that I am afraid of it ? " He passed his fingers across the sharp blade and said, " Tis a sharp medicine, but one that will cure all of my diseases." He then said to the executioner : " When I stretch forth my hands, dis- patch me." Laying his head on the block with his face to the east, he stretched forth his hands, but the headsman was so un- f ^ - n - n . ..? Wk s ,--::^*te,4tfs* '- ^\" t? - k J**M r : ™ * L Mr Mr -^ ^^ ' t \ 9 ?-■ ^&^B&rM& -p© ■ 1 , £p ^JSip-*- -• js ;■*>. W^r ON THE MORNING OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH S EXECUTION. 50 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. nerved that he could not strike. Again Raleigh stretched out his hands, but the executioner did not move. Then Raleigh cried out, " What dost thou fear ? Strike, man, strike." The execu- tioner at last raised the axe, and at one blow struck the head from the body. Thus died Sir Walter Raleigh, at the age of sixty-six. He had done much for England. Here in America, we should never forget him, for it was he who first tried to plant an English colony on American soil. In the state where his efforts were chiefly made the people love to honor his memory, and the North Carolinians call their capital by his name, Raleigh. Geography Study. Map of North America. Find Florida, St. Augustine, Newfoundland, Virginia, North Carolina and Roanoke Island. How far is it from England to North Carolina? Review Questions. What was the first permanent settlement within the limits of the United States? Why did Raleigh want an English colony in America? Tell of Raleigh's early life. How did Raleigh gain the favor of Queen Elizabeth? What did Gilbert do? Tell of Gilbert's death. How did Virginia get its name? Tell of Raleigh's first colony. What was its fate? Tell of the planting of the second colony. Who was the first English child born in America? What was the Spanish Armada? Tell why the second colony was neglected. What became of the second colony? Why was Raleigh imprisoned? Tell of his execution. Write a composition telling what you think of Raleigh. CHAPTER VI. John Smith. 1579-1631. Twenty years after the failure of Raleigh's colon)', the first permanent English settlement was made in Virginia. The soul of the enterprise was Captain John Smith. He was born in 1579 in the County of Lincoln in England. When a mere boy, he showed great love for adventure. At thirteen, he left school, and sold his satchel and books and what other property he had, with the idea of going to sea. But just at this time his parents died, and his guardian put him into a bank, hoping to make a business man of him. This life proved too quiet for Smith, so in a little while he gave up his work and went traveling in Europe. Smith desired to be a soldier, and in order that he might pre- pare for such a life, he used daily to go into the woods, and prac- tice shooting with his pistol. He also became very skillful with the sword and spear. Anxious to have experience in war, Smith determined to go to fight the Turks, who at that time were engaged in war with 52 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. the German people living in Austria. On his way to join the German army he met with many adventures. In crossing the English Channel, he was robbed of his money. After other ad- ventures in France he set sail for Italy. On board the vessel were a number of persons going on a pilgrimage to Rome, and when a violent storm came up, these pilgrims thought that it was sent by God because there was a wicked passenger on board. Smith, being a stranger, was selected as the cause of the storm, and was, therefore, thrown overboard into the Mediterranean Sea ; but he swam to the shore, which was near by. He then went to Austria, joined the German army, and proved himself a brave and dar- ing soldier. One day when the Germans were besieging a town held by the Turks, a Turkish lord challenged to single combat any warrior who would fight him. Smith was selected to meet the Turk. Both appeared on the field of battle on horseback, and at the sound of the trumpet they rushed swiftly together. Smith directed his lance so that the point entered the eye of his Turkish oppo- nent, who fell dead from his horse, while Smith escaped without a wound. He cut off the head of his antagonist and bore it in triumph to the Christian army. He fought with two other Turks in single combat, and killed them also. Smith, in memory of this event, placed upon his coat of arms three Turks' heads. Not long after this, in a battle between the Turks and the Christians, Smith was taken prisoner, and was sold into slavery. JAMES I. JOHN SMITH. 53 He was bought by a Turkish woman of noble family, who fell in love with him. Fearing that some harm might befall him, she sent him to her brother, a nobleman who lived near the Sea of Azof. He treated Smith very cruelly. One day Smith was sent to thresh wheat in one of the nobleman's barns. While he was at work, the owner came in and cursed him, which so enraged Smith that he beat out the man's brains with his threshing flail. Then Smith put on the clothes of his dead master, and made his escape into Russia. He then determined to return home, and finally reached England in 1604. On his return to his native land, Smith found that the merchants of England were anxious to plant a colony in Virginia, which was said to be a land of great fertility and wealth. Its beauty was unsurpassed, and in its forests were found birds of gorgeous plumage. According to report, gold and silver were so plentiful that all sorts of cooking utensils were made of them, and the native children, with strings of diamonds around their necks, were to be found playing in the great unexplored forests. The English people longed for this wealth, and they also thought that the Indians ought to be converted to Christianity. Therefore, some of the leading merchants of England organized a great trading company to make settlements in Virginia, and in 1606 applied to King James I. for a charter, which was granted to two companies, known as the London and Plymouth companies. The London Company at once prepared to send out a col- ony. Three small vessels, the Susan Constant, the God Speed and the Discovery, were fitted out and a small band of men sent over. The adventurous spirit of Smith caused him to join the Company, and sail for Virginia. Hardly had the vessels left London and got to sea, before the settlers began to quarrel among themselves. Smith was accused of mutiny, arrested, and carried a prisoner to Virginia. In April, 1607, the mouth of Chesapeake Bay was reached, and the ships sailed up into a river which they 54 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. called the James. The colonists went ashore, and were pleased with the fertile soil, the beautiful flowers, and the trees of cedar and cypress. A writer of the times said : " We came to a little plot of ground full of beautiful strawberries four times bigger and better than ours in England." Farther up the river, about forty miles from its mouth, the ships anchored at a small peninsula (now an island), where the From a painting by Chapman. THE LANDING OF SETTLERS AT JAMESTOWN. men landed on the 13th of May, 1607, and' began the first per- manent English settlement in America. This settlement was called Jamestown in honor of James I., King of England. Here, not three hundred years ago, began the history of the United States, which is now one of the greatest nations of the world. Our great country to-day has eighty millions of people, but the first colony at Jamestown contained only one hundred and five settlers. JOHN SMITH, 55 Edward Maria Wingfield was made president of the colony. He was a lazy man, who thought only of his own gains and his own comforts. According to the plan adopted, the settlers were to live together as one great family, putting into one common storehouse all they made, and receiving from it all that they ate. Wingfield, however, took for himself all the good flour and meat, and distributed among the colonists the grain which contained worms. The settlers had no houses at first, and Smith, who was a " happy-go-lucky " fellow, said that their homes were " castles in the air." As you remember, when the colonists landed at Jamestown, Smith was a prisoner ; but he at once demanded a trial", at which it was shown that he was not guilty. From this time Smith was the real ruler of the colony, and more than once he saved it from being de- stroyed by the Indians or by hun- ger. Through his boldness and resolution, the lazy were forced to work, and food was secured from the Indians. Even in 1607 the people of England knew so little about the size of America that they thought Asia could be reached by sail- ing up one of our rivers. King James had instructed the colonists on leaving England to make a search for a northwest passage to Asia ; so Smith with several companions went up the James River, looking for the outlet to the Pacific Ocean. They reached the Falls where Richmond now stands, and then turned back. On another occasion Smith went up the Chickahominy River and was taken prisoner by the Indians. They were about From an old print. POCAHONTAS. 56 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. to kill him, when he showed them a pocket compass and called their attention to the needle which always pointed north and south. He was then taken to the Indian chief, who was called Powhatan. When Smith was brought into his presence, Powha- tan was seated upon a throne, clothed in a garment of raccoon skins. Two of his daughters sat by his side. Their heads and shoulders were painted red, and around their necks were strings of white beads. Powhatan consulted with his warriors, and it was decided that Smith should be put to death. Two large stones were brought in and placed before Powhatan. Smith was seized and his head was placed upon them, and a warrior advanced with a raised club ready to beat out his brains. Then it was that Pocahontas, a child thirteen years of age, the favorite daughter of Powha- tan, rushed forward and, taking Smith's head in her arms, begged for his life. After much entreaty, Powhatan spared Smith's life on the condition that he was to make beads and toys for the little Pocahontas. Soon after this, Smith returned to Jamestown. When he arrived, he found the colony almost on the point of perishing for want of food. At once he put the men to work, restored order, and secured food from the Indians. Little Pocahontas was always a friend to the whites, and time and again she sent Smith venison and corn. Some five years later she became a Christian and was married to John Rolfe, one of the English settlers. Smith was the only man who had the right idea about colo- nizing Virginia. He wrote to the London Company to send over settlers who would work, and not men who had spent their money in " riotous living" and who would come to Virginia only with the hope of picking up gold along the river banks. The London Company would not listen to Smith, but ordered the colonists to search for gold, and soon it was reported that great quantities had been found. The colonists became crazed with JOHN SMITH. 57 the thought of great wealth, and Smith said that there was " no talk, no hope, no work, but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold." Captain Newport had come over from England and brought gold refiners who said that the dirt contained gold, but Smith still insisted that it was worthless sand. A shipload of yellow dirt was actually sent to England, and it contained no gold, just as Smith had pre- dicted. Smith explored the Chesa- peake Bay, the York, Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, and made a map of the Bay and the surrounding country, which was very accurate. When he returned to Jamestown from this trip, he found that many of the settlers had rebelled. Even RatclirTe, who at this time was president, was made a prisoner for mutiny. Smith was at once elected president by the settlers. For a year he served as ruler, and showed himself wise and capable. He forced all to work and he protected Jamestown from the Indians, who were constantly trying to destroy the place. New settlers came over, and Smith insisted that they should work crops, such as corn and wheat, and that the company should make its wealth, not by searching for gold/but by farming and by trading with the Indians. Along the James River several small settlements were made, one of them being- near where Richmond now stands. The Indians made complaint against this settlement to Smith, claiming that ALL THAT NOW REMAINS OF THE SETTLE- MENT AT JAMESTOWN. 58 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY ^.CHESAPEAKE BAY the whites had stolen their corn, and enslaved some of their people. Smith went up the river to quiet the disturbances, with the hope of keeping peace between the whites and the Indians, but his efforts were fruitless. As he was returning in his boat to Jamestown, a bag of gun- powder exploded and burned him seriously. He leaped over- board to put out the flames, and came near being drowned before his companions could rescue him. Badly injured, he was taken to James- town. As soon as the settlers saw his helpless condition, they refused to obey his orders. He then gave up the government of the colony and re- turned to England in the autumn of 1609. The colony of Virginia had now existed for two years. When Smith left it, there were four hundred and ninety settlers. Through his influence the colony had been put upon the road to prosperity, but as soon as he was gone everything went to rack and ruin. The settlement was about to be abandoned, but the London Company saw the necessity of strong government and sent over, as governor, Lord Delaware, who arrived just in time to save the colony. As soon as Delaware took the reins of government, Virginia began to prosper, and in a few years the colonists were raising tobacco for shipment to England. From this time to the Revo- lution great quantities of tobacco were sent to England, and Virginia became the wealthiest and largest of the American colonies. After Smith left Virginia, he was made " Admiral of New /Cape Charles Pt Comfort Cape Henry JOHN SMITH. 59 England," and explored the shores of New England, but he never again visited the colony of Virginia. He spent the remainder of his life in England, dying at the age of fifty-two. Smith was a brave and good man ; but for him the first American colony would have been totally destroyed, and it may be that the whole of the history of our great nation would have been different. If the Jamestown colony had been abandoned in those early days, the English might never have settled per- manently in America. Let us, then, honor Smith because he saved the colony of Virginia. Geography Study. Map of Europe. Find Austria, the English Channel, Rome and the Sea of Azof. Map of Virginia. Find Chesa- peake Bay, James River, Chickahominy River, Jamestown, Richmond, Potomac River, Rappahannock River and York River. How long is Chesapeake Bay ? How far is it from Richmond to the mouth of James River ? Review Questions. What kind of boy was Smith ? . Tell of his adventures on his way to fight the Turks. Tell of his fight with the Turks. How did Smith become a slave ? Tell of his escape and return to Eng- land. Why did the English want to plant a colony in Virginia ? What was the London Company ? What three ships were sent out ? Tell of the arrival of Smith and the colonists in Virginia. Where was the first settlement made ? Why did the colony get on so badly ? How did Smith save the colony from dying of hunger ? How did Smith come to find the falls in James River ? Tell of Smith as a prisoner before Pow- hatan. Tell what you know of Pocahontas. Give an account of the search for gold. Tell of -Smith's explorations. Why was Smith elected president ? Tell of his rule. How was he injured ? Tell of the Vir- ginia colony after Smith left it. Why should we honor Smith ? Write a composition telling what you think of Smith as a man. laking a Clearing at Plymouth. CHAPTER VII. William Bradford and John Winthrop, 1588-1657. 1588-1649. The settlement at Jamestown was the first English colony to be permanently established in America. The second English colony in America was at Plymouth. It was for seventy years a separate and distinct colony, but then it was joined to Massa- chusetts, and is to-day a part of that state. Virginia, as you remember, was settled by a company whose aim it was to acquire wealth. The Plymouth colony was planted, not by a company, but by a number of individuals who wished to live where they might worship God according to their own views. In the days of Queen Elizabeth, England had an established church, just as it has to-day, which was upheld and supported by the government. The laws of the kingdom caused any one who refused to accept the religion of the established church to be imprisoned or otherwise punished. In the little town of Scrooby there lived a number of people who refused to worship God according to the doctrines of the state church, and they with- drew from it ; hence they were called Separatists. By order of Queen Elizabeth, the Separatists of Scrooby were imprisoned, WILLIAM BRADFORD AND JOHN WINTHROP. 6l but they were afterwards released on condition that they would live peaceably at. their homes. When James I. became King of England, he treated the Separatists very harshly, so they at once left England and went to Holland, where they would not be interfered with in then- worship of God. Among the Separatists was William Bradford, at that time only eighteen years old. He was well educated in Latin and Greek, and was a great student of the Bible. His learning soon made him a leader among the Separatists in Holland. After living for some time in Holland, the Separatists desired to leave that country, because if they remained there, their children would learn the Dutch language and become foreigners. In spite of the fact that they had been so cruelly treated in England, they still loved their native land and their own language, and wished to be English subjects. Having heard of the new colony that had been planted in Virginia, they applied to the London Company for permission to settle there. After several refusals their request was granted. The Separatists, who now called themselves " The Pilgrims " because of their many wanderings, secured a small vessel, the Speedwell, to carry them to Virginia. This vessel was joined by the Mayflower, but hardly had the voyage begun, when the Speedwell began to leak, and had to be sent back ; so the Mayflower undertook the voyage alone. There were on board one hundred men, women and children, and among the number was Bradford. After a stormy voyage of two months, the coast of New England was reached. At times it had seemed that the little Mayflower would be swallowed up in the great waves of the ocean, but God watched over the Pilgrims and brought them safely to land. Bradford was in many respects the leading man among the Pilgrims; but when they landed in America, they elected John 62 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Carver as their governor, because they considered Bradford too young for such a responsible position. Before landing, they signed an agreement known as the Mayflower Compact. By this •agreement a free government was established in which every man was to take part. On the twenty-first day of December, 1620, the landing was made at a place which the Pilgrims called Plymouth. Here the first colony in New England was planted. From a paint in. THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS. It had been the purpose of the Pilgrims to settle in Virginia, but the terrible storms had driven them too far north. The colony was begun under trying circumstances. Winter was coming on, food was scarce, and the Indians were not to be trusted. But the Pilgrims went to work with energy ; they built houses, and felled the forests, so that crops could be planted in the spring. On account of the severe climate many died; one of these was Governor Carver. At once young Bradford was elected governor, and for thirty-one years he WILLIAM BRADFORD AND JOHN WINTHROP. 63 continued to be reelected. During his governorship he directed the colony wisely, and successfully avoided a war with the Indians. Among the Pilgrims was an old soldier, Miles Standish, and into his hands Bradford entrusted the little army of the colony. At first his army numbered only twelve men, but with their guns they frightened away the Indians, who had nothing but bows and arrows. Some of the neighboring Indians were hostile and sent a bundle of arrows tied with a snake's skin. This was a challenge to war. Captain Standish boldly received it, and sent back the snake's skin filled with bullets, and thus by his boldness prevented the Indians from attacking the Pil- grims. In 1657 Bradford died. The colony was then in a prosperous condition, and had a population of more than five thousand. When the Pilgrims came to New England, there were then in England many members of the established church who were opposed to the ceremonies and services of that church. These people, however, had never separated themselves from the English church as the Pilgrims had done, but they were con- stantly trying to change the services — to purify them — and for that reason they were called Puritans. In a little while they were persecuted for their religious beliefs. Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans turned their eyes to America, where they also might secure homes, and worship God according to their own religious beliefs. In 1628 John Endicott came from England, and made a settlement at Salem, not far north of Plymouth. In a few months other settlers came and established two more towns, — one called Charlestown, and another, Boston. In 1630 John Win- throp came to New England with a great number of settlers. At the time that he reached New England, he was about forty years old, and for the next nineteen years he was the leader of the colony that had Boston as its center. This colony was 6 4 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. then known as Massachusetts Bay, but after a short while it was called simply Massachusetts. - Winthrop had a good home in England, and, of course, he disliked to leave it ; but he believed that he ought to be allowed to serve God in his own way. Therefore he was willing to give up his home and friends in England for the sake of his conscience. When he first came to Massachusetts, he left his wife in England until he could build a home for her. When he had everything in readiness, he sent for her, and she came over to join her beloved husband. In those days few articles could be bought in America. People wore the coarsest sort of clothes, made often from the skins of animals ; so we find Winthrop writing to his wife telling her to come well furnished with linen and woolen goods, sheets, and pots and kettles for the kitchen. He wrote : " Be sure to be warm clothed and to have store of fresh provisions : meal, eggs, butter, oatmeal, peas and fruits. Thou must be sure to bring no more company than so many as shall have full provision for one year and a half, for, though the earth here be very fertile, there must be time and means to raise it." In a little while Winthrop showed what could be made of Massachusetts. Under his directions the settlements of Charles- town, Newton, Roxbury and Boston were built up. The people caught fish and sent them to Europe to be sold. They raised their own food and made their own clothes and house furnishings. Massachusetts thus became one of the thriftiest of the American colonies, and at the time of Winthrop's death (1649) had a popu- lation of forty thousand. £ 9i?F ' . ■f&- 2 ■*&& GOVERNOR WINTHROP. WILLIAM BRADFORD AND JOHN WINTHROP. 65 Though Winthrop was an earnest and sincere man, and wanted to worship God according to his own belief, he was unwilling that persons holding different re- ligious views from his own should settle in Massachu- setts. All the settlers were required to worship as the Puritans did ; and such as did not, were sent out of the colony. Some Quakers came to Massachusetts and were sent away, but shortly afterwards some of them returned to Boston, and were at once seized, tried and hanged. The King of England was angry with the colony of Massa- chusetts on account of this cruelty, but the stern old Puritans paid little attention to the English king. In after years Massachusetts resisted the English government on ques- tions of taxation and other things, and joined with Virginia and the other American colonies in the Revolutionary War which gave us our independence from England. Geography Study. Map of Europe. Find England and Holland. How far is it from England to Holland ? Map of New England. Find Plymouth, Salem, Boston, Charlestown and Roxbury. How far is it from Plymouth to Virginia ? Review Questions. What were the first and second English col- onies in America ? Who were the Separatists ? Why were they called WHERE THE PILGRIMS AND THE PURITANS SETTLED. 66 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY Pilgrims ? Tell of the Pilgrims in Holland. Where did they wish to set- tle ? Tell of their experiences in coming to America. Why did they not settle in Virginia ? Who was the first governor of Plymouth ? Qive some account of Bradford. Who was Miles Standish ? Tell of his army and the Indian challenge. How did the Plymouth colony succeed under Bradford ? Who were the Puritans ? Who settled Salem ? What other towns were settled ? Tell of the coming of Winthrop. Why did Winthrop leave England ? What did he write his wife ? Tell of the growth of Massachusetts. How did the Puritans treat the Quakers ? Write a com- position on the Puritans. CHAPTER VIII. Roger Williams and Thomas Hooker, 1599-1683. 1586-1647. WlNTHROP and the Puritans did not wish to have any set- tlers in Massachusetts who did not agree with them. Into the colony came two preachers, good and conscientious men, but men who did not have the same ideas as Winthrop. One of these preachers, Roger Williams, was forced to leave the colony, and the other, Thomas Hooker, departed without waiting for Winthrop to drive him out. Of the early life of Roger Williams, we know little. It is said that he was born in Wales. His parents belonged to the middle class, but they gave their boy an education and he was graduated from Oxford University. When a very young man, he became a Christian and decided to preach. He led a life of piety and virtue, and all who knew him respected him. At first he was a preacher in the established church of England, but soon joined the Puritans. Later he came to New England, where he thought that he could preach according to his own con- victions, and where he hoped to convert the Indians. A few weeks after reaching Massachusetts Roger Williams became the assistant pastor of the church at Salem. He soon 68 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. offended Winthrop and the officials of Massachusetts because he said that a man should not be punished for refusing to go to church on Sunday. According to the laws of the Puritans every citizen was to attend church on Sunday, and if he failed to do so, he was fined ; and if he still refused to perform his religious duty, he was imprisoned. Williams be- lieved that this was wrong, and that the question of going to church was to be decided by a man's own conscience. You know, this is what we believe to-day, but two hundred and fifty years ago people were not so liberal as they are now. Williams was far ahead of his day, and he was too broad and liberal to live in a Puritan community. After a little while Williams left Salem and went to Ply- mouth, to live with the Pil- grims, who were more liberal than their neighbors of Massa- chusetts. Governor Bradford of Plymouth said that Williams did great good among his people. After a short stay in Plymouth, Williams returned to Salem, where he became pastor of the church. He continued to preach that a man ought to be allowed to worship God according to his own conscience, and to decide how he should conduct himself on Sunday without inter- ference from the state. Moreover, he held that the colonists should not take the land from the Indians without buying it, and that, since America belonged to the Indians, King James had no right to grant it to anybody. The magistrates warned THE FIRST CHURCH AT SALEM, WHERE WILLIAMS PREACHED. Built in 1634 and still standing. ROGER WILLIAMS AND THOMAS HOOKER. 69 Williams, but he still held to his views ; then Winthrop called a general meeting of the people of Massachusetts to consider Williams's case. He was not even given a trial, and no witness appeared against him ; but on the general report which was circulated about his preaching, it was decided that he should be sent out of the colony. It was a custom among the Puritans to send all objectionable persons back to England, and this they intended to do with Williams. Officers were sent to his house to seize him, and to put him on board a ship bound for England. At his home, however, they found only his wife and children, for he had already been gone three days. It was in the dead of winter when Williams went out from his home in exile. Know- ing the purpose of the Puritans, he fled from Salem to avoid being sent back to England. Think of this true and sincere man as he wandered south from Boston through the forests! He was without companions, and there was no place of refuge for him in the bitter cold weather. He afterwards said, " I was sorely tossed for fourteen weeks in the winter season, not knowing what bread or bed did mean." Sometimes he hid in the hollow of a tree, where he could hear around him the howl of the wolves and panthers which at that time roamed through the forests of New England. While at Salem, Williams had seen much of the Indians, had learned their language and had made many friends among them. As soon as he could, he went to the home of Massassoit, an Indian chief of the tribe of the Pokanokets, or Wompanoags. Massassoit received him with great kindness and granted him a tract of land. When spring came, Williams was joined by some friends from Salem, who held to the same religious beliefs that he did. The land that Williams secured from the Indians was on the borders of the Plymouth colony, and just as he was about to build a home for himself and his friends, he received a letter from the governor of Plymouth asking him to move farther 70 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. south. Williams felt that his own people were treating him cruelly, but at once he determined to go deeper into the wil- derness, and to select a place for his settlement which neither the people of Massachusetts nor those of Plymouth could claim. He went to Narragansett Bay (1636), and there chose for his colony the site of the present city of Providence. This was the be- ginning of the State of Rhode Island, which was one of the From a painting by IVray. ROGER WILLIAMS BEFRIENDED BY THE NARRAGANSETTS. thirteen original colonies. It was a beautiful spot, and to-day the hillside that was then covered with trees and beautiful grass is the location of a wealthy city. Where once reigned silence, now are heard the bustle of trade and the murmur of busy life. At Providence, Williams did not forget to practice what he had preached in Massachusetts. He had taught that the land should be bought from the Indians ; so he visited the Narragan- ROGER WILLIAMS AND THOMAS HOOKER. ;i setts who held sway over the greater part of what is now Rhode Island and bought from them a large tract of land. Providence was also made a place of refuge for those who might be driven from their homes on account of their religious beliefs, and no one was to be punished by the government for the way in which he worshipped God. In other words, Williams established religious freedom which, at that time, existed nowhere else in the world. Other settlers quickly came to Rhode Island, and among them was Mrs. Ann Hutchinson, a woman of fine intellect, who was driven from Massachusetts, because she -did not believe in the Puritan doctrines. Williams received her kindly, and assisted her in building the town of Portsmouth. Other settlements were formed, and some years after, in 1662, Williams secured from the king a charter which united all these settlements into the colony of Rhode Island. Rhode Island was never a large colony ; but, from its beginning, under the direction of Williams, its govern- ment was pure and liberal, and for that reason it prospered and grew in wealth. Williams was a good man and bore no ill feeling against the people of Massachusetts. Hardly had he settled Rhode Island before Massachusetts and the Pequot Indians were at war. The people of Massachusetts brought on the war by seizing the land of the Pequots. Williams saw that if all the Indians of New England combined against the whites, the result would be disastrous to the colonists. He therefore visited the Narragan- setts and persuaded them not to join the Pequots, who, fighting alone, were easily overcome. Williams may be said to have saved New England. In spite of his services, the government of Massachusetts was so unforgiving that it never removed the sentence by which Williams was expelled from the colony. Williams lived for nearly fifty years after the settlement of Rhode Island. During that time he worked earnestly to promote the welfare of New England. Not only did he aid in the Pequot - MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. but just a few years before his death, when Philip, the chief of the Pokanokets. tried to destroy all the English in New gland, Williams again secured the friendship of the Xarragan- - tts. He likewise raised troops in Rhode Island to assist the .- though they had refused to have anything to do with Rhode Island. Through the efforts of all the colonies Philip - defeated, and the Pokanoket tribe was almost destroved (i 6- ed long enough to see all of the colonies of New gland in a prosperous condition. He was eighty-four years of g at the time of his death, and, though so old, was full of vigor to the last. He was buried at Providence, the city which he had built and which h< g tly loved. Thomas Hooker, though not so great a man as Williams, was. like him. the founder lony. Hooker came to Boston two years after Williams, and became pastor of the church at Cam- bridge. He was a very learned man and an eloquent speaker, and by his preaching he greatly aroused the people. In those days no man had a voice in the government of Ma,-- : setts aless he was a member of the church. Hooker said that all men should take part in the government, even though they might not be church members, but Governor Winthrop would such an idea. Then Hooker conceived the plan of string a colony where even' man could have a voice in managing its affairs. So without quarreling with Winthrop, he Massachusetts with a great company of people just a few months after Williams had been driven out, and went towards the valley of the Connecticut River. On the journey through the wilderness from Boston to the Connecticut River, he and his congregation traveled slowly, taking their wives and children and the: with them. They lived, as best they could, on food as could be carried on a long journey, and on the milk of their c ROGER WILLIAMS AND THOMAS HOOKER. 73 In 1636 a town called Hartford was built on the Connecticut River, and soon after Windsor and Wethersfield were founded. Through the influence of Hooker, these towns were united into one colony (1639), under the name of Connecticut. The written agreement which brought these towns under the same govern- ment is known as the Body of Fundamental Laws, and was written by Hooker himself. The government of Connecticut, as thus established, was the first in the world to ^ be created by a writ- ten constitution, as we now call it. This constitution was ap- *r..«. $dta! ON THE MARCH TO CONNECTICUT proved by the people, and gave equal rights and privileges to all the settlers. When all the people living in a state have an equal voice in the government, the government is called a democracy ; so Connecticut was the first democracy to be established with a written constitution. A few years after the settlement of Connecticut, a Puritan preacher named John Davenport came there from England with a body of settlers. Even the government of Massachusetts was too liberal for Davenport, because he wanted to form a colony with every law based upon the Bible. For example, he was 74 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. opposed to trials by jury because he could find nothing about them in the Bible. Davenport went to the mouth of the Con- necticut River and there planted the colony of New Haven. Some twenty years later it was joined to Connecticut. New England was, in colonial days, composed of many col- onies. You have learned of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Haven. Plymouth was united to Massachusetts (1692), and New Haven to Connecticut (1662). There are now in New England two other states, New Hamp- shire and Maine. New Hampshire was settled almost as early as Massachusetts, and was for many years a part of it, but was finally made a distinct colony (1741). Maine was a part of Massachusetts until 1820, when it became a state in the Union. So at the time of the Revolution there were in New England only four distinct colonies : Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con- necticut, and New Hampshire including Vermont. Geography Study. Map of New England. Find Salem, Ply- mouth, Providence, Portsmouth, R.I., Boston, Connecticut River, Hartford, New Haven and Narragansett Bay. Name the states of New England. Review Questions. What two preachers did Winthrop drive from Massachusetts? Tell of the early life of Williams. Tell of his preaching in Massachusetts. What did the officials of Massachusetts do? Tell of the wanderings of Williams. How was he received by the Indians? Tell of his settlement at Providence. What were his views about religion? What is religious freedom? Tell of Mrs. Hutchinson. What Indian gave trouble to Massachusetts? How did Williams aid the people of New England? Who was Thomas Hooker? Why did he leave Massachusetts? Tell of his journey to the Connecticut River. What town did he build? What is the importance of the "Fundamental Laws"? Tell of John Davenport. What became of the New Haven colony? Name the colonies of New England at the time of the Revolution. ^->— - — —yihm ir^-'^^TlwiiF"^ V ', ; / ^C^-pN^' Governor Stuyvesant Refusing a ■ilV "\^ - "^flX B Petition. CHAPTER IX. Henry Hudson and Peter Stuyvesant, 1580(?)-1611. 1602-1682. All the European nations turned with longing eyes to America. The Spaniards entered it first. The English at Jamestown made the second permanent settlement, and a year later the French settled in Canada. At this time, one of the leading commercial nations of Europe was little Holland. It had a splendid navy and many merchant vessels, and its people had grown wealthy by trading with the East India islands. They likewise sent expeditions to explore the western seas with the hope of finding a passage west to India, China and Japan. These explorations led to certain discoveries in America, and were followed by a Dutch settlement in New York. The way to America was pointed out to the Dutch by Henry Hudson. Hudson was an Englishman and lived in London. Of his birth and early life we know nothing. We are told, however, that he was a friend of Captain John Smith. He began his y6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. explorations under the London Company, and was sent to look for the northwest passage, which so many English sailors, after the Cabots, had tried in vain to find. He made several voyages for the English in the neighborhood of Greenland and Labrador, but without success. These unsuccessful attempts caused the London Company to give up hope of finding a northwest pas- sage, so Hudson went to Holland and entered the service of the Dutch East India Company. In 1609 he sailed from Holland in his little vessel, the Half Moon, with a crew of twenty. He first touched at Newfound- land. Then he went southwest to the Chesapeake Bay and even farther south, it is thought, looking for the way to the Pacific. Becoming discouraged, he sailed north along the coast, and, after several months, entered what is now New York Bay. He saw that there was a great stream flowing into this bay, and at once determined to explore it. He probably thought that this stream was the northwest passage. He sailed up the beautiful river which is now called Hudson, till he came to the mountains and to the shallow waters which are near the present location of Albany. He traded with a number of the Indians, and secured much fur and tobacco. On one occasion some Indians went on board the Half Moon. Hudson and his men were so mean as to give one old Indian a big drink of whisky, which none of the natives had ever tasted. To the great surprise of his com- panions, he soon went fast asleep, and they thought that he had been poisoned ; so they hastily left the boat and went ashore. When they returned the next day and found the old man well, they thought that he had been bewitched ; and it was a long time before they came to understand the effect of whisky. In after years the Dutch gave these Indians whisky in return for furs, and they were so fond of the white man's drink, that num- bers of them became drunkards. When Hudson left the river which now bears his name, he HENRY HUDSON* AND PETER STUYVESANT. 77 was delighted with the beautiful country he had found, and sailed back to Europe to report his discovery. The Dutch were much pleased, and the next year they sent out vessels to trade with the Indians along the Hudson River. Hudson never again sailed under the Dutch flag. He re- turned to the employ of the London Company, and once more went in search of the northwest passage. On this voyage he dis- From the painting by Weir, THE LANDING OF HENRY HUDSON. covered Hudson Bay, where he was forced to spend the winter. His ship became frozen in the ice, and his crew nearly perished for want of food. At the approach of spring, the sailors rebelled against him, and seizing him and some of his companions, put them into a small boat and left them to die among the icebergs of the northern seas. The experiences of the Dutch with the Indians along the Hudson River encouraged them to believe that the fur trade 78 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. would be profitable, and that it would be well to establish a colony in the New World. They, therefore, built a trading post on Manhattan Island, where New York now stands, and another on the Hudson River near the site of Albany. The country was called New Netherland, and the settlement on Manhattan Island was called New Amsterdam. In a little while, the num- ber of settlers greatly increased. The lands along the Hudson were granted to great land owners called patroons, who became prosperous and wealthy. While the Dutch rule lasted in New Nether- land, there were three gov- ernors, the last of whom was Peter Stuyvesant (Stl've-sant). Peter Stuyvesant was born in Holland about 1602. When a young man, he became a sol- dier, and while fighting bravely, lost one leg. Ever after that he wore a wooden leg, and when the people heard him come hobbling along the streets of New Amsterdam, they made way for their brave governor. Stuy- vesant was cross and peevish, and when he was governor he would scold the people severely if they did not do as he said. He ruled them well, however. He made friends with the Indians, and would not let the Dutch sell them any whisky. He believed in education and established good schools for the children of New Amsterdam. All the people of the colony had to attend church, but every man was allowed to worship God according to his own convictions. While Stuyvesant was governor, the people of Sweden sent a l'ETER STUYVESANT. IENRY HUDSON AND PETER STUVVESANT. 79 colony to America, which settled on the Delaware River, and built a fort called Christiana ( 1638). This fort was located in the present State of Delaware, near where Wilmington stands. Stuv- vesant objected to a Swedish settlement so near him, so he raised an army, took Fort Christiana, and made New Sweden a part of New Netherland (1655). Hardly had the S w e d e s been con- quered, before New Netherland was in- vaded by the English. England claimed all of North America and re- garded the Dutch set- tlers as intruders, so a fleet was sent over to conquer New Nether- land. Governor Stuy- vesant was taken by surprise ; but he was a brave man, and when the fleet appeared be- fore New Amsterdam, he prepared to make a defense of the town. The English de- manded that he should surrender, but he promptly refused. The people, however, would not fight, so he was forced to yield, and thus New Netherland passed into the hands of England. The whole territory was granted to James, Duke of York, who I: "jy" -■ . " ' "' Hftk. /m ^Tj^J L ^ ' ^Lm ' ''' " r SK^\jflH 9^ : "~^x4)Jr^ %£ r._ jR*/'^'.' ^SM "^H W. \ }&"'• - ' «f8 Wtlm jnH| ■m^L. ' ' - ; ': »** sb©- ^B* From a painting by Powell. STUVVESANT DESTROYS THE DEMAND FOR SURRENDER. 8o MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. called it New York. Part of the territory was later granted by the Duke of York to two favorites, Berkeley and Carteret, who established the colony of New Jersey (1665). New York pros- pered under the rule of the English, and at the time of the Revo- lution was one of the richest colonies in America. After Stuyvesant surrendered to the English, he did not re- turn to Holland. He had a farm on Manhattan Island called the " Bowerie." Here he lived the rest of his life, giving no trouble to the English. He died at the age of eighty. Geography Study. Map of the World. Find China, Japan, India, Greenland, Labrador and Hudson Bay. Map of the United States. Locate the Chesapeake Bay, New York City, Albany, the Hudson River, Delaware, Wilmington and New Jersey. Which is the largest city in the United States?. Review Questions. What caused the Dutch to turn to America? Who was Henry Hudson ? Tell what he did for the London Company. Tell of his voyage for the Dutch East India Company. Describe his voy- age up the Hudson River. Why did the Dutch decide to settle New York ? What became of Hudson ? What towns did the Dutch build in New York ? What kind of man was Governor Stuyvesant ? Tell why he was a good governor. Tell of the Swedes in Delaware. Why did the English attack New York ? Why did Stuyvesant surrender ? What other colony was soon made from the territory of New York ? Tell of Stuy- vesant's last years. CHAPTER X. Lord Baltimore 1582-1632. T O-DAY we enjoy so many blessings of freedom that we cannot realize how little liberty there was three hundred years ago. You have learned how the Puritans were forced to leave England be- cause they could not worship God in their own way ; but there were other people in England who were persecuted even more than were the Puritans. These were the Catholics, who were allowed no religious rights by the laws of England. In other words, their religion was not tolerated. There lived in England a good and pious Catholic, George Calvert, better known as Lord Baltimore, who thought that it would be a good plan to establish a colony in America where the Catholic religion might exist without interference. Lord Baltimore belonged to an English family whose ances- tors had come from France. He was born in 1582. When a mere boy, he entered Trinity College at Oxford University and graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, at the age of four- teen. He then traveled in Europe, and, returning to England, en- tered the employment of the government. He was made a clerk of the King's Council, and in this way was brought into close relation with King James L, who honored and loved him. Because he was so able and diligent the king made him one of his chief officers. 82 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. George Calvert was then a Protestant, but a little later he de- cided that the Catholic Church was the true one. He had every- thing to lose by becoming a Catholic, but like a true man he fol- lowed his conscience. As no Catholic could hold office, he gave up his position at the king's court. Almost any other officer would have been harshly treated for changing his religion, but the king, believing in the sincerity of Calvert, not only continued to love him, but even made him Lord Baltimore. This, at that time, was a high honor to be conferred upon a Catholic. Lord Baltimore had always taken a great interest in America, and had been a member of the London Company which estab- lished the colony of Virginia. He became anxious to send out a colony under his own direction, so the king, to gratify this wish, granted him a part of the island of Newfoundland. Here Lord Baltimore planted a colony, but the climate was so cold that after a few years the colony was abandoned. In the meantime, King James had died, and his son Charles had come to the throne. The latter's wife, Henrietta Maria, was a French princess and a Catholic, so of course she was willing to help those who believed as she did. Thus Lord Baltimore con- tinued to enjoy the favor of the Crown. With the idea of finding a place suitable for his colony, Lord Baltimore visited Virginia, but, as you know, the Virginians were very loyal to the English Church, so when Lord Baltimore landed in Virginia he was asked to take the oath of supremacy. By taking this oath he would acknowledge the King of Eng- land as the head of the Catholic Church. This Lord Baltimore could not do, because every Catholic believes that the Pope is the head of the Church. So he declined to take the oath, and the Virginians sent him out of the colony. He was pleased, however, with this part of America, and, on his return to Eng- land, he persuaded the king to grant him some land just north of the Potomac River. The grant included the present states of r/iRI) BALTIMORE. 83 Maryland and Delaware. Before Lord Baltimore completed his plans for the settlement, he died, and was greatly mourned in England. His son, Cecil Calvert, became Lord Baltimore and deter- mined to carry out his father's plan of planting a Catholic colony in America, so King Charles renewed for him the grant which had been promised to the first Lord Baltimore. The country was called Maryland (Maria land), in honor of the queen, Henrietta Maria. The whole territory was put into the hands of Lord Baltimore, with the power to manage it just as he wished, provided he did not violate the charter which the king had granted. Lord Baltimore, being the sole owner of Maryland, was called the proprietor, and Maryland was known as a proprietary colony. The terms on which the charter was granted were very liberal. No one would ever have known that the King of England was over the pro- prietor but for the. fact that Lord Baltimore was required to give yearly to the king, at Easter time, two Indian arrows. The ceremony of presenting to the king the tax of two Indian arrows was only to show that Lord Baltimore acknowledged the king as his master. Two vessels, the Dove and the Ark, set sail for America, with some two hundred colonists. Most of these were Catholics, but some Prote tants were in the band. There came also with them a number of Catholic priests, who hoped to convert the Indians. Lord Baltimore did not come himself, but appointed his brother, QUEEN HENRIETTA MARIA. 84 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Leonard Calvert, as governor, to whom is really due the honor of establishing the colony of Maryland. The settlers landed at St. Mary's in 1634. At once they set to work to build a little town. The Indians were kindly treated, and many of them were converted to Christianity. The Virginians were very violently opposed to this settlement. They claimed that Maryland belonged to them, as it had been included in their charter. A Virginian, William Clayborne, had settled on Kent Island, which is now a part of Maryland, and he resisted the coming of Catholic settlers. He went to war with the Marylanders, and at one time actually overcame them. The English government afterwards forced Clayborne to give up Kent Island. Although Maryland was settled by Catholics, in a little while the colony contained more Protestants than Catholics. This was due to the fact that it was the first English colony in America that established religious toleration. Because his views were not tolerated by the Puritans, Roger Williams left Massachusetts and established religious freedom in Rhode Island ; but this was two years after the settlement of Maryland. The governor of Maryland was required to take an oath that all Christians should be treated alike in the colony. Later (1649) a ^ aw was passed providing that all people who believed in God and Jesus should have equal rights in the colony. Thi* was the first tolera- tion law ever passed in the Christian world. Leonard Calvert was governor of Maryland for thirteen years. He did all that he could for the people, and when he died the colony was in a prosperous condition. From his death to the Revolution, with the exception of a period of twenty-five years, Maryland was under the control of the Lords Baltimore. After 171 5 they were Protestants; and, strange to say, the Catholics who had settled Maryland and tolerated other denominations, were not tolerated there until the Revolution. LORD BALTIMORK. 85 Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Maryland and Delaware. What states touch them ? What river separates Mary- land from Virginia ? What body of water divides Maryland into two parts ? Find St. Mary's, Annapolis and Baltimore. Review Questions. What religious rights do we enjoy now that the people did not have three hundred years ago ? How were the Catholics treated in England? What was Lord Baltimore's plan?. Tell something of Lord Baltimore's early life. Why did he leave his office as a king's coun- cillor? How did James treat George Calvert after he became a Catholic? Tell of Lord Baltimore's colony in Newfoundland. Tell of his trip to Virginia. What territory did the king promise him ? On his death, who succeeded him? How did King Charles treat Cecil Calvert? What is a proprietary colony? How did Maryland get its name ? Tell of the terms of the charter. Tell of the first settlement at St. Mary's. Tell of Clayborne and the opposi- tion of the Virginians. What is religious toleration ? Tell of Maryland's toleration law. What was the condition of Maryland at the death of Leonard Calvert ? Tell of the way the Catholics were treated after 1 7 15. ;i:al of the province of Maryland. (In use from 1658 to 1776.) (WilIieanK *fc«r_--.lw9 a s ill SwriA 5^^'^t=~:': ••"-gV-,-; ■ ; -~ [j^nrfs Ho use m Philade Ifrhi* «j) CHAPTER XI. William Penn. 1644-1718. As you remember, the Puritans settled in New England in order that they might worship God according to their own beliefs, and the Catholics established the colony of Maryland for a like reason. In the meanwhile, still another religious body had been organized in England. The members of this sect believed that no special honor should be paid to any man, and they even re- fused to take off their hats in the presence of the king. They called themselves the Society of -Friends, but they are better known as Quakers. The people of England despised the Quakers, forbade them to hold religious meetings, and imprisoned many of them. Some of them came to Massachusetts, but were sent away, and those who persisted in returning were tried and hanged. Just think of men being hanged for their religious belief ! Under these conditions it was not strange that the Quakers wished for a home where they might be at peace. Such a home was promised for them by their great leader, William Penn. William Penn belonged to a distinguished family. His father was an admiral in the English navy, and a great friend of Charles II., and of James, Duke of York, who was afterwards King James II. of England. William Penn was born in 1644. WILLIAM l'ENN. 87 He received a good education, and was sent to Oxford Univer- sity at the age of fifteen. As a boy he had shown a deep reli- gious spirit, and while at the university he met a Quaker preacher named Thomas Loe, and was greatly influenced by his preaching. Years ago, the university students used to wear long black gowns, as they do to-day at some schools and colleges. When Perm was at Oxford many of the students who were Puritans had put aside their gowns, because they made the boys look like Catholic priests. But Charles II. thought the wearing of gowns was a good custom, and so he ordered all the university stu- dents to put them on again. Perm and some other young men refused to dress in this way, and even went so far as to seize and to tear t>ff the gowns of some other students who obeyed the king's orders. For this offense Penn and his friends were expelled from the university. Penn's father was very angry with him because of his conduct, and was also greatly troubled for fear that his son would become a Quaker. He wanted William to enter into the fashion- able society of London ; and he knew that if he became a Friend, he would refuse to do so. He thought that a trip abroad would drive away the religious spirit of the boy ; so William was sent to Paris. Here young Penn conducted himself as a good and pious man, and did not enter into the gay life of the city. When he returned to London, he began the study of law at his father's request ; but, much to the sorrow of his father, he outwardly be- came a Quaker. This made the old Admiral so angry that he drove his son away from home. Penn then became a Quaker preacher, and wrote many religious books. There was a law in England that no religious body other than ADMIRAL PENN. 88 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. the established church could hold meetings within five miles of a town under penalty of fine and imprisonment. This was called the Conventicle Act. Perm preached several times in violation of this law, and on refusing to pay the fine was sent to prison. His father paid the fine and had his son released, but would not speak to him. Still William held to his religion. Admiral Perm, though pained to see his son a member of the despised band of Quakers, never lost love for him. Just before his death, the Admiral sent for the king and the Duke of York, and begged them to be kind to his son. They were moved by the plea of the dying admiral, and they never forgot to befriend his son whenever an occasion was offered. Soon after the death of his father, Penn turned his attention to America, and determined to establish a colony of Quakers in the New World. You remember how the English conquered from the Dutch the territory which included the present states of New York, New Jersey and Delaware. New Jersey was granted to two of the king's favorites, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. It was settled rapidly, and was soon divided by the owners into East New Jersey and West New Jersey. Penn bought the controlling interest in West New Jersey, and through his in- fluence a number of Quakers came to that province. Some years later he became interested also in East New Jersey. Many troubles arose in the Jerseys, which were not settled until the two provinces were reunited and given back to the king. New Jersey thus became a royal province (1722). It is interesting to re- member, however, that Penn had much to do with its early growth. After Penn became interested in New Jersey, he applied to the king to give him a charter for the land lying west of the Delaware River. He asked that this land be given to him as proprietor, in the same way in which Maryland had been granted to Lord Baltimore. WILLIAM PENN. 89 The King of England owed about $80,000 to the estate of Admiral Perm, which his son, William, inherited. Charles II. did not have the money to pay this debt, so Penn offered to take the tract of land in America instead of the money. The king consented to this (1681) and, in honor of Admiral Penn, named the province Pennsylvania, which means Perm's woodland or forest. In this region there were already nearly three thousand Dutch, Swedish and English settlers. Penn allowed them to remain and sent over other settlers to Pennsylvania. He estab- lished a very liberal form of government, and he allowed every- body to worship God according to his conscience. Penn believed that the Indians should be treated fairly; so, as soon as he came to America, he met them under a large elm tree at Kensington, and there made a treaty of peace with them. He built a new city and called it Philadelphia, the city of broth- erly love. It was laid off with broad and wide streets, and has ever since been one of the prettiest cities in America. Penn was instrumental in the establishment of another dis- tinct colony, Delaware, which became one of the thirteen states. Delaware was a part of the New York territory and was conse- quently the property of the Duke of York. Penn wanted it because it was near the ocean, so he bought it from the Duke in 1682. At that time it was inhabited by Swedes, Dutch and a few English. It was at first annexed to Pennsylvania, and was called the "Territories " or the " Power Counties." These lower counties refused to take part in the government of Pennsylvania, so Penn gave them a separate government (1701 ), though they continued until the Revolution to have the same governor as Pennsylvania. Delaware was included also in the Maryland grant to Lord Baltimore, and for years there was a dispute as to the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Finally the line was run 9 o MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. by two surveyors, Mason and Dixon, and to this day the bound- ary line between Maryland and Pennsylvania is known as Mason and Dixon's line. Pennsylvania grew rapidly under Perm and his descendants, 'ffiSi frT ^/^r ■_rf/ i:-^. >i fc ^ ^£g» '** -l NH Wk tfwfysit^ ^;x * A ." ^II.Tb «;7> ' ^%&JFwi '&. $®f< ' i " ^y^ ^ ^ ^ **'• . _■•- .-'vT- ., " ,. -' c - REATING WITH THE INDIANS. and by the time of the Revolution was one of the most impor- tant colonies in America. Perm lived thirty-seven years after the establishment of the Pennsylvania colony. Most of that time he spent in England, where he exerted himself greatly in the interest of the Quakers. He was imprisoned several times in the latter part of his life, and was even accused of being a traitor to the English government ; WILLIAM PENN. 91 but whenever he was brought to trial, no proof could be shown of his guilt. Finally he was allowed to live in England in peace. He was in every way an honest and upright man, one of the most moral men of his age, and was never known to be drunk, to swear or to use bad words. He spent his life in serv- ing God and in doing good to his fellow-men. Pennsylvania indeed has every reason to be proud of its founder. No man who figured in our colonial history deserves more praise than William Penn, the Quaker leader and preacher. Long may his name be honored ! Geography Study. Map of the Middle Atlantic States. Find Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. How is Pennsylvania separated from New Jersey? How large is Delaware? Locate Wilmington, Phila- delphia and Kensington. How large is Philadelphia? Name the states that touch Pennsylvania. Review Questions. Who were the Quakers? How were they treated in England? How in Massachusetts? Tell of Penn's boyhood and his life at Oxford University. Why was Penn sent on a trip abroad? What did he do when he returned to England? How did his father treat him when he became a Quaker? Why was Penn imprisoned? What did Admiral Penn ask of the king and the Duke of York? Tell of William Penn and New Jersey. How did Penn acquire Pennsylvania? How did Pennsylvania get its name? Tell of Penn's government of Pennsylvania. What city did he build? Tell of Penn's connection with Delaware. Tell of Mason and Dixon's line. Give an account of Penn's life in England after the establishment of Pennsylvania. Why should we honor him ? W 7 rite a composition on the character of William Penn. CHAPTER XII. John Locke 1632-1701 BETWEEN Virginia and Florida lay a broad strip of land called Carolina. The Spaniards were the first to enter this terri- tory, but they did not plant a colony there. About 1562 some French under John Ribault settled near Port Royal in what is now South Carolina. This colony was short-lived because the Spaniards came and destroyed it. For about one hundred years the territory between Virginia and Florida lay without a definite owner, and without any government. Finally, King Charles II. granted the territory which now constitutes the states of North and South Carolina to eight of his favorites as proprietors (1663). Among the proprietors were the Earl of Shaftesbury, the Duke of Albemarle and the Earl of Clarendon. They organized into a colony the various settlements made by emigrants from Vir- ginia in the northern part of this territory, and called jt Albe- marle. Out of this Albemarle colony grew the state of North Carolina. Several settlements were made in the southern part, the most important one being the Clarendon colony, of which Charleston was the chief town. All of these colonies were to be JOHN LOCKE. 93 under the control of the proprietors, just as Maryland was con- trolled by its proprietor, Lord Baltimore. Many people came to these settlements from Virginia, New England, England and Scotland. Many French Protestants, known as Huguenots, also settled in the Carolinas about 1 700. These different peoples came seeking liberty and freedom. Those from New England came to get away from the stern and cruel rule of the Puritans ; the French Huguenots, who were persecuted at home, came in search of reli- gious liberty. From Virginia came many who were opposed to the Church of England, and from Scotland came Presbyterians who wished to be where their religion might be exercised without inter- ference. To govern in a satisfactory way this mixed mass of people was a great question, but the Earl of Shaftesbury, one of the proprie- tors, believed that the well-known English philosopher John Locke could prepare a form of government for the colonies, which would suit al this difficult task. The plan which he offered as the basis of the government of the Carolinas was called the Fundamental Constitu- tions. The Fundamental Constitutions was a very elaborate frame of government, which proposed to plant in the forests of America a system in which there were to be lords and nobles, under whom the great mass of the people were to be kept in sub- jection. In other words, there was to be no government by the people, and the freedom for which the settlers had come to THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY. so Locke was selected for 94 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. America was not to be granted. For this very reason the Fun- damental Constitutions was a failure. Locke was a learned man and a good philosopher, but the failure of his plan proves that a government cannot succeed un- less it is drawn up by one who understands the conditions of the people who have to live under it. Locke was born in England in 1632. He was well educated, and received the Master of Arts degree from Oxford University. When a young man, he became acquainted with the Earl of Shaftesbury, who employed him as a tutor for his son. The Earl of Shaftes- bury was greatly pleased with Locke's learning; and, for that reason, asked him to study politics and to prepare a constitution for the government of the colonies. By some views which he ex- pressed about the English government, he afterwards became unpopular. At one time, it was thought that he was a traitor ; therefore, he had to flee to Hol- land where he lived until James II. was driven from the throne. When William and Mary became the sovereigns of England, he returned to his native land and was appointed by King William one of the mem- bers of the Board of Plantations and Trade, which acted for the king in looking after the American colonies. In this connection Locke had much to do with the wise policy winch William and Mary adopted in the government of the colonies, and, when he died in 1704, England realized that an honest and patriotic man had passed away. Although his plan for the government of the Carolinas was impracticable, and there- fore a failure, Locke was a great philosopher, and men will always study his written work with interest and profit. JOHN LOCKE. JOHN LOCKE. 95 For twenty-two years the proprietors tried to enforce Locke's plan of government, but the people would not submit to it. In the forests of America it was impossible to get a settler to ac- knowledge any one as his lord. There were several rebellions on the part of the liberty-loving Carolinians, and finally Philip Lud- well, the governor of all the Carolina settlements, told the pro- prietors that Locke's plan must be given up (1692). The proprietors were never able to govern the colonies in a satisfactory way. Even after the abandonment of the Funda- mental Constitutions, the spirit of liberty among the settlers showed itself and they resisted the taxes of the proprietors. Moreover, the northern colony, which came to be known as North Carolina, demanded a governor for itself, while the pro- prietors insisted that there should be only one governor for both colonies. Finally, in 17 19, the settlers rebelled against the pro- prietors and elected a governor of their own. They then appealed to King George to take the colonies and to make them into a royal province. The king took control of the colonies, though the land was still held by the proprietors. The matter was settled ten years later, when the proprietors surrendered their charter to the king, and Carolina was finally divided, in 1729, into two royal provinces, one called South Carolina, and the other. North Carolina. The two colonies now entered upon an era of prosperity. Each increased rapidly in population and wealth. There ever re- mained in these two colonies that spirit of liberty which showed itself in the days of the proprietors ; and, when the Revolution came, North and South Carolina were among the first to resist English tyranny and to form themselves into free and independent states. Geography Study. Map of the SoutJi At/antic States. Locate the Carolinas. What states touch them ? Find Port Royal and Charleston. 9 6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY What is the capital of North Carolina ? What is the capital of South Carolina ? Review Questions. Who first entered the Carolinas? Tell of the settlement at Port Royal. What did Charles II. do with the Carolinas? How many settlements were made, and what were they? Tell of the different people who came to the Carolinas, and their purpose in coming? What kind of government did the proprietors try to establish? Give an account of the life of Locke. Why did his plan of government fail? Tell of the overthrow of the proprietors and the establishment of two royal provinces. What spirit was found in the people of the Carolinas at the time of the Revolution? A VIEW OF CHARLESTON. The Retreat from St. Augustine " : ^m* . mm - : CHAPTER XIII. James Oglethorpe, 1689(?)-1785. GEORGIA was the last of the thirteen colonies "to be settled. Its settlement was due to the noble impulses of James Oglethorpe (Ogl'thorp). Oglethorpe was an English gentleman of noble birth, and of great wealth, having inherited a large estate. After receiving a good education, at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, he entered the English army and fought in some bloody wars on the con- tinent of Europe. As a soldier he was brave, courageous and daring, and always did his duty. When his military life was over, he returned to England and was elected a member of Par- liament, in which body he sat for thirty-two years. Oglethorpe wished to be a useful man. As a member of Parlia- ment he was constantly, thinking how he could do something to help the poor and the afflicted. In those days a man who could not pay his debts was thrown into a prison. Oglethorpe con- ceived the plan of releasing from prison the most deserving of these debtors and of settling them in America. The colony was to be just north of Florida, and would be a barrier between the 9 8 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. people of South Carolina and the Spaniards in Florida, who did not wish the English to settle in America. He made known his plan to the people of England, and aroused sentiment in favor of it, securing the support of some of the most distinguished men in that country. Parliament granted a large strip of land lying between South Carolina and Florida, and chartered a company to make a settlement. The House of Com- mons voted ;£ 10,000 ($50,000) for the undertaking, and about £2$,- OOO ($125,000) was raised by sub- scription. The enterprise being a benevolent one, it was provided that no officer should receive a sal- ary. The new colony was to be called Georgia in honor of King George II. Oglethorpe was so interested in the plan that he determined to go to America himself, and was elected by the trustees as governor of the colony. In November, 1732, he sailed from England in a little ves- sel known as the Ann. There were on board thirty-five families who were provided with all sorts of tools for work. In January, 1733, they sailed up the Savannah River and landed where the city of Savannah now stands. On the following Sunday the people met in a body to return thanks to God for their safe arrival. At once the settlers went to work to cut down trees, to clear the forests, and to build houses. Realizing that the colonists needed friends, Oglethorpe made a treaty of peace with the Indians. At first the colony prospered ; but the debtors who came JAMES OGLETHORPE. JAMES OGLETHORPE. 99 over were, in many respects, a -lazy set. Many of them had been imprisoned in England because they were too lazy to work to pay their debts, or had spent their money in drinking. The trustees, in establishing the colony, had hoped to prevent the debtors from resuming their former habits of life. To prevent drinking, the sale of whisky and other strong drinks was pro- hibited in the colony. In order that industry might be en- couraged it was thought best that each settler should do his own work, and therefore slavery was not to exist in the colony. In spite of these wholesome prohibitions we find that in a little while the colonists were bringing slaves and whisky into Georgia. Although the debtors did not prove to be good settlers, Georgia received excellent colonists in the German Protestants who came and settled the town of Ebenezer. In the same year Augusta was founded, and two years later some Scotch Highlanders settled Frederica. The Germans and the Highlanders greatly aided the growth of the colony. Every effort was made to promote religion in the colony. At that time the three great preachers of England were George Whitefield, Charles Wesley, and his brother, John Wesley, who was the founder of the Methodist Church. The Wesley brothers came to Georgia and preached the gospel, not only to the settlers, but also to the Indians. Upon their return to England, Whitefield came over and established an orphan asylum at Savannah, and converted many of the people. While Oglethorpe was working to build up his colony, the Spaniards in Florida were viewing with much fear the English settlement upon the Savannah River. Oglethorpe soon found out that they were preparing to destroy the English colony. He, therefore, determined to invade Florida, and to cripple the Spaniards before they could attack Georgia. He laid siege to St. Augustine, the main city of Florida, but was unsuccessful in his attempt. Seeing that he could not capture the city, he sent LofC. IOO .MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORV. the soldiers off ahead of him and was the last to retreat. He was advised to go with the soldiers, but answered, " No, I will not stir a foot till I see every one of my men marched off before me." The Spaniards in return made an attempt to conquer Georgia, but they were defeated by Oglethorpe and forced back to Florida. Shortly after this Oglethorpe was called to England to answer the charge of bad management of the war against Spain in Florida. He was tried by court martial, and was honorably acquitted. There was not one word of truth in the charges against him. General Oglethorpe's connection with Georgia came to an end at this time. He had made the colony, and for its sake he had sacrificed all of his own personal interests. His love for humanity had led him to do what he could for the poor and oppressed. Those whom he had helped never showed proper gratitude for his services, but to-day, as we look back upon his undertaking, we are bound to commend him. He was a man of broad and liberal views, and a real lover of his fellow-men. Oglethorpe lived forty years longer, dying at the ripe old age of ninety-six. Georgia had become a state before his death ; the American Revolution had been fought, and the United States had been formed. It is very interesting to know that at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Oglethorpe was one of the leading generals in the English army, and that he was asked by the king to take charge of the army to subdue the American colonies. Oglethorpe knew the Americans well, so he told the king that their obe- dience could not be secured by arms, but only by giving them justice, and that he could not take command of the English forces unless the king would authorize him to assure the colonies that their rights would be recognized. The king refused to agree to this, and Oglethorpe promptly declined JAMES OGLETHORPE. 101 to lead the English armies in the war against the American colonics. When the Revolutionary War had closed, and peace had been made with the mother country, John Adams of Mas- <* 1 I 6££h&, *Com a painting by Rothermel. PATRICK HENRY MAKING HIS CELEBRATED SPEECH TO THE BURGESSES Patrick Henry was a far-seeing man, and he knew that Eng- land was going to force a war upon the colonies. His protest against the Stamp Act was the beginning of the Revolution which ended in our independence. 140 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. In other colonies protests were made, and England repealed the Stamp Act, but still insisted on the right to tax the colonies. The colonies as firmly insisted that they should not be taxed by Parliament. In order that the colonies might be made to grant the right of taxation, England placed a small tax upon all tea brought to America. The colonies determined that COLONISTS BURNING THE STAMP SELLER IN EFFIGY. this taxed tea should not be landed, and in several harbors they seized cargoes of it and threw it overboard. At Boston many of the citizens, disguised as Indians, boarded a ship laden with tea and threw it all into the harbor. This is the famous " Boston Tea Party." England passed an act saying that the Boston Harbor should be closed, and that no vessels should enter it. . At once the people of New England prepared for war. All the colonies PATRICK HENRY. 141 felt that England's laws were oppressive ; so they held a Congress to protest against the action of the English government. To this Congress Virginia sent Patrick Henry as one of her members. England paid no attention to the protests of the colonies, and Henry saw that war was coming. In March, 1775, the Virginia Convention met in old St. John's Church, Richmond. Their purpose was to decide what action Virginia had better take, since Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia, was determined to act the part of a tyrant toward the people of the colony. Henry was a member of this convention. He moved that the colony of Virginia should at once raise troops to defend itself against England. His resolutions were opposed by some members on the ground that there was no war with England. Henry spoke in defence of his resolutions and closed his speech by saying : " Our brethren are already in the field. Why stand we here idle? What is it that the gentlemen wish? What would they have ? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery ? Forbid it, Almighty God ; I know not what course others may take, but, as for me, give me liberty or give me death." His speech carried all before him. The resolutions were passed, troops were at once raised, and Henry was made commander-in-chief of the Virginia forces. He, indeed, spoke as a prophet when he said: "The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms." Hardly had Virginia begun to raise troops when the news came that the first battle of the Revolution had been fought at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. When Virginia threw off the yoke of England in 1776, Patrick Henry became her first governor. For three years he held this responsible position and showed that he was a man of power and ability. After the Revolutionary War was over, he was again (1784) called to the governor's chair and served for two years. 142 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. AN EARLY REVOLU TIONARY FLAG. At the close of the Revolutionary War, the thirteen states were united under a very weak form of government. To strengthen this government, a convention was called in 1787, and it drew up a new plan of government, which is the present Constitution of the United States. When Virginia's Convention met in 178S to pass upon the Constitution, Henry was a member of the body. He opposed the adoption of the Constitution of the United States, claiming that the day would come when many of the states would regret that they had ever entered the Union, because the United States government would over- ride the state governments. He prophesied the Revolution, and we know now that he was equally a prophet, when he claimed that the Constitution of the United States would give trouble; for the failure to understand the Constitution produced the ter- rible War between the States. For the last four years of his life, Henry lived on his farm near Charlotte Courthouse.* In 1799 our country was in a critical condition, and it looked as if the union might be broken up. The Virginia legislature had passed some resolutions com- plaining of Congress. Henry thought that the times called for the best men to enter public life ; and though he had declined many important positions, he now felt that his state needed his services in the legislature. So in the spring of 1799 he stood for election to the legislature from the County of Charlotte. He was elected ; but before the time came for the legislature to meet he died. Henry was one of our greatest men ; he was true to his * Henry lived in many places. Up to the Revolution his home was in Hanover, but afterwards he lived in Williamsburg, in Henry, Chesterfield, Prince Edward, Campbell and Charlotte counties respectively. PATRICK HENRY. H3 country ; ho loved his state ; he was unselfish, and deeply re- ligious in his nature. Would that we had more men of his stamp — men of force, sincerity and faith in God. Geography Study. Map of Virginia. Find Hanover Courthouse, Williamsburg, Richmond and Charlotte Courthouse. How far is Williams- burg from Richmond ? How far is Charlotte Courthouse from Richmond ? Map of New England. Find Concord and Lexington. In what direction are they from Boston? How far is it from Boston to Richmond, Va.? Review Questions. What was the Stamp Act ? Tell of the early life of Patrick Henry. Describe his appearance. Tell of his ad- mission to the bar. How did Jefferson come to meet him ? What was the Parsons' Case ? Tell of Henry's defence of the people. Why were the damages only one penny? How did the colonies receive the Stamp Act? Tell of Henry's resolutions against the Stamp Act? What did Henry say in this speech? What student at Williamsburg heard this speech? When England repealed the Stamp Act, what other law was passed? What was the Boston Tea Party ? What law was passed concerning Boston harbor? Tell of Henry's resolutions for raising troops. What did he say in his speech at St. John's Church? Where was the first battle of the Revolution fought? To what office in Virginia was Henry elected? Why did Henry oppose the Constitution of the United States? How did he spend the latter part of his life? Tell of his last election and death. Why was Henry called a prophet ? m;. George Washington. 1732-1799. Otis and Henry told the colonies what their rights were ; but it was the great Virginian, George Washington, who, as the leader of the armies of the colonies, won their independence. George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, February 22, 1732. The house in which he was born stood near the Potomac River, and was a low, single-story build- ing, with a large chimney at each end. His father was Augustine Washington, and his mother's maiden name was Mary Ball. George was his mother's oldest child. When he was only eleven years old, his father died, and the responsibility of his education fell upon his mother. Nor was she unequal to the task. She was religious, firm in character, and stern, but kind. Washington was sent to school to an old man named Hobby, who taught him reading, writing and arithmetic. Afterwards he went to school to a Mr. Williams from whom he learned some- thing about land-surveying. Among the boys Washington was a leader both in his studies and upon the playground. He used GEORGE WASHINGTON. H5 to drill the boys as if they were soldiers, and would divide them into armies, one of which was usually commanded by himself. He excelled his playmates in running, jumping and wrestling. Judging from the size of his hands and feet, Washington must have been very strong; for, when he was a man, he wore number thirteen boots, and his gloves had to be made to order. When a boy, Washington took great delight in riding wild horses. His mother owned a fine sorrel colt which was so wild that no one could " break " him. One morning George went with some boys to the pasture to ride " the sorrel." The boys helped him to catch and bridle the colt, and in an instant George was on his back. The horse reared and plunged and did his best to throw his rider, but all in vain. The colt, in a last effort to throw Washington, made a high jump, which burst a blood-vessel, and in a little while the sorrel lay dead. Mrs. Washington valued her beautiful young horse very highly, and it was hard for George to tell her what had happened ; but, like a man, he told her the truth. Though his mother was angry, she did not reprove her son, because she was proud to know that he would tell the truth under such trying circumstances. In his sixteenth year Washington left school, and spent the winter near Alexandria, at Mount Vernon, the home of his brother Lawrence. Here he became acquainted with Lord Fairfax, an old bachelor, who owned, in the northwestern part THE MONUMENT AT WASHINGTON'S BIRTHPLACE. 146 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. of Virginia, a tract of land that extended across the Blue Ridge Mountains through the Shenandoah valley into the present state of West Virginia, — a vast territory from which twenty-one counties have been made. Lord Fairfax was greatly pleased with Washington, and employed him to survey these wild lands. Washington's experience as a sur- veyor in these back-woods taught him a great deal about the Indian customs and frontier life, and this knowledge served him in good stead in after years when he had to fight the Indians. At this time, the thirteen Eng- lish colonies were confined to the Atlantic coast. France owned Can- ada, and claimed the Ohio valley. The English also claimed the land along the Ohio River. The French built forts in the Ohio valley with the determination to hold that ter- ritory. Governor Dinwiddie of Vir- ginia sent Washington, in 1753, with a message to the commander of the French forces, asking why the French were taking possession of territory belonging to the English. The French refused to leave the country, and a war broke out between them and the English settlers, in which the Indians took part. This war was known as the French and Indian War. The English government sent troops under General Brad- dock to aid the Americans in their attempt to drive the French from the Ohio valley. Braddock was a brave soldier, but knew English Pos3es3ioD3__E^ 'SOI C? 3 y French Claims I 1 ^^| j\ s ft THE ENGLISH COLONIAL TERRI- TORY IN I75O. GEORGE WASHINGTON. 147 nothing about Indian warfare. When he arrived in Virginia, he talked very boastfully of what he could do with his " regulars," and seemed to despise the Virginian troops which were to help him in the campaign. Washington was a colonel in the Vir- ginia militia, and tried to advise Braddock, but the English general paid little heed to advice given by Washington. Where Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now stands, was Fort Du- quesne, which was strongly guarded by the French and Indians. Braddock determined to seize this fort. He marched through o the wilderness with flags flying and drums- beating. This was a great mistake, as he should have gone quietly, in order that the Indians and French might not know of his approach. When Braddock's army reached the neighborhood of Fort Duquesne, it was suddenly attacked " from the right, left and front at the same time." The enemy were hidden in the woods, and the English regulars did not know in what direction to fire. They were being killed in large numbers, when Washington asked Brad- dock to order his troops to take to the woods and fire from behind the trees as the Indians did Braddock was very angry with Washington for advising him and replied, " What ! a Vir- ginia colonel teach a British general how to fight ! " Braddock fought bravely and was killed. Washington had two horses shot under him, and four bullets went through his coat. It is said that an Indian shot at him fifteen times without effect ; then he stopped firing, thinking that Washington's life was charmed. The loss of the English and Virginia troops was heavy, and but for Washington the army would have been totally destroyed. Shortly after this, Washington met a " charming young widow," Mrs. Martha Custis, at the home of Major Chamber- lay ne, in New Kent County, Virginia. The story goes that once, while on his way to Williamsburg on important business, he stopped to take dinner with Major Chamberlayne. As he was anxious to be in Williamsburg by the next morning, he 148 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY ordered his servant, Bishop, to have his horse ready after dinner. Accordingly, when the noon meal was over, Bishop was seen at the front gate holding his master's horse ; but Washington was so captivated by Mrs. Custis that he forgot his urgent business, and left his servant to hold the horse all the afternoon. At last he rose to go, but his host told him that he was never willing for any of his guests to leave after sunset, and Washington was prevailed upon to spend the night. The next morn- ing, Bishop again appeared at the \ front gate with his master's horse, but it was late in the morning before the start was made to Williamsburg. On his return from Williamsburg, Washington stopped to see Mrs. Custis at her home, and before he left she had promised to be his wife. Some months later they were married at old St. Peter's Church in New Kent County. After the marriage, "the bride and her lady friends " were borne to her home in a carriage drawn by six horses, on which sat negro drivers dressed in uniforms. The groom, accompanied by other gentlemen on horseback, rode be- side the coach on his fine charger. Soon after his marriage, Washington made his home at Mount Vernon, a fine estate, which he inherited from his brother. He enjoyed the free and easy life of a planter, and when not en- gaged in the services of his country, he took delight in looking after his plantation. He rode over his farm each day to see if everything was being properly done by his many slaves and their overseers. He lived plainly. Sometimes he would ride out in MARTHA WASHINGTON. GEORGE WASHINGTON. 149 his carriage with his wife and step-children to visit a neighbor or to attend a ball. He was frequently a visitor at the home of George Mason, who wrote the famous Virginia Bill of Rights. Washington was living thus, when English oppression brought on the War of Independence. He felt that his country called ST. PETER S CHURCH. him, so he left his pleasant home to take part in public affairs. He was a member of the Continental Congress (1774). which protested against the oppressive English laws. The Congress met again in May, 1775, but before it came together, the people of Massachusetts had fought the first battle of the Revolution at Concord and Lexington. When Congress met, it decided that the war against England should be carried on by all the colonies, so at once it provided for the raising of troops. Washington was made commander-in-chief, and, though his wish was to decline, he felt that his country was to be considered more than any 150 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. personal desire ; so he accepted the command of the American forces. In July, 1775, he assumed the leadership of the army that had collected at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Only a few days before, the Battle of Bunker Hill had been fought. Though the Americans had lost the day, they were not discouraged ; and when Washington stood under the old elm tree at Cambridge, and took command of the army, the soldiers were cheerful and ready to fight. Washington at once fortified Dorchester Heights, and shut up the English under Gage in Boston, which city the English were forced to evacuate in March, 1776. The English then planned to get possession of New York, and to establish connection with Canada. Washington attacked them at Long Island, and was defeated. A little later he carried his shattered army into New Jersey and then into Pennsylvania. The country was greatly alarmed, and it looked as if the " patriot " cause was lost. Washington determined to make a bold stroke. He crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night (1776). The wind was high, and the current swift. It was intensely cold, and two men in Washington's army froze to death on the way to the attack. Washington succeeded in getting safely across the river with his army, and suddenly surprised at Trenton the Hessian troops in the service of the English, and gained a great victory. A few days later Washington defeated the English at Princeton. For a while the English were driven back to New York, but in the spring of 1777, General Howe, the English commander, left New York by ship, entered the Chesapeake Bay, and started on his march to Philadelphia. He defeated Washington at Brandy wine, and took Philadelphia. The only redeeming feature of this year's campaign was the 'capture of the English General Bur- goyne with his whole army at Saratoga, N. Y. This prevented the English from establishing connection between New York City and Canada by means of the Hudson River, and revived GEORGE WASHINGTON. 151 the spirits of the patriots. The defeat of Burgoyne also caused the French to help us in our struggle. Washington stationed his army at Valley Forge near Phila- delphia for the winter of 1777-78. This was a terrible winter for the soldiers. They had to live in huts made of fence-rails, and From a painting by Alonzo Chappel. WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE AT VALLEY FORGE. had very little clothing and scarcely any food. Many of the men had to go barefooted, and they could be tracked through the snow by the blood from their naked feet. Many bad things were said about Washington, but he bore them all with a clear conscience, knowing that God would protect the innocent. A good old Quaker heard Washington praying in the woods, and went home and said to his wife : " George Washington will succeed. The 152 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Americans will secure their independence. I have heard him pray in the forest to-day, and the Lord will surely hear his prayer." The Lord did hear Washington. With the coming of spring the sick soldiers began to get well. Congress sent them clothes and food. The English General Howe was forced to evacuate Philadelphia. Washington defeated the English at Monmouth Courthouse, New Jersey, and the war in the Northern states was practically at an end. The English in 1778 decided to transfer the war to the South. Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S. C, were taken, and the Eng- lish under Cornwallis pushed into North Carolina. A part of his army under Colonel Tarleton was defeated at the battle of the Cowpens, S. C. After fighting a battle at Guilford Court- house, N. C, Cornwallis withdrew into Virginia. General Greene was in charge of the Americans in the South, and he gradually drove out the English forces which Cornwallis had left to hold the Southern states. At Eutaw Springs, S. C, he defeated them, and the South was thus delivered from the invaders. In October, 1781, the last battle of this long war was fought. For some months Cornwallis had been in Virginia plundering the country. Lafayette, a young French nobleman in Washington's army, was sent to Virginia to oppose Cornwallis, but his army was so small that he could do little in defence of the state. In August, Cornwallis moved his army to York River and encamped at Yorktown. Washington's army was in the State of New York watching General Clinton, who was stationed at New York City. The French fleet under Count de Grasse came up York River and took position near Yorktown, while Lafayette placed his army in front of the village on the land side, and Cornwallis was thus entrapped. In the meantime Washington had slipped away from New York, and had gone south a considerable distance be- fore General Clinton knew what were his intentions. By the twenty-sixth of September, Washington had his whole army be- GEORGE WASHINGTON. 1? fore Yorktown, having marched four hundred miles to join Lafayette. Cornwallis was already surrounded, and Washington's additional troops only strengthened the besiegers and made it impossible for the enemy to es- cape. Little fighting was done, but the Americans kept moving their lines closer to the British, and finally, on the nineteenth of October, 1781, Cornwallis surren- dered. The French troops constituted a large part of Washington's ar- my. The French and American soldiers were drawn up in two separate columns, and the Eng- lish marched between them and gave up their arms. Cornwallis felt so humiliated over his defeat, that he pretended to be sick and sent his sword by one of his officers. Washington did not re- ceive the sword, but ordered it to be given to General Lincoln, who had been forced to surrender to the English when Charles- ton, S. C, was captured. The people of Philadelphia first heard of the surrender of Cornwallis from a German night-watchman who could not speak English correctly. One night while walking up and down the streets he began to shout, " Basht dree o'glock, und Gornvallis ish dakendt !" In a little while the streets were alive with people shouting for joy. Congress received a message from Washington the next day stating that Cornwallis had surrendered, and in the afternoon the members went in a body to the Lutheran Church to return thanks to God for the victory. This was the last battle of the war. A treaty of peace was signed in Paris in 1783, ac- GEOKGE WASHINGTON. 154 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. cording to which England acknowledged the independence of the colonies. Four years after the treaty of peace with England, a conven- tion met at Philadelphia to draw up a constitution for the United '*L 'I'-'-llflil m fyyyj mm''" " *^%*^^^c- FEDERAL HALL, NEW YORK, WHERE WASHINGTON WAS INAUGURATED. States. Washington was president of this convention, and during those trying days when one could hardly predict what would be the outcome of the deliberations of the body, Washington showed himself a man of wisdom and prudence. Finally a constitution was proposed by the convention, and adopted by the states. Then the time had come to elect a president of the new re- public. Everybody said that Washington was the man. When the electoral votes were counted, it was found that George Wash- ington had received every vote cast, and was unanimously chosen President. John Adams of Massachusetts became Vice-President. Congress was in session at New York City, and at once GEORGE WASHINGTON. 55 notified Washington of his election. He was found on his farm, Mount Vernon, busily engaged in preparing for the planting of his crops. With some regret he left his quiet life to become President of the United States. His journey was made by carriage from Mount Vernon to New York, and everywhere he was greeted by great crowds. On reaching New York he was hailed by a salute of thirteen guns, and escorted to Federal Hall, where he was inaugurated President of the United States (1789). When Washington had taken the oath, the people went wild with THE TERRITORY OF THE YOUNO NATION. joy, and shouted : " God bless our Washington ! Long live our beloved Washington ! " Washington was elected to a second term and declined a third. The eicrht vears that he was President were the* most 156 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. important in our history. Under Washington our government was firmly established. When he became President the credit of the United States abroad was at a low ebb; but through the wise plans of Alexander Hamilton, Washington's Secretary of the Treasury, our debts were paid, and our standing in the eyes of the European nations was greatly raised. When Washington retired from the presidency, he issued a farewell address to the people of the United States, in which he advised them not to interfere in European affairs, but to develop their own resources and let other countries alone. The two remaining years of his life were spent at Mount Vernon. On December 14, 1799, he died from a severe throat trouble brought on by going over his plantation on a cold snowy day. The highest praise that can be given Washington is contained in those memorable words which were used of him soon after his death : " First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Geography Study. Map qf the United States. Find Alexandria, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River, Williamsburg and York town (Va.) ; the Ohio River, Pittsburg (Pa.) ; Concord, Lexington, Cambridge and Boston (Mass.); Delaware River; Trenton, Princeton and Mon- mouth Courthouse (N. J.); Brandywine, Philadelphia (Pa.); Long Island and Saratoga (N. Y.) ; the Hudson River; Guilford Courthouse (N. C.) ; Cowpens and Eutaw Springs (S. C.) ; and Savannah (Ga.). How far is it from Savannah to Boston ? Review Questions. Tell of Washington's birthplace and his parents. Describe his school-days. What is the story about the sorrel colt? Tell of his acquaintance with Lord Fairfax. On what mission did Governor Dinwiddie send Washington? Describe Braddock's defeat. Tell of Washington's courtship and marriage. Tell of Washington's life at Mount Vernon. W T hat did he have to do with the Continental Congress? Why did Washington accept the command of the American army? What GEORGE WASHINGTON. 157 battles had been fought before he took command? When did Gage leave Boston ? What success did Washington have in New York ? Tell of his attack on the English at Trenton and Princeton. What was the im- portance of Burgoyne's capture? Tell of the winter at Valley Forge. Tell of the war in the South. Describe the capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown. How was the news received at Philadelphia? Tell of the Constitutional Convention. Tell of Washington's election as President. Describe his trip to New York and the inauguration. What was the importance of Washington's administration? Tell of his farewell address. Tell of his death. What was said of him soon after his death? Write a composition on the character of Washington. CHAPTER XX. %M% j George Rogers Clark. 1752-1818. You remember that at the close of the French and Indian War all the territory east of the Mississippi River was given by the French to the English. England hoped to build up a great empire in North America. This hope would undoubtedly have been realized had not England brought on the Revolutionary War by taxing the colonies. The war Was carried on mainly by the colonies east of the Alleghany Mountains, because the settle- ments west of the Alleghanies were small and far apart. The territory north of the Ohio River from which the great states of Illinois, Indiana. Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin have been formed, was, as yet, unsettled except by a few French and some traders from Virginia and Maryland. Detroit in Michigan, Kas- kaskia in Illinois, and Vincennes in Indiana were the most im- portant settlements. This vast territory was claimed by Virginia, but during the Revolutionary War she gave it all to the Union. While the Revolutionary War was in progress, English troops from Canada came into the territory north of the Ohio River. Had these troops been allowed to remain there until the close of the war, all of that vast region would have been the property of England, and probably our country would never GEORGE ROGERS CEARK. 159 have been the great nation that it is to-day. There was one man who saw that this territory must be conquered from the English. This was George Rogers Clark, v George Rogers Clark was born in Albemarle County, Vir- PIONEER EXPLORERS ACCOSTED BY INDIANS. ginia, in 1752, not far from the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson. Clark never had a college education, but he went to a good private school taught by a Mr. Robertson, where one of his classmates was James Madison, afterwards President of the United States. When only a boy he became a surveyor and l6o MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. went into the Ohio valley, where he spent His time in hunting, fishing and surveying the lands around him. Soon after this he moved to Kentucky and there became prominent among the settlers. He was brave and bold, a man of fine personal appear- ance and of pleasing manners. He became a leader in military as well as political affairs. He organized the settlers into com- panies and secured for them ammunition with which to fight the Indians. Through his influence, a meeting of the citizens was held and he and John Gabriel Jones were elected to represent Kentucky in the Virginia legislature. Kentucky was then a great county in Virginia, and it was a long way from Kentucky to Williamsburg, the capital of the state. There were no railways on which to travel, no fine highways and stage coaches, so he and Jones and their companions had to travel on horseback along the dreary wilderness roads in order to reach Williamsburg. The mountains were rugged and muddy, and they stood con- stantly in fear of the Indians. Clark's horse died on the way, so that he had to w r alk during the greater part of the journey. His feet were very sore, but he pushed on and finally reached his destination, having traveled a distance of seven hundred miles. As soon as he reached eastern Virginia, Clark showed the necessity of defending Kentucky against the Indians and of preserving it against the English, and urged that Kentucky and all of the Northwest Territory should not be left to fall into the hands of the English. Patrick Henry was then gov- ernor of Virginia. Clark appeared before him and asked per- mission to enlist soldiers to cross the Ohio River and to drive the English from the Northwest Territory. The Governor's Council was called and it was decided that Clark should be instructed to raise troops at once to defend Kentucky ; but Patrick Henry told him that to defend Kentucky meant that he might cross the Ohio River and attack the English. Henry's instructions to Colonel Clark w r ere : " You are to proceed without GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. 161 loss of time to enlist seven companies of men. They are to proceed to Kentucky and there to obey such orders and directions as you shall give them." At once Colonel Clark got together the soldiers, and, when all was ready, he sailed down to the mouth of the Ohio River and crossed over into the present State of Illinois. In the southern part of Illinois near the banks of the Mississippi was the little town of Kaskaskia, which was held by a garrison of English troops. The commander of these troops was Rochblave, who had, in addition to the English soldiers, a number of Indians. Clark marched secretly upon Kaskaskia. On the night of July 4, 1778, he surrounded the town and entered the fort so quietly that the English did not dream of danger. Jjancing was go- ing on in the fort. Clark walked into the dancing-hall and stood against the door post. The English gentlemen did not even see him, but one of the Indians perceived him and raised a war whoop. Clark quieted him, and told the English that they could continue their dancing; but that they no longer danced under the flag of England, but under the flag of Virginia. He then went to the home of Governor Rochblave, who was captured in his bed. Clark sent the governor to Williamsburg. The capture of Kaskaskia was followed by the conquest of Illinois, which was made into a great county in the State of Virginia. The English had a large force at Detroit under the command of Governor Hamilton. When Hamilton heard of Clark's in- vasion of Illinois, he at once determined to drive Clark out of GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. Dancing was 1 62 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. the Northwest Territory ; so he moved south with his army and took possession of Vincennes, a town on the Wabash River in the present State of Indiana. Clark did not have more than one- third as many troops as Hamilton, but he resolved, if possible, to capture Hamilton and his forces in Vincennes. In February, 1779, Clark started on the march from Kaskaskia to Vincennes. The distance is about one hundred and sixty miles. The Wabash River had overflowed its banks and had covered the low grounds all along its course. Through the low grounds, or " drowned lands," Clark marched with his men. Day after day, they went through water up to their waists and sometimes to their necks, but Clark determined not to turn back. On one occassion his men were much disheartened, and Clark knew that something had to be done to encourage them. In one company there was a very large man from Shenandoah County, Virginia. He was about six feet four inches high. With Clark's expedition was a drummer boy about fifteen years of age. When the men hesitated to march into the water, Clark mounted the little drummer boy on the shoulders of the tall soldier, who was ordered to advance into the half frozen water. He did so, with the little drummer boy beating the charge from his lofty perch, while Clark with sword in hand followed them, giving the com- THE OLD NORTHWEST mancl, "Forward! march! as he threw aside the floating ice. Elated and amused with this scene, the men promptly obeyed the order, holding their rifles above their heads. After sixteen days of great perseverance and hardships Clark reached Vincennes. His appearance before the town was a GEORGE ROGERS CLARK. 163 surprise, as Hamilton had never dreamed that any man would dare to march from Kaskaskia to Vincennes through the drowned lands of the Wabash River. Clark ordered him to surrender, which he at first refused to do. At night Clark attacked the fort so vigorously that the next day Hamilton surrendered. Soon after this all the English forts in the Northwest Territory passed into the hands of Clark. Virginia was delighted with Clark's undertaking. The Legis- lature passed a vote of thanks, and presented him with a sword. For their services in the war he and his soldiers were afterwards given 150,000 acres of land in what is now the State of Indiana. This grant was made by the State of Virginia. Clark received for his part 8,000 acres, and each private received 108 acres. In conquering the Northwest Territory from the English, Clark did a great thing for his country. If he had not made this expedition into the Northwest Territory, it would have remained in the hands of the English until the close of the Revolutionary War. By the treaty of peace with England, which acknowledged the independence of the United States, it was agreed that England and the United States should each retain what territory they held at the close of the war. By this treaty Canada, which was never conquered by the United States, was kept by England, but since Clark had conquered the North- west Territory, this remained in the hands of the United States. So it was through the boldness and bravery of George Rogers Clark that we now have in our union those five magnificent states, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. After the Revolutionary War was over, Clark became a private citizen of Kentucky. He lived until 181 8. When he died, the country which he had seen as a wilderness had become populous and wealthy. Already Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois had become states in the Union, while Michigan, which at that time included Wisconsin, was a flourishing territory. 164 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY Geography Study. Map of the Middle Western States. Find Ken- tucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. Locate Kas- kaskia, Vincennes and Detroit. Trace the Wabash River. Review Questions. — Why was it that England did not build up a great empire in North America? At the time* of the Revolution what were the chief settlements north of the Ohio River? Who held the Northwest Territory at the close of the Revolution? Tell of the boyhood of Clark and of his settling in Kentucky. What did he propose to the Virginia Legislature? Tell of his commission. Describe the capture of Kaskaskia. Describe his march to Vincennes and the capture of the town. How did Virginia honor and repay Clark? What was the importance of Clark's enterprise? What was the condition of Kentucky and the North- west Territory at the time of Clark's death? CHAPTER XXL Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790. The Revolutionary War was a great struggle. It is doubtful whether the thirteen colonies could ever have succeeded but for the aid of France. This aid was secured chiefly through the in- fluence of Benjamin Franklin. He likewise helped to make the treaty with England at the close of the Revolutionary War, and was a prominent member of the great convention of 1787 which gave us the Constitution of the United States. Franklin was born in Massachusetts in 1706. He had sixteen brothers and sisters. His father was a poor man, and made candles for a living. Franklin was a bright boy, but his father was too poor to give him an education, so at the age of twelve the lad was put to work cutting wicks for candles. One of his brothers ran a newspaper in Boston, and Benjamin was bound to him to learn the printer's trade. At that time there were in America only two or three newspapers, and they were not like our modern newspapers, but were small sheets of four pages. These papers did not have a wide circulation, and often the printers themselves delivered the papers to the subscribers. As a printer boy, Franklin often delivered the newspapers and did many other errands for his brother. Still he found time to read all the good books that 1 66 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. THE BIRTHPLACE OF FRANKLIN. he could get. Though he had been to school but little, he had a great fondness for books, and especially for "The Spectator." The story of the way in which he got a copy of Addison's " Spectator" is interesting. One day, as he was running very rapidly, with a bundle of newspapers under his arm, up one of the streets of Boston, he ran against a table on which were some apples that an old woman sold to passers-by. Many of the apples were knocked from the table, and Franklin stopped and picked them up, apologizing to the woman for his care- lessness. She seemed to be very much interested in Franklin, and asked him if he believed in dreams. • Franklin replied, " Oh, yes." The old woman then asked, "But do your dreams come true?" To this Franklin replied, " Well, no ; I don't think they do. Do yours ? " " Oh, yes," said the old woman, "my dreams always come true, and I dreamed about you last night." This aroused Franklin's curiosity, and he said, " Did you ? Well, what did you dream ? " She answered, showing him a book, " I dreamed that you bought this book and that you became a very wise man." Franklin took the book and looked at it. . It was a copy of Addison's " Spectator." He paid the old woman sixpence for it, took it home with him, and read it and re-read it, and copied it and re-copied it. Franklin learned thoroughly the printer's trade. His brother treated him badly, so he secretly left Boston and went to New York. After searching in vain for work in New York, he went to Philadelphia. When he reached Philadelphia he had only a few pennies in his pocket, and, being very hungry, he spent these for three loaves of bread. Picture to yourself the young boy, only seventeen years of age, walking up Market BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 167 Street with a loaf of bread under each arm, while he munched the third. He passed by the house of Mr. Read, and saw, stand- ing in the doorway, Mr. Read's daughter, who laughed at the awkward boy with his three loaves of bread. She did not know Franklin then, but after a while she met him and learned to love him, and became his wife. Franklin soon secured work as a printer. He met the gov- ernor of Pennsylvania, who was very friendly to him. He advised Franklin to go to England and get a printing press, promising to aid him. Franklin believed the governor, and took passage for England ; but, after he had gotten on the ocean, he found that the gov- ernor had deceived him. Franklin, on reaching England, had no money and no one to help him. He sought work from a London printer, who re- fused at first to give him any- thing to • do, because he did not think an American could set type. Franklin asked the printer to give him a trial, and as soon as he had set a few lines the printer was so pleased that he employed him. Frank- lin proved to be the best com- positor in the establishment. Many printers worked in the same shop, and, though none of them received large wages, they always bought beer for their dinner. Franklin would not spend his money in this way, and soon he persuaded some of the printers to give up the beer-drinking habit. Having AN EARLY l'RINTINC, PRESS. l68 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. saved his money by keeping out of bad habits, Franklin bought a printing press and returned to Philadelphia. Franklin now entered upon a period of great prosperity. He opened a book and paper store, started a newspaper called the Gazette, and printed an almanac known as " Poor Richard s Almanac," in which were many sayings of one who called him- self Poor Richard. Here are some of the sayings: " Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee." " Necessity never made a good bargain." " It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright." Franklin did much to advance science and learning. He discovered that electricity is the same as lightning. He in- vented the Franklin stove which is used to this day. He started a public library in Philadelphia and founded the University of Pennsylvania. His reputation for learning caused Harvard and Yale colleges to confer upon him the honorary degree of Master of Arts. Some years afterwards, when representing Pennsylvania in England, Oxford University made him a Doctor of Laws because of scientific discoveries. Franklin served in the legislature of Pennsylvania for many years, and at one time was postmaster-general for the colonies, with Mr. William Hunter as his associate. He believed that the English colonies should be closely united, and at the opening of the French and Indian War he proposed a plan for their union — the first real plan proposed for a union of all the English colonies in America. Pennsyl- vania sent him to England as the agent for the colony. While he was there, the English Parliament passed the Stamp Act, which was so bitterly opposed in America. Franklin objected very strongly to this measure and told the English politicians that the Americans would never submit to it, that the Americans were a liberty-loving people, and that of every twenty dollars which they had, they would be willing to spend nineteen to 170 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. protect one. It was largely through Franklin's influence that the English government repealed the Stamp Act, but as Eng- land would not give up the right of taxation, Franklin saw that war was inevitable, and therefore returned to America. He arrived in Philadelphia, in May, I//5, just sixteen days after the opening battle of the Revolution at Lexington, Massachusetts. Franklin took a prominent part in urging the Americans to fight until they won their independence. Pennsylvania elected him a member of the Continental Congress, and in that body he did much to encourage the colonies in their struggle for freedom. Franklin was always fond of telling jokes, and by these he kept up a cheerfulness among the members of Congress. When the Declaration of Independence was adopted on the fourth day of July, 1776, and the members came up to sign the great docu- ment, they knew that if the war against England failed, those who signed the Declaration would be executed as traitors. It was urged, therefore, that all should sign and stand together. Franklin laughed and said, " Yes, we must indeed hang together ; or assuredly we shall all hang separately." At the time of the adoption of the Declaration of Independ- ence, Franklin proposed to Congress a plan of union for the colonies. His plan was not adopted, but it set Congress to work, and the outcome of Franklin's suggestion was that, in 1781, a scheme of government was agreed upon for the thirteen states known as The Articles of Confederation. This was our first constitution. In the midst of the Revolutionary War, Franklin was sent to France along with Silas Deane and Arthur Lee, to obtain, if possible, the help of France against England. Franklin was received in France with marks of the highest esteem. In those days, people wore wigs, but Franklin did not. The French admired him for not wearing a wig and for his simplicity of dress. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 171 He always wore a simple suit of brown clothes made in the colonial fashion. He never carried a sword, and the French were amazed that his only defense was a walking-stick. When- ever he went along the streets of Paris, the people thronged to see him and respectfully made room for him to pass. On one occasion the French king and queen received him. Even at the court reception, he did not wear a wig or a sword, and was dressed in his usual brown suit. The simple republican spirit of Franklin made him very pop- ular among the French, and it was mainly through his influence that the King of France made a treaty with the American colonies (1777), and promised them aid in the war. It was this aid that enabled the Amer- icans to bring the war to a suc- cessful close by forcing Cornwallis to surrender at Yorktown. When the Revolutionary War closed, Franklin, John Jay and John Adams represented the United States government in making the treaty of peace with England. By his tact and skill, Franklin succeeded in making a treaty which allowed the United States to retain the Northwest Territory. After the treaty of peace had been signed, a dinner was given in Paris in honor of the peace. At this dinner the English ambassador proposed as a toast : " George III : Like the glorious sun at mid-day, he illumines the world." The French minister offered his toast : " Louis XVI : Like the full moon rising in splendor, THE LIBERTY BELL. (Now hanging in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.) I72 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. he dissipates the shades of night." Then Franklin slowly rose, and with all eyes fixed upon him asked the company to join him in the toast : " George Washington : Like Joshua of old, he com- manded the sun and the moon to stand still, and they obeyed him." For three years longer, Franklin remained in France. He was now an old man nearly eighty years of age. The French people begged him not to leave France, and many of them offered him a home in their families, telling him that not even in America would he be so much loved and esteemed as in France; but the love of his country, his family and his friends was too strono- for him to remain in Europe, so he set sail and reached Philadelphia in September, 1785. When he landed, a great multitude met him, and escorted him to his home. Franklin was very feeble at this time, but the people of his state again called him into service. For three successive terms he was elected president of Pennsylvania. When Franklin returned home, he found the United States in a very serious condition. During the Revolutionary War large debts had been made, and Congress had not raised the money to pay them. The government was growing weaker and weaker each day, and it looked as if the new republic would fail. The government under the Articles of Confederation was not strong enough to meet the urgent demands of the time ; therefore, it was decided to call a special convention to prepare a new plan of government for the states. This Convention met in Inde- pendence Hall, in Philadelphia (1787), and drew up the present Constitution of the United States. The president of the Con- vention was George Washington. Franklin, then an old man eighty-one years of age, was elected as one of the representatives from the State of Pennsylvania. The members of the conven- tion found it difficult to agree upon a constitution. At one time it looked as though they would adjourn without proposing any BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 1/3 plan of government. The Convention had opened morning after morning without prayer; and then it was that Franklin rose and said : " How has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once INDEPENDENCE HALL. thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illumin- ate our understanding? In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers. Sir, were heard, 174 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. and they were graciously answered. Have we now forgotten that powerful Friend, or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men." After this speech the Convention opened every morning with prayer. In a little while, a Constitution was agreed upon. When the members came up to sign the great document, Franklin stood rubbing his eyeglasses. He looked at the picture which was behind the chair in which Washington as president of the Con- vention had sat. It was a picture of the sun. He turned to one of the members and said : " I have often and often in the course of the session and in the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears looked at that picture behind the president without being able to tell whether the sun was rising or setting, but now, at length, I have the happiness to know that the sun of America is rising." Franklin now retired from public life. He lived until 1790, long enough to see the new Constitution go into operation with Washington as President, and to know that the country, which he loved so dearly, was to be a great nation. When Franklin died, the Congress of the United States voted as a tribute of re- spect, that each member should wear crape for thirty days, and the French Assembly voted that each member of their body should wear mourning in his honor for three days. Franklin was one of our greatest men. He encouraged learn- ing and science, and he loved his country and her people with all his heart. Geography Study. Map of tlie United States. Find Boston, New- York and Philadelphia. How far is it from Boston to New York ? How far from New York to Philadelphia ? Map of the World. Find London and Paris. How far is it from London to Philadelphia ? How far from Paris to Philadelphia ? How many miles would you travel if you went BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 1/5 twice from Philadelphia to London and returned, and once from Phila- delphia to Paris and returned ? Review Questions. Why should you know of Franklin? Tell of Franklin's early life and his career as a printer boy in Boston. How did he get his first copy of Addison's Spectator? Why did Franklin leave Bos- ton? Describe his first appearance in Philadelphia. Why did he go to England? Tell of Franklin as a printer in England. What did he do when he returned to Philadelphia? Tell of "Poor Richard's Almanac" and some of the sayings. What discovery did Franklin make? What library and what university did he found? What part did Franklin take in the government of Pennsylvania. Tell of Franklin as the agent of Pennsylvania in England. What did Franklin say when the Declaration of Independence was being signed? What did he mean? Tell of Frank- lin in France. What treaty did he make with France? What part did he play in the treaty of peace with England? Tell of the toasts at the dinner in Paris. Describe his return to Philadelphia. How did Pennsylvania honor him? Tell of the necessity for a constitution. Why did Franklin move to open the convention with prayer? What were his words? What did he say when the Constitution was being signed? Tell of his death. How was his memory honored ? TS-4* Six 3XXC£m$. THIS BIB entitles tU B rarer to TrcdWe SIX SPANISH M1LLFD DOLLARS, or the •ValxuthereoJ in COLD OrSltVERofcardbTg to aRes»lutian of COM' GRES& pJKMai Phi. luUlpkiaN»*Zlff6' AN OLD CONTINENTAL BILL. At Work on the Declaration. CHAPTER XXII. Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826. Before the Revolutionary War, Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia. At one end of its main street was William and Mary College ; at the other was the old capitol, in which the House of Burgesses met. There stood on this same street an inn known as Raleigh Tavern, one room of which, " The Apollo," was used as a dancing-hall. It was often the custom of the students of the college to assemble in the Apollo Room to enjoy the pleasures of the dance. During the winter of 1760 and 1 761, one of the leaders in this amusement was a tall, thin young student, " with red hair, a freckled face, and pointed features." This young man was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was born in April, 1743, at Shadwell, near Char- lottesville, Virginia. He was the son of Peter and Jane Jeffer- son, and was the third of ten children. His mother was a daughter of Isham Randolph, one of the wealthiest planters in Virginia. Thomas Jefferson started to school when he was five years old. He was a good student, and, when he entered William and Mary College at the age of seventeen, he was prepared to take a high rank in his classes. During his first session at college he spent a good deal of money and idled away much of his time ; THOMAS JEFFERSON. 1 77 but in his second year, he was a diligent student, and as a rule studied fifteen hours a day. At this time the culture and fashion of Virginia centered at Williamsburg. Every year the principal planters went there with their families to enjoy the pleasures of the colonial capital. During his first year's stay at William and Mary College, Thomas Jefferson took a leading part in the gay social life of the town. He was very intimate with Governor Fauquier, and was always invited to the parties given at " the palace," as the governor's residence was called. After graduating from the col- lege he took up the study of law under the direction of George Wythe, a prominent lawyer of Williamsburg. When a law student, he would sometimes go down to the old capitol to hear the debates in the House of Burgesses. One day, while he and several other students were standing at the door, one of the Burgesses was speaking in a most eloquent strain. He recognized in the speaker the " happy-go-lucky " young man whom he had before seen at frolics entertaining the young people with jokes, dancing and fiddling. This was Patrick Henry, and he was making his famous speech against the Stamp Act. At about the age of twenty-four, Jefferson began to practice law. He had neither a strong nor a clear voice and con- sequently was not a good speaker ; but he was an easy and fluent writer. After he had practiced seven or eight years, he became one of the most successful lawyers in Virginia. While Thomas Jefferson was practicing law, he made the acquaintance of John- Wayles, a wealthy lawyer, who owned several plantations and many slaves. Mr. Wayles and his widowed daughter, Mrs. Skelton, spent much of their time at " The Forest," one of his estates, which was just outside of Williamsburg. Mrs. Skelton was young, accomplished and pretty, and we are not surprised to learn that Jefferson often 1 7 8 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. took his violin out to her home to play duets with her. These visits were continued until January, 1772, when Jefferson and the young widow were married. After the wedding, the bride and groom started in a two-horse carriage for Monticello, their future home, which was one hundred and fifty miles distant. The weather was bad, and before they reached the end of their journey, they had to leave the carriage and pro- ceed on horseback. When they arrived at Monticello, the fires were all out and the servants were away from the house. The dark, snow-covered mountain presented a dreary prospect to the young couple ; but they were very happy and only joked and laughed at their experience. They went into a pavilion in the yard, and Jefferson found in a bookcase some biscuits and wine, which were the only re- freshments that he could offer his bride. In 1769 Jefferson became a member of the House of Bur- gesses. At this time, the dispute which brought on the Revolu- tionary War was rising between England and the American colonies. The Virginia Assembly sympathized with the re- volutionary movement, and passed resolutions that the governor considered disloyal to the mother country. As a rebuke for this spirit of rebellion, the governor dissolved the Assembly, but the members, instead of going home, met in the Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern to advise with each other as to what measures MONTICELLO, JEFFERSON S HOME. THOMAS JEFFERSON. I/( they had best adopt. Jefferson had an active part in the delib- erations that took place in the room where he had often danced in his college days. but it was not //> The Revolutionary War broke out in until July of the next year that the Amer- ican colonies declared themselves independ- ent. Virginia de- clared herself free, and instructed her delegates in the Con- tinental Congress to urge that body to as- sert the independence of all the colonies. In obedience to these instructions, Richard Henry Lee, a mem- ber of Congress from Virginia, on the seventh of June, 1776, offered a reso- lution in the Conti- nental Congress de- claring that 4< these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States." Congress elected five of its members as a committee on a declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson received the highest number of votes, and thus became the chairman of the committee. He wrote all of the original Declaration except a few words, which were put in by ' i mf^- \ ■vEf r 1^ Hr ]/ A BJ|L| R'^feTJ Im mi urn ■ / ,.mff mM K ' jff H n, ' -*' From a paint nig by Chappel. THE COMMITTEE DRAFTING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 180 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, members of the committee. But before it was adopted, the Declaration of Independence was discussed in Congress for three days, and some changes were made in the original draft. On the fourth of July, 1776, the Declaration was signed in its amended form by all except one of the members present. Jefferson left the Continental Congress in September of the same year, and soon afterwards took his seat in the Virginia leg- islature. He thought that some reforms were badly needed in his own state, and, therefore, believed that he could do more good in the Virginia legislature than he could in Congress. The Episcopal Church had been established in Virginia since the first settlement at Jamestown, and everybody was taxed to support it, even those who were members of other denominations. Jefferson now brought before the legislature a bill providing that no one should be punished for his religious beliefs or be forced to contribute to the support of any church. This bill was changed, before it became a law, so that the act as passed did not give complete religious freedom ; but something was done in that direc- tion. About nine years later Jefferson's famous bill establishing religious liberty was passed. Although it was Madison who car- ried the bill through the legislature, it was Jefferson who. began the fight for complete religious liberty, and to him we are most in- debted for the principle that every man may worship God in his own way without being taxed to support an established church. Before her separation from England and for a short time thereafter, Virginia had laws of entail and primogeniture. Un- der the entail system a land owner could will his estate to his descendants in such a way that they could not cut it up and sell it, but had to let it pass from heir to heir in the way prescribed by the entail. The law of primogeniture provided that all the land and other real estate of those who died without a will should THOMAS JEFFERSON. 181 pass to their oldest sons. In consequence of these laws much of the land was owned in large tracts, which the owners could not sell. Through Jefferson's influence the legislature re- pealed these laws, and provided that in the division of estates left by those dying without wills, the oldest son should not have any advantage over the other children. When Henry retired as governor of Virginia, Jefferson was elected as his successor and served two years. When Benjamin Franklin returned from France, Jefferson was appointed as our minister to that country. He was therefore absent in France when the Constitution of the United States was adopted. After a few years' absence he returned to America, and, when Washington became President, Jefferson was his first Secretary of State. In the early part of Washington's sec- ond term, he resigned and retired to private life at Monticello. He took a lively interest in the affairs of the country and was the recog- nized leader of those who were op- posed to allowing Congress to exercise wide powers. Jefferson believed that to Congress belonged only those powers granted to it by the Constitution. These were the views of all who believed in state-rights, i. e., that all powers not expressly granted to Congress by the Constitution belonged to the states. Jefferson's party was called the Anti-Federalist, Jeffersonian Valentine. THE STATUE OF JEFFERSON. (At Richmond, Virginia.) I 82 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. or Republican, but more commonly the Democratic-Repub- lican party. Opposed to the Democratic-Republicans were the Federalists, headed by Alexander Hamilton of New York. The Federalists believed that Congress might pass any law which would be for the good of the country, whether or not the right was granted expressly by the Constitution. When Washington declined a third term, Jefferson and John Adams were the candi- dates for the presidency. Adams was elected President, but Jeffer- son was made Vice-President. Adams made himself very unpop- ular, and at the next election (1801) the Federalist party was de- feated, and Jefferson was elected. The people honored him with a second term, but, like Washington, he declined a third. The most important event of Jefferson's administration was the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. By the treaty of peace at the close of the French and Indian War (1763), the Mississippi River was made the western boundary of the English colonies, while all the vast territory between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains was given to Spain. Spain also held the city of New Orleans and both sides of the Mississippi at its mouth. After the treaty of peace with England in 17S3, the territory west of the Alleghany Mountains began to increase in population and resources. Cotton and grain were grown in great quantities, and an outlet to the Gulf of Mexico was necessary for the further growth of this section. Naturally the Mississippi was the water way of Tennessee, of Kentucky and of the Northwest Territory ; but Spain closed the port of New Orleans to the Americans. Hardly had Jefferson been inaugurated when he heard that Spain had sold all of the Louisiana Territory to France. Jeffer- son instructed Robert Livingston, our minister to France, to try to purchase New Orleans from the French, but Napoleon would not listen to such a proposal. Jefferson then sent to France, as a special agent of the United States government, James Monroe, who was to open negotiations with Napoleon. When Monroe THOMAS JEFFERSON. 83 reached France, Napoleon had changed his mind, and was ready to sell not only New Orleans, but all of the Louisiana Territory. Livingston and Monroe thereupon signed a treaty with France agreeing to pay fifteen million dollars for the whole Louisiana Ter- ritory, which included all of the land between the Gulf of Mexico on the south and British America on the north, the Mississippi on UNITED STATES in 1803 United Slates English Spanish THE UNITED STATES AFTER THE PURCHASE OF LOUISIANA. the east and the Rocky Mountains on the west. Monroe and Livingston had no constitutional right to make this treaty, and Jefferson felt that the Constitution did not give the right to ac- quire territory, but he knew that the acquisition of so vast an area would increase greatly the power of the United States, so he signed the treaty and the Senate agreed to it (1803). The territory of the United States was thus doubled. Napoleon hated to sell Louisiana to the United States, but he did not want England to have it. When he signed the treaty, he said : " This accession 1 84 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. of territory forever strengthens the power of the United States, and I have just given to England a maritime rival that will sooner or later humble her pride." During his second administration, Jefferson had much trouble with England and France about our commerce. Both of these nations seized our ships on the high seas, and took the goods of our merchants without paying for them. Jefferson tried to prevent this by laying an embargo, which forbade ships from leaving American ports with cargoes for foreign countries. This crippled New England's trade and made Jefferson unpopular in that section. Jefferson's plan was to avoid war with Europe. The English also boarded our vessels, took some of the sailors, claiming that they were English, and forced them to serve on English vessels. This was very harsh and tyrannical in England, and finally brought on war after Jefferson had retired from the presidency. James Madison of Virginia was Jefferson's successor as President (1809). He served for two terms, and during his administration the second war with England was fought. Jefferson lived to see another Virginian, James Monroe, serve two terms as President (181 7- 1825). Monroe had been prom- inent in acquiring Louisiana, and during his administration he bought Florida from Spain for five million dollars. On his retirement from the presidency, Jefferson went to spend the remainder of his days on his plantation, Monticello. The close of his life, however, was not a period of inactivity. He had always taken great interest in education, and had planned a school system for Virginia that included all grades of instruction from the primary school to the university. His scheme was never fully put into operation, but he still hoped that Virginia might provide for the higher education of her sons at home. As he now had no other public duties to engage his attention, he undertook to establish a university at Charlottesville, THOMAS JEFFERSON. 1 85 a village about two miles from Monticello. As a result of his endeavors, that great institution, the University of Virginia, was founded in 1 8 19. He lived to see only the beginning of the brilliant career that the university has enjoyed for three quarters of a century. He died on the fourth of July, 1826, just fifty years after the Declaration of Independence had been signed. Jefferson probably influenced our country more than any THE GROUNDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA. other of our great men. He believed that the people should rule, and that all persons should be educated. His idea that all men are equal has made our country the republic which it is to-day, and many of our views of freedom and liberty come from him. Jefferson wished to be remembered for three things, and he put these in the inscription which he wrote for his own monu- ment. If you should visit Monticello where he was buried, you will read the inscription, as follows : 1 86 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. " Here was Buried THOMAS JEFFERSON, Author of the Declaration of American Independence ; OF the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom ; AND Father of the University of Virginia." Geography Study. Map of Virginia. Find Charlottesville and Williamsburg. How far is it from Williamsburg to Charlottesville ? Map of the United States. Find New Orleans. What states lie between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River ? Review Questions. Tell of Jefferson's life in Williamsburg when he was a student. What kind of man was Jefferson in appearance? What sort of lawyer was he? Tell of Jefferson's marriage and trip to Monti- cello. Tell of Jefferson in the House of Burgesses. How did Jefferson come to write the Declaration of Independence? What laws did Jefferson have carried through the Virginia Legislature? What important positions did Jefferson hold? Of what party was Jefferson the leader and founder? Tell of the Louisiana Purchase. What troubles did Jefferson have with England and France? What two Virginians were presidents for the last sixteen years of Jefferson's life? Tell of the purchase of Florida. What great institution did Jefferson establish? What was Jefferson's influence? What three things did he wish to be remembered for? CHAPTER . XXIII. Robert Fulton. 1765-1815. WHILE Jefferson was President, the United States entered upon a period of great industrial prosperity. The powers of Europe realized that the United States would be a great country. Our lands were fertile and produced large quantities of corn, wheat, tobacco and cotton. In 1793 Eli Whitney, a native of Connecticut, invented the cotton gin. At that time he was teaching school in Georgia and noticed how hard it was to pick the seeds from the cotton, so he constructed a machine by which cotton could be separated from the seed very rapidly. The in- vention of this machine, which is called the cotton gin, made the raising of cotton very profitable. With wheat, corn, cotton and tobacco in great abundance, with iron and coal stored away in its mountains, it was seen that the United States needed only the means of carrying its goods from point to point to make it a great and prosperous country. Sailboats and stagecoaches furnished poor means of transportation and travel. The invention of the steamboat and the introduction of steam railways marked great epochs in the history of our coun- try. Robert Fulton built the first successful steamboat. Robert Fulton was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1 88 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. in 1765. His father was an Irishman, and died when Robert was only three years old. As a boy, therefore, Fulton had no one to depend upon except himself, but he worked hard and suc- ceeded in whatever he undertook. He could draw almost any- thing that he tried, so he determined to be an artist. But even while he was learning to paint pictures and landscapes, and was making money enough to support himself, he showed a great fondness for mechanics. He was constantly trying to make some kind of machine. When only fourteen years of age he made a model of a fishing boat with paddle wheels on each side to be worked by a crank. In those days there lived in England a great painter named Benjamin West. Fulton longed to go over to England and meet him, so he worked hard and saved his money, part of which he spent in buying a farm for his mother and sisters. He kept the rest of his money, and at the age of twenty-one sailed for Eng- land. There he became acquainted with West, who encouraged him and showed him many kindnesses, introducing young Fulton to many of the English noblemen, among whom was the Duke of Bridgewater. At this time in northern England coal had to be carried from one place to another on pack horses. The Duke advised Fulton to become a civil engineer, and to go to the north of England where he could aid in the building of canals to displace the pack horses. Fulton became greatly interested in canals, but when he saw how slow and difficult it was to carry on traffic with the boats drawn by a horse that walked along on the banks, he began to wonder if he could not make a steamboat. He saw the steam engines which Watt, the great English in- ventor, had made, and then Fulton conceived the plan of build- ing a boat and putting on each side of it two big wheels with paddles. Inside of the boat would be one of Watt's engines, the power of which would be applied to the axle on which the wheels were fastened. Fulton fully believed that such a boat ROBERT KULTOX. 8 9 would be a great success, but it was a long time before he could carry out his scheme. The people to whom he made known his plans did not believe in them. Up to this time all attempts to solve the problem of steam navigation had failed. Rumsey put a steamboat on the Potomac River and it succeeded ; but it ran only four miles an hour. Other inventors who had tried to run vessels by steam had been no more fortu- nate than Rumsey. Fulton went to Paris to experiment with some torpedo boats, and while there he met Robert Livingston of New York, who was the United States minister to France. He told Livingston of his scheme to build a steamboat, and they at once formed a partnership for testing Fulton's plans. Fulton had little money, so the means were furnished by Livingston. An engine, the plans of which were drawn by Fulton, was ordered from Watt's foundry at Birmingham, England, and was shipped to New York in 1806. Fulton came at once to New York, and began work on his boat. He found that more money was needed, and as Livingston had already furnished more than he promised, Fulton was forced to borrow. The story is told, that he had great difficulty in getting $1000, be- cause everybody believed that this undertaking was fool-hardy. Finally one prominent banker agreed to help, provided his name THE STATUE OF FULTON. (In the Capitol at Washington.) 190 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. was not used. The gentleman said : " I shouldn't like for people to come after me to learn why I was such a dunce." After many delays, by August, 1807, Fulton had his steamboat ready for a trial trip. The vessel, which he named the Clermont^ was examined by a number of men of science, some of whom were very doubtful as to whether it would run. They did not believe that wheels with paddles turning in the water would run a boat. Fulton announced, however, that he w r ould make a trip from New York to Albany. When the Clermont steamed away from New York, everybody stood amazed. The distance from New York to Albany is only one hundred and sixty miles, and, though a sailboat sometimes the clermont. made the trip in six- teen hours, it often took a whole week. The Clermont on its first trip made the voyage in thirty-two hours and returned in thirty. This was regarded as a marvelous feat, and soon everybody was talking about Fulton and his steamboat. As the Clermont so excelled the sailing vessels in speed, it was plied regularly between New York and Albany. In a little while other steamboats were built, and, twelve years after, the first steamship crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Fulton died in 181 5. Fifteen years later the first steam rail- way was built in America (1830). Since the time of Fulton a ROBERT FULTON. I9I wonderful change has taken place in steam navigation. We now have magnificent steamers, plying between all the large cities of our country and crossing the ocean to Europe. All parts of our country arc easily reached because we have such splendid railroads; but one hundred years ago, before Fulton built his steamboat, there was no way of traveling except by sailing vessels, stagecoaches, and on horseback. Fulton gave the world a great gift in his little boat, the Clermont. Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find New York and Albany. On what river are these two cities located? How far is it from New York to Albany? How would you make the trip from New York to Albany? Review Questions. Why did our country prosper? What did Eli Whitney do? How did people travel a hundred years ago? Tell of the early life of Fulton. Why did he go to England? What did the Duke of Bridgewater advise Fulton to do? Who was Watt? What plan did Fulton conceive? What did Rumsey do? How did Livingston help Fulton? Tell of the building of the Clermont. What did men of science say about the boat? Tell of its first trip up the Hudson. For what has steam been used since the days of Fulton ? Tell of the difference between travel now and one hundred years ago. A MODERN STEAMSHIP. CHAPTER XXIV. Stephen Decatur. 1779-1820. You remember that Napoleon said, when he signed the treaty selling us the Louisiana Territory, that England would some day have a great rival on the seas in the United States. At that time our nation was young and had made little progress as a com- mercial or naval power. To-day we have a great number of vessels which go to all parts of the world, and many of our cities have become large because of their commerce. When a country be- comes a great commercial power it is necessary to have a navy, and for that reason our navy is being improved every year. During the Revolutionary War we had practically no navy, but there were some American vessels which were bold and strong enough to stand against an English man-of-war. Such a vessel was the Bon Homme Richard, which was commanded by John Paul Jones. In this ship he roved the high seas and did much damage to English commerce. When Jefferson was President, we had a small, but strong navy. In the northern part of Africa is a small country called Tripoli, the ruler of which was at that time (1803) a pirate. The European nations' were accustomed to pay him large sums of money if he would not plunder their commerce. He demanded that the United States should do likewise; but Jefferson refused to pay STEPHEN DECATUR. I93 him tribute, so Tripoli began to seize our merchant ships. Jef- ferson at once sent some war vessels against Tripoli, and forced her to stop robbing American vessels. One young man who dis- tinguished himself in this war against Tripoli was Stephen Decatur. Decatur was born in Maryland in 1779. His father was an officer in the United States navy, and at an early age young Deca- tur acquired a love for the sea. When he was only eight years old he made his first voyage with his father. He was educated at an academy in Philadelphia and afterwards entered the University of Pennsylvania. As a boy, he was good-tempered and full of mirth. He was not quarrelsome, and very seldom gave offense to any one, but he was bold and courageous, and was not slow to resent an injury. If he saw a young boy being imposed upon by an older one, he would always take the part of the small boy. He loved his mother dearly and would not allow her to be insulted. One day on returning home from a fishing trip, he found his mother soothing his younger brother John, who had received a blow from a drunken man, upon whom the little boy had played some childish prank. She upbraided the assailant for his unmanly treatment of her little son. Instead of apologizing, the man began to abuse Mrs. Decatur. At once young Stephen dropped his fish- ing rod and basket on the pavement and, walking up to the drunken man, said: " Do you know who that lady is, sir? That is my mother. She must be treated with respect." The man replied that he neither knew or cared who she was. Decatur then said, If you have any complaint to make against my brother, sir, make it to me." The man became very angry and made a blow at Stephen, who, striking back, knocked the drunken fellow down. Stephen's mother reproved him for this, but he replied, " Mother, you need not feel sorry, for he deserved it all." Decatur became greatly interested in mathematics and in the construction of ships. He went to work for a Philadelphia com- 194 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. ) ® Li AMERICAN SAILORS FIRING ON A HOSTILE VESSEL. pany, the agents of the navy, who, in order to gratify his tastes, sent him into New Jersey to see to the getting out of the keel pieces for the frigate United States, which was then being built in Philadelphia. Young Decatur thus aided in the selection of the timber that was put into the war-vessel that he afterwards so gallantly commanded. Shortly after this he entered the United States navy and be- came a midshipman, in which position he was always faithful, kind-hearted, generous, noble and willing to sacrifice himself for others. One day a cry was heard upon deck : " A man over- board!" Decatur ran at once to the mizzen chains, plunged into the sea and saved the drowning man. The depredations of Tripoli upon the commerce of the United States caused President Jefferson to send a squadron under com- mand of Commodore Preble into the Mediterranean to force the Tripolitans to cease their piracy. With this naval force was Decatur, then a lieutenant. One of the American frigates, the Philadelphia, ran aground off Tripoli and was captured by the Tripolitans, and all the crew were thrown into prison. Preble sent Decatur to seize the Philadelphia 'and to burn it. On this perilous enterprise he was in command of the Intrepid. It was a cold winter night, and'a heavy gale was blowing in the STEPHEN DECATUR. I95 Mediterranean. The Philadelphia contained forty mounted guns and was moored within one-half gun shot of the shore, and thus in range of ten shore batteries. Three Tripolitan cruisers, mounting together twenty-six guns, lay between the Philadelphia and the shore. In the dead of night, Decatur, in a little vessel mounting only four guns and manned by seventy men, silently sailed towards the great war-ship. He had no light to guide him, except the faint illumination of a crescent moon. The Intrepid had come within twenty yards of the Philadelphia^ when it was hailed and ordered to keep off. The Tripolitan captain thought it was an English man-of-war which had been purchased for the Tripolitans. Decatur conversed with him until he reached the side of the Philadelphia and called out " Board." He clambered over the rail and reached the enemy's deck, quickly followed by officers and crew to the number of sixty. The Tripolitans were so surprised that when Decatur and his men drew their swords and rushed upon them they were quickly overcome. Crowded together or trampling upon each other in an attempt to escape, the Tripolitans were either cut down or driven overboard. At once Decatur set fire to the Philadelphia, and he and his men returned to the Intrepid and sailed away. The batteries opened fire upon them, but failed to do any harm, and Decatur and his men escaped without loss of a life. A little later the Tripolitans were forced to makepeace, agree- ing not to trouble American commerce. When Decatur re- turned to America, he was warmly received in New York, Phila- delphia, Baltimore and Norfolk. Great dinners were given in his honor and he was everywhere regarded as a hero. Congress voted him a sword for his bravery. For some years England had been claiming the right to stop our ships on the high seas and search for English sailors who might be on board. Very many of our sailors were taken and forced to I96 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. fight in the wars that England was then waging against France. Our government regarded this as an outrage on the part of Eng- land, and several times objected, but without success ; so finally Congress, in 181 2, declared war against England for the protection of American sailors. A greater part of this war was fought on the sea. No one dreamed that the American navy could cope with that of England, and it was a great surprise and joy to the Americans when some of their vessels defeated and captured some English men-of-war. In this War of 1812, Decatur, who was now a commodore in the navy, took a prominent part. At the opening of the war he was in command of the frigate United States. Soon after put- ting to sea, he fell in with the English frigate Macedonian. The two vessels cleared their decks for action, and after a desperate struggle which lasted only a few minutes, the English frigate sur- rendered. The English vessel was boarded, and great was De- catur's surprise when he recognized the English commander, Captain Carden, as an old friend whom he had known when he was serving in the Mediterranean against the Tripolitans. Cap- tain Carden offered his sword on surrendering his ship, but De- catur declined, saying, " Sir, I cannot receive the sword of a man who has so bravely defended his ship." Captain Carden was re- ceived on board the United States as a friendly guest. For this victory Decatur received a gold medal from Congress, a sword from Pennsylvania, and another sword from Virginia. A mag- nificent banquet was given him in New York, and the whole country went wild with pride. Shortly after this Decatur took command of the frigate Presi- dent. He attacked the English frigate Endymion, and he was about to board her when the whole British squadron came up. The President made a brave fight, but was overpowered. Many of the sailors were wounded and at last Decatur himself felt called upon to surrender. Weary, wounded and a prisoner, he STEPHEN DECATUR. 197 entered the cockpit of* the President, where before him lay many of his brave sailors in the agony of death. The ship surgeon rushed up to him and inquired after his safety. Decatur quietly said: " When you have attended to these brave fellows, Doctor, I would thank you to look after my chest. It is very painful and THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE "MACEDONIAN AND THE UNITED STATES. I believe I have been hurt. ' ' It was found that he had received a violent blow on his chest and had been wounded in his forehead. Soon after this he was released and allowed to return to the United States. Although the loss of the President was a great blow to the country, the people felt proud of the stand Decatur had made I98 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. against a whole English squadron, and his surrender was regarded almost as a victory. There were other naval officers who distinguished themselves in this war. Captain Isaac Hull, with his frigate Constitution, defeated the English Guerriere. Captain Porter, commanding the Essex, won many victories and made a remarkable cruise in the Pacific Ocean. Captain Lawrence, commanding the Chesa- peake, boldly resisted the English Shannon, though his. men were forced to surrender when their captain fell mortally wounded. On Lake Erie, Captain Oliver H. Perry built several small vessels which he fitted up with guns. He attacked the English fleet that controlled the Lakes and captured it (1814). Captain McDon- ough, a great friend of Decatur, defeated the English fleet on Lake Champlain. The war with England was brought to a close by the treaty of Ghent, and since this war England has never tried to take our seamen from our vessels. While the War of 1812 was in progress, Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis began again to seize American merchant vessels and to make slaves of American seamen. As soon as peace was made with England, an American squadron was fitted out and placed under the command of Commodore Decatur. He sailed into the Mediterranean and forced Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis to release all Americans who had been made slaves, and to sign a treaty of peace agreeing never again to seize American merchant vessels. This war was the crowning success of Decatur, The American people honored him in many ways and until the War of Seces- sion he was our greatest naval hero. Decatur's death was a sad one. Until about thirty-five years ago, when two gentlemen quarreled, they would often fight a duel to settle the difference. If a man refused to fight when challenged to a duel, he was regarded as a coward. Commo- dore Barron, one of the best known officers in the navy, felt STEPHEN DECATUR. I 99 that Decatur had done him an injustice. After a long correspond- ence they agreed to settle the dispute by a duel, near Washing- ton. The terms of agreement were: " The weapons shall be pistols; the distance, eight yards; the parties shall not fire before the word 'one' is given or after the word 'three' ; all words, 'one, two, three,' shall be given by Commodore Bainbridge." The short distance of eight yards was fixed by Barron, who had sought the duel. Decatur had declared that he would take no man's life, but would fire at his opponent's hip. Early on the morning of the 226. of March, 1820, Decatur and Barron met on the famous dueling ground at Bladensburg near Washington City. Commodore Bainbridge stationed the duelists, and quickly gave the signal: " Present! one, two, three." At the word 'two,' both fired so exactly together, that only one report was heard. Commodore Barron fell, wounded in the right hip, according to the announced intention of Decatur. Decatur stood for a moment erect, and pressed his hand on his right side. He then fell, saying: "I am mortally wounded, and I wish I had fallen in the defense of my country." A few hours later he died a victim of the terrible custom of dueling, which public feeling no longer allows. Decatur was an honest and sincere man, and he served his country with an unselfish love. Geography Study. Map of Northern Africa. Find Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis. Map of the United States. Locate Maryland, Philadelphia and New York. Find Lake Erie and Lake Champlain. Name all of the Great Lakes. Review Questions. Has Napoleon's prediction about the United States come true? Who was John Paul Jones? What trouble did Jefferson have with Tripoli? Tell of the early life of Decatur. Tell of the capture and burning of the Philadelphia. How did the United States honor him? What were the causes of the War of 181 2? Tell of the capture of the 200 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Macedonian. Tell of his surrender of the President. What did Captain Hull do? What did Perry do on the Great Lakes? What did Captain MacDonough do? Has England ever seized our sailors since the War of 1812? Tell of Decatur's expedition against Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis. Tell of Decatur's death. What sort of man was Decatur? A CHASE ON THE HIGH SEAS. ■ The Cap, to! in I8Z5 CHAPTER XXV. Andrew Jackson 1767-1845. ABOUT the year 1765, Andrew Jackson, a native of Ireland, came to America to find a home for himself and family. He landed at Charleston, South Carolina, but soon afterwards moved to the Waxhaw settlement on the border between North and South Carolina. It was here that his distinguished son, Andrew, was born on the fifteenth of March, 1767. The elder Jackson died a few days before the birth of his namesake, leaving his children to be reared by his widow. Mrs. Jackson was not in needy circumstances, but was un- able to give her two older sons many advantages in the way of education. She had set her heart on Andrew's becoming a preacher, and so determined to give him the opportunity to get an education. In the Waxhaw settlement there was a good academy, Avhich was taught by a Mr. Humphreys in the neighbor- hood meeting-house. Andrew Jackson attended this school until he was about fourteen years old, and then he and his brother Robert joined the American army. The Revolutionary War was going on, and as the British troops were overrunning that sec- tion of North and South Carolina, all the men at once joined the army; so young Andrew along with the rest determined to be a soldier. 202 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. He soon found that a soldier's lot is a hard one. He and his brother Robert were captured by the English. While Andrew was a captive, he was ordered to clean the boots of one of the officers. He refused to do this, and the officer struck at him with his sword and would have killed the young " rebel " if the latter had not warded off the blow with his arm. As it was, he was severely wounded. For a like offense his brother received a wound on his head, from which he afterwards died. For these acts of disobedience Andrew and Robert Jackson were put in jail and were very badly treated by their captors. Soon after the battle of Camden they were both set free by an exchange of some of the prisoners. Robert died shortly after gaining his freedom, and his mother lived only a few weeks after his death. After his release from captivity, Andrew had a severe attack of the small-pox, which almost ended his life. Again he started to school and pursued his studies until he was eighteen years old. He was now a wild, reckless young man and had no intention of becoming a minister. He went to Salis- bury, North Carolina, and studied law for two years, at the end of which time he was admitted to the bar. He thought he could do better in his profession in a new country, so he located at Nashville, now in Tennessee, but then in the Western District of North Carolina. Here he found a good opening for a young lawyer, though Nashville was then a frontier settlement in a thinly-populated region, in which Indian attacks were not uncommon occurrences. In 1796, when Tennessee be- came a state in the Union, Jackson was elected to a seat in the United States House of Representatives, but he did not hold this office very long, as he was chosen the next year to represent his adopted state in the United States Senate. He did not like politics, and so left the Senate in 1799. He was then appointed one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, but re- signed this office after a few years. ANDREW JACKSON. 203 Jackson had a farm near Nashville which he called " The Hermitage." Here he spent some years very happily; but in 1 81 2, when the second war between the United States and Great Britain broke out, he gave up the enjoyments of private life and offered his services to his country. During the early part of the war, Jackson saw only a few- months of service. It was not until the Creek Indians had taken up arms against the people of the South that he won a m'Hm - 'dM±.M* • THE HERMITAGE. reputation as a leader. Tecumseh, a great Indian chief, had been in the South and had influenced the Creeks and Seminoles to attack the whites. In the southern part of what is now Alabama, was Fort Mimms, into which the people of the neighborhood had moved for protection against the Indians. Governor Claiborne of Louisiana sent some soldiers to reinforce the garrison of the fort, the command of which was given to Major Beasley. On the morning of August thirtieth, 181 3, at about ten o'clock, Major Beasley was engaged in writing a letter to Governor Claiborne, stating that he considered the place secure against the attack of the savages. Inside the fortifications there 204 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. were five hundred and fifty-three persons, including men, women and children, negro slaves, and Indian allies. For many days they had seen no signs of Indians, and they thought that they would not be attacked by their savage enemy. The day before, two negro slaves had alarmed the garrison by running in and saying that they had seen twenty-four painted warriors. Some horsemen were sent out to look for these Indians, but they could find no trace of them. It was thought that the negroes had made a false report, and they were ordered to be whipped. During the entire forenoon one thousand Creek warriors lay quietly in a ravine close to the fort. When the drum beat for dinner these Indians ran across the field and rushed into the fort before the door could be closed. The men and even some of the women fought bravely, but at sunset more than four hundred persons,, including all the white women and children, had been killed. Such was the massacre of Fort Mimms. The news of the massacre swept over the country and greatly alarmed the people in the frontier settlements of the South. Many of them deserted their homes to go to places of safety. A body of soldiers was raised by Tennessee, and General Jack- son was put in command of them. About a month before this, he had received a severe wound in his shoulder, and he was weak from the loss of blood. But despite this, he appeared at the head of his troops, although he had to carry his arm in a sling. He defeated the Indians in several battles and finally gave them a crushing blow at Horseshoe Bend, a place in Alabama where the Tallapoosa River makes almost a complete circle. The second war against England (the War of 1812), of which you have learned in the chapter on Decatur, was then in progress, and Jackson was sent to New Orleans to oppose the English in their advance on that city. Here it was that he won the greatest victory of his entire military career. The battle of New Orleans was fought on Sunday, January 2o6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. the eighth, 1815. Jackson had been engaged for some time in getting his breastworks ready. These were made partly of mud from the Mississippi and partly of cotton bales. When the battle began, the cotton was set on fire by the hot shots of the enemy, but the English could not take the forti- fications. Jackson arranged his men in such a way that only the best marksmen were in front. They were to do the firing, and loaded guns were to be passed up to them by the men behind them. The English army was commanded by General Paken- ham, a brave and experienced leader. Jackson had ordered his men not to waste their powder and ball; so the English for a while marched forward without opposition. When they neared the American works they received a fierce cannonade, which tore gaps in their ranks. But they closed up, and kept advancing until they were within less than a hundred yards of the American lines, when they were checked by the rifle shots. The American marksmen aimed so well that nearly every shot killed an English soldier. The enemy could not advance under such a severe fire; so they broke and fled. Pakenham^was mortally wounded, and General Lambert succeeded to the com- mand. The English officers tried in vain to rally their men, and finally a retreat was ordered. By this victory General Jackson won a great name for himself. There was much rejoicing all over the country when the news of it was spread abroad. But it proved a useless battle, as the treaty of peace with England had already been signed. It took a long time then for news to cross the ocean, and the Americans did not know of the signing of the treaty until after they had re- joiced over General Jackson's victory. After the War of 181 2 Jackson was the hero of the American people, and his friends urged him for the presidency. He was a candidate in 1824, but John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts was elected. Four years later Jackson was elected as President, ANDREW JACKSON. 207 and John C. Calhoun as Vice-President. Jackson served for two terms, and made a good President. During his administration, he caused the European powers to respect our country, and made of it a strong nation. The great issue of Jackson's time was concerning the National Bank, which was chartered by the United States government, and which had control of its money. Jackson said that the government's money ought to be handled by the treasury department, so he withdrew from the National Bank such money of the United States as was kept in it. For this action the politicians greatly complained of Jackson, but in after years it was seen that he had acted wisely. On retiring from the presidency, he spent his last years at his beautiful home, the Hermitage. Here he died June the eighth, 1845. "Old Hickory," as Jackson was called, was a man of strong will and of uncommon courage. He liked to have his way, how- ever, and did not always keep his temper under control. It was customary in his day for gentlemen to settle their quarrels by fighting duels, and General Jackson more than once took part in those deadly combats. But with all of his faults, he was a great man and performed invaluable service to his country. Geography Study. Map of Southern States. Find Waxhaw and Salisbury (N. C.) ; Nashville (Tenn.) : Fort Mimms and Tallapoosa River (Ala.) and New Orleans (La.). How far is New Orleans from the mouth of the Mississippi? Review Questions. Where was Andrew Jackson born? Tell of his education. Why did Jackson enter the army at such an early age? Tell of his treatment by the British. What profession did Jackson follow and where did he settle? How did Tennessee honor him? Tell of the mas- sacre of Fort Mimms. Tell of Jackson and the battle of Horseshoe Bend. Tell of Jackson's preparations for the battle of New Orleans. Describe the battle. Tell. of his election to the presidency. W T hat did he do with the National Bank? What kind of man was Jackson? The Charge at Sa'n Jacinto. CHAPTER XXVI. Sam Houston. 1793-1863. One of the bravest soldiers who took part in the battle of Horseshoe Bend was Sam Houston, a young ensign who was very anxious to win a name for himself. When he joined the army as a common soldier, his friends thought that he had made a great mistake and told him that his chances for rising into prominence were the very poorest. To these objections he replied, "You don't know me, but you shall hear of me." On leaving home, his mother gave him a gun and said to him, "There, my son, take this musket and never disgrace it; for re- member, I had rather all my sons should fill honorable graves, than that one of them should turn his back to save his life." He was not unworthy of such a mother. When the attack was made on the Indians at Horseshoe Bend, Sam Houston was the second man to scale the enemy's breastworks. Calling his com- SAM HOUSTON. 209 rades to f How him, he rushed upon the Indians and fought them fiercely behind their own fortifications. He was wounded in the thigh with an arrow, which, on being pulled out, brought a stream of blood with it. General Jackson, coming up, ordered him out of battle ; but he insisted upon being allowed to fight, and was after- wards wounded in the right shoulder while making a bold attack on an Indian block-house. Though he was badly wounded, he received little attention that night. It was thought that he would surely die; and the doctors and nurses spent most of their time attending to those who had some chance of recovery. Two months after this he reached his home in Tennessee, but he had to be carried the entire distance on a litter. These wounds were never healed and he suffered from them as long as he lived. Sam Houston was born near Lexington, Virginia, in 1793. He did not go to school much before he was thirteen years old, at which time he had the misfortune to lose his father. After his father's death his mother moved to Tennessee with her six sons and three daughters, and settled in the neighborhood of the Cherokee Indians. The Houston family occupied land which had never been cultivated, and Sam assisted his brothers in the hard work of clearing a farm in the forest, though he found time for a while to attend an academy in East Tennes- see. Into his hands fell some translations of Greek and Latin books, which he read with great eagerness. He was very much interested in the old war stories about the Roman and Greek heroes, and he is said to have been able to repeat Pope's trans- lation of Homer's Iliad word for word. He wanted to study Latin, but as his teacher would not allow him to do so, he declared that he would never recite another lesson. He left school, and his older brothers put him in a store. But he did not like this kind of work, so he ran away from home and spent some time living with the Cherokee Indians. In 1813 he enlisted in the United States Army. His bravery at Horse- 10 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY shoe Bend placed him high in the esteem of General Jackson, who was ever afterwards his faithful friend. At the age of twenty-five Sam Houston began to read law in Nashville, Tennessee. After six months of study he was ad- mitted to the bar, and entered upon the practice of his pro- fession at Lebanon, Tennessee. It was not long before he was elected to Congress, and after serving as a member of the House of Representatives for four years, he became gov- ernor of Tennessee. He was at first very popular as governor, but about two years after his election to this office an event occurred which caused many people in Tennessee to look upon him with disfavor. In 1829 he married, and three months afterward he separated from his wife without giving any reason for his action. Be- cause of this separation a great many people spoke very bit- terly of him, though he still had many friends who took his part. He was too generous and gallant to defend his own reputation by attacking that of a woman, and he always said that he did not leave his wife because of anything against her character. It is now thought that Mrs. Houston did not love her husband, and that, on finding it out, Houston quietly left her, although he knew that he would make himself very un- popular by doing so. He resigned the governorship, left Ten- nessee, and went to live with his Cherokee friends. GENERAL HOUSTON. SAM HOUSTON. 211 When a boy he had lived a while with these Indians, and one of the chiefs had adopted him as a son. This old chief, whose name was Oolooteka, now lived near the mouth of the Illinois River. He was rejoiced to hear that his adopted son was com- ing again to live with him, and when Houston came to see him, the old chief threw his arms about his neck and spoke words of affectionate welcome to him. Houston now took up his abode with the venerable Oolooteka, and soon became a great favorite with the Indians. Finding that the agents of the United States government were cheating the Indians, he went to Wash- ington to make complaint against the dishonest agents. Gen- eral Jackson was then President of the United States, and when the hero of Horseshoe Bend made his appearance in Washington dressed in the Indian garb, he was given a hearty welcome by his old friend the President. While in Washington, Houston was accused by Mr. William Stansberry, a member of the House of Representatives from Ohio, of trying by fraud to get a contract from the government to supply the Indians with provisions. This false charge made Houston very angry with the congressman and he determined to punish him for it. It was not long before he had the opportunity of doing so; for one night when he was walking along Pennsylvania Avenue, he saw Mr. Stansberry cross the street to the side on which he was walking. It is said that Mr. Stansberry intended to kill Houston, but before he could make the attempt Houston struck him over the head with his cane and knocked him down. Mr. Stansberry then rose and snapped a pistol at Houston, but it failed to fire. For this assault upon one of its members, the House of Representatives mildly censured Houston, and one of the courts of the District of Columbia fined him five hundred dollars, which President Jackson re- lieved him from paying. About the year 1821, emigrants from the United States be- 212 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. gan to settle in Texas, which was then a part of Mexico, and in a few years they were pouring in from all parts of our country. These Americans brought with them their ideas of liberty and self-government. Mexico began to think that if she continued to allow the Americans to settle in Texas, her authority over the territory would be weakened ; so the Mexican government passed a law forbidding the Americans to settle in Texas, and began to govern Texas in a tyrannical way. High taxes were placed upon the people, and they were oppressed in other ways. Finally, Santa Anna, the Mexican president, ordered all the Texans to give up their guns. The people needed their weapons to provide themselves with game and also to protect themselves against the Indians. Liberty-loving Americans would not, of course, yield obedience to such an order, and war broke out. At Gonzales, a town about seventy miles from San Antonio, the Texans had a cannon which had been placed there to aid them in repelling Indian attacks. By order of Santa Anna, a Mexican colonel marched to Gonzales to take away this cannon. The people gathered at Gonzales to save their piece of artillery from seizure, and some skirmishing between them and the Mexicans resulted. This was the beginning of the war for Texan independ- ence. Soon after his visit to Washington Houston moved to Texas. He cast in his lot with those who were resisting the tyranny of Mexico, and was commander-in-chief of the Texan forces during a good part of the war. The most important battle of the struggle was fought near the San Jacinto Bay (1836). General Houston had less than eight hundred men, while Santa Anna, the Mexican general, had an army numbering two thousand men. The Texans went into battle with a feeling of dis- couragement because of the defeats that their brothers-in-arms had recently suffered. For Santa Anna had captured the Alamo, a fort near San Antonio, defended by one hundred and eighty SAM HOUSTON. 213 men, and had killed every person in the fort except a woman, her child and a negro. At Goliad also he had surrounded and massacred five hundred Texans. The thought of these mas- sacres filled Houston's troops with a dread of the Mexicans; but their general was confident of victory, and had the bridge across Buffalo Bayou secretly destroyed so that there could be no chance for either army to retreat. As they charged upon the enemy, the Texan soldiers shouted, " Remember the Alamo! Remem- ber the Alamo ! " In eighteen min- utes the Mexicans were utterly de- feated, and Texan independence was won. For the num- bers engaged, this was one of the bloodiest battles ever fought in our country. The Mexicans lost heavily in killed and wounded, while the loss of the Texans was only two killed and twenty-three wounded. Santa Anna was captured the day after the battle. Hardly had Texas gained her. independence before she ap- plied to the United States for admission as a state. Jackson had just retired from the presidency, and Martin Van Buren of New York had succeeded him. Texas held slaves, and for this reason Van Buren was opposed to her becoming a part of the United States. At this time there were twenty-six states in the Union, the thirteen original states and thirteen new ones which THE ALAMt 214 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY had come into the Union by the consent of Congress.* Thirteen of the states held slaves, and thirteen did not. Texas being a slave state, all of the free states opposed her admission into the Union because they thought the slave power would become too great if there should be more slave than free states. Texas therefore had to wait for eight years before she was admitted as a state. THE PRESENT CAPITOL OF TEXAS. During this time she was known as the Republic of Texas, or the Lone Star Republic, because of her flag with one star. Houston was twice president of this republic. Van Buren was succeeded in the presidency in 1841 by Will- iam Henry Harrison of Ohio, who died a month after his inau- guration. He was succeeded by Vice-President John Tyler, of -The states which had been admitted by Congress were: Vermont (1791) ; Kentucky (1792); Tennessee (1796); Ohio (1803); Louisiana ( rS 1 2) ; Indiana (1816) ; Mississippi (1S17); Illinois (1S1S) ; Alabama (1819) ; Maine (1820); Mis- souri (1821) ; Arkansas (1S36) ; and Michigan (1S37). SAM HOUSTON. 21 5 Virginia, who was greatly in favor of admitting Texas into the Union. Finally, by a treaty which was made with President Tyler, Texas was admitted in 1845, and thus became the twenty- eighth state of the Union, Florida having been admitted as a slave state a few months before. The northern people were greatly aroused because Texas was allowed to come into the Union, as there were now fifteen slave states and only thirteen free states. When Texas became a part of the United States, General Houston entered the United States Senate as one of her repre- sentatives. He stayed in -the Senate until just before the War between the States, when he became governor of Texas. He was opposed to secession, and when his state left the Union, he refused to take an oath to support the Confederate government. The office of governor was taken from him because of this re- fusal, and he retired from public life. On account of unwilling- ness to oppose the people of his own state, he quietly gave up his office and allowed his son to enter the Confederate army. He died in 1863. Texas will always honor his memory, for it was mainly through his efforts that she gained her independence from Mexico. Geography Study. Map of the Southern States. Locate Lexington (Va.) ; Nashville (Tenn.) ; Gonzales, San Antonio and San Jacinto River (Texas). How large is Texas? How far is it from Virginia to Texas? How would you make the journey by land from Virginia through Ten- nessee to Texas? Review Questions. Tell of Sam Houston at the battle of Horse- shoe Bend. Tell of his early life and his education. Tell of the position which he held in Tennessee. Why did he leave Tennessee? Tell of Houston and the Cherokee Indians. For what purpose did he go to Washington? Tell of the fight with Mr. Stansberry. Why did Mexico 2l6 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. try to keep Americans out of Texas? Tell of the war between Mexico and Texas, and the part which Houston took in it. Describe the battle of San Jacinto. Why was it that Texas had such a hard time to get into the Union? Tell of Houston's last years. rffi^p i;li: ' Giva Them a Little More Grape, Captain Bragg. CHAPTER XXVII. Zachary Taylor, 1784=1850. At the close of the Revolutionary War there were only a few white settlers in Kentucky, and they lived in almost constant danger of attack from the Indians, who were unwilling to share their hunting grounds with the " pale faces," and made great efforts to drive them out. A strife was kept up almost con- stantly between the two races, and the Indian tribes also often fought among themselves. In this way much blood was shed; and the country was called Kentucky, which is an Indian word meaning Dark and Bloody Ground. It was here and under such circumstances as have been de- scribed that the childhood of General Zachary Taylor was spent. He was born in Orange County, Virginia, in 1784; but his father, Colonel Taylor, moved his family to Kentucky when his infant son was less than a year old. From childhood Taylor was familiar with Indian fighting. A week seldom went by without the savages making an attack 218 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. somewhere in the neighborhood. Every night Colonel Taylor had the doors of his house barricaded and the guns made ready for use so that his family would be prepared for a sudden attack. The Indians sometimes surprised boys on their way to school and murdered them. One day some school children, after part- ing with Zachary Taylor and his brother, were killed by the Indians. This occurred within a hundred yards of the place where the Taylor boys had left them. Taylor's opportunities for an education were very poor, but he was so anxious to learn and he studied so well, that he knew a great deal more than one would expect from the schooling he re- ceived. When a youth, he spent a good deal of time in hunting, fishing and other outdoor sports. According to one story, at the age of seventeen, " he swam across the Ohio River from the Kentucky to the Indiana shore in the month of March, when the river was filled with floating ice." When Taylor was twenty-three years old, he was commis- sioned a lieutenant in the army by President Jefferson, and in 1810 the rank of captain was conferred upon him by President Madison. His activity in the War of 1812 was confined to Indian fighting. In the first part of the war he was put in command of Fort Harrison in Indiana. He was attacked one night in September, 1812, by a force of four hundred and fifty Indians. He had only fifty men who "were worn down, and disabled by their long and serious service." The savages surrounded the fort and tried all night to capture it; but the garrison held out GENERAL TAYLOR. zachary taylor: 219 firmly and next morning the enemy retired. Captain Taylor lost only two men killed and two men wounded. The victory FroJii a painting by Chapin. THE BATTLE OF OKEECHOBEE. was due mainly to his bravery and judgment. For this gallant defence of the fort he was made a major and enjoyed the praises of the people of the entire western country. In 1835 the Seminole Indians in Florida took up arms against the whites. Their leader was Osceola, who had been put in irons for threats that he had made. He was soon released, and after this, he attacked a body of one hundred and ten United States troops and massacred all of them but one. Taylor, who then had the rank of colonel, was ordered to go to Florida to sub- due the hostile savages. It was no easy matter to conquer them, as they would hide in the swamps and thus escape the pursuit of the soldiers. Finally, on December 25, 1837, Colonel Taylor came upon the Indians in the Okeechobee Swamp. . The Indian 220 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY force numbered seven hundred well-armed warriors, who were fine marksmen, and they occupied a position from which they could be driven only with great difficulty. There was a swamp on two sides of them and a lake on the third. The American soldiers marched to the attack, wading in mud up to their knees. The Indians fired at them from behind bushes and killed From a painting by Ckafiin. GENERAL TAYLOR AT THE BATTLE OF MONTEREY many of them. Colonel Taylor, in order to encourage his men, went bravely into places of the greatest danger, and coolly directed the movements of his troops while bullets were flying fast about him. It was a fierce struggle and lasted three hours. The Seminoles were so completey defeated that they were never afterwards able to fight in open battle with the whites. In 1845 James K. Polk became President of the United States. He had been elected just before Texas was admitted ZACHARY TAYLOR. 221 into the Union as a state. The admission of Texas produced bad feeling between the United States and Mexico, which had not yet given up her claim to Texas. Besides, there was a dis- pute as to what was the boundary line between Texas and Mex- ico, the United States claiming the Rio Grande, and Mexico the Nueces River as the southern limit of Texas. President Polk sent General Taylor in 1846 with a force into the disputed coun- try ; the Mexicans attacked him and at once Congress declared war. General Taylor took a leading part in the Mexican war. Pie gained several victories, the most important of which were those of Monterey and Buena Vista. Monterey is a city situated in the northwestern part of Mex- ico. Its position is strong by nature, and it was well fortified. General Taylor's army was very small, being not much more than half as large as the garrison in the town. Taylor made a bold attack and entered the city. The American troops made their way to the central square by going through the walls from one house to another. The city was captured and the garrison surrendered. Soon after this, Santa Anna attacked Taylor at Buena Vista with an army of twenty thousand men. Taylor had only 5,400 men. The battle began on the twenty-second of February, 1847, but very little fighting was done that day. After a few cannon shots had been fired on both sides, Santa Anna sent a messenger to General Taylor, asking him to surrender at once. In this message he told how large the Mexican army was and said that a battle would only cause a useless spilling of blood. " General Taylor never surrenders," was the brief but firm reply. Next day the battle was fought in earnest. It began early in the morning and lasted till night. Several times during the day it seemed that the Americans would be defeated, but when 222 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. night put an end to the contest, they had won a great victory. Once when it looked as if the day was going against the Ameri- cans, General Taylor rode up to Captain Bragg, who commanded some of the artillery, and said, " Give them a little more grape, Captain Bragg." The enemy could not stand the terrible fire that then poured forth from Bragg's cannon. They fell back, and during the night Santa Anna retreated. General Taylor was often in the thickest of the fight, and he had two bullets pass through his clothes. Seated on his white horse, he rode about from place to place directing the movements of his troops. Some one told him that he ought not to ride so conspicuous a horse, as the enemy might single him out and direct their shots against him. He replied that " Old Whitey " had missed the fun at Monterey, and he was deter- mined that he should now enjoy it. About three or four o'clock in the afternoon he rode to a height where he could see the move- ments of both armies. Some of his staff came up and insisted on his going away from such a dangerous place, but he refused to move. For some time he sat quietly on his horse with his right leg over the pommel of the saddle. When he saw the en- emy retreating, he was no longer calm and quiet; but was so excited that he wept for joy, and " fairly danced in his stir- rups." This victory made " Old Rough and Ready," as he was called, a great hero in the eyes of the people. In the spring of [847, General Win field Scott led an expedi- tion into Mexico. He landed at Vera Cruz and marched to the City of Mexico, gaining victories on the way. In the fall of 1847, tne Mexican capital fell into the hands of the Americans, and the war was over, though the treaty of peace was not signed until February, 1848. By the terms of the treaty, Mexico gave up her claim to Texas, and in addition ceded to the United States a great area of land north and west of Texas, from which have been formed the ZACHARY TAYLOR. 223 states of California, Nevada, Utah and the territories of New Mexico and Arizona. For this vast territory the United States paid Mexico fifteen million dollars. THE UNITED STATES IN 1846 AND 1S4S. The battle of Buena Vista made General Taylor the most popular man in the United States, and in 1848 he was elected President. He lived only sixteen months after his inaugura- 224 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. tion and died July 9, 1850. Vice-President Millard Fillmore succeeded him. General Taylor bad sought honestly and faith- fully to perform his duty as President. His last words were, " I have tried to do my duty. I am not afraid to die." He owned a fine estate in Louisiana near Baton Rouge, and he had longed to devote his whole time to farming, as Wash- ington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe had done at the close of their public services; but the United States so often needed Tavlor's services that his wish was never gratified. His re- mains were interred in the family burying ground near Louis- ville, Ky. Geography Study. Map of the United States and Mexico. What states are north of Kentucky? Find Okeechobee Swamp (Fla.) ; the Rio Grande and Nueces River (Tex.) ; Monterey, Buena Vista, Vera Cruz and City of Mexico (Mexico). Locate California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. How far is it from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico? Review Questions. What was the condition of Kentucky at the close of the Revolution? Tell of some of Taylor's experiences as a boy in Kentucky. Why do you think that he was a very strong boy?. What offices did he hold in the army of the United States? Tell of his defense of Fort Harrison. Describe the battle of Okeechobee Swamp. What were the causes of the war with Mexico? Tell of the capture of Monterey. Describe the battle of Buena Vista. How did the war end? What were the terms of the treaty? How did the American people honor Taylor? Tell of his death. What had been his desire? Clay's Early Exercise in Oratory. CHAPTER XXVIII. Henry Clay. 1777-1852. Henry Clay was born in Hanover County, Virginia, April 12, 1777. The part of the country in which the first years of his life were spent was a swampy region known as " The Slashes." His father, a Baptist preacher, died before his distinguished son had reached the age of five years. His mother, however, was very anxious that her son should advance in the world, and de- termined to give him all the education that she could. He was sent to a neighborhood school taught by an Englishman named Deacon, and kept in a log cabin with a dirt floor. Like the other boys in the community, young Clay had home duties to perform while he was going to school. He frequently went to mill on horseback to get flour and meal for the use of his mother's family. For this reason in after years, when he had become famous, people spoke of him as " the mill boy of the Slashes." When he was fourteen years old, Henry Clay became a sales- man in a store in Richmond. He attended to his business well, and spent much of his spare time in reading. A year later he was made assistant to the clerk of the Virginia High Court of Chancery, which sat in Richmond. When he began work at his new place, the other clerks were inclined to laugh at him. 226 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. He was tall and awkward, and wore a suit of home-made clothes " resembling in color a mixture of pepper and salt." But no- body laughs long at a good-natured boy, if he shows independ- ence of spirit. Henry Clay was both amiable and independent, and as he possessed many other manly traits of character, he soon became popular with his associates. The habit of reading dur- ing his leisure hours was kept up here, just as it had been when he was working in the store. At this time, the Judge of the High Court of Chancery, who was called Chancellor, was George Wythe, an eminent lawyer and a great and good man. He needed some one to write up his decisions for him and asked the chief clerk to allow Henry Clay to do it. Accordingly, for the next four years the young assistant had the advantage of associating with one of the most learned men in Virginia. Chancellor Wythe took great inter- est in him, and advised him as to what books he should read and study. After serving as a clerk for four years, Henry Clay studied law for one year in the office of Mr. Brooke, the attorney-general of Virginia, at the end of which time he was given a license to practice law. In 1797, in the twenty-first year of his age, he left Virginia to go to Lexington, Kentucky. He continued his law studies a few months in Lexington before applying for admission to the Kentucky bar. Up to this time, the only practice that Henry Clay had had in public speaking, was as a member of a debating society which he had organized while living in Richmond. But he had often recited pieces in the fields and forests where there were no hearers to embarrass him. In speaking of the value of this train- ing he afterwards said, " I owe my success in life to a single fact, namely, that at an early age I commenced, and continued for some years, the practice of daily reading and speaking the contents of some historical or scientific book. These off-hand HENRY CLAY. 227 efforts were sometimes made in a corn-field ; at others in a forest ; and not unfrequently in some distant barn, with the horse and ox for my only auditors." His first attempt at public speaking before a Kentucky audi- ence was made in a debating club, to which he belonged while he was a law student in Lexington. When he first joined the society he was very bashful and it was some time before he had the courage to take part in the speaking. One evening, after the other debaters had finished, he was heard to say in an under- tone that the subject had not been thoroughly discussed. Some of the members then insisted on his getting up and speaking on the question. He rose to com- ply with their request, but was so excited that he addressed the audience as " gentlemen of the jury." His hearers showed that they were very much amused at his mistake, and this so increased his embarrassment that when he again tried to speak, he repeated the same words. However, after a while he overcame his fright and made a fine speech, one of the best, it is said, that he ever delivered. Clay soon after began the practice of law, and was very suc- cessful. In 1806 he was appointed to the United States Senate. From this time most of his life was spent in the service of his country. For many years he was a member of the House of Representatives and was its speaker for fourteen years, with the HF.XRY CLAY. 228 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. exception of two short intervals. When John Quincy Adams was president, Clay was secretary of state; after this he was four times a candidate for the presidency, but was never honored with an election to that high office. Of the twenty years from 1832 to 1852 he spent thirteen in the United States Senate, and there his influence was always used for the preser- vation of the Union. Clay, of course, could not please all the* people in his district while in Congress, and when he went back to them he often had to explain why he voted for certain measures. He once voted for a law fixing the salary of Congressmen at the small sum of fifteen hundred dollars a year. Many of the people of his district thought this too large a sum, and when he next became a candidate for Congress, some of them opposed his reelection because he had supported the measure. Among those who were outspoken in their disapproval of the Compensation Bill, as it was called, was an old hunter who had been an ardent admirer of Clay, but who now declared he was going to vote against him. Just before the election day, Clay met his old friend and tried to win back his support. In the conversation that ensued, the following dialogue took place: " Have you a good rifle, my friend?" asked Mr. Clay. The hunter answered, "Yes." "Did it ever flash?" "Once only." "What did you do with it, throw it away?" " No, I picked the flint, tried it again, and brought down the game." ■' Have I ever flashed but upon the Compensation Bill?" " No.'' ' Will you throw me away?" The hunter instantly replied, " No, no, I will pick the flint, and try again." Henry Clay was called the " Great Pacificator," because he did all he could to allay the strife that arose between the North and the South over the slavery question. The contest over slavery began in Congress in 1820 when Missouri asked to be admitted into the Union as a slave state. A majority of the HENRY CLAY. 229 Northern people were unwilling for Missouri to be a state except on condition that slavery be forbidden within her limits. On the.other hand, the Southern people, as a rule, argued that Con- gress did not have the authority to say whether Missouri should or should not have slaves when she became a state, but that From a painting by AY CLAY MAKING HIS PLEA FOR COMPROMISE. only the Missourians themselves had the right to settle that question. This dispute was causing much bad feeling between the two sections of the country, when a compromise bill, which was strongly advocated by Clay, passed Congress and for a while quieted the country. This law provided that Missouri should become a state without giving up her slaves, but that slavery 230 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. should not be allowed anywhere else west of the Mississippi River and north of latitude 36 and 30', which is the southern boundary of Missouri. This was the " Missouri Compromise^." But the slavery dispute was by no means finally settled by the Missouri Compromise. It arose from time to time until the great war between the states put an end to it. When the United States went to war with Mexico, the North- ern states opposed the war because they thought that hew terri- tory would be gained which might be made into slave states. An attempt was made in Congress to pass a law to prevent the admission of any more slave states into the Union ; and, though Congress refused to pass such an act, the Northern people were so set in their opposition to slavery, that no more slave states came into the Union after the admission of Texas. Just one year after the treaty of peace had been signed with Mexico, whereby the United States gained so much territory, a man named Marshall was building a dam across a small river in California. He saw in the bottom of the stream a yellow shin- ing substance. He took some of it and beat it out, and saw that it was metal. He then found that it would melt. He poured acid on it, but it would not dissolve. Then he knew that it was gold. The news spread rapidly; thousands of emigrants rushed for California, which in a short time had a population large enough to become a state. When California applied in 1850 for admission as a state without slavery, a violent dispute arose in Congress over the slavery question. Those who favored slavery said that, as apart of California is south of the line that runs through the southern boundary of Missouri (36 30'), to admit her as a free state would be to do away with the Missouri Compromise. Those who were opposed to slavery were equally anxious for the admission of Cali- fornia with her anti-slavery constitution, and at one time it al- most seemed that the strife would break up the Union. Henry HENRY CLAY. 2 3 T Clay was in the Senate at the time and, though an old man, he made one more attempt to keep peace between the opposing parties He offered, as a compromise, a bill having some pro- visions to suit the North and some to suit the South. This was known as the " Omnibus Bill." _ After some months of violent debate, the propositions of this bill were agreed to by Congress, but not until some important chan-es had been made in the resolutions first offered by Clay. The Taw, as finally adopted, provided that California should be admitted as a free state; that the buying and selling of slaves should not be allowed in the District of Columbia; that Utah and New Mexico should be formed into territories without nam- ing any conditions regarding slavery, and that the free states should return runaway slaves to their masters in the slave states. The passage of this measure somewhat quieted the slavery dispute for the time being, but the North refused to return the runaway slaves. This action of the North angered the South, and had much to do with bringing on secession. Clay lived only two years longer. He died in Washington, Tune -g 1852. His remains were carried to Lexington Kentucky, for burial. Probably no one since the days of Washington had been more beloved by the American people than the Great Pacificator, and on the morning of the funeral the streets of Lexington were thronged with mourners from all parts of the country. The crowd that was present on that occasion was estimated at nearly one hundred thousand Henry Clay had a very pleasing manner which won for him many friends. One of his political enemies, who sincerely de- sired to hate Clay, once refused to be introduced to him, because he feared that an acquaintance with the great statesman would change his hatred into admiration. Clay used his great powers of oratory, and his ability as a statesman for the advancement of his country's welfare. He 232 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. had the courage to advocate measures that he thought were right even if he knew that by so doing he would cause his popularity to suffer. Once, when he was strongly urging a compromise on the slavery dispute, one of his friends told him that, if he kept pur- suing the compromise policy, he would become unpopular with his party and thereby lose his chances for the presidency. To this he replied, 44 I had rather be right than President." Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Missouri, California, New Mexico and Utah. Locate Lexington (Ky.) and Rich- mond (Va.). Trace the parallel of latitude 36° 30'. What is the capital of California? What mountains are in California? Review Questions. Tell where Clay was born and give an account of his early life. What work did he have when he lived in Richmond? What profession did he follow in Kentucky? Tell a story which shows Clay's bashfulness. Tell about Clay in public life. Give the conversation between Clay and an old hunter. Tell of the Missouri Compromise. Which was the last slave state admitted? What stand did the North take about admitting slave states? Tell of the finding of gold in California. Tell of the Omnibus Bill of 1850. Tell of the death and burial of Clay. What kind of man was he? Daniel Webster at School CHAPTER XXIX, Daniel Webster, 1782-1852. When Henry Clay was reading law in Richmond, Virginia, preparatory to entering upon his profession, Daniel Webster, a weakly boy, about fourteen years old, was pursuing his studies in Phillips Academy in New Hampshire. As Clay was at first too bashful to take an active part in the debating society to which he belonged, so Webster was too timid to recite before the school the pieces that he had memorized. Daniel Webster was born at Salisbury, New Hampshire, January iS, 1782. His birthplace was a farm house, one story high, with a large chimney in the center. The scenery about this New England home was pleasing to the eye. A beautiful stream ran in front of the house, and the lofty Kearsarge Moun- tain was not far distant. Daniel Webster's first teacher was his mother, who taught him how to spell af a very early age. In after years, he said that he could not remember the time when he could not read the Bible. His father, Colonel Webster, often read aloud to his children, and Daniel learned a great deal from listening to him. He also read many books for himself. These were obtained from his father's collection and the village library. 234 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Near his home there was a deep, densely wooded dell, through which flowed a swift stream. Here his father had a sawmill and young Webster sometimes had to assist in the work at the mill. One of his duties was to watch the saw until it had gone through the log and then to re-adjust it. To saw off one plank gener- ally took about fifteen minutes, during which time he was at leisure. This time of waiting he spent in reading, and in this way he gained an acquaintance with some of the world's best authors. When a boy, Webster's health was not good, and his parents thought that he would not be able to earn a living by working on a farm. For this reason and also because he had already shown unusual ability as a student, it was decided that he should be educated as a teacher. Phillips Academy, in Exeter, New Hampshire, was then, as now, one of the best academies in New England; so to this school Colonel Webster determined to send his son. Accord- ingly, one May morning (1796) young Webster left home for the academy accompanied by his father. They went on horseback and reached Exeter at the end of a three days' journey. When he entered the academy, he was put at the foot of the class. His low class-standing, together with his awkward, country-like manners, caused the boys to laugh at him. Such treatment made him unhappy at first, but one of the teachers told him not to mind it and that the boys would not keep up DANIEL WEBSTER. DANIEL WEBSTER. 2 35 their ridicule long. After he had been at school one quarter, the assistant tutor called up the class one morning, having the students take their usual positions. He then went to the foot and marched Webster to the head of the class, saying, " There, sir, that is your proper place." Colonel Webster decided that, as his son had been so success- ful at the academy, he would give him a college education. At that time it was considered an even greater privilege than it is now to be able to attend college, and when Colonel Webster made known his intention to his son one day, while they were riding together in a sleigh, Daniel was overcome with the feel- ing of gratitude and could say nothing, but only laid his head on his father's shoulder and wept. Webster entered Dartmouth College in 1797, at the age of fifteen On graduating, he read law in the office of a Mr. Thompson, who lived near Colonel Webster's home. Webster afterwards went to Boston to pursue his legal studies further under the direction of the Hon. Christopher Gore, with whom he studied for one year. He was then admitted to the bar. About this time, the clerkship of one of the county courts of New Hampshire was offered to him. His father was judge of this court, and was very anxious for his son to accept the place It paid fifteen hundred dollars a year, which was, for that time, a high salary. The young lawyer advised with Mr. Gore who told him not to accept the position, but to continue the study of the law. Mr. Gore told him that if he were to ac- cept the office he would very probably be a clerk all his life. Webster thought that his talent would insure him a higher po- sition than that of recording the acts of other men, so he refused the clerkship. . He started out in his profession as a country lawyer in JNew Hampshire, and in a short while became a member of Congress. After some years he moved to Massachusetts, and that state be- 2^5 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY came his permanent home. For a while he devoted his time to the practice of his profession, but soon his adopted state called upon him to represent her in Congress. He was first a member of the House of Representatives, and afterwards was United States Senator. He was secretary of state during a part of the Harrison-Tyler administration, and also held the same office under President Fillmore. While he was secretary of state he negotiated with Lord Ashburton, the English representative, a treaty, known as the Ashburton Treaty, which settled the boundary line between the English dominions in 7 \ /n — t — N T CESSION. ce I'll 111! America and the United States from Maine to the Rocky Mountains. This was a very important treaty be- cause many had feared that the United States and Eng- land would go to war on account of the dispute con- the dividing line between the two countries. The boundary from the Rock)' Mountains to the Pacific Ocean was left unsettled, but it was understood that those who would first occupy the so-called Oregon Country, lying to the west of the Rocky Mountains, and extending along the Pacific Ocean from the 43d parallel of latitude to the southern limit of Alaska (latitude 54 40'), would be entitled to the territory. Four years later another treaty was made with England by which the Oregon Country was cut in two by the 49th parallel of latitude, and the United States were given the southern part. From this territory have been formed the states of Oregon, Idaho and Washington. The northern part, now known as British Columbia, was given to England. The story goes that Webster, in negotiating with Lord Ash- DANIEL WEBSTER. 237 burton, was about to give to England all of the territory west of the Rocky Mountains north of latitude 42 , and that he was pre- vented from doing so by a report which was given of that great country by the Rev. Dr. Marcus Whitman. Marcus Whitman, who was a native of New York, had been sent by the Presby- terian Church as a missionary to the Indians west of the Rocky Mountains. Whitman saw what a fine country Oregon was, and that the English were trying to get it. To prevent this, he rode all the way from Oregon to Washington City. This is one of the famous rides in history, and is called the " Ride for Ore- gon," as it was made to save Oregon from the English. In his trip from Oregon Whitman suffered intensely, sometimes being almost frozen to death and at others nearly starved; but he pushed on and finally reached Washington City. He told Pres- ident Tyler and Secretary Webster of the resources of the Ore- gon Country. To make sure that the English would not secure it, he persuaded settlers to go from the East to Oregon, and thus the section was saved for the United States. After Webster had made the treaty with the English, he re- signed the office of secretary of state, and returned to the Sen- ate. He was one of the greatest orators and debaters in that body. He advocated a strong Union, and was always opposed to states-rights. Probably the greatest speech he ever made was delivered in the Senate in reply to the South Carolina Senator, Robert Y. Hayne, who had ably contended before the Senate that a state had the right to prevent the enforcement within its borders of any law passed by Congress if it thought that Congress had no right to make such a law. This was known as the doctrine of nullification. Webster contended that the states had no such powers, and replied to Colonel Hayne, setting forth his views concerning the nature of the Union. It was known be- forehand on what day he would speak, and, when the time 238 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. came, the "galleries, floors and even the stairways" of the Senate Chamber were crowded with people. ' The House of Representatives was deserted," the members absenting them- selves to hear Webster. The floor of the Senate Chamber was so crowded that no one could push his way out after getting inside. The speech was worthy the man and the occasion, and was even better than the eager crowd had expected. Webster not only claimed that a state could not nullify a law, but that the Union could not be broken up. That evening a reception was given by the President at the White House. Both Hayne and Webster were pres- ent, and each was surrounded by his friends and admirers. After talking to those about him for a while, Hayne went over to the opposite side of the room to congratulate his opponent on senator hayne ^ ls ^ ne s P eecn - When Webster saw him co-ming, he advanced to meet him, gave him his hand, and said, " How are you, Colonel Hayne?" The latter replied, " None the better for you, Sir." When Clay introduced his Omnibus Bill in 1850, Webster approved of it, and his last great speech in Congress was made in favor of Clay's measure. When he rose, the galleries and lobbies of the Senate were hushed in deep silence. After a strong and able plea, he concluded: " My object is peace, my object is conciliation; my purpose is not to make up a case for the North, or to make up a case for the South. My object is not to continue useless and irritating controversies. I am against agitations, North and South ; I am against local ideas, North and South, and against all narrow and local contests. I am an American and I know no locality in America. This is my DANIEL WEBSTER. 239 country. My heart, my sentiments, my judgment demand of me that I shall ever pursue such a course as shall promote the good and the harmony and the union of the whole country. This I shall do, God willing, to the end of the chapter." This was Webster's last great speech. Shortly after this he resigned his seat in the Senate to become secretary of state under President Fillmore. Two years later he died, greatly mourned throughout the Union. Webster was a great statesman. He loved the Union, and wanted to preserve it, but he always feared that the slavery ques- tion would lead to secession and to war. He was an honest and plain man. His unassuming way of living is well shown by a story that is told of him. He was fond of hunting, and was a fine marks- man. When dressed for a hunting excursion, he looked no more like a statesman than did his fellow-sportsmen. He and his man were once out in search of game near his home when they met some nicely dressed young Bostonians, who were also hunting. These young men were anxious to get over a swamp without wading through it; and thinking that Webster was a plain countryman, these " Boston snobs" asked him to carry them across the marsh. He agreed to do so, and accepted a quarter from each of them for his services. They then inquired as to whether '* Old man Webster" was at home, saying that they might want to dine with him if he were. Webster then made himself known to them and asked them home with him to dinner; but it is needless to say that they declined the invitation. Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Xew Hampshire, Oregon, Idaho and Washington (State). Trace the boundary line between British America and the United States. What states border on it? How far is it from Oregon to Washington City? Review Questions. Tell of Webster's birthplace; of his early 240 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY education and his work at a sawmill. Tell of his course at Phillips Academy. How did he receive the news that he was to be sent to college? Tell of his studying law and the declining of the clerkship. How did he succeed in New Hampshire? What state became his perma- nent home? What positions of honor did he hold? Tell of the Ash- burton Treaty. Tell the story of Marcus Whitman and the saving of Oregon. Tell of the Webster and Hayne debate in Congress. What stand did Webster take on the Omnibus Bill? Give the closing words of his speech in the Senate. What kind of man was Webster? Tell the story of the young Boston hunters. •^."■ l » c -- ,^>- '"' :■•■ It Webster's " S t u d j. . CHAPTER XXX. John C. Calhoun. Calhoun Studying La\ 1782-1850. John Caldwell Calhoun was born in the Abbeville Dis- trict, South Carolina, March 18, 1782. His father, Patrick Cal- houn, was a native of Ireland, and was brought to this country by his parents when a mere child. Patrick Calhoun was a man of strong mind and great courage, and possessed to a marked degree that firmness of character for which his son John was so distinguished. That part of South Carolina in which the Calhoun family lived had no schools except the old field schools; so the youth of that section had poor opportunities for getting an education. John Calhoun received little school training until he was about thirteen years old, at which time he went to Columbia County, Georgia, to attend an academy conducted by his brother-in-law, Mr. Waddell, a Presbyterian minister. He now began the study of the higher branches, but, in a short while, the academy was closed and he had to give up his studies. He continued to live with Mr. Waddell for a few months, during which time he had little companionship, as his brother-in-law was frequently away from home. He spent his leisure hours in reading such books as he found in the small circulating library of which Mr. Wad- 242 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. * dell was librarian. He read so much that he injured his health and his mother sent for him to come home. His father had died a short while before this, and John as- sumed the management of the farm. He found time for hunt- ing, fishing and other amusements, and his health was soon re- stored. At the end of four years he had become fond of farm- ing and thought of making it his life-work. But his brother James had planned differently for him, and insisted that John should leave the farm and prepare himself for a profession. Cal- houn said that he was not willing to take up a profession unless he could go to school long enough to qualify himself properly for it. It was better, he contended, "to be a farmer, than a half-informed lawyer or physician." However, arrangements were made for him to go to school, and when he was about eigh- teen years old, he resumed his studies in the Georgia Academy, which had re-opened in the meantime. After studying here for two years, he entered Yale College and graduated at the end of his second session. Dr. Dvvight was then president of Yale, and he and young Calhoun would sometimes get into discussions during class hours. Calhoun's views on the powers of the United States government were dif- ferent from those held by Dr. Dwight, and he was not afraid to express them openly. On one occasion Dr. Dwight questioned him as to his views on a certain point in politics. Calhoun stated his opinion freely, and argued his side so well that he made a fine impression on Dr. Dwight, who told some of his friends that the young man had enough ability to become Pres- ident of the United States. After graduating from Yale, Calhoun devoted the next three years to the study of law and to general reading. During about half of this time he resided at Litchfield, Connecticut, where there was a celebrated law school. He then studied for some time in the orifices of two prominent lawyers of Charleston, JOHN C. CALHOUN. 243 South Carolina, in order to qualify himself for practice in his own state, after which he was admitted to the bar, and soon took high rank in his profession. It was not long, however, before he entered public life. After he had been in the legislature of South Carolina for two terms, he was elected in 181 1 a member of the United States House of Representatives. In a few years he was one of the greatest speakers and statesmen of that body of distinguished men. After serving six years in the House of Representatives, he was offered the place of sec- retary of war by President Mon- roe. His friends advised him not to accept it, fearing that he would not be so successful a cabinet officer as he had been a congressman. But he thought differently, and therefore ac- cepted the offer. He introduced system into the management of the department, and was one of the best secretaries of war that we have ever had. After this he was twice vice-president of the United States, once under John Quincy Adams, and once under Andrew Jackson. He was secretary of state during' a part of Tyler's administration, and was for many years a member of the United States Senate. Calhoun was a man who usually thought that his opinions were correct, and he generally held to them regardless of oppo- sition. But when he found that he was wrong, he did not hesi- tate to change his position. For example, in the beginning of JOHN 244 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. his career, he held views on the tariff question different from those of his later life. As you may know, a tariff is a tax, or duty, laid on goods brought into the United States from foreign countries. The money that is raised by this tax goes into the United States treasury. The importer, who pays this tax, of course, adds to the price of his commodities when he sells them to the consumer. This raising of the price of the goods benefits or protects the American manufacturer of the same kind of products, because he also can sell what he manufactures at a higher price than he could if there were no tariff. When a duty is laid on imported articles merely to raise money for the gov- ernment, it is called a tariff for revenue; but when it is im- posed in order to protect the manufacturer, it is called a protect- ive tariff. Now, Calhoun first believed that we should have a moderate tariff on articles imported from other countries, because he thought that our manufacturing industries, which were just starting up, needed some protection. But later, after he had given the subject more study, he came to the firm belief that the United States government did not have the power under the Constitution to tax imports for the sake of protection. In 1828 a very high tariff law was passed by Congress. At that time, American manufacturing was carried on chiefly in the North, while in the South the main occupation was farming. A high tariff law, as you may readily see, would make manufactured goods high, and would thereby benefit, or protect, the Northern manufacturer. On the other hand, the Southern farmer would have to pay a higher price for these articles when he bought them, and so it would work an injury to him. Consequently, the South was very much opposed to this law, which was termed the " Bill of Abominations." In South Carolina great complaint was made against the pro- tective tariff, but no action was taken against it until four years JOHN C. CALHOUN. 245 later. In 1832 Congress passed another law, worse, in the eyes of the Southerners, than the one passed in 1828, and South Carolina called a convention of the people to consider the act. This convention declared that the law was " null and void," so far as South Carolina was concerned, and that it should not be carried out within the limits of that state. South Carolina also threatened to withdraw from the Union if the Federal govern- ment should try to enforce the law within the commonwealth. This is known as the Nullification Ordinance. Calhoun was a great believer in the doctrine of nullification, and he was probably more responsible than any one else for South Carolina's action. It was by his advice that the ordi- nance was passed. As soon as the Nullification Ordinance was adopted by South Carolina's Convention, the whole country be- came greatly excited. At one time it looked as if there would be civil war, because President Jackson was firm in his deter- mination that the tariff law should be enforced in all the states, and Congress empowered him to use United States troops in compelling the obedience of South Carolina. Calhoun was Vice-President, but he at once resigned and was elected by his state a member of the United States Senate, so that he might defend South Carolina in her opposition to the tariff measure. In the meantime, however, the tariff had been lowered by another law which had been passed by Congress. This law was more acceptable to the South, and South Carolina repealed her Ordinance of Nullification. Calhoun believed in the doctrine of peaceable secession, that is, that any state had the right to secede, or withdraw from the Union, whenever the Federal government deprived her of her rights, and that the United States had no right to force a seced- ing state back into the Union. He also believed that it was best for the negroes to remain slaves, and that to free them would bring calamity upon both the whites and the blacks. 246 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Ill his last speech, which was read before the Senate in March, 1850, Calhoun strongly opposed the admission of California into the Union as a free state. He was in very feeble health at that time, and was not able to deliver his speech before the Senate, but had it read by Senator Mason of Virginia. His health con- tinued to grow worse, and on the thirty-first of March his end came. From Washington his remains were taken to South Carolina for burial. Eulogies on his character were pronounced in the United States Senate, and Daniel Webster, his chief po- litical opponent, was especially loud in his praises of the great Southerner. Calhoun was noted for his promptness, decision and inde- pendence of character. He had strong convictions and was unselfishly patriotic. Webster said: " He [Calhoun] had the indisputable basis of all high character — unspotted integrity and honor unimpeached. Nothing groveling, low, or meanly sel- fish came near his head or heart." Geography Study. Map of the United States. Locate South Carolina, Georgia and Connecticut. How would you travel from Charleston, S. C, to New Haven, Conn. ? How would you travel by water from California to Washington, D. C? Review Questions. Tell of Calhoun's early life and education. Tell what Dr. Dwight said of him. Where did he begin the practice of law? What positions of honor did he hold? What is meant by a pro- tective tariff? What was Calhoun's position on the tariff? What was the "Bill of Abominations"? Tell of South Carolina's nullification. What was Jackson's position? What did Calhoun believe about secession? What stand did Calhoun take with reference to the admission of California? Tell of his death and Webster's eulogy of him. McCormick Working in the Blacksmith Shop. CHAPTER XXXI. Morse and McCormick 1791-1872. 1809-1684. In some respects the two greatest inventions of the nine- teenth century were the electro-magnetic telegraph and the reaper. The electric telegraph was invented by Samuel Finley Breese Morse and the reaper by Cyrus Hall McCormick. Morse was born at Charlestown, in Massachusetts, and was the son of a New England minister. At four years of age he was sent to school to an old lady, who, being crippled, was unable to leave her chair, but managed the boys with a long rattan which reached across the small schoolroom. One of her punishments was to pin a bad boy to her dress. While undergoing this pun- ishment, Morse usually amused himself by drawing pictures of the old lady's face. Though a boy not five years of age, he drew wonderfully well. He afterwards attended Phillips Acad- emy in New Hampshire, and then entered Yale College, where he showed a decided taste for the study of electricity, and re- ceived much attention from President Dwight. On leaving college, Morse decided to devote his life to 248 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. drawing and painting. He went abroad and met in London the great artist, West, who had befriended Fulton, the inventor of the first successful steamboat. He distinguished himself as a student and won several prizes from the Royal Academy. On returning to America, he traveled about the country painting portraits. At first he received fifteen dollars for each portrait that he painted, but as his reputation grew, he increased the price to sixty dollars. In a short while he was elected pro- fessor of the literature of the arts of design in the University of the State of New York, and he made a second trip to Europe for further study. As he was returning to America the pas- sengers on board the ship were discussing a recent discovery in France of the means of obtaining an electric spark from a mag- net. For some time Morse had been thinking about electricity, but it was on this trip that he first conceived the idea of in- venting a successful system of telegraphy. Several scientists had made experiments, but without success. As Morse sat upon the deck of the ship one night after din- ner, he drew from his pocket a small book and began to make marks to represent letters and figures to be produced by elec- tricity at a distance. In after years he developed these marks into the telegraph alphabet which is now in use. He showed his plan to one of the passengers, William C. Rives, of Virginia, who was then returning from Paris where he had been minister of the United States. Rives suggested various difficulties and the possibility that the electric current would not travel far enough to be applied to telegraphy. Morse said that, if it could be made to pass through a magnetic coil, he could make it pass miles, and he concluded by saying, "If it will go ten miles with- out stopping, I can make it go around the globe." For six years Morse worked on his scheme, and finally, in 1838, after various experiments, he had constructed an instrument for recording and receiving the dots and dashes which in various MORSE AND MCCORMICK. 2 49 combinations made the letters of the telegraph alphabet. By this means he could send a message. He at once went to Washington and asked Congress to give money for a telegraph line between Washington and Baltimore, but the politicians would not listen to the proposal, thinking that it was only the scheme of a " visionary." He even applied to the monarchs of Europe for assistance, but with the same ill-success. In 1843, on tne twenty-first of February, through the in- fluence of John P. Kennedy of Mary- land, a bill giving thirty thousand dollars for the building of a telegraph line between Washington and Bal- timore was proposed in the House of Representatives. The bill passed the House by the close vote of 89 to 83, and then went to the Senate for con- sideration. At twelve o'clock at night, on March the third, Congress would adjourn. Late that afternoon there were one hundred and nineteen bills on the Senate list ahead of Morse's bill. It seemed impossible for it to be reached that night before the hour of adjournment. Morse waited a longtime in a lobby adjoining the Senate Chamber, hoping that his bill might be brought up, but finally he left with a sad heart, on being told by one of the Senators that it would be impossible to get the bill through that night. The next morning as he came down to his breakfast at the hotel, sad and disappointed, he was greeted by a young lady with a smiling countenance who said, " I have come to congratulate you." ' Upon what?" asked Professor Morse. " Upon the passage of your bill," she replied. " My fate was sealed last evening. You must be mistaken." " Not at all," S. F. B. MORSE. 2 50 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. answered the young lady; " father sent me to tell you that your bill was passed. He remained till the session closed and it passed just five minutes before the adjournment. I am so glad to be the first one to tell you." The young lady was Miss Ellsworth, the daughter of Mr. H. L. Ellsworth, the com- missioner of patents, who was a great advocate of Morse's bill. Morse was delighted with the news and promised the young lady that the first message that was sent over the line should be dic- tated by her. The line was soon completed between Washington and Bal- timore, and on the twenty-fourth day of May, 1844, Miss Ells- worth sent the first message over the wire. She selected the familiar words from the Bible, " What hath God wrought!" A few days after this the Democratic Convention was in ses- sion in Baltimore. It nominated James K. Polk of Tennessee for President and Senator Silas Wright for Vice-President. The news was telegraphed to Washington and Senator Wright re- plied declining the nomination. In a few minutes after he had been nominated, it was announced to the convention in Balti- more that Senator Wright would not accept the nomination. The members of the convention did not believe it. They did not know what a telegraph line was, so they adjourned until next day, and sent a committee by train to Washington to see Senator Wright. When the convention re-assembled the next morn- ing, great was the surprise of the members to know that the news of the previous day was correct. This was a great adver- tisement for Morse's telegraph. In that convention were men from all parts of the United States and they went back to their homes talking about the wonderful invention, the electro-mag- netic telegraph. Morse lived nearly thirty years longer; and during this time, thousands of miles of telegraph wires were put up in this country and in Europe. Great cables were laid on the bottoms of the MORSE AND MCCORMICK. 2 5 I oceans, and to-day, in a few minutes, one may send a message to any part of the civilized world. In the United States we have a million miles of telegraph wire in use, and there are now in the world one hundred thousand miles of cable lines under the water. It is impossible to estimate the great value to man- kind of the invention of the telegraph. +J±~~Jt 99H G MACHINE At the time that Morse was working on the telegraph, our system of farming was very different from what it is to-day. Farmers made little use of machinery in cultivating their lands. Wheat was cut with hand cradles, and grass with the scythe. There were no good plows, harrows or rakes. McCormick's inven- tion of the reaper gave new life to agriculture. Out of the reaper have come our splendid mowing machines, self-binders and corn 252 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. harvesters, which save in labor for the farmers of our great coun- try more than one hundred million dollars annually. Cyrus Hall McCormick was born near Lexington, in Rock- bridge County, Virginia. He, like Fulton and Morse, was of Scotch-Irish descent. His father was Robert McCormick, who had invented a thresher, a hemp breaker, and had tried to make a reaper. But Robert McCormick's reaper had wooden cogs and would not work, so the honor of having invented the first reaper that was a real success is due to his son, Cyrus. Young McCormick had little ed- ucation. He went to an old field school in winter, and in summer and spring worked upon his father's farm. He first invented a plow and then an improved cradle for cutting wheat. On his father's farm was a black- smith's .shop and in this he worked earnestly whenever he had a chance. After months of labor he turned out, in 183 1 , the first reaper that worked well enough to cut a field of wheat. But he was not satisfied with it and he experimented for nine years longer before he made a ma- chine for sale. Then he began to manufacture reapers in Rockbridge County. The first shipment of reapers ever made to the West was in 1844. These reapers were hauled in wagons from Rockbridge County to Scottsville in Albemarle County, from which point they were sent down the canal along the James River to Rich- mond, thence by water to New Orleans and thence by the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Cincinnati. McCormick saw that he could make a great deal of money by manufacturing ,/ CYRUS H. MCCORMICK. MORSE AND MCCORMICK. 253 and selling reapers, as they were in great demand in the West, but he knew that he would have to be nearer to the pur- chasers. He therefore moved to Cincinnati, and thence to Chicago, where he established his factory in 1846. From that day to this, the great McCormick factory has been making reapers for the world. McCormick improved his reaper from time to time and there is a great difference between the mod- ern reaper and the one which McCormick first invented. The first real world's fair was held in London in 1851. America had a very poor exhibit, but it was redeemed by the McCormick reaper. The London Times, a great English paper, made all manner of fun of the reaper, saying that it was a cross between a circus chariot, a wheel barrow and a flying machine; but when McCormick took his machine and tried it in the field, it worked so beautifully that the very paper which had ridiculed it, confessed that it was worth to the farmers of Eng- land the whole cost of the World's Fair. At the Pan's Exposi- tion of 1867, McCormick was one of the exhibitors. He directed the work of his reapers at a field trial; and the Emperor Napo- leon III., who walked after them, was so delighted that he made McCormick a member of the Legion of Honor. Many other honors were won by McCormick at other expositions. Morse was an educator, being a professor in the University of New York. He had received a splendid college education at Yale. McCormick was a self-made man, but he was a great believer in education and encouraged it liberally. He gave large sums of money to Washington and Lee University, at Lexington, Va., and to other colleges in our country. He was a Christian gentleman and spent more than half a million dollars towards the establishment of the Presbyterian Theo- logical Seminary of the Northwest. He knew that only through Christianity and education can the young men of our country attain to the highest positions of usefulness. ^54 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Charles town (Mass.) and Lexington (Ya.). Locate Washington arid Baltimore. How- far is it from Washington to Baltimore? How would you go by water from Richmond (Va.) to Cincinnati (Ohio) ? Find Chicago. Review Questions. What are two of the great inventions of .the nineteenth century? Tell of the early life of Morse. What profession did he take up? How did he make a living? What professorship did he have? Tell of Morse's first ideas about telegraphy. How long did he work on his plan? Tell of the passage of a bill through Congress to put up a telegraph line. Who first informed him of its success? Tell of the first message. Tell the story about the Democratic Convention and Sen- ator Wright. How many miles of telegraph wires are there in the United States? How many miles of cable lines in the world? 'Fell of the state of farming years ago. What did Robert McCormick invent? Tell of Cyrus Hall McCormick and his reaper. How were the first reapers shipped to Ohio? Where is the McCormick factory? Tell of the London Times and its comments on the reaper. How did Napoleon III. honor McCormick? Why should America be proud of Morse and McCormick? What kind of man was McCormick? Davis Taking the Oath of Office. CHAPTER XXXII. Jefferson Davis, 1808-1889. Clay's Omnibus Bill of 1850 did not put an end to the strife over slavery, but only postponed for a short while " the in- evitable conflict." For some years there had been growing in the North a feeling in favor of setting the slaves free in all parts of the United States. This movement was headed by William Lloyd Garrison, who believed that slavery should be abolished by action of the Federal government in spite of the fact that Congress had always declared that it had no right to interfere with slavery in the states. Garrison and his followers organ- ized the Abolition Party, which grew in strength. The North- ern states not only refused to return the slaves who had run away from the South, but even passed laws known as the Per- sonal Liberty Acts, to prevent the capture of these slaves. These laws set aside the "fugitive" act that Congress had passed in 1850 providing that slaves should be returned. This refusal of the North to obey the laws of the United States angered the people of the South. In 1854 the territory west of Missouri and Iowa was organ- ized into two territories, one called Kansas, the other Ne- 56 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. braska. These territories lay north of 36 30', and, according to the Missouri Compromise, could not have slavery ; but the bill by which they were organized left it to the settlers of these territories to decide whether they would or would not have slaves. This created great excitement. The Southern people were pleased, but the Northern opponents of slavery were en- raged. A new party was then formed for the purpose of keeping all the territories as " free soil," and in a little while the " Free Soilers," as the members of this party were called, became known as Republicans. This was the origin of the Republican Party. Two years later a case came before the Supreme Court of the United States about a negro slave named Dred Scott. The judges decided that slaves were property, just as horses and mules, and that a Southern man could go with his slaves into any territory of the United States, and that Con- gress had no right to keep slavery out of a territory. This decision was entirely in favor of the South. A majority of the Northern people were unwilling to abide by it and went into the Republican Party, which in i860 nom- inated Lincoln for the presidency. He was elected with the understanding that Congress would prohibit slavery in the territories of the United States. Then it was that the Southern states began to withdraw from the Union. South Carolina was the first to secede and she was quickly followed by Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mis- sissippi, Louisiana and Texas. These states organized a new ALEXANDER II. STEPHENS. JEFFERSON DAVIS. 257 government called " The Confederate States of America." Jef- ferson Davis of Mississippi was elected President, and Alex- ander H. Stephens of Georgia was made Vice-President. In a short while the Confederates captured Fort Sumter, and Lincoln called for troops to put down what he called the " Rebellion " of the Southern states. So soon as Lincoln indicated that he was going to try to force back into the Union the seceding states, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, and Tennessee seceded from the Union, joined the Confederacy, and gave their support to President Davis. Jefferson Davis was born in Kentucky, June 3, 1808. PL's father was a Georgia planter who had served as an officer in the Revolutionary War. After that war, he settled in Kentucky, where he lived until shortly after the birth of Jefferson Davis, when he removed to Mississippi and made his home near Wood- ville in Wilkinson County. Jefferson Davis was sent at an early age to Transylvania University in Kentucky. He was a good student and made rapid progress. At the age of sixteen he entered the West Point Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1828; he was then appointed a lieutenant in the United States Cavalry stationed at Fort Crawford in the present State of Wisconsin. While serving in the United States Army, he took part in the Black Hawk War, in which Lincoln was also engaged. At the close of this Indian war, Davis left the army, married Miss Sarah Knox Taylor, daughter of Colonel Zachary Taylor, and became a cotton planter in Warren County, Mis- sissippi. Mrs. Davis lived only three years. In 1845 Davis was married the second time to Miss Varina Howell, of Natchez, Mississippi. Like all prominent Southern planters, Davis soon entered politics. He was a states-right candidate for the legislature and was defeated. In 1844 he was an elector on the Demo- cratic ticket headed by James K. Polk of Tennessee. In this 258 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. campaign lie spoke in all parts of Mississippi, and largely through his influence, Polk carried the state over Henry Clay, the Whig candidate. The following year, Davis was elected a member of the House of Representatives. Hardly had he entered Con- gress when the war with Mexico began. At once he resigned his seat in Congress, returned to Mississippi, and was chosen THE WHITE HOUSE OF THE CONFEDERACY. colonel of the regiment of Mississippians that went to the Mexican War. Davis was a good soldier and a brave man. At the battle of Monterey, he headed his regiment in a charge upon a strong stone building, La Taneria (the Tannery), which had been con- verted into a fort. The Mexicans were forced to surrender, and the officer in command delivered his sword to Colonel Davis. JEFFERSON DAVIS. 259 At the battle of Buena Vista, he was equally brave. In the very face of the Mexican army, he descended into a ravine to find a suitable place for the passage of his men. While in this ravine, he was fired upon by a whole Mexican squadron, but he escaped unhurt. With his regiment of Mississippians and a handful of Indiana volunteers, he made a bold attack, at double-quick time, on the enemy, who fled in confusion. Davis seized the strong position which they had occupied. Immediately he was at- tacked by a Mexican brigade, but he drew his troops up in a V shape and stood the charge with firmness. At the same time his men fired with deadly aim, and the enemy was forced to retreat. Davis was severely wounded in his foot, but he re- mained in his saddle until the close of the battle. General Tay- lor, in his official report of the battle, said of Davis: ** His dis- tinguished coolness and gallantry at the head of his regiment on this day entitle him to the particular notice of the government." At the close of the Mexican War Davis retired to his home in Mississippi, but it was not long before he was elected to the United States Senate. It was during this time that the Om- nibus Bill was introduced, and Davis, along with Calhoun, opposed it, because he believed that all the territories of the United States should be open to slavery. Soon after this he resigned from the Senate to become the candidate for governor in Mississippi. He was defeated by only one thousand ma- jority. Three years later he became secretary of war under Presi- dent Franklin Pierce. In this position he did great service to the United States. He introduced better guns into the army, improved the system of infantry tactics, and prepared better de- fenses of the sea-coast. He went from the cabinet of Pierce to the United States Senate on the fourth of March, 1857, where he remained until the twenty-fourth day of January, 1861, when, on being informed that the State of Mississippi had withdrawn 260 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. from the Union, he retired from the Senate. These four years when Davis was in the Senate were the trying period of the Union, and secession was being constantly discussed. When the Constitution was first formed, the states were thought to be the sovereigns, i. c, the United States government was the agent of the states, and therefore, if a state decided to leave the Union, it had the right to do so. As the years went by, many, especially the people of the North, be- gan to think that the Union could not be broken up. Even granting that a state might have a legal right to withdraw from the Union, they claimed that it did not have a moral right to break up a great country. Davis contended that a state was sovereign and that it had both a legal and a moral right to withdraw from the Union. The vast majority of Southern people believed as he did. He introduced into the Senate' in i860 seven resolutions which set forth the rights of the states. After a heated debate they passed the Senate. The resolutions declared that all the states were sovereign and equal, and that, as negro slaves were property, Congress had no right to interfere with this kind of property in the territories any more than with horses or cows. Believing in the sovereignty of the states, the Southern states seceded when JEFFERSON DAVIS. 26 1 Lincoln was elected with the distinct pledge to prohibit slavery in the territories. When Davis withdrew from the Senate, he defended the cause of the South and said, " I have for many years advocated as an essential attribute of state sovereignty the right of a state to secede from the Union. Secession is to be justified upon the basis that the states arc sovereign .... and may reclaim the grants .... made to any agent whomsoever. I carry with me no hostile remembrance." He thought that the South should be allowed to withdraw without war. As soon as he retired from the Senate and reached Mississippi, he was informed that he had been elected President of the Con- federate States. He at once set out to Montgomery, Alabama, to enter upon this responsible office (1861). On his journey he received a welcome from the people who came in great crowds to the* railroad stations to hear him speak. As President of the Confederate States of America, Davis was a conscientious, honest man. He did his duty as he saw it, without fear of man. He encouraged the soldiers and officers in the most trying moments, and to the very last was hopeful for the success of the Confederate cause. When Lee evacuated Richmond in 1865, Davis tried to make his escape to the South, hoping to cross the Mississippi and prob- ably to make his way to Mexico. After several days' travel hearing that robbers were pursuing his family, he turned back to protect them. In the neighborhood of Irvinville, Ga., he was surprised and captured. In writing of this, Davis said, " Late in the night my colored coachman aroused me with the intelligence that the camp was attacked, and I stepped out of the tent where my wife and chil- dren were sleeping and saw at once that the assailants were troop- ers deploying around the encampment. I so informed my wife, 262 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. who urged me to escape. After some hesitation, I consented, and a servant woman started with me carrying a bucket as if going to the spring for water. One of the surrounding troopers ordered me to halt and demanded my surrender. I advanced toward the trooper, throwing off a shawl which my wife had put around my shoulders. The trooper aimed his carbine, when my AVIS PLOT AT HOI.I.YWiiiili wife, who witnessed the act, rushed forward and threw her arms around me, thus defeating my intention, which was, if the trooper missed his aim, to try and unhorse him and escape with his horse." He then said to his wife, " God's will be done," and surrendered himself to the Union soldiers. He was taken as a prisoner to Fortress Monroe, where he was imprisoned for two years, a part of which time he was kept in JEFFERSON DAVIS. 263 irons and confined in an uncomfortable cell. The South has never forgotten the harsh treatment which Davis received while he was in prison. Later he was released on bail and was never brought to trial. After a trip to Europe, he returned to Missis- sippi and spent the remainder of his life at his home, ' ' Beauvoir. He never again had all the rights of a citizen of the United States, because he was never pardoned by the government, Con- gress having refused to remove his disabilities. He was really an exile in his own country. He died in New Orleans the sixth of December, 1889. The whole South went into mourning for him. In every Southern city bells were tolled in respect to his memory and flags were dropped at half-mast. His remains were interred in Metaire Cemetery, New Orleans, but were afterwards removed to Rich- mond, the capital of the Confederacy, and re-interred in Holly- wood Cemetery. " Jefferson Davis was, in many respects, one of the greatest men this republic has ever produced. He was able, bold, true, manly, and conscientious. . . . The Southern people loved him because he suffered for them. They are prepared to pro- tect and guard his memory from the fierce future winds of prej- udice." " Mr. Davis's life illustrated virtue, patriotism and courage in a degree rarely seen among men. He was greater in defeat and misfortune than in victory." Geography Study. Map of the Southern States. Bound Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. Locate Woodville (Miss.), Montgomery (Ala.), Richmond (Va.), and New Orleans (La.). How far is it from Richmond to New Orleans? Review Questions. Tell of Garrison and the Abolition Party. What created trouble when Kansas and Nebraska were organized as 264 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. territories? Tell of the Republican Party. Tell of secession and the Confederate States. Who was Davis's father? Tell of his early life and education. Tell of his soldier life. How did he distinguish himself in the war against Mexico? Tell what position of honor he held under the United States. What resolutions did he offer in the United States Senate? Did Davis believe in secession? What did he say when he withdrew from the Senate? Tell of his election as President of the Confederacy and his journey to Montgomery (Ala.). What kind of President was he? Tell of his capture and treatment by the United States. Tell of his death. What can be said of Davis as a man? CHAPTER XXXIII. Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865. Many of our great men were born and reared in the back- woods of the country. The free and independent life led by the pioneer settlers in a new community seems to favor the forma- tion of strength and nobility of character. Among the " forest- born " statesmen that have taken an important part in the af- fairs of our nation, Abraham Lincoln holds a foremost place. He was born February 12, 1809, in a cabin situated in a bleak, dreary region on Nolin Creek in Kentucky. His father, Thomas Lincoln, was a shiftless man with a roving disposition, and was always in needy circumstances. Abraham's mother, whose maiden name was Nancy Hanks, was of a melancholy disposition, and during the last years of her life she " habitually wore the woeful expression which afterwards distinguished the countenance of her son in repose." About seven years after the birth of Abraham, Thomas Lin- coln moved to Indiana. He settled in the midst of a great for- est on a fertile piece of land, in a section of country where only a few families lived. Here he built a rough log cabin, which had a dirt floor and no doors and windows. His family had to sit on three-legged stools instead of chairs. For a table they had a log made flat and smooth and supported by legs, on which their plain food was served in pewter and tin dishes. In 266 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. one corner of the room were some poles stuck between the logs of the wall and supported by forked posts driven into the ground, — this was the bedstead ; and some skins, leaves and old clothes were the bedding. The loft was Abraham's sleeping apartment, and the only way he could get to it was by climbing up " on pegs driven into holes in the wall." The Lincolns had not lived long in their new home before Abraham's mother died. Thomas Lincoln afterwards married, as his second wife, Sarah Johnston, a widow, who was a kind- hearted, industrious ^V«i,-£ THE HUT WHERE LINCOLN WAS BORN. woman and a good house- keeper. She took great interest in Thomas Lin- coln's children, and soon the cabin assumed an air of comfort. It was pro- vided with doors and win- dows, and a plank floor took the place of the earthen one. All of the children were very fond of Mrs. Lincoln, and espe- cially young Abraham. He was always willing to do her bid- ding, and never gave her a cross word. When a young boy, Lincoln did much of the work at home, and at times he was hired as a laborer to some of the neigh- bors, or earned a little money with his flat boat on the river. Therefore, he had little time to devote to study; but his step- mother had him attend several schools for a few months each year. One of the houses in which he was taught reading, writ- ing and arithmetic was a low cabin built of unhewn logs, with no windows except holes in the walls covered over with greased paper. But the future President, being used to few comforts at ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 26/ home, probably thought little of the poor accommodations of the schoolroom, and usually came to school with a smile on his face. He wore a cap made of the skin of an opossum, or a raccoon, and buckskin breeches, which lacked about twelve inches of reaching his shoe tops. Lincoln's last school was four and a half miles from his home and his attendance there was very irregular. In all, Lincoln never spent as much as twelve months in school. However, he did not lay aside his books when he left school. Whenever he could find time to do so, he would lie down in the shade of a tree or in the loft of his father's cabin and read and study. In this way, he read all the books that came within his reach. One night the rain beat in at a crack in the cabin and ruined a book that he had borrowed. The owner of the book made him pay for it with three days' hard work. When Lincoln was about twenty-one years old, his father and two of his neighbors moved to Illinois and settled about ten miles from Decatur. " The goods of the three families were loaded on a wagon," which was " drawn by four yoke of oxen." Lincoln drove the team and arrived at his new home after a jour- ney of fifteen days over rough roads and across swollen streams. A farm was cleared and he and his kinsman, John Hanks, hauled the rails with which to fence it. Shortly after this, Lincoln secured a position as clerk in a store in the village of New Salem in Illinois. His employer thought very highly of him, and he was much beloved by the whole community. His great popularity was due in a large measure to his reputation as a wrestler and to his extraordinary gift in the art of telling humorous stories. Lincoln could now read and write well, but did not know how to write and speak his own language correctly. He therefore decided to begin the study of English grammar as soon as he could get a book. There was not a grammar in New Salem, but the schoolmaster said he knew where one could be obtained six miles from the town. Hav- 268 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. ing secured a book, Lincoln devoted himself industriously to his new study. When he was not at work in the store, he would lie down on the counter and pore over his book. At night he studied in a cooper's shop, because he could keep a bright light there by burning the shavings. In 1832 Lincoln was captain of a volunteer company in the Black Hawk War. After re- turning from the war, he engaged in the mer- cantile business for one winter. He was after- wards postmaster of New Salem, and he also spent some time in surveying. In 1834 he was elected to the Illinois legislature, to which body he was elected four times in suc- cession. In the mean- time he had been ad- mitted to the bar after having studied law for several years. He now moved to Springfield and built up a large practice. Lincoln was a member of the United States House of Repre- sentatives for one term and was also twice' a candidate for the Senate; the last time he was defeated by Stephen A. Douglas. When a boy, Lincoln used to say that some day he expected YOUNG LINCOLN AT WORK ON THE RIVER. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 269 to be President of the United States, and on the fourth of March, 1 861, that dream of his life was realized. As you know, the slavery question had been the main issue between the two po- litical parties for some years. A party had been formed to pro- hibit slavery in the territories, and in a few years all who were opposed to the extension of slavery joined its ranks. The Repub- lican party was the name which this new political organization finally assumed, though it was at first known as the Free-Soil party. In 1856 it nominated for the presidency John C. Fremont, who, though defeated, was voted for by eleven Northern states. In May, i860, the Republican party met in national convention in Chicago and named Lincoln as its candidate for President, and he was elected. Soon after the election, the Southern states, led by South Carolina, began to leave the Union. Lincoln determined to force them back, but a long and bloody war was fought before he succeeded in his attempt. After the war had been going on about a year and a half, General Lee, who had lately won some great victories over the Northern forces, led his army across the Potomac with the in- tention of invading the North. On the seventeenth of Septem- ber, 1862, the battle of Sharpsburg or Antietam (Md.) was fought between him and McClellan. Neither side was victor- ious, but Lee led his army back into Virginia. As the North was relieved from the fear of invasion, Lincoln thought that he could safely issue his Emancipation Proclamation. Accordingly, on the twenty-second of September, 1862, Lincoln issued a proc- lamation declaring that 011 January 1, 1863, all the slaves in the seceded states should be free, and that the armies of the United States should enforce the order wherever it was in their power to do so. In those sections of the South which were occupied by the Northern armies, some of the slaves ran away from their own- ers, but the great majority of the negroes remained faithful to their masters until the close of the war. 270 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. President Lincoln did not, of course, have any authority under the Constitution of the United States to interfere with slavery in the states, but he thought that, if he could get the negroes to desert their masters, the Southern soldiers, having- no one at home to work for them, would soon have to leave the army and go back to cultivate their lands. In this way he be- lieved that his proclamation would aid in bringing the war to a speedy close. Besides, he thought that the President, as com- mander-in-chief of the army, could exercise powers in time of war, that he did not have at other times. But Lincoln's proc- lamation did not abolish slavery in the United States; so he urged Congress to take the proper steps to have the Constitu- tion changed so as to prohibit slavery throughout the entire country. On January I, 1865, Congress proposed an amend- ment to the Constitution which prohibited slavery forever in all the states and territories. On the eighteenth of December of the same year, it was declared that the necessary number of states had agreed to the amendment, and thus slavery was abol- ished in the United States. This was the Thirteenth Amend- ment. After this, two other amendments, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth, were adopted. The former gave to the negroes equal rights under the laws with the whites, and the latter conferred upon them the right to vote. The war being over, Lincoln was anxious to see the Southern states restored to their place in the Union as soon as possible. This re-forming of the Union by the re-admission of the South- ern states was called reconstruction. But unfortunately for the South, this work had to be done by other and less skilful hands. On the fourteenth of April, 1865, President Lincoln, accom- panied by his wife and Major Rathbone, was seated in a box in Ford's Theater in Washington witnessing a play. Wilkes Booth, an actor, came in by stealth and shot Lincoln and stabbed Major Rathbone. The President died next morning at seven o'clock. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 2/1 His remains were carried to Illinois and, on May 4th, were buried at Oak Ridge near Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln was not a happy man, and twice in his life he almost lost his mind. His face wore a sad expression almost constantly, although he had few equals in the art of amusing a crowd by tell- ing anecdotes. He was tall, muscular and homely; his com- plexion was swarthy and his skin shrivelled, even when a boy. THE NATIONAL CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON. He was kind and good-natured and enjoyed great popularity among the people who knew him well. Lincoln's plan of re-admitting the Southern states into the Union was a simple one. If in any state which had seceded, one-tenth of those who were voters in i860 would take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and would organize a proper state government, this government was then to be recognized by the President of the United States. Lincoln's 272 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. death occurred so soon after the close of the war that he had accomplished little towards the restoration of the Union. He was succeeded by Vice-President Johnson. Johnson's views on reconstruction were practically the same as those of Lincoln; but he did not have the influence over Congress that his great predecessor possessed, and that body refused to approve his measures. Ill-feeling arose between the President and Congress, and Johnson was finally impeached by Congress. He was tried before the Senate and would have been deprived of his office if one more vote had been cast against him. Congress declared that the conditions under which the Southern states could come back into the Union must be determined by its action and not by the President. By acts of Congress, 1867, all the South (except Tennessee, which had agreed to the Fourteenth Amendment and had been re-admitted) was divided into five military districts. A general was placed over each district with power to direct the govern- ment. Every office-holder had to take an oath that he had not willingly aided " the secession movement." This was called the " iron-clad oath." The best people of the South could not take this oath, and that left the offices to be filled mainly by the negroes and by white men who had lately come from the North for the sake of plunder. The latter were called " carpet-bag- gers " ; the Southern white people who took the* 'iron-clad oath " and helped the Northerners and negroes to trample upon the rights of their brethren were called " scalawags." For a while the governments of most of the Southern states were almost entirely in the hands of the negroes, carpet-baggers and scala- wags. They imposed high taxes upon the people and made large state debts. These plunderers took for their own use the greater part of the money that was raised in this way. This period of misrule lasted longer in some states than in others, but after General Grant became President in 1869, better ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 2/3 conditions came to prevail, and by January 30, 1 871 , all the Southern states had been re-admitted to representation in Con- gress. In a little while the carpet-baggers and negroes lost their control of the South, and the native Southerners have since governed themselves. Had Lincoln lived, the South would probably have escaped many of the trials and evils of reconstruction days. Geography Study. Map of the Middle West States. Locate Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. What river separates Kentucky from Indiana and Illinois ? Find New Salem and Springfield (111.)- Review Questions. Tell of Lincoln's early life in Kentucky, In- diana and Illinois. Describe his home. How did he study ? Tell how he made a living in Illinois. What positions of honor did he hold ? Tell about the Republican party. What was the Emancipation Proclamation ? What was the thirteenth Amendment ? What the fourteenth ? What the fifteenth ? Tell of Lincoln's death. What was his plan of reconstruc- tion ? Tell of President Johnson and Congress. What was the reconstruc- tion plan of Congress ? Tell of the reconstruction days in the South. Arlington, the Home of Lee. CHAPTER XXXIV. Robert E. Lee 1807-1870. THE war between the states was a terrible calamity to our country. When the Southern states seceded from the Union, they had hoped that the states in the North would allow them to depart in peace, but Lincoln and his party would not listen to any proposition which meant the dissolution of the Union. Several efforts were made to secure peace, but without avail. The Confederate authorities demanded of the United States government the surrender of Fort Sumter, which protected the harbor of Charleston. Lincoln refused to grant this demand; and when it was learned that he was sending troops to reinforce those in the fort, the Confederates under General Beauregard attacked Sumter and captured it. At once Lincoln called for troops to compel the seceding states to return to the Union. Thus began the war which lasted for four years — a war which produced some of the greatest gen- erals that the world has ever known. Among the best known generals on the Southern side were Joseph E. Johnston, who, during the early part of the war, was commander-in-chief of the Aimy of Northern Virginia; Albert Sidney Johnston, who fell at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, in Tennessee, bravely ROBERT E. LEE. 275 fighting against the Federals; Thomas J. (''Stonewall") Jack- son, the great cavalry leader who was killed at the battle of Chancellorsville, Va. ; the well known cavalry leaders, J. E. B. Stuart, N. B. Forrest and Fitzhugh Lee; E. Kirby Smith, who commanded the Confederates beyond the Mississippi; and James THE ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER. Longstreet, A. P. Hill and Leonidas Polk. But, all things con- sidered, Robert E. Lee was the greatest general. The chief generals on the Union side were William T. Sher- man, who took Atlanta, Ga., and marched to Savannah; George B. McClellan, who was defeated in a series of battles in the Virginia peninsula between the James and York Rivers; A. E. Burnside, who was defeated at Fredericksburg, Va. ; Joseph (" Fighting Joe") Hooker, who lost the battle of Chancellors- ville, Va. ; George C. Meade, who commanded the Union troops at the battle of Gettysburg, Pa. ; George H. Thomas, who de- 276 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. feated the Confederates at Chickamauga in Tennessee; and Admiral Farragut, who captured New Orleans, La., and opened the lower Mississippi to the Federal fleet. But the most suc- cessful of the Northern generals was U. S. Grant. Lee and Grant, therefore, are the two great names of the War of Secession. Robert Edward Lee was born at Stratford, in Westmore- land County, Virginia, on the nineteenth of January, 1807. His father was General Henry ("Light Horse Harry") Lee of Revolutionary fame. His father died when Robert was a boy, and therefore his train- ing was left to his mother. She was a good woman and raised her son to be a devout Christian man. When Rob- ert was not at school, he spent his leisure time with her. He obeyed her every wish, and from her he received the true principles of truth, morality and religion. At eighteen he received an appointment as a cadet to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and after four years he graduated second in a class of forty-six and became a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. While at West Point, his conduct was perfect, his habits were excellent, and he did not receive a demerit in the whole four years. " He was a model cadet. His clothes looked nice and new. His cross belts, collars and summer trousers were as white as the driven snow mounting guard upon the mountain top, and his breast and waist plates were mirrors to reflect the image of the inspector." THE BIRTHPLACE OF GENERAL LEE. ROBERT E. LEE. 277 In 1 83 1 he married Mary Custis, the daughter of George Washington Parke Custis of Arlington. On the death of Mr. Custis, Mrs. Lee inherited that magnificent estate, Arlington, which, during the war, was taken from the Lees by the Federal government. During the Mexican War, Lee did excellent service as an engineer, for which he received high praise and promotion. Soon after the close of the Mexican War, he was made superin- tendent of the United States Mili- tary Academy at West Point, which position he held for three years, when he was made a lieutenant colonel in the cavalry service. In 1859 a fanatic named John Brown entered Virginia and sta- tioned himself at Harper's Ferry. He began to urge the negroes to insurrection and encouraged them to commit several atrocious crimes. By this means Brown hoped to free the negroes. Lee was in Washing- ton at the time and was ordered by the United States government to go to Harper's Ferry and capture Brown. He at once obeyed and besieged Brown in an engine house where he and a portion of his men had taken refuge. The doors were battered down; Brown was captured and turned over to the Virginia authorities, by whom he was tried, convicted and hanged. Shortly after this the Southern states seceded. Lee was opposed to secession, and therefore it was a great blow to him when his native state Virginia decided to leave the Union, but he never hesitated about obeying her call. For thirty-two GENERAL JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON. 278 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. years Lee had served in the army of the United States, and it was a struggle for him to leave its service; but he never failed to do what he thought was his duty, and, though President Lin- coln offered to put him in command of the active army of the United States, he declined the high compliment and sent in his resignation to the war department of the United States. At the same time he wrote a letter to General Win field Scott, then commander- in-chief of the army, in which he said, " Save in the defence of my native state, I never desire again to draw my sword. " But Virginia at once called upon her great son, and he was made commander-in- chief of the Virginia forces. In obedience to the call of his state, he went to Richmond to take command of the Virginia forces. The State Convention, which passed the Ordinance of Secession, was in session. A com- mittee was sent to invite Lee to appear before the Convention. He was ushered into the hall and welcomed by the presiding officer, Mr. Janney, who said, " Sir, we have expressed our convictions that you are at this time among the living citizens of Virginia, 'first in war.' We pray to God most fervently that you may so conduct the operations committed to your charge, that it will soon be said of you that you are the 'first in peace,' and when that time comes, you will have earned the still prouder distinction ROBERT E. LEE. 279 of being 'first in the hearts of jour countrymen.' ' It had been said of Washington that he was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen," and truly did Mr. Janney predict that Virginia would some day honor and revere the memory of Lee as she does that of Washington. In a little while war began in real earnest. In the middle of the summer of 1861 the Confederates defeated the Federals at Bull Run, or Manassas, Va., and the invasion of Virginia was checked. In 1862 General George B. McCIellan with a strong Union army undertook to advance from Yorktown against Rich- mond, but found himself opposed by General Joseph E. John- ston. General Johnston was wounded and Lee was put in com- mand of the army. After seven days' of fighting McCIellan was driven back. Operations against Richmond were given up for the time being, and the South became jubilant and the North despondent. Lee marched north and defeated the Federals under General Pope at the second battle of Manassas, pushed into Maryland, and fought the battle of Antietam, or Sharpsburg, and then retired into Virginia. In December of the same year (1862), he terribly defeated Burnside at Fredericksburg, Va. In May, 1863, Lee inflicted even a worse defeat upon Gen- eral Hooker at Chancellorsville, a short distance from Fred- ericksburg. The battle of Chancellorsville was a costly one to the Confederates. General "Stonewall" Jackson was killed and Lee lost " his right arm," as Jackson was called. Lee then pushed into the North; crossed Maryland and entered Pennsylvania ; but at Gettysburg he was stopped by the Fed- erals under General Meade. Here was fought a three days' battle. On the last day, the Confederates under General Pickett made a heroic charge against the Federal center, but were com- pelled to withdraw. As they came back, Lee rode out to meet them. He encouraged the men and said to them: " All this has been my fault and it is I who have iost this fight. You 28o MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. must help me out as best you can." He was brave in victory, but braver in defeat. He never tried to place the responsibil- ity of the defeat upon another, but took it all upon himself. In the spring of 1864, General Grant was put in charge of the Federal troops with instructions to attack Lee and to advance upon Richmond. Grant had won a great reputation for him- GENERAL PICKETT S CHARG] self. He had fought in 1862 against General Albert Sidney Johnston at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. ; had cap- tured Fort Donelson and Fort Henry in Tennessee; had pushed down the Mississippi River in 1863, and on the same day that Lee lost at Gettysburg, Grant had captured Vicksburg, Miss. In the meantime Admiral Farragut had entered the mouth of the Mississippi and taken New Orleans. The cap- ture of Vicksburg by Grant, added to the success of Farragut, cut ROBERT E. LEE. 28 1 the Confederacy in two and opened the Mississippi River to the Federals. After other successes in Tennessee, Lincoln decided that if any man was capable of defeating Lee, it was Grant. So he called him from the West and put him in charge of the active armies of the United States. Grant was born in 1822 in the State of Ohio. He, like Lee, was a graduate of the Military Academy at West Point, and had also served in the Mexican War. In 1853 he was made a cap- tain in the United States Army, but soon resigned and became a farmer. Afterwards he was a clerk in his father's store in Illinois. When the war between the states broke out, he raised a company of volunteers and was made a colonel in an Illinois regiment. For service along the Mississippi River, he was rapidly promoted from colonel to brigadier general, and c after the capture of Vicksburg, he was made a major general. Later, Grant was made a lieutenant general, in charge of all the Union forces. He took immediate command of the Army of the Potomac, and began to advance against Lee. From March, 1864, until April 9, 1865, a terrible campaign was carried on between Lee and Grant. It began with the battle of the Wilderness in Spotsylvania County, Va., and ended with the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Courthouse, Va. Lee did all that could be done to prevent defeat, but Grant's army greatly outnumbered his. Sometimes Grant had more than five times as many soldiers as Lee. During the campaign, Lee showed that he was not afraid to expose himself to the fire of the enemy. While fighting around Spotsylvania Courthouse, Lee came up to some Texas soldiers, placed himself at their head and, crying " Hurrah for Texas," ordered the charge. The soldiers at once thought of their dear commander, and cried: " Lee to the rear." An old soldier seized the bridle of his horse and said, " General Lee, if you don't go back, we will not go forward." A little 282 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. £ t NNSYLVANIA M*"***"* later General Lee placed himself again in front of his troops to lead the charge; but the brave General Gordon of Georgia said to him: " These are Virginians and Georgians who have never failed. Go to the rear, General Lee." Then Gordon turned to the men and said, "Must General Lee lead this charge?" All the troops cried out : " No, no, we will drive them back if General Lee will go to the rear." Gradually Lee was pushed back from Spotsylvania Courthouse and shut up in Richmond and Petersburg. Throughout the hard winter of 1864-65, his troops suffered terribly, and often the sol- diers had nothing to eat but parched corn. Confederate money was worthless. Flour was w 01 th from two hun- dred to three hundred dol- lars a barrel; corn, forty dollars a bushel; sugar, ten dollars per pound ; and calico, thirty dollars per yard. At last, in April, 1865, his lines were so thinned out by sickness and desertion, that Lee was forced to abandon Petersburg and then Richmond. He led his army south, hoping to reach North Carolina, but Grant blocked his way Finally, at Appomattox Courthouse, on the ninth of April, 1865, Lee decided that the time had come for him to stop further bloodshed. He sent a note to Grant request- ing an interview with reference to the surrender of the army. A BATTLE MAP OF THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGNS. ROBERT E. LEE. 283 They met at the house of Mr. Wilmer McLean at Appomattox Courthouse. General Fitzhugh Lee, in his " Life of Robert E. Lee," thus described the scene at the surrender: " General Lee was ush- ered into the room on the left of the hall as you enter, and about one o'clock was joined by General Grant, his staff, and Generals Sheri- dan and Ord. Grant sat at a marble-topped table in the center of the room, Lee at a small oval table near the front window. ' The contrast between the commanders,' said one who was present, ' was striking.' Grant, not yet forty- three years old, five feet eight inches tall, shoulders slightly stooped, hair and beard now brown, wearing a dark-blue flannel blouse unbottoned, showing vest beneath ; ordinary topboots, trousers inside; dark-yel- low thread gloves; without spurs or sword, and no marks of rank except a general's shoulder straps. Lee, fifty-eight years old, six feet tall, hair and beard silver gray; a hand- some uniform of Confederate gray buttoned to the throat, with three stars on each side of the turned-down collar, fine top boots with handsome spurs, elegant gauntlets, and at his side a splendid sword. With a magnificent physique, not a pound of supeifluous flesh, ruddy cheeks, bronzed by exposure, grave and dignified, he was the focus for all eyes. Generals Lee and Grant had met once, eighteen years before, when both were fighting for the same cause in Mexico — one an GENERAL LEE. 284 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. engineer officer on the staff of Scott, the commanding general ; the other a subaltern of infantry in Garland's brigade. After a pleasant reference to that event, Lee promptly drew attention to the business before them." The terms of the surrender were arranged. The soldiers were to go home with the understanding that they were not again to take up arms against the United States. Grant acted the part of a gentleman towards Lee. He furnished Lee's half- starved troops with provisions, and afterwards recommended to the United States government that Lee be pardoned and re- stored to citizenship. Grant did not take Lee's sword. In speaking of Grant's behavior, Lee afterwards said: " No man could have behaved better than General Grant did under the circumstances." It was a sad and touching scene when Lee rode back to his troops after he had surrendered. They pressed around him, eager to touch his person or his horse, and they shed tears of sorrow and anguish. He turned to his men and said: " Men, we have fought through the war together; I have done my best for you; my heart is too full to say more." The next day he issued a farewell address to the Army of Northern Virginia,. and closed it with these words: " By the terms of agreement, officers and men can return to their homes and remain there until ex- changed. You will take with you the satisfaction that pro- ceeds from the consciousness of duty well performed, and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his bless- ing and protection. With an unceasing admiration of your con- stancy and devotion to your country, and the grateful remem- brance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you an affectionate farewell." Lee now retired to private life, but was soon afterward made president of Washington College at Lexington, Va. , now Wash- ington and Lee University. For five years he served the insti- ROBERT E. LEE. 285 tution faithfully; and, though he was offered many positions which would have paid him large sums of money, he refused them all. He died October the twelfth, 1870. During his last illness his thoughts turned to the battle field, and in death's delirium he was heard to say, " Tell Hill he must come up." He was buried in the chapel of Washington and Lee Uni- versity. Lee was conscientious 1 and faithful, and "duty" was his great watchword. | " He was a foe without | hate and a friend without I treachery, a soldier with- out cruelty and a victim without murmuring. He 1 was a public officer with- out vice, a private citizen without wrong, a neighbor without reproach, a Chris- tian without hypocrisy and a man without guilt. " His virtues will live forever, and his character will be imitated by generations yet unborn. His great opponent, General Grant, outlived him fifteen years. One year before Lee died, Grant became President of the United States and served for two terms. As President he showed something of the same spirit towards the South that he did towards Lee, and during his administration a better feeling came to exist between the South and the North. GENERAL GRANT. 286 MAKERS OF AMERICAxN HISTORY. All the Southern states were finally re-admitted into the Union and they are as loyal to the United States govern- ment as are the Northern states. The Southern people love our great country, and are willing to lay down their lives for it, though they still believe that in seceding from the Union they were not " rebels," but were only exercising a right which the founders of our government undoubtedly intended for the states to have. When Grant died in 1885, the Southerners, along with the people of the North, mourned his death, believing that he was an honorable and true man. In 1897 his body was placed in a magnificent tomb which had been built to his memory in New York City. The whole of the United States, the South as well as the North, took part in the ceremonies held on that occasion, and no man was more conspicuous in that great funeral proces- sion than Robert E. Lee's nephew, General Fitzhugh Lee. Geography Study. Map of Middle Atlantic States. Locate Rich- mond, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Petersburg, Manassas, Appomattox Courthouse and Yorktown (Va.) ; Sharpsburg or Antietam (Md.) and Gettysburg (Pa.). How far is it from Richmond to Wash- ington? Map of the Southern States.. Locate Pittsburg Landing, Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, Nashville and Chickamauga (Tenn.) ; Charleston (S. C.) ; Atlanta and Savannah (Ga.) ; New Orleans (La.) and Vicks- burg (Miss.). Review Questions. Tell of the attack on Fort Sumter. Name some of the best-known Southern and Northern generals. Tell of Lee's early life and education. What kind of cadet was he at West Point ? Tell of his service in the United States Army. Tell of John Brown. Why did Lee leave the service of the United States ? Give the main battles in which Lee fought. Give some account of Grant's life. What had he done along the Mississippi River ? Tell of the campaign between Lee and Grant. Describe the two men at Appomattox Courthouse. Tell ROBERT E. LEE. 287 of Lee's farewell to his army. Tell of Grant's treatment of Lee. How did Lee spend the rest of his life ? What kind of man was Lee ? Tell of Grant's life after the war. CARING FOR THE WOUNDED. CHAPTER XXXV. Edison and BelL 1847 . 1847 . SINCE the War of Secession, our country has prospered greatly. At the close of the war, there were thirty-six states, and there are now forty-five.* In 1867 we bought from Russia Alaska, which is in the northwestern part of North America and which was our only territory not included within the present boundary of the United States. Since the war, the population of the United States has more than doubled. It has not been a period of great political change or of war, but a period of wonderful development in industries, commerce and inventions. Morse applied electricity to teleg- raphy, and since that day, there have been many inventions through the application of electricity. They are too numerous to mention, but two stand out because of their great usefulness: the incandescent electric light and the telephone. Thomas Alva * The states admitted from 1845 to 1865 were Iowa (1846), Wisconsin (184S), Cali- fornia (1850), Minnesota (1858), Oregon (1859), Kansas (1S61), West Virginia (1863) and Nevada (1864). The nine states admitted since the war are Nebraska (1867), Colorado (1876), North Dakota (1889), South Dakota (1889), Montana (18S9), Wash- ington (1889), Idaho (1890), Wyoming (1890) and Utah (1896). Up to the time of the Spanish-American war the territories within the United States were New Mex- ico, Arizona, Indian Territory and Oklahoma. EDISON AND BELL. 2bO, Edison perfected the incandescent light and Alexander Graham Bell gave us the telephone. Edison was born in 1847 at tne small town of Milan, Erie County, Ohio, but when he was a mere boy his father moved to Port Huron, Michigan. Edison went regularly to school only two months in his life, but his mother, who had been a school teacher, taught him a great deal, and caused him to become intensely fond of reading. When he was only ten years old, he read Hume's "History of England" and Gibbons's "Fall and Decline of the Roman Empire." At the age of twelve, he became a newsboy on a passenger train, and sold papers, books, candies, etc. ; but during his spare moments he would read, and was constantly experimenting. In the corner of the baggage car where he stored his wares, he had a small chemical laboratory and a printing press. He received one day, as a gift from Mr. W. F. Story of The Detroit Free Press, three hundred pounds of old type thrown out as useless. With his old hand press he began printing a paper of his own called, from the railroad, The Grand Trunk Herald, of which he sold several hundred copies a week, the employees of the railroad being his best customers. He cared little for printing, how- ever, and soon turned his attention to telegraphy. At the beginning of the War of Secession, he was still run- ning as a newsboy on the train from Detroit to Port Huron. He found it very difficult to make a living, and he never knew ex- actly how many papers to carry on the route. The daily paper which he sold was The Detroit Free Press. Edison began to wonder how he might learn the news beforehand so that he might know how many papers to buy. He made a friend of one of the printers at the newspaper office and from him learned daily the most important items of news. By studying the head- lines in the first proof, Edison was able to make some estimate of the papers needed. One day his friend showed him the 290 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. proof slip which gave the first report of the great battle of Pittsburg Landing, or Shiloh, and it gave the number of killed and wounded as sixty thousand men. Young Edison saw that here was an opportunity for him to sell papers. He went at once to the telegraph office in De- troit and made a bargain with the operator. The operator promised to wire to each of the prin- cipal stations on the route the news of the great battle, and for this service Edison promised him current literature for six months. Then the little boy had trouble to get his papers. He usually car- ried two hundred, but now he wanted fifteen hundred. The clerk re- fused to sell him this number of papers on credit, so he braced himself up, marched up- stairs to the office of Mr. Story, the propri- etor, and told him that he wanted fifteen hundred copies of the paper on credit. Mr. Story was pleased with the man- liness of young Edison, and wrote him an order. for the papers, and away the boy started on his route with fifteen hundred Copyright by W. K. L. Dickson. THOMAS A. EDISON EDISON AND BELL. 29 1 copies of the Free Press. When he got to the first station, there was a great crowd on the platform ready to buy papers. He sold about two hundred at five cents apiece. When he reached the next station, he saw another great crowd waiting and he raised the price of his papers, selling them at ten cents each. When he reached Port Huron, he took such papers as he had left and hired a wagon and went through the streets cry- ing his papers at a quarter of a dollar. He passed a church full of worshippers, and when he yelled out the news of the great battle, the whole crowd, including the preacher, hurried out of the church and bought his papers. Thus he sold out the remainder of his papers at twenty-five cents a copy. Young Edison saw that telegraphy was a great thing, as it had enabled him to sell his newspapers; and he determined to be an operator, if he could get a chance. The opportunity came to him because of a brave and courageous deed. At one of the stations on the railroad between Port Huron and Detroit, Edison saw a young child playing on the track. A train was coming up rapidly, but Edison rushed boldly upon the track and pulled the child off just as the train dashed by. The child's father was the station master, and he was so grateful that he asked Edison to come to live with him and learn telegraphy. In a little while Edison became a fine operator and made several improve- ments in the telegraph instrument then in use. Edison soon secured a position as operator. At this time, when a message was sent from New Orleans to New York, it had to be taken at Mem- phis and then re-sent to Louisville, where it was again taken and telegraphed to another center, then to another, and finally to New York. This took time and delayed the message, and more- over it often caused mistakes to be made. Edison invented a little" automatic repeater," which was placed at these centers, and by this means New Orleans and New York were directly connected. 2()2 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. Edison was now promised a position in the telegraph office at Boston. When he reached the office on a cold, wet day with a long duster clinging to his legs, all the young operators laughed at him, but Edison did not care. The chief operator looked at him and asked him what he wanted. Edison explained the object of his visit, and was told to take a seat. In a little while the New York office called up Boston and the chief oper- ator told Edison to take the message. Edison sat down for four and a half hours. Messages poured in and he wrote them out rapidly and clearly. The New York operator sent the messages faster and faster, but still Edison took them down and never wired back that the messages were sent too rapidly. At the end of the four and a half hours, the New York operator telegraphed, "Hello!" "Hello, yourself!" was Edison's reply. "Who are you?" "Tom Edison." 'You are the first man in the country," telegraphed the New Yorker, " that could ever take me at my fastest, and the only one that could ever sit at the other end of my wire for more than two and a half hours. I am proud to know you." Shortly after this Edison went to New Yorkand there estab- lished himself as an electrical expert. He so perfected the tele- graph that now many messages can be sent at the same time over the same wire, and thus the expense of many wires is saved. But the first invention from which Edison received any considerable sum of money was the improved " ticker" for stock brokers' offices. These tickers were electrical machines for recording stock quotations. Mr. Edison induced several New York capitalists to enter into a contract with him whereby he might have the means to try to perfect the incandescent electric light. They were to pay the expenses, and if he should succeed in inventing a successful light, they were to share in the profits. He then moved to Menlo Park, N. J., a little station on the Pennsylvania Road EDISON AND BELL. 293 about twenty-five miles from Newark, N. J. Here he built a laboratory and a shop, and went to work. About the first of January 1879, it was announced that Edison had solved the problem' of electric lights. At once gas stock fell on the market and everybody was interested in the new light. Edison had eighty lights in Menlo Park, and suddenly, Copyright, IQ03, by the Detroit Photographic Co. AN ELECTRICAL DISPLAY. after everything had gone well for about a month, they went out. Edison was terribly disheartened, but he is a man who never gives up. His success has been due to" persistency, more persistency, still more persistency." For five days he remained day and night in his laboratory, sleeping only a few hours at a time. The strain was too great for him, and he was at last forced to take to his bed. The world declared that the electric light was 294 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. a failure. A prominent professor of physics at one of our best known colleges, in a newspaper article, declared that the electric light could never be perfected. But Edison's reliance in him- self and in the final success of the electric light is shown by a re- mark which he made to a friend in speaking of this professor: " I will make a statue of that man, and I will illuminate it brilliantly with Edison lamps and inscribe it, ' This is the man who said that the Edison lamp would not burn.' " After much hard work Edison discovered why his lamps did not burn; the air was not sufficiently exhausted from the burners. The Edison light has been a great success and it has been a great blessing. Many others of his inventions might be men- tioned, but it is sufficient to say that he was the first to construct an electric railway, and invented " the microphone, for magni- fying sound, so that a very low sound can be plainly heard at some distance; the megaphone, for long-distance speaking; the phonograph, for recording sound and repeating it; the mimeo- graph, for making many copies from one writing; the kineto- scope, for reproducing views of bodies in action ; the phonokine- toscope, adding sound to sight, so that one may see and hear a play or an opera which has previously taken place." Because of such wonderful inventions, he is sometimes called "The Wizard." His inventions have brought him in a large income, and he now has a fine home and a magnificent laboratory, where he is constantly experimenting. Edison is still a strong and healthy man, and we may reasonably hope that he has years of activ- ity before him and that he may give us many more wonderful inventions. Since the invention of the telegraph by Morse, many scientists have experimented with electricity in the hope of finding a way to convey sound. It was Alexander Graham Bell who discovered a successful way, and invented the tel- EDISON AND BELL. 295 ephone. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1847. ^ e moved to this country in 1872 and became well known in Bos- ton because of his success in the teaching of the deaf and dumb. He first began to study the transmission of sound by electricity when he was conducting some experiments with the hope of making sound vibrations visible to the eye and of thus teach- ing the deaf and dumb. For some years Bell was an instructor in Monroe's School of Oratory in Boston. One of his pupils says that his whole man- ner was earnest and enthusiastic. He rarely had any money and was without friends. On one oc- casion he had an attack of rheu- matism and his hospital fees had to be paid by his employer. While he was experimenting with the vibrations of sound, he unexpectedly discovered how, by means of electricity, sound may be conveyed along a wire from one point to another. In January, 1876, he gave some demonstra- tions to his pupils in the Monroe school. He had a wire brought from the cellar of the house to his room on the fourth floor, and by this means singing in the cellar was heard in his room. In February, 1876, Bell took out a patent, and at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia the telephone was exhibited. At the time, it was spoken of as " perhaps the greatest marvel hitherto achieved by the electric telegraph." In a few years the telephone began to be widely used, and now in all our cities much business is conducted over it, and the people of the country by means of it can talk to their city friends. Every ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL. 296 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. year some new improvement is made, and now a gentleman in New York can talk over a long-distance telephone with his sweet- heart in Chicago. In 1882 Bell was made a member of the Legion of Honor by the French government. His invention has made him very wealthy and he receives more than a million dollars a year from the use of his telephones. He resides in Washington City, and is still at work experimenting with electricity in its connection with sound vibrations. America gave the world, through Fulton, the first successful steamboat; through Morse, the first electric telegraph; through McCormick, the first reaper; through Edison, the perfected elec- tric lights, and through Bell, the telephone. Well may she be proud of these five inventors, and well may little Scotland boast of her sons in America, for these five men were of Scotch an- cestry. Geography Study. Map of the United States. Find Iowa, Wis- consin, California, Minnesota, Oregon, Kansas, West Virginia, Nevada, Nebraska, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico and Indian Territory. Locate Port Huron and Detroit (Mich.) ; Newark (N. J.) ; Louisville (Ky.) and Memphis (Tenn.). Review Questions. Name the states admitted since 1845. How did we get Alaska ? Tell of the development of the United States since the Civil War. Tell of Edison's boyhood and experience as a newspaper boy. How did he come to study telegraphy? Tell of his experience in the Boston telegraph office. Tell of his experiments with telegraphy. Give an account of his work on the incandescent electric light. Name some of his chief inventions. Give an account of Bell. When was the first telephone exhibited ? What income does Bell get from his tele- phones ? Name five great inventors. What were their chief inventions ? CHAPTER XXXVI. George Dewey, Our first century of independence closed with the year 1876.- The one hundredth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence was celebrated with a world's fair, which was held in Philadelphia for six months of this year. . All nations of importance took part in this Centennial Exhibition. General Grant was then serving his second term as President. This ended in 1877, and he was succeeded by Rutherford B. Hayes. The next occupant of the presidential chair was James A. Garfield, who was assassinated a few months after his inauguration by a half-crazy office seeker, Guiteau. Vice-President Arthur suc- ceeded him. After this term expired, Grover Cleveland was honored with the chief magistracy of the nation. He was fol- lowed by Benjamin Harrison, and he in turn by Cleveland, who served a second term. William McKinley, of Ohio, the next in succession, was our twenty-fifth president. In 1895 the Cubans rose in rebellion against their Spanish rulers and began a war for independence. Spain sent large armies to Cuba to subdue the rebels. The Spanish troops were at first under the command of General Campos, but his war pol- 298 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. icy was too mild to suit the Spanish government, and he was re- called. He was succeeded by General Weyler, who conducted the war in such a cruel way that he was called the " Spanish Butcher." He forced the country people to leave their farms, and to move to the towns to live. In this way he thought to stop the raising of food supplies and thereby starve the Cuban rebels into submission. The people who were thus crowded into cities were called reconcentrados. They were not provided with the means of living, and great numbers of them died of starvation. The Americans naturally sympa- thized with the Cubans in their struggle for liberty, and the cruel- ties practiced by the Spaniards made stronger the ill-feeling that the United States already bore toward Spain. Before the close of Cleveland's second term, General Fitzhugh Lee, of Virginia, was appointed Consul-General to Cuba. He took up his residence at Havana, the capital of Cuba, and from time to time sent to the United States government reports of what was going on in the island. In January, 1898, the United States battleship Maine was sent to Havana. Some riots had recently broken out in the city, and it was thought that American interests demanded the presence of a man-of-war for their protection. On the night of February 15, the Maine was destroyed and sunk by an explosion, and two hundred and sixty-six of the crew were killed. It was generally believed in the United States that the Spanish officials were responsible for the act, and our gov- ernment appointed four naval officers as a committee to find GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE. GEORGE DEWEY. 299 out the cause of the disaster. After long investigation they re- ported that the explosion must have occurred from the outside. The findings of this board of inquiry only confirmed the people in the belief that the destruction of the Maine was either ordered by the Spanish authorities or allowed through their negligence. The Maine disaster raised the feeling of the Americans against Spain to a fever heat, and the sympathy of our people for the Cuban cause would no longer be restrained. Congress and the President now believed that the time had come for the United States to put a stop to the Spanish cruelties in Cuba. Accord- ingly, on the 19th of April, 1898, Congress passed a resolution empowering the President to use the armies and navies of the United States in compelling Spain to give up her authority over Cuba. This was practically a declaration of war, and prepara- tions for a contest with Spain were immediately begun. The President issued a call for one hundred and twenty-five thousand volunteers, which was promptly responded to from all sections of the country, Admiral Sampson was ordered to take the North Atlantic fleet and begin a blockade of the Cuban ports. Instructions were given also to Commodore Dewey, who was in command of the American ships at Hong-Kong, to find the Spanish fleet stationed near the Philippine Islands and to destroy it. The Philippines then belonged to Spain, and Com- modore Dewey was expected to strike a blow at the enemy in their eastern possessions. George Dewey* was born in Montpelier, Vermont, in Decem- ber, 1837. His father, Julius Yemans Dewey, was a successful physician, and a man of strong mind and character. He was very kind to his children and never lost his temper in their pres- ence. Pie early discovered the promise in young George, and * The magazines for 1898 have a great deal to say about Admiral Dewey, but the account by Winston Churchhill in the Review of Reviexus for June, 1898, is espe- cially good, and to that article the author desires to make acknowledgements. !\s* «\v« * -J 1*^ iv GEORGE DEWEY. 301 when a child, spoke of him as his " little hero." At this time, George showed less fondness for books than for the pleasures of out-door life. Near the vine-clad cottage in which Dr. Dewey lived there ran a beautiful stream called Onion River. Many happy days were spent by Dewey on this stream, along whose banks often, in his boyhood, he trudged with rod and line try- ing his luck at fishing. In this sport, he had a constant com- panion in his sister Mary, who took great pride in baiting the hook for her brother. Fishing was only one of the many amusements which Dewey took pleasure in when a boy. For a while he conducted in his father's barn a " nigger minstrel " show, which was very popular with the boys and girls of the neighborhood. But some of the neighbors did not enjoy the noise that was made by these per- formances, and so made complaint against the actors to Dr. Dewey, who put a stop to the plays. As a school boy, Dewey was noted for fighting. On one oc- casion he and the other boys of the school showed a spirit of rebellion against the authority of their teacher, and Dewey re- fused to be examined. Mr. Pangborn, the master, then seized him by the collar and gave him a severe whipping. Dewey went home, and the teacher, followed by the other boys, went home with him. On reaching his father's study, George pulled off his coat and showed the red stripes that Mr. Pangborn's whip had produced. Dr. Dewey was deeply grieved, but seeing that his son had not yet surrendered, he told him that he would punish him still more if what he had already received was not sufficient. After that, Dewey thought very highly of his teacher and went with him to Johnson, Vermont, when Mr. Pangborn established a school at that place. When Dewey was eleven years old, he and one of his friends tried to drive across a swollen stream in a buggy. The river was higher than it had been for years and the buggy was carried down 302 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. stream. George and his companion managed to get up on the horse and so were saved from drowning. When George arrived at home that evening, his father was away; but the young ad- venturer thought that the safest course for him to pursue would be to go to bed before supper. Accordingly, when Dr. Dewey returned, he found George tucked under the covers pretending to be asleep. The doctor, however, knew that he was awake, and gave him a scolding for venturing into the river. George replied in a drowsy tone: " You ought to be thankful that my life was spared." When Dewey was fifteen years old, he went to a military academy in Norwich, Vermont. Two years later he entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. At that time there was much ill-feeling between the North and the South, and the Southern and Northern stu- dents had little love for each other. Dewey had not lost the fighting dis- position of his early childhood, and it was not long before he got into diffi- culties with the Southern students. One day one of the young men threw an inkstand at his head, and this brought on a fight, in which Dewey came out victorious. His opponent, however, was not satisfied and challenged him to a duel. Arrangements were made for the deadly encounter, when the classmates of the two would-be duelists put a stop to it by reporting the matter to the officers. In 1858 Dewey graduated from the naval academy, fifth in his class, and entered the United States Navy. He performed valuable "service in the war between the states, serving under ADMIRAL DEWEY. GEORGE DEWEY. 303 Admiral Farragut, the greatest naval officer on the Northern side. Admiral Farragut once met Dr. Dewey in New York, and said to him: " Sir, your son George is a worthy and brave officer. He has an honorable record and some day will make his own mark." In the beginning of the Spanish War, Dewey had the rank of comm'odore, and was in command of our Asiatic squadron. On the twenty-sixth of April, 1898, he left Hong-Kong and sailed towards the Philippine Islands, which are off the eastern coast of Asia. Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is situated on Manila Bay, a large harbor, the entrance to which was at that time guarded by submarine mines and by guns on the shore. A Spanish fleet, commanded by Admiral Montojo, was lying in the bay near the land batteries. On the night of April 30, 1898, Dewey's squadron moved quietly into Manila Bay. The lights had been extinguished in all the vessels, and they slipped by the shore batteries at the mouth of the harbor without being discovered. The men slept by their guns during the remainder of the night and were ready for action the next morning. At dawn, from all the American ships was raised the cry, " Remember the Maine! " The battle at once began and continued for two hours. The Americans then stopped to eat breakfast and rested for a short while. The contest was renewed just before eleven o'clock, and in an hour and fifteen minutes the battle had ended. Eleven war-vessels, one transport and one water battery of the enemy were destroyed, and many of their men were killed. The Americans did not lose a single man or ship, and only seven men were slightly wounded. This great victory won for Commodore Dewey a world-wide reputation as a naval commander, and when he returned to America, his fellow countrymen were loud in their praises of the hero of the war. The people all over the country vied with each other in expressions of affection for his great service to his coun- 304 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY try. The rank of full admiral was afterwards conferred upon him. This is the highest honor that the United States Navy has at its disposal, and only one other man, Admiral Farragut, has ever enjoyed such a distinction. Just before the battle of Manila, a Spanish fleet under the command of Admiral Cervera had left the Cape Verde Islands and sailed for the West Indies. On the 19th of May, Admiral Cervera entered the har- bor of Santiago de Cuba. Commo- dore Schley, who was already in West Indian waters, appeared before Santiago with the " flying squadron." Ad- miral Sampson soon joined Schley with the North Atlantic fleet, and close watch was kept over Admiral Cervera to prevent his escape. Lieutenant Hobson, of Alabama, conceived the plan of sinking a vessel in the narrow entrance to the harbor in order to shut in the enemy's fleet. One morning he and seven volunteers conducted a collier, the Merrimac, to the desired spot and sunk it. The men escaped on rafts and boats to the nearest Spanish vessel and surrendered themselves as prisoners. It was a very brave deed, as the har- bor was full of explosives and the Merrimac had to undergo an LIEUTENANT HOBSON. THE MERRIMAC ENTERING SANTIAGO HARBOR 306 MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. unceasing fire from the enemy's guns before it reached the place where it was to be sunk. General Shafter soon afterwards landed an army near San- tiago and undertook the capture of the city. On July first and second, severe fighting occurred before Santiago. In these battles Generals Lawton and Wheeler took leading parts, and Colonel Roosevelt, commanding a regiment of cowboys and college men known as the "Rough Riders," distinguished him- self by his bravery. Both sides lost heavily in these battles, but the Americans were victorious. General Shafter was now in pos- session of heights from which he could shell the city and the bay. Next day the Spanish fleet slipped away from the harbor, and was pursued by the American ships. Admiral Cervera was over- taken and his fleet was wrecked and forced to surrender. The Spanish losses were heavy, and Admiral Cervera was taken pris- oner. The Americans lost only one killed and two wounded. This was virtually the close of the war. Santiago and Manila soon afterwards surrendered, and Porto Rico was taken posses- sion of by General Miles. On February 6, 1899, the treaty of peace, which had been signed at Paris, was ratified by the United States Senate. Spain acknowledged the independence of Cuba and surrendered to the United States her claim to Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands. The United States, in turn, agreed to pay to Spain twenty million dollars for the Philippines. On September 6, 1901, President McKinley, while in attend- ance at the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, was shot by an anarchist. Eight days later he died in Buffalo, and Vice- President Roosevelt became President Our country is now enjoying great prosperity, and President Roosevelt has negotiated a treaty for a canal across the isthmus of Panama, so that our commerce with the East by way of the Pacific may be increased. Our President is a fearless man, and does ivhat he believes to be right without regard to the conse- GEORGE DEWEY. 307 quences. He is undoubtedly a patriotic man, and one of the best scholars in the United States. Let us be proud of our country, which to-day ranks among the foremost nations of the world. Geography Study. Map of the United States. Locate Montpelier and Johnson (Vt.) and Annapolis (Md.). Map of the Philippines. Point out the chief islands. Where is Manila? Map of the West Indies. Find Cuba and Porto Rico. Locate Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Review Questions. Tell of the centennial of 1876. Who have been our presidents since Garfield? Tell of the Cuban Insurrection. What did Weyler do? Tell of Fitzhugh Lee in Cuba. Give an account of the destruction of the Maine. What resolution did Congress pass? What was Sampson ordered to do and what was Dewey ordered to do? Give an account of the boyhood and education of Dewey. Tell of his service in the navy during the war between the states. Tell of Dewey's attack and capture of Manila. How did the American people honor him ? Tell of Sampson, Schley and Hobson at Santiago de Cuba. Tell of Shafter, Lawton, W r heeler and Roosevelt. What did General Miles do? Tell of the treaty with Spain. Tell of the death of McKinley. What kind of man is Roosevelt ? Key to Pronunciation. a as in hat. e as in hen. o as in hot. a as in cane. e as in mete. 6 as in rote. a as in lard. i as in hit. 6 as in for. a as u in but. I as in line. u German it. y as in yet. Index, Abolition Party, organized, 255. Abraham, heights of, 116; plains of, 117, 1 18. Adams, John, minister to England, 101 ; becomes Vice-President, 154 ; becomes President, 182. Alaska, purchase of, 288. Albemarle, colony of, 92. Albemarle, Duke of, 92. America, discovery of, 19 ; naming of, 28. Ann, the, 98. Antietam, see Sharpsburg. Anti-Federalist Party, 181, 182. Appomattox Courthouse, scene of Lee's surrender, 282, 283. Ark, the, 83. Armada, the Spanish, 48. Arthur, Vice-President, becomes Presi- dent, 297. Ashburton Treaty, 236. Augusta (Ga.), founding of, 99. Bainbridge, Commodore, 199. Balboa, as outlaw, escapes to Darien, 37 ; searches for gold, 38, 39 ; dis- covers the Pacific, 39 ; condemned to death, 39. Ball, Mary, 144. Baltimore, Lords, see Calvert. Barron, Commodore, 198, 199. Beasley, Major, 203. Beauregard, General, attacks Sumter, 274. Beauvoir, 255. Bell, Alexander Graham, birth of, 294 ; comes to Boston, 295 ; early experi- ments and discoveries of, 295 ; invents telephone, 295 ; present home of, 296. Berkeley, Lord, 88. Bill of Abominations, the, 244. Biloxi, no. Bladersburg, 199. Boone, Daniel, birth and early life of, 121, 122 ; explores Kentucky, 122, 123 ; captured by Indians, 123 ; experiences in North Carolina and Kentucky, 124 ; at Point Pleasant, 124 ; founds Boones- borough, 124 ; portrait of, 125; defends Boonesborough, 126; goes to Louisiana, 127 ; last years and death of, 128. Boonesborough, 124, 125, 126. Booth, Wilkes, 270. Boston, founding of, 63. Boston Tea Party, 140. Braddock, General, 112, 113, 146, 147. Bradford, William, goes to Holland with Separatists, 61 ; comes to New Eng- land, 61 ; elected governor of colony, 62, 63 ; death of, 63. Brandywine, battle of the, 150. Bridgewater, Duke of, 188. Brown, John, 277. Bryan, Rebecca, wife of Daniel Boone, 122. 3io INDEX. Buena Vista, 221, 222. Bull Run, see Manassas. Bunker Hill, battle of, 150. Burgoyne, General, 150, 151. Burnside, A. E., 275 ; defeated at Fred- ericksburg, 279. Cabot, John, early life of, 30 ; settles in England, 31 ; voyages west with son, 31 ; discovers Newfoundland, 31, 32 ; called " High Admiral," 32 ; death of, 32. Cabot, Lewis, 31. Cabot, Sanzio, 31. Cabot, Sebastian, early life of, 31 ; sails for China, 32 ; discovers North Amer- ica, 33 ; serves King of Spain, 33 ; re- turns to England, 33. Calhoun, John C, birth and early life of, 241, 242 ; admitted to the bar, 243 ; enters public life, 243 ; opposes Bill of Abominations, 244 ; supports Nullifi- cation Ordinance, 245; death and burial of, 246. Calhoun, Patrick, 241. Calvert, Cecil, second Lord Baltimore, 83 ; proprietor of Maryland, 83 ; es- tablishes colony in Maryland, 83, 84. Calvert, George, birth and early life of, 81 ; becomes Catholic, 82 ; made Lord Baltimore, 82 ; plants colony in New- foundland, 82 ; visits Virginia, 82 ; re- ceives grant of present Maryland and Delaware, 82, 83 ; death of, 83. Calvert, Leonard, 84. Cambridge (Mass.), old elm at, 150. Campos, General, 297. Canary Islands, discovery of, 18. Cape Breton, discovery of, 31. Carden, Captain, 196. Carolina, North, origin of, 95. Carolina, South, origin of, 95. Carolinas, the, original grant of, 92 ; early history of, 95 ; division of, 95. Carpet-baggers, 272. Carteret, Sir George, 88. Carver, John, 6r, 62. Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, 297. Cervera, Admiral, sails for West Indies, 304 ; surrender and capture of, 306. Champlain, the explorer, 103. Chancellorsville, battle of, 279. Charles II., King of England, comes to throne, 82 ; gives land grants to George Calvert, 82 ; renews grant to Cecil Cal- vert, 83 ; grants land to William Penn, 89 ; grants Carolinas to proprietors, 92. . Charleston, founding of, 92 ; capture of, 152. Charlestown, founding of, 63. Chesapeake, the, 198. City of Mexico, fall of the, 222. Clarendon, colony of, 92 ; Earl of, 92. Clark, George Rogers, birth and early life of, 159, 160; settles in Kentucky, 124, 160 ; captures Kaskaskia, 161 ; conquers Northwest Territory, 162, 163 ; death of, 163. Clay, Henry, birth and early life of, 225, 226 ; as a public speaker, 227 ; as a lawyer, 227 ; as U. S. Senator, 227, 228 ; as Secretary of State, 228 ; sup- ports Missouri Compromise, 228-230 ; offers Omnibus Bill, 231 ; death of, 231 ; character of, 231, 232. Clayborne, William, 84. Clermont, the, 190, 191. Cleveland, Grover, 297, 298. Clinton, General, 152. Columbus, early life of, 14, 15 ; marriage INDEX. 311 of, 15 ; plans sailing enterprise to In- dia, 15; obtains aid from Spain, 16, 17; departs from Palos, 17 ; voyage of, 18 ; discovers New World, 19 ; returns to Spain, 20, 21 ; other voyages of, 2r, 22 ; death of, 23. Compensation Bill, the, 228. Confederate States of America, the, 257. Confederation, the Articles of, 170. Constitution, the, 198. Constitution of the United States, adop- tion of, 142 ; amendments to, 270. Constitutions, Fundamental, 93, 94, 95. Continental Congress, 149. Conventicle Act, 88. Cornwallis, General, 152, 153, Cowpens, battle of the, 152. Cromwell, Oliver, 130. Cuba, discovery of, 20 ; rebellion of, against Spain, 297, 298 ; becomes inde- pendent, 306. Custis,. Martha, wife of George Wash- ington, 147, 14S. Custis, Mary, wife of Robert E. Lee, 277- Custis, Washington Parke, 277. Da Gama, Vasco, 30. Dare, Virginia, 47, 48. ' Darien, Balboa reaches, 37. Davenport, John, comes to Connecticut, 73 ; founds New Haven, 74. Davis, Jefferson, birth and early life of, 257 ; enters politics, 257, 258 ; in Mexican war, 258, 259 ; in the U. S. Senate, 259, 260 ; as Secretary of War, 259 ; retires from Senate, 261 ; as president of Confederate States, 261 ; captured near Irvinville, 261 ; as pris- oner and exile, 262, 263 ; death and burial of, 263. Decatur, Stephen, portrait of, 192 ; birth and early life of, 193, 194 ; in Tripoli- tan war, 194, 195 ; in. war of 1812, 196- 5 198 ; sails into Mediterranean, 198 ; death of, 198, 199. Declaration of Independence, drafting of, 179, 180. De Grasse, Count, 152. Delaware, early history of, 89. Delaware, Lord, 58. Delaware River, first settlement on, 79. De Leon, Ponce, early life of, 35 ; joins second expedition of Columbus, 35 ; governs Haiti, 35 ; conquers Porto Rico, 36 ; discovers Florida, 36 ; death of, 37- Democratic-Republican Party, origin of, 1S2. De Soto, Hernando, ambitions of, 39, 40 ; goes to Peru, 40 ; governs Cuba and Florida, 40 ; searches for gold, 40, 41 ; treats Indians cruelly, 41 ; dis- covers the Mississippi, 41 ; death of, 41 ; fate of the followers of, 42. De Triana, Rodrigo, 19. Dewey, George, 297; sent against Spanish fleet, 299, 303 ; birth and early life of, 299, 301, 302 ; enters U. S. Navy, 302 ; victory of, at Manila Bay, 303 ; made Admiral, 304. Dewey, Julius Yemans, 299. Dinwiddie, Governor, 146. Discovery, the, 53. Dorchester Heights, fortification of, 150. Dove, the, 83. Drake, Sir Francis, 46. Dunmore, Governor, 124. Dvvight, Dr., of Yale, 242. Ebenezer (Ga.), founding of, 99. Edison, Thomas A., birth and early life 3i2 INDEX. of, 289-291 ; learns telegraphy, 291 ; invents automatic repeater, 291 ; per- fects telegraph, 292 ; invents an elec- tric light, 292-294. Elizabeth, Queen, 45, 46,48. Ellsworth, Miss, 250. Emancipation Proclamation issued, 269, 270. Endicott, John, 63. Endymion, English frigate, 196. Eutaw Springs, battle of, 152. Fairfax, Lord, 145, 146. Farragut, Admiral, 276 ; captures New Orleans, 280 ; quoted, 303. Fauquier, Governor, 177. Federalist Party, origin of, 182. Ferdinand, King of Spain, 16, 19, 23. Fillmore, Millard, President, 223, 236, 239- Florida, discovery and naming of, 36 ; scene of battle between Indians and Ponce de Leon, 37 ; invasion of, by Oglethorpe, 99, 100. Forrest, N. B., 275. Fort Alamo, 212, 213. Fort Duquesne, 112, 147. Fort Christiana, 79. Fort Uonelson, 280. Fort Harrison, 218, 219. Fort Henry, 2S0. Fort Mimms, 203, 204. Fort Raleigh, 47. Fort Sumter, 274. Franklin, Benjamin, birth and early life of, 165-167 ; publishes almanac, 168 ; makes scientific discoveries, 168 ; op- poses Stamp Act, 168, 170; signs Declaration, 170 ; as ambassador to France, 170-172 ; elected president of Pennsylvania, 172 ; as representative at Convention of 1787, 172-174 ; last years and death of, 174. Frederica (Ga.), founding of, 99. Fredericksburg, battle of, 279. French and Indian war, 112-119, 146. Fulton, Robert, birth and early life of, 187, 188 ; builds steamboat, 189, 190 ; death of, 190. Garfield, James A., 297. Garrison, William Lloyd, 255. Gazette, the, 168. Genoa, 13, 14. George TL, King of England, 98. Georgia, beginnings of, 98 ; progress of, 99. Gettysburg, battle of, 279, 280. Ghent, treaty of, 198. Gilbert, Sir Humphrey, 45, 46. God Speed, the, 53. Good Hope, Cape of, 30. Gore, Hon. Christopher, 235. Grant, U. S., 276 ; put in command of Federal troops, 280, 281 ; earlier mil- itary successes of, 280 ; birth and early life of, 281; in campaign against Lee, 281, 282 ; receives Lee's surrender, 282-284 ; as President, 2S5 ; death and burial of, 286. Gridley, Jeremiah, 131, 133. Guerriere, English frigate, 198. Guilford Courthouse, battle of, 152. Guiteau, 297. Haiti, 20, 22, 35. Half Moon, the, 76. Hamilton, Alexander, 156. Hamilton, governor of Illinois, 161, 162. Hanks, Nancy, 265. Hanover Courthouse, 137. Harper's Ferry, 277. INDEX. 313 Harrison, Benjamin, 297. Hartford, founding of, 73. Hayes, Rutherford B., 297. Hayne, Colonel, 237, 238. Hennepin, 107. Henrietta Maria, Queen, 83. Henry VII., King of England, 30, 31, 33- Henry Patrick, birth and early life of, 135, 136 ; becomes a lawyer, 136 ; argues Parsons' Case, 136-138 ; pro- tests against Stamp Act, 138 ; intro- duces resolutions at Virginia Conven- tion, 141 ; made commander-in-chief of Virginia forces, 141 ; becomes governor of Virginia, 141 ; prophesies Revolu- tion, 142 ; last years and death of, 142, M3- Hermitage, the, 203. Hill, A. P., 275- Hobson, Lieutenant, at Santiago, 304, 305- Hooker, Joseph, 275 ; defeated at Chan- cellorsville, 279. Hooker, Thomas, comes to Boston, 72 ; founds colony of Connecticut, 72, 73. Horseshoe Bend, battle of, 204. Houston, Sam, at Horseshoe Bend, 208, 209 ; birth and early life of, 209 ; be- comes governor of Tennessee, 210 ; marriage of, 210 ; befriends Indians, 211 ; removes to Texas, 212 ; in Texan war, 212, 213 ; becomes president of Texas, 214 ; becomes governor of Texas, 215 ; death of, 215. Howe, General, at Brandywine, 150 ; evacuates Philadelphia, 152. Howell, Varina, 257. Hudson Bay, discovery of, 77. Hudson, Henry, sent out by London Company, 75, 76 ; enters service of Dutch East India Company, 76 ; dis- covers Hudson River, 76 ; discovers Hudson Bay, 77 ; fate of, 77. Hudson River, discovery of the, 76. Huguenots, 93. Hull, Captain Isaac, 198. Hutchinson, Mrs. Ann, 71. Intrepid, the, 194, 195. Irving, Washington, 16. Isabella, Queen of Spain, 16, 17, 19, 21. Jackson, Andrew, the elder, 201. Jackson, Andrew, birth and early life of, 201, 202 ; in war of 181 2, 203-206 ; as President, 206, 207 ; death of, 207. Jackson, Robert, 202. Jackson, Thomas J. (" Stonewall"), 275; statue of, 278 ; killed at Chancellors- ville, 279. James, Duke of Vork, 79, 80. James I., King of England, 4S, 49, 52; grants charter, 53 ; town named in honor of, 54. James River, naming of, 53, 54. Jamestown, founding of, 54. Jefferson, Jane, 176. Jefferson, Peter, 176. Jefferson, Thomas, birth and early life of, 176, 177; as a lawyer, 177; marriage of, 177, 178 ; as a member of House of Burgesses, 17S, 179 ; as author of De- claration of Independence, 179, 180 ; originates bill for religious freedom, 180; as minister to France, 181; be- comes Washington's Secretary of State, 181; politics of, 181, 182; as President, 182-184 ; last years and death of , 184- 186. John, King of Portugal, 15. Johnson, impeachment of, 272. 3H INDEX. Johnston, Albert Sidney, 274 ; at Pitts- burg Landing, 280. Johnston, Joseph E., 274 ; portrait of, 277 ; wounded at Richmond, 279. Johnston, Sarah, 266. Joliet, 104. Jones, John Gabriel, 160. Kaskaskia, 161, 162. Kennedy, John P., 249. Lafayette, General, 152. Lane, Ralph, 46/ La Salle, Cavalier de, comes to Canada, 105 ; birth and early life of, 106 ; ex- plores Great Lakes, 106, 107 ; reaches mouth of Mississippi, 108 ; founds Louisiana, 108 ; returns to France, 108 ; plants French colony in Texas, 109; death of, 109, no. La Taneria, 258. Lawrence, Captain, 198. Lee, Fitzhugh, 275 ; quoted, 2S3 ; at funeral of Grant, 286 ; appointed con- sul general to Cuba, 298 ; as admiral, 304. Lee, Robert E., portrait of, 274 ; birth and early life of, 276 ; marriage of, 277 ; in Mexican war, 277; superinten- dent at West Point, 277 ; captures John Brown, 277; becomes commander-in- chief of Virginia forces, 278 ; present at State Convention, 278; succeeds Johnston, 279 ; at second Manassas, 279 ; at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, 279, 280 ; in campaign against Grant, 281, 282 ; surrenders, 282-284 \ i ast years and death of, 284, 285 ; character of, 285. Lewis, General Andrew, 124. Lincoln, Abraham, portrait of, 265 ; birth and early life of, 266-268 ; practises law, 268 ; enters politics, 268 ; elected Pres- ident, 269 ; issues Emancipation Proc- lamation, 269 ; assassination of, 270 ; character of, 271. Lincoln, General, 153. Lincoln, Thomas, 265, 266. Livingston, Robert, 182, 189. Locke, John, frames " Fundamental Con- stitutions," 93, 94 ; birth and early life of, 94 ; flees to Holland, 94 ; returns to England, 94 ; death of, 94. London Company, the, 53, 56, 58. Long Island, battle of, 150. Longstreet, James, 275. Louis XIV., King of France, 108. Louisburg, siege of, 114, 115. Louisiana, naming of, 108 ; purchase of, 127, 182-184. Ludwell, Philip, 95. McClellan, George B., 275 ; driven back from Richmond, 279. McCormick, Cyrus Hall, birth and early life of, 252 ; manufactures reapers, 252, 253 ; invents reaper, 253 ; character of, 253, 254. McCormick, Robert, 252. McDonough, Captain, 198. Macedonian, English frigate, 196. McKinley, William, becomes President, 297 ; death of, 306. McLean, Wilmer, 282. Madison, James, 184. Maine, the U. S. battleship, destruction of, 298, 299. Manassas, first and second battle of, 279. Manhattan Island, first settlement on, 78. Manila, surrender of, 306. Manila Bay, battle of, 303. INDEX. 315 Marquette, Father, searches for the Mis- sissippi, 104 ; death of, 104, 105. Marquette River, 105. Maryland, grant of, 83 ; founding and early history of, 84. Massachusetts Bay colony, 64, 65. Mayflower, the, 61, 62. Meade, George C, 275 ; at Gettysburg, 279- Merrimac, an American collier, 304-306. Mexico, treaty with, 222. Miles, General, 306. Mississippi, the discovery of, 39, 41. Missouri Compromise, 229, 230. Monmouth Courthouse, battle of, 52. Monroe, James, signs treaty with France, 182, 183 ; as President, 184. Montcalm, General, 116, 118. Monterey, battle of, 221. Montojo, Admiral, 303. Morse, Samuel F. B., birth and early life of, 247, 248 ; visits Europe, 248 ; in- vents telegraphic instrument, 248, 249 ; presents bill to Congress, 249 ; com- pletes telegraph line, 250 ; later years of, 250. Mount Vernon, 145, 148, 155, 156. Napoleon, 182, 183. Navigation acts, 130. Newfoundland, discovery of, 31, 32. Newfoundland, attempts to colonize, 45, 46. New Amsterdam, settlement of, 78. New Hampshire, settlement of, 74. New Haven, colony of, 74. New Jersey, settlement and division of, 88. New Netherland, 78, 79. New Orleans, settlement of, no ; battle of, 204, 205 ; capture of, 280. New Sweden, 79. New York, founding of, 80. Nina, the, 17. Northwest Territory, 162, 163. Nullification Ordinance, 245. Oglethorpe, James, early life of, 97 ; plans to found colony in America, 97, 98 ; receives land grant and money for enterprise, 98 ; elected governor of proposed colony, 98 ; founds Georgia, 98 ; invades Florida, 99, 100 ; last years and death of, 100, 101. Okeechobee Swamp, battle of, 219, 220. Omnibus Bill, 231. Oregon Region, the old, 236. Otis, James, birth and early life of, 131 ; defends pirates, 131, 132 ; defends New England against search system, x 32, 133 ; last years and death of, 133, 134- Osceola, 219. Osolooteka, 211. Pacific Ocean, discovery of, 37. Pan American Exposition, 306. Parsons' Case, 136-138. Penn, Admiral, 87, 88, 89. Penn, William, birth and early life of, 86, 87 ; becomes a Quaker, 87 ; brings colony to West New Jersey, 88 ; founds Pennsylvania, 89 ; helps to establish Delaware, 89 ; later years of, 90. Pennsylvania, settlement of, 89. Pequots, war with, 71. Perry, Captain Oliver H., 198. Personal Liberty Acts, passage of, 255. Petersburg, abandoned, 282. Philadelphia, founding of, 89. Philadelphia, the, 194, 195. Philip, Indian chief, 72. 3i6 INDEX. Pickett, General, 279. Pilgrims, the, 61. Pinla, the, 17, 18, 19. Pinzon, Martin and Vicente, 17. Pitt, William, 113, 114. Pittsburg Landing, battle of, 2S0. Plymouth, landing at, 62; united to Mas- sachusetts, 74. Plymouth Company, the, 60. Pocahontas, 55, 56. Polk, Leonidas, 275. Pope, General, at second Manassas, 279. Point Pleasant, battle of, 124. Pokanokets, the, 72. Porto Rico, conquered by De Leon, 35, 36 ; surrendered to United States, 306. Portsmouth, settlement of, 71. Portugal, Columbus visits, 15; Columbus departs from, 16. Powhatan, 56. Preble, Commodore, 194. President, the, 196, 197. Princeton, battle of, 150. Providence (R. I.), founding of, 70. Puritans, the, 63. Quakers, the, 86. Quebec, founding of, 103 ; siege of , 115- 119. Raleigh, Sir Walter, birth and early life of, 44 ; at court of Queen Elizabeth, 45; sends out first colony, 46 ; sends out second colony, 47 ; marriage of, 48 ; execution of, 49, 50. Raleigh Tavern, 178. Randolph, Isham, 176. Ratcliffe, 57. Rathbone, Major, 270. Reaper, invention of, 252, 253. Republican Party, origin of, 256. Rhode Island, founding of, 71. Richmond, seven days' fighting around, 279 ; abandoned by Lee, 282. Rives, William C, 248. Roanoke Island, 46, 48. Robertson, James, 121. Rochblave, Governor, 161. Rolfe, John, 56. Roosevelt, Colonel, at Santiago, 306 ; as President, 306. St. Anthony's Falls, 107. St. Augustine, building of, 44. St. Lawrence, Gulf of, 31, 32. St. Mary's, founding of, 84. Salem, settlement of, 63. Sampson, Admiral, blockades Cuban ports, 299 ; at Santiago, 304. San Jacinto Bay, battle of, 212. Santa Anna, 212, 213, 221, 222. Santa Maria, the, 17. Santiago, surrender of, 306. Savannah, capture of, 152. Scalawags, 272. Schley, Commodore, 304. Scott, Dred, 256. Scott, General Winfield, 222. Separatists, the, 60, 61. Sevier, John, 121. Shafter, General, attacks Santiago, 306. Shaftesbury, Earl of, 92, 93, 94. Shannon, English frigate, 198. Sharpsburg, battle of, 269, 279. Sherman, William T., 275. Skelton, Mrs., 177, 178. Smith, Captain John, birth and early life of, 51 ; adventures of, 52, 53 ; sails with London Company, 53 ; as ruler of the colony, 55-57 ; Pocahontas saves life of, 56 ; injured by gunpowder, 58 ; returns to England, 58 ; death of, 58. INDEX. 317 Smith, E. Kirby, 275. Society of Friends, see Quakers. Spain, war with, 299-306. Speedwell, the, 61. Spotsylvania Courthouse, battle of, 281, 282. Stamp Act, 135, 138, 140. Standish, Miles, 63. Stansberry, William, 211. State-rights, 1S1. States, admission of, 214 ; 288, footnote. Stephens, Alexander H., 256, 257. Stewart, companion of Daniel Boone, 123. Stuart, J. E. B., 275. Stuyvesant, Peter, early life of, 78 ; gov- ernor of New Amsterdam, 78 ; makes New Sweden part of New Netherland, 79 ; surrenders to English, 79 ; last years and death, 80. Susan Constant, the, 53. Tarleton, Colonel, 152. Taylor, Colonel, 217, 218. Taylor, Colonel Zachary, 257. Taylor, Sarah Knox, 257. Taylor, Zachary, birth and early life of, 217, 21S ; in war of 1S12, 218, 219; at Okeechobee Swamp, 219, 220 ; at Monterey and Buena Vista, 221, 222 ; elected President, 223 ; death and burial of, 223, 224. Tecumseh, 203. Telegraph, invention of, 248-251. Telephone, invention of, 295, 296. Texas, Republic of, 214 ; State of, 215. Thomas, George H., 275. Trenton, battle of, 150. Tripoli, war with, 192-195. Toscanelli, 24. United States, the, 196. Valley Forge, 151. Vespucius, Americus, birth and early life of, 24 ; goes to Spain, 25 ; sails to West Indies, 25 ; visits South America, 26 ; commands expedition of 1502, 27 ; fourth voyage of, 27 ; has maps drawn, 27, 28; New World named after, 28; death of, 28. Vicksburg, capture of, 280. Vincennes, 162, 163. Virginia, naming of, 46 ; University of, 185. Waddell, Mr., 241. Washington, Augustine, 144. Washington, George, with General Brad- dock, 112 ; birth and early life of, 144, 145 ; as a surveyor, 146 ; at Fort Du- quesne, 147 ; marriage of, 148 ; at Mount Vernon, 148, 149 ; as member of Continental* Congress, 149; made commander-in-chief, 149, 150 ; early campaign of, 150; at Valley Forge, 151, 152 ; at Monmouth Courthouse, 152 ; in New Vork, 152 ; at Vorktown, 153 ; as president of Philadelphia con- vention, 154 ; as President of the U. S., 154-156 ; last years and death of, 156. Washington, Martha, 148. Watt, 1S8, 1S9. Wayles, John, 177. Webster, Colonel, 233, 234, 235. Webster, Daniel, birth and early life of, 233-235 ; practises law, 235, 236 ; re- moves to Massachusetts, 235 ; as Sec- retary of State, 236, 239 ; negotiates Ashburton Treaty, 236, 237 ; as U. S. senator, 237, 238, 239 ; death of, 239 ; quoted, 246. 3i8 INDEX. Wesley brothers, the, 99. West, Benjamin, 18S. Wethersfield (Conn.), founding of, 73. Weyler, General, 298. White, John, 47, 48. Whitefield, George, 99. Whitman, Rev. Dr. Marcus, 237. Whitney, Eli, 187. William and Mary, sovereigns of Eng- land, 94. Williams, Roger, birth and early life of, 67 ; comes to New England, 67 ; joins Pilgrims at Plymouth, 68 ; pastor at Salem, 68, 69 ; exiled, 69 ; secures land from Indians, 69 ; founds Provi- dence, 70 ; receives charter of Rhode Island, 71 ; averts war with Pequots, 71 ; last years and death of, 71, 72. Windsor (Conn.), founding of, 73. Wingfield, Edward Maria, 55. Winthrop, John, comes to New England, 63, 64 ; leader of the Massachusetts colony, 64 ; death of, 64 ; character of, 65. Wolfe, James, 112 ; birth and early life of, 113, 114 ; made brigadier general, 114 ; attacks Louisburg, 115 ; returns to Eng- land, 115 ; as major general, charged with siege of Quebec, 115 ; captures Quebec, 11 5-1 19; death of, 119. Wright, Silas, 250. Wythe, George, 177, 226. %% « <*> ,6* «J& 6 o » ■ « ^ . *>0 ^ A^ fc«^ .*^»\ ^*^ «* %/ .-aft: ^/ :'&& V* •»: V V ^ ^ fV ;Sfc V ilfc V 'fife *K' t/'T^-v V'^V" v-^' ^ . t • o^ <: i **„ a* ,^y^. «* A * _•• >* ••■£• *