Class JL/.jLa_^ Rnnk Alf^'l^ Copyright N° COPyRIGHT DEPOSIT ^ COMMODORE PERRY AT THE BATTLE ON LAKE ERIE. UR Greater Country BEING A Standard History of the United States FROM THE Discovery of the American Continent to the Present Time CONTAINING ACCOUNTS OF THE DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS OF THE NORSEMEN, SPANIARDS, ENGLISH AND FRENCH; THE MOUND BUILDERS; THE AMERICAN INDIANS; THE SETTLEMENT OF THE NEW WORLD: THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS; THE STRUGGLE OF THE REVOLUTION Xhe Establishment of the A'"^"^^" {Republic THE SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND; THE MEXICAN WAR; THE LONG PERIOD OF PEACE; THE HISTORY OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR; THE CENTENNIAL OF AMERICAN INDE- PENDENCE, WITH VALUABLE STATISTICS FROM THE LATEST CENSUS; THE CUBAN AND VENEZUELAN QUESTIONS; THE POLITICAL ISSUES AND STRUGGLES ; THE WAR WITH SPAIN AND ALL IMPORTANT EVENTS DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME The Complete Story of the United States of America By henry davenport NORTHROP THE WELL-KNOWN HISTORIAN EMBELLISHED WITH NEARLY 500 SUPERB ENGRAVINGS National Publishing Company L'.".li TO ^2V^ Sditii Amrrtcan Street rmi.AL'El.rHIA, I'a. THE LIBRARY OF eONGRESS, Two Conea RecEiveo JAN. 21 1902 COrVMOHT ENTBY CLASS «^ XXa Mo. COPY a ENTEREC ACi^ORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR 1901, BY D. Z. HOWELL IN THE OFFiCE OF THE LIBRARiAN OF CONGRESS, AT WASHINGTON, D. C, U. S. A. DEDICATION TO the memory of that bold mariner, who, four hundred years ago, discovered the Western Continent; and the brave colonists who sacrificed the pleasures and comforts of the old world to undergo the privations, and face the dangers of an unknown wilderness; To the memory of the Pilgrim Fathers who planted the seeds of freedom on American Soil; and the Revolutionary heroes who secured liberty for the most patriotic people, and laid the foundations of the greatest nation in all the annals of time; To those brave defenders and noble citizens who have preserved and fostered the growth of our model institution3, made possible oui wonderful progress and fortified the bulwarks of our strength in this "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave/' entitling our Great Country to sit upon the Throne among Nations a5 the Queen of Republics, This Volume is Patriotically DEDICATED HY THE AUTHOR PREFACE. THERE is nothing more worthy of a man's study than the history of his country. In our own land, how- ever, the means of pursuing such a study are Hmited. Our great cities contain large and valuable public libraries, and the collections of our historical societies are rich and very complete ; but these are accessible only to the communities in which they are located, and are practically useless to the majority of the American people. The great works of Bancroft and Hildreth cover but a portion of our history, and are removed from the reach of the masses by reason of their costliness. Besides these, the larger number of the works treating of American history are compendiums, or outlines intended for the use of schools, and are therefore unsatisfac- tory to the adult reader. The demand for a popular History of the United States which shall fill a place between these greater and smaller works has led the author to the preparation of this volume. He has endeavored to popularize the story of the nation, and at the same time to neglect noth- ing that could in the least contribute to a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject. He has sought to trace the his- tory of the Republic from the discovery of the American continent to the present day, and has endeavored especially to fix the attention of the reader upon the various influ- ences which have aided in moulding our national character, and have produced our distinctive political and moral national traits He has endeavored to write from u, broad national standpoint, and to cultivate in the minds of his readers that feeling ot national patriotism which must ever be the safeguard of our country. It is a fitting time to consider the story of the past, to learn the lessons which it teaches, and to ponder the warnings which it conveys for the future. Four hundred }'ears ago America was an unknown wilderness. Less than three centuries ago it passed into the hands of England, and was thus secured for the language and the free influences of the all-conquering Anglo-Saxon race. It was a precious heritage which was thus secured for liberty ; a land stretching from the frozen regions of the north to the sunny skies of the tropics, from the stormy Atlantic to the calm Pacific ; a land embracing every variety of climate, and a soil capable of producing almost every product of the earth, from the stunted herbage of the frozen regions to the luxuriant fruits of the tropics. The earth is rich in mineral deposits, from the homely, but invaluable, veins of coal, to bedr of the most brilliant and precious minerals It pours out in streams, oil for burning, ga that may be used fresh from the natura springs, salt that requires but the heat of thi ■ sun for its perfection, and beds of pure soda that cover the earth like the dust in the high- ways. In short, all that is needed for the pres- ervation and comfort of animal and human life exists in this favored land in the greatest profusion. VI PREFACE. Such is the land designed by God for the home of liberty. The people to whom He has intrusted it have not abused His good- ness. In the short space of two centuries, the American people have grown from a small handful of hardy adventurers to a "mighty continental nation," increasing with a rapidity that is almost marvellous. They have built up their country on a scale of magnificence of which they are justly proud. They have covered it with powerful and free States, and splendid cities, connected by a network of railways, telegraphs, navigable rivers, and canals, which bind all the scat- tered parts into one solid whole. They have made a commerce and a system of manufac- tures before which the fabled wealth of Tyre sinks into insignificance. They have created a literature which commands the respect of the world ; they have illustrated their history with deeds of arms not less splendid than their more peaceful achievements, and have given to the world names in every walk of life that will never die. They have shown that liberty and power can go hand in hand; they have made themselves a nation in which God is feared, and of which Christianity is the basis, in which ignorance and vice are des- pised, and in which the great lesson that lib- erty is possible only to an educated and virtuous people is being practical'/ demon- strated. This is a grand history — a record of the highest achievement of humanity— the noblest, most thrilling, and glorious story ever penned on earth. Yet the fact remains that the great mass of the American people are but imperfectly acquainted with it. There is a real need that we should know better than we do what we have done. It is only by a thoughtful study of our past that we can safely provide for the perils of the future. We have triumphed over adversity, and we are now called upon to bear the test of suc- cess. He can be no good citizen who is ignorant of his country's history. In the preparation of this volume, no authority of importance has been overlooked; the author has carefully searched every source of information open to him ; and has availed himself of every fact that could throw new light upon, or impart additional interest to, the subject under consideration. In the narration of military events, he has preferred to give each campaign as a whole rather than to mingle several by presenting the events in chronological order. At the same time he has sought to preserve the inter-relation of events in one field of opera- tions to those in the others. The book is offered to the public in the sincere hope that it may induce its readers to take to heart the lessons which our history teaches, and to set a higher value upon the precious heritage of constitutional liberty which our fathers won for us with their blood, and handed down to us in trust for our .hil- dren's children. CONTENTS. BOOK I. Discovery of the ^Vestern Continent. CHAPTER I. Strange People in a Strange Land. PACiK Earliest Inhabitants of the United States — The Mound Builders — Remarkable Works Constructed by Them — Evidences of a Primitive Civilization — Indications of the Antiquity of this Period — A Re- markable Cherokee — Who Were the Mound Build- ers — Ancient Phoenicians — False Assumption — The American Indians — Divisions of the Country Among the Tribes — Names and Location of the Various Tribes — Organization and Government of the In- dians — Their Dress, Manners and Cu.stoms — Vil- lages — Indian Inventions — The War Dance — Le- gends of the Norsemen Respecting the Discovery of America 17 CHAPTER n. The Voyages of Columbus. Maritime Enterprise in the Fifteenth Century — The- ories Respecting the Earth's Surface — Christopher Columbus — His Early Life — His Theory of a Webi- ern Passage to India — His Struggles to Obtain the Means of Making a Voyage — Is Aided by Ferdi- nand and Isabella of Spain — His First Voyage — Discovery of America — Reception in Spain — His Second Voyage — Settlement of Hayti —Third Voy- age of Columbus — He Reaches the Mainland — Dis- coveiy of Gold in Hayti — Troubles in the Colony — Columbus Sent to Spain in Irons — Indignation of the Queen — Last Voyage of Columbus — His Ship- wreck — Returns to Spain — Refusal of Ferdinand to Comply with His Promises — Death of Columbus — Amerigo Vespucci — Origin of the Name America 32 CHAPTER HI. English and French Discoveries. Discovery of the North American Continent by John Cabot — Voyages of Sebastian Cabot — The English Fail to Follow Up these Discoveries — Efforts of the French to Explore America — Voyage and DiscoT- eries of Verrazzani — Cartier Explores the St. Law- rence — Reaches Montreal — Efforts to Found a Col- ony on the St. Lawrence — Failure — Roberval's Colony — Trading Voyages — Explorations of Cham- plain — Colonization of Nova Scotia — Founding of Quebec — Discovery of Lake Champlain — Arrival of the Jesuits in Canada — Death of Champlain ... 43 CHAPTER IV. The Spaniards in America. Settlement of the West Indies — Discovery of the Pa- cific Ocean — Voyage of Magellan — Discovery of Florida — Ponce de Leon's Search for the Fountain of Youth — Vasquez de Ayllon Kidnaps a Cargo of Indians — Effort of Pamphilo de Narvaez to Con- quer Florida — A Terrible March — The Voyage on the Gulf of Mexico — Fate of the Fleet — Escape of Cabeza de Vaca and His Comrades — Discovery of New Mexico — Ferdinand de Soto — Obtains Leave to Conquer Florida — Sails from Spain — Arrival in Cuba — Departure for Florida — Landing at Tampa Bay — Events of the First Year — De Soto Enters Georgia — Descends the Alabama — Battle of Ma- villa — Destruction of Chickasaw — Sufferings of the Spaniards — Discovery of the Mississippi — The Spaniards Cross the Great River — De Soto in Ar- kansas — Reaches the Mississippi Again — Sickness and Death of De Soto — His Burial — Escape of His Followers to Mexico — The Huguenot Colony in Carolina— Its Failure — The French Settle in Florida — Wrath of Philip II. — Melendez Ordered to Exterminate the Huguenots — Foundation of St. Augustine — Massacre of the French at Fort Caro- lina — The Vengeance of De (iourges 50 CHAPTER V. The First English Colony. The English Claim to America — Voyages of Fro- bisher — Exploits of Sir Francis Drake-— Sir Humph- rey Gilbert— Intends to found a Colojny in America — Is lost at Sea — Sir Walter Raleigh pttains 3 Pat- ent of Colonization — Discoveries of Amidas and vii vni CONTENTS. Barlow — Raleigh sends out a Colony to Virginia — Settlement on Roanoke Island — Its Failure — Arri- val of Granville — Second Effort of Raleigh to Colo- nize Virginia — Roanoke Island again Settled — The " City of Raleigh " — Virginia Dare — Fate of the clolony — Death of Raleigh — Other Voyages of the English 63 BOOK II. Settlement of America. CHAPTER VI. Captain John Smith and Pocahontas. Formation of the London Company — Conditions of its Charter — Departure of the first Colony — Quarrels daring the Voyage — Arrival in the Chesapeake — Settlement of Jamestown — Formation of the Gov- ernment — Character of Captain John Smith — Ex- ploration of the James River — Newport and Smith visit Powhatan — Smith Admitted to the Govern- ment — Explores the Chickahominy — Is Captured and Sentenced to Death — Is Saved by Pocahontas — Gains the Friendship of Powhatan for the Colony ■ — Returns to Jamestown — His Decisive Measures — Return of Newport — Smith Explores the Chesa- peake Bay — The new Emigrants — Smith compels them to Labor — Smith is Wounded and compelled to return to England — Disasters to the Colony — Ar- rival of Sir Thomas Gates — Jamestown Abandoned — Arrival of Lord Delaware — The Return to James- town — A Change for the Better — New Settlements - — Sir Thomas Gates arrives with Reinforcements — Capture of Pocahontas by Captain Argall — She is Baptized — Marries John Rolfe — Sir Thomas Dale's Administration — Yeardley Governor — The first Leg- islative Assembly — Representative Government es- tablished in America — The Colonists obtain Wives — Changes in the Government 73 CHAPTER VII. Progress of the Virginia Colony. .Introduction of Negro Slavery into Virginia — Efforts of the Assembly to Restrict Slavery — The Indians At- tempt the Destruction of the Colony — Terrible Suf- ferings of the Whites — Aid from England — The Indian War Begun — King James Revokes the Char- ter of the London Company — Charles I. Desires a Monopoly of the Tobacco Trade — Action of the Assembly — Sir William Berkeley's First Adminis- tration — Severe Measures against Dissenters— Close of the Indian War-^Death of Opecbancanough— Emigration of Royalists to Virginia — Virginia and and the Commonwealth — Treaty with England — The Assembly Asserts its Independence of the Gov- ernor — The Restoration — Berkeley Chosen Gover- nor by the Assembly — His Hypocrisy 89 CHAPTER VIII. Virginia After the Restoration. Characteristics of the Virginians — Causes of the Suc- cess of the Royalists — Growth of the Aristocratic Class — Berkeley decides against the People — The Aristocratic Assembly Claims the Right to sit Per- petually — Deprives the Common People of their Liberties — Revival of the Navigation Act by Charles II. — The King bestows Virginia as a Gift upon his Favorites — Protests of the Assembly — Growing Hos- tility of the Virginians to the Colonial Government — The Indian War — The Governor Refuses to allow the Colonists to Defend themselves — Nathaniel Ba- con — He Marches against the Indians — Rebellion of the People against Berkeley and the Assembly — The Convention — Repeal of the Obnoxious Laws — Berkeley's Duplicity — The People take up Arms — Flight of Berkeley — Destruction of Jamestown — Death of Bacon — Causes of the Failure of the Rebel- lion — Berkeley's Triumph — Execution of the Patriot Leaders — Berkeley's Course Condemned by the King — Death of Berkeley — The Unjust Laws Re- enacted — Lord Culpepper Governor — His Extor- tions — James II. and Virginia — Effects upon Vir- ginia of the Revolution of 1688 — William and Mary College Founded 98 CHAPTER IX. The Colonization of Maryland. Extent of the Territory of Virginia — Clayborn's Trad- ing-Posts established — Sir George Calvert, Lord Baltimore — Becomes interested in American coloni- zation — Obtains a Grant of Maryland — Terms of the Charter — A Colony sent out — Arrival in the Chesapeake — St. Mary's Founded — Charter of the Colony — Friendly Relations established with the Indians — First Legislature of Maryland — Trouble with Clayborne — Rapid Growth of the Colony — Progress of Popular Liberty — Policy respecting the Treatmentof the Indians — Clayborne's Rebellion — Law granting Religious toleration enacted — Condi- tion of Maryland under the Commonwealth — The People declared Supreme — Lord Baltimore re- covers his Proprietary Rights — Characteristics of the Colony — Rapid Increase in Population — Cbarlos Calvert, Governor — Death of the second Lord CONTENTS. IX Baltimore — Roman Catholics disfranchised — Mary- land becomes a Royal Province — Triumph of th^; Protestants — Annapolis made the Seat of Govern- ment — Restoration of the Proprietary Government — Continued Prosperity of Maryland 1 1 1 CHAPTER X. The Pilgrim Fathers. Rise of the Puritans — Their Increase in England — They are Persecuted by the English Church and Government — Conduct of James I. — His Hatred of Puritanism — Puritans take Refuge in Holland — The Congregation of John Robinson — They Escape to Holland — The Pilgrims — their Sojourn at Leyden — They wish to Emigrate to Virginia — Failure of their Negotiations with the London Company — They form a Partnership in England — A Hard Bargain — Departure of the Pilgrims from Holland — Voyage of the " Mayflower " — Arrival in New England — The Agreement on board the " Mayflower" — Car- ver chosen Governor — Settlement of Plymouth — The first Winter in New England — Suff"erings of the Pilgrims — Arrival of new Emigrants — Continued Suffering — Assignment of Lands — Friendly In- tercourse with Indians — Samoset and Squanto — Visit of Massasoit — A Threat of War — Bradford's Defiance — Weston's Men — A Narrow Escape — The Colonists Purchase the Interests of their English Partners — Lands Assigned in Fee Simple — The Colony Benefited by the Change — Government of Plymouth — Steady Growth of the Colony . . . . 121 CHAPTER XI. Settlement of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Settlement of New Hampshire — The English Puritans determine to form a new Colony in America — The Plymouth Council — A Colony sent out to Salem under Endicott — Colonization of Massachusetts Bay begun — A Charter obtained — Concessions of the King — Progress of the Salem Colony — The Charter and Government of the Colony removed to New England — Arrival of Governor Winthrop — Settlement of Boston — Sufferings of thS Colonists — Roger Williams^-His Opinions give offence to the Authorities — The Success of the Bay Colony Estab- lished — Growth of Popular Liberty — The Ballot Box — Banishment of Roger Williams — He goes into the Wilderness — Founds Providence — Growth of Williams's Colony — C nued Growth of Massa- chusetts — Arrival of Sir Henry Vane — Is elected Governor — Mrs. Anne Hutchinson — The Antino- mian Controversy — Mrs. Hutchinson banished — Settlement of Rhode Island — Murder of Mrs. Hutchinson 138 CHAPTER XII. Colonization of Connecticut. PAGB Tlie Dutch claim the Comiecticut Valley — They build a Fort at Hartford — Governor Winslow makes a Lodgment in Connecticut for the English — With- drawal of the Dutch — The First Efforts of the Eng- lish to Settle Connecticut — Emigiation of Hooker and his Congregation — They Settle at Hartford — Winthrop builds a Fort at Saybrook — Hostility of the Indians — Visit of Roger Williams to Miantono- moh — A Brave Deed — The Pequod War — Capture of tke Indian Fort — Destruction of the Pequod Tribe — Effect of this War upon the other Tribes — Connecticut Adopts a Constitution — Its Peculiar Features — Settlement of New Haven *5o CHAPTER XIII. The Union of the New England Colonies. Feeling of the Colonies towards England — Hostility of the English Government to New England — Efforts to Introduce Episcopacy — Massachusetts Threatens Resistance — The Revolution in England — Estab- lishment of Free Schools in New England — Har- vard College — The Printing Press — The Long Par- liament Friendly to New England — The United Colonies of New England — Rhode Island obtains a Charter — Maine Annexed to Massachusetts — The Quakers are Persecuted — Efforts to Christianize the Indians — John Eliot, the Apostle to the Indians . . 157 CHAPTER XIV. New England After the Restoration. Arrival of the News of the Restoration of Charles II. — The Regicides in New England — They are Pro- tected — Revival of the Navigation Acts — Effect of this Measure upon the New England Colonies- Massachusetts delays the Proclamation of the King — Connecticut obtains a Charter — Union of New Haven with the Connecticut Colony — Rhode Island given a new Charter — Massachusetts settles her diffi- culties with the Crown — Changes in the Govern- ment — High-handed acts of the Royal Commission- ers — Troubles with the Indians — Injustice of the Whites — King Philip's War — A Forest Hero — An Incident in the Attack upon Hadley — Sufferings of the Colonies — Destruction of the Narragansetts — Death of Philip — Close of the War — England asserti her right to Tax the Colonies — Massachusetts buys Gorges' claims to Maine — New Hampshire made a separate Frovince — James II. Revokes the Charter of Mas.«:achusetts — Dudley and Randolph in New England — Andros appointed Governor-General — CONTENTS. His Tyranny — He demands the Charter of Connect- icut — It is carried away and Hidden — The Charter Oak — Fall of James 11. — The people of Massachu- setts take up Arms — Andros arrested — Effects of the Revolution upon New England 1 66 CHAPTER XV. Witchcraft in Massachusetts. Results of the Failure of Massachusetts to Resume her Charter — The New Charter — -Loss of the Liberties of the Colony — Union of Plymouth with Massachu- setts Bay — Belief m Witchcraft — The History of Witchcraft in Massachusetts — The Case of the Good- win Children — Cotton Mather espouses the Cause of the Witches — Samuel Parris — He Originates the Sa- lem Delusion — A Strange History — A Special Court Appointed for the Trial of the Witches — The Vic- tims — Execution of the Rev. George Burroughs — Cotton Mather's Part in the Tragedies — The Gen- eral Court takes Action in behalf of the People — End of the Persecution — Failure of Cotton Mather's Attempt to Save his Credit 182 CHAPTER XVI. The Settlement of New York. Voyages of Plenry Hudson — He is Employed by the Dutch — Discovery of the Hudson River — Early Dutch Voyages — Adrian Block — Fate of Hudson — The Dutch build a Fort on Manhattan Island — Set- tlement of New Amsterdam — The Province named New Netherlands — Fort Nassau — Peter Minuits Governor — The Dutch Settlement of Delaware — Wouter Van Twiller — Kieft Governor — His Unjust Treatment of the Indians — Massacre of the Indians at Hoboken — The Indian War — Stuyvesant Ap- pointed Governor — Disputes with the English in Connecticut — The Swedes Settle Delaware — Stuy- vesant Captures the Swedish Forts — Growth of New Amsterdam — Disputes between the People and Gov- ernor — Growing Spirit of Popular Liberty — The People Appeal to the States General — Capture of New Netherlands by the English — The ^ame of the Province changed to New York — Results of the , English Conquest — Progress of New Jersey — An- dros Governor of New York — He Fails to Establish his Authority over Connecticut — New York allowed an Assembly — Discontents of the People — Leisler's Rebellion — Execution of Leisler and Milbourne — Fletcher Governor — His Attempt to obtain Com- mand of the Connecticut Militia — Episcopacy Es- tablished in New York — The Freedom of the Press Sustained — New Jersey a Royal Province .... 193 CHAPTER XVII. Colonization of Pennsylvania. PAG The Quakers — Their Origin and Doctrines — William Penn — Becomes a Quaker — Is Persecuted for his Religious Opinions — Becomes interested in Ameri- can Colonization — Purchases West Jersey from the Proprietor — Conceives the Idea of Founding a Free State in America — Purchases Pennsylvania from Charles II. — Conditions of his Charter — Sends out a Colony — Arrival of Penn in America — Philadel- phia Founded — Penn's Treaty with the Indians — Religious Toleration Guaranteed — Penn's Relations with his Colonists — Rapid Growth of Pennsylvania in Population and Prosperity — William Penn and James II. — Renewal of Penn's Troubles — William HI. Declares Pennsylvania a Royal Province — Penn is Vindicated and Restored to his Proprietary Rights — His Return to Pennsylvania — Character of the Settlers of the Province — Penn Goes Back to England — Efforts to deprive him of his Possessions — His Death 21 CHAPTER XVIII. Settlement of the Carolinas. Gradual Settlement of North Carolina from Virginia — Charles II. grants Carolina to Clarendon and others — The " Grand Model " — An Ideal Aristocracy Proposed for Carolina — The Authority of the Pro- prietaries Established in North Carolina — Con- tinued Settlement of that Region — Characteristics of the Early Settlers of North Carolina — The People Reject the Grand Model — Hostility of England to the Colonial Commerce — Insurrection in North Carolina — Slothel Governor — Settlement of South Carolina — Charleston Founded — The Proprietary Constitutions Rejected by South Carolina — Rapid Growth of the Colony — Introduction of Slavery — Chracteristicsof the Early Settlers of South Carolina — Efforts to Enforce the Navigation Acts — Resis- tance of the People — The Proprietaries Abandon their Constitutions — Archdale's Reforms — Religious Intolerance — Eatablishment of the Church of Eng- land in South Carolina— Action of the Crown — Continued Prosperity of South Carolina — Governor Moore Attacks St. Augustine — Failure of the Effort — The Spaniards are Repulsed in an Attempt to Capture Charleston — Indian War in North Caro- lina — The Tuscaroras Driven Northward — War with the Yemmassees — Destruction of their Power — Separation of the Carolinas 2j;p CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER XIX. Settlement of Georgia. PAGE General James Edward Oglethorpe — His Efforts to Reform Prison Discipline of England — Proposes to Found a Colony in America for the Poor and for Prisoners for Debt — A Charter Obtained from the King — Colonization of Georgia — Savannah Settled —First Years of the Colony — Labors of Oglethorpe >>— An-ival of New Emigrants — Augusta Founded — The Moravian Settlements — The Wesleys in Amer- ica — George Whitefield — War between England and Spain — Oglethorpe Invades Florida — Failure of the Attack upon St. Augustine — The Spaniards In- vade Georgia — Oglethorpe's Stratagem — Its Success —Battle of" Bloody Marsh " — Close of the War — Charges against Oglethorpe — His Vindication — His Return to Europe — Changes in the Colonial Government — Introduction of Slavery into Georgia — Prosperity of the Colony 241 CHAPTER. XX. The French in the Valley of the Mississippi. Origin of the Hostility of the Iriquois to the French — Settlement of Canada — Plans of the French res- pecting the Indians — The Jesuits — Their Work in America — Success of their Missions— The Early Missionaries — Foundation of a College at Quebec — Efforts of the Jesuits to Convert the Iroquois— Father Jogues — Death of Ahasistari — Father AUouez — The Missions on the Upper Lakes — Father Marquette — His Exploration of the Upper Mississippi — Death of Marquette — La Salle — Effoils of France to Secure the Valley of the Missis- sippi — La Salle Descends the Mississippi to its Mouth — His Effort to Colonize the Lower Missis- sippi — The First Colony in Texas — Its Failure Death of La Salle — Lemoine d'Ibberville — Settle- ment of Louisiana — Colony of Biloxi — Settlement Mobile — Crozat's Monopoly — Founding of Nevt Orleans — Detroit Founded — Slow Growth of the French Colonies — Occupation of the Ohio Valley by the French — Wars with the Indians — Exter- mination of the Natchez Tribe — War with the Chickasaws 251 CHAPTER XXL Conflicts Between the English and French. Relations Between the English and the Five Nations — The Hostility of the Latter to the French — King "William's War — Destruction of Dover — The Jesuit Missionaries Incite the Indians to Attack the Eng- lish — Expedition against Quebec — Attack on Dus- tin's Farm — Peace of Ryswick — Hostility of the English to Roman Cathohcs — Queen Anne's War — Burning of Deerfield — Eunice Williams — Cruel- ties of the French — Effort of New England to Con- quer Acadia — Capture of Port Royal — Failure ot' the Expedition against Quebec — King George's War — Expedition against Louisburg — Its Composi- tion — Arrival of the Fleet at Cape Breton — Gooc Conduct of the Provincials — Capture of Louisburg — Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle — Unjust Treatment of the Colonies by England — Sentiment of the Araeri- cans towards England 265 BOOK III. The French and Indian War. CHAPTER XXn. Outbreak of Hostilities. England Claims the Valley of the Ohio — Organiza- tion of the Ohio Company — The French Extend their Posts into the Ohio Country — Washington's Mission to the French at Fort Duquesne — His Jour- ney — Reception by the French — His Journey Home — A Perilous Undertaking — Organization of the Virginia Forces — Washington Made Second in Command — The French Drive the English from the Head of the Ohio — Fort Duquesne Built by Them — Washington Crosses the Mountains — The Fight at Great Meadows — Beginning of the French and In- dian War — Surrender of Fort Necessity to the French — Unjust Treatment of the Colonial Officers --Congress of the Colonies at New York — Frank- lin's Plan of a Union of the Colonies — Its Failure — Reasons of the British Government for Rejecting It — England Assumes the Direction of 'the War — Ar- rival of General Braddock — Plan of Campaign — - Obstinacy of Braddock — He Passes the Mountains — Defeat ot Braddock — Heroism of Washington — Retreat of Dunbar beyond the Mountains— Vigor- ous Action of Pennsylvania — Armstrong Defeats the Indians and Burns the Town of Kittanning . . . 2'jfi CHAPTER XXni. Sanguniary Struggles on the Frontier. Expedition against Acadia — Brutal Treatment of- the Acadians — They Are-Expelled from their Country — A Sad Story — Fate of the Acadians — Johnson at Lake George — March of Dieskau — Battle of Lake. Jeorge — Failure of Shirley's Expedition — Arrival of the Earl of Loudon — Montcalm in Canada*— xH CONTENTS. Capture of Oswego by the French— Outrages of the Earl of Loudon upon New York and Philadelphia — Expedition against Louisbu'^g — How the Earl of Loudon Beat the French — Capture of Fort William Henry by Montcalm — Massacre of the Prisoners by the Indians — Efforts of Montcalm to Save Them — ■ Tlie Royal Officers Attempt to Cover Their Failures ^y Outraging the Colonies 298 CHAPTER XXIV. End of the French and Indian War. A- Change for the Better — William Pitt Prime Minister • — Vigorous Measures Adopted — Recall of the Earl ^)f Loudon — Capture of Louisburg — Abercrombie on Lake George — Advances agahrst Ticonderoga — Death of Lord Howe — Failure of the English At- tack upon Ticonderoga — Disgraceful Conduct of Abercrombie — His Retreat — Capture of Fort Fron- tenac — Advance of General Forbes — Grant's Defeat • — TheVirginians Again Save the Regulars — Capture of Fort Duquesne — Washington Retires from the Army — Ticonderoga and Crown Point Occupied by the English — Capture of Fort Niagara — The Expe- dition against Quebec — Failure of the First Opera- tions — Despondency of W'olfe — He Discovers a Landing-place — The Army Scales the Heights of Abraham— Montcalm's Surprise— Battle of the Plains of Abraham — Death of Wolfe — Defeat of the French — Death of Montcalm — Surrender of Quebec — Capture of Montreal — Treaty of Paris — Canada Ceded to England — France Loses all Her American Possessions — The Cherokee War — Hostility of the Indians to the English — Pontiac's War — Death of Pontiac — Bouquet Relieves Fort Duquesne — Results of the War 309 BOOK IV. The American Revolution. CHAPTER XXV. Causes OF THE Struggle for Independence. injustice of Great Britain towards Her Colonies — The Navigation Acts — Effects of these Laws upon the Colonies — Great Britain Seeks to Destroy the Man- ufactures of America — Writs of Assistance — They Are Opposed — Home Manufactures Encouraged by the Americans — Ignorance of Englishmen Concern- ing America — Great Britain Claims the Right to Tax America — Resistance of the Colonists — Samuel Adams — The Parsons' Cause — Patrick Henry — England Persists in Her Determination to Tax Amer- ica — Passage of the Stamp Act — Resistance of the Colonists — Meeting of the First Colonial Congress — Its Action — William Pitt — Repeal of the Stamp Act — Franklin before the House of Commons — - New Taxes Imposed upon America — Increased Re- sistance of the Colonies — Troops Quartered in Bos- ton — The " Massacre " — The Non-Importation As- sociation — Growth of Hostility to England — Burn- ing of the *' Gaspe" — The Tax on Tea Retained by the King — Destruction of Tea at Boston — Wrath of the British Government — Boston Harbor Closed — Troops Quartered in Boston — The Colonists Come to the Assistance of Boston — Action of the Virginia Assembly — General Gage in Boston — The Regulat- ing Act — Its Failure — Gage Seizes the Massachu- setts Powder— Uprising of the Colony — Meeting of the Continental Congress — Its Action — Addresses to the King and People of England — The Earl of Chatham'slndorsement of Congress — The King Re- mains Stubborn 327 CHAPTER XXVI. Progress of the War. Gage fortifies Boston Neck — He Summons the Gen- eral Court — Recalls his Proclamation — The Provin- cial Congress of Massachusetts — It takes Measures for Defence — The Militia Organized — The Minute Men — Friends of America in England — Gage re- solves to seize the Stores at Concord — Midnight March of the British Troops — The Alarm given — Skirmishes at Lexington and Concord — Retreat of the British — A Terrible March — Uprising of New England — Boston Invested — Dunmore seizes the Virginia Powder — Is made to pay for it — Uprising of the Middle and Southern Colonies — The Meck- lenburg Declaration of Independence — Capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point — Meeting of the Sec- ond Cantinental Congress — Congress resolves to sus- tain Massachusetts — Renewed Efforts for Peace — Congress Assumes the General Government of the Colonies — A Federal Union Organized — Its Charac- ter — A Continental Army formed — George Wash- ington Appointed Commander-in-chief — General Officers Appointed — Condition of the Array before Boston — Inaction of Gage — Battle of Breed's Hill — A Glorious Defence — The Battle Equivalent to a Victory in its Effects upon the Country — Arrival of Washington at Cambridge — He takes Command of the Army — He Reorganizes the Army — Difficulties of the Undertaking — The Invasion of Canada Re- solved upon — March of Montgomery and Arnold — ■ Rapid Successes of Montgomery — He Captures CONTENTS. xiu Montreal — March of Arnold through the Wilder- ness — Arrival before Quebec- -Forms a Junction with Montgomery — The Siege of Quebec — The Ice Forts — Failure of the Attack — Death of Montgom- ery — Retreat of the Americans from Canada — Lord Dunmore's War in Virginia — Destruction of Nor- folk — The Thirteen United Colonies — Burning of Falmouth — Naval Matters — Action of Great Britain —The War to be carried on — The Hessians . . . 354 CHAPTER XXYII. The Declaration of Independence. rhe Siege of Boston — Difficulties of the American Army — Activity of the Privateers — Clinton's Expe- tion — Colonel Knox arrives fromTiconderoga with Cannon — Seizure of Dorchester Heights by Wash- ington — The British Evacuate Boston — Royalist Plots in New York — Paper Money Issued by Con- gress — Gates sent to the North — The British Attack Charleston — Battle of Fort Moultrie — The Howes in New York Bay — Change in the Character of the War — Growing Sentiment in Favor of Independence — — Virginia Proposes the Colonies Assert their Inde- pendence — Action of Congress — The Declaration of Independence — Articles of Confederation A:^.opted by Congress — Lord Howe's Efforts at Conciliation — \ddresses a Letter to Washington — Battle of Long /sland — Defeat of the Americans—Retreat from Lciig Island — Evacuation of New York by the Americans — Loss of Fort Washington — Washington Retreats through New Jersey — He Crosses the Del- aware — Darkest Period of the War — Washington's Determination to Continue the War — Lord Howe's Proclamation — Its Effect — Congress at Baltimore — Carleton invades New York — Defeats Arnold on Lake Champlain — Carleton Retires into Canada — Battle of Trenton — Happy Effects of the Victory —Congress confers Dictatiorial Powers upon Wash jigton — Commissionei"s sent to France 377 CHAPTER XXVni. The Year 1777. .fowe Attempts to Crush W'ashington — Battle 01 Princeton — The British Confinea to the Seaboard — Recovery of New Jersey — The American Army in Winter Quarters at Morristown — Effects of the American Successes — Difficulty of Procuring Troops — Washington Pefuses to Exchange Prisoners — His Course Approved by Congress — Measures of Con- gress — Naval Affairs — Tryon Bums Danbury — Gal- lantry of Arnold — Troubles in the Northern Depart- ment — Congress Adopts a National Flag — "The Stars and Stripes" — Course of France towards the United States — France Decides to Assist the Amer leans — Lafayette — His Arrival in America — Capture of the British General Prescott — Howe Threatens Philadelphia — Washington Moves Southward — • Battle of the Brandy wine — Washington Retreats to the Schuylkill— Wayne's Defeat at Paoli — Philadel- phia Exacuated by the Americans — It Is Occupied by the British — Battle of Germantown — The British Attack the Forts on the Delaware — They Are Aban- doned by the Americans — Burgoyne's Army in Canada — Advance of Burgoyne into New York — Investment of Ticonderoga — It Is Abandoned by the Americans — The Retreat to Fort Edward — Burgoyne Reaches the Hudson — Murder of Miss McCrea — Siege of Fort Schuyler — Battle of Ben- nington — Critical Situation of Burgoyne — Gates in Command of the American Army — Battles of Beh- mus' Heights and Stillwater — Surrender ot Biu"- goyne's Army — Clinton in the Highlands .... 405 CHAPTER XXIX. Aid From Abroad. Sufferings of the Army at Valley Forge — Appeals of Washington to Congress — ^The British in Philadel- phia — The Conway Cabal — Its Disgraceful Failure — Efforts to Improve the Army — Worthlessness of Continental Bills — General Lee Exchanged — Effect of Burgoyne's Surrender upon England — The King Is Forced to Agree to Measures of Conciliation— Acdon of France — Louis XVI. Recognizes the In- dependence of the United States — Alliance Between the United States and France — Failure of the Brit- ish Measures of Conciliation — Clinton Evacuates Philadelphia — Battle of Monmouth — General Lee Dismissed from the Anny — Attack upon Newport ■ — Its Failure — Withdrawal of the French Fleet to the West Indies — Outrages of the British on Long Island Sound — Massacre of Wyoming — the Winter of 1779-80 — The Army in Winter Quarters — Robert Morris — Condition of Congress — Georgia Subdued by the British — Prevost Attempts to Take Charleston — Siege of Savannah — Its Failure — Cap- ture of Stony Point — Capture of Paulus Hook— The Indians Punished — Naval Affairs — Exploits of John Paul Jones — Evacuation of Newport — Settle- ment of Kentucky — Conquest of the Illinois Country by George Rogers Clarke — Settlement of Tennessee, a^ CHAPTER XXX. The Close of the War. Severity of the Winter of 1 779-80 — Sufferings of the American Army — Clinton Sails for the Caroli- nas — Colonel Tarleton — Capture of Charleston- Conquest of South Carolina — Gates in Command of the Southern Army — Battle of Camden — Exploits KIV CONTENTS. of Marion and Sumter — Advance of Cornwallis — Battle of King's Mountain — Gates Succeeded by General Greene — Knyphausen's Expeditions into New Jersey — Arrival of the French Fleet and Army — Arnold's Treason — The Plot for the Be- trayal of West Point — Arrest of Major Andre — Flight of Arnold — Execution of Andre — Mutiny of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Troops — Meas- ures of Congress — Arnold Captures Richmond, Vir- ginia — Batde of the Cowpens — Masterly Retreat of General Greene — Cornwallis Baffled, — Battle of Guilford Court House — Cornwallis at Wilmington — Battle of Hobkirk's Hill — Siege of Ninety-Six — Execution of Colonel Hayne — Battle of Eutaw Springs — Washington Decides to Attack New York —The French Army on the Hudson — Financial Affairs — Resumption of Specie Payments — Message from the Count De Grasse— Cornwallis at York- town — The American Army Moves Southward- Siege of Yorktown — Surrender of Cornwallis — Ef- fect of the News in England — Indian Troubles- Efforts in England for Peace — Negotiations Opened — Treaty of Paris — End of the War-^The Army Disbanded — Washington Resigns His Commission 450 BOOK V. From the Close of the Revolution to the Civil War. CHAPTER XXXI. The Adoption of the Constitution — Washingtom's Administration. ^Jnsettled Condition of the Country — Failure of the Articles of Confederation — Desire for Reform — Meeting of the Federal Convention at Philadelphia — The Constitution of the United States — Adoption of a Decimal Currency — The Northwest Territory — Washington Elected President — His Journey to New York — Establishment of the New Government — The First Cabinet — Financial Measures — Re- moval of the Capital Agreed Upon — The Govern- ment at Philadelphia — The First Census — The In- dians of the Northwest Conquered — Re-electioji ©f Washington — Division of Parties — The French Revolution — The United States Neutral — Citizen Genet — Efforts to Commit the United States to the French Alliance — Genet's Recall Demanded — The " Whiskey Insurrection" — ^Jay's Treaty with Eng- land — Opposition to It — Negotiations with Algiers — Political Disputes — Hostility to Washington — His Farewell Address — Its Effect upon the Country — Election of John Adams to the Presidency — Admis- sion of Vermont, Kentucky and Tennessee — Retire- ment of Washington — His Administration . . . 481 CHAPTER XXXII. The Administrations ok John Adams and ThomA3 Jefferson. paq: Inauguration of John Adams — Aggressions of France upon the United States — The American Commis- sioners Insulted by the French Government — The Alien and Sedition Laws — The United States Pre- pare for War with France — France Signifies her Willingness to Treat — New Commissioners Ap- pointed — Settlement of the Dispute — Hostilities at Sea — Capture of the " Insurgente " and " Ven- geance" — Death of Washington — Removal of the Capital to Washington City — The Second Census- Inauguration of Thomas Jefferson — The President's Message — His First Measures — Admission of Ohio — Louisiana Purchased by the United States — War with the Barbary Powers — Burning of the " Phila- delphia " — Re-election of Mr. Jefferson — Aaron Burr Kills Alexander Hamilton in a Duel — Burr's Subse- quent Career — Fulton's Steamboat — Outrages of England and France upon American Commerce- American Vessels Searched and American Seamen Impressed by England — Efforts to Settle these QuesticMis — Affair of the " Chesapeake " and " Leop- ard" — The Embargo^Results of this Measure- Losses of the Eastern States — Election of James Madison to the Presidency — Repeal of the Embargo. 496 CHAPTER XXXIIT. The Administration of James Madison — The Secone War with England. Inauguration of Mr. Madison — Negotiations with Mr. Erskine — Their Failure — Seizure of American Ves- sels in France — Sufferings of American Ship-owners — Great Britain Stations her Ships of Waroff Amer- can Ports — Affair of the "President" and "Little Belt " — Trouble with the Northwestern Indians — Tecumseh — Battle of Tippecanoe — Meeting of the Twelfth Congress — Measures for Defence — Admis- sion of Louisiana into the Union — Death of Geoi^e Clinton — The British Ultimatum — War Declared Against Great Britain — Opposition to the War — The British Offer of Settlement Rejected — ^The War for "Free Trade and the Sailors' Rights" — Mr. Madi- son Re-elected — Campaign of 18 12 — Preparations for the Invasion of Canada General Hull Sut« renders Detroit to the British — Loss of the North- western Fronder — Failure of the Attack on Queens- town — Exploits of the Navy — Capture of the " Guer riere" by the "Constitution" — The Privateers- Russia Offers to Mediate between the United States and England — Financial Affairs — Harrison's Cam- paign — Massacre at the River Basin — Defence of Forts Meigs and Stephenson-Perry's Victory on Lakp CONTENTS. XV Erie — Battle of the Thames — Death of Tecumseh — Recovery of the Northwest — Capture of York — British Attack on Sackett's Harbor Repulsed — Removal of General Dearborn — Failure of the Cam- paign on the Lower Lakes — The Creek War — Jackson's Victories — Naval Affairs — The British Outrages in Chesapeake Bay — Negotiations for Peace — Capture of Fort Erie — Battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane — Siege of Fort Erie — Successes of the Americans — Advance of Prevost — Battle of Plattsburgh — Macdonough's Victory on Lake Cham- plain — Battle of Bladensburg — Capture of Wash- ington — Destruction of the Public Buildings by the British — Attack on Baltimore — Death of General Ross — " The Star- Spangled Bunner " — The British Attack on the New England Coast — Opposition of New England to the War — The Hartford Conven- tion — The British in Florida — General Jackson Expels Them — Jackson at New Orleans — Arrival of the British Expedition off the Coast — Vigorous Measures of Jackson — Battle of New Orleans- Defeat of the British — Naval Affairs — The Treaty of Peace — The Barbary Powers Humbled — The Tariff— The Bank of the United States— Admis- sion of Indiana — ^James Monroe Elected President . 512 CHAPTER XXXIV. Administrations of James Monroe and John Quincy Adams. Inauguration of Mr. Monroe — His Tour through the Eastern States — Admission of Mississippi into the Union — Troubles with the Indians — General Jack- son's Vigorous Measures against the Spaniards in Florida — Purchase of Florida by the United States —Illinois Becomes a State — The First Steamship — Maine Admitted into the Union — The Slavery Question — The Missouri Compromise — Admission of Missouri as a State — The Fourth Census — Re- election of Mr. Monroe — The Tariff — Protective Policy of the Government — Recognition of the Spanish Republics — The Monroe Doctrine — Visit of Lafayette to the UniteH States — Retirement of Mr Monroe — John Quincy Adams Elected President — His Inauguration — Rapid Improvement of the Coun- try — Increase of Wealth and Prosperity — Internal Improvements — The Creek Lands in Georgia Ceded to the United States — Death of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams — The Anti- Masons — The Tariff of 1828 — Andrew Jackson Elected President . . . 548 CHAPTER XXXV. Administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. Character of Andrew Jackson — Indian Policy of this Administration — The President Vetoes the Bill to Renew the Charter of the United States Bank — De- bate Between Hayne and Webster — Jackson's Quar- rel with Calhourn — Death of ex-President Monroe — The Cholera — Black Hawk's War — Re-election of President Jackson — The Tariff— - Action of South Carolina — The Nullification Ordinance — Firmness of the President — The Matter Settled by Compro- mise — Patriotism of Henry Clay — The Removal of the Deposits — The Seminole War Begun — Great Fire in New York — Settlement of the French Claims — Arkansas Admitted into the Union — The National Debt Paid — Death of ex-President Madi- son — Martin Van Buren Elected President — Michi- gan Admitted into the Union — The Panic of 1837 — Causes of It — Suspension of Specie Payments — Great Distress throughout the Union — The Sub- Treasury — Repudiation of State Debts — The Can- adian Rebellion — The President's Course — The Seminole War Ended — The Anti-Slavery Party — Resolutions of Congress Respecting Slavery- William Henry Harrison Elected President — The Sixth Census $6t CHAPTER XXXVI. Administrations of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler. An Extra Session of Congress Summoned — Death of President Harrison — John TyiG» View in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River . 810I Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia . . . 820 View of the Main Building of the International Cen^ tennial Exhibition 82a General J. R. Hawley 824 Intersection of Ninth and Chestnut Streets, Philadel- phia 826 Obverse of Centennial Medal • • * . . 82/ Reverse of Centennial Medal 827 Shoshone Falls, Idaho 828 General George Crook 829 Indians Surprised and Defeated 830 Horseshoe Bend on the Pennsylvania Railroad near Altoona 83I Canyon of the Lodore and Greene Rivers, Wyoming . 832 Samuel J. Tilden 833 Thomas A. Hendricks 834 Point Pheasant, Ohio, the Birthplace of General Grant 835 Samuel J. Randall S36 The New Departmeni of State, Washington, D. C . . 837 George F. Edmunds 838 Thomas F. Bayard 839 Rutherford B. Hayes 842 William A. Wheeler 843 Arrival of General Grant at San Francisco in the Steamer " City of Tokio " 844 William H. English 845 The «' Jeannette " Crushed by the Ice 846 The Mirage — A Scene in the Arctic Regions .... 847 James A. Garfield 850 Mrs. Lucretia R. Garfield 851 James G. Elaine 852 The Assassination of James A. Garfield 853 Death-bed of James A. Garfield 854 The Catafalque at Cleveland, Ohio 855 James A. Garfield Lying in State in the Rotunda of the Capitol at Washington 856 Chester A. Arthur 857 John A. Logan S58 John G. Carlisle 859 Sanderson's Hope, Upemavik, Baffm Bay 860 Arctic Region — Beechey Head 861 Scene in the Arctic Region — Among the Icebergs . . 862 The Brooklyn Suspension Bridge 863 Grover Cleveland 865 Chief Justice Waite Administering the Oath of Office to President Cleveland 866 Death of General Grant , 867 Cottage in which Grant Died at Mount McGregor . . 868 General Grant's Temporary Tomb, Riverside Partv, New York 869 Mrs. Frances Folsora Cleveland 872 The New Post Ofi&ce Building, Philadelphia .... $f$ iixiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. The New City Hall, Philadelphia 874 Steamship Docks on the Delaware River, Phila- delphia 875 Allen G. Thurman 876 Levi P. Morton 877 Benjamin Harrison 879 Bird's eye View of New York City 880 The Post Office, New York 881 The Battery and Castle Garden, New York ... 882 The Harbor of New York 883 The Break in South Forks Dam, Johnstown, Pa. 888 William McKinley 885 Charles F. Crisp 886 Sitting Bull in his War Dress Chief American Horse General Nelson A. Miles Captain Wallace Found After the Wounded Knee Fight Scene on the Yellowstone River Manila Harbor— Scene of the Great Battle . . . Uniforms of U. S. Marines and Naval Officers . Street Scene in Manila — Philippine Islands . . Bombardment of San Juan, Porto Rico Lieut. R. P. Hobson Harbor and Fortifications of Santiago .... PAGB 887 888 961 964 965 9.66 9*68 Superb Phototype (Full-page) Engravings Illustrating the Story of the New World. Christopher Columbus Landing of Columbus. Columbus before Ferdinand and Isabella. De Soto Discovering the Mississippi. General Pepperell at the Siege of Louisburg. George Washington. Putnam's Escape at Horseneck. Battle of Bennington. General Harrison and Tecumseh. Commodore Perry at the Battle of Lake Krie. General Scott at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. Bombardment of Island No. 10. Capture of New Orleans. Battle of Gettysburg. Columbus Sighting Land. The Landing of Roger Williams. Boston Massacre, 1770. Patrick Henry. Washington Reviewing the Army. Massacre at Fort Mimms. Decatur's Conflict with the " Algerine " at Tripoli. Capture of Roanoke Island. General William T. Sherman. Battle of Antietam. Battle of Chickamauga. General P. H. Sheridan. Battle of Lookout Mountain. General George G. Meade. Capture of Fort Donaldson, Tenn. Battle of Balls Bluff, Va. General Grant. U. S. Cruiser '* Baltimore," U. S. Cruiser "Petrel." U. S. Cruiser " Philadelphia." U. S. Cruiser " Newark." U. S. Cruiser " York town." U. S. Cruiser " San Francisco." U. S. Cruiser '• Columbia." U. 8. Cruiser " Chicago." U. S. Battleship "Texas." U. S. Battleship "Oregon." U. S. Battleship "Maine." U. S. Battleship " Indiana." U.S. Battleship " Iowa." U. S. Monitor " Miantonomoh." U. S. Ram "Katahdln." U. S. Dynamite Cruiser " Vesuvius." U. 8. Cruiser " Olympia." William McKinley. Captain Chas. D. Sigsbee. Destruction of the Battleship " Maine." Admiral George Dewey. Great American Victory at Manila. Admiral W. T. Sampson. Bombardment of San Juan, Porto Rico. General Nelson A. Miles. Lieut. R. P. Hobson. Landing of General Shafter in Cuba. Gallant Charge of General Wheeler's Cavalry. United States Forces Capturing the Intrenchments at Santiago. Commodore W. S. Schley. Captain Robley D. Evans. Working Rapid-fire Guas. Standard History of the United States BOOK I Discovery of br)e ^ATesterr) Cor)bii)ei)b CHAPTER I Strange People in a Strange Land Earliest Inhabitants of the United States — The Mound Builders — Remarkable Works Constructed by Them-^ Evidences of a Primitive Civilization — Indications of the Antiquity of this Period — The American Indians — Division of the Country Among the TriL^s — Names and Location of the Various Tribes — Organization and Government of the Indians — Their Dress, Manners and Customs — Villages — Indian Inventions — The War Dance — Legends of the Norsemen Respecting the Discovery of America. 'E do not know who were the inhabitants, or what was the history of North America previous to its discovery and settlement by the Europeans. That it was at some remote period occupied by a more civilized and powerful race than the Indians, found by the first explorers, is very certain ; but who they were, what was their history, or what the cause of their extinction, are among the profoundest mysteries of the past. Traces as distinct as those which mark the various physical changes which the continent has undergone, exist to show that these primi- tive inhabitants were both numerous and far advanced in civilization ; but this is all that we know concerning them. In various parts of the country, and espe- cially in the valley of the Mississippi, large hiounds and other structures of earth and atone, but chiefly of earth, remain to t-^-^w the magnitude of the works constructed by these people, to whom the name " Mound Builders" is generally applied. Some of these earthworks embrace as much as fifteen or sixteen miles of embankment. As no domestic animals existed in this country at that period, these works must have been constructed by bringing the earth used in them by hand; a fact which shows that the primitive population was a large one. The construction of the works proves that they had considerable engineering skill. The square, the circle, the ellipse, and the octagon are all used in these structures, being all combined in a single system of works in some places. The proportions are always perfect. The square is always a true ^ square, and the circle a true circle. Many implements and ornaments of copper, silver, and precious stones — such as axes, chisels, knives, bracelets, beads, and pieces of thread and cloth, and well-shaped vases of pottery have been found in these mounds, and show IS DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. the extent of the civilization of the " Mound Builders" and their knowledge of the arts. In the region of Lake Superior are found old copper mines worked by these ancient people. In one of these mines there was discovered an immense block of copper weighing nearly six tons. It had been left in the process of removal to the top of the mine, nearly thirty feet above, and was sup- ported on logs of wood which were partly petrified. The stone and copper tools used by the miners were discovered lying about as they had been left by their owners ages before. At the mouth of this mine are piles of earth thrown out in digging it, and out of these embankments trees are growing which are nearly four hundred years old. Who Were the "Mound Builders?" The following interesting account of the mounds and their builders is from the pen of Mr. J. H. Beadle, who has kindly given us permission to quote from his valuable work, entitled The Undeveloped West ; In his description, Mr. Beadle says: A people for whom we have no name, vaguely included under the general term of Mound Builders, have left evidences of exten- sive works in the vicinity of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and their tributaries. These are of three kinds : mounds, square and circular inclosures, and raised embank- ments of various forms. Of mounds, the following are most important and best known : One at Grave Creek, West Virginia, 70 feet high and i,ooo feet in circumference at the base ; one near Miamisburg, Ohio, 68 feet high and 852 feet in circumference; the great truncated pyramid at Cahokia, Illinois, 700 feet long, 500 wide, and 90 in height ; the immense square mound, with face of 188 feet, near Marietta, Ohio; and some hun- dreds of inferior mounds from 60 to 30 feet in height, in different States, from Wisconsin to the mouth of the Mississippi. Unlike all the mounds in Mexico and Central and South America, those in our country have no trace of buildings on them. Why? Until I visited Arizona I had no answer. There the solution was easy. In those regions stone was abundant and timber was scarce; here the reverse was the case. Our predecessors built of wood, the others of stone; the works of the latter remain to this day, while wooden buildings would leave no trace after one or two centuries, if indeed they were not burnt by the savages as soon as abandoned. Immense Structures. Of the second class the best known are : the square fortification at Cedar Bank, Scioto River, Ohio, with face of 800 feet, inclosing a mound 245 feet long by 150 broad ; the works four miles north of Chilli- cothe, Ohio, a square and a circular fortifica- tion inclosing twenty acres each ; the graded way near Piketon, Ohio ; about a hundred mounds and inclosures in Ross County, Ohio ; the pyramid at Seltzertown, Missis- sippi, 600 feet long and 40 feet high, and a vast number of mounds, inclosures, squares and pyramids on the upper lakes, and scat- tered through the Southern and Western States. Every State in this great region contains these ancient structures. By far the greatest division is in Central and South America ; and here we find our- selves at the point where our ancient civiliza- tion reached its height, among works which are the astonishment of explorers and per- plexity of scholars. Yucatan is a vast field for antiquarian research, dotted from one end to the other with the ruins of cities, temples and palaces. But in the great forest which covers the northern half of Guatemala, the southern half of Yucatan, and parts of other States, covering an area larger than Ohio, is STRANGE PEOPLE IN A STRANGE LAND. 19 to be found the key to our ancient history. Within a few years past cities have been dis- covered which must have contained a popu- lation of a quarter of a million, in an advanced condition of civilization ; and yet, owing to the jealousy of the natives and the indiffer- ence of modern scholars, next to nothing is known, and few scientific researches have been made upon this intensely interesting subject. In my limited space I confine this inquiry mostly to the remains in our own country. 2. They were an agricultural people. The barbarous state requires many times a? large an area for the same number of people as the civilized state; and the savage condi- tion a much larger. The State of Ohio will support an agricultural population of many millions ; yet it never contained fifty thousand savages. It is easily proven that that portion of the United States east of the Mississippi never contained half a million Indians. It follows, also, that a very large portion of the country around their works MOUNDS AT MARIETTA, OHIO. From what we see in the Western and Southern States, the following conclusions are evident : I, The Mound Builders constituted a considerable population, under one govern- ment. No wandering and feeble tribes could have erected such works ; and the extent of xhe works, evidently many years in erection, as well as their completeness and scientific exactness, show the controlling energy of one directing central power, which alone can account for their uniform character. must have been cleared of timber and in cultivated fields. 3. They left our country a long time ago. Nature does not give a forest growth at once to abandoned fields ; a preparatory growth of shrubs and softer timber come- first. But forest trees have been found upon the summit of their mounds, which show, by annual rings and other signs, at least six hundred years of growth. There could be no better proof of their great antiquity. Their works are never found upon the io DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. lowest terrace of the formation on the rivers ; though many signs indicate that they built some as nearly on a level with the streams as possible. Their "covered ways," leading down to water, now terminate on the second terrace above. It is demonstrable that of the various terraces — " second bottoms " — on our streams, the lowest was longest in form- ing. From these and many other signs, it is proved that the last of the Mound Builders left the Ohio valley at least a thousand years ago. How Long were They Here? 4. They occupied the country, at least the southern part of it, where their popula- tion was densest a very long time. This is shown by the extent of their works, the evidences of their working the copper-mines of the Superior region, and many other proofs. The best judges estimate that nearly a thousand years elapsed from the time of their entrance till their departure from the Mississippi valley. 5. At the south they were at peace; but as they advanced northward, they came more and more into contact with the wild tribes, before whom they finally retired — again towards the south. These facts are clearly proved by the increase of fortifica- tions northward, and broad flat mounds, suitable only for buildings, southward. So much for proof; and, connecting these with other proofs, the latest antiquarians are of the opinion that the Toltecs — the civilized race preceding the Aztecs — were our Mound Builders. This opinion is the only reason- able one that can be fo»-med under all the circumstances. When we pass tc> tre more southern ruins the proofs of great antiquity, large population and long occupation are vastly increased. Some of them have been alluded to. The great forest of Guatemala and Yucatan is nearly as large as Ohio and Indiana combined, and could easily havG sustained a civilized population of ten mil- lions. The Aztecs, whom the Spaniards found, were the last of at least three civilized races, and much inferior to the Toltecs immediately preceding them. Their history indicates that they were merely one of the original races, who overthrew and mingled with the Toltecs, adopting part of their re- ligion and civilization. The Peruvian Incas, found by Pizarro, seemed to have been the second in the series of races. But civiliza- tion is not spontaneous ; it must have re- quired nearly a thousand years for the first of the three dynasties to have developed art and learning far enough to erect the build- ings we find. To that race before the Incas, the authors of the original civilization, De Bourbourg and others have given the name of Colhuas. What may Reasonably be Conjectured. Thus we have the series: a thousand years since the Mound Builders left our country ; a previous thousand years of set- tlement and occupation, and a thousand years for the precedent civilization to develop. Or, beginning in Mexico, etc. : a thousand years of Spaniard and Aztec ; a previous thousand years for Toltec migration and settlement, and a thousand years before that for the Colhuas to develop, flourish and decline. This carries us back to the time when the same course of events was inaugu- rated on the Eastern Continent. We know that it has required so long to produce all we see in Europe and Asia ; all reasoning, by analogy, goes to show that at least as long a time has been required to produce equally great evidences in America. Besides a host of surmises there have been at least nine theories promulgated, and strenulously defended, in regard to the origin of this civilization. UNITED STATES BATTLESHIP TEXAS -;;%»*-- •••^^ UNITED STATES TORPEDO BOAT GUSHING UNITED STATES MONITOR MIANTONOMOH UNITED STATES BATTLESHIP INDIANA STRANGE PEOPLE IN A STRANGE LAND. 2( I. The Jewish theory. Some sixty years since Major Noah maintained that the " Lost Tribes " were the ancestors of the American Indians and the builders of the ruins de- such a people as the Jews could, in a few centuries, lose all trace of their language, religion, laws, form of government, art, science and general knowledge, and sink into A DEAD TOWN OF THE MOQUIS INDIANS. ^cribed; and a few others held that, if not the Ten Tribes, there was a Jewish Colony. Jt would certainly be an amazing thing if a tribe of barbarians. But when we add that their bodily shape must have completely changed, their skulls lengthened, the bear<^ 22 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. dropped from their faces, and their lan- guage undergone a reversion from a deriv- ative to a primitive type — a thing unknown in any human tongue — the supposition be- comes too monstrous even to be discussed. 2. The Malay theory is that a grjat Malay Empire, once existing in the island of Malaysia, planted colonies here ; but this is easily disproved. "Works of the Phoenicians. 3. The Phoenician theory: that those ancient navigators planted colonies in Amer- ica. If correct, this would be certain of demonstration ; for they were pre-eminently a people of letters and monuments. The Phoenician alphabet is the parent of all the alphabets of Europe except the Turkish. They must have left some trace ot their lan- guage But none has been found. Nor can any similarity be traced in the ruins with the works of the Phoenicians. 4. 5,6. The Assyrian, Egyptian and Roman theories fell for the same reasons as the Phoenician. The works of none of these people have any marked resemblance to those found in America. A pyramid or temple here is no more like an Egyptian or Assyrian one than a Chinese pagoda is like an American church. 7. The Northmen in America have been credited with these works. It is barely possible the remains in the United States might be thus accounted for ; but how about the far more extensive and elaborate works in Mexico, Central and South America ? The cause ascribed is utterly inadequate for the effect. 8. The Chinese or Tartary theory is, that about the year 1250 Kublai Khan sent Tartar colonies to America; that among them were some Nestorian Christians, which accounts for the crosses found. The time is utterly inadequate. Palenque and Copan were built and abandoned before the yeaf 1250. 9. The Atlantean theory is, by far, the most brilliant and fascinating of all proposed, and appeals with subtle power to the imagi- nation. It is propounded by Brasseur de > Bourbourg, who maintains that the Island of Atlantis, often mentioned by ancient poets, had a real existence ; that it extended nearly across the Atlantic, and was the cradle of civilization ; that it actually sank in the sea as the Greek poets tell us, and that the West India Islands are the only portions that remain above water. He conjectures that from this common centre civilization spread east and west, and supports this view by numerous traditions from both sides of the Atlantic. Of this theory we must regretfully say, " Not proven." A False Assumption. To dispose of so many theories to make way for my own opinion, is scarcely in keeping with the modesty I had proposed to myself; but, in my humble judgment, these theorists all start from one fatal assumption : that this civilization was necessarily an exotic. Why not a civilization native to America as well as to any other country ? I would sug- gest that a good basis might be laid by analogy with the course of civilization in Europe. There it began in the South, spread slowly by successive developments towards the North, where it was overwhelmed and driven back, as it were, by an irruption of barbarians ; it again revived in the South, and slowly extended to the North, where it is now advanced beyond the original. Similarly here the Colhuas originated civilization in the South ; their successors the Toltecs, carried it towards the North, about the line of Ohio, they encountered the irruption of northern barbarians, and slowly retired towards the South ; there civilization ISTRANGE PEOPLE IN A STRANGE LAND. 23 again revived, and was steadily advancing towards the North when the Spaniards came and destroyed it. On each continent the full cycle required a period of about three thousand years. On this basis I should place the Moquis and other Pueblo races the last in a series of four, the second the greatest, and a decline thence to the last : Colhaus, Toltecs, Aztecs, Pueblos. In summing up, why are we reduced to the necessity of adopting any hypothesis of an Eastern origin ? Is it unreasonable to believe that self-improve- ment began among savages in America, as it did three thousand years ago among savages in Egypt and Greece ? Does sound philos- ophy forbid the theory of a spontaneous civilization in America ? We are, perhaps, too much in the habit of thinking that everything really good originated with our branch of the human race. To my mind, the evidences are many — though a profound American archaeologist might smile at the supposition — that this civilization was suz generis, native and not derived. A Remarkable Indian. We now know that in China a civiliza- tion developed spontaneously, totally unlike and receiving no aid from that of Europe. Two starting points proved, what is there to forbid the idea of a third ? This is as dis- tinct from the European as is the Chinese ; it shows no signs of derivation, and facts indicate clearly that the native mind of Amer- ica is naturally equal to either of the others. Within the memory of man a Cherokee has invented a complete alphabet, one serving the purpose in his language better than ours does in the English. (Better because each letter represents invariably one and the same sound). This fact is worth a volume of con- jecture. It shows that the human mind was slowly working toward something better in America, the same as in Europe, the only difference being that, from reasons of race or climate, it there got an earlier start. Outgrowing Barbarism. And as to the northern barbarians who destroyed this civilization, why are we driven to inventing a plausible theory as to how they crossed from Asia ? On the whole, I incline to flank all the difficulties of the main question thus : America, as shown by geo- logy, is the oldest of the continents, and it is quite reasonable, therefore, to suppose was early inhabited. This race had a native genius peculiarly its own, totally unlike that which developed in Asia the Chinese civili- zation, or that in Europe which created that of the Greek and Roman and the later nations. Like them, many hundreds of years passed in barbarism before even a start was apparent, But civilization did begin in Amer- ica, and was reviving from its first overthrow when the whites came. Mexico had advanced through the savage and barbarous to the half-civilized state ; the New England tribes had taken the first steps toward improvement, and the New York Indians had already a political organization, code of laws, national confederacy and sys- tem of representative council and govern- ment. Had the whites discovered America a thousand years later, they might have found on the Atlantic coast a completed native civilization as perfect as that of China to-day. The innate power of the Indian mind among the superior tribes is evident. The inferior ones would have perished as did inferior aboriginal races before Asiatic and European civilization. The foregoing theories, by Mr. Beadle, are doubtless the best solution to this problem. At the time of its discovery by the whites the Indians were the sole human occupants of the continent, which was covered with vast 24 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. woods and plains abounding with game of every description. Though nominally divided into tribes and " nations," the Indians were really one great family in physical appearance, manners, cus- toms, religion, and in the observance of their social and political systems. The division and Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware. Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina as far south as Cape Fear, a large part of Kentucky and Tennessee, and nearly all of Ohio, Indi- ana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Min- nesota. This nation was subdivided into the following tribes: the Ottawas, Chippewas, INDIAN VILLAGE IN WINTER. into tribes was the result of their difference in language. Each tribe had a dialect pecu- liar to itself and distinct from those of the others. The tribes were for the most part hostile to and were constantly engaged in war with each other. They were generally divided into eight nations, speaking eight radically distinct languages. These were: I. T/ie Algoiiqidns, who inhabited the ter- ritory now comprised in the six New Eng- land States, the eastern part of New York Sacs and Foxes, Miamis, Potawatomies, Shawnees, Powhatans, Delawares, Mohegans, Narragansetts and Pequods. The Famous "Five Nations." II. Iroquois, who occupied almost all of that part of Canada south of the Ottawa, and between lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron, the greater part of New York, and the country lying along the south shore of Lake Erie, now included in the States of Ohio and Penn- sylvania. This territory, it will be seen, m--^^ • -^ UNITED STATES. U. S. REVENUE. I U. S. COMMODORE PENNANT. U. S. YACHT. U. S. ADMIRAli. ENGTiATTD. IREI.AND. iCJOJT. kSFXl^ GERMANT. PENNSYLVANIA STATE. GERMAN MERCHANT. FLAGS OF ALL NATIONS. « meaning to the white man were eloquent to them ; and they sur- passed the latter in keenness of hearing and of vision. They communicated with each other by signs or marks on rocks and trees. For money they used wampum beads ; and belts made of this wampum were used to record treaties and other important events. They had no intoxicating drinks before the arrival of the whites ; but used tobacco, which they smoked in pipes made of clay. They were expert marksmen with the bow until they learned the use of firearms from the whites, when they lost much of their ancient skill with this weapon. Canoes and Snow-shoes. "The most ingenious inventions of the In- dians," says Colonel Higginson, " were the snow-shoe and the birch canoe. The snow- shoe was made of a maple-wood frame three or four feet long, curved and tapering, and filled in with a network of deer's hide. This network was fastened to the foot by thongs, only a light, elastic moccasin being worn. Thus the foot was supported on the surface of the snow ; and an Indian could travel forty miles a day upon snow-shoes, and could easily overtake the deer and moose whose pointed hoofs cut through the crust. The peculiar pattern varied with almost every tribe, as did also that of the birch canoe. This was made of the bark of the white birch, stretched over a very light frame of white cedar. The whole bark of a birch tree was stripped off and put around the frame without being torn. The edges were sewed with tl".ongs cut from the roots of th ced&r, and were then covered with pitcK made Irom the gum of trees. If torn, the canoe could be mended with pieces of bark, fastened in the same way. The largest of these canoes was thirty feet long, and would carry ten or twelve Indians. They were very light and could be paddled with ease. They were often very gracefully shaped, and drew very little water. " The Indians had great courage, self-con- trol, and patience. They were grave and CIVILIZED INDIAN WOMAN. dignified in their manners on important occa- sions ; in their councils they were courteous to one another, and discussed all important questions at great length. They were often kind and generous, and sometimes even for- giving ; but they generally held sternness to be a virtue, and forgiveness a weakness. They were especially cruel to captives, putting them to death with all manner of tortures, in which women took an active part. It was the custom among them for women to do most of the hard work, in order that the 28 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. bodies of the men might be kept supple and active for the pursuits of the chase and war. Great Power of Endurance. " When employed on these pursuits, the Indian men seemed incapable of fatigue ; but in the camp or in travelling the women carried the burdens; and when a hunter had carried a slain deer on his shoulders for a long distance, he would throw it down within sight of the village, that his squaw might go and bring it in. " Most of the Indian tribes lived in a state of constant warfare with one another. When there was a quarrel between tribes, and war seemed ready to break out, strange cere- monies were used. Some leading chief would paint his body black from head to foot, and would hide himself in the woods or in a cavern. There he would fast and pray, and call upon the Great Spirit ; and would observe his dreams to see if they promised good or evil. If he could dream of a great war-eagle hovering before him it would be a sign of triumph. After a time he would come forth from the woods and return among his people. Then he would address them, summon them to war, and assure them that the Great Spirit was on their side. Then he would bid the warriors to a feast at his wig- wam. There they would find him no longer painted in black, but in bright and gaudy colors, called * war paint.' The guests would also be dressed in paint and feathers, and would seat themselves in a circle around the wigwam. Then wooden trenchers, contain- ing the flesh of dogs, would be placed before them, while the chief would sit quietly smok- ing his pipe, and would not yet break his long and wearisome fast. "After tht feast, the war-dance would fol- low, perhaps at night, amid the blaze of fires and lighted pine knots. A painted post would be driven into the ground, and the crowd would form a wide circle round it. The war chief would leap into the open space, brandishing his hatchet, and would chant his own deeds and those of his fathers, acting out all that he described and striking at the post as if it were an enemy. Warrior after warrior would follow, till at last the whole band would be dancing, shouting, and brandishing their weapons, striking and stab- bing at the air, making hideous grimaces and filling the forest with their yells. Making the Attack. " Much of the night would pass in this way. In the morning the warriors would leave the camp in single file, still decorated with paint and feathers and ornaments; and, as they entered the woods, the chief would fire his gun, and each in turn would do the same. Then they would halt near the vil- lage, would take off their ornaments and their finery, and would give all these to the women, who had followed them for this pur- pose Then the warriors would go silently and stealthily through the forest to the appointed place of attack. Much of their skill consisted in these silent approaches, and in surprises and stratagems, and long and patient watchings. They attached no shame to killing an unarmed enemy, or to private deceit and treachery, though to their public treaties they were always faithful. They were desperately brave, and yet they saw no dis- grace in running away when there was no chance of success." At the time of the discovery of America the Indians were rapidly disappearing. Their relentless wars and frequent pestilences were sweeping them away. Contact with the white race has hastened the work of destruc- tion. Many of the tribes exist now but in name, and those which remain are growing smaller in numbers with each generation; and it would seem that the time is not far UNITED STATES BATTLESHIP IOWA UNITED STATES PROTECTED CRUISER COLUMBIA .■j^g^t t^i^^^^^ UNITED STATES ARMORED CRUISER BROOKLYN UNITED STATES ARMORED CRUISER NEW YORK STRANGE PEOPLE IN A STRANGE LAND. 29 distant when the last trace left of the red man in America will be his memory. Old Traditions. Whether any white men ever trod the shores of America previous to the coming of Columbus is a disputed question. It would '/seem, however, that, several centuries previ- ous to his discovery, a Norwegian vessel from Iceland to Greenland was driven out of her course by storms to the coast of Labrador or Newfoundland. The national pride of the Icelanders and the Danes has led them to accept as literal history the traditions of their race concerning this voyage, and they have given it a definite date. According to them this voyage took place in A. D. 986, and was followed in looi by a voyage of Lief Erick- son, an Icelandic navigator, who is said to have discovered America, reaching Labrador first, and then sailing southward to Newport and New York harbors. This voyage is said to have led the way to the further exploration of the coast as far south as the capes of Virginia, and to the planting of colonies, which soon perished, in Newfound- land and Nova Scotia. That some Icelandic voyagers visited the American continent pre- vious to the expedition of Columbus is most likely ; but we cannot accept the definite and explicit statements of the writers in ques- tion ; at least in the present state of our knowledge upon this subject. We must con- tent ourselves with the bare fact, without admitting all the details narrated. Among the strange, stirring and wonder- ful stories of early voyages there was none ^vhich excited such interest as that of Bjarni, a native of Iceland, who had cruised along the coast of an unknown world, and looked upon hills, woods and mountains, of whose existence no one had ever dreamed. It naturally occurred to the hardy sailors who discussed the question, that they could do what Bjarni had done, and indeed far more, for he had not set foot on the shores he had seen at the west. The oldest son of Eric the Red was Lief — Lief the Lucky, he was afterward called. In the year 1000 he set sail from Herjulfness with a crew of thirty-five men, Bjarni being among them. Heading boldly out to sea, the sailors ploughed through the icy waters until land, supposed to be Newfoundland, was reached. They went ashore and examined it, but there was little to please the eye and they soon left. The next place visited was probably Nova Scotia, as it is now called. It was found to correspond with the account given by Bjarni. Two da3^s further sail, before a favoring wind, carried the explorers so far south that when land was once more descried, it must have been New England. The main facts of the remarkable voyage of Lief the Northman have been proven beyond all dispute, but the accounts themselves are so confused in minor details that it can never be positively known where it was these navigators first landed. There is good rea- son, however, to believe it was on the coast of Rhode Island, and probably at some poin^" on the Narragansett Bay. A Bold Navigator. The Northmen were astonished and de- lighted when they came to explore the woods to find luscious grapes in abundance. To the Northmen, the climate seemed wonder- fully mild. Lief gave the country the name of Vinland, and when he sailed northward, his vessel was loaded with grapes and valu- able timber, as proof of the fertility of the region he had visited. The Northmen were not men to rest con- tent with the voyage and discoveries made by Lief. Eric the Red had another son, a brave and skillful navigator named Thorvald, who was eager to visit the new country. Q W f^ M H PQ Q W Q O C > O h STRANGE PEOPLE IN A STRANGE LAND. 31 Lief gave him much help and in 1003 ^^ set sail with a crew of thirty men. Good fortune attended them, and they found the rough houses left by Lief still strong and secure. The men spent the winter in hunting and fishing, but, so far as is known, never saw the face of any native of the New World. When spring came, part of the company went on an exploring tour along the coast of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Long Island. There is good reason to believe they entered the harbor of New York, but not a living person beside themselves was to be seen, and where stands to-day the most populous city in the New World, there was not so much as an Indian wigwam. The records show that in the spring of 1004, Thorvald entered on a more extended voyage of exploration. He sailed slowly northward along the coast of Cape Cod, and was driven ashore by a tempest. It took the crew a long time to repair damages, but when everything |was ready, they resumed their voyage, keeping close, no doubt, along the south shore of the Massachusetts Bay. Being favorably impressed with the appear- ance of a certain spot, they dropped anchor and went ashore. When they had done so, they saw for the first time some of the natives of the new country. Under a couple of rude tents they dis- coved nine quietly lolling on the ground with no suspicion of the presence of the strangers who had landed near them. Who would think that the Northmen could offer harm to the poor savages ? There was not the slightest excuse for the dreadful cruelty of the white men, and yet, no sooner did they see the natives, than they resolved to kill them all, Creeping silently forward, they made a sudden rush, and with their heavy swords killed all but one. Having completed the massacre, the triumphant Northmen lay down under the trees to sleep ; but they had hardly closed their eyes when the woods resounded with shouts and yells, and the natives rushed upon them from every side. The single survivor of the slaughter had made haste to tell what had been done by the visitors, who were now compelled to flee to their ship, fighting as they went. Under the shelter of the vessel, however, they were able to beat back the natives, only one of the Northmen receiving a wound : he was Thorvald, who had been pierced so deeply by an arrow that he was past help. He died and was buried near the shore, the grave covered with stones and a cross placed both at the head and foot. Then the survivors sailed back to Vinland and told their countrymen the sad tidings. The next spring the whole colony returned to Green- land. Thus ends all authentic history of the dis- covery and settlement of America by the Northmen. Having found one of the great continents of the world, it may be said they lost it, and, during nearly five centuries afterward there is no positive proof that it was known to Europeans. CHAPTER II The Voyages of Columbus Maritime Enterprise in the Fifteenth Century — Theories Respecting the Earth's Surface — Christopher Columbus — His Early Life — His Theory of a Western Passage to India — His Struggles to Obtain the Means of Making a Voyage — Is Aided by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain — His First Voyage — Dis- covery of America — Reception in Spain — His Second Voyage — Settlement of Hayti — Third Voyage of Columbus — He Reaches the Mainland — Discovery of Gold in Hayti — Troubles in the Colony — Columbus Sent to Spain in Irons — Indignation of the Queen — Last Voyage of Columbus — His Shipwreck — Returns to Spain — Refusal of Ferdinand to Comply with his Promises — Death of Columbus — Amerigo Vespucci — Origin of the Name America. ^ HE fifteenth century witnessed a remarkable awakening of human thought and enter- prise, one of the most im- portant features of which was the activity in maritime under- takings which led to the discovery of lands until then unknown to the civilized world. The invention, and the application to navigation, of the mariner's compass, had enabled the seamen of Europe to undertake long and distant voyages. The Portuguese took the lead in the maritime enterprises of this period, the chief object of which was to find a route by water from Europe to the Indies. The equator had been passed; Bartholomew Diaz had even doubled the Cape of Storms, and had established the course of the eastern coast of Africa; and it was hoped by some of the most daring thinkers that the ports of India could, be reached by sailing around this cape. Others, still bolde;*, believed that although the earth was a sphere, it was much smaller than it is, and ^ that the central portion of its surface was occupied by a vast ocean which washed the shores of what they regarded as its solitary continent, on either side, and that by sailing due west from Eu- 32 rope, the shores of India, China or ]c pan could be be reached. Among those who I eld this opinion was Christopher Columbus. We was a native of Genoa, in Italy, was boi \ about the year 1435, and was the son of . weaver of cloth. His ancestors had been sailors, for which calling he, at an early age, evinced a preference. He received a com- mon school education, and afterwards went to the University of Pavia, where he studied geometry, astronomy, geography and navi- gation. He stayed at Pavia but a short time, only long enough to gain a decided relish for mathematical studies. At the early age of fourteen he went on a voyage with a relative, and followed the calling of a sailor until he had completed his thirtieth year. During this period he had married, and by this marriage he had become possessed of the papers of the former hus- band of his wife, who had been a distinguished Portuguese navigator. He had learned but little at school, but he had been a close stu- dent all his life, and had stored his mind with a valuable fund of information. This habit of study he never abandoned, and his extensive knowledge, added to his years of practical experience, made him one of the most learned navigators of his day. In 1470, be'ngr then about thirty years old, Columbus THE VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS. 33 took up his residence in Portugal, which was then the centre of maritime enterprise in Europe. Here his spirit of discovery was quickened, and he became convinced that there were continents still unknown. He continued to make voyages to the then known parts of the world, and while on fortified by his experience, induced him tc believe that there was land beyond the western seas, which could be reached by sailing in that direction. This land he believed to be the eastern shores of Asia. He was confirmed in his belief by his corres- pondence with the learned Italian Toscaneili^ CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. shore engaged in the work of making and selling maps and charts. The papers given him by his wife were now of the greatest service to him. He entered eagerly into the speculations of the day concerning the short- est passage to the Indies, and his studies, who sent him a map of his own projectionj, in which the eastern coast of Asia was laid down opposite the western coast of Europe, with only the broad Atlantic between them. Other things also confirmed him in what had now become the profoundest conviction of 34 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. ftis life. Sailors who had been to the Canary Islands told him they had seen land far to the westward of those islands. A piece of wood strangely carved had been thrown by the waves upon the Portuguese coast after a long westerly gale, and had been seen by the brother-in-law of Columbus. Seven Years of Disappointment. An old pilot related to him the finding >f a carved paddle at sea, a thousand miles to the westward of Europe. Pine trees had been cast ashore at Madeira, and at the Azores he learned that the bodies of two men, whose features and dress showed that they belonged to no nation of Europe, had been thrown on the land by the waves. Having settled it in his own mind that there was land to the westward, Columbus was eager to go in search of it. He was not possessed of suffi- cient means to accomplish this at his own expense, and began his efforts to interest some European state in the enterprise. His first application was addressed to his native country, the Republic of Genoa. He met with a refusal, and then turned to Venice, with a like result. His next effort was to enlist the Portuguese king, John II., in his scheme. Here he was subjected to delays and vexations innumerable, and once the Portuguese sovereign attempted to make a dishonorable use of the information given by Columbus in support of his theory. Disgusted with the conduct of this sover- eign, Columbus, after years of waiting, aban- doned the hope of obtaining his assistance, and applied to Henry VII. of England, from whom he received a decided refusal. Quitting Lisbon in 1484, Columbus went to Spain, intending to lay his plans before Fer- dinand and Isabella, the sovereigns of that country. He could scarcely have chosen a more unpropitious time. The Spanish nation was engaged in the Moorish war, which had exhausted the treasury, and which absorbed the attention of the sovereigns to the exclu sion of every other matter. He spent seven years in endeavoring to interest the govern- ment in his plans. *' During this time Columbus appears to have remained in attend- ance on the court, bearing arms occasionally in the campaigns, and experiencing from the sovereigns an unusual degree of deference and personal attention." At last, wearied with the long delay to which he had been subjected, he pressed the court for an answer, and was told by the sovereigns that, " although they were too much occupied at present to embark in his undertaking, yet, at the conclusion of the war, they should find tims to treat with him." He accepted this answer as a refusal,^ and prepared to go to France to ask the assistance of the king of that country, from whom he had received a friendly letter* Travelling on foot, he stopped at the monas- tery of Santa Maria de Rabida, near Palos, to visit the Prior Juan Perez de Marchena, who had befriended him when he first came to Spain. The prior, learning his intention to quit Spain, persuaded him to remain until one more effort could be made to enlist the government in his plans. Leaving Columbus at the convent, Juan Perez, who had formerly been the queen's confessor, mounted his mule and set off for the Spanish camp befora Granada. He was readily granted an inter- view by Queen Isabella, and he urged the suit of Columbus with all the force of elo- quence and reasoning of which he was master. Columbus at the Royal Court. His appeal was supported by several eminent persons whom Columbus, during his residence at the court, had interested in his project, and these represented to the queen the impolicy of allowing Columbus to secure the aid of a foreign power which THE VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS. 35 would reap the benefits of his discoveries, if he were successful. The result was that the sovereigns consented to reopen the negotia- tion, and Columbus was invited to return to the court, and was furnished with a sum of money to enable him to do so. Columbus promptly complied with the royal mandate, and reached the camp in time to witness the surrender of Granada. Amidst the rejoic- ings which attended this event he was admit- ted to an audience with the king and queen, and submitted to them the arguments upon which he based his theory. Isabella was favorably disposed toward the undertaking, but Ferdinand looked coldly upon it. Co- lumbus demanded, as the reward of his suc- cess, the title and authority of admiral and viceroy over all lands discovered by him, with one-tenth of the profits, and that this dignity should be hereditary in his family. The archbishop of Granada advised the king to reject the demands of Columbus, which, he said, " savored of the highest degree of arrogance, and would be unbecoming in their highnesses to grant to a needy foreign < O o CO I— « Q O H O CO fq Q THE VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS. 4» Columbus was a man of great and invent- ive genius. The operations of his mind were energetic but irregular ; bursting forth at times with that irresistible force which characterizes intellects of such an order. His mind had grasped all kinds of knowl- edge connected with his pursuits; and though his information may appear limited at the present day, and some of his errors palpable, it is because that knowledge, in his peculiar department of science, was but scantily developed in his time. His own discoveries enlightened the ignorance of that age; guided conjecture to certainty; and dispelled numerous errors with which he himself had been obliged to struggle. Character of Columbus. His ambition was lofty and noble. He was full of high thoughts., and anxious to distinguish himself by great achievements. It has been said that a mercenary feeling mingled with his views, and that his stipula- tions with the Spanish court were selfish and avaricious. The charge is inconsiderate and unjust. He aimed at dignity and wealth in the same lofty spirit in which he sought renown; but they were to arise from the territories he should discover, and be com- mensurate in importance. No condition could be more just. He asked nothing of the sovereigns but a command of the countries he hoped to give them, and a share of the profits to support the dignity of his command. If there should be no country discovered, his stipulated viceroyalty would be of no avail ; and if no revenues should be produced, his labor and peril would produce no gain. If his com- mand and revenues ultimately proved mag- nificent, it was from the magnificence of the regions he had attached to the Castilian crown. What monarch would not rejoice ?o gain empire on such conditions ? But he did not merely risk a loss of labor and a disappointment of ambition in the enterprise ; on his motives being questioned, he voluntarily undertook, and, with the assist ance of his coadjutors, actually defrayed one-eighth of the whole charge of the first expedition. This shows that his faith in the new enterprise was unbounded, and he was willing to stake everything on its success. A peculiar trait in his rich and varied character was that ardent and enthusiastic imaeination which threw a magnificence over A NORSE SEA-KING- his whole course of thought. Herrera inti- mates that he had a talent for poetry, and some slight traces of it are on record, in the book of prophecies which he presented to the Catholic sovereigns. But his poetical temperament is discernible throughout all his writings, and in all his actions. It spread a golden and glorious world around him, and tinged every thing with its own gorgeous colors. It betrayed him into visionary spec- ulations, which subjected him to the sneers DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. and cavillings of men of cooler and safer, but more groveiiing minds. Such were the conjectures formed on the toast of Paria about the form of the earth and the situation of the terrestrial paradise ; about the mines of Ophir in Hispaniola, and "tf the Aurea Chersonesus in Veragua ; and such was the heroic scheme of a crusade for the recovery of the holy sepulchre. It min- gled with his religion, and filled his mind with solemn and visionary meditations on mystic passages of the scriptures, and the shadowy portents of the prophecies. It ex- alted his office in his eyes, and made him conceive himself an agent sent forth upon a sublime and awful mission, subject to im- pulses and supernatural intimations from the deity ; such as the voice which he imagined spoke to him in comfort, amidst the troubles of Hispaniola, and in the silence of the night on the disastrous coast of Veragua. A Man in Advance of His Time. He was decidedly a visionary, but a vision- ary of an uncommon and successful kind. The manner in which his ardent, imaginative .and mercurial nature were controlled by a powerful judgment, and directed by an acute sagacity, is the most extraordinary feature in his character. Thus governed, his imagina- tion, instead of exhausting itself in idle flights, lent aid to his judgment, and enabled him to form conclusions, at which common minds could never have arrived, nay, which they could not perceive when pointed out. To his intellectual vision it was given to read in the signs of the times, and to trace in the conjectures and reveries of past ages, the indications of an unknown world ; as sooth- sayers were said to read predictions in the stars, and to foretell events from the visions )^the night. " His soul," observes a Spanish writer, " was superior to the age in which he lived. For him was reserved the great en- terprise of traversing a sea which had given rise to so many fables, and of deciphering the mystery of his time." With all the visionary fervor of his imagi nation, its fondest dreams fell short of the reality. He died in ignorance of the real grandeur of his discovery. Until his last breath, he entertained the idea that he had merely opened a new way to the old resort" of opulent commerce, and had discovered some of the wild regions of the east. He supposed Hispaniola to be the ancient Ophir, which had been visited by the ships of Solo- mon, and that Cuba and Terra Firma were but remote parts of Asia. What visions of glory would have broken upon his mind, could he have known that he had indeed dis- covered a new continent, equal to the whole of the old world in magnitude, and separated by two vast oceans from all the earth hither- to known by civilized man ! And how would his magnanimous spirit have been consoled amidst the afflictions of age and the cares of penury, the neglect of a fickle public, and the injustice of an ungrateful king, could he have anticipated the splendid empires which were to spread over the beautiful world he had discovered, and the nations, and tongues, and languages which were to fill its lands with his renown, and to revere and bless his name to the latest posterity ! It may be questioned whether any oldt Norse Sea-King, who braved the storms and billows of the North Atlantic, ever exhibited a purpose more resolute, a courage more daring, or a self-sacrifice more complete than characterized Columbus. Our illustration of the royal Norseman shows him to have been a man born to command and achieve ; the hero of 1492 was no less illustrious. CHAPTER III Ensrlish and French Discoveries Discovery of the North American Continent by John Cabot— Voyage of Sebastian Cabot— The English fail to follow- up these Discoveries— Efforts of the French to Explore America— Voyage and Discoveries of Verrazzani— Cartier Explores the St. Lawrence - Reaches Montreal— Efforts to Found a Colony on the St. Lawrence— Failure— Roberval's Colony— Trading Voyages— Explorations of Champlain— Colonization of Nova Scotia— Founding of Quebec— Dis- covery of Lake Champlain- Arrival of the Jesuits in Canada— Death of Champlain. N the meantime the success of the first voyage of Columbus had stimulated other nations to similar exertions. The Eng- lish court had experienced a feeling of keen regret that the petition of Columbus had been refused, and when John Cabot, a native of Venice, then residing at Bristol, applied for leave to undertake a voy- age of exploration his request was readily granted. On the fifth of March, 1496, a patent or commission was granted to him and his three sons by Henry VII., authorizing either of them, their heirs or their agents, to under- take with a fleet of five ships, at their own ■expense, a voyage of discovery in the east- ern, western or northern seas. Though they were to make the attempt at their own cost, they were to take possession of the countries they should discover for the king of Eng- land. They were to have the exclusive pri- vilesre of trading to these conntries, but were bound to return to the Port of Bristol, and to pay to the king one-fifth of the profits of their trade. Early in 1497 Cabot sailed from Bristol, accompanied by his son, Sebastian. The object of his voyage was not only the dis- covery of new lands, but the finding of a northwest passage to Asia. He sailed due west, and on the twenty-fourth of June, 1497, reached the coast of Labrador. He thus discovered the mainland of the North Amer- ican continent, fully fourteen months before Columbus reached the coast of South America, and nearly a year before Amerigo Vespucci made his discovery. He explored the coast to the southward for over a thou- sand miles, made frequent landings, and took possession of the country in the name of the English king. Returning home, he was received with many marks of honor by Henry VII., and was called the " Great Admiral " by the people. Towards the close of the year 1497, the Cabots undertook a new voyage, and the king, pleased with the success of the first venture, became a partner in the enterprise, and assumed a portion of the expense. The object of this voyage was to trade with the natives, and to ascertain if the country was suited to colonization. The expedition sailed from Bristol in May, 1498, and was com- manded by Sebastian Cabot. who reached the Labrador coast about four hundred miles north of the point discovered by his father. He found the country cold and barren, though it was but the beginning of the sum- mer, and sailed southward, '*The coast to 43 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT 44 uhich he was now borne was unobstructed by frost. He saw there stags larger than those of England, and bears that plunged into the water to take fish with their claws. The fish swarmed innumerably in such shoals they seemed to affect even the speed of bis *' Continuing his voyage, according to the line of the shore, he found the natives ol those regions clad in skins of beasts, bnt they were not without the faculty of reason, and in many places were acquainted with the use of copper. In the early part of Hi.«- ..^^ -N^\r St-or^STIAN CABOT. syessels, so that he gave to the country' the name of Bacallaos, which still linger, on the east side of Newfoundland, and has passed into the language of the Germans and the 'talians, as well as the Portuguese and ^^panish, to designate the cod. voyage he had been so far to the north that in the month of July the light of day was almost continuous ; before he turned home- wards, in the late autumn, he believed he had attained the latitude of the Straits '^* Gibraltar and the longitude of Cuba."* O?, * Bancroft ENGLISH AND FRENCH DISCOVERIES. 4^ Ills homeward voyage he noticed the Gulf Stream. This was the last voyage from England made by Sebastian Cabot. On the death of Henry VII., he took service with Ferdinand of Spain, and under him and his grandson, Charles V., he made many voyages, and was for nearly sixty years the foremost man in Europe in maritime enterprises. A Renowned Explorer, He explored the eastern coast of South America, and in his efforts to find the north- west passage sailed within twenty degrees of the North Pole, and explored the eastern coast of North America from Hudson's Straits to Albemarle Sound. He was in many things one of the most remarkable men of his day, and besides his own discoveries contributed generously by his advice and encouragement to those of others. " He gave England a continent, and no one knows his burial place." The English made no effort to take advan- tage of the discoveries of the Cabots. They sent a few vessels every year to fish on the banks of Newfoundland, but pursued even this industry without vigor. The other nations were more energetic, and showed a keener appreciation of the value of the new lands. The French were especially active in this respect. Their vessels engaged in the fisheries far outnumbered those of the Eng- lish, and many plans were proposed in France for the colonization of those regions. In 1523 Francis I. employed a Florentine named John Verrazzani, an experienced navigator, to undertake the discovery of a northwest passage to India. Verrazzani sailed on the seventeenth of January, 1524, and, after a stormy voyage of fifty days, reached the American coast in the latitude of Wilming- ton, North Carolina. Failing to find a good harbor, he sailed southward for 150 miles, and then turned northward, examining the coast as he proceeded on his journey. An Earthly Paradise. Verrazzani was surprised and delighted by the appearance of the new country and its inhabitants. The latter welcomed with hos» pitality the strangers whom they had not yet learned to fear, and the Europeans, on their part, regarded with wonder the " russet "- colored natives in their dress of skins orna- mented with feathers. Judging from the accounts which they carried to Europe, the voyagers regarded the country as a sort of terrestrial paradise. " Their imagination could not conceive of more delightful fields and forests ; the groves spreading perfumes far from the shore, gave promise of the spices of the East ; and the color of the earth argued an abundance of gold." The harbors of New York and Newport were carefully explored, and in the latter the voyagers remained fifteen days. They then proceeded along the New England coast to Nova Scotia, and still farther to the north. They found the natives here less friendly than those farther south. A Portu- guese commander, Caspar Cortereal, had visited their coast a few years before, and had carried away some of their number and sold them into slaver)^ Returning to France, Verrazzani published an account of his voyage. This narrative forms the earliest original description now in existence of the American coast, and added very much to the knowledge of the Euro- peans concerning this country. France at a subsequent period based, upon Verraz^ni's discoveries, her claim to the whole coast of America from Newfoundland to South Car- olina. The French, however, were not des- tined to obtain a foothold in the new world. The struggle in which Francis I. was engaged with the Emperor Charles V. pre- 46 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. vented him from taking advantage of these discoveries, and nothing was done with regard to them by the French until ten years later, when Chabot, Admiral of France, induced King Francis to make another effort to explore and colonize America. An expedi- tion was fitted out, placed under the com- mand of James Cartier, a mariner of St. Malo, and despatched in April, 1534, for the pur- pose of exploring the American coast with a view to colonizing it. A quick voyage of twenty days carried Cartier to Newfound- land. Having passed through the straits of Belleisle, he crossed the gulf and entered a bay which he named Des Chaleurs, from the extreme heats he experienced there. France Sends Out a Colony. He proceeded along the coast as far as the small iu.et called Gaspe, where he landed and took formal possession of the country in the name of the king of France. Leaving Gaspe Bay Cartier discovered the great river of Canada, and sailed up the stream until he could see the land on either side. His explorations consumed the months of May, June and July. Being unprepared to pass the winter in America, the fleet sailed for Europe- The reports of Cartier concerning America aroused the deepest interest in France, and k was determined by the government to pro- ceed at once to the founding of a colony in the new world. A fleet of three well-equipped ships was fitted out, and volunteers from some of the noblest families in France were not lacking. The whole company repaired to the cathedral, where they received the bishop's blessing, and on the nineteenth of May, 1535, the expedition sailed from St. Malo. The voyage was long and stormy, but Newfoundland was reached at length. Passing through the straits of Belleisle, they entered the gulf lying west of Newfoundland on the tenth of August, the festival of St- I Lawrence the Martyr, and gave to the gulf the name of that saint, which was subsequently applied to the great river emptying into it A Beautiful Country. The voyagers ascended the stream to the island since called Orleans. There the fleet anchored, while Cartier proceeded farther up the river to the chief Indian settlement on the island of Hochelega. It was the delightful season of September, and the country was beautiful and inviting. Cartier ascended a hill at the foot of which the Indian settle- ment lay, and gazed with admiration at the magnificent region which spread out before him. He named the hill Mont Real, or Royal Mount, a name which is now borne by the island and by the great city which marks the site of Indian village. The balminess of the autumn induced Cartier to hope that the climate would prove as mild as that of France ; but a rigorous winter, which was rendered horrible by the prevalence of scurvy among the ships' crews, disheartened the whole expedition. The winter was spent at the Isle of Orleans, and in the early spring Cartier erected a cross on the shore, to which was afiixed a shield inscribed with the arms of France and a legend declaring Francis I. the true and rightful king of the country. The fleet then sailed for France, and arrived at St. Malo on the sixth of July, 1536. Cartier published a truthful account of his voyage, setung forth the severity of the Canadian climate and the absence of mines of precious metals. His report checked for the time the enthu- siasm with which the French had regarded America, and for four years the plan of col- onizing the new country was laid aside, and all attempts were abandoned until a more favorable opportunity should present itself. Some ardent spirits, however, still believed in the possibility of planting successful col- onies in the new world and bringing that ENGLISH AND FRENCH DISCOVERIES. 47 vast region under the dominion of France. Among these was Francis de la Roque, lord of Roberval, a nobleman of Picardy. He was appointed, by King Francis, Viceroy of the territories on or near the gulf and river of St. Lawrence, to which the high-sounding .name of Norimbega was given, and was (empowered to colonize it. The assistance of Cartier was necessary to such an undertak- ing, and he had the additional advantage of possessing the entire confidence of his royal master the king. Roberval was forced to employ him, and Cartier was given author- ity by the king to search the prisons and take from them such persons as he needed for the expedition. Roberval and Cartier, however, . ' failed to agree, and their dissensions ..--^i^^^ defeated the object of the under- taking. Cartier sailed from St. Malo in May, 1541, and ascended the St. Lawrence to a point near the pres- ent city of Quebec, where he built a fort. The winter was passed in idleness and discord, and in the spring of 1542 Cartier abandoned the attempt, and sailed away for France with his ships just as Rob- erval arrived with a large reinforce- ment, prepared to render aid. Roberval was unable to accom- plish more than Cartier. His new subjects had been largely drawn from the prisons, and they gave him con- siderable trouble, if we may judge from the efforts resorted to to keep them quiet. One of them was hanged for theft during the winter, several were put in irons, and a num- ber of men and women were whipped. After remaining in Canada for a year, Roberval became disheartened, and re-embarked his subjects and returned to France. Thus ended the attempt to colonize Canada. Nearly thirty years passed away, during which the French made no effort to secure to themselves the region of the St. Law- rence. Their fishermen, however, continuec to frequent the American waters. By the close of the sixteenth century one hundred and fifty vessels were engaged in the fisheries of Newfoundland, and voyages for the pur- pose of trading with the Indians had become common. In 1598 the Marquis de la Roche £J[ONjhT SAMUEL CHAMPLAIN. a nobleman of Brittany, attempted to plant a colony on the Isle of Sable. The colonists consisted of criminals from the prisons of France, and the effort proved a failure, as might have been expected from the outset In 160O; Chauvin obtained a patent from the crown, conferring upon him a monopoly of the fur trade, and Pontgrave, a merchant of St. Malo, became his partner in the enter* prise. Two successful voyages were made 48 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. to Canada, and Chauvin intended founding a colony there. His death, in 1602, prevented the execution of this plan. In 1603, a company of merchants of Rouen was organized, and Samuel Champlain, an able and experienced officer of the French navy, was placed in charge of an expedition, CABOT ON THE SHORES OF LABRADOR and sent to Canada to explore the country. 1 He was in every way qualified for the task committed to him, and after making a thor- ough and systematic examination of the region of the St. Lawrence, and fixing upon Quebec as the proper site for a fort, returned to Franc'=', and laid before his employers his report, which is still valuable for its accurate description of the country and the manners of the natives. Soon after Champlain's return to trance,' a patent was issued to Des Monts, conferring' upon him the sole right to colonize the vast region lying between the fortieth and forty-sixth parallels of latitude. As this territory embraced the St. Lawrence region, the Rouen com- pany were unable for the present to accomplish anything. Des Monts proceeded with his preparations, and in March, 1604, an expedition, consisting of two ships, was sent out to Acadie or Nova Scotia. The summer was passed in trading with the Indians and exploring the coast, and in the autumn the col- onists made a settlement on the island of St. Croix, at the mouth of the river of the same name. In the spring of 1605, they aban- doned this settlement and removed to Port Royal, now known as An- napolis. Efforts were made to find a more southern location in the latter part of 1605 and t6o6, but the ex- peditions sent out for this purpose were driven back by storms or wrecked among the shoals of Cape Cod, and the colonists decided to remain at Port Royal. Thus the permanency of the colony was estab- lished. Some years later a number Df Jesuit missionaries were sent out to Port Royal. These labored dili- gently among the tribes between the Penob- scot and the Kennebec, and not only spread the Christian faith among them, but won for the French the constant affection of the,' savages. During all her contests with the English in America, these tribes remained THE VOYAGES OF COLUMBUS. 49 the faithful ana unwavering allies of France. In 1613 a French colony was planted'on the eastern shore of Mount Desert. The settle- ment was named St. Sauveur, and became another centre of missionary enterprise among the savages of Maine. In the meantime the French merchants had succeeded in obtaining a revocation of Uie impolitic monopoly of Des Monts. A company of merchants of St. Malo and Dieppe was formed, and an expedition was sent out to Canada under Champlain, who "aimed not at the profits of trade, but at the glory of founding a state." On the third of July, 1608, the city of Quebec was begun by the erection of one or two cottages. In 1609, Champlain, with but two Euro- peans, joined a party of Hurons from Mon- treal, and Algonquins from Quebec, in an expedition against the Five Nations. He ascended the Sorel, explored the lake, which is now called by his name, and exam* ined a considerable part of northern Newf York. The religious disputes of France spread to the colony, and Champlain was obliged to use all his energy and authority to overcome the evils which these inflicted upon the infant settlement. He succeeded in overcoming them, and by his energy and perseverance the fortunes of Quebec were placed beyond the reach of failure. Cham- plain died in 1635, and was buried in " New France," of which he is called *' the father CHAPTER IV The Spaniards in America Settlement of the West Indies — Discovery of the Pacific Ocean — Voyage of Magellan — Discoverv of Florida— Ponof ct Leon's Search for the Fountain of Youth — Vasquez de Ayllon Kidnaps a Cargo of Indians — iCitort ot lamphik de Narvaez to Conquer Florida— A Terrible March— The Voyage on the Gulf of Mexico — Fate ci me Fleet— ii3cape r.f Cabeza de Vaca and his Comrades — Discovery of New Mexico — Fernando de Soto — Obtains leave to Conquer Florida — Sails from Spain — Arrival in CuOa — Departure for Florida — Landing at Tampa Bay — Evems oi tne First Year — Dfe Soto enters Georgia — Decends tlie Alabama— Battle of Mavilla — Destruction of Chickasaw — bufferings of the Spaniards — Discovery of the Mississippi — The Spaniards Cross the Great River — De Soto in Arkansas — Reaches the Mississippi again — Sickness and Death of De Soto — His Burial — Escape of his Followers to Mexico — fhe Huguenot Colony in Carolina — Its Failure — The French Settle in Florida — Wrath of Phiiip II. — Melendez ordered to Exterminate the Huguenots — Foundation of St. Augustine — Massacre ol the French at Fort Carolina — The Vengeance of De Gourges. WHILE the French were seek- ing to obtain a footing in the north, the Spaniards were busy in the south. In the iirst years of the sixteenth century the more important of the West India Islands were subdued and colonized, and from these, expeditions were from time to time sent out to explore the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The southern part of the peninsula of Yucatan was explored, and a rolony was established on the Isthmus of Darien. One of the governors of this colony was Vasco Nunez de Balboa. In 15 13, while searching the Isthmus for gold, he discovered the Pacific Ocean, and took possession of it in the name of the king of Spain. In 1520, a Portuguese navigator named Magellan, employed by the king of Spain, passed through the straits north of Cape Horn, which bear his name, and entered the Western ocean, which he named the Pacific, because it was so calm and free from storms. He died on the voyage, but his ship reached the coast of Asia, and returned thence to Spain by the Cape of Good Hope, thus 50 making the first voyage around the world, and establishing its spherical form beyond dispute. In 1 5 13, Juan Ponce de Leon, who had been a companion of Columbus on his sec- ond voyage, and had been governor of Porto Rico, fitted out three ships at his own expense to make a voyage of discovery. He had heard the reports which were then com monly believed by his countrymen, tha* somewhere in the new world was a fountain flowing in the midst of a country sparkling with gold and gems, whose waters would give perpetual youtn to the man who should drink of and bathe in them. Ponce de Leon was an old man, and he longed to taste again the pleasures and the dreams of youth. He gave a willing ear to the stories of this wonderful fountain, and in March, 15 13, set sail from Porto Rico iix search of it. He sailed among the Bahamas, but failed to find it, and on Easter Sunday, which the Spaniards call Pascua Florida^ land was discovered. It wa.i supposed to be an island, but was in reality the long south- ern peninsula of the United States. Ponce THE SPANIARDS IN AMERICA. 51 de Leon gave it the name of Florida — which it has since borne — partly in honor of the >ay, and partly because of the beauty of its flowers and foliage. The weather was very bad, and it was some days before he could go ashore. He landed near the site of St. Augustine, and took possession of the coun- try for Spain on the eighth of April, 15 13. He remained many weeks on the coast, exploring it, and sailing southwa-'d, doubled Cape Florida, and cruised among the Tor- tugas. He failed to find the fountain of youth and returned in despair to Porto Rico. The king of Spain rewarded his discov- ery by appointing him governor of Florida, on condition that he should colonize the country. A few years later he attempted to plant a colony in Florida, but was attacked by the Indians, who were very hostile, and driv- en to his ships with the loss of a number of his men. Ponce de Leon himself received a painful wound, and returned to Cuba to die. He had staked his life upon the search for perpetual youth ; he found only a grave. Between the years 15 18 and 152 1, the expeditions of Hernando Cortez against Mexico, and of Francesco Pizarro against Peru, were despatched from Cuba. They resulted in the conquest of those countries and their colonization by Spain. These expe- ditions, however, form no part of this narra- tive, and we cannot dwell upon them. The native population of the West Indies died out rapidly under the cruel rule of the Spaniards, and it soon became necessary to look elsewhere for a supply of laborers for the plantations and the mines. In 1520, Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon, at the head of a company of seven Spaniards, fitted out a fleet of two slave-ships from St. Domingo or His- paniola, for the deliberate purpose of seizing the natives of the mainland and selling them as slaves. The vessels went first to the THE COAST OF FLORIDA. Bahamas, from which they sailed to the North Americar coast, reaching it at or near St. Helena sound, in the present State of South Carolina. The Indians had not yet learned to fear the whites, and were utterly unsus- picious of the fate which awaited them. They were timid at first, but this feeling was soon overcome by the distribution of presents among them. Their confidence being won, they received the Spaniards with kindness, and at their request visited the ships. 52 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. When the decks of the vessels were cov- ered with the unsuspecting natives Vasquez made sail, and standing out to scj 'Steered for the West Indies, regardless of the entreaties of the natives who were thus torn from their friends and relatives on the shore. A retrib- utive justice speedily avenged this crime. A violent storm arose and one of the ships foundered with all on board. A pestilence broke out in the remaining vessel, and swept .*way many of the captives. Returning to HERNANDO CORTEZ. Spain, Vasquez boasted of his infamous deed, and even claimed a reward for it at the hands of the Emperor Charles V., who acknow- ledged his claim, and appointed him governor of Chicora, as South Carolina was called, with authority to conquer that country. Vasquez spent his entire fortune in fitting out an expe- dition, and reached the coast of Chicora in 1525- There he met with nothing but misfortune. His largest ship was stranded in the Cora- bahee River, then called by the whites the River Jordan, and so many of his men were killed by the Indians that he was obliged to abandon the undertaking. He returned to Europe to die of grief and mortification for his failure. " It may be," says Bancroft, " that ships sailing under his authority made the discovery of the Chesapeake and named it the Bay of St. Mary ; and perhaps even en- tered the Bay of Delaware, which in Spanish geography was called Saint Christopher's Adventurers Seeking Fortune. In 1526, Pamphilo de Narvaez obtained from the Emperor Charles V. authority to explore and conquer all the country be- tween the Atlantic and the River of Palms. He was very wealthy, and spent his entire estate in preparation for the expedition. There was no lack of volunteers, and many younger sons of nobles joined him, hoping to find tame and fortune in the new world. Among the adventurers was Cabeza de Vaca the historian of the expedition, who held the second place in it as treasurer. Narvaez sailed from the Guadalquivir in June, 1527, touched at St. Domingo, and passed the winter in Cuba. In the spring of 1528, he was driven by a strong south wind to the American coast, and on the fourteenth of April his fleet cast anchor in Tampa Bay. A week later he landed and took possession of the peninsula of Florida in the name o/ Spain. The natives showed unmistakable signs c^ hostility, but they exhibited to the governor samples of gold, which he believed, from their signs, cams from the north. In spite of the earnest advice of Cabeza de Vaca, he determined to go in search of the precious metal. He directed his ships to meet him at a harbor with which his pilot pretended to be acquainted, and then, at the head of three hundred men, forty of wl^o \i were mounted. THE SPANIARDS IN AMERICA. 53 «et off into the interior of the country, l^o one knew whither he was going, but all be- \ieved that each step led them nearer to the land ot gold. The beauty of the forest, the richness of its vegetation, and the size of its gigantic live- oaks, filled them with wonder and admira- tion, and the variety and abundance of the birds and wild beasts of the country excited their surprise; but they found neither the gold nor the splendid cities they had fondly Relieved they were about to discover. The irest grew denser and more intricate at every iep, and the rivers were broad and deep, yvith swift currents, and could be crossed only by means of rafts, which were con- structed with great difficulty. The march lay through swamps, in which the Indian warriors harassed the strangers painfully, and, their provisions becoming exhausted, they began to suffer with hunger. Late in June they reached Appalachee, which they had supposed was a large and wealthy city. They found it only a hamlet of some forty poot wigwams ; but remained there twenty- five days, searching the neighboring country for gold and silver, and finding none. A Perilous Voyage. It was plain now even to the governor that there was no gold to be found in this region, and every nerve was strained to hasten the march to the harbor where they had ap- pointed to meet the ships. There was but one impulse now in the whole expedition — to escape from the terrible country which was proving so fatal to them. After a painfui march they reached a bay which they called the Baia de Caballos, now the harbor of St. Marks. The ships could not be seen, and it was resolved at once to build boats and attempt to reach some of the Spanish pos- sessions by sea= The horses were slain to furnish food, and several hundred bushels of corn were seized trom the Indians. Subsist- ing upon these supplies, the Spaniards beat their spurs, stirrups, cross-bows, and other implements into saws and axes and nails, and in sixteen days built five boats, each more than thirty feet long. Pitch for the calking of the boats was made from the pine trees, and the fibre of the palmetto served as oakum. Ropes were made of twisted horse- hair and palmetto fibres, and the shirts of the men were pieced together for sails. Fifty men had been lost on the march, and on the twenty-second of September the survivor^.., two hundred and fifty in number, began their perilous voyage. The Fleet Scattered by a Storm. They followed the shore, encountering many dangers, and suffering greatly from hunger and thirst. On the thirtieth of October they discovered one of the mouths of the Mississippi, and on the fifth of Novem- ber a storm scattered the little fleet. Cabezs de Vaca's boat was wrecked upon an island which is believed to be that of Galveston. Castillo's boat was driven ashore farther to the east, but he and his crew were saved alive. Of the fate of the other boats noth- ing is known with certainty. Of those who were cast ashore, all but Cabeza de Vaca, Dorantes, Castillo, and Estevanico, a negro, died of exposure and hardship. These four were detained captives among the Indians for nearly six years. At the end of this period, Cabeza induced his companions to join him in an attempt to escape. In September, 1534, they set out, naked, ignorant of the way, and without any means of sustaining life. In this condition these men accomplished the wonderful feat of traversing the continent. The journey occupied upwards ol twenty months, and extended from the coast of Texas to the Canadian River, and thence into New 14 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. Mexico, from which they continued their way to the village of San Miguel, in Sonora, near the Pacific Ocean. They reached this village in May, 1536, and found themselves again among their countrymen. They were escorted to Compostella by Spanish soldiers, ind from that place were forwarded to the Qty of Mexico by the authorities. Fabulcyjs Tales of Gold. The reports of Cabeza and his compan- ions made the Viceroy Mendoza anxious to send out an expedition to explore New Mexico, which was believed to be richer in wealth and splendid cities than Mexico itself. A Franciscan friar boasted that he had vis- ited a region in the interior named Cibola, the Land of Buffaloes, in which were seven splendid cities. He declared that the land was rich in silver and gold, and that his In- dian guides had described to him a region still wealthier. The friar's story was religi- ously believed, and an expedition set out in 1539, under command of Francisco Vasquez Zoronado, the governor of New Galicia. The expedition explored the region of the Colorado, examined the country now known as New Mexico, and penetrated as far east as ihe present State of Kansas. Coronado Jound neither gold nor precious stones, and the only cities he discovered were the towns of the Zuni Indians of New Mexico. He reported to the viceroy on his return to Mexico that the region was not fit to be col- onized, and his description of the country through which he marched is so accurate as to challenge the admiration of every suc- ceeding traveler. Still the Spaniards refused to abandon the belief that fabulous wealth was to be found in the interior of the continent ; and even those who had borne a part in the conquest of Mexico and Peru gave credit to the wild stories that were told concerning the undis- covered regions. Among those who ^^avr ?■ ch implicit faith to these stories ""=13 Fer- nando de Soto, of Xeres, a veteran soldier, who had served with distinction with Pizarro in the conquest of Peru, and had amassed a considerable fortune from the spoils of that province. The fame and wealth acquired by him in this expedition opened the way to , other successes in Europe. He was honored with the favor of the Emperor Charles V., and received the hand of a noble lady in marriage. Eager to distinguish himself still further, he determined to attempt the con- i quest of Florida. He demanded and re- ceived from the emperor permission to undertake this at his own cost, and was also made governor of Cuba and all the terri- tories he should conquer. As soon as he made known his intentions applications for leave to serve in the expedition poured in upon him. Many of the volunteers were of noble birth, and sold their lands and other property to equip themselves for the undertaking. ! Adventures of De Soto. De Soto selected six hundred well equipped men from the number who had volunteered, and in 1538 sailed from Spain to Cuba, where he was welcomed with great rejoicings. A vessel was despatched from Cuba to find a harbor in Florida suitable for the landing of the expedition. On its return it brought two Indian captives, who per- ceiving what was wanted of them, told by signs such stories of the wealth of the country as greatly delighted the governor and his :ompanions. Volunteers in Cuba swelled .he ranks of the expedition to nearly one thousand men, of whom three hundred were horsemen. In May, 1 539, leaving his wife to govern' the island, De Soto sailed with his fleet for Florida, and a fortnight later landed at Espi- THE SPANIARDS IN AMERICA. 55 fitu Santo, now Tampa Bay. Everything had been pi ovided which the foresight of an experienced commander deemed necessary, and De Soto, in order to remove any tempta- tion to retreat, sent his ships back to Cuba. He aever dreamed of failure, for he believed that at the most the task before him would not be more difficult than those which had •been accomplished by Cortez and Pizarro. After a brief halt at Tampa Bay the march into the interior was begun. It was long jnd tedious, and was full of danger. The Indians were hostile, and the guides con- stantly led the Spaniards astray, and plunged them into difficult swamps. The guides were instantly given to the bloodhounds, and torn in pieces by the ferocious animals ; but not •even this dreadful punishment vvas sufficient to prevent a renewal of such acts. Before the close of the first season the whole com- pany, save the governor, had become con- vinced that their hope of finding gold was vain, and they besought De Soto to return to Cuba. He sternly refused to abandon the -effort, and pushed on to the country of the Appalachians, east of the Flint River, and not far from the Bay of Appalachee. The winter was passed in this region, and a scouting ■party during this season discovered Pensacola. In the spring of 1540 the march was resumed. An Indian guide promised to con- duct the Spaniards to a country abounding in gold and governed by a woman, and he described the process of refining gold so ac- curately that De Soto believed his story. It is possible that the Indian may have referred to the gold region of North Carolina. One of the guides told the governor plainly that he knew of no such country as his companion had described, and De Soto had him burned for what he supposed was his falsehood. The Indians, terrified by his fate, from this time invented all manner of fabulous stories to excite the cupidity of the Spaniards. De Soto, with a singular perversity, held to hi? belief that he would yet realize his hopes, and continued to push on long after his men had become disheartened; and so great was his influence over them that in their deepest despondency he managed to inspire them with something of his own courage and hopefulness. FERNANDO DE SOTO. Instead of conciliating the Indians, the Spaniards seized their provisions, and pro- voked their hostility in numberless ways They treated their captives with the greatest cruelty. They cut off the hands of the poor Indians, burned them at the stake, or turned them over to the bloodhounds, who tore them in pieces. They were chained together by the neck, and forced to carry the baggage and provisions of the troops. The march was now into the interior of Georgia, as far as the headwaters o^ the Chattahoochee, from which the Spaniards passed to the head- waters of the Coosa. Here they turned to 56 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. the southwest, and marched through Ala- bama to the junction of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers. At this point there was a large and strongly fortified town called Mavilla, or Mobile, a name which has since been given to the river and bay. The town consisted of" eighty handsome houses, each sufficiently capacious to contain a thousand men. They were encompassed by a high wall, made of immense trunks of trees, set deep in the ground and close together, strengthened with cross-timbers and interwoven with large vines.'* It was the middle of October when Mavilla was reached, and the Spaniards th-ed of living in the open country so long, wished o occupy the town. The Indians resisted hem, and a desperate battle ensued, which was won by the Spanish cavalry. The vic- tory cost the whites dear, however, for the town was burned ""'iring the battle, and with it all the baggage of the Spaniards was con- sumed. The Indians fought with a desperate bravery, and numbers of them were slain and burned to death in the town. The Spaniards had eighteen killed and one hundred and fifty wounded ,- twelve horses were killed and seventy-two wounded. De Soto Presses On. Ships had arrived in the meantime, a core - Ingto appointment, at Pensacola, and by them De Soto received letters from his wife. He would send no news home, however. He lad not yet realized the objects of the expe- ition, and he determined to send no news of himself to his countrymen until he had found or conquered some rich country. Turning his back resolutely upon the ships, the gov- ernor resumed his march to the northwest. By the middle of December he reached the northwestern part of the State of Mississippi, and finding a deserted village in the country of the Chickasaws, occupied it as the winter quarters of the expedition. December, t54cx the winter was severe, and the ground was covered with snow, but the corn was still standing in the fields, and this furnished the Spaniards with food. Their force was now reduced to five hundred men, and it was evi dent to all, except the governor, that they would never find the cities or the wealth they had set out to seek. Discovery of the Mississippi. With the opening of the spring of 1 54 1 a new disaster befell the Spaniards. De Soto, as had been his custom with the other tribes, demanded of the Chickasaw chief two hun- dred men to carry the baggage of the troops. The demand was refused, and that night the Indians, deceiving the sentinels, set fire to the village. The bewildered Spaniards were aroused from their slumbers to meet a fierce attack of the savages. The latter were re- pulsed after a hard fight, but the whites were left in an almost helpless condition. The little they had saved from the flames at Mavilla was destroyed in the burning village. Armor and weapons were rendered worth- less, and scarcely any clothing was saved. The troops were forced to resort to dresses of skms and the long moss of the country woven into mats. In this condition, they suffered greatly from the cold. To supply the weapons destroyed forges were erected, and the swords were retempered and new lances made. Renewing their march the Spaniards pushed on still farther west, and about the second of May reached the banks of the Mississippi, at a point a short distance below the present city of Memphis. They were the first white men to gaze upon the mighty flood of this noble river, but De Soto had no admiration to express for it. It was only an obstacle in his westward march, and would require greater efforts for its passage than THE SPANIARDS IN AMERICA. 57 any stream he had yet encountered. A month was passed on the banks of the river in constructing barges large enough to hold three horsemen each. At length they were completed, and the Spaniards were trans- ported in safety to the opposite shore. The natives received them kindly, and presented them with food, and regarding them as the children of their god, the sun, brought to them their sick to be healed, and their blind to be restored to sight. The blunt soldier, Tuel as he had been to the savages, shrank xrom claiming the power of heaven. ' ' Pray only to God, who is in heaven, for whatso- ever ye need," he answered. Exploring the Country. De Soto remained forty days on the west- ern bank of the Mississippi, and during this time an exploring party was sent to examine the country to the north. They reported that this region was thinly inhabited by hunters, who lived by chasing the bison, which abounded in this region . The gover- nor then turned to the west and northwest, and advanced two hundred miles farther into the interior of the continent, probably to the highlands of the White River. Then turning southward, he passed through a succession of Indian tribes who lived by cultivating the soil, and who enjoy- ed a civilization superior to that of their nomadic brethren. The winter was passed near the Hot Springs of Arkansas. The Indians west of the Mississippi were treated with the same cruelties that had marked the onduct of the Spaniards towards the sav- ages east of that stream. ' ' Any trifling consideration of safety would induce the governor to set fire to a hamlet. He did not delight in cruelty, but the happiness, the life and the rights of the Indians were held of no account." In the spring of i 542, De Soto determined to descend the Washita to its mouth, ant endeavor to reach the sea. At last, after i most arduous march, in which he frequently lost his way amid the swamps and bayous of the region, he reached the Mississippi. The chieftain of this region could not tell him the distance to the sea, but informed him that the country along the lower river was a vast and uninhabited swamp. An exploring party was sent to descend the banks of the river, and returned, after penetrating about thirty miles in eight days, to confirm the Indian's report. Reaching the vicinity of Natchez, the governor found the Indians prepared to con- test his occupation of the town. He at- tempted to overawe them by claiming to be the child of the sun, their chief deity. The chieftain answered him scornfully : ' ' You say you are the child of the sun. Dry up the river and I will believe you. Do you desire to see me .'* Visit the town where I dwell. If you come in peace, I will receive you with special good will ; if in war, I will not shrink one foot back." The savages were becoming more dangerous every day, and the Spaniards less able to resist their assaults. Burial of De Soto. De Soto was nowconquered. Itwasatlast as plain to him as it had been all along to his followers that the expedition was a failure . He had spent three years in roaming over the continent, and he had found neither the cities nor the wealth he had hoped for. Hi^^ magnificent anticipations had disappeared ; his little army was reduced to a mere hand- ful of the splendid force that had left Cuba; and he was in the midst of a region from which he could see no escape. A deep mel- ancholy took the place of the stern pride that had hitherto marked his demeanor, and his heart was torn by a conflict of $8 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. emotions. His health gave way rapidly, and iie was seized with a violent fever. When informed by his medical attendant that his end was at hand, he expressed his resignation to the will of God, and at the request of his men appointed Louis de Mocoso his successor, and advised him to continue the expedition. He died on the iifth of June, 1542. In order to conceal his death from the savages, who had come to regard him as immortal, his body was ,vrapped in a mantle, and in the silence of ^midnight was rowed out into the middle of the Mississippi. There, amid the darkness and the wailing requiems of the priests, the mortal remains of Fernando de Soto were ■committed to the great river he had dis- •covered. Harrassed by the IndiaiiL. The Spaniards at once prepared to disre- gard the advice of their dead leader, and resolved to set out across the country for Mexico, believing it less dangerous to go by land than by sea. They roused the whole country against them by their barbarous treatment of the people, and, having pro- ceeded upwards of three hundred miles west of the Mississippi, were driven back to that stream by the savages. It now became necessary to build vessels and descend the river. Seven of these were constructed with -great difficulty, and amidst the constant hostility of the Indians. They were frail barks, without decks, and in order to con- struct them the Spaniards were obliged to beat their weapons, and ev^en their stirrups, ^purs and bridles into saws, axes and nails. During this period they suffered greatly irom the lack of clothing, for it was the winter season. They obtained provisions by plundering the granaries of the neighboring tribes, and thus dooming many of the sav- ages to death by starvation. On the first of July, 1543, they embarked in their vessels, their number being now reduced :o about two hundred and fifty, and began the descent of the river. Their progress was harassed at every mile by the Indians, who covered the stream with their canoes and kept up an almost constant assault upon the fleet. On the eighteenth of July, the vessels entered the Gulf of Mexico, and by the tenth of Septem- ber the Mexican coast was reached. Th vessels succeeded in gaining the Spanish f tlement of Panuco, where the survivors we»v hospitably received by their countrymen. Ribault's Expedition. The failure of Narvaez and De Soto pre- vented the Spaniards from making any further attempt for many years to colonize the Florida coast. The next effort to found a settlement in that region was by the French. The religious wars which had distracted France for so many years made the great Huguenot leader, Coligny, Admiral of France, anxious to provide in the new world a refuge to which his persecuted brethren of the faith might fly in times of danger, and be free to worship God after the dictates of their own conscience. He succeeded in obtaining authority for this undertaking from Charles IX., and in 1 562 an expedition was despatched to America under the command of Jean Ribault, a Protestant. Ribault was instructed to avoid the more rigorous climate of Cana- da, and to select a southern location tor the colony. Land was made in May, 1562, in the vicinity of St. Augustine, Florida, and the fleet anchored in Port Royal Harbor. Ribault was delighted with the noble har- bor, which he believed to be the outlet of a large river, and with the beauty and richness of the country. A fort was built on an island in the harbor, and called Carolina, which name was also applied to the country in honor of Charles IX. of France. A force THE SPANIARDS IN AMERICA. 59 &' twenty-five men was left to garrison the tort, and Ribault returned to France to report his success and bring out reinforcements for the colony. He reached France in the midst of the civil war, which prevented any attention being paid to the colony. The garrison of Fort Carolina waited in vain for the promised reinforcements and supplies, and at last, becoming disheartened, built a In 1564 there was a lull in the str'jggle between the contending parties in France, and Coligny took advantage of it to renew his efforts to colonize America. Three ships were furnished by the king, and were placed in command of Laudonniere,who had accom- panied Ribault in the first expedition. Emi-> grants volunteered readily, and the required number was soon completed. In order to THE SPANIARDS DESCENDING THE MISSISSIPPI AFTER THE DEATH OF DE SOTO. brigantine and set sail for their own country. Their provisions soon gave out, and they began to suffer the horrors of famine. When they were nearly exhausted, they were res- cued by an English vessel, which set the most feeble upon the coast of France, but carried the remainder to England. In both countries the colonists spread their accounts of the beauty and fertility of Carolina. obtain reliable information concerning the country, Coligny sent out with the expedi- tion a skillful painter, James le Moyne, called Des Morgues, with orders to make accurate colored sketches of the region. The fleet sailed on the twenty-second of April, 1564, and on the twenty-second of June reached the coast of Florida. Avoiding Port Royal, the site of the first colony, the colonists chosc? a location in Florida, on the banks of the 6o DISCOVERY OF Tri^ vVESTERN CONTINENT. St. John's then called the River May. A fort was built, and called, like the first, Caro- lina. The colony was begun with prayers and '*ongs of thanksgiving, but the bulj< of the olonists were by no means religious men. Their true character soon began to appear. They wasted the supplies they had brought with them, as well as those they succeeded m extorting from the Indians, whom they alienated by their cruelties. Mutinies were frequent. The majority of the men had joined the enterprise in the hope of acquiring sudden wealth, and, finding their hopes vain, resolved to abandon the colony. They com- pelled Laudonniere to sign an order allowing them to embark for New Spain, ':nder the pretext of wishing to avoid a famine, and at once equipped two vessels and began a career of piracy against the Spaniards. Their ves- sels were soon captured, and the pirates were sold as slaves. A few escaped in a boat and took refuge at Fort Carolina. Laudonniere caused them to be hanged ; but their out- rages had already drawn upon the colony the bitter hostility of the Spaniards. Beginning of the Slave-Traffic. Famine now began to be felt by the lit- tle settlement, and as month after month passed by the sufferings of the colonists in- creased. The natives, who were at first friendly, had been rendered hostile by the cruel treatment they had received from the French, and no provisions could be obtained Vom them. On the third of August, 1 565, oir John Hawkins, an English commander, arrived with several ships from the West Indies, where he had just sold a cargo of negro slaves whom he had kidnapped in their native Africa. He is said to have been the first Englishman who engaged in this infamous traffic. He proved himself a generous friend to the suffering colonists. however, and supplied them with provisions and gave them one of his own ships. They had suffered too much to be content with this, and were resolved to adandon the settle- ment. They were on the point of embark- ing in the ship furnished them by Sir John, when a fleet of several vessels was discovered standing into the river. It wa s the squadron of Ribault, with reinforcements and all the supplies necessary for founding a permanent settlement. The despair of the colonists was changed to rejoicing, and ali were now will" ing to remain in the colony. Thrilling Events in Florida. When the news of the planting of the French colony in Florida reached Philip IL of Spain, he was greatly incensed. Florida was a part of his dominions, and he not only resented the intrusion of the French, but could not tolerate the idea of allowing a Protestant colony to enjoy its settlement in peace. He determined at once to exterminate the heretics, and for this purpose employed Pedro Melendez de Aviles, an officer who had rendered himself notorious for his cruelty when engaged against the pirates and in the wars of Spanish America. His son and heir having been shipwrecked among the Ber- mudas, Melendez desired to return to America to search for him. Philip, who knew his desperate character, suggested to him the conquest of Florida, and an agreement was entered into between the king and Melendez, by which the latter was to invade and conquer Florida within three years, and establish in that region a colony of not less than five hundred persons, oi whom one hundred should be married men, twelve priests of the Catholic Church and four members of the order of the Jesuits. Melendez also agreed to transport to Florida all kinds of domestic animals, and five Iwun- dred negro slaves. All this was to be done THE SPANIARDS IN AMERICA. 01 by Melendez at his own cost, and he was secured by the kin^ in the government of the provhice for life with the privilege of naming his successor, and was granted large estates in the province and a comfortable salary. Though the destruction of the French colony was not named in the agreement, ?hilip and Melendez understood each other on that point. The cry was at once raised in Spain that the heretics must be extermin- ated, and Melandez had no trouble in obtain- ing recruits. Twenty-five hundred persons gathered under his orders, " soldiers, sailors, priests, Jesuits, married men with their fami- lies, laborers and mechanics, and. with the exception of three hundred soldiers, all at the cost of Melendez." Escape of the French Fleet. The expedition sailed in June, 1565, but the vessels were parted by a storm, and Mel- endez reached Porto Rico in August with but a third of his force. Unwilling to lose time, however, he sailed at once to the main- land, and arrived off the coast of Florida on the twenty-eighth of August. On the second of September, he discovered a fine harbor and river, and selected this place as the site of his colony. He named the river and bay in honor of St. Augustine, on whose festival he had arrived off the Florida coast. Ascer- taining from the Indians the position of the French, he sailed to the northward, and on the fourth of September arrived off Fort Carolina, where a portion of Ribault's fleet - lay anchored in the roadstead. The French commander demanded his name and the object of his visit. He was answered : " I am Melendez of Spain, sent with strict orders from my king to gibbet and behead all the Protestants in these regions. The Frenrh- man who is a Catholic I will spare ; every heretic shall d.'e," The French fleet being unprepared for battle, cut its cables and stood out to sea. Melendez gave chase, but failed to overtake it. Returning to the har- bor of St. Augustine, he went on shore on the eighth of September, and took possession of the country in the name of Phillip II. of Spain, who was proclaimed monarch of all North America. A solemn mass was said, and the foundations of the town of St. Augus-^ tine were laid. Thus was established the first permanent town within the limits of the United States. This task accomplished, Melendez prepared to attack Fort Carolina by land. Ribault had returned with his ships to Fort Carolina after escaping from the Spa* iards. A council of war was held, and it wai, debated among the French whether they should strengthen their works and await the approach of the enemy, or proceed to St. Augustine and attack them with the fleet, Ribault supposed that Melendez would attack the fort by sea, and favored the latter plan, but his officers opposed his design. Disre- garding their advice, Ribault put to sea, but had scarcely cleared the harbor when a violent storm wrecked his entire fleet on the Florida coast. Nearly all the men reached the shore unharmed, about one hundred and fifty miles south of Fort Carolina. Terrible Massacre. The wreck of the French fleet was known to Melendez, and he resolved to strike a blow a once at the fort, which he knew to be, in a defenceless state. Leading his men through the forests and swamps, which lay between the two settlements, he surprised and captured the fort on the twenty-first of September. Ever/ soul within the walls including the aged, the women and children, was put to death. A few escaped to the woods before the capture of the fort, among whom were Laudonniere, Challus and Le Moyne. Their condition was pitiable. They 62 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. could expect no mercy from the Spaniards, and death awaited them in the forest. A few gave themselves up to the Spaniards, and were at once murdered ; the remainder suc- ceeded in gaining the sea-shore, where they were rescued by two French vessels which had remained in the harbor and escaped the storm. These immediately sailed for France. The number of persons massacred by the Spaniards at Fort Carolina amounted to iiearly two hundred. When the victims were all dead, mass was said, a cross raised, and a site selected for a church. Then Melendez set out to find the survivors of the shipwrecked fleet. They were discovered in a helpless condition, worn out with fatigue, hunger and thirst. Melendez promised to treat them with kindness if they would sur- render to him, and trusting to his plighted word, they placed themselves in his hands. They were at once seized and bound, and marched towards St. Augustine. As they approached the settlement a signal was given, and the Spaniards fell upon them and mas- sacred all but a few Catholics and some mechanics, who were reserved as slaves. French writers place the number of those who perished in the two massacres at nine hundred. The Spaniards gave a smaller numbe/. Oa the scene of his barbarity, Melendez set up this inscription : " I do not this as unto Frenchmen, but as unto Lu- therans." In 1 566 Melendez attempted to plant a col- ony on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, but the vessel despatched for this purpose met such contrary winds that the crew abandoned the effort to reach the bay, and sailed for Spain. Melendez, the next year, returned to Spain, having spent his fortune in establish- ing the colony of St. Augustine, from whicr* he had derived no benefit. The massacre of the French and the destruction of the colony at Fort Carolina excited not even a remonstrance from the French court, which was blinded to its true interests by its religious bigotry. The Hu- guenots and the better part of the nation felt keenly the wrong the country had suffered, and Dominic de Gourges, a gallant gentle- man of Gascony, determined to avenge it. Selling his ancestral estate, he equipped three vessels, and with one hundred and fifty men sailed for Florida, in August, 1567. He surprised and captured a Spanish fort near the site of Fort Carolina, and took the garri- son prisoners. He spent the winter here, and finding himself too weak to maintain his position, sailed for France in May, 1 568. Before doing so, however, he hanged his prisoners, and set up over them the inscription : " I do not this as unto Spaniards or mariners, but as unto traitors, robbers and murderers." His expedition was disavowed by the French government, and he was obliged to conceal himself to escape arrest after his return to France. France now abandoned her efforts to col- onize the southern part of North America, and relinquished her pretensions to Florida. Spain, on the other hand, gave more attention to this region, and emigrants from her domin- ions were encouraged to settle, and new colonies were formed within its limits. In the West Indies, and in Mexico, Central and South America, Spain, during the sixteentk and seventeenth centuries, was supreme* CHAPTER V The First English Col OiO ny !he EngHso Claim to America — Voyages of Frobisher— •Exploits of Sir Francis Drake — Sir Humphrey Gilbert — in- tends to Found a Colony in America — Is Lost at Sea — Sir Walter Raleigh Obtains a Patent of Colonization — Dis coveries of Amidas and Barlow — Raleigh Sends Out a Colony to Virginia — Settlement on Roanoke Island — Its Failure — Arrival of Grenville — Second Effort of Raleigh to Colonize Virginia — Roanoke Island Again Settled — The "Ci^ of Raleigh" — Virginia Dare — Fate of the Colony — Death of Raleigh — Other Voyages of the English. THOUGH England had made no effort to colonize America during the long period we have been con- sidering, she never abandoned her claims to that region, claims which were based upon the discoveries and explorations of John and Sebastian Cabot. The voy- ages of her fishermen to Newfoundland kept the country fresh in the minds of the sea- faring Englishmen, and from time to time voyages were made to the American coast for the purpose of trading with the savages. Under Elizabeth, who pursued the wise pol- icy of fostering her navy, a race of hardy and daring sa."^ors grew up in England, and car- ried the Hag of their country into every sea. In this reign Martin Frobisher with two small ships made a voj^age to the frozen regions of Labrador in search of the north- west passage. He failed to find it, but pene- trated farther north than any European had yetgone,A. D. 1576. His second voyage was made the next year, and was undertaken in the hope of finding gold, as one of the stones he had brought home on his first cruise had been pronounced by the refiners of London to contain the precious metaL The fleet did not advance as far north as Frobisher had done on his first attempt, as a 6^ large mass of yellow earth was found which was believed to contain gold. The ship, were loaded with this, and all sail was made for home, only to find on reaching England that their cargo was but a heap of worthless dirt. A third voyage with fifteen ships was attempted in 1578, but no gold was found, and the extreme northern latitudes were ascertained to be too bleak for colonization. Between the years 1577 and 1580 Sir Francis Drake sailed to the Pacific, and by Levying exactions upon the Spanish settle- ments on the western coast of America acquired an immense treasure. As Bancroft well observes, this part of Drake's career "was but a splendid piracy against a nation with which his sovereign and his country professed to be at peace." Having acquired this enormous wealth Drake applied himself to the more useful task of discovery. Cross- ing the equator he sailed northward, as far as the southern part of Oregon, in the hope of finding a northern passage between the oceans. The cold seemed very great to voy-^ agers just from the tropics, and he abandoned his attempt and returned southward to a harbor on the coast of Mexico. Here he refitted his ship, and then returned to Eng- land through the seas of Asia, having 64 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. circumnavigated the globe, a feat which had been accomplished only by the ship of Magellan. It was not the splendid but demoralizing ^hievements of Drake which led the way to lieved that a lucrative trade might De opened v/ith the new world by the planting of a col- ony within its limits. He obtained authority from Queen Elizabeth to establish such a colony in the vicinity of the fisheries. THE RENOWNED EXPLORER, SIR MARTIN FROBISHER. ihe establishment of the English power in A.merica. That was the work of the hum- ble fishermen who sailed on their yearly loyages to the banks of Newfoundland. The /)rogress of this valuable industry was closely a^atched by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who be- In 1578 he sailed to America on a voy age of discovery, and in August of that year landed at St. Johns, Newfoundland and took formal possession of the country for England. He then sailed to the southward, exploring the coast, but lost his largest ship with all THE FIRST ENGLISH COLONY. 65 an board. This made it necessary for him to return home, as the two vessels which re- mained to him were too small to attempt a protracted voyage. One of them, called the "Squirrel," was a mere boat of ten tons. Unwilling to expose his men to a danger which he would not face, Sir Humphrey took passage in the " Squirrel *' instead of in the larger and safer vessel. Terrific Storm. On the homeward voyage the ships en- countered a terrific storm. In the midst of the gale the people on the " Hind," the larger ship, saw Sir Humphrey sitting at the stern of his tittle vessel, which was laboring pain- fully in the heavy seas. He was calmly reading a book, perhaps that sublimes'; of books, from which he had drawn the ^ ure principles that guided his whole life. As the " Hind " passed him he called out to those on board of her, " We are as near to heaven by sea aJ by land." That night the lights of tLe " Squirrel " suddenly disap- peared, and the good Sir Humphrey was seen no more. The " Hind " continued her voyage, and reached Falmouth in safety. Sir Walter Raleigh, Gilbert's half brother, had been interested in this expedition, but its ill success did not dishearten him. He was one of the noblest spirits of his age, and has laid the world under heavy obligations to him by his many noble services in the cause of humanity. He had served in the army of the Huguenots of France under Coligni, and had heard from the voyagers sent out by that leader of the richness and beauty of Carolina. Undaunted by the sad fate of Sir Hum- phrey Gilbert, Raleigh determined to plant a colony in the region from which the Huguenots had been driven. He had no difficulty in obtaining from the queen a pat- ijnt as liberal as that which had been granted 1 the greatest profusion. Sir Humphrey Gilbert. He was given ample powers over the region he proposed to col- onize, as its feudal lord, and was bound to maintain the authority of the queen and, church of England in his possessions. An Inviting Country. He fitted out two vessels, c:ommanded re- spectively by Philip Amidas and Arthur Bar- low, and sent them to explore the region granted to him, and to obtain accurate infor- mation concerning it. They reached the coast of North Carolina at Ocracock Inlet, and took formal possession of the country. They partially explored Albemarle and Pam* lico Sounds, together with the neighboring SIR WALTER RALEIGH. coast and islands. It was the month of July,* and the climate was delightful, the sea waS' calm, the atmosphere clear, and the heat was tempered by the delicious sea-breeze. The woods abounded with birds and echoed with their carols, and wild grapes were found it* 6c. disco\'i:kv oi- Till-: wkstern contini<:nt. The explorers wotc oiuii.iiUt\l with tliis ni.uiil of thi- llcH>t. aiul Ralpli 1 ..uio. who was dolii^hthil roi^ion, aiul returning; to luii;l.un.l publishoil i^lowiiu:^ ai'counts o( it. Thoy took witli ihcwx t\vv> liuli.»i\s, innuxl W.ui- cheso aiul Matitco, the latter of whom at\er- wanls d'\(\ t;ooil serviee to the colonists as an interpreter. Queeti V'li/.abeth ilecnieil her reign honored l\\' the «.Usco\eries of Aniiilas also a man ot considerable distinct iini, was made i;overnor of the colon\-. The tleet sailcil lro»n riymouth on tlio ninth of April, I5v'i5,and atler a Ion;,; and tryini:^ vo)'ai;e reached Ocracock Inlet in lune. Passing throngh the inlet, a settle- ment was eslahlishcil on Roanoke Island, lUOr-U--Ul K AM'' ';i> >M and Barlow, and gave to the new region the name of Virginia in honor of V'ngland's vir- gin qneen. Raleigh at once set to work to organize a colony. Emigrants volnnteered readily, and in a short time a tleet of seven vessels, con- taining one hundred and eight persons, apart from the crrws. was in readiness. Sir Rich- aril Grenville, a friend of Raleigh, at\d a man •f tried skill and braver\'. was given the c">m- rs r\»iNv; ^;ki-i:nwicu. Iving between Albemarle and Pamlico Sonnds. Expeditions were sent out to explore the surrounding country, and in one of these a silver cup was stolen b\' an Indian, and its restonition was delayed. With thoughtless cruelty Grenville punished this fauc by the destruction o\ the village to which the culprit belonged, and also of all the standing corn. This inconsiderate revenge made the Indians the enemies of the whites, and brought great - fnc 1 IRST K,\'(;]J MI (.( )IJ)SV. 67 future .sijn^:ri;if^ upon llic r.olony. A Ji'*Ic later, Iiavin;; ■.,<(u llj*; (.olonlsts Siicccs.sfuJ/y cstalilisJirrl (,:i \<<,:iu')];i<;(;o aud tljc Hwcct potato, ilariot, "the inventor of llje Hy;>t.cm of nf>h' QVSIES Ki.y/.M'.l.TU. inf» a rich Spanish prizo on the voyage home. Left to thems^;camea exp.lore the country, and to observe the f firm believer in the ho-aling virtue* o< productions of the soil, and the character ojT^! tobarco. He hxis leff an interesting account 68 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. of the natives of the country and their man- ners and customs. The Indians, alarmed by the superiority of the whites, began to plot their destruction, as they believed their entire country would be overrun by the new comers. Lane on his part became suspicious of the savages, and this feeling of mutual distrust had the most unhappy consequences. Being informed by the savages that there was a splendid city, whose walls glittered with gold and pearls, on the upper waters of the Roanoke, Gov- ernor Lane made a boat voyage up that stream, but failed to find anything. He returned to the colony just in time to discon- cert the plan of the savages for attacking the whites during the absence of the expJ^ring party. Inhuman Butchery. Lane now determined to outrival the savages in perfidy. He visited Wingina, one of the most active of the neighboring chiefs, and professing to come as a friend, was received with confidence by the Indians. At a given signal from the governor the whites fell upon the chief and his warriors, and put them to death. Lane proved himself utterly unfit to govern such a colony, and his people soon lost confidence in him. Their discon- tent was increased by the failure of their provisions, and they began to entertain the idea of abandoning the colony and returning home. On the eighth of June, 1586, Sir Francis Drake, with a fleet of twenty-three ships, anchored in the roadstead off Roanoke Island. He had been cruising in the West Indies, and had called on his homeward voyage to visit the plantation of his friend Raleigh. He at once set to work to remedy the wants of the colony, and supplied the settlers with such things as they needed. They were thoroughly disheartened, how- ever, with their year's experience, and begged Drake so earnestly to take them back to England that he received them on board his ships and put to sea. Thus the first effort of the English to settle America resulted in failure. Drake's fleet had scarcely disappeared when a ship loaded with supplies, which had been des- patched by Raleigh, reached the island. Finding the place deserted, the commander returned to England. A fortnight later, Grenville arrived with three ships. Finding the colonists had gone, he too returned to England, leaving fifteen men to hold the island. Another Colony and Its Fate. Raleigh was greatly disappointed by the failure of his colony, but he did not despair of success; for notwithstanding the gloomy stories of Lane and his followers, the con- clusive testimony of Hariot convinced him that the country could be made to yield a rich return for the trouble and expense of its settlement ; and he set to work to form another colony. With the hope of giving the settlers a permanent interest in the plan- tation, he selected emigrants with wives and families, who should regard the new world as their future home, and endeavor to found a permanent State in that region. Every- thing was provided which could contribute to the success of the colony, and agricult- ural implements were furnished for the proper cultivation of the soil. All the expense of the undertaking was borne by Raleigh, for though Queen Elizabeth greatly favored the venture, she declined to con- tribute anything toward it. John White was appointed governor of the colony. A fleet of transport vessels was equipped, also at Raleigh's expense, and on the twenty- sixth of April, 1587, the expedition sailed from England. The coast of North Caro- lina was reached in July. THE FIRST ENGLISH COLONY. 69 The approach to Roanoke Island was both difficult and dangerous, and Raleigh ordered the new settlers to select a site for their col- ony on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The expedition proceeded first, however, to Roanoke Island to search for the men left there by Grenville. They could not be found. The Island was deserted, the fort was in ruins, and the human bones which lay scattered over the field told plainly that the unfortunate garrison left by Grenville had been murdered by the Indians. Governor White was now anxious to sail to the Chesa- peake, but Fernando, the commander of the fleet, refused to proceed any farther, as he wished to go to the West Indies for purposes of trade. Dangers of the First Settlers. The old settlement of Governor Lane was rebuilt, and another effort was made to estab- lish the "City of Raleigh." The Indians were bitterly hostile to the settlers, and a friendly tribe was offended by an unfortnate attack upon them, made upon the supposi- tion that they were hositle Indians. The settlers, becoming alarmed, implored the gov- ernor to return to England and exert him- self to hasten the sending out of reinforce- ments and supplies to them. He was un- willing to do this, as he deemed it his duty to remain among them, but at length yielded to their unanimous appeal. Just before his departure his daughter, Mrs. Dare, the wife of one of his lieutenants, gave birth to a daughter, the first child born of English parents within the limits of the United States, and the little one was named Virginia from the place of its birth. White sailed for England in August, 1 587. He found the mother country greatly excited over the thre9,tened invasion of the Spaniards, Raleigh, who was energetically engaged in the efforts for the defence of the country, did not neglect his colony. He fitted out two ships with the needed supplies, and dis- patched them under White's orders in April, 1588. No Traces of the Colony. At last one of them fell in with a man-of- war from Rochelle, and after a sharp fight was plundered of her stores. Both ships were obliged to return to England, to the anger and disgust of Raleigh. The approach of the Invincible Armada and the exertions demanded of the nation for its defeat, made it impossible for anything more to be done for the colonists at Roanoke until after the Spanish Fleet had been destroyed. Even then Raleigh, who had spent over forty thou- sand pounds without return, was unable to send aid at once to the colony, and a year elapsed before a vessel could be sent out un- der White. In 1590, the governor reached Roanoke, but no trace of the colony could be found. The settlers had either died, been massacred, or taken prisoners. "The conjecture has been hazarded," says Bancroft, ' ' that the deserted colony.neglected by their own countrymen, were hospitably adopted into the tribe of Hatteras Indians, and became amalgamated with the sons of the forest. This was the tradition of the natives at a later day, and was thought to be confirmed by the physical character of the tribe, in which the English and the Indian race seem to have been blended." The generous heart of Raleigh could not bear to leave his countrymen unaided while a single hope of finding them remained, and he is said to have sent to America as many as five expeditions at his own cost to search for them. 79 MURDER OF WifJTE'S ASSISTANT THE FIRST ENGLISH COLONY. 71 With the failure of the settlement at Roanoke Raleigh relinquished his hope of colonizing Virginia. He had expended nearly his entire fortune in the undertaking, and the remainder of his life was passed un- der the cloud of undeserved misfortune. His career as a statesman was honorable to him- self and to his country, and he proved him- self in all his acts a loyal subject and a de- voted patriot. His zeal in behalf of knowl- edge made him a generous friend of the ie:irned, and he merits the gratitude of the American people, not only for his efforts to colonize our shores with his countrymen, but for the liberality with which he spread a knowledge of America throughout Eng- land by his publication of the reports of Hariot and Hakluyt. He opened the way for the dominion of the English in the new world, and his memory is preserved in the name of the capital city of the great State which he sought to make the seat of an Eng- lish empire. Accused of High Treason. Upon the accession of James I., Raleigh, Droken in health and fortune, but still the most illustrious Englishman of his day, was uiraigned on a charge of high treason, of v\ hich not even his enemies believed him guilty, and was sentenced to the Tower, as the king did not yet dare to order his execu- tion. During this period Sir Walter beguiled the weariness of his imprisonment by com- posing his " History of the World." He re- mained a prisoner for thirteen years, and was then released on condition of making a voy- age to Guiana in search of gold. His failure t) accomplish the object of the voyage sealed his doom, and on his return to England he was beheaded, not upon any fresh charge, but on his old sentence. His real fault was that he was too true an Englishman to sus- tfiin the sacrifice of the national honor by King James to the demands of Spain, and he was generally regarded by the nation as the victim of the king's cowardice. He met his fate with the calm bravery which had marked his whole life. Kidnapping Indians, Until now the voyage from England to America had been made by way of the Canary Islands and the West Indies. In 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold conceived the idea of proceeding direct from England to Virginia, as the whole region north of Flor- ida was called by the English. Sailing directly across the Atlantic he reached Cape Elizabeth, on the coast of Maine, after a voy- age of seven weeks. Proceeding southward along the coast he reached Cape Cod, to which he gave the name on the fifteenth of May, and went ashore th'sre. He was thus the first Englishman to set foot in New Eng- land. He continued his voyage along the coast and entered Buzzard's Bay. To the westernmost of the islands of this stately sound he gave the name of Eliza- beth — a name which has since been applied to the entire group. Loading his ship with sassafras root, which was then highly esteemed for its medicinal virtues, Gosnold sailed for England, and arrived home safely after a voyage of less than four weeks. He gave the most favorable accounts of the region he had visited, and other adventurers were induced by his reports to undertake voyages for the purpose of trading with the natives. Among these was George Way- mouth, who reached and explored the coast of Maine in 1605;- On his return voyage Waymouth kidnapped five Indians and car- ried them to England, "to be instructed in English, and to serve as guides in some future expedition.'* The voyages of Gosnold and Waymouth to the coast Qf New England were followed 72 DISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN CONTINENT. by those of numerous other English adven- turers. In 1614, Captain John Smith, who had already distinguished himself by his services in Virginia, made a voyage to Amer- ica with two ships, furnished at the expense of himself and four merchants of London. The voyage was for the purpose of trading with the natives, and was very successful. Smith took advantage of the opportunity to explore the coast from Penobscot to Cape Cod. He prepared a map of the coast, and named the country New England — a title which was confirmed by the Prince of Wales, s^terwards Charles I. After Smith's return to England, Hunt, the commander of the other vessel, suc- ceeded in inducing twenty of the natives, with their chief, Squanto, to visit his ship, and as soon as they were on board put to sea. He sold the savages as slaves in Spain. A few of then\ Squanto among the cumber, were purchased by some kind-hearted monks, who instructed them in the Christian faith in order to send them back to their own people as missionaries of the cross. Squanto escaped to England in 1619, and there learned thf language, and was afterward an interpreter between the English settlers and his oeoplp BOOK 11 Settlement of America CHAPTER VI Captain John Smith and Pocahontas Formation of the London Company — Conditions of its Charter — Departure of the First Colony — Quarrels Dunng tb0 Voyage — Arrival in the Chesapeake — Settlement of Jamestown — Formation of the Government — Character of Cap- tain John Smith — Exploration of the James River — Newport and Smith Visit Powhatan — Smith Admitted to tht Government — Explores the Chickahominy — Is Captured and Sentenced to Death — Is Saved by Pocahontas — Gains the Friendship of Powhatan for the Colony — Returns to Jamestown — His Decisive Measures — Return of Newport — Smitb Explores the Chesapeake Bay — The New Emigrants — Sml»h Compels Them to Labor — Smith is Wounded and Com- pelled to Return ;o England — Disasters to the Colony — Arrival of Sir Thomas Gates— Jamestown Abandoned — Ar« rival of Lord Delaware — The Return to Jamestown — A Change for the Better — New Settlements— Sir Thomas Gates Arrives With Reinforcements — Capture of Pocahontas by Captain Argall — She is Baptized — Marries John Rolfe-^Sil Thomas Dale's Administration — Yeardley Governor — ^The First Legislative Assembly — Representative Government Established in America — The Colonists Obtain Wives — Changes in the Government. THE favorable reports which had been brought back to England by the voyagers to the new world had pre- vented the interest of Englishmen in America from entirely dying out, and some ardent spirits still believed it possible to make that continent the seat of a pros- perous dominion dependent upon England. The former assistants of Raleigh, in particu- lar, held to the convictions which their chief had entertained to the d?.y of his death. The selfish and timid policy of King James hav- ing made it impossible for men to acquire distinction by naval exploits, as in the days of Elizabeth, the more adventurous classes lent a willing ear to the plans for colonizing America, which were discussed in various parts of the kingdom. Bartholomew Gos- nold, who had explored the New England coast, was especially active in seeking to induce capitalists to send out a colony to it. His glowing accounts of the New World awakened a ^ood de?il of enthu- siasm, and men who had money to invest, and vv^ere somewhat inclined to indulge in speculation, were ready to aid any scheme that promised to be lucrative and advan* tageous to themselves. Sir Ferdinand Gorges, a v/ealthy gentle- man and Governor of Plymouth, had been greatly interested in America by the accounts of Waymouth, who had given him two of the Indians he had brought to England. These succeeded in interesting others in their plans, and the result was that early in the reign of King James two companies were formed in England for the colonization of America. One of these was the " London Company," composed chiefly of noblemen and merchants residing in London. The other was the " Plymouth Company," com- posed of " knights, gentlemen and mer- chants," residing in the west of England. King James divided Virginia into two parts. To the London Company he granted " South Virginia," extending froni Cape Fear, ift 73 74 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. North Carolina, to the Potomac. To the Plymouth Company he gave " North Vir- ginia," stretching from the Hudson to New- foundland. The region between the Potomac and the Hudson he left as a broad belt of neutral land to keep the companies from en- croaching upon each other's domains. Either was at liberty to form settlements in this region within fifty miles of its own border. The London Company was the first to settle the country assigned it. A liberal charter was granted the company: the lands in the new world were to be held by it on the simple conditions of homage and the pay- ment to the crown of one-fifth of the gold and silver and one-fifteenth of the copper that should be discovered. A general coun- cil, J^esiding in England, was to have author- ity over the whole province, and the mem- bers of this council were to be appointed and removed by the king at his good pleasure. Each separate colony was to be under the control of a colonial council residing within its own limits, and the king retained the right to direct the appointment or removal of the members of these councils at his pleasure, Laws of the London Company, The king also reserved the supreme legis- lative authority over the colonies, and framed for their government a code of laws — " an exercise of royal legislation which has been pronounced in itself illegal,'* The colonists were placed by this code under the rule of the superior and local councils we have named, in the choice of which they had no voice. The religion of the Church of Eng- land was established as that of the colony, and conformity to it was secured by severe penalties. Death was the punishment for murder, manslaughter, adultery, dangerous seditions and tumults. In all cases not ififecting life and limb offenders might be tried by a magistrate, but for capital offenceg trial by jury was secured. In the former cases the punishment of the offender was at the discretion of the president and council. The Indians were to be treated w;th kind- ness, and efforts were to be made for theii conversion to Christianity. For five years at least the affairs of the colonists were to be conducted in a joint stock. The right to impose future legislation upon the province was reserved by the king. The Settlers Oppressed, Such was the form of government first pre scribed for Virginia by England, in which, as Bancroft truly says, there was "not an ele- ment of popular liberty." " To the emi- grants themselves it conceded not one elect- ive franchise, not one of the rights of self- government. They were to be subjected to the ordinances of a commercial corporation, of which they could not be members; to the dominion of a domestic council, in ap- pointing which they had no voice ; to the control of a superior council in England, which had no sympathy with their rights ; and finally, to the arbitrary legislation of the sovereign." Under this charter the London Company prepared to send out a colony to Virginia. It was to be a commercial settlement, and the emigrants were composed altogether ol men. One hundred and five persons, exclu- sive of the crews of the vessels, joined the expedition. Of these not twenty were farm- ers or mechanics. The remainder were " gentlemen," or men who had ruined them- selves at home by idleness and dissipation. A fleet of three small ships, under command of Captain Newport, was assembled, and on the nineteenth of December, 1 606, sailed for America. The emigrants sailed without having per* fected any organization. The king had fool- jshly placed the names of those who were to CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 75 constitute the government in a sealed box, which the adventurers were ordered not to open until they had selected a site for their settlement and were ready to form a govern- ment. This was most unfortunate, for during the long voyage dissensions arose, and there was no one in the expedition who could control the unruly spirits. These quarrels grew more intense with the lapse of time, and when the shores of Virginia were reached the seeds of many of the evils from which the colony afterwards suffered severely had been thoroughly sown. There were among the number several who were well qualified to direct the affairs of the expedition, but they were without the proper authority to do so, and there was no such thing as voluntary submission to be seen among the adventurers. The merits of the deserving merely excited the jealousy of their companions, and the great master spirit of the enterprise found from the first his disinterested efforts for the good of the expedition met by a jealous opposition. Point Comfort Named. Newport was not acquainted with the direct route, and made the old passage by way of the Canaries and the West Indies. He thus consumed the whole of the winter, and while searching for the island of Roanoke, the scene of Raleigh's colony, his fleet was driven northward by a severe storm, and forced to take refuge in the Chesapeake Bay on the twenty-sixth of April, 1607. He named the headlands of this bay Cape Henry and Cape Charles, in honor of the two sons of James I., and because of the comfortable anchorage which he obtained in the splendid roadstead which enters the bay opposite its mouth, he gave to the northern point the name of Point Comfort, which it has since borne. Passing this, a noble river was dis- covered coming from the westward, and was named the James, in honor of the English king. The country was explored with energy, and though one small tribe of Indians was found to be hostile, a treaty of peace and friendship was made with another at Hamp- ton. The fleet ascended the river and eX" plored it for fifty miles. A pleasant penin- sula, on the left bank of the stream was selected as the site of the colony, and on the thirteenth of May, 1607, the settlement was definitely begun, and was named Jamestown, in honor of the king. Smith's Daring Deeds. The leading spirit of the enterprise was John Smith, one of the truest heroes of his- tory, who has been deservedly called " the father of Virginia." He was still a young man, being but thirty years of age, but he was old in experience and knightly deeds. While yet a youth he had served in Holland in the ranks of the army of freedom, and had travelled through France, Egypt and Italy. Burning to distinguish himself, he had re- paired to Hungary, and had won a brillian'' reputation by his exploits in the ranks of the Christian army engaged in the defence of that country against the Mohammedans. He repeatedly defeated the chosen champions of the Turks in single combat, but being at length captured was sent to Constantinople and sold as a slave. The wife of his master, pitying his misfortunes, sent him to a rela- tive in the Crimea, with a request to treat him with kindness, but contrary to her wishes he was subjected to the greatest harshness. Rendered desperate by this experience, he rose against his task-master, slew him, and seizing his horse escaped to the border of the Russian territory, where he was kindly received. He wandered across the country to Transylvania, and rejoined his old com- panions in £^rms, Then, filled with a longing; 76 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. to see his "own sweet country" once more, he returned to England. He arrived just as the plans for the colonization of Virginia were being matured. He readily engaged in the expedition organized by the London Company, and exerted himself in a marked degree to make it a success. He was in all respects the most capable man in the whole colony, for his natural abilities were fully equal to his experience. He had studied human nature under many forms in CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. many lands, and in adversity and danger had learned patience and fortitude. His calm, cool Itourage, his resolute will, and his intuitive per- ception of the necessities of a new settlement, were destined to make him the main stay of the colony ofVirginia, but as yet these high quali- ties had only excited the malicious envy of his associates, and the efforts he had made to heal the dissensions which had broken out daring the voyage had made him many enemies, When ihe box containing the names of those who were to constitute the colonial government was opened, it was found that the king had appointed John Smith one o^ the council. Smith was at this time in con- finement, having been arrested on the voy- age upon the frivolous charges of sedition and treason against the crown, and his enemies, notwithstanding the royal appointment, ex- cluded him from the council. Edward Wingfield, " a grovelling merchant of the west of England," was chosen president of the council and governor of the colony. The services of Smith could not be dispensed with, however, and he Was released from his confinement, and sent with Newport and twenty others to explore the river. They ascended the James to the falls, where the city of Richmond now stands, and visited Powhatan, the principal chief of the Indian nation holding the country into which they had come. He was then dwelling at his favorite seat on the left bank of the river, a few miles below the falls. Powhatan received them kindly, and silenced the remonstrances ;/ of his people by saying: "They hurt you not; they only want a little land." The chief was a man of powerful sta- ture, " tall, sour and athletic." He was sixty years of age, and had under him a population of six or eight thousand souls, two thousand being warriors. Having carefully observed the river, Smith and Newport returned to Jamestown. Their presence there was needed, for V/ingfield had proved himself utterly unfit to govern the colony. He would not allow the colonists to build either houses for them- selves or a fortification for the common de- fence against the savages. While they were in this helpless condition, they were suddenly CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. tf Attacked by a force of four hundred Indians, aad were saved from destruction only by the ^re of the shipping, which filled the savages with terror and put them to flight. It is helieved that the cause of Wingfield's singular conduct was his jealousy of Smith (vhose talents he feared would attract the support of the settlers. Tried and Acquitted. The fort was now built without delay, cannon were mounted, and the men trained in the exercise of arms. When the ships were in readiness to sail to England, it was intimated to Smith that he would consult his own interests by returning in them, but he refused to do so, and boldly demanded a trial upon the charges which had been pre- ferred against him. The council did not dare to refuse him this trial, and the result was his triumphant acquittal. More than this, he succeeded so well in exposing the malice of his enemies that the president, as the originator of the charges against him, was compelled to pay him two hundred pounds damages, which sum Smith gener- ously applied to the needs of the colony. His seat in the council could no longer be denied him, and he took his place at the board to the great gain of the colony. ', Newport sailed for England about the middle of June, leaving the settlement in a most pitiable condition. The provisions sent out from England had been spoiled on the voyage, and the colonists were too indo- lent to cultivate the land, or to seek to obtain supplies from the Indians. Sickness broke out among them, owing to the malarious character of their location, and by the begin- ning of the winter more than half theirnum- ber had died. Among these was Bartholo- mew Gosnold, the originator of the London Company, who had come out to Virginia to risk his life in the effort to settle t^' country. He was a man of rare merits, and, together with Mr. Hunt, " the preacher,'* who was also one of the projectors of the company, had contributed successfully to the preserva- tion of harmony in the colony. In the midst of these sufferings it was found that Wingfield was preparing to load the pinnace with the remainder of the stores and escape to the West Indies. He was deposed by the council, who appointed John Ratcliiife in his place. The new president was not much better than his predecessor. He was incapable of discharg- ing the duties of his office, and was perfectly satisfied that Smith should direct the affairs of the settlement for him. From this time Smith was the actual head of the govern- ment. Food was the prime necessity of the colony, and as it was now too late to raise it, Smith exerted himself to obtain it from the Indians, He purchased a supply, and towards the close of the autumn the wild fowl which frequent the region furnished an additional means of subsistence. Danger of Famine. The danger of a famine thus removed. Smith proceeded to explore the country. In one of these expeditions he ascended the rhickahominy as far as he could penetrate in his boat, and then leaving it in charge of two men, struck into the interior with an Indian guide. His men disobeyed his in-, structions, and were surprised and put tot death by the Indians. Smith himself was taken prisoner, and deeply impressed his captors by his cool courage and self-posses- sion. Instead of begging for his life, he set to work to convince them of his superiority over them, and succeeded so well that they regarded him with a sort of awe. He aston- ished them by showing them his pocket com- pass and explaining to them its uses, and excited their admiration by writing a letter 78 POCAHONTAS INTERCED*^. *®* ^^HK UFE OF CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 79 fc hJs friends at Jamestown informing them of his situation, and of the danger to which they were exposed from a contemplated attack of the Indians. One of the savages bore the letter to its destination. A Grand Reception. Smith had been captured by Opechan- canough,a powerful chieftain of the Pamun- key Indians : but as the curiosity of the neighboring tribes was greatly aroused by his presence, he was led in triumph from the Chickahominy to the villages on the Rappa- hannock and the Potomac, and then taken through other towns to the residence of Opechancanough, on the Pamunkey. H^re the medicine men of the tribe held a three days' incantation over him to ascertain his character and design. All this while his de- meanor was calm and fearless, as if he enter- tained no apprehension for his safety. He was regarded by the savages as a superior being, and was treated with kindness, though kept a close prisoner, i His fate was referred to Powhatan for de- cision, as the other tribes feared to bring the blood of such an extraordinary being upon their heads. Powhatan was then residing at Werowocomoco, which lay on the north side of Fork River, in what is now Gloucester County, Virginia. He received the captive in great state, surrounded by his warriors. " He: wore/* says Smith, " such a grave and majestical countenance as drove me into admiration to see," Brought into the presence of Powhatan, Sm-ith was received with a shout from the assembled warriors, A handsome young squaw brought him water to wash his hands, and another gave him a bunch of feathers to dry them. Food was then set before him, and while he applied himself to the repast a consultation was held by the savages as to his fate. Smith watched the proceedings dosely, and was aware from the gestures of the council that his death had been determined upon. Two great stones A^ere then brought into the assembly and laid before the king. The captive was seized and dragged to the stones, forced down, and his head laid upon them. Two brawny savages stood by to beat out his brains w ith their clubs. During these proceedings Pocahontas, a child often or twelve years, *' dearly loved daughter " of Powhatan, touched with pity for the unfortu nate stranger, had been earnestly pleading with her father to spare his life. Failing in this, she sprang forward at the moment the executioners were about to despatch their victim, and throwing herself by his side, clasped her arms about his neck and laid her head upon his to protect him from the im- pending stroke. This remarkable action in a child so young moved the savages with profound astonishment. They regarded it as a manifestation of the will of Heaven in favor of the captive, and it was determined to spare his life and seek his friendship. ""he Captive Released. Smith was released from his bonds, and was given to Pocahontas to make beads and bells for her, and to weave for her ornaments of copper. The friendship which the inno- cent child of the forest conceived for him gr?w stronger every day, and ceased only with her life. Powhatan took him into his favor, and endeavored to induce him to abandon the English and cast his lot with him. He even sought to obtain his aid in an attack upon the colony. Smith declined these offers, and by his decision of character succeeded in averting the hostility of the savages from his friends at Jamestown, anc*. in winning their good-will for the Enghsh. In a short while the Indians allowed him to return to Jamestown, upon his promise to send to Kinsr Powhatan two cannon and a So SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. grindstone. Upon arriving at Jamestown he showed the Indians who had accompanied him two of the largest cannon, and asked them to lift them. This was impossible ; nor could they succeed any better with the grindstone. Smith then discharged the cannon in their presence, which so frightened them that they refused to have anything to do with them. Having evaded his promise in this manner, Smith bestowed more suit- able presents upon his guides, and sent them POCAHONTAS. home with gifts for Powhatan and Poca- hontas. The savage king was doubtless Well satisfied to let the " great guns " alone 6fter hearing the report of his messengers -concerning them, and was greatly pleased "vith the gifts sent him. Pocahontas Brings Pood. Smith found the colony at Jamestown re- duced to forty men and affairs in great con- fusion. His companions had believed that he had fallen a victim to the hostility of the Indians, and he was greeted with delight, as the need of his firm hand had been sadly felt. He found that a party of malcontents were preparing to run away from the colony with the pinnace, and he at once rallied his supporters and trained the guns of the fort upon the little vessel, and avowed his de- termination to fire upon the mutineers if they sought to depart. His firmness put an end to this danger, and the friendly relations which he had managed to establish with the Indians now enabled him to buy from the savages the food necessary to sustain the colonists through the winter. In many ways his captivity proved a great blessing to the settlement. He had not only explored the country between the James and Potomac, and gained considerable knowledge of the language and customs of the natives, but had disposed the Indian tribes subject to Powhatan to regard the colony with friendship at the most criti- cal period of its existence. Had the savages been hostile during this winter the James- town colony must have perished of starva- tion ; but now, every few days throughout this season, Pocahontas came to the fort ac* companied by a number of her countrymen bearing baskets of corn for the whites. Exploring Chesapeake Bay. In the spring of 1608, Newport arrived from England, bringing with him a reinforce- ment of one hundred and twenty emigrants. The newcomers were joyfully welcomed by the colonists but they proved of no real ad- vantage to the settlement. They were either idlers or goldsmiths who had come out to America in the hope of finding gold. The refiners of the party believed they had found the precious metal in a heap of glittering earth, of which there was an abundance near Jamestown, and in spite of the remonstrances of Smith, would do nothing but dig gold. Newport, who shared the delusion? loaded CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. Si his ships with the worthless earth and sailed for England after a sojourn in the colony of fourteen weeks. While these fruitless labors were in pro- gress. Smith, thoroughly disgusted with the folly of the emigrants, undertook the explora- tion of the Chesapeake Bay. He spent the summer of 1608 in visiting the shores of the bay and ascending its tributaries in an open boat, accompanied by a few men. He ex- plored the Chesapeake to the Susquehanna, ascended the Potomac to the falls, and explored the Patapsco. This voyage em- braced a total distance of nearly three thou- sand miles, and resulted not only in the gain- ing of accurate information respecting the country bordering the Chesapeake, but also in establishing friendly relations with the tribes along its shores, and preparing the way for future friendly intercourse with them. The energetic explorer prepared a map of the Chesapeake and its tributaries, and sent it to his employers in England, by whom it was published. It is yet in existence, and its accuracy and minuteness have often elic- ited the praise of subsequent topographers. Idlers Mast Not Eat. Smith returned to Jamestown on the seventh of September, and three days later was made president of the council. The good effects of his administration were soon felt. In the autumn, however, another rein- forcement of idle and useless men arrived. Smith, indignant at the continual arrival of such worthless persons, wrote to the com- pany : " When you send again, I entreat you rather send but thirty carpenters, husband- men, gardeners, fishermen, blacksmiths, ma- sons, and diggers up of trees' roots, well pro- vided, than a thousand of such as we have." Upon the return of the fleet to England the governor exerted his authority to compel the idlers *o go to work. It was ordered that six hours in each day should be spent in useful labor by each person, and that " he who would not work might not eat." In a short while the settlement began to assume the appearance of a regular habitation ; but still so little land had been cultivated— only about thirty or forty acres in all — that during the winter of 1608—9, the settlers were com« pelled to depend upon the Indians for food. Yet the prudent management of Smith kept the colony in good health. Infamous Laws. In the spring of 1609, great changes were made in the London Company, and a more earnest interest was manifested in the colony by all classes of the English people. Sub- scriptions were made to the stock of the company by many noblemen as well as mer- chants, and a new charter was obtained. By this charter the stockholders had the power to appoint the supreme council in England, and to this council were confided the powers of legislation and government, which were relinquished by the king. The council ap- pointed the governor of the colony, who was to rule the settlement with absolute au- thority according to the instructions of the council. He was made master of the lives and liberties of the settlers by being author- ized to declare martial law whenever in his judgment the necessity for that measure should a^ise, and was made the sole execu- tive officer in its administration. \ Thus the emigrants were deprived of every civil right, and were placed at the mercy of a governor appointed by a corpo- ration whose only object was to make money. The company, however, defeated this object by the manner in which it se- lected emigrants. Instead of sending out honest and industrious laborers who were capable of building up a state, they sent only idlers and vagabonds, men who were S2 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. neither willing nor fit to work. The com- mon k*tock feature was maintained, and thus the greatest obstacle to industry that could be devised was placed in the way of the success of the colony. Still there were many who were willing to seek the new BUILDING THE FIRST HOUSE IN JAMESTOWN world even under these conditions, and many others whose friends desired to get them out of the country. The company was soon able to eq.uip a ^eet of nine vessels containing: mor^ than five hundred emigrants, and a stock of do- mestic animals and fowls was included in the outfit of the expedition. Lord Delaware, a nobleman, whose character commander: the confidence of his countrymen, was mad. governor of the colony for life. As he wzH' not able to sail with the expedition, he dele gated his authority during his absence to Newport, who was admiral of the fleet, Siu Thomas Gates, and Sis George Somers, who were to govern the col- ony until his arrival. The fleet sailed in th^ spring of 1609, but whet off the American coasl was overtaken by a se- vere storm, and two ves- sels — on one of which the admiral and the commissioners had sailed — were wrecked on one of the Bermuda islands. Seven ships reached Virginia, and brought the worst lot of ertki- grants that had yet been sent out to the colony. Smith was still actinj^ president, and as tb» commissioners had not arrived, was determiner J to hold his position until relieved by his lawful successors. The ne\v emigrants at first refuse d to recognize his author- ity, but he compe led them to submit, and in order to lessen the evil of their presence^ divided them into bodies sufficiently numer- ous for safety, and sent them to make settle- ments in other parts of Vn-ginia. These settlements proved so many failures, and, unfortunately for the colony. Smith was so severely wounded by an accidental explosion of gunpowder, in the autumn of 1609^ thai CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. «3 he was obliged to relinquish the government and return to England for surgical treatment. He delegated his authority to George Percy, and sailed for England, never to return to Virginia again. It was to him alone that the success of the colony was due, but he received in return nothing but ingratitude. Pocahontas Saves the Colony. The departure of Smith was followed by the most disastrous consequences. There was no longer an acknowledged government ^n Virginia, and the settlers gave themselves up to the most reckless idleness. Their pro- visions were quickly consumed, and the In- dians refused to furnish them with anymore. The friendship of the savages had been due to their personal regard for Smith, who had tompelled the colonists to respect their rights and to refrain from maltreating them. Now that Smith was no longer at the head of affairs, the Indians regarded the settlers with the contempt they fully merited, and hostili- ties soon began. Stragglers from the town were cut off, and parties who went out to seek food among the savages were deliber- ately murdered. On one occasion a plan was laid to surprise the town and massacre the colonists. The danger was averted by Pocahontas, who stole from her father's camp, through night and storm, to give warning to the settlers. Fail- ing in this effort the Indians resolved to starve the colony, and soon the whites began to experience the sufferings of a famine. Thirty of them seized one of the ships, escaped to sea, and began a course of piracy. In six months the four hundred and ninety persons left by Smith in the colony at his departure had dwindled down to sixty ; and this wretched remnant would have pf^rished speedily had not aid reached them. On the twenty-fourth of May, 1610, Sir Thomas Gates and the members of the expe- dition who had been wrecked on the Ber- mudas reached Jamestown after a stay o) nine months on those islands, during which time they had built two vessels from the wreck of their ship and the wood found on the island. In these they managed to reach Virginia, expecting to find the colony in a prosperous condition. They found instead the sixty men already mentioned, so feeble and full of despair as to be helpless. In the general despondency it was determined to abandon the colony, sail to Newfoundland, and join the fishing vessels which came an- nually from England to that island. A 'Welcome Arrival. Some of the emigrants wished to burn the town, but this was prevented by the resolute conduct of Sir Thomas Gates. On the seventh of June the settlers embarked, and that night dropped down the James with the tide. The next morning they were aston- ished to meet a fleet of vessels entering the river. It was Lord Delaware, who had arrived with fresh emigrants and supplies. The fugitives hailed the arrival of the gover- nor with delight, and put about and ascended the stream with him. A fair wind enabled them to reach Jamestown the same night On the tenth of June, 16 10, the founda- tions of the colony were solemnly relaid with prayer and supplication to Almighty God for success in the effort to establish a state. The authority of Lord Delaware silenced all dissensions, and his equitable but firm administration soon placed the settle- ment on a more successful basis than it had yet occupied. The labors of each day were opened with prayer in the little church, after which, from six in the morning till ten, and from two in the afternoon until four, all engaged in the tasks demanded of them. The good effects of the new system were soon manifest in the increased comfort and «4 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. prosperity of the colony. In about a year the health of Lord Delaware gave way, and he delegated his authority to George Percy, whom Smith had chosen as his successor, and returned to England. Fortunately for the colony, the company, before the arrival of Lord Delaware in Eng- land, had sent out Sir Thomas Dale with supplies. He reached Jamestown in May, 1611, and finding Lord Delaware gone, assumed the government. He brought with him a code of laws, prepared and sent out by Sir Thomas Smith, the treasurer of the com- pany, without the order or sanction of the council, and which established martial law as the rule of the colony. Though he ruled with such a stern hand, Dale rendered good service to Virginia by recommending to the company to maintain the settlement at all hazards as certain of yielding them a rich reward in the end. The New Settlers. This energetic appeal so greatly encour- aged the council, which had been consider- ably disheartened by Lord Delaware's return, that in the summer of 161 1 Sir Thomas Gates was sent out to Virginia with six ships and three hundred emigrants. He carried also a stock of cattle and abundant supplies. The emigrants sent out with him were of a better character and more industrious than ?iny that had yet left England for Virginia. Gates assumed the government, and matters began to prosper again. The colony now numbered seven hundred persons, and was ♦deemed so prosperous that Dale, with the approval of the governor, led a number of the men to the vicinity of the falls of the J'ames, and there established another settle- ment, which was called Henrico, in honor of the Prince of Wales. Among the changes for the better was the assignment to each settler of a few acres of land for his own cultivation. This " incipient establishment of private property" produced the happiest results, and from this time there was no scarcity of provisions in the colony, which became so powerful and prosperous as to be no longer exposed to the mercy of the savages. The Indians themselves were quick to notice this change, and some of the neighboring tribes by formal treaty acknowl- edged themselves subjects of King James. The whites, however, did not always respect the rights of the Indians. Late in 161 3, Pocahontas was betrayed into the hands of a foraging party under Captain ArgalL Argall kept her a prisoner, and demanded of Powhatan a ransom. For three months Powhatan did not deign to re- ply to this demand, but prepared for war. In the meantime Pocahontas was instructed in the faith of the Christians, and at length openly embraced it, and was baptized. Her conversion was hastened by a powerful senti- ment, which had taken possession of her heart. She had always regarded the English as superior to her own race, and now her affections were won by a young Englishman of good character, named John Rolfe, Marriage of Pocahontas, Rolfe, with the approval of the governor^ asked her hand of her father in marriage. Powhatan consented to the union, but re- fused to be present at the marriage, as he was too shrewd to place his person in the hands of the English. He sent his brother Opachisco and two of his sons to witness the marriage, which was solemnized in the little church at Jamestown, in the presence of Sir Thomas Dale, the acting governor. The marriage conciliated Powhatan and his tribe, who continued their peaceful relations with the colony. King James, however, was greatly displeased at what he deemed the presumption of a subject in wedding 4 TYPES OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. M SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. princess. Pocahontas was soon after taken to England by her husband, and was re- ceived there with great attention and kind- ness. She remained in England for a little more than a year, and then prepared to re- turn to her own country. As she was about to sail, she died, at the age of twenty -two, A. D. 1616. She left a son, who subse- quently became a man of distinction in Virginia, and the ancestor of some of the proudest families of the Old Dominion. Earliest Land Laws of Virginia. In the meantime the settlements of the French on the coast of Maine had attracted tlie attention and excited the jealousy of the English. In 1613, Captain Samuel Argall, ivho was cruising on the banks of Newfound- land to protect the English fishermen, dis- covered the French settlement of Saint Sauveuron the island of Mount Desert, and captured it. He treated the colonists with •-nexcusable harshness, and compelled them to leave the country. In the same year he de.-;troyed the fortifications which Des Monts had erected on the isle of St. Croix and burned the deserted settlement of Port Royal. At Jamestown and the other settlements :hat had been formed in Virginia private in- Justry was fast placing the colony on an assured basis of success. " The condition of private property in lands, among the colon- ists, depended, in some measure, on the cir- cumstances under which they had emigrated. Some had been sent and maintained at the excl usive cost of the company, and were its servants. One month of their time and three acres of land were set apart for them, besides a small allowance of two bushels of corn from the public store ; the rest of their labor belonged to their employers. This number had gradually decreased ; and in 1617 there were of them all- men, women and children, but fifty-four. Others, especi. ally the favorite settlement near the mouth of the Appomattox, were tenants, paying two and a half bushels of corn as a yearly tribute to the store, and giving to the public service one month's labor, which was to be required neither at seed time nor harvest. He who came himself, or had sent others at his own expense, had been entitled to a hundred acres of land for each person : now that the colony was well established, the bounty on emigration was fixed at fifty acres, of which the actual occupation and culture gave a further right to as many more, to be assigned at leisure. Besides this, lands were granted as rewards of merit ; yet not more than two thousand acres could be so appro- priated to one person. A payment to the company's treasury of twelve pounds and ten shillings likewise obtained a title to any hundred acres of land not yet granted or possessed, with a reserved claim to as much more. Such were the earliest land laws of Virginia : though imperfect and unequal, they gave the cultivator the means of becom- ing a proprietor of the soil. These valuable changes were established by Sir Thomas Dale."* Tobacco Becomes the Currency, The survivors of Raleigh's colony at Roanoke had introduced into England the use of tobacco which they had 'earned from the Indians, and there was now a steady de- mand for that article from the mother country. Encouraged by this demand, and stimulated by the acquisition of property of their own, the Virginia colonists devoted themselves with ardor to the culture of tobacco, and soon all the available land about the settlements, and even the streets and public squares of Jamestown, were * History of the United States. By Geo. Bancroft, vol. i.,ph 150. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 8r planted with it. Tobacco soon became the currency of the colony, and great attention was given to it, even to the exclusion of other agricultural interests. A New Governor. In 1616, Sir Thomas Dale, who had been governor of the colony for two years, dele- gated his authority to George Yeardley, and sailed for England. Under Yeardley's ad- mirable administration the colony continued to increase in prosperity. A faction of the settlers, however, succeeded in removing him from his position, and replaced him with Argall, who was a selfish and brutal tyrant. He held office for two years, and governed according to the most rigid forms of martial 'aw. He swindled the company, and ex- torted their hard earnings from the settlers, who were driven to desperation by his brutal- ities. In their distress they appealed to the company for redress, and, as Argall had robbed the corporation also, their prayer was heard. Argall was removed from office, and the bloody code of Sir Thomas Smith was abolished. Sir George Yeardley was appointed governor. Lord Delaware having died, and reached Jamestown in April, 16 19. He was greatly beloved by the Virginians, and his arrival was looked upon as the be- ginning of new life for the province, as indeed it was. Among the changes which Yeardley was empowered by the company to inaugurate A^as one which exercised the greatest influ- snce upon the subsequent history of Vir- ginia. After years of blundering and arbi- trary rule, the London Company had become convinced that the best way to promote the welfare of Virginia was to give the settlers a share in the management of their own affairs. ** That the planters might have a hande in the governing of themselves, yt was graunted that a generall assemblie shoulde be helde yearly once, whereat were to be present the governor and consell with two burgesses from each plantation, freely to be elected by the inhabitantes thereof, this assemblie to have power to make and ordaine whatsoever lawes and orders shoulde by them be though* good and profitable for their subsistence." First Representative Assembly. In accordance with this authorization. Governor Yeardley issued his writs for the election of representatives from the various colonies, and on the tenth day of July, 1619, two delegates from each of the eleven settle- ments of the colony met at Jamestown, and organized the House of Burgesses of the Colony of Virginia, the first representative assembly ever convened in America, In this assembly the governor and council sat with the burgesses, and engaged in the de- bates and motions. John Pory, a member of the council and secretary of the colony, was chosen speaker, although he was not a member of the house. Sensible of their de- pendence upon the Supreme Ruler of the world, the burgesses opened their delibera- tions with prayer, and thus established the practice. *' The assembly exercised fully the right of judging of the proper election of its members ; and they would not suffer any patent, conceding manorial jurisdiction, to bar the obligation of obedience to their decisions." Laws were enacted against idle- ness and vice, and for the encouragement of industry and order. He who refused to labor was to be " sold to a master for wages till he shewe apparent signs of amendment." The playing of dice and cards, and drunkenness and profane swearing were pro* hibited under severe penalties. Inducements were held out to increase the planting ot corn, mulberry trees, hemp and the vine. The price of tobacco was fixed by law at three shillings a, pound for the best grade BS SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. and half that price for the inferior grade. Provision was also made for " the erecting of a university and college" for the proper edu- cation of the children vi^ho should be born to the planters. It was designed to extend to the Indians the benefit of these institutions, and it was ordered that the " most towardly ;(Indian) boys in wit and graces of nature should be brought up in the first elements of literature, and sent from college to the work of converting the natives to Christian- ity." ; The measures of the assembly were put in force without waiting the approval of the London Company, and the good effects of them were quickly visible in the colony. The pri.iciples of free government having been planted in the community, the settlers, who had been thereby transformed from the mere creatures of the governor into free- born Englishmen once more, began to regard Virginia as their permanent home, and set to work with a will to build houses and plant fields. One thing only was lacking to give the settlers homes in the truest sense of the word ; and to supply that need Sir Edwin Sandys induced ninety young and vir- tuous women to emigrate to America, that the colonists might bp able to marry and form domestic ties which alone could perma- nently attach them to America. Wives Imported. The young women were sent over to the colony in 1619, atthe expense of the com- pany, and were married to the tenants of the corporation or to men who were well enough to do to support them. The next year sixty more were sent over, and quickly found husbands. In all cases the husbands were required to repay to the company the cost of the passage of their wives from England. This was paid in tobacco, and was regarded as a debt of honor, to be discharged at any sacrifice. In order to aid the husbands in these payments, as well as in their general matters, the company, in employing labor, gave the preference to the married men. The colony now increased in a marked degree, emigrants coming out so rapidly from England that by 162 1 there were four thou- sand persons in Virginia. It having become understood that the colony had passed the stage at which failure was possible, and had become a permanent state, the new emigrant^ were largely men of family, who brought their households with them. Virginia's "Written Constitution. In July, 162 1, the London Company, which was now controlled by the patriot party in England, granted to Virginia a written consti- tution, which gave to the colony a form of government similar to that of England her- self. A governor and permanent council were to be appointed by the company. The house of burgesses was to have the power of enacting such laws as should be needed for the general good, but no law so enacted was to be valid unless approved by the company, On the other hand, no orders of the court in London were to be binding in Virginia unless ratified by the house of burgesses. Courts of justice were established and ordered to be administered according to the law and forms of trial in use in England. Thus the common law of England was firmly established in Virginia, and under its beneficent protection the colony advanced steadily in prosperity. The colonists were to be no longer merely the subjects of a commercial corporation, and as such to hold their liberties and property at the pleasure of their masters ; but were definitely accorded the right to govern them- selves, and to take such measures for their safety and prosperity as in their judgment should seem best. Such were the provisions of the constitution. CHAPTER VII Progress of the Virginia Colony ktrodnction of Negro Slavery Into Virginia— Efforts of the Assembly to Restrict Slavery — The Indians Attempt ifffi, Destruction of the Colony — Terrible Sufferings of the Whites — Aid from England — The Indian War Begun — King James Revokes the Charter of the London Company — Charles I. Desires a Monopoly of the Tobacco Trade — Action oi the Assembly — Sir William Berkeley's First Administration — Severe Measures Against Dissenters — Close of the Indian War — Death of Opechancanough — Emigration of Royalists to Virginia — Virginia and the Commonwealth — Treaty with England — The Assembly Asserts Its Independence of the Governor — The Restoration — Berkeley Chosen Gov- ernor by the Assembly — His Hypocrisy. IN August, 1 6 19, a few months after the meeting of the first colonial legislature, there occurred an event which was des- tined to influence the history of Virginia and of America for remote generations, per- haps forever. A Dutch vessel of war entered the James River and offered twenty negroes for sale as slaves. These were purchased by the planters, and negro slavery was thus estab- lished in Virginia. Laborers were in demand, and the necessity for them blinded the planters to the evil they were fastening upon the colony. The first importation was followed by others, the infamous business being principally in ths hands of the Dutch at this period. Still the blacks increased very slowly. The legis- lature from the first discouraged the traffic by a heavy tax upon female slaves. Sir Francis Wyatt, the first governor ap- pointed under the new constitution, reached Virginia in 162 1, and the new laws were soon m successful operation. Soon after his arrival a terrible misfortune befell the colony, and almost caused its destruction. For some time there had been bad blood between the whites and the Indians. Powhatan, the friend of the English, was dead, and Opechan- canough, the veteran chief, who, since the death of Powhatan, had become the leader of the nation, was bitterly hostile to the English, and not ^svithout reason. The savages origi- I S9 nally held the best lands in the colony, but the whites, when these lands were wanted, took possession of them without regard to the rights of their dusky owners. The Indians, unable to contend with the whites in open conflict, saw themselves driven steadily away from their accustomed homes, and menaced with total destruction by the superior race. Opechancanough, though outwardly friendly to the colonists, now secretly resolved upon their destruction, and sought to accomplish this by treachery. There were about five thousand Indians, of whom fifteen hundred were warriors, within sixty miles of Jamestown, and the whites in the same region numbered in all about four thousand. These were scattered in fancied safety along both sides of the James and for some distance into the interior. A plot was organized by the Indian leader for the extermination of every settler iu the colony. At noon on a designated day every settlement was to be surprised and all the inhabitants murdered. The savages in the meantime kept up their pretence 01 friendship. Opechancanough declared with fervor, " Sooner shall the sky fall than my friendship for the English should cease." So unsuspicious were the English that to thft very last moment they received the savages amongst them without fear of harm, and ift MASSACRE OF SETTLERS BY INDIANS. PROGRESS OF THE VIRGINIA COLONY. 91 jnany places the latter were then in the houses of the people they meant to destroy. On the twenty-second of March, 1622, a genei al attack was made by the savages upon all the settlements of the colony. On the previous night the plot had been revealed to a converted Indian named Chauco, who at once hastened to Jamestown and gave warn- ing of the danger. The alarm spread rapidly to the nearest settlements, but those at a dis- tance could not be reached in time to avert their fate. Those settlements which had been warned were able to offer a successful resistance to their assailants, and some of those which were surprised beat off the Indians ; but the number of victims, men women and children, who fell this day amounted to three hundred and forty-seven. All these were slain, and their fate would have been shared by the whole colony but for the warning of the friendly Indian. Terrible Destruction. The effect upon the colony was appalling. ,The distant plantations had been destroyed by the savages, and out of eighty settlements eight alone survived. These, and especially Jamestown, were crowded beyond their ca- pacity with fugitives who had fled to them for shelter. Sickness soon began to prevail, the public works were discontinued, and pri- vate industry was greatly diminished. A gloom rested over the entire colony, and the population fell off At the end of two years after the massacre, the number of inhabitants had been reduced to two thousand. Much sympathy was manifested for the suffering colonists by the people of England. The city of London sent them liberal assistance, and private individuals subscribed to their need. King James was aroused into an affectation of generous sympathy, and sent over to the colony a supply of muskets which had been condemned as worthless in England. The whites recovered from their gloom, and on their part began to form plans for the extermination of their foes. During the next ten years expeditions were sent against the Indians at frequent intervals. The object kept sternly in view was to either destroy the savages altogether, or force them bacK from the seaboard into the interior. As late as 1630 it was ordered by the general assem- bly that no peace should be made with the Indians. Virginia's Charter Revoked. An important change now occurred in the fortunes of the colony. The London Com- pany was bankrupt, and its stockholders having abandoned all hope of gain from the colony, held on to their shares merely as a means of exercising political power. The company was divided between two parties. One of these favored the direct rule of the colony by the sovereign, the other maintained the independent government of the province by its own legislature under the constitution granted to it. The debates between these factions greatly annoyed the king, who could never tolerate the expression of an independ- ent opinion by any of his subjects. He endeavored in various ways to silence these disputes, and to regain the powers he had relinquished to the company, but the Intter firmly refused to surrender their charter, and the colonists, who feared that the king might seek to impose his own arbitrary will upon them in the place of their constitution and the laws of England, sustained the company in its refusal. In spite of this opposition, however, James carried his point. The charter of the com- pany was revoked, and Virginia was made a royal province. The company appealed to the courts, but these being under the influ- ence of the crown sustained the king. Their decision was rendered in June, 1624. Jaiaes 9^ did not interfere with any of the liberties or privileges of Virginia, however. Sir Francis Wyatt was retained in his office of governor, SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. FLIGHT OF THE INDIANS AFTER THE MASSACRE. and the colony was left under the laws and in possession of the privileges secured to it in 162 1. James anr.ounced his intention to i the trade. prepare a code of laws for the government of Virginia, but fortunately for that pro/ince he died before he could execute his design. Charles I. succeeded his father on the Eng- lish throne on the twenty-seventh of March, 1625. He was favorably disposed toward the colony, for he did not suppose the principles of civil liberty had taken so deep a root in it, and, moreover, he wished to secure for the crown the monopoly of the tobacco trade- He carried his con- descension to the ex- tent of recognizing the house of burgesses as a legislative body and requesting it to pass a bill restricting the sales of tobacco to- the crown. The house answered him respect- fully, but firmly, that to grant his majesty's request would be to injure the trade of the colony. Defeated in this effort to secure this monopoly the king continued throughout his reign to seek to get the tobacco trade into his hands. He declared London to be the sole market for the sale of tobacco, and endeav- ored in many ways, and in vain, to regulate PROGRESS OF THE VIRGINIA COLONY. ^S In the meantime Sir Francis Wyatt retired from the government of the colony, and Sir George Yeardley was appointed his successor in 1626. The latter died the next year, and Francis West was elected governor by the council until the pleasure of the king should be known. Upon the receipt in England of the news of Yeardley 's death, Charles appointed Sir John Harvey governor of Virginia. At the same time he granted to the council in Virginia authority to fill all vacancies occurring in their body. Previous to the arrival of Harvey, West was succeeded by another governor, named Pott, elected by the council. An Unpopular Governor. Harvey reached Virginia late in the autumn of 1629, and remained in office until 1639. He was greatly disliked, and his failure to enforce the claims of Virginia against the colony of Maryland, which was planted in 1634 upon territory embraced within the original grant to Virginia, made him still more unpopular. In 1635 he was removed from office by the council, and an appeal was made to the king by both Harvey and the council. Harvey returned to England to manage his case, and John West was appointed governor until the decision of the case by the king, Harvey succeeded in defeating his opponents, who were not even allowed a hearing in England, and returned to Virginia in January, 1636, and resumed his place as governor. The complaints against him were so numerous, that in 1639 he was removed by the king, who appointed Sir Francis Wyatt his successor. In 1 641 Wyatt was succeeded by Sir William Berkeley, who reached Jamestown in 1642. In the spring of this year, an effort was made to revive the London Company, but Virginia, which was now a royal province, opposed the measure, and urged the king to allow her to remain in the exercise of the self-government which had contributed in so marked a degree to her prosperity. The king, impressed with the force of the arguments by which this appeal was sustained, declared his intention to make no change in the colonial government. The Puritans Banished. Berkeley, during his first administration, proved in the main a good governor, and the colony continued to improve. The courts of justice were brought as near as possible to the English standard, and the titles to lands were arranged upon a more satisfactory basis than had hitherto been found possible. Taxes were assessed accord- ing to the wealth of the settlers, and a treaty was arranged with Maryland by which the vexed questions between the two colonies were satisfactorily adjusted. The Virginians, accustomed to freedom, were in all things, save their acknowledgment of the king's supremacy, a practically independent nation, so little were they interfered with by the sovereign. The colony was devoted to the established church of England, and even at this early day there were severe laws for the enforcement of conformity to its rules, and for the punishment of dissenters. When Puritan ministers came from New England into the colony in 1643, they were banished by the colonial government, not- withstanding they had been invited into Virginia by the Puritan settlements in that province. The majority of the Virginians, with the governor at their head, were royal- ists and staunch friends of the king. 1 The Puritans living in the colony were regarded with suspicion, and when they re- fused to conform to the established church, it was ordered that they should be banished Many of them passed over into Maryland and settled there. With the exception of 94 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. this harmless bigotry, the colony took no share in the great quarrel which was rending the mother country in twain. It was rather a gainer by it, as the troubles which encom- passed Charles I. compelled him to cease his INDIAN WEAPONS efforts to interfere with the trade of the olanters. The chie\ trouble of this period was with the Indians. There had been no peace with ^hem since the massacre of 1622, but fre- quent expeditions had been sent agafnst them. In 1644, the savages, led by their veteran chieftain Opechancanough, resolved to make one more effort to exterminate the whites, forgetting that in the twenty years that elapsed theii enemies had grown stronger, while they had grown weaker. On the eighteenth of April the frontier set- tlements were at- tacked, and three hun« dred of the settlers were put to death. The whites at once inaugurated vigorous measures for their defence, and a sharp warfare was waged upon the savages until October, 1646. It was brought to a close by the capture of Opechancanough, who was so decrepit that he was unable to walk, and was carried aboutin the arms of his people. His flesh was emaciated, the sinews so relaxed, and his eyelids so heavy that whenever he desired to see they were lifted by his attendants. Yet still the vigor of his intellect remained to him, and he was to the last both feared by his enemies and loved by his people. Berkeley, having taken him pris- oner, exposed him to the rude gaze of the colonists, an indignity which stung the proud monarch of the forest to the heart. On onff PROGRESS OF THE occasion, hearing that the governor was approaching, he caused his eyehds to be raised, and fixing upon his captor a look of stern rebuke, said to him, " If Sir William Berkeley had become my prisoner, I should ?iot thus meanly have exposed him as a show CO my people." A Cowardly Assassination. A few days later, Opechancanough was basely assassinated by one of the colonists charged with the duty of guarding him. Thus perished one of the greatest of the native chieftains of America. In October, 1646, Necotowance, the successor of Opechancan- ough, entered into a treaty with the colony, by which he and his people relinquished to the English the lands that had been the heritage of their fathers, and withdrew into the interior. Their power was completely broken, and submission was all that was left to them. Virginia was now on the high road to prosperity. The population at the close of the year 1648 numbered twenty thousand, and was increasing rapidly. A fair trade had been built up with other countries, and at Christmas of this year " there were trading in Virginia ten ships from London, two from Bristol, twelve Hollanders, and seven from New England." The quarrels of the mother country had not affected the colony, though a. thrill of horror and indignation ran through all Virginia when the news was received of the execution of Charles I. Upon the fall of that monarch a large number of the royalist party in England, un- willing to submit to or make any compromise with the Parliament, fled to Virginia, and were received there with sympathizing hospi- tality by the government and people. Many of them made the colony their permanent home, and thus began the pleasant relations between Virginia and England, which have VIRGINIA COLONY. gt in numerous cases remained unbroken. The Virginians regarded Charles II., then an exile at Breda, as their rightful sovereign, and it was seriously proposed to him to come over to America and be king of Virginia. Charles' interests obliged him to remain in Europe, but he continued to regard himself as king of Virginia. From this circum- stance Virginia came to be called " The Old Dominion." Arrival of a Fleet. The Parliament, however, did not long suffer the colony to maintain this attitude. Having triumphed over all its enemies in Europe it prepared to enforce its authority in America. In 1650 an ordinance was passed forbidding all intercourse with the colonies that had adhered to the Stuarts, except by the especial permission of Parlia- ment or the Council of State. In the spring of 1652 more energetic measures were put in force, and a fleet was dispatched to America to compel the submission of the colonies. The fleet arrived off Jamestown. No resist- ance was attempted, for the commissioners appointed by the commonwealth were in- structed to grant terms honorable to both parties. The Virginians were prepared to resist any attempt to force them into submis- sion, but they were disarmed by the liberal spirit with which the commonwealth met them, and a treaty was concluded between England and Virginia, as equal treating with equal. It was stipulated : " First. — That this should be considered 3 voluntary act, not forced or constrained by a conquest upon the country ; and that the colony should have and enjoy such freedoms and privileges as belong to the freeborn people of England. " Secondly. — That the grand assembly, as formerly, should convene and transact the affairs of Virginia, doing nothing contrary to 96 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. the government of the commonwealth or laws of England. " Thirdly. — That there should be a full and total remission of all acts, words, or writ- ings against the Parliament. Demand for a New Charter. " Fourthly. — That Virginia should have her ancient bounds and limits, granted by the charters of the former kings, and that a new charter was to be sought from Parliament to that effect, against such as had trespassed against their ancient rights. " Fifthly. — That all patents of land under the seal of the colony, granted by the gover- nor, should remain in full force. " Sixthly. — That the privilege of fifty acres of land for every person emigrating to the colony should remain in full force. " Seventhly. — That the people of Virginia have free trade, as the people of England enjoy, with all places and nations, according to the laws of the commonwealth ; and that i Virginia should enjoyequal privileges,in every respect, with any other colony in America. " Eighthly. — That Virginia should be free from all taxes, customs, and impositions what- soever; and that none should be imposed upon them without the consent of their grand assembly ; and no forts or castles be erected, or garrison maintained, without their consent. " Ninthly. — That no charge should be re- quired from the country on account of the expense incurred in the present fleet. " Tenthly. — That this agreement should be tendered to all persons, and that such as should refuse to subscribe to it should have a year's time to remove themselves and effects from Virginia, and in the meantime enjoy equal justice." " These terms," says Bancroft, " so favor- able to liberty, and almost conceding inde- pendence, were faithfully observed until the restoration. Historians have, indeed, drawn gloomy pictures of the discontent which per- vaded the colony, and have represented the discontent as heightened by commercial op- pression. The statement is a fiction. The colony of Virginia enjoyed liberties as large as the favored New England ; dis- played an equal degree of fondness for pop- ular sovereignty, and fearlessly exercised political independence." " Old Ironsides." Richard Bennett, one of the commission- ers, wa? chosen governor in the place of Berkeley. Until now it had been customary for the governor and council to sit in the assembly, and take part in the debates. Ob- jection was now made to their presence, and the matter was compromised by obliging them to take the oath required of the bur- gesses. During the protectorate Cromwell wisely let the colony alone. He appointed none of the governors, and never interfered with the management of its affairs. In 1658, Samuel Mathews being governor, the assem- bly, on the first of April, passed a law exclud- ing the governor and council from their sessions, and thus secured to themselves a free and uninterrupted discussion of their measures. The governor and council in re- turn declared the assembly dissolved, but that body vindicated its authority and inde- pendence by removing the governor and council and compelled them to submit. They were then re-elected to their respective positions. Thus did the spirit of popular liberty establish all its claims. Upon the death of Oliver Cromwell, the burgesses met in secret session and decided to recognize Richard Cromwell as protector. " It was a more interesting question whether the change of protector in England would endanger liberty in Virginia. The letter from the council had left the government to be administered according to former usage PROGRESS OF THE VIRGINIA COLONY. 9; The assembly declared itself satisfied with the language. But that there might be no reason to question the existing usage, the governor was summoned to come to the house, where he appeared in person, deliber- ately acknowledged the supreme power of electing officers to be, by the present laws, resident in the assembly, and pledged himself to join in addressing the new protector for special confirmation of all existing privileges. The reason for this extraordinary proceeding is assigned, * that what was their privilege now, might be the privilege of their pos- terity.* The frame of the Virginia govern- ment was deemed worthy of being transmit- ted to remote generations." * Governor Mathews died in March, lOv. j, about the time of the resignation of Richard Cromwell in England. Both the mother country and the colony were thus left without a government. In this emergency the gen- eral assembly of Virginia resolved " that the 7 supreme government of this country shall be resident in the assembly, and all writs shall issue in its name, until there shall arrive from England a commission, which the assem- bly itself shall adjudge to be lawful." The assembly had no thought of asserting its independence of England, but as it cher- ished the earnest hope that the king would be restored to his rights, it proceeded to filJ the vacancy occasioned by the death of Governor Mathews by electing Sir William Berkeley, the devoted partisan of the Stuarts, governor of Virginia. Berkeley accepted the office, acknowledged the validity of the acts of the assembly, and expressed his con- viction that he could in no event dissolve that body. " I am," said he, "but the ser- vant of the assembly." We shall see in the course of this narrative how he regarded this promise in the light of subsequent events. '''History of the United States, By Geo. Bancroft, vr.. i., p. 228. CHAPTER Vm Virginia After the Restoration 'haracteri4ti« <* list Virginians — Causes of the Success of the Royalists — Growth of the Aristocratic Qass — Berkeley D% ides Against the People — The Aristocratic Assembly Claims the Right to Sit Perpetually — Deprives the Common People J Their Liberties — Revival of the Navigation Act by Charles II. — The King Bestows Virginia as a Gift Upon His Vavorites— Protests of the Assembly^Growing Hostility of the Virginians to the Colonial Government — The Indian VVar The Governor Refuses to Allow the Colonists to Defend Themselves — Nathaniel Bacon — He Marches Against the Indians — Rebellion of the People Against Berkeley and the Assembly — The Convention — Repeal of the Obnoxious Laws Berkeley's Duplicity — The People Take Up Arms — Flight of Berkeley — Destruction of Jamestown — Death of Bacon Causes of the Failure of the Rebellion — Berkeley's Triumph — Execution ot the Patriot Leaders— Berkeley's Course Condemned by the King — De?' ji of Berkeley — The Unjust Laws Re-enacted — Lord Culpepper Governor — His Extortions— James 11. and Virginia- /iects UpoB Virginia of the Revolution of i688 — William and Mary College Founded. ON the eighth of May, 1660, Charles II. was proclaimed king in Eng- land, and on the twenty-ninth made his entry into London. The rebellion and the commonwealth had pro- duced but little effect upon Virginia. The .-estoration was productive of the most mo- mentous consequences in the colony. During the long period of the commonwealth Vir- ginia had been practically independent. The people had acquired political rights, and had exercised them with prudence. The colony had prospered in a marked degree under the blessings of popular gov- ernment, and the rights of the people were jealously guarded by their legislators. " No trace of established privilege appeared in its code or its government : in its forms and in its legislation Virginia was a representative democracy ; so jealous of a landed aris- tocracy that it insisted on universality of suf- frage ; so hostile to the influence of com- mercial wealth, that it would not tolerate the ' mercenary ' ministers of the law ; so con- siderate for religious freedom, that each parish was left to take care of itself. Every officer was, directly or indirectly, chosen by 98 the people."* The restoration was to change all this. The society of Virginia was peculiar. The colony had been settled by adventurers un- der circumstances which compelled equality among all classes of its people. Thus there had grown up a strong population born to the enjoyment of this equality, and devoted to its maintenance. They constituted the bulk of the inhabitants. By degrees there had sprung up a colonial aristocracy con>- posed of the large landholders. These were persons of culture, many of whom had been men of position and education in England. The laws favored the accumulation of large estates, and the possession of them awakened feelings of family pride. The large emigration of men of rank and culture at the overthrow of Charles I. greatly increased this class. The existence of an established church gave it another element of strength, since the interests of the state church and the aristocracy are always identi- cal. Education was almost entirely confined to the landholding class, and with this never^ *Bancroffs History of the United Utates, vol. ii., p. tSS. VIRGINIA AFTER THE RESTORATION. 99 failing weapon in their grasp they soon ob- tained the direction of the affairs of the colony, and retained it. Unfortunately for Virginia, the mass of the people had no means of acquiring knowledge. There were no common schools in the colony. In 1671, Sir William Berkeley wrote: "Every man .iistructs his children according to his ibility." He added: "I thank God there are no free schools nor printing, and I hope we shall not have these hundred years ; for learning has brought disobedience and heresy and sects into the world, and printing has divulged them and libels against the best government. God keep us from both ! " Thus were the common people doomed to hopeless ignorance, and left helpless and at the mercy of the smaller but educated class. There was no printing press in Virginia, and the colony remained without one until nearly a century after New England had enjoyed its benefits. An iZlement of Weakness. Bitterly did the people of Virginia atone for their neglect of their best interests. They had shown at the first the power of creating free institutions ; but these institutions cannot be preserved among an ignorant people. Freedom and intelligence go hand in hand. The institution of negro slavery was another element of weakness and degradation. Labor was debased in the eyes of the whites by being made the task of a slave, when it should have been the glory of a freeman. The in- stitution served to confirm the power of the landed aristocracy, while it sank the common people deeper into ignorance. Thus when Sir William Berkeley entered upon his second term of office, at the period of the restoration, there were two elements, by nature hostile to each other, contending for the control of the colony — a people eager for the enjoyment of popular liberty, but sinking deeper into ignorance and helpless- ness, and a rising aristocracy, composed of men of wealth and education, and united by a common interest. Unhappily for the people, the governor was a natural aristocrat. In spite of his professions of loyalty to the assembly, he regarded the people with con tempt, and could never tolerate the exercise of the least of their rights. In the midst of the rejoicings in Virginia which hailed the return of Charles II. to the KING CHARLES II. throne of his fathers, Berkeley took a decisive stand, and boldly declared that he was governor of Virginia, not by the election of the assembly, but by virtue of his commission from the king. At the same time he issued writs for the election of a new assembly in the name of King Charles. Popular sover- eignty was struck dead in Virginia. The new assembly met in March, 1661. It was L.ofC. iOO SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. composed exclusively of landholders. Until now the assembly had been elected for but a single year, and its members were chosen by the people. This first aristocratic assembly, true to its instincts, at a blow deprived the people of the right of choosing their repre- sentatives, by assuming to itself the power to sit perpetually. Sustained by the governor, 'rjie burgesses wew enabled to continue their usurpation for fourteen years, and only yielded to an in- surrection. The salaries of the members were paid by their respective counties, and the house, in 1662^ passed a law regulating the pay and allowances of its members. The compensation was fixed at two hundred and fifty pounds of tobacco per day, or about nine dollars — a rate deemed enormous in these days of abundant wealth, and utterly imsuited to the period of poverty and struggle we are considering. In order to perpetuate its power, the assembly repealed the laws giving the right of suffrage to every citizen, and confined it to freeholders and house- keepers. Laws Against the Quakers. Nor did the assembly neglect to provide for the church. Conformity was required by severe laws. Every inhabitant of the colony was compelled to attend its services and to contribute a fixed sum to its support. The assessment of parish taxes was intrusted to twelve vestrymen in each parish, who had power to fill all vacancies in their number. They thus became practically a close corpo- ration, responsible to no one for their acts. Rigorous laws were directed against the Quakers. They were forbidden to hold their own religious assemblies, and their absence from church was punished by a heavy fine. In September, 1663, the house expelled one of its members ** because he was well affected to the Quakers.** " The organization of the judiciary placed that department of the government almost beyond the control of the people. The gov- ernor and council were the highest ordinary tribunal, and these were all appointed, directly or indirectly, by the crown. Besides this, there were in each county eight unpaid justices of the peace, commissioned by the governor during his pleasure. These justices held monthly courts in their respective coun^ ties. Thus the administration of justice in the counties was in the hands of persons holding their offices at the good will of the governor; while the governor himself and his executive council constituted the general court, and had cognizance of all sorts of causes. Religious Liberty Destroyed. '^ Was an appeal made to chancery it was but for another hearing before the same men ; and it was only for a few years longer that appeals were permitted from the general court to the assembly. The place of sherifl in each county was conferred on one of the justices for that county, and so devolved to every commissioner in course. * * * But the county courts, thus independent of the people, possessed and exercised the arbitrary power of levying county taxes, which, in their amount, usually exceeded the public levy. This system proceeded so far that the commissioners, of themselves, levied taxes to meet their own expenses. In like manner, the self-perpetuating vestries made out their lists of tithables, and assessed taxes without regard to the consent of the parish. These private levies were unequal and oppressive, were seldom — it is said, never — brought to audit, and were, in some cases, managed by men who combined to defraud the public." * These were the effects upon Virginia of the restoration of Charles II. to the throne *History the United States. By George iJaocioftf vol. ii., pp., 204* VIRGINIA AFTER THE RESTORATION. lOl of England. The guarantee which a frequent renewal of the assembly secured to the rights Of the people was removed by the perpetu- ation of that body. The right of suffrage — the sole protection of the liberties of a free people — was taken from a majority of the inhabitants of the province. Religious lib- erty, which it was fondly believed had been .established, was struck down at a single blow. A system of arbitrary taxation by irresponsible magistrates was set up in the place of the carefully scrutinized levies of the representatives of the people. Education was discouraged and the press regarded with hostility. Ignorance, with all its accompany- ing evils, was fastened upon the colony. Ten years sufficed to accomplish these changes; but it took more than a century for the people of Virginia to recover their lost rights. An Infamous Law. Charles II. remembered the loyalty of Virginia only in his adversity. One of his first acts was to revive in a more odious form tne navigation act, which had originated in the Long Parliament as a measure for compelling the submission of the colonies to the authority of the commonwealth. In 1660, a new and enlarged navigation act was passed by Parlia- ment. It forbade foreign vessels to trade with the colonies, and required colonists to ship certain '* enumerated articles, such as sugar, tobacco, cotton, wool, ginger or dyewoods " produced in the colony, to England alone. This act bore very hard upon Virginia, as it gave to the English merchants the monop- oly of her tobacco trade. The merchants were thus enabled to regulate the price of the commodity, and to supply the wants of the colonists in return upon their own terms. Efforts were made to evade this iniquitous law, but it remamed fastened upon the colo- nies, and was the first of a long series of out- rages Charles was not satisfied with crippling the industry of the colony that had remained faithful to him in his adversity. In order to please his worthless favorites at home he consented to plunder the Virginians of their property. In 1649, a patent was granted to a company of cavaliers for the region lying be' tween the Rappahannock and the Potomac, and known in Virginia asthe Northern Neck. It was intended to make this region a refuge for their partisans, but the design was never carried out. Other settlers located them- selves there, and in 1669 it contained a num- ber of thriving plantations. In the latter yeai Lord Culpepper, one of the most avaricious m°r.. in England, obtained from the king a pat- eni: for the Northern Neck, having previously acquired all the shares of the company to whom the grant of 1649 had been made. This patent was in direct violation of the rights of the actual settlers, and bore very hard upon them. But it was as nothing com- pared with the next gift of the king. In 1673, he bestowed, as a free gift, upon Lord Culpepper and the Earl of Arlington, *' all the dominion of land and water called Virginia," for a term of thirty-one years. Firm Remonstrance. Even the aristocratic assembly was startled by this summary disposal of the colony and commissioners were sent to England to re- monstrate with the king. " We are unwill- ing," the assembly declared, " and conceive that we ought not to submit to those to whom his majesty, upon misinformation, hath granted the dominion over us, who do most contentedly pay to his majesty more than we have ourselves for our labor. Whilst we labor for the advantage of the crown, and do wish we could be more advantageous to the king and nation, we humbly request not to be subjected to our fellow -subjects, but, for the future, to be secured from pur fears of 102 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. being enslaved." The commissioners were granted no satisfaction in England, and the efforts of the colony to obtain justice at the hands of the king failed. General Discontent. Virginia at this time was a sparsely settled •jrovince. Jamestown was the only town deserving the name within the limits of the colony. The inhabitants were scattered over the country, separated from each other. They dwelt on their farms and plantations, coming together rarely except on Sundays, on court-days, and at elections. This soli- tary life taught them independence and self- reliance. They were proud of their personal liberty, and so long as this was not taken from them they were willing to submit to almost any form of government that might be imposed upon them. The truth is that until the restoration the Virginians were not accustomed to being governed much. The measures of the royalist governor and assem- bly greatly curtailed the freedom which the people had enjoyed under their former governments, and the imposition of new bur- dens upon them aroused a general discon- tent. Men began to come together to discuss their wrongs, and the hostility to the aristo- cratic party and the governor increased rapidly, so rapidly, indeed, that the people were ripe for insurrection in 1674, and would have risen in revolt had not some of the cooler heads induced them to try more peaceful measures of redress. Still the taxes were continued at such a rate that the col- onists were driven to desperation. They complained, with justice, that they were de- prived of all the fruits of their labors by the iniquitous levies made upon them, and their complaints, instead of producing a change for the better, merely brought an increase of their burdens. At length their patience was exhausted, and they only lacked an excuse for taking up arms. The opportunity soon, came. In the meantime the governor and the assembly, with characteristic contempt for the commons, went on extorting money from the people by unjust taxes principally for their own benefit, and put in successive operation the measures we have already- described for strengthening their own power, and reducing the people to subjection to them. Six Chiefs Murdered. The people of Maryland had become in- volved in a war with the Susquehannah Indians and their confederates, and the struggle was so serious that the savages ex- tended their depredations to the Potomac, and even to the limits of Virginia. To guard against this danger the border militia were set to watch the line of the river, and in 1675 a body of them, under Colonel John Wash- ington, crossed over into Maryland to help the people of that colony. This John Washington had emigrated from the north of England about eighteen years before, and had settled in Westmoreland County. He became the great-grandfather of George Washington. The war was conducted with great fury on both sides. Six of the chiefs of the Susquehannah tribe at length came into the camp of the Virginians to treat for peace, and were treacherously murdered. This barbarous act aroused the indignation of Governor Berkeley. " If they had killed my father and my mother, and all my friends," said he, "yet if they had come to treat of peace, they ought to have gone in peace." The massacre was bloodily avenged by the Indians, The Suscuehannahs im- mediately crossed the Potomac and waged a relentless warfare along the borders of Vir- ginia until they had slain ten whites for each one of their ghiefs, a s^crifige recjuire^ qi 104 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. them by the customs of their tribe, in ordei that the spirits of their braves might rest in peace. The people appealed to the governor for protection, but Berkeley refused to grant them aid. It is said that he was too deeply interested in the fur trade to be willing to offend the Indians by aiding his people. The colonists then demanded permission to defend themselves, to invade the Indian country, and drive the savages farther into the interior. This was also refused, and during all this time the frontier was suffering fearfully from the outrages of Berkeley's In- dian friends. A Patriotic Leader. At last the patience of the people was ex- hausted. A leader was at hand in the person of Nathaniel Bacon. He was a young planter of the county of Henrico, a native of England, and a lawyer by profession. He was ardent in temper, eloquent and per- suasive in speech, winning in manner, a true patriot, and possessed of the firmness and decision necessary in a leader of a popular movement. He had been reared in England amid the struggles which ushered in the es- tablishment of the commonwealth, and had learned the lesson of freedom too well to forget it in a home where every incident of his daily life required the exercise of the best qualities of his nature. His love of repub- licanism had gained him the dislike of Governor Berkeley, who hated any man that dared to criticise his tyranny. The same principles which made him obnoxious to the governor won him the affectionate confidence of the people of Virginia, who were quick to recognize their true friend. When volunteers began to offer them- selves for the war against the Indians they petitioned the governor to commission Bacon their commander-in-chief This Berkeley refused, declaring that he would not counte- nance such presumption on the part of the " common people." In the meantime the murders continued, and Bacon, who shared the indignation of the people, determined that if another man was slain he would march the militia against the Indians without a commission. Almost immediately several of his own men were murdered on his own plantation near the falls of the James. He at once gave the signal. Five hundred men were soon under arms, and Bacon was made their leader. About the twentieth of April, 1676, he set out on his march against the savages, whom he chastised and drove back into the interior. The people were in arms, and they were not disposed to lay down their weapons until their grievances were redressed. The quarrel was not with the Indians, but with the government. As soon as Bacon had begun his march into the Indian country, Berkeley denounced him as a traitor, and his followers as rebels, and ordered them to disperse. He was obeyed by some who feared the loss of their property, but the populous counties bordering the bay answered him by joining the "::surrection. The Assembly Dissolved. The people of the colony with one voice demanded the dissolution of the assembly, which had unlawfully maintained its exist- ence for fourteen years. Opposed by the entire people the governor was compelled to yield. The assembly had fairly earned the universal hatred with which it was regarded by its selfishness and its hostility to popular liberty. It was dissolved, and writs were issued for a new election. Among the new members elected was Bacon, who was re- turned from the county of Henrico. The new assembly was naturally favorable to the rights of the people, and it at once proceeded to rectify many of the abuses VIRGINIA AFTER THE RESTORATION. 105 which had produced the insurrection. Taxes were adjusted more equitably; the right of suffrage was restored to the people ; the monopoly of the Indian trade, in which it vestries was broken by limiting their term of office to three years, and giving the election of these officials to the freemen of the parish ; a general amnesty was proclaimed for all past BACON DEMANDS THE COMMISSION OF BERKELEY. was believed the governor was deeply inter- ested, was suspended ; many of the evils con- nected with the expenditure of the public funds were corrected ; the power of the parish offences; and Bacon, amid the rejoicings of the people, was elected commander of the army destined to act against the Indians, «o6 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. These measures were utterly distasteful to the haughty old t^overnor. He refused to pivc thcin his sanction, or to sign the com- mission ordered for Bacon by the assembly. Fearful of treachery Bacon withdrew from the capital. The people quickly rallied to his support, and in a few days he entered Jamestown at the head of five hundred men. Berkeley, who was as courageous as he was obstinate, met him, and baring his breast said, haughtily, " A fair mark ; shoot ! " Bacon answered him calmly, *' I will not hurt a hair of your head, or of any man's ; we a''e come for the commission to save our lives from the Indians." The governor was at length obliged to yield. The commission was issued, the acts of the assembly were ratified, and Berkeley joined the assembly and council in sending to England an in- dorsement of the loyalty, patriotism, and energy of Bacon. This consent was given on the twenty-fourth of June, or, according \o the new style of calculation, on the fourth of July, 1676, just one hundred years before whe Declaration of Independence. Hunted Like a Wolf. Bacon at once marched against the In- dians, and in a brilliant and successful cam- paign broke their power, and gave peace and security to the frontier. In the midst of these honorable labors he was again assailed by Berkeley, who liad only consented to the reconciliation to gain time. The governor withdrew from Jamestown to Gloucester, which was the most popir' His and the most ioyal county of Virginia, He summoned a convention of the inhabitants, and renewed his efforts against Bacon. The people of Gloucester, justly regarding Bacon as the defender of the colony, opposed the gov- ernor's proposals, but he persisted in spite of heir advice, and again proclaimed Bacon a -*jt.v This inexcusable ^^^isuit of a man who had rendered nothing but good service to the colony aroused the indignation of the troops. " It vexes me to the heart," said Bacon, " that while I am hunting the wolves and tigers that destroy our lambs I should myself be pursued as a savage. Shall per- sons wholly devoted to their king and country — men hazarding their lives against the public enemy — deserve the appellation of rebels and traitors? The whole country is witness to our peaceable behavior. But those in authority, how have they obtained their estates ? Have they not devoured the common treasury ? What arts, what sciences, what schools of learning, have they pro- moted ? I appeal to the king and Parlia- ment, where the cause of the people v/ill be heard impartially." Bacon appealed to the people of Virginia to unite for the defence of their liberties against the tyranny of the governor. They responded 10 this call with enthusiasm, and a convention of the most eminent men in the colonj assembled at Middle Plantations, now Williamsburg, on the third of August, 1676. It was resolved by the convention to sustain Bacon with the whole power of the colony in the campaign against the Indians. If the governor persisted in his attempt to hunt him as a traitor, the members of the convention pledged themselves to defend Bacon with arms, even against the royal troops, until an appeal could be made to the king in person. The people of Virginia were fully resolved to protect themselves against the tyranny of Berkeley, and Bacon, strengthened by theii indorsement of his course, finished his cam- paign against the Indians. Governor Berke- ley withdrew across the bay to the eastern shore, and there collected a force of sailors belonging to some English vessels and a band of worthless Indians. With this force '* men of a base and cowardly dispositwa VIRGINIA AFTER THE RESTORATION. 107 allured by the passion for plunder," he pre- pared to return to Jamestown. The people decided to rec^ard the retreat of the governor as an abdication on his part of his office. The ten years for which he had been appointed had expired, and the colonial records afforded a precedent for his removal. Bacon and four others, who had been members of the council, issued writs for the election of a representative conven- tion to which the management of the affairs of the colony was to be committed. With the excei)tion of a few royalists the whole people of Virginia indorsed the move- ment ; the women were enthusiastic, and urged their husbands to risk everything, even life, in defence of their liberties. Early in September Sir William Berkeley reached Jamestown with the rabble which he called his army. He took possession of the town without resistance, and was joined by a number of royalists. He offered freedom to the slaves of the Virginians who were opposed to him on the condition of their joining his ranks. Bacon and his party were again pro- claimed traitors and rebels. The People Fly to Arms. The people at once flew to arms, and Bacon soon found himself at the head of the little army that had been so successful against the Indians. Without delay they marched to Jamestown. The resistance attempted by Berkeley's cowardly followers was feeble, and the whole force, including their leader, retreated to their ships, and dropped down the river by night. The next morning the army of the people entered Jamestown. It was rumored that a party of royalists was marching from the northern counties to the support of Berkeley, and a council was held to decide upon the fate of the capital. It was agreed that it should be burned to pre- vent it from being used as a stronghold for their enemies. The torch was applied; Drummond and Lawrence, leaders of the popular party, set fire to their dwellings with their own hands ; and in a few hours only a heap of smouldering ruins marked the site of the first capital of Virginia. Its destruction left the colony without a single town within its limits. From the ruins of Jamestown Bacon marched promptly to meet the royalist force advancing from the Rappahannock region. The latter in a body joined the army of the people, and even the county of Gloucester, the stronghold of royalty, gave its adhesion to the patriotic movement. With the excep- tion of the eastern shore the entire colony was united in support of the cause of popular liberty. Untimely Death of Bacon. Unhappily, at this critical juncture. Bacon was seized with a fatal fever, of which he died on the first of October, 1676. His followers grieved for him with passionate sorrow, and with good cause. It has been the good fortune of Virginia to give many great names to the cause of liberty, but in all the immortal roll there are none who sur- passed Nathaniel Bacon in pure and disin- terested patriotism. Others were permitted to accomplish more, but none cherished loftier aims or desired more earnestly the good of their fellow-citizens. The death of Bacon left the popular party without a head ; and now began to be seen for the first time in Virginia the evils which the neglect of education must produce in a community. The Virginians were not lack- ing in courage, determination, or devotion tc their liberties, and their cause was one cal- culated to succeed without leaders. In an educated community there would have been no lack of union or perseverance because of the death of one man, and the people would io8 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. have found the means to continue their struggle until successful. In the uneducated Virginian community of 1676 the presence of a bold, capable, and resolute leader was a necessity, and his sudden removal left the popular party helpless. The grand struggle Regenerated into a series of petty insurrec- tions ; the royalists took heart, and Robert Beverley, their most competent leader, was able to destroy in detail the resistance of the patriots and to restore the supremacy of Berkeley. A Woman's Self- Sacrifice. The governor now proceeded to take a summary vengeance upon the patriots, and more than twenty of the best men of the colony gave their lives on the scaffold for the liberties of their country. The first of these martyrs for freedom — the first Ameri- can to die for the right of the people to govern themselves — was Thomas Hansford, a Vir- ginian born, and a noble specimen of the chivalrous sons of the Old Dominion. The wife of Edmund Cheesman, upon the capture of her husband, flung herself at the governor's feet, and declaring that her ex- hortations had induced her husband to join Bacon, begged to be allowed to die in his place. The brutal Berkeley repelled the heroic woman with a gross insult. When Drummond was taken and brought before him the governor received him with mock courtesy. " I am more glad to see you," he said, " than any man in Virginia ; you shall be hanged in half an hour." The royalist assembly, horrified at the cruelty of the gov- ernor, appealed to him to " spill no more blood." The property of the victims was confiscated, and their helpless families were turned out upon the charities of the people for whom the martyrs had died. Not con- tent with these cruelties Berkeley attempted to silence the people, and prevent them from either censuring him or vindicating the memory of their dead heroes. Whoever should speak ill of Berkeley or his friends was to be whipped. At last the end came, and Berkeley re- turned to England. His departure was celebrated with rejoicings throughout the colony; bells were rung, guns were fired, and bonfires blazed. Berkeley hoped to be able to justify his conduct in England, but upon his arrival in that country he found his course sternly condemned by the voice of public opinion. Even Charles II. censured him with all the energy that soulless monarch was master of " The old fool," said the king, " has taken away more lives in that naked land than I for the murder of my father." His disappointment and mortifica- tion were too much for the proud man, and he died soon after his arrival in England. Revival of Abuses, The failure of Bacon's rebellion brought many serious misfortunes to Virginia. Tlu insurrection was made the excuse by tl.e king for refusing a liberal charter, and tlie colony was made dependent for its rights and privileges entirely upon the royal wi'l. The assembly was composed almost ex clusively of royalists, and at once proceeded to undo the work of the popular party. A 1 the laws of Bacon's assembly were repealed ; the right of suffrage was restricted to free holders, and the iniquitous taxes were rt- imposed. All the abuses that had led to the rebellion were revived. In 1677 Lord Culpepper, one of the favor ites to whom Charles II. had granted Vir- ginia, was appointed governor of the colony for life. The new governor regarded his office as a sinecure, and while receiving its emoluments desired to remain in England to enjoy them. In 1680, however, the king compelled him to repair to his government VIRGINIA AFTER THE RESTORATION. 109 1 person. He brought with him authority irom the sovereign to settle all past griev- ances, but he used this power for his own profit. He extorted money from all parties, and when he had acquired a considerable sum returned to England, having spent less than a year in Virginia. He left the colony in the greatest distress. The Virginians, robbed of the profits of their labors for the enrichment of their rulers, were reduced to despair. Riots took place in various places, and the whole colony was on the verge of insurrection. A Plunderer. Rumors of these disturbances having reached England the king ordered Culpepper to return and reduce the colony to obedience. He did so, and caused several influential men to be hanged as traitors, and used the power intrusted to him to wrest from the council the last remnant of its authority to control his outrages upon the people. This accom- plished, he proceeded to force the settlers of the Northern Neck to surrender their planta- tions to him, or pay him the sums he de- manded for the privilege of retaining them. He found his residence among a people he had come to plunder very disagreeable, and in the course of a few months ret'-rned to England amid the bitter curses of the Vir- ginians. The council reported the distress of the province to the king, and appealed to him to recall the grant to Culpepper and Arlington. Arlington surrendered his rights to Culpepper, whose patent was rendered void by a process of law, and in July, 1684, Virginia became once more a royal province. Lord Howard, of Effingham, was appointed to succeed Culpepper, but he was a poorer and more grasping man than his predecessor, and the change afforded no relief to Virginia. In 1685 James II. came to the throne of England, and in the same year occurred the insurrection in England known as Mon- mouth's rebellion. A number of prisoners were taken in this struggle by the royal forces, and many of these were sent out to the colonies of Virginia and Maryland to be sold as servants for a term of ten years. Many of them were men of education and family. The general assembly of Virginia refused to sanction this infamous measure, and, in spite of the prohibition of King James, passed a law declaring all such per- sons free. Indeed at this time the practice of selling white servants in America had be- come so profitable that quite a thriving business was carried on between the west of England and Virginia and Maryland. Not only persons condemned for crime, but innocent people were kidnapped and sold in the colonies for a term of years for money. " At Bristol," says Bancroft, " the mayor and justices would intimidate small rogues and pilferers, who, under the terror of being hanged, prayed for transportation as the only avenue to safety, and were then divided among the members of the court. The trade was exceedingly profitable — far more so than the slave trade — -and had been conducted for years." Uprising for Freedom. One of the last acts of Charles II. with reference to Virginia was to forbid the set- ting up of a printing press within the limits of the colony ; James II. continued this pro- hibition. Effingham endeavored to take from the colony the few privileges left to it. The result was that the party of freedom increased rapidly. Many of the aristocratic party seeing that the king and the governor menaced every right and privilege they pos- sessed went over to the popular side. The assembly began to assert the popular demand for self-government, and became so unman- ageable that in November, 1686, it was dis- solved by royal proclamation. no A new assembly was convened, which met in April, 1688, a few months before the British revolution. The governor and coun- cil found this body more indisposed to submit to the aggressions of the crown than its pre- decessor had been. The people sustained their delegates, and a new insurrection was threatened. Effingham was in the midst of a hostile population, without troops to enforce his will, and was obliged to conduct himself with moderation. The royal authority was never stronger in Virginia than during this reign, but it was found impossible to establish it upon the ruins of the liberties of the colony. The result of all the long years of oppression we have been considering was simply to confirm the Virginians in their attachment to their liberties, and in their determination to maintain them at any cost. Virginia remained to the end an aristocratic colony, but it was none the less " a land of liberty." Founding a College. ■ The revolution of 1688 in England did not change affairs in Virginia materially as regarded the forms of the colonial govern- ment. The liberties of the colony were established by law too securely to be any longer at the mercy of an individual, but the power of the governor was still very great. Every department of the colonial administra- tion, the finances, and even the management of the church, was made subject to his con- trol. He had the power to dissolve the assembly at pleasure, and was sure to exer- cise it if that body manifested too great a spirit of independence. He also appointed •Jie clerk of the assembly, who was for this SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. reason a check upon its freedom of debate The only means of resistance to the meas- ures of the government which the assembly retained was to refuse to vote supplies w excess of the permanent revenue. This right was sometimes exercised, and the governor was prevented from carrying out unpopular measures by the lack of the necessary funds. Soon after the accession of William and Mary to the throne an effort was made to establish a college in Virginia, although the printing press was still forbidden. Donations were made by a number of persons in England, and the king bestowed several liberal grants upon the proposed institution. The measure was carried through to success by the energy of the Rev. James Blair, who was sent out by the Bishop of London as commissary, " to supply the office and juris- diction of the bishop in the outplaces of the diocese." The college was established in 1691, and was named William and Mary, in honor of the king and queen. Mr. Blair was its first president, and held that office for fifty years. The ministry did not approve the action of the king in granting even the very moderate endowments which he bestowed upon the college. They regarded Virginia merely as a place in which to raise tobacco for the English market, and cared nothing for the interests of the people. They treated the colony with injustice and neglect in every- thing. The planters could sell their tobacco only to an English purchaser, who regulated the price to suit himself, and supplied the planters in return with the wares they needed at his own prices. CHAPTER IX The Coloni7ation of Maryland ^jrtent of the Territory of Virginia — Clayborne's Trading Posts Established — Sir George Calvert, Lord Baltimore- -SJ© comes Interested in American Colonization — Obtains a Grant of Maryland — Terms of the Charter — A Colony Serf Out — Arrival in the Chesapeake — St. Mary's Founded — Character of the Colony — Friendly Relations Established witl. the Indians — First Legislature of Maryland — Trouble with Clayborne — Rapid Growth of the Colony — Progress oi Popular Liberty — Policy Respecting the Treatment of the Indians — Clayborne's Rebellion — Law Granting Religious Toleration Enacted — Condition of Maryland Under the Commonwealth — The People Declared Supreme— Lord Baltimore Recovers His Proprietary Rights — Characieristics of the Colony — Rapid Increase in Population — Charles Calvert, Governor — Death of the Second Lord Baltimore — Roman Catholics Disfranchised — Maryland Becomes a Royal Province — Triumph of the Protestants — Annapolis Made the Seat of Government — Restoration of the Proprietary Government — Continued Prosperity of Maryland. THE second charter of Virginia granted to that province the country north of the Potomac as far as the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. This grant included the territory of the present State of Maryland. The discoveries of Captain John Smith had brought the region along the head of the bay into notice, and other explorers had confirmed his state- ments as to its value. A very profitable trade was established with the Indians of this section, and, in order to develop its advantages, William Clayborne, a man of great resolution and of no fnean abilities, a surveyor by profession, was employed by the Governor of Virginia to explore the region of the upper Chesapeake. His report was so favorable that a company was formed in England for the purpose of trading with the Indians. Under authority from this company, Clayborne obtained a license from the colonial government of Virginia, and established two trading stations on the bay ; one on Kent Island, opposite the present city of Annapolis, and one at the mouth of the Susquehanna. These posts were established in the spring of 163 1. In the meantime efforts were being made \n England to secure the ^settlement of the same region. Sir George Calvert, a man ol noble character, liberal education and great political experience, had become at an early day deeply interested in the question ol colonizing America. Having embraced the Roir.an Catholic faith, he relinquished his office of Secretary of State, and made a pub- lic acknowledgment of his conversion. His noble character commanded the confidence of King James, and he was retained as a mem- ber of the Privy Council, and was made Lord Baltimore in the Irish peerage. He was anxious to found a colony in America, which might serve as a place of refuge for persons of the Catholic faith, and obtained a patent for the southern part of Newfoundland. That region was too bleak and rugged to admit of the success cf the en.erprise, and the attempt to settle it was soon abandoned. Lord Baltimore next contemplated a set- tlement in some portion of Virginia, and in October, 1629, visited that colony with s view to making arrangements for his planta- tion. The laws of Virginia against Roman Catholics were very severe, and immediately upon the arrival of so distinguished a Cath- olic the assembly ordered the oaths of allegiance and supremacy to be tendered him. Lord Baltimore proposed a form III SI2 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. which he was willing to subscribe, but the colonial government insisted upon that which had been ordered by the English Par- liament, and which was of such a character that no Catholic could accept [it. There was nothing left for Calvert but to withdraw from Virginia, and his reception there con- vinced him that that province was not the place for the plantation he wished to estab- lish. Large Grant to Lord Baltimore. The region north of the Potomac was still uninhabited, and seemed to promise advan- tages equal to Virginia. Calvert applied to Charles I. for a patent for this region, and was given a territory corresponding very nearly to the present State of Maryland in extent. The king granted him a liberal charter, which, while it provided for his interests as proprietor, secured the liberties of the colonists. In this it was simply the expression of the wishes of Lord Baltimore, who desired to establish a settlement of freemen. The country embraced in the grant was given to Lord Baltimore, his heirs and assigns, in absolute possession. They were required to pay an annual tribute to the crown of two Indian arrows and one- fifth of all the gold and silver which might be found. The colonists were to have u voice in making their own laws, and they were to be entitled to all the rights and privileges of Englishmen. No taxes were to be imposed upon them without their consent, nor was the authority of the proprietor to extend to their lives or property. It was enjoined that the exercise of the faith and worship of the established Church of England should be protected in the colony, but no uniform standard of faith or worship was imposed by the charter. The new province was carefully separated from Virginia and made independ- ent of it. The colony was left free from the supervision of the crown, and the propri- etor was not obliged to obtain the royal assent to the appointments or legislation of his province. The king also renounced for himself, his heirs and his successors, the right to tax the colony, thus leaving it entirely free from English taxation. These were vast powers to intrust to one man ; but they were placed in safe hands. The first Lord Baltimore was a man who hated tyranny of all kinds, and who had carefully observed the effects of intolerance and arbitrary rule upon the efforts that had already been made to establish successful colonies in America. He designed his col- ony as an asylum in which men of all creeds could meet upon a common basis of a faith in Jesus Christ, and his conviction that relig- icus freedom is necessary to the success of a state confirmed in him his attachment to the principles of civil liberty. Practical Charity. He invited both Protestants and Catholics to join him in his enterprise, and adopted a form of government, based upon popular representation, well calculated to secure them in the possession of all their privileges. In honor of the queen of Charles I., he named the region granted to him Maryland. Before the patent was issued. Lord Baltimore died on the fifteenth of April, 1632, leaving h' son, Cecil, heir to his designs as well as t his title. The charter granted to his fathei was issued to him, and he proceeded at once to collect a co' Dny for the settle^. ;nt of Maryland. Lord Baltimore delegated the task ot con- ducting the emigrants to Maryland to his brother, Leonard Calvert. On Friday, No- vember 22, 1632, a company of two hun- dred, chiefly Roman Catholics of good birth, with their families and servants, sailed from THE COLONIZATION OF MARYLAND. 113 England in the " Ark " and the " Dove," the lormer a ship of large burthen, the latter a small pinnace. The voyage was made by way of the West Indies, and the Chesapeake was not reached until the twenty-fourth of February, 1634. The ships anchored off Old Point Comfort, and were visited by Sir John Harvey, Governor of Vir- ginia, who had been commanded by the king to welcome the new colony with kindness. Resting in Hampton roads for a few days the emigrants ascended the bay and entered the stately Potomac. Deeming it unsafe to plant his first settle- ment high up the river, Calvert chose a site on a small tributary of the Potomac, not far from its mouth. This stream, now known as the St. Mary's, he named the St. George's. An Indian village, called Yoacomoco, was selected as the site of the colony. The place was being deserted by the natives, who had suffered severely from the superior power of the Susequehannahs, and were removing farther into the interior for greater security. They readily sold their town and the surround- ing lands to the English,and made with them a treaty of peace and friendship ; and on the twenty- seventh of March, 1634, the col- onists landed and laid the founda- tions of the town of St. Mary's. A few days later. Sir John Harvey arrived from Virginia on a friendly visit. His orders from the king were to treat the settlers with friendship, and to aid them as far as lay in his power. About the same time the native chiefs came in to visit the colony, and were so well received that they established friendly relations with the settlers. The Indian women taught their English sisters how to make bread from the meal of the Indian corn, and the warriors instructed the Eng- lishmen in the simple arts of the chase. The colonists obtained provisions and cattle for a while from Virginia ; but, as they went to CECIL, SECOND LORD BALTIMORE. work at once and with energy to cultivate their land, the first year's harvest gave them an abundance of supplies. The proprietor sent out from England such things as were necessary to the success and comfort of the colony, treating the new settlement with a wise liberality. Thus were 114 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA, the ibundations of Maryland laid amid peace and prosperity. The colony was successful from the first. Roman Catholic settlers fol- lowed the first emigrants in considerable numbers, and even Protestants sought the shores of Maryland, which the liberality of Lord Baltimore had made a refuge to them from the persecutions of their own brethren. New settlements were formed, and within six months the colony " had advanced more than Virginia had done in as many years." Piracy and Murder. In February, 1635, the first legislative assembly of Maryland met. Legislation had become necessary by this time. Clay- borne, who had established trading posts in the upper Chesapeake, had met the first set- tlers under Leonard Calvert at their anchor- age at Old Point Comfort, and had endeav- ored to dissuade them from settling along the bay by exaggerating the dangers to be apprehended from the hostility of the In- dians. Failing in this effort, he became the evil genius of Maryland, as the grant to Lord Baltimore made void his license to trade with the Indians along the bay. He re- fused to acknowledge the authority of the proprietor of Maryland, and attempted to retain his trading post by force of arms. Within a year or two after the settlement of the colony, a bloody skirmish occurred in one of the rivers of the eastern shore, in which Clayborne's men were defeated. In 1638, Leonard Calvert took forcible posses- sion of Kent Island, and hanged one or two of Clayborne's people on a charge of piracy and murder. Clayborne was in England at the time prosecuting his claims before the king. Governor Harvey of Virginia had given the weight of his influence in this contest to the cause of Lord Baltimore, but the people of Virginia, who resented the grant of Maryland as an invasion of their rights, sympathized with Clayborne, and caused Harvey to be impeached and sent to England for trial. The English courts de- cided that Clayborne's license was not valid against the charter granted to Lord Balti more, and Harvey was sent back to Virginia as governor in April, 1639. In the meantime the colony continued to grow and prosper. The assembly, while acknowledging the allegiance of the people of Maryland to the king, and making ample provisions for the rights of Lord Baltimore as proprietor, took care to secure the liberties of the people, and claimed for itself the exercise in the province of all the powers belonging to the British Hjuse o{ Commons. Representative government was definitely established, and the colonists were secured in all the liberties granted to the people of England by the common law of that country. Tobacco became, as in Vir* ginia, the staple of the colony. Maryland Contented. In 1642, in gratitude for the great ex- pense which Lord Baltimore had volun- tarily incurred for them, the people of Maryland granted him " such a subsidy as the young and poor estate of the colony could bear." As far as the people themselves were concerned, the condition of Maryland was one of marked happiness and content- ment. Harmony prevailed between all classes of the people and the government ; the settlers were blessed with complete toler- ation in religion ; emigration was rapidly increasing, and the commerce of the colony was growing in extent and value Maryland had its troubles, however. The Indians, alarmed by its rapid growth, began in 1642 a series of aggressions which led to a frontier war. This struggle continued for some time, but was productive of no decisive results ^ and in 1644 peace was restored. The THE COLONIZATION OF MARYLAND. 115 Indians promibed submission, and Hhe whites, on their part, agreed to treat them with friendship and justice. Laws were enacted compelling the settlers to refrain from in- justice toward the savages, and humanity to the red man was made the 'oolicy of the colony. The kidnapping of an Indian was punish- able with death, and the sale of arms to the savages was constituted a felony. Efforts were also made to convert the natives to Christianity. Four missions were established among them by the priests of the Catholic church, and the effects of their devoted la- bors were soon manifest. A chief, named Tayac, and his wife were baptized, he tak- ing the name of Charles and she that of Mary. About one hundred and thirty other converts were afterwards added to the Chris- tian fold among the Indians, and many of these sent their children to receive instruction at the hands of the priests. Though the ef- fort to Christianize the savages failed, as it has ever done, the good effects of these en- deavors were not lost, as the friendship for the whites aroused by them continued to influence these tribes in their policy toward the ^plony. Clayborne's Rebellion. Clayborne, who had certainly cause for thinking himself wronged in being deprived of his property without just compensation, returned to Maryland to revenge himself upon the colonists. The civil war in Eng- land furnished him with an admirable oppor- tunity for his attempt. He was able to se- cure a number of followers in Maryland, and in 1644 began an insurrection. The next )/ear the governor was driven out of the col- ony and obliged to take refuge in Virginia, and Clayborne was triumphant. For more than a year the rebels held possession of the government, and this whole time was a period of disorder and misrule, during which the greater part of the colonial records were lost or stolen. At the end of this time, the better classes of the people of Maryland drove out the rebels, and recalled the pro- prietary government. A general amnesty was proclaimed to all offenders, and peace was restored to the colony. The year 1649 was marked in England by the execution of Charles I., and the complete A CIVILIP.ED INDIAN. establishment of the authority of the Parlia- ment. It seemed to the people of Maryland that this triumph of the popular party was to usher in a new war upon the Roman Catholic faith, which was professed by a large major- ity of the colonists. Dreading a war of religion as the greatest of evils, they deter- mined to secure the colony from it, by pla- cing the freedom of conscience within their limits upon as secure a basis as possible. In doing this they gave expression to the popular will, and aimed to secure their future welfare. On the twenty- first of April, 1649, ^^^ assembly of Maryland adopted the following il6 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. act: "And, whereas, the enforcing of con- science in matters of religion hath frequently fallen out to be of dangerous co^nsequence in those commonwealths where it has been practiced, and for the mor? c\i'.iet and peace- Christ, shall be anyways troubled, molested, or discountenanced for his or her religion, or in the free exercise thereof, or be compelled to the belief or practice of any other religion against their consent." OLIVER CROMWELL. able government of this province, and the better to preserve mutual love and amity among the inhabitants, no person within this This statute, noble as it was, applied only to Christians. It was provided that " What- soever person shall blaspheme God, or shall province, professing to beli^^e in Jesus [ deny or reproach the Holy Trinity, or any THE COLONIZATrON OF MARYLAND. 117 of the three persons thereof, shall be pun- ished with death," Maryland had taken a great stride in advance in making her soil a sanctuary for Christians of all beliefs, but she had not yet accorded to her people a tolera- tion equal to that of Rhode Island, which colony, in 1647, granted liberty to all •opinions, infidel as well as Christian. Cromwell's Blunt Order. During the existence of the common- wealth, the colony was troubled with an unsettled government. It submitted to the authority of Cromwell, and the Puritans, regardless of the example of their brethren of the Catholic faith, attempted by an act of assembly, in 1654, to disfranchise the whole Roman Catholic population on the ground of their religious belief. Cromwell disap- proved this action, and bluntly ordered his commissioners " not to busy themselves about religion, but to settle the civil govern- ment." In 1660, without waiting to hear the issue of matters in England, the assembly repudiated the authority of both the com- monwealth and the proprietor, and asserted the sovereignty of the people as the supreme authority in Maryland. Upon the restoration of Charles II., Lord Baltimore made his peace with the king for having yielded to the power of Cromwell, and received back all the rights he had enjoyed in Maryland. He at once proceeded to re-establish his authority in the province, but being a man of .humanity and of liberal views, he made a generous use of his power. A general pardon was grantee" to all offenders against him, his rule w^ once more submitted to, and for thirty years the colony was at peace. " Like Virginia, Maryland was a colony of planters ; its staple was tobacco, and its prosperity was equally checked by the pressure of the navigation acts. Like Virginia, it possessed no considerable village -, its inhabitants were scattered among the woods and along the rivers ; each plantation was a little world within itself, and legislation vainly attempted the creation of towns by statute. Like Virginia, its laborers were in part indentured servants, whose term of service was limited by persevering legislation; in part negro slaves, who were employed in the colony from an early period, and whose importation was favored both by English cupidity and provincial statutes.*' " As in Virginia, the appointing power to nearly every office in the counties as well as in the province was not with the people ; and the judiciary was placed beyond their control As in Virginia, the party of the proprietary, which possessed the government, was animated by a jealous regard for preroga- tive, and by the royalist principles, which derive the sanction of authority from the will of Heaven. As in Virginia, the taxes levied by the county officers were not conceded by the direct vote of the people, and were, therefore, burdensome alike from their excessive amount and the manner of their levy. But though the administration of Maryland did not favor the increasing spirit of popular liberty, it was marked by con ciliation and humanity. To foster industry, to promote union, to cherish religious peace, ****** these were the honest pur- poses of Lord Baltimore during his long supremacy." * Arrival of Immigrants. Yet the colony continued to prosper. Emigrants came to it from almost every country of western Europe, and even from Sweden and Finland. The only persons who had cause for complaint in Maryland were the Quakers, who were treated with * History of the United States. ii., p. 235. By George Bancroft, 1 tiS SETILEMENT OF AMERICA. considerable harshness for their refusal to perform military duty ; but no effort was made to interfere with the exercise of their religion. In 1662, Charles Calvert, the son and heir of Lord Baltimore, came to reside in the thousand dollars. By numerous acts of compromise between Lord Baltimore and the assembly the question of taxation was ad. justed upon a satisfactory basis. The people assumed the expense of the provincial gov- ernment, and agreed to the imposition of an WILLIAM III. colony. Money was coined at a colonial mint, a tonnage duty was imposed upon all vessels trading with the colony, and a state house was built in 1674, at a cost of forty thousand pounds of tobacco, or about five export duty of two shillings per hogshead upon all the tobacco sent out of the colony. One-half of this duty was appropriated to the support of the government, and the re- m?inder was assigned unconditionally to the THE COLONIZATION OF MARYLAND. "9 uses of Lord Baltimore, as " an act of grati- tude " for his care of the colony. On the thirtieth of November, 1675, Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore, died. He had been for fourteen years the earnest and devoted friend, as well as the generous lord of the province, and had lived long enough to enjoy the gratitude with which the colony sought to repay his judicious care. His memory is perpetuated by the chief city of Maryland, which bears his name, and which is already the largest city on the Atlantic oast, south of the Susequehanna, and the seventh in population in the United States. • Charles Calvert, who had been for fourteen years governor of Maryland, succeeded to his father's titles and possessions, and in 1676 returned to England. Previous to his de- parture from Maryland he gave his sanction to the colonial code of laws, which had been thoroughly revised. One of these laws pro- hibited the " importation of convicted per- sons" into the colony without regard t© the will of the king or Parliament of England. Roman Catholics Disfranchised. Notwithstanding the mild and equitable government of the third Lord Baltimore, the spirit of popular liberty was becoming too strong in the colony for the rule of the proprietor to be cheerfully acquiesced in much longer. The rebellion of Bacon in Virginia affected the Maryland colony pro- foundly, and when Lord Baltimore returned to the province in 168 1, he found a large part of the people hostile to him. An at- tempt at insurrection was suppressed, but the seeds of trouble were too deeply sown not to spring up again. The increase of the population had left {he Roman Catholics in a small minority, so that Maryland was now to all intents and purposes a Protestant colony. During the iatter part of the reign of Charles H, the Protestants, regardless of the wise policy of toleration which had hitherto marked the history of the province, endeavored to secure the establishment by law of the Church of England in Maryland. Lord Baltimore steadfastly resisted this unwise course, and maintained the freedom of conscience as the right of the people. He thus added to the existing opposition to his proprietary rule the hostility of the Protestant bigots. A little later, the English ministry struck the first blow at his proprietary rights and at the religious freedom of Maryland by ordering that all the offices of the colonial govern- ment should be bestowed upon Protestants alone. " Roman Catholics were disfranchised in the province which they had planted.*' An Insurrection. Lord Baltimore hoped that the succession of James H., a Catholic sovereign, would restore him the rights of which he had been deprived in his province ; but he was soon undeceived, for the king, who intended to bring all the American colonies directly under the control of the crown, would make no exception in favor of Maryland, and measures were put in force for the abolition of the proprietary government. The revolu- tion which placed William and Mary on the throne prevented the execution of these plans. The troubles of Lord Baltimore were in- creased by the failure of the deputy-governor, whom he had left in Maryland, to acknowl- edge William and Mary promptly. In August, 1689, occurred an insurrection led by " The association in arms for the defence of the Protestant religion." The deputy- governor was driven from office, the pro- prietary government was overturned, and William and Mary were proclaimed sov- ereigns of Maryland. The party in power appealed to the king to annul the proprietary I20 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. charter, and governed the colony by means of a convention until the royal pleasure should be known. Lord Baltimore endeav- ored to defend his rights in spite of his struggles, William III., in June, 169 1, annulled the charter of Maryland, and by the exercise of his own power constituted that colony a royal province. I In 1692, the king appointed Sir Lionel Copley Governor of Maryland. Upon his arrival in the colony he dissolved the con- vention and assumed the government. He at once summoned an assembly, which, recognizing William and Mary as the lawful sovereigns of Maryland, established the Church of England as the religion of the colony, and imposed taxes for its support. The capital was removed from St. Mary's to Annapolis, both because the old seat of gov- ernment had become inconvenient and because it was desired to remove the govern- ment to the centre of Protestant influence. The disfranchisement of the Catholics ad- vanced step by step. At first the dissenters from the established church were granted toleration and protection, but in 1704 the triumph of bigotry was complete. All the dissenting bodies were tolerated, but Roman Catholics were forbidden the exercise of their faith. Mass was not allowed to be said in public, nor was any bishop or clergyman of the Roman Catholic church to be permitted to seek to make converts for his faith. Other severe measures were enacted, and in the land which Catholics had settled, the members of that communion alone were de- nied the rights which in the day of their power they had offered to others. Nor did the royalist assembly manifest any care for the true interests of the province. Education was neglected ; the establishment of printing was prohibited : and the domestic manufac- tures which the necessities of the colony had brought into existence were discouraged. In 17 10 the population numbered over 30,000, free and slave. In 17 1 5 Benedict Charles Calvert, the fourth Lord Baltimore, succeeded in obtain- ing the restoration of his rights in Maryland, and the province passed into his hands. The people had been so disgusted with the rule of the royal governors that no opposition • was made to this change. The new Lord Baltimore, unlike the rest of his family, was a Protestant, which was the cause of his restoration to his hereditary rights. After his restoration the colony increased with still greater rapidity. The establishment of a post route in 1695, between the Potomac and Philadelphia, had brought it into com- munication with the Northern colonies. In 1729 the town of Baltimore was founded. Frederick City was settled in 1745, and in 175 1 was followed by Georgetown, now in the District of Columbia. In 1756 the pop- ulation of the colony had increased to 154,188 souls, of whom over 40,000 were negroes. The increase in material prosperity was equally marked. By the last-mentioned year the annual export of tobacco was 30,000 hogsheads, and, in spite of the efforts of the home government to prevent it, there were eight furnaces and nine forges for smelting copper in operation in the province. CHAPTER X The Pilgrim Fathers «Cise af the Puritans — Their Increase in England — They Are Persecuted by the English Church and Government-* Conduct of James I. — His Hatred of Puritanism — Puritans Take Refuge in Holland — The Congregation of Joh« Robinson — They Escape to Holland — The Pilgrims — Their Sojourn at Leyden — They Wish to Emigrate to Virginia — Fai!iu-e of Their Negotiations with the London Company — They Form a Partnership in England — A Hard Bargain —Departure of the Pilgrims from Holland — Voyage of the "Mayflower" — Arrival in New England — The Agreement on Board the " Mayflower" — Carver Chosen Governor — Settlement of Plymouth — The First Winter in New England —Sufferings of the Pilgrims — Arrival of New Emigrants — Continued Suffering — Assignment of Lands — Friendly In- tercourse with Indians — Samoset and Squanto — Visit of Massasoit — A Threat of War — Bradford's Defiance — West- on's Men — A Narrow Escape — The Colonists Purchase the Interests of Their English Partners — Lands Assigned in Fee Simple — The Colony Benefited by the Change — Government of Plymouth — Steady Growth of the Colony, THE persecutions with which Queen Mary afflicted the reformers of England in her bloody effort to re- store the Roman Catholic faith in that country caused many of the most emi- nent men of the English church to seek safety on the continent of Europe. Upon the accession of Elizabeth the Church of England became once more the religion of the state, and the reformers were free to re- turn to their own country. They came back with broader and more liberal views than they had carried away with them^ and there sprang up in the English church a party which demanded a purer and more spiritual form of worship than that of the church. These persons were called in derision Puri- tans. They adopted the name without hesi- tation, and soon made it an honorable dis- tinction. The queen, however, was determined to compel her subjects to conform to the estab- hshed church, and was especially lesolved to make them acknowledge her supremacy over the church. To the Puritan the worship of the Church of England was only less sinful than that of Rome, and to acknowledge the queen as the head of the church was to com- mit blasphemy. Hg claimed that the queen had no control over him in matters of relig- ion, and that it was his right to worship God in his own way, without interference. The Puritans gradually came to embrace in their number some of the best men in the Eng- lish church. These sincerely deprecated a separation from the church, and earnestly desired to carry the reformation to the extent of remedying the abuses of which they complained, and to remain in communior with the church. One of the reforms which they wished to inaugurate was the abolition of Episcopacy. Failing in their efforts, they desired to be let alone to form their own or- ganizations and to worship God according to their own ideas, without the pale of the Church of England. The queen and the bishops were not con- tent to allow them this freedom. England had not yet learned the lesson of toleration, and severe measures were inaugurated to compel the dissenters to conform to the established church. All persons in the kingdom were required to conform to the ceremonies of the church. A refusal to do so was punished with banishment. Should any person so banished return to the king- dom without permission he was to be put to death. Accused persons were obliged to 121 122 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. mswer upon oath all questions concerning themselves and their acquaintance, respect- ing their attendance upon public worship. Ministers refusing to conform to the estab- tished usage were deprived of their parishes; and if they persisted in preaching to their (:ongregations, or if the congregations were detected in listening to their deposed pastors, iche offenders were fined or subjected to some severe punishment. Absence from the ser- vices of the church for a certain length of lime was also punished. The persecution thus inaugurated drove many of the noncon- formists, as they were termed, into exile from En^laviu' They fled to Holland and Swit- CHAINED BIBLE, TIME OF JAMES I. zerland, where alone they found "freedom to worship God." In spite of the severe meas- ures and determined efforts of Elizabeth, the Puritans increased steadily in numbers and importance in England. Persecution only served to multiply them. They were hopeful that James 1. would prove a more lenient sovereign to them than Elizabeth had been, and they had good ground for this hope. The real character of James was unknown in England, and whib King of Scotland he had shown great favor to the Presbyterians of that kingdom, whom it was his interest to conciliate. He had once publicly thanked God " that he was king of such a kirk — the purest kirk in all the world. As for the Kirk of England," he added, " its service is an evil-said mass." This most contemptible of monarchs had scarcely become King of England when he uttered the famous maxim, " No bishop, no king ! " Interest had made him the foe of Episcopacy in Scotland ; the same motive made him its champion in England. A Royal Demagogue. Upon his entrance into his new kingdom, the Puritans met him with an humble peti- tion for a redress of their grievances. James quickly saw that the majority of the English people favored a support of the church as it was, and had no sympathy with the Puri- tans, and he at once constituted himself tJie enemy of the petitioners. Still, in order to cover his desertion of the party to which he had belonged in Scotland, he appointed a conference at Hampton Court. The conference was held in January, 1604, and the king, silencing all real debate, made the meeting merely the occasion of display- ing what he regarded as his talents for theo- logical controversy, and for announcing the decision he had resolved upon from the first. He demanded entire obedience to the church in matters of faith and worship. " I will have none of that liberty as to ceremonies," he declared. " I will have one doctrine, one discipline, one religion in substance and in ceremony. Never speak more as fco how far you are bound to obey.' THE PILGRIM FATHERS. 123 The Puritans then demanded permission to hold occasional ceremonies of their own, (vith the right of free discussions in them ; but James, who could never tolerate the ex- pression of any opinion adverse to his own, replied : " You are aiming at a Scot's presby- tery, wh ich agrees with monarchy as well as jod and the devil. Then Jack and Tom ; nd Will and Dick shall meet, and at their pleasure censure me and my council and all our proceedings. Then Will shall stand up and say. It must be thus. Then Dick shall reply and say, Nay, marry, but we will have it thus. And, therefore, here I must once more reiterate my former speech, and say, The king forbids." Then turning to the bishops, he added : " I will make them con- form, or I will harry them out of the land, or else worse ; only hang them ; that's all." Champions of Popular Liberty. The king kept his word. The severe laws against the nonconformists were enforced that year with such energy that three hun- dred Puritan ministers are said to have been silenced, imprisoned or exiled. The church party proceeded in the next few years to still more rigorous measures, and were willing even to place the liberties of the nation at the mercy of the crown in order to compel the submission of the Puritans. The intro- duction of foreign publications into the king- dom was greatly restricted, and the press was placed under a severe censorship. The Puritans were thus forced to become the champions of popular liberty against the tyranny of the crown and the ecclesiastical party. There was a congregation of Puritans in the north of England, composed of people of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, with some from Yorkshire. The pastor was John Robinson, " a man not easily to be parallel- ed," who possessed in an unusual degree the love and confidence of his people. They were greatly harassed by the agents of the king and the bishops, and were subjected to such serious annoyances that it was with dii ficulty that they could hold their meetings Finding it impossible to live in peace at home without doing violence to their con- sciences, they determined to leave England and seek refuge from persecution in Holland. That country was friendly to the English, and the Dutch had learned from their own sufferings to respect the rights of conscience in others. It was not an easy matter to leave Eng- land, however, for it was held by the govern- ment to be almost a crime to attempt to escape from persecution. A vessel was hired to convey the refugees to Holland; but the royal officers were informed of the intended voyage, and seized the whole com- pany as they were about to embark. Theii persons were searched, their small posses- sions seized, and the whole church — men, women, and children — thrown into prison. In a short while all but seven were released. These were brought to trial, but it was found impossible to prove any crime against them, and they also were discharged. A Boat Stranded. This action of the government, so far from intimidating the sufferers, but increased their resolve to leave England, and in the spring of 1608 the effort was renewed. A Dutch captain consented to convey them to Hol- land, and it was agreed that the refugees should assemble upon a lonely heath in Lincolnshire, near the mouth of the H umber, and be taken on board by the Dutch skipper. The men of the party went to the rendezvous by land, and got safely on board the ship ; but the boat conveying the women and children was stranded and captured by 8 party of horsemen sent in pursuit. t34 THF PURITANS IN CONFERENCE WITH lAMES 1. THE PILGRIM FATHERS. 12? The Dutch skipper, fearful of becoming in- volved in trouble with the English author- ities, at once put to sea, and the exiles were separated from their families, who were left helpless in the hands of their oppressors. The women and children were treated with great harshness by their captors, and were taken before the magistrates, who found it impossible to punish them for an attempt to follow the fortunes of their husbands and fathers. They were at loss to know what to do with the prisoners, who no longer had homes in England, and at last released them unconditionally, and permitted them to rejoin their natural protectors in Holland. The Pilgrims Discontented. The exiles reached Amsterdam in the spring of 1608. They were well pleased to be safe in this peaceful refuge, but they did not deceive themselves with the hope that it could ever be a home to them. " They knew they were Pilgrims, and looked not much on those things, but lifted up their eyes to Heaven, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits." They found it hard to earn a support in Amsterdam, and in 1609 removed to Leyden, where, by their industry and frugality, they managed to liv^e in com- parative comfort. Their piety and exemplary conduct won for them the respect of the Dutch, who would have openly shown them marked favor but for their fear of offending the king of England. The magistrates of Leyden bore ready witness to their purity of life. " Never," said they, " did we have any suit or accusation against any of them.'' In the course of time the Pilgrims were joined by a number of their brethren from England They were nearly all accustomed to agricultural pursuits, and in Holland they tvere obliged to earn their bread by mechan- ical labors. It was with difficulty that they could do this, and they never formed any attachment to the place of their exile. They preserved, through all their trials, their affec- tion for their native land, and cherished the hope that they might continue Englishmerf to the close of their lives. They viewed with alarm the prospect of raising their children in Holland, where they would necessarily be thrown in constant contact with, and be in- fluenced by, the manners and customs of the country. Above all they dreaded the effect upon their children of the dissolute example of the disbanded soldiers and sailors who filled the country. These and other thngs made them unwilling to look upon Holland as their permanent home. But whither should they go in case of their departure from Hol- land? Their own country was closed against them, and the nations of continental Europe could offer them no asylum. As their conviction, that it was their duty to seek some other home, deepened, their thoughts became more irresistibly directed towards the new world. In the vast soli- tudes of the American continent, and there alone, they could establish a home in which they could worship God without fear 01 molestation, and rear their children in th^ ways that seemed to them good. Thithci would they go. Seeking a New Home. They were anxious to make their venture under the protection of England, and uc clined the offers made them by the Dutch, who wished them to establish their colony as a dependency of Holland. They had heard of the excellent climate and fertile soil of Virginia, and it seemed best to them to choose that promising region as the scene ol their experiment. It was necessary to obtaii. the consent of the London Company to then settlement, as Virginia had been granted to that body by the king of England ; and in 126 THE PILGRIMS AT PLYMOUTH THE PILGRIM FATHERS. 12^ 1617 two of the leading members of the congregation — John Carver and Robert Cushman — went to England to lay their ap- plication before the company. They were kindly received by Sir Edwin Sandys, the secretary of the company. They Paid before the directors the request for per- mission to form a settlement in Virginia, with which they had been charged by their breth- ren. The application was signed by the greater part of the congregation, and con- tained a statement of their principles, and their reasons for desiring to emigrate to America. " We verily believe that God is with 'js," said the petitioners, " and will pros- per us in our endeavors; we are weaned from our mother country, and have learned patience in a hard and strange land. We are industrious and frugal ; we are bound together by a sacred bond of the Lord, whereof we make great conscience, holding ourselves to each other's good. We do not wish ourselves home again ; we have nothing to hope from England or Holland ; we are men who will not be easily discouraged." Efforts to Reach America. The appeal of the Pilgrims was received with such favor by the London Company that Carver and Cushman ventured to peti- tion the king to grant them liberty to exer- cise their religion unmolested in the wilds of America. The most that James would con- sent to grant them, however, was a half promise to pay no attention to them in their new home. The London Company agreed to grant them permission to settle in Vir- ginia, but the dissensions of that body pre- vented anything from being done in fJ"**- behalf. The Pilgrims were too poor to defray the cost of their emigration, and they set to work to find persons of means willing to assist them. At length they were successful, and a company was formed consisting of them selves and several merchants of London. The latter were to advance the funds neces' sary for the enterprise, while the former were to contribute their entire services for a period of seven years as their share of the stock ol the company. At the end of seven years the profits of the enterprise were to be divided according to the amount of each one's investment ; and it was agreed that a contribution of ten pounds in money by a merchant should be entitled to as great a share of the profits as seven years of laboi on the part of the emigrant. Departure for the New ^Vorld. These were hard terms for the Pilgrims, but they were the best they could obtain, and they were accepted, as the exiles were will- ing to suffer any sacrifice in order to be able to found a community of their own in which they could bring up their children in the fear of God. The main thing with them was to reach the shores of America. Once there these men who had learned the lessons ol self-denial and endurance did not doubt theij ability to succeed even in the face of tht heavy disadvantages they were obliged to assume. With the funds thus obtained the Pilgrims began to prepare for their departure. A ship of sixty tons, called the " Speedwell," was purchased, and another, of one hundred and eighty tons, called the " Mayflower," was chartered. These, however, could trans- port but a part of the congregation, and it was resolved to send out at first only " such of the youngest and strongest as freely offered themselves." The pastor, Robinson, y and the aged and infirm were to remain at Leyden until their brethren could send for them, and the colony was placed under tfei guidance of William Brewster, the governim '^Ider. who was an able teacher and muct 12^ SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA, respected and beloved for his noble char- acter. When all was in readiness, a day of fasting and prayer was held, in order that at the very beginning of their enterprise the Pilgrims might invoke the guidance and protection of God. " Let us seek of God," they said, " a " I charge you before God and his blej^sed angels," he said, in tones of deep emotion, "that you follow me no further than you have seen me follow the Lord Jesus Christ, If . God reveal anything to you, be ready to re- ceive it ; for I am verily persuaded that the Lord has more truth yet to break out of his holy word. I beseech THE MAYFLOWER IN PLYMOUTH HARBOR. right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all of our substance." The venerable pastor made this solemn season the occasion of delivering a tender farewell to the mem- bers of his charge who were about to depart, and of appealing to them to be true to the principles of their religion in their new home. you, remember that it is an article of your church covenant, that you be ready to re- ceive whatever truth shall be made known to you from the writ- ten word of God. Take heed what ye receive as truth ; examine it, consider it, anr'l com- pare it Vvith other scriptures of truth be- fore you receive it; the Christian world has not yet come to the perfection of knowledge." From Leyden a number of the breth- > ren accompanied the emigrants to Delft Haven, from which port they were to sail. The night before their departure, they all as- sembled in prayer and religious exercises, which were continued dawn, when they prepared to the ship. Arrived at the until the go on board shore, they knelt again, and the pastor, Robinson, led them in prayer — the emigrants listening to his voice for the last time on earth. "And so," says Edward Winslow, " lifting up our hands to each other, and THE PILGRIM FATHERS. 129 our Tiearts to the Lord our God, we de- parted." Southampton was soon reached, and the voyagers were transferred to the *' May- flower "and the " Speedwell." On the fifth of August, 1620, those vessels sailed from Southampton for America. Soon after get- ting to sea, it was discovered that the " Speedwell " was in need of repairs, and that they must return to England. They put about and reached the port of Dartmouth, where the smaller vessel was repaired. Eight days were consumed in this undertak- ing, and the voyage was resumed. One Ship Abandoned. They were scarcely out of sight of land when the commander of the " Speedwell," alarmed by the dangers of the voyage, de- clared that his ship was not strong enough to cross the ocean. The vessels at once put back to Plymouth, where the smaller ship was discharged. At the same time those who had grown faint-hearted were permitted to withdraw from the expedition. The re- mainder of the company, to the number of one hundred and one, sailed from Plymouth in the *' Mayflower,'* on the sixth of Septem- ber, 1620. Some of these were women well advanced in pregnancy, and some were children. Their little vessel was but a frail barque compared with the ships that now navigate the sea ; but a band of braver and more resolute souls never trusted themselves to the mercies of the stormy Atlantic. The leading man in the little band of jPilgrims was the ruling elder, William Brew- ster, who was to be their preacher until the arrival of a regularly chosen ppstor. He was a man of fine education, refined and scholarly tastes, and of pure and lofty Chris- tian character. " He laid his hand," says Elhott, "to the daily tasks of life, as well as spent his soul in trying to benefit hjs fellows — so bringing himself as near as possible to the early Christian practices ; he was worthy of being the first minister of New England." He was well advanced in life, and wa? looked up to with affectionate regard by his associates. Another was John Carver, also a man of years and ripe experience, who had sacrificed his fortune to the cause, and whose dignified and benevolent character won him the honor of being chosen the first chief magistrate of the colony. GOVERNOR BREWSTER S CHAIR. Prominent among the leaders was William Bradford. He was only thirty-two, but was a man of earnest and resolute character, firm and true, "a man of nerve and public spirit." He had begun life as a farmer's boy in Eng- land, and in Holland had supported himself by practising tlie art of dyeing ; but, in spite of his constant labors, he had educated him- self and had managed to accumulate books oj his own. He systematically devoted a large [30 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. part of his time to study, and thus carefully- trained his great natural abilities. Edward Winslow, a man of sweet and amiable disposition, was twenty-six years old. He was a gentleman by birth, and had been well educated, and had acquired consider- able information and experience by travel. Miles Standish had attained the manly age of thirty-six, and was a veteran soldier. He had seen service in the wars of the con- tinent of Europe, and had gained an honor- able distinction in them. He was not a member of the church, but was strongly at- tpched to its institutions. *' With the people of God he had chosen to suffer affliction ; In return for his zeal, they made him Captain of Plymouth ; He was a man of honor, of noble and generous na- ture ; Though he was rough, he was kindly .... Somewhat hasty and hot .... and headstrong, Stern as a soldier might be, but hearty and placable always, Not to be laughed at and scorned, because he was Jitlle of stature ; For he was great of heart, magnanimous, courtly, courageous." Tempestuous Voyage. The voyage of the " Mayflower " was long and stormy. The Pilgrims had selected the country near the mouth of the Hudson as the best region for their settlement, but a severe storm drove them northward to the coast of New England. Sixty-three days were con- sumed in the passage, during which, one of their number had died, and at length land was made, and two days later, the " May- flower " cast anchor in the harbor of Cape Cod. The Pilgrims had come to America at tbeir own risk and without the sanction of, or a charter from, the king or any lawful organization in England. They were thrown UDon their own resources, and could look to no Quarter for protection or support. Appre- ciating the necessity of an organized govern- ment, their first acts after anchoring in Cape Cod bay were to organize themselves into a body politic and to form a government. The First Compact. Che following compact was drawn up m the cabin of the " Mayflower," and was signed by all the men of the colony, to the number of forty-one: " In the name of God, amen ; we whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign King James, having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the north- ern parts of Virginia, do, by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in .the presence of God and of one another, covenant and com- bine ourselves together, in a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preserva- tion, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof, to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most convenient for the general good of the colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience." This was the first constitution of New England, democratic in form, and resting upon the consent of the governed. It at once established the new commonwealth upon the basis of constitutional liberty, and secured to the people "just and equal laws " for the " general good." In virtue of the compact, John Carver was chosen governor of the colony for the ensuing year. The prospect which presented itself to the Pilgrims upon their arrival at Cape Cod might well have daunted even their resolute souls. It was the opening of the winter, and th*" had come to a barren and rugged coast. THE PILGRIM F>ii'HERS. 131 The climate was severe, and the land was a wilderness. The English colony in Virginia «vas five hundred miles distant, and to the north of them the nearest white settlement was the French colony at Port Royal. The " Mayflower " was only chartered to convey them to America, and must return to Eng- jand as soon as they had chosen a site and established a settlement. Yet no one fal- tered. The new land was reached, the diffi- culties and dangers were such as could be overcome by patience and fortitude, and the Pilgrims without hesitation addressed them- selves to the task before them. Planting the Colony. The first thing to be done was to explore the coast and choose a site for the colony, for it was important to begin their settlement before the severity of the winter should ren- der such an effort impossible. The shallop was gotten out, but unfortunately it was found to need repairs. The ship's carpenter worked so slowly that nearly three weeks were spent in this task. This delay was ? great misfortune at this advanced season of the year, and, some of the party becoming impatient, it was resolved to go ashore in the ship's boat and explore the country by land. A party of sixteen men was detailed for this purpose, and placed under the command of Captain Miles Standish. William Bradford, Stephen Hopkin:5 and Edward Tilly were included in the party as a council of war. The explorers were given numerous instruc- tions, and were rather permitted than ordered to go upon their journev, which was regarded as perilous, and the time of their absence was limited to two days. Upon reaching the shore they followed it for about a mile, when they discovered se -• eral Indians watching them from a distance. The savages fled as soon as they saw the)' were observed, and the whites followed in pursuit. They struck the trail of the retreat- ing Indians, and followed it until nightfall, but being encumbered by the weight of their armor and impeded by the tangled thickets through which they had to pass, they were unable to overtake the Indians. Thtj explorers bivouacked that night by a deal LANDING OF THE PIl iRIMS. spring, whose waters refreshed them after their fatiguing march. They made few dis- coveries, but the expedition was not entirely unprofitable. An Indian Graveyard. In one place they found a deer-trap, made by bending a young tree to the earth, with a noose underground covered with acorns. Mr. Bradford was caught by the foot in this .^rare, whic*» occasioned m'"^h merriment 132 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. An Indian graveyard was discovered in another place, and in one of the graves there was an earthen pot, a mortar, a bow and some arrows, and other rude implements. These were carefully replaced by the whites, who respected the resting-place of the dead. The most important discovery was the find- ing of a cellar or pit carefully Hned with bark, and covered over with a heap of sand, and containing about four bushels of seed corn in ears. As much of this as the men could carry was secured, and it was deter- mined to pay the owners of the corn fc'tas >^oon as they could be found. Searching the Neighborhood. The shallop being finished at length, a party, consisting of Carver, Bradford, Wins- low, Standish and others, with eight or ten seamen, was sent out on a second expedition on the sixth of December. The weather was very cold, and their clothing, drenched with spray, froze as stiff as iron armor. They reached the bottom of Cape Cod bay that day, and landed, instructing the people in the shallop to follow them along the shore. The next day they divided, and searched the neighborhood. They found a number of Indian graves, and some deserted wigwams, i>ut saw no signs of the inhabitants of the country. That night they encamped near Namtasket, or Great Meadow Creek. On the morning of the eighth of December, just as they had finished their prayers, the explorers were startled by a war-whoop and a flight of arrows. The Indians, who were of the tribe of the Nausites, were put to flight by the dis- charge of a few guns. Some of their people had been kidnapped by the English a few years before, and hence they regarded the new-comers as bent on the same errand. The day was spent in searching for a safe harbor for the ship, and at nightfall a violent storm of rain and snow drove them through the breakers into a small cove sheltert from the gale by a hill. They were so wet and chilled that they landed at once, and. regardless of the danger of drawing the sav- ages upon them, built a fire with great diffi- culty, in order to keep from perishing with the cold. When the morning dawned they found that they were on an island at the entrance to a harbor. The day wjs spent in rest and preparations. The next day, December loth, was the Sabbath, and, notwithstanding the need of prompt action, they spent it in rest and religious exercises. The next day, Decem- ber II, 1620, old style, or December 2 2d, according to our present system, the explor- ing party of the Pilgrims landed at the head of the harbor they had discovered. The rock upon which their footsteps were first planted is still preserved by their descendants. The place was explored and chosen as the site of the settlement, and was named Plymouth, m memory of the last English town from which the Pilgrims had sailed. Anchored at Plymouth. The adventurers hastened back to the ship, which stood across the bay, and four days later cast anchor in Plymouth harbor. No time was to be lost ; the " Mayflower " must soon return to England, and the emigrants must have some shelter over their heads be- fore her departure. To save time each man was allowed to build his own house. This was a most arduous task. Many of the men were almost broken down by their ex- posure to the cold, and some had already contracted the fatal diseases which were to carry them to the grave before the close of the winter. Still they persevered, working bravely when the absence of rain and snow would permit them to do so. As the winter deepened, th«r sickness and mortal it v of the colony increased. At one THE PILGRIM FATHERS. 133 time there Wv./e but seven well men in the company. More than forty of the settlers died during the winter. John Carver, the good governor of the colony, buried his son, and himself soon succumbed to the hardships from which he had never shrunk, though never able to endure them. He was followed by his heart-broken widow. The wives of Bradford and Winslow, and Rose Standish, the sweet young bride of "the Captain of Plymouth" were also among the victims. They were all buried on the shore near the rock on which they had landed, and lest their graves should tell the Indians of the sufferings and weak- ness of the settlement, their resting-place was levelled and sown with grass. William Brad- ford was chosen gov- ernor in the place of Carver, and the work went on with firm- ness and without re- pining. At lastthe long win- ter drew to a close, and the balmy springcame to cheer the settlers with its bright skies and warm breezes. The sick began to recover, and the building of the settlement was completed. In course of time a large shed was erected for the public stores, and a small hospital for the sick. A church was also built. It was made stronger than the other buildings, as it was to serve as a fortress as well as a place of worship, and four cannon were mounted on top of it for defence against the savages. Here they assembled on the Sabbath for religious worship, and to hear the word of God from the lips of their pastor, the good Elder Brewster. In the spring the ground was prepared for cultivation, but until the harvest was grown the colonists lived by fishing and hunting. No Wish to Leave the W^ilderness. In March, 1621, the " Mayflower " sailed for England. Not one of the Pilgrims wished to return in her. They had their trials, and these were sore and heavy, but they had also made a home and a govern- TIIE FIRST CHURCH IN NEW ENGLAND. ment for themselves, where they could enjoy the benefits and protection of their own laws, and worship God in safety and in peace. They did not doubt that they would some day triumph over their difficulties, and that God would in His own good time crown their labors and their patience with success. In the autumn of 162 1, a reinforcement of new emigrants arrived. They brought no provision^, and were dependent upon the scanty stock of the colony, and the increased 134 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. demand upon this soon brought the settlers face to face with the danger of famine. For six months no one received more than half allowance, and this was frequently reduced. *'I have seen men," says Winslow, " stagger by reason of faintness for want of food." On one occasion the whole company would have perished but for the kindness of some fishermen, who relieved their wants. Every Man for Himself. This scarcity of provisions continued for several years, and it was not until the end of the fourth year of the settlement that the colonists had anything like a proper supply of food. In that year neat cattle were intro- duced into Plymouth. None of the colonies were called upon to endure such privations as were suffered by the Pilgrims. Yet they bore them with unshaken fortitude, still trusting that God would give them a pleas- anter lot in the end. The conditions of the contract with the English merchants had required the labor of the colonists to be thrown into the common stock. This was found to be an unprofitable arrangement, and in 1623 it was agreed that each settler should plant for himself, and each family was assigned a parcel of land in pro- portion to its numbers, to cultivate, but " not for an inheritance." This arrangement gave great satisfaction and the colonists went to work with such a will that after this season there was no scarcity of food. In the spring of 1624 each colonist was given a little land in fee. The very existence of the colony de- manded this departure from the hard bargain with the English merchants, and the result justified the measure. Abundant harvests rewarded the labors of the settlers, and corn soon became so plentiful that the colonists were able to supply the savages with it. These, preferring the chase to the labor of the field, brought in game and skins to Plymouth and received corn in return. In the meantime a friendly intercourse had sprung up between the settlers and the Indians. In the first .year of the settlement the red men were seen ho-^ering upon the outskirts of the village, but they fled upon the approach of the whites. Distant columns of smoke, rising beyond the woods, told that the savages were close at hand, and it was deemed best to organize the settlers into a military company, the command of which was given to Miles Standish. One day, in March, 1 621, the whole village was startled by the appearance of an Indian, who boldly entered the settlement^ and greeted the whites with the friendly words, " Welcome, English- men ! Welcome, Englishmen ! " A Romantic History. He was kindly received, and it was found that he was Samoset, and had learned a little English of the fishermen at Penobscot. He belonged to the Wampanoags, a tribe oc- cupying the country north of Narragansett Bay and between the rivers of Providence and Taunton. He told them that they might possess the lands they had taken in peace, as the tribe to which they had belonged had been swept away by a pestilence the year be- fore the arrival of the Pilgrims. He re- mained one night with the settlers, who gave him a knife, a ring, and a bracelet, and then went back to his people, promising to return soon and bring other Indians to trade with them. In a few days he came back, bring- ing with him Squanto, the Indian who had been kidnapped by Hunt and sold in Spain. From that country Squanto had escaped to England, where he had learned the lan- guage. He had managed to return to his own country, and now appeared to act as interpreter to the English in their inter- CQurse with his people. They announced THE PILGRIM FATHERS. 135 that Massasoit, the sachem of the Wampa- noags, desired to visit the colony. The chieftain was received with all the ceremony the little settlement could afford. Squanto acted as mterpreter, and a treaty of friendship was arranged between Massasoit on behalf of his people and the English. Friendly Agreement. The parties to the agreement promised to treat each other with kindness and justice, to deliver up offenders, and to assist each other when attacked by their enemies. This treaty was faithfully observ- ed by both parties for fifty years. The Pil- grims expressed their willingness to pay for the baskets of corn that had been taken by their first explor- ing party, and this they did six months later, when the right- ful owners presented themselves. A trade with the Indians was established and furs were brought into Plymouth by them and sold for articles of European manu- facture. Squanto was the faithful friend of the col- ony to the end of his life, and was regarded by the Pilgrims as " a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expecta- tion.'* He taught them the Indian method of planting corn and putting fish with it to fer- tilize the ground, and where to find and how to catch fish and game. He showed them his friendship in many ways, and was during his lifetime the interpreter of the colony. The Pilgrims on their part were not ungrate- ful to him. On one occasion it was rumored in Ply- mouth that Squanto had been seized by the Narragansetts, and had been put to dearh. A party of ten men at once marched jmo the forest, and surprised the hut where the chief of the Narragansetts was. Although the tribe could bring five thousand war* riors into the field, the chief was overawed by the determined action of the English, whose firearms gave them a great superi- ority, and Squanto was released unharmed. On his death-bed Squanto, who had been THE TREATY BETWEEN PLYMOUTH COLONY AND MASSASOIT. carefully nursed by his white friends, asked the governor to pray that he might go to " the Englishman's God in Heaven." His death was regarded as a serious misfortune to the colony. The Great Chief Massasoit. Massasoit, whose tribe had been greatly reduced by pestilence, desired the alliance oi the English as a protection against the Nar» ragansetts, who had escaped the scourge, and whose chief, Canonicus, was hostile to hiin^ 136 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. The Narragansetts lived upon the shores of the beautiful bay to which they have given their name, and were a powerful and warlike race. Canonicus regarded the English with hostility, and in 1622 sent them as a defiance a bundle of arrows wrapped in the skin of a rattlesnake. Governor Bradford received the challenge from the hands of the chieftain's messenger, and stuffing the skin with powder and ball re- turned it to him, and sternly bade him bear it back to his master. The Indians regarded the mysterious contents of the skin with ter- ror and dread, and passed it from tribe to tribe. None dared either keep or destroy it, as it was regarded as possessed of some mys- terious but powerful influence for harm. It was finally returned to the colony, and in a short while Canonicus, who had been cowed by the spirited answer of Bradford, offered to make a treaty of peace and alliance with the colony. The Pilgrims endeavored to treat the Indians with justice. Severe penalties were denounced against those who should deprive the savages of their property without paying for it, or should treat them with violence. Yet the colonists were to have trouble with the red men, and that through no fault of their own. It happened on this wise. A Timely "Warning. Among the merchants of London who had invested money in the planting of the Ply- mouth colony was Thomas Weston. Envi- ous of the advance made by the colony in the fur trade, he desired to secure all the profits of that traffic by establishing a trading- post of his own. He obtained a patent for a small tract on Boston harbor, near Wey- mouth, and settled there a colony of sixty men, the greater number of whom were in- lentured servants. These men, disregarding ^e warnings of the people of Plymouth, gave themselves up to a dissolute life, and drew upon themselves the wrath of the Indians by maltreating them, and stealing their corn. The Indians, unable to distinguish between the guilty and the innocent, resolved to avenge the misconduct of Weston's men by a massacre of every v/hite settler in the coun^ try. Before the plot could be put in execution Massasoit fell sick. Winslow visited nim, and found his lodge full of medicine-men r^nd jugglers, who were killing him with the noise they made to drive away the disease. The kind-hearted Englishman turned the Indian doctors out of the lodge, and by giv- ing Massasoit rest, and administering such remedies as his case required, restored him to health. The grateful chief revealed the plot of his people for the extermination of the English. The Plymouth settlers were greatly alarmed, and measures were promptly taken to avert the danger. Nine "White Braves. Standish, with eight armed men, was sent to the assistance of the settlement at Wey- mouth. They arrived in time to prevent the attack. The Indians, who had begun to, collect for the massacre, were surprised and defeated in a brief engagement, and the chief, who was the leader of the conspiracy, was slain, with a number of his men. This gallant exploit established the supremacy of the English in New England, and many of the native tribes sought their friendship and alliance. The Weymouth men were unwill- ing to continue their colony after their nar- row escape. Some went to Plymouth where they became a source of trouble, and others returned to England. The spring of 1623 saw the last of this settlement. In tlie autumn of 1623 the best harvest was gathered in that had yet blessed the labors of the Pilgrims. It was an abundant THE PILGRIM FATHERS. '37 yield, and put an end to all fears of a re- newal of the danger of famine. When the labors of the harvest were over Governor Bradford sent out men to collect game, in order that the people might enjoy a thanks- giving feast. On the appointed day the people " met together and thanked God with all their hearts for the good world and the good things in it." Thus was established the custom of an annual thanksgiving to God for the blessings of the year, which though at first a celebration peculiar to Mew England has at length become a national festival. Each Settler a Land Owner. The colonists themselves were satisfied with the progress they had made, but their merchant partners in England were greatly displeased with the smallness of the profits they had received from their investments, and in many ways made the colony feel their dissatisfaction. Robinson and his consfreea- tion at Leyden were anxious to join their friends in America, but the merchant partners refused to send them across the Atlantic, and not content with this endeavored to force upon the Plymouth people a pastor friendly to the Church of England. They soon got rid of this individual, however, whose con- duct quickly enabled them to expel him from Plymouth as an evil liver. The merchants also sent a vessel to New England to oppose the colonists in the fur trade ; and demanded exorbitant prices for the goods they sold the settlers, charging them the enormous profit of seventy per cent. It was not possible, however, to destroy the results of the industry and self-denial of the Pilgrims. Seeing that their association with their English partners would continue to operate merely as a drag upon the advance of the colony, they managed in 1627, at con- siderable sacrifice, to purchase the entire interest of their partners. The stock and the land of the colony were then divided equitably among the settlers, and the share of each man became his own private prop^ erty. Each settler was thus made the owner of a piece of land which it was to his in- terest to improve to the highest degree pos- sible. Freed from the burdens under which it had labored for so long, the colony began to increase in prosperity and in population. The government of the Pilgrims was sim- ple, but effective. They had no charter, and were from the first driven upon their own resources. They had a governor who was chosen by the votes of all the settlers. In 1624 a council of five was given him, and in 1633 this number was increased to seven. The council assisted the governor in the ex- ercise of his duties, and imposed a check upon his authority, as in its meetings he had merely a double vote. The whole number of male settlers for eighteen years constituted the legislative body. They met at stated times, and enacted such laws as were neces- sary for the welfare of the colony. The people were frequently convened by the gov- ernor, in the earlier years of the settlement, to aid him with their advice upon difficult questions brought before them. When the colony increased in population, and a number of towns were included within its limits, each town sent representatives to a general court at Plymouth. If the colony grew slowly, it grew steadily, and at length the Pilgrims had their reward in seeing their little settlement expand into a flourishing province, in which the principles of civil freedom were cherished, religion honored, and industry' and economy made the basis of the wealth o.*^ the little state CHAPTER XI Settlement of Massachusetts and Rhode Island Settlement of New Hampshire— The English Puritans Determine to Form a New Colony in America — The PlymouA Council — A Colony Sent Out to Salem under Endicott — Colonization of Massachusetts Bay Begun — A Charter Obtained — Concessions of the King — Progress of the Salem Colony— The Charter and Government of the Colony Removed to New England — Arrival of Governor Winthrop^Settlement of Boston — Sufferings of the Colonists — Roger Williams —His Opinions Give Offence to the Authorities — The Success of the Bay Colony Established — Growth of Populai Liberty — The Ballot Box — Banishment of Roger Williams — He Goes into the Wilderness — Founds Providence-^ Growth of WilHams' Colony — Continued Growth of Massachusetts — Arrival of Sir Henry Vane— Is Elected Governor —Mrs. Aune Hutchinson — The Antinomian Controversy — Mrs. Hutchinson Banished — Settlement of Rhode Island — Murder of Mrs. Hutchinson. THE success of the Pilgrims in es- tablishing the Plymouth colony aroused a feeling of deep interest in England, and some of those who had watched the effort were encouraged to attempt ventures of their own. Sir Ferdi- nand Gorges, who had taken a deep interest in the schemes to settle the new world, and John Mason, the secretary of the council of Plymouth, obtained a patent for the region called Laconia, which comprised the whole country between the sea, the St. Lawrence, the Merrimar and the Kennebec, and now embraced partly in Maine and partly in New Hampshire. A company of English mer- chants was formed, and in 1623 permanent colonies were established at Portsmouth, Dover and one or two other placec near the mouth of the Piscataqua. Thes. were small, feeble settlements, and were more trading- posts than towns. For many years their growth was slow, and it was not until other parts of New- England were well peopled and advanced far beyond their early trials that they began to show signs of prosperity. In 1653, thirty years after its settlement, Portsmouth con- tained only "between fifty and sixty families." The settlers of these towns were not all •38 Puritans, and their colonies had not the re- ligious character of those of the rest cf New England. In 1641, they were annexed at their own request to the province of Massa- chusetts, the general court having agreed not to require the freemen and deputies to be church members. In the meantime the news of the successful planting of Plymouth was producing other and more important results in England. The persecutions of the Non-conformists, which marked the entire reign of James I., were continued through that of his son and successor, Charles I. The Puritans, sorely distressed by the tyranny to which they were subjected, listened with eagerness to the ac- counts of America which were sent over by the members of the Plymouth colony, and published from time to time in England. The descriptions of the Pilgrim.s were not exaggerated. They did not promise either fame or sudden wealth to settlers in their province, but clearly set forth the cares and labors which were to be the price of success in America. They dwelt witL .^special emphasis, how- ever, upon that which was in their eyes the chief reward of all their toil and suffering — the ability to exercise their reli|fion without SETTLEMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. 13^ .watraint Their brethren in England heard their accounts with a longing to be with them to enjoy the freedom with which they were blessed, and it was not long before a number of English Non-conformists began to concert measures for making New Eng- land a place of refuge for the persecuted members of their faith. The leading spirit in these enterprises was the Rev. Mr. White, a minister of Dorsetshire, a Puritan, but not a Separatist. Re- garding the vicinity of the present town of Salem as the most suitable place for colonization, he exerted himself with energy to se- cure it for his brethren. In the meantime the Plymouth Company had ceased to exist, and its place had been taken by the council of Plymouth. That body cared for New England only as a source of profit, and sold the ter- ritory of that region to a number of purchasers, assigning the same district to different people, and thus paving the way for vexa- tious litigation. In 1628, it sold to a company of gentlemen of Dorchester, which White's energy had succeeded in bringing into existence, a district extending from three miles south of Massachusetts Bay to three miles north of the Merrimac River. As was usual in all grants of the day, the Pacific was made the western boundary of fthis region. This company was at once prepared to «^ind out a colony, and in the early sun^mer of that year one hundred persons under John Endicott, as governor, were despatched to New England. Endicott took his family with him, and in September, 1628, reachetl New England, and established the settlement of Salem, the site of which was already occu- pied by a few men whom White* had placed there to hold it. Endicott, who was a mai* JOHN ENDICOTT, of undaunted courage and acknowledged in- tegrity of character, soon established his authority over the few settlements that hac sprung up along the shores of the bay. At this time the site of Charlestown was occupied by an Englishman named Thomas Walford, a blacksmith, who had fortified his cabin with a palisade. The only dweller on tufi 140 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. tri-mountain peninsula of Shawmut was the Rev. William Blackstone, a clergyman of the Church of England ; the island now known as East Boston was occupied by Samuel Maverick. At Nantasket and a few places farther south some Englishmen had located themselves, and lived by fishing and trading in skins : and on the site of Quincy was the wreck of a colony which had nearly perished in consequence of its evils ways. These? with the settlement at Salem, constituted the colony of Massachusetts Bay. Arrivals at Salem. Soon after the departure of Endicott's colony from England, the company, acting upon the advice of their counsel, obtained from the king a confimation of their grant. In March, 1629, the king granted to the colony of Massachusetts Bay a charter under which it conducted its affairs for more than fifty years. By the terms of this charter the governor was to be elected by the free- men for the term of one year, provision was made for the assembling at stated times of a general court, which was to have the power to make all the needed laws for the colony, and it was not necessary that these laws should receive the royal signature in order to be valid. This was conceding practical inde- pendence to the colony. In the spring of 1629, a second company of emigrants sailed from England for Massa- chusetts. They were, like the first, all Puri- tans, and took with them, as their minister, the Rev. Francis Higginson, formerly of Jesus College, Cambridge, a man of learn- ing and deep piety. The colonists were instructed to do no violence to the Indians. " If any of the salvages," so read the com- pany's orders, " pretend right of inheritance to all or any part of the lands granted in our patent, endeavor to purchase their tytle, that we may avoid the least scruple of intrusion." Six shipwrights were sent over for the use of the colony, an experienced engineer tc lay out a fortified town, and a master gun- ner, who was to teach the men of the colony the use of arms and military exercises. Cattle and horses and goats were sent out also. The voyage was prosperous, and the new settlers reached Salem about the last of June. They found the settlement in a feeble con- dition, and greatly in need of their assistance. The old and the new colonists numbered about three hundred. The majority of these remained at Salem, and the rest were sent by Endicott to establish a colony at Charles- town, in order to secure that place from occupation by the partisans of Sir Ferdi- nand Gorges, who claimed the region. The emigrants were scrupulous to acquire from the Indians the right to the lands they occu- pied. The twelfth of July was observed as a day of fasting and prayer "for the choice of a pastor and teacher at Salem." No one advanced any claim founded on his ordination in England ; personal fitness was the only qualification recognized by the Puritans. Samuel Skelton was chosen pastor, and Francis Higginson teacher. The Brownes Cast Out. Three or four of the gravest members of the church laid their hands upon the heads of these men, with prayer, and solemn- ly appointed them to their respective offices. "Thus the church, like that of Plymouth, was self-constituted, on the principle of the independence of each religious community. It did not ask the assent of the king, 01 recognize him as its head ; its officers were set apart and ordained among themselves; it used no liturgy ; it rejected unnecessary ceremonies, and reduced the simplicity of Calvin to a still plainer standard The motives which controlled its decisions were SETTLEMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. 141 so deeply seated that its practices were repeated spontaneously by Puritan New England." An opposition to the organiza- tion of the church was attempted by a party led by John and Samuel Browne, men of ability; but this was treated as a mutiny and put down, and the Brownes were sent back to England. The charter of Massachusetts, though it made liberal concessions to the colony, contained no provision for the rights of the people, who were left at the mercy of the company. For the proper government of the colony, it was necessary to re- move the charter to Massachusetts, and such a removal was advisable on another ground. The charter contained no guar- antee for the reglious freedom of the co lony, and the king might at any moment seek to interfere with this, the most pre- cious right of the Puritans. The only way to escape the evils which the com- pany had reason to dread was for the governing council to change its place of meeting from England to Massachu- setts, which the provisions of the charter gave it authority to do. An Independent Colony. On the twenty -sixth of August, 1629, John Winthrop, Isaac Johnson, Thomas Dudley, Richard Saltonstall and eight others, men of fortune and education, met at Cambridge and bound them- selves by a solemn agreement to settle in New England if the whole government of the colony, together with the patent, should be legally transferred to that region before the end of September. On the twenty- ninth of the month, the court took the de- cisive step and ordered that *' the govern- ment and patent should be settled in New England." This was a bold step, but its legality was not contested by any one, and it made the government of the colony independ- ent of control by any power in England. The officers of the colony were to be a governor and eighteen assistants. On the twentieth of October, a meeting of the court was held to choose them, and John Winthrop was elec*"ed governor for one year. It was a fortunate selection, for Winthrop proved himself for many years the very mainstay of the colony, sustaining his companions by his calm courage, and setting them a noble ex- JOHN WINTHROP. ample in his patience, his quiet heroism and his devotion to the welfare of others. He seemed to find his greatest pleasure in doing good, and his liberality acted as a check upon the bigotry of his associates and kept them in paths of greater moderation. Efforts were made to send over new settlers to Massachusetts, and about a thousand emigrants, with cattle, horses and goats, were <-'^ri snorted thither in the season of 1630, 142 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. Early in Aprif, Governor Winthrop and about seven hundred emigrants sailed from England in a fleet of eleven ships. Many of them were " men of high endowments and large fortune; scholars, well versed in the learning of the times ; clergymen who ranked among the best educated and most pious in the realm." Death Among the Settlers. They reached Salem on the twelfth of June, after a voyage of sixty-one days, and were gladly welcomed by the settlers, whom they found in great distress from sickness and a scarcity of provisions. About eighty had died during the winter, and many were sick. There was scarcely a fortnight's sup- ply of food in the settlement, and it was nec- essary to send one of the ships back to Eng- land at once for a supply of provisions. Salem did not please the new-comers, and settlements were made at Lynn, Charles- town, Newtown, Dorchester, Roxbury, Mai- den and Watertown. The governor and a large part of the emigrants settled first at Charlestown, but at length, in order to obtain better water, crossed over and occupied the little tri-mountain peninsula of Shawmut. To this settlement was given the name of Boston, in honor of the town in Lincolnshire in England, which had been the home of the Rev. John Wilson, who became the pastor of the first church of Boston. The location was central to the whole province, and Bos- ton became the seat of government. When the year for which the first colonial officers had been cbosen expired a new election was held, and Governor Winthrop and all the old officials were re-elected. Terrible Sufferings. The colonists now began to feel the effects of their new life. The change of climate was very trying to them, and many of them fell victims to its rigors, and to the hardships of their position. A large number of them had been brought up in ease and refinement, ana were unaccustomed to privation or exposure. They sank beneath the severe trials to which they were subjected. By December, 1630, at least two hundred had died. Among these were the Lady Arbella Johnson and her husband, among the most liberal and de- voted supporters of the colony, and a son ot Governor Winthrop, who left a widow and children in England. Others became dis- heartened, and more than a hundred returned to England, where they endeavored to ex cuse their desertion of their companions by grossly exaggerated accounts of the hard- ships of the colony. Patient Endurance. Yet among the colonists themselves there was no repining. They exhibited in their deep distress a fortitude and heroism worthy of thefr lofty character. *' Honor is due," says Bancroft, " not less to those who per- ished than to those who survived ; to the martyrs the hour of death was the hour ot triumph ; such as is never witnessed in more tranquil seasons. ***** Even children caught the spirit of the place ; awaited the impending change in the tranquil confidence of faith, and went to the grave full of immor- tality. The survivors bore all things meekly, ' remembering the end of their coming hither.'" Winthrop wrote to his wife, who had been detained in England by sickness: " We enjoy here God and Jesus Christ, c.nd is not this enough ? I thank God I like so well to be here, as I do not repent my com- ing. I would not have altered my course though I had foreseen all these afflictions. I never had more content of mind." Another danger which threatened the colony arose from the scarcity of provisions^ but this was removed on the fifth of February, i63i,by the timely arrival of the " Lyon " from England, laden with provisions. This relief was greeted with public thanksgivmgs SETTLEMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. 143 in all tl^e settlements. The " Lyon," how- ever, brought only twenty passengers, and in 1 63 1 only ninety persons came out from England. The number of arrivals in 1632 was only two hundred and fifty. Thus the colony grew very slowly. By the close of the latter year the total population of Massa- chusetts was only a little over one thousand souls. Sketch of Roger Williams. Among the passengers of the " Lyon " was a young minister, described in the old records as " lovely in his carriage, godly and zealous, having precious gifts," Roger Williams by name. He had been a favorite pupil of the great Sir Edward Coke, and had learned from him precious lessons of liberty and toleration. He had been carefully edu- cated at Pembroke College, in the University of Cambridge, and had entered the ministry. His opposition to the laws requiring con- formity to the established church had drawn upon him the wrath of Archbishop Laud, and he had been driven out of England. The great doctrine which he had em- braced as the result of his studies and ex- perience was the freedom of conscience from secular control. " The civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control opinion; should punish guilt, but never violate inward freedom." He would place all forms of religion upon an equality, and would refuse to the government the power to com- pel conformity to, or attendance upon, any of them, leaving such matters to the con- science of the individual. He also favored the abolition of tithes, and the enforced con- tribution to the support of the church. Such views were far in advance of the age, and when Williams landed in Boston he found himself unable to join the church in that place, because of its adoption of prin- ciples the opposite of his own. Upon his arrival the church had intended engaging him to fill Mr. Wilson's place, while that minister returned to England to bring over his wife, but upon learning his views the idea was abandoned. A little later the church in Salem, which had been deprived of its teacher by the death of the Rev. Francis Higginson, called Williams to be his successor. Williams accepted the call ; but Governor Winthrop and the assistants warned the people of Salem to beware how they placed in so important a position a man already at such variance with the established order of things. The warning had the de- sired effect upon the people of Salem, who withdrew their invitation. Williams then went to Plymouth, where he lived for two years in peace. An Oath of Fidelity. But though unwilling to accord to Williams the liberty he desired, the colonial govern- ment was careful to take every precaution against the anticipated efforts of the Church of England to extend its authority over Massachusetts. A general court held in May, 1 63 1, ordered an oath of fidelity to be tendered to the freemen of the colony, which bound them " to be obedient and conform- able to the laws and constitutions of this commonwealth, to advance its peace, and not to suffer any attempt at making any change or alteration of the government con- trary to its laws." The same general court took a still more decided stand by the adoption of a law which limited the citizen- ship of the colony to " such as are members of some of the churches within the limits of the same." This was practically making the state a theocracy. Yet the people were not^repared to sur- render their political rights, even when alarmed by the danger which seernc^ to SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. 144 threaten their religious establishment. Until now the assistants could hold office for life and they also possessed the power of elect- ing the governor. They were thus inde- pendent or the people. The right of the freemen to choose their magistrates was now distinctly asserted, and in May, 1632, was conceded. The governor and assistants were to be elected annually, and by the votes of the freemen; none but church members being entitled to the privileges of freemen. Another important change was brought about at the same time by the hostility of the people to levying of taxes by the board of assistants. Each town was ordered to send two of its best men to represent it at a general court " to concert a plan for a public treasury." Friendly Mohegan Chief. The colonists had faithfully obeyed their instructions to treat the Indians with fair- ness, and to seek to cultivate their friend- ship. Many of the native tribes sought their alliance, and the sachem of the Mohegans came from the banks of the Connecticut to make a treaty with the colony, and to urge the English to settle in his country, which he described as exceedingly fertile and inviting. In the autumn of 1632 a pleasant intercourse was opened with the Plymouth colony ; and in the same year a trade in corn was begun with Virginia, and commercial relations were established with the Dutch, who had settled along the Hudson River. The colony of Massachusetts Bay was slowly entering upon a more prosperous period. Emigrants now began to come over in greater numbers, and among them were John Haynes, " the acute and subtile Cotton," and Thomas Hooker, who have been called the 'Light of the Western Churches." The freemen by the middle of the year 1634 numbered between three and four hundred. and these were bent upon establis|?ing then political power in the state. Great advances were made in the direction of representative government, and the ballot-box was intro- duced in elections, which had been formerly conducted by an erection of hands. As a guard against arbitrary taxation by magis- trates it was enacted that none but the properly chosen representatives of the people might dispose of lands, or raise money. A Long Controversy. In the spring of 1635 the people went a step further, and demanded a written con- stitution for the purpose of still more per- fectly securing their liberties. This demand opened a controversy which continued for ten years. The general court was com- posed of assistants and deputies. The first were elected by the people of the whole colony ; the latter by the towns. The two bodies acted together in meetings of the assembly, but the assistants claimed th^ exclusive privilege of meeting and exercising a separate negative upon the proceedings of the court. This claim was energetically denied by the deputies, who were sustained by the body of the people; while the magistrates and the ministers upheld the pretensions of the assistants. In 1644 the matter was compromised by the division of the general court into two branches, each of which was given a negative upon the proceedings of the other. All parties were agreed, however, in the work of connecting the religion and the government of the colony so closely that they should mutually sustain each other against the attacks of the Church of England. While these measures were in course of adjustment other matters were engaging the attention of the colony. After Roger Will- iams had been a little more than two years in Pl^'-mouth, he was called again to Salem, lO ROGER WILLIAMS SEEKING REFUGE AMONG THE INDIANS 145 146 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. and accepted the invitation. This gave offence to many persons, and in January, 1634, complaints were made against Williams because of a paper he had written while at Plymouth, denying that the king had any power to grant lands in America to his sub- jects, since the lands were the property of the Indians. In this Williams was wrong, as the settlers in New England had been care- ful to obtain the consent of the natives to their occupation of the lands they had pos- sessed. He made a proper explanation of his paper, when he understood the true state of the case, and consented that it should be burned. Williams will not Retract. Still the jealousy and dislike of the Puri- tans was aroused by the radical opposition of Williams to their system, although he conducted himself with a forbearance and amiableness that should have won him the love of those with whom he was thrown. Williams strongly condemned the law enforc- ing the attendance of the people upon reli- gious services, declaring that a man had a right to stay away if he wished to do so. He also censured the practice of selecting the colonial officials exclusively from the mem- bers of the church, and said that a physician or a pilot might with equal propriety be chosen because of his piety, his skill in theology, or his standing in the church. These and other similar views were drawn from him in a series of controversies, held with him by a committee of ministers, for the purpose of inducing him to retract his radical sentiments. He remained firm in them, however, and his opponents declared that his principles were calculated not only to destroy religion, but also to subvert all forms of civil government. It was resolved to banish him from the colony, and as the people of Salem warmly supported Williams, they were admonished by the court, and a tract of land, which was rightfully theirs, was withheld from them as a punishment. Williams and the church at Salem appealed to the people against the in- justice of the magistrates, and asked the other churches of the colony to " admonish the magistrates of their injustice." This was regarded as treason by the colonial govern- ment, and at the next general court Salem was disfranchised until the town should make ample apology for its offence. Will- iams was summoned before the general court in October, 1635, and maintained his opinions with firmness, though with mod- eration. He was sentenced to banishment from the colony, nqt, as it was declared, because of his religious views, but because the magistrates averred his principles, if carried out, would destroy all civil govern- ment. A Fugitive in the Wilderness. The season was so far advanced that it would have been barbarous to drive any one out of the colony at that time, and Williams obtained leave to remain in the province until the spring, when he intended forming a settlement on Narragansett Bay. The affection of his people at Salem, which had seemed to grow cold when the town began to feel the weight of the punishment inflicted by the general court, now revived, and they thronged to his house in great numbers to hear him, and his opinions spread rapidly. The magistrates were alarmed, and it was resolved to send him at once to England in a ship that was just about to sail from Boston. He was ordered to come to Boston and embark there, but refused to obey the summons. A boat's crew was then sent to arrest him and bring him to Boston by force; but when the officers reached Salem he had disappeared. SETTLEMENT OF MASSACKtrSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. 14; Three days before their arrival Roger Williams had left Salem, a wanderer for con- science sake. It was the depth of winter, the snow lay thickly over the country, and the weather was cold and inclement. For fourteen weeks, he says, he" was sorely tost in a bitter season, not knowing what bread or bed did mean." Banished from the set- tlements of his own race the exile went out into the wilderness, and sought the country of the Indians, whose friendship he had won during his stay in the colony. He had ac- quired their language during his residence at Plymouth, and could speak it fluently. He went from lodge to lodge, kindly wel- comed by the sav- ages, and lodging sometimes in a hol- low tree, until he reached Mount Hope, the residence of Mas- sasoit, who was his friend. Canonicus.the great chieftain of the Narragansetts, loved him with a strong af- fection, which ceased only with his life; and in the country of these friendly chiefs Williams passed the safety. He and would render any misunderstanding be- tween the Plymouth and Bay colonies on his account impossible " I took his prudent motion," says Williams, " as a voice from God." Providence Founded. Being joined by five companions, Williams embarked in a canoe in June, 1635, and pass- ing over to the west arm of Narragansett Bay, landed at an attractive spot, where he found a spring of pure water. He chose the place as the site of a new settlement, and in gratitude for his deliverance from the many LANDING ROGER WILLIAMS PROVIDENCE. winter in peace and never ceased to be grateful for their aid in his distress, and during his whole life he was the especial friend and champion of the Indians in New England. It was the intention of Williams to settle at Seekonk, on the Pawtucket River ; but that place was found to be within the limits of the Plymouth colony. Governor Winslo w wrote to Williams advising him to remove to the region of Narragansett Bay, which was beyo.:H the jurisdiction of the English, dangers through which he had passed, named it Providence. He sought to purchase enough land for a settlement, but Canonicus refused to sell the land, and gave it to his friend " to enjoy forever." This grant was made to Williams alone, and constituted him absolute owner of the lands included in it. He might have sold them to settlers on terms advantageous to himself; but he declined to do so. In the next two years he was joined by & number of his old followers from Massachu- 14^ SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. setts, and by others who fled to h's asylum. He gave a share of land to all who came to settle, and admitted them to an equality with himself in the political administration of the colony. The government was administered by the whole people. The voice of the majority decided all public measures ; but in matters of conscience every man was left an- swerable to God alone. All forms of relig- ious belief were tolerated and protected. Even infidelity was safe here from punish- ment by the civil or ecclesiastical power. Praiseworthy Charity, Williams was anxious to establish iriendly relations with the Massachusetts cole y • for though he felt keenly the injustice of his per- secutors, he cherished no bitterness or resent- ment towards them. He condemned only what he considered the delusions of the magistrates of Massachusetts, but never at- tacked his persecutors, "1 did ever from my soul," he wrote with simple magnanimity, " honor and love them, even when their judg- ment led them to afflict me." Winslow, touched with his true Christian forbearance, came from Plymouth to visit him, and left with his wife some money for their support; and some of the leaders of the Bay colony began to bear tardy witness to his virtues. The settlement at Providence continued to grow slowly, and was blessed with peace and an increasing prosperity. Massachusetts in the meantime continued to receive numerous additions to her popula- tion by emigration from England. In the autumn of 1635, twelve families left Boston, and journeying into the interior, founded the town of Concord. They had a hard struggle to establish their little settlement, but per- severed, and at length their labors were crowned with success. Three thousand people came over to Massachusetts this year. Among them were Hugh Peters, a man of great eloquence and ability and a devoted republican, who had been pastor to a church of exiles at Rotterdam, and Henry Vane the younger, "a man of the purest mind; a statesman ot spotless integrity ; whose name the progress of intelligence and liberty will erase from the rubic of fanatics and traitors, and insert high among the aspirants pfter truth and the martyrs for liberty." * In the following spring (1636) Vane was elected governor of the colony. The people were dazzled by his high birth and pleasing qualities, and committed an error in choos- ing him, for neither his age nor his experi- ence fitted him for the distinguished position conferred upon him. The arrival of Vane seemed to promise an emigration of a num- ^ber of the English nobility, and an effort was made by several of them in England to pro- cure the division of the general court into two branches, and the establishment of an hereditary nobility in the colony which should possess a right to seats in the upper branch of the court. The magistrates of the colony were anxious to conciliate these val- uable friends, but they firmly refused to establish hereditary nobility in their new state. Trouble in the Church. Religious discussions formed a large part of the life of the colony. Meetings were held by the men, and passages of Scripture were discussed, and the sermons of the min- isters made the subject of searching criticism. The women might attend these meetings, but were not allowed to take part in the discus« sions. Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, a woman of talent and eloquence, claimed for her sex the right to participate equally with the men in these meetings ; but as this was not possible- she began to hold meetings for the benefit of the women at her own house. At these. * Bancroft, SETTLEMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. 149 The church party being now in power resolved to silence Mrs. Hutchinson. She was admonished to cease her teachings, and upon her refusal to obey this order, she and her followers were exiled from the colony. Wheelwright and a number of his friends went to New Hampshire, and founded '"he* town of Exeter, at the head of tide- water on the Piscataqua. Mrs. Hutchinson and the majority of her followers removed, in the spring of 1638, to the southward, intending to settle on Long Island or on the Delaware. Roger Williams induced them to remain near his plantation, and obtained for them from Miantonomoh, the chief of the Narra- gansett tribe, the gift of the beautiful island in the lower part of Narragansett Bay, which they called the island of Rhodes, or Rhode Island. Sad Fate of Mrs. Hutchinson. The number of settlers was scarcely more than twenty, but they proceeded to form a government upon a plan agreeable to the principles they professed. It was a pure democracy, founded upon the universal consent of the people, who signed a sociai compact pledging themselves to obey the laws made by the majority, and to respect the rights of conscience. William Codding- ton, who had been a magistrate in the Bay colony, was elected judge or ruler, and three elders were chosen as his assistants. The settlement grew rapidly, and by 1641 the population had become so numerous as to require a written constitution. Mrs. Hutchinson remained in Rhode Island for several years ; but fearing that the hostility of the magistrates of Massa- chusetts would reach her even there, removed beyond New Haven into the territory of the Dutch, where, in 1643, she and all her family who were with her, except one child, who was taken prisoner, were murdered by the Indians. religious doctrines were discussed and advo- cated, which were at variance with the prin- ciples of the magistrates. Mrs. Hutchinson and her followers held that the authority of private judgment was superior to that of the church, and con- demned the efforts of the colony to enforce conformity to the established system as viola- tive of the inherent rights of Christians. She was encouraged by John Wheelwright, a silenced minister, who had married her sister, and by Governor Vane, and her opinions were adopted by a large number of the people, and by members of the general court and some of the magistrates. The ministers saw their authority menaced by the new belief, and made common cause against Mrs. Hutchinson and her protector, Governor Vane. The colony was divided into two parties, and the religious question became a matter of great political import- ance. Under the established system the ministers formed almost a distinct estate of the government, and political privileges were entirely dependent upon theological conformity. Feeling sure that they would not receive justice at the hands of their opponents, the friends of Mrs. Hutchinson declared their intention to appeal to the king. This aroused a storm of indignation in the colony, and " it was accounted perjury and treason to speak of appeals to the king." This threat changed the whole character of the question, and was fatal to the party which made it. The Puritans had come to Massachusetts to escape the interference of the crown with their religious belief, and to appeal to the king in this case would be simply to place the liber- ties of the colony at his mercy. When the elections were held, in the spring of 1637, Governor Winthrop and the old magistrates we. e chosen by a large majority. Vane soon after returned to England. CHAPTER XI. Colonization of Connecticut Hke Dateh Qaira the Connecticut Valley — They Build a Fort at Hartford — Governor Winslow Makes a Lodgment io Connecticut for the English — Withdrawal of the Dutch — The First Efforts of the English to Settle Connecticut — Emi<- gration of Hooker and His Congregation — They Settle at Hartford — Winthrop Builds a Fort at Saybrooke — Hostility of the Indians — Visit ot Roger Williams to Miantonomoh — A Brave Deed — The Pequod War^Capture of the Indiao Fort — Destruction of the Pequod Tribe — Effect of This War Upon the Other Tribes — Connecticut Adopts a Constitu* tion — Its Peculiar Features — Settlement of New Haven. THE fertile region of the Connecticut had attracted the attention of the English at an early day ; but before they could make any effort to occupy it the Dutch sent an exploring party from Manhattan Island, in 1614, and exam- ined the river and the country through which it flowed. They built and fortified a trading-post on the site of the present city of Hartford, but soon excited the ill-will of the Indians by their cruel treatment of them. The Dutch found themselves unable to occupy the country, and, being unwilling to lose it, endeavored, but without success, to induce the Pilgrims to remove from Plymouth to the Connecticut, and settle in that region under their protection. In 1630 the council of Plymouth granted the Connecticut region to the Earl of War- wick, who, in 163 1, assigned his claim to Lords Say and Brooke, John Hampden, and others. As soon as this grant was known to the Dutch they sent a party to the site of Hartford and re-established their trading- post, and began a profitable trade with the Indians. They mounted two cannon on their fort for the purpose of preventing the English from ascending the river. Towards the latter part of the year 1 63 3, Governor Winslow, of Plymouth, in order to secure a foothold for the English in this valuable region, sent Captain William Holmes to the ISO Connecticut with a sloop and a number ol men to make a settlement. Upon ascending the river to the site of Hartford, Holmes found his progress barred by the Dutch fort, the commander of which threatened to fire upon him if he attempted to continue his voyage. Undaunted by this threat, Holmes passed by the fort without harm, and ascended the stream to Windsor, where he erected a fortified post. In 1634, the Dutch made an unsuccessful attempt to drive him away. Failing in this, and seeing that it was the deliberate purpose of the English to occupy the Connecticut valley, the Dutch relinquished all claim to that region, and a boundary line was arranged between their possessions and those of the English, cor- responding very nearly to that between the states of Connecticut and New "Vork. In 1635, the Pilgrims determined to make settlements in this inviting region, and late in the fall of that year a company of sixt) persons, men, women and children, set out from Plymouth by land, sending a sloop laden with provisions and their household goods around by sea, with orders to join them upon the Connecticut River. They began their journey too late in the season^ and their sufferings were very great in con- sequence. Upon reaching the river they found the ground covered with snow, and their sloop was delayed by storms and io«, COLONIZATION OF CONNECTICUT. 151 Their cattle died from cold and exposure, and but for a little corn which they obtained from the Indians, and such acorns as they could gather, the whole company must have starved to death. Many of them abandoned their new home and returned by land to the settlements on the coast. , The Puritans were resolved to continue the effort to settle Connecticut, and in the spring of 1636 several com- panies emigrated to that re- gion. The principal party set out in June, led by the Rev. Thomas Hooker. It comprised about one hundred persons, and consisted prin- cipally of Hooker's congrega- tion, who followed their pastor with enthusiasm. They drove before them a considerable number of cattle, which fur- nished them with milk on the march. The emigrants were largely made up of persons of refine- ment and culture, and com- prised many of the oldest and most valued citizens of the Bay colony. They were at- tracted to the valley of the Connecticut by the superior advantages which it offered for the prosecution of the fur trade, and by the great fertil- ity of its soil. They had no guide but a compass, and their route lay through an unbroken wilderness. The journey was long and fatiguing. The emigrants accom- plished scarcely more than ten miles a day, carrying their sick on litters, and making the forests ring with their holy hymns. At length the site of Hartford, whei e it was pro- posed to establish the settlement, was reached by the first of July. The greater number remained there; some went higher up the river and founded Springfield, and the rest went to Wethersfield, where there was already a small settlement. In the same year the younger John Win- throp arrived from England, with orders from Lords Say and Brooke to establish a fort at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Thi^ JOHN HAMPDEN. he accomplished, naming the new settlement Saybrooke, in honor of the proprietors. The settlements in Connecticut grew rapidly, the excellent soil and pleasant climate attract- ing many emigrants to them. The existence of these settlements was precarious, however. The region in which 152 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. they had been planted was the country of the Pequc>d3, who inhabited it in large numbers. They were the most powerful and warlike tribe in New England, and could bring nearly two thousand warriors into the field. They occupied the southwestern part of Connect- icut, and their territory extended almost to the Hudson on the west, where it joined that of the Mohegans. On the east their territory bordered that of the Narragansetts, Both of these tribes were the enemies of the Pequods and the friends of the English. This friend- ship was resented by the Pequods, who were already jealous of the English because of their occupation of the lands along the Connecticut. The tribe bore a bad name, and had already manifested their hostility by murdering, a few years before, a Virginia trader named Stone, together with the crew of his vessel, who A^ere engaged in a trading expedition on the Connecticut River. Blood Shed on Both Sides. Somewhat later Captain Oldham and his crew, while exploring the river, were also murdered by Indians living on Block Island. The Pequods justified the murder of Stone by alleging that he had attacked them. Wishing to make a treaty with the English, they sent their chiefs to Boston for that pur- pose, and promised — as the magistrates understood them — to deliver up the two men who had killed Stone. Captain John Endicott was sent with a vessel, in 1636, to punish the ^lock Island Indians for the murder of Old- ham, and was ordered to call on his return at the Pequod town, and demand the surrender of the murderers of Stone. The Pequods declined to surrender these men, but offered to ransom them. This was in accordance with their customs. But Endicott refused to accept any compensation for the crime that had been committed, and to punish the Indians destroyed their corn and burned two of their villages. This made open hostilities inevitable. The Pequods began to hang around the Connecticut settlements and cut off stragglers from them. By the close of the wmter more than thirty persons had fallen victims to their vengeance. A Dangerous Mission, The settlements in the Connecticut valley were now greatly alarmed. They could not muster over two hundred fighting men, and the Indians in their immediate vicinity could bring into the field at least seven hundred warriors. War was certain, and it was not known at what moment the savages would attack the settlements in overwhelming force. Connecticut called upon Massachu- setts for aid, but only twenty men under Captain Underbill, were sent to their aid. The energies and attention of the Bay colony were engrossed by the Hutchinson quarrel. The Pequods, notwithstanding their im- mense numerical superiority, were unwilling to make war upon the English without the suppo/t of another tribe. They accordingly sent envoys to Miantonomoh, the chief of the Narragansetts, to endeavor to engage that tribe in the effort against the whites. Such a union would have menaced all New England, and as soon as the news of the negotiation reached Boston the government of the Bay colony prepared to prevent the alliance. Governor Vane at once wrote to Roger Williams, the friend of Miantonomoh, urging him to seek that chieftain and prevent him from joining the Pequods. It was a dangerous mission, and certamly a great service for the magistrates of Massa« chusetts to ask of the man whom they had driven into exile. They did not ask in vain, however. All of Williams' generous nature was aroused by the danger which threatened his brethren, and he embarked in a fr^.v COLONIZATION OF CONNECTICUT. 153 canoe, and braving the danger of a severe gale, sought the quarters of Miantonomoh. He found the Pequod chiefs already there, and the Narragansetts wavering. Knowing the errand on which he had come, the hostile chieftains were ready at any moment to des- patch him, and had Miantonomoh shown the least fa- vor to the project, Williams would have paid for his boldness with his life. He spent three days and nights in the company of the savages, and suc- ceeded in inducing Miantonomoh not m\y to refuse to join the war against the English, but to promise the colo- nists his assistance against the Pe- quods. In the meantime he sent a messenger to Bos- ton to inform the governor of the de- signs of the In- dians. The Pequods, left to continue the iutruggle alone, flat- tered themselves that their superi- ority in numbers would give them the vic- tory, and continued their aggressions upon the Connecticut settlements to such an extent that in May, 1637, the general court of that province resolved to begin the war at once A force of eighty men, including those sel from Massachusetts, was assembled at Hart ford, and the command was conferred b^ A GROUP OF INDIANS. Hooker upon Captain John Mason. The night previous to their departure was speni in prayer, and on the twentieth of May thw little force embarked in boats and descended 154 SETTLEMENT Ob AMERICA. the river to the sound, and passed around to Narragansett Bay, intending to approach the '^'^ouod town from that quarter. As the Dodts sailed by the mouth of the Thames, the savages supposed the EngHsh were abandoning the Connecticut valley. The day after the arrival of the English in Narragansett Bay was the Sabbath, and was scrupulously observed. On the following day they repaired to the quarters of Canonicus, the old chief and principal ruler of the Narragansett tribe, and asked his assistance against the Pequods. Mian- tonomoh, the nephew and prospective suc- cessor of Canonicus, hesitated to join in the doubtful enterprise, but two hundred war- riors agreed to accompany the English, who could not, however, count upon the fidelity of these reinforcements. Seventy Mohe- gans, under Uncas, their chief, also joined Mason. With this force the English com- mander marched across the country toward the Pequod towns on the Thames, and halted on the night of the twenty-fifth of May within hearing of them. A Sudden Attack. In the meantime the Pequods, convinced that the English had fled from the Connecti- cut region, and never dreading an attack in their fort, which they consider-ed impreg- nable, had given themselves up to rejoicing. The night, passed by the English in waiting the signal for the attack, was spent by the Pequods in revelry and songs, which could be plainly heard in the English camp. Two hours before dawn, on the morning of the twenty-sixth of May, the order was given to the little band under Mason to advance. They knew they would have to decide the battle by their own efforts, and were by no means certain that their Indian allies would not turn against them. The Pequods were posted in two strong forts made of palisades driven into ♦•*»^ ground and strengthened with rush-work, an excel- lent defence against a foe of their own race, but worthless when assailed by Europeans. The principal fort stood on the summit of a considerable hill, and was regarded by Sassa- cus, the Pequod chief, as impregnable. The tramp of the advancing force aroused a dog, whose fierce bark awoke the Indian sentinel. The keen eye of the savage detected the enemy in the gloom of the morning, and he rushed into the fort, shouting, " The English ! The English ! " The next moment the English were through the palisades. On all sides they beheld the Indians pouring out of their lodges to take part in the hand-to-hand fight. The odds were too great. " We must burn them," cried Mason, and, suiting the action to the word, he applied a torch to a wigwam constructed of dry reeds. The flames sprang up instantly, and spread with the rapidity of lightning. The Indians vainly endeavored to extinguish the fire, and the English, with- drawing to a greater distance, began to pick off the savages, who were doubly exposed by the light of the blazing fort. Wherever a Pequod appeared, he was shot down. The Narragansetts and Mohegans now joined in the conflict, and the victory was complete. More than six hundred Pequods, men, women and children, perished, the majority of them in the flames. The English lost only two men ; and the battle was over in an hour. Indians in a Rage. As the sun rose, a body of three hundred Pequod warriors were seen advancing from their second fort. They came expecting to rejoice with their comrades in the destruc- tion of the English. When they beheld the ruined fort and the rerr fhe colony of Rhode Island desired to be aditnitted into the union, but its petition was refused, as it would not acknowledge the jurisdiction of Plymouth. The people of the two settlements on Narragansett Bay, dread- ing an attempt to absorb them into some of the other colonies, now determined to apply VD Parliament for an independent charter. Roger Williams was despatched to England for that purpose in 1643, and reached that country soon after the death of Hampden, The fame of his labors among the Indians secured for him a cordial welcome. The Charter Confirixsd Assisted by Sir Henry Vane, a charter was obtained in March, 1 644, organizing the settlements on Narragansett Bay as an inde- pendent colony under the name of "The Providence Plantations," " with full power and authority to rule themselves." The ex- ecutive council of state in England, in 165 1, made some grants to Coddington which would have dismembered the little state, and Williams was obliged to make a second voy- age to England to have these grants vacated. He succeeded in his efforts, and the charter was confirmed. He received in this, as in his former mission, the cordial co-operation of Sir Henry Vane, whose name should be ever dear to the people of Rhode Island, since but for him her territory would have been divided among the neighboring col- onies. In the interval between his first and second voyages Roger Williams became a Baptist, and founded the first church of that denomination in America. The country between the Piscataqua and ihe Kennebec was assigned to Sir Ferdinand Gorges, who, in 1639, was confirmed in his possession by a formal charter from Charles I., who called the territory the Province of Maine. In 1640, Gorges sent his son Thomas to Maine as his representative. II Thomas Gorges took up his residence at the settlement of Agamenticus, now the town of York, and in 1642 changed the name of the lace to Gorgeana. Maine Comes Into the Union. Since the settlement of the colony the French had claimed the region between the St. Croix and the Penobscot, which they had settled under the name of Acadia, as has been stated elsewhere. After the death of Sir Ferdinand Gorges Maine was divided among his heirs. These cut it up into four weak communities, whose helplessness laid them open to the encroachments of the French in Canada. Apprehensive of the results of this, Massachusetts, to whom many of the inhabitants of the province had appealed to take such a course, in 1 651 claimed the province of Maine as a part of the territory which had been granted to the colony by the original charter of Massa- chusetts. Commissioners were sent to establish the authority of the Bay colony over the prov- ince, but the magistrates of Maine resisted them, and appealed to the English govern- ment for protection. The people of Maine were the adherents of the king and the estab- lished church, and England was now ruled by the Puritans ; consequently Massachusetts won her cause, and Maine was declared a part of that province. Massachusetts made a generous use of her power, and allowed the towns of Maine very much the same govern- ment and privileges they now enjoy, and in religious matters treated them with the same leniency she had shown to New Hampshire. In 1646,3 dispute in the Bay colony in- duced one of the parties to it to appeal to Parliament to sustain his claims, and an order was sent out to Boston in his behalf" couched in terms which involved the right of Parlia- ment to reverse the decisions and control the ^^— — 4/^»^.,^. ^-<3q>J JOHN ELIOT PREACHING TO THE INDIANS THE UNION OF THE' NEW ENGLAND COLONIES. 165 government of Massachusetts.** In plainer terms. Parliament claimsd the right to revoke the chartei of the colony, as the king had done at the outset of the civil war. The danger was great, and Massachusetts met it with firmness. The general court met on the fourth of November, and sat with closed doors to discuss 'the claim of the English government. It was resolved " that Massa- chusetts owed to England the same allegi- ance as the free Hanse towns had rendered to the empire ; as Normandy, when its dukes were kings of England, paid to the monarchs of France.'' Parliament Must Keep Hands Off. The court also refused to accept a new charter from Parliament, as that action might im.ply a surrender of the original instrument, or to allow Parliament to control in any way the independence of the colony. Great as this claim was, it was admitted by the Eng- lish Parliament, in which the rights of the colony were stoutly maintained by Sir Henry Vane and others ; and in reply to a respectful address of the general court setting forth the views of that body, a committee of Parlia- ment declared : " We encourage no appeals from your justice. We leave you with all the freedom and latitude that may, m any respect, be duly claimed by you." Later on, upon the establishment of the common- wealth, Parliament invited the people of Massachusetts to receive a new patent from that body ; but the colonial authorities wisely declined to do this, or to allow the home government any hold upon the administra- tion of the affairs of the province. In 165 1, Cromwell, who had subdued Ireland, offered that island to the Puritans of New England as a new home; but they declined to leave America. Cromwell proved hiraself in many ways a judicious friend of Nf:w England, and the people of that country treasured his memory with the gratitude and respect it so richly deserved. Though sc successful in asserting her own libertJf^s, Massachusetts had not yet learned the lesson of religious tolerance. When the Baptists began to appear in the colony, severe measures were inaugurated to crush them, and one of their number — Holmes — a resident of Lynn, was whipped unmercifully. Still greater were the severities practised towards the Quakers. This sect had grown out of the Protestant Reformation, and con- stituted at this day the most advanced thi'.ikers upon religious matters to be found in England. They claimed a perfect freedom in matters of faith and worship, and regarded all laws for enforcing religious systems a.^ works of the devil. They were persons oi pure lives, and even their most inveterate enemies could not charge them with wrong- doing. Previous to their appearance in Massachusetts exaggerated reports reached the colony concerning them. They were represented as making war upon all forms ot religion and government. Intolerance Toward Quakers, The first of this creed who came to New England were Mary Fisher and Ann Austin, vjho reached Boston in July, 1656. In the absence of a special law against Quakers, they were arrested under the provisions of the general statute against heresy; their trunks were searched and their books burned by the hangman. Their persons were exam- ined for marks of witchcraft, but nothing could be found against them, and after being kept close prisoners for five weeks, they were sent back to England. During the year eight others were also sent back to England. Laws which were a dis- grace to an enlightened community were now passed prohibiting the Quakers from entering the colony. Such as came were 1 64 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. imprisoned, cruelly whipped, and sent away. In 1657 a woman was whipped with twenty stripes for this offence. In 1658 a law was enacted that if any Quaker should return after being banished, his or her offence should be punished with death. It was hoped that this barbarous measure would rid the colony of their presence ; but they came in still greater numbers, to reprove the magis- rates for their persecuting spirit, and to call INDIAN MEDICINE-MAN. them to repentance. In 1659 Marmaduke Stephenson, William Robinson, Mary Dyar and William Leddro were hanged on Boston Common for returning to the colony after Leing banished. i These cruelties were regarded with great discontent by the people of the colony, whose humanity was shocked by the barbarity of the magistrates. Their opposition grew stronger every day, and at last it became evi- dent to the magistrates themselves that their severities were of no avail. When William Leddro was being sentenced to death, the magistrates were startled by the entrance into the court-room of Wenlock Christison, a Quaker who had been bamished and forbid- den to return on pain of death. Christison was arrested, but the complaints of the people became so loud that the magistrates were obliged to pause in their bloody work. Christison and twenty-seven of his com- panions were released from custody, the persecution of the Quakers was discon- tinued, and the general court, in obedi- ence to the will of the people, repealed the barbarous laws against that sect. The Apostle to the Indians. In pleasing contrast with these sever- ities were the efforts of the Puritans to spread a knowledge of the gospel among the savages. Chief among those engaged in the good work was John Eliot, the min- ister of Roxbury, whose labors won him the name of " the apostle Eliot." He went among the red men in the forests, and ac- quired a knowledge of their language that he might preach to them in their own tongue. When he had become suffi- ciently proficient in it, he translated the Bible into the Indian language. This translation was printed at Cambridge, and a part of the type was set by an Indian compositor. He spent many years in the preparation of his Bible, and made a good use of it during his life ; but it is now valu- able only as a literary curiosity and as the evidence of the devotion of the translator toi his noble work. The destruction of the race for which it was intended has made it a sealed book. Eliot gathered his savage converts into a settlement at Natick, and taught the men the art of agriculture and the women to spin and to weave cloth. He had to encounter the THE UNION OF THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES. 165 kjpposition of the chiefs ^v.d medicine men or priests, who resented his efforts to win their people from the worship and habits of their ancestors, b»^t he persevered. He Was greatly beloved by his disciples, and continued his labors among: them far into ;old age, and to a limited extent to the day of ^lis death, which took place when he ^ad attained the ripe age of eighty -six years. " My memory, my utter- ance fails me," he said near the close of his lifei *' but I thank God my charity holds out still.'* When Walton, a brother minister, visited him on his death-bed, he greeted him with the words ; " Brother, you are welcome ; but retire to your study and pray that I may be gone." His last words on earth were the triumphal shout with which he entered upon his reward : " Welcome joy ! " Many of the Quakers, after the persecu- tion against them was over, joined Eliot ii» his labors. He had other fellow-worker^. The two Mayhews, father and son, Cotton, and Brainerd thought it a privilege to labor for the souls of the poor savages. Native preachers were ordained, and at last there were thirty churches of " praying Indi-iins ** under such preachers. CHAPTER XIV New England after the Restoration •«riiTa! oi tbe News of the Restoration of Charles II. — The Regicides in New England — They are Protected— Revirs" of the Navigation Acts — Effect of this Measure upon the New England Colonies — Massachusetts Delays the Proclama tion of the King — Connecticut Obtains a Charter — Union oi New Haven with the Connecticut Colony — Rhode Island Given a New Charter— Massachusetts Settles her Difficulties with the Crown — Changes in the Government — High landed Actscl the Royal Commissioners — Troubles with the Indians — Injustice of the Whites — King Philip's War— A forest Hero— An Incident in the Attack upon Hadley — Sufferings of the Colonies— Destruction of the Narragansetts— . Death of Philip — Close of the War — England Asserts her Right to Tax the Colonies — Massachusetts buys Gorges' claims to Maine — New Hampshire Made a Separate Province — James II. Revokes the Charter of Massachusetts — Dudley and Randolph in New England — Andros Appointed Governor-General — His Tyranny — He Demands the Charter of Con- necticut — It is Carried Away and Hidden-- -The Charter Oak — Fall of James II. — The People of Massachusetts tak* up Arms— Andros Arrested — Effects ot ths Revolution upon New England. THE news of the restoration of Charles II. to the EngHsh throne was brought to Boston by Edward Whalley and WiHiam Goffe, two of the judges of Charles I. They came to seek refuge from the vengeance of the king, having offended him beyond forgiveness by their share in the death of his father. They remained about a year in Massachusetts, protected by the people, and preaching to them. A few months after their arrival, warrants for their arrest and transportation to England for trial arrived from the king, and to escape this danger they took refuge in New Haven. The royal officers instituted a diligent search for them, and they were obliged to change their place of concealment frequently. Great rewards were offered for their betrayal, «ind even the Indians were urged to search the woods for their hiding-places. The peo- ple whom they trusted protected them, and aided them to escape the royal officers until the vigor of the search was exhausted. They then conducted them to a secure refuse in the vicinity of Hadley, where they remained in seclusioc ua\d peace wntil the close of their lives. 166 News was constantly arriving in the colo- nies of the execution of the men who had been the friends of America in the Parlia- ment, and a general sadness was cast over the settlements by the tidings of the death of Hugh Peters and the noble Sir Henry Vane. From the first the people of New England saw plainly that they had little reason to expect justice at the hands of the royal gov- ernment, and there was little rejoicing in that region at the r'^turn of the king to " his own again." One of Charles's first acts was to revive in a more odious form the navigation act of the Long Parliament. We have spoken of the effect of this measure upon the colonies of Virginia and Maryland. This act closed the harbors of America against the vessels of every European nation save England, and forbade the exportation of certain American productions to any country but England o> her possessions. This was a very serious blow to New England, and was intended as such. The colonies of that region had already built up a growing commerce, and this, together with their activity in ship- building, excited the envy and the hostility of the British merchants, who hoped, by NEW ENGLAND AFTER THfi RESTCRAnUN. 167 Inducing the king to place these restrictions upon the colonies, to compel the Americans to depend upon them for the supply of all their wants. Later on, America was forbidden not only to manufacture any articles which might compete with Eng.Msh manufactures in foreign markets, but to supply her own wants with her own manufactures. At the same time Parliament endeavored to destroy the trade that had grown up between New England and the southern colonies by imposing upon the articles exported from one colony to another a duty equal to that imposed upon the consumption of these articles in England. Foul Injustice. Thus did Great Britain lay the foundation of that system of commercial injustice toward her colonies which eventually deprived her of them, and which her greatest writer on political economy declared to be " a manifest violation of the rights of mankind." The policy thus established in the reign of Charles IL was never departed from. Each succeed- ing administration remained true to the prin- ciples of the navigation act, and consistently declined to admit the claim of the colonies to just and honorable treatment at the hands of the mother country. Charles H. was promptly proclaimed in the colonies of Plymouth, Connecticut, New Haven and Rhode Island, and those provinces were administered in his name. Massachu- setts, distrusting his purposes towards her, held back, and waited until he should show his intentions more plainly. Connecticut had purchased the claims of the assigns of the Earl of Warwick to the region occupied by her, and had bought the territory of the Mohegans from Uncas, their sachem. The colony sent the younger Win- throp to England in 1661 to obtain a charter firora the king. The noble character of Gov- ernor Winthrop was well known in England, and impressed even the profligate Charles His reception was cordial and his mission entirely Fuccessful. In 1662, the king granted to the colony a charter incorporating Hart- ford and New Haven in one province und-t the name of Connecticut, and extending ;.iSi limits from Long Island Sound westward ta the Pacific Ocean, thus bestowing upon the colony those rich western lands which were subsequently made the basis of the magnifi- cent school fund of Connecticut. The charter was substantially the same in its provisions as the constitution adopted by the Hartford colony. By it the king conferred upon the colonists the right to elect their own officers and to make and administer their own laws without interference from England in any event whatever. Connecticut was made independent in all but name, and the charter continued in force as the constitution of the state after the period of independence unti! 1818. Good Fortune of Connecticut. The colony 01' New Haven was mi;cli opposed to the union with Connecticut, and it required all Governor Winthrop's efforla to induce the people of that colony to accept it. The matter was adjusted in 1 665, when the union was finally accomplished. The labors of Governor Winthrop were rewarded by his annual election as governor of Con- necticut for fourteen years. Connecticut was a fortunate colony. Its government was ably and honestly administered ; no persecutions marred its peace, and its course was uniformly prosperous and happy. It was always one of the most peaceful and orderly colonies oi New England, and for a century its popula tion doubled once in twenty years, notwith • standing frequent emigrations of its people to other parts of the country. The colony at an early day made a liberal provision fo» i68 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. education, and in 1700 Yale College was founded. It was originally located at Say- brooke, but in 17 18 was removed to New Haven. Rhode Island was equally fortunate. Through its resident agent at London, John Clarke, it made application to the king for a new charter, and after some delay, caused by the difficulty of arranging satisfactorily the limits of the province, a charter was granted in 1663, formerly establishing the colony of " Rhode Island and Providence Plantations " This charter continued to be the sole constitution of Rhode Island until the year 1842. By its provisions the govern- ment of the colony was to consist of a gov- ernor, deputy-governor, ten assistants, and representatives from the towns. Equal Rights to All. The laws were to be agreeable to those of England, but no oath of allegiance was required of the colony, and in matters of religion the charter declared that ** no person within the said colony, at any time hereafter, shall be anywise molested, punished, dis- quieted, or called in any question for any difference in opinion in matters of religion ; every person may at all times freely and fully enjoy his own judgment and conscience in matters of religious concernments." Free- dom of conscience was not restricted to Christians ; it was extended by the charter to infidels and pagans as well. This charter made the little colony secure against the attempts of Massachusetts to absorb her, and its reception by the people was joyful and enthusiastic. At this period the population of Rhode Island was about twenty-five hundred. It increased rapidly and steadily ; the excellent harbors of the province encouraged com- merce, and the little state soon began to rival her larger associates in prosperity. Massachusetts was from the first regarded with disfavor by the royal government. It delayed its acknowledgment of Charles II. for over a year, and the king was not pro- claimed at Boston until the seventh of August, 1661. Even then the general court forbade all manifestations of jay. These signs of the independent spirit of the people had been observed in England, and the coi ony had been watched by the government with anything but favor. The en'^mies oi the young state hurried their complaints be- fore the king, and Massachusets at lengtb found it to her interest to send commission- ers to London, as, indeed, the express orders of the king reqjired her to do. Among the agents sent over were John Norton and Simon Bradstreet, men of ability and mod- eration, who commanded the confidence of all classes of the colonists. Their instruc- tions were to assure the king of the loyalty of Massachusetts, to engage his favor foi the colony ; but to agree to " nothing preju dicial to their present standing according to their patent, and to endeavor the establish- ment of the rights and privileges then enjoyed.** Two Pa' ies m ^'Massachusetts. The commissioners reached London in January, 1662, and were graciously received oy the king, who confirmed the charter, and granted a complete amnesty for all past offences against his majesty. He required, however, that all laws derogatory to his authority should be repealed ; that the col- onists should take the oath of allegiance to him; that justice should be administered in his name: that the right of suffrage should be thrown open to all freeholders of com- petent estates ; and that all who wished to do so should be free to use " the book of com- mon prayer, and perform their devotion ia the manner established in England." NEW ENGLAND AFTER THE RESTORATION. 169 Tliese were better terms than the commis- skiners had reason to expect, and were not in themselves objectionable, as Massachu- setts was growing beyond its early preju- dices; but the acceptance of them would have implied an acknowledgment by the colony of the king's right to change its fun- damental law, and to interfere with its affairs at pleasure. Massachusetts was at once divided into two parties, the larger of which maintained the independence of the colony of royal control ; the smaller party supported the claims of the king. Under other circum- stances no opposition would have been made to the toleration of the practices of the Church of England in the colony; but now that it seemed that episcopacy was to be in- troduced as the ally of the royal power, the people of Massachusetts resolved to prevent it from obtaining a foothold in their midst. , The general court resolved to maintain their political independence, and their religious establishment as well. ,\s a measure of pre- caution, the charter was secretly intrusted for safe-keeping to a committee of four, ap- pointed by the general court ; and it was ordered that only small bodies of officers and men should be allowed to land from ships, and should be required to yield a strict obedience to the laws of the province while OK shore. Contempt for Puritan Custom?. These last measures were adopted because of the appointment by the king of commis- sioners to regulate the affairs of New Eng- land. The commissioners reached Boston in July, 1664, escorted by the fleet sent out from England for the reduction of New Amsterdam. They were ordered to investi- gate the manner in which the charters of the New England colonies had been exercised, and had " full authority to provide for the peace of the country, according to the royal instructions, and their own discretion " — ^3 power which Massachusetts was justified in regarding as dangerous to her liberties. The People Redress their "Wrongs. The commissioners cared very little foi the prejudices of the people of Massacbu setts, and from the first proceeded to outrage their feelings. They introduced the service? of the Church of England into Boston to the great disgust of the people. The Puritans had always observed the old Jewish custom of beginning their Sabbath at sunset. The commissioners contemptuously disregarded this custom, and spent Saturday evening in merry-making. They soon gave cause for more serious alarm by exercising the powers with which they had been intrusted, and pro- ceeding to redress the grievances of the people. All persons who had complaints against Massachusetts were called upon to lay them before the commissioners, and Rhode Island and the Narragansett chiefs promptly availed themselves of the invita- tion. The general court now cut the matter short by a decisive step, and sternly ordered the commissioners to discontinue their pro- ceedings, as contrary to the charter. The commissioners obeyed the order, and though the firmness of the colony aroused the indig- nation of the king, he was not able to shake the determination of a free people. Nor was this the only opposition shown by New England to the injustice of the mother country. The navigation acts were generally disregarded; they could not be enforced; and Boston and the other New England ports continued to enjoy their grow- ing commerce as freely as before the passage of these infamous acts. Vessels from all the other colonies, and from France, Spain, Hol- land and Italy, as well as from England, were to be seen at all seasons in the port r>f Boston. \^o SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. Massachusetts owned the greater number of vessels built and operated in America, and was the principal carrier for the other colonies. Its ships sailed to the most dis- tant lands beyond the sea, and the commerce of the colony was rapidly becoming a source of great wealth. So marked indeed was the prosperity of New England, that upon the receipt of the news of the great fire in Lon- don the colonists were able to send large sums to the assistance of the sufferers. The 14,000; Massachusetts, about 22,000; Main^j about 4,000; New Hampshire, about 4,000; Rhode Island, about 4,000. The settlements lay principally along the coast, irom New Haven to the northeastern border of Maine. Little progress had been made towards pene- trating the interior. Haverhill, Deerfield, Northfield and Westfield were towns on the remote frontier. This rapid growth alarmed the Indians- who had already begun to regard the white' INDIAN LIFE IN THEIR NATIVE FORESTS. pwople of New England were industrious and frugal. Villages multiplied rapidly, and wherever a village sprang up a common school accompanied it. The villages began to assume a more tasteful and pleasing ap- pearance, and men gave more care to the adornment and beautifying of their homes. The population of New England in 1675 has been estimated at about 55,000 souls, divided among the colonies as follows : Plymouth, about 7,000; Connecticut, about as enemies bent on their destruction. Though there had been peace for forty years in New England, the savages saw that the policy pursued by the settlers was meant to force them back from the lands of their fathers. The whites had gradually absorbed the best lands in New England, and the red men had been as gradually crowded down upon the narrow necks and bays of the southern shores of the Plymouth and Rhode Island colonies. This had been done in pursuance NEW ENGLAND AFTER THE RESTORATION. 171 of a settled policy, as the savages could be •Tiore carefully watched, and more easily aianaged in these localities than if left to roam at will over the country. The Indians on their part sullenly resented the course of the whites, and they had cause for complaint. They were ignorant of the art of cultivating the soil, and unwilling to practice it, and in their restricted limits it was difficult for them to obtain the means of supporting life. The game had been almost entirely driven from the forests, and the savages were forced to depend upon fish for their food ; and these were obtained in scanty and uncertain quan- tities. Thus the very success of New Eng- land was about to bring upon it the mc^t serious misfortunes it had yet sustaine'^- The Chief Entrapped. Massasoit, who had been the early friend of the English, left two sons at his death, Wamsuttaand Metacom, who had long been reckoned among the friends of the Plymouth colony. They were frequent visitors at Plymouth, and had received from the English the names of Alexander and Philip. At the death of Massasoit, Wamsutta, or Alexander, became chief of the Wampanoags. He and his brother Philip were men of more than ordinary abilities, and felt deeply the wrongs which were beginning to fall thickly upon their race. Uncas, the chief of the Mohe- gans, the determined enemy of Wamsutta, exerted himself, with success, to fill the oiinds of the English with suspicions of the mtentions of the Wampanoag chieftain, and It was resolvecJ to arrest him and bring him to Plymouth, Winslow was sent at the head of an armed /orce, and succeeded in surprising the chief in his hunting-lodge, together with eighty of his followers. The proud spirit of Wamsutta chafed with such fury at the indignity thus ^t upon him that he was seized with a dan- , gerous fever, and the English were obliged to permit him to return home. " He died oa his way," says Elliott. " He was carried home on the shoulders of men, and borne to his silent grave near Mount Hope, in the evening of the day, and in the prime of his life, between lines of sad, quick-minded Indians, who well believed him the victim ot injustice and ingratitude ; for his father had been the ally, not the subject, of England, and so was he, and the like indignity had not before been put upon any sachem." By the death of his brother, Metacom, or Philip, became chief of the Wampanoags. He kept his own council, but the whites soon had cause to believe that he meditated a des- perate vengeance upon them for the death of Wamsutta and the wrongs of his race. To make the sense of injury deeper in his mind, the Plymouth authorities treated him with great harshness and compelled him to give up his arms. A "praying Indian" who lived among his people informed the colonists that the chief meditated harm against them, and his dead body was soon after found. Three of Philip's men were suspected of the murder. They were arrested, tried at Ply- mouth, and found guilty by a jury composed of whites and Indians, and were put to death. This was early in 1675. Cry for Revenge. The execution of these men awoke a wild thirst for revenge among the tribe to which they belonged, and the young warriors clam- ored loudly for war against the English. Philip, whose vigorous mind enabled him to judge more clearly of the issue of such a struggle, entered into the contest with reluct- ance, for he saw that it must end in the destruction of his race. He was powerless to resist the universal sentiment of his people, and like a true hero resolved to make the best of the situation in which he was placed. 1/2 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. and to share the fate of his nation. The Indians were tolerably well provided with fire-arms, for, in spite of the severe punish- ments denounced against the sale of weapons to the savages, the colonists had not been proof against the temptations of gain held Out to them by this traffic. Their chief dependence, however, was upon their primitive weapons. The English, on the other hand, were well armed, and were provided with forts and towns which fur- nished them with secure places of refuge. KING PHILIPo They might have averted the war by concil- iating the savages, but they persisted in their unjust treatment of them, regarding them as " bloody heathen,"' who it was their duty to drive back into the wilderness. Philip was able to bring seven hundred desperate warriors into the field. They had no hope of success, and they fought only for vengeance. They knew every nook and hiding-place of the forest, and in these nat- ural defences could hope to continue the struggle as long as the leaves remamed on the trees to conceal their lurking-places from the white man's search. War Breaks Out. Immediately after the execution of the three Indians at Plymouth, Philip's men had begun to rob exposed houses and carry off cattle, but the war did not actually begin until the twenty-fourth of June, 1675, the day of fasting and prayer appointed by the gov- ernment as a preparation for the struggle. On that day the people of Swanzey, in Ply- mouth colony, while returning home from church, were attacked by the Wampanoags, and eight or nine were killed. Philip burst into tears when the news of this attack was brought to him, but he threw himself with energy into the hopeless struggle, now that it had come. Reinforcements were sent from Massachu- setts to the aid of the Plymouth colony, and on the twenty-ninth of June the united forces made an attack upon the Wampanoags, killsd six or seven of their men and drove them to a swamp in which they took refuge. The English surrounded this swamp, determined to starve the Indians into submission, but Philip and his warriors escaped and took refuge among the Nipmucks, a small tribe occupying what is now Worcester county, Massachusetts. The English then marched into the territory of the Narragansetts and compelled them to agree to remain neutral, and to deliver up the fugitive Indians who should take refuge among them. This accomplished, the colonists hoped they had put an end to the war. Philip succeeded in inducing the Nipmucks to join him in the struggle, and his warriors began to hang around the English settle- ments. The whites were murdered wherever they ventured to expose themselves, and a feeling of general terror spread through the NEW ENGLAND AFTER THE RESTORATION. 173 colonies. No one knew the extent of the hostiUty of the savage tribes, or how many- allies Philip had gained ; nor was it certain when or where the next great blow of the savages would be struck. Strange Stories. Some of the colonists began to give way to superstitious fears. It wa:; asserted that an Indian bow, a sign of impending evil, had been seen clearly defined - against the heavens, and ^^ ^ that at the eclipse which occurred at this time the moon bore the figure of an Indian scalp on its face. The northern heavens glowed with auroral lights of unusual brilliancy; troops of phantom horsemen were heard to dash through the air; the sighing of the night wind was hke the sound of whistling bullets; and the howling of the wolves was fiercer and more con- stant than usual. These things, the superstitious declared, were warnings that the colonies were about to be severely pun- ished for their sins, among *rhich they named profane swearing, the neglect of bringing up their children in more rigid observances, the licensing of ale houses, and the wearing of long hair by the men, and of gay apparel by the women. The more extreme even declared that they were about to be "judged " for not exterminating the Quakers. In the meantime, Philip, with a party of Nipmucks and his own people, carried the «var into the valley of the Connecticut, and spread death along the line of settlements from Springfield to Northfield, then the most remote inland town. With the hope of with- drawing the Nipmucks, who could mustei fifteen hundred warriors, from the confed eracy, Captain Hutchinson, with twenty men, was sent to treat with them. His party was ambushed and murdered at Brookfield early m August. The Indians then attacked ,tU.S14^" THE BURNING OF BROOKFIELD BY THE INDIANS* Brookfield, and burned the village with the exception of one stiong house to which the colonists retreated. After a siege of two days, during which they kept up a constant fire upon the build- ing, they attempted to burn the house, but were Drevented by a shower of rain which m SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. extinguished the flames. At the same moment a reinforcement of fifty men arrived to the aid of the whites, and the savages were driven off with the loss of several of iheir number. Philip succeeded in drawing to his support nearly all the tribes of New ttngland, and it was resolved by the savages to make a general effort for the destruction oi the whites. A concerted attack was to be made upon a large number of settlements at the same day and hour, and the Sabbath was chosen as the day most favorable for the movement. King Philip a Refugee. Deerfield in Massachusetts and Hadley in Connecticut were among the places attacked. The former was burned. Hadley was as- sailed while the congregation were worship- ing in the church, and the whites were hard pressed by their antagonists. Suddenly in the midst of the battle there appeared a tall and venerable man with a flowing beard, and clad in a strange dress. With sword in hand he rallied the settlers, and led them to a new fffoYt^ in which the savages were beaten back and put to flight. When the battle was over, the stranger could not be found, and the wondering people declared that he was an angel sent by God for their deliverance. It was Goffe, the regicide, who had suddenly left his place of concealment to aid his coun- trymen in their struggle with the savages. He had been lying in concealment at the house of Russell, the minister of Hadley, and returned to his place of refuge when the danger was over. On the whole, the Indians, though they succeeded in causing great suffering to the colonies, were unsuccessful in their efforts during the summer and autumn of 1675. In October, Philip returned to his old home, but, finding Mount Hope in ruins, took shel- ter among the Narra^ansetts, who protected him notwithstanding their promise to delivei up all fugitives to the English. The colonial authorities seeing that the tribe had no inten- tion of fulfilling their promise, and being fearful that Philip would succeed in winning them over to his side, resolved to anticipate the danger and treat them as enemies. A force was collected and sent into the Narragansett country in December, 1 675. This tribe, numbering about three thousand souls, had erected a strong fort of palisades, in the midst of a swamp near the present town of Kingston, Rhode Island. It was almost inaccessible, and had but a single entrance, defended by a morass, which could be passed only by means of a fallen tree. The English were led to the fort by an Indian traitor, and attacked it on the nine- teenth of December. After a severe fight of two hours they succeeded in forcing an en- trance into the fort. The wigwams were then fired, and the whole place was soon in flames. The defeat of the savages was complete, but it was purchased by the loss of six captains and two hundred and fifty men, killed and wounded, on the part of the English. Fury of the Savages, \bout one thousand of the Narragans^tcs were slain, their provisions were destroyed and numbers were made prisoners. Those who escaped wandered through the frozen woods without shelter, and for food were compelled to dig for nuts and acorns under the snow. Many died during the winter. Canonchet, the Narragansett chief, was among the survivors. " We will fight to the last man rather than become servants to the English," said the undaunted chieftaia He was taken prisoner in April, 1676. near Blackstone, and was offered his life if he would induce the Indians to make peace He refused the offer with scorn, and, when MRS. ROWLANwaOW is^W&£ii gy XHE INDIANS. 175 i^6 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. sentenced to death, answered proudly : " I like it well ; I shall die before I speak any- thing unworthy of myself" In the spring of 1676, Philip, who had been to the west to endeavor to induce the Mohawks to join the war against the Eng- lish, returned to place himself at the head of his countrymen in New England. The work of murdering and burning was resumed with renewed fury. The Indians seemed to be everywhere and innumerable, and the whites could find safety only in their forts. The surviving Narragansetts scourged the Rhode Island and Plymouth colonies with fire and axe, and even the aged Roger Williams was obliged to take up arms for the defence of his home, Lancaster, Medford, Weymouth, Groton, Springfield, Sudbury and Marl- borough, in Massachusetts, and Providence and Warwick, in Rhode Island, were de- stroyed either wholly or in part, and numer- ous other settlements were attacked and made to suffer more or less severely. Mother and Child Woanded. Among the prisoners carried away by the savages was Mrs. Rowlandson, wife of the resident minister, and her little girl six years old. A single bullet fired during the attack wounded both mother and child. With that devotion which is part of the nature of a mother, she carried and nursed the little one for nine days, when it died in her arms. The parent endured many hardships, and was a captive among the Indians for three months, when she was ransomed for twenty pounds. As the season advanced the cause of the Indians became more hopeless, and they began to quarrel among themselves. In June the Nipmucks submitted, and the tribes on the Connecticut refused to shelter Philip any longer. He then appealed to the Mohawks to take up the hatchet, but seeing that his cause was hopeless, they refused to loin . him. In proud despair Philip went back to Mount Hope to die. One of his people urged him to make peace with the whites, and was struck dead by the chief for daring to mention such a humiliation. "I Am Ready to Die!" It became known that Philip had returned to his old home, and Captain Church marched against him, dispersed his followers, and took the chiefs wife and little son pris- oners. Philip, who had borne the reverses and the reproaches of his nation with the firmness of a hero, was conquered by this misfortune. *' My heart breaks," he cried, despairingly, " I am ready to die ! " He was soon attacked by Church in his place of concealment, and in attempting to escape was shot by an Indian who was serving in the ranks of his enemies. Philip's little son was sold as a slave in Bermuda, and the grandson of Massasoit, who had welcomed and befriended the English, was condemned to pass his days in bondage in a foreign clime. The death of Philip was soon followed by the close of hostilities. The power of the Indians was completely broken. Of the Narragansetts scarcely one hundred men were left alive, and the other tribes had suf- fered severely. The Mohegans had remained faithful to the English, and Connecticut had been happily spared the sufferings experi- enced by the other colonies, which were very severe. Twelve or thirteen towns were destroyed, and many others were seriously crippled. Six hundred houses were burned, and the pecuniary losses amounted to the then enormous sum of half a million of dollars. Over six hundred men, chiefly young men, fell in the war, and there was scarcely a family which did not mourn some loved one who had given his life for the country. NEW ENGLAND AFTER THE RESTORATION, ^77 in all their distress the colonies received no aid from England. The mother country- left them to fight out their struggle of life and death alone. The English people and government were indifferent to their fate. One generous Non-conformist church in Dublin sent a contribution of five hundred pounds to the sufferers. This relief was gratefully acknowledged; but to the credit of New England it should be remembered that her colonies never asked assistance from England. The king was very careful, however, to exact every penny he could wring from the colonies, and towards the close of the Indian war established a royal custom-house at Boston for the collection of duties. Duties were imposed upon the com- merce of the colonies, and the royal govern- ment endeavored to enforce their payment by threatening to refuse the New England ships the protection which enabled them to escape the outrages of the African pirates of the Mediterranean. The province of Maine had been restored by Charles II. to the heirs of Sir Ferdinand Gorges, and in J677 Massachusetts pur- chased their claims for the sum of twelve hundred and fifty pounds, and thus confirmed her possession of the region between the Piscataqua and the Kennebec. The region between the Kennebec and the Penobscot was held by the Duke of York, and that from the Penobscot to the St. Croix was occupied by the French. In July, 1679, King Charles detached New Hampshire from Massachusetts, and organ- ized it as a royal province; the first ever erected in New England. The province at once asserted its rights, and a controversy was begun with the crown, which was con- tinued for several years. The people resisted Ihe effort to force upon them the observances of the English church, and the collection of taxes assessed by the royal officials, and 12 Cranfield, the royal governor, finding it impossible to continue his arbitrary rule^ wrote to the British government^ " I shall esteem it the greatest happiness in the world to remove from these unreasonable people. They cavil at the royal commission, and not at my person. No one will be accepted by them who puts the king's commands :r execution." "Conflict With the King. In the last years of his reign Charles II made a determined effort to destroy the charter of Massachusetts. Commissioners were sent by the colony to England to endeavor to defend its rights, but the royal government was resolved upon its course, and the people of Massachusetts were equally determined not to consent to the surrender of their liberties. At length, in 1684, the general court having in the name of the people distinctly refused to make z surrender of the charter to the king, the English courts declared the charter forfeited. A copy of the judgment was sent to Boston, and was received there on the second of July, 1685. The colony was full of appre- hension. The charter under which it had grown and prospered, and which secured its liberties to it without the interference of the crown, had been stricken down by the sub- servient courts of the mother country, and there was now no defence between the liber- ties of Massachusetts and the arbitrary will of the king, who had given the colony good cause to fear his hostility. James II. came to the English throne in 1685. He was even more hostile to New England than his brother Charles. He was a bigoted Roman Catholic, and was resolved to introduce that faith, not only into Eng- land, but also into the colonies. He attempted to accomplish this by proclaiming an indui- orence or toleration of all creeds. As hit 178 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. dared not proceed openly to violate his cor- onation oath, he hoped by this underhanded scheme to place his own religion upon such a footing in England that he would soon be In a position to compel its adoption by his .*abjects. He had greatly mistaken the jemper of both England and America. Joseph Dudley, who had been sent to England as one of the agents of Massachu- SIK EDMUND ANDROS. setts m the last controversy between the colony ana King Charles, now found it to his interest to become as ardent a defender as he had formerly been an opponent of the royal prerogative, and James finding him a willing abettor of his designs, appointed him president of Massachusetts until a royal governor should arrive, for the king was resolved to take away the charters of alt tti4 colonies and make them royal provinces. At the same time, being determined to curtail the liberty of the press, the king appointed Edward Randolph its censor. Dudley was regarded by the people as the betrayer oi the liberties of his country, and both he and Randolph were cordially despised by them. The king in appointing Dudley made no provision for an assembly or general court, as he meant to govern the colonies without reference to the people. He regarded the American pro- vinces as so many possessions of the crown, possessed of no rights, and entitled to no privi- leges save what he chose to allow them. In pursuance of this plan. Sir Edmund Andros, whom the king had appointed governor of New York, was made governor-gen* eral of all New England. He reached Boston in December, 1686, Dudley was made chief justice, and Randolph colonial secretary. The governor-general was empowered by the king to appoint his own council, impose such taxes as he should think fit, command the militia of the colonies, enforce the naviga- tion acts, prohibit printing, and establish episcopacy in New England ; and in order to enable him to enforce his will, two companies of soldiers were sent over with him and quartered in Boston. Thus were the liberties of New England placed at the mercy of a tyrant, and thus was inaugu- rated a despotism the most galling that was ever imposed upon men of English descent. NEW ENGLAND AFTER THE RESTORATION. 179 Andros promptly put in force a series of the most arbitrary measures. Tlie public schools, which had been fostered with such care by the colonial governments, were allowed to fall into decay. The support which had been granted to the churches was withdrawn. The people were forbidden to assemble for the discussion of any public matter, though they were allowed the poor privilege of electing their town officers. The form of oath in use in New England was an appeal to Heaven with uplifted hand. The governor now ordered the substitution of a form which required the person to place his hand on the Bible. This was particularly repugnant to the Puritans, who regarded it as a " Popish practice." Probate fees were increased twenty-fold. The holders of lands were told that their titles were invalid because obtained under a charter which had been declared forfeited. Tyrannical Proceedings, No person was allowed to leave the colony without a pass signed by the governor. The Puritan magistrates and ministers were refused authority to unite persons in mar- riage. The clergyman of the Church of England, stationed at Boston, was the only person in New England who could perform a legal marriage. Episcopacy was formally established, and the people were required to build a church for its uses. At the com- mand of the king, a tax of a penny in the pound, and a poll-tax of twenty pence, was imposed upon every person in the colony. Some of the towns had the boldness to refuse to pay this tax, and John Wise, the minister of Ipswich, advised his fellow- townsmen to resist it. He and a number of others were arrested and fined. When they pleaded their privileges under the laws of England, they were told by one of the coun- cil: "You have no privilege left you but not to be sold as slaves." " Do you think,** asked one of the judges, " that the laws of England follow you to the ends ot ths earth ? " The iniquitous exactions of Andros and his associates threatened the country with ruin. When the magistrates mentioned this^ they were told, " It is not for his majesty's interest you should thrive." " The governoc invaded liberty and property after such a manner," wrote Increase Mather, '* as no man could say anything was his own.** The Old " Charter Oak." The other colonies came in for their share of bad treatment. Soon after he reached Boston, Andros demanded of the authorities of Rhode Island the surrender of their char- ter. Governor Clarke declined to comply with this demand, and Andros went to Providence, broke the seal of the colony, and declared its government dissolved. He appointed a com- mission irresponsible to the people for the government of Rhode Island, and then had the effrontery to declare that the people of that colony were satisfied with what he had done. In October, Andros went to Connectici'C with an armed guard to take possession of the government of that colony. He reached Hartford on the thirty-first of the month, and found the legislature in session, and de- manded ot that body the surrender of the charter. The discussion was prolonged until evening, and then candles were brought, and the charter was placed on the table. Sud- denly the lights were extinguished, and when they were relighted the charter could not be found. It had been secured by Joseph Wadsworth of Hartford, and earned to the southern part of the city, where it was con- cealed in a hollow oak tree, which was after- wards known as the " Charter Oak." Andros, furious at the disappearance of the charter, was not to be balked of his purpose 1^0 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. of seizing the colonial government, and taking the record book of the assembly, he wrote the word " Finis " at the end of the last day's proceedings. He then declared the colonial government at an end, and proceeded to administer the affairs of the province in the spirit in which he had governed Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The people of New England had borne these outrages with a patience which no one had expected of them. They were a law- abiding people, and wished to exhaust all legal means of redress before proceeding to extreme measures for their protection: but THE CHARTER OAK. the party in favor of driving Andros and his fellow-plunderers out of the country was rapidly growing stronger, and it was not certain how much longer the policy of for- bearance would be continued. Increase Mather was appointed to go to England and endeavor to procure a redress of the grievances of the colonies. It was a danger- ous mission, for the king was in full sympa- thy with the men whom he had placed over the liberties of New England. It was also difficult to leave America without the knowl- edge of Andros and his colleagues, but Mather succeeded in escaping their vigilance, and was on his way to the old world when relief arrived from a most unexpected quarter. The efforts of James to bring about the re-establishment of the Roman Catholic rehgion in England roused the whole Eng« lish nation against him, and in 1689 the nation invited William, Prince of OrangCj the husband of James' eldest daughter, Mary, to come over to England and assume the throne. James, left without any adher- ents, fled to France, and William and Mary were securely seated upon the throne. The news of the landing of William in England and the flight of King James reached Boston on the fourth of April, 1689. The messenger was at once imprisoned by Andros, but his tidings soon became known to the citizens. On the morning of the eight- eenth the people of Boston took up arms, and having secured the person of the com- mander of the royal frigate in the harbor, seized the royalist sheriff. Sent to England for Trial. The militia were assembled, and Andros and his companions were obliged to take refuge in the fort. Simon Bradstreet, the governor who had held office at the time of the abrogation of the charter, was called upon by the people to resume his post, and the old magistrates were reinstated and organized as a council of safety. Andros and his creatures attempted to escape to the frigate, but were prevented and were com- pelled to surrender. The next day rein- forcements came pouring into Boston from the other settlements, and the fort was taken and the frigate mastered. Town meetings were now held throughout the colony, and it was voted to resume the former charter. The people were almost unanimous in favor of this course, but the counsels of a more timid minority prevailed, and the council, wh'Vh had appointed itself to the control ot NEW ENGLAND AFTER THE RESTORATION. m ftflfairs, decided to solicit a new charter from William ^.nd Mary, A general court was convened on the twenty-second of May, The people of the colony were anxious that Andres, Dudley and Randolph should receive prompt punishment for their offences, but the authorities wisely determined to send them to England for trial. Plymouth, upon receipt of the news from Boston, seized the agent of Andros, impris- oned him, and re-established the government which Andros had overthrown, under the constitution signed on board the ** May- flower." There were none of the old Pil- grim fathers living to witness this event, but their children were none the less determined to maintain unimpaired the liberties they had inherited from them. The Charter Safe. Rhode Island promptly resumed her charter and reinstated the officers whom Andros had displaced. Connecticut, upon hearing of the downfall of the governor- general, brought out her charter from its hiding place, and restored the old officers to their positions. Thus the work of James II. was over- thrown, and the destinies of New England were once more in the hands of her own people. The generation that had settled New England had nearly all been gathered to their rest, and their children were in some respects different from the fathers. They had learned lessons of toleration, and had acquired many of the refining graces that the elder Puritans regarded as mere vanity. They retained, however, the earnest and lofty virtues which had made the first gen- eration superior to Hardships and trials of all kinds, and which had enabled them in the face of every disccuragement to lay the foundations of the great commonwealths which to-day cherish their men.ories as their most precious legacies. The fathers of New England richly merited the honor which succeeding generations have delighted to bestow upon their memories. However they may have erred, they were men who earnestly sought to do right in all things, and who did their duty fearlessly according to the light before them. In the first generation we have noticed an extraordinary degree of influence exerted by the ministers. This was due to no desire of the Puritans to connect church and state, but Wd^ owing to the fact that the ministers represented the best educated and most in- tellectual class of that day, and the people regarded them as the best qualified guides in the community. As New England ad- vanced in prosperity her schools and col- leges were able to turn out numbers of edu- cated men, who embraced the other learned professions, and divided the influence with the ministers. New England always chose its leaders from among its most intelligent men, and its people always yielded a willing homage to the claims of intellect At the downfall of Andros there were about two hundred thousand white inhabi- tants in the English colonies of North America, Of these, Massachusetts, includ- ing Plymouth and Maine, had about forty four thousand; New Hampshire and Rhode Island about six thousand each ; Connecticut about twenty thousand ; making the total population of New England about seventy* six thousand. CHAPTER XV Witchcraft in Massachusetts $g»}y*9 of t^p faftore of Massachusetts to Resume her Charter— The New Charter— Loss of the LiberHes of the Cbtonj —Union of Plymouth with Massachusetts Bay — Belief in Witchcraft — The History of Witchcraft in Massachusett*- The Case of the Goodwin Children — Cotton Mather Espouses the Cause of the Witches — Samuel Parris — He Orif;i nates the Salem Delusion — ^A Strange History — A Special Court Appointed for the Trial of the Witches — The Victims —Execution of the Rev. George Burroughs — Cotton Mather's Part in the Tragedies — The General Court takes Actioo in Behalf of the People — End of the Persecution — Failure of Cotton Mather's Attempt to Save his Credit. THE decision of the magistrates of Massachusetts to disregard the wishes of a majority of the people of the colony, who desired an imme- diate restoration of the government under the old charter, and to wait for a new charter from William and Mary, gave great offence to the popular party. Had the wish of this party been complied with, Massachusetts might have recovered every liberty and priv- ilege of which she had been deprived by King James. Increase Mather distinctly declares that " had they at that time entered upon the full exercise of their charter government, as their undoubted right, wise men in England were of opinion that they might have gone on without disturbance." The self-constituted government- hesitated, however, and t'^e op- portunity was lost. When the convention of the people i^iCt, in May, 1689, they refused to acknowledge the council that had taken charge of affairs upon the downfall of Andros, and demanded that the governor, deputy governor and assist- ants elected in 1686 should be restored to office. The council refused to comply with this demand, and the matter was referred to the people, who sustained their representa- tives. A compromise was effected, and the council agreed to permit the officers of 1686 to resume their places until instructions could be received from England, /igents were 1S2 sent to England to solicit a restoration of the charter, and their appeal was supported by the English Presbyterians with great unani- mity. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury urged the king ** not to take away from the people of New England any of the privileges which Charles I. had granted them." In spite of the pressure exerted upon him in behalf of the colony, King William granted to Massachusetts a charter which placed the liberties of the province so entirely at the mercy of the crown that the colonial agent refused to accept it. There was no help for it, however, and the charter became the fundamental law of Massachusetts. Under the old charter the governor of Mas- sachusetts had been elected annually by the votes of the freemen ; he was now to be appointed by the king and to serve during the royal pleasure. He v;as given power to summon the general court, and to adjoumi or dissolve that body. The election of magistrates of all kinds, which had been confided to the people by the old charter, was taken from them, and henceforth these officials were to be appointed by the governor with the consent of tht council. The old charter had made the decision of the colonial courts final ; the new permitted appeals from these tribunals to the privy council in England. The old charter had given to the general court fuU Witchcraft in Massachusetts. 183 powers of legislation ; the new conferred upon the governor the right to veto any of its measures, and reserved to the crown the power of cancelling any act of colonial legislation within three years after its pass- age. The council was at first appointed )>y the king, but was subsequently elected by the joint ballot of the two branches of me gen- eral court. To compensate the people for the loss of their political power the king greatly enlarged the limits of the colony. Massachusetts and Ply- mouth were united in one province, the name of the former being given to the whole. The Eli- zabeth Islands were also added to the province, and its northern bound- ary was extended to the St. Lawrence. Toleration was granted to every religious sect except the Roman Catholics. New Hampshire was separ- ated from the jurisdic- tion of Massachusetts and made a separate province ; but Maine and the vast wilderness beyond it were confirmed to the Bay colony. The charter bore the date of October 7, 1 69 1. Upon the nomination of Increase Mather, one of the colonial agents. Sir William Phipps, a native of New England, a well-meaning but incompetent" man, who was in religious Ojatters strongly inclined to superstition, was appointed governor of Massachusetts, Will- iam Stoughton, ** a man of cold affections, proud, self-willed, and covetous of distinction** — a man universally hated by the people—' was appointed deputy governor to please Cotton Mather. The members of the council THE REV. COTTON MATHER. a were chosen entirely for their devotion the interests of the churches. ** While these matters were in progress ot settlement, there occurred in Massachusetts one of the most singular delusions recordfe^ 1 84 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. In history, and which was in some respects the last expiring effort of ecclesiastical am- bition to control the political affairs of the colony. The clergy had always sought in New England, as in other lands, to fight their political enemies with spiritual weapons. •They now carried this to an extreme which faught the people of New England a lesson that was not soon forgotten. Witches and Witchcraft. The belief in witchcraft has not been con- J:ned to any single nation, and at this time was common to America and Europe. " The people did not rally to the error ; they accepted the superstition only because it had not yet been disengaged from religion." It was believed that as Christians were united with God by a solemn covenant, so were witches leagued with the devil by a tie which, once formed, they could not dissolve. Those who thus placed themselves in the arch- fiend*? power were used by him as instru- ments to torment their fellow-men. They were given power to annoy them by pinch- ing them, thrusting invisible pins into them, pulling their hair, afflicting them with disease, killing their cattle and chickens with myste- rious ailments, upsetting their wagons and carts; r.nd by practising upon them many other puerile and ludicrous tricks. The witches generally exerted their arts upon those whom they hated, but it was a matter of doubt how many persons were included in their dislikes. One of the most popular superstitions was that of the " Witches' sacrament," a gathering at which :he devil, in the form of " a small black man," presided, and required his followers to renounce their Christian baptism and to sign their names in his book. They were then re-baptised by the devil, and the meet- ing was closed with horrid rites which varied in difTferent narratives accortling to the i*^- agination of the relators. The belief in the existence of witchcraft was held by some of the leading minds oi this period. Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief Justice of England, was firmly convinced of the truth of the doctrine, and it was advo- cated by many of the clergy of England. In New England the clergy held it to be heresy to deny the existence of witches, which, they claimed was clearly taught in the Scriptures. It was evidently to their interest «o maintain this belief, as it made them the chief authorities in such cases, and furnished them with a powerful weapon against their adversaries. Devils and ^Vizards. By the early settlers of New England the Indians were supposed to be worshipers ol the devil, and their medicine-men to be wizards. Governor Hutchinson, in his " History of Massachusetts," thus sums up the cases of supposed witchcraft that had occurred in the colony previous to the time or which we are now writing : " The first suspicion of witchcraft among the English was about the year 1645, at Springfield, upon Connecticut River ; several persons were supposed to be under an evil hand, and among the rest two of the min- ister's children. Great pains were taken to prove the facts upon several of the persons charged with the crime, but either the nature of the evidence was not satisfactory, or the fraud was suspected, and so no person was convicted until the year 1650, when a poor wretch, Mary Oliver, probably weary of her life from the general reputation of being a witch, after long examination, was brought to confession of her guilt, but I do not find that she was executed. " Whilst this inquiry was making, Mar- garet Jones was executed at Charlestown ; and Mr. Hale mentions a woman at Dor Chester, and another at Cambridge about thfr WITCHCRAFT IN MASSACHUSETTS. 1^5 same time, who all at their death asserted their innocence. Soon after, Hugh Parsons was tried at Springfield, and escaped death. In 1655 Mrs. Hibbins, the assistant's widow, was hanged at Boston. " In 1662, at Hartford, in Connecticut, one Ann Cole, a young woman who lived next door to a Dutch family, and no doubt had learned something of the language, was supposed to be possessed with demons, who sometimes spoke Dutch and sometimes English, and sometimes a language which nobody understood, and who held a con- ference with one another. Several ministers who were present took down the conference in writing and the names of several per- sons, mentioned in the course of the con- ference, as actors or bearing parts in it, par- ticularly a woman, then in prison upon suspicion of witchcraft, one Greensmith, who upon examination, confessed and appeared to be surprised at the discovery. She owned that she and the others named had been familiar with a demon, who had carnal knowledge of her, and although she had not made a formal covenant, yet she had promised to be ready at his call, and was to have had a high frolic at Christmas, when the agreement was to have been signed. Upon this confession she was executed, and two more of the company were condemned. In 1669 Susanna Martin, of Salisbury, was bound over to the court upon suspicion of witchcraft, but escaped at that time. A Fortunate Escape. "In 1671 Elizabeth Knap, another ven- triloqua, alarmed the people of Groton in much the same manner as Ann Cole had done those of Hartford ; but her demon was not so cunning, for, instead of confining him- self to old women, he railed at the good minister of the town and other people of good character, and the people could not then be prevailed on to believe him, but believed the girl when she confessed that «6 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. an account of the cases which had already occurred in the colony, and giving detailed descriptions of the manner in which the afflicted persons had exhibited their " devil- try." The publication of this work seemed to revive the trouble, and in a more aggra- vated form, for it is a singular fact that the general discussion of delusions of this kiiic rarely fails to produce an increase of the qi'H. A Child Bewitched. In 1688 a case occurred which excited general interest, and was the beginning of one of the saddest periods in the history of New England. The daughter of John Goodwin, a child of thirteen years, accused the daughter of an Irish laundress of stealing some linen. The mother of the laundress, a friendless emigrant, succeeded in disproving the charge, and abused the girl soundly for making a false accusation. Soon after this, the accuser was seized with a fit, and pre- tended to be bewitched in order to be revenged upon the poor Irish woman. Her younger sister and two of her brothers fol- lowed her example. They pretended to be dumb, then deaf, then blind, and then all three at once. " They were struck dead at the sight of the * Assembly's Catechism,' " says Governor Hutchinson, dryly, ** * Cot- ton's Milk for Babes,' and some other good books, but could read in Oxford jests, Popish and Quaker books, and the Common Prayer without any difficulty." Nevertheless their appetite was good, and they slept soundly at night. The youngest of these little im- postors was less than five years old. It was at once given out that the Goodwin children were bewitched, and no one suspected or hinted at the fraud. They would bark like dogs and mew like cats, and a physician who was called in to treat them solemnly declared that they were possessed by devils, as he discovered many of the symptoms laid down in Increase Mather's book. A conference of the four ministers of Boston, and one from Charlestown, was held at Goodwin's house, where they observed a day of fasting and prayer. As a result of their efforts, the youngest child, a boy of less than five years, was delivered of his evil 1 spirit. The ministers now had no doubt that the children had been bewitched, and as the little ones accused the Irish woman of their misfortune, she was arrested, tried for witchcraft, convicted and hanged, notwith- standing that many persons thought the poor creature a lunatic. Among the ministers who had Investigated this case and had procured the execution oC the woman was Cotton Mather, the son of Increase Mather, then president of Harvard College. He was a young man who had but recently entered the ministry, and was regarded as one of the most learned and gifted preachers in the colony. He was withal a man of overweening vanity and full of ambition. He could not bear contradic- tion, and was devoted to the maintenance of the political power of the clergy. He was superstitious by nature, and was firmly con- vinced of the reality of witchcraft. He had become deeply interested in the case of the Goodwin children, and in order to study it more deeply took the eldest girl to his house, where he could observe and experi- ment upon her devil at his leisure. She was a cunning creature, and soon found that it was to her interest to humor the young pas- tor in his views, and she played upon his weakness with a shrewdness and skill which were remarkable in one so young, and exhibit the credulity of the investigator in a most pitiable light. *' All Devils are Not Alike.'* Mather carried on his experiments with a diligence which would have seemed ludi- crous had its object been less baneful to the WITCHCRAFT IN MASSACHUSETTS. 187 community. He read the Bible, and prayed aloud in the presence of the girl, who would pretend to be thrown into a fit by the pious exercise. At the same time she read the Book of Common Prayer, or Quaker or Popish treatises, without any interruption from her familiar spirits. The minister then tested the proficiency of the devil in lan- guages, by reading aloud passages of the Bible in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, which the girl professed to understand. When he tried her with an Indian dialect, however, she could not comprehend him. By other exper- iments, designed to ascertain if the spirits could read the thoughts of others, Mather came to the sage conclusion that " ali devils are not alike sagacious." The girl flattered his vanity, and lulled his suspicion of fraud by telling him that his own person was especially protected against the e il spirits by the power of God, and that the devils did not dare to enter his study. Pious Belief in Witchcraft. \ The vanity of Cotton Mather was elated to the highest pitch by what he deemed his successful experiments, and he wrote a book upon witchcraft, in which he endeavored to prove the truth of his theories, and declared that he should esteem it a personal insult if any one should hereafter venture to deny the existence of witchcraft. His book was reprinted in London, with a preface by Richard Baxter, the well-known author of " The Saints' Rest," warmly indorsing it. It was very generally read in New England, and had a most pernicious effect upon the people by inducing them to give credit to the stories of the writer rather than to listen to the promptings of their own good sense. Still there were some in Boston who had the boldness to differ with Mather, and these the indignant divine denounced as "sad- ducees." Mather supported his views by his sermons. " There are multitudes of sad- ducees in our day," he declared. "A devil in the apprehension of these mighty acute philosophers is no more than a quality or a distemper. Men counted it wisdom to credit nothing but what they say and feel. They never saw any witches ; therefore there are none." The ministers of Boston and Charlestown gave their young colleague their hearty support, and declared that those who doubted the existence of witchcraft were guilty of atheism, and indorsed Mather's book as proving clearly that " there is both a God and a devil, and witchcraft." Thus did the clergy of Massachusetts set themselves to the task of forcing their own narrow views upon the people. It was a needed lesson. New England had passed the time when clerical rule in political affairs could be pro- ductive of good, and was now to be taught the danger of permitting it to extend beyond this period. At this juncture Mather's power was greatly strengthened by the appointment of his friend and parishioner, Sir William Phipps, as governor of the province, and the nomination of his father-in-law and many of his intimate friends to the council. The ambitious Stoughton, the deputy governor, was also subject to his influence. Here was a fine opportunity to endeavor to establish the power of the clergy upon the old founda- tions, which were being destroyed by the growing intelligence and independence of the people. Many of the ministers, under the lead of Cotton Mather, had committed themselves to the doctrine of witchcraft, and the people must accept it upon their simple assertion. No inquiry must be allowed into the matter, the opinions of the ministers must be adopted by the laity. And so Mather and his followers resorted to the usual weapons of superstition to accomplish the success of their plans. iSS SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. In 1692, a new case of witchcraft occurred In Salem village, now the town of Danvers. The minister of this place was Samuel Parris, between whom and a number of his people there had for some time existed dissensions of such a bitter nature that the attention of the general court had been directed to them. In February, 1692, the daughter and niece of Parris, the former a child of nine years, and the latter of less than twelve, gave signs of being bewitched. Parris at once recognized the opportunity which was thus offered him for vengeance upon his enemies, and delib- erately availed himself of it. He demanded of the children the names of the persons who had bewitched them, and then proceeded to accuse those whom he succeeded in inducing the girls to denounce. The first victim was Rebecca Nurse. She was known in the community as a woman of exemplary Chris- tian character ; but she was one of the most resolute opponents of Parris. Upon his accusation she was arrested and imprisoned. The next Sunday Parris preached a sermon from the text, " Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil." As his remarks were directed against Mistress Nurse, Sarah Cloyce, her sister, at once left the church. A Hundred in Prison. This in itself was a serious offence in those days, and Parris took advantage of it to accuse the offender of witchcraft, and she was sent to join her sister in prison. Mather, who deemed his credit at stake, lent his active aid to the persecution of these unfortunate pt^ople, and had the vanity to declare that he regarded the efforts of" the evil angels upon the country as a particular defiance unto himself" Parris scattered his accusations right and left, becoming both informer and witness against those whom he meant to destroy for their opposition to him. In a few weeks nearly one hundred per- sons were in prison upon the charge of witchcraft. Abigail Williams, Parris's niece, aided her uncle with her tales, which the least examination would have shown to be absurd. George Burroughs, one of the min- isters of Salem, had long been regarded by Parris as a rival, and he now openly expressed his disbelief in witchcraft, and his disapproval of the measures against those charcred with that offence. This boldness, sealed his doom. He was accused by Parris and committed to prison " with the rest of the witches." "The gallows was to be set up, not for those who professed them- selves witches, but for those who rebuked the delusion." Hanging a Witch. Governor Bradstreet, who had been chosen by the people, was unwilling to proceed to extreme measures against the accused, as he had no faith in the evidence against them. The arrival of the royal governor and the new charter in Boston in May, 1692, placed Cotton Mather and his fellow-persecutors in a position to carry out their bloody designs. The general court alone had authority to appoint special courts, but Governor Phipps did not hesitate to appoint one himself for the trial of the accused persons at Salem, and this illegal tribunal, with Stoughton as its chief judge, met at Salem on the second of June. In this court Parris acted as pros- ecutor, keeping back some witnesses, and pushing others forward as suited his plans. The first victim of the court was Bridget Bishop, "a poor, friendless old woman. '\ Parris, who had examined her at the time of her commitment, was the principal witness against her. Deliverance Hobbs being also accused, a natural infirmity of her body was taken as a proof of her guilt, and she was hanged, protesting her innocence. Rebecca Nurse was at first acquitted of the WITCHCRAFT IN MASSACHUSETTS. 1S9 /rharges against her, but the court refused to receive the verdict of the jury, and Parris was determined that the woman against whom he had preached and prayed should not escape him, and the jury were induced to convict her, and she was hanged. John tion. He was immediately denounced, tried and hanged. When George Burroughs, the minister, was placed on trial, the witnesses produced against him pretended to be dumb. " Who hinders these witnesses from giving their testi- EXECUTION OF THE REV. GEORGE BURROUGHS. WTrlartf, who had been compelled by his duty as a constable to arrest the accused, now refused to serve in this capacity any longer, as he had become convinced of the hypocrisy of the instigators of the persecu- monies?" asked Stoughton, the chief judge. "I suppose the devil," replied Burroughs, con- temptuously. " How comes the devil," cried Stoughton, exultingly, " so loath to have any testimony borne against you ? " The words 100 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. of the prisoner were regarded as a confes- sion, and his remarkable bodily strength was made an evidence ot his guilt. He was con- victed and sentenced to be hanged. He was executed on the nineteenth of August with four others. As he ascended the scaffold, Burroughs made an appeal to the people assembled to witness the execution, and effectually vindicated himself from the absurd charges against him, and repeated the Lord's prayer, which was regarded as a test of inno- cence. The spectators seemed about to interfere in favor of the victim. An Innocent Man Hanged, Cotton Mather, who was present on horse- back, now exerted himself to complete the judicial murder. He harangued the people, insisted on the guilt of Burroughs, remind- ing them that the devil could sometines assume the form of an angel of lights and even descended to the falsehood of dcJaring that Burroughs was no true ministc, as his ordination was not valid. His appeal was successful and the execution was Completed. Giles Cory, an old man over eighty years of age, seeing that no denial of guilt availed anything, refused to pleads and was pressed to deaths in accordance mth an old English iaw, long obsolete, vrhich was revived to meet his case. Samuel Wardwell confessed his guilt, and escaped the gallows. Over- come with shame for his cowardice, he retracted his confession, and was hanged for denying witchcraft. A reign of terror pre- vailed in Salem ; the prisons were full ; and no one could feel sure how long he would escape accusation and arrest, ^vlany persons confessed their guilt to save their lives. Children accused their parents, parents their children, and husbands and wives each other of the most impossible offences, in the hope of escaping the persecution themselves. Hale, the minister of Beverley, was a zealous advocate of the persecution until the bittei cup was presented to his own lips by the accusation o" his wife. Many persons were obliged to fly the colony, and the magistrates, conscious that they were exceeding their powers, (^ not demand their surrender. Crime Added to Crime. We ?iave mentioned only some of the principal cases to show the character of the persecution, as our limits forbid the relation of nil. The total number hanged was twenty; fifty-five were tortured or terrified in*;o confessions of guilt. The accusations v;ere at first lodged against .persons of humble station, but at length reached the \ higher classes. Governor Phipps' wife and two sons of Governor Bradford are said to have been among the accused. " Insanity," says Judge Story, " could hardly devise more refinements in barbarity, or profligacy execute them with more malignant coolness." Every principle of English justice was vio- lated to secure the condemnation of the accused, and people were encouraged by the magistrates to accuse others as a means of securing the favor of the authorities. These terrible deeds were not the work of the people of Massachusetts, and under a popular government would have been im- possible ; for though the belief in witchcraft was general, the sentiment of the people was against the barbarity of the court. The Salem tragedies were the work of a few men, not one of whom was responsible in any way to the people. " Of the magistrates at that time, not one held office by the suf- frage of the people ; the tribunal, essentially despotic in its origin, as in its character, had no sanction but an extraordinary and an illegal commission ; and Stoughton, the chief judge, a partisan of Andros, had been re- jected by the people of Massachusetts. The responsibility of the tragedy, far from attach- WITCHCRAFT IN MASSACHUSETTS. m ing to the people of the colony, rests with the very few, hardly five or six, in whose hands the transition state of the government left for a season unlimited influence. Into the in- terior of the colony the delusion did not spread at all." * Publit; Indignation. Stoughton's court, having hanged twenty of its victims, adjourned about the last of September, 1692, until November, and on the eighteenth of October the general court met. The indignation of the people had been gathering force, and men were determined to put a stop to the judicial murders and tor- tures which had disgraced them so long. Remonstrances were at once presented to the assembly against "the doings of the witch tribunals," the people of Andover leading the way in this effort. The assembly abolished the special court, and established a tribunal by public law. It was ordered that this court should not meet until the fol- lowing January, The governor attempted to undo the work of the assembly by ap- pointing Stoughton chief judge of the new court 'When that tribunal met at Salem in Jan- uary, 1693, it was evident that the public mind had undergone a marked change. The influence of the leaders of the delusion was at an end. The grand jury rejected the m-"^' jority of the presentments offered to it, and when those who were indicted were put on frial, the jury brought in verdicts of acquittal in all but three cases. The governor, now alive to the force of public sentiment, re- prieved all who were under sentence to the great disgust of Stoughton, who left the bench in a rage when informed of this action. The persecutors, anxious to cover their defeat by the execution of one more victim, employed all their arts to procure * Bancroft's History of the United States, vol. UL, ?• S& the conviction of a woman of Chailostown, who was commonly believed to be a witch. They supported their charge by more im- portant evidence than had been presented in any case at Salem, but the jury at once returned a verdict of " not guilty." Cotton Mather was intensely mortified by the failure of his efforts to force the people into a general acceptance of his views. He got up a case of witchcraft in Boston, but was careful to caution his possessed people to refrain from accusing any one of bewitching them. Robert Calef, an unlettered man, but one whose common sense could not be led astray by Mather, promptly exposed the im- posture in a pamphlet, which effectually destroyed Mather's influence for harm. Mather, unable to reply to him, denounced him as an enemy of religion, and complained that Calef *s book was " a libel upon the whole government and ministry of the land," forgetting that only seven or eight ministers, and no magistrate commanding the confi- dence of the people, had any share in the tragedies. Calef continued his writings, however, undismayed by the indignation of his adversary, and his book was finally pub- lished in England, where it attracted con- siderable attention. The Danger Past. l*he danger was now over. It was no Jonger possible to procure a conviction for v/:tchcraft. The indignant people of Salem village at once drove the wretched Parris and his family from the place. Noyes, the minister of Salem, who had been active in the persecutions, was compelled to ask the forgiveness of the people, after a public con- fession of his error. The devotion of the rest of his life to works of charity won him the pardon he sought. Sewall, one of the judges, struck with horror at the part he had nlayed in the persecution, Tiade an open and t^i SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. /rank confession of his error, and implored the forgiveness of his fellow-citizens. His sincerity was so evident that he soon regained the favor he had lost Stoughton passed the remainder of his life in proud and haughty- disregard of the opinion of his fellow-men, scorning to make any acknowledgment of srror, and evincing no remorse for his cruel- ties. Cotton Mather Duped. As for the prime mover of the delusion, the Rev. Cotton Mather, nothing could induce him to admit that he could by any possibility have been in error ; not even the recollection of the sorrow he had brought upon some of the best people in the colony could shake his impenetrable self-conceit or humble him. When it was plain to him that he was the object of the indignation of all good men in New England, he had the hardihood to endeavor to persuade them that after all he had not been specially active in the sad affair. " Was Cotton Mather honestly credu- lous ? " asks Bancroft, *' Ever ready to dupe himself, he limited his credulity only by the prohabl'' crednlitv of others. He changes, or omits to repeat, his statements, without acknowledging error, and with a clear inten- tion of conveying false impressions. He is an example how far selfishness, under the form of vanity and ambition, can blind the higher faculties, stupefy the judgment, and dupe consciousness itself His self-right- eousness was complete till he was resisted." And yet this man was not to die without rendering to the country a genuine service. In 1 72 1, having become satisfied that inocu- lation was a sure preventive of small-pox, he advocated the introduction of it into the colony. He was opposed by the whole body of the clergy, who declared that it was an attempt to defeat the plans of the Almighty, who " sent the small-pox as a punishment to.' sins, and whose vengeance would thus be onl\r provoked the more.'* The people of the colony were also bitterly opposed to inoculation, and threatened to hang Mather if he did not cease his advocacy of it. His life was at one time in serious danger, but he persevered, and at length had the satisfaction of seeing the practice of inoculation gener- ally adopted by the people who had so hotly opposed it. CHAPTER XVi The Settlement of New York oyages of Henry Hudson— He is Employed by the Dutch — Discovery of the Hudson River — Early Dutch Voyagf-?' AJrian Block — Fate of Hudson — The Dutch Build a Fort on Manhattan Island — Settlement of New Amsterdan*^ - •"he Province Named New Netherlands — -Fort Nassau— Peter Minuits Governor — The Dutch Settlement of Dek •vare — Wouter Van Twiller — Kieft Governor — His Unjust Treatment of the Indians — Massacre of the Indiana fS. Hoboken — The Indian War — Stuyvesant Appointed Governor — Disputes with the English in Connecticut — Thk Swedes Settle Delaware— Stuyvesant Captures the Swedish Forts — Growth of New Amsterdam — Disputes Betweet the People and Governor — Growing Spirit of Popular Liberty — The People Appeal to the States General — Capture ol New Netherlands by the English — ^The Name of the Province Changed to New York — ^ Results of the EngMsh Con- quest — Progress of New Jersey — Andros Governor of New York — He Fails to Establish His Authority Ova- Connecticut — New York Allowed an Assembly — Discontents of the People — Leisler's Rebellion — Execution ol Leisler and Milboume — Fletcher Governor — His Attempt to Obtain Command of the Connecticut Militia — Episcopacy Established in New York — The Freedom of the Press Sustained — New Jersey a Royal Province. WHEN the hope of finding a northwest passage to India began to die out, a company of " certain worshipful mer- chants " of London employed Henry Hud- son, an Englishman and an exp<=rienced navigator, to go in search of a northeast passage to India, around the Arctic shores of Europe, between Lapla»^d and Nova ^embla and frozen Spitzbergen. These vorthy gentlemen were convinced that since ;he eftbrt to find a northz(y^j/ passage had 'ailed, nothing remained but to search for a northeast passage, and they were sure that if tiuman skill or energy could find it, Hudson ivould succeed in his mission. They were not mistaken in their man, for in two suc- cessive voyages he did all that mortal could do to penetrate the ice-fields beyond the North Cape, but without success. An impassable barrier of ice held him back, and he was forced to return to London :o confess his failure. With unconquerable hope, he suggested new means of overcoming the difficulties; but while his employers praised his zeal and skill, they declined to go ;o further expense in an undertaking which »3 promised so little, and the " bold Englishman, the expert pilot and the famous navigator ** found himself out of employment. Every effort to secure aid in England failed him, and, thoroughly disheartened, he passed over to Holland, whither his fame had preceded hini!. The Dutch, who were more enterprising and more hopeful than his own countrymen, lent a ready ear to his statement of his plans, and the Dutch East India Company at once employed him and placed him in command of a yacht of ninety tons, called the " Half Moon," manned by a picked crew. On the twenty-fifth of March, 1609, Hudson set sail in this vessel from Amster- dam and steered directly for the coast oi Nova Zembla. He succeeded in reaching the meridian of Spitzbergen, but here the ice, the fogs and the fierce tempests of the north drove him back, and turning to the west* ward, he sailed past the capes of Greenland, and on the second of July was on the banks of Newfoundland. He passed down the coast as far as Charleston Harbor, vainly hoping to find the northz£/^.y/ passage, anc* then in despair turned to the northward, dta covering Delaware Bav on hi? voyage. '93 f94 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. On the third of September he arrived off a large bay to the north of the Delaware, and passing into it, dropped anchor " at two cables' length from the shore," within Sandy Hook. Devoting some days to rest, and to the exploration of the bay, he passed through The Narrows on the eleventh of September, and then the broad and beautiful * inner bay" burst upon him in all its the natives who came out to the "Half Moon *" in their canoes, that the river came from fai beyond the mountains, convinced him that the stream flowed from ocean to ocean, and that by sailing on he would at length reach India — the golden land of his dreams. Thus encouraged, he pursued his way Uf the river, gazing with wondering delighi upon its glorious scenery, and listening witl NOVA ZEMBLA — FROM AN OLD PRINT. splendor, and from the deck of his ship he watched the swift current of the mighty river rolling from the north to the sea. He ivas full of hope now, and the next day con- tinued his progress up the river, and at nightfall cast anchor at Yonkers. During the night the current of the river turned his ship around, placing hei head down stream ; and this fact, coupled with the assurances of gradually fading hope to the stories of the natives who flocked to the water to greet him. The stream narrowed, and the water grew fresh, and long before he anchored below Albany, Hudson had abandoned the belief that he was in the northwest passage. From the anchorage a boat's crew continued the voyage to the mouth of the Mohawk. Hudson was satisfied that he had made a THE SETTLEMENT OF NEW YORK. 195 great discovery — one that was worth fully as much as finding the new route to India. He was in a region upon which the white man's eye had never rested before, and which offered the richest returns to the commercial ventures. He hastened back to New York |Bay, took possession of the country in the name of Holland, and then set sail for Europe. He put into Dartmouth, in Eng- land, on his way back, where he told the The discovery of Hudson was particularly acceptable to the Dutch, for the new country was rich in fur-bearing animals, and Russia offered a ready market for all the furs that could be sent there. The East India Loin pany, therefore, refitted the " Half Moon '* after her return to Holland, and despatched her to the region discovered by Hudson on a fur trading expedition, which was highly successful. Private persons also emb^i^'ed MOCK SUNS, SEEN BY EARLY EXPLORERS. ptory of his discovery. King James I. pre- vented his continuing his voyage, hoping to deprive the Dutch of its fruits ; but Hudson took care to send his log-book and all the ^ip's papers over to Holland, and thus placed his employers in full possession of the know- ledge he had gained. The English at length d Others— The **Graal Model "—An Ideal Aristocracy Proposed for Carolina — The Authority of the Proprietaries Established in North Car* lina — Continued Settlement of that Region — Characteristics of the Early Settlers of North Carolina— The People Rejecf the Grand Model — Hostility of England to the Colonial Commerce — Insurrection in North Carolina — Slothel Govemol — Settlement of South Carolina — Charleston Founded — ^The Proprietary Constitutions Rejected by South Carolina— Rapid Growth of the Colony — Introduction of Slavery — Characteristics of the Early Settlers of South Carolina — EffortI to Enforce the Navigation Acts— Resistance of the People — The Proprietaries Abandon their Constitutions — Archdale'f Reforms — Religious Intolerance — Establishment of the Church of England in South Carolina — Action of the Crown- Continued Prosperity of South Carolina — Governor Moore Attacks St. Augustine— Failure of the Etfort — The Spaniard! are Repulsed in an Attempt to Capture Chwleston — Indian War in North Carolina — The Tuscaroras Driven Northwart — War with the Yemmassees — Destruction of their Power — Separation of the Carolinas. WE have related the efforts of the French to colonize the shores of the beautiful region which they named Carolina, and the failure of Raleigh's attempt to found a city upon Roanoke Island. We have now to consider the successful planting of this same region with English settlements. After the settlement of Virginia the atten- tion of the English was frequently drawn to the fertile region south of the James, and as their plantations spread in that direction ad- venturous explorers went into this region, and returned with reports of its great beauty and fertility. When the severe measures of the Virginia colony for enforcing conformity to the established church were put in opera- tion, many dissenters withdrew from the .imits of the colony and settled in what are now the northeastern counties of North Carolina. Among these were a company of Presbyterians, who settled upon the Chowan. Others followed them, and by the year 1663 these counties contained a prosperous and growing community of English-speaking people. In 1663, Charles II., who always displayed the most remarkable liberality in his gifts of American lands, granted to eight of his favorites the vast region extending from the present southern boundary of Virginia to the St. John's River in Florida, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Those upon whono this rich gift was bestowed were the Earl of Clarendon, the prime minister, Lord Ashley Cooper, who was afterwards Earl of Shaftes- bury, the Duke of Albemarle, Lord Craveilj Sir John Colleton, Lord John Berkeley, bis brother, Sir William Berkeley, the governor of Virginia, and Sir George Cartaret. They were given absolute power over their terri- tory^ the king reserving only a claim upon their allegiance. The country had been called Carolina by the first French settlers in honor of Charles IX. of France; the old name was retained in honor of Charles II. of England. The proprietors had but one object in view: to enrich themselves ; but they claimed to be influenced by a " pious zeal for the propaga- tion of the gospel.'* They at once set to work to prepare a code of laws for the govern ment of their province. This task was com- mitted to Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury^ and the great philosopher, John Locke, then an almost unknown man. These produced 227 22^ SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. a code known as "The Grand Model," or "Fundamental Constitutions." This was n system which might have been successful if the people for whom it was intended had been some European community of the Middle Ages, but it was utterly unsuited to 3l colony in the woods of America, composed of men whose personal independence and sturdy love of freedom were the indispensable conditions of the success of thei'' enterprise. By the terms of the * Grand Model '* an order of nobility was created, into whose hands the sole right to rule was committed. Earls, barons, and squires were made the natural heads of the various classes of society, and the common people were attached to the soil as tenants. A Mockery of Freedom. A simple tenant could never rise above his humble position, and was denied the right of suffrage ; only those who possessed fifty acres of land were allowed this right, or were entitled to the name of freemen. The freemen were allowed an assembly, but that body was placed entirely under the control of the nobility. Religious freedom was promised to all persons, but the constitution expressly declared that the only orthodox establishment was the Church of England. Trial by jury was guaranteed, but with the destructive provision that a majority should decide the verdict of the jury. It was very clear that this magnificent constitution would not suit the settlers in the log cabins of North Carolina, but the proprie- tors, ignorant of the people they had to deal with, proceeded to organize their govern- ment in England by electing the Duke of Albemarle to the rank of Palatine, as the head of their system was termed. Sir Wil- liam Berkeley, then governor of Virginia, was ordered to establish the authority of the pro- prietors over the settlers on Albemarle Sound. This he did, and appointed William Drum- mond, a Scotchman and one of the settlers, governor. This was the same Drummond who afterwards took part in Bacon's rebellion in Virginia, and was hanged by Berkeley, as has been related. A simple form of govern- ment was established, and the people of North Carolina were left in peace until it should be time to collect the quit-rents which the proprietors claimed as due for their occu- pation of their lands. In i66i,a few years previous to this action of Berkeley, a company from New England had made a settlement on the Cape Fear River. The colony did not prosper, how- ever, though liberal inducements were held out to it, and many of the emigrants returned home. In 1664 a colony from the Barbadoes joined the settlers on the Cape Fear. The new-comers had been sent out by a company at the Barbadoes, who pur- chased from the Indians a tract of land thirty* two miles square on the Cape Fear, and asked of the proprietors of Carolina a confir- mation of their purchase and a separate char- ter of government. A liberal charter was granted them, the country was named Clar- endon, and Sir John Yeamans, a resident of Barbadoes, was appointed governor. He was instructed to ** make things easy to the people of Ne'iv England; from thence the greatest supplies are expected.** Lumber Trade. In 1665 he led a company of emigrants from Barbadoes, and formed a settlement on the Cape Fear. The effort to found a town was unsuccessful, and the emigrants found great difficulty in contending against the natural barrenness and poverty of the region in which they had located. They devoted themselves to the cutting and export of lum- ber, and established a trade in boards, staves and shingles to the West Indies, which Is SETTLEMENT OF THE CAROLINAS. 229 still carried on by their descendants. This trade was found to be profitable, and emi- gration increased. In 1666 the colony is said to have had a population of eight hundred souls. In the meantime the settlements on Albe- marle Sound and the Chowan had prospered, and had increased steadily in population, under the simple government established over them. This government consisted of a council of six persons named by the proprie- taries and six chosen by the assembly, and an assembly consist- ing of the governor, the council and twelve representatives chos- en by the freeholders of the colony. The proprietaries had con- \ firmed the colonists in the possession of their lands, and had solemnly promised them religious tolera- tion and exemption from taxation except by the colonial legis- lature. In 1669 the assembly, feeling se- cure in these guaran- tees, enacted a series of laws for the govern- ment of the colony, which remained in force in North Carolina until near the close of the next century. It was enacted that no emigrant should be sued for a debt contracted before his settle- ment in the colony until he had been a resident of the province for five years. Marriage was made a civil contract, and for its validity required simply the consent of the contracting parties before a magistrate in the presence of witnesses. No emigrant could be taxed during his first year's resi- dence in the colony. New settlers were invited by the offer of large bounties in lands, but no title to these lands could be obtained until after a two years' residence in the colony. The governor's salary and the other expenses of the province were secured by the imposition of a fee of thirty pounds of tobacco in every lawsuit. The members of the assembly served without compensa- tion, seeking no emoluments from office. THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA. In 1670 the constitution of Shaftesbuiy and Locke was sent over by the proprie- taries, and the governor was ordered to establish it in the colony. It met with a determined resistance from both legislature and people, who could never be induced to submit to it. The people upon whom the proprietaries endeavored to enforce their " Grand Model '* were in many respects the most singular 230 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. community in America. Many of them had fled from injustice and persecution in other colonies, and in the solitude of the forests of North Carolina had become possessed of an independence which scorned any control but that of the government established by their own consent. The plantations were chiefly along the rivers and the shores of Albe- marle Sound; there were no roads but the paths marked through the forests by the blazing of the trees ; the inhabitants visited each other and travelled through the country in their boats, scarcely any, even among the women and children, being unacquainted with the use of the oar. A Happy Commumty. The people were attached to their beauti- ful " summer land," and to the freedom which they enjoyed in it. They had little use for laws, for they were mainly a simple- hearted and virtuous race, who, by pursuing the paths of right, gave no cause for restraint. They had no court-house until 1722. Their first church was not built until 1705, and the freedom of conscience which they enjoyed was perfect. Yet they were a God-fearing people, and George Fox, who visited them in 1672, testifies to their readiness to hear the word of God and to their homely virtues. They were cut off from the world, careless of the struggles which rocked Europe to its foundations, and anxious only to live in the peaceful enjoyment of the good things God had given them, and to rear their children in the ways which they deemed conformable to His will. There were no towns in the colony, and in power and importance North Carolina could not compare with any of her more northern sisters; but there were no com- munities in which the people were happier or more contented than in this one. When the cruelties of Berkeley drove many of the Virginians from their province, they fled to North Carolina, and were kindly received by the people, who treated Berke- ley's demands to surrender the refugees for punishment with contempt. "Are there any who doubt man's capacity for self-govern- ment, let them study the early history of North Carolina; its inhabitants were restless and turbulent in their imperfect submission to a government imposed on them from abroad; the administration of the colony was firm, humane and tranquil when they were left to take care of themselves. Any government but one of their own institution was oppressive." * These were the people for whom the " Grand Model " was designed, and who successfully resisted its imposition. The proprietaries had withdrawn the government they had first established, at the time when the constitutions of Shaftesbury and Locke were offered to the colony, and the refusal of these constitutions by the colonists left North Carolina without any regularly estab- lished system of government. Li this state of affairs Stevens, the governor, continued to administer the old system until a settlement of the matter in dispute could be had. He died in 1674, and the assembly elected Cart- wright, their speaker, as his successor, by whom the government was administered for two years. Another Appeal to England. Eastchurch, the new speaker, was sent to England to explain the grievances of the colony to the proprietaries and to endeavor to secure the withdrawal of the obnoxious constitution. Without withdrawing their favorite system, the proprietaries, who were disposed to conciliate the colony, thought best to leave matters in their present condi- tion and appointed Eastchurch governor * Bancroft's History of the United States, vol. ii., p. 158. SETTLEMENT OF THE CAROLINAS. 231 They did away with much of the good effect of this measure by coupling this appointment with that of Miller as collector of customs. He had been driven out of the colony by the people some time before, and he was now sent to compel the payment of the revenues claimed by the proprietaries, and to enforce the navigation acts in North Carolina. England's Iniquitous Policy. The enforcement of the navigation acts meant simply the certain crippling and the probable ruin of the industry of North Caro- lina. The commerce of the colony was small and was already struggling against natural difficulties. The whole province contained a little less than four thousand inhabitants, and its exports consisted of about eight hundred hogsheads of tobacco, a small quantity of Indian corn and a few cattle. These were shipped in a few small vessels which came for them from New En| land, and brought in return the few articles of foreign manufacture which the planters could afford to purchase. Yet this humble trade was made the object of the envy of tl: i English merchants, and it was resolved by a vigorous enforcement of the navigation acts to cut the North Carolinians off from the use of the New England markets and to compel them to send their products to England for sale. Never was the iniquitous policy of England toward her colonies more strikingly and per- fectly illustrated than in her treatment of North Carolina at this period. The effort to enforce the navigation act was met by a deliberately planned and exe- cuted insurrection of the people, who pub- lished to the world a declaration of the causes which had impelled them to this action, and which were chiefly the loss of their liberties by the changes in the govern- ment, the imposition of excessive taxes, and the interruption of their commerce by the burdens laid upon it by the navigation acts. The leader of the movement was John Culpepper. One of the members of the council joined the insurrection ; but the rest, with Miller, who, in addition to his office of collector, had been acting as gov- ernor in the absence of Eastchurch, were arrested and imprisoned. When Eastchurch arrived the colonists refused either to A SETTLERS CABIN. acknowledge his authority or to allow him to enter the colony. In the meantime they arranged matters upon the old popular sys- tem, and sent Culpepper and another of their number to England to negotiate a settlement with the proprietaries. Miller escaped from confinement and re- paired to England to oppose the efforts of Culpepper. By cunningly making himself 232 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. the champion of the navigation acts, Miller succeeded in arousing a strong sentiment against Culpepper, who was arrested on a charge of resisting the collection of the rev- enue and embezzling the public funds. In support of this arbitrary act the government pleaded an old statute of Henry VIII., by which a colonist could be arraigned in Eng- land for an offence committed in a colony. Culpepper demanded to be tried in North Car- olina, upon the scene of his alleged crime ; but this was refused him, and he was put on trial in England. The Earl of Shaftesbury, shrewdly perceiving that such a course was repugnant to the real sentiment of the English people, and that it offered him an opportunity to increase his popularity, undertook the de- fence of Culpepper, and procured his acquittal. Captured by Pirates. The proprietaries now appointed as gov- ernor one of their number, Seth Slothel, who had purchased the rights of Lord Clarendon. Slothel on his voyage out was captured by the Algerine pirates, and during his absence the government of North Carolina was admin- istered by governors appointed by the in- surgents, who seem to have acted with the consent, or at least without the opposition of the proprietaries, who were much at a loss to know how to enforce their authority in the province. They instructed the colonists to " settle order among themselves," and appear to have left them very much to their own devices. The government was well and fairly administered, and order was main- tained ; an act of amnesty was published ; and when Slothel reached the colony, in 1683, after his release from his captivity, he found it peaceful and orderly. The administration of Slothel was un- fortunate for the province. He could enforce neither the constitutions of the proprietaries nor the navigation acts, as he was expected to do ; so he devoted his energies to the task of enriching himself, which he accomp- lished by robbing the colonists and defraud- ing his proprietary associates in England. In 1688 the colonists, greatly exasperated by his exactions, to which they had submitted for about five years, drove him out of the prov- ince by condemning him to an exile of a year, and forever disqualifying him from holding the office of governor. This was their boldest act yet and was an open defi- ance of the proprietaries. Charleston Founded. In the meantime the southern portion of Carolina had been brought under English rule. In 1670 a company of emigrants was sent out by the proprietaries, under the direction of William Sayle and Joseph West, the latter of whom was the commercial agent of the proprietaries. They went by way of Barbadoes and landed at Port Royal, where the ruins of Fort Carolina, which had been erected by the French, were still to be seen. After a short delay here, they removed to a more favorable location farther northward, between two rivers, which they named the Ashley and Cooper, in honor of the Earl of Shaftesbury, one of the proprietaries. In 1680 this settlement was abandoned for a better situation nearer the harbor. This last settlement was the foundation of the city of Charleston. The first plantation on the Ashley River was afterwards known as Old Charleston. At present not even a log cabin remains to mark the site. The emigrants to South Carolina had been furnished with a copy of the constitu- tions of Shaftesbury and Locke, but they were as averse to the acceptance of them as were the people of North Carolina, for they perceived that such a system as that devised by the proprietaries could not be put in SETTLEMENT OF THE CAROLINAS. 233 operation in America. Immediately upon their arrival they proceeded to establish a form of government suited to their needs. It consisted of a governor, a council com- posed of five members appointed by the proprietaries and five by the assembly, and an assembly of twenty delegates chosen by the people. Thus was representative gov- ernment established as the basis of the political life of the province, and throughout all her subsequent history it was cherished by South Caro- lina as her most precious posses- sion. The colony grew rapidly in population ; the delightful cli- mate, the rich soil and the li- beral offers of lands by the proprietaries at- tracting settlers in considerable numbers. In 1 67 1 Sir John Yea- mans brought over African slaves from Bar- badoes, thus in- troducing negro slavery into the colony at the very outset of its existence. This species of labor being found well suited to the necessi- ties of the province, was generally adopted in the remaining years of the century, and became the basis of the industry of South Carolina, which was from the first a purely agricultural state. The negroes multiplied rapidly by natural increase and by fresh importations; "so rapidly," says Bancroft, " that in a few years, we are told, the blacks were to the whites in. the proportion of twenty-two to twelve, a proportion that had no parallel north of the West Indies." The white population also increased rapidly. The dissenters, as all the Protestant sects who differed from the Church of England were called, came over to the colony in large numbers, hoping to find there the toleration they were denied at home. They consisted of Dutch and German Protestants, and Presbyterians from the north of Ireland and from Scotland, The last were generally BIRDS-EYE VIEW OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. people of culture and gave to the colony many clergymen, physicians, lawyers and schoolmasters. Churchmen from England also emigrated in considerable numbers, as the" Grand Model " estabhshed their church as the orthodox faith of the province. Dutch emigrants came also from New York to escape the outrages of the English governors of that province. Last of all were the Huguenots, who were induced to settle in South Carolina by Charles II., who was sincerely anxious to give them 234 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. a refuge from their persecutions in Europe, and who wished them to estabhsh in CaroHna the culture of the vine, the oHve and the silk-worm. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes drove thousands of the Huguenots from France. Large numbers of them joined their brethren in South Carolina. They were almost invariably persons of education and refinement. In France they had consti- tuted the most useful and intelligent part of the population. They had almost monopo- lized the mechanical skill and mercantile enterprise of their native land, and their loss was severely felt by it for many genera- tions. In South Carolina they soon became suffi- ciently numerous to constitute an important part of the population, and their influence was felt in a marked degree and for the good of the colony. They brought with them the virtues which had won them the respect and confidence of the people of Europe, and the industry which could not fail to place them among the most prosperous citizens of the new state. They mingled freely and inter- married with the other classes of the people of the province, and thus became the ances- tors of a splendid race who did honor to their country and upheld her cause with their valor in her hour of trial in the next century. A Settlement Ruined. The early years of South Carolina were marked by a constant struggle between the colonists and the proprietaries. The latter vainly attempted to introduce the " Grand Model " as the law of the province, and the former steadily resisted it. A little later the proprietaries offered to make some modifica- tions in their constitutions, but these conces- sions were rejected also. The governor, Sir John Yeamans, regarded his office solely as a means of repairing his fortunes at the expense of both proprietaries and colonists, and was dismissed by his employers. West, who was a man of ability and liberality, was appointed his successor, and under him the colony prospered, but as he was too friendly to the people, he was removed also. In 1684 a small colony under Lord Card- ross, a Presbyterian, settled at Port Royal. These settlers had fled to America to escape persecution in England, but their effort to find an abiding place in the new world was not des- tined to be successful. Lord Cardross return- ed to Europe in a year or two, and in 1686 the Spaniards from St. Augustine, who claimed the region as a dependency of their own, invaded the little settlement and laid it waste. Of the ten families which had con- stituted the colony, some returned to Scot- land, while the remainder disappeared among the colonists in the vicinity of the Cooper and Ashley rivers. Stubborn Resistance. In 1685, the proprietaries ordered the colo" nial authorities to enforce the navigation acts in the ports of the province. A rigid execu- tion of this order would have been as fatal to the feeble commerce of South Carolina as to that of the settlements in the northern part of the province, and it was resisted by the colonists as a violation of their natural rights and of the promises made to them at the time of their emigration. In order to establish their authority more firmly the proprietaries ; appointed James Colleton governor, with the rank of landgrave. He was brother of one of the proprietaries, and it was supposed that this fact and his aristocratic rank would give him a moral ppower which his predecessors had not pos- sessed. The new governor attempted to enforce the constitutions, but was met with a determined resistance, and when he under- took to collect the rents claimed by the 2 a d H > •< O H 235 2^6 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. proprietaries, &nd the taxes he had been ordered to levy, the assembly seized the records of the province, imprisoned the colonial secretary, and defied the governor to execute his orders. In 1690, they went still further, and having proclaimed Wil- liam and Mary, disfranchised Colleton and banished him from South Carolina, Disputes now ran high in the colony, chiefly in regard to rents and land tenures. The ."cavaliers and ill-livers," as the party devoted to the interests of the pro- prietaries was termed, endeavored to compel the remainder of the settlers — ^the Presbyterians, Quakers and Huguenots, the last of whom had recently been ad- mitted to all the privileges of citizenship— to submit to their high-handed measures. They hoped among other things to secure the supremacy of the Church of England in thv* colony, notwithstanding the fact that a majonty of the people were dissenters. The troubles went on increasing, and at length the proprietors, in the hope of putting an end to them, consented to abandon their effort to force upon the Carolinas the legisla- tion of Shaftesbury and Locke. In April, 1693, they abolished the fundamental consti- tutions by a formal vote, and decided lo allow the government of the province to be conducted according to the terms of the charter. A Wise Governor. Thomas Smith was appointed governor, but in spite of his many virtues he was unac- ceptable to the people, and the proprietaries determined to send out to Carolina one of their own number with full powers to inves- tigate and remedy the grievances of the colony. John Archdale, " an honest member of the Society of Friends," was chosen, and it once repaired to Carolina. He was a man of great moderation, and was well suited to the task before him. He succeeded in ha^ monizing the hostile factions which divided the province, and in the formation of the council selected two men of the moderate party to one high churchman, an arrange ment which fairly represented the actual statt of parties, and gave satisfaction to the mas of the people. He remitted the quit-rents foi three and four years, and arranged the price of lands and the system of conveyances upon an equitable basis, and gave the colonists the privilege of paying their dues to the propri- etaries either in money or In produce. Hp established peaceful relations with th'„ Indians, and put an end to the infamous practice of kidnapping them, which had prevailed since the establishment of tht colony. The savages in the Cape Fea* region had suffered especially from this, and now showed their gratitude by treating with kindness the sailors who were cast away on their coast. Friendly relations were also begun with the Spaniards at St. Augustine. Several Yemmassee Indians, who had been con- verted by the missionaries, having beei. raptured and exposed for sale in Carolina, / tt^ere ransomed by Archdale, who sent them to the governor of St. Augustine. The Spaniards gratefully acknowledged this kindness, and returned it by forwarding to South Carolina the crew of an English vessel which had gone ashore on the coast of Florida. The colonial government was organized by Arch- dale, on a plan similar to that of Maryland. The council was appointed by the proprie- taries, and the assembly elected by the peo- ple ; and the militia were charged with the defence of the colony. Archdale's adminis- tration was so satisfactory to all parties that upon his withdrawal from the province the assembly declared that he had, " by his wis- dom, patience and labor, laid a firm found* tion for a most- glorious superstructure.** SETTLEMENT OF THE CAROLINAS. 237 Archdale went back to England in 1697, and the proprietaries, failing to profit by the lesson of his success, attempted to introduce a measure which would give the political power of the colony exclusively into the hands of the landowners. This measure was resolutely rejected by the colonial assembly. The majority of the people of the colony were, as has been stated, dissenters, Presby- terians, Quakers and Huguenots. They had consented, in order to pacify the high church party, that one minister of the Church of England should be maintained at the pub- lic expense, but the churchmen were re- solved to force their system upon them The Assembly's Intolerance. In 1704 the churchmen had a majority of one in the assembly; the governo/ was favor- able to them, and the council was no longer arranged upon the just plan of Archdale. The assembly, in violation of the plainest principles of justice, disfranchised the dis- senters, and established the Church of Eng- land as the religion of the colony. This action was approved by the council and gov- ernor, and was sustained by the proprietaries in spite of the earnest opposition of Arch- dale. The disfranchised people appealed for justice to the queen and the House of Lords. The committee of the lords declared that the proprietaries had forfeited their charter, and advised its recall, and the house pronounced the intolerant acts null and void, which de- cision was proclaimed by the queen in June, 1706. In November of the same year the colonial legislature repealed its acts, and restored to the dissenters their political rights, but the laws establishing the Church of England as the religion of the province remained unrepealed until the Revolution. The disputes in the colony went on, but in spite of them South Carolina continued to prosper, and its population increased rapidly. During Archdale's residence in the colony the captain of a ship from Madagascar gave him some rice, which he distributed among the planters for the purpose of ascertaining whether it could be cultivated in the mari- time regions of the province, which were unsuited to the culture of wheat. The experi- ment was entirely successful, and the colony at once embarked in the culture of rice, which has ever since been one of its principal indus- tries. Carolina rice soon took rank as the best grown in any country. The fur trade was also carried on with great activity, and the manufacture of tar and the export of lum- ber also became prominent sources of wealth. It was believed that the colony could suc- cessfully manufacture a large part of the woollen fabrics necessary to the supply of its wants, and the attempt was made. It was struck down by the British government in pursuance of its plan to compel the colonies to depend upon England for all their supplies. Parliament forbade the several colonies to export woollen goods to any other province or to any foreign port. They were to ship their products to England alone, and to receive their supplies from her only. Eng- lish merchants were to be privileged to set a price to suit their own interests upon the products of the colonies and also upon the articles of European manufacture sold them in return. The effect of this iniquitous law upon Carolina was to drive her back into agricultural pursuits, and thus to increase the demand for slaves, which was promptly sup plied by British traders. A Reckless Adventurer. In 1702, England was at war with France and Spain, and James Moore was governor of Carolina. He was a needy adventurer, who endeavored to fill his purse by kidnap- ping Indians and selling them as slaves. This being too slow a process, he determined to 23^ SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA, plunder the Spanish settlement of St. Augus- tine. He attacked that place with a force of whites and Indians. The town was readily- taken, but he could make no impression upon the citadel, and despatched a vessel to Jamaica for cannon to reduce the fort. The garrison in the meantime sent an Indian runner to Mobile with news of their situa- tion, and word was sent from Mobile to Havana. In a short while two Spanish ships of war arrived at St. Augustine to the relief of the garrison, and Moore was obliged to raise the siege. He abandoned his stores and retreated overland to Charleston. The only result of his expedition was the accumula- tion of a debt which the colony was obliged to carry for many years. Brutal Butchery. Moore's next effort was directed against the Appalachee Indians of Florida. These had been converted to the Roman Catholic faith by the Spanish missionaries, and had begun to adopt habits of civilization ; they lived in villages, and supported themselves by cultivating the soil. They were also very friendly to the French, who had settled Louisiana. Moore professed to be very ap- prehensive of the effects of the Spanish and French influence upon the Appalachees, and declared his intention to cripple them before they could do any harm to the English set- tlements. His real motive was the hope of plunder. The only crime of the poor sav- ages was their adoption of the Roman faith. In 1705, with a force of about fifty white men and one thousand Seminole warriors, Moore invaded the settlements of the Appa- lachees, destroyed them, killed many of the natives, and made prisoners of large num- bers, who were removed to the region of the Altamaha. The churches were plundered and destroyed, and the country of the Appa- lachees was given to the Seminoles as a reward for their services. They at 6tlc6 occupied it, and thus became a barrier be- tween their English friends and the Spanish settlements. In 1706, the Spaniards and French sent a combined fleet to Charleston to avenge the attacks upon St. Augustine and the Appa- lachees. The attack of the fleet was repulsed by the people, who were led by William Rhet and Sir Nathaniel Johnson, and the assailants were forced to withdraw with the loss of one ship belonging to the French and upwards of three hundred men. North Carolina continued to prosper. Her people were happy and contented under their simple system of government, which was described by Spotswood as "scarce any gov- ernment at all." In 1704, the proprietaries attempted to establish the Church of England in this part of the province, the people of which were nearly all Presbyterians, Quakers and Lutherans. It was ordered that all who refused to submit to the laws for the estab- lishment and support of the English church should be disfranchised. Open Rebellion. The people opposed a general and deter- mined resistance to this measure, and at the end of a year there was but one clergyman of the English church within the limits of the colony. The resistance finally culmin- ated in open rebellion. The colony was divided into two parties, one of which sus- tained the authority of the proprietors, the other the rights of the people. Each party had its governor and assembly, and for six years the colony remained in a state of anarchy. The Quakers were the leading spirits of the popular party and maintained their rights with a steadfastness characteristic of their race. . Thus far North Carolina had escaped a war with the Indians. The Tuscaroras, who SETTLEMENT OF THE CAROUNAS: m occupied the central and northwestern por- tions of the present state, had emigrated at some remote period from the north, and they now viewed with jealousy and distrust the encroachments of the whites upon their lands. About 171 1 the proprietaries assigned large tracts in the country of this tribe to a company of Germans from the region of the Neckar and the Rhine, who had fled to America to escape religious persecution. A company of these exiles had come out under the direction of De Grafifenreid, and in Sep- tember, 171 1, De Graffenreid accompanied Lawson, the surveyor-general of the prov- ince, in an expedition up the Neuse for the purpose of locating these lands and of ascertaining how far the river was navigable. ^^^^ They were captured by a party of sixty v5~ Indians and hurried to a distant village of^ the Tuscaroras. Lawson was regarded with bitter hostility by the Indians, who lookedi|j upon him as responsible above all others for' the loss of their lands, as he had been com-^ pelled by his duties to locate the grants of ^;^^ the proprietaries, and he was put to death with cruel torments. Condemned to Death. De Graffenreid was also condemned to die, but he told the savages that he had been but a short time in the country, and that he was the " chief of a different tribe from the English," and promised that he would take no more of their land. The Indians kept him a prisoner for five weeks, and then permitted him to return to his friends. During this time the Tuscaroras and Corees, whom they had drawn into an alliance with them, attacked the settlements of the whites on the Roanoke and Pamlico Sound, and for three days spread death and devastation all along the frontier of the col- ony. A large number of the unoffending settlers were slain and many homesteads were destroyed. The people of North Carolina appealed to Virginia and South Carolina for assistance. South Carolina sent a small body of troops and a force of friendly Indians; and Gov- ernor Spotswood, of Virginia, unable to send assistance, engaged one tribe of the Tusca- roras in a treaty of peace. The people of North Carolina, divided by their internal dissensions, took scarcely any part in the struggle. The South Carolina forces attacked KING the Tuscaroras in their fort and compelled them to make peace. The troops, however, on their return home, violated the treaty by seizing some of the Indians for the purpose of selling them as slaves. The war broke out again and was prosecuted with vigor for about a year, and resulted in the expulsion of the Tuscaroras from North Carolina. The Yemmassees had for some time been hostile to the Spaniards, as they resented the efforts of the priests to convert them 240 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. to Christianity. Tliey had acted as the allies of the English in the war with the Tuscaroras, but after the close of that struggle the unscrupulous traders, who re- garded them as "a tame and peaceable people," had treated them so badly, and plundered them so systematically, that they were driven into hostility to the English. They thereupon renewed their friendship with the Spaniards, and induced the Cataw- bas, the Creeks and Cherokees, who had also been friendly to the English, to join them against their former allies. Indian Depredations. In 1715 the savages, suddenly, and with- out warning, attacked the settlements on the frontier. The alarm was sent to Port Royal and Charleston, and the assailed people fled towards the settlements along the coast. The Indians continued their depredations, and the colony prepared as rapidly as pos- sible to resist them. Aid was sent from North Carolina, whose government had now been placed on a more stable footing. Gov- ernor Craven took the field without delay, with ci!ch troops as he could raise, and a long and bloody struggle ensued. The power o- the savages was broken, however. The Yemmassees were compelled to take refuge in Florida, where they were provided for by the Spaniards, and the other tribes were driven farther westward. The contests between the proprietaries and the colonists now came to an end. The proprietaries had made no effort to help the colonists during their struggle with the In- dians, and the latter determined to have no more to do with their former lords. The dispute was carried before Parliament, which body declared that the proprietaries had for- feited their charter. In 1720 King George I. appointed Francis Nicholson provisional governor of Carolina. In 1729 the contro- versy was ended by the purchase of the pro- prietaries' interests by the crown for the sum of one hundred and ten thousand dollars. Carolina thus became a royal province, and was divided by the king into two separate states, known respectively as North and South Carolina, to each of which a royal governor was appointed. CHAPTER XIX Settlement of Georgia General James Edward Oglethorpe — His Eflfbrts to Reform Prison Discipline of England — Proposes to Found a Colony in America for the Poor and for Prisoners for Debt — A Charter Obtained fa.-om the King — Coloniza- tion of Georgia — Savannah Settled — First Years of the Colony — Labors of Oglethorpe — Arrival of New Emigrants — Augusta Founded — The Moravian Settlements — The Wesleys in America — George Whitefield — War Between England and Spain — Oglethorpe Invades Florida — Failure of the Attack upon St. Augus- tine— The Spaniards Invade Georgia — Oglethorpe's Stratagem — Its Success — Battle of " Bloody Marsh " — Close of the War — Charges Against Oglethorpe — His Vindication — Plis Return to Europe — Changes in the Colonial Government — Introduction of Slavery into Georgia — Prosperity of the Colony. THE severe laws in force in England in the last century against debtors aroused the opposition of many- philanthropists, who strove to pro- cure their abolition or amelioration. Among these was General James Edward Oglethorpe, an officer of the English army and a member of Parliament. He was a man of fortune, and of generous nature, and devoted himself with energy to reform not only the laws against debtors but the entire prison disci- pline of England. There were at this time upwards of four thousand men in prison for debt. Their condition was most pitiful. They had no hope of relief save through the mercy of the creditors who had consigned them to their prisons, and were treated with a severity due only to criminals. It seemed an , outrage to the generous Oglethorpe to visit such heavy punishments upon persons whose only crimes were their misfortunes, and he endeavored to have the laws authorizing imprisonment for debt re- pealed* and failing in this conceived the plan of establishing in America a place of refuge to which the poor and unfortunate might resort, and earn a support by their own industry. He succeeded in interesting others in his benevolent scheme, and in 1732 a petition, signed by a number of men of rank 16 and influence, was presented to George II., praying him to grant to the petitioners a tract of unoccupied land in America for the purpose of founding such an asylum as that proposed by Oglethorpe. The king re- sponded favorably to this appeal, and granted to Oglethorpe and twenty other persons the region between the Savannah and the Alta- maha rivers. This region was to be held " in trust for the poor," for a period of twenty-one years, by the trustees named in the charter, and was to constitute a home for unfortunate debtors and Protestants from the continent of Europe, who might wish to seek safety there from persecution. The territory thus assigned formed a part of South Carolina, but was formally separated from it and named Georgia, in honor of the king. The " free exercise of religion " was secured to all sects " except Papists." No grant of lan(^ to any single settler was to exceed five hun- dred acres, a condition which it was hoped would prevent the rich from securing the best lands, and give to the poor an oppor- tunity to become landowners. It was be lieved that the climate and soil of the new province were specially adapted to the rais- ing of silk-worms and the cultivation of the vme. 241 242 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. The scheme of Oglethorpe enlisted the sympathies of all classes of the English peo- ple. Liberal donations were made in its be- half, and its benevolent projector exerted himself with energy to secure a colony with which to lay the the foundations of the new state. It was determined to take none but the poorest and most helpless, and Ogle- thorpe himself decided to accompany them and give his personal care to the planting of the colony. Settlement of Savannah. One hundred and fifty persons, comprising thirty-five families, were embarked, and they sailed from England in November, 1732. They reached Charleston in fifty-seven days, and were formally welcomed by the assembly of South Carolina and presented with a sup- ply of cattle and rice. From Charleston the company sailed to Port Royal, while Ogle- thorpe hastened to explore the Savannah and select a cite for the settlement. He chose a location at Yamacraw Bluff, on the right bank of the river, about twenty miles from its mouth. He purchased the lands from the Yamacraw Indians, and the foundations of a town were laid. The place was named Savannah, from the river on which it stood. Oglethorpe has- tened forward the clearing of the land and the building of houses, but for nearly a year contented himself with a tent which was erected under four wide-spreading pines. " The streets were laid out with the greatest regularity ; in each quarter a public square was reserved ; the houses were planned and constructed on one model — each a frame of sawed timber, twenty-four feet by sixteen, floored with rough deals, the sides with feathered-edge boards, unplained, and the roof shingled." A garden was laid off by the river-side, to be the nursery of European fruits and other productions. Friendly relations were cultivated with the Indians. The chief of the Yamacraws came in bringing a buffalo skin, on the inner side of which was painted the head and feathers of an eagle. " Here is a little present," said Tomo-chichi, as the chief was named. " The feathers of the eagle are soft and signify love ; the buffalo skin is warm, and is the emblem of protection ; therefore love and protect our little families." The Muscogees, Creeks, Cherokees and Oconees also sent their chiefs to Savannah to make an alliance with the English. The savages were well pleased with the noble and commanding appearance of Oglethorpe and his frank and kind manner of dealing with them, and trusted implicitly in the promises he made them. The distant Choctaws also sent messengers to open friendly relations with the new settlers, and a profitable trade was established with the tribes as far west as the Mississippi. Grand Old German Hymns. Thus far the colony of Georgia was a success, and the friends of the movement in England were not slow to make public the accounts which came to them of its delightful climate and fertile soil, and all who were oppressed or in need were invited to seek the protection and advantages which the new land offered. The fame of the colony attracted the attention of a number of German Prot- estants in and around Salzburg, who were undergoing a severe persecution for the sake of their religion. Their sufferings enlisted the sympathy of the people of England, and the "'Society for the Propagation of the Gospel " invited them to emigrate to Georgia and secured for them the means of doing so. The Germans readily accepted the offer, and rejoiced greatly that they were thus afforded an opportunity of spreading the gospel among the Indians. Nearly one hundred persons SETTLEMENT OF GEORGIA. 243 ^et out from Salzburg, taking with them their wives and httle ones in wagons, and journeyes across the county to Frankfort- on-the-Main. They carried with them their Bibles and books of devotion, and as they journeyed lightened their fatigues with those grand old German hymns which they were to make as precious in the new world as they were to the people of God in the old. From Frank- fort they proceeded to the Rhine and floated down that stream to Rotterdam, where, being joined by two clergymen — Bolzius and Gronau — they saned to England. They were warmly received' by a com- mittee of the trustees of the colony and forwarded to Georgia. A stormy passage of fifty-seven days brought them to Charleston, in March, 1734, where they were met by Ogle- thorpe, who led them to their destina- tion. They were assigned a location on the Savannah, a short distance above the town of Savannah, where they began without delay to lay off a town, which they named Ebenezer, in gratitude to God for his guidance of them into a land of plenty and of rest from persecution. Others of their countrymen joined them from time to time, and their settlement grew rapidly and became noted as one of the most orderly, thrifty and moral communities in the new world. In 1734 the town of Augusta was laid out at the head of boat navigation on the Sa- vannah, and soon became an important trad- ing-post. Emigrants came over from England in large numbers, and Oglethorpe had the satisfaction of seeing his colony fairly started upon the road to prosperity. He was justly proud of the success of the colony, for it was mainly due to his disinterested efforts. Governor Johnson, of South Carolina, who had watched the labors of Oelethorpe with the deepest interest, wrote : " His under- taking will succeed, for he nobly devotes all his powers to serve the poor and rescue them from their wrechedness." The pastor of Ebenezer bore equally emphatic testimony to his devotion. " He has taken care of us to the best of his ability," said the pastor. " God has so blessed his presence and his regulations in the land that others would not in many years have accomplished what he has brought about in one." GENERAL OGLETHORPE. In April, 1734, Oglethorpe, whose pres- ence was required in Europe, sailed from Savannah, taking with him several Indians, and enough of the raw silk which had been produced in the colony to make a dress for the queen. Georgia was left to manage its own affairs during the absence of its founder. As the colonists regarded the use of ardent spirits as the sure cause of the debt and misery from which they had fled, they ^44 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. prohibited their introduction into the colony ; but it was found impossible to enforce this law. The importation of negro slaves was also forbidden. The colony was a refuge for the distressed and oppressed of all nations, and it seemed a violation of the spirit in ivhich it was founded to hold men in bond- age. " Slavery," said Oglethorpe, " is against the gospel as well as the fundamental law of England. We refused, as trustees, to make a law permitting such a horrid crime." with the intention of becoming missionaries of the gospel among the savage tribes, and under their leader, Spangenberg, formed a new settlement on the Ogeechee, south of the Savannah. They claimed and received a grant of fifty acres of land for each of their number, in accordance with a law which had been passed for the encourage- ment of emigration. In the same year a company of Scotch Highlanders, under their ^ minister, John McLeod, arrived and founded A SoUillERX PLANTATION. The visit of Oglethorpe to England was productive of great benefit to Georgia. Par- liament was induced to grant it assistance, and the king became deeply interested in the province which had been called by his name. Emigrants from England continued to seek its hospitable shores, and the trustees induced a band of Moravians, or United Brethren, to emigrate to the colony. They came in I735» the town of Darien, on the Altamaha. In 1736 Oglethorpe himself returned, bringing with him three hundred emigrants. Among the new-comers were two broth- ers, men of eminent piety, who were destined to exercise a powerful influence upon the world. They were John and Charles Wes- ley, sous of p ''lergyman of the Church of England, anu themselves ministers of that SETTLEMENT OF GEORGIA. Uh communion. Charles Wesley had been selected by Oglethorpe as his secretary, and John Wesley came with the hope of becom- ing the means of converting the Indians to Christianity. He did not succeed in realiz- ing his noble ambition, but we cannot doubt Uiat his experience in America formed a very important part of the training by which God was pre- paring him for the great work he meant to intrust to him at a later day. The preaching of Wesley had a marked effect upon the col- ony. Crowds flocked to hear him, neglect- ing their usual amuse- ments in their eager- ness to listen to him. His austerity of life, however, involved him ia troubles with the people, and his popularity at length disappeared. His brother Charles was too tenderly moulded for so rough a life as that of the infant col- ony, and his health jsank under it. The brothers remained in Georgia only two years, and then went back to their labors in Europe, never to return to America. Soon after the departure of the Wesleys came to the colony George Whitefield, their friend and associate, the " golden-mouthed " preacher of the century. In his own land he had begun to preach the message of his Mas- ter when but a mere youth, and had pro- claimed it to the inmates of the prisons and to the poor in the fields, and now he had come to bring the gospel to the people of the new world. He visited the Lutherans at JOHN WESLEY, Ebenezer, and was deeply impressed with tlw care with which they protected the orphan and helpless children of their community.' He determined to establish an institution similar to the orphan hous^ ^x Halle, in 34^ SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. Germany, and by his personal exertions suc- ceeded in raising in England and America the funds necessary for the success of his enterprise. He thereupon established near Savannah the first orphan asylum in America. He GEORGE WHITEFIELD. watched it with unceasing care during his life, but after his death it languished and was at length discontinued. Whitefield did not confine his labors to Georgia. He visited ^ery colony iri America, and finally di^d and was buried in New England. The memory of his wonderful eloquence is still retained in this country by the children of those who listened to him. Immediately upon his return to Georgia, Oglethorpe proceeded to visit the Lutheran settlement at Ebenezerj to encourage the people and lay out their town. The Germans repaid nis care by their industry, and in a kw years their total annual product of raw silk amounted to ten thousand pounds. The culture of indigo was also carried on by them with marked success. Oglethorpe, having visited the Scotch set- tlement at Darien, now resolved to come to a definite understanding with the Spaniards at St. Augustine respect- ing the southern border of Georgia, and to sus- tain the pretensions of Great Britain to the country as far south as the St. John's. Proceed- ing with a detachment ol Highlanders to Cumber- land Island, he marked out the location for a fort, to be called St. Andrew's, and on the southern end of Amelia Island, at the mouth of the St. John's, built Fort St. George. The Spaniards on their part claimed the whole coast as far north as St. Helena's Sound, and Oglethorpe, a little later, decided to abandon Fort St. George, but strengthened Fort 3t. SETTLEMENT OF GEORGIA. 247 Andrew, as it defended the entrance to the St. Mary's, which stream was finally settled upon as the boundary between Georgia and Florida. Oglethorpe was commissioned a brigadier-general by the king, and was charged with the defence of Georgia and South Carolina. He repaired to England and raised a regiment of troops, with which he returned to Georgia in 1738. Spain and England were rapidly drifting into war. The system of restrictions by which the European governments sought to retain the exclusive possession of the com- merce of their respective colonies was always a fruitful source of trouble. It now operated to bring England and Spain to open hostili- ties. The Spanish colonies were forbidden by law to trade with any port but that of Cadiz. The merchants of this place, being given a monopoly of the colonial commerce, were enabled to fix their prices without fear of competition, and thus earned large fortunes. Grasping Smugglers. The trade of the Spanish-American col- onies, however, was too tempting not to pro- duce rivals to the merchants of Cadiz. The English, who had watched its growth with eager eyes, determined to gain a share of it. By the terms of a treaty between the two nations, an English vessel was allowed to visit Portobello, in the West Indies, once a year, and dispose of its cargo. This vessel was followed by smaller ones, which in the night replaced with their cargoes the bales of goods that had been discharged during the day. An active smuggling trade sprang up between the English and Spanish- American ports, and English vessels repeatedly sought these ports, under the pretence of distress, and sold their goods. These enterprises were carried to such an extent that the Spanish merchants were unable to compete with the English smugglers in the colonial markets, and the tonnage of the port of Cadiz fell from fifteen thousand to two thou- sand tons. The Spaniards visited with severe punish- ments all who were detected in engaging in this illicit traffic. Some of the offenders were imprisoned, and others were deprived of their ears. The English people resented the pun- ishment of these traders as an infringement of the freedom of trade, and regarded the smugglers who had suffered at the hands of Spanish justice as martyrs. The popular sentiment was therefore in favor of a war with Spain, and the English government, which had all along connived at this illicit trade, which was rapidly crippHng a rival power, shared the national feeling. Grievances of the Settlers. The English colonists, who had watched the growth of the trouble between the two European countries, had grievances of their own. South Carolina was a sufferer by the loss of numerous runaway negro slaves, who escaped to the Spaniards at St. Augustine. The return of these fugitives was demanded, and was refused, not because the Spaniards were opposed to slavery, but because they were always ready to injure the English col- onies by any means in their power. More- over, the Spanish authorities of Florida had ordered the English to withdraw from Georgia, and it was not certain that they would refrain from seeking to enforce this order. Oglethorpe had become convinced that war was inevitable, and in order to be prepared for it had visited Europe and raised a regiment of six hundred men, as has been related. War was declared against Spain by Eng- land in October, 1739. Admiral Vernon was sent against Portobello with his fleet, and captured that town and its fortifications, and gained soine other ^wccesgeg pyer the 248 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. Spaniards in Central America. In 1740, the American colonies were ordered by the British government to contribute each its quota to a grand expedition against the Spanish possessions in the West Indies. Each colony made its contribution promptly, and Pennsylvania, in the place of troops, voted a sum of money. Fleet of a Hundred Vessels. The expedition reached Jamaica in Janu- ary, 1741, but instead of proceeding at once to attack Havana, which was only three days distant, and the conquest of which would have made England supreme in the West Indies, the fleet was detained for over a month at Jamaica by the dissensions be- tween Wentworth, the incompetent com- mander of the land forces, and Vernon, the admiral of the fleet. The expedition num- bered ovei one hundred vessels, of which twenty-nine were ships of the line, and was manned with fifteen thousand sailors and twelve thousand troops, and supplied with every requisite for a successful siege. Havana might have been taken, and England have gained a hold upon the southern waters of America which could never have been wrested from her. Instead of undertaking this important measure, the expedition attacked Cartha- gena, the strongest fortress in Spanish America. The Spaniards defended it with obstinancy and held the English in check until the besieging force, decimated by the ravages of the climate, was compelled to withdraw. The war continued through the next year, but England gained no advan- tage in the West Indies which could at all compensate her for her losses in the struggle. In the autumn of 1739, upon the breaking out of the war, Oglethorpe was ordered to invade Florida, and attack St. Augustine. He hastened to Charleston and urged upon the authorities of South Carolina, which formed a part of his military command, the necessity of acting with promptness and de- cision. He was granted supplies and a force of four hundred men, which, added to his own regiment, gave him a force of one thousand white troops. He was also fur- nished with a body of Indian warriors by the friendly tribes, and with his little army in- vaded Florida in the spring of 1741, and laid siege to St. Augustine. He found the gar- rison more numerous and the fortifications stronger than he had been led to believe. ( The Indians soon became disheartened and began to desert, and the troops from South Carolina, " enfeebled by the heat, dispirited by sickness and fatigued by fruitless eflbrts, marched away in large bodies." Spanish Settlers Protected. The small naval force also became dissat- isfied, and Oglethorpe, left with only his own regiment, was obliged to withdraw into Georgia after a siege of five weeks. During this campaign Oglethorpe made a few pris- oners, whom he treated with kindness. He prevented the Indians from maltreating the Spanish settlers, and, throughout the inva- sion, " endured more fatigues than any of his soldiers; and in spite of ill-health, he was at the head in every important action." The invasion of Florida was a misfortune for Georgia in every way. Not only were some of the inhabitants lost to the colony by death, and the industry of the province greatly interfered with by the calling off of the troops from their ordinary avocations, but a serious misfortune was sustained in the withdrawal of the Moravians from the prov- ince. Uncompromisingly opposed to war, they withdrew from Georgia in a body and settled in Pennsylvania, where they founded the towns of Bethlehem and Nazareth, SETTLEMENT OF GEORGIA. 249 In the last year of the war, 1742, the Spaniards resolved to avenge the attack upon Florida by driving the English out of Georgia. A strong fleet with a considerable land force was sent from Cuba to St. Augus- tine, from which it proceeded to the mouth of the St. Mary's. Oglethorpe had con- structed a strong work called Fort William, on the southern end of Cumberland Island, for the defence of this river. With no aid from Carolina, and with less than a thousand men, Oglethorpe was left to defend this position as well as he could. He posted his main force at Frederica, a small village on St. Simon's Island. The Spanish fleet attacked Fort William in June and succeeded in passing it and entering the harbor of St. Simon's. The troops were landed and ar- rangements were made for a combined attack upon Frederica. Entrapped and Defeated. Oglethorpe now resolved to anticipate the attack of the enemy by a night assault upon *heir position, but as his forces were approach- ing the Spanish camp, under cover of dark- ness, one of his soldiers, a Frenchman, betrayed the movement by firing his gun, and escaping into the enemy's lines, where he gave the alarm. Oglethorpe, by a happy stratagem, now induced the enemy to with- draw, and drew upon the deserter the pun- ishment he merited. He bribed a Spanish prisoner to carry a letter to the deserter, in which he addressed the Frenchman as a spy of the English, and urged him to use every effort to detain the Spaniards before Fred- erica for several days longer, until a fleet of six English ships of war, which had sailed from Charleston, could reach and destroy St. Augustine. The letter was delivered by the released prisoner to the Spanish com- mander, as Oglethorpe had known would be the case, and the deserter was placed in con- finement- Fortunately, at this moment, some vessels from South Carolina, laden with supplies for Oglethorpe, appeared in the offing. These the Spanish commander was confident were the ships on their way to attack St. Augus- tine. He determined to strike a vigorous blow at Frederica before sailing to the relief of his countrymen in Florida. On his march towards the English position he was ambus- caded and defeated, with great loss, at a place since called " Bloody Marsh." The next night he embarked his forces and saile(? for St. Augustine to defend it from the attack which had no existence save in the fertile brain of Oglethorpe, whose stratagem was thus entirely successful. On their withdrawal the Spaniards renewed their attempt to cap- ture Fort William, but without success. The firmness and vigor of Oglethorpe had saved Georgia and Carolina from the ruin which the Spaniards, who had no intention of occupying the country, had designed for them. Oglethorpe Acquitted. Yet the founder and brave defender oi Georgia was not to escape the experience of those who seek with disinterested zeal to serve their fellow-men. The disaffected settlers sent an agent to England to lodge complaints against him with the government. In July, 1743, having made sure of the tran- quility and safety of the colony, Oglethorpe sailed for England to meet his accuser, and upon arriving in his native country demanded an investigation of his conduct in the land for which he had sacrificed so much. The result of the inquiry was the trium- phant acquittal of Oglethorpe and the pun- ishment of his accuser for making false charges. Oglethorpe was promoted to the grade of major-general in the English army. He did not return to Georgia again, but he had the satisfaction of knowing that duringf 2SO SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. his ten years of sacrifice and toil in America he had successfully laid the foundations of a vigorous state and had placed it far beyond the possibility of failure, and that his name was honored and loved by the people for whom he had given his best efforts without any personal reward. He died at the age of ninety years. After the departure of Ogle- thorpe many improvements were made in the government of Georgia, which was changed from a military rule to a civil establishment. The forms and customs of the English law were introduced and the usual magistrates appointed. Human Cargoes from Africa. Slavery had been forbidden by the trus- tees, but the majority of the people were dissatisfied with this prohibition. The Ger- mans and the Scotch were opposed to the introduction of slave labor, but the greater number of the English, many of whom had been reduced to poverty by their idleness and wastefulness, were of the opinion that the agricultural wealth of the colony could not be properly developed by white labor alone. " They were unwilling to labor, but were clamorous for privileges to which they had no right.'* They declared that the use of strong liquors was rendered absolutely necessary by the climate and demanded the repeal of the laws against their introduction. Negro slaves were hired from the Carolina planters at first for a few years, and finally for a term of one hundred years, which was a practical establishment of slavery in the colony. Within seven years after Oglethorpe's departure slave-ships from Africa brought their cargoes direct to Savannah and sold them there. The scruples of the Germans were at length overcome, and they were induced to believe that negroes might be led into the Christian fold by their proper treat- ment by Christian masters, and that in this way their change of country might result in benefit to them. " If you take slaves in faith," wrote their friends from Germany, " and with the intent of conducting them to Christ, the action will not be a sin, but may prove a benediction." Even the pious White- field took this view of the subject and urged the trustees to grant permission to the colo- nists to hold slaves, as indispensable to the prosperity of Georgia. The trustees were so strongly urged to this step by all classes of the colony, and so overrun with complaints, that the twenty-one years of their guardianship having expired, they were glad to surrender their trust, which they did in 1752, and Georgia became a royal province. Privileges similar to those granted the other colonies were allowed it. The king appointed the governor and some of the other higher officials, and the assembly dis- charged the duties, and enjoyed the rights appertaining to similar bodies in the other provinces. Georgia was always a favored colony. Among the most important privileges be^ stowed upon it was the right to import and hold negro slaves, which was conferred upon it by Parliament after a careful examination into the matter. After this the colony grew rapidly, and cotton and rice were largely cultivated. In 1752, at the time of the re- linquishment of the colony to the crown, Georgia contained a population less than twenty-five hundred whites and about four hundred negroes. In 1775, at the outbreak of the Revolution, the popu. lation numbered about seventy-five thousand souls, and its exports were valued at over half a million of dollarst CHAPTER XX The French in the Valley of the Mississippi Origin of the Hostilicy of the Iroquois to the French — Settlement of Canada — Plans of the French Respecting thcdndiam, —The Jesuits — Their Work in America — Suceess of their Missions — The Early Missionaries — Foundation of a CoUe^fl at Quebec — Efforts of the Jesuits to Convert the Iroquois — Father Jogues — Death of Ahasistari — Father AUoaez — The Missions on the Upper Lakes — Father Marquette — His Exploration of the Upper Mississippi — Death of Marquette— La Salle — Efforts of France to Seciure the Valley of the Mississippi — La Salle Descends the Mississippi to its Mouth —His Effort to Colonize the Lower Mississippi — The First Colony in Texas — Its Failure — Death of La Salle- ■• Lemoine d'Ibberville — Settlement of Louisiana — Colony of Biloxi — Settlement of Mobile — Crozat's Monopoly^ Foundisg of New Orleans — Detroit Founded — Slow Growth of the French Colonies — Occupation of the Ohio Valley by the French — Wars with the Indians — Extermination of the Natchez Tribe — War with the ChickasawSc WE have already spoken of the explorations of Samuel Cham- plain in Canada and in the northern part of New York. It is necessary now, in order to obtain a proper comprehension of the period at which we have arrived, to go back to the time of his discoveries and trace the efforts of France to extend her dominion over the great valley of the Mississippi. We have seen Cham- plain in one of his last expeditions accom- j.»anyiitg a war party of the Hurons and Al- gonqums against their inveterate enemies, the Iroquois or Five Nations. By his aid the former were enabled to defeat the Iro- quois, and that great confederacy thus be- came the bitter and uncompromising enemies of the French nation. They cherished this hostility to the latest period of the dominion of France in Canada, and no effort of the French governors was ever able to over- come it. The efforts of Champlain established the settlement of Canada upon a sure basis of success, and after his death settlers came over to Canada from France in considerable numbers. Quebec became an important place, and other settlements were founded. It was apparent from the first that the French colo- »wes must occupy a very different footing from those of England. The soil and tht climate were both unfavorable to agriculture, and the French settlements were of necessity organized chiefly as trading-posts. The trade in furs was immensely valuable, and the French sought to secure the exclusive possession of it. To this end it was indis- pensable to secure the friendship of the In- dians, especially of those tribes inhabiting the country to the north and west of thf great lakes. In 1634, three years before the death c Champlain, Louis XIII. granted a chartei to a company of French nobles and mer- chants, bestowing upon them the entLr-" region embracec? in the valley of the Si- Lawrence, then known as New France Richelieu and Champlain, who were mem bers of this company, were wise enough to understand that their countrymen were not suited to the task of colonization, and that if France was to found an empire in the new world, it must be by civilizing and Chris tianizing the Indians and bringing them under the rule of her king, and not by seek- ing to people Canada with Frenchmen. From this time it became the policy o( France to bring the savages under her sway. The efforts of the settlers in Canada wet? mainly devoted to trading with the Indian^. 252 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. and no attempt was made to found an agri- cultural state. Champlain had conceived a sincere desire for the conversion of the savages to Chris- tianity, and had employed several priests of the order of St. Francis as his companions, and these had gained sufficient success among the savages to give ground for the hope that the red men might yet be brought into the fold of Christ. Father Le Caron, one of this order, had penetrated far up the St. Law- rence, had explored the southern coast of Lake Ontario, and had even entered Lake Huron. He brought back tidings of thou- sands of the sons of the forest living in darkness and superstition, ignorant of the gospel, and dying " in the bondage of their sins." In France a sudden enthusiasm was awakened in behalf of the savages, and at court zeal for the conversion of the Indians became the sure road to distinction. Much of this was the result of genuine disinterested regard for the welfare of the red men, but much also was due to the conviction that by such a course the power of France would be most surely established in Canada. Work of the Jesuits, The missions were placed entirely in the hands of the Jesuits, an order well suited to the task demanded of it. It had been estab- lished by its founder for the express design of defeating the influences and the work of the Reformation, and its members were chosen with especial regard to their fitness for the duties required of them. They were to meet and refute the arguments by which the Reformers justified their withdrawal from the Roman church, to beat back the advanc- ing wave of Protestantism, and bring all Christendom once more in humble submis- sion to the feet of the Roman pontiff. The Reformers had made a most successful use of education in winning men from Rome. , the Jesuits would take their own weapons against the Protestants. They would no longer command absolute and unquestioning submission to their church ; but would edu- cate the people to accept the faith of Rome as the result of study and investigation ; and in order that study and investigation should lead to this desired result, the control of these processes should be placed exclusively in the hands of the members of the Jesuit order, who should direct them as they deemed best. Such a task required a band of de- voted men, carefully trained for their special work ; and such an order the Jesuits became. Surrendering his conscience and will to the direction of his superiors, and sinking his personality in that of his order, the Jesuit became a mere intellectual machine in the hands of his superior. A Solemn Oath. Bound by a most solemn oath to obey without inquiry or hesitation the commands of the Pope, or the superiors of the order, the Jesuit holds himself in readiness to execute instantly, and to the best of his ability, any task imposed upon him. Neither fatigue, danger, hunger nor suffering was to stand in his way of perfect and unhesitating obedi- ence. No distance was to be considered an obstacle, and no lack of ordinary facilities of travel was to prevent him from attempting to reach the fields in which he was ordered to labor. The merit of obedience in his eyes atoned for every other short-coming ; devo- tion to the church, the glory of making proselytes, made even suffering pleasure and death a triumph, if met in the discharge of duty. Such an order was in every way qualified for the work of Christianizing the savages, and America offered the noblest field to which its energies had yet been invited. There, gut off from the ambitious schemes THE FRENCH IN THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 253 and corrupt influences which had enlisted their powers in Europe, the Jesuits could achieve and did achieve their noblest and most useful triumphs. There, their influ- ence was for good alone, and their labors stand in striking contrast with those which won for the order the universal execration of Europe. Not only did they win the honor of gaining many converts to the Christian faith, but they were the means of extending the dominion of their country far beyond the boundaries of Canada, and of bringing the great valley of the Mississippi under the authority of France. Marriage of Whites and Indians. By the year 1536 there were thirteen Jesuit missionaries in Canada laboring among the Indians. Not content with re- maining around the posts, they pushed out beyond the frontier settlements into the boundless forest, making new converts and important discoveries. Each convert was regarded as a subject of France, and the equal of the whites, and the kindliest rela- tions were established between the French and the natives. Many of the traders took them Indian wives, and from these marriages sprang the class of half-breeds afterwards so numerous in Canada. The limits of Canada were too narrow for the ambition of the Jesuits ; they burned to carry Christianity to the tribes in the more distant regions beyond the lakes. In the autumn of 1634 Fathers Brabeuf and Daniel accompanied a party of Hurons, who had come to Quebec on a trading expedition, to their home on the shores of the lake which bears their name. It was a long and difficult journey of nine hundred miles, and it taxed the endurance of the missionaries to the ut- most, but they persevered, and finally gained a resting-place at the Huron villages on Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe There they erected a rude chapel in a little grove, and celebrated the mysteries of their religion in the midst of the wondering red men, who looked on with awe and not without interest. New Missions. Six missions were soon established among the Indian villages in this part of the lake, and converts began to reward the labors of the devoted priests. Father Brabeuf had not an idle moment. The first four hours of the day were passed in prayer and in the flagel- lation of his body ; he wore a shirt of hair, and his fasts were frequent and severe. The remainder of the day was given to catechis- ing and teaching the Indians. As he passed along the streets of the village he would ring his little bell, and in this way summon the warriors to converse with him upon the mysteries of the Christian faith. He spent fifteen years in his labors among the Indians, and hundreds of converts were by means of him gained to Christ among the dusky chil- dren of the forest. The great Huron chief, Ahasistari, was among the converts of Father Brabeuf, " Before you came to this country," he said to the missionary, " when I have incurred the greatest perils and have alone escaped, I have said to myself, ' Some powerful Spirit has tht guardianship of my days.*" That Spirit he now declared was Jesus Christ, and as he had before adored him in ignorance, he now became his acknowledged servant. Being, satisfied of his sincerity, Father Brabeuf baptized him, and the chief, in the enthusi- asm of his new belief, exclaimed, " Let us strive to make the whole world embrace the faith in Jesus." The report of the successful efforts of the missionaries gave great satisfaction in France, and the king and queen and the nobles made liberal donations in support of the missions and for the assistance of the converts. A 254 UNIVERSITY AND NORMAL SCHOOL BUILDINGS At TORONTO, IN 1 892, THE FRENCH IN THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 255 tollege for the education of missionaries was founded at Quebec in 1635. This was the first institution of learning established in America, and preceded the founding of Har- vard College by two years. Madame de la Peltrie, a wealthy young widow of Alencon, with the aid of three nuns, established in 1639 the Ursuline Convent for the education of Indian girls. The three nuns came out from France to take charge of it, and were received with enthusiasm, especially by the Indians. Montreal being regarded as a more suit- able place, the institution was removed to that island and permanently established there. The Powerful Mohawks. The labors of the missioi.cxries had thus far been confined to the Huron and Algon- quin tribes, whom they found very willing to listen to them, and among whom they counted their converts by thousands. They had encountered but little hostility from them, and the dangers of the enterprise were merely those inseparable from the unsettled condition of the country. They were anxious to extend their efforts to the fiercer and more powerful Iroquois, as the conver- sion of the tribes of this confederacy would not only swell the number of their converts, but would extend the influence of France to the very borders of the English settlements on the Atlantic coast. The Iroquois, or Five Nations, consisted, as has been said, of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida and Mohawk tribes. They occupied almost all that part of Canada south of the Ottawa, and between Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron, the greater part of New York and the country lying along the south shore of Lake Erie, now included in the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. They were generally called by the English the Mohawks. They w^»*e the most intelligent, as well as the most powerful, of the tribes with whom the French missionaries came in contact. Their traditions related that their confed- eracy had been formed in accordance with the instructions of Hiawatha, the greatest and wisest of their chiefs, who had been blessed by the Great Spirit with more than human beauty and wisdom and courage. He had made his people great, united and prosperous ; had then taken a solemn leave of them, and had sailed out into the distant sunset in a snow-white canoe, amid the sweetest music from the spirit land. They were regarded with dread by the sur- rounding tribes, many of which were tribu- tary to them. Their influence extended eastward as far as New England, and west- ward as far as the countries of the Illinois and the Miamis. They regarded the Hurons as their hereditary enemies, and the French, as allies of the Hurons, now shared this hos- tility. The savages long remembered, and never forgave, the alliance of Champlain with the Hurons and Algonquins, to which reference has been made. Enmity of the Red Men. The Jesuit missionaries vainly endeavored to add the tribes of the Five Nations to their converts. The latter, regarding the French as enemies, could never be made to look upon the missionaries of that race as friends, and considered the efforts of the good fathers in their behalf as a species of incantation designed for their destruction. They closed the region south of Lake Ontario to the French traders and priests and kept a vigilant watch over the passes of the St. Lawrence for the purpose of breaking up the trade of the French at Montreal with the tribes on the lakes. The only route by which the lakes could be reached in safety was by the Ottawa and 256 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. through the wilderness beyond. Yet occa- sionally a trading party would slip through the blockade established by the Iroquois, and, descending the lakes and the St. Law- rence, reach Montreal and Quebec in safety. These expeditions constituted the only means by which the Jesuit missionaries in the remote regions could communicate with their principal establishment at Montreal. In the summer of 1642, Father Jogues, who had labored with great success in the country now embraced in the state of Michi- gan, left the Sault Sainte Marie under the escort of the great Huron war chief Ahasis- tari and a number of his braves, and, descend- ing the Ottawa and the St. Lawrence, reached Montreal and Quebec in safety. On the first of August he set out on his return, ac- companied by a larger fleet of Huron canoes. Before the mouth of the Ottawa was reached the part^ was attacked by a band of Mo- hawks, and the canoes were so much dam- aged that the occupants were forced to make for the opposite shore. The greater number escaped, but a few, among whom were Father Jogues and Father Goupil, a fellow-priest, were taken prisoners. Died at the Stake. Ahasistari had succeeded in reaching a place of safety, and from his concealment saw the missionaries prisoners in the hands of their enemies. He knew the fate that awaited them, and resolved to share it with them. Father Jogues might have escaped, but as there were among the prisoners several con- verts who had not yet received baptism, he decided to remain with them in the hope of being able to administer the sacred rite to them before their execution. Ahasistari strode through the midst of the. astonished Mohawks to the side of the priest. " My brother," said the chief, " I made oath to thee that I would share thy fortune, whether death or life ; here am I to keep my vow," He received absolution from the hands of his teacher, and died at the stake with the firm- ness of a Christian and a hero. Jogues and Goupil were carried to the Mohawk, and in each village through which they were led were compelled to run the gauntlet. On an ear of corn which was thrown to them for food a few drops of the dew had remained, and with these Father Jogues baptized two of his converts. Peace with the Five Nations. Goupil was not so fortunate. He was seen in the act of making the sign of the cross over an Indian child, and was struck dead by a blow from the toma- hawk of the child's father, who sup- posed he was working a spell for the little one's harm. Father Jogues had expected the same fate, but he was spared, and even allowed to erect a large cross near the villagt at which he was detained, and to worship before it at pleasure. He escaped at length and reached Albany, where he was kindly received by the Dutch, who enabled him to return to France, from which country he sailed again for Canada. He went boldly into the Mohawk country and began again the efforts which he had made during his captivity to convert his enemies to the true faith, but his labors were soon cut short by his murder by a Mohawk warrior. Other missionaries sought the country of these tribes, but only to meet torture and death at their hands. In 1645, the Frencn, who desired to secure their possessions, made a treaty of peace with the Five Nations. The latter professed to forget and bury the wrongs of the past, and agreed to be the true friends of the French. The Algonquins joined in the peace, but neither tribe was sincere in its professions of friendship. THE FRENCH IN THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPL 25; The Abenakis of Maine, who had heard of the good deeds of the Jesuit fathers, sent messengers to Montreal asking that mission- aries might be sent to dwell among them. Their appeal was favorably considered, and Father Dreuilettes made his way across the wilderness to the head of the Kennebec, and descended that stream to a point within a few miles of its mouth, where he established his mission. Large numbers of the savages came to him for religious instruction, and he found them ready to embrace the truths he taught them. He entered heartily into all the modes of Indian life, hunting and fishing with them, and winning their confidence and affection. After remaining with them about a year he returned to Quebec, escorted by a band of his converts. He gave such favora- ble accounts of the disposition of the Maine Indians that a permanent mission was estab- lished among them. Uncivilized Wild Men. By the close of the year 1646 the French had established a line of missions extending across the continent from Lake Superior to Nova Scotia, and between sixty and seventy missionaries were actively engaged in in- structing and preaching to the savages. How far the labors of these devoted men were actually successful will never be known, as their work was of a character which can- not be submitted to any human test. They did not succeed, however, in changing either the character or the habits of their converts. They were still wild men, who scorned to \' engage in the labor of cultivating their lands, and lived by hunting and fishing. They learned to engage in the religious services of the missionaries, to chant matins and ves- pers, but they made no approach to civiliza- tion. When, in after years, the zeal of the whites for their conversion became less act- ive, and the missionaries less numerous, they fell back into their old ways. 17 In 1648 the peace between the Mohawks and the Hurons was broken, and the war blazed up again fiercer than ever. Bands of Mohawk warriors invaded the territory of the Hurons, and both the savage and the' . . . \ missionary fell victims to their fury. On the morning of the fourth of July the village of St. Joseph, on Lake Simcoe, was attacked by a war party of the Mohawks. Pierced With Arrows. The Huron braves were absent on a hunt- ing expedition, and only the old men and the women and children of the tribe were left in the village. This was the village founded by the missionaries Brabeuf and Daniel, the latter of whom, now an old man, was still dwelling with his converts. At the opening of the attack the good priest has- tened to baptize such as he could, and to give absolution to all whom he could reach. Then, as the Mohawks forced the stockade which protected the village and swarmed in among the wigwams, he advanced calmly from the chapel to meet them, and fell pierced with numerous arrows. During the next year the Jesuit missions in Upper Canada were broken up. At the capture of the village Father Brabeuf and his companion, Gabriel Lallemand, were made prisoners, and were subsequently put to death with the crudest tortures. They bore their sufferings with a firmness which astonished their persecutors. The Hurons were scattered and their country was added to the dominion of the Five Nations. Many of the captive Hurons were adopted into the conquering tribes. A large number of these had embraced Christianity — so many, indeed, that the Jesuits, who had been in nowise discouraged by the terrible scenes which had marked the wa«^, began to cherish the hope that the presence of these converts would i*»duce the Iroquois to receive a missionary ^ss Settlement of America. among them. It was decided to make the attempt among the Onondagas, and Oswego, which was their principal village, was chosen as the site of the mission. Useless Efforts. The Iroquois made no effort to disturb the missionaries, and priests were sent among the other tribes of the confederacy. Encour- aged by this reception, the French undertook to secure a firm footing in this inviting region by establishing a colony at the mouth of the Oswego, and fifty persons were des- patched to that point to begin a settlement there. This aroused the alarm of the Indians, who compelled the colonists to withdraw and forced the missionaries to de- part with them. This was the last effort of the French to obtain possession of New York. The Five Nations were not to be reconciled with them on any terms, and their hostility made it useless to attempt the col- onization of that fertile region. Defeated in their hope of obtaining a footing in the country of the Five Nations, the Jesuit fathers turned their attention more energetically to the vast region beyond the lakes. In 1654 two young fur-traders had penetrated into the country beyond Lake Superior, and after an absence of two years had returned to Quebec, bringing with them accounts of the powerful and numerous tribes occupying that region. They brought with them a number of Indians, who urged the French to open commercial relations with and send missionaries among these tribes. Their request was promptly granted, and missionaries were soon on the ground. One of these, the aged Father Mesnard, while journeying through the forests, wan- dered off from his attendants and was never seen again. His cassock and breviary were found by the Sioux, and were long retained by them as a protection against evil. In 1665 Father Claude Alloiiez ascendeu the Ottawa and crossed the wilderness to the Sault Ste-Marie, on a mission to the tribes of the far west. In October he reached the principal town of the Chippewas at the head of Lake Superior. He found the tribe in great excitement ; the young warriors were eager to engage in a war against the formid- able Sioux, and the old men were seeking to restrain them. A grand council was in progress, which was attended by the chiefs of ten or twelve of the neighboring tribes for the purpose of preserving peace *i possible. Father Allouez was admitted to this assembly and exhorted the warriors to abandon their hostile intentions, and urged them to join the French in an alliance against the Five Nations. His appeal was successful; the war against the Sioux was abandoned, and the savages came in from all parts of the surrounding country to listen to the words of the mis- sionary. A chapel was built on the shore of the lake and the mission of the Holy Spirit was founded. The fame of the missionary spread far to the west and north, and the tribes dwelling north of Lake Superior, the Pottawatomies from Lake Michigan, who worshiped the sun, and the Sioux and the Illinois from the distant prairies of the west, came to the mission to hear the teachings of the missionary. They told him of their country, an unbroken expanse of level land, without trees, but covered with long rich grass, upon which grazed innumerable herds of buffalo and deer ; of the rice which grew wild in their distant homes ; of the rich yield of maize which their fields produced ; of the copper mines of which they but dimly comprehended the value ; and of the great river which flowed through their country from the far north to the unknown regions of the south, and which Allouez understood ; them to call the " Messipi." THE FRENCH IN THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 259 After remaining at his mission for two years, Alloiiez returned to Quebec to ask for other laborers in the great field around him, and to urge the French to establish per- manent settlements of emigrants or traders in the Lake Superior country. He remained At Quebec two days, was given an assistant, and at once returned to his post, where he continued his labors for many years. " Dur- ing his long sojourn he lighted the torch of faith for more than twenty different nations.'' In 1668 the French West India Company, under whose auspices the settlement of Canada had been conducted, relinquished their monopoly of the fur trade, and a great improvement in the condition and prospects of Canada ensued. In the same year Fathers Claude Dablon and James Marquette estab- lished the mission of Ste-Marie at the rapids through which the waters of Lake Superior rush into those of Huron. " For the suc- ceeding years," says Bancroft, " the illus- trious triumvirate, Alloiiez, Dablon and Marquette, were employed in confirming the influence of France in the vast regions that extend from Green Bay to the head of Lake Superior, mingling happiness with suffering, and winning enduring glory by their fearless perseverance." "Wonderful Scene. In 1669, Father Alloiiez went to establish ^ mission at Green Bay, and Father Mar- quette took his place at the mission of the Holy Spirit. Marquette had heard so much of the Mississippi that he resolved to under- take the discovery of the upper waters of that stream. He employed a young Illinois vvarrior as his companion, and from him iearned the dialect of that tribe. In 1673, accompanied by a fellow-priest named Joliet, five French boatmen, and some Indian guides and interpreters, bearing their canoes on their backs, Marquette set out from his mission. and cros&rog the narrow portage which divides the Fox River from the Wisconsin, reached the headwaters of the latter stream. There the guides left them, wondering at their rashness in seeking to venture into a region which the simple imagination of the savages filled with vague terrors. The adventurers floated down the Wisconsin, and in seven days entered the Mississippi, *' with a joy that could not be expressed." Raising the sai.\s of their canoes they glided down the mighty father of waters, gazing with wonder upon the magnificent forests which lined its shores, and which swarmed with game, and admiring the boundless prairie* which stretched away from either bank to th ' horizon. The Pipe of Peace. One hundred and eighty miles belc w th* mouth of the Wisconsin the voyagers for the first time discovered signs of human beings. They landed, and found zn Indian village 2 few miles distant from the river. They wer« kindly received by the inhabitants, who spoke the language of the Indians who had come with Marquette, and a week was passed at this hospitable village. The villagers told the travellers that the lower river extended far to the south, where the heat was deadly, and that in those latitudes the stream abounded with monsters which destroyed both men and canoes. At the departure of the whites the chief of the tribe hung around Marquette's neck the peace-pipe, and ex- plained to him that it would prove a safe- guard to him among the tribes into whost territory his journey would lead him. Continuing their voyage the explorers reached the mouth of the Missouri, and noticed the strong, muddy stream which it poured into the Mississippi. "When I return," said Marquette, " I will ascend that river and p^ss beyond its headwaters, and 26o SETTLEMEMi OF AMERICA. proclaim the gospel." One hundred and twenty miles farther south they passed the mouth of the Ohio, of which river they had heard from the Illinois at the village they had visited. As they proceeded farther south the heat became more intense, for it was the month of July. They met with Indians, whose hostility was disarmed by the peace- pipe which Marquette bore. Some of these Indians were armed with axes of European manufacture, which they had obtained either from the Spaniards in the far south, or from the English in Virginia. The voyage was continued to the mouth of the Arkansas. Marquette was now satisfied that the great river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico, and as he was fearful of falling into the hands of the Spaniards in that region, he decided to bring his voyage to an end, and return to the lakes. The Dying Missionary. The task of ascending the river was accom- plished with great difficulty, and at length the mouth of the Illinois was reached.' As they supposed this stream would lead them to the lakes the voyagers ascended it to its headwaters, and then crossed the country to the site of Chicago, from which they con- tinued the voyage by way of Lake Michigan to Gfsen Bay. Marquette despatched Joliet to Quebec to report ihe results of the voyage, but himself remained at Green Bay. It was his purpose to preach the gospel among the Illinois, who had begged him during his voyage to come back to them. He was detained at Green Bay for some time by feeble health, but in 1675 went back to the Illinois, and began his labors among them. Feeling that his end was near he undertook to return to the mis- sion of St. Mary's, but fell ill on the way. He gave absolution to all his companions, and /etired to pray. An hour afterwarHs. uneasy at his absence, his people went to seek him, and found him kneeling, but pray- ing no longer, for his spirit had gone to receive its reward. He was buried on the banks of the river that bears his name, and his memory was long cherished with affec- tion by the Indians. ; The work of exploration which Marquette! had begun was taken up by a bolder and firmer hand. Robert Cavalier de la Salle, a man of good family, had been educated for the service of the Jesuits, but had abandoned his design of entering that order after com- pleting his education. In 1667 he had emi- grated to Canada to seek his fortune, and had established himself as a fur-trader on Lake Ontario. Encouraged by the governor of Canada he had explored Lake Ontario, and had ascended to Lake Erie. When the French governor a few years later built Fort Frontenac to guard the outlet of Lake Ontario, La Salle was granted an extensive domain, including Fort Frontenac, now the town of Kingston, on condition that he would maintain the fort. He thus obtained the monopoly of the fur-trade w'th the Five Nations. Here he was residing at the tim' of the death of Marquette. On the Road to Fortune. The news of Marquette's discoveries filled him with the deepest interest, and he was eager to continue the exploration of the river at the point at which Marquette had discontinued it, and to trace it to its mouth. He was already on the road to fortune, but the prospect of winning greater fame was too tempting to be resisted, and, leaving his pos- sessions on Lake Ontario, he sailed for France and laid before Colbert, the minister, the schemes he had for the exploration and colonization of the valley of the Mississippi. He obtained a grant of valuable, privileges and received permission to attempt the task THE FRENCH IN THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPL 361 of adding that vast region to the dominions of France. He returned to Fort Frontenac in the autumn of 1678, bringing with him as his heutenant an Italian veteran named Tonti and a number of mechanics and seamen, to- gether with the materials for rigging a ship. ', Before the winter had set in he ascended Lake Ontario to the Niagara River, where he built a trading-post. Then passing around the falls he constructed a vessel of sixty tons at the foot of Lake Erie. To'Ui and Father Hennepin, a Franciscan, went among the Senecas during the construction of the ship and estab- lished friendly relations with them, and La Salle exerted himself to pro cure furs with which to freight his vessel. The vessel completed, he as- cended Lake Erie, passed through the straits into Lakes Huron and Michi- gan, and entered Green Bay. Then loading his vessel with a cargo of valuable furs, he sent her to the Niagara, with orders to return with supplies as soon as pos- sible. During her absence La Salle and his com- panions ascended Lake Michigan in canoes as far as the mouth of the St. Joseph's, where they built a fort. Then crossing over to the valley of the Illinois, he built a fort on a bluff near the site of Peoria, and awaited the re- turn of the " Griffin." The vessel had been wrecked on the voyage to Niagara, and when it became evident that she would not return, La Salle named his fort Crevecoeur (" Heart- break.") Supplies were necessary to the exploration of the Mississippi, and La Salle being deter- mined to obtain them, took with him three companions and crossed the wilderness to Fort Frontenac, which he reached in the spring of 1680. During his absence, Father Hennepin, by his orders, explored the Upper Mississippi as far as the falls, which he named in honor of St. Anthony, the patron saint of the expedition. In the summer of 1680 La Salle returned to the Illinois, but various FALLS OF ST. ANTHONY. causes intervening to delay him, he was not able to undertake his exploration of the Mississippi until 1682. In that year he built a barge on the upper Illinois, and embarking with his companions, floated down that stream to the Mississippi, which he descended to the Gulf of Mexico. He named the country along the banks of the river Louis- iana, in honor of Louis XIV., King of France. Then ascending the Mississippi, he returned 262 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. by the Lakes to Quebec, and in 1683 sailed for France to enlist the government and peo- ple in his project for colonizing the country along the lower Mississippi. An Unfortunate Wreck. ' His design was encouraged by the king, and emigrants were readily found. In 1684, he sailed from France with four ships and two hundred and eighty per- sons to plant a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. Unhappily the command- er of the fleet was not in sympathy with La Salle, and being jealous of his authority, man- ifested a degree of stubbornness which was fatal to the expedition. One hundred of the colonists were soldiers ; of the rest, some were volunteers, some mechanics, some women, and some priests. After a long voy- age they entered the Gulf of Mexico in Jan- uary, 1685. They sailed past the mouth of the Mississippi, and when La Salle perceived his error, Beaujeu, the commander of the fleet, refused to return, but continued his western course until the bay of Matagorda was reached. There La Salle, weary of his disputes with Beaujeu, resolved to land, hoping that he might yet find the mouth of the Mississippi. A careless pilot, in attempt- ing to get the store-ship into the harbor, wrecked her, and all the supplies which Louis XIV. had provided with a lavish hand were lost. The colony, which was named Fort St. Louis, was from the first doomed to misfor- tune, and in a little more than two years was reduced by disease and suffering to thirty- six persons. In January, 1687, La Salle, leaving twenty men at Fort St. Louis, set out with sixteen men to march across the conti- nent to Canada to obtain aid for the settle- ment. His remarkable courage and deter- mination would doubtless have accomplished tjiis feat, but on the way he was murdered by two of his men, who regarded him as the author of their sufferings. Of the resi of 1 ip companions, five who kept together reached a small French post near the mouth of the Arkansas, after a journey of six months. The twenty men left at Fort St. Louis were never heard of again. The effort to colonize' Texas completely failed, and all that was accomplished by La Salle's enterprise was the establishment of the claim of France to this region. Searching for La Salle. To La Salle is due the credit of having been the first to comprehend the importance of securing to France the great region watered by the Mississippi and its tributaries, and it was through his efforts that the atten- tion of France was seriously directed to its colonization. His remarkable qualities must always command the admiration and his sad fate elicit the sympathy of all generous hearts. While La Salle was vainly striving to ac- complish some good result with the Texas colony, his friend and lieutenant, Tonti, in obedience to his instructions, started from the Illinois and descended the Mississippi almost to its mouth, hoping to meet him. At length, despairing of seeing him, Tonti engraved a cross and the arms of France upon a tree on the banks of the river, and returned to the Illinois. In 1699, twelve years after the death of La Salle, another and this time a successful effort was made to secure Louisiana to France. Lemoine d'lbberville, a native of Canada and a man of ability and courage, resolved tc>' plant a colony near the mouth of the Missis- sippi. With four vessels and two hundred emigrants, some of whom were women and children, he sailed from Canada for the mouth of the Mississippi. He landed at the mouth of the river Pascagoula, and with two barges MURDER OF LA SALLE. 26:^ 264 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. manned by forty-eight men searched the coast for the mouth of the Mississippi. He found it and ascended as high as the mouth of the Red River. Here he was met by the Indians, who, to his astonishment, gave him a letter which had been placed in their charge •fourteen years before. It was from Tonti, and was addressed to La Salle. He had given it to the Indians, and had charged them to deliver it to the first Frenchman they met. Shiftless Colonists. DTbberville returned to the gulf by way of Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain, which he named after two of the ministers of Louis XIV. Deeming the shores of the Mississippi too marshy for colonization, DTbbevville formed a settlement at Biloxi, at the mouth of the Pascagoula, within the limits of the present state of Mississippi, and soon afterwards sailed for France to obtain rein- forcements and supplies, leaving one of his brothers, Sauville by name, as governor, and ihe other, Bienville, to explore the Missis- sippi and the country along its banks. Early in 1700 DTbberville returned from France, and about the same time Tonti, La Salle's former lieutenant, now an aged man, arrived from the country of the Illinois. Acting upon Tonti's advice, D'Ibberville ascended the Mississippi for four hundred miles, and on the site of the present city of Natchez built a fort which he named Rosalie, in honor of the Duchess of Pontchartrain. Neither the settlement at Biloxi nor Rosalie prospered, however. The colonists were a ishiftless set, and instead of seeking to culti- vate the soil and establish homes for them- selves, went farther west to seek for gold. In 1702 D'Ibberville removed the colony from Biloxi to Mobile, which was founded in that year, and became the capital of Louis- iana and the centre of the French influence in the south. This settlement languished^ however, and in ten years only two hundred emigrants were added to its population. It was forced to depend upon the French colonies in the West Indies for subsistence. , New Orleans Founded. In 1 7 14 the French government, becoming convinced that it was necessary to make a more vigorous effort to colonize Louisiana if it meant to hold that country, granted a monopoly of trade to Arthur Crozat, who agreed to send over every year two ships laden with emigrants "and supplies, and also a cargo of African slaves. The king, on his part, agreed to furnish the sum of ten thou- sand dollars annually for the protection of the colony. In the same year a trading- house was established at Natchitoches on the Red River, and another on the Alabama, near the present site of Montgomery. Fort Rosalie was made the centre of an importani trade, and matters bep^an to wear a new aspect in Louisiana. In 17 1 8 Bienville, who had become satis- fied of the propriety of removing the seat of government from Mobile to the more produc- tive region of the lower Mississippi, put the convicts to work to clear up the thicket of cane which covered the site on which he meant to locate his new city, and upon the ground thus prepared erected a few huts, the germ of the great city of New Orleans. It grew more rapidly than any of the settlements in Louisiana. In 1722 it contained about one hundred log huts, and a population of seven hundred. In 1723 the seat of govern- ment was removed from Mobile to New Orleans; and 1727 the construction of the levee Avas begun. While these efforts were in progress in the lower Mississippi, the French were even more active in the west. Detroit was founded in 1701, and the villages of Kaskaskin and THE FRENCH IN THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI 265 Cabokia were formed around the stations of the missionaries on the east bank of the Mis- sissippi, above the mouth of the Ohio. The French population in America grew very slowly, however. In 1690 the population of Canada was only twelve hundred ; that, of Acadia, or Nova Scotia, less than one thou- sand ; and that of Louisiana less than five hundred. France had formed a deliberate and mag- nificent plan with respect to her American possessions. She meant to build up a mighty empire in the valley of the Mississippi, extending from the great lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and touching Canada. Her efforts to accomplish this were lavish and persistent, but the unhealthiness of the climate, and the almost constant wars with the Natchez and Chickasaw Indians disheartened the settlers, and the French population grew so slowly that it could not accomplish the destiny demanded of it by the government at home. /As late as 1740 Louisiana contained only about five thousand whites and less than two thousand five hundred negroes. The slow increase of the population made it necessary to hold the country by a series of military posts. By the year 1750 more than sixty of these posts had been built betwe'en Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico, by way of Green Bay, the Illinois, the Wabash, and the Maumee rivers, and along the Mississippi to New Orleans. French Claims in America. The most important of these forts were held by garrisons of regular troops, who were relieved once in six years. They accomplished this in the face of the constant hostility of their old enemies, the tribes of the Five Nations, and the Natchez and Chickasaws. In 1748 the French extended their claim to the country south of Lake Erie, as far east as the mountains, which they explored, and took formal possession of by burying at the most important points leaden plates engraved with the arms of France. According to the ideas of the times, their claim was a valid one. In the meantime the settlements of Louis- iana had been obliged to struggle against the constant hostility of the Natchez Indians, who occupied the country around the present city which bears their name. They were not very numerous, but were more intelligent and civilized than the tribes among whom they dwelt. They worshiped the sun, from which deity their principal chief claimed to be descended. They watched the growing power of the French with alarm, and at length resolved to put a stop to the progress of the whites by a general massacre. Seven Hundred Murders. On the twenty-eighth of November, 1729. they fell upon the settlement at Fort Rosalia and massacred the garrison and settlers, seven hundred in number. They were not long permitted to exult over their success. When the news of the massacre reached New Orleans, Bienville resolved to retaliate severely upon the aggressors. He applied to the Choctaws, the hereditary enemies ol the Natchez, for assistance, and was furnished by them with sixteen hundred warriors. With these and his own troops Bienvillo besieged the Natchez in their fort ; but they escaped under the cover of the night and fled west of the Mississippi. They were followed by the French and forced to surrender, after which they were taken to New Or- leans and sent to St. Domingo, where they were sold as slaves. The Great Sun was among the captives, and the tribe of the Natchez was completely destroyed. It was well known to the French that the Chickasaws,a powerful tribe dwelling between the territory of the Natchez and the Ohio op i66 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. the north, and as far as the country of the Cherokees on the east, had incited the Natchez against them. Bienville therefore resolved to turn his arms against them. They had also given great trouble to the French by attacking and plundering their trading-boats descending the Mississippi from the posts on the Illinois. Bienville con- certed measures for a combined attack upon the Chickasaws with D'Artaguette, governor of the Illinois country, and two expeditions were despatched against the Indians. Bienville, with a strong force of French troops and twelve hundred Choctaw warriors, sailed in boats from New Orleans to Mobile and ascended the Tombigbee five hundred miles, to the place now known is Cotton Gin point. He landed here and marched twenty-five miles overland to the principal fort of the Chickasaws, which he at once attacked. He was repulsed with the loss of one hundred men, and was so discouraged that he returned to New Orleans. D'Arta- guette entered the Chickasaw country with fifty Frenchmen and one thousand Indians. He was defeated and taken prisoner, and was burned at the stake in May, 1735. In 1740 another effort was made by the French to crush the Chickasaws, but was equally un- successful. CHAPTER XXI. Conflicts Between the English and French. Xelatbx^ Between the English and the Five Nations — The Hostility of the Latter to the French — King William's Wai' — Destruction of Dover — The Jesuit Missionaries Incite the Indians to Attack the English — Expedition Against Que- bec — Axcack on Dustin's Farm — Peace of Ryswick — Hostility of the English to Roman Catholics — Queen Anne's War — Burning of Deerfield — Eunice Williams — CrueUies to the French — Effort of New England to Conquer Acadia — Capture of Port Royal — Failure of the Expedition Against Quebec — King Geoige's War — Expedition Against Louis- burg — Its Composition — Arrival of the Fleet at Cape Breton — Good Conduct of the Provincials — Capture of Louis- burg — Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle — Unjust Treatment of the Colonies by England — Sentiment of the Americans Towards England. THE territory of the Five Nations lay between the English and French colonies. The friendship which these tribes had borne to the Dutch was transferred to the English upon the con- quest of New Netherlands by the latter, and they remained the faithful and devoted allies of Great Britain until after the Revolution. Though they remained at peace with the French for some years after the treaty, which has been mentioned in the preceding chao- ter, they regarded a renewal of hostilities with them as certain, and were on the whole anxious to resume the struggle at the earliest moment. James II., eager to establish the Roman Catholic religion in America, instructed the governor of New York to cultivate friendly relations with the French, and to exert all his influence to induce the Five Nations to receive Jesuit missionaries. The governor, however, saw that the French were rapidly monopolizing the fur trade, and he encour- aged the Five Nations to regard them with suspicion and dislike. The French by their own bad treatment of the Mohawks put an end to the hope of a lasting peace with them. Upon the escape of James II. to France, Louis XIV. warmly espoused the cause of ihe dethroned king, which he declared was the cause of legitimate monarchy as opposed to the right of the people to self-government ; and the war which was thus begun in Europe spread to the possessions of the rival powers in America. The objects of the two parties in America were very different. That of the people of New England, who were princi- pally interested in the struggle, was to secure their northern frontier against invasion from Canada, and to get possession of the fisheries. The French, on the other hand, wished to obtain entire control of the valley of the Mississippi, which would make them sole masters of the fijr trade, and to extend their power over the valley of the St. Lawrence, and thus obtain control of the fisheries also. To accomplish their first object the friend- ship of the Indian tribes in the valley of the Mississippi was indispensable, and they exerted every means of which they were possessed to gain it. They renewed their efforts to win over the Five Nations, but without success. The war between these tribes and the French was soon renewed, as has been related, and on the twenty-fifth of August, 1689, a band of fifteen hundred Mo' . hawk warriors surprised and captured Mon- treal, and put two hundred of the inhabitants to death with horrible cruelty. An equal number of whites were made prisoners. 267 268 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. In the same year Count Frontenac was appointed governor of Canada for the second time. He came resolved to break the power of the Englishj, and reached Canada just in time to hear of the capture of Montreal. He at once set to work to incite the Indians to a series of incursions against the English set- tlements which should thoroughly establish his influence over the savage warriors, who would obey none but a successful chief, and at the same time strike terror to the enemies of France. VIEW OF MONTREAL FROM MOUNT ROYAL The first blow was struck at Dover, in New Hampshire. The commander of the garrison at this place was Major Richard Waldron. Thirteen years before, during King Philip's war, two hundred eastern Indians came to Dover to treat of peace. Waldron treacherously seized them and sent them to Boston, where some of them were ihanged. and the remainder sold into slavery. The savages had neither forgotten nor for- given the wrongs of their brothers, and now they resolved to meet the whites with their own weapons of deceit and treachery. On the evening of the twenty-seventh of June, 1689, two Indian squaws came to Dover and asked for a night's lodging. Waldron, now an old man of eighty, was unsuspicious of harm. Their request was granted and tlie squaws were lodged in his house. In the dead of the night the women arose, unbarred the gates and admitted the warriors, who had lain in ambush near the town. Waldron's house was first entered, the first duty of the savages being to discharge their debt of vengeance by a cold-blooded murder. The brave old man ^jized his sword and defended himself un- til he was felled to the floor by a blow which stunned him. He was then seated in a chair and placed on a table, and the savages sa- luted him with jeers. " Who will judge In- dians now?" they asked. "Who will hang our brothers ? Will the pale-face Waldron give us life for life ?" As they spoke they gashed him across the breast with their knives, inflicting wounds equal in number to their friends whom he had be- trayed. The old man bore his tortures firmly until he died ; the Indians then set fire to the house and burned the rest of the settlement. Nearly half the inhabitants were murdered and the remainder were carried into captivity. The other frontier towns suffered severely from Maine to New York. A band of French and Indians, in February, 1690^ toiled across the wilderness from Montreal to central New York on snow-shoes and CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH. 269 surprised Schenectady. The place was burned, the majority of the settlers were killed, and many women and children were carried into captivity. A few escaped through the snow to Albany. Deerfield and Haverhill in Massachusetts, Salmon Falls in New Hampshire, and Casco in Maine met a similar fate. The French had resolved to make the war one of extermination, and neither they nor their savage allies showed any mercy to the English in their hour of triumph. Failure to Capture MontreaL The savao;^? were incited to their bloody task by the Jesuit missionaries. The iirst race of missionaries, whose good deeds we have chronicled in the last chapter, had died out, and their successors could conceive of no higher standard of duty than the exter- mination of the English heretics. They roused the fury of their dusky converts against the English as the enemies of the Roman religion, and then confessing and absolving the savage warriors, sent them forth to murder and destroy, with the solemn assurance that such acts on their part would win them the favor of their Father in Heaven. When peace was made two Jesuit priests, Thury and Bigot, induced the Eastern Indians to break the treaty and renew the war, and even took pride in acknowledging themselves the instigators of the atrocities of the savages. These things were well under- stood among the English, and they came to regard the Jesuit missionaries as the enemies ,'of mankind. In May, 1690, a congress of delegates from Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York was held at New York for the purpose of concerting a plan for an invasion of Can- ada. It was resolved to send an army against Montreal by way of Lake Champlain, while ^^ssachusetts should despatch a fleet to attack Quebec. The first expedition, com- posed of the troops of New York and Con- necticut, advanced to Lake Champlain, attended by a strong force of Mohawk allies. Frontenac promptly assembled his French and Indians for the defence of Montreal, and succeeded in inflicting a sharp defeat upon the Mohawks, under Colonel Philip Schuyler, who led the advance of the English army. The Mohawks were unable to regain their lost ground and the provincial troops were delayed by the dissensions of their leaders until the provisions ran short and the small- pox broke out among the men. It then became necessary to abandon the attempt. Death and Desolation. In the meantime Massachusetts equipped a fleet ot thirty-two vessels and two thou- sand men and despatched it to the St. Law- rence under the command of the governor. Sir William Phipps, whose incompetency produced the failure of the expedition. Frontenac was promptly informed of the departure of the fleet by an Indian runner from the Piscataqua, who reached Montreal in twelve days. Frontenac at once set out for Quebec and arrived there three days in advance of the English fleet, which was obliged to feel its way cautiously up the St. Lawrence. When the hostile vessels arrived off the city, Quebec was prepared to offer a determined resistance. After a few harmless demonstrations, Sir William Phipps withdrew and returned to Boston, to the great disap- pointment of the colony. A large debt had been incurred in this enterprise and a num- ber of valuable lives had been lost, but noth- ing had been gained. , The Eastern Indians continued their ag- gressions, but were severely punished by Captain Samuel Church, who had served with distinction in King Philip's war. On one occasion he was so exasperated by the 2^0 SETTLEMENT OF AMERICA. cruelties of the savages that he put a number of his prisoners, including some women and children, to death. The savages mercilessly avenged the murder of their friends and car- ried death and desolation along the borders of New England. Nearly every settlement (in Maine was destroyed by them or aban- 'doned by the inhabitants, who fled to the other colonies for protection. The Indians prowled around the frontier posts. They had been well armed by the French, and shot down the men without mercy. The women and children were generally spared and carried to Canada, where they were sold to the French as slaves. In 1693 peace was made with the Abenakis, or Eastern Indians, but within a year the Jesuits had succeeded in inducing the savages to resume hostilities. A Daring Escape. A party of Indians attacked the house of a farmer named Dustin, residing near Haver- hill. He was at work in the field when the shouts of the savages warned him of the danger of his wife and children. Throwing himself on his horse, he hastened to their rescue, and on the way met his children fly- ing for safety pursued by the savages. He threw himself in front of the little ones, and by a few well-aimed shots kept the pursuers back until the children reached a place of safety. Hannah Dustin, her youngest child — only a few days old — her nurse, and a boy from Worcester, unable to fly, were made prisoners by the Indians. The little one was killed, and the two women and the boy were carried away by the savages to their village, situated on an island in the Merrimac, just above Concord. j Hannah Dustin resolved to escape, and . communicated her plan to her companions. Each secured a tomahawk, and at night be- gan the destruction of their captors, twelve in number. Ten Indians were killed and one squaw was wounded. The twelfth, a child, was purposely spared. Then collecting the gun and tomahawk of the murderer of her infant, and a bag full of scalps, the heroic women secured a canoe, and embarkinfr in it with her companions, floated down the Mer- rimac and soon reached Haverhill, whert they were received with astonishment and* delight by their friends. This struggle, which is known in Ameri- can history as "King William's War," was brought to a close in September, 1697, by the Peace of Ryswick. It had lasted seven years, and had caused severe suffering to the northern colonies, without yielding them any compensating advantages. The Five Nations were also severe suffer- ers. Failing to win them from their alliance with the English, Frontenac several times invaded their country with an army of French troops and Indians, and ravaged it with great cruelty. Frontenac led these expeditions in person, though he was seventy-four years old. The people of New York, regarding the Jesuits as the trup authors of the miseries endured by the English and their allies, en- acted a law in 1700, that every Romish priest who voluntarily came into the province should be l^^nged. Butchery at Deerfield. Five years after the Peace of Ryswick, the War erf the Spanish Succession, or, as it is known in American history, " Queen Anne's War," began in Europe. It soon extended to America, and embroiled the English and French in this country. The English settle- ments on the western frontier of New Eng- land were almost annihilated by the Indians, and the French were unusually active. The people of Deerfield were warned by the friendly Mohawks that the French and' Indians were meditating an attack upon their CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH. 2^t settlements and through the winter of 1703-4 a vigilant watch was kept by night and day. The winter was very severe; the snow lay four feet deep, and the clear, cold atmosphere made it almost' as hard as ice. Profiting by this, a war party of about two hundred French and one hundred and forty-two In- dians, under the command of Hertel de Rou- ville, set out from Canada, and by the aid of mow-shoes crossed the country on the snow and reached the vicinity of Deerfield on the last night of February, 1704. Towards day- break on the first of March the sentinels, supposing that all was safe, left their posts at Deerfield, and the enemy at once silently mounted on the snow-drifts to the top of the palisades and entered the enclosure, which had an area of twenty acres. A general massacre followed. The town was destroyed, forty persons were killed, and one hundred and twelve were carried away into Canada. Fate of Eunice Williams. Among the captives were the minister Williams, his wife Eunice, and their five chil- dren. The sufferings of the prisoners on the marcix to Canada were fearful. Two men starved to death. The infant, whose cries disturbed the captors, was tossed out into the snow to die ; and the mother who faltered from fatigue or anguish was despatched by a blow from the tomahawk. Eunice Williams had brought her Bible along with her, and in the brief intervals afforded by the halts of the savages for rest, drew from its sacred pages the consolations she so sorely needed. Her strength soon failed, as she had but recently necovered from her confinement. Her hus- band sought to cheer her by pointing her to " the house not made with hands," and she assured him that she was satisfied to endure any suffering, counting it gain for Christ's sake. Peioeiving that her end wa.« near, she commended her children to God and tn their father's care, and was immediately killed by the savages, as she could go no farther. The Williams family were taken to Can- ada, and a few years later were ransomed, with the exception of the youngest daughter, with whom the savages refused to part. She was adopted into a village of Christian In- dians near Montreal, and became a convert to the Roman Catholic faith, and subse- quently married a Mohawk chief Years afterwards she appeared at Deerfield clad in the dress of her tribe. She had come to visit her relatives ; but no entreaties could induce her to remain with them, and she went back to her adopted people and to her children. Slaughter of the Helpless. The war was conducted with brutal ferocity by the French. Hertel de Rouville gained eternal infamy by his butcheries of helpless women and children. Vaudreuil, the gov- ernor of Canada, urged on his forces to deeds of fresh atrocity, but at length the savages became disgusted with their bloody work, and refused to murder any more English. The French succeeded, however, in inducing some of them to continue their assistance, and in 1708 Haverhill was surprised by the French and Indians under Rouville, and its inhabitants massacred with the most fiendish cruelty. None of them escaped death or captivity. Filled with horror and indignation. Colonel Peter Schuyler, of New York, wrote to the Marquis de Vaudreuil : " I hold it my duty towards God and my neighbor, to prevent, if possible, these barbarous and heathen cruel- ties. My heart swells with indignation when I think that a war between Christian princes, bound to the exactest laws of honor and gen- erosity, which their noble ancestors have illustrated by brilliant examples, is degene- rating into a savage and boundless butchery. 272 SETTLEMENT These are not the methods for terminating the war." " Such fruitless cruelties," says Bancroft, " inspired our fathers with a deep hatred of the French missionaries ; they compelled the employment of a large part of the inhabitants as soldiers, so that there was one year during this war when even a fifth part of all who were capable of bearing arms were in active service. They gave birth also to a willing- ness to exterminate the natives. The Indians RETURN OF THE DAUGHTER OF EUNICE WILLIAMS. vanished when their homes were invaded ; they could not be reduced by usual methods of warfare ; hence a bounty was offered for every Indian scalp ; to regular forces under pay the grant was ten pounds — to volunteers in actual service, twice that sum ; but if men would, of themselves, without pay, make up parties and patrol the forests in search of Indians, as of old the woods were scoured for wild beasts, the chase was invigorated by OF AMERICA. the promised ' encourgement of fifty pounds per scalp. ' " In 1707 Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island made a combined attempt to conquer Acadia. A fleet was despatched against Port Royal, but without success. In 1 7 10 a second expedition was sent from Boston against Port Royal, aided this time by an English fleet. Port Royal was taken, the French were driven out of the greater part of Acadia, and that province was an- nexed to the English do- minions and called Nova Scotia. The name of Port Royal was changed to An- napolis, in honor of the Queen of England. Encouraged by this suc- cess, the English Govern- ment the next year at- tempted the conquest of Canada by two expeditions, one by land and the other by sea. A powerful fleet and a strong army was des- patched from England to co-operate with the colo* nists. The effort was un- successful. The fleet, which was badly handled by the admiral in attempting to ascend the St. Lawrence, was wrecked with the loss of eight vessels and eight eighty-four men, and was The failure of hundred and obliged to return to Boston. the fleet to accomplish anything compelled the abandonment of the land expedition against Montreal. In 1713 the war was) brought to an end by the treaty of Utrecht, by which Acadia was ceded permanently to Great Britain and became a province of the English crown. The third Indian war broke out in 1722 CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH. 273 in the northern colonies, and spread from the disputed border on the east to Maine and New Hampshire, where the scenes which we have so often described were enacted over again. The crack of the rifle, the war-whoop of the Indian, the crash of the tomahawk, and the smoke of the cabin played their dreadful part, as they had done so many times before, and have done so often since. Father Sebastien Rasle had dwelt among Indians for nearly forty years, living so thor- oughly their life, while he preached and ministered to them, that his influence was un- bounded. He possessed great learning, and, being a French Jesuit, sympathized so strongly with the views of the governor of Canada that he was worth a whole regiment of troops. The Indian settlement at Norridgewock, where it may be said this French chief was sole ruler, was highly prosperous. Two attempts were made to break it by capturing Rasle, but he escaped each time. y Peace at Last. In August, 1724, however, it was attacked by a force of two hundred men, when most of the warriors were gone from home. Those who escaped fled to the woods, and Father Rasle was killed while trying to divert attention from the flying fugitives. When the assailants departed and the Indians re- turned, they found the dead body of Rasle, scalped, hacked and mutilated. They gave it tender burial under the altar of the pil- laged chapel, and uttered many a wild vow of vengeance on those who had robbed them of their beloved leader. In the hope of checking the shocking brutalities, the provinces sent representatives to Governor Vaudreuil at Montreal. He treated them with much courtesy, but it took a long time to bring him to terms. He finally promised to advise the Indians to *8 stop hostilities. The eastern tribe learned shortly after that preparations were on foot to press them more than ever, and they con- sented to make peace, which, with now and then a slight interruption, continued down to the French and Indian war. In 1744 the disputes in Europe concerning, the succession of the Austrian throne cul- minated in a war, which is known in Euro- pean history as the War of the Austrian Succession, and in America as King George's war. As usual, England and France were arrayed on opposite sides, and their colonies in America soon became involved in hostili- ties. The French were the first to receive information from Europe of the existence o( war, and began the struggle by attacking and capturing the English fort at Canso and carrying the garrison prisoners to Louisburg. Louisburg, the principal port of the island of Cape Breton, was at this time the strongest fortress in America, and from its secure har- bor the French were constantly despatching privateers against the merchant vessels and fishermen of New England. These depre- dations caused such serious loss to the eastern colonies that at length Governor Shirley proposed to the general court of Massachusetts to undertake the capture of Louisburg as the only means of putting a stop to them, and this measure was laid by the general court before the other colonies. Another Appeal to Arms. It was understood that no aid was to be expected from the mother country, which was too busily engaged in conducting the war in Europe, and that the colonies would be obliged to depend entirely upon theip own resources for their success. Neverthe- less, the measure was popular, and the enthu- siasm of the colonists was aroused to the highest point. Nearly all the northern col- onies had suffered severely at the hands ol tmf"' 27< CRUEL MURDER OF RASLE. CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH. 27! the French and Indians, and in every ship- ping port were to be found scores of men who had been robbed and otherwise mal- treated by the French privateers. Pennsyl- vania and New Jersey, under the influence of the Quaker dislike of war, declined to '