Class _E« IS .1 Copyright i\° L^Ob COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. Washington Taking the Oath of Office as President. ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY BY WILLIAM A. MOWRY AND BLANCHE S. MOWRY WITH MANY MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY NEW YORK BOSTON CHICAGO I STANDARD BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS. By WILLIAM A. MOWRY, A.M., Ph.D. First Steps in the History of Our Country. In collaboration with Akthur M. Mowry, A.M. For lower grades. 334 pages. 60 cents. Essentials of United States History. In collaboration with Blanche S. Mowry. For grammar grades, x, 434 pages. A History of the United States. In collaboration with Arthur M. Mowry. For upper grades and high schools. 4S6 pages. $1.00. Elements of Civil Government. 226 pages. 72 cents. With special state editions for Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Studies in Civil Government. 259 pages. 96 cents. AMERICA'S GREAT MEN AND THEIR DEEDS. American Pioneers. In collaboration with Blanche S. Mowry. 363 pages. 65 cents. American Heroes and Heroism. In collaboration with Arthur M. Mowry, A.M. 223 pages. 60 cents. American Inventions and Inventors. In collaboration with Arthur M. Mowry. 298 pages. 65 cents. The Territorial Growth of the United States. 245 pages. $1.50. Marcus Whitman and the Early Days of Oregon. 358 pages. $1.50. First Steps in the History of England. ■By Arthur M. Mowry, A.M. 324 pages. 70 cents. [LIBRARY of CONGRESS Two Copies Received MAY 19 1906 * / I Copyright, 1906, By Silver, Burdett and Company TO THE TEACHER The opportunity for developing a strong love for Ameri- can history comes when the boy or girl is beginning the seri- ous study of this subject. If the teacher and the text-book together can present the essential points in the history of our country in an attractive, realistic way, a lasting interest is assured. This interest is the best possible basis for develop- ing patriotism and good citizenship. To give a living touch to the text, the authors, in the record of events, have put emphasis on the personal element, on the men who have made American history. Grammar school pupils need a narrative history rather than a condensation of facts, dates, and names. It largely rests with the individual teacher to give the class a liking for the history hour. The discerning teacher will select the important topics and study them in fuller detail than the space of a single text-book allows; he will provide for the reading of interesting books listed in the bibliography (Appendix, page 3) ; he will enlarge upon the significant parts of the biographies of our leading statesmen and makers of history. He will not set forth the bald outline of everything the man did, but rather will make clear for what he was noted, what he did for his age and for succeeding ages. For example, he will make it appear that Jefferson or Madison was a statesman, and show the important things for which he should be remembered; and that Washington was a states- man and a soldier, while Franklin was a statesman, a diplo- mat, a scientist, an economist, a philosopher, and a writer of pure English. yi PREFACE It is well, in many cases, merely to read over the details of war and battles, dwelling rather on causes and effects. The classroom should be free from the spirit of militarism, and the pupils should see clearly that glory is not confined to the battlefield, nor patriotism to the career of the soldier. Attention should be given especially to the growing tendency among the nations to avoid wars and to settle all international difficulties by arbitration. Nowhere better than in the history lesson can we cultivate the spirit of philanthropy and good- will for the whole human race. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. SECTION I. — THE COLONIES PAGE Primitive America 1 The Discovery of America 7 Early Settlements 20 The Southern Colonies 27 The New England Colonies 43 The Middle Colonies 56 Life in the Colonies 65 The French Colonies 79 The Struggle for America 91 SECTION II. —THE REVOLUTION The Colonies Alienated 100 The Struggle for Independence (1776-1777) . 125 The Struggle for Independence (1778-1781) . 143 The Articles of Confederation and the Fed- eral Convention 164 SECTION III. — THE NATION XIV. The Constitution of the United States XV. The United States in 1790 XVI. Washington's Administration (1789-1797) XVII. John Adams's Administration (1797-1801) XVIII. Jefferson's Administration (1801-1809) XIX. Madison's Administration (1809-1817) XX. Monroe's Administration (1817-1825) XXI. John Quincy Adams's Administration 1829) XXII. Jackson's Administration (1829-1837) . XXIII. Van Buren's Administration (1837-1841) XXIV. Harrison and Tyler's Administration 1845) XXV. Polk's Administration (1845-1849) . . 1825- 1841- 170 175 186 193 198 208 217 223 227 234 236 242 Vlll ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY ( HAPTER PAGE XXVI. Taylor and Fillmore's Administration (1849- 1853) 249 XXVII. Pierce's Administration (1853-1857) 252 XXVIII. Buchanan's Administration (1857-1861) . . . 257 XXIX. Lincoln's First Administration (1861-1865). — The Civil War (1861-1863) 268 XXX. Lincoln's First Administration (continued) — The Civil War (1863-1865) 294 SECTION IV. —THE NEW NATION XXXI. Lincoln and Johnson's Administration (1865- 1869) 313 XXXII. Grant's Administration (1869-1877) 323 XXXIII. Hayes's Administration (1877-1881) 330 XXXIV. Garfield and Arthur's Administration (1881— 1885) 333 XXXV. Cleveland's First Administration (1885-1889) . 336 XXXVI. Harrison's Administration (1889-1893) .... 339 XXXVII. Cleveland's Second Administration (1893-1897) . 341 XXXVIII. McKinley's First Administration (1897-1901) . 346 XXXIX. McKinley and Roosevelt's Administration (1901- 1905) 364 XL. Roosevelt's Administration (1905-) 370 XLI. The United States at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century 373 APPENDICES APPENDIX A. Bibliography 3 B. Chronology 12 C. The Declaration of Independence 25 D. The Constitution of the United States of America . . 29 E. Lincoln's Address at Gettysburg 45 F. Colonial Possessions 47 G. States and Territories of the Union 48 INDEX 50 MAPS PAGE The Location of the Eastern Indian Tribes 3 The World as Known in the Time of Columbus 8 Toscanelli's Map, 1474 10 The Map of Da Vinci, 1512-1516 14 The Sloane Manuscript, 1530 15 Mercator's Map, 1541 17 Grants to the London and Plymouth Companies 27 The Southern Colonies 38 The New England Colonies 50 The Middle Colonies 61 European Claims to the Atlantic Slope in 1640 (colored). Following 64 The French Occupation of North America 84 Colonies during the French and Indian Wars (colored). Following . 90 North America after the Treaty of 1763 98 The Campaign around Boston, 1775-1776 115 The Vicinity of Boston 118 The Campaigns in New York and New Jersey 132 The Campaigns in the Middle States 137 The Campaigns in the South 151 The Battleground of Yorktown 159 The Territory of the United States after September 3, 1783 (colored). Following - 164 The States and their Land Claims at the Close of the Revolution (colored). Following 176 The United States in 1800 (colored). Following 198 The United States in 1803 201 Field of Operations in the War of 1812 212 East and West Florida 217 The United States in 1821 (colored). Following 218 Routes of Travel from the Seaboard to the Mississippi . . . .221 The Center of Population 224 Field of Operations in the Mexican War 244 The Mexican Cessions and the Oregon Country 245 The Territorial Growth of the United States (colored). Following . 246 The Result of the Compromise of 1850 249 ix x ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY PAGE The Result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act 253 The United States during the Civil War (colored). Following . . 268- The Peninsular Campaign 281 The First Invasion of the North 283 Field of Operations in Virginia 285 Field of Operations in the West 288 Field of Operations in the Southwest 290 The Battleground of Gettysburg 295 Sherman's Campaign in Georgia 305 Western Half of the United States, 1870 (colored). Following . . 322 Territorial Dependencies of the United States (colored). Following 356 The World, showing the United States and its Dependencies (colored) Following 360 The United States in 1906 (colored). Following 372 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY SECTION I.— THE COLONIES CHAPTER I PRIMITIVE AMERICA i. The Land. — The North America of five hundred years ago was a region very different from the North America of to-day. The general outline of the shore was much the same. The same mountain ranges raised their crests towards the skies; the same rivers ran to the seas. But most of the land east of the Mississippi was covered with a forest that extended from the frozen lands of the North to the tropical shores of the southern sea. The great prairies of the interior were the home and the feeding ground of innumerable herds of deer, buffalo, and elk. The deserts of the West were vast solitudes. For countless ages the forces of nature had been preparing a land that could support a nation. Great oceans bordered its eastern and its western shores, and mighty rivers with far- reaching branches connected north with south, and east with west. The action of rain and snow, of frost and ice, and the decay of vegetation had made a soil of marvelous fertility. Below the ground were vast treasures of gold and silver, of iron and copper, and unmeasured fields of coal. But no one in all this great territory understood the advantage of river and seas; no one realized that the soil could produce more than a l 2 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY bare subsistence; and few could have made use of the minerals, even if they had known how to take them from the ground. 2. The Inhabitants. — Yet a people roamed through the forests, hunted on the prairies, and made homes for themselves in the cliffs of the West. They were divided into many tribes and spoke different dialects, but they all be- longed to one race of men and they were all barbari- ans. Their com- plexion was a dark reddish brown color; their cheek bones were high and their hair was An Indian Wigwam. straight, black, and thin. In summer they wore little or no clothing; in winter they wrapped themselves in the furs of animals. As nearly as can be determined, there were in all about five hundred thousand of these red men within the present limits of the United States, which is less than the number of inhabitants in the city of Baltimore to-day. 1 3. Homes. — The homes of the red men varied in size and 'The eastern half of the continent was occupied by three main tribes of Indians. All the region south of the present southern boundary of North Carolina was held by the Maskoki. North of that line the Al- gonquins held all the territory, except the portion which is now New- York State. This latter area was occupied by the strong Five Nations of the Iroquois — the Oneidas, Senecas, Cayugas. Onondagas, and the Mo- hawks. The Pequots, Mohegans, Narragansctts, and Wampanoags. with whom the settlers in New England came in contact, were Algonquin tribes. PRIMITIVE AMERICA shape. Some were constructed of poles fastened together at the top and covered with bark or skins; others had straight sides and rounded roofs; still others had upright walls and slanting tops; while those of the southwest were dug out of the cliffs or built of stone or adobe. Yet, however much they The Location of the Eastern Indian Tribes. varied in appearance, seldom was a red man's house the home of one family. Some sheltered twenty people; some were large enough to accommodate two hundred. They were like great tenement houses and were noisy, dirty, and unhealthful. Of comfort there was little, and of privacy none at all. ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY Rugs of fur and mats of woven grasses took the place of beds and chairs. Fire was built on the ground under a hole in the roof through which only a portion of the smoke escaped. Food was boiled in crude earthen pots or roasted on twig spits. A matron presided over each house. She directed the preparation of the food, and distributed it when it was cooked. Her word was the law of the household and no one, not even a warrior high in the councils of his tribe, dared to dispute it. A village was composed of several of these houses and was usually surrounded by a stockade, outside of which were the vegetable gardens. 4. Occupations. — The red man had two duties — to pro- vide the meat for his wife and family, and to protect them from their enemies. As a hunter he rivaled the beasts in cun- ning. He could imitate the gob- ble of the turkey and the cry of the wolf so as to deceive those animals them- selves. He knew all the haunts of the deer and the feeding grounds of the buffalo. By a broken twig, or a track in the dust, he could tell what animals and how many had passed his way. He seldom missed his shot, so great was his skill in the use of the bow and so swift were his flint- pointed arrows. A red man could endure untold privations and sufferings An Indian Village in the Southwest. PRIMITIVE AMERICA without a murmur or a groan. His standing in the tribe depended upon his courage and his success in war. No cow- ard could become a chief. As a warrior he was fierce, cruel, and treacherous. He never, if possible, met the enemy in open battle, but surprised him on the trail or attacked him in the night. Women and children were either put to death, so that no one would be left to avenge the men, or else adopted into the conquer- ing tribe. All captives were cruelly tortured. 5. Women. — While man was the provider and the pro- tector, woman was the drudge. She planted the corn, the beans, the squashes, and the tobacco; cultivated them with hoes made of shells or of bones; harvested the crops; and pounded the grain into meal. She brought the game into the village, dressed it, and preserved it for future use. There were neither horses nor cattle in America, before the white men came, so on a journey the woman carried the burdens and also prepared the camp. Almost as soon as the girls could walk, they were given tasks which grew longer and harder as their strength and stature increased. The boys had no duties, but ran and wrestled and shot at a mark with bows and arrows. According to the red man's idea this was not an unfair division of labor. If the man carried the burdens, he could not protect his family; if he risked his life to procure game, it The Indian Hunter. From the Statue by J. Q. A. Ward in Central Park, New York City. 6 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY was only right that the wife should prepare it for food; and he thought that by some mysterious power she had greater success in raising crops from the soil than he. In his rough way he was usually kind to his family, and if there was trouble in the household, the man and not the woman had to find a new home. As we have seen, women controlled their homes and sometimes they even became the rulers of their tribes. 6. Religion. — The red man was very religious. Every- thing that was new, or strange, or that he could not under- stand was the work of the Great Spirits or manitous. So he worshiped the thunder, the wind, the fire, the sun, and sought their aid and appeased their wrath by long fasts and by burnt offerings. He also believed in witches and thought that all dreams, however ridiculous, were sent for his guidance and instruction. When a youth reached manhood, he spent several days in a lonely spot without food. Then, if at the end of his fast he saw in his sleep some bird or beast, that creature was supposed to be his guardian spirit through life. He believed that existence was not ended at death, but was continued either in some animal or in some other country where customs and habits were similar to those here. So a warrior was buried with all his weapons about him and with food and drink for his journey. 7. The Coming of the White Man. — In some sections the red man had a legend that a great while manitou would some- time visit their country. And when the white men first arrived, they were welcomed with'all the honors that the red men knew how to confer. To discover why and how the white men came to America it will be necessary to cross the Atlantic and learn something of the conditions in the Old World five hundred years ago. THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 7 SUMMARY A land rich in natural resources was inhabited by a race of barbarians who had no knowledge of the minerals stored beneath the ground or of the proper cultivation of the soil. They lived principally on the products of the chase and the vegetables of their gardens, which were cared for by the women. They were fierce fighters, but feared all the forces of nature and worshiped whatever they could not understand. CHAPTER II THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 8. The Old World. — Five hundred years ago Europeans had a very limited knowledge of the extent of land on the earth's surface. Maps of that period omitted the whole of Australia, the most of Africa, and large portions of Asia. Tradition had said that somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean was a large island, but no one had even dreamed that a western hemisphere existed. In fact most people believed that the world was flat, and that if one went far enough to reach its edges, he could look down into unknown horrors. "Tell me, my son," asks ah old Anglo-Saxon book on geography, "why the sun is so red in the evening," and then replies, "Because it looketh down upon hell." Only a few hardy Norsemen had dared to venture far to the west, and the reports of their voyages had never reached southern Europe. The Atlantic was commonly Norse known as the Sea of Darkness, where only gods Voyages, might sail in safety. All sorts of fierce monsters were sup- posed to live in its waters, and to be large enough to destroy ships as well as men. The south presented equal dangers. 8 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY There, it was said, the heat of the sun dried up all moisture, and ships lost their way in muddy seas and never reached home again. 9. Trade with the East. — It was not strange that mari- ners were not eager to make explorations either to the west or south, until a necessity arose that compelled them to seek O ARCTIC -J^T "„' PACIFIC \ SOUTH \AMERIC r n 1 n a 1 a WORLD as Known in the time of Columbus. ANTARCTIC The World as Known in the Time of Columbus. a new route from Europe to Asia. Even five hundred years ago a flourishing trade was carried on between Europe and the East. Spices, ivory, jewels, and silks were brought by caravans from Asia to the Mediterranean Sea. There they were packed in vessels and carried to Genoa, Venice, and other Turks ports. In exchange for these luxuries, Europe in Europe, gave woolen cloths, linens, glass, and wines. There had been three routes between the West and the East, but the Turks had closed them all when they captured Constan- THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 9 tinople in 1453 and gained control of the eastern end of the Mediterranean. Now that Europe was denied these luxuries, she desired them more than before, and her desire was increased by the new stories that were told by travelers from Cipango and Cathay, as Japan and China were called. Palaces and temples were reported to be covered with gold, and jewels were said to be larger and more numerous there than any- where else. A new route must be found. 10. Da Gama. — The Portuguese were the most daring sailors of that time, and little by little they pushed their way down the coast of Africa. 1 As the mud banks and the dry seas did not appear, each journey made them a little more daring than before. In 1487 Bartolomeo Diaz (de'as) reached the southern point of Africa, but his crew com- pelled him to return. The king of Portugal, however, was convinced that the route to India had been found, and when he learned that this point had been called the Cape of Storms he said, "Nay, rather, let it be called the Cape of Good Hope." Yet even then ten more years went by before a ship, com- manded by Vasco da Gama (vas'ko da ga'ma), reached India. Meanwhile another voyage, far more important in its results than the discovery of the water route to the East, had been made. ii. The New Theory. — In spite of the almost universal belief that the earth was flat and the sun moved round it, a few earnest students had reached the conclusion that it was round. Toscanelli, an Italian astronomer, was the first to announce this theory. If, he reasoned, the earth were a 1 The use of the compass, which was introduced into Europe from China by Arabian sailors, helped to give mariners courage to sail beyond the sight of land. Before the thirteenth century, Europeans directed their course upon the ocean by the sun and the stars, which were entirely use- less as guides in cloudy weather. 10 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY sphere, it would be possible to reach India by sailing west; there was an ocean on the western coast of Europe and a great sea along the shores of India and China. The mariner who attempted to prove the truth of this theory was Christopher Columbus. 1 2 . Christopher Columbus. — Columbus was born in Genoa. He received a good education and at an early age went to sea, where he had various experiences as a pirate and a slave 'I nsi'ANELLl's MAP, 1474. trader. Once Columbus visited Iceland, and while there he possibly heard stories of the voyages that some daring Norse- men had made, hundreds of years before, to a land far to the west. Later he became a thoughtful student of geography and a skilled map maker. His business carried him to Lis- bon, in Portugal, where there was great call for maps and charts and where everybody was interested in the progress of the voyages down the coast of Africa. The studies and experiences of Columbus had convinced The Plan of him that the earth was round and he became Columbus, interested in Toscanelli's theory that India could be reached by sailing west. He desired to make a voyage THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 11 by that route, and several letters passed between him and Toscanelli. In one of them the astronomer wrote, "When that voyage shall be accomplished it will be a voyage to powerful kingdoms and to cities and provinces most wealthy and noble. . . . For these and other reasons and many Christopher Columbus. As he appeared before Queen Isabella. others, I do not wonder that you, who are of great cour- age . . . are now inflamed with desire to execute the said voyage." 13. The Preparations. — It was one thing to reach the conclusion that such a journey was possible, but a very differ- ent matter to get governmental aid, without which no voy- age of discovery could be made at that time. As was natural, 12 ESSENTIALS OF EXITED STATES HISTORY Columbus first sought assistance from Portugal. But King John — eager discoverer though he was — refused. Genoa and Venice had also been invited to help, but neither would Spain aids give assistance. Filially Columbus turned to Spain. Columbus. Queen Isabella gave him a friendly hearing, but was so opposed by her counselors that six or seven years went by before she could give him the necessary aid. Even then the difficulties of preparation were not ended, From a sixteenth century print. Columbus, Departing on His First Voyage, Takes Leave of the King and Queen. for ship owners refused to risk their ships and sailors declined to enlist. Finally all obstacles were overcome and on the 3d of August, 1492, the expedition embarked in three small ships, the largest of which was only sixty-five feet long and twenty wide. Even Columbus would scarcely have dared THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 13 to make the voyage in such small boats, had he not supposed the distance to be much less than it is. 14. The Discovery. — Throughout the voyage the weather continued fair and the seas calm. The sailors were constantly on the lookout and frequently mistook the low-lying clouds and fog-banks for the much-desired land. As day by day went by and land did not appear, they began to be troubled at the distance they were going from Spain. Columbus, therefore, thought it necessary to keep them in ignorance of the real distance made each day. The voyage, on the whole, was uneventful. Finally, on the night of the 12th of October, the familiar cry of "Land! Land! " once more arose. This time the cry proved true. The lookout on board one of the vessels had really spied the faint outlines of land in the distance. Daybreak showed a beauti- ful island covered with trees and tropical plants. Columbus ordered the anchors to be dropped and the boats to be lowered. Then he and his company landed, knelt on the shore, set up the cross, and took possession in the name of the San king and queen of Spain. Columbus called the Salvador, island San Salvador in honor of "the blessed Saviour." The name has since been changed to Watlings Island. For some weeks Columbus voyaged around the adjacent islands, seeking for the continent of Asia. So firmly did he believe that India was close at hand that he called the islands the West Indies, and their inhabitants Indians. But he thought that the natives were a stupid race because they called all the world an island and did not seem to know what a continent was. In spite of all that the Indians told him, Columbus decided that he had discovered Asia when he found Cuba. He immediately sent a messenger, who could speak Arabic, into the interior with a letter to the "Great Khan." Though neither the emperor 14 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY nor the cities of China were reached, Columbus imagined a reasonable excuse, and still firm in his belief that he had discovered Asia, he set sail for home in January. After a stormy voyage he reached Palos, where he was received with great honors and rejoicing. 15. Other Voyages. — Almost immediately after his return Columbus made preparations for a second voyage, and this time he had no difficulty in getting sailors to man the ships. "Such was the desire for travel," said an old- time historian, "that the men were ready to leap into the sea, to swim, if it had been possi- The Map of Da Vinci, 1512-1516. ble, into these new After the discovery of South America and Florida. parts " ) and the SOn of Columbus wrote, "There is not a man who does not beg to be allowed to become a discoverer." Columbus made in all four voyages across the Atlantic, and ^ on the kw4 one touched the shores of South America. He died still thinking that it was Asia he had found. In his last illness, which had been brought on by worries and disap- pointments, he cried, "Why doest thou falter in thy trust in God? He gave thee India." 16. John Cabot. — Columbus wrote a letter giving an ac- count of his voyage, which was translated into Latin and scattered throughout Europe. When the letter reached THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 15 England, it was read with great astonishment and the voyage was considered an achievement "more divine than human." An Italian navigator had made a home for himself in the busy seaport town of Bristol, where he was known as John Cabot. He had traveled much, had been in the East, and had accepted the theory that the earth was round. The story of the success of Columbus made him desire to accomplish "some notable thing," and to give to the king of England some share in the honors that were coming to the kings of Portu- gal and Spain through the discoveries made by their subjects. "THE SLOANE MANUSCRIPT, 1530 ^AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC AND CONQUEST OF MEXICO;: Henry VII gave him permission " to sail to the east, west, or north with five ships carrying the English flag, and to dis- cover all islands, countries, regions, or provinces of pagans in whatever part," Cabot set sail in May, 1497, and Discovery reached land, probably at Cape Breton Island, in of North June. He returned to Bristol in August, where America, his stories of fish and forests and bears were received with such astonishment that he "would have been set down as a liar, being foreign-born and poor, had not his crew, who 16 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY were Bristol men, confirmed everything he said." King Henry honored him by giving him ten pounds and a yearly pension. It has been said that the next year Cabot and his son Sebastian set sail again, and that after reaching land they coasted along the shore from Labrador to Virginia. Because no riches were gained by these voyages, England for many years paid little attention to the new lands, but in after years it was upon these two voyages of the Cabots that she rested her claim to the ownership of North America. 17. America. — The re- ports of Columbus's voyages caused great ex- citement in Spain. Men believed that gold could be picked up everywhere on the other side of the water. Merchants and adventurers begged the court to give them per- mission to fit out vessels at their own expense. Among the many who made voyages across the Atlantic was another Italian, Amerigo Vespucci (ves-poot'che). He made four voyages in Amerigo all and explored the coast so far to the south Vespucci, that he came to the conclusion that the new lands were not islands off the coast of Asia but an entirely new continent lying between Asia and Europe. On his return from one of these voyages he wrote a long P?S?S i " j^ H| E-mVh *^^M ifln i S Sebastian Cabot. THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 17 letter in which he described with great enthusiasm all that he had seen. This letter was so interesting that it was pub- lished in book form and widely circulated. A man by the name of Waldsee- mi'iller 1 added it to a book on geogra- phy that he was about to publish. In it he said, "Another fourth part has been dis- covered by Amer- igo Vespucci . . . therefore I do not see what is rightly to hinder us from calling it Amerige or America, i.e., the land of Americus, after its discoverer ... a man of saga- cious mind." The name was adopted and at first was applied only to the southern conti- nent. By 1541 the whole hemisphere, north and south, was known as America. There appears to have been no intention on the part of 1 Martin Waldseemuller (valt'za-miil-ler) was a German. He wrote a work called Cosmographice Introductio, to which he added a reprint of the four voyages of Vespucci. This work was published in 1507, just a year after the death of Columbus. 18 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY Vespucci or Waldseemiiller of robbing Columbus of his right- ful honors. Columbus was supposed to be the discoverer of the "new islands merely," while Vespucci was the explorer of an entirely distinct "new world." 1 8. The South Sea. — The news that a new world lay in the path to India was not at all welcome to Europeans. They wanted the wealth of Asia, not the hardships and privations of an undeveloped continent. Immediately a search for a passage through to Asia began, and this search continued for over three hundred years. The first European to see the ocean "on the back side of the continent" was a Spanish explorer, Vasco Nunez de Balboa (noo'yath da bal-bo'a) He crossed the isthmus of Darien in September, 1513, and walking into the sea, took possession of it in the name of the king of Spain. Because it appeared to lie to the south, he called it the South Sea. By this name it was known for many years. 19. Magellan. — Because of this discovery, explorers nat- urally came to the conclusion that the New World was only a narrow strip of land, and their desire to find a passage through it increased. In 1519, Fernando Magellan, a Portu- guese nobleman in the service of Spain, set out to circum- navigate the globe. Though he knew that his ships were unseaworthy and his crew mutinous, he told his friends to be "of good cheer ... he would do his appointed work all the same." After reaching the New World he sailed south along the shores of South America, and finally entered the strait which bears his name. The ships were five weeks going through the passage, but as the water continued to be salt, Magellan was firmly convinced that the way through the continent had at last been found. Even then his men, fearing starvation, de- sired to go back, but the brave commander declared that he THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 19 would go on "if he had to eat the leather off the ship's yards." When he reached the "mayne sea, he was so gladde thereof that for joy the teares fell from his eyes." Because its quiet waters were so different from those of the stormy Atlantic, he named it the Pacific or "peace- ful." After great suffering he reached a group of islands which he called the Ladrones, "the isles of robbers." He then proceeded to another group and named it The World the Philippine Islands Circum- after King Philip of navigated. g pam> Here Magel l an; "our warrior, our light, our com- forter, our true guide," was killed in an encounter with the natives. His lieutenant, Sebastian del Cano, continued the voyage, and on the sixth day of September, 1522, reached Spain with one ship and only eighteen men. Thus was accomplished the first voyage around the world. Magellan. SUMMARY The majority of Europeans believed that the world was flat and that the sea was inhabited by monsters who would destroy men and ships. But the capture of Constantinople forced Euro- peans to brave the horrors of the deep in order to find a new trade route to India. Sailors first sought it around Africa. Meanwhile the idea that the earth was round had been gaining belief, and a few people thought that India might be reached by sailing to the west. Christopher Columbus undertook to follow this route and discovered a New World. The report of his voyage excited other nations to make 20 ESSENTIALS OF EXITED STATES HISTORY explorations and they also sent expeditions across the Atlantic. Columbus died still believing that he had discovered land lying off the coast of Asia; but as years passed, people began to think that an entirely new continent had been found. This was finally proved by the voyage of Magellan, one of whose ships sailed around the world. The New World was called America in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, who wrote a book de- scribing his explorations. CHAPTER III EARLY SETTLEMENTS 20. Spanish Settlements. — Spain rapidly pushed forward her explorations in America, but confined them chiefly to Mexico and the southern continent. 1 The general idea seemed to be that nothing of value could be found in the north. "To the South," was the cry, "to the South for the great and exceeding riches of the Equinoctial; they that seek riches must not go into the cold and frozen North." Spain established only two settlements within the present limits of the United States — at St. Augustine in Florida in 1565, and Santa Fe in New Mexico in 1605. The fort at St. Augustine was built more to keep the French "heretics" out of America than for any other purpose. 2i. The French. — A decree of Pope Alexander VI had divided the New World between Spain and Portugal by an imaginary line drawn north and south, from pole to pole. 1 Mexico was first explored by Hernando Cortez in 1519. With an army of four hundred and fifty men he forced his way to the City of Mexico, which he captured and made the headquarters for Spanish explo- ration and trade in North America. Peru, from which Spain got the most of her wealth, was conquered by Pizarro, who entered the capital in 1533. EARLY SETTLEMENTS 21 Portugal was given all to the east of this line, and thus came into possession of the eastern part of South America, which was known as Brazil. Spain received the lands to the west, which included the western part of South America and the whole of North America. This arrangement was naturally unsatisfactory to the other European governments. Francis I of France sent to the king of Spain a letter asking by what right he and the king of Portugal undertook to divide the world between them. Unless they could produce a copy of the will by which their father Adam made them the sole heirs, The Old Spanish Gate at St. Augustine. Francis declared that he was at liberty to seize all he could get. He dispatched various exploring expeditions to the New World, and in 1562'Gaspardde Coligny (de ko-len'-ye), admiral of France, sent out a colony of French Huguenots or Protes- tants. They made a settlement on the coast of Carolina and named it Port Royal. The colony was unsuccess- French ful and soon returned to France. Two years later Settlement Coligny sent out another colony under Rene Lau- at Port donniere (lo'do'nyar'), who built Fort Caroline near oya ' the mouth of the St. Johns River in Florida. When the news of this colony reached Spain, Pedro Menendez de Aviles 22 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY (ma-nan'dath da a've-las') hastened to America to destroy the Protestants. He founded St. Augustine, defeated the French fleet, captured Fort Caroline, and put to death all the French. In 1568 this massacre was avenged by Dominique de Gourgues (do'me-nSk' da goorg) with terrible slaughter. He was aided by the Florida Indians, whose first reverence for the Spaniards had changed to savage hate. St. Augustine, how- ever, remained in the possession of Spain, and France did not attempt to make another settlement in the southern part of North America. 22. The English. — Spain, steadily growing more powerful because of the riches she was obtaining from her American possessions, was the enemy that England most feared and hated. Englishmen began to wonder if there might not be wealth for them in the long-neglected land that John Cabot had discovered. Hitherto their attempts to gain a footing- there had not been successful. George Brete, writing in 1578, gave as reasons for this, the lack of liberality among the Eng- lish nobility, and want of skill among the English in the art of navigation. But he added, "These two causes are now in this present age very well reformed." Sir William Hawkins, the slave trader, and his more famous son, Sir John, had made several trips to the New World. Their Hawkins stories of its natural resources had thoroughly and aroused the English merchants. In 1576 an ex- Frobisher. podition under Martin Frobisher was sent out. He- started with three vessels, but one was lost, a second turned back, and with only one he reached the northern coast of Labrador. All hopes of a profitable southern passage to India had, by this time, been abandoned, and the discovery of a northern strait, it was believed, was the one thing that could bring fame and fortune to an explorer. EARLY SETTLEMENTS 23 Frobisher found a stone which he thought contained gold, and the expedition returned in great excitement to England. The gold did not appear. Two years later Frobisher set out again, this time with a colony, to seek for gold. But so many of his vessels were lost or crushed by the icebergs that he gave up the idea of leaving a colony in Labrador. He filled his few remaining vessels with a worthless cargo of dirt supposed to contain gold, and went back to England. 23. Sir Francis Drake. — About this time Sir Francis Drake came back from a trip around the world. He had been gone about three years, had harassed the Spaniards, had captured great quantities of their treasure, and had been the first white man to see the west- ern shores of the present United States. He spent the winter in a harbor on the California coast, named that part of the country New Albion, and returned to England by way of the Cape of Good Hope (1579). His voyage aroused such enthusiasm at home that it was suggested that his vessel, the Golden Hind, should be placed on the 'top of St. Paul's cathedral in London, where all people could see the bark that had sailed around the world. 24. Gilbert and Raleigh. — Sir Humphrey Gilbert then attempted to start an English settlement in Newfoundland. But though he discovered what he supposed to be silver, he decided that the situation was unsuitable for a colony. He loaded his vessels with the supposed ore and set out for home, only to lose his ship, his ore, and his life in a fearful storm. Sir Francis Drake. 24 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY This disaster did not prevent his half-brother, Sir AY alter Raleigh, from sending out an exploring expedition in April, 1584. Raleigh was one of the most distinguished and far- sighted Englishmen of his time. He knew that Spain had done nothing with the country lying just to the north of Florida, and hither he sent his ships, instead of to the frozen north. Taking possession of this country in the name of the queen, the explorers returned to England and re- ported that the soil was "the most plentiful, sweet, fruitful, and wholesome of all the world," and "the people most gentle, lov- ing, and faithful, void of all guile and treason." Queen Elizabeth named this region Virginia, 1 in compliment to herself, the virgin queen. 25. The First Colony. — In April, L585, Raleigh sent to Roanoke Island a colony of one hundred householders with Ralph Lane as governor. The charter granted to these colo- nists all the rights and privileges of persons native of England. Raleigh carefully fitted out the expedition with all things necessary. Most of the settlers, however, were seekers for gold, -and few were of a kind to make useful members of a colony in a new country. By their harshness and injustice they soon rendered hostile the "gentle, loving, and faithful" Sib Walter Raleigh. 1 The story is told that the Indians were asked the name of their coun- try. They misunderstood the question and replied, "Win-gan-da-coa." The English for some time called this region by this name, but dropped it when, later, they discovered that the word meant " You wear fine clothes." EARLY SETTLEMENTS 25 Indians. Since it did not furnish gold, life in the wilderness held few attrac- tions for them. Accord- ingly, when Sir Francis Drake paid them a visit, they were all glad to return with him to England. With them they carried back two products of the new land that were unknown in Eng- land, the potato and to- bacco. Raleigh planted the potato on his estates in Ireland, where both climate and soil were favorable to its production, and it be- came a staple article of food with the Irish people. 1 26. The Second Colony. — Raleigh, undiscouraged by the failure of his first colony, sent out in 15S7 a larger and better equipped company of settlers. Some of them brought their wives with them, some knew how to. till the soil; everything seemed to point to the suc- 1 It is said that Raleigh learned from Governor Lane the use of the "new weed." A well-known story relates that one day as Raleigh sat in his room smoking, a servant came in with a tankard of beer in his hand. When he saw smoke issuing from Raleigh's mouth, he thought that his master was on fire and poured the contents of the cup over him. Stone Marking the Site of Old Fort Raleigh. INSCRIPTION. On this site in July-August, 1585 (O.S.), colonists, sent out from England by Sir Walter Raleigh, built a fort, called by them " The New Fort in Virginia." These colonists were the first settlers of the English race in America. They returned to England in July, 15S6, with Sir Francis Drake. Near this place was born, on the 18th of August, 15S7. Virginia Dare, the first child of English parents born in America — daughter of Ananias Dare and Eleanor White, his wife, members of another band of colonists, sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587. On Sunday, August 20, 1587, Virginia Dare was baptized. Manteo, the friendly chief of the Hatteras Indians, had been bap- tized on the Sunday preceding. These bap- tisms are the first known celebrations of a Christian sacrament in the territory of the thirteen original United States. 26 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY cess of the colony. In accordance with the advice of Gover- nor Lane, they had intended to settle on the shore of Chesa- peake Bay. Calling first at Roanoke Island, however, they established themselves there. Governor White soon was obliged to go back to England for reinforcements and fresh supplies. He promised to return immediately, but England was then engaged in a fierce war with Spain, and two years went by before White was able to get back to Virginia. When at length he arrived, he found the settlement a wilder- ness, and no trace of the inhabitants could be discovered. Among those lost were his daughter and his tiny grandchild, Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America. For many years the fate of the settlers remained a mystery. It was finally discovered that, despairing of the return of the governor, they had moved to Croatoan, the home of some friendly Indians. They were adopted as members of the tribe and were killed by the tribe's enemies. Raleigh had spent so much money on his colonies that he was unable to fit out another. He still trusted that he should live to see America an English nation. Though he did not realize his dream, he did live long enough to see an English colony permanently established in Virginia. Of this we shall learn in the next chapter. SUMMARY The Spaniards confined their explorations to Mexico and South America, and the Portuguese to Brazil. When the French attempted to found a colony in Carolina, Menendez built a fort at St. Augustine and massacred the French. The English now began to turn their attention to America. Martin Frobisher and Sir Humphrey Gilbert started unsuc- cessful colonies in Labrador and Newfoundland, and Sir Francis Drake harassed the Spaniards and made his famous voyage around the world. Sir Walter Raleigh then attempted to colonize Virginia and failed. THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 27 CHAPTER IV THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 27. The Two Companies. — In spite of the English failures to colonize America, Englishmen more and more turned their thoughts towards the possibilities of the new world. By the opening of the seventeenth cen- tury conditions favored a fresh attempt. England had given her old enemy a crushing blow in the de- feat of the Span- ish Armada, and Spanish attacks were no longer to be feared, either on sea or on land. In 1606 certain firm and hearty lovers of coloniza- tion organized into two companies and obtained from King James charters which gave them the right to colonize Virginia. The At that time the whole of the territory in Charter North America claimed by Great Britain was of l6 ° 6 - called Virginia. To the first, which was known as the London Company, because most of its members lived in the vicinity of London, was given the territory be- GRANTS TO LONDON AND PLYMOUTH COMPANIES. 1606 PLYMOUTH COMPANY |^ LONDON COMPANY t^-^j] 28 ESSENTIALS OF I'XITED STATES HISTORY tween the 34th and 38th degrees of latitude, or from Cape Fear to the mouth of the Potomac River. The second, or the Plymouth Company, whose members were residents of the wesl of England, obtained the land between the 41st and 45th degrees, or from Long Island to a little north of the present city of Halifax. The region between was common property, but neither company could make a settlement within a hundred miles of the other. The territories were to be a hundred miles in width, but a second charter, granted three years later, extended the boundaries from sea to sea. No one, however, supposed that the distance between seas was more than a few hundred miles. 28. The Purpose. — To find the way to the "back side of Virginia," which Sir Francis Drake had seen in 1579, was indeed one of the chief reasons for sending out the colonies. This is shown by certain instructions given to the Jamestown settlers: "You must observe if you can whether the river on which you plant doth spring out of the mountains or of lakes. If it be out of any lake, the passage to the other sea will be the more easy." Another reason of the colonizing scheme was. as in the earlier attempts, to find gold which, according to a story book of that time, was still believed to be "more plenti- full there than copper" (so very common, indeed, that even the "dripping pans" were reported to be of "pure gould"). The main purpose of the companies, however, lay in the fact, which all the most clear-sighted were beginning to realize, that English power and English commerce could be extended and increased by American colonization. It was felt, too, that the colonies would give to the pool' and unfortunate an opportunity to make a new start in life. This idea steadily grew, as the years went by and men did not find gold in every sand bank. Virginia was called the best poor man's country in the world, and preachers came to speak of Virginia as the THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 29 "door which God had opened for England." It was no longer difficult to get men to go to America, and this, in spite of the fact that all the advantages were for the king and the com- pany and not for the colonists. 1 29. Jamestown. — The first colony of the London Company left England on the 19th of December, 1606, in three small vessels, the largest of which, the Susan Constant, could carry only a hundred tons of freight. The voyage was long and stormy, and when the seasick travelers reached land in the early spring, they found the trees and bushes green, the woods full of flowers, and the birds singing. It seemed to them that heaven and earth had never " agreed better to frame a place for man's commodious and delightful habita- tion." Therefore they named this land Point Comfort. The two points at the entrance of Chesapeake Bay they called Cape Henry and Cape Charles, for the two sons of the king. Proceeding up a fair and broad river, which in honor of the king they named the James, they landed May 13, 1607, and immediately set up tents and erected booths of branches. Thus, in high spirits and with fair expectations, the settle- ment of Jamestown began. 30. The Difficulties. — The joy was short lived. In a few weeks serious difficulties arose. The colonists had made a mistake in choosing the situation for their settlement. It was on a low point almost surrounded by water. As soon as the hot summer came, the fumes which rose from the 1 The king was to receive one fifth of all the gold mined, and one fifteenth of the copper. The company had the rest of the profits and the entire control of the government. The colonists had few rights, except those which Raleigh's charter gave to the settlers at Roanoke Island: they and their children were to have all the rights and liberties that would have been theirs had they been " abiding and born " in England. Because the kings did not keep this promise was one of the chief reasons for the controversy between kings and colonists in later years. 30 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY marshes brought on a serious illness. Before the frosts of Death of autumn arrived, men died, sometimes as many the Settlers. as four a day, until about one half the colony had perished. Moreover, the colonists had not been well chosen; most of them knew nothing about the cutting down of trees, or the digging up of stumps, or the tilling of the soil. "Thirty carpenters, husbandmen, gardeners, fishermen, blacksmiths, masons, and diggers up of tree roots," wrote one of their number, would have been worth "more than a thousand" of these. Not only did they not know how to work, but they did not want to work, and the president of the council and most of his assistants were too inefficient to force them. In addition to all these troubles, the stock of food ran low and, as the Indians would not sell to them, the colonists were in serious danger of starvation. Indeed there is no doubt but that Jamestown would have shared the fate of the preced- John ing colonies, if one of the council, Captain John Smith. Smith, had not gained control of the government. He compelled the Indians to sell food, and told the men that if they did not work they should not eat. As he was a man who kept his promises, land was cleared, corn was planted, and fortifications were built in spite of grumblings and com- plainings and blistered hands. Under Smith's rule some men proved more industrious than he had expected. And yet ten good workmen, he wrote, would have done more substantial work in a day than ten of his men did in a week. 31. The Starving Time. — For a time affairs at Jamestown moved on with some degree of smoothness, though quarrels were frequent, Indians were hostile, and gold was not found. The next year more colonists came over, and by 1609 there were five hundred settlers. But they were mostly adven- turers and gold seekers, and after Smith was wounded and THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 31 obliged to return to England, another starving period came on. By the next spring only sixty inhabitants were left, and in June they decided to abandon the settlement and return to England. As they sailed down the bay "none dropped a tear, for none had enjoyed one day of happiness." Before they reached the open sea, they met the ships of the new governor, Lord Delaware. He brought colonists and fresh provisions. The de- serters returned and a new day began for Jamestown. 32. The Reforms. — Lord Delaware served as gover- nor of Virginia less than a year, yet he remained long enough to establish the colony permanently. Sir Delaware Thomas Dale andDale. then became governor. He was a stern, military ruler, but he brought order into the colony. He started a new settlement at Henrico City, which was a more health- ful location than Jamestown, and made several reforms that were of benefit to company and colonists alike. Up to that time the land had been held in common and the settlers took little interest in its cultivation. Dale gave to each colonist three acres of land and exacted as a yearly payment only six bushels of corn for the public granary. The colonists now had something of their own to work for and to develop. In place of their continual quarrelings, a good-natured rivalry Captain John Smith. From the original engraung in John Smith's "His- tory of New England, Virginia, and the Summer Isles," published in 1624. 32 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY sprang up among them. Crime grew less and less, and all fear of another starving period passed away. 33. Tobacco. — The settlers had not been the only ones to suffer discouragement at the condition of affairs in Virginia. The members of the London Company had been dissatisfied at the returns that came from their expenditures. Lumber and sassafras roots hardly had the market value of the gold A Virginia Tobacco Field. that had been expected. Some of the members had even urged the abandonment of the colony; others, however, were interested enough to continue the experiment Then, at length, an abundant revenue came in from an entirely new and unexpected source. In 1612, one of the colonists, John Rolfe, 1 began to grow 1 John Rolfo married Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, the Indian chief. She it was who had saved John Smith's life when he had been con- demned to death by the Indians, and who afterwards aided the colonists in several times of need. After his marriage, Rolfe took his wife to Eng- THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 33 tobacco. Year by year its cultivation spread until almost every other product of the' soil was neglected. Against the weed King James expressed himself, declaring smoking to be "a custom loathsome to the eyes, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs." Nevertheless its use in England increased with great rapidity, and the product found a ready market. In five years, indeed, "the market place, streets, and all other spare places in Jamestown were planted with tobacco." It almost came to be the money of Virginia. One pound of best tobacco was valued at three shillings. Fines for misdemeanors were paid in tobacco, and every planter was compelled to set aside a certain number of pounds towards the minister's salary. 34. Slavery. — The rapid increase in the production of tobacco demanded an increase also in the number of field laborers. Englishmen had found the summer sun of Virginia too hot for active labor, and the Indians made poor farmers. Negroes from Africa had been imported into the West Indies, where it had been proved that one negro could do the work of four Indians. Therefore, when in August, 1619, a Dutch man-of-war brought twenty negroes to Jamestown, no diffi- culty was found in selling them to planters. The importation of slaves increased year by year until, at the end of one hun- dred and fifty years, there were nearly as many blacks as whites in Virginia. 35. The First Assembly. — The same year that brought the slaves to Virginia witnessed another event which was also to have a lasting influence upon American history. This was the calling together by Governor Yeardley of the House of Burgesses, the first legislative assembly of representatives land, where she was received with great honor. Pocahontas died soon after her son was born. He became the ancestor of many of the leading families of Virginia. 34 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY of the people ever held in America. Up to this time the colo- nists had had no voice in their government. Virginia had been ruled by a governor and a council of thirteen, appointed in England. The laws had been harsh and calculated to benefit the company and the king rather than the people, and Virginians considered that they were not given the rights and liberties that were due the subjects of the king of England. Now, however, the company became more liberal and pro- vided that Virginia should henceforth have an assembly with power to make such laws as the people should deem necessary for the good of the colony. The first assembly of twenty-two burgesses, elected by the free inhabitants of the plantations, met at Jamestown, July 30, 1619. It passed laws that were "well and judiciously framed, which were of the greatest com- fort and benefit to the people.'' 36. Bacon's Rebellion. — Yet all the good which had been expected did not come from the new assembly. In 1624 the king took the government of Virginia into his own hands, and the liberal policy of the London Company came to an end. The governors were given greater power and, since many of them were men who thought only of the advantages that would come to themselves, the colonists suffered many hard- ships. By 1676 indignation had risen to such a point that under the leadership of Nathaniel Bacon, a wealthy young planter, the colonists rose in rebellion against the tyranny of Governor the governor, Sir William Berkeley. The direct Berkeley, reason for their revolt was his refusal to send an expedition against the Indians who were plundering and killing the inhabitants of the distant plantations. Bacon first punished the Indians and then, marching to Jamestown, he captured the. town and burned it to the ground in order that "the rogues," as it was stated, "should harbor there no more." THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 35 Bacon died a few weeks after the capture of the capital and, as the people had no leader, the rebellion came to an end. Such was Governor Berkeley's reputation for severity that the colonists believed he would hang half the colony. He was, however, recalled to England by the king, Charles II, who declared of Berkeley that he had "taken away more lives in that naked country than I for the murder of my Father." 1 No reforms were brought about by this rebellion against the government of the king, nor was it taken as a warning that the inhabitants of Virginia would not forever endure tyranny and oppression. 37. Lord Baltimore. — Nearly fifty years before Bacon's rebellion, and while Charles I was still upon the throne, the people of Virginia were greatly disturbed by the arrival of a visitor. This was George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, a favorite of the king. He had previously attempted to make a settle- ment at Avalon, in Newfoundland, but had failed because the winters were so long and severe. He now desired to found another colony where the winters were shorter and milder. Virginia gave him a cold welcome, first because she feared a division of her territory, and second because he was a Catholic. No Catholic and, in fact, no one who did not be- lieve in the forms and doctrines of the Church of England, was tolerated in Virginia. Nevertheless, Lord Baltimore was pleased with the country, and soon after his return to Eng- land Charles I granted to him a large tract of land on both sides of Chesapeake Bay. This was clearly within the ter- ritory of Virginia, but the remonstrances of the colony were ■About thirty years before Bacon's rebellion, England had risen against the misrule of Charles I, and had beheaded him. The repub- lic or Commonwealth, as it is usually called, lasted for eleven years, and then Charles II, the son of the first Charles, was placed upon the throne 36 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY not considered. 1 Calvert called his country Maryland, in honor of the queen, Henrietta Maria. 38. St. Marys. — Lord Baltimore died before he had com- pleted his plans for a colony. The king, however, transferred the charter to his lordship's son, Cecil, who had succeeded to his father's estate and title. In 1633 the new Lord Baltimore sent his brother Leonard to Maryland with twenty gentle- men and two or three hundred laboring men. These colo- nists bought, on the shore of Chesapeake Bay, an Indian vil- lage, the inhabitants of which were moving away. They paid for the village in steel hatchets, hoes, and cloth, and named it St. Marys. It was March when they arrived, and as the land had already been cleared by the Indians, the colonists imme- diately began their planting. The winter, therefore, found them well provided with food and there never was a starving time in St. Marys. The colony prospered, and by 1647 twenty thousand people had settled in Maryland. 39. Government. — Maryland was known as ;i proprietary colony: that is, it had been given by the king to a proprietor, bind Baltimore, who had entire control of its territory and all the revenue coming therefrom. In return for his gift the 1 Soon after the arrival of the Maryland colonists, a controversy arose with Virginia over the ownership of Kent Island in Chesapeake Bay. The island had been settled by William Clayborne, a Virginian, hut was included in the grant to Baltimore. Clayborne attempted to hold it by force hut was driven out by the Marylanders. The dispute was not settled until 177<>. when Maryland came into full possession. From a medal of 1632 Cecil Calvert, Second Lord Baltimore. THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 37 A Baltimore Shilling. king asked two Indian arrows, which were to be delivered yearly on Tuesday of Easter week, and a fifth of all the gold and silver. The arrows were faithfully presented every year, but Maryland never pro- duced enough gold and silver to fill the king's purse once. In Maryland, Calvert had powers al- most equal to a king. Fortunately for the colony he ruled with justice and wisdom. The colonists were allowed great freedom, and taxes could only be levied by an assembly elected by the people. 40. Religious Toleration. — Maryland was founded first as a business venture and second as a refuge for Roman Catholics, who were at the time greatly oppressed in Eng- land. Though there was no section of the charter which absolutely granted religious freedom, every settler was allowed to hold any religious faith he pleased, provided only he be- lieved in Jesus Christ and respected the creeds of others. Such freedom in religious matters was not at that time granted anywhere else except in Holland, and Maryland came to be known as "the land of the sanctuary." As his seal upon this spirit of religious liberty, Lord Baltimore, in April, 1649, framed the famous Toleration Act, which "ordered and enacted . . . that noe person or persons in this Province . . . professing to believe in Jesus Christ, shall from henceforth bee any waies troubled ... in respect to his or her re- ligion." Later, when the colony was taken from the Cal- verts, this freedom came to an end. Taxes were levied for the support of the English church, and Catholics were oppressed. 38 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY 41. The Carolinas. — Carolana or Carolina, 1 as the region south of Virginia was called, extended to the boundaries of Spanish Florida. It had first been settled by the French The Southern Colonies. Huguenots and afterwards by Raleigh's two colonies. Each of these attempted settlements, as we have seen, had failed. Early Toward the end of the seventeenth century, how- Settlers, ever, English colonists began to emigrate to Caro- lina. The first settlement, started in 1053 by a company of 1 This region had been named Carolana by the Huguenots, in honor of the French king, Charles IX. Later, at the time of its permanent settle- ment, the name was retained as a compliment to Charles II of England. THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 39 non-conformists from Virginia, was known as the Albemarle colony. The second, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, was begun by a company of New Englanclers. These latter settlers were dissatisfied with the country and abandoned the settlement. Later, some other colonists came from the Bar- badoes and settled at the same place. The district was thenceforth called Clarendon. In 1670 still another settle- ment was made at Charles Town at the junction of the Ashley and the Cooper rivers. 42. North and South Carolina. — In 1663 King Charles gave the whole of this district to eight proprietors. They had almost absolute power over it, but as they offered liberal terms to colonists, the southern portion was rapidly settled by a thrifty class of people. In the northern part, however, conditions were not so prosperous. North Carolina was known as the "rogues harbor," and was the refuge of all sorts of people who could not live elsewhere. In fact, exemp- tion from arrests, from investigation of the past records, and a year's freedom from taxation were granted to all newcomers. Therefore the northern section of Carolina was turbulent and disorderly. The colonists had little regard for law and order: they were without lawyers, regular physicians, and even, for many years, without a clergyman. In 1729 the colony was divided into North and South Carolina, and thereafter had separate governments. The caro- South Carolina became one of the richest and most linas be_ . . come influential of the English colonies, while North Separate Carolina was for a long time of little importance. Colonies. 43. Agriculture. — Near the close of the seventeenth century, a ship from Madagascar put into Charleston harbor. The cook had some rice among his stores of provisions which he gave to one of the settlers, who planted it in his garden. So flourishing was the growth from this small quantity, that 40 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY the extensive culture of rice was undertaken in the swamps of South Carolina. In less than fifty years the rice crop Rice and yielded an annual income of £200,000. The soil Cotton. an( l climate were also found to favor the culture of indigo, and next to rice this became the principal product of Carolina. Cotton was also raised, and pitch and tar were obtained from the forests in large quantities. Charleston became a commercial center and two or three hundred ships annually went thence to Europe. 44. James Edward Ogle- thorpe. — According to Eng- lish law, during the eighteenth century, a man owing money which he could not pay was condemned to imprisonment until such time as his debt should be paid. Prisons af- forded little opportunity for earning money ; therefore many debtors lingered in prison for years and often- times for life. And when, in- deed, they were released, it was difficult for them to find work, and their condition and that of their families was very lit- tle improved. James Edward Oglethorpe (o'g'l-thorp), while serving as a member of a committee to investigate debtors' prisons, was much affected by the miseries which he found there. He therefore conceived the plan of founding a colony in America where the most worthy debtors could begin life again. He formed a company, solicited subscriptions, and obtained a grant of territory between the Savannah and the James Oglethorpe. THE SOUTHERN COLONIES 41 Altamaha rivers. It was wholly a benevolent undertaking; the trustees desired no income from the colony The Georgia and did not reserve any of the land for them- Charter, selves. The province of Georgia was to be held "in trust for the poor," and the motto on its seal was " not for themselves, but for others." 45. Georgia. — In January, 1733, the first company of colonists, led by Oglethorpe himself, arrived in America, and made a settlement at Savannah. "His colony will suc- ceed," said Governor Johnson of South Carolina, "for he nobly devotes all his powers to serve the poor and rescue them from their wretchedness." Fifty acres of land were allotted to each settler who could not pay the expenses of his journey, and five hundred to those who paid. The land was granted for life, provided the tenant improved and cultivated it, and there was to be no charge of rent for ten years. Oglethorpe directed that every settler should set out mulberry trees, and he hoped that thereby silk could be produced in quantities large enough to give the colonists an income and save England the necessity of buying it from foreign countries. The laws of the colony forbade the impor- tation of spirits, and inasmuch as Georgia was to be an "asylum for the distressed," and "slaves starve the poor laborer," the keeping of slaves was not allowed. Moreover, Oglethorpe granted freedom to all religious beliefs, except to Roman Catholicism, and many persons of persecuted sects found refuge in Georgia. They came — Jews, Swiss, Scotch Highlanders, and Salzburgers and Moravians from Georgia Germany. The colony, however, did not fulfill all R c y ° a 7 es of Oglethorpe's hopes, and for many years it did Province, not prosper. The warm climate was trying to the colonists. Only the Germans wore able to keep their vigor. Accordingly, in 1752, the trustees turned over the province to the king. 42 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY SUMMARY The English king granted land in America to the London and the Plymouth companies. The London company sent out the first colony, which settled at Jamestown in 1607, and which, in spite of discouragements, endured until success and prosperity arrived. Tobacco, which was first grown as an experiment, soon found a ready market in England and became a source of large revenue. A demand for laborers was supplied by negro slaves from Africa. In 1619 the first representative assembly on American soil was held. The settlers hoped that this would remedy all their evils, but the colony later passed into the hands of the king, and suffered from the oppression of the governors. As time went on, one of the governors was so tyrannical that the peo- ple rose in rebellion. But their leader died, the rebellion was put down, and no especial benefit was accomplished. Virginia was in course of time disturbed by the king's grant of a portion of her territory to Lord Baltimore. This grant resulted in the founding of the Maryland colony. The first settlement in Maryland was made at St. Marys. The colony grew rapidly under Baltimore's kindly rule. Religious free- dom was granted to all who believed in Christ. Virginia also acquired neighbors on the south, in the terri- tory of Carolina. At first this whole region was one colony, but in 1729 it was divided into North and South Carolina. Georgia was founded by Oglethorpe as an asylum for the poor debtors of England. The first settlement of this colony was made at Savannah. THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 43 CHAPTER V THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 46. The Separatists. — The sixteenth century was a period of religious unrest in England as well as on the continent. A great many people were dissatisfied with the pomp and show of the Established Church and desired to "purify" it of what they considered its evils. One class thought that they could best improve the church by remaining within it though without conforming to all its rites and ceremonies. These reformers, non-conform- ists, as they were called, were known as Puritans. Then there was another class of dissenters who did not retain their mem- bership in the Church of England. They formed separate organiza- tions which had no bishops nor appointed clergy and which left out of their service all forms and ceremonies. These were called Separatists, or Independents. At the time of this division in the church it was unlawful for any one to hold opinions on religious matters not in accord with the accepted beliefs of the religion established by the government of England. In fact, religious liberty was a term that had almost no meaning three hundred years ago. King James declared, "I will make them conform or I will harry them out of the kingdom." Puritans as well as Separatists were fined and imprisoned, and suffered all sorts of indig- 0m A Puritan Minister. 44 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY nities because they would not conform. Hut the Separatists were more severely punished because they carried their dis- sent to greater lengths. To escape persecution many fled to Holland, the only country in Europe which permitted liberty of conscience in religious matters, and which was therefore called by the other nations "a common harbour of all here- sies" and "a cage of unclean birds." 47. The Pilgrims in Holland. — In the little village of Scrooby, situated in Nottinghamshire on the main road from London to the north, lived a congregation of Separatists. They were accustomed to hold their meetings in the manor house, where lived William Brewster, the postmaster. Hecause of their religion " they could not long continue in any peacable condition, but were hunted and persecuted on every side. Some were taken and clapt up in prison, others had their houses beset and watched night and day; . . . and the most were fain to fly and leave their houses and habitations and the means of their livelihood." After several trials and much suffering they succeeded in reaching Amsterdam, where a number of English fugitives had already assembled before them. The next year they removed to Leyden, where they found homes and employment. .More and more Pilgrims continued to arrive until, within a few years, their number had increased to a thousand. 48. The Removal to America. — At Leyden the Pilgrims lived happily many years. The Dutch so highly respected them that they would trust even the poorest "in any reason- able matter when they wanted money, because they had found by experience how careful they were to keep their word, and saw them so painful and diligent in their calling." Yet the Pilgrims were not wholly satisfied with their life in Holland. As their children grew up, they saw them take ser- vice in the Dutch army or navy or marry into Dutch families. THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 45 It continually became harder and harder for them to retain their English speech and customs. They finally determined to search for a place where it would be possible for their chil- dren to remain English and where they might la} r the foun- dations of a new church. America seemed to offer the advantages which they desired, and through the good offices of friends in England a section of land was obtained for them on the banks of the Delaware River within the territory of the London Company. 49. The Voyage. — It was decided that only the strongest of the Pilgrims should go first to the New World, and that the majority, with their pastor, John Robinson, should remain in Leyden until the venture should prove a success. The colonists led by William Brewster left the Old World in two ships, the Mayflower and Speedwell, in the sum- The mer of 1620. After sailing three hundred miles Mayflower, beyond Land's End, the master of the Speedivell claimed that his vessel was leaking and unseaworthy. She was obliged to put back to Plymouth, where she was abandoned. As many of her passengers as possible were transferred to the Mayflower, which, with one hundred and two colonists, started again, alone. The voyage was long and stormy and land was not reached until the 9th of November ; then instead of the green shores of the Delaware which the voyagers had expected, they saw the bleak and sandy end of Cape Cod. The captain of the May- flower claimed that it was unwise to sail farther, and after a month spent in exploring the country, they finally landed at Plymouth on the 21st of December. 50. The Mayflower Compact. — The patent that the Pil- grims had received had been granted by the London Company and would be of no value in the territory of the Plymouth Company to which they had come. Therefore, as they were 46 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY without laws or form of government, before landing they met in the cabin of the Mayflower and drew up a compact, in which they solemnly, "in the presence of God and of one another," promised to obey the laws that should be framed for the government of the colony. Forty-one men signed their names to the compact. They then elected John Carver as their first governor. 51. The First Winter. — The long voyage had weakened From the painting by Lucey. The Landing of the Pilgrims. many of the Pilgrims and they were ill-prepared to stand the hardships of a cold New England winter. Though the season was unusually mild, one half of their number died, among them Governor Carver. Yet, when the Mayflower returned in the spring, not one of the colonists went back with her. "It is not with us as with men whom small things discourage or small discontentments cause to wish themselves at home again," said their minister, William Brewster. The Plymouth colonists were fortunate in that they had THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 47 no conflict with the Indians. They early made friends with Massasoit, the chief of the Wampanoags, and he aided them in many ways. The Indians showed the Pilgrims how to plant the Indian corn, and before another winter came, they had so bountiful a harvest that Governor Bradford appointed a day of thanksgiving to God who had been "with them in all their ways." This was the first Thanksgiving Day. 52. The Salem Settlement. — "Out of small beginnings great things have been produced; and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone to many." Thus wrote Governor Bradford of the founding of Plymouth, and the history of Massachusetts Bay proves his words. While the Plymouth colony was slowly growing, the Puritans in England were finding life there more and more difficult. Some of the more clear-sighted leaders, realiz- ing that an open conflict with the king must soon come, and with the example of the Pilgrims before them, concluded that it might be possible to plant a Puritan colony in America. In 1628 six prominent Puritans obtained from the Ply- mouth Company a grant of land which extended from three miles south of the source of the Charles to three miles north of the Merrimac. In September a colony of sixty persons, led by John Endicott, arrived at Naumkeag. A small company of fishermen who had found Cape Ann too rocky for a successful settlement were already stationed there. They and the newcomers came to an agreeable understanding and changed the name of the place to Salem, a Hebrew word meaning peace. The next year the members of the colony were increased by the arrival of a large com- pany of Puritans, well supplied with cattle, tools, and am- munition. Francis Higginson, the minister, a leader of this fresh band 48 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY of immigrants, had said, as the shores of England grew dim in the distance, "We will not say as the Separatists were wont to say at their leaving of England, 'Farewell, Babylon,' but we will say ' Farewell, dear England, farewell, the Church of God in England, and all the Christian friends there.' We do not go to New England as Separatists from the Church of England, but ... to propagate the gospel in America." Yet in spite of this declaration, soon after their arrival, Hig- ginson and his followers organized a church 1 in Salem which to all in- tents and purposes was as truly a Separatist church as the one in Plymouth, and when later some among the band attempted to organize another church like that of the Church of England, they were sent home. John Skelton was ordained as minister of the Salem church and Francis Iligginson as teacher. 53. Boston. — The charter granted to the Massachusetts Bay Company by the king did not designate any special place for holding the meetings of the corporation. The company therefore decided to transfer the government of the plantation to those emigrating and to move their officers and the charter itself from England to America. John Winthrop, a wealthy Puritan of Suffolk, was elected governor of the colony. Under his guidance a large company was brought together, and setting sail, arrived in Salem in the summer of 1630. Some of the company re- 1 The church building, erected in 1634, is still standing in Salem. The First Church at Salem. Winthrop. THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 49 mained there, others founded Charlestown, still others started the towns of Dorchester, Newtown, and Watertown. The majority, with the governor, settled at Shawmut, which was renamed Boston in memory of Boston, England, whence many of the Puritans had come. 54. The Government of the Colony. — In a short space of time the region around Massachusetts Bay possessed more inhabitants than Plymouth. Settlers continued to come in large numbers, until in 1650 there were about twenty thou- sand people in Massachusetts. Many of these colonists possessed considerable property and were men of great influence. At first the colony was gov- erned by the governor and his assistants. When, however, a tax was levied for the purpose of building a fort at Newtown, the inhabitants of Watertown de- clared that they were English freemen and alone had the power to levy taxes. As a result of this protest, a change was made in the government and thereafter the freemen of each settlement elected representatives to the General Court. R ep resent- These representatives met in Boston and there ative Gov- transacted the business of the colony. Local ernment. affairs were managed in a general assembly or town meet- ing, by the freemen of each town. A freeman (or voter) was any male member of the colony who was twenty-one years old and a member of the Puritan church. 55. Roger Williams. — Though the Puritans had come to America "to enjoy the liberties of the gospel in purity and Governor Winthrop. 50 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY peace," they were not more willing than were the Church of England settlers of Virginia to tolerate in the colony people who did not agree with their beliefs. Naturally, among so large a number of people, there were those who did not agree. Roger Williams, a young clergyman, arrived in Boston in 1631. He settled in Salem, was made pastor of the church, and was justly popular with the people. He soon, however, The New England Colonies. came into conflict with the officers of the province because of his views on civil and religious matters. He claimed that the land which the colonists occupied belonged to the Indians and that the king's grant had no value unless supported by a purchase of the land from its rightful owners. He declared that the power of the magistrates extended only to the bodies and outward estate of man, not to the mind and con- THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 51 science. Therefore, he argued, every man should be allowed to worship as his own conscience dictated. The Puritans were not ready to admit that a complete separation of church and state was wise or even possible. They feared that the whole country would "be set on fire by the rapid motion of a windmill in the head of one particular man," and ordered Williams to leave the country in a ship that was returning to England. Williams fled into the wilderness and spent the winter among the Indians. Then, at the suggestion of Governor Winthrop, he bought of the Indians a tract of land bordering upon Narragansett Bay and started a new colony. He named his settlement Providence and made it "a shelter for persons distressed for conscience." 56. Rhode Island. — About this time Mrs. Anne Hutchin- son was banished from Massachusetts because she held religious beliefs that were disapproved by the magistrates. She and some of her followers settled on the island of Rhode Island in Narragansett Bay, where they founded the towns of Newport and Portsmouth. These settlers were on friendly terms with the Providence people, and in 1644 Roger Williams obtained a charter which united the colonies of Rhode Island and Providence. This charter, in 1663, was superseded by another, which granted complete civil and religious liberty. 57. Connecticut. — In 1635 and 1636 a large number of the inhabitants of Dorchester, Newtown, and Watertown, led by the Rev. Thomas Hooker, moved to the valley of the Connecticut River and began the settlements of Hartford, Weathersfield, and Windsor. Their reasons for removal were several: namely, that the settlements at the Bay were too crowded, that their cattle had too little pasture room, and that the law compelling non-church members to protect the colony and to obey its laws, but giving them no voice in the government or election of officers, was not just. 52 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY The now towns remained for a time within the jurisdiction of Massachusetts Bay, but in January, 1639, all the freemen met in Hartford and adopted the first written constitution The First known to history. In it there was no mention of Constitu- the authority of the king. The people were made tlon - the foundation of all authority and every citizen who would take the oath of fidelity was accounted a freeman. This Connecticut constitution marked the beginning of American democracy. 58. New Haven. — The fertility of the Connecticut Valley Saybkook Fort in 1636. attracted other settlers, and towns were started at various points along the coast and in the interior. A settlement at Saybrook was begun as early as 1635. New Haven 1 was begun in 1638 by the Rev. John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton, the one a minister, the other a merchant of London; and the towns of Milford, Guilford, and Stamford were settled at about the same time. These four towns were known as 1 The site of New Haven was bought of the Indians for "twelve coats, twelve alchymy spoons, twelve hatchets, twelve hoes, two dozen knives, twelve poringers, and four cases of French knives and scissors." THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 53 the New Haven Colony, and their government was similar to that of Massachusetts Bay. In 1665 the two colonies of New Haven and Connecticut were united and were thenceforth known as Connecticut. 59. New Hampshire and Maine. — New Hampshire was first colonized under a grant made to Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason, and originally included a portion of the present state of Maine. Settlements were made at Dover and Portsmouth as early as 1623 and at Pemaquid and York two or three years later. Exeter and Hampton were founded by colonists from Massachusetts. From 1643 until 1679 New Hampshire formed a part of Massachusetts. At the latter date the por- tion west of the Piscataqua River became a royal province, but the eastern part, known as Maine, remained under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts until 1820. 60. The United Colonies of New England. — The year 1643 saw the first union of the English colonies. In that year the four colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New Haven, and Connecticut formed a confederacy as a protection against the Indians and against the Dutch, who laid claim to much of the present state of Connecticut. Two commissioners were elected from each colony, who took charge of the militia and had power to provide for the common defense and welfare of the four colonies. Each colony, however, had complete con- trol of its own internal affairs. The English government, afraid that the colonies were planning to throw off their dependence upon the home country, protested against the union. Governor Winslow of Plymouth, however, defended it, declaring, "If we in America should forbear to unite for offense and defense against a common enemy till we have leave from England, our throats might all be cut before the messenger would be half seas through." The union thus formed lasted forty years and was especially 54 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY useful in bringing into closer sympathy the people of the various New England colonics. 61. Royal Provinces. — Through all the early years of New England, the New England *t§&zM.©% colonists had almost complete /oll&^iv^} control of their government. !^^nn % ,tej The Navigation Acts, passed i% \^S^y ^ tlie English Parliament, re- ^Mxr^'" ^ tne English Parliament, re- """"""""* stricted their commerce, but the A Pine-Tree Shilling. . . . ,. . people elected their governors and legislatures, made their laws, levied their taxes, and even coined their money. 1 In 1684, however, the king took away the charter from Massachusetts and made it a royal province. Three years later the charters of Rhode Island and of Connecticut were also withdrawn. Sir Edmund Andros was ap- pointed governor of all the country from Acadia to the Delaware River. Under his rule the colonies were de- prived of so many of their rights and liberties that Massachu- setts declared that no privilege was left them but to be sold as slaves. "The governor invaded liberty and property after such a manner," wrote Increase Mather, "as no man could say anything was his own." In 1689, when a new king came to the English throne, the people of Boston seized and imprisoned the governor and sent him out of the colony. 2 Then a new charter was granted to 1 One piece of money was known as the pine-tree shilling. It had Mas- sachusetts printed on one side and New England on the other. The pine tree was not unmistakably a pine tree. Therefore, when the king objected that there was not shown on the coin any evidence of the colony's alle- giance to England, a friend of the colonies assured his Majesty that the tree on the coin represented the oak in which Charles II had hidden after the battle of Worcester. 2 Soon after Andros was imprisoned by the people of Boston, the mi- litia of New York arose against Lieutenant-Governo- Nicholson and seized THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 55 Massachusetts, which restored most of her privileges, but reserved to the king the right to appoint the governor. In 1691 Plymouth and the Massachusetts Bay Colonies were united. Rhode Island and Connecticut 1 continued to govern themselves in accordance with their old charters. SUMMARY Dissatisfaction with the religious forms of the Established Church brought about the next English emigration. In 1620 a company of Pilgrims, who had found a refuge from persecu- tion in Holland, started the settlement of Plymouth. Eight years later some Puritans arrived at Salem, and two years afterwards a large colony laid the foundations of Boston and the surrounding towns. The Puritans of Massachusetts Bay could not agree upon religious matters, and those who were dissatisfied moved to Providence and the Connecticut Valley, where settlements were made which granted greater religious freedom. In spite of their differences, there was considerable sym- pathy between the colonies. At one time four of them formed a union as a protection against the Indians. For many years the New England colonies practically governed themselves. Parliament began to fear that they were becoming too inde- pendent, and deprived them of many of their rights and privileges. the government for William and Mary, the new English rulers. A com- mittee of safety was elected and Jacob Leisler was placed at its head. For over a year he governed the colony and then surrendered to the new governor appointed by the king. Leisler was tried for high treason, con- demned, and hanged. 1 When Andros went to Hartford to demand the Connecticut charter, the document was brought, but the discussion continued until evening, when the lights suddenly went out and left the room in total darkness. The candles were relighted, but the charter could not be found. Tradition says that it was hidden in the hollow of an oak tree, which thenceforth went by the name of the Charter Oak. This tree was blown down in a gale in 1S56. It was estimated that it was at that time about one thousand years old. 56 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY CHAPTER VI THE MIDDLE COLONIES 62. Henry Hudson. — In the first half of the seventeenth centmf the famous English navigator, Henry Hudson, made two voyages in search of a northern passage to India. He had carefully explored Greenland and the waters north of Europe as far as Nova Zembla, and had gone nearer to the north pole than any other navigator of that time. He desired to make another exploration, but the English merchants who employed him were unwilling to spend more money on what appeared a useless undertaking. He therefore offered his ser- vices to the Dutch East India Company and they were accepted. 1 A ship of eighty tons, called the Half Moon, was fitted out, and on the 4th of April, 1609, Hudson set sail from the Zuyder Zee. He first followed his old track to the north, but being stopped by the ice he turned his ship towards America, in the hope of finding a passage to the Pacific somewhere to the north of Chesapeake Bay. He landed at the mouth of the Penobscot River, cut down a pine tree for a new mainmast, and carefully explored the »The Dutch East India Company was a great organization designed to carry on trade with India and China. Henry Hudson. THE MIDDLE COLONIES 57 coast to the south. Finally he entered the present harbor of New York and went up the river now known by Discovery his name, until the waters measured only seven of Hudson feet in depth. There he turned his prow down the Rlver - river and directed his course homeward, since the autumn was too far advanced for further explorations to the north. 1 63. The Dutch Settlements. — Hudson, in his report to the East India Company, said that the country .he had visited was as fair a land as could be trodden by the foot of man ; that it was the finest for cultivation that he had ever seen; that it was well covered with great trees of every description, and that it abounded in fur-bearing animals. Dutch merchants soon discovered that the fur trade was profitable, and in 1613 built a few log houses on Manhattan Island and the next year a fort near the present city of Albany. About the same time, Adrian Block, a Dutch navigator, made a voyage to Man- hattan Bay, where he secured a rich cargo of furs, which he carried to Amsterdam. Block also sailed along the New England coast and gave names to two islands, Block Island and Rhode Island. After a time the States General of Holland made a formal grant of territory to settlers. Later the government turned over to the United Netherland Company the land from 1 The English regretted that they had allowed so skillful a navigator as Hudson to sail in the service of another nation, and when he touched at an English port on'his return voyage, they would not allow him to proceed to Holland. The next year he again set sail in a ship fitted out by English merchants. He reached the great sea now known as Hudson's Bay, and at its southern end he spent the winter. In the spring, when he made known his determination to push his discoveries farther, the crew mutinied. They placed Hudson, his son, and several of the crew who were sick, in an open boat, cut it loose, and turned their ship towards home. When they reached England, they were seized and imprisoned, and a vessel hurried to America to search for Hudson. No trace of the bold navigator or of his boat was ever found. 58 ESSENTIALS OF IMTKI) STATES HISToUY the 45th parallel to the mouth of the Delaware, extend- United m § to ^ 1C eas ^ as ^ ar as ^ape Cod. This whole Netheriand region was within the territory granted by Eng- Company. \ an( \ [ t ne London and Plymouth companies. Of course the English made complaints, hut they were disre- garded. Dutch colonists were sent over in 1623, and three years later, Peter Minuit, the governor of the colony, bought the island of Manhattan from the Indians for sixly guilders. 1 The settlement became known as New Amsterdam, the fort farther up the river as Fort Nassau, and the colony as New Netheriand. 64. Peter Stuyvesant. - New Netheriand grew slowly. It was simply a trading colony. Religious liberty was granted, but the people had no voice in the government. When Peter Stuyvesant, their most famous governor, ar- rived in 1()47, he declared, " I shall govern you as a father his children, for the advantage of the chartered West India Company." 2 ^ ^ -tJ3 &£% ■■■■\ Peter Stuyvesant ' The present value of a guilder in American money is about forty cents. This would mean that Manhattan was bought for twenty-tour dollars. But as the purchasing value in Minuit s day was about five times what it now is, it is often said that he paid one hundred and twenty dollars for the whole of Manhattan. = The West India Company was chartered by the Dutch government in 1621. It had control of all Dutch navigation and trade on the coast of America as well as of Africa. THE MIDDLE COLONIES 59 The company could not have found a better man to guard its interests than Stuyvesant, who was absolutely trust- worthy and honest. On the other hand, he was obstinate and hot-tempered and was continually quarreling with Discontent the colonists, who desired more rights and greater of the freedom. The company upheld the governor in Colonists - his opposition to the demands of the people and once wrote him that he must not let them indulge in their visionary dreams. The colonists compared their condition with that of their neighbors, the New England colonists, and became more and more dissatisfied and discontented. 65. New York. — Consequently, when in 1664 the English The Dutch Staadt Huys (State House) at New York. determined to take possession of New Netherlands many in New Amsterdam sided with the English. "The company/' wrote Stuyvesant, "is cursed and scolded; the inhabitants de- clare that the Dutch never had a right to the country." The governor determined to oppose the English fleet, but the people felt that resistance was madness and in a written remonstrance urged him to surrender. Finally, Stuyvesant gave orders for the white flag to be raised, saying. "Well, let it be so. I had rather be carried to my grave." Thus, without bloodshed, the English took possession of New Netherland. Later the Dutch regained control of the province, but only for a few 60 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY months. New Netherland was given by King Charles to his brother .lames, Duke of York, and the name was changed to New York. Fort Nassau was renamed Albany. 66. Delaware. — The Dutch made their first settlements in Delaware as early as 1630. Eight years later, a company of Swedes commanded by Peter Minuit, who had once been The governor of New Netherland, bought of the Indians Swedes. a tract of land in the vicinity of Wilmington. They called their colony New Sweden, and their fort Christiana, in honor of the queen. It was hoped that New Sweden would be a refuge to "all oppressed Christendom" and a blessing to "the common man." Lord Baltimore claimed New Sweden as a part of Maryland, and the Dutch in New Netherland maintained that it belonged to them. Minuit paid no atten- tion to the remonstrances of either colony. In 1655, how- ever, Governor Stuyvesant made an expedition against New Sweden and captured it. The colony passed, with New Netherland, under the control of England. 67. New Jersey. — New Jersey, like Delaware, was origi- nally settled by the Dutch. The Swedes also made settle- ments north of the Delaware River and a company of Puritans migrated there from New England. The region, however, was generally considered a part of the Dutch colony. After the English came into possession of New Netherland, the Duke of York gave the country lying to the south of New York and to the east of the Delaware to Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley. Carteret had been at one time governor of the isle of Jersey, and owing to this fact the colony re- ceived its name New Jersey. Lord Berkeley sold his share to two Quakers and the colony was then divided into East and West Jersey. The two portions were not united until 1702, when New Jersey became a royal province. 68. The Quakers. — George Fox, an English preacher, THE MIDDLE COLONIES 61 was the founder of a religious sect which came to -be known as the society of Friends or Quakers. This last name was given them by Justice Bennett, whom Fox, in the course of his trial before him, bade "tremble at the word of the Lord." The Quakers held many peculiar be- liefs which caused them to be severely persecuted. They refused to serve in the army or navy, would not pay tithes, and main- tained that every man was the equal of every other man. In consid- eration of this lat- ter assertion they kept on their hats in the presence of persons in author- ity, not even ex- cepting the king. They held the doc- trine that each man's life should be guided by an inner light. A few of these Friends were led into many ex- travagant and foolish deeds. The majority, however, were sincere, quiet, and peace-loving people, who could not be won "with gifts, honors, offices, or places." The Quakers found their way to America, where they The Middle Colonies. 62 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTnKY received anything but a cordial welcome. Several colonies, indeed, passed laws which made it a crime for captains to give the members of this new sect passage in their ships. They were banished, Hogged, imprisoned; but persecution „ E only made them more zealous, and they returned land perse- after banishment only to receive severer punish- cuted the ment. The Puritan rulers of Massachusetts were Qua ers. more ] iarsn m their treatment of the Quakers than those of any other colony and hanged four of them on Boston Common. But the people of the Bay Colony, as a whole, were not in sympathy with such extreme measures and the persecu- tion gradually died out as the spirit of liberty increased. 69. William Penn. — The cause of the much-abused Quak- ers w r as warmly taken up by William Penn, who had become a Friend while at college. His father, an English admiral and a standi friend of the Duke of York, remonstrated with his son in vain, punished him, sent him abroad, and even disinherited him, but finally took him back and left him a fortune. William Penn had become interested in America while acting as an arbitrator in a dispute between the Quaker proprietors of West Jersey. He began to plan how the New World might become a refuge for the despised sect. When, on the death of his father, he discovered that the king owed his father £16,000, he proposed that the debt be paid in American land. King Charles was not unwilling to make Penn's ^his arrangement, and granted to Penn a tract Grant from south of New York. The territory included Dela- the King. waxe anc j \ anL \ formerly given to other colonies. The rival claims created bitter disputes in after years. l At 1 A dispute with Maryland over the southern boundary of . Pennsylvania soon occurred. Pennsylvania claimed south as far as the entrance to Dela- ware Bay. while Maryland declared her northern boundary to he the 40th THE MIDDLE COLONIES 63 the time of the grant, however, the king was not thinking or caring about future disputes. 70. Pennsylvania. — The story is told that Penn decided to call his province Sylvania and that the king added Penn for the first syllable. It is further related that Penn objected to the addition, saying that it was contrary to his wish and principle to be thus honored. To this objection, the king replied that he had no inten- tion of honoring William Penn, but only wished to perpetuate the memory of Sir William Penn, the admiral, and re- fused to change the name. Thus, "after many watchings, solicitings, and disputes in council," wrote Penn, "my country was confirmed to me under the great seal of Eng- land. God will bless it and make it a great nation." As settlers were already in the province, Penn wrote them a letter expressing the hope that they would not be troubled by his coming. He declared that he had no desire to increase his fortune at their expense, and promised that they should be governed by laws of their own making. 71. The Colony. — The first of the colonists under Penn were sent over in 1681, but Penn himself did not arrive until the next year. He made a treaty with the Indians that was parallel. The dispute lasted for eighty years and was finally compromised. Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, two eminent astronomers and surveyors, marked a boundary line between the two colonies. Milestones were set up, every fifth one bearing on one side the arms of Penn and on the other those of Baltimore. This Mason and Dixon line became famous in after years as the dividing line between the free and the slave states. William Penn. 64 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY never broken, laid out the city of Philadelphia, and granted a Charter of Privileges for the government of the colony. Religious freedom was given to all who believed in God, and the people were allowed great liberty. JjL.v^D f..«.44U U~*tt- .JZu*. »J3 £~£*2 6y fU-^ir^^Zi,.^^ X ■Y&J* 'rm££ '*-> Indian Receipt for Tex Thousand Dollars i\ Payment of Land Sold by the Representatives OF the Six Nations to the Descendants of William Penn, 1769. Penn always maintained his friendly attitude towards the colony, and in his old age wrote, "If, in the relation between us, the people want of me anything that would make them LIFE IN THE COLONIES 65 happier, I shall readily grant it." Pennsylvania became "an asylum to the good and the oppressed of every nation." Quakers came to it from England, Germans from Germany, and large numbers of Scotch-Irish from Ireland. In three years Philadelphia grew from a hamlet of a few Phila- houses to a city of six hundred dwellings. In so delphia. short a space of time the colony had grown to be larger than New York after its fifty years of occupation. SUMMARY Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, entered the harbor of the present city of New York and explored the course of the river which now bears his name. Because of this voyage the Dutch claimed the land bordering upon the river and sent out colonists. Later they spread to the surrounding districts and made the first settlements in New Jersey and Delaware. The region occupied by the Dutch colony of New Nether- land was claimed by the English, who sent an expedition to capture it. The Dutch governor surrendered, and the colony was thenceforth known as New York. A religious sect called Quakers or Friends was greatly perse- cuted both in England and in the colonies. William Penn, a wealthy Quaker, received from the king a tract of land in America in payment of a debt. He founded the colony of Pennsylvania, where not only Quakers but other persecuted people found a refuge. ^r— CHAPTER VII LIFE IN THE COLONIES 72. Geographical Conditions. — The situation of mountains and rivers, the climate, and the conditions of the soil deter- mined in a large measure the varying characters and occupa- 66 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY tions of the inhabitants of the English colonies. In New In the England the stony, hilly country forbade extensive North. farms, the good harbors of the coast developed fishing industries and commerce, and the rapid rivers fur- nished water power for various manufactures. The cold climate fostered an active, vigorous people. In the South the rich lands favored large plantations. The man}- quiet rivers made communication safe and easy, but In the they were not used for manufacturing purposes. South. The Middle region combined certain physical con- ditions of both North and South. Therefore the towns were not so numerous as in New England, and the farms were larger, though they were not so extensive as in Virginia. 73. The People. — New England and Virginia were almost entirely inhabited by emigrants from England. The Carolinas had, in addition to English settlers, colonists from the north of Ireland and from Scotland, and a number of French ref- ugee Huguenots. In the Middle colonies were various nation- alities, English and Dutch in New York and New Jersey, Swedes in Delaware, and Germans and Scotch-Irish in Penn- sylvania. 74. Social Conditions. — There were few members of the English nobility in America. Most of the colonists, South as well as North, came from the thrifty middle class. Yet even in democratic New England social lines were sharply drawn. The members of the learned professions — the ministers, the doctors, and the lawyers — formed the upper class. Seats in church were given according to rank or the contribution that a man made to the minister's salary. The poet, .John (!. Whittier, has written in regard to this custom the following lines: " In the goodly house of worship, where in order due and fit, As by public vote directed, classed and ranked, the people sit." LIFE IN THE COLONIES 67 At Harvard College the students were arranged in class or at table in the order of their father's positions in the com- munity. Even the dress of the people was carefully regulated. Men who were worth less than two hundred pounds could not ornament their garments with gold or silver lace, and their wives were prosecuted if they wore silk hoods or scarfs. In New York the patroons, Dutch owners of the great estates on the Hudson, constituted the aristocratic class. They rented their lands to tenant farmers and obtained large A Manor House in New York. incomes therefrom. In the South also the gentry were the great land owners. They lived in luxury and patronized all who had to work with their hands. However, there were few very poor people in any of the colonies. New England had practically none, and in Phila- delphia it was said no beggars were to be seen, for none had the "least temptation to take up that scandalous life." New York was not so fortunate and was put to some difficulty in caring for its poor. In North Carolina too there were a 68 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY number of unprosperous people, most of whom were outcasts from Virginia. 75. Servants. — The poorest people in all the colonies were Redemp- those descended from the redemptioners, or inden- tioners. tured servants. Some had either sold or bound themselves to pay their passage across the Atlantic; others had been transported for crimes and misdemeanors; and many- had been kidnaped and sold by their captors. During their time of service these redemptioners could be bought or sold at the pleasure of their owners. At the end of a term of years, usually not over seven, they were given their freedom. The worthless among these servants caused their owners much trouble, and rewards were continually offered for runaways. Besides these redemptioners the only servants were slaves, and they were in every colony. In New England they were emploved mostly as house servants and never be- Slaves. came very numerous. But if New England did not find it profitable to keep negro slaves, she did find it greatly to her advantage to import them into Virginia and the other Southern colonies. Many of the Virginia planters were disturbed by the rapid increase of negroes in their colony and desired to stop the trade in men and women. England, however, also found the slave trade profitable and would not prohibit it. In South Carolina the slaves soon outnumbered the white inhabitants, and there, in the unhealthy rice fields, their condition was most pitiable. 76. Cities. — Because of the small farms and the necessity of keeping together from fear of the Indians, the New England colonists lived near one another in towns and villages. Boston was the largest city in America up to the middle of the eigh- teenth century, and Salem, Portsmouth, Newport, and New Haven were towns of considerable importance. Philadelphia LIFE IN THE COLONIES 69 came next to Boston in size, and was well laid out with straight, wide streets bordered by handsome houses. New York was even in those early colonial days the gayest city in the colonies, and had the most varied population. 1 Albany was a flourishing town, but all the other settlements of the middle colonies were small villages. Baltimore was not founded until 1729, but it grew rapidly and in fifty years had a population of 20,000. A Southern Colonial Home. Charleston was the only city in the South worthy of the name. In many places the colonists of South Carolina could not live on the plantations because of the unhealthfullness of the country. Therefore they generally left overseers 1 The first charter for New York City was granted in 1689 by Thomas Dongan, English governor of the colony. This was superseded by the Montgomerie Charter in 1731. The rights which Dongan gave to Albany in a charter granted a year or two before that to New York are incorpo- rated in the present city charter of Albany. 70 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY to rule their great country estates and made their homes in Charleston, where the breezes blow fresh from the sea. In Virginia the planters, prefering country to city life, lived more generally on their plantations. Williamsburg, the capi- tal of the colony, was but a small village. 77. Travel. — Roads outside of the towns were poor in all the colonies. At first they were usually bridle paths with- out bridges and were often impassable in bad weather. Later A Massachusetts Tavern. Built in 1095 they were widened to cart roads, but history does not record bridges broad enough to admit a wagon until 1669. In the South sloops and boats were used almost entirely as means of transportation. It was said to be easier to go to London than to travel from Boston to Virginia bv land. Therefore there was little com- LIFE IN THE COLONIES 71 munication between the colonies. It naturally followed that, as they knew little of one another, there was no close bond of sympathy between them. In the South a visitor was always welcome, for it was he who brought the news. Robert Beverley writes that in Virginia a traveler needed no other recommendation than that of being a human creature. Even a poor planter was glad to give up his one bed to make room for a weary traveler. South Carolina was noted for its hospitality. A traveler there had little need of money. Every house was open to all respectable strangers, and tavern keeping was a very unprofitable business. In the Northern colonies, however, the taverns held an important place in village life. They were to those early colonists what news- papers now are to us, for it was there that all the men of the town gathered to learn whatever news of the outside world a passing traveler might bring. Few letters were written, and even after postal routes were laid, the riders went only when their bags were full. The first mail between New York and Boston started on the The First first day of January, 1673. In his letter to Gover- Mail- nor Winthrop of Connecticut, Governor Lovelace of New York wrote that he considered this monthly post the best means for bringing about a mutual understanding between the colonies. 78. Houses. — The first houses of the colonists were built of logs and seldom had more than one room, had no plaster on the walls, and for windows had only wooden shutters. As the country grew older, however, these rough shelters were replaced by more substantial dwellings built after the style of those in England and Holland. The wealthy merchants of the Northern towns and the owners of the great Southern plantations lived in handsome mansions built of brick, or stone, or wood. Much of the building material was brought from Europe and the furniture was imported. 72 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY The furnishings of the smaller houses were mainly of home manufacture. Benches and stools took the place of chairs and couches. Beds were often only rude frames fastened against the wall, on which were placed mattresses stuffed with mosses or corn husks. Frequently hemlock boughs were used for beds. The tired colonists slept well on these hard couches, for. as they said, "a hard day's work makes a soft bed." The great kitchen, with its fireplace large enough to hold a Tin-: Kitchen Fireplace. four- or six-foot log. with its festoons of dried fruits and vege- tables, with its spinning-wheel and loom, was the center of family life. The best room was reserved for ceremonious occasions, such as weddings and funerals. There were almost no carpets anywhere, but the floors were carefully covered with fine white sand, which was often elaborately marked in figures. 79. Utensils. — Only the wealthy families could buy gold and silver dishes, but there were few who did not own at least LIFE IN THE COLONIES 73 one silver spoon. Dishes and platters of various sorts, and common spoons were made of pewter, a mixture of tin and lead. In early times forks were seldom used. Knife, spoon, napkin, and fingers were thought sufficient for the proper handling of food at table. Wooden dishes of all descriptions were employed, but even these were not very numerous. One wooden trencher usually sufficed for a plate for two people, and when a Connecticut deacon, who owned a sawmill, cut out a trencher for each one of his children, his neighbors said that he was too extravagant, even for a deacon. Cups and mugs were also scarce, so drink was passed around the table in a large tankard shared in common. Gourds of various shapes and sizes made good bottles, skimmers, dippers, cups, and bowls. The best bowls, however, were formed out of maple knots and were so highly prized as frequently to be mentioned in wills. 80. Home Industries. — Almost everything that a farmer's family could eat or wear or use was homemade. Wool was cut from the sheep's back, carded, spun into thread, and woven into cloth for suits, dresses, and coats. Flax was grown in the fields and made into table linen, towels, and sheets. Straw was plaited for bonnets and hats. Gloves, mittens, and stockings were knit; butter and cheese manufactured; candles dipped; and fruits, vegetables, and meats salted, cured, dried, and preserved for winter use. The farmer made his tools, his harnesses, his sleds, and his carts. He was mason, brick- layer, and carpenter in one. In the South the slaves did most of the real labor of the household, though the mistress and her daughters gave care- ful oversight to the work. In the Middle and Northern col- onies, every member of the family was a helper. Even the little children had their tasks of knitting, sewing, and dish washing, almost as soon as they could walk. 74 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY 81. Amusements. — Yet with all their many and varied duties, the colonists found time for amusements. Thanks- giving Day and election and training days were holidays that were greatly enjoyed in New England. Families helped one another when any great task was to be done, and quiltings, corn huskings, house raisings, and road breakings in winter were made the occasions for much fun and merry-making. The Dutch were fond of sports and games of all sorts. In the winter they skated, coasted, and went sleighing. They bowled and played trock (a kind of croquet) and tick-tack, which was much like the game of backgammon. In 1753 a theater was opened in New York, where plays were given three times a week. In the South men engaged in all manner of outdoor sports, especially horse racing, fox hunting, and cock-fighting. 82. Sunday. — An old hymn says: — " New England's Sabbath day Is heaven-like, still ami pure." Sunday began at sunset Saturday night and lasted until sunset the next night. Everything was made ready on Satur- day so that no cooking, sweeping, or other housework except that absolutely necessary was done on the holy day. No one could run, or walk, or ride except quietly to church. All the people were expected to attend the services and all ab- sences were carefully investigated by the tithing man. The sermons were long and difficult to understand, but no one was allowed even to nod, for the tithing man was careful to arouse every sleeper with his long pole. The early Virginians were just as particular to keep the Sabbath as were the Puritans. One of the early governors even went so far as to declare that absence from church should be punished by death. This penalty was never imposed, but LIFE IN THE COLONIES 75 offenders were fined and even put in the stocks. If one made a journey on Sunday, other than to go to church or to attend a case "of extreme necessity," he was fined twenty pounds of tobacco. In times of trouble, such as famine or Indian raid, the last Wednesday in every month was set apart for prayers and was nearly as carefully kept as Sunday. The Middle colonists were not so strict in their observance of Sunday, but even with them laws were framed which care- fully guarded the day. No Sunday excursions or picnics were allowed, the vicinity of the churches was kept quiet and trans- gressors were punished. 83. Punishments. — The colonists had many strange punishments for crime and wrongdoing which have en- tirely passed out of use. These were also at that time common in the mother country. Samuel Johnson, the English author, once said, "Madam, we have different modes of restrain- ing evil — stocks for men, a ducking stool for women, and a pound for beasts." The stocks consisted of a bench on which the offender sat. In front was a board with holes through which the feet were thrust and held securely. The pillory was another instrument for punish nient similar in idea to the stocks. On a plat form were erected two upright posts across which was a board with holes just large enough for wrists and neck. The board was divided so that the upper half could be raised. After the culprit was placed in position, the upper part of the board The Stocks. Pillory. 70 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY The Pillory. was lowered and locked, holding the hands and head securely. Frequently a card was fastened to the breast of the trans- gressor, on which was a letter denoting his offense. Whipping posts often stood by the stocks and the pillory, and these were used as punishments for lying, swearing, selling spirits to the Indians, and other misdemeanors. One of the most peculiar penal instruments was the ducking stool, which was used to punish scolding women. John Endicott saw one in use in \'ir- The Duck- ginia and wrote a de- in S Stool. scription of it. "At ye end of a long arm," he said, "is fixed a stool upon which the woman was fastened by cords, her gown held fast around her feete. The machine was then moved up to the edge of ye pond . . . and ye woman was allowed to go down under ye water for ye space of half a minute." Massa- chusetts at first punished her scolding women by gag- ging them and setting them before their doors ''for all coiners and goers to gaze at." Hut this form of punishment was abandoned for the ducking stool, the use of which soon became universal in all the colonies. The Ducking Stool LIFE IN THE COLONIES 77 84. Schools. — The colonies varied greatly in the regard paid to the education of their children. The first public school in America was established in Dorchester as early as 1639, and eight years later the Massachusetts legislature passed a law which ordered every village of fifty families to have a school for teaching all children to read and write. Further- more, it was ordained that every town of one hundred families must set up a grammar school to fit the youth for the univer- sity. The Dutch also started schools at an early date, but they were private schools and most of them were not continued after the English took possession of New Netherland. The Middle colonies had some good private schools, but no public money was spent to educate the people. In the South the settlers taught their children as best they could, or sent them to England to be educated. The planta- tions were too scattered for the children to come together for school purposes, and the authorities were opposed to public education. Governor Berkeley's remark on this point is often quoted: "I thank God," he said, "there are no free schools, nor printing: and I hope we shall not have them, these hun- dred years; for learning has brought disobedience and heresy and sects into the world, and printing has divulged them. . . God keep us from both." As a result of this short-sighted policy held by the magistrates of Virginia, the poor children of that colony were ignorant of even the simplest knowledge of letters and figures, while in Massachusetts it would have been difficult to find a child of school age who could not read and write. Virginia, however, had schools where children were taught to spin and weave. In 1668 the colony passed a law that such schools should be established in every county. 85. Colleges. — Massachusetts, in 1636, though disturbed by the hostility of the Indians and by controversies of various 78 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY sorts, appropriated four hundred pounds to start a college at Newtown. Two years later,. John Harvard, the young minister at Charlestown, died and left his library and one half of his estate to the new college. The college was named Harvard in his honor and the town was called Cambridge for the Cam- bridge in old England, where most of the Puritans were edu- cated. Harvard soon enjoyed a high reputation and Eng- lish Puritans sent 1 1 leir sons to America to be educated t here. The next college founded in America was William and Mary Col lege, at Williamsburg, Vir- ginia. Dr. James Blair, its first president, went to England to collect money for it. He met with little sympathy from the colonial commissioners, who seemed to think that it would be a waste to expend money in America when every penny was needed to carry on the war with France. Blair urged that clergymen, and a college in which to educate them, were needed in Virginia. ''You must not forget," said he, "that people in \ 'irginia have souls to save as well as people in England." The commissioners told him that the colony had better devote itself to the growing of tobacco. Blair, however, persevered and the college was chartered in 1693. Seven years later, in 1700, Yale College was founded at New Haven, and before the French and Indian War, King's Col- lege, now Columbia University, Nassau Hall, now Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania had been begun. From the engraving by Paul Revere. Hakvakd College in 1720. THE FRENCH COLONIES 79 SUMMARY The occupations of the inhabitants of the thirteen English colonies were influenced in a large measure by the character of the soil. In the North, where the soil was stony, the people lived in villages and became sailors, ship-builders, and mer- chants. In the South, where the land was fertile, the colonists had extensive plantations and did not live in towns and cities. Though there were no members of the nobility in America, social lines were closely drawn. However, there were few very poor people, except those who were descended from the inden- tured servants. Negro slaves performed most of the manual work in the South, but were not numerous in the North. Only the wealthiest people could afford to buy goods im- ported from Europe. On the farms almost everything that was worn or used was of home manufacture. In the North- ern colonies everybody had to work hard, but even there time was found for various kinds of amusements. Sundays were everywhere carefully kept as holy days, but observed more strictly in New England and Virginia than elsewhere. New England, at an early date, provided free education for the children. The other colonies had some good private schools, but spent no public money for educational purposes. 4K CHAPTER \ III THE FRENCH COLONIES 86. The French in Canada. — We must now go back and study the part France played in the colonizing of America. Though no further attempt was made to settle Carolina after the destruction of Port Royal by the Spaniards, the French did not lose their interest in the New World. The hardy sailors of Normandy made profitable voyages each year to the fishing grounds of Newfoundland, and in 1524 Verraz- zano (ver'rat-sa'no), an Italian navigator in the employ of 80 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY France, coasted along the shore from Cape Fear to Labra- dor. Eleven years later, Jacques (artier (zhak kaVtya'), a jolly Frenchman, sailed up the great river of Canada as far as Jacques the present city of Montreal. He built a fort on Cartier. the banks of the St. Charles where he and his men, tormented by scurvy and in constant fear of the Indians, 1 spent the long northern winter. When, in July, Cartier re- turned to France, his report was not such as would tempt settlers to emigrate to the valley of the St. Lawrence. 87. The Founding of Quebec. — Religious wars for half a century j > reven t ed the French from sending out colonists. In 1608, how- ever, the year after the founding of Jamestown, Samuel de Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence with two ships. His most earnest desires were, first, to con- vert the Indians to the Catholic faith, and second, to establish the power of France in the New World. He built a fort where the river narrowed and the cliffs rose high on either side and called the place Quebec. Here he spent the winter with twenty- eight men, while his ships went back to France for rein- forcements and supplies. When the ships returned in the spring, there were only eight men at Quebec to give them a welcome. But the coinage of the men was not daunted by 'To hide their weakness the French frequently I'eat against the sides of the fort with stones and sticks so that the Indians would think thai they were engaged in vigorous labor. Samuel de Champlain. THE FRENCH COLONIES 81 the sufferings of the Canadian winter, and Champlain, as soon as possible, set out with a party of Indians to explore the waterways of the St. Lawrence. In his first expe- Discoveries dition he discovered Lake Champlain. Each year of Cham- he pushed farther and farther west until he reached P lain - Lake Huron. Champlain had a wonderful faculty of winning the confidence and respect of the Indians, and thus, from the very beginning, the French had little to fear from the natives. Quebec, however, grew slowly and after seventeen years it had only fifty or sixty inhabitants, mostly traders and ad- venturers. 88. The Jesuits. — In 1625 the first company of priests, belonging to the Society of Jesus, arrived at Quebec. Strong in the belief that " the saving of a soul is worth more than the conquest of an empire," they abandoned even the comforts that could be had in a frontier fort and went into the wilder- ness where no white men had ever been. Here they lived with the Indians and in the Indian way, and labored long and faithfully with suffering and death for their rewards. "Should we at last die of misery, how great our happiness would be," wrote one of these heroic priests, and surely if to die of misery was their idea of happiness, many of them were happy. Though their work was of little lasting benefit to the Indians, it was of great value to France. The Jesuits blazed the way for the soldier, the trapper, and the trader. Their tact and their knowledge of the red man's character won the allegiance of the Indian, if their religion did not win his heart. The work of one of these missionaries, Piquet, was said to have been worth that of two regiments of soldiers. 89. Marquette and Joliet. — The Indians who visited the frontier mission post of Michilhnackinac (Mish-il-i-mack'-i- nack) spoke of a river which flowed to the south, ever gain- ing in volume. They called it the Mississippi (" the father of 82 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY waters"), but no one seemed to know just where it entered the sea. The French wondered whether it flowed into the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Gulf of Mexico. Father Marquette (niar'kef), who had charge of the port of Michilimackinac, had a great desire to seek this river. lie Marquette Preaching to the Indians. did not, however, leave his post until, in 1673, Louis .loliet (zho'lya') arrived at the mission. Stories of the greal river had even reached Quebec, and Joliet had been dispatched to join Marquette and explore its course. Together they set out in birch canoes and finally, by means of lakes and streams and portages, they reached (he Mississippi, with a joy, as THE FRENCH COLONIES 83 Louisiana. Marquette wrote, which he could not express. 1 They floated down the river as far as the mouth of the Arkansas, and then, having determined that it flowed into the Gulf, they returned, Marquette to his work among the Indians and Joliet to Quebec with an account of the voyage. 90. La Salle. — Eight years later (1681) Robert Cavelier de La Salle, the commander of Fort Frontenac on Lake Ontario, set out to complete the explora- tions begun by Marquette. On the 19th of April, 1682, he reached the mouth of the Mississippi. Erecting a cross and a column on which were engraved the arms of France, he took possession, in the name of the king, of all the country which bor- dered upon the river and its branches. He named' it Louisiana in honor of Louis XIV. Two years later he sailed from France for the mouth of the river, and on this expedition was accompanied by a large 'Marquette, however, was not the first white man to see the Missis- sippi. In 1513 Florida had been discovered and named by Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer. In 1539 Ferdinand de Soto and six hundred Spaniards set out from Tampa Bay, Florida, to search for gold. U/rged on by stories of vast treasures to the west, they pushed their way through trackless for- ests, innumerable streams, and treacherous swamps, until they reached the great river. This they crossed with difficulty, and for a year longer con- tinued their fruitless search. Then, worn out by hardships and thoroughly discouraged, they turned their steps to the sea. When they again reached the Mississippi, De Soto became ill and died. His body was secretly buried by night in the river, in order that the Indians might be kept in ignorance of his death. His companions built several small vessels and succeeded in reaching Mexico. But this was after nearly one half of their number had perished. KoBEKT DE LA SaLLE. 84 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY colony fitted out by the king. But the commander of the fleet was jealous of La Salle and, purposely missing the Missis- sippi, landed the colony on the shores of Texas and returned to France. La Salle attempted to find the Mississippi by marching overland, but was unsuccessful in his search, and SB 4 < V -. FRENCH OCCUPATION ( V ^\ \ *&**% OK \ ^ \ NORTH AMERICA \£ fkL r \ «"^ v- »■' The French Occupation of North America. finally starting out for Canada was assassinated by one of his followers. 91. New France. — In spite of La Salle's failure to found a colony, he had added greatly to the domains of the French king in America. At his death, and due in large measure to his efforts, New France extended from the Gulf of St. Lawrence THE FRENCH COLONIES 85 to the farther end of the Great Lakes, from the Great Lakes south to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Appalachian Moun- tains to the farthest source of the Missouri. Between this great territory and the Atlantic was a narrow strip of country, a few hundred miles wide, occupied by twelve English col- onies. Even some of this land was claimed by the French. The English colonies, on their part, laid claim to much of Louisiana under their grants of land from sea to sea; they had, however, done nothing to possess it. 92. Iberville. — " Possession is nine points of the law," says a common proverb. And in accordance with this proverb, France determined to show the validity of her claim by something more substantial than words on paper. With the idea of guarding the southern gateway of Louisiana and keeping the English out of the valley of the Mississippi, she dispatched another colony to the Gulf of Mexico. It was commanded by Lemoyne d' Iberville (le- settlement mwan' debar'vel'), the idol of the Canadians and of of Missis- the French navy. He founded Biloxi in 1699, and s[ W { Val " nineteen years later his brother, Bienville, estab- ey * lished the city of New Orleans. The vast stretches of New France were now guarded by Quebec on the north and New Orleans on the south. The waterways connecting with the lakes were also fortified, and the only unguarded approach to Louisiana was over the mountains on the east. 93. The French and English Colonies. — Thus we see two nations firmly established in America, north of Mexico, which was Spanish territory. In their religion, in their method of life, and in their views upon government, they possessed few points in common. The English had come to America to make permanent homes. They brought their families, they built substantial houses, they cleared the land for cultivation and depended upon themselves for subsistence. On the other 86 ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATIN HISTORY hand the French wore mostly hunters, traders, soldiers, and adventurers. Very little land was under cultivation, and the people relied to a large extent upon the French king lor their supplies. Though the English were under the control of king or lord- proprietor, they had in every colony some share in the govern- ment, and in New England they were almost independent. Moreover, they looked to the future, and were thoughtful, sober, and self-reliant. The French were ruled by the gover- French Traders Greeting Indians. nor. the soldier, and the priest. They knew nothing of self- government and did not desire to know. They thought only of the present moment, were light-hearted, picturesque in dress and living, and dependent. However, the Fnglish colonists were not united either in religion or in government; they were jealous of each others' liberties and prosperities; they had no army for mutual defense, and no central power. New Fiance, on the contrary, was a great military camp and every man capable of carrying arms was ready at all times to THE FRENCH COLONIES 87 rally to the defense of the colony. Its settlers acknowledged only one authority, that of the king of France as represented by the governor. They were all of one religious faith. 94. The Indians and the French. — In no way did the French and the English differ so much as in their attitude towards the Indians. The natives saw the forests fall, their hunting grounds disappear, and the number of white people increasing year by year. "You and the French," said they to the Englishman, Sir William Johnson, 1 "are like the two edges of a pair of shears, and we are the cloth which is cut to pieces between them." But the Indians did not dread the French as they did the English. The French best understood the Indian character. They knew how to flatter the pride of the Indians and their love of display; they were able to converse with them in their own language and in their own way; they lived among them, married their women, and often rivaled them in wood- craft and in cunning. And more than all else, the French did not deprive the Indians of their hunting grounds. The greatest product of New France was furs, and the French were just as anxious to keep the hunting grounds unmolested as were the Indians. Moreover, the existence of all French 1 Sir William Johnson probably had more influence over the Indians of New York than any other white man. He had the oversight of a large tract of land in the Mohawk Valley and thus came into constant contact with the Indians. He always treated them with fairness and honesty. He lived among them, often wore their dress, talked their language flu- ently, and was acquainted with their customs and traditions. At the out- break of the French and Indian War he was made " sole superintendent of the affairs of the Six I'nited Nations." He led the colonial forces against Crown Point but met the French at Lake George. In the battle that followed, Johnson completely defeated the French and thus saved New York. For this victory he received the thanks of Parliament and was made a baronet. For further services in the war he was granted a tract of land of a hundred thousand acres. At the time of Pontiac's War his influence alone prevented the Iroquois from joining in the hostilities. ss ESSENTIALS OF UNITED STATES HISTORY forts and trading posts depended upon the goodwill of the Indians. Therefore, with steadfast purpose, the French won the friendship of the Algonquin tribes, who occupied most of the territory north of Georgia and east of the Mississippi. 1 95. The Indians and the English. — On the other hand the English formed large settlements and cleared broad tracts of land. Accordingly, through this colonization, the Indians were pushed out of their old haunts until it seemed that they would soon not be able, as they said, "to hunt a bear into the hole of a tree but some Englishman would claim a right to it as being his tree." The English as well as the French had labored faithfully for the conversion of the red men. Title Page op Eliot's Indian Bible j hn K ,; ()t (h(1 « apost l e of 1663. , _ .. ,. , , to the Indians, had trans- Translated: "The Whole Holy Bible oi God, both Old Testamenl and also New Testament, lated the Bible into their This turned [into Indian] by the Servant of. Christ t()no . uo ag oa ,.] v ag K;- )S who is n.llcd J, .hn Eliot. Cambridge: Printed l,,11 .- ul a& call J ai '"'"^ by Samuel Green and Marmaduke Johnson, 1663." aild had formed several communities of "praying Indians" in Massachusetts. Other M A MV S S E •ffUNXEETL'P ANATAMWB HUP-BIBLUM GOD | N4NEESWE SNUKKONE TESTAMENT J| K A H W O N K I WUSKU TESTAMENT, g li JOHN ELIOT- 'I _'•:« Si' c * '-' * " J na R: i|S I* P.:-«c.i(»piu(hpe Swl C,«» kJl AbtmmUq T ,U f"- ;gj 2a 1 6