- STORIES UNITED STATE ■D f*\ T YOUNGE EADERS tf®mms% A XI HADtS y/Wl I UlWt l U g UU U WI OM Witta w WW Bac wmmwHwmwmwmwmy v w < )va&wm >'?/ :•-?■' POCAHONTAS SAVES CAPTAIN SMTTH S LIFE. LESSON XII. Smith was bound hand and foot. He was brought out to be killed. He had to lie down and put his head on the trunk of a tree An Indian had raised a club to kill him. All at once a little Indian girl came rushing up to them. She threw her arms around Smith's neck. 69 jo Stones of the United States. She was the daughter of the Chief. She was very beautiful. Her name was Pocahontas. Pocahontas begged her father to spare Smith's life. It was strange, but the Chief lis- tened to the child. He let Smith go back to Jamestown. After a time a young Englishman, named John Rolfe, married Pocahontas. He took her to his home in England. They were coming back to make a home in America. Pocahontas did not seem well in England. Stories of the United States. 71 The change from her free forest home was not good for her. Before they could come back she died. She left a baby boy, who was very handsome. John Rolfe took him to America. Some old Virginia families are descendants of this boy. * PILGRIMS' MONUMENT, PLYMOUTH. LESSON XIII. The next colony settled on the coast of Massachusetts. I will tell you who the men and women were who came here. They were good people from England. There were one hundred of them. They wanted to leave England so that they could worship God in their own way. 73 74 Stories of the United States. The people were called Pilgrims. They were also called Separatists, because they separated from the Church of England. They would not allow any music in their churches, nor have the old church service. They dressed very plainly, and wore their hair short. The English people made fun of them. They called them unkind names. So these people were not happy in their English homes. Stories of the United States. 75 At last they could bear this treat- ment no longer. They left and went to Holland. They were quite happy there, but they wanted a country of their own. They wanted to come here to the "new world." The Pilgrims were full of courage. They started with two vessels. I think they were very brave. This was an unknown world to them. One vessel had to go back. It was not strong enough to go so far. o c5 o The other ship was named the Mayflower. MONUMENT ON PLYMOUTH ROCK, PLYMOUTH. LESSON XIV. The Pilgrims sailed from Southamp- ton, in England. They finally reached our bleak New England coast. It was winter and very cold. They sailed into Plymouth bay and cast anchor in the harbor. They stepped from their boat on to a large rock. 77 78 Stories of the United States. It is called Plymouth Rock even now. Perhaps you will see it some day. They landed on the 21st of Decem- ber, 1620. The first thing the Pilgrims did was to build a large house. It would hold their things until they could build a better one. They built a fence, or stockade, all around the land they called their village. They were afraid of the Indians and wild beasts. Stories of the United States. 79 They elected a Governor and signed a promise to obey the laws. The first Governor was John Carver. They soon had some huts to live in. Some of the people lived on the ship all winter. During the winter a great many of the Pilgrims died. They had a military company. The Captain was Miles Standish. The Pilgrims sometimes saw the Indians. They seemed friendly, and one of them taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn. 8o Stories of the I r nited States. They did not have corn like ours in England. When the Mayflower returned to England in April, not one of the Pilgrims went back. They had suffered much, but they wanted to stay. Read the " Sailing of the Mayflower " in the " Courtship of Miles Standish," by Longfellow. fflyM StctnJhifyt MILKS STANDISH'S AUTOGRAPH, SWORD AND DISH. LESSON XV. In the fall of 162 i, the Pilgrims had their first Thanksgiving Day. . Their crops had done well. They had plenty of corn. The Governor thought it was right to thank God for these blessings. He sent the men out to hunt and fish. The women baked and cooked until all was ready. 81 82 Stories of the United States. They invited the Indian Chief, Mas- sasoit, and some of his braves to come to the feast. The people all gathered in the church for their Thanksgiving service. The snow had just begun to fall. After the service they went to have their good dinners. When the Indians saw all the good things the Pilgrims had to eat, they were surprised. They did not know how to cook so well. They thought the Great Spirit loved his white children best. MASSASOIT AND THE PILGRIMS. 84 Stories of the United States. Massasoit was a friend of the white men for a great many years. On this Thanksgiving Day the Pilgrims had a great deal to be thank- ful for. They had also a great deal to make them sad. So many of their dear ones had died! and they missed them on this day. They had also suffered very much. Now things began to look brighter to them. They were very thankful and happy. JOHN ENDICOTT. LESSON XVI. Now we come to the settlement of Salem, Massachusetts. The word, Salem, means peace. Salem was first called Naumkeag. It was then only a little fishing village, with very few people. 85 86 Stories of the United States. Afterward more settlers came, and with them their governor, John Endi- cott. The first settlers of Salem did not wish to obey this new governor. They at last came to a pleasant understanding. They then changed the name of Naumkeag to Salem. These last people who came to Salem were Puritans. They were named so in England because they wanted to make the ser- vices in the Church of England more simple. Stories of the United States. 87 They began to make homes for themselves in this new country. They brought seeds with them, which they planted. They began to spin, and weave, and make leather from the skins of beasts. There were carpenters, bricklayers, blacksmiths, millers, tailors, shoe- makers and tanners among the men. They had learned their trades in England. The men be^an to work in different ways here. The settlers were so near the coast that they made a business of fishing, too. 88 Stories of the United States. Within a year they began to build ships. They started schools for their chil- dren, and soon had the beginning of a college at Cambridge. This is now Harvard College. HARVARD COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. ROGER WILLIAMS' HOUSE, SALEM, BUILT 1635. LESSON XVII. The old homes in Salem were homes indeed. In some of them children were not only born, but they lived in them all their lives and died there. 89 9