^Co^' .<>^-V. W^, < v.©^ 'bV" V';^ V<^' PAUL REVERE AROUSING THE INHABITANTS ALONG THE ROAD TO LEXINGTON. AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES A PRELIMINARY TEXT-BOOK IN UNITED STATES HISTORY BY WILBUR F. GORDY PRINCIPAL OF THE NORTH SCHOOL, HARTFORD, CONN. ; AUTHOR OF "A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FOR SCHOOLS"; AND CO-AUTHOR OF "A PATHFINDER IN AMERICAN HISTORY" INDIANA EDITION WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1909 COPYRIGHT. 1901. 1909. BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS r.i A 2 4 7 2 4 8 SEP 13 1909 / PREFACE IN teaching history to boys and girls from ten to twelve years old simple material should be used. Children of that age like action. They crave the dramatic, the picturesque, the concrete, the personal. When they read about Daniel Boone or Abraham Lincoln they do far more than admire their hero. By a mysterious, sympathetic process they so identify themselves with him as to feel that what they see in him is possible for them. Herein is suggested the ethical value of history. But such ethical stimulus, be it noted, can come only In so far as actions are translated into the thoughts and feelings embodied in the actions. In this process of passing from deeds to the hearts and heads of the doers the image-rformlng power plays a leading part. Therefore a special effort should be made to train the sensuous Imagination by furnishing picturesque and dramatic Incidents, and then so skil- fully presenting them that the children may get living pictures. This I have endeavored to do In the prep- aration of this historical reader, by making prominent the personal traits of the heroes and leaders, as they f iii iv PREFACE are seen, in boyhood and manhood alike, in the en- vironment of their every-day home and social life. With the purpose of quickening the imagination, questions " To the Pupil " are introduced at intervals throughout the book, and on almost every page ad- ditional questions of the same kind might be supplied to advantage. " What picture do you get in that paragraph? " may well be asked over and over again, as children read the book. If they get clear and def- inite pictures, they will be likely to see the past as a living present, and thus will experience anew the thoughts and feelings of those who now live only in their words and deeds. The steps in this vital process are imagination, sympathy, and assimilation. To the same end the excellent maps and illustra- tions contribute a prominent and valuable feature of the book. If, in the elementary stages of historical reading, the image-forming power is developed, when the later work in the study of organized history is reached the imagination can hold the outward event before the mind for the judgment to determine its inner significance. For historical Interpretation is based upon the Inner life quite as much as upon the outward expression of that life in action. Attention is called to the fact that while the bio- graphical element predominates, around the heroes and leaders are clustered typical and significant events in such a way as to give the basal facts of American history. It is hoped, therefore, that this little volume PREFACE V will furnish the young mind some conception of what our history is, and at the same time stimulate an abid- ing interest in historical and biographical reading. Perhaps it is needless to say that the " Review Outline " may be used in many ways. It certainly will furnish excellent material for language work, oral or written. In so using it pupils may well be encour- aged to enlarge the number of topics. I wish to acknowledge my obligations to Professor William E. Mead, of Wesleyan University, who has read the manuscript and made invaluable suggestions; also to my wife, whose interest and assistance have done much to give the book whatever of merit it may possess. Wilbur F. Gordy. Hartford, Conn., May i, 1901. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of America, i II. Hernando De Soto and the Discovery of the Mississippi, 22 III. Sir Walter Raleigh and the First English At- tempts TO Colonize America, . . . . 31 IV. John Smith and the Settlement of Jamestown, . 42 V. Nathaniel Bacon and the Uprising of the People IN Virginia in 1676, 55 VI. Miles Standish and the Pilgrims, .... 64 VII. Roger Williams and the Puritans, .... 81 ^III. William Penn and the Settlement of Pennsylvania, 92 IX. Cavelier De La Salle and the French in the Mississippi Valley, 103 X. George Washington, the Boy Surveyor and Young Soldier, 116 XL James Wolfe, the Hero of Quebec, .... 136 i/XII. Patrick Henry and the Stamp Act, .... 146 jOCIII. Samuel Adams and the Boston Tea Party, . . 156 XIV. Paul Revere and the Battle of Concord and Lexington, 165 ' XV. Benjamin Franklin and Aid from France, . .175 vii viii CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XVI. George Washington, the Virginia Planter and THE Revolutionary Soldier, .... 189 XVII. Nathaniel Greene, the Hero of the South, and Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," . . 211 XVIII. Daniel Boone, the Kentucky Pioneer, . . 222 XIX. Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, 234 XX. Robert Fulton and the Steamboat, . . . 246 XXI. Andrew Jackson, the Upholder of the Union, . 253 XXII. Daniel Webster, the Defender and Expounder OF THE Constitution, 264 XXIII. Samuel Finley Breese Morse and the Electric Telegraph, 273 XXIV. Abraham Lincoln, the Liberator of the Slaves, 282 XXV. Ulysses Simpson Grant AND the Civil War, . . 302 XXVI. Some Leaders and Heroes in the War with Spain, 314 XXVII. George Rogers Clark, 329 XXVIII. The Little Turtle AND THE Early Indian Wars, . 337 XXIX. William Henry Harrison, Soldier and States- man, 344 XXX. Tecumseh and "The Prophet," .... 350 XXXI. Jonathan Jennings, the First Governor of Indiana, 357 XXXII. JoEtN Tipton, a Pioneer Statesman, . . . 363 XXXIII. Robert Dale Owen, a Patriot of Peace, . . 370 XXXrV. Caleb Mills, the Father of Indiana's Free Schools, 376 XXXV. Thomas A. Hendricks, 382 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXXVI. Schuyler Colfax, 387 XXXVII. Oliver P. Morton, the Great War Governor, . 392 XXXVIII. Benjamin Harrison, 399 XXXIX. A Group of Minor Leaders, 405 Index 423 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Christopher Columbus, ..o i The Santa Maria, =... 7 The Nina, .... 8 The Pinta, 9 The Triumphal Return of Columbus to Spain, ..... 13 An Indian Stone Maul, 20 Hernando De Soto, 22 De Soto Discovering the Mississippi, 25 Sir Walter Raleigh, 31 Queen Elizabeth, ....35 Entrance to Raleigh's Cell in the Tower, 38 Tower of London, 39 An Indian Pipe, 0....40 John Smith, .......42 John Smith and the Indians, 45 Indian Weapons, .....46 Ruins of Jamestown, 47 Apache's War-club, 50 Sioux Indian Bow and Arrow with Stone Point, 50 Navajo Sling, 51 A Pappoose Case, -Si Tobacco Plant, 56 Loading Tobacco, 57 The Burning of Jamestown, 61 Miles Standish, 64 The Mayflower, .....70 A Matchlock Gun, 74 A Group of Pilgrim Relics, 75 Pilgrims Returning from Church, 77 Brewster's and Standish's Swords, 79 xi xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Roger Williams on his Way to Visit the Chief of the Narragansett Indians, 83 A Block House, ..« 84 Roger Williams's Meeting-House, 85 A Puritan Fireplace, 87 William Penn, "92 William Penn's Famous Treaty with the Indians, 95 Penn's Slate-roof House, Philadelphia, .98 A Belt of Wampum Given to Penn by the Indians, .... 99 Cavelier De La Salle, 103 Long House of the Iroquois, 104 The Murder of La Salle by his Followers, 113 George Washington, 116 Washington's Birthplace, 117 Washington Crossing the Alleghany River, 119 The Death of Braddock 129 James Wolfe, 136 General Montcalm, 139 The Death of Wolfe, 141 Patrick Henry, 146 George HI., 149 St. John's Church, Richmond, 152 Samuel Adams, 156 Faneuil Hall, Boston, 160 The Old South Church, Boston, 161 The " Boston Tea Party," 163 Paul Revere, 165 The Old North Church, 168 Stone in Front of the Harrington Mouse, Lexington, Marking the Line of the Minute-Men, 170 The Retreat of the British from Concord, 172 Benjamin Franklin, 175 Franklin in the Streets of Philadelphia, 180 FrankHn Experimenting with Electricity, 184 Lafayette Offering His Services to Franklin, 186 George Washington, 189 Washington's Coach, 190 A Stage Coach of the Eighteenth Century, 191 Washington's Retreat through New Jersey, J99 Winter at Valley Forge, • • 204 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiu PAGE Washington's Home — Mount Vernon, . • 208 Nathaniel Greene, 211 Lord Cornwallis, 215 General Francis Marion, 218 Marion and His Men Swooping Down on a British Camp, . .219 Daniel Boone, 222 Indian Costume (Female), 224 Indian Costume (Male), 225 Daniel Boone in his Cabin, 228 A Hand Corn Mill, 229 A Wigwam, 231 Indian Implements, 232 Thomas Jefferson, 234 Monticello, 237 Thomas Jefferson at Work upon the First Draft of the Declaration of Independence, 238 Robert Fulton, 246 A Pack Horse, 247 A Flat Boat, 248 The Clermont, 251 Andrew Jackson, 253 Andrew Jackson's Cradle, 254 A Spinning Wheel, 255 Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans, 261 Daniel Webster, 264 Marshfield — Home of Daniel Webster, 271 S. F. B. Morse, 273 Telegraph and Railroad, 280 Abraham Lincoln, 282 Lincoln's Birthplace, 283 Lincoln Studying, 287 Slaves on a Cotton Plantation, 299 Ulysses S. Grant, 302 The Meeting of Generals Grant and Lee at Appomattox, . . . 310 The McLean House, 311 General R. E. Lee, 312 The Wreck of the Maine, 316 Admiral Dewey, 318 President McKinley, 319 "Escolta," Manila's Main Street, 320 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE George Rogers Clark, 329 William Henry Harrison, 344 Tecumseh, 35° Thomas A. Hendricks, 382 Schuyler Colfax, 387 Oliver P. Morton, 392 Benjamin Harrison, ... 399 LIST OF MAPS PAGE Places of Interest in Connection with Columbus's Earlier Life, . . 3 The First Voyage of Columbus, and Places of Interest in Connection with his Later Voyages, 11 Routes Traversed by De Soto and De Leon, ...... 27 Cabot's Route. Land Discovered by him Darkened, . . . . t,^ Section where Raleigh's various Colonies were Located, ... 37 Jamestown and the Surrounding Country, 48 The Pilgrims in England and Holland, 67 The Pilgrim Settlement, 72 The Rhode Island Settlem.ent, .......... 88 The Pennsylvania Settlement, 97 Map Showing Routes of Cartier, Champlain, and La Salle, also French and English Possessions at the Time of the Last French War, . 107 The English Colonies and the French Claims in 1754, . . . 121 The French in the Ohio \'alley, .123 Quebec and Surroundings, 138 Paul Revere's Ride, = . .167 Franklin's Journey from New York to Philadelphia, . . , .178 Map Illustrating the Battle of Long Island, ...... 196 Map Illustrating the Struggle for the Hudson River and the Middle States, 201 Map Showing the War in the, South, 213 The Kentucky Settlement, 223 Map of Louisiana Purchase: also United States in 1803, . . . 242 Map Illustrating Two of Andrew Jackson's Campaigns, . . . 258 Map of the United States showing the Southern Confederacy, the Slave States that did not Secede, and the Territories, .... 297 Map Illustrating Campaigns in the West in 1862-63, .... 307 The United States Coast and the West Indies, 315 Portion of the Coast of China and the Philippine Islands, . . . 325 XV CHAPTER I Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of America [1436-1506] FROM very early times there existed overland routes of trade between Europe and Asia. Dur- ing the Middle Ages traffic over these routes greatly increased, so that by the fifteenth century a large and profitable trade was carried on between the West and the East. Merchants in Western Europe grew rich through trade in the silks, spices, and precious stones that were brought by caravan and ship from India, China, and Japan. But in 1453 the Turks conquered Constantinople, and by frequent attacks upon Chris- tian vessels in the Mediterranean made the old routes unsafe. A more practicable one became necessary. Already in the early part of the fifteenth century Portuguese sea-captains had skirted the western coast of Africa, and by the close of the century others of their number had rounded the Cape of Good Hope, in their search for a water route to the Indies. But Spain, at 2 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES that time the most powerful nation of Europe, adopted a plan quite different from that of the Portuguese. What this plan was and how it was carried out, we can best understand by an acquaintance with the life and work of the great sea-captain and navigator, Christo- pher Columbus. More than four hundred and fifty years ago there lived in the city of Genoa a poor workingman, who made his living by preparing wool for the spinners. Of his four sons, the eldest was Christopher, born in 1436. Young Christopher was not, so far as we know, very different from most other boys in Genoa. He doubtless joined In their every-day sports, going with them to see the many vessels that sailed in and out of that famous sea-port, and listening for hours to the stories of sailors about distant lands. But he did not spend all his time in playing and visiting the wharves, for we know that he learned his father's trade, and in school studied, among other things, reading, arithmetic, grammar, geography, and map-drawing. We can easily believe that he liked geography best of all, since It would carry his imagi- nation far out over the sea and to lands beyond the sea. In map-drawing he acquired such skill that when he became a man he could earn his living, when occa- sion demandeci, by making maps and charts. Beyond these facts little is known about the boy- hood and youth of Columbus. Very likely much of his early life was spent upon the sea, sailing on the Mediterranean and along the west coast of Africa. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS Once he went as far north as England and perhaps even farther, but of this we are not certain. In the course of many voyages he heard much of the work done by Portuguese sailors and discoverers, for Portugal was at that time one of the greatest sea- Places of Interest in Connection with Columbus's Earlier Life. powers of the world. As Lisbon, the capital of Portu- gal, was naturally a centre for sea-faring men, and as it was also the home of his brother Bartholomew, Columbus, at the age of about thirty-five, went there to live. Columbus was a man of commanding presence. He was large, tall, and dignified in bearing, with a ruddy complexion and piercing blue-gray eyes. By the time he was thirty his hair had become white, and fell In 4 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES wavy locks about his shoulders. Although his life of hardship and poverty compelled him to be plain and simple in food and dress, he always had the air of a gentleman, and his manners were pleasing and courte- ous. But he had a strong will, which overcame diffi- culties that would have overwhelmed most men. While at Lisbon, Columbus married a woman far above him in social position, and went with her to live on a little island of the Madeiras, where her family had business interests. Meanwhile he was turning over in his mind schemes for a future voyage to the countries of the Far East. His native city, Genoa, had grown rich in trading in the silks, spices, and precious stones of the Indies, but the journey overland was dangerous, and a water route was much desired. This need the Portuguese had felt along with the rest of Europe, and for a long time Portuguese sea- captains had been slowly but surely finding their way down the west coast of Africa, in search of a passage around the southern cape. This route would be easier and cheaper than the old one through the Mediter- ranean and across Asia. But Columbus thought out a more daring course, by which he planned to sail directly west from the Canary Islands, across the At- lantic Ocean, expecting at the end of his voyage to find the far-famed Indies. Columbus was so full of his plan that it became the great thought of his life. A water route which would safely bring the wealth of the East to the doors of Europe would be the greatest discovery of the age. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 5 Moreover, his ambition was spurred by the thriUing account of a noted traveller, Marco Polo, who two centuries before had brought back from far-off China wonderful tales of golden palaces, of marvellous rivers crossed by marble bridges, and of countless treasures of gold, silver, and jewels. About 1484 Columbus laid his scheme before King John of Portugal. The king would not promise his assistance, but he borrowed hints from the charts of Columbus, and sent men of his own to learn whether they could reach land by sailing west. Meeting with stormy weather, and fearing the unknown expanse of ocean, the sailors soon put back to port, and brought word that there was no land to be seen. When Columbus heard what the king had done he was very indignant, and at once quitted Portugal for Spain. The future appeared gloomy enough to the poor navigator without a helping friend. With bitter memories he shook off the dust of Lisbon, and, lead- ing by the hand his little son Diego, four or five years old, trudged wearily on his journey. Columbus took Diego to the home of the boy's aunt, who lived not far from Palos, and, leaving him In her care, went in search of the king and queen of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella. The king and queen were at that time so much occupied in driving the Moors out of Spain that Co- lumbus found difficulty in securing a hearing. When at last he was permitted to unfold his plans to a coun- cil of learned men they ridiculed him, because, for- 6 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES sooth, he said that the world was round like a globe, ^ and people lived on the opposite side of the earth. " Such a thing," they declared, " is absurd, for if peo- ple live on the other side of the earth their heads must be down. Then, too, if it rains there the rain falls up- ward; and trees, if they grow there, must grow upside down." Some of the learned men, however, agreed with Columbus, and thought the carrying out of his plan by the aid of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella would bring honor and countless wealth to Spain. But their authority was not sufficient to affect those who believed Columbus to be a crazy dreamer or a worthless adventurer. Month after month, year after year, Columbus cherished his ambitious scheme, encouraged by the few friends who were ready to use their influence for him. He followed the king and queen from place to place, as they moved their camp in the course of the war, and he sometimes fought bravely in the Spanish army. But in face of scorn and ridicule he never gave up hope of success. These were days of great trial, when even the boys in the streets tapped their fore- heads as he passed by, and pointed their fingers at him with a peculiar smile. In the autumn of 1491 Columbus made up his ' The belief that the world was round was by no means new, as learned men before Columbus's day had reached the same conclusion But only a comparatively small number of people held such a view of the shape of the earth. THE SANTA MARIA 8 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES The Nina. mind to leave Spain and try his fortune in France. So he went to the home of Diego's aunt, and once more taking his boy with him, started on foot out of the country which had so httle befriended him. We can easily picture him, pale and wayworn, his clothes threadbare, his long white hair streaming over his shoulders. The travellers had gone but a short distance when they stopped at the gate of the Convent of St. Mary, which was only a mile and a half from Palos, to beg bread and water for the boy. At this moment the good prior of the convent happened to pass by. He was a man of learning and, on conversing with Colum- bus, became much interested in his story, and arranged a meeting of other learned men, among them the well- known sea-captain, Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who lived in Palos. The plans of Columbus appealed so strongly to this sea-captain that he promised not only to fur- nish money for an expedition, but to accompany it himself. Moreover, the prior, who had been father-confessor to Isabella, won her over to the sailor's cause. The queen sent what would now be nearly $1,200^ to Co- lumbus, and summoned him back to Court. Supply- ing himself with a mule and suitable clothing, Colum- bus, with lightened heart, sought the queen's presence. ^ The sum sent was 20,000 maravedis of Spanish money. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS She approved his plan, but Columbus demanded so great a reward for his services as leader of the expe- dition that the queen refused to come to any agreement with him, and let him go. Columbus in disgust mounted his mule, and started once more for France. At this juncture, however, one of the queen's advisers hurried into her presence, and put the case so earnestly that she sent a swift courier, who overtook Columbus in a mountain pass not far away, and brought him back. An agreement was soon reached, and Columbus accepted his commission with tears of joy. He at once went to Palos to get men and vessels for the expedition. But here he met with serious dif- ficulties. Sailors called the Atlantic Ocean the Sea of Darkness, and believed that it contained frightful sea- monsters, ready to dash in pieces all vessels that might come within reach. Moreover, we must remember that the vessels in those days were not safe against storms like the great ships of our day. To venture out upon this trackless sea signified to sailors almost cer- tain death. Hence, they were unwilling to sail, and a royal decree had to be is- sued to compel them. Even then it became The Pima. lo AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES necessary to release criminals from prisons to supply the number required for the expedition. The three caravels that were at length got ready for the perilous expedition westward in search of the Indies were not larger than many of the fishing-boats of to-day. The largest of the three — the flagship of Columbus — was called the Santa Maria. The other two were the Pinta and the Niiia ("Baby"). The Santa Maria alone had a deck covering the entire hold of the vessel. At last all was ready, and a half-hour before sunrise on Friday morning, August 3, 1492, this little fleet, with one hundred and twenty men and provisions for a year, sailed out of the port of Palos. It was a sor- rowful hour for the poor sailors, who felt that they had looked upon their homes and their friends for the last time. Columbus steered for the Canaries, where he delayed three weeks to repair the rudder of the Pinta. On September 6th he set sail again. When once out of sight of land the sailors, overcome with fear, cried and sobbed like children. But new trials awaited them. At the end of a week the compass needle no longer pointed to the North Star, and this strange fact filled the superstitious sailors with alarm. Great was their consternation when a few days later the vessels entered vast stretches of sea-weed. At first the little fleet easily ploughed its way through this mass of floating green, but at the end of three days, on account of a light wind, the vessels moved more slowly. In their dismay the sailors feared that CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS ii the vessels might never get through this immense sea of grass, but might have to He there and rot, or, per- haps, escaping this danger, run upon rocks and shoals lying just beneath the grass and be broken in pieces. Though they were in the midst of obstacles apparent- ly insurmountable, they were also in the path of the COLUMBUS >'I!!ST VOYAGE, 1492-3 ^ GULF OF \) -y <^^ J Columbus J^' "r— X'EXICO ^V^»\^^-? — ^^^1 -*?^^^'-' ^»W ^ T I. A. N T I C PA CIF I C OCEAN .^X«,„,,PSr/TRlNlDAD 1. O C E A. N The First Voyage of Columbus, and places of interest in connection with his Later Voyages. trade winds that steadily bore them onward. But in their terror, the sailors imagined they could never re- turn because the wind would not allow them to sail in the opposite direction. When the wind began to blow from the southwest they were once more relieved of their fears. After many days all hearts were gladdened by the sight of birds, which indicated that land was near. It was an idle hope. Again and again some eager- eyed sailor shouted " land," but found later that he was looking at distant clouds. The crews were in despair. Now in the belt of trade-winds that were steadily blowing them farther .2 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES and farther from home and friends they cried in dis- may: "We can never return to Spain. We are lost! What shall we do? " They begged Columbus to turn back. They became angry when he refused, and de- clared he was crazy and was leading them all to de- struction. They even plotted to throw him overboard some night and say that he fell into the sea while looking at the stars. Columbus felt that dangers were growing thick about him, but he never faltered in his purpose. His strong will and his abiding faith in success kept him stanch in face of difficulties that would have caused an ordinary mind to give way. On October iith unmistakable signs of land ap- peared. A thorn branch with berries on it, a reed, and a carved stick came floating by. New life stirred in every heart, and the sailors looked eagerly in every direction for land. The king and queen had promised a reward equal to nearly $600 of our present money to the sailor who should be the first to see land. Columbus had prom- ised in addition a velvet cloak. Accordingly, all were on the alert to catch the first glimpse of land, and kept on the watch during the entire night after the appear- ance of the thorn-branch and carved stick. About ten o'clock Columbus himself saw in the dis- tance a light, which looked like a torch in the hands of some one moving along the shore. About two o'clock next morning, Friday, October 12th — or Oc- tober 2 1 St, according to our present method of reckon- ing time — a sailor on the Pinta saw, about five miles CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 13 off, a low strip of land. This was an island of the Bahama Group. Just ten weeks had elapsed since the voyage began at Palos, and with intense eager- Thc Triumphal Return of Columbus to Spain. ness Columbus and his men awaited the coming of daylight. At dawn the boats were lowered, and all went on 14 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES shore. Columbus, dressed in a rich robe of scarlet, carried the royal standard. His followers also bore banners, on each of which was a brilliant green cross with the letters F. and Y. — the Spanish initials for Ferdinand and Isabella — on each side. Above the letters were crosses. Columbus threw himself, kneel- ing, upon the ground. He wept for joy, and, kissing the earth, took possession of the land in the name of the king and queen of Spain. The sailors now fell upon their knees at Columbus's feet. They kissed his hands, and begged him to forgive them for their evil thoughts toward him. At first the natives, whom Columbus called Indians because he thought he was in the East Indies, fled to the woods in fear of the Spaniards; but later they re- turned and worshipped the white men as beings from the sky. They thought the vessels were great birds and the sails wings. The Spaniards at once began to trade with the Indians, giving them such trifles as tiny bells, red caps, and glass beads, in exchange for tame parrots, cotton yarn, and a few small ornaments of gold, such as the natives wore in their noses. According to the interesting description of the na- tives that Columbus wrote in his journal, they were very poor, dark-skinned, and naked. All of them seemed to be young and of strong build, with coarse black hair hanging long behind, but cut short over their foreheads. Their bodies were painted with va- rious colors and in all manner of ways. The men carried sticks, pointed with fish-bones, for javelins, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 15 and moved their canoes with paddles that loolced like wooden shovels. The canoes, made out of single trunks of trees, were in some cases large enough to carry forty men. The dwellings, which were clustered together in groups of twelve to fifteen, were shaped like tents and had high chimneys. Inside the tents, hanging hetween posts, were nets used as beds and called " hammocks." Columbus called the island upon which he had landed San Salvador (Holy Saviour). He wrote of the new country: " I know not where first to go, nor are my eyes ever weary of gazing at the beautiful ver- dure. The singing of the birds is such that It seems as If one would never desire to depart hence. There are flocks of parrots that obscure the sun, and other birds of many kinds, large and small, entirely differ- ent from ours; trees, also, of a thousand species, each having its particular fruit, and all of marvellous flavor." Columbus sailed along the coast of Cuba and Haytl, landing here and there, and sent parties inland to find out what they could about the land and its people. Everywhere he was on the lookout for the cities of Asia — those wonderful cities of wealth and beauty described In such glowing colors by Marco Polo. He never doubted that he was In the land he had sought, — the East Indies. On Christmas morning (December 25, 1492), while It w^as still dark, as he was cruising along the shores of i6 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Hayti (or HIspaniola), the Santa Maria went aground on a sand-bar, where the waves soon knocked her to pieces. As the Pinta had alr-eady deserted, there now remained but one ship, the Niiia. This httle vessel was too small to accommodate all the men, and forty of the number, wishing to stay where they were, decided to build a fort out of the timbers of the wrecked vessel and put her guns in the "fort for their defence. These men had provisions for a year, and CQnstituted the first Spanish colony in the New World. On January 4, 1493, ^he Niiia sailed for Spain. All went well with the sailors until February 12th, when a great storm suddenly threatened to break the frail vessel into pieces. Poor Columbus ! His heart grew faint within him. Had he and his men endured such peril and hardship to perish unknown in the sea? Would the world never know of their great achieve- ment? In his anxiety he wrote on parchment two separate accounts of his discovery, which he sealed and addressed to Ferdinand and Isabella. He then wrapped each in a cloth and, enclosing them in large cakes of wax, put them into barrels. One of these barrels he flung into the sea, and the other he kept on deck. The Nifia passed safely through the storm, however, and on March 15th, after an absence of nearly seven and a half months, cast anchor in the harbor of Palos. The successful voyager lost no time in reaching Barcelona, where he was received by the king and CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS ^7 queen with triumphal honors. Everybody was ready to praise the man who had become so famous. There was a great procession in his honor in the streets of Barcelona. Leading this street parade were six Ind- ians whom Columbus had brought back with him. These were smeared with paint, decked with feathers of tropical birds, and ornamented with bits of gold. Following them came men carrying stuffed and live birds of brilliant plumage, and the skins of different animals, all products of the New Land. Columbus rode on horseback, attended by many of Spain's great men, mounted on horses. When the procession reached the house in which King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were, Columbus went into the room where they sat on the throne. They did him the honor to rise as he entered, and when he knelt to kiss their hands, they again honored him, by bidding him rise and sit, like an equal, in their presence. The poor sailor, once despised as an idle dreamer, had become a distinguished personage, honored alike by kings and princes and people. It was no longer necessary to force men by royal decree to sail with the great admiral. Many were now eager to go where they might reap wealth and honor. In September, 1493, Columbus again sailed, this time with a fleet of seventeen vessels and fifteen hun- dred men. Many of the latter were young men of noble birth, and belonged to families of wide influence. All supposed they were going to the East Indies, the i8 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES land of jewels and spices and precious metals. With the purpose of founding a colony, Columbus took with him not only horses, mules, and cattle, but vines, vegetables, and seeds of many kinds. When the fleet reached the island of Haytl, and the place where he had in the previous winter left the little colony of forty men, he found that the fort and pro- visions riad been destroyed, and that eleven corpses had been burled near by; but not one of the forty men was ever again seen alive. After building a little town, called Isabella in honor of the queen, Columbus began exploring by land and sea. He found much that was beautiful and Interesting, but much more that was disappointing. Moreover, the Indians were sometimes unfriendly, and his own men were often unruly and treacherous. At length, after four years of varying fortune, he started home, and after a long, hard voyage, during which provisions gave out, he and his men, weak with hunger, finally reached Spain In June. He was kindly received, and was promised more ships for another voyage. In May, 1498, with six vessels and two hundred men besides the sailors, Columbus started on a third voyage, this time directing his course more to the south than he had done before. He landed on an island which he named Trinidad, and then sailed along the northern coast of South America. He was not well, however, and In August turned his course for Santo Domingo, where he found things were going badly. Trouble with the Indians had CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 19 arisen, and even more serious trouble in the colony itself had broken out. For two years Columbus strug- gled to set things right. But he was not successful as a colonizer. Besides, many people were beginning to lose faith in him because he did not get expected treasures for Spain. Many others were jealous of his fame, and plotted to ruin him. At length an official was sent from Spain to Hayti to look into the situa- tion. When he reached the island he confiscated Co- lumbus's property, put him In chains, and sent him as a prisoner to the country from which he had but re- cently sailed with high honor. In Spain the people were In sympathy with the ad- miral In his disgrace; so too was the queen, who sent money and summoned him to court. She receiv^ed him there with tears In her eyes, and he broke down and wept at her feet. In 1502 Columbus started on a fourth voyage, sailing along the eastern coast of Central America. But he was not able to accomplish much, and finally suffered shipwreck on the island of Jamaica, where he spent a year of misery. At last he set out for home, arriving there only a short time before Queen Isabella, his only protector, died. Poor, sick, and discouraged, Columbus dragged out a weary life for eighteen months longer. He died In Spain of a broken heart, May 20, 1506, in utter Igno- rance of the greatness of his discovery. So little appre- ciated was he that the city annals make no mention of his death. It remained for succeeding generations to 20 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES lift his name from obscurity and to give faithful ac- knowledgment of his achievements in the advance of human progress. An Indian Stone Maul. REVIEW OUTLINE The desire for a water route between Europe and the Indies. The TuRifs conquer Constantinople. The Portuguese round the Cape of Good Hope. Early life and education of Christopher Columbus. He goes to Lisbon. His personal appearance and character. Trade with the Far East. a water route to the indies. Marco Polo's stories of the Far East. King John takes advantage of Columbus. Columbus goes to Spain. The wise men ridicule him as a crazy dreamer. At the Convent of St. Mary; the prior and the sea-captain. Queen Isabella gives Columbus a hearing. The sailors' fears; the little fleet. Columbus sets sail at last. New trials fall upon him. The sailors in despair; Columbus in danger. The great discovery. Columbus lands. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS The people Columbus found. The New Country. Columbus explores the New Country. The flrst Spanish colony in the New World. Back to Spain. Honors showered upon Columbus. He sails on his second voyage. He finds many disappointments and hardships. He makes other voyages and discoveries. He dies of a broken heart. TO THE PUPIL. 1 . Find on the map all the countries and places named in this chapter , and trace the first voyage of Columbus. 2. Can you picture to yourself the following : Columbus and Diego on the road together; Columbus, mounted on a mule, on his way to France ; the landing of Columbus on reaching San Salvador; and the street parade in Barcelona? 3. Using the topics in the book, write from memory the account of the first voyage. 4. Select as many words in this chapter as you can telling what kind of man Columbus was. What do you admire in his character? 5. What was Columbus trying to do? Why? What great thing did he do? When? CHAPTER II Hernando De Soto and the Discovery of the Mississippi [1500-1542] ■■^ 1 ^^ 1 Hernando De Soto. AFTER the discovery of the New World by Colum- bus, the Spaniards, who had no other thought than that he had found a new way to India, dreamed eagerly of its marvellous w^ealth, and were impatient to be off to the land where they believed fortunes awaited them. So zealous were they, in their mad search for gold and adventure, that many were willing to leave home and friends for years. The most brilliant of these explorers were Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, and Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru, both of whom carried back to Spain many million dollars' worth of gold and silver. With Pi- zarro was a young man named Hernando De Soto, whose adventurous life is full of interest, and whose important discovery of the Mississippi River has given him a prominent place in the history of our country. He was born about 1500, of a poor but noble fam- HERNANDO DE SOTO 23 ily. In his youth he excelled in athletic sports, and possessed unusual skill in horsemanship and in fenc- ing. Taking a leading part in all the dangerous ex- ploits in the New World, he not only won fame, but went back to Spain after many years' absence a rich man. While Cortez and Pizarro had been conquering Mexico and Peru, other Spaniards had been seeking their fortune in Florida.^ Thus far these men had brought back no gold and silver, but their faith in the mines of the interior was so great that De Soto wished to conquer and explore the country. Having already won great influence by his achievements, he secured the favor of the king, who made him governor of the island of Cuba, and appointed him leader of an expe- dition to conquer and occupy Florida. He was to take men enough with him to build forts and plant a colony, so as to hold the country for Spain. De Soto had no difficulty in getting followers to join him in this enterprise. Young men from noble fami- lies flocked to his standard from all parts of Spain, and as he knew that dangers and hardships awaited them he was careful to select from the large numbers the strongest men. De Soto's company included richly dressed nobles and warriors in glittering armor. It was a gala day when they sailed out of port with banners flying and ^ De Leon discovered this land in the full bloom of an Easter Sun- day (1513). In token of the day and the flowers he named it Pascua Florida. 24 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES cannon booming, and not a young man of them but felt proud to sail on so grand an expedition. After arriving in Cuba, De Soto spent some time there, and then leaving his wife to govern the Island, set out to explore Florida. His expedition was an imposing one, comprising nine vessels, six hundred men, and about two hundred and twenty-five horses. In May, 1539, the whole force landed at Tampa Bay, on the western coast of Florida. They had not advanced far Into the Interior when De Soto fell In with a Spaniard named Ortiz, who had accompanied Narvaez in a previous expedition some ten or eleven years before. According to his story, the Indians had captured him, and only forbore to kill him because an Indian girl had begged for his life. Ortiz had lived with the Indians so many years that he had become very much like one himself; but we can Imagine his joy at seeing white men once more. The Spaniards were equally rejoiced because they knew how serviceable their countryman would be as a guide and Interpreter. The advantage of this good-fortune was soon coun- teracted, however, by De Soto's unfriendliness to the Indians. He was not only indifferent to their pleasure and sufferings, but even seemed to enjoy torturing and killing them. It was his custom upon arriving at an Indian settlement to demand food for his men and horses, and upon his departure to carry off with him the head chief as guide and hostage, not releasing him until the next tribe was reached. Indian men and DE SOTO DISCOVERING THE MISSISSIPPI. 26 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES squaws were forced into service as porters for the Spanish baggage; and thus enslaved, often with chains and with iron collars about their necks, they were com- pelled to do all sorts of menial w^ork. It is not strange that after such treatment the Indians lost all confidence in De Soto. They not only learned to hate him and the Spaniards but longed to be revenged upon them. In return for the cruelties inflicted they purposely led the Spaniards astray, and left untried no treachery which would serve to destroy the pale-faced strangers. In May, 1540, an Indian princess, rowed by her followers in a canopied canoe, came across a stream to meet De Soto. When she landed, her followers car- ried her in a litter, from which she alighted and ap- proached him. She gave him presents of shawls and skins, and a string of pearls which she took from around her neck. In return for these acts of courtesy De Soto made her a prisoner, and kept her going about on foot with him until she escaped. This is but an instance of the cruelty which made enemies of all the Indians with whom the Spaniards came in contact. No doubt Indian runners were sent hundreds of miles in many directions to tell the va- rious tribes of the inhuman deeds of the white men. No doubt these tribes combined in a desperate effort to destroy De Soto and all his men. How nearly they succeeded in their plan can be told in a few lines. In the autumn of 1540 the Spaniards came to the tribe of a giant chieftain whose slaves held over him, as he sat upon cushions on a raised platform, a HERNANDO DE SOTO 27 Routes Traversed bj' De Soto and De Leon. buckskin umbrella stained red and white. He was sullen In the presence of the richly dressed Spaniards on their prancing steeds, but allowed De Soto to carry him a prisoner to the next Indian town, as the other head chiefs had done. This town was called Mavllla, an Indian word from which we get the name Mobile for the city and river In Alabama. As the Spaniards approached this town Indians came out to meet them, their faces showing signs of displeasure and evil Intent. Fearing nothing, however, De Soto, attended by about a dozen of his men, rode boldly Inside the town, which was surrounded with a palisade. The giant chieftain then asked for a release that he might return to his own people, and on being refused went Into a house In which many Indian warriors were concealed. When De Soto ordered him to come out he refused. In the excitement that followed, a Span- iard cut down with his sword an Indian warrior stand- ing near by. Then, In wild fury, hundreds of dusky warriors rushed like madmen out of the house to the attack, and soon shot down five of De Soto's body-guard. Of course he had to flee for his life. But before he could reach the main force outside 28 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES the town he fell to the ground two or three times, struck by Indian arrows. It was the beginning of a terrible battle, in which the Spaniards, although outnumbered, had the adv^an- tage because of their horses, swords, firearms, and su- perior training. Finally, from the outside, they closed the gates to the town, and set fire to the Indian build- ings. The Indians fought with desperation, but they either fell, cut down by Spanish swords, or rushed in mad fury to perish in the flames. When night came, only three Indian warriors remained alive. Two of these fought until they were killed, and the last unfortunate one hanged himself on a tree with his bow-string. The Spaniards said they killed at least 2,500 Indians, but they lost in killed and wounded about a third of their own number. It was a dearly bought victory. Nor was Indian craftiness the only source of trouble for the Spaniards. De Soto's men had to travel through thick forests with no road except the narrow path made by wild animals or the trail made by the Indian hunter. They spent many laborious days In picking their way through dense underbrush and miry swamps, stopping here and there to make rafts to carry them across the numerous streams. Often without food and on the point of starving, they were obliged to feed upon native dogs, and were some- times reduced to berries, nuts, bear-oil, and wild honey. In spite of hunger, disease, death, and many other misfortunes, however, De Soto in his mad search for gold threaded his way through the tangled forests HERNANDO DE SOTO 29 until, In the spring of 1541, about two years after landing at Tampa Bay, he reached the bank of the Mississippi River. After spending months In making boats, he at length crossed the mighty stream, and then continued his march In a northerly and westerly direction, going, it would seem, as far as the site of what Is now Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas. Marching southeast, probably to the banks of the Washita, he spent a winter so severe that many of the party. Including Ortiz, died. About the middle of April, 1542, the Spaniards, travel-spent and sick at heart, reached the mouth of the Red River, where De Soto, discouraged and brok- en In spirit, was taken 111 with fever and soon died. At first his followers burled his body near the town where they were staying, but when the Indians began with some suspicion to examine the ground under which he lay, the Spaniards in the darkness of night took up the body, wrapped it in blankets made heavy with sand, and sadly lowered it Into the waters of the mighty river which it was De Soto's chief honor to have discovered. After many more hardships the wretched survivors of this unhappy com- pany, numbering not many more than half of those who landed at Tampa Bay, found their way to a Span- ish colony in Mexico, Thus ended In disaster the expedition which sailed with such hope of wealth and renown. 30 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES REVIEW OUTLINE Spanish thirst for gold and adventure. De Soto's early love of sports and dangerous exploits. De Soto plans to explore and colonize Florida. Preparations for the expedition. De Soto sets out on his voyage. He falls in with Ortiz. De Soto's cruel treatment of the Indians. The Indian princess. The plan to destroy De Soto and his men. The giant chieftain. De Soto in danger. A terrible battle. De Soto discovers the Mississippi. Difficulties and sufferings. More troubles for the Spaniards. De Soto's death. TO THE PUPIL 1. Find on the map Mexico, Peru, Porto Rico, Cuba, Florida, Mobile, the Mississippi River, and the Washita River. 2. Draw a map in which you will indicate De Soto's route. 3. Tell in your own words the story of this wretched march through the forests. 4. Make a mental picture of De Soto's meeting with the Indian prin- cess; of De Soto and his body-guard in Mavilla; of the burial of De Soto's body by night. 5. What did De Soto accomplish? When? CHAPTER III Sir Walter Raleigh and the First English Attempts to Col- onize America [1552-1618] ONLY five years after Columbus made his dis- coveries in the West India Islands, John Cabot sailed from England in search of a short northwest passage to Asia. Directing his course across the north- ern part of the Atlantic Ocean, he landed somewhere on the eastern coast of North America, perhaps on the shores of Labrador. His son sailed in the following year along the coast from Nova Scotia down as far as North Carolina. By reason of these discoveries and explorations, England laid claim to North America. Nearly a hundred years passed before England took any further steps toward getting a foothold in America. In the meantime Spain, by means of her naval power, had conquered Mexico and Peru, and planted colonies at various points in the New World, The precious metals collected by Spanish explorers in Mexico and Peru had furnished the money with 31 32 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES which Spain was enabled to carry on her expeditions as well as the almost continuous wars with other European powers. Some people think that Spain took out of these two countries gold and silver to an amount that would now equal five thousand million dollars. At this time England had not so strong a navy as she has to-day, and the Spanish King hoped because of her weakness to conquer England and make her a dependency of Spain. Of course this roused the Eng- lish people, and they determined to thwart the am- bitious scheming of the Spanish King. Although England had not a fighting navy, Eng- lish seamen were alert to capture Spanish vessels and rob them of their gold and silver. To seize these prizes, such bold sea-captains as Drake and Hawkins roamed the sea, burning and plundering Spanish fleets and Spanish settlements along the coast of Mexico and South America. Conspicuous among these daring sea-rovers and explorers was Sir Walter Raleigh, one of the most distinguished Englishman of his time. He was born in a town near the sea-coast in Devonshire, England, in 1552, his father and mother both being of high social rank. In this town lived many old sailors, who could tell the wide-awake boy stirring tales of seafaring life and of bloody fights with Spaniards. Walter was a patri- otic boy, and therefore soon learned to hate Spain, because of her insolence toward the Engl-fh people. SIR WALTER RALEIGH 33 As he became older and learned more of the power of Spain, especially that which came through possessions in the New World, he was envious for his country's sake and wished her to become Spain's rival in wealth. When Walter was old enough, he was sent to Oxford Uni- versity, where he be- came an earnest stu- dent. But at seven- teen he put aside his studies and went to France to join the Huguenot army.^ Af- ter remaining there for about six years, he re- turned to England and served for a short time In the English army, fight- ing against Spain and Austria in the Netherlands. Later he went as captain of a hundred men to Ireland, and there proved himself a brave soldier. Returning again to England, by a simple act of courtesy he won the admiration of the powerful queen Elizabeth. It happened In this way. On one occa- sion, when with her attendants she was about to cross a muddy road, Raleigh stood looking on. Noticing that the queen hesitated for an instant, he took from his shoulder his beautiful velvet cloak and gallantly ' The Huguenots were French Protestants, who were then at war with the Cathohcs in France. Cabot's Route. Land discovered by him dark- ened. 34 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES spread It in her pathway. The queen, greatly pleased with this delicate attention, took Raleigh into her Court and in time bestowed upon him much honor. She not only made him a knight, but presented him with costly gifts and estates, and showered upon him offices of rank and dignity. The brave knight, Sir Walter Raleigh, became a man of great wealth and influence. As a courtier his dress was rich and dazzling. He wore a hat with a pearl band and a black jewelled feather. His shoes, which were tied with white rib- bons, were studded with gems worth six thousand six hundred gold pieces. He had also a suit of silver armor that glittered with diamonds and other precious stones. This splendor did not seem so much out of place in those days as it would now, for much display and ceremony were customary in court life. Queen Eliza- beth, with her ten hundred and seventy-five dresses and mantles, ornamented with lace, embroidery, and jewels, and with her eighty wigs of various colors, set a gorgeous example which her courtiers were delighted to follow. But Raleigh was not satisfied with the glamour of court life. He was eager to achieve glory for England and if possible to elevate her upon the ruins of her enemy, Spain. It was his desire to build up a new England for the glory of the old, and to that end he secured from Queen Elizabeth a charter for planting a colony in SIR WALTER RALEIGH 35 America. He therefore fitted out two vessels which were to sail to the land north of Florida, then occupied by Spain, and bring back reports of the country. The captains of these vessels arrived in Pamlico Sound, and landed on an isl- and which they found rich in grapes and woods and abound- ing in deer and other game. The explorers received kind treatment from the Indians, two of whom accompanied the voyagers to England on their ,^p return. Queen Elizabeth was so pleased with the good reports from the new country that she called it V^irginia in honor of herself — the Virgin Queen. The next year, 1585, Raleigh sent out to Virginia seven vessels and one hundred colonists, under his cousin, Sir Richa'-d Grenville, and Ralph Lane. They landed on Roanoke Island, and made a settlement there, but the colony was not prosperous. At the outset, by unwise and cruel treatment they made enemies of the natives. It is related that, an Indian having stolen a silver cup from one of the colonists, the Englishmen burned an entire village and ruined the corn belonging to its people. Such punishment was out of all proportion to the petty offence. It is not surprising, therefore, that from that time the settlers found the Indians unfriendly. Queen Elizabeth. 36 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Very soon Grenville sailed back to England, leaving the colony in charge of Ralph Lane. The colonists instead of building houses and tilling the soil to supply food, .were bent upon finding gold. Hence they lis- tened with eager interest to a story that the Indians told of the Roanoke River. According to this story, the river flowed out of a fountain in a rock so near the ocean that in time of storm the waves dashed over into the fountain. The river, the Indians said, flowed near rich mines of gold and silver, in a country where there was a town with walls made of pearls. Lane and his followers foolishly started up the river in a vain search for this wonderful land. They encoun- tered many difiiculties, including hostile attacks by Indians, and suffered so much from lack of food that they had to eat the flesh of their own dogs. But despite these hardships, they made their way back to Roanoke Island, reaching it just in time to save the colony from destruction by the Indians. A little later Sir Francis Drake, with a fleet of twenty- three vessels, appeared off the coast. He had come on his way home from the West Indies, where he had been plundering the Spanish settlements, and cheer- fully consented to take the destitute and homesick colonists back to England. A few days after their departure Grenville arrived with fresh supplies, and found the settlement deserted. Leaving a garrison of fifteen men, with provisions for two years, to hold possession, he then sailed back to England. Although the settlement did not succeed, this effort SIR WALTER RALEIGH 37 to plant a colony was not wholly fruitless, for the colonists took to England on their return three prod- ucts which gave to the people a somewhat differ- ent Idea of the real wealth of the new lands. These were not precious met- Cape i-"^ tf^ Halteraa Section where Raleigh's various colonies yvere located. als, but products of the soil, namely, tobacco, the white potato, and Indian corn. The discovery of the tobacco plant intro- duced into England the custom of smoking, and a curious story is told of it in connection with Sir Walter Ral- eigh, who soon learned to smoke. One day his servant, who knew nothing of the new custom, came Into his master's room and found him smoking from a silver pipe. Believing Raleigh was on fire, the faithful ser- vant hastily dashed a mug of ale at him to quench the flames and rescue him from death. The wealth that lay hidden In the soil was yet un- known, and no one felt any enthusiasm over the new colony of Virginia. Most men would by this time have lost hope. But Raleigh was not daunted. Two years later he made a second attempt to plant a colony in the New World, this time sending over three ships, with a hundred and fifty settlers. Including seventeen women. John White was appointed governor of the 38 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Entrance to Raleigh's Cell in the Tower. colony. These settlers had the fore- thought to carry with them farming implements to use in tilling the soil. When they landed on Roanoke Isl- and they found no trace of the fif- teen men left there two years before by Sir Richard Grenville. The new settlers had not been on the island long before they were in need of help from England, and begged Governor White to return home for provisions and more settlers. White at first refused to leave them, but finally consented. A warm interest in the feeble settlement and love for his little grand- daughter, born soon after the settlers arrived, per- suaded him to yield. This little girl, the first white girl born in America, was named after the new coun- try, Virginia, her full name being Virginia Dare. When Governor White left the settlement he ex- pected to return immediately, but upon reaching Eng- land he found his countrymen greatly excited over the coming invasion of the much-dreaded " Spanish Armada." Everybody was astir, and Raleigh was aroused to his fullest energy in preparation to meet the hated foe. But, notwithstanding this, he found time to fit out two small vessels for Governor White. Although they sailed, trouble with the Spaniards compelled their re- turn to England, and not until two years later, when the Spanish Armada had been defeated, did Governor SIR WALTER RALEIGH 39 White sail again for Virginia, this time as a passenger in a West Indiaman. He landed on Roanoke Island as before, but there remained of the settlement only some chests of books, some maps, and some firearms, all of which had been ruined by the Indians. Upon bidding Governor White farewell, the colo- nists had agreed to carve on a tree the name of the place to which they would go if they should decide to leave Roanoke Island. They were also to carve above the name a cross if they were in serious trouble. Gov- ernor White found the word CROATOAN cut in capital letters on a large tree, but he found no cross. Before White could sail to Croatoan, which was an island not far away, he had to return to England because the captain of the vessel, hav'ing encountered stormy weather, refused to sail further. What became of the lost colonists is still a mystery. It is possible that the Indians either killed them or captured and enslaved them. Raleigh sent out other expeditions in search of the lost colony, but without success. He had already spent a sum equal to more than a million dollars in trying to plant this col- ony, and now felt that 4l a^ he must give up all cu_J^^S&ffft ^ nope or accomplishmg •.T;^^^^,K^$f.Pfl|J . :':i^i. i^:4Pm^-rf^K lij^^^^jak.. his purpose. But this was only one of his many dis- appointments. Because Tower of London. :\ 5: 40 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES he was a favorite of the queen and had been a suc- cessful man he had many enemies who were jealous of his good fortune. Men of power envied him and tried to weaken his influence and do him injury. As his failures increased, his popularity diminished and he at length became bitter in spirit. On the death of Queen Elizabeth, James I. became king and, not favoring Raleigh, at length threw him into prison on a charge of treason. After an impris- onment of twelve years in the Tower of London, Sir Walter was beheaded. Just as he w^as about to lay his head upon the block, he felt the keen edge of the axe, saying, " This is a sharp medicine, but a sound cure for all diseases." Although he failed to carry out the great desire of his heart, Raleigh gave the English people some definite ideas in regard to the value of the New World as a place for colonizing — ideas which before many years found expression in the settlement of Jamestow^n. REVIEW OUTLINE John Cabot discovers the mainland of North America. England and Spain unfriendly to each other. English sea-captains capture Spanish vessels. Sir Walter Raleigh's family and education. SIR WALTER RALEIGH 41 Raleigh the soldier. He wins the favor of Queen Elizabeth. Raleigh's dress; display in court life. He sends two vessels to America. His first colony lands on Roanoke Island. A vain search for gold. Timely arrival of Sir Francis Drake. Three American products taken to England. An amusing story about Raleigh. Raleigh's second attempt to plant a colony in the New World. Governor White returns to England. He sails two years later for Virginia. Croatoan. Raleigh imprisoned and beheaded. TO THE PUPIL 1. Tell in your own language what was done by John Cabot and his son. 2. Why did Raleigh when a boy hate Spain? 3. Write an account of the failure of Raleigh's first and second colonies, and give their dates. 4. What did Raleigh try to do? What did he succeed in doing? CHAPTER IV John Smith and the Settlement of Jamestown [1579-1631] ABOUT twenty years after the failure of Raleigh's attempt to plant a settlement in America, an- other effort was made by a body of merchants and wealthy men called the London Company. Their pur- pose was to discover gold, of which Englishmen were then dreaming, just as the Spaniards had dreamed years before when they sailed under the leadership of Co- lumbus, Pizarro, Cortez, and De Soto. As a begin- ning for the new colony, which was destined to be the first permanent English settlement in America, the London Company sent out one hundred and five men, who set sail from London on New Year's day, 1607, in three frail vessels. They were not sturdy, self-reliant men such as give strength to a new enter- prise. On the contrary, about half of them were *' gentlemen," who felt themselves above working with their hands. They were coming to America to 42 JOHN SMITH 43 pick up a fortune, and then return to England to live at ease the rest of their lives. As we shall see, such colonists were unfit for the rough and rugged life which awaited them In the wild woods of a new country. Instead of sailing straight across the Atlantic they took a very much longer route, directing their course dow^n the coast of France and Spain to the Canaries and from these Islands to the West Indies. Here they stopped a long time. The result was that they were about four months on the tiresome voyage, and had used up nearly all their provisions before reaching; their journey's end. This was but a beginning of their troubles. Their purpose had been to land on the deserted site of Ra* leigh's colony, Roanoke Island, but, a violent storm having driven them out of their course, they entered Chesapeake Bay, naming the headlands on either side Cape Charles and Cape Henry, after the king's sons. Pushing on, they found a quiet harbor which they fit- tingly called Point Comfort. After resting here they sailed up the river and named it the James, after James I., King of England. They were delighted with the country, for it was the month of May and the banks of the river were luxuriant with beautiful trees, shrubbery, and many- colored flowers. Fifty miles from the mouth of the James the voyagers landed on a peninsula, which they chose as the place of settlement because It was within easy reach of the sea. 44 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES At once they set to work building dwellings, and a fort in which to defend themselves against unfriendly- Indians, The dwellings at first consisted of rude cabins roofed with sage or bark, tents made of old sails, and holes dug in the ground. An old sail served for the roof of their first church, and a plank nailed up between two trees for a pulpit. They did well to found their Church so early, for they soon had need of its consolations. The intense heat of July and August and the sultry atmosphere hanging over the swamps and marshes bred disease, and caused many of the colonists to fall ill of fever. Sometimes three or four died in a single night. To make matters worse, food was so scarce that each settler's daily portion was reduced to a half-pint of mouldy wheat and the same quantity of barley. And, as if these afllictions from climate, scanty food, bad water, and loss of friends were not enough, the Ind- ians kept the wretched settlers in constant terror of their lives. Each man had to take his turn " every third night " lying on the damp, bare ground to watch against attack, although at times there were not five men strong enough to carry guns. Their condition was indeed pitiable. Those in health were not sufli- cient to nurse the sick, and during the summer about half of the settlers died. All must have perished but for the bravery and strength of one man, John Smith, who for several years kept the struggling colony alive by his personal authority and wise treatment of the Indians. Born In 46 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES England In 1579, he was at the time of the settlement of Jamestown twenty-eight years old. While but a boy he was left an orphan, and was early apprenticed to a trade; but he had such a longing for adventure that he soon ran away and went to the Continent to seek his fortune. From that time his life, according to his own story, was full of stirring incidents, only a few of which we can tell here. While travelling through France he was robbed and left helpless in a forest on the high- way, where he would have died from exposure and lack of food but for the kindly aid of a peasant who chanced to find and rescue him. Going to Marseilles he took passage on a ship with some pilgrims bound eastward on a journey to the Holy Land. During the voyage a severe storm arose, which greatly alarmed the pilgrims, and, believing that in some mysterious way their strange passenger was the cause of their misfort- une, they threw him overboard. Smith managed to save himself from the sea, however, and a little later fought in a war against the Turks, three of whose mighty warriors he slew in single combat. Afterward he was captured and enslaved by the Turks, but he seemed to lead a charmed life, and with his usual good- fortune again made his escape. Chipped flint arrow heads. Stone Axe. Indian Weapons. JOHN SMITH 47 In 1604 he returned to England, at the age of twenty-five, in time to join the expedition to Virginia. With such a training as Smith had received in his many strange adventures, he was well equipped for the various difficulties that had to be met in the unset- tled life of the new colony in the forests of Virginia. When the cool weather of the autumn set in, the general health of all im- proved and food became abundant, for the streams were alive with swans, geese, ducks, and various kinds of fish, while game and garden supplies were plentiful. As soon as affairs were in a promising condition, Smith started one very cold December day on a jour- ney of exploration. He sailed up the Chickahominy River in search of the South Sea, as the Pacific Ocean was then called. This was generally believed to be just beyond the mountains. When the stream had become too shallow for the barge. Smith with his four companions, two men and two Indian guides, con- tinued his journey in a canoe. Landing near what is now called White Oak Swamp, he left the white men in charge of the canoe, and with one Indian pushed his way into the forest. Soon they were set upon by Rums of Jamestown. 48 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES a band of two hundred Indian warriors, but Smith so bravely defended himself that he killed two of the war- riors, and held out against the entire force until he sank in the mire and had to surrender. Having tied their prisoner to a tree, the Indians were about to shoot him with an ar- row when he aroused their curiosity by showing them his pocket-compass and by asking that he might write a letter to his friends at Jamestown. Granting the request, they delivered the let- ter and brought back the articles for which it called. They were greatly amazed that the white man was able to make paper talk, and, believing him to be a superior be- ing, they spared his life. Smith became much interested in the life of the Indians, and left an account of their customs and habits. According to his description, some of them lived in rude dwellings made of boughs of trees, some in huts, and others in wigwams a hundred feet or [ L Jamestown and the Surrounding Country. JOHN SMITH 49 so in length, which served for a number of families. The warriors painted their bodies in many colors, and decorated themselves with beads, feathers, shells, pieces of copper, and rattles. What clothing they wore was made of skins, and their weapons were bows and arrows and clubs. The Indians had many kinds of horrible dances, In the course of which they yelled and shrieked as if suffering the most painful torture. The squaws car- ried the burdens, built the wigw^ams, and performed the various necessary duties; and the men did the hunting, the fishing, the smoking, and especially the fighting. I he Indians took Smith to many of their villages, leading him finally into the presence of Powhatan, who lived in one of the long wigw^ams mentioned above, on the north bank of the York Riv^er, about fifteen miles from Jamestown. The old chief w^as tall and stalwart, with a round fat face and thin gray hair hanging down his back. Dressed in a robe of raccoon skins, he sat before the fire on a sort of bench covered with mats, with a young maiden sitting on each side; at his right and left stood the warriors, and close to the wall on either side a row of squaws. Presently one of the squaws brought to Smith some water in a wooden bowl, and another a bunch of feath- ers upon which to wipe his hands. Then followed a step in the proceedings that must have caused even a stout heart to quake. Having placed two stones 50 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES upon the ground, the grim warriors seized Smith, laid his head upon the stones, and stood ready to slay him with clubs. But just at that moment the chief's little daughter, Pocahontas, about ten years old, fell upon Smith's body, threw her arms around his neck, and begged her father to spare his life. Powhatan's heart was so touched that he released Smith and allowed him to return three days later to Jamestown. In the summer of 1609 Smith started out on another expedition in search of Apache's ^^ic Pacific. Hc Sailed as before by way War-club. _ ■^ ■^ of Chesapeake Bay, exploring far a up the Potomac. It is needless to say that he did not reach the Pacific, but he covered a distance of about three thousand miles, and made a map of his explorations, which is considered remarkable for its ac- curacy. In the autumn Captain Newport came from England with orders from the Lon- don Company to crown Powhatan. Along with the crown the company sent gifts, consisting of a bed, a basin, a pitcher, and a scarlet robe. Powhatan gave token of his appreciation of the gifts by send- ing in return to King James a pair of ^ his moccasins and one of his raccoon-skin sioux Indian Bow . . and Arrow with blankets, but refused to kneel in receivmg stone Point. JOHN SMITH 51 Navajo Sling. the crown, so that Smith and Newport had to lean on his shoulders to force him down. The crowning of Powhatan was intended to win his favor, but the compliment did not make the shrewd old chief altogether friendly to the white strangers. For he noticed that their num- bers were increasing, and he feared that their coming might in the end bring harm to himself and his people. He therefore planned to get rid of the Englishmen by refusing them corn, and in the following winter declined to supply them, asking in a hostile way when they were going home. The settlers sadly missed his friendly aid, for the rats that had come over in the vessels had played havoc with their provisions, and they were greatly in need of corn, venison, and game, such as Powhatan had furnished the previous year. But Smith, who knew so well how to manage the Indians, was equal to the occasion. He used smooth words if they served his purpose; if not, he used threats or even force. Bent upon gaining their good- will, or at least determined to secure corn. Smith sailed down the James, around Point Comfort, and up the York Riv^er with about forty men to Powhatan's home. The old chief pretended to be friendly, but Smith learned from an Indian informer that the wily A Pappoose Case. 52 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES savage was planning to murder him and his men. Little Pocahontas, also, came to Smith in the darkness of night and told him of the plot, thus proving herself, as on many other occasions, to be a true friend to the white men. Indeed, it has been said that by her timely aid the Jamestown settlement was saved from ruin. When Smith fully grasped the situation he threat- ened the Indians with death, and then, finding himself surrounded by hundreds of hostile warriors, he boldly seized Powhatan's brother by the scalp-lock, put a pistol to his breast, and cried, " Corn or your life!" The Indians, awed by Smith's fearlessness, no longer held out, but brought him corn in abundance. From the first Smith had been the natural leader of the colony, and in time was made president of the council. He found the men of his own race almost as difficult to manage as the Indians. They were so lazy that Smith was obliged to make a law by which he declared, " He that will not work shall not eat." The law proved to be a good one, and the idlers were soon busy making glass, felling trees, and preparing tar, pitch, and soap-ashes. But they hated rough labor, and were very apt to swear when it hurt their hands. To put an end to the swearing. Smith required each man to keep a record of his oaths, and for every offence ordered a can of cold water poured down the sleeve of the uplifted right arm of the culprit. By such discipline the settlement was soon put into excel- lent working order. JOHN SMITH 53 If Smith could have remained at the head of the colony, everything might have continued to go well. But one day, while out in a boat, he was wounded so severely by the explosion of some gunpowder that he was obliged to return to England for treatment. This accident happened in October, 1609. Five years later he returned to Virginia and explored the coast to the north, making a map of the region, and naming it New England. He not only wrote an account of his own life, but also several books on America. He died in 1632, at the age of fifty-three years. Without his leadership, the weak and puny colony at Jamestown must have perished before the end of its first year. But his resolution and courage held it together until it received from England the help needed to put it on a firm footing. REVIEW OUTLINE The Lokdon^ CoiiPANY sends to America a coLoisrY in search or GOLD. The eihgrants set sail. The long, roundabout voyage. The colonists make a settlement at Jamestown in 1607. Their dwellings and their church. Fever, hunger, and Indl\ns. John Sihth saves the settlement FROii ruin. His early adventures. He goes up the Chickahominy Riv'er in search of the Pacific. The Indians capture Smith. They spare his life. \ 54 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Life among the Indians of Virginia. Smith is taken to Powhatan. Little Pocahontas saves John Smith's life. His explorations. The crowning of Powhatan. He plans to get rid of the white men. He refuses them corn. The friendly aid of Pocahontas. "Corn or your life!" Smith made president of the council. His return to England. TO THE PUPIL 1. Describe the Jamestown settlers. Can you form a mental picture of their first dwellings? 2. Write an account of Smith's capture by the Indians and of his later experiences with them. 3. What do you admire in Smith? In Pocahontas? What do you think of Powhatan? 4. Trace on your map Smith's voyages and explorations. 5. When was Jamestown settled? CHAPTER V Nathaniel Bacon and the Uprising of the People in Virginia in 1676 [1647-1676] WHEN Smith returned to England he left the colony without a leader. At once the Ind- ians, who had been held in check by fear of Smith, began to rob and plunder the settlement, and at the same time famine and disease aided in the work of de- struction. Dogs, horses, and even rats and mice were in demand for food, and while at its worst the famine compelled the suffering colonists to feed upon the bodies of their own dead. At the close of that terrible winter, known ever since as the " Starving Time," barely sixty of the five hundred men whom Smith had left in the colony sur- vived. The future promised nothing, and the wretched remnant of sufferers were about to leave Virginia for their fatherland when an English vessel hove in sight on the James. Greatly to their relief and joy Lord Delaware had arrived with a company of men and 5S 56 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES This was in Tobacco Plant. much-needed supplies. June, 1610. By reason of ill-health Lord Del- aware soon returned to England, leaving Sir Thomas Dale in control of the colony. He was even more firm and vigorous than Smith had been in dealing with the worthless men who made the greater part of the colony. Some of the most unruly were flogged, some were branded with hot irons, and one man was sentenced to death by starvation. Holding down the lawless by the arm of the law, Dale was also able to introduce reform. Before he took charge of affairs in Virginia there was a common store- house from which everybody, whether idle or indus- trious, could get food. When the good-for-nothmg settlers found out that they could thus live upon the products of others' labor, they would do nothing them- selves, but held back, throwing all the work upon thirty or forty men. Dale, appreciating the evd of this system, gave to every man his own plot of land. Out of what he raised each was obliged to put mto the common storehouse two and a half barrels of corn; the rest of his crop he could call his own. By this plan the idlers had to work or starve, and the thrifty were encouraged to work harder, because they knew they would receive the benefit of their labor. Soon after the new system was put in practice the NATHANIEL BACON 57 settlers discovered that great profits resulted from raising tobacco. The soil and climate of Virginia were especially favorable to its growth, and more money could be made in this way than in any other. Loading Tobacco. But since tobacco quickly exhausted the soil, much new land was needed to take the place of the old, and large plantations were necessary. Every planter tried to select a plantation on one of the numerous rivers of Virginia, so that he could easily take his tobacco 58 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES down to the wharf, whence a vessel would carry it to Europe. For a long time the planters were very prosperous through their tobacco culture, some even becoming wealthy. But a turn of fortune made things bad for them. The Navigation Laws were passed, which re- quired them to send all their tobacco to England in English vessels. These laws also required that the planters should buy from England all the European goods that might be needed, and should bring them over to Virginia in English vessels. The effect was to compel the colonist to sell his tobacco at whatever price English merchants were willing to pay, and to buy his goods at whatever price the English merchant saw fit to charge. Moreover, England laid heavy taxes on colonial trade, and when, after a while, the price of tobacco fell, the planter re- ceived small return for his labor. But these grievous trade regulations were not all that vexed the colonist. He had troubles at home even more irritating than the impositions of England. In 1660 Sir William Berkeley, a narrow-minded, sel- fish man, became Governor of Virginia. This polished cavalier, fond of the pleasures of the table and of good company, cared far more for his seventy horses than for the plain people whose welfare was entrusted to him. He cared so little indeed for the rights and wishes of the people, that he refused, for sixteen years after he became governor, to let a new assembly be elected. Having found in 1660 a set of pliant fol- NATHANIEL BACON 59 lowers, he kept them in office by adjourning the as- sembly from year to year. Although such conduct was hard to excuse, the people were forbearing until a great evil fell upon the settlement. The Indians began to invade the fron- tier, and used the firebrand, scalping-knife, and tom- ahawk with such fearful effect that three hundred set- tlers were killed and their homes burned. The people begged Governor Berkeley to send troops to punish the Indians; but he refused because he was carrying on a profitable trade in furs with the offenders. At length, five hundred men, in a frenzy of rage at their wrongs, urged Nathaniel Bacon, a wealthy, educated planter, to lead them against their red foes. Bacon was at this time only twenty-eight years old. Tall and graceful in person, this young man was also brave and generous. He had sympathy with the plain people, over whom he exerted great influence, and when at length the Indians killed an overseer and favorite servant on one of his large plantations, he was willing to join with the people and be their leader against the common foe. After trying in vain to get a commission from Governor Berkeley, Bacon put him- self at the head of five hundred troops, and without a commission marched boldly against the Indians. These he defeated with very little loss. In the meantime, with a force of his own soldiers, Berkeley followed after Bacon, whom he called a rebel and traitor. Before he could reach the young leader, however, Berkeley had to return to Jamestown to put 6o AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES down an uprising of the people. Nor did he succeed in restoring quiet until he agreed to an election of a new assembly to which Bacon himself was chosen a delegate. On Bacon's return from his attack upon the Indians he became the idol of the people. In their devotion to him and fear for his safety, thirty men armed with guns accompanied him on his sloop down the James River as he went to meet with the assembly at James- town. But this force was not large enough to pre- vent Berkeley's followers from capturing Bacon and taking him before the angry governor. On the advice of a friend, Bacon agreed to apolo- gize to the governor, with the understanding, as seems probable, that the latter should grant him the desired commission. But the trouble between the two men was by no means settled. That very night Bacon's friends warned him of a plot against his life. Under cover of darkness, therefore, he took horse, and found safe shelter among his followers. But he speedily returned to Jamestown at the head of five hundred troops, where he forced Berkeley to grant him a com- mission, and compelled the legislature to pass laws that were favorable to the interests of the people. Then hearing that the Indians were again beginning to burn and murder on the border, he marched against them. While he was gone Berkeley called out the militia, with the intention of overpowering Bacon upon his return, but on learning the governor's purpose the NATHANIEL BACON 6i troops refused to fight and went back to their homes. Sick with the sense of failure, Governor Berkeley now sought a place of safety across Chesapeake Bay in Accomac County. The Burning of Jamestown. Bacon once more occupied Jamestown, but for a third time found it necessary to march* against the Indians. While he was gone Berkeley, who had suc- ceeded in raising a troop of one thousand men, came back and took possession of the capital. Although 62 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Bacon's men were tired out with fighting the Indians, they promptly gathered at his call, and attacked Berkeley with such vigor that the poor governor was glad to escape again to his retreat in Accomac County. When Bacon got control of Jamestown, then a mere village of some sixteen to eighteen houses, he burned it to prevent its falling into Berkeley's hands. The people's leader had been successful, and had risked his life and his fortune for the common rights. But the strain of the past four or five months in the mala- rial swamps broke down his health, and after a short illness, he died of fever at the home of a friend, in October, 1676. It is not known where he was buried. His friends were obliged to hide his body, because they feared that, according to the custom of the times, Berkeley might seize it and have it hanged. With Bacon's death the rebellion lost its heart and soul. Berkeley brutually punished Bacon's friends, some twenty of whom he put to death. This dis- pleased the English king, who summoned the gover- nor to return to England, where he soon afterward died a broken-hearted man. Bacon's Rebellion, as this uprising of Virginians in 1676 has been rightly called, although it seemed to fail, was not without large influence for good. For it strengthened the liberty-loving spirit of the people, and prepared them for that greater movement in behalf of their rights that took place one hundred years later. NATHANIEL BACON 63 REVIEW OUTLINE The "starving time." Lord Delaware arrives. Dale does away with the common storehouse. Tobacco and the plantation. The Na\-igation Laws injure the planters. Berkeley acts like a tyrant. The Indians use the firebrand and the tomahawk with telling effect. Nathaniel Bacon leads a force against the Indians. He is elected to the assembly. His capture and escape. He gets his commission. He attacks Berkeley at Jamestown. His death. A STRIKING RESULT OF BaCON'S REBELLION. TO THE PUPIL 1. What important thing was done by Sir Thomas Dale? 2. What were the Navigation Laws, and how did they affect the planters? 3. Describe Berkeley. What do you admire in Bacon? 4. Write a paragraph on each of the following topics : Bacon leads a force against the Indians; Bacon elected to the assembly; his capture and escape ; he gets his commission ; he attacks Berkeley at Jamestown. 5. Review the following dates: 1492, 1541, and 1607. Add to these 1676. CHAPTER VI Miles Standish and the Pilgrims [1584-1656] ONLY thirteen years after Jamestown was settled, a colony of Englishmen, very different in char- acter from the gold hunters of Virginia, landed on the Massachusetts coast. These men came not to seek fortunes but rather to establish a community with high ideals of political and religious life. With them they brought their wiv^es and children, and a determi- nation to build for themselves permanent homes in the new world. Before tracing their fortunes in America, let us glance backward a few years and see them as they were in their English homes. At the present time people can choose their own church and worship as they please, but it was not al- ways so, even in England. In that country, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there was much religious disturbance, and many people were punished because they would not worship as the law required. There 64 MILES STANDISH 65 were Englishmen who, while loving the English Church, wished to make its services more simple or, as they said, purify its forms and ceremonies. These people were for this reason called Puritans. Others disliked the ceremonial and doctrines of the Church so much that they wished to form a separate body and worship after their own ideas. These were called Separatists, or Independents. The Separatists met for service on the Lord's Day In the home of William Brewster, one of their chief men, in the little village of Scrooby. For a year they tried to keep together and worship as an independent body. But as the laws of England required that all should worship in the Established Church, they found they could not do this without being hunted down, thrown into prison, and sometimes beaten and even hanged. They endured these persecutions as long as they could, and then some of them decided to leave their own land and seek a home In Holland, where they would be free to worship God as they pleased. James I, then King of England, being unwilling that they should go, they had much difficulty in carrying out their plan, but In 1608 they escaped and went to Amsterdam. From Amsterdam they went to Leyden, and finally from Leyden to America, by way of Eng- land. By reason of their wanderings they became known later as Pilgrims. Since they were poor people, the Pilgrims were obliged to accept any work that would enable them to 66 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES make a living. In Leyden many found employment in the manufacture of woollen goods. Here they were prosperous enough and enjoyed freedom of worship, but were unwilling to remain with the Dutch, fear- ing that their children would forget English. For, although England had been unkind to them, they cherished their native language, customs, and habits of life. They had heard much about the English colony in Virginia, and the association of their own people in a free land appealed strongly to their English hearts. To Virginia therefore they decided to go, believing that there they could worship in peace and harmony and bring up their children in sturdy English thought and feeling. But it is often easier to plan than to accomplish, and so it was with these home-yearning Pilgrims. Having decided to leave Holland, they found prac- tical difficulties to be overcome, the most serious of which were King James's opposition to their going to America and lack of funds for the long and expen- sive journey. He permitted them to sail, however, and agreed not to disturb them in America so long as they pleased him. After getting the king's con- sent and borrowing money on hard terms, these earnest men and w^omen made ready to sail for their new home in the forest wilds of America. They embarked in the Speedwell, at Delft Haven, a port twelve miles from Leyden, and sailed for South- ampton, on the south coast of England. Here they MILES STANDISH 67 joined some friends who had made ready another ves- sel, the now historic Mayflower. But a brief delay was occasioned by lack of money. In order to secure the necessary amount, about four hundred dollars. It was necessary to sell XOMTS SEA AmsterdaniiJ^y j^ ,^\ Levd( elft HaveuA^ A' jjnnJis'i The Pilgrims in England and Holland. some of their provis- ions. Including much of the butter. Funds being secured, the two vessels at last put to sea, but twice returned on account of a leak In the Speedwell. Final- ly, deeming that vessel unseaworthy, one hun- dred and two Pilgrims, Including men, women, chil- dren, and servants, took passage In the Mayflower, sail- ing from Plymouth, September 16, 1620. After a most trying and tempestuous voyage last- ing over nine weeks, land was sighted, November 19, 1620, but Instead of arriving off the coast of Virginia, as they had planned, the storm-beaten voyagers found themselves In what Is now the harbor of Provincetown. Before landing they entered Into a solemn agreement to make and obey such laws as should be needful for the good of the colony. John Carver was chosen governor. Not being able on account of the shallow water to get the Mayflower to a point where they could step ashore, the men had to carry the women In their arms 68 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES and wade several rods, though the weather was so cold that their clothing, wet from the ocean spray, froze stiff. Once on land, they fell upon their knees and thanked God for bringing them in safety through the many furious storms. Then immediately the women set to work lighting fires, boiling water, and washing clothing, while the men stood on guard to repel the Indians in case they might make an attack. It soon became clear that Cape Cod was an unfit place for a settlement, and an exploring party, with Miles Standish as military leader, was selected to look for a more suitable one. As military leader Miles Standish at once became conspicuous in the life of the colony. He was born in Lancashire, England, in 1584, of a noble family, but was in some way deprived of his estates. Going to the Continent he became a valiant and daring sol- dier in the Netherlands. Feeling a deep interest in the cause of the Pilgrims, he joined them when they sailed for America in the Mayflower, and made their fortunes his own. Small of stature, quick-witted, hot-tempered, and ready to brave any danger, this stout-hearted man was a fitting leader for the little Pilgrim army of some- thing like a score of men who were obliged to defend themselves and their families against wild beasts and unfriendly Indians. Many of the Pilgrim soldiers wore armor to pro- tect themselves against Indian arrows. In some in- stances this armor consisted of a steel helmet and Iron MILES STANDISH 69 breastplates, and in others of quilted coats of cotton wool. Like Miles Standish, some of the soldiers had swords at their sides, and all carried either flintlock or matchlock muskets so big and heavy that, before they could fire them off, they had to rest them upon supports stuck into the ground for the purpose. Standish's daring little band of soldiers explored some of the coast on the day the Mayflower anchored. The next Wednesday after landing they started out a second time in search of a suitable place for settle- ment. As they skirted the coast, landing here and there, they saw and heard Indians, who fled at their approach. Soon they came upon some mounds, out of which they dug bows and arrows and other utensils. These, however, they replaced, because they believed the mounds to be Indian graves. In a rude and deserted house they also found an Iron kettle. Digging into still another mound these home-hunters were delighted to discover large baskets filled with ears of Indian corn — red, white, and yellow. As they were sorely in need of food after their long voyage, they took with them some of the corn, for which they were careful to pay the Indians later. An amusing incident occurred on this otherwise serious journey. Before they got back to the May- flower, William Bradford, who afterward became the second governor of the Plymouth Colony, met with an accident that must have caused even the stern Pilgrim soldiers to smile. Picking his way through the un- 70 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES The Mayflower. derbrush of the wood he stepped unwittingly into a deer-trap, and was suddenly jerked up into the air, where he dangled by one leg until his friends released him, none the worse for the ludicrous oc- currence. After spending more than three weeks in vain efforts to find a place for settlement, a party of ten picked men, including Gov- ernor Carver, William Bradford, and Captain Miles Standish, set out on the afternoon of December i6th, in the midst of a driving storm, for another search. It was so cold that the spray, falling upon them, soon covered their cloth- ing with coats of ice, but the voyagers, though suffer- ing terribly, pushed courageously forward. At the close of the next day, having anchored in a creek, they constructed a barricade, not only as a pro- tection from the bitter weather, but as a means of de- fence against the Indians. This three-sided barricade, made of boughs, stakes, and logs, was about as high as a man, and was open on the leeward side. Within this shelter they lighted a big fire, which they kept roaring all night long. Then lying down around it, with their feet toward the burning logs, they wrapped their cloaks closely about them and fell asleep be- MILES STANDISH neath the trees and the open sky, one man always keeping guard. Next morning they were astir early, ready for the stubborn work of another day. Some of them had carried their muskets down to the shore, leaving them there to be put aboard the boat a little later, and were returning to breakfast when the shout "Indians!" followed by a shower of arrows, greeted them. The woods seemed full of red warriors, whose blood-cur- dling war-whoops must have struck fear to the hearts of the small band of explorers. However, the white men bravely stood their ground, and with cool arm and steady hand so terrified the savages that they soon took to their heels. Once out to sea again the Pilgrims encountered a furious gale that threatened to swamp their frail boat. All day long they were tossed about on the storm- swept sea, and just before dark an immense wave almost filled the boat and carried off the rudder. A little later a fierce gust of wind broke the mast into three pieces. Then without mast or rudder the daunt- less men struggled at the oars until morning when they reached land and found themselves on an Island which they named Clarke's Island, in honor of the May- flower's mate. Some further explorations revealed a suitable place for settlement. It had a good harbor, a stream of ex- cellent drinking water near by, and at a little distance from the shore a stretch of high ground affording a good location for a fort. In addition to these advan- 72 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES tages there was. a large field of cleared land on which the Indians had raised corn. Much cheered with their discovery the explorers returned with their report. After as little delay as possible, the Pilgrims landed ^ on the spot chosen for their new home, — the spot which John Smith had several years before named Plymouth. At once they set to work with heroic energy, some felling trees, some sawing, some split- ting, and some carrying logs to the places of building. They first erected a rude log-house, twenty feet square, which would serve for a common storehouse, for shelter, and for other purposes, and began the building of five separate private dwellings. They built also a hospital and a meeting-house. The houses were all alike in form and size. After cutting down trees and sawing logs of suitable length, the men dragged them by hand along the ground — for there were no horses or other beasts of burden — and laid them one upon another, thus forming the walls. Probably the chimneys and fireplaces were of The Pilgrim Settlement 1 According to tradition, the Pilgrims, in landing, stepped on a small granite bowlder, since known as Plymouth Rock. The date of land- ing, December 21, is called Forefathers' Day. MILES STANDISH 73 stone, the crevices being plastered with mortar made by mixing straw and mud, and oil paper taking the place of glass for windows. At the best, these log- houses were poor makeshifts for dwellings in the severe winter weather along the bleak New England coast. For furnishing these simple homes, the Pilgrims had brought over such articles as large arm-chairs, wooden settles, high-posted beds, truckle-beds for young children, and cradles for babies. Every home had also its spinning-wheel. The cooking was done in a big fireplace. Here the housewife baked bread in large ovens, roasted meat by putting It on Iron spits which they had to keep turning In order to cook all sides of the roast alike, and boiled various kinds of food in large kettles hung over the fire. As there were no friction matches In those days, it was the custom to kindle a fire by striking sparks with a flint and steel into dry tinder-stuff. Having once started a fire, — which was no easy matter, — they had to be very careful not to let It go out, and for that reason covered the coals at bedtime with ashes. In the place of candles or lamps, pitch-pine knots furnished light at night. We can well Imagine the Pilgrim boys and girls resting on the settles In the evening, and reading by the blaze from the huge fire- place. In this first winter lack of good food and warm clothing, exposure to the cold, and various kinds of hardship bred disease in the little colony. At one 74 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES — ^paJ A Matchlock Gun. time only sev^en men were well enough to take care of the sick and suffering. One of these seven was the fearless soldier, Miles Standish. He now became a tender nurse, and joined with William Bradford and Elder Brewster in making fires, washing clothes, cook- ing food, and in other plain household duties. By spring about half of the colonists, including Governor Carver and Rose Standish, wife of Captain Miles Standish, had died. Notwithstanding all the sufferings, however, not one of the Pilgrims went back on the Mayflower when she sailed for England. But so weak had the colony become through loss of able- bodied men, that corn was planted on the graves to keep the Indians from learning how many had died. One day in early spring, the Pilgrims were startled by the sudden appearance of an Indian, Samoset by name, who cried in English, " Welcome, English- men." A week later he returned with a friend, named Squanto,^ who had formerly liv^ed at Plymouth with other Indians, all of whom had been swept away by a plague. Squanto was glad to get back to his old home once more. He afterward came to live with the Pilgrims, acting as their messenger and interpreter and showing them how to hunt and how to catch fish. From him ' Squanto had been taken to England by some white men in 1614. MILES STANDISH 75 A GrouD of Pilgrim Relics. they learned how to plant corn. Putting one or two herring as a fertilizer in every hill, they would watch for a while to prevent the wolves from digging up and eating the fish, and in due time would have an abun- dant return. About a week after Samoset's first appearance, he returned and announced the approach of Massasoit, an Indian chief living at Mount Hope, some forty miles southwest of Plymouth, Captain Miles Standish marched out with his men to escort the Indian chief to meet Governor Carver in an unfinished house. The Pilgrims had spread upon the floor a green mat, which they covered with cushions for the chief and the governor. When the chief, who was a man of fine presence and dignified bearing, was seated upon the cushions, Governor Carver was escorted to the place of meeting by the Pilgrim soldiers, amid the beating 76 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES of drums and the blowing of trumpets. After the governor had kissed the chief's hand, the two men agreed to be friends and keep peace between the white men and the red. The friendship thus romantically begun lasted for more than fifty years. Before Mas- sasolt's departure the Pilgrims gave him two skins and a copper necklace. As summer came on the condition of the Pilgrims Improved. There was much less sickness, and food was more easily obtained. On the arrival of autumn the corn and barley planted by the Pilgrims yielded a good return, and ducks, geese, wild turkeys, and deer could be secured by hunting. When Massasoit with ninety men came to see the Pilgrims in the autumn, the Indians brought some deer and the Pilgrims fur- nished food from their supplies, so that a three days' feast was held. This was the first celebration of the New England Thanksgiving. But not all of the Indian neighbors were so friendly as Massasoit and his tribe. Canonicus, chief of the Narragansetts, sent to Plymouth an insolent greeting in the form of a number of arrows tied with a snake's skin. The Pilgrims on their part stuffed the snake's skin full of powder and bullets, and In defiance sent it back to Canonicus. So deeply impressed were the Indians by this fearless act that they let the whites alone. Believing It wise to be prepared against Indian attacks, however, the Pilgrims surrounded the settle- ment with palisades, and erected on " Burial Hill " a MILES STANDISH 77 building, on the flat roof of which cannon were placed, the room downstairs- serving as a meeting-house. Energetic In practical affairs, they were equally zeal- ous In religious observance; for they were very regu- Pilgrims Returning from Church. lar In their church attendance. Their Sabbaths began with sundown on Saturday and lasted until sundown on Sunday. The beating of a drum on Sunday morn- ing was the signal for the men to meet at the door of 78 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Captain Miles Standish's house, from which they marched three abreast, followed by their governor in a long robe, with the minister on his right and Miles Standish on his left. After the men came the women, then the children, and last of all the servants. On entering the church they sat in order of rank, the old men In one part of the church, the young men In another, mothers with their little children In a third, young women In a fourth, and the boys In a fifth. The services lasted all the morning; then, after an intermission for lunch at noon, they began again and continuing all the afternoon. But on the coldest days of winter only foot-stoves were used to heat the meet- Ing-house. Nor was this the only discomfort the Pil- grims had in their church worship. For even these good people found It sometimes hard to remain awake during the long services. And it was the duty of the constable to see that all kept their eyes open. If this official saw a boy asleep he rapped him with the end of a wand; If he saw a woman nodding he brushed her gently with a hare's foot, which was on the other end of the wand. The Pilgrims held their town meetings In the meet- ing-house, where they held their religious services. At town meetings all the men wore their hats. In voting they used corn and beans, a grain of corn meaning yes and a bean meaning no. Such was the life of the little company of true- hearted men and women at Plymouth. Small In MILES STANDISH 79 number as they were, they remained brave in spirit, amid surroundings which tested all their powers of endurance. For several years Miles Standish did valiant service there, and then went to live at Dux- bury, where he was soon joined by some of his Pilgrim friends, among whom was John Alden. Here the good captain remained the rest of his life, except when he was needed as military leader by the colony. He died many years later, — in 1656, — leaving behind him a good name with the Pilgrims and the rest of the world. Brewster's and Standish's Swords. REVIEW OUTLINE The Englishmen who settled in New England Puritans and Separatists. The Separatists escape to Holland. The Pilgrims leave Holland for America. Difficulties in their way. The voyage of the Mayflower. Miles Standish made military leader. The stout-hearted Captain Miles Standish. The grim Pilgrim soldiers. Captain Miles Standish heads a second exploring party. Indian mounds; Bradford in the deer-trap. A dangerous expedition. 8o AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES a night in the woods; indians. a struggle for life on the storm-swept sea. a suitable place for settlement. Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth. The busy builders of log-houses. In the homes of the Pilgrims. The suffering Pilgrims. Samoset; Squanto; Massasoit visits the Pilgrims. A Thanksgiving feast. Indian enemies. The Pilgrims at church serx^ces. The meeting-house. Death of Captain Miles Standish. TO THE PUPIL 1. What do you admire in the character of Miles Standish, and what did he do for the Pilgrims at Plymouth? 2. Trace on the map the wanderings of the Pilgrims. 3. Write an account of the "Dangerous Expedition" of the ten picked men who set out on December i6th, in search of a place for settle- ment. Picture to yourself the following: the party lying by the big fire under the trees with the barricade about them; the Pilgrims on their way to church ; and Massasoit entertained by Governor Carver. 4. Describe a Pilgrim dwelling and its furniture. $. Compare the Pilgrims with the Jamestown settlers. CHAPTER VII Roger Williams and the Puritans [1599-1683] FOR years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth (1620) their number grew so slowly that by 1630 the population was only three hun- dred. After that year they began to increase more rapidly, by reason of neighboring settlements made by the Puritans at various places on the Massachusetts coast. We have already seen that the Puritans In England were dissatisfied with the English Church, and that they wished to purify some of its forms and beliefs. But they did not succeed in their purpose because the Stuart Kings of England, James I. and Charles I., bit- terly opposed the Puritan movement. For a long time the Puritans held their meetings secretly in such out- of-the-way places as private houses and barns. At length, encouraged by the success of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, they decided to leave their homes In old 81 82 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES England and try to form a new England across the Atlantic. These Puritans were not, like the Pilgrims, poor men of little influence, for some of them had been educated at Oxford or Cambridge, some were wealthy, and some were connected with distinguished families. All were of sterling character, ready to undergo hard- ship for the sake of their religion. In 1628, therefore, some of the leading Puritans formed a trading company and, having bought a tract of land in America from the Plymouth Company, sent out settlers to occupy it. The first settlement was at Salem with Endicott as leader. Two years later eleven vessels sailed with nearly 1,000 Puritans, bringing with them horses, cattle, and stores of various kinds. They located at Boston, Dorchester, Charlestown, and other towns near Boston. John Winthrop, their leader, was the first governor. Each of these settlements constituted a township, which usually Included an area of from forty to sixty square miles. Within this tract settlers lived In vil- lages, in the centre of which stood their meeting-house, used not only for a place of worship but for all kinds of public meetings. Near the meeting-house stood the block-house. This was a rude, strongly built structure, where the people of the village could take refuge in case of attack from Indians. Extending through each village was a long street, and on either side of It stood the settlers' dwellings with their small farms stretching back in the rear. These ROGER WILLIAMS 83 ,->*r ^?.^ Roger Williams on his Way to Visit the Chief of the Narragansett Indians. dwellings, which in early years were only log huts, afterward gave place to high-roofed frame houses. All were simple, solid, and neat. Upon entering one of these early Puritan homes we should find two principal rooms, the " best room " and the kitchen. In the kitchen the thing of special interest to us would be the fireplace, large enough for a back-log fiv^e or six feet long and two or three feet thick. In this great fireplace a Puritan housewife could roast an entire sheep. As stoves were un- known in these olden days, all cooking was done at this open fire, and it was by such firesides that the Puritan boys and girls used to spend the long winter evenings. While the logs blazed the mother and daughters would knit, or spin, or quilt, and the 84 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Block House. father would read his Bible or smoke his pipe. At this family hearth there was also much good cheer in cider-drinking, nut-cracking, and story-telling, espe- cially when the family was fortunate enough to have a stranger present as a guest. At such times the children were always good listeners. But much as it was prized, a visit from a stranger was a rare oc- currence, for as there were no carriages or pub- lic conveyances of any kind, long journeys were seldom made. When trav- elling by land the settlers sometimes went on foot and sometimes on horseback. In the latter case the men sat in front and the women on a pillion behind. For carrying supplies, sleds were used in winter and ox-carts in summer. Since travel was so difficult, there was very little communication between distant villages unless they happened to touch upon the sea. But frequently this was not the case, for many of the settlements, follow- ing the courses of rivers, extended Inland rather than along the coast. When a stranger did appear, however, he was always welcome, for he was sure to bring some bit of news from the world outside. Perhaps, if he had travelled through the woods, he might tell of some dangerous ROGER WILLIAMS 85 adventure with wild beasts or Indians. If in midwinter he dared to make the journey, he might tell how he spent a cold night in some deserted wigwam, into which he had been driven by howling wolves. Such thrilling chapters from the book of every-day life were of spe- cial interest to people whose experience was very nar- row and monotonous. For in those days there were no newspapers and few books. We should make a great mistake, however, were we to imagine that the Puritans did not value books and reading. They appreciated reading and education so much that every town was required to have a school. As a consequence of this excellent system, there were very few people who could not read and write. The study of the Bible was an important feature in all this school training, and absorbed much of the thought of the Puritan mind, especially on the Sabbath. The Puritan Sabbath, which began at sunset on Satur- day and ended at sunset on Sunday, was largely given up to church worship. All work and travel, not abso- lutely necessary, were sus- pended, and no playing on a musical instrument was al- lowed. Two instances will illustrate the severity of the Puritan ideas of Sabbath observation. The first is that of two lovers, who were brought to trial because Roger Williams's Meeting-House. 86 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES they were seen sitting together on the Lord's Day under an apple-tree. The second tells us of a Boston sea-captain who was put into the public stocks for two hours because he kissed his wife on the Sabbath Day upon the doorsteps of his house. He had just returned after a two years' absence on a sea-voyage. In all this strictness about Sabbath observance, the Puritans were wholly sincere. To them purity of re- ligion was the supreme interest of life. They had left their old homes in England that they might worship according to their own belief in a community under the control of Puritan ideas. But it was no easy matter for them to arrange the affairs of Church and State just as they wished, even in this new Puritan commonwealth. For they found some of the settlers unwilling to believe and act in ac- cordance with Puritan ideas of right and wrong. One of these troublesome persons was a young m.an who came with his bride to Salem in 1631. This young man was Roger Williams. He was born in England in 1599. An Englishman of influence se- cured for the clever lad a scholarship in the Charter- House school, from which young Roger later went to Cambridge University. Having become a Puritan, Roger Williams, like so many others of his faith, found it wise to leave England. He came to America in order that he might escape religious persecution and enjoy religious freedom. On reaching New England he went to Salem, and was there appointed a minister of the church. After ROGER WILLIAMS 87 a very short time he left Salem, and went with his family to Plymouth. Remaining there for two years, he became deeply interested in the Indians, and began the difficult task of learning their language. He wrote afterward, " God was pleased to give me a painful, patient spirit to lodge with them in their filthy, smoky holes to gain their tongue." In this way he acquired a good knowledge of the Indians, whom he learned to love and who learned to love him. Little •igigik-f^^f=^ iwU 1 did he realize that this warm friendship would in after years save not only his own life but also the lives of many other Puri- tans. While winning the friendship of the Ind- ians, Roger Williams incensed the Puritans by saying in strong language that they had no just claim to the lands they were living on. He said that the King had no right to grant to any company these lands, because they had never belonged to him. The Indians, and only the Indians, owned them. It is needless to say that such arguments made many bitter enemies for the youthful preacher. Of course he could not continue in this severe criti- cism of matters so important to the Puritan heart with- A Puritan Fireplace. 88 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES out losing many of his friends. The wrath of the Puritans at length became so great that they tried him in court and banished him from Massachusetts. As he became ill about this time, however, he was told that he might remain in the colony through the winter if he would not preach. But as soon as he grew better his friends, who were very fond of him, began to spend much time in talking with him at his home in Salem, where he now lived. The Puritans, fearing his influence, deter- mined to send him at once to England. When the heroic young minister heard of this, he hastily said good-by to his wife and two children — one of whom was a little girl two years old and the other a baby — and looked for safety in the home of his old friend Massasoit, living near Mount Hope, seventy or eighty miles away. The outlook was dreary enough. It was midwinter (January, 1636), and the snow was lying deep upon the ground. As there was no road cut through the forest, Roger Williams had to depend upon his com- pass for a guide. To keep himself from freezing, he carried with him a hatchet to chop kindling wood, and a flint and sleel to kindle it into flame. Thus fitted -^!3l. The Rhode Island Settlement. ROGER WILLIAMS 89 out, he started, though still weak from his recent ill- ness, with a staff in his hand and a pack on his back, to look for his dusky friend, Massasoit. This long journey in the bitter weather of a New England winter was indeed a trying experience to the lonely traveller. He wrote long afterward, " Steering my course, in win- ter snow, I was sorely tossed for one fourteen weeks in a bitter winter season, not knowing what bed or bread did mean." Having found Massasoit, he spent much of the winter in the wigwam kindly furnished him by the Indian chief. In the spring he began to erect buildings at Seekonk on land given him by the Indians. But his friend, Governor Winthrop, having secretly sent him word that Seekonk was in the territory belonging to the Massachusetts colony, he decided to go elsewhere. Accordingly, he and five of his friends rowed down the river and, landing at a place pointed out by the Indians as having a spring of good water, made a settlement, which they called Providence, in token of God's watchful care over them. This was the begin- ning of Rhode Island, a colony where all men, what- ever their religious belief might be, were welcome. Men who had been persecuted elsewhere on account of their religion were glad to go to Rhode Island, where they were allowed to worship as they pleased. And thus it soon grew to be a prosperous settlement. Roger Williams was a man of pure and noble soul. He did not seem to bear any grudge against the peo- ple of Massachusetts. For when, in 1637, the Pequots 90 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES tried to get the Narragansett Indians to join them in a general uprising against the whites, and especially against those living in Massachusetts, he did all he could to frustrate their plans. At this time he set out one stormy day in his canoe to visit Canonicus, chief of the Narragansetts, and succeeded, at the risk of his life, in preventing the union of the two tribes against the whites. He died in 1683 at the age of eighty-four years. Although his judgment was not always wise, his mo- tives were upright. In his struggle with the Puritans he was ahead of his age, which was not yet ready for such advanced ideas of religious toleration. REVIEW OUTLINE Small number of Pilgrims at Plymouth. The Puritans decide to go to America. They are people of influence in England. The Puritan settlers in Massachusetts. The New England village. The meeting-house; the block-house; the great fire- place. Modes of travel. The stranger welcomed. Education. Puritan ideas of Sabbath observance and religious wor- ship. Roger Williams comes to New England. He wins the friendship of the Indians. He makes Puritan enemies. The Puritans banish Roger Williams. He escapes in midwinter. ROGER WILLIAMS 91 a lonely journey through the forest. Roger Williams makes a settlement at Pro\'idence. He prevents the Narragansetts from joining the Pequots in their war. Death of Roger Williams. TO THE PUPIL 1. Picture to yourself the New England village ; also the big fire-place with the Puritan family gathered about the blazing fire at night. 2. What do you admire in Roger Williams? How did he make many Puritan enemies? 3. Write an account of his midwinter journey through the woods. 4. Tell how he befriended the people of Massachusetts at the outbreak of the Pequot War. 5. How did the people of Providence feel about religious freedom? CHAPTER VIII William Penn and the Settlement of Pennsylvania [1644-1718] THE Pilgrims and Puritans were not the only people who had to suffer persecution in Eng- land because they did not believe in the doctrines and forms of worship of the Established Church. Under the leadership of George Fox there sprang up (about 1669) a peculiar religious sect called by themselves Friends and by others Quakers. These people were severely punished on account of their religious ideas. The central doctrine of their creed was that they were in all things led by the " inner light," as they called conscience, which revealed to them the will of God. Believing that all men were equal before the law, the Quaker always kept his hat on in public places as a sign of equality, refusing to uncover even in the presence of royalty. Other peculiar tenets of the Quakers were their unwillingness to take an oath in court; to go to war; to pay taxes in support of 92 WILLIAM PENN 93 war; the use of " thee " and " thou " in addressing one another; and, as a protest against the rich and elegant dress of their time, the wearing of plain clothes of sober colors. Their disdain of familiar customs made them appear very eccentric, and their boldness of speech and action frequently brought upon them the punishment of the law. But they were fearless in their defiance, and even eager to suffer for the sake of their religious belief, some being fined, some cast into prison, some whipped, and some put to death. Not only in England, but in Massachusetts also, they were treated like criminals. The Puritan fathers hated and feared them so much that they banished Quakers from their colony, and even put some of them to death on account of their views on religion and government. But, as always, persecution only seemed to spread the faith, and soon this derided and abused sect included eminent converts. Among the most prominent was William Penn, who was born in London in 1644, the son of Sir William Penn, a wealthy admiral in the British Navy. Con- spicuous service to his country had won him great esteem at Court, and he naturally desired to give his son the best possible advantages. At the early age of sixteen, young William was sent to Oxford, where his studious habits and fine scholar- ship soon distinguished him. He became proficient in Greek and Latin, and learned to speak with ease the modern languages, French, German, Italian, and Dutch. Devoting a part of his time to athletics, he became 94 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES a skilful oarsman and a leader in various out-door sports. While he was at Oxford, Penn heard Thomas Loe, a travelling Quaker, preach. The new doctrines, as expounded by Loe, took so deep a hold upon him, that he refused to attend the religious services of his college.^ For this irregularity he was fined, together with some of his companions who were of the same mind. Disregarding the reproof, these conscientious young men even refused to wear the required college gown, and committed a yet graver offence against their college by tearing off the gowns from some of their fellow-students. By reason of these bold and unruly proceedings the college authorities expelled Penn in disgrace. His father was very angry at what he deemed his son's folly, and knowing that neither rebuke nor persuasion was likely to swerve the young man from his purpose, Admiral Penn decided to send William to Paris, with the hope that in the gay life of the French capital he might forget his Quaker ideas. Penn was now a strongly built young man of eigh- teen, with large eyes and long dark hair falling in curls about his shoulders. For a brief time he gave himself up to the fashionable social life of Paris. Later he engaged in study at school for something like a year, and then spent another year in travelling through France and Italy. When he returned to England after * Oxford University is composed of a number of colleges. The one Penn attended was Christ Church College. WILLIAM PENN'S FAMOUS TREATY WITH THE INDIANS 96 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES two years' absence, he was a cultivated young gentle- man, very different from the sober youth who on leav- ing Oxford had been called by his companions " a Quaker or some other melancholy thing." The following year, however, Penn's gay spirits were disturbed by the awful plague that fell upon London. The Admiral, noting the serious look and manner of his son, again sent him from home — this time to Ireland — for diversion. While Penn was in Ireland an insurrection broke out, and he volunteered as a soldier. Military life evidently appealed to him, for he caused a portrait of himself to be painted, in full armor. While still serving as a soldier, Penn learned that the Quaker, Thomas Loe, was preaching near by, and went to hear him once more. The Quaker ideas now took complete possession of him, and he embraced the new religion with his whole heart. A little later, when he was arrested In a Quaker meeting-house and thrown into prison, his father was indignant because William had brought upon his family such humiliating disgrace. After William's release from prison, however, the stern old Admiral in his great love for his son said he would forgive his peculiar customs if only he would remove his hat to his father, to the King, or to the Duke of York. But on praying over the matter, Penn said he could not do it. One day, on meeting the King, he had the boldness to stand with his hat on in the royal presence. Instead of getting angry, the fun- loving King Charles laughed and took off his own hat. WILLIAM PENN 97 " Why dost thou remove thy hat, friend Charles? " said WiUiam Penn. " Because," answered the King, " wher- ever I am It Is customary for one to remain uncovered." But the Admiral's patience was by this time ex- hausted. He drove his wilful son from his presence, and told him to begone for all time. Fort- unately for Will- iam, his mother begged for him, and so did others who recognized the earnest and sincere purpose of the young Quaker. The Pennsylvania Settlement. His father therefore forgave him once more, and allowed him to return home. From this time on William Penn used his influence — which was by no means small — In behalf of the per- secuted Quakers; but he had to suffer the consequences of his own fearlessness. Many times was he thrown into prison, there to remain, It might be, for months. Yet even In prison he spent his time in writing books and pamphlets, explaining and defending the Quaker religion. Indeed, his labors were unceasing, so firm was his faith in Quaker Ideas. Soon his power for doing good was Immensely In- creased. In 1670 his father died and left him a princely fortune which, true to his generous nature, he 98 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Penn's Slate-roof House, Philadelphia. determined to use for the good of others, and especially for the good of the despised and persecuted Quakers. The Crown owed Penn's father about £16,000, which the King, with his extravagant habits, was not likely to pay for many a day. William Penn, there- fore, decided to ask the King to pay the debt not in money but in land. The good-natured Charles, thinking this was an easy way to cancel the obliga- tion, readily granted to William Penn an extensive tract of land lying on the west side of the Delaware River. Penn wished his new possession to be called Sylva- nia, or Woodland, but the King insisted upon calling it Pennsylvania, in honor of Penn's father. Upon receiving his grant, Penn at once sent word to the Quakers that in Pennsylvania they could find a home and a resting-place from their troubles. Penn's leading aim was to plant a self-governing colony, whose people should have justice and religious freedom. Hundreds of Quakers eagerly took advan- tage of the favorable opportunity which Penn thus offered to them. During the year 1681, when the first settlement was planted in Pennsylvania, something like 3,000 of them sailed for the Delaware River. The next year Perm himself sailed for America, although he left his wife and children behind. WILLIAM PENN 99 He selected the junction of the Delaware and Schuyl- kill rivers as the site for his city, and called it Phila- delphia, or the City of Brotherly Love, in token of the spirit which he hoped might prevail throughout his colony. He laid out the city most carefully, giving the streets such names as Pine, Cedar, Mulberry, Wal- nut, and Chestnut, after the trees he found growing there. When the first settlers came to Philadelphia, some of them lived in caves which they dug in the high river-banks. The first houses, built of logs, were very simple, containing only two rooms and hav- ing no floor except the earth. Philadelphia grew so fast, however, that by 1684 it had 357 houses, many of which were three stories high, with cellars and balconies. As we might expect from a man of his even temper and unselfish spirit, Penn treated the Indians with kindness and justice, and won their friendship from the first. .Although he held the land by a grant from the King of England, still he wished to satisfy the natives by paying them for their claims to the land. Accordingly, he called a council under the spreading branches of a now famous elm- tree, where he met the red men as friends, giving them knives, kettles, axes, beads, and various other things in exchange for the land. He declared that A Belt of Wampum Given to Penn by the Indians. loo AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES he was of the same flesh and blood as they; and highly pleased, the Indians in return declared that they would live in love with William Penn as long as the sun and moon should shine. Penn paid the . Indians friendly visits, ate their roasted acorns and hominy, and joined them in their sports. One day while they were leaping and jump- ing in his presence, he suddenly " sprang up and beat them all." Penn soon returned to England, but many years later (1699) he came back to Pennsylvania with his wife and one daughter. As he was very wealthy, he had two homes, one in the city and another in the country. His country home, which was northeast of the city on the Delaware River, cost him $35,000. In this house were elegant furnishings, and here, in his large dining-hall, Penn lavishly entertained English- men, Swedes, Indians, negroes, and passing strangers who called at his door. We are told that his table was so bountiful that at one of his feasts the guests ate a hundred roast turkeys. The grounds about his country home were magnificent, containing various kinds of fruits and flowers, and in his stables were many horses. But notwithstanding these material blessings, Penn's life was not without trials and disappointments, which it is needless to dwell upon. Owing to his warm friendship for King James, he was suspected of plot- ting in his favor after the King was forced to leave England in 1688. He was therefore more than once WILLIAM PENN loi arrested, but in every case he was set free for lack of evidence against him. Many years later, on his refusal to pay a false claim made by his steward, he was thrown into prison, where his health was broken by confine- ment. He died in 171 8. His life had been a hard struggle, but it had been successful, and had come to an honorable close. REVIEW OUTLINE The Quakers and their peculiar ideas. Punishment of the Quakers in England and in Massa- chusetts. William Penn's father, Admiral Penn. William Penn at Oxford University. He turns Quaker. Admiral Penn sends his son to Paris. William Penn returns to England. He becomes a soldier in Ireland. He is thrown into prison. The stubborn young Quaker. Penn's mother begs for him, The King's grant to William Penn. The Quakers settle in Pennsylvania. The City of Brotherly Love. Penn's kind and just treatment of the Indians. His home life. His last days. 102 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES TO THE PUPIL 1. Give some of the peculiar ideas of the Quakers. 2. Why was Perm thrown into prison? In what ways did he give evidence of his stubbornness? 3. Why did he wish to settle Pennsylvania? Imagine the scene when under the elm-tree Perm met the Indians and made a treaty with them. 4. Tell something about his home life. 5. What do you admire in Penn's character? 6. When did the Quakers settle Pennsylvania? CHAPTER IX Cavelier De La Salle and the French in the Mississippi Valley [1643-1687] THE same year In which William Penn laid out Philadelphia and there made a treaty with the Indians, a noted Frenchman sailed down the Missis- sippi River, exploring It In the Interests of France. This man was Robert Cavelier, better known as La Salle, who, like many of his countrymen, was trying, just as the Spaniards and Englishmen had tried, to find or to do something In America that would not only bring glory to his own name, but also wealth and honor to his fatherland. We have now to consider the work of the French In America. In 1534 Cartler, a French explorer, discovered the St. Lawrence, and sailed up the river as far as an Indian village on the present site of Montreal. He took possession of Canada in the name of the French King, and his favorable reports led to several unsuc- cessful attempts to plant settlements there. 103 I04 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES More than seventy years after the discovery of the St. Lawrence, another French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, sailed up the noble river. Much im- pressed with the great beauty of the St. Lawrence Val- ley and its wealth of forests and furs, he longed to bring all this vast new country under the control of France. In 1608 he planted the first permanent French settlement in Canada, at Quebec, and the following year discovered the lake which bears his name. Although Champlain loved his country and desired to increase its glory and power, he made an unfortu- nate blunder, which proved fatal to the best Interests of France in the New World. In plant- ' Ing the settlement at Que- Long House of the Iroquois. , . ^ r> i r J bee, m 1608, he round that the neighboring tribes of Algonquin Indians were bitter enemies of the Mohawks, one of the Five Na- tions, or Iroquois, who lived In New York. The Algonquins begged him to join them in an attack upon the Mohawks, and he unwisely consented. Having gone up Lake Champlain with a canoe-party of sixty Indians, he landed near the site of Tlcon- deroga to fight a battle with two hundred hardy Mohawk warriors. Champlain, clad In light armor and gun In hand, advanced at the head of his war- party and, shooting into the ranks of the astonished Mohawks, who stood In battle array, brought to the CAVELIER DE LA SALLE 105 earth two of their chiefs. The others fled in terror and confusion, while their enemies, Champlain's dusky alHes, yelled with joy, and filled the woods with their terrible warwhoops. From that day, however, the Iroquois were the bitter enemies of the French, and this enmity seriously interfered with the successful carrying out of French plans. Having control of the St. Lawrence River, France greatly desired to get control of the Mississippi River as well. Once securing possession of these two great streams, she would come into possession of the wealth of the North American Continent. But the Iroquois Indians were strongly posted in the Mohawk River Valley, and thus held the key to the situation. In this way they blocked the path of the French, who wished to reach the Ohio and the Mississippi through Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. So the French were driven to seek a route farther north, a route which was much longer and more diffi- cult. It w^ould be well for you to trace on your map this roundabout way, which extended up the Ottawa River . into Georgian Bay, through Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, across into the Illinois River, and through that into the Mississippi. In the same year that Champlain made the Iroquois bitter enemies of the French, Henry Hudson won their lasting friendship for the Dutch. About the time the Frenchman was fighting in the battle against the Mohawks at Ticonderoga, Hudson, with a crew of twenty men in the Half Moon, was sailing up the io6 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES river that now bears his name. Instead of finding the short passage to the Pacific, for which he was search- ing in the interests of the Dutch, he discovered the great water-way to the interior. Having received just treatment from him, the Iroquois Indians became his friends and the friends of the Dutch settlers and traders that came later. From that time, in fact, these Iroquois Indians were as ready to sell their furs to the Dutch and to the English, who in 1664 took New York away from the Dutch, as they were to oppose the French and com- pel them to go many hundred miles out of their way in the tedious explorations in search of the Missis- sippi, This toilsome work of exploration was largely accomplished by the Jesuit missionaries. Fearless in their heroic efforts to advance their faith, they suffered all sorts of hardships, many being put to death, in their earnest struggle to bring religious truth to the ignorant red men of the woods. In their journeys through the forests and over the lakes, these Jesuit Fathers made many valuable discoveries and explora- tions which they carefully recorded in their journals. It was one of these missionaries, Father Marquette, who succeeded in reaching the waters of the Missis- sippi. Attended by Joliet and five other Frenchmen, he went, in 1673, as far down the mighty river as the mouth of the Arkansas. This was sixty-five years after Champlain made his settlement at Quebec. But the most important of all the French explora- XTT .«> '"''"''^wWX^ -^ \' 107 io8 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES tions were made by the daring and tireless La Salle. He was born in France in 1643, and belonged to an old and rich family. Strong in mind and character, he received a good education, and became an earnest Catholic. With a heart ready to brave any danger in the achievement of glory for himself and for France, this young man at the age of twenty-three sailed for Canada. His plans, as finally worked out, were twofold: ( I ) To build forts and trading centres at various points along the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi; and (2) to plant a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. Wishing to get control of the rich fur trade for France, his forts and his colony would help to protect and further this trade, which could be carried on more easily by way of the Mississippi, than by way of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence, For along the latter route lay the hostile Iroquois, who were friendly to the Dutch and the English; and, moreover, the St. Lawrence was ice-bound nearly one- half of the year. Early in August, 1679, after long and weary efforts spent in preparation. La Salle launched on the Niagara River above the Falls, his little vessel, the Griffin, of forty tons burden, which was to bear him through the lakes on his way to the Mississippi. Nearly a year before. starting. La Salle had sent up the lakes fifteen men to trade for furs. He expected them to have ready, against the time of his arrival, a cargo of furs to be sent back to Canada. For La Salle CAVELIER DE LA SALLE 109 needed a great deal of money with which to buy pro- visions, ammunition, and tools, and to pay his men for their services. Besides, he wished to get cables, anchors, and rigging for a new vessel to be built on the Illinois River, for the purpose of making his ex- pedition to the mouth of the Mississippi. The ex- pected cargo of furs, taken back and sold in Canada, would give him the money he needed to carry out his plans. Having arrived at the head of Lake Huron, there- fore, he collected the cargo awaiting him, loaded the Griffin with furs, and on September 18, 1679, de- spatched it In charge of six men to Niagara. La Salle himself pushed on to the mouth of the St. Joseph River, where he built a fort, and waited long and anx- iously for the Griffin's return. But he waited in vain, for he never heard from his vessel again. It was a great loss and a keen disappointment. After waiting long he continued his way, careworn and weary, with eight canoes and a party of thirty-three men. They rowed up the St. Joseph In search of the car- rying-place leading to the head-waters of the Illinois River. On landing. La Salle started off alone to look for the pathway. In the midst of a blinding snow- storm he lost his bearings In the dense forest, and wandered until about two o'clock In the morning, when he found himself once more at the river, and fired his gun as a signal to the party. Then his eyes caught the welcome sight of a fire burning In the woods. Believing he was near his no AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES friends, he quickened his steps, only to find himself mistaken. Near the fire, under a tree, was a bed of dried grass which was still warm, and showed plainly that a man had but a few minutes before been lying there. Very likely the man was an Indian, who had been frightened off by the sound of the gun. La Salle carefully placed brush for a sort of barricade on each side of the newly found bed, and then lay down by the blazing fire and slept till daybreak. He did not find his friends until four o'clock next afternoon. On rejoining his party they made their way down the Illinois River, until their eyes fell upon some Ind- ian wigwams on the forest-covered bank. The Indians, being friendly, received the Frenchmen with generous hospitality. They urged La Salle not to go down the Mississippi. They indeed said so much of the dan- ger of the journey that six of La Salle's followers de- serted, and another tried to poison him. These were sad days for La Salle and, like all his days, were beset with troubles and dangers. To protect himself from attack during the winter, he now planned the building of a fort which he called Crevecoeur, the French word for heartbreak, surely a fitting name. Up to this time the iron-willed La Salle had not given up hope of hearing from the Griffin, but now he decided that his vessel was lost. There was but one thing to do. He must make an overland journey to Canada, 1,500 miles away, to get supplies for his ex- pedition down the Mississippi. It was a dangerous undertaking. But on March i, 1680, with an Indian CAVELIER DE LA SALLE m hunter and four Frenchmen, the dauntless explorer started In two canoes. The season was the worst in the year for such a journey. The ground was covered with melting snow, and the rivers in many places were frozen with ice, too thick to be broken by the boats. Much of the time the party had to pull the canoes on rough sleds over- land or carry them on their shoulders until, a few days after starting, they hid them in the woods and pushed forward on foot to the head of Lake Michigan. Reaching that point, it was now necessary for them to thread their toilsome way through the deep forests of Southern Michigan to the head of Lake Erie. For three days the undergrowth was so thick with thorns that it tore their clothing into shreds, and scratched their faces until they were covered with blood. An- other three days were spent in wading, sometimes up to their waists, in the mud and water of the flood-covered marshes. At night they would take off their clothing and, covering their bodies with blankets. He down to sleep on some dry hillock. One frosty night their clothes froze so stiff that in the morning they had to be thawed by the fireside before they could be put on. Amid such exposure some of the men fell sick, and thus delayed the party. But early In May, at the end of sixty-five days, they reached Canada. As soon as he could arrange his affairs In Canada, La Salle again returned to the Illinois River and reached its mouth. But owing to fresh disappoint- ments, he had to make still another journey through 112 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES the wilderness to the base of his suppHes on the St. Lawrence. Not until February 6, 1682, two years and a half after he first started out in the Griffin, and after three attempts to build a suitable vessel for the journey, did he float out upon the waters of the Mississippi to ex- plore it; and at last he was obliged to make the journey in canoes. This time his party included fifty-four people — eighteen Indian warriors, ten squaws, three Indian children, and twenty-three Frenchmen. On reaching the mouth of the river he planted a column bearing the arms of France, and then, with imposing ceremonies, took possession of the great Mississippi Valley in the name of the French King, Louis XIV., after whom he named the country Louisiana. By building forts and trading centres along his route. La Salle had carried out the first part of his plan. He now resolved to go to France and get men for a col- ony which he wished to plant at the mouth of the Mississippi, and thus carry out the second part. Having succeeded in France in fitting out this col- ony, he sailed with four vessels early in July, 1684, in search of the Mississippi River by way of the Gulf of Mexico. With his usual bad fortune, however, he missed Its mouth and landed at Matagorda Bay, 400 miles to the west. Then followed many disasters, among which were loss of vessels and supplies, lack of food, sickness and death, and attacks by unfriendly Indians. For two years the wretched little colony struggled for life. La Salle was In sore distress. He CAVELIER DE LA SALLE 113 The Murder of La Salle by his Followers. knew he had many enemies among his men who would gladly take his life, but he hoped for help from France. No help came. It was plain to La Salle that he could save the suffering colony only by making his way to Canada. He therefore started out on January 12, 1687, with a party of seventeen men and five horses, on another long and dangerous journey through the 114 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES dense forests — this time from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. Travelling north, the party crossed the Brazos River and toiled onward to the Trinity River. But La Salle's men were tired of travelling through the for- ests, and some of them were thirsting for his blood. They were waiting only for a suitable opportunity to carry out their murderous purpose. On the morning of March 19th they lay in ambush, and shot him dead as he approached, probably not far from the Trinity River. La Salle's life was one of storm and peril; but he was as fearless as a lion. Ambitious for himself and for his country, he had room for little else in his life. His repeated failures brought criticism and lack of con- fidence from men who had loaned him large sums of money, and these criticisms hardened his spirit. Many enemies making him suspicious, he seemed to lose sympathy with his men, and became harsh in his treat- ment of them. But he did a great work for France, a work which entitles him to be regarded as one of the most remarkable of all the explorers of America. REVIEW OUTLINE The coming of the French to America. Cartier discovers the St. Lawrence. Champlain explores for France. Champlain's fatal gunshot. The Iroquois become bitter eneihes or the French. The Iroquois force the French to seek a roundabout ROUTE to the Mississippi Rtv'er. CAVELIER DE LA SALLE 115 Henry Hudson wins for the Dutch the friendship of THE Iroquois. Valuable work of the Jesuit missionaries. Father Marquette goes down the Mississippi. The daring and tireless La Salle. His twofold plans. His voyage to Lake Michigan in the Griffin. The Griffin sails back to Canada with a cargo of furs. La Salle lost in the forest. With friendly Indians on the banks of the Illinois River. Sad days for La Salle. He decides to make an overland journey to Canada. Travel in the deep forests. La Salle at last reaches the mouth of the Mississippi. He goes to France. His colony fails. a long journey begun. La Salle murdered by his men. His character and his work. TO THE PUPIL 1. What did Champlain accomplish? When? Why did the Iroquois become bitter enemies of the French and warm friends of the Dutch? 2. What were La Salle's twofold plans? Trace his route through the lakes to the mouth of the Mississippi. 3. Picture him lost in the forest, and spending the night alone. 4. Describe his overland journey to Canada. 5. How did his colony suffer? What do you admire in La Salle's character? *6. What do the following dates mean: 1492, 1541, 1607, 1620,1676, 1682? CHAPTER X George Washington, the Boy Surveyor and Young Soldier [1732-1799] AS a pioneer in leading the way along the Ohio and the Mississippi, La Salle did much for France. He hoped to do far more. His cherished dream was to build up in this vast and fertile territory an empire for France. But the French King foolishly feared that planting colonies in America would take too many of his subjects out of France, and refused to do that which might have made his new possessions secure. The opportunity thus neglected was seized fifty years later by the hardy English settlers who pushed westward across the Alleghany Mountains. This movement brought on a struggle between the two nations, a few events of which are important to mention. You will remember that two years after the coming of John Smith to Jamestown, Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence and settled Quebec for the French. ii6 GEORGE WASHINGTON 117 You will also recall that the French explorers, priests, and traders had been gradually making their way into the heart of the continent, by way of the Great Lakes, until at last La Salle glided down to the mouth of the Mississippi, and took possession of the land in the name of the French King. This was in 168 1, the year the Quakers were settling Pennsylvania and fifty- two years before the settlement of Georgia, the young- est of the thirteen original colonies. Just one year before this last settlement there was born in Westmoreland County, Va., a boy who was to play a large part in the history not only of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, but of the whole coun- try. This boy was George Washington. He was born on February 22, 1732, in an old-fashioned Vir- ginia farm-house, near the Potomac River, on what was known as Bridge's Creek Plantation. The house had four rooms on the ground floor, with an attic of long sloping roofs and an enor- mous brick chimney at each end. George's father was a wealthy planter, owning '^ " -c^^^ff ^-\^jj^ land in four counties, •'''''■ more than 5,000 acres in Washington's Birthplace. all. Some of his lands were on the banks of the Rappahannock River, near which he had money in- vested in iron-mines. To this plantation the family removed when George was seven years old, the new ii8 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES home being nearly opposite Fredericksburg, then a small village. Here he was sent to a small school and taught by a man named Hobby, a sexton of the church and tenant of George's father. It was a simple sort of training the boy received from such a school-master. He learned a little reading, a little writing, and a little ciphering, but that was about all. Later in life he became a fairly good penman, writing a neat round hand; but he never became a good speller. When George was eleven years old his father died, leaving to him the home where they lived on the Rappahannock, and to his brother Lawrence the great plantation on the Potomac afterward called Mount Vernon. Lawrence went to live at Mount Vernon, while George remained with his mother at the house opposite Fredericksburg. Now left without a father, George received his home training from his mother. Fortunate, indeed, was he to have such a mother to teach him; for she was kind, firm, and had a strong practical sense. She loved her son, and he deeply appreciated her fond care of him. Some of George's youthful letters to his mother are full of interest. After the manner of the time he addressed her formally as " Honored Madam," and signed himself " Your dutiful son." Nor was his mother the only strong and wholesome influence over his home life. His eldest brother, Lawrence, played an important part in shaping his character. According to the custom of those days^ WASHINGTON CROSSING THE ALLEGHANY RIVER I20 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Lawrence, as the eldest son of a Virginia planter, would inherit the bulk of his father's estate. He was there- fore sent to an excellent school in England, to receive the training which would fit him to be a gentleman and a leader in social life. For learning was not held in such high esteem as ability to look after the business of a large plantation and take a leading part in the public life of the county and the colony. With such a training Lawrence returned from Eng- land, a young man of culture and fine manners and well fitted to be a man of affairs. From this time on George, now only seven or eight years old, looked up to his brother, fourteen years his senior, with cordial admiration. Lawrence became George's model of man- hood, and returned his younger brother's devotion with a tender love. Soon after the death of his father, the boy went to live with his brother Augustine on the Bridge's Creek Plantation, in order to have the advantages of a good school there. Many of his copy-books and books of exercises, containing such legal forms as receipts, bills and deeds, as well as pictures of birds and faces, have been preserved. In these books there are, also, his rules of conduct, maxims which he kept before him as aids to good behavior. The following are a few of them: " Every action in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those present. " When a man does all he can, though it succeeds not well, blame not him that did it. GEORGE WASHINGTON 121 " Undertake not what you cannot perform, but be careful to keep your promise. " Speak not evil of the absent: for it is unjust. " Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called con- science." In George's school-days he heard many stories about wars with the Indians and about troubles between the English and the French colo- nies. More- over, his broth- er Lawrence had been a sol- dier in the West Indies in a war between Eng- land and Spain, from which he had returned full of enthusiasm about what he had felt and seen. It was at this time that Lawrence changed the name of his plantation on the Potomac to Mount Vernon, in honor of Admiral Ver- non, under whose command he had fought. The English Colonies and the French Claims in 1754. 122 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Catching his brother's military spirit, George or- ganized his boy friends into little military companies, and, as their commander, drilled them, paraded them, and led them in their sham battles in the school- yard. Naturally the boys looked to him as leader, for he was strong in mind and body, and fond of athletic sports. It is said that no boy of his age was his match in running, leaping, wrestling, and pitching quoits. His athletic skill expressed Itself also in his fear- less horsemanship. The story is told that he once mounted a colt that had successfully resisted all at- tempts to remain on his back. But George held on until the spirited animal, In a frenzy of effort to throw off the persistent young rider, reared, broke a blood- vessel, and fell dead. His keen enjoyment of a spirited horse, and of hunting In the freedom of woods and fields for such game as foxes, deer, and wild-cats, lasted to a late period of his life. George's good qualities were not confined to out- door sports requiring skill and physical strength alone. He was a manly boy, stout-hearted and truthful. All the boys trusted him because they knew he was fair- minded, and often called upon him to settle their dis- putes. But we must not think of him as a perfect boy, find- ing It easy always to do the right thing. George Washington had his faults, as some of the rest of us hav^e. For instance, he had a quick temper which he found It hard to control. In fact, he found this a GEORGE WASHINGTON 1^5 harder thing to do than many brave deeds for which he became famous in his manhood. The humdrum quiet of a Virginia plantation did not satisfy this alert boy longing for a life of action. He had heard from Lawrence about life on a war-vessel, and had also seen, year after year, the annual return to the plantation wharf of the vessel that car- ried a cargo of tobacco to England and brought back in exchange such goods as the planter needed. Eager for a change The French in the OWo VaUey. of surroundings, he made all his plans to go to sea. The chest containing his clothing had been packed and sent down to the wharf, but at the last moment he yielded to his mother's persuasion, and gave up his cherished plan of becoming a sailor-boy. He was then fourteen years old. Returning to school, George continued to be careful and exact in all his work, his motto being " Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well." He was also methodical, and herein lay one of the secrets of his ability to accomplish so much when he came to manhood. His love of out-door sport gave him a natural bent 124 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES for surveying, to the study of which he applied him- self diligently. He soon became proficient enough to command confidence in his ability as a trustworthy surveyor. In the autumn of his sixteenth year he went to live with his brother Lawrence on the Mount Vernon plantation, where he spent much of his time in sur- veying. Here he met a man who exerted a large influence on his later life. This man was Lord Fair- fax, a tall, courtly, white-haired English gentleman of about sixty years of age, who was living at Belvoir, a large plantation a few miles from Mount Vernon. At this time George was a shy, awkward youth, somewhat overgrown for his age, with long arms, and a tall, large frame. But in his serious face there was a sign of quiet self-control and firm purpose. The provincial youth of fifteen and the cultured English lord of sixty, though so far apart in age and experience, soon became close friends. They were much together. Sometimes they would spend the morning in surveying, and start out in the afternoon on their horses for a gay time in fox-hunting. They doubtless talked freely to each other, and as Lord Fairfax had seen much of the best English life and had read some of the best English books, he was an interesting companion to his earnest and thoughtful young friend. This warm friendship soon had a practical turn. Lord Fairfax owned an immense tract of country in the Shenandoah Valley — by some said to be as much GEORGE WASHINGTON 125 as one-fifth of the present State of Virginia. Wishing to learn more about it and observing George to be exceedingly careful and accurate in his surveying, he decided to send him over the Blue Ridge Into the wild region to find out and report to him something about the lands there. He was to have only one companion, George Will- iam Fairfax, who was the eldest son of Lord Fairfax's cousin, and was then about twenty-two years old. About the middle of March, 1748, when George Washington was barely sixteen years old, these two young fellows started out together on horseback, to travel through the forest a distance of 100 miles before they reached the Shenandoah Valley. They carried guns in their hands, for until their return about a month later they would have to depend mainly upon hunting for their supply of food. The account which George himself has left enables us to picture them riding alone through the forest with no road except perhaps, at times, a path made by Indians or wild animals. After reaching the wild country they had to live In the most primitive fashion. For instance, Washington tells of a night in a woodman's cabin when he had nothing but a mat of straw for his bed, with but a single blanket for cover, and that alive with vermin. He wrote in his diary: " I made a promise to sleep so no more, choosing rather to sleep In the open air before the fire." Again, in a letter to a friend, he says: " I have not 126 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES slept above three or four nights in a bed, but, after walking a good deal all day, I have lain down before the fire upon a little hay, straw, fodder, or a bear-skin, with man, wife and children, like dogs and cats; and happy is he who gets the berth nearest the fire." Sometimes they tried life in a tent. Once in a storm the tent was blown over, and at another time the smoke from the fire drove the occupants out of doors. One night, according to the same diary, " we camped in the woods, and after we had pitched our tent, and made a large fire, we pulled out our knap- sacks to recruit ourselves. Every one was his own cook. Our spits were forked sticks; our plates were large chips." As for bread, most of the time, if not all, they had none, and they drank only pure water from running streams. On another occasion they fell in with a war-party of painted warriors whom Washington and his friend Fairfax fearlessly joined, all gathering about a huge fire built under the trees. As the great logs blazed in the midst of the dark forest, the Indians joined in one of their wild, weird dances. They leaped to and fro, whooped and shrieked like mad beings, while one of their companions thumped upon a drum made by drawing a deer-skin across a pot filled with water, and another rattled a gourd containing shot and deco- rated with a horse's tail, " to make It look fine." It was a strange experience which these two youths had that month. But Washington was well paid, earn- ing from $7 to $2 1 a day. On the return of the young GEORGE WASHINGTON 127 surveyor to Mount Vernon his employer, Lord Fair- fax, was so much pleased with the report that he secured his appointment as public surveyor. For the next three years George lived the life of a surveyor, spending much of his time with Lord Fairfax at his wilderness home, Greenway Court, not far from Win- chester. During this time George was gaining valuable knowl- edge of the forest, and becoming so intimate with Ind- ian life that, as people said, he came to walk like an Indian. His life in the woods developed fearlessness, patience, and self-reliance, qualities which, joined to his ability and character. Inspired men's confidence and established his leadership. Governor Dinwiddle, of Virginia, appointed him an officer in the State militia, with the rank of major. And as an officer, his influ- ence continued to Increase. Some two years afterward his brother Lawrence died and left the Mount Vernon estate to his daughter, with George Washington as guardian. On her death, a little later, Washington became owner of the immense planta- tion at Mount Vernon, and hence a wealthy man. Fortune had favored him, and he might have chosen to enter upon a life of ease, but events soon occurred which called into action all his heroic qualities. The strife between the English and the French for control in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys was advancing rapidly toward war. The French had long considered this territory their own. We recall that La Salle had explored it, and 128 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES attempted to plant colonies here. For many years, French explorers, priests, and traders had toiled on, patiently pushing their way through the forests, and planting stronghold after stronghold. At length, press- ing closer on the English border, they began to build forts between Lake Erie and the head of the Ohio. For the English also had their eyes on the fertile valley of the Ohio, and were beginning to occupy it. At once a company composed largely of Virginia planters was organized for the purpose of making set- tlements in the Ohio Valley. Before they could do much, however, the French had boldly advanced far into territory claimed by England. The people of Virginia in alarm, said, " This ad- vance must stop. What can be the plans of the French? How many are already in the forts lying between Lake Erie and the Ohio River? " Governor Dinwiddie and other Virginia gentlemen grew excited as they asked such questions. They decided, there- fore, to send out to the French commander in the fort near Lake Erie, a trusty messenger who should ask by what right the French were invading a country belong- ing to England. This messenger was also to find out what he could about the forces of the French in that vicinity, and about their plans. Moreover, he was to make a strong effort to win over to the English the Indians, whose friendship the French were trying to gain. As a suitable man for this dangerous enter- prise, all eyes turned to George Washington, still only twenty-one years of age. I30 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES. The journey of i,ooo miles through trackless for- ests, in the bitter cold of winter, did not offer a cheer- ful outlook. But on October 30, 1753, with seven companions, including an Indian and a French inter- preter, George Washington started from Williamsburg. Stopping at Fredericksburg to bid good-by to his mother, he went on by way of Alexandria to Winches- ter, the familiar spot where he had spent many happy days with Lord Fairfax. Here he got horses and vari- ous supplies needed for his journey. From Winchester the little band of men moved for- ward to Will's Creek (now Cumberland, Md.), and then plunged boldly into the forest. From that time on, the difficulties of the journey were wellnigh over- whelming; but by perseverance in climbing lofty moun- tains and in swimming rivers swollen by heavy rains, the end of their journey was at last reached. On receiving an answer from the French com- mander, who promised nothing, Washington started back home. The horses soon proved too weak to make much headway through the dense forests and deep snow, and it seemed best to push on without them. He also left behind him all of his party except a trusty woodsman. Then putting on an Indian cos- tume with a heavy cloak drawn over it, he strapped upon his back the pack containing his papers and, gun in hand, started off. A little later they were joined by an Indian guide, who soon gave evidence of his treachery by suddenly turning and discharging his gun at Washington. GEORGE WASHINGTON 131 Washington had another narrow escape from death. He had expected on reaching the Alleghany River to cross on the ice, but to his dismay he found the ice broken up and the stream filled with whirling blocks. There was no way of getting over except on a raft which he and his companion had to make with a single hatchet. Having at last finished it, they pushed off, and then began a desperate struggle with the current and great blocks of floating ice. Washington, in try- ing to guide the raft with a pole, was thrown violently into the water. By catching hold of one of the raft logs he recovered himself, and by heroic effort suc- ceeded in reaching an island nearby. Here the travel- lers suffered through a night of intense cold, not daring to kindle a fire for fear of the Indians. On January i6th they reached Williamsburg, where Washington delivered to Governor Dinwiddie the un- satisfactory letter he had brought from the French commander. Although the result of the expedition was not what the Virginians had hoped for, Washington had so well succeeded in carrying out his perilous mis- sion that he was highly praised for his effort. The defiant answer of the French commander made it seem probable to the people of Virginia that war would follow. Therefore a company of men was sent out to build a fort at the place where the Alle- ghany and Monongahela rivers unite to form the Ohio. Washington's quick eye had noted the impor- tance of this site, afterward known as the " Gateway of the West." 132 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES In the meantime Washington was drilling men for service, and in April he set out with the rank of lieu- tenant-colonel with two companies for the frontier. He had not gone very far when he learned that the French had driven off with a large force the men who had been sent to the head of the Ohio to build a fort; but he continued his march. When a little later the approach of a small body of French was reported, the Virginians surprised them, killing, wounding, or capt- uring all but one. Colonel Washington was in the thickest of the fight, and wrote in a letter, " I heard the bullets whistle and, believe me, there is something charming in the sound." After this fight, which began the war, Washington returned to Great Meadows, and, learning that a large body of French were marching against him, hastily threw up rough earthworks, which he called Fort Necessity. When attacked soon after by two or three times his own number, the brave young colonel did not shrink. For nine hours, in a heavy downpour of rain, he and his sturdy followers stood up to their knees in mud and water in the trenches. Being so greatly outnumbered, his troops were of course de- feated, but the House of Burgesses gave their com- mander a vote of thanks in recognition of his bravery. The war now began in bitter earnest, and England promptly sent over troops, with General Braddock in command. When on reaching Virginia he heard of Colonel Washington, Braddock appointed him a mem- ber of his staff. Colonel Washington soon discovered GEORGE WASHINGTON 133 that General Braddock was not the man to handle an army in woodland warfare. He would gladly have ad- vised him, but the haughty British general would hear no suggestions from a colonial officer. With 2,000 soldiers. General Braddock marched against the French, stationed at Fort Duquesne at the head of the Ohio. On the morning of July 9th, when the army was only eight miles from the fort, it was suddenly attacked by the French and Indians, who lay in ambush in the thick forest. The English sol- diers, standing in solid masses, were shot down by squads, but the Virginians fought from behind trees in true Indian fashion. Braddock, who has been rightly called a gallant bull-dog, rode madly to and fro, giving orders to his men, but in vain. He shortly fell from his horse, with a mortal wound. The manly figure of Colonel Wash- ington was a conspicuous mark for the enemy's guns. Two horses fell under him; four bullets tore through his clothing; but he escaped injury. The result was a sore defeat for the English army. It lost 700 men out of 2,000, and three-fourths of its officers. Nothing but retreat could be thought of. The brave but narrow-minded Braddock had made an enormous and expensive blunder. After Braddock's defeat Washington was given com- mand of the Virginia troops. Later in the war he led an expedition against Fort Duquesne, as Braddock had done. But on hearing of his approach the French fled. The war having subsided in the Ohio Valley, 134 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Washington resigned his commission, returned to Mount Vernon, and soon afterward married Mrs. Martha Custis, a rich young widow. We have seen him first as a robust lad, then as a fearless woodsman, and later as a brave soldier. We will leave him for a while at Mount Vernon, where in the refined society of old Virginia he came to be equally well known as a high-bred gentleman. REVIEW OUTLINE La Salle's dream. The French and the English colonies. George WAsmNGTON's early home. His school-training. George and his mother. Influence upon George of his brother Lawrence. George's rules of conduct. The boy soldier. The young athlete. The fair-minded, truthful boy. George's self-control. His longing to become a sailor boy. Exactness and method in work. The young surveyor. The shy, awkward youth and Lord Fairfax. Surveying in the forests of the Shenandoah Valley Life in the woods; an Indian dance. With Lord Fairfax at Greenway Court. Washington, the young soldier. Washington becomes a wealthy planter. The French advance into the Ohio Valley. Washington's perilous journey. The return on foot; two narrow escapes. GEORGE WASHINGTON 135 Washington in the fight that begins the war. His defeat at Great Meadows. A MEMBER OF BrADDOCK'S STAFF. BrADDOCK'S crushing DEFEAT. Wasiungton retires to Mount Vernon. TO THE PUPIL 1. Write on the following topics, using a paragraph for each: George Washington's early home; his school-training; George and his mother ; the boy soldier ; the young athlete ; the truthful boy. 2. It would be well for you to commit to memory George's rules of conduct. 3. Give an account of the young surveyor's life in the woods out in the Shenandoah Valley. Imagine the two young fellows riding alone through the forest, and the scene in the woods when the Indians danced by the huge fire. 4. Trace on your map Washington's perilous journey to the French forts. What was the purpose of this journey? Travel in imagi- nation with Washington on his return to Williamsburg, and tell, in the first person, some of your experiences. 5. What do you think of General Braddock? In what way was he defeated? This was one of the battles of the Last French War. What caused this war? 6. Find as many words as you can that describe George Washington. CHAPTER XI /^ James Wolfe, l&F the \^K Hero of Quebec [1727-1759] James Wolfe. WE have just seen how the EngHsh and the French struggled to get control of the Ohio Valley. But the fighting in the Last French War was not confined to this region. Many of the battles were fought to secure control of two waterways. One of these was the route to Canada, including Lakes George and Champlain, and the other was the St. Law- rence River. Indeed, the crowning feature of the Last French War was the heroic effort made by a young English general to capture Quebec. This young general was James Wolfe. He was born in the southeastern part of England in 1727. From his father, who was an officer in the English army, he inherited a love for the soldier's life. But in all the trials and dangers to which he was exposed in his short and stormy career, he cc»ntinued to be a de- voted son, his love for his mother being especially ten- 136 JAMES WOLFE 137 der and sincere. With her he kept up a regular cor- respondence, in which he freely expressed his inmost thoughts and feelings. When only sixteen years of age he was sent to Flanders as an adjutant in a regiment of the English army. Here, by faithful and thorough work, he won promotion and soon, through bravery and skill, re- ceived an appointment as brigadier-general. At the age of thirty-two he was sent to America to assist in an expedition to Louisburg, and played a large part in the capture of that stronghold. He presented an awkward figure. At that time he was tall and slender, with long limbs, narrow shoul- ders, and red hair tied in a queue behind. His face was plain, with receding chin and forehead, and up- turned nose. But his keen, bright eyes, full of energy and fearlessness, gave him an attractive countenance and revealed a heroic nature. His health was never robust. As a child he was delicate, and as a youth he had frequent attacks of illness. But his resolute will and his high ideals en- abled him to do what others of a different mould would never have attempted. He was governed, too, by an overmastering sense of duty, which was his most strik- ing trait. Although at times extremely impatient, his tender- ness and frankness of nature easily won enduring friend- ships. His soldiers loved him so dearly that they were willing to follow him through any dangers to vic- tory or death. 1^8 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES After the capture of Louisburg, Wolfe was so worn by the demands upon his strength that he returned to England and went to Bath for treatment. At this time he met Miss Katherine Low- ther, to whom he soon became engaged. But he was not long to re- main inactive, for his country needed him. The great Will- iam Pitt, who had now be- come the head of affairs in Quebec and Surroundings. tt" l J •>!•/" l tLngland, saw m this tearless young general a fitting leader for a dangerous and dif- ficult enterprise. This was an expedition against Que- bec, the strongest and most important position held by the French in America. The French army at Quebec, commanded by General Montcalm, numbered more than 16,000 men, consist- ing of Frenchmen, Canadians, and Indians. But some were boys of fifteen, and others old men of eighty. Here they awaited Wolfe, whose army numbered 9,000. By June 21, 1759, Wolfe's fleet lay at anchor in the north channel of the island of Orleans, not far below Quebec. Then began a time of trial and discourage- ment to the young commander, who vainly looked for a point from which he might hope to make a successful attack. In the meantime his soldiers were suffering from intense heat and drenching rains. Much sickness was the natural result. Wolfe, anxious with doubt, him- JAMES WOLFE 139 self fell a victim to a burning fever. But he would not give up. He said to his physician, " I know per- fectly well you cannot cure me. But pray make me up so that I can be without pain for a few days, and able to do my duty. That is all I want." Although racked with pain, he went from tent to tent among his men, trying to encourage them. During several weeks there was fighting now and then in the neighborhood of Quebec. On July 31st Wolfe's troops made a determined attack upon the French on the heights just north of the Mont- morency River. The English ad- vanced, in the face of a heavy, blinding rain, with great heroism, but were forced to retire without having gained a foothold. Thus the summer wore on near ^^^'^' Montcalm. to its close. In desperation, Wolfe decided upon a bold move. He determined to sail up the river, land above Quebec, scale the steep and rugged cliffs there, and compel the French to fight a battle or sur- render the city. The most serious difficulty was to find a way to scale the cliffs. At last one day came a glimmer of hope. For looking through a telescope from the south side of the river, the resolute young commander discovered a narrow path leading up the frowning heights not far from the town. " Here," he quickly decided, " I will land my men." I40 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Promptly, eagerly, he began to lay his plans. On the morning of September 7th, in order to conceal from Montcalm l^eir real purpose, the British, in gay red uniforms, embarked and sailed up and down the St. Lawrence, as if looking for a landing-place. On Sep- tember 1 2th, the fatal time set for decisive action, some of the English vessels, with a large body of troops on board, hovered about the shore below Quebec, as if to force a landing there. Montcalm was completely deceived. The ruse had succeeded. Meanwhile the main body of English troop's, which was to make ready a landing, was quietly anchored in the river above Quebec. Twenty-four brave men vol- unteered as leaders to scale the cliffs. These men took their places in the foremost boat. At two o'clock in the morning Wolfe gave the order to advance. It was a starlit night, but as there was no moon, it was dark enough to conceal the movements of the English. For two hours the long procession of boats filled with soldiers floated silently down the river. The brave young Wolfe, calm and masterful, was in one of the foremost boats. Fully expecting to be killed in the coming battle, he had, earlier in the evening, given to an old school-friend the portrait of his be- trothed. Miss Lowther, which he had long worn about his neck. He said to his friend, " Give this to Miss Lowther, if I am killed." We can imagine the strain upon Wolfe's feelings during the two hours in which the boats floated down- stream. Perhaps it was to relieve this strain that he THE DEATH OF WOLFE. 142 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES repeated in a quiet voice Gray's " Elegy in a Country Churchyard." He seemed to dwell with peculiar feel- ing upon the last line in the following stanza: The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, Await ahke the inevitable hour, The paths of glory lead but to the grave. On coming to the end of the poem, he said, " Gentle- men, I would rather have written those lines than take Quebec." When they had almost reached their landing-place they heard a sudden call from a French sentry, " Qui vivef " " France,^^ replied one of Wolfe's officers, who spoke French. " A quel regiment? " " De la Reine/^ was the reply, and thinking the boats were under the control of Frenchmen carrying provisions to Montcalm, the sentry let them pass. Later when chal- lenged by another sentry, the same English officer said in French: "Provision-boats. Don't make a noise — the English will hear us." At length they came to the spot since called Wolfe's Cove, and there landed. The twenty-four volunteers clambered up the path in the darkness and, reaching the top, surprised the small number of Frenchmen stationed there, and quickly overpowered them. It was with much difficulty that Wolfe's army succeeded, by seizing hold of trees and bushes, in getting to the top with muskets, cannons, and supplies. At daybreak, Wolfe chose as the field of battle the JAMES WOLFE 143 Plains of Abraham, a high stretch of land extending along the river just above the town. The brave Montcalm, in doubt and perplexity, had spent a sleepless night pacing to and fro. When told of the landing of the English troops he rode up from his camp to see what was going on. Amazed at the " silent wall of red " presented by the English army drawn up in battle array, he said, " This is a serious business." Wolfe, anxious but calm, rode to and fro, inspiring his soldiers with confidence. " Victory or death " was their watchword, for in case of failure retreat was impossible. By ten o'clock the French were In line of battle, ready for the onset. With loud shouts, they rushed upon the English. But the latter, waiting quietly un- til the enemy was only forty paces away, met them with a withering fire that strewed the ground with dead and dying men. While the French were wavering, the English fired another deadly volley, and then with victorious shouts rushed headlong upon the confused ranks. The fighting was stubborn and furious, and Wolfe was in the thickest of the fray. While he was leading a charge, a bullet tore through his wrist. Quickly wrap- ping his handkerchief about the wound, he dashed for- ward until he was for the third time struck by a bullet, this time receiving a mortal wound.m^Four of his men bore him In their arms to the rear, aBn wished to send for a surgeon; but Wolfe said, " There's no need; it's 144 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES all over with me." A little later, hearing someone cry "They run; see how they run!" he asked, "Who runs?" "The enemy, sir. Egad, they give way ev^erywhere ! " Then said Wolfe in his last moments, " Now, God be praised. I will die in peace." Montcalm, too, died like a hero. Shot through the body, he was supported on either side as he passed through the town; but when he heard cries of distress and pity from his friends and followers, he said, " It's nothing, it's nothing; don't be troubled for me, good friends." Being told that he could not live many hours, he exclaimed, " Thank God, I shall not live to see Quebec surrendered." A few days later Quebec came into the hands of the English. Its fall meant the loss to France of all her possessions in North America except two small Islands for fishing-stations In the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The treaty of peace at the end of the war, called the Last French War,^ was signed at Paris In 1763. By this treaty France ceded to Spain all the territory between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains; also the town of New Orleans, controlling the navigation of the Mississippi. To England she gave Canada and all the territory east of the Mississippi. Thus by a single final blow did Wolfe so weaken the hold of the French upon North America, as to compel them to give up practically all they had there. 'This war has^r jrmes been called the Old French War, and sometimes the FreTOi.-;/id Indian War. JAMES WOLFE 145 REVIEW OUTLINE The crowning feature of the Last French War. Wolfe's love for his mother. The young soldier. Wolfe's personal appearance. His character. Wolfe sent on an expedition against Quebec. His trials and difficulties. He discovers a steep pathway. He deceives Montcalm. His army floats down the river. The English reach the rocky heights. "Victory or death 1" The clash of battle. Wolfe and Montcalm receive mortal wounds. The French surrender Quebec. End of the Last French War. TO THE PUPIL 1. How did Wolfe look, and what were his most striking personal traits? 2. What were his trials and difficulties at Quebec? 3. Picture his army floating down the river on the way to the battle- field; also the soldiers climbing the steep heights. 4. Describe the battle, going in imagination with Wolfe at the head of his men. 5. Why was the capture of Quebec by the English so important? 6. Are you forming the habit of looking up on your map all the places mentioned in the text? If you wish to become strong in history, such a habit will be invaluable. 7. Remember that the Last French War began in 1756 and ended in 1763. CHAPTER XII Patrick Henry and the Stamp Act [1736-1799] WITH the fall of Quebec, France lost her hold of nearly all the territory in North America that she had acquired through the energy and heroism of her explorers. England profited by this loss, but England herself had soon to meet with a misfortune far heavier — the loss of all her colonies east of the Alleghanies and along the Atlantic coast. Very soon after the close of the Last French War, she began, under the lead of the dull-witted King George, to treat them with so much injustice and oppression that in self- defence they were driven to take up arms for the secur- ity of their rights as a free-born people. The result was the American Revolution, which began in 1775 and ended in 1783. How this Revolution came to be, is one of thejihost interesting chapters in our his- tory. Let us n&w trace the course of events leading to its outbreak. 146 PATRICK HENRY 147 After the close of the Last French War, England was heavily in debt. As this debt had been incurred largely in defence of the English colonies in America, George III., King of England, believed that the colo- nies should help to carry the burden. Moreover, as he intended to send them a standing army for their protection, he deemed it wise to levy upon them a tax for its support. Parliament, therefore, which was composed largely of the King's friends, ready to do his bidding, passed a law called the Stamp Act. This required the colo- nists to use stamps upon their newspapers and upon legal documents, the price of stamps ranging from a half-penny to twelve pounds. The King thought this tax would be just because It would fall upon all the colonists alike. But the colonists were of a different mind; for Eng- land had not fought the Last French War so much to defend them as to protect her own trade. Besides, they had already paid a reasonable share of the war expenses, and had furnished a fair proportion of soldiers for battle. They had always given their share toward the expenses of their defence, and were still willing to do so. If the King would ask them for a definite sum, they would raise It through their Colo- nial Assemblies. But they strongly objected to any English tax. These Colonial Assemblies were composed of men who represented the colonists and made laws for the colonists. Therefore the colonists were willing to pay 148 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES any taxes levied by the Assemblies. As free-born Englishmen they objected to paying taxes levied by Parliament, which did not represent them. Parliament might levy taxes upon the people of England, whom it did represent. But only the Colonial Assemblies could tax the colonists, because they alone represented the colonists. In other words, as James Otis in a stir- ring speech had declared, there must be " No taxation without representation." George III. could not understand the feelings of the colonists, and he had no sympathy with their views. His mother had said to him when he was crowned, " George, be King," and this advice had pleased him. For he was wilful, and desired to have his own way as a ruler. Thus far he had shown little respect for the British Parliament, and he felt even less for Colonial Assemblies. Certainly if he was to rule in his own way in England, he must compel the obedience of the stubborn colonists in America. The standing army which the King wished to send to America was designed not so much to protect the colonies as to enforce the will of the King, and this the colonists knew. They therefore opposed with bitter indigna- tion the payment of taxes levied for the army's sup- port. Patrick Henry was one of many who were willing to risk everything in their earnest struggle against the tyrannical schemes of King George. Patrick Henry was born in 1736 in Hanover County, Va. His father was a lawyer of much Intelligence, and his PATRICK HENRY 149 George III. mother belonged to a fine old Welsh family. As a boy, Patrick's advantages at school were meagre, and even these he did not appreciate. Books were far less attractive to him than his gun and fishing-rod. With these he delighted to wander through the woods searching for game, or to sit on the bank of some stream fishing by the hour. When out-door sports failed, he found de- light at home in his violin. When he was fifteen years old, his father put him into a country store, where he remained a year. He then began business for himself, but he gave so little attention to it that he soon failed. He next tried farming, and afterward storekeeping again, but without success. At length he decided to practise law, and after six months' study applied for admission to the bar. Although he had much difficulty In passing the exam- ination, he had at last found a vocation which suited him. He did well in his law practice; but we must pass over this part of his life in order that we may go with him to Williamsburg. He went there In 1765, soon after the passage of the Stamp Act by the English Parliament, to attend the session of the Virginia House of Burgesses, of which he had been elected a member. We get a vivid picture of our hero at this period of his career as he rides on horseback toward Williams- burg, carrying his papers In his saddle-bags. John I50 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES Esten Cooke says of him: " He was at this time just twenty-nine, tall in figure, but stooping, with a grim expression, small blue eyes which had a peculiar twinkle, and wore a brown wig without powder, a ' peach-blos- som coat,' leather knee-breeches, and yarn stockings." There was great excitement in Williamsburg, and it was a time of grave doubt. What should be done about the Stamp Act? Should the people of Virginia tamely submit to it and say nothing? Should they urge Parliament to repeal it? or should they cry out against it in open defiance? Most of the members were wealthy planters, men of dignity and influence. These men spoke of England as the " Mother " of the colonies, and were so loyal in their attachment that the idea of war was hateful to them. Certainly, the thought of separation from Eng- land they could not entertain for a moment. But Patrick Henry was eager for prompt and de- cisive action. Having hastily written, on a blank leaf taken from a law-book, a series of resolutions, he rose and offered them to the assembly. One of these reso- lutions declared that the General Assembly of the colony had the sole right and power of laying taxes In the colony. A hot debate followed, in the course of which Patrick Henry, ablaze with indignation, arose and ad- dressed the body. His speech closed with these thrilling words: " Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third — " " Trea- son! Treason!" shouted voices from the stormy as- PATRICK HENRY 151 sembly. Pausing a moment in a fearless attitude, the young orator calmly added, " may profit from their ex- ample. If this be treason make the most of it." The resolutions were passed. It was a great triumph for the young orator, who now became the " idol of the people." As he was going out of the door at the close of the session, one of the plain people gave him a slap on the shoulder, saying, " Stick to us, old fellow, or we are gone ! " The note of defiance sounded by Patrick Henry at this time vibrated throughout America, and encour- aged the colonists to unite against the oppressive taxa- tion imposed upon them through the influence of the stubborn and misguided King George. But the English people as a whole did not support the King. Many of them, among whom were some of England's wisest statesmen, believed he was making a great mistake in trying to tax the Americans without their consent. Said William Pitt, in a stirring speech in the House of Commons: " Sir, I rejoice that Amer- ica has resisted. Three millions ^ of people so dead to all the feelings of liberty as voluntarily to submit to be slaves, would have been fit Instruments to make slaves of all the rest." In the ten years following the passage of the Stamp Act, events in America moved rapidly. Some of these we shall learn more about a little later. It is sufficient here to say that the colonial merchants refused to im- port goods so long as the Stamp Act was in effect; * This number is too large. Two millions is nearer the truth. 152 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES that their action caused the merchants, manufacturers, and ship-owners in England to lose money heavily; that these merchants and ship-owners at once begged Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act; and that Parlia- ment did repeal it one year after its passage. Ten years after Patrick Henry's eloquent speech at Williamsburg against the Stamp Act, the people of Virginia were St. John's Church, Richmond. again deeply aroused; for King George, acting through Parliament, had sent 3,000 soldiers to Boston to force her unruly people and those of Massachusetts to obey certain of his commands. Virginia having given her hearty support to the people of Massachusetts, the royal Governor of Virginia drove the Colonial Assembly away from Williamsburg. But the people of Virginia, resolute in defence of their rights, elected a convention of their, leading men, who met at old St. John's Church in Richmond, a church which is yet standing. Excite- ment was widespread, and thoughtful men grew serious at the war-cloud growing blacker every hour. Virginians had already begun to make preparations to fight if they must. But many still hoped that the disagreements between the Americans and King George might be settled, and therefore believed that they PATRICK HENRY 153 should act with great caution. Patrick Henry thought differently. He was persuaded that the time had come when talk should give place to prompt, energetic, de- cisive action. The war was at hand. It could not be avoided. The Americans must fight, or tamely submit to be slaves. Believing these things with all the intensity of his nature, he offered a resolution that Virginia should at once prepare to defend herself. Many of the leading men stoutly opposed this resolution as rash and un- wise. At length Patrick Henry arose, his face pale and his voice trembling with deep emotion. Soon his stooping figure became erect. His eyes flashed fire. His voice rang out like a trumpet. As he continued, men leaned forward in breathless interest, thrilled by his magical words: "We must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us! They tell us, sir, that we are weak; un- able to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irreso- lution and inaction? Shall we- acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our ene- mies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which 154 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES the God of nature hath placed In our power. . . . There is no retreat, but In submission and slavery! Our chains are forged ! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston ! The war is inevitable — and let It come ! I repeat it, sir, let it come ! " It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentle- men may cry peace, peace — but there Is no peace. The war is actually begun ! The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms ! Our brethren are already In the field! Why stand we here idle? What is It that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid It, Almighty God ! I know not what course others may take ; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! " This wonderful speech made a deep Impression not only in Virginia but throughout the colonies. The next month the war began at Lexington and Concord. A little later Patrick Henry was made commander-in- chief of the Virginia forces, and later still was elected Governor of Virginia. At the age of fifty-eight he retired to an estate In Charlotte County, called " Red Hill," where he lived a simple and beautiful life. He died in 1799. His Influ- ence In arousing the people of Virginia and of the other colonies to a sense of their rights as freemen cannot eas- ily be measured. Without doubt his impassioned ora- tory played a most Important part In shaping the course of events which resulted in the Revolutionary War. PATRICK HENRY 155 REVIEW OUTLINE The American Revolution. George the Third's plan to tax the colonies in support of a standing army. The Stamp Act. The colonists object to the Stamp Act; "No taxation without REPRESENTATION." George the Third's desire for personal power. Fondness of Patrick Henry for out-door sports. He fails as a storekeeper. Patrick Henry as a lawyer. His personal appearance. His great speech opposing the Stamp Act. English opposition to taxing the Americans without their consent. Repeal of the Stamp Act. Patrick Henry's defiant speech in St. John's Church. His influence and later life. TO THE PUPIL 1. What was the Stamp Act and what was its purpose? Why did the colonists object to it? 2. Describe George the Third. What did his mother mean when she said to him, " George, be King "? 3. What was his personal appearance when he went to Williamsburg to attend the session of the House of Burgesses? 4. How did William Pitt feel about American taxation? 5. Can you form a mental picture of Patrick Henry as he made his great speech in St. John's Church? Do you not think it would be profitable for you to memorize this speech? At any rate, you might well learn to read it so as to bring out its meaning. CHAPTER XIII Samuel Adams and the Boston Tea Party [1722-1803] WE have just seen how the people of Virginia, under the leadership of Patrick Henry, arose against King George's pet measure, the Stamp Act. But the Virginians were not alone in the feeling of opposition to the English King. Just as brave and liberty-loving were the Massachusetts people, with Samuel Adams as their leader. He was born in Boston in 1722. His father was a well-to-do man, who filled a large place in the com- munity. Of Samuel Adams's boyhood we know little, but as far as we can learn he was a studious, in-door sort of lad, with little fondness for sport of any kind. His father wished him to be a clergyman, but he pre- ferred to study law. Since, however, his mother did not approve, he gave that up for a business life, eventually joining his father in the malt business. When the excitement over the Stamp Act began, 156 SAMUEL ADAMS 157 Samuel Adams was forty-two years old. He was of medium size, with gray hair and keen gray eyes. Although his hands were tremulous, as if with age, his health was vigorous. Like Patrick Henry, he had but little aptitude for business. So we need not be surprised to learn that in time he lost about all the property his father had left him. In fact, Samuel Adams soon gave up all kinds of private business, devoting his time and strength to public life. As a result he and his family had to live on the very small salary which he received as clerk of the Assembly of Massachusetts. Poor as he was, how- ever, no man could be more upright. The British tried to buy him, but found him the very soul of honor. In what way he gave expression to his interest in the public welfare can be briefly told. As we have already seen. King George, much against his will, had to submit to the repeal of the Stamp Act by Parliament. But he was not satisfied. He could never carry out his selfish scheme of per- sonal government in England and in America if he allowed the stubborn colonists to have their way In this matter. In 1767, therefore, through his tool, Townshend, Parliament levied new port duties on a few articles, including glass, lead, paper, and tea. These new taxes were hateful to the colonists because they were levied by Parliament, and because the money thus raised was to be used to their disadvantage in various ways : For example, some of it was to pay for maintaining in 158 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES America a- small English army. This army, the colo- nists believed, the King would use to compel them to do as he willed. The opposition to the new taxes was just as bitter as it had been against the Stamp Act. Samuel Adams felt that only slaves would submit to such high-handed oppression. He urged the people of Boston and Massachusetts to join in refusing to import any goods from England as long as the new taxes were imposed by Parliament. They did so agree, and thus inflicted great injury upon English merchants, as they had done two or three years before. Of course these merchants suffered heavy losses, and again begged for a repeal. But the dull-witted King could not understand the Americans. Thus far he had not been able to coerce them; he now made a shrewd attempt to outwit them. Influenced by him, Parliament took off all the new taxes except the one on tea. " There must be one tax to keep the right to tax," he said. If he could only succeed in getting the Americans to submit to paying any tax — no matter how small — that Parlia- ment might levy, he would carry his point. He therefore urged not only the removal of all taxes except the one on tea, but also made arrangements whereby Americans could buy their taxed tea cheaper than it could be bought in England and cheaper even than they could smuggle it from Holland, as they had been doing. No doubt the King had great faith in this foolish scheme. " Of course," he argued, " the SAMUEL ADAMS 159 Americans will buy their tea where they can buy it cheapest, and then we will have them in a trap." But this was a huge blunder, as we shall now see. The East India Company arranged to ship cargoes of tea to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charles- ton. When the tea arrived, the people in New York and Philadelphia refused to let it land, and in Charles- ton they stored it in damp cellars, where it spoiled. But in Boston, where the Tory Governor, Hutchinson, was determined to fight a hard battle for the King, there was a most exciting time. The result was the famous " Boston Tea Party." It was a quiet Sunday morning, on the 28th of November, 1773, when the Darmouth, one of the three tea-ships on the way to Boston, sailed into the harbor.^ The people were attending service in the various churches. "The Darmouth is in!" spread like wildfire, and soon the streets were astir with people, Sunday though it was, in old Puritan Boston. Fearing that the tea might be landed, the committee of correspondence quickly got together and secured a promise from Benjamin Rotch, the owner of the Dar- mouth, that the tea should not be landed before Tues- day. On Monday morning an immense town meeting was held in Faneuil Hall, the " Cradle of Liberty." Five thousand men were present. But Faneuil Hall proving too small, the crowd had to make its way to the Old South Church. In addressing the meeting Samuel Adams asked, " Is it the firm resolution of ^ The other two ships arrived a few days later. i6o AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES this body that the tea shall not only be sent back, but that no duty shall be paid thereon?" With a great shout the men answered " Yes." Samuel Adams and the people of Boston and the surrounding towns were determined that the tea should not be landed. Governor Hutchinson was equally determined that it should be. The advantage was with the Governor, for according to law the vessels could not return to England ';v with the tea unless they :- got a clearance from the collector of customs or a pass from himself. Faneuil Hall, Boston. Ti . • .1 .1 1 Dut neither the col- lector of customs nor Governor Hutchinson would yield an inch. For nineteen days the struggle con- tinued, growing daily more bitter. With a stubborn purpose to prevent the landing of the tea even if they had to fight, the Boston people appointed men, armed with muskets and bayonets, some to watch the tea- ships by day and some by night. Six couriers were to be ready to mount their horses, which they kept saddled and bridled, and speed into the country to give the alarm to the people. Sentinels were stationed in the church-belfries to ring the bells, and beacon- SAMUEL ADAMS i6i fires were ready to be lighted on the surrounding hilltops. The morning of December i6th had come. If the tea should remain in the harbor until the morrow — the twentieth day — the revenue officer would be em- powered by law to land it by force. Men, talking angrily and shaking their fists with excitement, were thronging into the streets of Boston from surround- ing towns. By ten o'clock over 7,000 had assembled in the Old South Church and in the streets outside. They were waiting for the coming of Benjamin Rotch, who had gone to see if the collector would give him a clearance. Rotch came in and told the angry crowd that the collector re- fused to give the clearance. The people told him that he must get a pass from the Gov- ernor. Fearing for his per- sonal safety, the poor man started out to find Governor Hutchinson who had purpose- ly retired to his country home at Milton. Then the meeting adjourned for the morning. At three o'clock a great throng of eager men again crowded into the Old South Church and the streets outside to wait for the return of Rotch. It was a critical moment. " If the Governor refuses to give the pass, shall the revenue The Old South Church, Boston. i62 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES officer be allowed to seize the tea and land It to-mor- row morning?" Many anxious faces showed that men were asking themselves this momentous ques- tion. But while, in deep suspense, the meeting waited and deliberated, John Rowe said, " Who knows how tea will mingle with salt water?" A whirlwind of applause swept through the assembly and the masses outside the church. As daylight deepened Into dark- ness, candles were lighted. Shortly after six Benjamin Rotch entered the church and, with pale face, said, " The Governor refuses to give a pass." An angry murmur arose, but the crowd soon became silent, when Samuel Adams arose and said, " This meeting can do nothing more to save the country." This was plainly a concerted signal. In an instant a war-whoop sounded, and forty or fifty " Mohawks," or men dressed as Indians, who were waiting outside, dashed past the door and down Milk Street toward Griffin's Wharf, where the tea-ships were lying at anchor. It was bright moonlight, and everything could be plainly seen. Many men stood on shore and watched the " Mohawks " as they broke open 342 chests, and poured the tea Into the harbor. There was no confusion. All was done in perfect order. The " Boston Tea Party," of which Samuel Adams was the prime mover, was a long step toward the Revo- lution. Samuel Adams was at this time almost or quite alone in his desire for Independence, and he has well been called the " Father of the Revolution." But SAMUEL ADAMS 163 his influence for the good of America continued far beyond the time of the " Boston Tea Party." Up to the last his patriotism was earnest and sincere. He died in 1803, at the age of eighty-one years. Not as The "Boston Tea Party.' an orator, Hke Patrick Henry, but as a man of action, Hke Lincoln and Washington, had he a powerful in- fluence over men. His was truly a life of distinguished service to his country. i64 AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES REVIEW OUTLINE The feeling of Massachusetts people. Samuel Adams in business and in public life. A man to be trusted. King George's new scheme of taxation. Bitter opposition to the new taxes. The King's shrewd attempt to ou'S'Wit the Americans. Taxed tea arrives in America. A huge town meeting. A bitter struggle with Governor Hutchinson over the TEA. Over 7,000 excited men in the Old South Church. The Governor refuses to give Rotch a pass. The' "Mohawks" and the "Tea Party"; Admral Mon- tague. Samuel Adams the "Father of the Revolution." TO THE PUPIL 1. What were King George's new taxes? What was their three-fold purpose? 2. Why were all the taxes repealed except the one on tea? In what way did the King try to entrap the Americans? 3. Tell about the bitter struggle over landing the tea. 4. Can you form mental pictures of the following : The throng of ex cited men in and about the Old South Church, awaiting the return of Benjamin Rotch ; and the party of " Mohawks " on their way down Milk Street to the harbor? 5. What was the great work of Samuel Adams? What do 5'ou admire in his character? Compare him with Patrick Henry. Have you definite pictures of the personal appearance of these men? CHAPTER XIV ^^ Paul Revere «^^R and the W^^^ Battle of ^^^^m Concord and Lexington ^(