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Professor of History in Syracuse University, Author of
"Methods in
History," "A Working Manual of
American History," and "A School
History of the
United States
Copyright, 1909,
BY WILLIAM H. MACE
All rights reserved
The Rand McNally Press
Chicago
Dedicated to the Memory of two heroes
BENJAMIN MACE
Who answered the call to arms of the
Minutemen at Lexington and
REUBEN JOHNSON
born in the Shenandoah Valley, who answered
the call to arms in the
War of 1812
THE mind of the child begins with the world as a unit— an
undivided and undifferentiated whole. Where in this whole do the beginnings of history
lie? When the child first discovers the difference between a smile and a frown on its
mother's face, the first step in the study of history has been taken. From this time on
until the appropriate grade in school is reached, the child is engaged in the observation
of man in his local surroundings and unconsciously is a student of both history and
geography. From this sensuous contact with things political, religious or ethical,
educational or cultural, industrial or social he is gradually laying up a store of
material out of which he will picture the mighty past, the great present, and the unseen
future.
In the first few years of school life the pupil is busy with the Fairy Story, the Myth, and the Legend. These stories serve the purpose of a reading lesson, a language lesson, or it may be a lesson in literature. They also serve another purpose. The characters in these stories act, and their acts or deeds serve as signs of what they think and of how they feel. They thus prepare the way for a better understanding of the study of history. Again there are characters doing good deeds, and characters doing bad deeds. These are in conflict. This conflict becomes a great source of interest and is an important means of moral growth to the pupil. These stories are clearly both literary and historical.
In the fourth or fifth grade the real historical person appears. By their own observations of man in his local surroundings and by the study just described the pupils are prepared for this man of flesh and blood.
The aim of this book has been to bring before the mind of the pupils a series of great historical characters. These men do interesting things from the beginning to the end of life. Because their deeds are concrete and physical they are easily pictured in imagination. To this end the author has endeavored to make the language used simple, vivid, and picturesque. Nothing should stand in the way of the imagination, for, as a rule, that which the pupils cannot picture they cannot understand and cannot remember.
Not only are the deeds of these men interesting but they are also dramatic. They are dramatic because there is in each story the elements of a collision— a conflict. The overcoming of great obstacles constitutes one kind of conflict. This is particularly illustrated in the careers of Christopher Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln. Another kind of conflict is seen in the struggle of one man against another man or body of men— the collisions between Drake and the Spaniards, between William Penn and social prejudices of the English, between Montcalm and Wolfe, between Washington and the rival British generals, between Jackson and his opponents, and between Grant and Lee. In these conflicts are found the pupil's chief interest. He pursues the story with zest and watches its outcome with unflagging interest. He forms his opinions as to who was right, who was wrong, or who mistaken. This is the teacher's opportunity to draw out the ethical qualities of the pupils. Herein lies the power of Biography.
In this book the biographies are grouped according to Periods. Each period should suggest certain related facts to the pupils. Breaking each period into groups we have certain related biographies. These stories have their idea or lesson which is suggested by the group headings. For instance: "The Men Who Made America Known to England"— Cabot, Drake, and Raleigh. This was their common contribution. By means of this idea the pupils bind these three men together. The individual heading gives the key to the story as a whole. Under Drake is put the idea of "Sailing the Spanish Main and Singeing the King of Spain's Beard." These ideas can be obtained from Drake's story as- a whole. Any one, especially the teacher, can see how valuable is such a grouping of characters and how it leads the pupils thus early to look for easy and correct meanings, far beyond the details of the story.
The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to the following persons who by their careful readings of the text and the many valuable suggestions they offered have been of great service to him:
E. P. Tanner, Associate Professor of History, Syracuse University; P.
P. Claxton, Professor of Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville;
W .W. Black, Supervising Principal, Third Division of the Public Schools of
the District of Columbia; W. A. Furr, Superintendent of Schools, Jacksonville,
Illinois; W. F. Chevalier,
WILLIAM H. MACE.
Syracuse University,
1909.
The Period of Discover and Colonization
PAGE
PAGE
The Period of the Revolution
PAGE
The Period of Development as a Nation
PAGE
A Message
PAGE
STORIES OF HEROISM
THE NORTHMEN AND THE MOST FAMOUS
TRAVELER IN THE FAR EAST
I. The Voyages of the Northmen. The Northmen were a bold and
hardy people who lived in northern Europe hundreds of years ago. Many of them left
their homes, some going to one place and some to another.
Some of the very boldest sailed westward and settled in a country called Iceland. Here in this land of ice and snow, with its long winters and very short summers, they lived and raised their flocks and herds.
Among them was a brave, bold sailor named Eric the Red. He sailed one day on a voyage of discovery and did not come back to Iceland for two years.
When he did return, he told his friends and neighbors of a land they had never seen. He told them many wonderful stories of this new place, which was even more snowy than Iceland. It was called Greenland. Then many Northmen went to live in Greenland.
Once when some Northmen were out sailing, a great storm drove them far to the south. Here they saw a strange country.
When they returned to Greenland they told of this unknown region they had seen.
Now, Leif Ericson, the son of Eric the Red, said he would go and explore this land. After sailing for many days to the southward, he finally reached the shores of this New World.
Leif the Lucky discovers and names Vinland
Leif and his men landed and explored the country in all directions. It was a very strange place to them.
They had spent their lives among the mountains, where in winter the snow was so deep that even the summer did not take it all away. In this new land were great forests, where grew all kinds of beautiful flowers. Here birds sang gaily among the trees. The travelers were so delighted to find vines with grapes on them that they named the country Vinland, a country of grapes.
His discovery excited the Northmen
Leif's discovery caused great excitement among his people, and ever after he was
known as Leif the Lucky. After hearing his story of Vinland, some
A "skeleton in armor"
This time Thorvald, one of Leif's brothers, led the expedition. On reaching land, as they stepped ashore, he exclaimed: "It is a fair region and here I should like to make my home." Thorvald was killed in a battle with the Indians and was buried where he had wanted to build his home. Here, more than eight hundred years afterward, was dug up a "skeleton in armor."
Longfellow, our most popular poet, made this the subject of a beautiful poem, in which he tells an interesting story of an imaginary Northman.
For eight or ten years the Northmen of Greenland came to the eastern coast of America. But finally the Indians, whom they called Skrellings, meaning savages, grew so hostile that the Northmen went away and never came again.
We learn about these Northmen and what they did from their old songs or legends, called sagas.
The exact place where they landed and settled for a time is not known, but is supposed to be somewhere in New England.
2. European Travelers in Asia. Many years ago the people of
western and southern Europe carried on a long, hard war with the people of western
Asia. In fact, the war was nearly two hundred years long. Thousands and thousands of
soldiers went to Asia to fight.
War between Europe and Asia
Long before this struggle was at an end, the people of Europe were returning and were telling wonderful stories of the rich countries and the rich cities they had seen.
The Polos visit Asia
These stories made travelers and traders anxious to go to Asia and see for themselves. Two brothers, named Polo, living in Venice, were among the most famous of all the men who went to see those strange lands and yet stranger peoples.
The brothers had reached middle life when they went to Asia and visited the great ruler of China, named Kublai Khan.
A few years after their return home they made a second journey to visit this great king. This time they took along young Marco, a boy of seventeen and a son of one of the brothers. They traveled many, many days. In fact, they were more than three years in reaching again the city of the great king.
The king was glad indeed to see them once more, and he was greatly pleased with young Marco, who was now about twenty years old.
Marco a member of the king's Council
Marco was keen to learn all the languages he heard spoken. So well was the king
pleased with him that he made him a member
For more than twenty years Marco Polo was with the great king going from one part of the country to another, and sometimes carrying messages to rulers of other lands.
The return to Venice
Finally, the time came to go back to the old home in Venice. The Polos again traveled a great many days before they reached home. They had been gone so long that the people of Venice did not know them— not even their own kinsfolk knew them.
The two brothers were now very old, with gray beards and wrinkled faces. Marco Polo, who was a mere boy when they left home, was now a large and fine-looking man.
At the great feast
Finally, the brothers gave a great feast to which they invited many of their
friends. At the feast they took their old coats, stained and soiled by long miles of
travel, and began to rip and
The riches of the Far East
It became noised abroad in the great city of Venice what these men had done. The whole city gathered to do them honor, and in different ways to show how much they admired such wonderful travelers.
Marco Polo in prison
And now, it came about that the city of Venice and the city of Genoa were at war with each other. Marco Polo joined the army of Venice to help fight for his native city. In the battle which followed he, with seven thousand other men, were taken prisoners by the Genoese.
Marco Polo's book
In the prison at Genoa Marco Polo spent a large part of his time in writing a book.
In it he told of all he did and saw and heard in Asia. He described countries,
cities, products,
The famous old book was written in Columbus's own town of Genoa. It is true that it was written many years before Columbus was born, but he must have heard of this book, or have seen the effects of it in the better maps that were made and in the greater wish of the people to get the products of the East or to go to see the great cities which Marco Polo had seen.
The Leading Facts.
1. The Northmen, bold sailors, settled Ice land and Greenland. 2. Leif the Lucky reached the shores of North America, and called
the country Vinland. 3. For many years the Northmen came, but
finally ceased to come on account of the Indians.
4. Traders went very early to the eastern part of Asia. 5. For twenty years Marco Polo visited the great king of eastern
Asia. 6. When he came home he wrote a great book which contained
all he did, heard, and saw.
Study Questions.
1. When the Northmen left their homes in what new countries did
they settle before coming to America? 2. Tell the story of Eric
the Red. 3. What kind of a country did Leif Ericson discover? 4. Tell the story of Thorvald and read Longfellow's poem, "The
Skeleton in Armor"
5. What effects on Europe did the long wars have? 6. Who were the most famous travelers in that day and what part of Asia did
they see? 7. Tell the story of Marco Polo. 8.
What was done at the great feast? 9. What did Marco Polo's book
contain? 10. What did this book do to help discover America?
Suggested Readings. THE NORTHMEN: Glascock, Stories of Columbia, 7-9; Higginson,
American Explorers, 3-15; Old South Leaflets,
No. 31.
MARCO POLO: Brooks, Story of
Marco Polo, Chapters 1, 2, 14, 20, 21; Knox, Travels of Marco
Polo for Boys and Girls; Old South Leaflets, No. 32.
3. Old Trade Routes to Asia. More than 450 years ago, Christopher
Columbus spent his boyhood in the queer old Italian town of Genoa on the shore of
the Mediterranean Sea. Even in that far-away time, the Mediterranean was dotted with
the white sails of ships busy in carrying the richest trade in the world. But no
merchants were richer or had bolder sailors than those of Columbus's own town.
Boyhood of Columbus
Genoa had her own trading routes to India, China, and Japan. Her vessels sailed eastward and crossed the Black Sea to the very shores of Asia. There they found stores of rich shawls and silks and of costly spices and jewels, which had already come on the backs of horses and camels from the Far East. As fast as winds and oars could carry them, these merchant ships hastened back to Genoa where other ships and sailors were waiting to carry their goods to all parts of Europe.
Why Columbus learned to like the sea
Every day the boys of Genoa, as they played along the wharves, could see the ships
from different countries and could hear the learned stories of adventure told by the
sailors. No wonder Christopher found it hard to work at his father's trade of
combing wool; he liked to hear stories of the sea and to make maps and to study
Prince Henry's work
While Columbus was growing to be a man, the wise and noble Prince Henry of Portugal was sending his sailors down the unknown west coast of Africa to find a new way to India. The Turks, by capturing Constantinople, had destroyed Genoa's overland trade routes.
Columbus goes to Lisbon
The bold deeds of Henry's sailors drew many seamen to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Columbus went, too, where he was made welcome by his brother and other friends. Here he soon earned enough by making maps to send money home to aid his parents, who were very poor.
Columbus was now a large, fine-looking young man with ruddy face and bright eyes,
so that he soon won the heart and the hand of a beautiful lady, the daughter of one
of Prince Henry's old seamen. Columbus was in the midst of exciting scenes. Lisbon
was full of learned men, and of sailors longing to go on voyages.
Sailors hope to reach India
It is said that one day while looking over his father-in-law's maps, Columbus was startled by the idea of reaching India by sailing directly west. He thought that this could be done, because he believed the world to be round, although all people, except the most educated, then thought the world flat. Columbus also believed that the world was much smaller than it really is.
Columbus's new idea
The best map of that time located India, China, and Japan about where America is. For once, a mistake in geography turned out well. Columbus, believing his route to be the shortest, spent several years in gathering proof that India was directly west. He went on long voyages and talked with many old sailors about the signs of land to the westward.
A tricky king
Finally Columbus laid his plans before the new King of Portugal, John II. The king
secretly sent out a ship to test the plan. His sailors,
What the Spaniards thought of Columbus
4. Columbus at the Court of Spain. The King and Queen of Spain,
Ferdinand and Isabella, received him kindly; but some of their wise men did not
believe that the world is round, and declared Columbus foolish for thinking that
countries to the eastward could be reached by sailing to the westward. He was not
discouraged at first, because other wise men spoke in his favor to the king and
queen.
It was hard for these rulers to aid him now because a long and costly war had used
up all of Spain's money. Columbus was very
Some thought him crazy
Begs bread for his son
5. New Friends of America. Disappointed and discouraged, after
several years of weary waiting, Columbus set out on foot to try his fortunes in
France. One day while passing along the road, he came to a convent or monastery.
Here he begged a drink of water and some bread for his tired and hungry son, Diego,
who was then about twelve years of age. The good prior of the monastery was struck
by the fine face and the noble bearing of the stranger, and began to talk with him.
When Columbus explained his bold plan of finding a shorter route to India, the prior
sent in haste to the little port of Palos, near by, for some old seamen, among them
The prior goes to Queen Isabella
Isabella's kindness
The prior himself hastened with all speed to his good friend, Queen Isabella, and begged her not to allow Columbus to go to France, for the honor of such a discovery ought to belong to Isabella and to Spain. How happy was the prior when the queen gave him money to pay the expenses for Columbus to visit her in proper style! With a heart full of hope, once more Columbus hastened to the Spanish Court, only to find both king and queen busy in getting ready for the last great battle of the long war. Spain won a great victory, and while the people were still rejoicing, the queen's officers met Columbus to make plans for the long-thought-of voyage. But because the queen refused to make him governor over all the lands he might discover, Columbus mounted his mule and rode away, once more bent on seeking aid from France.
Why Columbus did not go to France
Some of the queen's men hastened to her and begged her to recall Columbus. Isabella hesitated, for she had but little money in her treasury. Finally, it is said, she declared that she would pledge her jewels, if necessary, to raise the money for a fleet. A swift horseman overtook Columbus, and brought him back. The great man cried with joy when Isabella told him that she would fit out an expedition and make him governor over all the lands he might discover.
Columbus's unselfish vow
Columbus now took a solemn vow to use the riches obtained by his discovery in fitting out a great army which should drive out of the holy city of Jerusalem those very Turks who had destroyed the greatness of his native city.
6. The First Voyage. Columbus hastened to Palos. What a sad time
in that town when the good queen commanded her ships and sailors to go with Columbus
on a voyage where the bravest seamen had never sailed! When all things were ready
for the voyage, Columbus's friend, the good prior, held a solemn religious service,
the sailors said good-by to sorrowing friends, and the little fleet of three vessels
and ninety stout-hearted men sailed bravely out of the harbor, August 3, 1492.
First voyage begun
The stop at the Canary Islands
Columbus commanded the Santa Maria, the largest vessel, only about ninety feet
long. Pinzon was captain of the Pinta, the fastest vessel, and Pinzon's brother of
the Niña, the smallest vessel. The expedition stopped at the Canary Islands to make
the last
After many days, the ships sailed into an ocean filled with seaweed, and so wide that no sailor could see the end. Would the ships stick fast or were they about to run aground on some hidden island and their crews be left to perish? The little fleet was already in the region of the trade winds whose gentle but steady breezes were carrying them farther and farther from home. If these winds never changed, they thought, how could the ships ever make their way back.
The sailors lost heart, but Columbus grew hopeful
The sailors begged Columbus to turn back, but he encouraged them by pointing out signs of land, such as flocks of birds, and green branches floating in the sea. He told them that according to the maps they were near Japan and offered a prize to the one who should first see land. One day, not long after, Pinzon shouted, "Land! Land! I claim my prize." But he had only seen a dark bank of clouds far away on the horizon. The sailors, thinking land near, grew cheerful and climbed into the rigging and kept watch for several days. But no land came into view and they grew more downhearted than ever. Because Columbus would not turn back, they threatened to throw him into the sea and declared that he was a madman leading them on to certain death.
Land at last discovered
7. Columbus the Real Discoverer. One beautiful evening, after the
sailors sang their vesper hymn, Columbus made a speech,pointing out how God had
favored them with clear skies and gentle winds for their voyage, and said that since
they were so near land the ships must not sail any more after midnight. That very
night Columbus saw, far across the dark waters, the glimmering light of a torch. A
few hours later the Pinta fired a joyful gun to tell that land had been surely
found. All was excitement on board
Taking possession of the country for Spain
On Friday morning, October 12, 1492, Columbus, dressed in a robe of bright red and carrying the royal flag of Spain, stepped upon the shores of the New World. Around him were gathered his officers and sailors, dressed in their best clothes and carrying flags, banners, and crosses. They fell upon their knees, kissed the earth, and with tears of joy, gave thanks. Columbus then drew his sword and declared that the land belonged to the King and Queen of Spain.
8. How the People Came to be Called "Indians." When the people of
this land first saw the ships of Columbus, they imagined that the Spaniards had come
up from the sea or down from the sky and that they were beings from Heaven. They,
therefore, at first ran frightened into the woods. Afterwards, as they came back,
they fell upon their knees as if to worship the white men.
Columbus called the island on which he landed San Salvador and named the people Indians because he believed he had discovered an island of East India, although he had really discovered one of the Bahama Islands, and, as we suppose, the one known to-day as San Salvador. He and his men were greatly disappointed at the appearance of these new people, for instead of seeing them dressed in rich clothes, wearing ornaments of gold and silver, and living in great cities, as they had expected, they saw only half-naked, painted savages living in rude huts.
First Spanish colony planted in the New World
9. Discovery of Cuba. After a few days Columbus sailed farther on
and found the land now called Cuba, which he believed was Japan. Here his own ship
was wrecked, leaving him only the Niña, for the Pinta had gone, he knew not where.
He was now greatly alarmed, for if the Niña should be wrecked he and his men would
be lost and no one would ever hear of his great discovery. He decided to return to
Spain at once, but some of the sailors were so in love with the beautiful islands
and the kindly people that they resolved to stay and plant the first Spanish colony
in the New World. After collecting some gold and silver articles, plants, animals,
birds, Indians, and other proofs of his discovery, Columbus spread the sails of the
little Niña for the homeward voyage, January 4, 1493.
The homeward voyage
10. Columbus Returns to Spain. On the way home a great storm
knocked the little vessel about for four days. All gave up hope, and Columbus wrote
two accounts of his discovery, sealed them in barrels, and set them adrift. A second
storm drove the Niña to Lisbon, in Portugal, where Columbus told the story of his
great voyage. Some of the Portuguese wished to imprison Columbus, but the king would
not, and in the middle of March, the Niña sailed into the harbor of Palos.
The joy of Palos
What joy in that little town! The bells were set ringing and the people ran shouting through the streets to the wharf, for they had long given up Columbus and his crew as lost. To add to their joy, that very night when the streets were bright with torches, the Pinta, believed to have been lost, also sailed into the harbor.
The people's reception
Columbus immediately wrote a letter to the king and queen, who bade him hasten to them in Barcelona. All along his way, even the villages and the country roads swarmed with people anxious to see the great discoverer and to look upon the strange people and the queer products which he had brought from India, as they thought.
As he came near the city, a large company of fine people rode out to give him welcome. He entered the city like a hero. The streets, the balconies, the doors, the windows, the very house tops were crowded with happy people eager to catch sight of him.
Reception by the king and queen
In a great room of the palace, Ferdinand and Isabella had placed their throne. Into this room marched Columbus surrounded by the noblest people of Spain, but none more noble looking than the hero. The king and queen arose and Columbus fell upon his knees and kissed their hands. They gave him a seat near them and bade him tell the strange story of his wonderful voyage.
When he finished, the king and queen fell upon their knees and raised their hands in thanksgiving. All the people did the same, and a great choir filled the room with a song of praise. The reception was now over and the people, shouting and cheering, followed Columbus to his home. How like a dream it must have seemed to Columbus, who only a year or so before, in threadbare clothes, was begging bread at the monastery near Palos!
Fails to find rich cities
II. The Second Voyage. But all Spain was on fire for another
expedition. Every seaport was now anxious to furnish ships, and every bold sailor
was eager to go. In a few months a fleet of seventeen fine ships and fifteen hundred
people sailed away under the command of Columbus (1493) to search for the rich
cities of their dreams. After four years of exploration and discovery among the
islands that soon after began to be called the West Indies, Columbus sailed back to
Spain greatly disappointed. He had found no rich cities nor mines of gold and
silver.
12. The Third and Fourth Voyages. On his third voyage (1498)
Columbus sailed along the northern shores of South America, but when he reached the
West Indies, the Spaniards who had settled there refused to obey him, seized him,
put him in chains,
Death of Columbus
Naming the country
Honor to his memory
The Leading Facts.
I. Columbus was born near the shores of the Mediterranean and
trained for the sea by study and by experience. 2. The people of
Europe traded with the Far East, but 3. Columbus was drawn to Portugal
because of Prince Henry's great work. 4. Columbus thought he could
sail west and reach the rich cities of the East. 5. After many
discouragements he won aid from Isabella and discovered the Bahama Islands, Cuba,
and Haiti. 6. The king and queen of Spain received Columbus with
great ceremony. 7. Columbus made three more voyages, but was
disappointed in not finding the rich cities of India.
Study Questions.
I. Make a list of articles which the caravans (camels and horses)
of the East brought to the Black Sea. 2. What studies fitted
Columbus for the sea? 3. Why were there so many sailors in Lisbon?
4. How did Columbus get his idea of the earth's shape? 5. What did men in Portugal and Spain think of this idea? 6. Tell the story of Columbus in Spain. 7. What is
the meaning of the vow taken by him? 8. Make a picture in your
mind of the first voyage of Columbus. Read the poem "Columbus," by Joaquin Miller.
9. Shut your eyes and imagine you see Columbus land and take
possession of the country. 10. Why was Columbus so disappointed?
11. How did the people of Palos act when Columbus returned? 12. Picture the reception of Columbus by the people, and by the king
and queen. 13. Why was Columbus disappointed in the second
expedition? 14. What did Columbus believe he had accomplished? 15. What had he failed to do that he hoped to do?
Suggested Readings. COLUMBUS: Hart, Colonial Children, 4-6; Pratt, Exploration and
Discovery, 17-32; Wright, Children's Stories in American
History, 38-60; Higginson, American Explorers, 19-52;
Glascock, Stories of Columbia, 10-35; McMurry, Pioneers on Land and Sea, 122-160; Brooks, The True Story of
Christopher Columbus, 1-103, 112-172.
Magellan sails to India
13. Magellan's Task. Columbus died believing that he had
discovered a part of India. But he had not proved that the earth is round by sailing
around it. This great task was left for Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailor.
While a young man he, too, went to Lisbon. Columbus's great voyage had stirred up
the
He, too, goes to Spain
After returning to Portugal, Magellan sought the king's aid, but he would not help the bold sailor; then, like Columbus, he went to Spain, and in less than two years his fleet of five vessels sailed for the coast of South America (1519). Severe storms tossed the vessels about on the sea for nearly a month. Food and water grew scarce. The sailors threatened to kill Magellan, but the brave captain, like Columbus, kept boldly on until he reached cold and stormy Patagonia.
His sailor rebel
It was now Easter time, and the long, hard winter of the southern half of the world was already setting in. Finding a safe harbor and plenty of fish, Magellan decided to winter there. But the captains of three ships refused to obey, decided to kill Magellan and lead the fleet back to Spain. Magellan was too quick for them. He captured one of the ships, turned the cannon on the other two, and soon forced them to surrender.
There were no more outbreaks that winter. One of the ships was wrecked. How glad
the sailors were when, late in August,
In October, his little fleet entered a wide, deep channel and found rugged, snow-clad mountains rising high on both sides of them. Many of the sailors believed they had at last found the westward passage, and that it was now time to turn homeward.
Magellan's bold resolution
But Magellan declared that he would "eat the leather off the ship's yards" rather than turn back. The sailors on one ship seized and bound the captain and sailed back to Spain. Magellan with but three ships sailed bravely on until a broad, quiet ocean broke upon his sight. He wept for joy, for he believed that now the western route to India had indeed been found. This new ocean, so calm and smooth, he named the Pacific, and all the world now calls the channel he discovered the Strait of Magellan.
The first voyage across the Pacific begins
No man had yet sailed across the Pacific, and no man knew the distance. Magellan
was as bold a sailor as ever sailed the main, and he had brave men with him. In
November (1520) the three little ships boldly turned their prows toward India. On
and on they sailed. Many of the crew, as they looked out upon a little island, saw
land for the last time. Many thousand miles had yet to be sailed before land would
again be seen. After long
How big the world seemed to these poor, starving sailors! But the captain never lost courage. Finally they beheld land. It was the group of islands now known as the Mariannes (Ladrones). Here they rested and feasted to their hearts' content.
Visits the Philippines
Then Magellan pressed on to another group of islands which were afterwards called the Philippines, from King Philip of Spain.
Magellan loses his life for his men
Here in a battle with the inhabitants, while bravely defending his sailors, Magellan was killed. Their great commander was gone and they were still far from Spain. Sadly his sailors continued the voyage, but only one of the vessels with about twenty men ever reached home to tell the story of that wonderful first voyage around the world.
What the voyage proved
While Magellan was proving that Columbus was right in thinking the world round and that India could be reached by sailing to the west, other men had begun already to find in the new world rich cities like those of which Columbus had dreamed of finding.
Cortés sank his ships
Spaniards saw signs of riches
14. Cortés Invades Mexico. Columbus died disappointed because he
had not found the rich cities which everybody believed were somewhere in India.
Foremost among Spanish soldiers was Hernando Cortés, who, in 1519, sailed with
twelve ships from Cuba to the coast of what is now Mexico. His soldiers and sailors
were hardly on land before he sank every one of his ships. His men now had to fight.
They wore coats of iron, were armed with swords and guns, and they had a few cannon
and horses. Every few miles they saw villages arid now and then cities. The Indians
wore cotton clothes, and in their ears and around their necks and their ankles they
had gold and silver ornaments. The Spaniards could hardly keep their hands off these
ornaments, they were so eager for gold. They were now sure that the rich cities were
near at hand, which Columbus had hoped to find, and which every Spaniard fully
believed would be found.
Difference in Spanish and Indian ways of fighting
The people of Mexico had neither guns nor swords, but they were brave. Near the first large city, thousands upon thousands of fiercely painted warriors wearing leather shields, rushed upon the little band of Spaniards. For two days the fighting went on, but not a single Spaniard was killed. The arrows of the Indians could not pierce iron coats, but the sharp Spanish swords could easily cut leather shields. The simple natives thought they must be fighting against gods instead of men, and gave up the battle.
Day after day Cortés marched on until a beautiful valley broke upon his view. His men now saw a wonderful sight: cities built over lakes, where canals took the place of streets and where canoes carried people from place to place. It all seemed like a dream. But they hastened forward to the great capital city. It, too, was built over a lake, larger than any seen before and it could be reached only along three great roads of solid mason work.
A great Indian City
These roads ran to the center of the city where stood, in a great
Cortés makes Montezuma a prisoner
Montezuma, the Indian ruler, received Cortés and his men very politely and gave the officers a house near the great temple. But Cortés was in danger. What if the Indians should rise against him? To guard against this danger, Cortés compelled Montezuma to live in the Spanish quarters. The people did not like to see their beloved ruler a prisoner in his own city.
The Spaniards driven out of the city
But no outbreak came until the Spaniards, fearing an attack, fell upon the Indians, who were holding a religious festival, and killed hundreds of them. The Indian council immediately chose Montezuma's brother to be ruler and the whole city rose to drive out the now hated Spaniards. The streets and even the house tops were filled with angry warriors. Cortés compelled Montezuma to stand upon the roof of the Spanish fort and command his people to stop fighting.
But he was ruler no longer. He was struck down by his own warriors, and died in a
few days, a broken-hearted man. After several days of hard fighting, Cortés and his
men tried to get out of
The great Indian cry almost destroyed
15. Cortés Conquers Mexico. Because of jealousy a Spanish army
was sent to bring Cortés back to Cuba. By capturing this army Cortés secured more
soldiers. Once more he marched against the city. What could bows and arrows and
spears and stones do against the terrible horsemen and their great swords, or
against the Spanish foot soldiers with their muskets and cannon? At length the great
Indian city was almost destroyed, but thousands of its brave defenders were killed
before the fighting ceased (1521). From this time on, the country gradually filled
with Spanish settlers.
16. Cortés Visits Spain. After several years, Cortés longed to see his native land
once more. He set sail, and reached the little
Cortés shares Columbus's fate
Cortés afterwards returned to Mexico, where he spent a large part of his fortune in trying to improve the country. The Spanish king permitted great wrong to be done to Cortés and, like Columbus, the discoverer, Cortés, the conqueror, died neglected by the king whom he had made so rich. For three hundred years the mines of Mexico poured a constant stream of gold and silver into the lap of Spain.
17. Pizarro's Voyages. While visiting in Spain, Cortés stopped at
the old convent where Columbus had found friendly shelter.
Pizarro listens to Cortés in the old monastery
Address to his men
On his second expedition from Panama, Pizarro reached a town of two thousand houses on the western side of South America. The people of this town wore rich ornaments and had a large army. As the Spaniards sailed on, dangers and sufferings came thick and fast. Pizarro's men declared they would go no farther. Then they went on shore, and the brave leader, taking his sword, drew a line in the sand from east to west, and said: "On that side are toil, hunger, nakedness, desertion, and death; on this side, ease and pleasure. There lies Peru with riches, here Panama and its poverty. I go south." Pizarro then stepped across the line, followed by his bravest men. The others sailed back to Panama.
Finally ships with more men and supplies came, and Pizarro sailed farther south and landed. Here a sight met the eyes of his men which made them "mad with joy." The very walls of the inside of a great temple were covered with gold and silver. Again they sailed southward hearing the story of a mighty ruler whose riches were greater than those of which any Spaniard had ever dreamed.
Pizzaro returns to Panama and to Spain
The king gives aid
Pizarro had seen enough. He sailed for Panama, where the people gave him a warm welcome, for they had believed Spain him long ago lost. Pizarro hastened across the Isthmus and sailed for home, to tell his story to the great King of Spain. The king then made Pizarro governor over all the land that he might conquer. He also gave big titles and high offices to the men who had stood by Pizarro.
Pizzaro reaches Peru on his third voyage
Pizarro hastened back to America and crossed the Isthmus to Panama, where he fitted out an expedition of three vessels, two hundred men, and fifty horses. With banners flying, and with hopes of great riches in the hearts of his men, Pizarro sailed southward for the third time, finally reaching the coast of Peru.
What Pizzaro's men saw
18. Pizarro Goes to Find the Inca. When more men and horses
arrived under De Soto, Pizarro began his march inland
The march down the eastern slope of the Andes
Then the little army for seven days marched down the eastern side of the Andes until a beautiful valley burst into view. The Spaniards saw rich farms and green meadows in every direction. In this valley lay a city of ten thousand people whose homes were built of sun-dried bricks or from cut stone.
Across the valley, could be seen hundreds of the white tents of the Inca's army. There in the royal tent, surrounded by his nobles, De Soto found the Inca, and gave him Pizarro's invitation to visit the Spanish army. But what if the Inca's mighty host should swarm across the valley and swallow up their little band? Pizarro made his plans in secret.
The Inca visits Pizarro
19. The Inca Taken Prisoner. On the next day the Inca came. He
was carried upon his gold-bedecked throne by the nobles, whose golden ornaments
"blazed like the sun." With the Inca came an army so large that it spread out over
the fields and hills as far as the eye could reach. This was, indeed, a strange
visit.
Pizarro deceives and captures the Inca
When the Inca reached the great public square of the city, not a Spanish soldier could be seen. Suddenly a signal gun was fired, and the Spaniards rushed from their hiding and charged directly at the Inca. But the people were so willing to die for their beloved ruler that they fought for a long time, and thousands of them had to be killed or trampled down by the Spanish horses before Pizarro and his men could reach the Inca and take him prisoner. When the people saw their nobles killed and the Inca a prisoner they lost heart and quit fighting (1532).
After a few days the Inca told Pizarro that, if the Spaniards would set him free,
he would fill the room of his prison, as high as he could reach, with gold. Pizarro
agreed, and soon from
Pizzaro's bad act
The Spaniard fought their way to the capital
20. The March to the Capital of Peru. The brave De Soto led the
way up the great road toward the top of the Andes. They crossed foaming rivers and
fought their way through narrow mountain passes, for the Peruvians were Sent on
punishing the men who had deceived and put to death their ruler.
The wealth of Cuzco
Finally, after weary days of marching and fighting, Pizarro and his little army reached Cuzco. Never before in the history of the world had so much gold and silver been found. Vessels of pure gold; golden images; beads of pure gold! In one place were found "ten planks or bars of solid silver, each piece being twenty feet in length, one foot in breadth, and two or three inches thick." These great riches were divided among the Spaniards, according to their rank.
The result of too much cruelty and of love of riches21. The Death of Pizarro. But the conquerors fell to quarreling
among themselves. Pizarro and his friends put to death one of the Spanish leaders.
After a time the dead leader's friends broke into
The Leading Facts.
1. Columbus thought the world round but Magellan proved it. 2. Magellan sailed around South America into the Pacific Ocean,
across this new sea to the Philippine Islands, where he was killed. 3. His ship reached Spain— the first to sail around the world. 4. Cortés marched against a rich city, afterward called Mexico,
captured the ruler, and fought great battles with the people. 5.
Cortés captured the city and ruled it for several years. 6.
Pizarro invaded Peru, the richest of all countries, captured and put to death the
ruler. 7. Pizarro died by the hand of a Spaniard.
Study Questions.
1. What part of the problem of Columbus did Magellan solve? 2. What was Magellan's preparation? 3. Where is
Patagonia and how could there be signs of spring late in August? 4. What did Magellan's voyage prove and what remained of Columbus's plans
yet to accomplish?
5. Why did Cortés sink his ships? 6. How were
Spaniards armed and how were Indians armed? 7. Describe the city
of Mexico. 8. Who began the war and what does that show about the
Spaniards? 9. How did Cortés get more soldiers? 10. How did the people and king receive Cortés in Spain? 11. How was he treated on his return to Mexico?
12. Who met at the old Convent or Monastery? 13. What sight made the Spaniards "mad with joy"? 14. What
did Pizarro see in passing up and down the Andes? 15. Picture the
Inca coming to visit Pizarro and Pizarro's reception of him. 16.
What pledge did the Inca make? 17. Tell the story of Pizarro's
march to the capital. 18. Did Pizarro deserve his fate?
Suggested Readings. MAGELLAN: McMurry, Pioneers on Land and Sea, 161-185; Butterworth, Story
of Magellan, 52-143; Ober, Ferdinand Magellan, 108-244.
CORTES: McMurry, Pioneers on Land and Sea,
186-225; Hale, Stories of Adventure, 101-126; Ober, Hernando Cortés, 24-80, 82-291.
PIZARRO: Hart, Colonial Children, 12-16;
Towle, Pizarro, 27-327.
What the Spaniards imagined
22. Coronado's Search for Rich Cities. The stories of Cortés and
Pizarro so excited the imagination of the Spaniards that they believed North America
must be full of cities more splendid than any yet seen. Accordingly, in 1539, the
Governor of Mexico sent Francisco Coronado with more than a thousand Spaniards and
Indians, far to the northward, in search of the country of the Seven Cities. Tales
of the size and wealth of these cities so stirred the people that the Spanish
priests in Mexico preached about them.
For many days Coronado and his army marched northward until they reached the dry and rocky regions of Arizona and New Mexico. The soldiers were now hungry and thirsty, but they marched cheerfully on, each day hoping to reach some great city.
A queer Indian town
One day a strange sight burst upon their eyes. It was a town such as few white men
had ever seen. Far up on the top of a great rocky hill, with very steep sides, stood
a town of the Zuni Indians. The houses were built of
Was this one of the Seven Cities sought for? The Spaniards were deeply disappointed, for there were no temples richly ornamented with gold and silver.
The Grand Canyon of the Colorado
Coronado sent out small scouting parties, but neither cities nor gold were found-- only tales of great riches farther on. One party discovered the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, and with awe and wonder the Spaniards gazed down into its dizzy depths to the river, so far below that it seemed narrow enough to be crossed at a single leap. Yet, however interesting and beautiful such things might be, they could not satisfy the Spaniards.
Another kind of town
When spring came, Coronado and his men took fresh hope and pushed northward many
days, until suddenly the soldiers found themselves in the midst of a very
On the army marched until they reached and crossed the mountains, probably into the region of Kansas and Nebraska. Here the Spaniards saw the western prairies with their immense seas of waving grass and herds of countless buffalo, which they called "crooked-back oxen."
Coronado's conclusion
Neither from the tops of the Rocky Mountains nor upon the face of the wide prairies had Coronado been able to see the temples of a single great and rich city. Disappointed, and tired out by his long march, he turned his face southward, and reached home in 1542. He wrote to the King of Spain saying that the region he had explored was far too poor a place for him to plant colonies.
23. The Expedition to Florida. While Coronado and his men were
searching in vain for hidden cities with golden temples, another band of men was
wandering through the forests farther to the eastward. Hernando De Soto had been one
of Pizarro's bravest soldiers. The news that this bold adventurer was to lead an
expedition to Florida stirred all Spain. Many nobles sold their lands to fit out
their sons to fight under so great a leader.
The settlers of Cuba welcome De Soto
The Spanish settlers of Cuba gave a joyful welcome to De Soto and to the brave men from the home-land. After many festivals and solemn religious ceremonies, nine vessels, carrying many soldiers, twelve priests, six hundred horses, and a herd of swine, sailed for Florida (1539).
What a grand sight to the Indians as the men and horses clad in steel armor landed! There were richly-colored banners, beautiful crucifixes, and many things never before seen by the Indians. But this was by far the most cruel expedition yet planned.
The Spaniards' cruelty to the Indians
Wherever the Spaniards marched Indians were seized as slaves and made to carry the baggage and do the hard work. If the Indian guides were false, they were burned at the stake or were torn to pieces by bloodhounds. Hence the Indians feared the Spaniards, and Indian guides often misled the Spanish soldiers on purpose to save the guides' own tribes from harm.
De Soto fought his way through forests and swamps to the head of Apalachee Bay, where he spent the winter. In the spring a guide led the army into what is now Georgia, in search of a country supposed to be rich in gold and ruled by a woman. The soldiers suffered and grumbled, but De Soto only turned the march farther northward.
Attacked by Indians
The Appalachian Mountains caused them to turn south again until Attacked they reached the village of Mavilla (Mobile), where the Indians rushed on them in great numbers and tried to crush the army. But Spanish swords and Spanish guns won the day against Indian arrows and Indian clubs. De Soto lost a number of men, at least a dozen horses, and the baggage of his entire army, yet he boldly refused to send to the coast for the men and supplies waiting for him there.
24. The Discovery of the Mississippi. Again De Soto's men
followed him northward, this time into what we know as northern Mississippi, where
the second winter was spent in a deserted Indian village. In the spring he demanded
two hundred Indians to carry baggage, but the chief and his men one night stole into
camp, set fire to their own rude houses, gave the war whoop, frightened many horses
into running away, and killed several of the Spaniards.
They reached a great river
The army then marched westward for many days, wading swamps and wandering through forests so dense that at times they could not see the sun. At last, in 1541, a river was reached greater than any the Spaniards had ever seen. It was the Mississippi, more than a mile wide, rushing swiftly on at full flood toward the Gulf.
On barges made by their own hands, De Soto and his men crossed to the west bank of the broad stream. There they marched northward, probably as far as the region now known as Missouri, and then westward two hundred miles. Nothing but hardships met them on every hand. In the spring of 1542, the little army came upon the Mississippi again.
Burial of De Soto
De Soto was tiring out. He grew sad and asked the Indians how far it was to the sea. But it was too far for the bold leader. A fever seized him, and after a few days he died, and at dead of night his companions buried him in the bosom of the great river he had discovered.
25. Only Half the Army Returns to Cuba. There were bold leaders
still left in the army. They turned westward again, but after finding neither gold
nor silver, they returned to the Mississippi and spent the winter on its banks.
There they built boats, and then floated down to the Gulf. Only one-half of the army
returned to tell the sad tales of hardships, battles, and poverty.
What Coronado and De Soto proved to the King of Spain
Thus it came about that Coronado and De Soto proved that northward from Mexico there were no rich cities, such as Columbus had dreamed about, and such as Cortés and Pizarro had really found. Hence it was that the King of Spain and his brave adventurers took less interest in that part of North America which is now the United States, and more in Mexico and in South America.
The Leading Facts.
1. Coronado marched north from Mexico, found an Indian town and
the Grand Canyon, but no rich cities. 2. De Soto wandered over the
country east of the Rocky Mountains in search of rich cities, but found a great
river, the Mississippi, and later was buried in its waters. 3.
Hence the Spaniards, eager for gold, went to Mexico and South America rather than
farther to the North.
Study Questions.
1 What was Coronado searching for and what kind of "city" did he
find and why were the Spaniards disappointed? 2. What things did
the Spaniards see that they never before had seen? 3. What report
did Coronado make to his king?
4. Why were De Soto's Indian guides false? 5.
Show that De Soto was a brave man. 6. How far north did the
Spaniards go both east and west of the Mississippi? 7. Tell the
story of De Soto's death and burial. 8. What proof can you give to
show that Spaniards were more cruel than was necessary?
Suggested Readings. CORONADO: Griffis, Romance of Discovery, 168-182; Hale, Stories of
Adventure, 136-140.
DE SOTO: Hart, Colonial
Children, 16-19; Higginson, American Explorers,
121-140.
The effect in England of Columbus's discovery
26. Cabot's Voyages. When the news of Columbus's great discovery
reached England, the king was sorry, no doubt, that he had not helped him. The story
is that Columbus had gone to Henry VII, King of England, for aid to make his voyage.
But England had a brave sailor of her own, John Cabot, an Italian, born in
Columbus's own town of Genoa, who also had learned his lessons in voyages on the
Mediterranean. Cabot had gone to live in the old town of Venice. Afterward he made
England his home and lived in the old seaport of Bristol, the home of many English
sailors.
He, too, believed the world to be round, and that India could be reached by sailing westward. King Henry VII gave Cabot permission to try, providing he would give the king one-fifth of all the gold and silver which everybody believed he would find in India.
What John Cabot discovered
Accordingly, John Cabot, and it may be his son, Sebastian, set out on a voyage in May, 1497. After many weeks, Cabot discovered land, now supposed to be either a part of Labrador or of Cape Breton Island. He landed and planted the flag of England, and by its side set up that of Venice, which had been his early home.
Later, he probably saw parts of Newfoundland, but nowhere did he see a single inhabitant. He did, however, find signs that the country was inhabited, but he found no proof of rich cities or of gold and silver. In the seas all around Cabot saw such vast swarms of fish that he told the people of England they would not need to go any more to cold and snowy Iceland to catch fish.
The king and people pay honor to Cabot
How John Cabot was treated by the king and people of England when he came back is
seen in an old letter written from England by a citizen of Venice to his friends at
home. "The king has promised that in the spring our countryman shall have ten ships,
armed to his order. The king has also given him money wherewith to amuse himself
till then, and he is now at Bristol with his wife, who is also a Venetian, and with
his sons. His name is John Cabot, and he is called the great admiral. Vast honor is
paid to him; he dresses
Cabot's second voyage
Again, in May, 1498, John Cabot started for India by sailing toward the northwest. This time the fleet was larger, and filled with eager English sailors. But Cabot could not find a way to India, so he altered his course and coasted southward as far as the region now called North Carolina.
Now because of these two voyages of Cabot, England later claimed a large part of North America, for he had really seen the mainland of America before Columbus. Spain also claimed the same region, but we have seen how Mexico and Peru drew Spaniards to those countries.
Why England was slow in settling America
If England had been quick to act and had made settlements where Cabot explored, she
would have had little trouble in getting a hold in North America. But she did not do
so. Henry VII was old
27. The Quarrel Between Spain and England. After John Cabot
failed to find a new way to India, King Henry did nothing more to help English
discovery. His son, Henry VIII, got into a great quarrel with the King of Spain. He
was too busy with this quarrel to think much about America.
Their sailors take up the quarrel
During this very time, Cortés and Pizarro were doing their wonderful deeds. Spain
grew bold, seized English seamen, threw
Why Drake hated the Spaniards
28. Sir Francis Drake. A most daring English seaman was Sir
Francis Drake. From boyhood days he had been a sailor. His cousin, Captain Hawkins,
gave him command of a ship against Mexico, but the Spaniards fell upon it, killed
many of the sailors, and robbed them of all they had. Drake came back ruined, and
was eager to take revenge. Besides, he hated the Spaniards because he thought they
were plotting to kill Elizabeth, the Queen of England.
Drake's first load of gold
In 1573 Drake returned to England with his ship loaded with gold and precious stones, captured from the Spaniards on the Isthmus of Panama. While on the Isthmus, he caught sight of the Pacific Ocean, which only Spaniards had seen before.
Begins his most famous voyage
29. Drake's Voyage Around the World. After four years, Drake,
with four small but fast vessels, sailed direct for the Strait of Magellan. He was
determined to sail the Pacific, which he had seen while on the Isthmus of Panama. In
June his fleet entered the harbor of Patagonia, where Magellan had spent the winter
more than fifty years before.
After destroying his smallest vessel, Drake sailed through the Strait in the face of a terrible storm. The vessels lost one another. One went down, and one returned to England, believing that Drake's ship, the Pelican, had been destroyed.
But Drake had a bold heart, good sailors, and a stout ship. After the storm, he sailed north to Valparaiso, where his men saw the first great treasure ship. The Spanish sailors jumped overboard, and left four hundred pounds of gold to Drake and his men. Week after week Drake sailed northward until he reached the coast of Peru, the land conquered by Pizarro.
Capturing treasure ships on the Pacific coast
Another great treasure ship had just sailed for Panama. Away flew the Pelican in swift pursuit. For eight hundred miles, day and night, the chase went on. One evening, just at dark, the little ship rushed down upon the great vessel, captured her easily, and carried her to sea farther out of her course, for other Spanish ships had been sent to catch Drake. What a rich haul! More than twenty tons of silver bars, thirteen chests of silver coin, one hundredweight of gold, besides a great store of precious stones. When Drake set the Spanish captain free, he said: "Tell your ruler to put no more Englishmen to death, or I will hang two thousand Spaniards and send him their heads."
The Pelican winters in California
The three Spanish ships sent to destroy Drake overtook him, but they dared not attack him, and sailed back. The little Pelican continued northward, and spent the winter on the coast of California, where Drake prepared her for the long voyage home.
Drake crosses the Pacific and Indian oceans
He had sailed north as far as what was afterward known as the Oregon country,-- which he called New Albion,— hoping for a northeast passage to the Atlantic, but finally turned the Pelican toward the far-away islands of the Indian Ocean. Week after week went by, until he saw the very islands where Magellan had been. He made his way among the islands and across the Indian Ocean until the Cape of Good Hope was rounded, and the Pelican spread her wings northward toward England.
Drake reached home in 1580, the first Englishman to sail around
Drake given a title by Queen Elizabeth
He goes to find the Gold Fleet
30. Drake Again Goes to Fight the Spaniards. Drake soon took
command of a fleet of twenty-five vessels and two thousand five hundred men, all
eager to fight the Spaniards (1585). He sailed boldly for the coast of Spain,
frightened the people, and then went in search of the Gold Fleet, which was bringing
treasures from America to the King of Spain.
In the West Indies
No sooner had Drake missed the fleet than he made direct for the West Indies, where he spread terror among the islands. The Spaniards had heard of Drake, the "Dragon." He attacked and destroyed three important towns, and intended to seize Panama itself, but the yellow fever began to cut down his men, so he sailed to Roanoke Island, and carried back to England the starving and homesick colony, which Raleigh had planted there.
The Spanish king was angry. He resolved to crush England. More than one hundred ships, manned by thousands of sailors, were to carry a great army to the hated island. Drake heard about it, and quickly gathered thirty fast ships manned by sailors as bold as himself. His fleet sailed right into the harbor of Cadiz, past cannon and forts, and burned so many Spanish ships that it took Spain another year to get the great fleet ready. Drake declared that he had "singed the King of Spain's beard."
Singeing the King of Spain's beard
31. The Spanish Armada. The King of Spain was bound to beard
crush England at one mighty blow. In 1588, the Spanish Armada, as the great fleet
was called, sailed for England. There were scores and scores of war vessels manned
by more than
Spain aims to crush England but is badly defeated
When this mighty fleet reached the English Channel, Drake and other sea captains as daring as himself dashed at the Spanish ships, and by the help of a great storm that came up, succeeded in destroying almost the whole fleet. No such blow had ever before fallen upon the great and powerful Spanish nation. From that time on her power grew less and less, while England's power on the sea grew greater and greater. Englishmen could now go to America without much thought of danger from Spaniards.
Raleigh student, soldier, seaman
32. Sir Walter Raleigh. Born (1552) near the sea, Raleigh fed his
young imagination with stories of the wild doings of English seamen. He went to
college at Oxford at the age of fourteen, and made a good name as a student.
In a few years young Raleigh went to France to take part in the religious wars of that unhappy country. At the time he returned home all England was rejoicing over Drake's first shipload of gold. When Queen Elizabeth sent an army to aid the people of Holland against the Spaniards, young Raleigh was only too glad to go.
Raleigh when thirty years old
On his return from this war he went with his half-brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, on two voyages to America, at the very same time Drake was robbing Spanish treasure ships in the Pacific Ocean. Afterwards Raleigh turned soldier again and, as captain, went to Ireland, where Spain had sent soldiers to stir up rebellion. Thus, before he was thirty years old, he had been a seaman and a soldier, and had been in France, Holland, America, and Ireland.
At this time Raleigh was a fine-looking man, about six feet tall, with dark hair and a handsome face. He had plenty of wit and good sense, although he was 'fond, indeed, of fine clothes. He was just the very one to catch the favor of Queen Elizabeth.
One day, Elizabeth and her train of lords and ladies were going down the roadway from the royal castle to the river. The people crowded both sides of the road to see their beloved queen and her beautiful ladies go by. Raleigh pressed his way to the front.
How he won the favor of the queen
As Elizabeth drew near, she hesitated about passing over a muddy place. In a moment the feeling that every true gentleman has in the presence of ladies told Raleigh what to do, and the queen suddenly saw his beautiful red velvet cloak lying in the mud at her feet. She stepped upon it, nodded to its gallant owner, and passed on. From this time forward Raleigh was a great favorite at the court of Queen Elizabeth.
33. Trying to Plant English Colonies. In 1584 Raleigh caused a
friend to write a letter to the queen, explaining how English
Raleigh's plan for checking the power of Spain
The Indians welcome the English
Why the land was named Virginia
Raleigh immediately sent a ship to explore. The captain landed on what is now Roanoke Island. The Indians came with a fleet of forty canoes to give them a friendly welcome. After a few days an Indian queen with her maidens came to entertain the English. "We found the people most gentle, loving, and faithful, void of all guile and treason," said Captain Barlow. His glowing account of the land and people so pleased Elizabeth that she named the country Virginia, in honor of her own virgin life.
Raleigh next sent out a kinsman, Sir Richard Grenville, with a fleet of seven vessels and one hundred settlers, under Ralph Lane as governor. But the settlers were bent on finding gold and silver, instead of making friends with the Indians.
Why the Indians became hostile
An Indian stole a silver cup from the English. Because of this theft Lane and his men fell upon the Indian village, drove out men, women, and children, burned their homes, and destroyed their crops. This was not only cruel but also foolish, for the story of his cruelty spread to other tribes, and wherever the English went they were always in danger from the Indians.
Indian corn and the white potato taken to England
When Drake came along the next spring with his great fleet, the settlers were only too glad to get back to England, and be once more among friends. They took home from America the turkey and two food-plants, the white potato and Indian corn— worth more to the world than all the gold and silver found in the mines of Mexico and Peru!
Raleigh tries again
Although Raleigh had already spent thousands of dollars, yet he would not give up. He immediately sent out a second colony of one hundred fifty settlers. A number of these settlers were women. The governor was John White. Roanoke was occupied once more, and there, shortly afterwards, was born Virginia Dare, the first white child of English parents in North America. Before a year went by, the governor had to go to England for aid.
But Raleigh and all England had little time to think of America. The Armada was coming, and every English ship and sailor was needed to fight the Spaniards. Two years went by before Governor White reached America with supplies. When he did reach there not a settler was left to tell the tale.
The "lost colony"
The only trace of the lost colony was the word "Croatoan" cut in large letters on a
post. Croatoan was the name of an island near by. White returned home, but Raleigh
sent out an old seaman, Samuel Mace, to search for the lost colony. It was all in
vain. Many years later
Raleigh's money gives out, but not his hope
Raleigh had now spent his great fortune. But he did not lose heart, for he said that he should live to see Virginia a nation. He was right. Before he died a great colony had been planted in Virginia, and a ship loaded with the products of Virginia had sailed into London port, and an Indian "princess" had married a Virginian and had been received with honor by the King and Queen of England.
Raleigh bravely meets death
34. The Death of Raleigh. But the great Elizabeth was dead, and
an unfriendly king, James I, was on the throne. He threw Raleigh twelve years. The
Spaniards urged James to put Raleigh to death. They knew they were not safe if he
lived. At last Spanish influence was too strong, and Sir Walter faced death on the
scaffold as bravely as he had faced the Spaniards in battle. Thus died a noble man
who gave both his fortune and his life for the purpose of planting an English colony
in America.
The Leading Facts.
1. John Cabot, trying for a short route to India, discovered what
is supposed to be Labrador, or Cape Breton. 2. On a second voyage,
he coasted along eastern North America as far 3. Later, England claimed all North America. 4. Francis Drake sailed to the Pacific in the "Pelican" and then
turned northward after the Spanish gold-ships. 5. He wintered in
California, and then started across the Pacific— the first Englishman to
cross. 6. Drake reached England, and was received with great joy.
7. Once more Drake went to fight the Spaniards, until the great
Armada attacked England. 8. Walter Raleigh, a student, a soldier,
and a seaman, won the favor of the Queen. 9. He hated the
Spaniards, and planted settlements in what is now North Carolina. 10. Raleigh's prophecy.
Study Questions.
1. Tell the story of John Cabot before he came to England. 2. What did Cabot want to find and what did he find? 3. How was Cabot treated by King Henry VII, according to a "Citizen of
Venice," after he returned? 4. Why was little attention given to
the new lands?
5. Prove that Spanish and English sailors did not like each
other. 6. Who was Francis Drake? 7. What was
Magellan after and what was Drake after? 8. Tell the story of
Drake's voyage from Valparaiso to Oregon. 9. Tell the story of the
voyage across the Pacific and how he was received at home. 10.
What did Drake do when he missed the "Gold Fleet"? 11.What did
Drake mean when he said he had "singed the King of Spain's beard"? 12. Tell what became of the Spanish Armada, and what effects did its failure
produce?
13. What other brave man went to America before the Armada was
destroyed? 14. Give the early experiences of Raleigh before he was
thirty. 15. Make a mental picture of the cloak episode. 16. Explain how kind the Indians were; how did the English repay the
Indians? 17. What did the colonists take home with them? 18. Who was the first white child of English parents born in
America? 19. How did the Armada affect America? 20. Read in other books about Raleigh's death. 21. How
does the English treatment of the Indians compare with the Spaniards?
Suggested Readings. CABOT: Hart, Colonial Children, 7-8; Griffis, Romance of Discovery,
105-111.
DRAKE: Hart, Source Book of American History,
9-11; Hale, Stories of Discovery, 86-106; Frothingham, Sea Fighters, 3-44.
RALEIGH: Hart, Colonial Children, 165-170;
Pratt, Early Colonies, 33-40; Wright, Children's
Stories in American History, 254-258; Higginson, American
Explorers, 177-200; Bolton, Famous Voyagers, 154-234.
35. The First Permanent English Settlement. Raleigh had made it
impossible for Englishmen to forget America. They sent out ships every year to trade
with the Indians. In 1606 a great company was formed of London merchants and other
rich men to plant a colony in Virginia.
Raleigh's wish comes true
King James gave them a charter, ministers preached sermons about Virginia, and poets sang her praises. At Christmas time one of Raleigh's old sea captains, Newport, sailed with a colony of more than one hundred settlers. They went by way of the West Indies, and the Spaniards although watching, did not dare attack them.
Jamestown settled (1607)
In the spring, when Virginia is in her gayest dress, the ships sailed up Chesapeake Bay into the James River, and landed on a peninsula. Here they began to plant Jamestown, named in honor of their king, the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
They first built a fort to protect them from any attacks of Indians and Spaniards.
But most of the settlers wanted to get rich quick, go back to England, and spend the
rest of their days
Settlers still hunt for gold
The result was that most of them fell sick and food grew scarce. Within a few months more than half of the settlers were dead, and the others were discouraged and homesick. Would this colony fail, too, as Raleigh's colony had?
36. John Smith. There was one man, however, in the colony who
could make Jamestown a success. He bore the plain name of John Smith. But he was no
common man. John Smith had already had as wonderful adventures as the knights of
old.
John Smith, a soldier
While yet a young man he went to the land of dykes and windmills to help the brave Hollanders fight against the Spaniards. But he grew tired of seeing Christians fighting one another, and resolved to go and fight the Turks. On his way he was robbed in France and left half dead in a great forest, but was rescued and made his way to the sea. Then he sailed with a colony of pilgrims going to the Holy Land. After many adventures John Smith found himself in eastern Europe. He was made captain of a troop of cavalry and was soon fighting the Turks. In three hand-to-hand combats, Captain Smith slew his enemies, cut off their heads, and presented Smith them to his commander.
Smith wins a queer coat of arms
The Christian army looked on Smith as a hero, and the ruler coat of the land gave
him a shield with three Turks' heads painted on arms
Fails to fain his position but works instead of sulking
The king had made Smith an officer of the new colony, but the other officers would not permit him to take part in governing Virginia. John Smith was not a man to sulk and idle his time away, but resolved to do something useful, by visiting the Indians, and gathering food for the colony.
Taken prisoner by the Indians
While on an expedition up the Chickahominy, Smith's party was attacked by two hundred Indians. Smith seized his Indian guide, tied him in front for a shield, and with his gun was able to hold the Indians at bay until he fell into a swamp and had to surrender.
He immediately showed the red men his ivory pocket compass. They saw the little needle tremble on its pivot, but could not touch it. He wrote a letter to Jamestown. An Indian returned with the articles asked for in the letter. This was still more mysterious than the compass.
Smith learns how Indians live
The Indians marched him from one village to another to show off their prisoner.
This gave Smith a chance to learn a great deal about the Indians. Some of them lived
in houses made of the bark
The Indian warriors painted their bodies to make themselves look fierce. They carried bows and arrows and clubs as weapons, for they had no guns at that time. The men did the hunting and fighting, but in other things they were lazy. The Indian women not only cared for the children, did the cooking, and made the clothes, but also gathered wood, tilled the soil, and built the wigwams. The Indian wife was the warrior's drudge.
An Indian council tries Smith
Smith saw a more wonderful sight still, when he was led to the village where lived Powhatan. The old chief had prepared a real surprise for this Englishman. Powhatan, tall, gaunt, and grim, was wrapped in a robe of raccoon skins. He sat upon a bench before the wigwam fire. His wives sat at his side. Along the walls stood a row of women with faces and shoulders painted bright red, and with chains of white shells about their necks. In front of the women stood Powhatan's fierce warriors. This council of Indians was to decide the fate of Smith.
Smith's rescue by Pocahontas
Two big stones were rolled in front of Powhatan, and a number of powerful warriors sprang upon Smith, dragged him to the stones, and forced his head upon one of them. As the warriors stood, clubs in hand, ready to slay Smith, Pocahontas, the beautiful twelve-year old daughter of Powhatan, rushed forward, threw her arms around the prisoner, and begged for his life.
Pocahontas had her way. Powhatan adopted Smith as a son and set him to making toys for the little maid. This was strange work for the man who had fought the Spaniards and slain the Turks, and who was to save a colony. This story is doubted by some people, but is believed by many good historians.
After a time Smith returned to Jamestown only to find the
Pocahontas proves a friend in need
The fear of starvation was now gone, because every few days the little maiden came with food for the settlers. Ever afterwards they called her "the dear blessed Pocahontas." She was the good angel of the colony.
Powhatan refuses to give any more corn
When winter came on, Smith resolved to secure another supply of corn. But Powhatan had noticed the increase of settlers and the building of more houses. He feared that his people might be driven from their hunting grounds. Smith knew that Powhatan's women had raised plenty of corn, and immediately sailed up the river to the old chief's village.
Pocahontas shows her friendship
Powhatan bluntly told Smith he could have no corn unless he would give a good English sword for each basketful. Smith promptly refused, and compelled the Indians to carry the corn on board his boat. That very night, at the risk of her life, Pocahontas stole through the woods to tell Smith of her father's plot to kill his men. They kept close watch all night, and next morning sailed safely away.
But Smith needed still more corn, and stopped at another Indian town. Suddenly he
found himself and men surrounded by several hundred Indian warriors. A moment's
delay and all would have been over. Smith rushed into the chief's wigwam, seized him
by the scalp, dragged him out before his astonished warriors,
Industry brings contentment
When spring came Smith resolved that the settlers must go to work. He called them together and made a speech declaring that "he that will not work shall not eat. You shall not only gather for yourself, but for those that are sick. They shall not starve." The people in the colony not only planted more grain, but repaired the fort and built more and better houses. Thus they grew happier and more contented with their home in the Virginia woods.
Smith returns to England
Unfortunately for the colony, Smith was wounded so badly by an explosion of gunpowder that he had to return to England for medical treatment. The settlers again fell into idleness after he left, and many of them died. Still the colony had gained such a foothold that it was strong enough to live.
Some years later, Smith sailed to America again, explored the coast from Penobscot Bay to Cape Cod, drew a map of it, and named the region New England. This was his last visit to America.
37. Pocahontas. After John Smith left, Pocahontas did not visit
the English any more. One time she was seized by an Englishman, put on board a
vessel, and carried weeping to Jamestown.
Before long an English settler, John Rolfe, fell in love with her and she with him. What should they do? Did not this beautiful maiden of eighteen years have a strange religion? But she was anxious to learn about the white man's religion, so the minister at Jamestown baptized her and gave her the Christian name of Rebecca.
Pocahontas marries John Rolfe
The wedding took place in the little wooden church. No doubt it was made bright with the wild flowers of Virginia and that all the settlers crowded to see the strange event. Powhatan gave his consent, but would not come to the wedding himself. But we may be sure that the sisters and brothers and the Indian friends of Pocahontas were there.
Settlers and Indians become good friends
It was a happy day for Jamestown, for all the people, white and red, loved Pocahontas. The marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe was taken to mean the uniting of the Indians and settlers by ties of peace and friendship. For several years white men and red men lived as good neighbors. Rolfe took Pocahontas to England, where she was received "as the daughter of a king." The fine people, lords and ladies, called on her; and the king and queen received her at court as if she were a princess of the royal blood.
Lady Rebecca treated like a princess
How different the rich clothes, the carriages, and the high feasting from her
simple life in the woods of Virginia! Here, too, she met her old friend, John Smith.
He called her "Lady Rebecca," as did everybody. But the memory of other days and
other
Pocahontas dies in England
When about to sail for her native land, Pocahontas died (1617). Her son, Thomas Rolfe, returned to the land of his mother and became the ancestor of many noted Virginians; among these the best known was the famous orator and statesman, John Randolph of Roanoke.
So ended the life of one who had indeed been a good and true friend of the people of Virginia. Her name, Pocahontas, meant "Bright Stream Between Two Hills."
A great year in the history of Virginia
38. Life in the Colony. Two years after the death of Pocahontas
the London Company sent a new governor to Virginia, with orders to give the settlers
the right to elect their own lawmakers. The Company also sent one hundred fifty
women most of whom became wives of settlers.
These two events pleased the people very much. Before this year, they had had
little say about their own government. Besides,
The first negro slaves brought into English Colonies
A Dutch trading vessel brought negro slaves to Jamestown and sold them to the planters. Few, if any, thought it wrong to own negroes, for then nearly all Christian nations held slaves.
The Virginia planters were greatly in need of laborers, because tobacco was an unusually good crop to sell in England, and they were planting it in the very streets of Jamestown. Tobacco even became the money of the colony. If a person wanted to buy or sell anything, he gave or took so many pounds of tobacco for it.
To get persons to work for them the planters even paid ship owners for bringing over from England hundreds of people who were too poor to pay their own way to America. Such persons had to work a number of years to repay the planter for their passage.
The quarrel between the king and the Puritans
39. Political Troubles in England. In the meantime, the people of
England were having a bitter quarrel with King Charles between because he took taxes
from them contrary to law, and because he turned hundreds of good ministers out of
their churches for not preaching to suit him.
The Puritans flee to America
Those who opposed the king were called Puritans, and those who stood by him were called Cavaliers. The Cavaliers had high-sounding titles, and were educated for the finest society. The king liked the Cavaliers, but disliked the Puritans. Thousands of the Puritans fled to America and settled in New England. Some, also, settled in Virginia.
A Cavalier governor in Virginia
King Charles sent the people of Virginia a new governor, Sir William Berkeley. Sir William was a true Cavalier. He was very polite and courtly in his manners. He wore rich clothes, and had great doings in old Jamestown, such as balls and receptions. Here the planters and their wives bowed low to Lady Berkeley and the governor. All this pleased many of the Virginians for they thought it made the colony a pleasanter place in which to live.
The Puritans driven out of Virginia
Although Governor Berkeley was polite, he could be cruel. He did not like the Puritans, and drove a thousand of them out of Virginia into Maryland. Some of the Puritans remained in Virginia, but the governor would not let them worship in the Puritan way.
Puritans in England defeat the king's army
Soon news came that Oliver Cromwell, the great Puritan general, in England, had
defeated the king's army in many
The Cavaliers flee to Virginia
40. The Coming of the Cavaliers. Not only had the Cavaliers been
defeated in battle, but their homes had been destroyed by war or taken from them
because they had fought for the king. If they remained in England they were in
danger of being severely punished by the Puritans. Hundreds of them fled to
Virginia, where the people received them with open arms. By many a Virginia
fireside, "the old soldiers told over and over again, to the wondering planters, how
they had followed fiery Prince Rupert, fighting fiercely for his uncle, King Charles
I, only to find that nothing could defeat Cromwell and his soldiers called the
"Ironsides."
Virginia wants the king's son for ruler here
Some of the greatest names in American history belonged to these Cavalier families, such as the Madisons, the Lees, and the Washingtons. Governor Berkeley was glad to welcome the Cavaliers and to talk with them about inviting the son of their dead king to come to Virginia and be their king.
Berkeley gives up being governor
Cromwell soon put a stop to such talk by sending war ships to Virginia. But it was
agreed not to fight. The governor gave up governor his office and retired,
grumbling, to his great plantation, near
Virginia's joy over a new king
In the splendid dining room of the manor house, with its tables laid with silver, the Cavaliers often met to drink toasts to the memory of the dead king, and to mutter ill words against Cromwell and his Ironsides.
But in a few years news reached Virginia that Oliver Cromwell was dead and that Charles II was crowned king in England, amid the greatest rejoicing (1660). Nowhere were Cavaliers happier than in Virginia. They threw up their hats and cheered and shouted over a king who cared very little about them.
Berkeley acts like a tyrant
41. Governor Berkeley's Tyranny. Berkeley was made governor of
Virginia again, and soon began to play the tyrant in the colony, just as King
Charles II was playing it in England.
He drove out the peace-loving Quakers and the Baptists. He took away the right of voting from all persons who had no land, and even refused to permit the people to elect new lawmakers for ill-tempered, and often insulting.
Indian troubles
42. Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia (1676). But when he refused to
protect the settlers from the Indians, who were burning, scalping, and killing
wherever they could, the people would stand it no longer. They believed that the
governor acted so because he was making money by trading with the Indians.
Nathaniel Bacon
In a short time the Indians murdered two men on the plantation of Nathaniel Bacon. Now Bacon was a young man whose family had been great people in England. He was a tall, fine-looking man, and was very popular among his neighbors.
Bacon takes command
When the people heard the news, they seized their guns, mounted their horses, and hastened to Bacon's home. They begged him to lead them against the Indians. He took command of the men, sent to Governor Berkeley for permission to act as their leader, and hastened to attack the Indians.
Threats of rebellion
Berkeley was furious, and started to arrest him. But the governor was forced to return at once to Jamestown for the people were threatening to rebel. He immediately gave them permission to elect a new set of lawmakers. Bacon was among those elected. The governor was very angry, and compelled Bacon, in the presence of all the lawmakers, to kneel in front of him and beg his pardon for attacking the Indians without permission.
The governor did not really forgive Bacon, but secretly plotted to seize him. A friend told Bacon that his life was in danger. One night Bacon stole away to his plantation, where six hundred bold men with firearms gathered and followed their young leader to Jamestown.
Bacon comes back with an army, and demands his commission
Berkeley could find hardly one hundred men to fight for him. Bacon and his men
surrounded the little two-story brick capitol. The people gathered in crowds, and
the lawmakers filled the windows to see what would happen. Berkeley was no coward.
Presently the old white-haired Cavalier, trembling with rage, appeared at the
Bacon declared a rebel
The next day the lawmakers compelled the governor to sign a commission which made Bacon an officer. He and his men again marched in hot haste after the Indians. But no sooner had Berkeley sent the lawmakers home than he declared Bacon and his men rebels.
He defeats Berkeley
Just as soon as Bacon defeated the Indians he started for Jamestown again, and seized the governor's fine mansion. Berkeley's soldiers, being no match for the bold Indian fighters who followed Bacon, were easily defeated, and the governor fled across the river.
Death of Bacon
Just as he seemed to have everything his way, Bacon fell sick and died. No leader could be found to fill his place.
Berkeley's revenge and dismissal
The old governor came back vowing revenge. He hanged twenty of Bacon's men, and would not have stopped, but the people were tired of his cruelty. Even King Charles II declared that "the old fool has put to death more people in that naked country than I did here for the death of my father." The king turned him out of office, and the people built bonfires and fired cannon to show how glad they were to be rid of him. The king refused to see Berkeley when he went to England, and the old Cavalier died shortly of a broken heart.
Virginia remembers
The people of Virginia never forgot Bacon's rebellion. And just one hundred years
later, when another British king tried to rule the thirteen colonies as Berkeley had
ruled Virginia, the people of the
43. The Jamestown Exposition. Three hundred years have gone by
since Virginia was settled. In honor of that event and of the great names in early
Virginia, was planned the Jamestown Exposition, held in 1907.
Religious disputes drove people to America
44. A Colony of Catholics and Protestants. When the people of
England began to change their religion, some did so very quickly and became
Puritans; others more slowly, and became members of the English church; while still
others refused to change at all, and remained Catholics. Great disputes arose as to
which was the true religion. When the Puritans were persecuted they fled to New
England. The Cavaliers, Church of England people who were persecuted by the
Puritans, fled to Virginia.
George Calvert becomes Lord Baltimore
George Calvert was desirous of finding a home for his people, the Catholics. He had studied at Oxford University and traveled in Europe, and had been secretary to one of Queen Elizabeth's great statesmen. When James I became king, he gave Calvert a very high office with a fine title. Calvert served his king and country so well that James made him Baron of Baltimore.
Baltimore, who was a Catholic, was deeply moved by the sufferings of the Catholics around him. He saw their property seized and sold by the king's officers. Sometimes they were thrown into the dark and dirty English jails, and now and then they were driven to some other country to escape hanging.
He tried to find a home for Catholics in Newfoundland
Charles I, the new king, was Baltimore's friend. When, therefore, he asked the king for permission to plant a colony of Catholics in America, not only the king, but the queen, who was herself a Catholic, took great interest in the undertaking. Baltimore purchased a part of Newfoundland, but one winter on that bleak and ice-bound coast was enough for people who had been used to the mild climate of England.
Baltimore would not give up. So he visited Virginia and saw the beauties of the country north of the Potomac, but the Virginians ordered him to leave the colony. However, in spite of the Virginians, he decided that he would found his colony here if the king would give him permission.
Charles I gives Lord Baltimore a part of Virginia
Charles I not only gave permission, but also gave the whole of what is now Maryland to Baltimore as his own. The king even made Baltimore almost as much a ruler over this region as the king was over England.
For all this land and all this power, Lord Baltimore, and his sons after him,
promised to make no laws contrary to the laws of
The colony named Maryland in honor of the queen
The king also declared that the colony should bear the name Maryland in honor of his queen, Henrietta Maria.
Lord Baltimore immediately began to make ready a company of emigrants. He gave a hearty welcome to Protestants as well as Catholics, for it was decided that in the colony of Maryland all Christians were to have the same rights. Very few nations in the world, at that time, permitted people to worship as they pleased.
Protestants permitted in Maryland
Lord Baltimore died, and Cecil Calvert, his eldest son, according to the custom in England, fell heir to his estates and titles. The new Lord Baltimore sent out under his brother Leonard, who was made governor of Maryland, an expedition of more than three hundred persons, in two ships, the "Ark" and the "Dove." The long voyage had a happy ending, for they reached the mouth of the Potomac in the springtime, when Maryland is at the height of her beauty. Here they set up a large cross and Father White conducted religious services (1634)
Governor Calvert in the "Dove," a small vessel, sailed up the Potomac. The "Dove" excited the wonder of the Indians. They thought it must be a great canoe made like many of theirs, by hollowing out the body of a tree.
The governor decided to locate his little village, St. Marys, on land already occupied by the Indians. He paid them for the land, for on it stood their wigwams and corn fields. The Indians invited the settlers to live with them until their log cabins could be built. How strange it must have seemed to the Englishmen, used to comfortable homes, to live in wigwams with people of another color, who had different clothes and different food.
A happy beginning makes a happy ending
The best wigwam was made into a church, and in it Father White set up what was probably the first altar consecrated by an Englishman in America. This happy beginning made a very happy ending so far as the settlers and the Indians were concerned. For both escaped those savage wars which so many of the colonists suffered.
The quarrel between Maryland and Virginia
But Lord Baltimore and Maryland had troubles enough. For the Virginians, as we know, did not like the first Lord Baltimore, because he was a Catholic. They were still less pleased when they learned that King Charles had given Lord Baltimore permission to plant a new colony in one of the fairest portions of Virginia.
A few years later a high Virginian officer marched a little army into Maryland, and securing the aid of some of the Protestant settlers, defeated the Catholics, arrested Father White, and sent him to England. Following these events, the government in England took away Baltimore's right to Maryland. Later, however, Lord Baltimore's authority was restored, and religious freedom was established.
Annapolis and Baltimore founded
Many Puritans came into Maryland and settled a town which was afterwards named Annapolis, where many interesting events took place, and where is now the famous training school for the American navy, the United States Naval Academy.
But the richest and most important town of Maryland was settled in 1720, and was named after the founder of the colony, Baltimore.
The Leading Facts.
1. London merchants carried out Raleigh's idea by planting a
colony in Virginia. 2. John Smith saved the colony by putting the
settlers to work, by trading with the Indians, and by winning the friendship of
Pocahontas. 3. Pocahontas helped feed the starving settlers, and
finally married John Rolfe. 4. The London merchants did great
things for Virginia in 1619. 5. The Puritans and Cavaliers had
trouble in England, and also in Virginia. 6. Berkeley was made
governor but became a tyrant and roused Bacon and his men. 7.
Bacon won in battle but soon died, and then Berkeley took his revenge. 8. Lord Baltimore, a Catholic, got permission to plant a colony in America,
and named it St. Marys.
Study Questions.
1. How long did it take Captain Newport to reach Virginia? How
long does it take a ship to cross the Atlantic now? 2. Why were
the settlers afraid of the Indians and Spaniards? 3. Why did the
Virginia settlers hunt for gold instead of raising something to eat? 4. What did Smith learn about the Indians? 5. Picture the
scene in Powhatan's wigwam. 6. Show how Pocahontas was the friend
of the colony. 7. Why did Powhatan wish a sword for each basket of
corn? 8. What effect on the colony had Smith's rule that every man
should work? 9. Tell the story of John Rolfe and 10. How did the king and
queen and lords and ladies receive Pocahontas? 11. Make a mental
picture of the meeting that took place between John Smith and Pocahontas in
London.
12. Why was 1619 a great year in the history of Virginia? 13. How did Virginia planters get laborers to raise tobacco? 14. Why did the Virginians like Berkeley? 15. Tell
the story of the Cavaliers who came to Virginia. 16. Make for
yourself a mental picture of the Cavaliers at Greenspring manor house. 17. What religious people did Berkeley drive out of Virginia? 18. Tell the story of Bacon. 19. Why did Governor Berkeley
call a new Assembly of the people? 20. Picture the scene when
Bacon came back to Jamestown with six hundred men. 21 Did the
people and the king wish to punish Bacon's friends?
22. Tell the story of George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. 23. What did Baltimore give for Maryland? 24. How
was the colony different from Jamestown? 25. Picture the settlers
at St. Marys. 26. Why was Virginia not satisfied with Baltimore's
colony? 27. What town did the Puritans plant? 28. When was the richest and most important town in Maryland settled, and
after whom was it named?
Suggested Readings. SMITH: McMurry, Pioneers on Land and Sea, 68-102; Hart, Source
Book, 33-37; Higginson, American Explorers, 231-246.
POCAHONTAS: Hart, Colonial Children, 63,
98-104; Wright, Children's Stories in American History, 14-26;
Bass, Stories of Pioneer Life, 1-20; Higginson, American Explorers, 249-263.
BERKELEY: Cooke, Virginia, 216-230.
BACON: Cooke, Virginia, 230-249; Magill, Stories from Virginia History, 40-55-
BALTIMORE: Pratt, Early Colonies, 132-137;
Smith and Dutton, The Colonies, 39-50; Sparks, American Biography, 5-229.
45. The Pilgrims. We must now go back to the time of the great
Elizabeth, when English sailors still roved the seas in search of Spanish
gold-ships, and when people quarreled more over religion than over anything
else.
The Puritans
Many Englishmen wanted the queen to make changes in the ways of religious worship. These persons were called Puritans because they said they wanted a purer kind of religion. The queen would not make the changes, so a few of the Puritans refused to attend the English church and met wherever they could to worship in the way their consciences told them was right. Such Puritans were called Separatists.
But the queen and the Church of England people hated the Separatists, and sometimes even stoned them in the London streets. The officers of the law, instead of protecting the Separatists, hurried them to jail, leaving some to die there.
The Separatists at Scrooby
In the northeastern part of England, in and around the little village of Scrooby, lived a plain, honest-hearted, hard-working people. They had very poor preachers. The new postmaster at Scrooby was William Brewster, whose father had kept the post before him.
William Brewster a Puritan leader
Young William had been to the great university at Cambridge, where there were many wise teachers, and where many Puritans went to school. He had become the friend of one of Elizabeth's great officers and had spent several years in Holland and in London.
But the gay life at court and the hope of becoming a great officer did not change
the Puritan ways of William Brewster.
He gives up an easy life to serve his people
William Bradford, the historian of the Pilgrims
One Sunday morning there came to Scrooby, from a village two miles away, a promising sixteen-year-old lad. He was William Bradford. He afterward wrote down all he could remember about this little band of Separatists. Pretty soon a very learned man, who had also studied in Cambridge, joined the little flock at Scrooby and historian became their preacher. He was John Robinson.
Why the Pilgrims decided to leave England
But there were dark days ahead. King James I had declared that he would have no Separatists in England. His cruel officers had already begun to keep a sharp eye on the worshipers in the old Brewster home. Brewster and Robinson knew that some quiet Sunday morning, while they were at worship, they would suddenly hear the rush of horses' feet, the clank of swords and guns, and the loud cries of the king's officers as they broke into the meeting to arrest the leaders and hurry them off to jail, leaving behind the weeping mothers and children.
What it cost to leave England
46. The Beginning of their Pilgrimage. So they made up their
minds to slip away to Holland, where people could worship as they pleased. It was a
hard decision to make, for they loved their native land, their old homes and
kindred, and did not wish to begin those wanderings which caused them to be called
Pilgrims.
They at length found a ship to carry them to Holland. But the captain laid a trap for them; for no sooner were they on board than the king's officers sprang up, seized their goods, rudely searched the men and women for money, and hurried the leaders off to jail.
After a time they were set free and soon found a Dutch captain to take the company
to Holland. But only a boat load of men had
Amsterdam a home for exiles
The Dutch boat reached Amsterdam, the great city of Holland, where the men made ready for those left behind, who came later. Here they found people of many countries who had come, like themselves, to find a home where exiles they might worship God as they felt to be right.
After a year, Brewster, Bradford, and Robinson decided that the old city of Leiden was a better place for them.
The boat-ride on the canal to Leiden
Accordingly, about one hundred of them packed up their household goods once more, took boat on the great canal, and floated all day through thrifty Dutch villages and beautiful Dutch farms. It was spring-time. What a joy the trip was to children who had been cooped up all winter in the great city! How these English farmers enjoyed once more the sight of farms, flower gardens, and pasture lands!
The Pilgrims were glad to reach Leiden, where they soon found work to do. They
became weavers, spinners, masons, carpenters, bakers, or tailors, or whatever gave
them a chance to earn a living.
Why the Pilgrims did not stay in Leiden
But could they keep together long even in a city? They were few and the Dutch were many. Their children went to Dutch schools and played with Dutch children. Their sons began to marry comely Dutch maidens, and thrifty Dutch sons found favor in the eyes of the Puritan maidens. The older heads saw that they must become wanderers again, if they were to remain English and keep their own language and customs. Their hearts yearned for their old English homes. But to go to England was to go to jail!
King James refuses the Pilgrims a charter
Some Dutch merchants wanted to carry them to a little Dutch trading post at the mouth of the Hudson. The Pilgrims really wanted to live in America under the English flag, but King James I refused to give them a charter to settle in America, although he promised not to harm them if they behaved well.
A hard bargain
The Pilgrims were too poor to hire ships to carry them to America. But some English merchants promised them two ships, if they would agree to turn over to the merchants about all they earned in America until the debt was paid. These were, indeed, hard terms, but the hearts of the Pilgrims were brave and so they agreed.
Only a part of the congregation could go to America. John Robinson, their noble pastor, remained behind, and Brewster, Bradford, and Miles Standish, a soldier, were to lead the little band. The Pilgrims chose Standish to be their captain.
Bidding Holland good-by
The whole congregation went by canal to Delfshaven, where the parting took place.
Friends came from Amsterdam to say good-by, and a farewell feast was held. It was a
sad parting. They all knelt while the gentle Robinson lifted his voice in prayer.
They board the "Speedwell"
The Pilgrims' dearest country
Even the Dutch bystanders were moved to tears. Listen to the words of Bradford: "So they left that goodly and pleasant city which had been their resting place nearly twelve years; but they knew they were Pilgrims, and looked not much on those things, but lifted up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits."
The "Speedwell" carried them across to England, where they found the "Mayflower." Here, too, they found John Alden, a handsome young fellow, who, with some other Englishmen, had decided to go to America. This is the same John Alden who afterwards won Priscilla from Miles Standish,
The "Mayflower" carried the Pilgrims to America
In August, 1620, the two ships spread their sails for America. Twice they were forced to return-once after they had sailed three hundred miles-because the "Speedwell" was leaking, and her captain declared she would sink before reaching America.
Storms did not drive them back
Finally the "Mayflower," with one hundred two Pilgrims on board, started alone. Not many days passed before great storms overtook her. The waves rolled over her deck and threatened to swallow her. For many days the passengers had to spend nearly all the time below deck, not knowing what moment would be their last. Strained by the storm, the "Mayflower" also began to leak, but the stout-hearted Pilgrims would not turn back.
How they missed the Hudson
Signing the compact
47. Landing of the Pilgrims in America. For days at a time,
during the storm, the ship could not use her sails and was driven far out of her
course, to the northward. The Pilgrims had intended to land near the mouth of the
Hudson, but on November 20, 1620, the little band of exiles found themselves looking
with glad hearts upon the sandy, but heavily-wooded, shores of Cape Cod. How they
poured out their hearts in gratitude that they had crossed the stormy sea in safety!
The men all gathered in the little cabin of the "Mayflower" to sign a compact or an
agreement in regard to the government of the colony. Then they elected John Carver
their first governor.
Miles Standish and his men explore the region
Everybody was now anxious to get on shore. Captain Miles Standish, with his little army, waded ashore through the ice-cold water and disappeared in the dark forest in search of a good place to plant the colony.
For three days they tramped through forests, up and down hills, and along the sandy coast, but found no suitable place. They found springs, however, and ponds of fresh water, and some Indian mounds containing stores of corn. What should they do, take the corn, or leave it and run the risk of starvation? They decided to take only enough to plant in the spring. They afterwards paid the owners double for what they had taken.
They learn to set snares
Everywhere they saw flocks of wild fowl, good for food, and they also saw tracks of wild deer. While Bradford was examining an Indian snare set for game, he found himself suddenly swinging by one leg in the air. They had a hearty laugh and learned a new lesson in the art of catching game!
Twice again Standish led his little company to search out a place. On the third
trip, as they were at breakfast, their ears were suddenly filled with the most
fearful shouts. A shower
Their first Indian battle
Plymouth Harbor chosen
"Plymouth Rock"
On this trip they found the harbor of Plymouth, which John Smith had explored and named several years before. Its shore was now to become their home. They immediately hastened back to the ship to tell the good news, and in a few days the "Mayflower" carried the Pilgrims into Plymouth Harbor. The little party land-ed on December 21, 1620, and that day is still celebrated as "Forefathers' Day." The story is that when they landed they stepped on a large stone— a boulder, itself a "pilgrim," brought there by the mighty ice-sheet ages ago. This boulder is called "Plymouth Rock," and you may see it still when you visit Plymouth.
48. Their Home in the Forest. Although it was winter, the men
immediately began to chop down trees and build a great log storehouse which could be
used for a hospital and for worship.
Building a town in the woods
Then they began building their own homes. They cut down the trees, sawed off the logs, hewed them roughly, and then dragged them by hand to the place where the house was to stand. When the logs were ready, the men lifted them up by hand or when the walls grew too high for lifting, they slid them up "skids."
The roof was made of boards which had been split from logs of wood. These were held in place by smaller logs. The wind and rain were kept out by "chinking" or daubing the cracks between the logs with mortar. The windows were few and small, for they had no glass and used oiled skins instead.
This first winter in America was the saddest the Pilgrims had ever seen. Their
storehouse was turned into a hospital. They had been used to the gentler winters of
England and Holland. Before
True courage
49. Friendship with the Indians. Brave Miles Standish kept his
little army— what was left of it— ready for any danger. He built a fort
on a hill, and mounted the cannon brought over in the "Mayflower."
Samoset introduces them to the Indians
But the Indians were not so bad after all, for had it not been for them, the Pilgrims would have had a much harder time. One day while the leaders were talking over military affairs, they saw a fine-looking Indian coming toward them, and calling in the English language, "Welcome! Welcome!" This was a double surprise. The Indian was Samoset, who had already saved the lives of two white men taken by the Indians.
In a few days Samoset brought other Indians, dressed in deer and panther skins. They made the Pilgrims think of gypsies seen in Holland. Their long black hair was braided and ornamented with feathers and foxtails. They sang and danced for the Pilgrims.
Massasoit visits the Pilgrims
When Samoset came again, he brought Squanto, an Indian who had been captured and carried to London, and who could speak English. They gave the news that the great Indian chief, Massasoit, was coming to visit his strange neighbors.
A messenger was sent to welcome him and to give him presents. Massasoit, and twenty
other Indians without bows and arrows, were met by Captain Standish, and escorted
into the
What the Pilgrims learned from Squanto
Squanto taught the Pilgrims many new things. He showed them how to raise corn by putting dead fish into the hill when planting corn, how to hoe the corn while growing, and how to pound the corn to make meal. Indian corn proved to be the Pilgrims' best food crop.
They had no means of fishing, but Squanto taught them how to catch eels by wading into shallow water, and treading them out with their feet. From the Indians the white men also learned how to make Indian shoes or moccasins, snow shoes, birch-bark canoes, and other useful things.
The first American Thanksgiving
The first summer was now over and the Pilgrims' first harvest had been gathered. Their houses had been repaired, and the health of the settlers was good. Fish and wild game were plentiful. They decided that the time for rejoicing and thanksgiving had also come, and invited Massasoit and his warriors to join them in the celebration.
For three days the games, military movements, feastings, and rejoicing went on, and at the end the Pilgrims and Indians were better friends than before. This was the beginning of our custom of having a day of thanksgiving each year.
More Pilgrims from Holland and England
For a whole year the Pilgrims had not heard a word from the great world across the sea. How eager they must have been for just one word from their old homes! One day the Indians sent runners to tell them that a ship was in sight. The cannon boomed on the hilltop. Captain Standish and his men ran for their guns and stood ready to defend the colony against Spaniards or French. But it was a ship with news and friends from Leiden and England.
After a few weeks this ship returned to England loaded with furs, clapboards, and sassafras to pay those English merchants who had furnished the Pilgrims the "Mayflower" to bring them to America.
An Indian's challenge at war
An Indian chief, not far away, decided that he would rather fight than be friendly. So he sent a bundle of arrows wrapped in a rattlesnake's skin, to Plymouth. Squanto told the Pilgrims that this was a challenge.
Bradford's answer
The Pilgrims were men of peace, but they were not cowards. Governor Bradford filled the skin with powder and shot and sent it back to the hostile chief. But the Indians would not touch it and the chief would not permit it to be left in his wigwam an hour, but sent it from place to place, until it again reached Plymouth.
Thus the Pilgrims went on year by year, living in peace when they could, but
fighting when they must, Every year or so new
The Pilgrims the most famous of all the Puritans in America
After a few years the new King of England was so hard upon the Puritans in England that thousands of them followed the example of the Pilgrims and came to America, and planted many other colonies in New England. But none have held so warm a place in the hearts of Americans as the little band brought to the New World by the "Mayflower."
Colony at Salem
50. The Puritans. While the Pilgrims were planting their home on
the lonely American shore, the Puritans in England were being cruelly persecuted by
Charles I. So great became their sufferings and dangers that the Puritan leaders
decided to go to America, where they could worship as they pleased. Charles I,
fortunately, gave them a very good charter. But even before this,some of the
Puritans had already planted a colony at Salem.
John Winthrop founded Boston 1630
51. John Winthrop. The Puritan leaders elected John Winthrop
governor of the new colony. In the spring of 1630, nearly ten years after the
"Mayflower" sailed, more than seven hundred Puritans, in eleven ships, bade good-by
to their beautiful English homes, crossed the ocean, and settled what is now Boston.
John Winthrop, the leader and governor of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, the name given to the Salem and Boston settlements, was then about forty years old, and had been in college at Cambridge, in England. He was a man of high social position.
What the Puritans gave up
The Puritans who came with Winthrop were people of property, and not only parted from friends and kindred when they came to the wild shores of America, but both men and women gave up lives of comfort and pleasure for lives of suffering and hardship. In America, the men had to cut down trees, work in the fields, and fight Indians. Only brave men and women act in this way. But no one among them gave up more or was willing to suffer more than their leader. The people elected him governor almost every year until his death, in 1649.
John Winthrop was a firm man with many noble qualities, and not once, while governor, did he do anything merely to please the people if he thought it wrong.
Character of Winthrop
When a leading man in the colony sent him a bitter letter, he returned it saying that he did not wish to keep near him so great a cause of ill feeling. This answer made the writer Winthrop's friend. When food was scarce in the colony, Winthrop divided his last bit of bread with the poor, and worked with his laborers in the fields.
Many new towns in Massachusetts
While Winthrop was ruling the colony, hundreds of settlers came and settled many other towns around Boston. But these settlers did not always agree, especially in regard to religion and government.
Roger Williams as a student
52. Roger Williams. One man who did not always agree with the
Puritans was Roger Williams. His parents were Welsh and very poor, and it is
difficult to decide where he was born, but what is of much more importance, young
Roger studied so hard that a great English lawyer sent him to a famous old London
school. Later Roger went to the University of Cambridge and, after graduation, he
began to study law.
Roger Williams driven to America
But religious questions were more interesting to him than the law, and he became a preacher. Very soon the king's officers found out that he was a Puritan, and Roger Williams and his wife betook themselves to Massachusetts. He was already well known to the Puritans, and Winthrop calls him a "godly minister."
Preachers, and studies the Indians
He was chosen minister of the church at Salem, where his old church-house still stands. But in a few months he joined the Pilgrims at Plymouth, where he remained about ten months, preaching and studying the language and customs of the Indians. He said: "My soul's desire was to do the natives good. ... God was pleased to give me a painful, patient spirit to lodge with them in their filthy, smoky holes to gain their tongue."
He also gained their undying love, and they gained a great
On trial for his opinions
Williams went back to Salem but very soon began to declare that Winthrop and his officers had no right to punish people for their religious beliefs, but ought to permit them to think for themselves. For this he was brought to trial, and because he would not change his views he was ordered by the court to return to England. But he hardly dared go back, so he bade good-by to his wife and children and fled into the wilderness.
Through the deep snow, with "knapsack and staff," he wandered for many days, sleeping in the wigwams of his Indian friends. How strange that the Puritans, driven from their English homes for conscience sake, should so soon exile one of their own number for following his conscience! Finally Roger Williams found shelter and welcome in the wigwam of his old Indian friend, Massasoit.
Although Winthrop opposed Williams in his religious views, the two men remained friends to the last.
Becomes the founder of Rhode Island, where opinion was free
53. The Beginning of Rhode Island. The Indians gave Roger
Williams a grant of land, and in the spring, with a few companions, he founded a
colony. He named it Providence (1636), and later gave the same name to his son, the
first English boy born in the colony (1638), in gratitude to God for his care over
them. This was the beginning of Rhode Island, a colony where all men worshiped as
they pleased.
Other settlers soon came, and Rhode Island set a good example of how people holding different religious views can live together.
Roger Williams did not hate the Puritans for banishing him, but he proved his friendship by keeping the Rhode Island Indians from joining the Pequots in their war against the whites. Later, he brought all the towns in Rhode Island under one government, and went to England and obtained a charter from the king. The people were so pleased with the government under this charter that they did not change it for nearly two hundred years.
How Roger Williams worked for the good of others
Roger Williams gave away nearly all the land granted to him by the Indians, and died a poor man at the age of eighty-four. He gave himself up to doing good to others, and the world has given him high praise.
54. Thomas Hooker. Roger Williams had not been long in America
before another great Puritan leader arrived. This was Thomas Hooker. He was born in
England while Elizabeth was queen. He, too, went to Cambridge to study. After
graduation he became a teacher in that great university, but finally chose to
Hooker goes from England to Holland and then to America
But, like Roger Williams, Hooker was a Puritan, and it was not long before the king's men had their eyes on him, too. He fled to Holland, and finally came to Boston. He could now preach in safety in the new Cambridge. But he, too, could not agree altogether with Governor Winthrop.
Did not agree with Winthrop
This time the dispute was not over religion, but over government. Hooker was democratic. He believed that all the people in the colony should take part in the government, while Winthrop favored a government by a few.
The leaders of Massachusetts passed a law that only church members should vote. Many people in the colony did not like this plan. For this and other reasons, Hooker and a large number of people decided to move to the beautiful valley of the Connecticut River and plant a colony of their own.
Hooker and his friends move to the Connecticut Valley
About the time that Roger Williams founded Providence, Hooker led his people out into the wilderness. They took with them all of their property, driving their herds before them. There were no roads but the narrow trails of the Indians, and no bridges across the streams. How strange it must have seemed to people who had been used to the beautiful fields, wide roads, and trim lanes of old England!
55. Connecticut Colony Founded. These settlers, and those who
followed them, planted the towns of Hartford, Windsor, and
A government by the people
This was the first written constitution in America made by the people and for the people. Thomas Hooker, the great leader, had planted, next to that of Rhode Island, the freest colony in New England. He died in 1647.
New England settled mainly by Puritans
56. New Hampshire Colony. So favorable were the reports sent back
to England from these settlements that thousands upon thousands of Puritans came
over and settled a large number of new towns in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and
Connecticut. Only one other new colony— New Hampshire— was planted in
New England. Later the colony of Plymouth was united with that of Massachusetts Bay,
thus reducing the New England colonies to four.
The Leading Facts.
1. Brewster, Bradford, Robinson, and the Pilgrims lived at
Scrooby, in England, and migrated to Holland to gain religious freedom. 2. The Pilgrims later decided to go to America, where they planted the
colony of Plymouth, made peace with the Indians, and began to worship in their own
way. 3. John Winthrop 4. Roger Williams,
driven to America for conscience sake, was in turn driven into the wilderness. 5. He founded Rhode Island colony as a refuge for persecuted people.
6. Thomas Hooker, for differences of opinion, led a great
migration of Puritans from Boston to the Valley of the Connecticut. 7. He made the first written Constitution.
Study Questions.
1. Where did the Separatists begin? 2. Why did
the people love to come to Brewster's manor house and what young lad joined them
there? 3. Why did the Pilgrims decide to leave England? 4. What made the Pilgrims remove to Leiden? Describe their journey
to Leiden. 5. What new danger threatened them in Holland? 6. Tell the story of their farewell. 7. Picture
the Mayflower in a storm at sea. 8. Read Mrs. Felicia Hemans'
poem, "The Landing of the Pilgrims Fathers." 9. Tell the story of
Miles Standish and his little army. 10. Read Longfellow's poem,
"The Courtship of Miles Standish." 11. What useful things did the
Pilgrims learn from the Indians? 12. Why would putting dead fish
in the hill help the corn to grow? 13. Why have Americans loved
the Pilgrims so well? 14. How did the Pilgrims' treatment of the
Indians compare with that of the Spaniards?
15. What colonies had been already planted in America on account
of religious differences? 16. Tell the story of John Winthrop and
the Puritans. 17. Give proof of the colonists' regard for Governor
Winthrop and of his care for them.
18. Who was Roger Williams? 19. What two causes
of trouble did he give? 20. Why did Roger Williams not go back to
England? 21. Prove that he was a very generous man.
22. Tell the story of Thomas Hooker's early life. 23. What did Hooker and Winthrop differ about? 24. What
colony did Hooker found? And on what ideas did he found it? 25.
How many colonies were there in New England?
Suggested Readings. PILGRIMS (BREWSTER, STANDISH): Hart, Colonial
Children, 133-136, 177-182; Glascock, Stories of Columbia,
69-81; Pratt, Early Colonies, 113-123; Drake, Making
of New England, 67-87; Higginson, American Explorers,
311-337.
PURITANS (JOHN WINTHROP):
Hart, Colonial Children, 136-140; Drake, Making of
New England, 149-186; Hart, Source Book, 45-48; Higginson,
American Explorers, 341-361.
ROGER WILLIAMS: Pratt, Early
Colonies, 152-157; Hawthorne, Grandfather's Chair, 27, 28;
Hart, Source Book, 52-54.
THOMAS HOOKER: Fiske, New
England, 123-128.
57. Hudson's Explorations. While the Pilgrim fathers were still
living in Holland, the Dutch themselves began the colony which became the Empire
state. About the time John Smith was working hard for Jamestown, his friend Henry
Hudson was sailing for some Dutch merchants in search of a northern sea route to
India (1609).
The discovery of the Hudson by the Dutch
One bright fall day Hudson sailed into the mouth of the great river which now bears his name. He hoped that he had entered the arm of the sea which might carry him to India. He turned the prow of his vessel, the "Half Moon," up stream.
What Hudson and his men saw
Soon the beauty of the river, the rich colors of the great forests, the steep sides of the palisades, the slopes of the highlands, the strange Indians in their bark canoes, so took the attention of Hudson and his crew that, for a time, they forgot all about a route to India.
What a flutter of excitement the "Half Moon" must have caused among the Indians! They came on board to give welcome and presents to Hudson and his men.
On the return, probably near the present city of Hudson, an old chief came on board
and invited Hudson to visit the little village of
The chief showed Hudson his palace of bark, and spread a feast of roasted pigeons and other Indian food before him. In spite of such kind treatment, Hudson would not stay over night with the Indians, who even broke their bows and arrows and then threw them into the fire to prove that they meant no harm to the white man, but Hudson and his men were still afraid.
Indians kind but Hudson cruel
Indeed, Hudson had every reason to fear the Indians, for he had treated them badly and his men had even murdered some. In less than a month, Indian friendship had been turned into Indian hatred.
The next year Hudson sailed in an English vessel in search of the long-wished-for passage. On he went, far to the northward, past Iceland and Greenland, into the great bay which bears his name. In this desolate region, surrounded by fields of ice and snow, Hudson and his men spent a fearful winter.
Fate of Hudson and his men
In the spring, his angry sailors threw him and a few faithful friends into a boat and sent them adrift. Nothing more was ever heard of them. In Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," the story tells of nightly scenes in the Catskills in which the ghosts of Hudson and his friends were the actors.
A trading post on Manhattan
58. Dutch Traders and the Indians. Just as soon as the news of
Hudson's first voyage reached Holland, the Dutch merchants claimed all the region
explored and hastened to trade with the Indians. As early as 1614 a trading post was
established on Manhattan Island— the beginning of a great city, New York.
Other posts were soon located: one up the Hudson became Fort Orange, another on the Delaware was named Fort Nassau, and a fourth was placed where Jersey City now stands. Later the Dutch traders went as far east as the Connecticut Valley.
A lasting Indian treaty
The Dutchmen treated the Indians kindly and early made a great treaty with the Iroquois, or Five Nations. The chiefs of many tribes came to Fort Orange dressed for the event. Their bows and arrows and tomahawks were decorated, their garments tasseled and fringed, and on their heads they wore nodding plumes of many sorts, while their faces were hideous with paint. A peace belt of deer skin covered with beads was held at one end by the chiefs and at the other by the Dutch traders. They "smoked the pipe of peace, buried the tomahawk," and made vows of everlasting friendship.
The Indians liked the Dutch
The Indians liked the Dutch, who often visited them in their wigwams and sat around
their campfires. The fur
The fur trade
When the fur pack was made up the dusky hunters from every direction made their way to the nearest trading post. There they traded their furs for guns, powder, and ball, and for whatever else the white trader had that pleased Indian fancy. Great Dutch ships came every year to carry to Amsterdam and other Dutch cities rich cargoes of furs.
Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island for twenty-four dollars
59. The Settlement of New Netherland. Already a great company of
Amsterdam merchants were sending settlers, as well as fur traders, to the new
colony, which now was called New Netherland. Peter Minuit, the first governor,
bought the Island of Manhattan from the Indians for twenty-four
But settlers did not come rapidly enough, so the company offered its members large tracts of land and the title of "patroon" or "patron," on condition that they plant colonies at their own expense. Each patroon was to govern the people on his own land.
The patroons and their way of living
The greatest of the patroons was Van Rensselaer, whose plantation in the region of Fort Orange included one thousand square miles. The farmers and servants on these plantations looked upon the patroon as being much above them in authority and social position.
Every year the farmers and their families came with their wagons filled with what they had raised to pay the patroon for the use of the land. He set them a great feast, and there was merry-making all day long.
A wicked Indian war
The growth of New Netherland attracted bad men as well as good men. Some mean traders robbed and murdered a number of Indians not of the Five Nations. The Indians robbed and murdered in return. War broke out and before it ended many settlements were broken up, and hundreds of settlers killed.
Parties of Indians roved day and night over Manhattan Island, killing the Dutch even in sight of Fort Amsterdam. The people blamed their governor, Kieft, and threatened to arrest him and send him to Holland. He finally made peace with the Indians just before the new governor arrived.
60. Peter Stuyvesant. This sturdy son of Holland was born at a
time when his country was fighting hard against Spain for independence. His father
was a minister, who, it may be supposed, brought up young Peter after the strict
manner of Dutch boys.
Young Peter Stuyvesant
Peter early began to study Latin. He was vain of his knowledge, and in later years took pride in showing off his Latin to the settlers of New Amsterdam.
Becomes a soldier
When he left school young Peter joined the army, where he found plenty of hard work; but he performed duties as a soldier quicker and better than some of his comrades, and after a few years he was given command over a Dutch colony in the West Indies.
Goes to New Netherland
In a fierce assault on a Portuguese fort Stuyvesant lost a leg and had to return Holland. But he was no sooner well than the Dutch West India Company sent him to New Netherland to save that colony from the Indians.
What Stuyvesant said to the settlers
The arrival of Stuyvesant, with his little army and fleet of four vessels, brought great joy to the discouraged settlers and fur traders. He said to the people: "I shall reign over you as a father over his children." But Stuyvesant ruled the colony far more like a king than a father. He was not only commander-in-chief the army, but was also lawmaker, judge, and governor, all in one.
Strict order in New Amsterdam
The new laws made by Stuyvesant showed that he intended to keep order in New Netherland. He forbade Sabbath-breaking, drunkenness, the sale of drink to the Indians and to any one else after the nine o'clock bell had rung. He ordered the owners of all vacant lots in New Amsterdam to improve them, and tried to fix the location of all new buildings. He taxed traders, whether they shipped goods to Europe or brought goods into New Netherland.
Stuyvesant did, indeed, restore order to the colony, but he stirred up the people until they demanded a voice in the government. He finally agreed that they might select nine of their wisest men to advise with him. They were called the Council. He had no idea of following anybody's advice unless it agreed with his own notions, but the people had gained something.
Stuyvesant and his neighbors
At the same time Stuyvesant was just as busy with his neighbors' affairs. For he quarreled with the English in New England, as well as with the patroons in his own colony.
Stuyvesant claimed all the region now included in New Jersey,
Government by the people— demanded
The colony grew in numbers. New towns sprang up along the Hudson and on Long Island. But the increase in the number of the towns only made the call for a government by the people still louder.
For several years the dispute between the people and the governor went on until, one day in 1664, news came that a fleet of English war vessels was in sight. Although England and Holland were at peace, the English king had given New Netherland to his brother, the Duke of York, and the English fleet had come to take it for the duke.
What Stuyvesant learned after it was too late
Governor Stuyvesant was resolved to defend the colony to the last. But he was surprised to find that his people were not willing to fight for a governor who had given them so little share in governing themselves.
The commander of the fleet sent a letter to Stuyvesant offering very favorable
terms of surrender. The council wanted the
Brave to the last
New Netherland becomes New York
61. The Dutch Surrender to the English. The English took
possession, and the colony of New Netherland became the colony of New York, and at
the same time the town of New Amsterdam became the town of New York. Fort Orange
became Albany. English governors came to rule instead of Dutch governors. A few
years later a Dutch fleet recaptured the Colony; but, by a treaty at the close of
the war, Holland returned it to England. When William and Mary came to the throne of
England (1689) they gave New York a Representative Assembly.
Dutch ideas and customs remain
Although Dutch rule was gone forever, the Dutch people and Dutch ideas and customs remained. Peter Stuyvesant himself had become so attached to the colony that he came back from Holland and spent his remaining years on his great farm or bowery, as the Dutch called it.
Dutch customs and ways lived longest on the estates of the patroons; but wherever a Dutch family lived there remained for many generations the quaint and simple ways which their ancestors had brought from Holland— the land of dikes and windmills.
The Quakers' need of a home
62. The Quakers; George Fox. We have seen the Puritans flee to
New England, the Catholics to Maryland, and the Cavaliers to Virginia. But the
Quakers were not welcome in any American colony except Rhode Island, the home of
Roger Williams. Yet the Quakers were even worse off in England, where the jails were
fuller of Quakers than of Catholics.
Who were the Quakers and who were their leaders?
George Fox, their founder, was born an English peasant. While yet a boy he was put to herding sheep. As a shepherd lad he wandered over the hills, through the meadows, and along the hedges with only his dog and his sheep for companions.
George Fox, the founder of the Quakers
His quiet life made him thoughtful, and he began to ask himself the great questions. What does the vast world about me mean? And what are the stars and the sky? What is man for? Where is he going? He asked his friends, but they could not satisfy him.
He finally went to London, but the wise men there could not help him. Sadly he returned home, but could get no peace of mind.
One day, while thinking by the fireside, a voice from within
Where Fox found the answer to his great questions
He immediately began to talk and preach about the "Inner Light." He declared that every man had a sure guide within his own breast, hence there was no need of paid preachers and fine churches. But the preachers and the rich people drove him out of their churches. At first only the common people— peasants and laborers— believed him.
By and by Fox's friends went about preaching the new doctrines everywhere. They went into Scotland, crossed over to Ireland, and even went to Rome to try to convert the pope.
Why the king and his officers were opposed to the Quakers
In England the Friends, as the followers of Fox called themselves, were being fined, whipped, and thrown into jail. The Friends taught that all men are equal in the sight of God, and should be equal in the sight of man. Hence they would not bow to great people nor take off their hats even to the king or queen. They refused to call officers by their titles, using only the person's given name and the words "friend," "thee," and "thou." They were opposed to fine dress.
The Friends also taught that kings ought to make peace instead of making war, and that war, for any cause, is wrong. Hence they refused to fight in the king's army.
63. William Penn. One day Thomas Loe, a Quaker preacher, ventured
into the old university town of Oxford, where hundreds of aristocratic young men
were being trained for high places in the Church and in the State.
William Penn converted
A few students believed his teachings and resolved to become members of the hated sect of Quakers. Among them was William Penn, the son of a great naval officer, Admiral Penn. What a buzzing there was in that old college town when the news spread that William Penn, the fine scholar, the skilled oarsman, and all-round athlete, had become a Quaker!
Why Penn was expelled from college
Some of his comrades would not believe it. But when they saw him put off the cap and gown of his college, which some of the greatest men in English history had worn with pride, and put on the plain garb of the Quakers, they gave up! The college officers were also convinced when Penn and other Quakers tore off the gowns of fellow students. The authorities promptly expelled these young and over-enthusiastic Friends.
What Penn's family and friends thought
What more disgraceful thing could happen to the family of Admiral Penn? To have a son expelled from Oxford was bad enough, but to have him become a Quaker was a disgrace not to be borne— so thought his family. The stern old admiral promptly drove him from home. But William resolutely refused to give up his Quaker views, and the admiral decided to try the plan of sending him to Paris, where life was as un-Quaker like as it could be.
William Penn himself looked little like a Quaker. He was then eighteen years old, fine looking, with large eyes and long, dark, curly hair reaching to his shoulders.
Penn in Paris
Young Penn, however, did not entirely waste his time in the gay life of Paris. He attended school and traveled in Italy. At the end of two years he came back.
Returns more of a Quaker than ever
It was not long before the admiral again saw Quaker signs in his son and hastened him off to Ireland to cure him entirely. But who should be preaching in Ireland but Thomas Loe. William went to hear his old preacher, and this time be came a Quaker forever. No suffering was great enough to cause him ever to waver again, although fines were heaped on him and at four different times he was thrown into foul jails to be the companion of criminals.
Penn refuses to lift his hat
Penn's family now felt the disgrace very keenly, but his father promised to forgive him if he would take off his hat to the king, to the king's brother, and to his father. One day, the story goes, King Charles, the merry monarch, met William Penn and others. All hats were promptly removed except the king's and Penn's. Presently the king, too, removed his hat. Whereupon, Penn said: "Friend Charles, why dost thou remove thy hat?" The king replied: "Because, wherever I am, it is customary for but one to remain covered."
Penn's father would not permit such conduct toward his royal friends. He therefore drove his son from his home a second time.
William Penn makes a noble choice
But Penn's mother finally made peace between the father and the son before the admiral died. William Penn, then but twenty-six years old, came into possession of a fortune. Once more he choice stood "where the roads parted." He could now be a great man and play the part of a fine English gentleman who would always be welcome at court, or he could remain a Quaker.
Turns to America
We do not know that he even thought of forsaking his Quaker comrades. On the contrary, he resolved to devote his fortune and his life to giving them relief. Like Winthrop for the Puritans, and Baltimore for the Catholics, Penn thought of America for his persecuted Friends. With other Quaker leaders, he became an owner of West Jersey, part of New Jersey.
The king pays an old debt
Penn's Woods
64. The Founding of Pennsylvania. King Charles II owed Penn's
father about eighty thousand dollars. William Penn asked him to pay it in American
land. Charles was only too glad to grant this request of the son of his old sea
captain. The land he gave to Penn is the present great state of Pennsylvania. Penn
wanted the colony called Sylvania, meaning woodland, but the king declared it should
be called Pennsylvania in memory of Admiral Penn.
By means of letters and pamphlets Penn sent word to the Quakers throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland. He told them of Quaker homes across the sea, where jails would not trouble them.
There was great rejoicing among them over Penn's "Holy Experiment," as his plan was called.
Penn invited all persecuted people
Penn even visited Europe, especially the country along the Rhine, and told the persecuted and oppressed about the new colony where every sort of Christian was to find a hearty welcome, and where no one was to be punished for religion's sake.
Hundreds of settlers hastened to the new colony. When Penn reached Newcastle on the Delaware in the fall of 1682 he met a hearty welcome from scores of happy people who were already enjoying their long-wished-for religious freedom.
One of Penn's first acts was to call a meeting of the colonists to talk over their government. This pleased the people greatly, for although the land was Penn's he not only gave them land for their houses and farms, but he also gave them the right to choose their own rulers and to make their own laws.
The founding of Philadelphia
Penn next turned his attention to founding the great Quaker city to which he gave
the name Philadelphia, signifying brotherly love— a name truly expressing
Penn's feeling toward other men. He marked off the streets right in the midst of a
great forest,
Some settlers lived in caves
But the settlers came faster than houses could be built, and some families had to live in caves dug in the banks along the river. Philadelphia grew faster than the other colonial towns, and soon led them all.
Penn visits the Indians
William Penn won the love and the respect of the Indians of Pennsylvania. He visited them in their own towns and ate with them. He even took part in their athletic games and outran them all. Like Roger Williams, he believed that the Indians should be paid for their lands. Accordingly, he made them rich gifts and entered into solemn treaties with the chiefs.
At a treaty under a great elm tree on the banks of the Delaware, Penn said to the
Indians: "We are the same as if one man's
Kind treatment produced kind treatment
The coming of the "Pennsylvania Dutch"
The news of the establishment of free government and free religious worship brought crowds of settlers from Germany. Hundreds of German families in the valleys of the Rhine and the Neckar escaped to "Penn's Woods," and there their children's children are to be found to-day under the name of the "Pennsylvania Dutch." Without boasting, William Penn could say that no other one man, at his own expense, had planted so great a colony in the wilds of America as he had. Few nobler men ever lived than William Penn. He died July 30, 1718.
Oglethorpe a soldier
65. A Friend of the Unfortunate. James Oglethorpe was an
Englishman. At an early age he went to Oxford to study, but he was drawn away from
college by the clash of arms. Oglethorpe was a soldier for many years. Later he
became a member of Parliament.
English jails and jailers
A friend of Oglethorpe's died in a debtors' prison, which aroused his sympathies for the poor. He examined English jails, and found them so dirty and dark and damp that strong-bodied men, to say nothing of women and children, soon sickened and died in them. Besides, he found that the jailers were bad men, who whipped the prisoners on their bare backs and stole their food.
The prison was a poor place for a man in debt, anyway. How could a man pay his debts while he was shut up in prison?
King George II grants a charter
Oglethorpe, like many other noble men before him, thought of America as a place of refuge for the unfortunate. King George II gave him a charter for the land between the Savannah and the Altamaha, and made his heart glad by declaring that all Protestants should be tolerated there.
A select body of emigrants
When the debtors heard the news that Oglethorpe was to plant a colony for them was great excitement among them. But he carefully selected his settlers, so that no lazy man might be found among them. Arms and tools with which to work on the farms were given to the settlers.
At Charleston
When the time came, thirty families were ready to sail. Oglethorpe carried them direct to Charleston, South Carolina. When they landed, in 1733, the people of Charleston were only too glad to have a colony south of them as a "buffer" against the Spaniards who occupied Florida, and who had already attacked South Carolina.
Therefore, the people of Charleston, to give the new colony a good start, presented
the settlers with one hundred head of cattle, a drove of hogs, and fifteen or twenty
barrels of rice. Rejoicing in
Savannah laid out
Italians
Soon other colonists came to Savannah. Among these was a company of Italians who had come to raise the silkworm and to manufacture silk.
German Protestants
In the next year after Oglethorpe planted the settlement a band of sturdy German Protestants arrived. These settlers built their homes above Savannah, and called the colony "Ebenezer," which means "the Lord hath helped us." Between these two settlements a band of pious Moravian immigrants founded a colony. Then followed the settlement of Augusta, far up the Savannah River and well out among the Indians, which served as a sort of outpost.
Highlanders
To these were added a colony on the Altamaha River. This colony was settled by a company of brave Highlanders from Scotland.
In the meantime, Oglethorpe had gone to England, but he soon returned with more
than two hundred English and German immigrants, who
The Wesleys come
Oglethorpe foresees war
While in England Oglethorpe was made a colonel. He saw that trouble with Spain must soon come. From the beginning of the settlement of Georgia Oglethorpe had been careful to treat the Indians well. He had made treaties with them and had paid them for their lands. He now went to visit the Creek and the Cherokee Indians.
On an island at the mouth of the Altamaha Oglethorpe planted a town to serve as an outpost against the Spaniards. He fortified it, and made it very strong. This town was called Frederica.
Frederica fortified
In 1742 a Spanish fleet of fifty-one vessels and five thousand men attacked Frederica. Oglethorpe beat them off, and thereafter Georgia was left in peace. He went back to England and became a general. Oglethorpe lived to a good old age. He died in 1785.
The Leading Facts.
1. Henry Hudson, searching for a shorter route to India,
discovered the river which now bears his name. 2. Dutch traders
built trading posts, made a treaty with the Indians, purchased Manhattan Island, and
sent out patroons. 3. Peter Stuyvesant ruled the colony in his own
way and gave the people very little power. 4. William and Mary
gave New York self-government. 5. George Fox founded the religion
of the Friends. 6. William Penn, the greatest of the Quakers,
founded a colony in Pennsylvania. 7. He gave a free constitution
and made friends with the Indians. 8. James Oglethorpe visited
English jails for debtors obtained a charter from the king, and sent out a colony of
these unfortunates to Georgia. 9. Planted Frederica to keep back
the Spaniards.
Study Questions.
1. What other colony began earlier than New Netherland? 2. Tell the story of Henry Hudson and the "Half Moon." 3. What was the fate of Hudson? 4. When was a trading post
planted on Manhattan? 5. Make a mental picture of the treaty with
the Indians. 6. How does the Dutch treatment of the Indians
compare with the Spanish? 7. What three things did Peter Minuit
do? 8. Who were the patroons? 9. Why did the
people blame and threaten Kieft? 10. Tell the story of Peter
Stuyvesant until the time he became governor. 11. What part did
the nine men play in the government? 12. What were they called?
13. Why were the people glad when the English fleet came? 14. Prove that Stuyvesant was brave.
14. Where could the Quakers go in America? 15.
Tell the story of George Fox. 16. Why should the students at
Oxford be surprised to hear that William Penn had turned Quaker? 17. Why did his father drive him from home? 18. What shows
that William Penn did not waste his time in Paris? 19. Who made
peace between Penn and his father? 20. What was William Penn's
noble resolution? 21. How did Penn come into possession of
Pennsylvania? 22. Prove that Penn was a very generous man. 23. Why did William Penn call his town the "city of brotherly love"?
24. In how many ways did Penn resemble Roger Williams? 25. Make a picture of the great treaty under the elm. 26. Where did the settlers in New York and in Pennsylvania come from?
27. Tell the story of Oglethorpe. 28. What did
King George II put in Oglethorpe's Charter? 29. Why did Charleston
lend a helping hand to Oglethorpe's Colony? 30. Where did the
settlers of Georgia come from? 31. What did Oglethorpe build
Frederica for?
Suggested Readings. HUDSON: Williams, Stories from Early New York History, 1-4, 32-36; Wright, Children's Stories in American History, 292-299; Griffis, Romance of Discovery, 233-245; Higginson, American
Explorers, 281-307; Irving, Rip van Winkle in The Sketch Book.
STUYVESANT: Williams, Stories from Early New York
History, 21-32; Smith and Dutton, The Colonies, 189-202;
Fiske, Dutch and Quaker Colonies, I., 198-201.
PENN: Pratt, Early Colonies, 158-165 ; Hart,
Colonial Children, 144-148; Hart, Source Book,
67-69, 80-82; Dixon, William Penn, 11-273.
OGLETHORPE: Smith and Dutton, The Colonies,
78-89; Pratt, Early Colonies, 173-176; Hart, Source
Book, 71-73; Cooper, James Oglethorpe.
Cartier, 1534
66. The French in North America. France was the slowest of the
great nations in the race for North America. Not until 1534 did Jacques Cartier, a
French sea captain searching for a shorter route to India, sail into the mouth of
the St. Lawrence River. He reached an Indian village where Montreal now stands and
took possession of the country for his king.
Champlain founded Quebec, 1608
One year after Jamestown was settled, and one year before the "Half Moon" sailed up the Hudson, Samuel de Champlain laid the foundations of Quebec (1608). Champlain was of noble birth, and had been a soldier in the French army. He had already helped found Port Royal in Nova Scotia.
Made friends and foes among the Indians
Wherever he went, Champlain made fast friends with the Algonquin Indians, who lived along the St. Lawrence. He gave them presents and bought their skins of beaver and of other animals. In the fur trade he saw a golden stream flowing into the king's treasury. Champlain certainly made a good beginning in winning these Indians, but he made one great blunder out of which grew many bitter enemies among other tribes.
An Indian war party
67. Champlain and the Indians. The Algonquins were bitter foes of
the Iroquois or Five Nations. One time the Algonquins begged Champlain and his men,
clad in steel and armed with the deadly musket, to join their war party (1609). This
he did. They made their way up the St. Lawrence to the mouth of the Richelieu, and
up that river to the falls. The Indians then carried the canoes and the baggage
around the falls.
Discovery of Lake Champlain
What must have been Champlain's feelings when they glided out of the narrow river into the lake now bearing his name! A lake no white man had ever seen, and greater than any in his beloved France! On the left he saw the ridges of the Green Mountains, on the right the pine-clad slopes of the Adirondacks, the hunting grounds of the hated Iroquois.
One evening, near where the ruins of
Why the Iroquois came to hate the French
All at once the Algonquins opened their ranks and Champlain, in full armor, walked forth. The Iroquois gazed in wonder on the first European soldier that they had ever seen. Champlain leveled his musket and fired. Two chiefs fell. Then another report rang through the woods, and the boldest warriors in North America broke and fled in confusion. The Algonquins, yelling like demons, ran after them, killing and capturing as many as possible.
There was great rejoicing among the victors, and Champlain was their hero. But there must have been great sorrow and vows of revenge among the Iroquois.
Champlain and the Algonquins invade the Iroquois country
The next year Champlain joined another Algonquin war party, and helped win another victory from the Iroquois. Again, in 1615, he joined a party of more than five hundred painted warriors. They traveled to the shore of Lake Ontario and boldly crossed to the other side in their bark canoes. They hid their boats and silently marched into the country of the Iroquois.
Some miles south of Oneida Lake they came upon a fortified
Iroquois make St. Lawrence unsafe for French
For this reason Frenchmen found it safer to go west by traveling up the Ottawa River and crossing over to Lake Huron than by paddling up the St. Lawrence and through lakes Ontario and Erie. The result was that the French discovered Lake Michigan and Lake Superior long before any Frenchman ever saw Lake Erie. On the other hand, we have seen how the Dutch made friends with the Iroquois.
Champlain true to king and country
Champlain remained many years in Canada, always working for the good of New France, as the country was called. He helped on the work of the missionaries, made peace between hostile tribes of Indians, and encouraged the fur trade and the coming of new settlers. Worn out with toil and travel, far away from kindred and native land, Champlain died at Quebec on Christmas Day, 1635.
Stories of a new country
68. French Explorers in the Northwest. Year after year, as fur
traders and missionaries made their way back from the west to Montreal and Quebec,
they told strange stories of great tracts of land where only grass and flowers grew,
and of a river larger than any that Frenchmen had ever seen.
Marquette's mission at Mackinac
Count Frontenac, the able governor of Canada, commanded Joliet, a fur trader born at Quebec, and Marquette, a Catholic missionary, to find the great river and explore it. Joliet made his way on foot and by canoe to the Straits of Mackinac, where he found Marquette, who had already been two years in that wild north country trying to teach the Indians the gentler ways of a Christian life and to win their friendship for France. There in Marquette's log mission house the fur trader and the Indians met for worship and to buy and sell.
Joliet and Marquette set out to find the Mississippi River
In May, 1673, Joliet and Marquette, with five others, set out in birch-bark, canoes, to discover the Mississippi River. They were well supplied with smoked meat and Indian corn. They paddled along the north shore of Lake Michigan, through Green Bay, up the Fox River, and crossed overland to the beautiful Wisconsin. Every night they carried their boats on shore and built a fire, over which, Indian fashion, they cooked their food, and around which they slept with only skins of animals and boughs of trees for beds.
Beginning an unknown journey
69. On the Mississippi River. Quietly, but rapidly, their boats
passed down the Wisconsin. One day in the month of June a valley several miles in
width opened before them, just below where Prairie du Chien and McGregor now are.
Here was the great river about which they had long heard so many wonderful stories.
They paddled eagerly into its mighty current. But they knew not whence it came nor
whither it would bear them.
One day they came upon the mouth of the gently-flowing Illinois, and near by passed rocky bluffs looking like ruined castles. Near where Alton now is they saw two great figures painted in red, black, and green on the face of a high rock. These rude images had the horns of deer and the faces of men; but their bodies were covered with scales, and their tails passed around their bodies, over their heads, and between their legs.
The picture of Manitou
These pictures were to represent Manitou, the Great Spirit or of god of the Indians. What thoughts must have run through the mind of Marquette, who had forsaken his own beautiful France to tell the Indians the story of the true God!
Day after day they paddled on; they passed the rushing and muddy Missouri, and the slower and clearer Ohio, which the French called the "beautiful river." New sights now began to appear. Instead of great bluffs, the shores were low; instead of prairies, they often saw dense thickets of wild cane. The hot summer of the South was now upon them and lessened the pleasure of the journey.
What they had discovered
They reached the mouth of the Arkansas in July (1673), and were now convinced that
the Mississippi flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. They decided, therefore, to return
to Canada and report their discoveries to Count Frontenac. They knew that he would
rejoice with them in the success of their journey and that he would send the story
of their brave deeds to the home land, where king
The journey back
70. Marquette, the Missionary. But they were more than two thousand miles from Quebec, and it was up stream to the Great Lakes. Marquette fell ill, thus making the work of the other men harder. Finally they turned their canoes into the gentler current of the Illinois. Friendly Indians carried the canoes from the Illinois over to Lake Michigan, and they traced its western shore till Green Bay was reached. Here, at one of the missions they had passed on the outward trip, Marquette stayed to rest and get well.
Marquette begins his mission work again
But it was not until the fall of the next year that he was well enough to continue his work. With two comrades and two small bands of Indians and a little fleet of canoes he set out to establish a mission among the Indians whom he had seen on the Illinois. But he fell ill again. His companions built him a comfortable log hut for the winter, and the next spring he crossed over to the Illinois, near where Ottawa now stands.
Marquette's farewell to the Indians
After preaching for a time, word was sent to the surrounding Indians that the missionary wished to meet them in council on the great meadow. On the appointed day the old men and chiefs sat around in a great ring, while behind them were the warriors, many hundred strong. On the outside stood two great crowds of Indian women and children, all curious to hear the words of the missionary.
Indians show affection for Marquette
It was a sad meeting, for when the chiefs urged Marquette to make his home among them, he said his days were few, and he must hasten to reach his old mission at Mackinac, for he wished to die there. The Indians escorted him to Lake Michigan and bade him a sad farewell. Northward, along the eastern shore, the two faithful companions paddled their great friend. But one day he could go no farther, so they hastily built a bark hut for the sick man. That night, as he lay dying, he thanked God that he had been permitted to die a missionary to the Indians.
They honor his memory
The next year a band of Ottawa Indians, recalling the many good deeds of Marquette, dug up his bones and tenderly but sadly placed them in a birch bark box. A procession, singing funeral songs, bore his remains his by canoe to Mackinac. Here gathered the Catholic missionaries, memory Indians, and fur traders from all the surrounding region to do honor to the memory of Marquette, whose bones they buried beneath the chapel floor in his own mission house at Mackinac.
Juliet returns to Quebec
71. Joliet Reported to Frontenac. After Joliet bade Marquette a
last good-by, he set out with all speed with his maps and papers to Quebec, still
many hundred dangerous miles away. No serious accident
Loses his maps and papers
72. Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. While Joliet and
Marquette were on their long journey, Frontenac was making use of another fur
trader, La Salle, and of another missionary, Hennepin. La Salle belonged to a rich
French family, and had left home at the age of twenty-three (1666) for the wild life
in the American forests.
Fort Frontenac built
He first built a fort-like post just above Montreal and named it Lachine, because he supposed it was located on the route to China. In 1673 he helped build Fort Frontenac where the Canadian city of Kingston now stands.
La Salle returned home, and the king received him with honor and made him governor of the region around Fort Frontenac. He came back and built a great stone fort. Settlers came and built their cabins around it, making a little frontier village.
Here the fur trader came each season with his pack, and here the faithful missionary said good-by before plunging into the wilds of the unknown wilderness, perhaps never to return.
La Salle was growing rich, but he longed to make good his
La Salle not content to get rich only
Hennepin and his altar
La Salle came back bringing sailors, carpenters, anchors, and cables, for he intended to build a ship on the lakes. But best of all, he brought Tonti, his faithful Italian friend and helper. Hennepin, the missionary, carried an altar so made that he could strap it on his back and set it up for worship wherever he chose.
La Salle had resolved to build his first fort at the mouth of the Niagara River, but the Iroquois permitted him to build only a large storehouse. They were greatly displeased when he set about building a ship above Niagara to sail the Great Lakes to the west, and threatened to burn it.
The first ship on the Great Lakes
When the new ship, the "Griffin," was ready to sail, they towed her up the Niagara River and then into Lake Erie. There was great rejoicing over the "Griffin." Amid the firing of cannon and the singing of songs, she spread her sails, the first to whiten the waters of Lake ship on Erie.
On they sailed, through sunshine and storm, up Lake Huron until the mission town
where Marquette was buried came
The visit to Mackinac
The "Griffin" sails for the storehouse
La Salle then sailed through the straits and to the head of Green Bay, where some of his men, sent out many months before, had collected a great quantity of furs. Laden with these, the "Griffin" sailed for the storehouse on the Niagara, but La Salle never saw again this first ship of the lakes.
The journey by canoe to the Illinois River
73. Exploring the Mississippi Valley. With fourteen men in four
large canoes, La Salle set out for the Illinois River. They passed southward along
the Wisconsin shore, sometimes living only on parched corn and wild berries, but at
other times feasting on the wild game killed by their Indian hunter.
They passed the spot where Chicago stands, and reached the mouth of the St. Joseph
River. Here another fort was built while waiting for the
They reach Starved Rock
Disappointed, but still brave, La Salle with a party of thirty men and fourteen canoes paddled up the St. Joseph River to where South Bend now is. From this point the party, carrying canoes and baggage, made its way over to the headwaters of the Illinois. They were glad to reach the region near the present site of Ottawa, where Marquette had been a few years before. They saw Buffalo Rock and Starved Rock, high bluffs renowned in Indian history.
Surprising an Indian camp
Just as the little fleet was passing through Peoria Lake, some one saw the smoke of an Indian camp. At once every Frenchman dropped his paddle, seized his gun, and sprang ashore. The Indians ran about in wild excitement, but La Salle talked peace to the chiefs while Hennepin tried to quiet the children.
The Indians told La Salle of fierce warriors farther on who would kill them, and of great monsters ready to eat them. These stories frightened some of La Salle's men and they ran away.
The fort of the broken hear
La Salle decided to build a fort on the bluff overlooking the river and remain there through the winter (1680). They named it Fort Crevecoeur, meaning that the builders had grieved until their hearts were broken.
La Salle returned to Fort Frontenac. In the meantime he ordered Tonti to fortify Starved Rock, and Hennepin to explore the Illinois and the upper Mississippi rivers.
Iroquois destroy villages of the Illinois
While La Salle was gone, a great army of fierce Iroquois destroyed the villages of the Illinois Indians, "the children of Count Frontenac."
A union of Indian tribes proposed
La Salle's heart was indeed full of grief when he returned and saw the awful desolation where once stood the villages of his Indian friends. But worse still, he could not find Tonti. With a sad but brave heart the great leader resolved to bring all the Illinois tribes into a union that should be a match for the Iroquois. He went from tribe to tribe, and night after night he sat around the council fires with the chiefs.
La Salle journeys to the mouth of the Mississippi
Before he could unite them he heard that Tonti was safe at Mackinac. He hastened to meet his long lost friend, and there he and Tonti once more planned the exploration of the lower Mississippi. He returned to Fort Frontenac, collected supplies, and was soon crossing the portage between the Chicago and Illinois rivers. On they went, till early in February their canoes floated out upon the bosom of the "Father of Waters" (1682).
Down the river they floated, passing the Missouri, the Ohio, and the Arkansas, where Joliet and Marquette had turned back. With the kindly help of new guides, they passed on until they found the Mississippi branching into three streams. La Salle divided his party, and each took a stream to the Gulf.
La Salle takes possession of new country
On shore, just above the mouth, a cross was raised and La Salle took possession of all the country he had explored "in the name of Louis the Great, King of France." The company shouted, "Long live the king!" La Salle's first great object had been accomplished.
Then the party began the slow journey up stream. La Salle finally reached Mackinac, and there again began to lay great plans. The first thing he did was to go to Starved Rock and build a fort for the protection of his union of Indian tribes.
Builds Fort St. Louis on Starved Rock
Starved Rock is a rough cliff which rises one hundred thirty-five feet high, right out of the valley. Its sides are almost perpendicular. La Salle and his men cut away the trees on top and built storehouses, log huts, and a palisade. They named it Fort St. Louis. In the valley below, hundreds of Indians came and built their wigwams that they might be safe from their enemies, the Iroquois. Tonti was put in command of the fort.
La Salle's next step was to return to France and ask the king to
La Salle misses the mouth of the Mississippi
La Salle's death
Suffering and discontent increased till a party of La Salle's men lay in ambush and shot him, and left his body in the woods. More than a year went by before the faithful Tonti at Starved Rock heard of the sad fate of the great leader.
The heroic Tonti
The French king refused to send aid to the starving colonists in Texas, but the brave and heroic Tonti, though saddened by the death of La Salle, resolved to rescue them. His rescuing party suffered awful hardships. They deserted Tonti on the lower Mississippi, and he was forced to return to Starved Rock, where he commanded the fort for many years.
Hennepin on the upper Mississippi
74. Hennepin Explores the Upper Mississippi. Obeying the orders
of La Salle, Hennepin and two companions had left the fort on the Illinois, had
floated down that river, and had turned their canoes up the Mississippi. After
several weeks they were suddenly surrounded by a hundred painted, yelling Sioux
Indians. Only by giving plenty of presents did the Frenchmen save their lives.
Hennepin captured by the Indians but escapes
For many days they were carried up the river. They passed where La Crosse and Winona now stand, and finally reached the Falls of St. Anthony. There the Indians hid their canoes and traveled due north till the Indian village was reached.
After a time Hennepin fell in with another party of Indian hunters and returned to
the Falls. Here they were overjoyed to meet five other French explorers and traders.
As winter approached all the Frenchmen set out for the Green Bay Mission and
Mackinac
The return to Mackinac and to Quebec
The next spring Hennepin made the long journey to Quebec, where he told the story of his wanderings to Count Frontenac, who received him into his own house as one returned from the dead.
Can the French keep New France
From a photo, copyright by Sweet, Minneapolis
From the original painting by Douglas Volk in the capitol at St. Paul
We have seen how the Mississippi Valley had been added to New France by the courage and devotion of fur traders and missionaries. Will the French king be able to keep this vast country abounding in lakes and rivers, in hills and valleys, far greater than any in all Europe?
French forts
75. The French and Indian Wars. For nearly a hundred years after
Joliet and La Salle and Marquette and Hennepin had laid down paddle and pack and
cross and robe, the Canadian governors struggled to make New France strong. From the
mouth of the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico they built many forts and filled
them with soldiers to hold the country against the English settlers.
As settlements grew thicker, fur-bearing animals grew scarcer, and both the French
and the English hunters had to go deeper into
Why war came
The Iroquois attack Lachine
Only a few years after La Salle's death some Iroquois stole away to Canada and surrounded his town of Lachine. In the dead of night, they let loose their awful war-whoop and murdered and scalped men, women and children to the number of two hundred. More than one hundred prisoners were carried home by the Iroquois to be adopted into their families or to be tortured and burned at the stake (1689).
The French attack the English
That very year the French took revenge upon the friends of the Iroquois, English settlers from Casco Bay in Maine to Schenectady in New York. The Canadian Indians now burned and scalped to their hearts' content.
A new and bold move
Following these massacres several long, hard wars came, with a few years of peace between. Finally the French leaders decided on a bold move. In spite of the Iroquois, they began to build forts from the place where the city of Erie is down to the sources of the Ohio. So the English Governor of Virginia sent young George Washington with orders for the French to leave the region. The French declared that they had come to stay. Both sides prepared for war, for both wanted possession of the beautiful Ohio Valley.
Why the French won most of the battles at first
The English king sent an army to America to help the English settlers attack the French (1755). But the British generals not know how to fight Indian fashion, that is, to fight in ambush, behind trees or by stealing upon the enemy at night. In the war that followed the French won most of the battles for the first three years. This war is known as the French and Indian War.
76. General Montcalm. The French not only knew how to fight in
the woods, but they had a great leader, General Montcalm, who was born in southern
France (1712). By the age of fifteen he had a good knowledge of Greek, Latin, and
history, and was already an officer in the French army.
Montcalm a brave soldier and true man
At the age of thirty-one, Montcalm commanded a regiment. The king made him a general for his bravery, and sent him to America to take command of the French army.
But Montcalm loved his beautiful, sunny country home and, when not engaged in war, was always in the company of his wife, his children, and his mother. He loved books, and read them even when on his campaigns.
Just before reaching America he wrote to his wife: "I have taken very little liking for the sea, and think that when I shall be so happy as to rejoin you, I shall end my voyage there. I thought that my mother and you, my dearest and most beloved, would be glad to read all these dull details." Montcalm was certainly something more than a soldier.
Armstrong defeats the Indians
Events began to move quickly as soon as he reached Canada. With an army he pushed over from Fort Frontenac and captured and destroyed Oswego, and then sent many small parties to attack the English on the border from New York to Virginia. Only now and then could the English strike back, as when Colonel Armstrong surprised and destroyed the Indian village of Kittanning on the Allegheny.
More than a thousand Indians came to join Montcalm from far-away Mackinac. One said: "We wanted to see this famous man who tramples the English under his feet. We thought we should find him so tall that his head would be lost in the clouds. It is when we look into your eyes that we see the greatness of the pine tree and the fire of the eagle."
Montcalm wins two great victories
Montcalm marched against Fort William Henry at the southern end of Lake George and captured it. But his Indian warriors, mad with victory and rum, fell upon the prisoners and murdered many of them, although Montcalm tried in vain to save them from the fury of the savages.
But Montcalm's greatest victory was yet to come. In 1758,
Two great men
77. General Wolfe. William Pitt, a great English statesman whom
Americans admire, now took the lead in England. He dismissed the generals whom
Montcalm had defeated and put able fighters in their places. Among these was James
Wolfe. His father was a great soldier, and James was early put to studying the art
of war He was made an officer at sixteen, and proved, his bravery in several hard
fought battles. At the age of thirty-one Wolfe was made a general.
Appearances deceptive
But he did not look like a great general. He was tall, slender, and awkward. He had a narrow chest and stooped shoulders, an ugly forehead, a long nose, and red hair. Many poorer officers looked far grander on dress parade.
Wolfe loved his books and home
Like his great French rival, Wolfe was tender-hearted. He loved nothing better, even in his soldier days, than to get home and spend his time with his mother. He was gentle in his manners, refined in his tastes, and loved to read poetry. But when the call to duty came he was eager to answer. He never shirked. When his soldiers saw the fire flash from his piercing black eyes they never failed to face death at his command.
Wolfe helps capture Louisburg
78. The Overthrow of New France. While Montcalm was winning a
great victory at Ticonderoga, Wolfe was helping to capture the powerful fortress of
Louisburg, which guarded the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. He was the hero
of this great event.
When the news got out that Pitt had put Wolfe at the head of the great expedition to capture Quebec, the capital of Canada, a great English lord hastened to tell the king that Pitt's new general was mad. "Mad is he?" said the king. "Then I hope he will bite some of my other generals."
The two armies
With a large fleet of war vessels and an army of nine thousand soldiers, Wolfe reached Quebec in June, 1759. Montcalm had fortified the city at every point. He had an army of sixteen thousand French, Canadians, and Indians. The fort itself was on a rocky cliff so high that cannon from the war ships could not reach it.
Wolfe's courage
The French taunted the English, telling them that they were fools to think they could capture Quebec. But Wolfe declared that he would have Quebec or stay until November. In August hundreds of his soldiers fell sick. Wolfe went from camp to camp cheering and planning, until he, too, fell sick. "I know perfectly well you cannot cure me," he said to the doctor, "but make me up so that I may be able to do my duty; that is all I want."
September first, he wrote: "I have not taken off my clothes since the twenty-third of June."
A double move
But Wolfe's time was growing short. Montcalm would not come out and fight. How could he get at the French? He decided to send his picked troops up the river above the city and climb the rocky heights to the Plains of Abraham. On September 12, 1759, British war ships made a pretended attack below the city near Montcalm's headquarters. The ship's "cannon flashed and thundered, and shot ploughed the beach."
Wolfe expected to be killed
But far up the river in the dead of night, Wolfe, with three thousand five hundred British redcoats in boats, was waiting for the ebb of the tide. Wolfe told one of his old schoolfellows that he expected to be killed in the coming battle. As the boats floated silently down the dark river, Wolfe, in a low voice, repeated this stanza from Gray's "Elegy in a Country Churchyard":
The general and the poet
When Wolfe had finished reciting the poem, he paused, then said: "Gentlemen, I
would rather be the author of that poem
Climb the heights
79. The Fall of Quebec. When the boats reached the right place
the soldiers quickly landed, but were not yet sure that they could climb the rocky
path leading far away to the top. Twenty-four men volunteered to try. Up they went,
clambering over stones and catching at the trees and bushes, until, presently, Wolfe
and his men heard their guns and shouts on the heights as they captured some French
guards.
The battle on the Heights of Abraham
The others followed, and in the gray of the morning Wolfe formed his redcoats for the desperate charge which he knew was coming. Montcalm was amazed when he saw "the close ranks of the English, a silent wall of red, and the wild array of the Highlanders, with their bagpipes screaming defiance."
Wolfe and Montcalm both killed
Both leaders were in the thickest of the fight encouraging their men. The English finally charged bayonets, and the French ran. Wolfe was shot three times before he would quit the field. As he lay dying he heard the shouts of victory and murmured: "Now, God be praised, I die in peace."
Montcalm, also, received a deadly wound. He calmly said to his excited friends: "It's nothing. It's nothing. Don't be troubled for me, good friends. Thank God, I shall not live to see the surrender of Quebec."
What the capture of Quebec meant to England and to America
Wolfe had won one of the greatest victories in the history of the world. By the treaty of peace in 1763, the King of France surrendered all of New France from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Mississippi to the Atlantic, to England. The courage, devotion, and self-sacrifice of Champlain, of Joliet and Marquette, of La Salle and Hennepin, and the bravery of Montcalm, were all lost as far as France was concerned.
The Leading Facts.
1. Champlain laid the foundations of New France at Quebec, and
made a treaty with the Indians on the St. Lawrence. 2. Count
Frontenac sent Joliet and Marquette to explore the Mississippi River. 3. Joliet returned to tell Frontenac the story of their discoveries and
Marquette remained among the Indians. 4. La Salle and Hennepin
were sent to complete the exploration of the Mississippi. 5. La
Salle made his way to the Gulf of Mexico and later built the fort at Starved Rock.
6. Hennepin went up the Mississippi, discovered the Falls of St.
Anthony, and told Frontenac his story. 7. The French built forts
from Erie to head of Ohio River. 8. George Washington sent into
Pennsylvania to tell the French to get out. 9. Montcalm took
charge of the French and Indians, and won many victories over the English. 10. William Pitt sent Wolfe and his army to capture Quebec, the
stronghold of the French in Canada. 11. Wolfe and his men climbed
the Heights of Abraham and defeated Montcalm. 12. Both Wolfe and
Montcalm were killed in the battle. 13. England got all of Canada
and nearly all the territory east of the Mississippi River.
Study Questions.
1. What part of North America did France first settle? 2. Who was Champlain? 3. Tell the story of his
first 4.
What things in New France did Champlain help? 5. When Champlain
died what were the people doing in Virginia? in New Netherland? in Massachusetts? in
Maryland? in Rhode Island? and in Connecticut? 6. What was
Champlain's blunder?
7. Who were Count Frontenac, Joliet, and Marquette? 8. Where was Marquette's log mission house? 9. Tell the
story of Joliet and Marquette. 10. How did they get back to
Canada? 11. Make a picture of Marquette and the Indians on the
great meadow near Ottawa.
12. What was in La Salle's mind when he named Lachine? 13. Why was La Salle not satisfied merely to get rich? 14. Describe the first voyage on the Lakes. 15. Find on
the map the places named from Mackinac to Fort Crevecoeur. 16. How
did La Salle reach the Mississippi? 17. Picture Tonti's fort on
Starved Rock. 18. Tell the story of the fate of La Salle. 19. What massacre did Hennepin escape, and into whose hands did he
fall? 20. Find on the map La Crosse and the Falls of St.
Anthony.
21. What was the great problem for the French? 22. What expedition to Lachine did the Iroquois make and who had to pay for
this? 23. What bold move was made by the French? 24. Who was sent to warn the French to leave the Ohio Valley? 25. What advantages did the French have at first? 26. Tell
the story of Montcalm. 27. Tell the story of Wolfe. 28. Who selected Wolfe to head the expedition against Quebec and what did
the king think of Wolfe? 29. What double move did Wolfe make? 30. Tell the story of Wolfe's preparation. Read all of Gray's Elegy.
31. How did the soldiers find their way up the heights to the
Plains of Abraham? 32. What did Montcalm see when the English got
up? 33. The dying words of each— quote them.
Suggested Readings. CHAMPLAIN: Wright, Children's Stories in American History, 269-280; McMurry, Pioneers on Land and Sea, 1-34; Williams, Stories from
Early New York History, 96-101; Higginson, American
Explorers, 269-278.
JOLIET and MARQUETTE: McMurry, Pioneers of the Mississippi Valley, 1-15 ; Thwaites, Father
Marquette.
LA SALLE and HENNEPIN:
Wright, Children's Stories in American History, 316-330; Pratt,
Later Colonial Period, 1-28; McMurry, Pioneers of
the Mississippi Valley, 16-67.
MONTCALM and WOLFE: Pratt, Later
Colonial Period, 29-88; Williams, Stories from Early New York
History, 102-106; Morris, Half Hours with American History,
I., 355-366; Parkman, Montcalm and Wolfe, I., 356-374, 452-472,
474-513; II., 83-114, 181-234, 259-325.
Why the king wished to tax America
80. The Stamp Act. The surrender of Quebec and the fall of New
France caused great rejoicing among the thirteen colonies. But the long, hard war
had left both England and her colonies deeply in debt. King George III, however,
thinking only of England's debt, decided that England ought to tax the colonies to
pay for an army which he wished to keep in America.
What the Stamp Act was
So the Parliament of England passed a law that all licenses to marry, all deeds to property, licenses to trade, newspapers, almanacs, and other pamphlets, had to be printed on stamped paper. This paper ranged in value from a few cents to many dollars.
Leading men in every one of the thirteen colonies spoke and wrote against the Stamp Act. Of all the men who did so, Patrick Henry, of Virginia, was the most eloquent and fiery. He had been elected by the people of his county to go up to Williamsburg, the capital of Virginia, to help make the laws. There were many able men in that old House of Burgesses, but none of them wished to take the lead in opposing the king's plan of a stamp tax.
Patrick Henry in the House of Burgesses
One day young Henry, although a new member, snatched a blank leaf from a law book and wrote down a set of resolutions declaring that only the Virginia Assembly could tax Virginians, and that any one who asserted the contrary was an enemy of the colony.
Patrick Henry's famous speech
He backed up these resolutions with a speech that stirred the Burgesses. He was so fiery and bold that men almost held their breath while they listened to the young orator. He closed by declaring that George III was acting like a tyrant, and that "Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third— " "Treason! treason!" shouted the Speaker of the House. Waiting a moment till the noise ceased, the orator, with a calm and steady voice, added, "may profit by their example. If this be treason, make the most of it."
Henry's resolutions were passed, and were printed in almost every newspaper in the colonies. They made the people more determined than ever not to buy stamped paper.
Who was this young lawyer that stirred these dignified Virginia gentlemen in powdered hair, knee breeches, and silver buckles?
Patrick as a boy
81. The Orator of the Revolution. Patrick Henry was born in
Virginia (1736). His father was a well-educated Scotchman, who taught school and
became a lawyer. His mother was of Welsh blood. Young Patrick went to school, but he
liked to hunt and fish far better than to study. He was a puzzle to his parents.
Early failures
By the time he was eighteen he had failed as a student, as a clerk, and as a storekeeper. He then married. The parents on both sides helped them to start farming with a few slaves. In two years Patrick Henry was forced to sell. Once more he tried keeping a country store. In three years the store closed its doors and Patrick Henry, aged twenty-three, was without an occupation.
Liked to study history and law
He now turned to the study of law. Although not in love with school when a boy, he loved to read the Bible. He also had a strong liking for history, and, in his youth, read the histories of Greece, of Rome, of England, and of the colonies. By a few months of hard study of the law he passed the examination. He succeeded from the first, and in less than four years had been engaged in more than one thousand cases.
Succeeded as a lawyer
82. The Parsons' Case. In 1763, Patrick Henry set all Virginia to
talking about him as a lawyer. This colony had paid its clergymen from the
beginning. Each one received a certain number of pounds of tobacco for his salary.
But the price was now high and now low. A dispute arose because of this and was
taken into court. But no great lawyer would take the people's side. Patrick Henry
did. The courthouse was filled with people, many clergymen among them. In the
judge's chair sat Patrick's own father.
Patrick's father the judge
Henry began his speech in an awkward way. The clergymen felt encouraged, while his
friends and father felt uneasy. Soon he Henry's first great speech The people overjoyed
Elected a law-maker
Patrick Henry was now the people's hero. At the next election his friends chose him to go to the House of Burgesses, and there, in 1765, he made his stirring speech against the Stamp Act.
The Stamp Act repealed
Many great Englishmen, such as William Pitt and Edmund Burke, opposed the Stamp Tax. Finally, King George and his Parliament repealed the unpopular act. The Americans were happy when they heard of its repeal.
83. New Taxes. As if the king and Parliament could learn nothing,
they passed a Tea Tax the very next year, placing a tax on all the tea imported into
the colonies. Then the Americans
The Americans angry over the Tea Tax
Patrick Henry meets Samuel Adams at the great Congress
The colonies, more excited than ever, decided to hold a great Congress in Philadelphia (1774). Virginia, like the others, sent her best men. There in Carpenter's Hall, a building still standing, Henry made friends of leading men of other colonies. There he met Samuel Adams, who was doing with his pen what Henry was doing with his tongue, and they became life-long friends.
A new sentiment
One day, when speaking in favor of united action, Patrick Henry declared: "The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American."
As Patrick Henry talked with men from other colonies and heard how the king's troops were acting at Boston, he was convinced that war must come. He went home and urged the people of Virginia to arm for the coming struggle. The king's governor refused to permit meetings in the old capitol at Williamsburg, so they were held in St. John's Church, Richmond, a church still standing.
Patrick Henry's new resolutions
Here Patrick Henry offered resolutions declaring that Virginia should arm herself for the coming war. It was a serious time, and these were serious resolutions. Should the thirteen colonies go to war with one of the greatest nations in the world? Would it not be wise to send more petitions to the king? Some of the ablest men in Virginia opposed Henry's resolutions.
Patrick Henry’s greatest speech
84. Patrick Henry Defends his Resolutions. Patrick Henry listened
to their speeches with smothered excitement. When he rose to defend his resolutions,
his face was pale and his voice was trembling. But soon his audience forgot what
other men had said. They leaned forward and listened as if no other man had spoken.
He stirred their deepest feelings when he declared: "We must fight! I repeat it,
Sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and the God of Hosts is all that is left to
us. They tell us, Sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an
adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week or the next year?
Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which 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,
War is inevitable
What a listener in St. John's Church saw and heard
One who heard this speech says that when the orator spoke the words "chains and slavery," he stood like a slave with his body bent, his wrists crossed, as if bound by chains, and that his face looked like that of a hopeless slave. After a solemn pause he raised his eyes and chained hands toward heaven, and said, as if in prayer: "Forbid it, Almighty God!" He then slowly bent his body still nearer the floor, looking like a man oppressed, heart-broken, and helpless, and said: "I know not what course others may take." Then, rising grandly and proudly, with every muscle strained, as if he would break his imaginary chains, he exclaimed: "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
What Washington saw in Boston in 1775
The men who heard this speech never forgot it. The people of Virginia now pushed forward the work of arming her men. And when her own Washington went to take command of the army at Boston he found Virginia soldiers there wearing on their hunting shirts the words "Liberty or death!"
From this time on Patrick Henry was in the forefront of the struggle with England.
Virginia sent him to Congress, then she
Patrick Henry loved by Virginians
After independence was won Patrick Henry opposed the adoption of our constitution, although Washington, Madison, and many of his friends were in favor of it. When, however, he saw that the new constitution was a good one, he gave his support to his friend, President Washington.
Patrick Henry in his old age
Patrick Henry finally retired to his plantation and refused all offers of office. Many old friends and many great strangers went to visit him in his old age as one of the great men of the American Revolution. In the year of his death (1799), when some danger threatened Virginia, Patrick Henry came forth at Washington's request, old and feeble as he was, and aroused the people once more with his burning words. They elected him to the House of Burgesses by a great majority, but he did not live to take office.
Samuel Adams, the pen of the Revolution
85. Samuel Adams. While Patrick Henry was stirring the feelings
of the people by his fiery eloquence, Samuel Adams was stirring them by strong
arguments in his writings, to oppose the acts of King and of Parliament.
A student
Samuel Adams was born in Massachusetts (1722). While he loved school and books he cared very little for spending his time in outdoor amusements. At eighteen Samuel was graduated from Harvard College. His parents hoped that he would be a minister, but he began to study law. His mother was so opposed to his becoming a lawyer that he gave up the study and turned to business. He set up in business for himself, but, like Patrick Henry, soon lost all. He next went into business with his father, but in that, too, he failed. Finally Samuel Adams turned to politics.
Early love for politics
While a student in Harvard he had debated the question whether it was right to resist the king to save the country from ruin. He took an active part in debating clubs and very soon began to write for the newspapers, encouraging resistance. He never hesitated to take what he thought the right side of any question.
Why Adams opposed the Stamp Act
Speaking before a meeting of Boston people, Samuel Adams boldly declared that if England could tax the business of the colonies, then, "why not tax our lands the and everything we possess or make use of?" Such taxes, he said, would make the colonists slaves.
In a short time the people of Boston were reading in the papers the fiery resolutions, and the still more fiery speech, of Patrick Henry. Samuel Adams seized his pen and also began to pour hot shot into the Stamp Act.
The Boston people elected him to be their representative in the Massachusetts
Assembly. More and more he took the lead in the
How he opposed the Stamp Act
He helped them form a society, called the Sons of Liberty, which destroyed the hated stamps as soon as they arrived. He talked with the merchants, and they signed a pledge not to buy any more goods from England until the Stamp Act was repealed. At this the British merchants felt the loss of trade and joined in the cry against the Stamp Act.
86. The Tea Tax. We have seen that Parliament, after the Stamp
Act was repealed, passed the famous Tea Act. The Americans were angry again, and the
Sons of Liberty declared that no tea should be landed. The merchants took the pledge
again to buy no more English goods, and patriotic women began to make tea out of
leaves of other plants.
Samuel Adams writes the "Circular Letter"
Samuel Adams again sharpened his pen, and wrote the famous old "Circular Letter," which urged all the colonies to unite and stand firm in opposing the tax on tea. This letter made King George very angry, but Samuel Adams only wrote the more.
Night after night as the people passed his window they saw by his lamp that he was busy with his pen, and said to one another: "Samuel Adams is hard at work writing against the Tories." People in England and America who took the king's side in these disputes were called Tories.
The king now sent two regiments of soldiers to Boston to force
Conflicts between people and soldiers
Adams and other leaders were sent to the king's officers to tell them what the people had said. Before the governor and the general, backed by the king's authority and by two regiments, stood plain Samuel Adams, with only the voice of the people to help him.
Samuel Adams and the people drive the soldiers out of Boston
The governor, unwilling to obey the demand of the people, said he would send one regiment away. But Samuel Adams stood firm, and said: "Both regiments or none!" The governor finally gave up, and Samuel Adams, the man of the people, was a greater leader than ever before.
The king now tried to trick the Americans into paying the tax by making tea cheaper in America than in England, but leaving on the tax. But the people everywhere declared that they did not object to the price, but to the tax.
The tea ships guarded while town meetings are held
87. The Boston Tea Party. When the ships carrying this cheaper
tea arrived in Boston, Samuel Adams set a guard of armed men to keep the tea from
being landed.
Town meeting followed town meeting. On December 16, 1773, the greatest one of all was held. Early that morning hundreds of country people started for Boston. They found the shops and stores closed and people standing on the street corners talking earnestly.
At ten o'clock the people met in the Old South Church, and voted that the tea should never be landed. They also sent the owner of the ships to the governor for permission to take the tea ships out past the guns of the fort guarding the harbor.
Permission to return tea denied
In the afternoon still greater crowds pushed and jammed into the seats, aisles, and galleries of that famous church. Samuel Adams was chairman. He made a speech. Other leaders spoke. One stirred the audience by asking "how tea would mix with salt water." Evening came, and candles were lighted. The owner of the tea vessels returned and said the governor would not give him the permission.
Immediately Samuel Adams arose and said: "This meeting can do nothing to save the
country!" In a moment the war whoop of the "Mohawks" sounded outside. The crowd
rushed out and found the people following
The Boston Tea Party
Paul Revere's first ride
That very night Samuel Adams sent fast riders to carry the news to the country towns. The next day, with letters to the leaders in other colonies in his saddlebags, Paul Revere, the great courier of the Revolution, started on his long ride to New York and Philadelphia. As he went from town to town and told the story of the Tea Party the people for him, built bonfires, and fired cannon. He saw thousands of people gather in New York and Philadelphia, and heard them declare that they would stand by Boston.
Boston Port Bill
Boston soon needed help, for the king and Parliament passed a law that no ship could enter or leave Boston Harbor, and another which forbade town meetings. Other hard laws were also passed and an army was sent to Boston to force the people to obey them.
88. The First Continental Congress. We have seen a call go forth
for a Congress at Philadelphia (1774). The Massachusetts legislature chose Samuel
Adams and his cousin, John Adams, with two others to go to the Congress.
But Samuel Adams was very poor and could not afford to dress in a style suited to
meet the rich merchants of New York and Philadelphia and the great planters of the
southern colonies. One evening while the family was at tea, in came the most
Strange visitors
Poor but loyal
Although Samuel Adams was a poor man, George III did not have offices enough to bribe him, nor gold enough to buy him. The king's officers had tried to do both.
In a carriage drawn by four horses, the delegates to Congress were escorted by their friends right by the king's soldiers. The people of the large towns met them, escorted them, rang bells, fired cannon, feasted them at banquets, and talked of the Congress.
What Samuel and John Adams saw on the way to Philadelphia
New and noble friends
At New York Samuel Adams and his friends were kept nearly a week. Many persons in carriages and on horseback came out to welcome them to Philadelphia, the city of William Penn. People were anxious to see the man who had written the "Circular Letter," who had driven the king's regiments out of Boston, who had planned the Tea Party, and whom the king could not bribe. Here, in Carpenter's Hall, for the first time, he met George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, Christopher Gadsden, who was called the "Samuel Adams of South Carolina," and many other noble men who became his life-long friends.
Other colonies to help Boston
Soon Paul Revere came riding into Philadelphia with the news that the patriots of
Boston were in danger of being attacked by the British. The Congress immediately
declared that if the British made war on Boston, it was the duty of every colony to
help her
Minutemen
When Congress was over, Samuel Adams hastened home to help form, in all the Massachusetts towns, companies of minutemen ready to fight at a moment's warning. The next spring the news got out that British soldiers were going to Concord to destroy the powder and provisions collected there by the minutemen, and also to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock and send them to England to be tried for treason. Paul Revere agreed to alarm the minutemen the moment the soldiers left Boston.
Alarming the minutemen
89. Paul Revere's Midnight Ride. Standing by his horse across the
river from Boston, one April evening, waiting for signals, Paul Revere saw two
lanterns flash their light from the tower of Old North Church. He mounted and rode
in hot haste toward Lexington, arousing the sleeping villages as he cried out: "Up
and arm, the regulars are coming!" Soon he heard the alarm gun of the minutemen and
the excited ringing of the church bells. He knew the country was rising.
At Lexington minutemen who guarded the house where Samuel Adams and John Hancock were sleeping ordered Revere not to make so much noise. "You will soon have noise enough," he shouted. "The regulars are coming!" And he rode on toward Concord.
The first conflict of the minutemen
90. The Battle at Lexington and at Concord Bridge. As the British
soldiers reached Lexington at sunrise, April 19, 1775, the captain of the minutemen
gave the command: "Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon. But if they mean
to have war, let it begin here!" A bold speech for a captain of only about sixty men
when facing as brave soldiers as Europe had ever seen! The minutemen stood their
ground till seven were killed and nine wounded— nearly one-third of their
number. Then they retreated.
The retreat of the British
The British pushed on to Concord. But the minutemen, now coming from every direction, made a stand at Concord Bridge. Their musket fire was so deadly that the British started back, running at times to escape with their lives. At Lexington they fell upon the ground, tired out with the chase the minutemen gave them, and were met by fresh troops from Boston.
Many redcoats fall
Soon the British soldiers were forced to run again, for minutemen by hundreds were gathering, and they seldom missed their aim. From behind rocks, trees, fences, and houses they cut down the tired redcoats. Nearly three hundred British soldiers were killed or wounded before Boston was reached that night.
91. The Battle of Bunker Hill. Day and night for weeks minutemen
from other New England colonies, and even from as far south as Virginia, marched in
hot haste to Boston. The British general soon found his army in Boston entirely cut
off from the mainland. He resolved to fortify Bunker Hill, but what was his surprise
to wake one morning (June 17) and find the Americans under Colonel Prescott already
building breastworks on the hill.
That afternoon three thousand picked troops, in solid columns and with bayonets
gleaming, marched up the hill to storm that breastwork. "Don't fire till you can see
the whites of their eyes!" said the commander of the minutemen. On came the lines of
red, Three fierce charges
Adams and Hancock on the way to the second Congress
92. The Second Continental Congress. Just as the British were
marching into Lexington on that famous April morning, Samuel Adams, with John
Hancock, was leaving for Philadelphia, where Congress was to meet again. As he heard
the guns of the minutemen answer the guns of the regulars, Adams said to Hancock:
"What a glorious morning is this!"
The members from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York were escorted across the Hudson to Newark, New Jersey; and entertained at a great dinner, with speeches. Near Philadelphia, a large procession of armed men and carriages met and escorted them into the city, where bells told of their coming.
When this Congress met, Samuel Adams seconded the motion of his cousin, John Adams,
that George Washington, of Virginia, be
Samuel Adams among the first to favor independence
93. The Declaration of Independence. For more than a year Samuel
Adams worked hard to get the Congress to make a Declaration of Independence. Richard
Henry Lee, of Virginia, introduced a motion into the Congress for Independence. The
Declaration was made, July 4, 1776, and Samuel Adams, as a great leader of the
Revolution, had done his work.
But, with other noble men, he still labored with all his powers, in Congress and at home, to help America win her independence.
Governor of Massachusetts
After independence had been won, Samuel Adams still served his state, and was elected governor of Massachusetts only a few years before his death, which occurred in 1803, at the age of eighty-one.
The Leading Facts.
1. The French and Indian War put both England and her colonies in
debt, but the king thought only of England's debt. 2. Great
opposition to the Stamp Act in all the colonies 3. Patrick Henry
made a great speech against the Virginia parsons, and a second on the Stamp Act. 4. He went to the first Continental Congress and made many friends;
came home and made a great speech saying that war would come. 5.
Made Governor of Virginia many times. 6. Samuel Adams studied
hard, failed in several occupations, and went into politics. 7.
Led the patriots against the soldiers, the Stamp Act, and planned the Tea Party. 8. Samuel Adams sent to Continental Congress where he made many
friends. 9. Urged a Declaration of Independence in 1776. 10. Made Governor of Massachusetts.
Study Questions.
1. Why were the colonists happy because England defeated France?
2. What was the Stamp Act and why did men in America oppose this
act? 3. What did Patrick Henry say in his resolution and in his
speech? 4. Picture the scene while Patrick Henry spoke and
afterwards. 5. Why did not the Americans like the Tea Tax? 6. Why did not the king like the American "Tea Parties"? 7. What is a Congress; and why should Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams
become good friends? 8. Commit to memory a part of Henry's famous
"liberty or death" speech. 9. How did the people trust Patrick
Henry?
10. What did Samuel Adams do against the Stamp Act? 11. What was the Circular Letter and why should the king be angry about it?
12. Tell how Samuel Adams drove two regiments out of Boston. 13. What caused a Congress? 14. Tell what Samuel
and John Adams saw and did on their way to Philadelphia. 15. Why
were people glad to see Samuel Adams? 16. What made war seem
likely to happen at any time? 17. Read Longfellow's poem, "The
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." 18. Give an account of the Battle
of Lexington. 19. Picture the retreat from Concord to Boston. 20. Picture the charge of the British soldiers at Bunker Hill. 21. What did Samuel Adams see on his way to the second Continental
Congress? 22. Who introduced the motion for Independence into the
Congress?
Suggested Readings. PATRICK HENRY: Cooke, Stories of the Old Dominion, 158-180; Brooks,
Century Book of Famous Americans, 93-101; Magill, Stories from Virginia History, 116-128.
SAMUEL ADAMS: Dawes, Colonial
Massachusetts, 42-72; Brooks, Century Book of Famous
Americans, 10-30; Hart, Camps and Firesides of the
Revolution, 162-166; Hawthorne, Grandfather's Chair,
153-189, 205, 206.
Washington's birthday and birth place
94. George Washington as a Boy. When Washington was born,
February 22, 1732, in the old colony of Virginia, men were still living who had
fought with Bacon against Berkeley. His father's house stood upon a gentle hill
slope which ran down to the lazily-flowing Potomac. Across the river one could see
the wooded lace Maryland shore, broken only here and there with great farms or
plantations.
The mother of Washington
Washington's father owned more than one plantation, and had many negro slaves. He was also a partner in some iron mines, and once had been captain of a ship carrying iron ore to London. It was in London that he had fallen in love with Mary Ball, called, on account of her beauty, the "Rose of Epping Forest." She, too, was a Virginian, and she married Augustine Washington, and became the greatly revered mother of George.
School in Fredericksburg
When George was but three years old, his parents moved to the plantation on the Rappahannock. Across the river in the old town of Fredericksburg, George went to a school taught by the church sexton. Both teachers and schools were scarce in Virginia then because the people lived miles apart on their great plantations.
In Washington's day the plantations were usually located on rivers or bays. The rivers were the best roadways in those old times. Besides, the planter liked to have the yearly ship from London stop at his own door.
The yearly ship from London
The coming of the ship brought happy days to the young people, for it often brought furniture for the house and fine clothes for the family. Sometimes, too, it brought back some long-absent son or daughter, or letters from relatives in the old English home. Then there were the stories such as only sailors can tell.
When all the stores of tobacco and grain had been loaded,
Mary Washington
George's father died and left him, at the age of eleven, to the care of his mother. Mary Washington was a wise, firm mother, and always held the love and admiration of her children.
The eldest son in Virginia
According to the custom of those old Virginia days, Lawrence Washington, the eldest son, received the beautiful plantation on the Potomac, which he named Mount Vernon in honor of Admiral Vernon, an English naval commander under whom he had fought in the West Indies.
To George fell a smaller plantation on the Rappahannock. He could hardly hope to go to England to study, but went to a school near his birthplace. Here he studied hard, mastering mathematics, and business papers of all sorts. The book into which he copied business letters, deeds, wills, and bills of sale and exchange shows how careful he was and how he mastered everything he undertook.
George studied hard and played hard
At school, George was a spirited leader in all outdoor sports. He outran, outjumped, as well as outwrestled all his comrades. He could throw farther than any of them. The story is told that he once threw a stone across the Rappahannock, and that at another time he threw a stone from the valley below to the top of the Natural Bridge, a distance of more than two hundred feet.
Playing war
Washington was captain when the boys played at war. Every boy among them expected to be a soldier some day. George listened to the stories told by his brother Lawrence, who had been a captain in the West Indies.
A horseback rider
As a boy George Washington also learned many useful things outside of school. He became a skillful horseback rider, for every Virginia plantation had fine riding horses. People lived so far apart that they had to ride horseback when they visited each other and when they went to church or to town. Whether George rode a wild colt to "break" it, or whether he rode with his neighbors through woods and fields, jumping fences or swimming streams, or in a wild chase after the fox, he always kept his seat.
A woodsman
Even while a boy Washington was learning the ways of a woodsman. With only a gun and a dog for companions, he made long trips into the deep, dark Virginia forests, where no road or path showed the way. He could cross rivers without bridge or boat, could build a shelter at night, could trap, and shoot, and cook over the fire by the side of which he slept. All this knowledge was soon put to use.
Washington wanted to be a sailor
When George was fourteen it was decided that he might "go to sea." No doubt he dreamed of the time when he should be a seaman, or perhaps an officer on one of the king's great war ships. But when all was ready, he gave up his plans to please his mother and went back to school. He now studied surveying, and was soon able to mark off the boundaries of farms and lay out roads.
Lord Fairfax
George was now more and more at Mount Vernon, where he met many fine people. Among these visitors he admired most an old English nobleman, Lord Fairfax, who had come to spend the rest of his days beyond the Blue Ridge in the beautiful valley of the Shenandoah.
A surveyor at sixteen
95. Washington as Surveyor. Lord Fairfax was pleased with
Washington, who was then tall, strong, active, and manly looking, although but
sixteen years old. Accordingly, one spring Washington, with a number of companions,
started over the mountains to survey the wild lands of Lord Fairfax.
Life in the Shenandoah in 1748
The trip was full of danger. There were no roads, bridges, or houses after the party reached the mountains; but deep rivers, wild animals, and savage Indians were plentiful. Some nights they slept in rude huts, other nights in tents, but more often under the stars and around the camp fire. One night they saw a party of Indians dance their wild war dance to the music of a rude drum, made by stretching a hide over a pot, and to the noise of a rattle, made by putting shot in a gourd.
Within a month Washington was back with maps and figures showing just what lands
belonged to Lord Work well done
A public surveyor
Washington had done his work so well that Lord Fairfax had him made a public surveyor, and invited him to make Greenway Court his headquarters.
For three years Washington was hard at work in that western wilderness marking out the lands of settlers. It was a rough but health-giving life and made his bones and muscles strong. He had to take many risks and face many dangers.
Once he wrote to a friend: "Since you received my letter in October I have not slept above three or four nights in a bed; but, after walking a great deal all the day, I have lain down upon a little hay, straw, fodder, or a bear skin, whichever was to be had, with man, wife, and children, like dogs and cats, and happy is he who gets the berth nearest the fire."
At Greenway Court
But the young surveyor was often at Greenway Court taking part in its pastimes, or spending his time in sober conversation with Lord Fairfax, or in reading the books on history which were found in his friend's library.
96. Washington as a Soldier Against the French. Suddenly
Washington's whole life was changed. His brother Lawrence died and left to George
the care of his only daughter, and the beautiful
Heavy responsibility at twenty
The French in Canada, as we have seen, were pushing down from Lake Erie into Pennsylvania to the headwaters of the Ohio River so that they might have a shorter route to their trading posts on the Mississippi. Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia had sent orders for them to get out of the country, but his messenger did not get within a hundred miles of the French soldiers.
It was probably Lord Fairfax who said to the governor: "Here is the very man for you; young and daring, but sober minded and responsible, who only lacks opportunity to show the stuff that is in him."
George Washington sent to order the French out of Virginia territory
In October, 1753, Washington, not then twenty-two, set out with servants, horses, and two companions for the French posts. One companion was the old Dutch soldier who had taught Washington to use the sword, and the other was the famous backwoodsman, Christopher Gist. They pushed on through deep forests, over the mountains, across swift rivers, to the Indian village near where Pittsburg stands. From there Washington hurried on to the fort on French Creek.
The French commander received him with great politeness, and tried to keep him many days. But Washington saw that the French were really preparing to fight to hold this "gateway to the West."
The trip back to Virginia
The Frenchmen very politely said that they intended to hold that region at all hazard. Washington and his party at once started back with the answer.
Washington's party traveled through rain and snow, hurrying through dense forests where savages lurked ready to scalp them. An Indian shot at Washington, but missed him. Their horses gave out, and Washington and Gist plunged into the forest alone, on foot, anxious to lose no time. At last they reached Williamsburg.
Washington cuts a road over the mountains
He wins one battle, and loses another
War now seemed certain, and the governor hurried Washington forward with about one hundred fifty men to cut a road through the forests and over the mountains. But the French had already reached and built Fort Duquesne, where the Ohio is formed, and were then hurrying forward a party to look for the English. Just after Washington's men crossed the mountains they surprised the French scouts, killed their commander, and took the rest prisoners. Young Washington wrote home that he had heard the whistle of bullets and liked the music.
Although Washington's company soon grew to three hundred fifty men, he built Fort
Necessity, for a French force numbering four times his own was now close upon him. A
battle followed. Standing knee deep in mud and water, the English fired all day at
Washington joins Braddock's army
97. Washington and Braddock. But these were stirring times in
Virginia, for an English general, Braddock, had come up the Potomac; and soldiers,
cannon, and supplies were passing right by the doors of Mount Vernon. Every day
Washington looked upon the king's soldiers, and saw the flash of sword and bayonet.
How could he keep out of it? General Braddock liked the young Virginian, and made
him an officer on his staff.
Braddock was a brave man, but he had never made war in the woods, nor against Indians. One day Washington suggested that a long train of heavily loaded wagons would make the march very, very slow. He was thinking of Indians. Braddock only smiled, as if to say that a young backwoodsman could not teach him how to fight.
Braddock too vain to take good advice
Benjamin Franklin, a very wise man from Philadelphia, was also troubled when he thought of how the Indians and French would cut to pieces that long line of troops as they marched through the deep, dark forests. Braddock smiled again, and said: "These savages may be dangerous to the raw American militia, but it is impossible that they should make any impression on the king's troops."
The army, over two thousand strong, slowly crossed the mountains, and by July had
almost reached Fort Duquesne. One day nearly one thousand French and Indians swarmed
on both sides
A great defeat
Washington thanked for his bravery by the Burgesses
Washington urged Braddock to permit the English to take to the trees and fight Indian fashion, as the Virginians were doing, but Braddock forced his men to stand and be shot down by the unseen foe. Braddock himself was mortally wounded. Washington had two horses shot under him and his clothes pierced by four bullets. The British regulars soon ran madly back upon the soldiers in the rear. They threw away guns and left their cannon and wagons, while the Virginians under Washington kept the Indians back. The British army retreated to Philadelphia, but Washington returned to Virginia, where he received the thanks of the Burgesses. He at once collected troops, and hastened into the Shenandoah Valley to protect the settlers from the French and Indians.
Colonel Washington visits Boston
The next year (1756) Washington journeyed on horseback to Boston. He wore his
colonel's uniform of buff and blue, with a white and scarlet cloak over his
shoulders. At his side hung a fine sword. With him rode two aids in uniform, besides
two servants. Many an admiring eye was turned toward this stately
Washington introduced to Martha Custis
98. Washington Meets his Future Wife. One day while on his way to
Williamsburg with war dispatches, Washington halted at a plantation to take dinner
with a friend. There he was introduced Mrs. Martha Custis, a charming young widow of
his own age.
After dinner the conversation with her was too interesting for the young officer to see the horses being led back and forth near the window. The horses were stabled again. After supper Washington was not yet ready to mount. Not until late in the afternoon next day did he mount and ride away with all speed for the capital. On his return, he visited Mrs. Custis at her own beautiful plantation, and did not leave until he had her promise of marriage.
Wolfe made it easy to capture Fort Duquesne
Great armies were already gathering. William Pitt, who sent Wolfe to capture Quebec, also ordered General Forbes to march against Fort Duquesne. But it was November before the army reached the Ohio. The French and Indians had nearly all gone to fight on the St. Lawrence, and the place was easily captured. It is said that Washington himself ran up the English flag. The fort's name was changed to Fort Pitt.
A Virginia wedding
99. Old Days in Virginia. Washington now hastened home to claim
his bride. To the wedding came the new royal governor in scarlet and gold, and the
king's officers in bright uniforms. There, too, came the great planters with their
wives dressed in the best that the yearly ship could bring from London. The bride
Elected to the House of Burgesses
The hardy settlers of the frontier, grateful to their brave defender, had already elected him to represent them in the House of Burgesses. He was proud to take his young wife to the meeting of the Burgesses when the old capital town was at its gayest, and when the planters came pouring in to attend the governor's reception.
Washington had already taken his seat among the Burgesses when the speaker arose
and, in a very eloquent speech, praised him and presented him the thanks of the
House for his gallant deeds as a soldier. Washington was so confused to hear himself
so highly
Too confused to make a speech
Washington took his young bride to Mount Vernon, and there began the life that he enjoyed far more than the life of a soldier. He felt a deep interest in everything on the plantation. Early every morning he visited his stables and his kennel, for he liked horses and dogs very much. He then mounted a spirited horse and rode over his plantation to look at the growing fields of tobacco or wheat, or at the work of his slaves.
When the king's inspectors in the West Indies and in London saw barrels of flour marked "George Washington, Mount Vernon," they let them pass, for they were always good, He looked after his own and his wife's plantations so well that in a few years he was one of the richest men in America.
Old Mount Vernon days
But besides such duties, there were many simple pleasures to be enjoyed at Mount
Vernon. Here his soldier friends always found a warm welcome. Lord Fairfax and other
Virginia gentlemen went often to Mount Vernon to enjoy a fox chase. Sometimes Mrs.
Washington and the ladies rode with dash and courage after the hounds. Now and then
boating parties on the
Washington took sides with Patrick Henry
100. The Mutterings of War. One day in June, 1765, Washington
came back from Williamsburg and told his family and neighbors about the bold
resolutions and fiery speech of a rustic-looking member named Patrick Henry. He said
that many older members opposed Henry. Washington took Henry's side, but his
friends, the Fairfaxes, took the king's side in favor of the Stamp Act.
When the king put a tax on tea, Washington and many of his neighbors signed an agreement not to buy any more tea of England until the tax was taken off. When he heard that Samuel Adams and the "Mohawks " had thrown the tea into Boston Harbor, he knew that exciting times would soon be at hand.
The very next year the king ordered more soldiers to go to Boston and put in force the Boston Port Bill and other unjust laws. The colonies saw the danger, and sent their best men to hold the first Continental Congress at Philadelphia.
Sent to the Continental Congress
Virginia, as we have seen, sent George Washington, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry
Lee, and other great men. Washington
A youthful colonel
Many persons were surprised to find him so young, for twenty years before they had heard of his deeds against the French, and how he had saved the broken pieces of Braddock's army. A member of Congress declared that "if you speak of solid information, and of sound judgment, Colonel Washington is unquestionably the greatest man on the floor."
The Congress, among other things, resolved to stand by Boston, if General Gage should make war on that town. Washington knew what that meant. He was not at home many months before he was busy drilling his brave Virginians, many of whom had been with him in the French and Indian War.
In Congress again
What John Adams said101. Washington Made Commander of the American Armies. In the
last days of April, 1775, the news of the fight at Lexington and Concord was
spreading rapidly southward. Washington, dressed in the buff and blue uniform of a
Virginia colonel, hurried to Philadelphia to the meeting of the second Continental
Congress. His day had come. It was now a time for deeds. The American army that
surrounded Gage in Boston must have a head. John Adams arose in Congress and said
that for the place of commander
Before all these words were spoken, Washington, much moved, had left the room. Congress elected him unanimously to be commander-in-chief of its armies. When he accepted the honor, he said: "I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in this room, that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with."
What Washington said to Congress and wrote to his wife
Washington wrote immediately to his wife: "You may believe me, my dear Patsey, that so far from seeking this appointment, I have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it, not only from my own unwillingness to part from you and the family, but from the consciousness of its being a trust too great for my Capacity." Great men are often the most modest.
On the way to take command
Washington was soon on the way to Boston by the very route he had gone nearly
twenty years before. But how different the journey! Then he was a Virginia colonel.
Now the honored commander of all the American armies. Then only a few friends were
with him. Now congressmen, citizens of Philadelphia, and great News from Bunker Hill
Through New Jersey he was hailed by the people with delight. A military procession escorted him through New York City, where he appointed that noble general, Philip Schuyler, to take command in New York. The students at Yale gave him a real college welcome— a parade with a band and student songs.
Took command of the army, July 3, 1775
On Cambridge Common, under the famous Harvard Elm, on July 3, 1775, Washington drew his sword and took command of the Continental army. There was a great task before him. He had to drill the troops, collect cannon from Ticonderoga, which Americans had captured, and get ready to drive the British out of Boston.
It took all winter to do these things. One night in March, 1776, Washington
secretly sent some of his best troops to build a fort A bloodless victory
Washington outwits Howe
Washington took his Army to New York, and built a fort on Long Island to protect the city. He was none too quick, for Howe came with thirty thousand men and many war ships.
In the battle on Long Island, a part of Washington's army was defeated. General Howe planned to capture the defeated troops next day, but Washington was too shrewd. In the night he collected all the boats in that region and rowed his army over to New York before the British knew what he was doing.
New York captured
The great British army and fleet took the city, but by the help of a patriotic lady, Mrs. Murray, who entertained General Howe and his officers too long for their own good, all of Washington's regiments got away safely up the Hudson. During the fall of 1776, General Howe tried to get above Washington and capture him. But he did neither, for Washington's troops defeated the British at both Harlem Heights and White Plains.
Heroic Nathan Hale
While at Harlem Heights Washington felt that he must learn some secrets about the
enemy. Nathan Hale, a young officer, volunteered to bring General Washington the
information he wanted;
Washington retreats but fights
Howe then turned back as if to march against Philadelphia and capture Congress. Washington quickly threw a part of his army across the Hudson into New Jersey but he had to retreat. The British followed in a hot chase across New Jersey. Washington crossed the Delaware, and took with him all the boats for many miles up and down the river. The British decided to wait till they could cross on the ice. Some of their generals thought the war was about over, and hastened back to New York to spend the Christmas holidays.
Americans discouraged
102. The People Did Not Know Washington. Those were, indeed, dark
days for the Americans. Hundreds of Washington's soldiers had gone home discouraged,
and many other faint-hearted Americans thought the cause lost, and were again
promising obedience to George III. But the people did not yet know Washington.
On Christmas night, with two thousand five hundred picked men, Washington took to
his boats, and crossed the Delaware in spite of the floating ice. Nine miles away,
in Trenton, lay the Hessians, those soldiers
On went the little army in spite of the biting cold and blinding snow. Two men froze to death and others were numb with cold.
An early morning surprise
"Our guns are wet, " said an officer. "Then use the bayonet!" replied Washington. There was a sudden rush of tramping feet and the roar of cannon in the streets. The Hessian general was killed, and one thousand of his men surrendered.
These were a strange lot of prisoners. Not one could speak a word of English nor cared a thing for George III. No doubt they wished themselves at home on that morning. But the Hessians were not more surprised than the British generals in New York.
Washington outwits another English general
Cornwallis, the British commander, hurried forward with troops to capture Washington, but rested his army at Trenton. That night Washington's army stole away, and Cornwallis awoke in the morning to hear the booming of Washington's cannon at Princeton, where Washington was defeating another part of the British army. Corwallis hastened to Princeton. It was too late. Washington was safe among the heights of Morristown,where Cornwallis did not dare attack him.
These two victories turned the tide and aroused the Americans. Reinforcements and supplies made Washington's army stronger and more comfortable.
The next spring (1777) General Howe decided to capture Philadelphia. But Washington boldly moved his army across Howe's line of march. Howe did not want to fight, so he put his army on board his ships, sailed around into the Chesapeake, landed, and marched for the "rebel capital," as the British called Philadelphia.
Washington and Howe meet at the Brandywine
At Brandywine Creek, south of Philadelphia,Washington faced him. A severe battle was fought. Each side lost about one thousand men. The Americans slowly retreated. In this battle Lafayette, a young French nobleman who had come to fight for America, was wounded.
Valley Forge
103. The Winter at Valley Forge. The British slowly made their
way to Philadelphia. Washington took post for the winter at Valley Forge, on the
Schuylkill River, twenty miles northwest of
What the soldiers suffered for independence
When the army marched into Valley Forge, "their route could be traced on the snow by the blood that oozed from their bare, frost-bitten feet." Washington wrote to Congress that nearly three thousand of his men were "barefoot or otherwise naked."
A part of the army had no bread for three days, and for two days no meat. Hundreds had no beds, and were glad to sleep on piles of straw. Others had no blankets, and sat up nights before the fire to keep from freezing. Many sickened and died. But in Philadelphia, the well-fed British soldiers had a gay season, with balls and banquets.
Steuben helps drill the men
Washington grieved over the suffering of his men, but never lost heart. All the winter through, by the aid of General Steuben, a noble German officer, he drilled his men. In the spring when the British started back to New York he gave them such a bayonet charge at Monmouth, New Jersey (1778), that they were glad to escape that night, instead of stopping to rest and bury their dead.
104. The Crowning Victory at Yorktown. For the next three years
the British army remained in New York, not daring to come out and attack
Washington.
Good news from Lafayette
Finally, in the summer of 1781, General Lafayette, whom Washington had sent to Virginia to watch the British army there, sent him word that Cornwallis had come up from the Carolinas, and had taken post at Yorktown. Washington also got word that a large French war fleet was coming to the coast of Virginia to aid the Americans.
Washington again outwits Cornwallis
Washington now saw his chance. He ordered Lafayette to watch Cornwallis while he himself took two thousand ragged Continentals and four thousand French troops in bright uniforms, and slipped away from New York. He was almost in Philadelphia before the British or his own soldiers could guess where he was going.
At Yorktown, Washington and his army found both Lafayette and the French fleet keeping watch. Day and night the siege went on amid the roar of cannon. When all was ready, then came the wild charge of the Americans and the French in the face of British cannon and over British breastworks. The outer works were won, and Cornwallis saw that he must surrender. Seven thousand of the king's troops marched out and gave up their arms.
Cornwallis surrenders
The victory at Yorktown made all Americans happy, and they rang bells, fired cannon, built bonfires, and praised Washington and Lafayette. But England was now tired of war, and many of her great men declared in favor of peace, which was soon made, in 1783.
A touching scene
105. Washington Bids Farewell to his Officers and to Congress.
Washington bade farewell to his brave soldiers, with whom he had fought so long. The
parting with his officers in Fraunces's Tavern, New York, was a touching scene. With
tears in his eyes, and with a voice full of tenderness, he embraced each one as he
bade him good-by. It was like the parting of a father from his sons.
A noble act
Washington journeyed to Annapolis, Maryland, where Congress was then held, to give
back the authority of commander-in-chief which Congress had bestowed on him eight
years before. How unselfish had been the conduct of Washington in refusing pay for
his services! How noble was the act of giving up his power over an army which
idolized him, and which he might have used to make
How the war had changed things
But what a change had come to Virginia! Eight years before George III was king over all the Thirteen Colonies, and Virginia was ruled by one of his governors. Now the people were ruling themselves, and had elected one of Washington's neighbors, Benjamin Harrison, to be their governor. He missed some old friends. Some had died on the field of battle; others, like Lord Fairfax, had gone back to England, where they could be ruled by George III. Soon visitors began to come— old soldiers, beloved generals, and great statesmen from America, as well as distinguished people from Europe. They all wanted the honor of visiting the man who had led the American armies to victory, but who, again, was only a Virginia planter.
Another call to duty
106. Washington Elected First President. The American people,
however, would not let him long enjoy Mount Vernon, for when they met to make a new
Constitution, or plan of government, he was chairman of the meeting and when
A triumphal procession from Mount Vernon to New York
In 1789 he once more bade Mount Vernon and his aged mother good-by, and began the journey to New York, which was at that time the capital of the new nation. What a journey! It was almost one continual procession and celebration! At every town and roadside the people came to show their love for Washington, whom they rightly called the "Father of his Country." School children scattered flowers in his way and beautiful young women sang patriotic songs as he passed under decorated arches. When he reached New York Harbor the bay was white with the sails of many nations. Crowds thronged the streets, cannon boomed, and flags were thrown to the breeze to welcome him.
Washington takes the oath as first President
On April 30, 1789, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall in Wall Street, Washington took the oath of office, and pledged himself to govern the people according to the Constitution they had just made. He reverently bent and kissed the Bible, and became the first President of the United States. From the street, from doors and windows, and from the housetops, the people cried out: "Long live George Washington, President of the United States!"
Death in 1799
The people would have him President for a second time. But he refused to accept the office for a third time, and went back to Mount Vernon, there to spend his few remaining years among the scenes he loved so well. There he died, in 1799, loved by the people of America, admired by the people of Europe, and mourned alike by the dwellers in rustic cabins and in stately mansions.
The Leading Facts.
1. Washington was born on the Potomac, spent his early days on the
Rappahannock, and went to school at Fredericksburg. 2. He learned
many things outside of school, such as horseback riding, fox hunting, and how to
find his way in the deep forests. 3. He became a surveyor in the
Shenandoah for Lord Fairfax. 4. Governor Dinwiddie sent Washington
to order the French to leave the Ohio. 5. Washington joined
Braddock's campaign against the French, and in the battle tried to save the army.
6. Washington married young Mrs. Martha Custis, and was elected
to the House of Burgesses. 7. Heard Patrick Henry's fiery speech,
went to first Continental Congress, and the second Congress made him Commander over
the Continental Army. 8. Washington drove the British out of
Boston, outwitted them around New York, retreated across the Jerseys, 9. He fought at Brandywine, suffered at Valley Forge, penned the
British up in New York, and finally captured Cornwallis at Yorktown. 10. Washington gave up his command, retired to Mount Vernon, but was called
to be the first President of the New Republic.
Study Questions.
1. Who was Washington's father and where did he meet Washington's
mother? 2. What was a plantation and why so large? 3. What things did Washington love to do besides study? 4.
Why did George make a good captain? 5. Picture the yearly ship from London at Mount
Vernon. 6. Who was Lord Fairfax and what did he engage Washington
to do? 7. What did Washington do at Greenway Court? 8. Why was Washington chosen for the mission to the French and what was the
result? 9. What were the preliminary events before the great war?
10. Picture Braddock's defeat. 11. How old was
Washington when he first visited Boston? 12. Picture Washington
and his bride at the governor's reception. 13. How did he become
so rich? 14. What news did Washington bring back to Mount Vernon
in 1765? 15. Who went to Congress with George Washington and how
did a member speak of him? 16. What did he learn at Congress? 17. Picture the scene in the second Congress. 18.
Describe the trip to Boston. 19. What task did he set before
himself and how did he accomplish it? 20. How did Washington
outwit Howe? 21. Who was Nathan Hale? 22. What
discouraged the Americans? 23. Picture the surprise and capture of
the Hessians. 24. How did Washington outwit Cornwallis? 25. What effect did these victories have? 26. What
sort of a time did the soldiers spend at Valley Forge? 27. Who was
Steuben and what did he do? 28. Picture the surrounding and
capture of Cornwallis. 29. How did the people feel about the
victory? 30. Picture Washington's "farewell" to his soldiers. 31. What changes had the war made in Virginia? 32.
Picture Washington's journey to New York. 33. Review the life of
Washington and show what obstacles he overcame.
Suggested Readings. WASHINGTON: Cooke, Stories of the Old Dominion, 94-139; Blaisdell and Ball, Hero Stories from American History, 62-76, 123-155; Hart, Camps and Firesides of the Revolution, 239-255, 261-266, 307-309;
Glascock, Stories of Columbia, 101-113; Baldwin, Four
Great Americans, 9-68; Hart, How our Grandfathers Lived,
45-47; Mabie, Heroes Every Child Should Know, 274-288; Hawthorne,
Grandfather's Chair, 186-191; Magill, Stories from
Virginia History, 56-78, 79-94; Wister, The Seven Ages of
Washington.
The Schuylers in Peter Stuyvesant's time
107. Philip Schuyler Who Knew the Ways of the Indian and of the
Backwoodsman. General Schuyler's great-grandfather came to New Netherland
while Peter Stuyvesant was yet governor, and built a mansion on the west bank of the
Hudson, just above Albany. He and his sons made good friends of the Indians, and no
one at "The Flats," as Schuyler's place was called, was ever in danger from them.
Schuyler's grandfather and father both fought in the wars against the French and the
Canadian Indians, but were always good friends of the Iroquois.
Friends of the Iroquois
His early home
Philip Schuyler was born in 1733. His parents were rich, and had a mansion in Albany as well as the old home at "The Flats." Philip gained much from outdoor life. He early learned to use the gun, to ride horses, to paddle a canoe, and to manage large sailboats on the river.
His love of study
Young Schuyler was better educated than most boys of his time. He learned to speak French at a famous school at New Rochelle, where many Huguenots, driven from France for religion's sake, had settled and built their homes. But mathematics was his favorite study. At eighteen he left school to take charge of the business of the Schuyler family. He had to find farmers for the great estate, then located on both sides of the Hudson. Sawmills and grain mills had to be built, and the stores of lumber and flour prepared and sent to market.
Goes by pack and paddle to Fort Oswego
Young Schuyler, like Washington, made trips far into the wilderness. Sometimes he paddled up the Mohawk River, passed the fort-like mansion of Sir William Johnson, on and on over the carrying place to Oneida Lake, and down the river to Fort Oswego. These journeys were full of danger, but they made Schuyler well acquainted with the country and the ways of the backwoodsmen as well as of the Indians.
Although he enjoyed the wild life of the frontier, he was only too glad to get back to the happy circle gathered around the great Dutch fireplace at home. Sometimes he visited New York, but more often his sleigh in winter, and his sailboat in summer, stopped at Claverack, where lived beautiful Catherine Van Rensselaer.
Kinder than the law
In 1754 Schuyler became of age. He was the eldest son, and therefore inherited all his father's lands. Although the law, as in England and in some of the colonies, gave him this vast property, Philip Schuyler shared it equally with his brothers and sisters. He was kinder than the law.
French and Indian War
The long, hard war with the French and Indians now came with all its dangers and
sufferings. Schuyler, then twenty-two, raised a company of men and joined the
expedition against Crown Point. The New York and New England soldiers gathered at
"The Flats," and marched northward. They met the French and Indians, and a desperate
battle in the thick woods followed. After many hours the French general, Dieskau,
was wounded and
Guards a wounded enemy
Schuyler was a lover, as well as a warrior, and could not help thinking of the fair face at Claverack. A few days after this battle he married Catherine Van Rensselaer.
A thankful Frenchman
The next year Schuyler joined an expedition which carried supplies to Fort Oswego. The French attacked the expedition, but were defeated. They left a wounded comrade on an island, but Schuyler heard his call, went to his aid, and carried him ashore. Years afterward this man joined the American army, and went to Schuyler's tent to thank him for saving his life.
In 1758, the largest army yet seen in America gathered at Albany. There were gay times at "The Flats," where Schuyler met many of the American and English officers who in after years were to be fighting against each other.
The French threaten Albany
But soon joy was turned to sorrow, for brave Montcalm, who burned Oswego and defeated the great army, might now come down with his Indians upon Albany.
What should be done? The English resolved to capture Fort Frontenac, now Kingston,
Canada. Schuyler hastened with ship Schuyler helps with English victory
A hard time getting to London
When the war was over Schuyler sailed for London on business. The captain of the ship died, and Schuyler was the only one on board who knew enough to take his place.
The rising quarrel
Mrs. Schuyler built a mansion on the banks of the Hudson, at Albany, while he was in England. The house still stands, and within its walls have been entertained some of the great men of America and Europe. During the next ten years, while looking after his business, Schuyler kept his eye on the rising quarrel between England and her colonies. He attended the dinner given by the New York Sons of Liberty to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act, in 1766.
In the, New York Assembly, he made speeches and offered resolutions in opposition to England, although many of his friends were Tories and stood by the king to the end.
The news from Lexington
When the news from Lexington came, Schuyler wrote to a friend: "My heart bleeds as I view the horrors of civil war, but we have left us only the choice between such evils and slavery."
Washington makes Schuyler general108. A Man Whom Washington Trusted. With other patriotic men, New
York sent Schuyler to the second Continental Congress (1775). There he met Colonel
George Washington, and rode with
Washington and Schuyler
Let us take a look at the two men: One was forty-three, and the other forty-two years old. One was a Cavalier from the banks of the Potomac; the other a Dutchman from the banks of the Hudson. One was a rich land owner in Virginia; the other, in New York. Both had tramped and camped on the frontier. Both knew the Indian ways of living and fighting. One had been at the Great Meadows, and on Braddock's fatal field; the other had fought the French on Lake George and at Oswego. Each had great admiration for the other. The friendship of Washington and Schuyler was never broken.
General Schuyler was soon busy getting New York ready to fight. He saw that the English might easily, as the French had done, send their armies down from Canada by way of Lake Champlain and the Hudson, or send their great fleets of war ships into New York Bay.
The Iroquois promise not to aid the English
First of all, he had to collect boats, food, clothing, guns, and ammunition for the
expedition against Quebec, and to keep the Iroquois from taking sides with the
English. The Iroquois had great respect for General Schuyler, and promised not to
help the
Schuyler compels promise from Sir John
In 1776, General Schuyler gathered an army, marched to Johnstown on the Mohawk, forced Johnson to give up his cannon, captured one hundred Tories, and compelled Sir John to promise good behavior. Congress and Washington thanked Schuyler for this work.
109. Schuyler Prepares for the Capture of Burgoyne. A greater
task faced General Schuyler in 1777. News came that the British general, Burgoyne,
with a large army, was hastening from Canada by way of Lake Champlain to Albany, and
that Sir John Johnson and St. Leger, with Indians and Canadians, were going up the
St.
Burgoyne's invasion
At first Burgoyne swept everything before him, capturing the strong fortress of Ticonderoga, and chasing the retreating Americans to Schuyler's army at Fort Edward on the Hudson.
Schuyler obstructs Burgoyne's way
Schuyler had only one-half as many men as Burgoyne, but he sent one thousand of them with axes and crowbars to fell trees every few yards across the roads, and to destroy all the bridges spanning the many streams between Fort Edward and Stillwater. It took Burgoyne twenty days to march twenty miles. This delay gave the minutemen time to gather.
The story of Jane McCrea
Another cause brought in reinforcements. Burgoyne's Indians were scalping men, women, and children. One day an Indian chief came into the British camp swinging a scalp of long hair. A Tory woman declared that it was the hair of her friend, the beautiful Jane McCrea, the daughter of a Tory clergyman. She had been scalped while trying to reach the lover, a British officer.
Rouses Americans
The story of this cruel deed, as it spread over the country, aroused every man able to carry a gun, and sent him hurrying to join Schuyler's army.
Burgoyne moves slowly
Burgoyne's army was now moving very slowly, and was eating up provisions very fast. Washington sent Generals Arnold and Morgan to aid General Schuyler. The American generals decided to cross the Hudson and take post at Stillwater.
Burgoyne heard that he could get more men and provisions at Bennington, Vermont, so he sent five hundred of his best men there, and five hundred more to reinforce them.
John Stark
110. John Stark, the Hero of Bennington. The New England
minutemen, under John Stark and Seth Warner, were rising to strike a blow at
Burgoyne. Stark was a hero of the French and Indian War. He had been at Bunker Hill,
and with Washington at Trenton and Princeton. He now gathered his men at Bennington,
but on hearing that the British were coming, he marched to the Wallomsac River,
where he found them on rising ground.
The battle of Wallomsac
Stark sent part of his army to attack the rear and the sides of the British, while he himself, with five hundred riflemen, prepared to storm their front. When all was ready Stark said: "My men, yonder are the Hessians. To-night the American flag floats from yonder hill, or Molly Stark sleeps a widow!"
How easy it must have seemed to British veterans to defeat the A farmers' victory
British soldiers completely routed
Just at this moment the five hundred fresh British soldiers came up and hotly renewed the battle, but before dark these soldiers, too, were killed, wounded captured, or were running away.
More reenforcements for Schuyler
A thousand of Burgoyne's best and bravest troops were lost in a day. The gallant Stark was made a general, and more and more reënforcements joined Schuyler's army at Stillwater. After this splendid victory New England minutemen continued to pour in faster and faster to join the forces under Schuyler.
War news in the Mohawk Valley111. Nicholas Herkimer, the Hero of Oriskany. In the meantime,
St. Leger and Sir John Johnson, with Indians, Canadians, and Tories, had reached
Fort Stanwix, an American fort in the
Their leader was the brave General Nicholas Herkimer, a German, and a veteran of the French and Indian War. He led them to Oriskany and there waited for news from the fort. But some did not wish to wait, and called Herkimer a coward and a Tory. This was more than his German pride could bear, and he gave the command to march.
The battle of Oriskany
Two miles west of Oriskany Herkimer's army was passing through a ravine with heavy woods on each side. All at once, from both sides, came the crack of rifles and the yells of savages. Herkimer's men were falling, but the enemy could not be seen: it was an Indian and Tory ambush.
Herkimer's order
Herkimer was soon wounded, and was placed at the foot of a great tree. He saw Indians rush out and cut his men down with the tomahawk before they could reload. "Two men to a tree; one load, and the other watch!" shouted the old general. Neighbor fought against neighbor, sometimes hand to hand. Although nearly half of Herkimer's men were killed or wounded, he would not surrender. The British heard the guns of the fort and quickly retreated, but it was too late, for the soldiers in the fort had rushed out, captured the Tory camp, and had carried seven wagonloads of supplies into the fort.
Honor to Herkimer
General Herkimer and his little army marched away. In a few days the brave old German died. His name is kept fresh by the city and county which bear his name, and by two monuments, one near Oriskany and one in Herkimer.
112. Schuyler Sends Arnold to Fort Stanwix. Two men crept out of
Fort Stanwix in the dead of night, stole by the British guards, and hastened to tell
General Schuyler.
Arnold and the relief of Fort Stanwix
"Who will lead reenforcements to Fort Stanwix?" said Schuyler to his generals. "Send me!" said the brave but excitable Arnold. The next morning he was on his way up the Mohawk with eight hundred men.
He captured two Tories, Yan Yost and his brother, but promised not to hang them if
Yan would go to Fort Stanwix and
One day Yan ran breathless into the British camp and showed his coat full of holes. When asked how many Americans were coming, he pointed to the leaves on the trees. Just then the Indians came running, saying that Burgoyne was defeated and Arnold was coming with three thousand men.
This was too much for the Indians and Tories. They fled toward Oswego, and St. Leger had to follow. The Mohawk Valley was safe, and Arnold marched back to Stillwater.
Everything promises victory for Schuyler
Everything pointed to Schuyler's defeat of Burgoyne. Lincoln was coming with two thousand Green Mountain boys, Stark was there with the victors of Bennington, and Arnold and Morgan were already there with their men.
Gates takes Schuyler's place
Just at this point, Congress sent General Gates to take Schuyler's place. This was a great wrong done to a noble man. General Schuyler gave Gates all the information he could about the two armies, and offered to help him in any way. But Gates was not polite enough to invite Schuyler to his first war council.
In the Congress
Twice a United States Senator
General Schuyler was soon elected to the Continental Congress again, and was busy advising and helping Washington till peace came. After Washington became president, Schuyler was twice elected to the United States Senate, where he supported the measures of Washington. His son-in-law, Alexander Hamilton, was Washington's Secretary of the Treasury.
General Philip Schuyler died in 1804, and was buried in Albany.
The Leading Facts.
1. Schuyler loved study and the wild life in the deep forests. 2. He led armies to victory in the French War. 3.
Washington made him a general, and he prepared for Burgoyne's capture. 4. Schuyler was kind to the unfortunate. He was twice sent to the Senate.
5. Stark had been a hero in the French and Indian War, and had
fought at Trenton and Princeton. 6. He won the battle of
Bennington with the New England minutemen. 7. Nicholas Herkimer, a
veteran of the French and Indian War, rallied the Mohawk men when St. Leger and
Johnson came. 8. He fought the battle of Oriskany, and helped
Schuyler prepare for Burgoyne's surrender.
Study Questions.
1. When was Philip Schuyler born? 2. What other
great American boy, born of rich parents about the same time, could do many of the
things Philip Schuyler could do? 3. What took Schuyler from
school? When did Washington lose his father? 4. How was Schuyler
trained in the ways of a frontiersman? 5. Prove that Schuyler was
a generous man. 6. Look on the map for places named in the French
and Indian War. 7. What other officer was engaged in this war? 8. Why was Schuyler sent with ship carpenters to Oswego? 9. What did he do when many of his friends became Tories? 10. Was Washington wise in his choice of Schuyler to command his
forces of New York? 11. Compare Washington and Schuyler. 12. What did Schuyler have to do as commander? 13.
What was Burgoyne's plan of invasion?
14. Who was John Stark? 15. Why did the victory
seem so easy to the minutemen? 16. Where was the victory won?
17. Find Fort Stanwix on the map. Who attacked it? 18. Who was General Herkimer and how was he drawn into an ambush? 19. Picture the battle of Oriskany. 20. Tell the
story of Arnold and how he frightened the British. 21. What was
Schuyler's disappointment and how did he act? 22. How did Gates
act? 23. What noble acts did Schuyler perform both before and
after the close of the war?
Suggested Readings. PHILIP SCHUYLER: Williams, Stories from Early New York History,
182-187; Tuckerman, Life of General Philip Schuyler, 32-209.
JOHN STARK: Williams, Stories
from Early New York History, 193-195; Frost, Heroes of the
Revolution, 90-105; Jenkins, Lives of Patriots and Heroes,
261-278.
NICHOLAS HERKIMER: Williams, Stories from Early New York History, 199-208; Todd, In Olde New
York, 123-128; Cowen, The Herkimers and Schuylers, 17-67;
Benton, Herkimer County and the Upper Mohawk Valley, 151-170.
Moultrie repulses attack on Charleston
113. The War in the South. Early in the Revolutionary War British
vessels made an attack on Charleston, South Carolina (1776). But Colonel Moultrie,
from his rude fort of palmetto logs, gave them such a welcome that they were glad to
get away, and for two years the British gave the southern colonies little
trouble.
Charleston surrenders to Cornwallis
But in 1778, another British army captured Savannah, Georgia. In 1780, the City of Charleston, South Carolina, with General Lincoln's entire army, surrendered to Cornwallis. Congress hastened General Gates to the South to check the British, but Cornwallis surprised Gates and cut his army to pieces near Camden.
Greene goes south to watch Cornwallis
114. Nathanael Greene, the Quaker General. Washington chose
Nathanael Greene, the "Quaker general," to go south, take command of the American
army and to watch Cornwallis, who had just defeated Gates. Greene was Greene born in
Roger Williams's old colony, and was ten years younger than Washington. His father
was a farmer, a miner, and a blacksmith on week days, and a Quaker preacher on
Sundays.
The "learned blacksmith"
As a boy Nathanael had plenty of hard work to do, and at thirteen could "only read, write, and cipher." But he was hungry for more knowledge, and began to study Latin, mathematics, philosophy, and history. Besides he made iron toys, and sold them to buy books. His family got into a lawsuit, and Nathanael took up the study of law. He was called the "learned blacksmith."
He buys a musket
When Greene saw that King George was likely to force the Americans to fight, he joined the militia and went to Boston to buy a musket, a very unusual thing for a man in Quaker dress to do. He hid the gun in his wagon. There he watched General Gage drilling British soldiers. He persuaded one of them to go with him to drill his company of minutemen.
News from Lexington sends Greene to Boston
When the stirring news from Lexington reached him, Greene was among the first to start for Boston, and there Washington found him when he arrived to take command of the army.
Greene was made one of Washington's generals, and followed his great commander till Washington sent him to the South to win back that part of the country from Cornwallis.
Although General Greene found but a small army in North Carolina, he knew that the southern men would fight if they had a chance, for the backwoodsmen had just killed or captured one thousand British soldiers at the battle of Kings Mountain.
Besides, he had some of the bravest and ablest leaders in Men who helped Greene in the South
Greene divides his army
Greene divided his army into two parts. He took one thousand men and marched into northeastern South Carolina, where Marion and Lee, with small bands of cavalry, stole upon the British outposts. In broad daylight they charged pellmell into Georgetown, captured the officer in command there, and got safely away before the British were over their fright.
Morgan goes to north-western South Carolina
Greene sent General Morgan and Colonel William Washington with nine hundred men into northwestern South Carolina to threaten some British posts, and to encourage the patriots in the mountains. Very shortly after this, Washington and his cavalry swooped down on a party of British soldiers and captured two hundred fifty of them.
Tarleton sent to capture him
Cornwallis was now thoroughly roused, and resolved to put an end to such events. He therefore ordered his favorite cavalry officer, Colonel Tarleton, to take eleven hundred choice soldiers and capture Morgan and his men.
Morgan's training
115. General Morgan. But Morgan was not the kind of man to be
caught napping. When a young man, he had fought the French and Indians on the
Virginia frontier.
He was at Braddock's defeat. He had once knocked a British officer down for striking him. In an Indian fight he had been shot through the neck and thought himself dying, but, to escape being scalped, locked his arms tightly around his horse's neck, while the horse ran wildly through the woods.
At the head of a company of ninety-six Virginia backwoodsmen, Morgan had marched six hundred miles in twenty-one days, and joined Washington at Boston.
Burgoyne's compliment
Later, Washington sent him to join in the capture of Burgoyne, at Saratoga. His men did such splendid fighting that Burgoyne said to Morgan: "Sir, you command the finest regiment in the world!" Fighting in the woods of America such a man was likely to be a match for any British officer.
When Morgan heard of Tarleton's approach he retreated to a good place for fighting, called the Cowpens. On the top of a long, rising slope, he placed the Continental troops— men trained to fight. In the rear he hid Colonel Washington and his cavalrymen.
Some distance in front of the Continentals he placed the Morgan places his men
As soon as Tarleton's men came in sight they charged pellmell, thinking victory an easy matter. The militia and sharpshooters poured in their fire not only twice, but several times, and retreated behind the Continentals, who now poured deadly volleys into the ranks of the on-coming British, and then made at them with their bayonets.
A brilliant victory
Just at this moment, Colonel Washington's cavalry dashed out and struck the right flank of the redcoats. In another moment the militia, which had re-formed and reloaded, rushed out and struck their left flank. Most of Tarleton's men threw down their guns and surrendered on the spot. Only two hundred seventy redcoats got away. Tarleton barely escaped after being wounded in a hand-to-hand sword fight with Colonel Washington.
Stories of Tarleton
Tarleton was not permitted to forget his defeat. In conversation one day he remarked that he had never seen Colonel Washington. A patriotic lady present replied: "If you had only looked behind you at the battle of Cowpens, you would have had that pleasure."
On another occasion it is told that Tarleton said to a lady, in a sneering way,
that he understood Colonel Washington was so ignorant he could not even write his
own name. This lady
The defeat of Tarleton at Cowpens roused Cornwallis. He destroyed all his heavy baggage, and started in hot haste after Morgan. But Morgan knew a thing or two, and marched for the fords of the Catawba River as soon as the battle was over.
Greene's great march
There Greene joined him, and away the armies went for the Yadkin River. Greene had brought along boats on light wheels, and had no trouble in crossing, but Cornwallis had to march up the river until his army could wade across. Greene was already on his way to the Dan, which he crossed into southern Virginia.
General Morgan retires
General Morgan, now broken in health by long years of hard fighting, retired to his
home, "Soldiers' Rest," in the Shenandoah
A touching scene
When Daniel Morgan died he was followed to he grave by the largest procession that the valley had yet seen. The people who had come from near and far, witnessed a touching sight. They saw seven gray-haired veterans, with old rifles in their hands, stand beside the grave of the hero, and fire a military salute. They were the last of that hardy band of ninety-six, which had marched with Morgan to Boston to join Washington, nearly thirty years before. This was their last military farewell.
Greene's "victory"
116. The Battle of Guilford Court House. General Greene won a
great victory by retreating. He and his army were still among friends, and his army
was growing. Cornwallis was hundreds of miles from his supplies and from
reinforcements. After a few weeks, Greene crossed back into North Carolina and
fiercely attacked Cornwallis at Guilford Court House, and killed or wounded
one-fourth of his army.
Cornwallis claimed the victory, but instead of attacking Greene he marched his army rapidly to Wilmington, on the seacoast, and from there marched into Virginia, where Washington and Lafayette caught him in a trap at Yorktown.
Greene drives the British to Charleston
Greene turned back to South Carolina, where the British still held Charleston and a few other towns. The British lost so many men at Hobkirks Hill, and at Eutaw Springs, their last important battles in the South, that they were compelled to retreat to Charleston, where they were when the news from Yorktown put an end to serious fighting.
Congress, South Carolina, and Georgia honor Greene
General Greene's work as a soldier was done. Besides the medal presented to him by Congress for the battle of Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, as a token of affection, gave him a large sum of money, and the state of Georgia a beautiful plantation on the Savannah River, where he died in 1786. Greene's fame as a soldier of the Revolution stands next to that of Washington.
The "Swamp Fox
117. Francis Marion. Of all the brave men who helped Greene win
back the South, none was braver than General Francis Marion, whom the British named
the "Swamp Fox." Marion was born in the same year as Washington. He was of French
parentage. He was so very small in size that people wondered how he could be so
great a soldier.
Marion's "Brigade"
Marion's "Brigade," as his company was called, was made up of only a handful of men, usually less than one hundred. But they owned and rode the swiftest horses, carried their own guns, and wore their own swords, hammered out of old saws by country blacksmiths.
Marion and his men seldom were two successive nights in the same place. The night
was their time for work. At sundown
How they escaped
Before daybreak, Marion and his men were hiding safely in some distant swamp or other safe place. If the British chased him too closely his men scattered in different directions, but always made their way to the common hiding place. In a few days they were ready to strike again.
One hundred fifty prisoners set free
Just after Cornwallis defeated Gates, near Camden, Marion pounced upon a guard of British soldiers that was taking one hundred fifty prisoners to Charleston, captured them all, and set the prisoners free.
Tarleton cannot catch Marion
At last Cornwallis ordered Colonel Tarleton to get "Mr. Marion," as he called him. But before Tarleton could act Marion had fallen on a large party of Tories going to join Cornwallis, and killed, captured, or scattered the entire party. Tarleton chased Marion for twenty-five miles, only to find a large swamp through which he could see neither road nor path. He gave up the chase in disgust, declaring he would pursue the "Swamp Fox" no farther.
Congress gives Marion a vote of thanks
When Greene returned to the last campaign in South Carolina, he found no better, bolder, or more vigilant helpers than Marion and his "brigade." Greene gave Marion high praise, and Congress gave him a vote of thanks.
Marion was the true soldier of liberty. He cared nothing for display, only for the success of the patriot cause. Marion thought of his men before himself, was watchful, patient, and silent. He always struck his foes where and when they did not look for him. If they were too strong he vanished like smoke in a breeze.
After the war
Marion was as true and gentle as he was bold and brave. He was never cruel to prisoners, and was greatly opposed to punishing the Tories after the war was over. Marion's neighbors often elected him to high office and in many other ways showed that they admired him, even if some did not agree with him.
A potato feast
During the war a British officer was invited to take dinner with Marion. What was his surprise to see only sweet potatoes, baked in the ashes, set before him. After this feast the officer resigned, saying it was useless trying to defeat such soldiers.
The Leading Facts.
1. Greene was self-taught. He went to Boston, saw the British
army, returned home, and prepared his minutemen. 2. Washington
noticed Greene's generalship and sent him to the Carolinas after the defeat of
Gates. 3. After the battle of Cowpens, General Greene led the
American army in the retreat to Virginia. 4. Greene turned and
fought the battles of Guilford Court House, Hobkirk's Hill, and Eutaw Springs. 5. Daniel Morgan with ninety-six men marched from the Shenandoah
Valley to Boston to join Washington. 6. Morgan won the battle of
Cowpens against Colonel Tarleton. 7. Francis Marion was born of
French parents. His "Brigade" was made up of a small number, mounted on their own
horses, and armed with their own guns and swords. 8. He was called
the "Swamp-Fox," because his men, attacking after night, usually escaped to a swamp
before daylight.
Study Questions.
1. Find on the map the places named in the text. 2. Where was Greene born and why was he called "the learned blacksmith"? 3. How did he get his company of minutemen drilled? 4. What had he been doing since Lexington? 5. What leaders
did Greene have to help him? 6. Who were the British generals? 7. Who was General Morgan? 8. What had he already
done in the War for Independence? 9. What did Burgoyne say to
Morgan? 10. Explain how Morgan prepared for the battle of the
Cowpens. 11. Picture the battle. 12. What
anecdotes are told on Tarleton? 13. Picture the scene at General
Morgan's burial. 14. How did Greene win a victory by retreating?
15. What became of Cornwallis after the battle of Guilford Court
House? 16. What other battles did Greene fight? 17. What proofs of affection did South Carolina and Georgia give? 18. What is the rank of Greene as general? 19. How
many were in Marion's "Brigade," how were they armed, and how did they fight? 20. Why did Tarleton call Marion the "Swamp-Fox"? 21. Who praised General Marion? 22. Read "The Song of
Marion's Men," by William Cullen Bryant.
Suggested Readings. NATHANAEL GREENE: Fiske, Irving's Washington, 430-456; Francis V.
Greene, General Greene, 1-22, 94-105, 160-262; Frost, Heroes of the Revolution, 27-75; Jenkins, Patriots and Heroes
of the Revolution, 115-172.
DANIEL MORGAN: Blaisdell and Ball, Hero Stories from American History, 105-122; Brooks, Century Book of the American Revolution, 168-173; Frost, Heroes
of the Revolution, 76-89.
FRANCIS MARION: McCrady, South
Carolina in the Revolution, 568-572, 577-652, 660-672, 748-752, 816-881.
John Paul born in Scotland
118. John Paul Jones. In 1747, in far-away Scotland, on the arm
of the sea called Solway Firth, a great sailor was born. John Paul played along the
seashore, saw tall ships, and heard wonderful stories of a new land called America,
whose ships filled with tobacco came into the firth.
Sails on the "Friendship" to America
John Paul did not get much schooling, and at the age of thirteen he went as a sailor lad on the "Friendship" to America. The ship sailed into Chesapeake Bay and up the Rappahannock River to the town of Fredericksburg, where he found his brother William living on a plantation. In the very same town where George Washington had just been to school, John Paul also went to school, and studied hard to make up for lost time, and left a great name among the boys.
Returns and sails for Africa
He afterward returned to Scotland, and at the age of nineteen sailed as an officer on a slave-trading ship to Africa, and carried a load of negroes away from their native land. Many people did not then think it wrong to do this, but John Paul hated the cruel business, and left the slave ship as soon as he reached Jamaica.
Made Captain
On his way back to Scotland, the officers of the ship died, and John Paul, although but twenty years old, had to take charge. The owners of the vessel were so pleased with the way he handled it that they made him captain, and he went on many voyages to different countries.
In Virginia again
After a time John Paul went to Virginia to take care of his dead brother's plantation. While he was living in Virginia he watched the quarrel between England and her colonies break out in open war.
Offers his services to Congress
119. John Paul Jones Enters the American Navy. He hastened to
Philadelphia and offered his services to Congress. He knew that England would send
thousands of soldiers to America; and that she would send her war ships along our
seacoasts and up and down our bays and rivers, to capture and burn our towns. He
also knew that the Congress did not own a single war ship when the war began.
Congress ordered war ships to be built. While these were being made, Congress ordered trading vessels to be fitted with cannon and sent out to capture British ships.
Changes his name
When John Paul went to Philadelphia he gave his name as Paul Jones, probably in honor of Willie Jones, a friend who lived in North Carolina. Some have thought that he did not want the British to know him, if they should capture him in a sea fight.
Really wants to fight
What he could do
Although Paul Jones really knew more about war ships than most of the men in Philadelphia, Congress gave him a very low office. But that made no difference to him, for he really wanted to get into a sea fight. In 1775, he was made a lieutenant, and joined an expedition to capture cannon and powder from the British in the West Indies. He did so well that Congress made him captain and gave him a ship. He then went on a cruise to the West Indies where in six weeks he captured sixteen prizes and destroyed a number of small vessels.
Sent to France
Congress afterward gave him command of the ship "Ranger," and sent him to carry letters to Benjamin Franklin, who was in France trying to get the king to take sides with the Americans.
With the "Ranger" at Whitehaven
Franklin planned for Jones to take the "Ranger" to the coast of England, and show that American as well as English ships could burn, destroy, and fight. He captured two vessels, made straight for his old town of Whitehaven, "spiked" the cannon in Whitethe fort, set some ships on fire, and escaped without harm.
Near by this place, his sailors took all the silver from the home of a rich lady. This robbery troubled him so much that, afterward, at great expense to himself, he returned the silver to its owner.
"Paul the Pirate"
"Look out for Paul Jones, the pirate!" the people said; and the "Drake," carrying two more cannon than the "Ranger," was sent to capture her. Five boat loads of people went to see the pirate captured. The fight lasted more than an hour. When the "Drake" surrendered, her captain and forty-two men had been killed. The "Ranger" had lost only two men. After this fight the English towns were still more afraid of Paul Jones.
The "Good Man Richard"
There was great joy in France when Paul Jones sailed into port. The king, who was now making war on England, promised him a larger fleet of war vessels. So, in 1779, he found himself captain of a large ship armed with fifty cannon. He called the ship the "Bon Homme Richard" in honor of Franklin's Almanac, the "Poor Richard." Three smaller vessels joined him, and he again set sail for the English coast. The news of his coming caused great alarm.
The "Richard" and the "Serapis"
120. A Great Sea ,Fight and a Great Victory. As Paul Jones sailed
along the British coasts he captured many trading ships and frightened the people.
At last he came upon two British war ships. Just at dark the "Richard" attacked a
larger English ship, the "Serapis." At the first fire two of Jones's cannon burst,
tearing up the deck and killing a dozen of his own men.
The great sea fight
The fight went on for an hour, when the "Serapis" came near, and Jones ran the "Richard" into her. "Have you struck your colors?" called out the English captain. "I have not yet begun to fight!" replied Captain Jones. When the ships came together again Paul Jones himself seized a great rope and tied them together. Now the fighting was terrific. The cannon tore huge holes in the sides of the ships.
A great explosion on the "Serapis" killed twenty of her men. Both ships were on fire, and the "Richard" began to fill with water. The men on each ship had to fight fire. It was ten o'clock at night. The British prisoners on the "Richard" had to help pump out water to keep the ship from sinking.
A great victory
Only a few cannon on each ship could be fired. The decks of both ships were covered with dead and wounded, but neither captain would give up. Finally Paul Jones, with his own hands, pointed two cannon at the great mast of the "Serapis." Just as it was about to fall, the English captain surrendered.
All night Jones and his men were kept busy fighting fire and pumping water, while
the wounded were removed to the "Serapis."
A great naval hero
Finally buried in America
After the war Paul Jones was an officer in the Russian navy. He died in France in 1792. His grave was forgotten for many years, but was discovered in 1905, and his bones were brought to America with great honor, and buried at Annapolis, Maryland.
Barry visits America
121. John Barry. Although born on a farm in Ireland (1745), John
Barry wanted to be a sailor lad. While still young he was put to service on board a
merchant ship. Here Young Barry learned more than being a mere sailor. Between
voyages he used his time well in hard study, and soon gained a useful education. At
the age of fifteen he came to Philadelphia, and was so pleased with the country and
the people that he resolved to make America his home.
Becomes master of a merchant ship
He rose rapidly as a sailor and soon came to be master of a merchant ship. When the news of the first bloodshed between England and her Colonies came he had already been captain of half a dozen vessels. He now offered his services to Congress.
Made captain of the "Lexington"
In 1776, Congress made him captain of the ship "Lexington," the first Continental vessel to sail from William Penn's old city. Barry immediately put to sea, and met and captured the "Edward" after a fierce fight. Thus the "Lexington" was the first ship to bear the American flag to victory.
Congress, pleased with the result, put him in charge of a larger ship, called the "Effingham." She did not do much, as the British bottled her up in the Delaware.
He captures a British vessel and four transports
But Barry was not idle. He armed four boats full of men, and, with muffled oars, rowed down the Delaware at night. Just as the sun was rising Barry saw a British vessel of ten guns. With this ship were four transports loaded with forage for the British army. Barry's boats made for the British ship. His men climbed on board with guns and swords in hand. The British soldiers threw down their arms and ran below. Barry fastened down the hatchways, and then turned his attention to the four transports, which quickly surrendered. Barry took the five prizes across the river to an American fort. There he found he had captured a major, two captains, three lieutenants, and more than one hundred soldiers and sailors. Not a bad day's work for thirty Americans!
Barry praised by Washington
Washington and the Americans were loud in their praises of Barry. The British general, Howe, it is said, offered him $100,000 and the command of a British ship if he would desert the Americans. "Not the value and command of the whole British fleet can seduce me to desert the cause of my country," was Barry's answer.
He takes command of the "Raleigh"
In 1778 Congress promoted John Barry to the command of the "Raleigh," a fine ship with a noble name. He set sail for Boston, and on his way met a British ship carrying thirty-two guns. His sailors had taken an oath never to surrender. They fought with great bravery, and had every hope of winning the fight, when a British 64-gun ship came in sight. To keep their oaths, they ran the "Raleigh" ashore on an island, and set her on fire. The British put out the fire and saved the ship.
Carries news to France
122. Barry Given Command of the "Alliance." In 1781 Barry was
placed in command of the "Alliance," a ship whose name was given in honor of
France's helping America in this war. He carried important news to France. On the
voyage home, Barry captured a number of vessels.
In May the "Alliance" met two British ships, and a hard battle
Wounded, bur forces the British to strike their colors
He next took General Lafayette to France. After his return to America he went on a cruise and captured several vessels.
In 1783, Barry, in the "Alliance," sailed on his last voyage of the Revolution. His companion ship was the "Luzerne." Three British ships discovered the Americans and quickly gave chase. The "Luzerne" was slow and threw overboard her guns.
On his last voyage of the Revolution
Another vessel came into view; it was a French ship of fifty guns. With her aid Barry immediately decided to fight. He made a speech to his men, and went from gun to gun urging the men not to fire until ordered. A terrific battle with the foremost British ship followed. The "Alliance" soon had the British ship badly cut up. Most of her guns were silenced, and after fifty minutes fighting, she showed signals of distress.
The remaining British ships now came up to rescue her, and the "Alliance" sailed away. The French ships took no part in the battle.
The Revolution was now over, and the colonies were free states. There were no more war ships to command. But John Barry was born for the sea. He immediately took command of a merchant ship, and began to add to his own fortune.
Named first commander of a navy
When Congress provided a navy, General Knox, Washington's Secretary of War and of
the Navy, named John Barry as first
The Leading Facts.
1. John Paul was born a sailor in Scotland and went to America.
2. He was in America when war broke out; offered his service and
was made lieutenant. 3. Congress sent him to France, and Franklin
sent him to prey on English commerce. 4. Paul Jones won the great
sea fight in the "Bon Homme Richard." 5. John Barry was born in
Ireland, but went to sea early. 6. Congress made him captain in
1776, in charge of the "Lexington." 7. Barry set the country
talking by capturing a war vessel and four transports. 8. John
Barry won more naval victories in the Revolutionary War than any other officer. 9. Named first commodore in 1794 by the Secretary of the Navy.
Study Questions.
1. Give an account of John Paul's boyhood. 2.
What of his first visit to America? 3. How did Paul happen, at so
early an age, to have full charge of a vessel? 4. Why did he go to
Virginia a second time? 5. Why did he hasten to Congress as soon
as war began? 6. How did Paul Jones prove his right to be captain?
7. Tell the story of the battle between the "Drake" and the
"Ranger." 8. Picture the battle between the "Bon Homme Richard"
and the "Serapis." 9. What rewards came to Paul Jones? 10. Where is he buried?
11. Give an account of John Barry's youth. 12.
When the war came, what was Barry's action? 13. What was the first
victory on the part of the navy? 14. Commit to memory Barry's
reply to the offer of the British. 15. What was the outcome of the
battle on the "Raleigh"? 16. What were Barry's experiences in the
"Alliance"? Picture Barry's last battle.
Suggested Readings. PAUL JONES: Beebe, Four American Naval Heroes, 17-68; Abbot, Blue Jackets of '76, 83-154; Frothingham, Sea
Fighters, 226-266; Hart, Camps and Firesides of the American
Revolution, 285-289; Hart, How Our Grandfathers Lived,
217-219; Seawell, Paul Jones.
JOHN BARRY: Griffin, Commodore John Barry,
1-96.
Born in colonial times
123. Benjamin Franklin, the Boy Printer. When Franklin was Born
in born in Boston (1706) there were men still living who had seen colonial John
Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts, and Roger Williams, the founder of
Rhode Island.
The scholar of the family
Franklin's father was a poor but hard-working man. He made soap and candles. Benjamin's nine brothers had learned trades, but his parents had decided that he should be the "scholar of the family." At eight he went to school to prepare for college and was soon at the head of his class.
But is put to work
But a family of seventeen was hard to feed and clothe, and Benjamin was sent to another school where he could fit himself for business. But he did poorly in arithmetic, and was taken out of school at ten and put to work with his father.
Longs for the sea
In the port of Boston Franklin saw the ships and sailors of all nations, and longed to go to sea, but his father took him to visit the shops, where he saw men busy at work with all kinds of tools. Although Benjamin liked to work with tools, he liked to read better, and spent all his little earnings in buying books. He borrowed books, when he could not buy them.
Finally Franklin's parents decided that since he loved books so
How he improved his writing
He now offered to take half the money that his board cost, and board himself. His brother agreed to this plan, and Benjamin saved money and bought more books.
Writes for his brother's paper
He longed to write something for his brother's paper. He did so, and put it at night under the door, but he did not dare sign his name to what he had written. His brother showed it to his friends. They praised it, and it was printed. It was fun for Benjamin to hear people guessing that the writer must be some great man in Boston. Franklin wrote several other articles, and called them the "Dogood Papers," but his brother was angry when he learned who wrote them.
Leaves home
Franklin was now only seventeen, but because of his brother's cruelty he sold his books and took a boat for New York without saying good-by to his parents. He afterwards said that leaving home in this way was a great mistake.
From New York to Philadelphia
No one in New York wanted a printer, so young Franklin took a boat for Perth-Amboy, New Jersey, on his way to Philadelphia. His ship was caught in a storm, and the passengers were wet and hungry when they landed.
Franklin set out on foot across the state for Burlington. For nearly three days he walked in the rain along muddy roads, looking so rough people thought he was a runaway servant. He was tired and homesick. But he took boat again, and reached Philadelphia on Sunday morning, landing at the foot of Market Street.
His sorry plight
He was so hungry, he thought more of something to eat than of dressing up for Sunday. He was in a sorry plight. With his pockets stuffed with soiled shirts and stockings, and a roll of bread under each arm and one in his hand, Franklin walked up Market Street, and passed the home of his future wife, Deborah Reed. No wonder she laughed at him. She would have laughed more if some one had said: "There goes a boy who will some day become your husband and the greatest man in Philadelphia."
Good books and good company
Franklin found work in a printing office, saved his money, and bought books to study. He got acquainted with other young people, who also loved books, and with whom he often spent his evenings.
A call from the governor
To the surprise of Franklin and his brother printers, one day Sir William Keith, the governor of Pennsylvania, called at the shop to see Franklin. Governors did not then pay much attention to poor printers. The governor, who was dissatisfied with Philadelphia printers, promised to send him to England to buy a printing press.
Returns home before going to London
Franklin, with the governor's letter in his pocket, hastened back to Boston in order to get his father's help to go to London. How happy were parents, brothers, and sisters to see the long-absent son and brother! But his father could give him no aid, and the young printer returned to Philadelphia. The governor, however, promised to pay his expenses, and Benjamin took ship for England.
The governor had not even given him letters of introduction, to say nothing of money, and Franklin found himself a stranger in one of the largest cities in the world.
In a London printing office
He did not whine or spend his time grumbling, but went bravely to work in a printing office. He set a good example to his beer-drinking comrades by drinking only water. He was stronger and did more work and did it better than any of them.
Returns to Philadelphia and marries
The next year a Philadelphia merchant persuaded Franklin to return to America to become his clerk. But in a few years he went to work again at his old trade as printer, and in a short time became the editor of the "Pennsylvania Gazette."
Franklin had already married Miss Reed, the young lady who had laughed at him for making a show of himself on his first day in Philadelphia.
Founds three great institutions
124. A Rising Young Man. He was now a rising young man in the old
Quaker city. From year to year he did many things to help others. He started a
circulating library, the first in America, out of which has grown the Philadelphia
Public Library. He founded a school, which has become the great University of
Pennsylvania, and a society, called the American Philosophical Society, which still
holds important meetings.
Invents a stove
Franklin improved the heating of houses by inventing the "Franklin stove," but refused to take out a patent, and thus make himself rich at other people's expense. He also formed the first "fire department" in any American town.
Forms the first fire department
Who has not heard of "Poor Richard's Almanac"? Franklin
Poor Richard's sayings
"Early to bed and early to rise, Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
Economy is the road to wealth
Franklin and his young wife kept these rules faithfully. She worked in the printing office as well as in the house. They hired no servants. Their furniture, dress, and food were plain. He ate his breakfast of bread and milk out of a wooden bowl with a pewter spoon. Mrs. Franklin surprised him one day by giving him a china bowl and a silver spoon. She said her husband deserved such things as well as other men.
Elected to office
The people of Philadelphia admired Benjamin Franklin more and more. At the age of thirty he was chosen clerk of the Assembly of Pennsylvania, and afterward was elected a lawmaker in the Assembly. Every year for ten years his neighbors elected him to help make the laws of the colony.
Deputy postmaster-general
In a few years Franklin was made deputy postmaster-general for all the colonies by the king. He surprised the people by declaring that the mail should be carried from Philadelphia to Boston every week! He was postmaster-general for more than twenty years.
Franklin plans a union of the colonies
In 1754 Franklin was sent by the colony of Pennsylvania to Albany, New York, to meet men from other colonies to make a treaty with the Iroquois, and to plan a union of the Thirteen Colonies. While George Washington was still a surveyor, before Wolfe captured Quebec, and when Patrick Henry was yet a boy, Franklin wrote out a plan of union, which pointed the way toward that greater Union, the United States of America.
Fame begins to come
Franklin was now becoming famous outside of Pennsylvania. Yale College honored him with the degree of Master of Arts. The old University of Cambridge, England, gave him the same degree.
All the wise men in England and France were excited by news of an experiment made by Benjamin Franklin. He had made electricity by using glass tubes, and he had seen the lightning flash in the storm cloud. He decided to prove, if he could, that lightning and electricity are the same. No one had yet done this.
Proves that lightning and electricity are the same
He made a kite out of silk, to which he fastened a small iron rod. Then he tied a hempen string to the kite and the rod. To the lower end of the string he tied a silken cord to protect his hand from the electricity. On the string he tied a key.
One day when the storm clouds came rolling up, Franklin sent his kite high up among them, while he waited. Soon the loose fibers on the hempen string moved. Franklin placed his knuckles close to the key, and sparks came flying at his hand.
More honors
When the news of this experiment was published some very wise men smiled; others said it was a trick. The great Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh, however, gave him the doctor's degree, and societies of wise men in England, France, and Spain elected him a member. He was now the most famous American.
125. Franklin's Part in the Revolution. Already we have seen that
England and her colonies were beginning to quarrel. What
Sent to England to defend the colonies
How Franklin helped the English understand the Stamp Act
When the Stamp Act was passed the members of Parliament asked him nearly two hundred questions about the effects of the Stamp Act on America. He wrote many letters to great men, and long articles to the English newspapers, explaining how the Stamp Act injured America. Both England and America rejoiced when the king and Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, and Franklin sent his wife a fine London gown in honor of the event.
Franklin and Pitt
For eight years more, while America was busy opposing the tax on tea, Franklin was in England trying to get Parliament and the king to give the Americans better treatment. But it was all in vain. He often talked with William Pitt, the great friend of America, who introduced into Parliament a plan for making friends between the two countries. But the plan was defeated.
Hastens home
Franklin saw that war would come, and hastened back to his beloved America, where he arrived just after the battle at Lexington and Concord (1775).
The war begins and Franklin plans union
Pennsylvania sent him to the Congress of 1775, which, sitting in Philadelphia, made George Washington general of the Continental army. Franklin saw that if the thirteen scattered colonies were to defeat Great Britain they must unite. So he introduced into Congress a plan of union, but the other members were not ready for it.
Appointed to help write the Declaration of Independence
Franklin was one of five men who were named by Congress to write the Declaration of Independence (1776).
Franklin in France
Soon after, Congress sent him to France to influence the king and the people of that country to aid America in winning independence. The French hated the English, but admired Benjamin Franklin. The king gave money secretly, and many French officers came to serve in the American army.
France sends aid
In 1778, Franklin influenced the King of France to take sides openly with the Americans. French war ships and French soldiers by thousands now came to help fight our battles.
The treaty with England
After helping to make the treaty of peace with England in 1783, Franklin came home with many honors. Though nearly eighty years old, the people of Pennsylvania immediately elected him governor.
Franklin did one more great work for his country. In 1787 the states sent their
wisest men to Philadelphia to make a constitution or plan of government.
Pennsylvania chose Franklin,
Helps make our Constitution
Franklin signs the Constitution
George Washington, as we have seen, was the president of this meeting. Many speeches were made, and there was debating for many weeks. The meeting was always glad to hear Franklin speak, for he was a very wise man. As he had helped to make, and had signed, the Declaration of Independence, so now, after helping make the Constitution, he signed it. Many persons did not like the Constitution. Franklin said there were some things in the new plan which he did not like, but declared that he signed it because of the good things it did contain. He showed his wisdom, for it is one of the best plans of government ever made.
Died in 1790
Franklin spent his last days with his daughter, and, surrounded by his grandchildren, died in 1790, at the age of eighty-four.
Leading Facts.
1. Franklin's parents were poor, had seventeen children; hence
Benjamin, though a studious fellow, was put to the printer's trade. 2. Franklin wrote the "Dogood Papers." Left home for New York, but went on
to Philadelphia. 3. Persuaded to go to London. He returned and
married. 4. Franklin started a circulating library, a school which
became the University of Pennsylvania, and a society called The American
Philosophical Society. 5. He invented a stove, founded the first
fire department in America, and printed "Poor Richard's Almanac." 6. Wrote the first plan of an American Union, and won degrees from English
and Scotch universities. 7. Franklin was one of the committee to
write the Declaration of Independence. 8. Was sent to France where
he won the help of France in the War of the Revolution. 9.
Franklin was governor of the state of Pennsylvania, was a delegate to help make the
Constitution, and died at 84.
Study Questions.
1. How long ago was Franklin born? 2. Tell of
his school experiences. 3. Why did Franklin not go to sea? 4. Tell the story of his bargain with his brother. 5. What did Franklin hear about the "Dogood Papers"? 6.
Tell the story of the "runaway printer." 7. How did he save his
time in Philadelphia? 8. How did he happen to go to London the
first time? 9. What good example did he set to London printers?
10. Why did he return to Philadelphia? 11.
What three great institutions did he found? 12. Why did the people
like "Poor Richard's Almanac"? 13. How did Benjamin Franklin and
his wife live? 14. What public offices did he hold? 15. Who planned the first union of the thirteen colonies? 16. Picture Franklin proving that electricity and lightning are the same.
17. What honor came to him on account of his experiment? 18. What did he go to England a second time for? 19. How did Franklin aid in the repeal of the Stamp Act? 20. How long did he remain in England and who were his friends? 21. What did Benjamin Franklin do in Congress? 22. In what
great events did he have a part? 23. What was his work in France?
24. What was his last work in France? 25. How
old was Franklin when elected governor? 26. What was his last
great work? 27. How did he spend his last days? 28. Point out the obstacles he overcame all along in his career.
Suggested Readings. FRANKLIN: Baldwin, Four Great Americans, 71-122; Hart, Camps and Firesides
of the Revolution, 158-162; Hart, Colonial Children,
197-199, 210-214; Wright, Children's Stories of Great Scientists,
71-89; Bolton, Famous American Statesmen, 38-66; Brooks, Century Book of Famous Americans, 65-76.
126. Lafayette. The most famous of the men who came from Europe
to fight in the army of Washington was Lafayette. He was a young French nobleman,
and had inherited great riches.
Lafayette decides to come to America
When he heard of the battle of Lexington, and how the American farmers had beaten the king's regulars, he made up his mind to go to help them. In order to do this Lafayette fitted out a vessel at his own expense, and with eleven other officers including De Kalb set sail for America.
Lafayette wounded at Brandywine
The Congress made Lafayette a general in the Continental army, and the next day he was presented to General Washington. Very soon he was in the battle of Brandywine, where he was wounded while trying to rally his troops. After he got well, he became interested in Indian affairs and went with General Schuyler to an Indian council. He gave the Indians money and goods, and reminded them of their warm friendship for France.
At the battle of Monmouth
Again, Washington put him in command of a part of his army at Valley Forge. He took part in several battles with the British, the most important one being that of Monmouth. Lafayette now went to Rhode Island to help the patriots in that section. For work there Congress gave him a vote of thanks.
Welcome home
In 1779, he was welcomed home by his family. Through his influence France sent Rochambeau over with, six thousand troops to help the Americans.
On Lafayette's return to America Washington sent him to Virginia to face Lord Cornwallis,who had just come from North Carolina. After receiving more soldiers. Lafayette followed Cornwallis to Yorktown. Here, we remember Washington with his aid caught Cornwallis in his "mouse trap."
Lafayette at Mount Vernon
The year after peace Lafayette came back to America to visit Washington. There were great times at Mount Vernon. Washington, Lafayette, and other noble men sat around the table and there told stories of their struggles and of their triumphs. Lafayette visited many other places and received a warm welcome wherever he went.
Commands the French National Guard
A few years after his return to France, the people of that country rose and overthrew their king. Lafayette was made commander-in-chief of the National Guard. The king and queen were placed under his protection. He promised the people that the king and queen would not run away. They did try it, but were caught and brought back.
Long imprisonment
Both the mob and the king and queen blamed Lafayette. His command was taken from him and he fled from France, intending to come to the United States; but he was seized and imprisoned by orders from the government of Austria.
Washington wrote letters asking that Lafayette be sent to the United States. Many others wrote in his behalf, but the ruler of Austria was hard-hearted. It was not until many years afterward that the great Napoleon made peace with Austria, and set him free.
Visits the United States in 1824
At the grave of Washington
In 1824 he came to the United States upon invitation from President Monroe, and in, the White House celebrated his sixty-sixth birthday with great ceremony. He made visits to every state in the Union. Eleven new states had entered the Union which he had fought to establish. Lafayette was welcomed in the new states as well as in the old. He visited all the Revolutionary battlefields, and wept over grave of the grave of Washington at Mount Vernon, and over that of his own brave De Kalb at Camden, South Carolina.
Congress rewards Lafayette
Before Lafayette went home Congress voted him two hundred thousand dollars and twenty-four thousand acres of land. He returned to France in the ship "Brandywine," bearing the gratitude and love of every American.
He died in 1834, and was followed to the grave by a vast body of people. He left a son named after George Washington, and two daughters, one of whom was called Virginia. A monument to Lafayette, given by the school children of America, was placed in a beautiful park of Paris at the time of the great French Exposition.
127. The Drillmaster of the American Army. Baron von Steuben was
born in Prussia. When but fourteen he served as a volunteer soldier under his
father.
With Frederick the Great
In the Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, he was an officer on the staff of Frederick the Great, of Prussia, one of the greatest generals that ever lived.
Meets Franklin and comes to America
After the war he was made a teacher of young officers, and spent much time in training and drilling them. He visited Paris, and there met Benjamin Franklin. Steuben decided to come to America and cast in his lot with people fighting for liberty.
He reached New Hampshire in 1777 and made his way to Washington's army. Like Lafayette and De Kalb, Steuben served without pay.
A poor army
Washington's army lay in camp at Valley Forge. It seemed a very poor army, indeed, to one who had been a soldier in the splendid army of Frederick the Great.
Taught the use of the bayonet
Washington made Steuben inspector-general of the army. He immediately prepared a book of tactics. He remodeled the whole army, and taught the soldiers how to use the bayonet. The British had been charging on the American soldiers with fixed bayonets. Up to this time the Americans could not stand and face an oncoming line of bayonets, but after Steuben's lessons on how to make a bayonet charge, the Americans were ready for the British. At Monmouth, at Camden, at Stony Point, and at Yorktown, the Steuben bayonet charge brought glory to the Americans.
Spends his fortune for his soldiers
At the close of the war Steuben had spent all his fortune in buying food and clothing for his soldiers. Congress voted him two thousand five hundred dollars per year, and the state of New York granted him sixteen thousand acres of land in Oneida County.
Died in his adopted country
He loved his adopted country so well that he remained here till he died,in 1794.
An educated soldier
128. The Liberty-loving Kosciuszko. Tadeusz Kosciuszko was born
in Poland in 1746, of noble parentage, and was educated for a soldier. He became
captain in the army of Poland.
Comes to America
When the Americans began to fight for liberty, he came to help them, bringing with him letters from Benjamin Franklin (1775). He was made a colonel of engineers, and took service with the army of the North, then preparing to meet the British army under General Burgoyne.
Fortifies Bemis Heights
Kosciuszko prepared the fortifications of Bemis Heights, where was fought one of the great battles of the war. He also planned the forts at West Point. At the close of the Revolution Congress gave him a vote of thanks and made him a general.
Returns to Poland
He then returned to Poland and fought bravely against the Russians and the Prussians, who overran Poland and divided it between them.
Sad words for a soldier
Kosciuszko was captured and imprisoned by the Russians. When released from prison the czar offered him his own sword. Kosciuszko refused to take it, saying, "I have no need of a sword, I have no country to defend."
Visits the land he fought for
Afterwards he visited the United States and received many proofs of the love and respect of the American people.
Kosciuszko died in Poland, in 1817. A monument was erected to his memory at West Point.
Son of a patriot
129. The Commander of a Famous "Legion." Casimir Pulaski was born
in Poland in 1748. His father before him was a patriot, and fought nobly for his
country.
Before coming to America Pulaski was commander-in-chief of the army of Poland against the Austrians and Russians, when he met them in battle on many a hard-fought field.
Franklin sends him to America
Pulaski was in France in 1776, and Benjamin Franklin sent him to America. He came in 1777, and joined Washington's Army. After the battle of Brandywine Congress made him a brigadier-general and gave him command of the cavalry.
Heads the Pulaski Legion
In 1778 he was ordered to raise a Pulaski Legion. This company grew so rapidly that he was compelled to make three companies of foot soldiers and three of cavalry. They were indeed a fine body of troops, who were selected for their skill in horsemanship or for their boldness in fighting. Many of the leaders were foreigners like Pulaski himself. They became famous as a body of fighters and were often chosen by Washington to do some difficult and very dangerous service.
Takes his army to South Carolina
Pulaski took his legion to Charleston, South Carolina. He attacked the British, and although he was beaten, he held the place till reinforcements came to his rescue.
Death at Savannah
In the same year, 1779, he joined his forces to those of Count D'Estaing, the commander of the French fleet and forces, for a combined attack on the city of Savannah. Count Pulaski was selected to lead the American and the French cavalry. The British gunners, behind their fortifications, mowed down Americans and Frenchmen, and Pulaski fell, mortally wounded, far from his home and native land.
Lafayette laid the corner stone of the monument to Pulaski at Savannah, which was built by patriotic citizens of Georgia.
A veteran
130. A Brave Old Veteran. Among the men who came to America with
young Lafayette was Baron De Kalb, already nearly sixty years old, but brave and
sturdy.
The parents of Johann Kalb were poor country people in Germany. In 1748 he entered the service of France, whereupon he began to be known as Baron De Kalb. The King of France sent De Kalb to the colonies in the time of the quarrel between England and the colonists over the Stamp Act, to discover whether there were signs of growing independence.
Sent south
He was with Washington and his army all through the terrible winter at Valley Forge. Afterwards he was sent south in command of the brave Maryland and Delaware Continentals to aid General Gates in beating Cornwallis. The troops which De Kalb commanded had been trained by Steuben and by himself and were the finest in Washington's army.
De Kalb fights fiercely
Died at Camden
In the battle of Camden, both Gates and Cornwallis started out before daylight in order to surprise each other. General Gates and the militia ran away at the first fire and left De Kalb with his Continentals to stem the tide. His horse was shot from under him, but undaunted De Kalb placed himself at the head of his men, and fighting on foot led them in a terrible bayonet charge. His brave Continentals were completely surrounded. He himself was wounded eleven times, and two out of every five of his heroic men fell. Three days after the battle the noble De Kalb breathed his last.
The citizens of South Carolina, loving his memory and admiring his heroic deeds, in after years erected on the battlefield of Camden a monument to his memory. Lafayette on the occasion of his second visit to America (1825) laid the corner stone of this monument.
Leading Facts.
1. The battle of Lexington aroused Lafayette and others to come to
America. 2. Lafayette was wounded at the battle of Brandywine,
went to Rhode Island to help the patriots there, and returned home to influence the
King of France to send Rochambeau to America. 3. Lafayette
prepared the way for the capture of Cornwallis. 4. Lafayette took
part in the French Revolution, returned to America in 1824, and received many tokens
of affection. 5. Baron von Steuben, a drill master of Frederick
the Great, came to America and drilled Washington's troops. 6.
Steuben spent all his fortune on his soldiers, and the state of New York gave him
sixteen thousand acres of land in appreciation of his services. 7.
Kosciuszko, a Polish patriot, 8. Pulaski fought against Russia for Poland, came to America, commanded a
famous "legion," and was slain at Savannah. 9. De Kalb, already a
veteran, came with Lafayette; he made a famous charge at Camden, where he was
mortally wounded.
Study Questions.
1. Who came with Lafayette to help the Americans? 2. In what battles did Lafayette fight before the Cornwallis campaign? 3. Where was he sent after his return from France? 4. What social gathering at Mount Vernon in the year after the peace was
made? 5. How was Lafayette finally released from imprisonment? 6. How old was Lafayette when he came for his last visit and what
men were dead that he loved? 7. How many states did he visit? 8. Whose graves did he visit? 9. How did Congress
testify its love for Lafayette ? 10. How old was Steuben when he
was made a general? 11. Who got Steuben to come to America? 12. What proof can you give of his generosity? 13.
What made the army seem so poor at Valley Forge? 14. What great
lesson did Steuben teach the American soldier? 15. Where did the
American soldier show the British soldier an example of Steuben's bayonet charge?
16. How did Congress and New York show their love for
Steuben?
17. Why did Kosciuszko come to America and who sent him over? 28. In what wars did he fight and what were his words to the
Russians? 19. What marks his memory in America?
20. What were Pulaski's experiences before coming to America? 21. Who sent him to America? 22. Tell the story of
Pulaski's famous Legion. 23. Read Longfellow's poem, "Hymn of the
Moravian Nuns at Bethlehem." 24. Who built a monument to Pulaski
and who laid the corner stone? 25. Tell the story of De Kalb
before he came to America. 26. Tell the story of the "brave De
Kalb and his Continentals" at Cam- den. 27. Who built him a
monument? 28. Why did Lafayette go so far to lay the corner
stone?
Suggested Readings. LAFAYETTE: Glascock, Stories of Columbia, 114-126; Blaisdell and Ball, Hero
Stories from American History, 199-216; Cooke, Stories of the
Old Dominion, 308-318; Brooks, True Story of Lafayette.
Boone born in Pennsylvania
131. A Famous Frontier Hero. Daniel Boone was born in
Pennsylvania in 1735. He was only three years younger than Washington. While yet a
boy he loved the woods, and often spent days deep in the forest with no companion
but his rifle and dog.
Moved to the Yadkin
Boone's parents moved to North Carolina, and settled on the Yadkin River. There he married at the early age of twenty, and, pioneer-like, moved farther into the forest, where people were scarcer and game more plentiful. He built a log cabin for his bride, and made a "clearing" for raising corn and vegetables. But his trusty rifle furnished their table with all kinds of wild meat, such as bear, deer, squirrel, and turkey.
Crossed the mountains in 1760
In 1760, Boone with a friend crossed the mountains to the Watauga in east Tennessee, on a hunting expedition;, where he killed a bear, and cut the date of the event on, a beech tree, which still stands on Boone's Creek in east Tennessee.
One of Boone's hunter friends came back from a journey across the Cumberland
Mountains and told of the beauty of the land News from across the Cumberland
Boone and companions go to Kentucky
132. Boone Goes to the Land of Canebrake and Blue Grass. While
the people along the seacoast were disputing with the king, Boone and five
companions, after climbing over mountains, fording rivers, and making their way
through pathless forests reached Kentucky, the land of salt springs, canebrakes, and
blue grass.
Danger from animals
They built a log camp and spent several months enjoying the wild life so dear to the hunter. But it was full of danger. Sometimes it was a battle with a father and a mother bear fighting for their little ones. The sneaking ,panther or the lurking wildcat threatened their lives. Now and then, hundreds of buffaloes came rushing through the canebrakes.
Danger from Indians ever present
But danger from the Indians was present every moment. Day and night, sleeping in their camp or tramping through the woods, the hunters had to be ready for the death grapple. One day Boone and a companion named Stewart were off their guard. The Indians rushed upon them and captured them.
Captured but escapes
Boone and his companion understood the ways of the Indians, and won their confidence. One night, as the savages slept around the camp fire, Boone arose and quietly awoke Stewart. They stole silently from the camp and hastened by night and day back to their old camp, only to find it destroyed and their comrades gone.
News from the old home
One day Daniel Boone saw his brother coming through the woods. What a happy meeting five hundred miles from home! The brother brought good news from kindred and friends.
His brother returns home for supplies
Stewart was shot by the Indians, but Boone and his brother remained all winter in Kentucky. Powder, lead, and salt were growing scarce. What should be done? Boone's brother returned home for supplies, but Daniel remained without even a dog for a companion. He very seldom slept twice in the same place for fear of the Indians.
He wandered to the banks of the Ohio, and was charmed with all he saw. He decided that some day he would make Kentucky his home.
Brings supplies and both go home
Boone's brother returned in the spring, bringing supplies on two pack horses. After further explorations the two brothers returned to their home on the Yadkin and told their neighbors of the wonders of the new land.
An Indian attack
In the fall of 1773, several families, with cattle and horses, bade farewell to their friends and started for Kentucky, "a second Paradise," as Boone called it. Before they reached the new land Indians fell upon them and killed six. Among the killed was Boone's eldest son. The party returned for a time to a settlement in Virginia.
Richard Henderson, a rich planter, claimed a great tract of land in Kentucky, and
put Boone at the head of thirty brave men to cut and blaze a road from the Holston
River over the mountains, through Cumberland Gap to the Kentucky River. The result
Making the "Wilderness Road"
Fort Boonesboro
When the road was finished to the banks of the Kentucky River, Daniel Boone built Fort Boonesboro. The fort was about two hundred sixty feet long, and one hundred fifty feet wide. At each corner of it stood a two-story blockhouse with loopholes, through which the settlers could shoot at Indians. Cabins with loopholes were built along the sides of the fort. Between the cabins a high fence was made by sinking log posts into the ground. Two heavy gates were built on opposite sides of the fort. Every night the horses and cattle were driven inside the fort.
His family in the "second Paradise"
133. Boone Takes His Family to Kentucky. When the fort was
finished Boone brought his family, and several others, over the mountains to his
"second Paradise." Other settlers came, and Boonesboro began to grow. Some of the
bolder settlers built cabins outside of the fort, where they cut away and burned the
trees to raise corn and vegetables.
Three girl prisoners
To the Indian all this seemed to threaten his hunting ground. The red men were
anxious, therefore, to kill and scalp these brave pioneers. One day, Boone's
daughter and two girl friends were out late in a boat near the shore
The chase and the capture
What sorrow in the fort that night! Had the Indians scalped the girls, or were they hastening to cross the Ohio with them? The next day Boone with eight men seized their guns, found the Indian trail, and marched with all speed. What if the Indians should see the white men first! On the second day Boone's party came upon the Indians building a fire, and fired before they were seen. Two of the Indians fell, and the others ran away, leaving the girls behind, unharmed, but badly frightened.
Kentucky in the War of the Revolution
The War of the Revolution was already raging east of the mountains, and the Indians were taking the side of the British. In April, 1777, a small army of Indians crossed the Ohio and attacked Boonesboro. The little fort made a bold fight. The Indians retreated, but returned on the Fourth of July in large numbers, to destroy the fort and scalp the settlers. For two days and nights the battle went on. The fierce war cry of the Indians filled the woods around the fort. The white men took deadly aim. The women aided by melting the lead into bullets. The Indians again failed and finally retreated.
The prize prisoner
While making salt at the "Blue Licks," Boone and twenty-seven of his men were captured by the Indians and marched all the way to Detroit, the headquarters of the British army in the Northwest. The British offered the Indians five hundred dollars for Boone, but the savages were too proud of their great prisoner, and marched him back to their towns in what is now Ohio.
Adopted by an Indian family
Here he was adopted by an Indian chief. They plucked out all of Boone's hair except a "scalp lock," which they ornamented with feathers. They painted and dressed him like an Indian. His new parents were quite proud of their son. Sometimes he went hunting alone, but the Indians counted his bullets and measured his powder. But Boone was too shrewd for them. He cut the bullets in two, and used half charges of powder.
Steals away to Boonesboro
One day he saw four hundred fifty painted warriors getting ready to march against Boonesboro. He went hunting that day, but he did not come back. What excitement in that Indian town! Soon the woods were full of Indians hunting for Boone. In five days— with but one meal— he reached Boonesboro.
All hands fell to repairing the fort. The horses, cattle, and provisions were brought inside the fort, and water was brought from the river.
The Indians came, and Boone's "Indian father" called on him to surrender. Boone asked for two days to think about it, but he used this time in getting ready to fight. At the end of the two days Boone told him that his men would fight to the last.
An Indian trick spoiled
The Indians then proposed that twelve from each side meet to make a treaty of peace. Boone took his strongest men. While parleying, each Indian suddenly seized a white man. The white men broke away, and ran for the fort. Boone's riflemen were ready, and poured a hot fire into the Indians.
The Indians climbed into trees to shoot down into the fort. They tried to set the fort on fire, but failed. They then tried to dig a tunnel under the fort, but that failed also.
The Indians cannot capture Boone's fort
After nine days of failure, and after losing many warriors, the Indians gave up the fight and recrossed the Ohio. Although the settlers had to keep a daily watch for Indians, and had to fight them in other parts of Kentucky, they never attacked Boonesboro again.
Boone's reason for again moving west
During the Revolutionary War other brave men came as pioneers into Kentucky, and built forts, and defended their settlements against the Indians. As the settlements grew thicker, game grew scarcer. Boone resolved once more to move farther west. When asked why, he replied: "Too much crowded. I want more elbow room."
Moves to Missouri
Died in 1820
At the age of sixty, while Washington was still president, and after he had seen Kentucky become a state, Daniel Boone and his faithful wife made the long journey to the region beyond the Mississippi, into what is now Missouri. There he lived and hunted. He saw this region pass from Spain to France, and from France to the United States (1803). He was still a hunter at eighty-two, and saw Missouri preparing to enter the Union as the twenty-fourth state.
Buried at Frankfort, Kentucky
He died in 1820 at the age of eighty-six. Years afterward, remembering the noble deeds of the great pioneer, Kentucky brought his body to the capital city and buried it with great honors.
The Leading Facts.
1. Boone loved the woods, crossed the mountains into east
Tennessee, and later went to Kentucky. 2. He wintered alone in
Kentucky; his brother returned home for supplies. 3. Boone built
the "Wilderness Road," and also built Fort Boonesboro, to which settlers flocked.
4. Boone took part in the War of the Revolution, was captured by
the Indians, carried to Detroit, but escaped. 5. Indians attacked
Boonesboro, and tried to catch Boone by a trick. 6. Boone moved to
get more "elbow room." 7. Years after his death his remains were
taken to Frankfort, Kentucky.
Study Questions.
1. What other boys in our history have loved the woods besides
Boone? 2. What did Boone do that was pioneer-like? 3. What was the country doing in 1760? 4. Why did Boone
wish to leave North Carolina? 5. What were the early names of
Kentucky, and what did these names mean? 6. Tell the story of
Boone's first visit to Kentucky. 7. Picture the capture and escape
of Boone and Stewart. 8. What were the things about Kentucky that
Boone and his brother told the neighbors in North Carolina? 9.
Find the places on the map which are named on Boone's Wilderness Road. 10. Picture Boonesboro. 11. Picture the scene in
Boonesboro the night of the capture of the girls and also of their rescue and return
home. 12. Imagine yourself a person in Boone's fort and tell what
you saw and heard. 13. Go with Boone to Blue Licks and help make
salt. 14. Be captured and tell of the long journey to Detroit,
what you saw there, Boone's being "adopted," and how and why he made his escape. 15. Tell the story of the last attack on Boonesboro. 16. Why did Boone move to Missouri? 17. How did Kentucky
honor Boone?
Suggested Readings. DANIEL BOONE: Wright, Children's Stories of American Progress,
1-40; Glascock, Stories of Columbia, 138-147; Hart, Camps and Firesides of the Revolution, 101-116; McMurry, Pioneers of the Mississippi Valley, 68-83; Perry and Beebe, Four American Pioneers, 11-68; Roosevelt, The Winning of the
West, I, 134-165, 244-271.
Born of Scotch-Irish parents
134. Leaders of the Settlements on the Watauga and Cumberland.
James Robertson was born in Virginia in 1742, but his Scotch-Irish parents soon
carried him to North Carolina, where, like his friend Boone, he learned far more
from the woods than from books.
His stories took sixteen families
How they traveled
Robertson grew up to be a hunter, and went with Boone over the mountains. His descriptions of the country and his stories of adventure so excited his neighbors, that in the spring of 1771 sixteen families followed him into east Tennessee. Most of them had to make the rough journey on foot, for the horses were loaded with household furniture. Only the weaker women and young children rode on horseback. The men, with rifles on their shoulders, led the way, and kept a sharp lookout for game and for Indians. The older children drove the cows.
Made friends with the Indians
These pioneers settled on the Watauga River, a branch of the Holston. Robertson, like William Penn, immediately paid the Indians for their lands, and lived in peace with the red man for several years.
Followed Boone's Wilderness Road
135. Robertson Settles Nashville. In the spring of 1779, Robert-
son and eight comrades followed Daniel Boone's Wilderness Road through Cumberland
Gap and across the Cumberland River. There they turned southwest, traveling through
unbroken forests till they reached a point on the Cumberland where the city of
Nashville now stands. There they built cabins and planted corn. Leaving men to keep
the buffaloes from destroying the corn, they made their way back to the settlement
on the Watauga.
The long journey to Nashville
In the fall Robertson, with most of the men and a few families, returned to the new home on the Cumberland. The women, children, and some of the men went all the way by boats down the Tennessee, guided by Robertson's friend, Donelson. They had scows, flat-boats, and canoes, and one cannon. The men, like all pioneers, carried their rifles. It was a long, roundabout way.
The Indians often shot at them from the shore. One boat, containing nearly thirty persons, had to stay far behind, because smallpox was on board. The Indians killed or captured every one in that boat, for the other boats could not turn back against the swift current to help them. But a great punishment came upon the Indians, for they took smallpox, and hundreds of them died. Courage
Courage of Mary Gower
The women, too, were brave. During an Indian attack, nearly all the men in one boat
seized their rifles. Mary Gower, a young
Welcomed at Nashboro
Day after day they rowed down the stream till they reached the mouth of the Cumberland. Up this river they moved more slowly, but finally in April they were welcomed at Nashboro (Nashville) by Robertson and their other friends. There were five hundred settlers— a good beginning for a great town in the beautiful valley of middle Tennessee.
Indian troubles
But the Indians began to "pick off" the settlers. They shot them sometimes as they opened their doors, as they worked in their clearings, as they gathered their corn in the fields, and as they hunted the deer and the buffalo. They stole the settlers' horses and cattle. Sometimes they would creep upon a cabin, capture the children, carry them to their towns, and bring them up as Indians.
Robertson's brave words
The settlers were discouraged, and many were in favor of going back to their old home on the Watauga. But Robertson said to them: "Each one should do what seems to him his duty. As for myself, my station is here, and here I shall stay, if every man of you deserts me." These brave words gave courage to the settlers.
A long hard journey
But both powder and bullets were getting scarce. What should they do? Robertson and
a comrade, with a negro servant, made their way through the frozen woods to far-away
Boonesboro. Daniel Boone gave them hearty welcome and all the powder and
When the Revolutionary War was over, and the Indians became less hostile, settlers from Virginia and the Carolinas flocked into Tennessee and settled at Nashboro.
Washington made him a general
Died in 1814
When Washington became President, looking for brave men, he made Robertson a general in the American army as a reward for his heroic deeds. The brave old pioneer lived to see Tennessee made a state (1796). He died in 1814, greatly beloved by the people of the state he had done so much to help build.
Sevier born in Virginia
Early life in the Shenandoah
136. A Famous Indian Fighter. John Sevier was born in the
Shenandoah Valley in 1745. His mother taught him to read, but he obtained most of
his schooling in George Washington's old school town, Fredericksburg. He quit school
at sixteen. He built a fort-like storehouse on the Shenandoah and called it
Newmarket. He lived there, selling goods and fighting Indians, until, at the early
age of twenty-six, he was a wealthy man. He had already made such a name as an
Indian fighter that the governor made him captain in the militia of which George
Washington was then colonel.
Fine looking
Sevier was a fine-looking man. He was tall, slender, erect graceful in action, fair
skinned, blue eyed, and had pleasing
He goes to Watauga
A most promising future opened before him in Virginia. But hearing of Robertson's band of pioneers on the Watauga, he rode over one day to see them and resolved to cast in his lot with them. From now on Sevier and Robertson were fast friends.
Tennessee in the Revolution
During the Revolutionary War, British agents went among the Cherokee Indians and gave them "guns and ammunition. Indian- like, they planned to take Fort Watauga by surprise. They came creeping up to the fort one morning just at daybreak. Forty deadly rifles suddenly blazed from portholes and drove them back to the woods. During the siege of three weeks, food grew scarce at the fort, and men grew tired of being cooped up so long. Some ventured out and were shot or had narrow escapes.
The story of Jack Sevier and Kate Sherrill
The story is told that Sevier, during the siege, fell in love with the beautiful,
tall, brown-haired Kate Sherrill. One day she ventured out of the fort. It was a
daring act, for four men had lost their lives in this way. The Indians tried to
catch the girl, for they did not want to kill her. But she could run like a deer,
and almost flew to the fort. Sevier was watching and shot the Indian nearest her,
The gate was closed but she jumped with all her might,
Sevier acts quickly
In 1778, Sevier heard that the Indians were coming again. He quickly called his men together, took boats, and paddled rapidly down the Tennessee to the Indian towns. He burned the towns, captured their store of hides, and marched home on foot. How surprised the Indians were when they returned!
Moves to the Nolichucky
137. Nolichucky Jack. The Watauga Settlement was growing in
numbers, and Sevier went to live on the Nolichucky, a branch of the French Broad
River. There he built a large log house, or rather two houses, and joined them by a
covered porch. Outside were large verandas, while inside were great stone
fireplaces.
Welcomes rich and poor
Here Sevier gave hearty welcome to friend and stranger, no matter how poor, if they were honest. The settlers far and wide, and new settlers from over the mountains, partook of his cider, hominy, corn bread, and of wild meat of many kinds. Sometimes he invited them with their families to a barbecue. Whether people came for advice or to call him to arms against the Indians, no one was turned away. "Nolichucky Jack," as his neighbors loved to call him, held a warm place in every settler's heart.
British challenge to Kings Mountain
In 1780, Cornwallis, then victorious in South Carolina, sent Colonel Ferguson with
one thousand British soldiers into western North Carolina to punish the
backwoodsmen. Ferguson grew bold, and sent word across the mountains, threatening to
punish Sevier and his brave riflemen. This was enough. Colonel Shelby of Kentucky
and Sevier resolved to rouse the frontiersmen, cross the mountains, and teach
Colonel Ferguson a lesson. Colonel Campbell with his men from the Holston, in
Virginia, joined them. A thousand well-mounted backwoodsmen, with their long rifles,
fringed hunting shirts, and coonskin caps, began the march from
The plan of battle
Battle of Kings Mountain
The backwoodsmen picked nine hundred men to make the charge up the mountain in face
of the bayonets, although among themselves there was not a bayonet. Three divisions,
one for each side, marched up the mountain. Down the mountain side came the flashing
bayonets. The backwoodsmen in the center retreated from tree to tree, firing
steadily all the time. The British, now shot at from both sides as well as in front,
turned and charged at one
The result
The backwoodsmen kept to trees and their rifles seldom missed their aim. The British retreated to the top of the mountain. Colonel Ferguson was killed and his entire army was killed or captured. This victory caused great rejoicing among the Americans and prepared the way for the work of Greene and Morgan.
A deadly blow
Sevier and Campbell hastened back over the mountains, for the Indians were scalping and burning again. With seven hundred riflemen, they marched against the Indian towns and burned a thousand cabins and fifty thousand bushels of corn. This was a hard blow, but the Indians kept fighting several years longer.
Sevier, in all, fought thirty-five battles. He was the most famous Indian fighter of his time.
Governor of Tennessee many times
Indians trusted him
When Tennessee became a state the people elected him governor. They reflected him till he had held the office for twelve years. The people of Tennessee almost worshiped the bold pioneer. He had spent all his time and all his wealth in their service. And times while he was governor, and living in Knoxville, the early capital, one or more of his old riflemen were always living at his home. Even the Indian chiefs often came to visit him. When the people of Tennessee were debating questions of great importance, they always asked: "What says the good old governor?"
The boy's disappointment
One Sunday, when all the people of a backwoods settlement were at the country church, a bareheaded runner rushed in and shouted "Nolichucky Jack's a-coming!" The people rushed out to see their governor. As he came near, he greeted one of his old riflemen, put his hand upon the head of the old soldier's son, spoke a kindly word, and rode on. The boy looked up at his father and said: "Why, father, 'Chucky Jack' is only a man!"
Died in 1815
Sevier died in 1815, while acting as an officer in marking the boundary line between Georgia and the Indian lands. Only a few soldiers and Indians were present. There he lies, with only the name "John Sevier" cut on a simple slab. But for generations the children of the pioneers went on repeating to their children the story of the courage and goodness of "Nolichucky Jack." His name is yet a household word among the people of eastern Tennessee. Their children are taught the story of his life. In the Court House yard at Knoxville stands a monument erected to his memory.
The Leading Facts.
1. James Robertson loved the woods, and grew up to be a great
hunter. 2. He moved to the Watauga, crossed the mountains and
settled in Nashville. 3. Others went to Nashville by way of the
Tennessee. 4. The Indians grew dangerous, and Robertson went to
Boonesboro for powder. 5. Washington made Robertson a general. 6. John Sevier studied at Fredericksburg; fought Indians in the
Shenandoah. 7. He went over to Watauga; helped defend it against
the Indians. 8. Settled on the Nolichucky, where he welcomed all
classes. 9. Sevier helped win the great victory at Kings Mountain.
10. He was many times Governor of Tennessee, and a monument to
his memory stands in the Court House yard at Knoxville.
Study Questions.
1. Who was James Robertson? 2. What made his
neighbors excited? 3. Make the journey to Watauga; tell how they
camped, how they marched, how they cooked their food, and what good things they had
to eat. 4. Tell of the journey to Nashville. 5.
Were there many such girls as Mary Gower? 6. What did the Indians
do? 7. Commit to memory Robertson's brave words. 8. Take the long journey with Robertson to Boonesboro, tell what he saw and
heard on the way, and the "grand time" he must have had at the fort. 9. After the Revolution where did Nashville get its new settlers? 10. Tell the story of Robertson's last days.
11. What famous men went to school at Fredericksburg? 12. What famous men have lived a part of their time in the
Shenandoah? 13. What was the charm of Sevier's manner? 14. What changed his career? 15. Tell what
happened to Sevier at the siege of Fort Watauga. 16. Why did
Sevier leave Watauga, and what sort of life did he lead on the Nolichucky? 17. Tell of the gathering of the clans and picture the battle of
Kings Mountain. 18. Why was Sevier called an "Indian fighter"? 19. Why did the people of Tennessee love Sevier? 20. Why was the boy disappointed? 21. What proof have we
that the people of Tennessee love the memory of John Sevier?
Suggested Readings. JAMES ROBERTSON: McMurry, Pioneers of the Mississippi Valley,
84-103; Phelan, History of Tennessee, 118-129; Roosevelt, The Winning of the West, II., 324-369.
JOHN SEVIER: Blaisdell and Ball, Hero Stories from American History, 90-104; McMurry, Pioneers
of the Mississippi Valley, 104-123; Phelan, History of
Tennessee, 57-66, 241-257.
Clark born in Virginia
A surveyor
138. A Successful Leader Against the Indians and the British.
George Rogers Clark was born in Virginia in 1752. From child- hood Clark liked to
roam the woods. He became a surveyor and an Indian fighter at the age of twenty-one.
Like Washington, with chain and compass, and with axe and rifle, he made his way far
into the wild and lonely forests of the upper Ohio.
A scout
Clark was a scout for the Governor of Virginia in the expedition which defeated Cornstalk, the great Indian chief of the Shawnees, at the mouth of the Kanawha.
Two years later Clark made his way alone over the mountains and became a leader in Kentucky, along with Boone. The Kentucky hunters chose Clark to go to Virginia as their lawmaker.
In Kentucky
He told Governor Patrick Henry that if Kentucky was not worth defending against the Indians, it was not worth having. At this the Virginian lawmakers made Kentucky into a Virginia county and gave Clark five hundred pounds of powder which he carried down the Ohio River to Kentucky.
Life at Harrodsburg
Clark lived at Harrodsburg where, for more than a year, he was kept busy helping the settlers fight off the Indians. This was the very time when Boonesboro and other settlements were so often surrounded by Indians who had been aroused by the British officers at Detroit. These officers paid a certain sum for each scalp the Indians brought them.
Turns to Patrick Henry in time of need
After having seen brave men and women scalped by the Indians, Clark decided to strike a blow at the British across the Ohio. But where could he find money and men for an army? Kentucky did not have men enough. Clark thought of that noble patriot across the mountains, Patrick Henry. He mounted his horse and guided some settlers back to Virginia, but kept his secret. In Virginia he heard the good news that Burgoyne had surrendered.
Governor Henry was heart and soul for Clark's plan. He made Clark a colonel, gave him six thousand dollars in paper money, and ordered him to raise an army to defend Kentucky.
A colonel with a secret
139. The Campaign Against Old Vincennes. In May, 1778, Clark's
little army of about one hundred fifty backwoodsmen with several families took their
flatboats and floated down the Monongahela to Fort Pitt. Clark did not dare tell the
riflemen where they were going, for fear the British might get the word. Here they
took on supplies and a few small cannon.
Floating down the beautiful Ohio
On they floated, in the middle of the river to keep away from the Indians who might be hiding in the deep, dark forests on the river banks. At the falls of the Ohio, on Corn Island, Clark landed his party. He built a blockhouse and cabins, and drilled the riflemen into soldiers while the settlers planted corn. This was the beginning of the city of Louisville.
Clark tells his secret
One day Clark called his men together and told them the secret— he was really leading them against the British forts on the Illinois and the Wabash rivers.
A few of the men refused to go so far from home— a thousand miles— but the rest were willing to follow their leader.
A long march begun
In June, Clark's boats "shot the falls" and were soon at the mouth of the
Tennessee, where a band of hunters joined the party. There Clark hid the boats and
began the long march through
Kaskaskia, July 4, 1778
They reached the old French town of Kaskaskia at dusk on July 4. They did not dare give a shout or fire a gun, for the British officer had more men than Clark.
Surrounds the town
Clark sent part of his men silently to surround the town, while he led the others to the fort, where they heard the merry music of the violin and the voices of the dancers.
Virginia not Great Britain
The French settlers alarmed
Clark himself slipped into the great hall, folded his arms, and looked in silence
on the dimly-lighted scene. An Indian lying on the floor saw Clark's face by the
light of the torches. He sprang to his feet, and gave the terrible war whoop.
Instantly the dancing ceased, the women screamed, and the men rushed toward Clark.
But Clark simply said: "Go on with your dance, but remember that you dance under
Virginia and not under Great Britain!" The British general surrendered, and the
French inhabitants trembled, when they learned that the backwoodsmen had captured
the town. They sent their priest, Father Gibault, and other chief men to beg for
their lives. Imagine their surprise
The treaty with France
He also told them that the King of France had made a treaty with the United States and was sending his great war ships and soldiers to help America. The town of Cahokia also surrendered.
Vincennes surrenders
Father Gibault went to Vincennes to tell the French settlers about the doings of Clark and to give them the news that France had taken sides with the Americans. The people rejoiced and ran up the American flag. Clark sent Captain Helm to command the fort.
General Hamilton at Detroit was busy planning to attack Fort Pitt and to encourage the Ohio Indians to kill and scalp Kentuckians.
General Hamilton stirred up
Stays in Vincennes until spring
How astonished he was when he heard that the forts on the Illinois and the Wabash had fallen! He gathered a mixed army of British, Canadians, and Indians, crossed Lake Erie to the mouth of the Maumee, and "poled" and paddled up that river to the portage. Down the Wabash they floated, five hundred strong. Vincennes surrendered without a blow. Hamilton decided to stay there for the winter and march against Clark in the spring. This was a blunder. He did not yet know Clark and his backwoodsmen.
"I must take Hamilton or Hamilton will take me," said Clark, when he heard the news. He immediately set to work to build a rude sort of gunboat, which he fitted out with his cannon and about forty men. He sent the "Willing," as it was called, down the Mississippi, around into the Ohio, and up the Wabash to meet him at Vincennes.
Clark begins the march
All was excitement in the French towns. Forty or fifty French joined Clark's riflemen. Father Gibault gave them his blessing and the march overland to Vincennes began.
On the march
Clark divided his men into parties. Each, in its turn, did the hunting, and at night invited the others to sit around great camp fires to feast on "bear ham, buffalo hump, elk saddle, and venison haunch." They ate, sang, danced, and told stories. No doubt they often talked of their loved ones far away in the cabins of Virginia and Kentucky.
The drowned lands
On they pushed till they came to the "drowned lands of the Wabash," and there they saw miles and miles of muddy water. They made a rude boat to carry them over the deepest parts. The horses had to swim.
The morning gun
Soon they were near enough Vincennes to hear the "morning gun" at the fort, but they did not dare fire a gun themselves for fear of being discovered by parties of hunters. Food grew scarce, game was hard to find, and starvation threatened the men.
Terrible suffering
Sometimes, after wading all day, they could hardly find a dry spot to camp for the night. Some grew too weak to wade and were carried in boats. The stronger sang songs to keep up the courage of the weak. When they finally reached the opposite shore of the Wabash many fell, worn out— some lying partly in the water.
Those who were well built great fires and warmed and fed the faint ones on hot deer broth. But these brave men soon forgot their hardships and again were full of fight.
Clark's letter
Clark now decided to take a bold course. He sent a letter to the people of Vincennes telling them that he was about to attack the town. He advised all friends of America to remain quietly in their homes, and asked all friends of the British to go to the fort and join the "hair-buyer," as the backwoodsmen called Hamilton.
The attack
At dark, Clark's men charged into the town and attacked the fort. The fight went on all night. As soon as it was daylight the backwoodsmen fired through the portholes and drove the gunners from the cannon.
Hamilton surrenders
Clark's men begged to storm the fort. Only one American had been wounded, but several British soldiers had been killed and others wounded. In the afternoon Hamilton surrendered and once more the stars and stripes floated over "old Vincennes."
The "Willing" appeared in a few days. Her men were deeply disappointed because they were too late to take part.
Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Vincennes held by Americans
Clark put men in the forts at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes, and made peace with the Indians round about. But he was never able to march against Detroit, as once he had planned to do.
Clark's Grant
Virginia rewarded the brave men who had followed Clark by giving to each three hundred acres of land in southern Indiana. The land was surveyed and is known to-day as "Clark's Grant."
Clark and his men had performed one of the greatest deeds of
Clark unrewarded
George Rogers Clark was never properly rewarded. He spent his last days in poverty at the falls of the Ohio, on Corn Island, and died in 1818. In 1895 a monument was erected in honor of his memory in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Leading Facts.
1. George Rogers Clark loved the woods; was a surveyor and an
Indian fighter at twenty-one. 2. Moved to Kentucky, saw men and
women scalped, and resolved to capture the British posts north of the Ohio. 3. Clark received permission from Patrick Henry, collected his
little army, and floated down the Ohio to the falls. 4. He drilled
his men; set out for Kaskaskia, which he captured. 5. Clark
marched for Vincennes through the drowned lands, attacked and captured Vincennes.
6. Clark was not rewarded by the government, but the state of
Indiana has erected a great monument to his memory.
Study Questions.
1. What were Clark's surroundings in boyhood? 2.
When was he a scout? A leader in Kentucky? 3. What made Clark
learn to hate the British? 4. Tell the story of his secret. 5. Picture the voyage to the falls of the Ohio. 6.
What did Clark do here? 7. Tell the story of events from the falls
of the Ohio till he reached Kaskaskia. 8. Picture the scene of the
dance at Kaskaskia. 9. What news did Clark give Father Gibault?
10. Where were the British, and what did they do? 11. Picture Clark's march to Vincennes. 12. Be one of the
soldiers of Clark and tell what was seen, heard, and done the night of the attack on
Vincennes and the next day. 13. Where was Clark's Grant? 14. Why do we call Clark's conquest of Kaskaskia and Vincennes one
of the greatest events in American History? 15. Where is a
monument erected to his memory? 16. Find on the map the places
mentioned in the campaign.
Suggested Readings. GEORGE ROGERS CLARK: McMurry, Pioneers of the
Mississippi Valley, 124-149; Blaisdell and Ball, Hero Stories
from American History, 1-17; Eggleston, Tecumseh and the Shawnee
Prophet, 41-51; Roosevelt, The Winning of the West, II.,
31-85.
Born in the West Indies
140. The Man Who Became the First Secretary of the Treasury.
Alexander Hamilton was not born in the United States. He first saw the light of day
on a small British West India island, called Nevis. He was twenty-five years younger
than Washington and fifty-one years younger than Franklin.
Determined to rise
Hamilton's mother, who was a French Huguenot, died when he was young, and the boy was put into a counting house at the age of twelve. He wrote to a comrade: "I am confident that my age excludes me from any hope of immediate preferment, but I mean to prepare the way for 'futurity.'"
Comes to New York and prepares for King's College
Like Franklin, he read and studied while at work and was determined not to be an underling. Hamilton's friends saw his industry and ability and raised money to send him to school in America. At the age of fifteen he came to New York and went to a famous old school at Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He worked hard and at the end of the year was prepared for King's College, now Columbia University.
Studies men and events
While in college he studied with all his powers. He not only studied books, but the men and events around him. When he walked along his favorite shady street he "talked to himself" and made gestures. The people looked at him as they passed, but he did not always see them.
Hamilton speaks to the people
The city was full of excitement at this time over the laws passed by Parliament to punish Boston for destroying the tea. Great crowds were listening to speakers. One day when a pause came, Hamilton mounted the speakers' stand and began talking. The people were astonished. He was a mere boy. But his earnest words held them to the end.
He writes for the papers
He now began to write for the newspapers on the trouble between England and America. His articles were so well written and his arguments so full of points that the people, as in the case of Franklin, thought that some great man was their author.
Hamilton faces danger
When the Congress advised the people to get ready for war, Hamilton, who knew military affairs by the study of books, joined a company of volunteers. When a British war ship opened fire on New York, Hamilton and his volunteers rushed into danger to save their cannon and war stores.
His college president's mistake
The people blamed the Tories for this act of hostility. The "Liberty Boys" rushed to and fro through the streets hunting for them, and gathered before the house of the president of the college, who was a Tory. Hamilton mounted the steps, faced the angry mob and blamed them for their unlawful acts. While Hamilton was yet speaking, the president put his head out of the window and told the crowd to beware of such a fellow!
The war had come. Hamilton raised and drilled a company so well in the use of cannon that General Greene told Washington about young Captain Hamilton.
Hamilton and his brave men
When the boy captain with his company saved the American army at the battle of Long Island from a worse defeat, when he offered to retake Fort Washington, and when his little company, still brave and true, followed Washington across the Delaware River, General Washington made Hamilton an aid on his staff and his private secretary. Hamilton was at this time just twenty years old.
Hamilton in nearly all battles
Leads first charge at Yorktown
From the defeat on Long Island to the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Hamilton was in almost every battle fought by Washington. At Yorktown he led the first charge of the American army upon the British breastworks and in ten minutes captured that part of the fortification.
Marries Elizabeth Schuyler
Just one year before the surrender of Yorktown Hamilton had married Elizabeth
Schuyler, the daughter of General Schuyler. The Schuylers, as we have seen, belonged
to an old, aristocratic,
More power for Congress
141. Hamilton Defends the Constitution. He took up the study of
law in New York, but the very next year the legislature sent him to Congress. He
made speeches and wrote letters to newspapers in favor of giving more power to
Congress. He knew that the old soldiers were angry with Congress. They had been
poorly fed and poorly clothed, and were now going to their homes without their pay.
Had they not been patriotic, and had Washington not loved his country more than
himself, they might have made Washington king and forced the Congress to pay what it
owed them at the point of the bayonet.
Danger
Although the war was over and America was an independent nation, a great danger still hung over her. She could neither pay the old soldiers nor those foreign nations who had helped her. Many of the states fell to quarreling among themselves. Men like Washington, John Jay, and James Madison agreed with Hamilton in trying to get the states to give more power to Congress.
The greatest men in the Convention
In 1787, we have seen, the states sent fifty-five men to Philadelphia to decide
what could be done to make the government stronger. Washington, Franklin, Madison,
and Hamilton were the four greatest men in the Convention. Hamilton made speeches
and talked with members of the Convention in favor
Hamilton writes The Federalist
When the Constitution was finished, Hamilton went back to New York and wrote letters to a paper in favor of the new Constitution. These papers, with others written by James Madison and John Jay, now make a book, called The Federalist.
New York finally ratifies the Constitution
When the Convention of New York state met at Poughkeepsie (1788), to vote for or against the new Constitution, Hamilton was there and made many speeches in its favor, and finally had the pleasure of seeing New York accept the government and take her place among the states of the Union.
Washington chooses Hamilton secretary
When Washington became President he chose Hamilton to be the first Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton raised the money to run the new government, laid plans for paying the Revolutionary debt, and established a United States Bank.
Hamilton forms the Federalist party
He thus became the national leader of the men who supported Washington, and favored a strong government. They formed the Federalist party.
Killed by Burr in a duel
In 1804 Hamilton opposed Aaron Burr's election as governor of New York. Burr challenged Hamilton to fight a duel, and killed him at Weehawken, New Jersey, July i, 1804. The whole country was aroused, and Burr became an outcast from society.
Hamilton lies buried in Trinity churchyard, New York City.
Jefferson born in Virginia
A lover of books from boyhood
142. The Early Years of Jefferson. The author of the Declaration
of Independence was born in 1743, near Charlottesville, Virginia. Like other
Virginia boys, Thomas Jefferson lived on a large plantation, and spent much time in
hunting, fishing, and horseback riding. While yet a boy, and throughout his long
life, Jefferson loved books and studied hard every subject that came before his
mind.
Went to William and Mary College
At seventeen he rode away to Williamsburg to attend the College of William and Mary, the second oldest college in America.
Although Williamsburg was the capital of the largest and oldest of all the
colonies, it had scarcely more than A wonderful old town
At the opening of the House of Burgesses, Jefferson saw the best people in the Old Colony come pouring in. The planters came in fine coaches drawn by beautiful horses. The wives and daughters came to attend the governor's reception, and to enjoy meeting their old friends.
He knew great men
Jefferson became acquainted with the great men of his colony, and with many young men who were to be the future leaders in America. Here he met Patrick Henry, a student in a law office. Jefferson liked the fun-making Henry, and the two young men enjoyed many happy hours together, playing their violins.
Studies law
Hears Patrick Henry's stirring speech
After his graduation Jefferson remained in his old college town to study law in the office of one of Virginia's ablest lawyers. Henry often lodged in Jefferson's rooms when he came to attend the meetings of the Burgesses. When Henry made his stirring speech against the Stamp Act, Jefferson stood in the doorway of the House and listened spellbound to his friend's fiery eloquence.
Jefferson a member of the House of Burgesses
In a few years Jefferson himself was honored with a seat in the House of Burgesses.
He immediately took a leading part in opposing the tax on tea. The king's governor
became angry and sent the members of the House of Burgesses home. But before
Marries and begins life at Monticello
The next important event in Jefferson's life was his falling in love, and his marriage to a young widow. She was beautiful in looks, winning in her manner, and rich in lands and slaves. Jefferson took his young wife to a handsome mansion which he had built on his great plantation. He called the home Monticello. Here these two Virginians, like Washington and his wife at Mount Vernon, spent many happy days.
A rich man
Jefferson, with his wife's estate added to his own, was a very wealthy man. Together they owned at this time nearly one hundred thousand acres of land and three hundred slaves.
Committee of correspondence
But stirring events took Jefferson away from the quiet life at Monticello. After his marriage, he went to the meeting of the Burgesses, and there with other leaders formed a committee of correspondence. This committee wrote to the other colonies to get news of what the leaders were doing, and to tell them what the men in Virginia were planning to do. Each of the other colonies appointed committees of correspondence. They kept the news going back and forth as fast as rapid horsemen could carry it. These committees had a strong influence in uniting the colonies against England.
In the Continental Congress
143. Writes the Declaration of Independence. In 1775 the
Burgesses chose Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, and Benjamin Harrison as
delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. In this Congress Richard
Henry Lee made a motion declaring that the Thirteen Colonies were free and
independent of Great Britain.
The Congress appointed Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert R. Livingston of New York, to draw up a Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence
When these great men met to talk over the Declaration, the others urged Jefferson to do the writing, for he was able to put his thoughts on paper in plain, strong words. How important that the Declaration should be well written, and should contain powerful reasons for breaking away from England and setting up an independent government! A large number of people in America were opposed to separating from England. Besides, good reasons must be given to those brave Englishmen who, like Pitt and Burke, had been our defenders in Parliament.
The other members liked what Jefferson wrote
When Jefferson showed what he had written, the others liked it so well only a few words were changed. Even after several days' debate in Congress, only a few more words were changed. Then it was signed by the members of the Congress and sent out for all the world to see why America was driven to fight for independence.
John Hancock, the president of the Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration,
and he did so in large letters, saying that
Jefferson returned to Virginia, and later became governor, on the resignation of Patrick Henry.
Minister to France
Helps France become a Republic
After the war was over and England had taken her armies home, Congress sent Thomas Jefferson as minister to France (1785). The French people liked Jefferson very much, because, like Franklin, he was very democratic, and treated all men alike. The French people were just beginning to overthrow the power of their king, and plan a republic. Jefferson told them how happy the Americans were since they had broken away from George III.
After five years Jefferson returned home. When his negro slaves heard that he was
coming back to Monticello they went Greeted by his slaves
First Secretary of State
Washington had just been elected the first President of the United States (1789), and was looking for a good man to be his adviser on questions about foreign nations. He chose Jefferson to do that work and gave him the office of Secretary of State.
Leader of the Democratic-Republican party
Congress disputed and debated over the best ways of paying the Revolutionary War debt, and also over the question as to whether America should take sides with France in the great war between that country and England. The people also disputed over these questions, and formed themselves into two parties. One, the Democratic-Republican, was led by Thomas Jefferson, and the other, the Federalist party, as we have seen, was led by Alexander Hamilton.
Elected President
144. Jefferson President. In 1800 the people elected Jefferson
President. He was very popular because he was a friend of the poor as well as of the
rich people. He declared that the new national government should in every way be
plain and simple, instead of showy, like the governments of Europe.
Presidents Washington and Adams had had fine receptions, where people wore wigs, silver shoe buckles, and fine lace. When Jefferson became President he did away with all this show and style.
Reduces expenses
Jefferson also pleased the people by reducing the expenses of the government. He cut down the number of government clerks, soldiers in the army, and sailors in the navy. He spent just as little money as possible in running the government.
One of Jefferson's most important acts while President was the purchase of Louisiana. Thanks to George Rogers Clark and his brave men, England had been forced to give the United States the Mississippi as our western boundary.
Napoleon forces Spain to give France Louisiana
In 1800 Napoleon, the great French general, forced Spain to give France all of the region then known as Louisiana, which extended from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains, and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Spain, a weak country, had already refused to permit American boats to use the mouth of the Mississippi. What if Napoleon should send his victorious army to Louisiana and close the Mississippi entirely? Jefferson saw the danger at once, and sent James Monroe to Paris to help our minister, Robert R. Livingston, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, buy New Orleans and a strip of land on the east side of the Mississippi River near its mouth.
Sells Louisiana to America
Napoleon was about to enter on a terrible war with England, and needed money badly. He was only too glad to sell all of Louisiana for fifteen million dollars (1803). This was more than Livingston was told to buy, but he and Monroe accepted it.
The greatness of the purchase
If you will count the number of great states which have been carved out of the "Louisiana Purchase," and look at the great cities and the number of towns which have grown up within "old Louisiana," you will understand why great honor is given to the men who purchased this vast region.
The Lewis and Clark expedition
In the very next year, Jefferson sent out an expedition under the command of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore this vast country of Louisiana. With men, Indians, and boats they made their way slowly up the Missouri, across the mountains, and down the Columbia River to the Pacific coast.
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The wonderful stories told by Lewis and Clark gave Americans their first real knowledge of parts of the Louisiana Purchase and of the Oregon region. In 1904, America, with the help of all the great nations of the world, celebrated at St Louis the buying of this region by holding the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
President a second time
Friends visit him at Monticello
In 1804, Jefferson was elected President again by a greater majority than before. After serving a second term, he, like Washington, refused to be President for a third time. He retired to Monticello where he spent his last days pleasantly and where hundreds of friends from all parts of America and Europe came to consult him. The people called him the "Sage of Monticello."
Died July 4, 1826
Jefferson lived to see the first two great states, Louisiana and Missouri, carved out of the Louisiana Purchase. He died at Monticello, July 4, 1826. On the same day, at Quincy, Massachusetts, died his longtime friend, John Adams. These two patriots, one the writer, the other the defender of the Declaration of Independence, died just half a century after it was signed.
The Leading Facts.
1. Hamilton was born in the West Indies, and was sent by friends
to this country for an education. 2. While a student at Columbia,
Hamilton took part in the opposition to Great Britain. 3. He
joined the army, was put on Washington's staff, and was in almost every battle. 4. He led the American troops in the first charge at Yorktown. 5. After the war he worked for a strong government; went to the
Constitutional Convention. 6. Washington chose him to be Secretary
of the Treasury, and he founded the Federalist Party. 7. Thomas
Jefferson, born in Virginia, loved books, went to college, and met Patrick Henry.
8. Went to the Burgesses, planned the Committees of
Correspondence. 9. Jefferson was sent to the Congress of 1776;
wrote the Declaration of Independence. 10. After the war,
Jefferson was sent as Minister to France. 11. Washington chose him
as Secretary of State, and he founded the Democratic-Republican Party. 12. Jefferson was popular as President. He cut down expenses, and with his
savings purchased Louisiana.
Study Questions.
1. When and where was Hamilton born? 2. What of
his mother and what did he say of himself? 3. Where did he prepare
for college? 4. What proofs are given to show that Hamilton was a
good student? 5. Picture Hamilton making his first speech. 6. What reminds you of Franklin in his writings? 7. What did the President of Columbia think? 8. Who told
Washington about young Hamilton as a soldier? 9. What kind of a
family did Hamilton enter through his marriage? 10. What might
have happened at the close of the war if Washington had been less patriotic? 11. What was the cause of the quarreling at the close of the war and
what remedy did some men propose? 12. Name some of Hamilton's
ideas about the Government. 13. Mention something Hamilton did for
the Constitution, even if it did not contain his ideas. 14. To
what position did Washington call him and what party did he form? 15. What caused his death?
16. Name some things boys did on a Virginia plantation in
Jefferson's time. 17. Describe the town of Williamsburg. 18. What did Jefferson do, see, and hear in Williamsburg? 19. Name some of Virginia's great men whom Jefferson knew. 20. When did Jefferson become a member of the Burgesses? 21. Explain how the "Committees of Correspondence" worked. 22. Why did the Burgesses not choose Washington also to go to
Congress? 23. Who were the men appointed to make a Declaration of
Independence? 24. Why did Jefferson write the Declaration? 25. Why were some people opposed to the Declaration? 26. How well did Jefferson write the Declaration? 27. Why
did French people like Jefferson? 28. Picture Jefferson's return
home. 29. How was Jefferson fitted for Secretary of State? 30. What were the people then disputing about and who were their
leaders? 31. Why did Jefferson want the Government to be plain and
simple? Who wanted it different? 32. Tell the story of the buying
of Louisiana. 33. Why did Americans think the buying a great
event? 34. Why did Jefferson not become President a third time?
35. What of the friendship of John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson?
Suggested Readings. HAMILTON: Brooks, Century Book of Famous Americans, 49-63; Blaisdell and Ball, Hero Stories from American History, 138-155; Burton, Four American Patriots, 71-130; Bolton, Famous American
Statesmen, 99-132.
JEFFERSON: Wright, Children's Stories of American
Progress, 55-85; Cooke, Stories of the Old Dominion,
180-192; Hart, How Our Grandfathers Lived, 317-320; Butterworth,
In the Days of Jefferson, 32-168, 175-206, 216-264; Brooks, Century Book of Famous Americans, 117-135.
Son of a patriot and friend of Washington
145. William Henry Harrison. The hero of Tippecanoe, William
Henry Harrison, was born in Virginia in, 1773. His father was Benjamin Harrison, a
Revolutionary patriot who was three times governor of Virginia, and a good friend of
Washington.
Graduates with honor
Young Harrison went to the best schools, and finally graduated at Hampden-Sidney College with honor. His father died while he was yet in college and Robert Morris became his guardian.
Harrison made ensign by Washington
Reaches Fort Washington
He was sent to study medicine in Philadelphia, but soon gave that up for a career in the army. The story of the defeat of General Harmar, north of the Ohio, by the Indians, stirred his blood. At the age of nineteen, with an ensign's commission which President Washington had given him, he walked all the way to Pittsburg. There he took boat on the Ohio for Fort Washington, where Cincinnati now stands.
Young Harrison was just in time to see the broken fragments of St. Clair's army straggling into the fort. The Indians had struck a second awful blow, and there was mourning in nearly every frontier home.
Mad Anthony Wayne
"Mad Anthony" Wayne, as the soldier boys loved to call him, now took command.
Harrison was made a lieutenant and
Victory at Fallen Timber
In 1794, while marching down the Maumee, he found the Indians in ambush in some fallen timber. He did not fall into the trap, but sent men to the front and to the rear of the Indians. With a vigorous bayonet charge, he then drove them out of their hiding.
Harrison made captain
In this campaign the power of the Indians was broken completely. Lieutenant Harrison was praised in Wayne's dispatches to President Washington. He was made captain and given charge of Fort Washington.
Elected to Congress
Afterward he was elected from the territory of Ohio to Congress. In Congress he introduced a bill for dividing the public land into small portions for poor settlers. A few men who wanted to buy up this land opposed this bill with might and main, but Harrison was too much for them, and it became a law.
Made governor by President Adams
The land that forms Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan was united to make Indiana Territory. President John Adams made Harrison its governor. Jefferson and Madison were glad to reappoint him to the same position.
Harrison sought in every way possible to improve the condition Works for the good of Indians
Tecumseh talks war
146. Harrison and Tecumseh. The hardest chief to get on with
talks was Tecumseh. Made angry by a treaty which some of the chiefs had signed,
Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, began to talk war.
Harrison's invitation
Tecumseh's speech
Governor Harrison invited them to Vincennes, his capital, but ordered them to bring only thirty warriors. They came with more than four hundred painted braves! Tecumseh spoke: "Once there was no white man in all this country; then it belonged to the red men, children of the same parents, placed on it by the Great Spirit to keep it, to travel over it, to eat its fruits, and fill it by the same race— once a happy race, but now made miserable by the white people. The only way to stop this evil is for all red men to unite."
Harrison's answer
Governor Harrison made answer to this speech. Tecumseh cried out: "It is false!" His warriors sprang to their feet, and seized their war clubs. The governor was cool, and did not grow excited. He told Tecumseh that he was a bad man— "that he must leave the settlement immediately."
After he had left, awful stories of murders and burnings soon came to Harrison at
Vincennes.
Harrison calls an army about him
Harrison collected an army of more than nine hundred men, marched up the Wabash, and built Fort Harrison, near where Terre Haute now is. From Fort Harrison the army marched slowly along the Wabash to the mouth of the Tippecanoe. They encamped on an elevated spot surrounded by an open prairie. This visit was a surprise to Tecumseh and his braves.
On the night of November the sixth the troops went to sleep with their clothes on,
and with their guns by their sides. On the morning of the seventh, the governor
arose at a quarter before How soldiers sleep when expecting the enemy
The battle of Tippecanoe
This they were doing when a guard, seeing an Indian creeping toward him in the grass, fired. Instantly the Indians rose up by hundreds and rushed upon the camp. The soldiers quickly put out the fires and seized their guns. The battle was a fierce one. When daylight came, Harrison rearranged his plan and all charged, driving the Indians into a swamp, and defeated them. This event was the battle of Tippecanoe (1811).
There were probably two thousand Indians in the battle. The Prophet sang a war song, growing louder as the battle went against him. Tecumseh was absent among the southern tribes working up a great union.
Indian warfare
147. Harrison in the War of 1812. The battle of Tippecanoe was a
forerunner of the War of 1812. When that war came, the Indians rushed upon the
settlements with tomahawk and scalping knife.
After General Hull surrendered Detroit to the British, Harrison was ordered to
gather an army and retake it. General Proctor, a British officer, captured a part of
the American forces under
Perry's victory helps Harrison
On September 10, 1813, Captain Perry won his great victory on Lake Erie. After the battle, Perry carried Harrison and his army over to Canada. Proctor fled.
The battle of the Thames
On the fifth of October, Harrison found Proctor's and Tecumseh's forces well posted near the Thames River. Harrison at once ordered General Richard M. Johnson of Kentucky to charge with his cavalry. Johnson's troops with the cry, "Remember the River Raisin," broke the line with ease. Proctor ran for his life, and his troops threw down their arms and surrendered. The Indians kept up the fight a while longer, till their great chief, Tecumseh, fell. He was killed, it was said, by Johnson.
Elected to Congress
General Harrison now sent his forces to Niagara and he himself returned to Vincennes. In 1816 he was elected to Congress from Ohio, and later was elected a United States Senator.
After several years a great business scare came upon the country. President Van Buren was held responsible because he would do nothing to help the country out of the panic.
Elected President and died in office
Harrison was nominated for President, in 1840, by the Whig party and was elected. One month after his inauguration he died. He was greatly beloved by all the people. Harrison was the first of a line of presidents that Ohio gave to the nation.
A Rhode Islander
A midshipman
148. A Young Man Who Captured a British Fleet. Perry was born in
Rhode Island in 1785. He went to the best schools, and learned the science of
navigation. At fourteen years of age, he was a midshipman on his father's vessel.
Young Perry had made a number of voyages when President Jefferson cut down the navy,
to reduce expenses, and threw him out of a position.
In the wars against the Barbary pirates
Perry was a lieutenant in a war against the pirates of the Barbary countries of the Mediterranean, and served, at various times, on four different ships. When the war was over, in 1806, he came home.
For a number of years British men-of-war had been searching American vessels for British sailors. In 1807 occurred the outrage on the American ship "Chesapeake," by the "Leopard." The "Chesapeake" was fired upon and compelled to strike her colors, and permit herself to be searched by the British.
But let them beware!
Perry's blood boiled, as did that of every lover of his country. He wrote to his father: "You must ere this have heard of the outrage committed by the British on our national honor. The British may laugh, but let them beware!"
After managing the building of gunboats at two different places for the Government, he received a year's leave of absence.
Perry's generous nature
When the War of 1812 broke out, Perry was promised the first vacancy. Two vacancies occurred, but other lieutenants were called to fill them, yet Perry, who was a generous-hearted man, spoke manly words of praise for the two promoted over him.
Perry keeps things moving
In 1813, much to Perry's delight, he was ordered to Lake Erie as commander of some ships to be built there. So prompt was he that fifty men left for Lake Erie on the very day he received his orders. In four days one hundred fifty more had started. Perry was stirring things.
A fleet out of the green woods
He went to Presque Isle (Erie), Pennsylvania, and there gave orders, thick and fast, for ship carpenters from Philadelphia, and for stores and guns for the ships being built. He made a flying visit to Pittsburg, and saw the men at work, making material for his fleet. After his return to Presque Isle, the building of the ships went on more rapidly than before. Soon the ships, out of the only a few weeks before green trees standing in the woods, were afloat and his fleet was ready to fight.
General Harrison was writing to Perry for help, and Perry was writing for more men. The men finally came, and Perry put them on board, and trained them in their duties. He saw that each man on each ship knew just what to do.
Prayer on board
149. Perry's Successful Fight with the British. When all was
ready, a minister came on board the "Lawrence, " Perry's flag ship,
Perry's eyes on the British
Perry sailed for Put-In-Bay, which is not far from Sandusky, Ohio, to watch the movements of the British ships, which were commanded by Captain Barclay, a veteran who had fought many battles under the British flag.
Captain Perry was on the "Lawrence," named after Captain Lawrence, who had been killed earlier in the war while bravely fighting. The "Niagara" was another of Perry's large ships. Besides these, there were several smaller vessels.
Lawrence's last words
Having completed his line of battle, Perry unfurled a beautiful flag: "My brave lads," said he, "this flag contains the last words of Captain Lawrence. Shall I hoist it?" "Ay! Ay! sir," responded every voice. Cheers came from all the remainder of the fleet as the flag greeted their sight. "Don't give up the ship!" were the words the flag showed as it was unfurled to the breeze.
Perry drives the "Lawrence" into the British fleet
Perry drove the "Lawrence" right into the midst of the enemy's fleet, but the "Niagara" did not follow, although Perry kept the signal for close action flying all the time.
Awful scenes on the "Lawrence"
The enemy turned the guns of their whole fleet upon the "Lawrence." In a short time Perry's ship was in an awful condition, with eighty-three men killed and wounded out of one hundred! Still the battle went on. Some men were killed while talking with the captain. Others had been shot through and through. Some had an arm or a leg shot away. The loss of life was dreadful, but Perry was cool.
Perry wins the battle
At half-past two, when the last gun of the "Lawrence" could not be fired any more, Perry ordered a boat to be lowered, and with some brave men rowed to the "Niagara." The British tried to kill him or sink his boat but he reached the "Niagara" in safety. Once on board, he brought her unharmed into the midst of the fight, delivering her broadsides right and left. At every broadside the shrieks and cries of the British sailors could be heard. In fifteen minutes the two largest British ships struck their colors. The remainder of the fleet then surrendered.
On board the American vessels there was rejoicing mingled with mourning. Twenty-seven men had been killed and ninety-six wounded. On board the British ships all was mourning. Forty-one men had been killed and ninety- four wounded.
Perry's famous dispatch
Captain Perry wrote on the back of an old letter, resting it on his cap, his famous dispatch to General Harrison: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop."
Meaning of the victory
The battle of Lake Erie was a famous one. It wiped out an entire fleet. It frightened the Indians, and with the battle of the Thames, which followed the next month, broke the British power in the West. Moreover, it saved the people of Ohio and Indiana from the savage Indians.
Perry a hero
Congress joins in honoring him
150. After the Victory. Captain Perry was received with every
mark of respect and honor on his way home. At Utica and Schenectady the people
greeted him. At Albany a large number of citizens escorted him into town. He was
given the freedom of the city, and was presented with a handsome sword. New England
gave Perry a royal welcome at Portsmouth and at Newport, his home. Congress voted
resolutions in praise of him, and ordered a gold medal struck in his honor. Wherever
he went the people paid him great attention.
Perry served along the New England coast, and was present when the British invaded Maryland and burned Washington.
After the close of the war, he was sent to the Mediterranean with Commodore Decatur to fight pirates again.
Died in Venezuela at thirty-four
On his return, he spent the winter with his family. In the spring of 1819 he was sent to Venezuela, South America. While sailing up the Orinoco, he was attacked by yellow fever, and died in the thirty-fourth year of his age. Rhode Island voted him a statue. There are statues of Perry at Newport and Cleveland.
A brilliant victory
151. Macdonough, Another Victor on the Lakes. Commodore
Macdonough commanded the American fleet on Lake Champlain. The fleet consisted of
four ships and ten gunboats, while the British fleet was made up of four ships and
twelve gunboats. The largest British vessel was supposed to be a match for the four
American ships. The battle occurred near Plattsburg. Macdonough won a brilliant
victory. He captured all four of the British ships.
Jackson a Scotch-Irishman
152. How a Poor Boy Began to Rise. Andrew Jackson was born of
Scotch-Irish parents who had emigrated from Ireland to South Carolina. His father
died and his mother-moved to North Carolina to be among her own people. Here, a few
days after his father's death, in the same year in which England passed the Tea Act
(1767), Andrew was born.
Learns from the woods
Schools were few and poor. In fact, Andrew was too poor himself to do anything but work. He learned far more from the pine woods in which he played than from books. At nine he was a tall, slender, freckle-faced lad, fond of sports, and full of fun and mischief. But woe to the boy that made "Andy" angry.
Learns to hate the British
When thirteen, he learned what war meant, for it was in the days of the Revolution when Colonel Tarleton came along and wounded one hundred fifty of Jackson's neighbors and friends. Among the killed was one of the boy's own brothers. Andrew never forgave the British.
A prisoner of war
Loses his mother
At fourteen he was taken prisoner by the British. "Boy," said an officer, "clean these boots!" "I will not," replied Jackson. "I am a prisoner of war, and claim to be treated as such." The officer drew his sword and struck Jackson a blow upon the head, and another upon the hand. These blows left scars which Jackson carried to his grave. He was taken a prisoner to Camden, where smallpox killed his remaining brother and left Andrew poor and sickly looking. His mother had come to Camden to nurse her sons. A little later she lost her life in caring for American prisoners on British ships in Charleston Harbor. Jackson was now an orphan of the Revolution.
A lawyer before twenty
After the Revolutionary times had gone by, Jackson studied law and at the age of twenty was admitted to practice in the courts.
But stories of the beautiful country that were coming over the mountains from Tennessee, stirred his blood. He longed to go, and in company with nearly a hundred men, women, and children, Jackson set out for the goodly land.
They crossed the mountains into east Tennessee, where was the town of Jonesboro, not far from where Governor Sevier lived.
Jackson and the others rested awhile before taking up their Follows the settlers over the mountains Outwits the Indians
Practicing law on the frontier
Arriving in Nashville, Jackson began the practice of law. To reach the court, he sometimes had to ride miles and miles, day after day, through thick forests, where the Indians might lie in wait.
When Tennessee was made a territory, Jackson became district attorney. He had many "ups and downs" with the bad men of the frontier. Jackson himself had a bad temper, and woe to the man who made him angry. He either got a sound thrashing or had to fight a duel.
In Congress
When Tennessee became a state, Jackson was elected to Congress. A year or so afterward (1797), he was appointed a United States Senator to fill a vacancy. But such a position did not give him excitement enough. He resigned the next year and returned to Nashville. He was a frontier judge for a time, then he became a man of business.
A call to arms
153. How Jackson Won a Great Victory. When the War of 1812 broke
out there was a call to arms! The British will capture New Orleans! Twenty-five
hundred frontiersmen rallied to Jackson's call. He was just the man to lead them.
They decided to go to New Orleans by water.
Down the Cumberland to the Ohio in boats! Down the Ohio to the Mississippi, and down the Mississippi to Natchez! Here they stopped, only to learn that there were no British near.
How he won the name "Old Hickory"
The twenty-five hundred men marched the long, dreary way home. Jackson was the toughest one among them. He could march farther and last longer without food than any of them. The soldiers nicknamed him "Old Hickory."
Another call to arms
Once more he was at home, where he now was a great man among his friends. About this time Jackson had a fierce fight with Thomas H. Benton and received a pistol shot in the shoulder. Before he got well the people who suffered from the Fort Mims massacre were calling loudly for help. Tecumseh had stirred up the Creeks to murder five hundred men, women, and children at this fort in Alabama.
Jackson and the hungry soldier
Twenty-five hundred men answered Jackson's call. They marched south through a barren country. Food was scarce. His army, almost starved, threatened to go home. A half-starved soldier saw Jackson sitting under a tree and asked him for something to eat. Looking up Jackson said: "It has always been a rule with me never to turn away a hungry man. I will cheerfully divide with you." Then he drew from his pocket a few acorns, saying: "This is the best and only fare I have."
But Jackson soon received reinforcements, and then, in spite of all these drawbacks, he broke the power of the Creeks in the great battle of Horseshoe Bend on Tallapoosa River in Alabama. After that they were only too glad to sue for peace.
A third call to arms
Jackson was hardly home again before President Madison made him a major-general, and sent him with an army to guard New Orleans from the British.
After attacking and capturing Pensacola, a Spanish fort which the English occupied, he hurried his army on to New Orleans. Nothing had been done to defend the city. Jackson immediately declared martial law. He threw himself with all the energy he had into getting New Orleans ready, for the British troops were already landing.
The two armies
The British general had twelve thousand veterans, fresh from their victory over the great Napoleon. Jackson had only half as many men. But nearly every man was a sharpshooter. They were riflemen from the wilds of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, and every man was burning with a desire to fight.
The beginning of the battle
Jackson had not long to wait. On came the British in solid column, with flags flying and drums beating. The fog was of the breaking away. Behind the breastworks stood the Americans with cannon loaded to the muzzle and with deadly rifles primed for the fight.
The cannon were the first to fire, but the redcoats closed up their shattered
ranks, and moved on. Those lines of red! How splendid and terrible they looked! The
Americans gave three cheers.
The battle in earnest
The victory after the treaty
Once more they rallied, led by General Pakenham, a relative of the great Duke of Wellington. But who could withstand that fire? Pakenham was slain and again his troops fled. The battle was over. The British had lost two thousand six hundred men and the Americans only twenty-one! This victory was won after peace had been made between England and America. A ship was then hurrying to America with the glad news.
Jackson a hero
Everywhere the people rejoiced greatly over the victory of New Orleans. Jackson was a great hero, and wherever he went, crowds followed him, and cried out, "Long live the victor of New Orleans!"
For several years, Jackson remained at the head of the army in the South. The Seminole War was fought, and those Indians were compelled to make peace.
Elected president
154. The People's President. The people of the United States
elected Jackson President in 1828, and reflected him in 1832 by a greater majority
than before, showing that he was very popular.
Quarrels with the bank
Great men oppose Jackson
President Jackson had a quarrel with the men who were managing the United States Bank. This bank kept the money for the government. He ordered that the money of the government be taken out of this bank and put in different State Banks which were called "pet" banks. In the Senate of the United States at this time were three men of giant-like ability— Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun. They joined together to oppose President Jackson in his fight against the United States Bank. These men made many long and very bitter speeches against the President.
The senate finally passed a resolution blaming President Jackson for taking the money away from the United States Bank. President Jackson was furious. He wrote a protest and sent it to the Senate. The people in the states took sides and the excitement spread to all parts of the country.
Jackson and Benton friends
In the Senate was another great man, Thomas H. Benton of Missouri. Although Jackson
and Benton had once fought a terrible duel in Nashville, they now were good friends.
Benton attacked Clay, Webster, and Calhoun in
There was great rejoicing among Jackson's friends, and Senator Benton was the hero of the day. President Jackson gave a great dinner party in Washington in Benton's honor.
Nullification
For a long time, South Carolina and other Southern states had been complaining about the high tariff which Congress had passed. In 1832 South Carolina declared in a state convention that her people should not pay the tariff any longer. She resolved to fight rather than obey the law and pay the tariff. This was called nullification.
President Jackson’s proclamation
President Jackson was very angry when he heard of this act of South Carolina. He told General Scott to take soldiers and war vessels to Charleston, and enforce the law at all hazards. The President published a letter to the people of South Carolina, warning them not to nullify a law of Congress.
Jackson a Union man
These acts made President Jackson very popular at the North, where the people all believed the President had saved the Union from breaking up.
In 1837 his second term as president expired and he retired from public life after having seen his good friend, Martin Van Buren of New York, made President.
Death at the Hermitage
Jackson returned to Tennessee, greatly beloved by the people. There, in his home, called the Hermitage, he spent the rest of his life. He died in 1845, at the age of seventy-eight.
The Leading Facts.
1. Harrison was born in Virginia, graduated from college with
honor, began the study of medicine, but gave it up for an ensign's commission in the
army. 2. Joined Wayne, fought the Indians, was elected to
Congress. 3. Harrison made governor of Indiana Territory, met
Tecumseh, and fought his brother, the Prophet, at Tippecanoe. 4.
Cooperated with Perry, won the battle of the Thames, and was afterwards made
President. 5. Perry went to school, studied navigation, and was a
midshipman at fourteen. 6. Served against the pirates, got angry
at the Chesapeake affair, and was appointed commandant at Lake Erie. 7. Perry built a fleet, cooperated with Harrison and won a famous victory
over the British. 8. Macdonough won a brilliant victory on Lake
Champlain. 9. Andrew Jackson was born of poor parents, learned
from the woods more than from books. 10. Jackson captured by the
British. His mother died nursing American, soldiers. 11. He
studied law, went over the mountains to Nashville, and was elected to Congress, and
served as United States Senator. 12. Jackson defeated the Indians,
captured Pensacola, and won a brilliant victory at New Orleans. 13. Jackson made President, opposed in his policy by Clay, Webster, and
Calhoun. 14. Threatens South Carolina over nullification. Died at
the Hermitage in 1845.
Study Questions.
1. Why did not young Harrison become a doctor? 2. What Indian War did he hear about? 3. Tell the story of
"Mad Anthony" Wayne. 4. What service did Harrison render the poor
settlers in Congress? 5. What did Washington, Adams, Jefferson,
and Madison do for Harrison? 6. Who was Tecumseh and what did he
say? 7. Tell the story of Harrison's march from Vincennes to the
battle ground. 8. Picture the battle. 9. What
connection between Perry's victory on Lake Erie and Harrison's victory at the
Thames? 10. Picture the battle of the Thames. 11. What positions did Harrison hold after the return of peace?
12. What positions in the navy did Perry hold before the War of
1812? 13. What did he think of the Chesapeake outrage? 14. What important command was finally given to Perry? 15. Tell what he did to get ready for the "Battle of Lake Erie." 16. Picture the battle. 17. What did the battle do
for the country? 18. What honors were given to Perry?
19. Where was Andrew Jackson born? 20. Name
some other boys who learned more from the woods than from books. 21. Mention some early experiences Jackson had with the British soldiers.
22. What other experiences did he have in the war? 23. What led him to go to Nashville? 24. Explain how
Jackson outwitted the Indians. 25. What did he do as a young
lawyer? 26. Tell the story of Jackson's first call to arms. 27. Give a full account of Jackson's second call to arms. 28. Imagine yourself one of Jackson's soldiers and tell what you saw
and heard at the battle of New Orleans. 29. Give an account of
Jackson's fight against the United States Bank. 30. Who was Thomas
H. Benton and why did he defend President Jackson? 31. What action
did South Carolina take in 1832, and what did the President do? 32. Where did Jackson live after his last term as President?
Suggested Readings. HARRISON: Stoddard, William Henry Harrison, 1-120; Eggleston, Tecumseh and
the Shawnee Prophet, 59-70, 83-90, 96-118, 130-134, 151-170, 174-206,
216-231, 306-318; Hart, How Our Grandfathers Lived, 193-195,
291-296.
PERRY: Beebe, Four American Naval Heroes,
71-130; Wright, Children's Stories of American Progress, 130-144;
Hart, How Our Grandfathers Lived, 241-242, 248-249; Glascock, Stories of Columbia, 172-174.
JACKSON: Brooks, Century Book of Famous
Americans, 162-172; Blaisdell and Ball, Hero Stories from
American History, 185-198; Hart, How Our Grandfathers
Lived, 284-291; Barton, Four American Patriots, 133-192;
Frost, Old Hickory.
155. The Rise of Henry Clay. Henry Clay was born in Virginia in
the year of Burgoyne's surrender (1777). His father was a Baptist preacher, with a
fine voice and a graceful way of speaking. He died when Henry was four years
old.
The "Mill boy of the Slashes"
Little Henry lived near the "Slashes," a low, flat region, and went to school in a log cabin. When not at school he worked in support of the family. He could be seen walking barefooted behind the plow, or riding the horse with a rope bridle to mill. From this he was called the "Mill boy of the Slashes."
Henry was a raw-boned and awkward lad. The other boys laughed at him, but he read books when not at work, and soon could speak far better than the boys who made fun of him.
Read books when other boys played
At fourteen he was a clerk in a store. But he seemed made other for other things. He was put in the office of a famous lawyer who was clerk in one of Virginia's courts.
The Chancellor of Virginia, a great judge, liked him and took him to be his private secretary. For four years Clay wrote down the judge's law decisions. The great man often talked with Clay on important subjects and advised him about the kind of books to read.
Leader in a debating club
After studying law for a year, Clay began to practice in Richmond. He had plenty of time, so he formed a debating club, in which he was easily the leader.
Finally he made up his mind to go to Lexington, Kentucky, and try his fortune in the West. There his rise in the law was rapid. His fame grew, and he became known as the lawyer who seldom lost a case.
He married a well-to-do young lady and lived near Lexington on a beautiful estate called Ashland.
Favors gradual abolition of slavery
Henry Clay's first work in politics was to favor the gradual abolition of slavery in Kentucky. Although beaten, he was always proud of his stand on this question.
Too young to be a Senator
When too young, according to the Constitution, to take his seat, he was made a Senator of the United States. But nobody called the attention of the Senate to his age. After his term as a Senator was out he was elected to the legislature of Kentucky, and was immediately made Speaker.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Born during the Revolution, Henry Clay like most Americans of his time grew up with hatred toward England in his heart. He was sent to Congress in 1811, and was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. As Speaker, he did much to bring on a declaration of war with Great Britain, in 1812.
Clay made speeches in Congress and over the country, stirring The War of 1812
The Treaty of Ghent
When the time for peace came President Madison sent Henry Clay and other noted Americans to Ghent, in Belgium, to meet the British agents. After many months of talking and disputing, they finally agreed on a treaty. This treaty has since been called the "Treaty of Ghent." Great Britain and America were both glad that peace had come.
The conflict over Missouri
From 1819 to 1821 Congress was debating over the admission of Missouri as a slave state. The North opposed, and the South favored, the admission of Missouri. The excitement spread to the state legislatures and to the people. Many meetings were held. Resolutions strongly favoring, or strongly opposing, the admission of Missouri as a slave state, were drawn up and voted upon.
The Missouri Compromise
Wise men thought the Union was in danger and Henry Clay, by his eloquence, succeeded in getting Congress to pass the famous Missouri Compromise. This resolution provided that Missouri should be admitted as a slave state, but that no other slave state north of the line of 36 degrees 30 minutes should ever be admitted. Both sides were pleased and the excitement died out.
We have seen how South Carolina threatened to refuse to pay the tariff in 1832, and how President Jackson hurried the army and the navy there to make her people pay it, as the people of the other states were obliged to do.
The Compromise Tariff Law
Henry Clay came forward again and introduced the Compromise Tariff Law. It was
called a compromise because it gave each side a part of what it wished. Calhoun and
other Carolinians favored it, Henry Clay as a peacemaker again
The founder of the Whig party
156. Henry Clay the Founder of the Whig Party. But Henry Clay was
not only a peacemaker. He was now a great statesman, and like Hamilton and Jefferson
he led in forming a part of the people into a political party. It was called the
Whig party.
In 1824, before there was a Whig party, Clay ran for President, but was beaten. Again in 1832, just as the new party was being formed, he ran a second it time. Although he was beaten for the Presidency by Andrew Jackson, he was the life and soul of his party. It was his eloquence, the music of his words, that made men Whigs.
On one occasion, Clay spoke on the question of the Abolition of Slavery. Some one said that this might hurt his chances of being President. Clay replied: "I had rather be right than be President."
Unfortunate Henry Clay
Finally, in 1844, he was again the Whig candidate, but he was defeated for the third time. When the Whig party had a good chance of electing a President, they nominated somebody else. When they had a poor chance they nominated Henry Clay!
War with Mexico had come, and with it a great victory for the American army. The
treaty of peace with Mexico, in 1848, gave the United States all the territory then
known as Alta (Upper) California Dispute over the new territory
Retires to Ashland
Henry Clay was now an old man. He had left the Senate, and had gone home to his beloved Ashland for a few years of rest before the final summons.
A unanimous call
157. The Aged Peacemaker Returns to the Senate. Kentucky was
greatly excited by the threats of disunion. Her legislature sent him back to the
United States Senate by a unanimous call, Democrats as well as Whigs joining in the
vote. It was a proud moment for the old man.
Now in the Senate, he offered the Compromise of 1850. This bill contained a number of points in favor of the slave states, and a number in favor of the free states.
Walks to the capitol on the arm of a friend
One day, Clay made a great speech in favor of his Compromise. He had to walk to the capitol that day on the arm of a friend. He was too weak to climb the steps alone.
His audience
When he arose to speak, he saw before him an audience that had come from distant parts of the nation to hear his thrilling words once more. The people filled the Senate to overflowing. Outside they crowded the corridors. When Clay arose the audience broke into applause, a strange thing for the Senate to do. The people were not disappointed. For two days the ringing words flowed on. Under the excitement he was young again.
He plead with the North to give up some things for the love of the Union. He plead with the South for peace. He told them that all the territory that the United States had purchased had been purchased for all of them. "War and the dissolution of the Union are identical."
A remarkable scene
On the second day, some one suggested that he rest, and the Senate adjourn. But he refused; he might not be able to go on the next day. After he had finished his speech, a great crowd rushed forward to congratulate him. No such scene ever had been witnessed before in the Senate.
The reunion of the Union
The debate went on. Now and then Clay took part in it. On one occasion he said: "I believe from the bottom of my soul that this measure is the reunion of the Union."
"This Union is my country"
On another occasion he said: "The honorable Senator speaks of Virginia being my country. This Union is my country. But even if ... my own state ... should raise the standard of disunion ... I would go against her. I would go against Kentucky much as I love her."
Congress finally passed the Compromise. Both political parties pledged themselves to obey it. Public meetings in all parts of the nation resolved to abide by it and the country rested for a time from the slavery question.
Died in Washington in 1852
Henry Clay's work was done. His body was worn out, but his mind still clung to the Union. On June 29, 1852, Henry Clay died in Washington, the place of so many of his triumphs.
A great monument at Lexington, Kentucky, testifies the people's love for "Harry" Clay.
Daniel Webster 1782
Loves the woods and fields
A good reader
158. A College Boy and a Young Lawyer. Daniel Webster was born of
good Puritan stock, in 1782, in New Hampshire. He was a very weakly child. No one
dreamed that one day he would have an iron-like body. Daniel spent much of his time
playing in the woods and fields. He loved the birds and beasts that he found there.
He went to school, but the schoolmasters were not very learned, and Daniel could
read better than most of them. The teamsters, stopping to water their horses, were
glad to hear him read. He went to work in an old-fashioned sawmill, but he read
books even there in odd moments of time.
Webster at Exeter Academy
One day in spring, his father took him to Exeter Academy to prepare for college. The boys laughed at his rustic dress and manners. The timid little fellow was greatly hurt by their scorn.
He finally entered Dartmouth College at the age of fifteen. He was simple, natural, and full of affection.
The best student at Dartmouth
Webster was the best student at Dartmouth. He still kept the reading habit. The students liked him. They had a feeling that he would amount to something some day. At this time he was tall and thin, with high cheek bones. His eyes were deep set, and his voice was low and musical in its tones. He loved to speak, even then.
He loved public speaking
At the age of eighteen Webster gave the Fourth of July oration in his college town. The speech was full of the love of country and of the Union, then in its first days of trial.
Teaches school and studies law
He never forgot his father's sacrifice in sending him to college. After he had finished at Dartmouth, Webster taught school in order that he might help his parents send his elder brother to college. He afterwards studied law. But he longed to finish his law studies in Boston. Finally good fortune put him in the office of Christopher Gore, a wise man, a great lawyer, and a statesman. In his office he studied until he was given the right to practice law.
Within a few years, he was earning enough to enable him to take a life partner, the beautiful and accomplished Grace Fletcher, the daughter of a minister. She made a delightful home for him and their children.
Elected to Congress
Favors a naval war
Webster was gaining name and fame as a lawyer, but the approach of the War of 1812 drew him into politics. He was elected to Congress, and took his seat in 1813. Henry Clay was Speaker of the House of Representatives. Webster's most important speech was in favor of a war carried on by the navy: "If the war must be continued, go to the ocean. There the united wishes and exertions of the nation will go with you. Even our party divisions cease at the water's edge."
Webster's appearance
After the war, Webster left Congress for a number of years. He was now a great man.
When he entered a room by his mere look and presence he drew all His battle with Hayne
Denies the right of nullification
"Liberty and Union once and inseparable"159. The Greatest Statesman of his Time. Hayne had spoken against
a protective tariff and in favor of nullification. Webster felt called upon to
reply. He denied the right of a state to nullify a law of Congress, and said that
nullification was another name for secession. He closed his great speech with these
words: "When my eyes shall be turned to behold, for the last time, the sun in
heaven, may I not see him shining on the broken and dishonored fragments of a once
glorious Union ... but may I see our flag with not a stripe erased or polluted, nor
a single star obscured ... and Union, now and forever,
one and inseparable!"
This speech made Daniel Webster immortal. It did more; it fired the heart of every lover of his country.
Opposes Clay's Compromise Tariff
We saw how South Carolina went on towards nullification, and how Clay's Compromise Tariff settled the difficulty. Webster strongly opposed this Compromise, and said that South Carolina should get out of the difficulty the best way she could.
Jackson praises Webster
President Jackson was delighted and praised Webster in public and in private.
Harrison makes him Secretary of State
When Harrison captured the Presidency, after the greatest campaign ever seen up to that time, he wanted the best men in the Whig party to advise him, so he made Daniel Webster Secretary of State.
Webster back in the Senate
It was a sad day when President Harrison died, after being in office just one month. John Tyler, of Virginia, the Vice-president, became the President. But he would not accept measures which Congress had passed. Daniel Webster left the cabinet after a time because he disliked the way Tyler was doing. He went back to the United States Senate, where he joined Clay, supporting the great Compromise of 1850.
On March 7, Webster made his speech on the Compromise, His speech on the Compromise
Because he did this, many of his supporters in the North, especially in New England, turned their backs upon him. Webster was an old man now. Ever since 1832 he had wanted to be nominated for the Presidency, but his party always took some other man. His last days were made bitter by the thought that some old friends had forsaken him.
Again Secretary of State
Boston welcomes Webster again
One bright spot for Webster lay in the fact that President Fillmore invited him to
be Secretary of State again. After two years of service, he went back to Boston. He
was received with joy by some of his friends and neighbors, and was hailed with
shouts by
His death at Marshfield, 1852
John C. Calhoun, 1782
His father a Revolutionary patriot
160. The Champion of the War of 1812. John C. Calhoun was born in
the same year as Webster (1782) in South Carolina. His parents were Scotch-Irish.
His father, a Revolutionary patriot, died soon after John was born. John spent his
early years roaming in the fields and woods. He learned more then than from books
and he learned to think before the thoughts of other people filled his memory.
Entered Yale College as a junior
At eighteen he began to prepare for College, under the care of his brother-in-law, a Presbyterian minister. In two years he entered Yale College. When in college he studied hard, and was graduated with high honors.
A lawyer
Calhoun studied law diligently for three years, a year and a half of the time in his native state, and a year and a half in Connecticut. He began to practice law in South Carolina, but did not have great success. Perhaps it was because the law was too dry for him, or perhaps because he was soon elected to the legislature of his state.
Elected to Congress
In 1811 he was married, and was elected to Congress— two great events in his
life. Henry Clay, as Speaker, immediately put
Works hard for the success of the army
During the War of 1812 he worked hard in Congress for the success of the American army. After the war he favored a tariff to keep English goods out of the country.
Secretary of War
President Monroe made him Secretary of War. He found the office in the utmost confusion, but, by hard and careful work, he left the war office a model for future secretaries.
Twice elected Vice-President
Calhoun's "South Carolina Exposition"
161. Calhoun Favors Nullification. He was elected Vice-president
in 1824, and again in 1828. In the last-named year, he wrote a paper called the
"South Carolina Exposition." In this letter, and in others that he wrote, he told
the people of South Carolina there would always be differences between the North and
the South. He said the Southern people, using slave labor, would raise more tobacco
and cotton than they needed, and that the tariff was hurtful to the South. That the
Northern people, using free labor, would manufacture all kinds of things, and that
the tariff would be helpful to them. This document took the ground that between the
North and the South there always would be a conflict of interests. The South was
devoted to agriculture, and the North to manufacturing. The South had slave and the
North free labor.
Therefore, Calhoun concluded that to protect the South from the North, a state has the right to nullify a law of Congress. A state has this right, because the state is above the nation. The states made the Constitution. He believed that nullification was a means of saving the country from secession.
South Carolina passes ordinance of nullification
South Carolina took the fatal step, and nullified the tariffs. This decision was to take effect February I, 1833, provided the United States did not do something before that time to lower the tariff.
Jackson warns South Carolina
Jackson warned the citizens of South Carolina against Jackson the men who had led them to take this step. He hinted that the tariff would be collected by the use of force, if necessary.
She withdraws her ordinance
We have seen how Henry Clay rushed his Compromise Tariff through Congress. At the same time another bill was passed by Congress, which gave President Jackson the right to use the army and navy in forcing a collection of the tariff. South Carolina stopped her nullification, and the excitement passed away.
His speech on the purpose of the Abolitionists
162. Opposed to the Abolitionists. The people who wished to do
away with slavery entirely were called Abolitionists. The Abolitionists stirred
Calhoun deeply by petitions in favor of abolishing slavery in the District of
Columbia. He declared that "the petitions are a foul slander on nearly one-half of
the states of the Union ... The object is to humble and debase us in our own
estimation ... to blast our reputation. This is the (manner) in which they are
(trying) abolition ... and now is the time for all opposed to them to meet the
attack."
"We love and cherish the Union. We remember with kindest feelings our common origin ... but origin (is) to us as nothing compared with this question.
The Union in danger
"The relation which now exists between the two races in the slave-holding states has existed for two centuries ... We will not, we cannot, permit it to be destroyed ... should it cost every drop of blood and every cent of property, we must defend ourselves ... It is not we, but the Union which is in danger."
Goes beyond most slaveholders
Not many in the Senate agreed with Calhoun then. In 1837, Calhoun went much further in the defense of slavery than any of the other slaveholders would go. He declared in a great speech in the Senate, that "slavery is a good, a positive good."
The Revolutionary fathers did not agree with Calhoun
This was not the belief of the majority of even the slaveholders in Congress or in the nation. Much less had it been the view of the men who had fought out the Revolution, and who had made our Constitution.
The majority of slaveholders still looked upon slavery, at best, as a necessary evil and one to be gotten rid of sometime and somehow. Calhoun's view that "slavery is a good, a positive good," was an entirely new view of slavery.
Calhoun aids the annexing of Texas
Calhoun was made Secretary of State under President Tyler, and succeeded in annexing Texas to the United States. For this reason Mexico made war with the United States.
The result of the war with Mexico was the gaining of territory Dispute over territory
Calhoun opposed Compromise of 1850
Calhoun opposed that Compromise. He was too ill to speak, and a friend read his address to a hushed and listening Senate. He declared that the Union was in danger because the Abolitionists had stirred up strife. He wanted all agitation against slavery stopped. In the second place, he wanted an equal division of territory between the North and South. "If you of the North will not do this, then let our Southern states separate, and depart in peace."
Farewell words to the Senate
"Having faithfully done my duty to the best of my ability, both to the Union and my section ... I shall have the consolation ... that I am free from all responsibility."
His last words
On March 31, 1850, he breathed his last words: "The South! The poor South! God knows what will become of her!"
The Leading Facts.
1. Clay's father was a Baptist preacher. Young Henry went to
school in a log cabin, and rode his horse to mill with a rope bridle. 2. He studied law, and went to Lexington, Kentucky, to practice. 3. Clay won his way to the hearts of the people; was elected to the
House of Representatives for a great many years. 4. He favored the
War of 1812; induced Congress to pass the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise
tariff of 1833. 5. Clay ran three times for President. He was
author of the great Compromise of 1850. 6. Webster was a weakly
child, played in the woods, and read books. 7. He was graduated at
Dartmouth, taught school, studied law, and was opposed to the War of 1812. 8. Webster replied to Hayne, opposed the nullification of South
Carolina, and was made Secretary of State by Harrison. 9.
Supported Clay's Compromise of 1850, and was made Secretary of State by Fillmore.
10. John C. Calhoun was born in South Carolina, and studied law.
11. He went to Congress, favored the War of 1812, and was
afterwards made Secretary of War. 12. Calhoun thought that a state
had the right to nullify an act of Congress. 13. He opposed
Abolitionists and the Compromise of 1850.
Study Questions.
1. Who was the "mill boy of the slashes"? 2.
Name some of our great men besides Clay who loved books. 3. What
could Clay do better than the other boys? 4. What help did he get
from the Chancellor of Virginia? 5. Why did Henry Clay form a
debating club? 6. Where was Ashland? 7. What was
his first great work in Kentucky? 8. What is a Speaker of the
House of Representatives? 9. What did Clay do in stirring up the
war spirit? 10. Why did Clay speak for the Missouri Compromise?
11. What was the Compromise Tariff? 12. Why
call Clay a peacemaker? 13. How many times did Henry Clay run for
President? 14. Why was Clay sent back to the United States Senate
in 1850? 15. Picture the scene when Clay made his last great
speech.
16. Who was Webster? 17. Why did he play in the
woods? 18. What proof that he loved books too? 19. Why were Daniel Webster's feelings hurt at Exeter? 20.
Why did students like Webster? 21. How did he reward his parents
for sending him to college? 22. What was Webster's view of the War
of 1812? 23. Picture Webster in 1830. 24. Quote
something from his speech in reply to Hayne. 25. Who praised
Webster for his speech against nullification? 26. Do you think
Harrison selected the best man for Secretary of State? 27. Why did
his friends in the North blame Webster for the Seventh of March speech? 28. How were Webster's last days affected by public opinion?
29. Who was Calhoun and what did roaming in the woods and fields
do for him? 30. Where did he go to college and when did he reach
Congress? 31. What position did he take in the War of 1812? 32. Why did he favor the Tariff and later favor the nullification of
the Tariff? 33. What office did President Monroe give him? 34. What effect had the "South Carolina Exposition"? 35. What did South Carolina do? 36. How was a clash
averted? 37. What did Calhoun say of the Abolitionists? 38. What did he say of the Union? 39. What did he
say of slavery? 40. What was Calhoun's position on the Compromise
of 1850? 41. His last words?
Suggested Readings. HENRY CLAY: Wright, Children's Stories of American Progress,
159-178; Brooks, Century Book of Famous Americans, 145-155;
Anderson, United States Reader, 281-285; Frost, The
Mill Boy of the Slashes.
DANIEL WEBSTER: Baldwin, Four
Great Americans, 125-186; Brooks, Century Book of Famous
Americans, 37-48; Hart, How Our Grandfathers Lived,
341-344; Bolton, Famous American Statesmen, 177-229.
JOHN C. CALHOUN: Brooks, Century
Book of Famous Americans, 140-144; Rogers, The True Henry
Clay, 248-254.
Houston among the Cherokees
163. Sam Houston. Young Houston was born of Scotch-Irish parents,
in Virginia (1793). His father had fought under General Morgan in the Revolution.
Sam Houston did not have much schooling, and when but thirteen his family moved to
east Tennessee. Made angry by his older brother, he left home and went to live with
the Cherokee Indians. He liked the wild life of the Indians and took part with the
Indian boys in their pastimes of hunting, fishing, and playing at games.
Returns home
Wounded in battle
He was now eighteen. He returned home and went to school a term at Marysville Academy. In the war of 1812 General Jackson called the men Jackson called the men of Tennessee to arms. Young Houston responded to the call, and fought against the Indians in the great "Battle of Horseshoe Bend." He was dangerously wounded after doing heroic deeds. Houston was a long time in getting well.
At twenty-five he began to study law in Nashville and in six Elected to Congress
Governor of Tennessee
Forsakes his home
He was in Congress four years. He won many friends by his gracious behavior. The people of Tennessee made Houston their governor. But suddenly, without warning, Houston resigned as governor, and forsook his home and friends. He sailed down the Mississippi River to the Arkansas, and up this river several hundred miles to the land of his early friends, the Cherokees, whom the United States Government had sent to that far-away country.
Returns to the Cherokees
The old chief's welcome
Here Houston found the old chief— now the head of his tribe— who had adopted him as a son years before on the banks of the Tennessee. The chief threw his arms around him in great affection and said: "My son, eleven winters have passed since we met. My heart has wandered often where you were; and I heard you were a great chief among your people ... I have heard that a dark cloud had fallen on the white path you were walking, and when it fell ... you turned your thoughts to my wigwam. I am glad of it,— it was done by the Great Spirit ... My wigwam is yours, my home is yours, my people are yours,— rest with us."
Visits Washington
When Andrew Jackson became President of the United States, Houston went, in his Indian dress, on a visit to Washington. He was warmly received by his old friend from Tennessee.
Visits Tennessee
Once more he turned his face toward the wilderness. He stopped in Tennessee and was warmly greeted by old friends. He did not stay long in Tennessee.
Hastens to Texas
Neither did he stay long with the Cherokees, but hastened to Texas where the people were already murmuring against the treatment they were receiving from Mexico.
Texas declares independence
The people of Texas finally issued a Declaration of Independence. Thereupon the Mexicans resolved to send a large army into Texas and force the revolutionists into submission to the government.
A most important event of this war was the capture, by a large Mexican force, of an old fortress called the Alamo. It was defended by one hundred forty men, among them the famous "Davy" Crockett and Colonel Bowie— the inventor of the bowie knife. Only six Texans were alive after the capture of the fort. These heroic men died, fighting the Mexicans to the last.
"Remember the Alamo!"
"Remember the Alamo!" became the war cry of every Texan. The Mexicans were
Massacre of Goliad
Suddenly the news came that General Fannin and his men, five hundred in number, had been massacred by the Mexicans at Goliad. The cause of Texan independence looked dark indeed.
Houston's retreat
Houston began a retreat of two hundred fifty miles to the eastward. Santa Anna followed closely after him, but scattered his men, just as Houston wanted him to do, until he had with him but eighteen hundred men. They were now on the banks of the San Jacinto.
Battle of San Jacinto
Houston waited till the Mexicans were a bit careless, then seven hundred Texans charged the breastworks of the Mexicans. After the first fire they clubbed their guns and went at it, pioneer fashion, with the cry "Remember the Alamo!" The right and the left wings of the Mexicans gave way first, and then the center.
Retreat of the Mexicans
They retreated, expecting to cross a deep, narrow bayou or stream on a log bridge, but Houston had had the bridge destroyed. The slaughter was terrific. The stream was choked with Mexicans and their horses.
Santa Anna captured and sent to visit Washington
Santa Anna was captured and was turned over to the Texan Government. Many thought he ought to die because of the massacres at the Alamo and Goliad, but Houston was generous toward the beaten man, and sent him on to visit Washington.
Houston elected President of Texas
Houston had been badly wounded and sailed to New Orleans for medical care. He returned to be elected first President of the "Lone Star Republic," as Texas was called. He was reflected for a second term and served his country well.
Annexation of Texas
Houston wanted Texas made a part of the United States. This was afterwards done and war followed with Mexico. In 1845, Texas sent Houston to the United States Senate, where he served his state for fourteen years.
He fully believed in the Union. He died in 1863.
Gray carries the Stars and Stripes around the world
164. The Columbia River Discovered in 1792. Captain Robert Gray
was sent out by Boston merchants to buy furs from the Indians on the Pacific coast.
He sailed around South America and up along the coast to Vancouver Island, where he
obtained a rich cargo of furs. He then made his way across the Pacific to China and
came back to Boston by way of the Cape of Good Hope— the first American to
carry the Stars and Stripes around the world.
Discovers the mouth of the Columbia
On a second voyage to the same region in the good ship, "Columbia," Gray discovered the mouth of this great river (1792). Up this river he went for nearly thirty miles, probably the first white man to sail upon its waters. Captain Gray named the river the Columbia after his vessel. The Indians had called it the Oregon.
165. The Lewis and Clark Expedition. The next important step in
finding a route to the Oregon country was the great expedition undertaken while
Thomas Jefferson was yet President.
Expedition leaves St. Louis
Lewis and Clark were two young men chosen by Jefferson to explore the region known as the Louisiana Purchase and to make their way across the Rocky Mountains to the Oregon country and to the Pacific. They chose forty-two men to go with them— some as soldiers, others as servants, and still others as hunters. From the little French village of St. Louis they began their journey in boats in the spring of 1804.
Up the Missouri River they slowly made their way against the current of the muddy, rushing stream. At one time it was so swift that they could not force boats against it and at another time the brushwood that came down the river broke their oars.
Smoked the "pipe of peace"
Near where the city of. Council Bluffs now stands, Lewis and Clark held a great meeting with the Indians. They told the Indians that the people of the United States and not the people of France were now the owners of this great land. Together they smoked the "pipe of peace" and the Indians promised to be friendly.
On they went till the region near the Black Hills was reached. It was the fall of the year and the trees were bright with color, and the wild duck and geese in large numbers were seen going southward.
Spent the winter with the Indians
The company spent the winter on an island sixteen hundred miles from St. Louis. The men built rude homes and fortified them. The Indians were friendly and the explorers spent many evenings around the wigwam fires listening to stories of the country the Indians had to tell them.
The Rocky Mountains
In the spring they bade the Indians good-by, passed the mouth of the Yellowstone, and traveled on till the Rocky Mountains with their long rows of snow-covered peaks came into view.
On the thirteenth day of June they beheld wonderful pictures of the "Falls of the Missouri." The water tore through a vast gorge a dozen miles or more in length.
166. The Way Over the Mountains. On they went until their boats
could go no farther. They had reached rough and rugged hills and mountains. They
climbed the heights as best they could. From now on the suffering was very great
indeed.
The source of the Missouri
One day Captain Lewis went ahead with three men to find Indian guides for the party. They climbed higher and higher until finally they came to a place where the Missouri River takes its rise. They went on and at last came to the western slope of the mountains, down which flowed a stream toward the Pacific.
Finally Captain Lewis came upon a company of Indian women
Indians are friendly
Now they all turned back to find Clark and his party. When they reached Clark the Indians smoked the "pipe of peace" and Lewis and Clark told the Indians why the United States had sent them out.
They were the first white men these Indians had ever seen. They looked the men over carefully and took a deep interest in their clothing, their food, and in their guns.
Explorers suffer from hunger and cold
The mountains were now rough and barren and the streams ran through deep gorges. The explorers took an old Indian guide and crossed the Bitter Root Mountains into a valley of the same name. They followed an Indian trail over the mountains again and into the Clearwater. They suffered for want of food and on account of the cold. When they reached a tribe of the Nez Percé (Pierced Nose) Indians they ate so much they were all ill.
Reach the Columbia River
167. On Waters Flowing Into the Pacific. In five log boats, which
they had dug out of trees, they glided down the Clearwater to where it meets the
Snake River. They camped near the spot where now is the present town of Lewiston,
Idaho. Then they embarked on the Snake River and floated down to where it joins the
mighty Columbia.
They were among the Indians again, who had plenty of dried fish. Here is the home of the salmon, a fish found in astonishing numbers. The men had never seen so many fish before.
Explorers reach the Pacific
The number of Indians increased as they went toward the Pacific. Finally the party of explorers passed through the Cascade Mountains and were once more on the smooth current of the Columbia. They soon beheld the blue waters of the Pacific.
During their five months' stay on the Pacific, Captain Clark made a map of the region they had gone through. They repaired their guns and made clothes of the skins of elk and of other game.
Lewis and Clark travel different routes
The Indians told them of a shorter route to the Falls of the Missouri and Captain Lewis and nine men went by this route while Captain Clark with others retraced the old route. They saw nothing of each other for two months, when they all met again in August on the banks of the Missouri.
All return to St. Louis
They reached St. Louis September 23, 1806. The people of the United States were glad to hear of the safe return of the exploring party, for they had long thought the men were dead.
Rewarded by Congress
Lewis made Governor of Louisiana Territory
Both President Jefferson and Congress put great value upon the useful information that the expedition gathered. Congress rewarded every one connected with the expedition. Each man was granted double pay for the time he spent and three hundred acres of land. To Captain Lewis was given fifteen hundred acres and to Captain Clark a thousand acres. Lewis was appointed first Governor of Louisiana Territory and Clark was made Governor of Missouri Territory.
168. Fur Traders and Missionaries Lead the Way. Soon after this
expedition the fur traders pushed their way across the Rocky Mountains from St.
Louis to the Pacific. They found the "gateway of the Rockies," called the South
Pass, which opened the way to the Oregon country (1824).
The coming of the missionaries
After the fur traders came the missionary, Nathaniel Wyeth, a New Englander who led a party to the Columbia and established a post (1832). Five missionaries followed him and began to work among the Indians. Very soon Parker and Whitman went out to the Nez Percé Indians who came over the mountains to meet them near the headwaters of the Green River. Parker returned with the Indians and visited Walla Walla, Vancouver, and the Spokane and Colville regions. Whitman returned East, was married, and found a missionary, Spaulding, and his wife, and the party went out to the Oregon country to work among the Indians.
The treaty of 1846
169. The Boundary Established. During this time fur traders from
Canada and Great Britain were occupying the Oregon country as far as the Columbia
River. The United States and Great Britain made a treaty by which they agreed to
occupy the country together. This treaty lasted till settlers from the United States
made it necessary to have a new treaty. In 1846 a new treaty was made and the
northern boundary was established as now.
His father a French refugee
170. A Great Explorer. Fremont's father was a Frenchman who was
driven to America by the terrible French Revolution. John Charles Fremont was born
at Savannah (1813) while his parents were on a journey through the South. His father
died soon after, and his mother went to live in Charleston, South Carolina.
Goes to South America
After a time at a good school, Fremont entered the junior class in Charleston College (1828). After leaving college he spent two and a half years on a voyage to South America.
Becomes a civil engineer
On his return he joined a company of engineers sent by the governor to explore the mountains between South Carolina and Tennessee, in order to find a suitable place for a railroad. This work was through a region rough, wild, and full of beauty. It gave young Fremont a taste for exploration which never left him.
Fremont's longing for a wild life was gratified when he was made assistant to a famous Frenchman who was exploring the wild region between the upper Missouri River and Canada.
Marries Senator Benton's daughter
After this work Fremont returned to Washington and later married Jessie Benton, the daughter of the Senator from Missouri. Thomas H. Benton was a great friend of President Jackson.
Fremont was now related to a powerful man who was deeply interested in the growth of the "Great West." Benton's repeated speeches on the "West" and on the "Oregon Country" called attention to the importance of the Pacific slope.
Receives permission to explore South Pass
In 1842 Fremont, now a lieutenant of engineers, received permission from the government to explore the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains. With a party made up largely of French Canadians, and assisted by that famous guide, Kit Carson, he passed up the Kansas River, crossed to the Platte, went up this river, and thus reached the South Pass.
Unfurls the Stars and Stripes on Fremonts Peak
171. On the Watershed. Standing on the watershed of a continent,
he saw the beginnings of rivers that flow into the Atlantic, and of others that
stretched away through unknown regions to the Pacific. He took four men and climbed
what has since been called Fremonts Peak, one of the highest of the Rockies, about
13,800 feet above the sea. At the top Fremont unfurled the stars and stripes in all
its glory!
172. A Pathway to the Pacific. Fremont reported his discovery at
Washington and immediately applied for orders to make an expedition to discover a
more southerly route to California and Oregon.
Behold Great Salt Lake
He left the little town of Kansas City with his guide, Kit Carson, in May, 1843. In September, after traveling seventeen hundred miles, the little party beheld the shores of Great Salt Lake. What feelings must have stirred the breasts of men shut in for months by mountains, at seeing what appeared to be an ocean, here in the midst of a continent! Little did they dream of that hardy band of immigrants, so soon to follow, who would make the shores of this sea blossom like a garden! Fremont wrote: "As we looked over that vast expanse of water and strained our eyes along the silent shores, over which hung so much doubt and uncertainty, I could hardly repress the almost irresistible desire to continue our exploration."
Reach Fort Vancouver
After making preparations, the party crossed over to a branch of the Columbia River. Down this they traveled till Fort Vancouver was reached, November 4. Here Fremont was the guest of the Governor of the British Hudson Bay Company.
Travel in deep snow
November 10, on the way home, the little party started to make the circuit of the Great Basin, a vast depression beyond the east wall of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. But very soon they found deep snow on the mountains. They crossed into the Great Basin, but did not know it.
According to Fremont's observations, they were in the latitude Crossing the Sierra Nevada
In the Valley of Sacramento
They attempted to cross without a guide, in the dead of winter. In forty days the men and the surviving horses-a woeful procession crawling along one by one, skeleton men leading skeleton horses— arrived at Sutters Fort (Sacramento) in the beautiful valley of the Sacramento. Here genial warmth, trees in foliage, grassy ground, and flowers made a fairy contrast to the famine and freezing they had met on the mountains they had climbed.
After enjoying the hospitality of Colonel Sutter, Fremont again crossed the mountains some five hundred miles farther south where the beautiful San Joaquin River makes a gap or pass.
The Digger Indians
He was once more in the Great Basin, where he found a tribe of Digger Indians, so named because they got their food by digging. Roots, insects, and lizards were their common food.
End of second expedition
Pushing forward with great energy, he reached Utah Lake, thus having nearly made the circuit of the Great Basin.
Fremont hastened to Washington with the story of his discoveries. General Scott now recommended that he be made captain.
Third expedition
Fremont's third expedition, with Carson as a helper, began in the spring of 1845, and aimed to explore the Great Basin and the coast of California and Oregon.
War breaks out
173. In the Mexican War. Little did Fremont— or any of his
men— think what fortune had in store for them. On his way to the Oregon
Country Fremont received news that the Mexicans were planning to kill all the
Americans in the Sacramento Valley. War had already broken out between the United
States and Mexico, but he did not know it. He returned, reaching the valley in May,
1846, and the settlers rushed to join him. In one month he had beaten the Mexicans
and declared northern California independent.
Conquest of California
Fremont marched with all speed to Monterey and occupied it. This practically finished the conquest of all California in sixty days.
Fourth expedition
Elected to United States Senate174. Becomes a Private Citizen. Soon after this event Fremont
returned to Washington, gave up his place in the regular army, and went to live in
California. His journey to California made up his fourth expedition. But the people
would not let him
Fifth expedition
Great hardships
While Fremont was in Europe on business, he learned that the Government was planning to survey three routes to the Pacific. He hastened home and set out on his fifth expedition, which was full of danger and suffering. The explorers lived fifty days on horse meat and were forty-eight hours without food of any kind.
Fremont finally got through to California and hastened back to Washington to report what he had found.
Nominated for President
He now took up his residence in New York City and became a member of the party opposed to the extension of slavery. The new party, the Republican, nominated him as its first candidate for President (1856). He was defeated after a most exciting time, yet he carried all the Northern states but four.
A major-general in the Civil War
During the Civil War he was made a major-general, but after a year or two he resigned. He was talked of for President in 1864, but did not make the race.
After the war was over he was interested in a great continental railroad. From 1878 to 1881, he was governor of Arizona. Congress voted him a pension just before he died in 1890.
The Leading Facts.
1. Houston had little schooling, and went to live with the
Cherokee Indians. 2. Wounded at Horse Shoe Bend; studied law in
Nashville; was sent to Congress for four years; and was elected governor of
Tennessee. 3. Went to live with the Cherokees again, and then went
to Texas. 4. Houston won the battle of San Jacinto; was made
president of the republic of Texas; and later elected to the United States Senate.
5. The Columbia River was discovered by Gray. 6. The way to the Oregon country was made known by Lewis and Clark and by
missionaries. 7. The Indians received them with kindness along the
route. 8. Parker and Whitman went as 9. Whitman and
Spaulding, with their wives, made the trip and worked among the fur traders and
Indians. 10. Emigrant parties went to Oregon to build homes. 11. The northern boundary of United States established. 12. Fremont went to school in Charleston, but left for a voyage to South
America. 13. He worked for exploring parties; married and thus
became related to a great man interested in the Far West. 14.
Fremont explored the South Pass in his first expedition; on his second saw Great
Salt Lake, and crossed the mountains with great suffering. 15.
Fremont crossed a third time, conquered California; was made a United States
senator, and became first candidate of the Republican party for the Presidency.
Study Questions.
1. What was peculiar in Houston's early life? 2.
What had he done before he began to study law? 3. What made people
like him? 4. Where was the battle of Horse Shoe Bend fought? 5. How did the Cherokee chief welcome him? 6. Why
did Houston go back to Tennessee? 7. What drew him to Texas? 8. What were the first bad defeats of the Texans? 9. Tell the story of San Jacinto. 10. What kind of a
general, a president, and a senator did Houston make? 11. How did
Captain Gray happen to discover the Columbia River? 12. Why was it
named Columbia? 13. Who sent Lewis and Clark to the Oregon
country? 14. Describe the trip up the Missouri River. 15. Tell how Lewis and Clark spent the winter. 16. How did
the Indians on the way receive them? 17. How did they return home?
18. What offices were given Lewis and Clark? 19. How early did missionaries visit the region? 20. Name
some of the missionaries and some of the Indians among whom they worked.
21. Who was John Charles Fremont? 22. What of
his youthful days? 23. What experience in early days after college
prepared him for his great work? 24. Who was Kit Carson? 25. Describe Fremont's journey to the South Pass and tell what was
seen and what was done. 26. What expedition did he now plan? 27. Picture the scene on the discovery of Great Salt Lake. 28. Picture his exploration of the Great Basin and crossing the
Sierras. 29. What was the contrast at Sutters Fort? 30. Describe the Digger Indians. 31. At what was Fremont's
third expedition aimed and what did it really accomplish? 32. Why
was he a senator from California? 33. Picture his fifth
expedition. 34. Tell the story of his life during and after the
Civil War.
Suggested Readings. HOUSTON: Bruce, Life of General Houston, Crockett, Life of Davy
Crockett, 368-405.
FREMONT: Bigelow, Life of John Charles
Fremont, 1-216, 319-373, 379-466.
How boats were driven
175. The Invention of the Steamboat. Once there were no steam
engines to drive boats. On sea and river they were driven by wind, and on canals
they were pulled along by horses.
Inventors before Fulton
James Rumsey on the Potomac, John Fitch on the Delaware, and William Longstreet on the Savannah, had each invented and tried some kind of steamboat, before Robert Fulton.
Early taste for drawing and invention
Fulton was born of Irish parents, in New Britain, Pennsylvania, in 1765. At the age of three he lost his father. Young Fulton had a great taste for drawing, painting, and inventing.
He went to Philadelphia, then the largest city in the Union, when he was twenty, and engaged in painting and drawing. His first savings were given to his widowed mother to make her comfortable.
Studies under Benjamin West
Fulton finally decided to be an artist, and went to England to make his home with Benjamin West, a great painter who once lived at Philadelphia.
Influenced to become an engineer
There he became acquainted with the Duke of Bridgewater, who influenced him to become a civil engineer. Fulton now met James Watt, who was the inventor of the steam engine. At one time the young man aided Watt in building an engine.
Fulton next went to France, where he became interested in plans for inventing
diving boats, torpedoes, and steamboats. Here Meets Livingston in France
Fulton's trial boats
Fulton made a "model" boat, which he left in France. Shortly afterward, he built a boat twenty-six feet long and eight feet wide. In this vessel he put a steam engine. The trials proved beyond a doubt that steamboats could be made.
Twenty years' rights
Livingston believed in Fulton and his steamboat. When he returned to New York, Livingston obtained from the legislature the right to navigate the waters of the state by steam for twenty years. The one condition was that the boat should go against the current of the Hudson at the rate of four miles an hour.
Gets engine in England
Fulton got his engine from the inventors, Watt and Boulton, in England— the
only place where suitable engines could be found. The "Clermont"
176. The "Clermont" Moves. At one o'clock in the afternoon of
August 7, 1807, a great crowd gathered to see the first voyage of the "Clermont."
Many people did not expect to see the vessel go. They believed Fulton and Livingston
had spent their money for nothing. Fulton gave his signal from the deck of the
"Clermont." The people looked on in astonishment as the boat moved steadily up the
pathway of the Hudson.
A great victory for Fulton and Livingston
The "Clermont" kept on going till out of sight, and the crowds of wondering people went home hardly believing the evidence of their eyes. Up the river, against the current of the mighty Hudson, she made her way till Albany was reached. She had gone one hundred fifty miles in thirty-two hours, and won a great victory for Fulton and Livingston.
Name of boat changed to "North River"
When winter came the "Clermont" was taken out of the water and rebuilt. They covered her from stem to stern with a deck. Under the deck they built two cabins, with a double row of berths. Everything was done to make her attractive in the eyes of the people. They changed her name to the "North River." In the spring she made her trips regularly up and down the Hudson.
Steamboats appear on different rivers
177. Steamboats On All the Rivers. In 1809, a steamboat was built
on Lake Champlain, another on the Raritan, and a third on the Delaware. From this
time forward, steamboats began to appear on all the great rivers in the settled
portions of the United States.
People along the Ohio frightened
In 1811, a steamboat was built on the Ohio River at Pittsburg. It started on its trip down the beautiful Ohio. People gathered on the banks of the river to see it go by. The steamboat, at first, made a frightful noise. Hence when it came to places where news traveled slowly, the people were sometimes frightened, and the negroes ran crying into the woods.
A steamboat helped Jackson
In 1814 a steamboat carried supplies to General Jackson at New Orleans, and helped him to win the great battle fought there.
Seven steamboats were running on the Ohio and the Mississippi at the close of the War of 1812. Before another year went by, a steamboat had made its way from New Orleans against the currents of the Mississippi and the Ohio rivers to Louisville, laden with goods from Europe.
The steamboat had now won a place on the American rivers. It aided in the rapid settlement of the country. It made travel quick and easy, and it carried the goods of settlers up and down the rivers.
Robert Fulton dies 1815
Robert Fulton died in 1815, deeply mourned by all his countrymen, and was buried in Trinity churchyard, New York City.
Morse 1791
178. The Coming of the Telegraph. Samuel Morse was born, in
Massachusetts (1791). His father was a Presbyterian minister. Young Morse went to
the common schools and to Yale College.
Paints portraits
In college he used his and, after graduation, he went to England and studied under the best artists. He came home and for a time painted portraits for a living.
The idea came to him of sending news by electricity
After having spent some years abroad, in work and study, Morse was again returning home from France when the idea of sending news by electricity first came to him.
A machine and an alphabet
"Why can't it be?" said Morse to a friend, who answered, "there is great need of sending news by electricity." He began, then and there, to plan a machine and to invent an alphabet. This was all done on shipboard. When he reached land he went to work with a will at his new-found problem.
The hungry inventor
For a long time the work went on very slowly, for inventors must eat and sleep and pay their way in the world. While Morse was struggling over his machine and trying to make himself master of the strange force called electricity, he was very often hungry and at times even on the point of starvation,
Alfred Vail
Now came a bright spot in his career. A young man named Alfred Vail, an excellent mechanic, saw Morse's telegraph instruments, and immediately believed they would be successful. Young Vail borrowed money and became Morse's assistant in the great work. For what he did he deserves credit next to Morse himself.
Getting ready for Congress
Behind locked doors
A patent must now be had and the telegraph must be so improved that they could show it to a committee of Congress. It was arranged that Vail and a mechanic by the name of Baxter should do the work should happen to see the instruments and obtain a patent first, then Morse and Vail would be ruined.
The dot and dash alphabet
In the locked shop the two men worked steadily day after day. Vail made many improvements. Among these was the new "dot and dash" alphabet. At last, one day in January, 1838, everything was in complete working order. Baxter, hatless and coatless, ran for Mr. Vail's father to come at once and see the telegraph work.
The final test
At one end of the wire stood young Vail, and at the other stood Morse. This wire
was stretched around the room so that it was three miles in length. The elder Vail
wrote: "A patient waiter is no loser." He said to his son: "If you can send this
message, and Mr. Morse can read it at the other end, Patented in Morse's name
Congressmen watch the instruments
Morse obtained permission to set up his telegraphic instruments in rooms in the capitol. These rooms were filled with congressmen watching the strange business. Members in one room would carry on witty conversations with persons in the other room. This was great fun for those looking on. But it was slow work talking with members of Congress and winning their help.
Congress makes fun of the idea
179. The Government Aids. Finally Morse asked for thirty thousand
dollars to build a line from Washington to Baltimore. The bill met opposition, one
member moving that a part of the money be used in building a railroad to the moon,
another that it be used in making experiments in mesmerism.
Morse ruined if the bill does not pass
Morse stood leaning against the railing which separated the members from the outsiders. He was greatly excited, and turning to a friend said: "I have spent seven years and all that I have in making this instrument perfect. If it succeeds, I am a made man. If it fails, I am ruined. I have a large family, and not money enough to pay my board bill when I leave the city."
Gives up in despair
It was ten o'clock, March 3, 1843, the last night of that Congress. Morse gave up
and went to his hotel. In the morning a friend met and congratulated him on the
action of Congress in Telegraph line to Baltimore built The fist message
Honors heaped on the inventor
The success of Morse was slow at first, but he lived to see the day when his instrument was used in Europe. He visited Europe again, was given gold medals, and received other rewards and honors from many of the rulers of the different European countries.
Morse dies 1872
He died in 1872 at the good old age of eighty-one. Congress and state legislatures paid tribute to his memory.
The telephone
180. A Wider Use for Electricity. Morse was hardly in his grave
before a wonderful invention was made which called electricity into far wider use in
carrying news. This new invention was the telephone, and two men, Bell and Gray,
applied for patents on it at almost the same time.
The instruments are wonderful conductors of sound, carrying, as they do, the actual words and tones of the voice.
Marconi beats them all
But Marconi has gone beyond them all in his invention. He sends the electric wave forth without the aid of a wire, thus giving rise to wireless telegraphy.
Cyrus W. Field 1819
In business for himself
181. The Atlantic Cable. Cyrus W. Field was born in Massachusetts
in 1819. His grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier. Cyrus went to school in his
native town of Stockbridge, and at fifteen was given a place in a New York store at
fifty dollars a year. Before he was twenty-one, he went into business for himself.
At the end of a dozen years, he was the head of a prosperous firm. In 1853, he
retired from active business.
Why not span the Atlantic
Field became interested in a man who was joining Newfoundland with the mainland by means of a telegraph line. "Why not make a telegraph line to span the Atlantic?" thought Field. He went to work, and put his schemes before Peter Cooper and other generous men. They believed in them.
Englishmen also approve the plan
Field next went abroad and laid his plan before a number of Englishmen. He pleaded so eloquently that they, too, were convinced. He returned to America to lay the matter before Congress and ask that body to vote him a sum of money.
President Pierce signs the bill
Congress was very slow about it, and the bill did not pass until the last days of that session. President Pierce signed it the last day of his term as President.
Half a million dollars gone
Field returned to England and watched over the making of his "Cable." In August, 1857, everything was ready. The cable lay coiled on shipboard, ready to be let out in the Atlantic. The great ship started, and everything went well till three hundred thirty-five miles of the cable had been let out, when it broke in two. It was the same as losing half a million dollars.
A second trial
Breaks again
Field went back to England and began promptly to prepare for a second trial. He then came to America and made arrangements to use the "Niagara," a large vessel. The British ship, "Agamemnon," was also taken to help in this second trial. The ships started in mid-ocean, one going one way and one going the other way. This time only one hundred eleven miles were laid, when the cable again parted.
A council of war
Field hastened to London to meet the men who had backed him in his undertaking with their money. It was a council of war after a terrible defeat! But Mr. Field did not believe in surrender, even to the sea.
Success
On the seventeenth of July, 1858, the ships again set sail for mid-ocean. They "spliced" the cable, and the "Niagara" with Mr. Field on board sailed away for Newfoundland. The British ship went the other way. This time they were successful. Both countries were excited. Queen Victoria flashed a message under the sea to President Buchanan.
A great day in New York
Great was the rejoicing in New York, the home of Mr. Field. A religious service, expressive of the deep interest of the people in the success of his work, was held in Trinity Church, at which two hundred clergymen in gowns appeared; national salutes were fired, York a great procession was formed, an address was made by the mayor of the city and, at a very late hour, a grand banquet was held. While the banquet was going on, the cable gave its last throb and parted.
The cable parts the third time
The very day that a whole city rose up to do honor to the Atlantic telegraph and its author, it gave its last flash and then went to sleep forever in its ocean grave.
After a wait of five years
After five years of slow and toilsome work, caused by the fact that the Civil War was raging in the United States, Cyrus W. Field was again ready. When the vessel, bearing the cable, was within six hundred miles of land, the cable broke again.
The money subscribed
182. The Final Success. An Anglo-American Telegraph Company was
now formed. Mr. Field subscribed $50,000, Daniel Gooch, $100,000 and another person
promised to bear a part of the expense. On Friday they set out and on another Friday
they reached America with the cable safely laid. Mr. Field sent this message to
England:
"Hearts Content"
"Hearts Content, July 27, 1866. We arrived here at nine o'clock this morning. All well. Thank God, the cable is laid, and is in perfect working order."
Effect on the civilized world
Great honor for Mr. Field
The success of this undertaking, after so many years of failure, produced a great effect throughout the civilized world. Mr. Field was the center of all rejoicing. Congress voted him a gold medal. England did honor to his name. The Paris Exposition of 1867 gave him the highest medal it had to bestow. From Italy he received a decoration. States and chambers of commerce in all parts of the nation passed resolutions in praise of his great work.
New York 1892
Finally he took a trip around the world and received honors from many nations. Mr. Field lived at Tarrytown, New York. He died in New York City in 1892, at the age of seventy-three.
His parentage
183. The Wizard of the Electrical World. Thomas A. Edison was
born in 1847 at Milan, Ohio. His father's people were Dutch and his mother's were
Scotch. When he was seven years of age, his parents removed to Port Huron,
Michigan.
Edison owed his early training to his mother's care. At the age of twelve he was reading such books as Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," Hume's "History of England," Newton's "Principia, and Ure's "Dictionary of Science." The last-named book was too full of mathematics for him.
A tireless reader
That Edison was a great reader is proved by his resolution to read all the books in the Detroit Free Library! He did finish "fifteen feet of volumes" before any one knew what he was doing.
In 1862 General Grant fought the terrible battle of Pittsburg Landing. Everybody wanted to hear the news. Edison bought a thousand newspapers, boarded a train, and the engineer allowed him a few minutes at each station to sell papers.
His experience as a new-boy
As the first station came in sight, Edison looked ahead and saw a wild crowd of men. He grabbed an armful of papers, rushed out, and sold forty before the train left. At the next station the platform was crowded with a yelling mob. He raised the price to ten cents, but sold one hundred fifty.
Finally he reached Port Huron. The station was a mile from boy town. Edison seized his papers. He met the crowd coming just as he reached a church where a prayer meeting was being held. The prayer meeting broke up, and though he raised his price to twenty-five cents, he "took in a young fortune."
Experimenting in electricity
Edison began very early to make experiments in electricity. After rigging up a line at home, hitching the wire to the legs of a cat, and rubbing the cat's back vigorously, he saw the failure of his first experiment— the cat would not stand!
Saves a life and receives lessons in telegraphy
At Mt. Clemens, one day, young Edison saw a child playing on the railroad with its back to an on-coming freight car. He dashed at the child and both tumbled to the ground at the roadside. For this act of bravery the telegraph operator gave him lessons in telegraphy.
Makes a set of telegraphic instruments
Becomes a tramp telegrapher
184. Begins to Study Electricity. He studied ten days, then
disappeared. He returned with a complete set of telegraphic instruments made by his
own hand! After his trade was learned he began a period of wandering as a telegraph
operator. For many boys still in their teens this would have been a time of
destruction, but Edison neither drank nor smoked. He wandered from Adrian to Fort
Wayne, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Memphis, and Boston, stopping for shorter or longer
periods at each place.
By the time he was twenty-two he had invented and partly finished his plan of sending two dispatches along the same wire at the same time. This was equal to doubling the number of wires in use.
Repairs electric machinery and gains a situation
Edison was a poor boy and was two or three hundred dollars in debt. He went from Boston to New York. The speculators in Wall Street were wild with excitement, for the electric machinery had broken down. Nobody could make it work. Edison pushed his way to the front, saw, and at once removed, the difficulty.
All were loud in their praise of Edison. On the next day he was engaged to take charge of all the electric machinery at three hundred dollars per month.
Receives forty thousand dollars for his inventions
After a time he joined a company and gave his time to working out inventions. The company finally sent a number of men to ask Edison how much he would take for his inventions. He had already decided to say five thousand. But when the men came he said that he did not know. He was dumbfounded when they offered him forty thousand dollars!
Establishes his first workshop
185. Edison's Inventions. In 1873, Edison established his first
laboratory or workshop in Newark, New Jersey. Here he gathered more than three
hundred men to turn out the inventions pertaining to electricity which his busy
brain suggested. They were all as enthusiastic over the inventions as Edison
himself. No fixed hours of labor in this shop! When the day's work was done the men
often begged to be allowed to return to the shop to complete their work.
More inventions
Many telegraph and telephone inventions were made in this laboratory. There were
forty-five inventions all told. They brought in so much money that Edison decided
they must have Builds a new laboratory and gathers a fine library
Invents the microphone
The microphone is one of Edison's inventions. Its purpose is to increase sound while sending it over the wire. The passing of a delicate camel's-hair brush is magnified so as to seem like the roar of a mighty wind in a forest of giant pines.
The megaphone
Next came the megaphone, an instrument to bring far-away sounds to one's hearing. Persons talking a long distance apart are able to hear each other with ease.
The phonograph
The most interesting and one of the most profitable of his discoveries is the phonograph. This instrument, now to be seen everywhere, simply records sounds just as they are. The human voice is reproduced in conversation, in public speaking, and in singing. It goes further and reproduces the music of the grandest orchestras.
Develops the electric light
From the phonograph to the electric light seems a long step. Edison does not claim to be the discoverer of the electric light. He did much, however, to make it useful to people in lighting their houses, and also in lighting great cities.
Exhibition in Menlo Park
In the winter of 1880, in Menlo Park, Edison gave to the public an exhibition of his electric light. Visitors came from all parts of the country to see this wonderful show. Seven hundred lights were put up in the streets, in the grounds, and inside the buildings. Special trains had to be run between Jersey City and Menlo Park.
Receives medals and diplomas from foreign expositions
Edison received five gold medals and a diploma from the Electrical Exposition held in Paris, France. At the English Electrical Exposition held the next year at the Crystal Palace, London, both papers and people were loud in their praise of Edison's inventions.
In Munich, Germany, in 1882, and in Vienna, Austria, his exhibitions of the wonders of electric lighting won the highest praise.
His greatest laboratory
The laboratories at Menlo Park were now far too small for the business that this man of genius set in motion. In 1886, at Orange, New Jersey, Edison built the greatest of all his laboratories. Nothing was spared to make this new workshop complete.
The Leading Facts.
1. Rumsey, Fitch, and Longstreet were invent- ors of steamboats
before Fulton. 2. Fulton went to England to study art, crossed
over to France, and became interested in steam engines. 3. Fulton
invented the "Clermont," which ran more than four miles an hour. 4. In 1812 steamboats were on many rivers. 5. Samuel Morse
went to Yale College; studied painting in England. 6. He planned a
telegraph instrument on shipboard, but afterwards was often hungry while working to
perfect it. 7. Vail borrowed money; joined Morse; worked behind
locked doors to perfect, and finally got a patent on, their invention. 8. Morse took his telegraph to Washington, showed it to Congress, and
received a grant of money. 9. Bell and Gray invented the
telephone; Marconi invented wireless telegraphy. 10. Cyrus West
Field made money so fast that he retired at thirty- four. 11. He
became interested in a cable, and after many failures succeeded in laying a
permanent one across the Atlantic in 1866. 12. Edison a great
reader at twelve, and a newsboy at fifteen. 13. He learned
telegraphy, and made a set of telegraphic instruments of his 14. Became a tramp operator, but did not lose his
morals. 15. Edison saved the day in Wall Street; made a reputation
and plenty of money. 16. He built several laboratories in New
Jersey, and has made many great inventions.
Study Questions.
1. What were the early ways of driving boats? 2.
Who invented boats on American rivers before Fulton? 3. Tell the
story of Robert Fulton until 1803. 4. How fast was Fulton's first
boat to go against the current? 5. Where did Fulton get the engine
for the "Clermont"? 6. Picture the "starting" and the after
history of the "Clermont." 7. Tell the story of the spread of the
steamboat.
8. Tell of Morse's early life. 9. When did the
idea of sending news by electricity first come to him? 10. Tell
the story of his early trials. 11. Who aided him? 12. Picture the scene within the "locked shop." 13. Tell
the story of the instrument in Washington. 14. What did Morse say
on the night his bill was before Congress? 15. What was the
message sent by the young lady? 16. What honor came to Morse? 17. Mention something about Bell, Gray, and Marconi.
18. How old was Cyrus Field when he retired from business? 19. Who was Peter Cooper? 20. Tell the story of
Field's early efforts at cable laying. 21. Picture the scenes in
New York. 22. The final message. 23. What honors
were given Field?
24. What books could Edison read at twelve? 25.
Prove that he was a great reader. 26. Tell the story of his
thousand newspapers. 27. How did his experiment with the cat
succeed? 28. What was the cause and what was the effect of his
first lessons in telegraphy? 29. Give some reasons why Edison did
not fall into bad habits as a "tramp operator." 30. What was his
first great invention? 31. What did Edison find in Wall Street,
New York? 32. How much did Edison think of asking for his
invention? How much did the men offer him? 33. Tell the story of
the work in Edison's shop at Newark, New Jersey. 34. Why a library
at Menlo Park? 35. Make a list of his great inventions.
Suggested Readings. ROBERT FULTON: Glascock, Stories of Columbia, 186-188; Wright, Children's Stories of American Progress, 104-120; Mowry, American Inventions and Inventors, 194-222; Thurston, Robert Fulton.
SAMUEL F. B. MORSE: Trowbridge, Samuel Finley Breese Morse; Mowry, American Inventions and
Inventors, 270-277.
CYRUS WEST FIELD: Judson,
Cyrus W. Field; Mowry, American Inventions and Inventors, 278-285;
Doubleday, Stories of Inventors, 3-16.
THOMAS A. EDISON: Mowry, American Inventions and Inventors, 85-89; Dickson, Life and
Inventions of Edison, 4-153, 280-338.
Boyhood of Stephen A. Douglas
186. A Famous Party Leader. Stephen A. Douglas was born in
Vermont in 1813. When old enough, he worked on a farm in summer, and went to school
in winter. At fifteen he was learning a trade. He saved his money, and at seventeen
he was studying in the academy at Brandon.
In Canandaigua Academy
After a year he followed his family to Canandaigua, New York, where he entered its famous old academy. He remained two years. During this time he was studying law in the office of a prominent lawyer.
Boys in old academy liked Douglas
In the debating clubs, Douglas was a leader. Before his fellow students he had an easy flow of forcible language. The boys all liked him. He was small, but he was full of life, good-natured, and took things in an enthusiastic way.
Goes to the "Far West"
Finally he left Canandaigua to go to the "Far West," there to carve out his fortune. He went to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Louisville, and St. Louis. From St. Louis, he made his way to Winchester, Illinois.
In a strange town and without friends
Here he was in a strange town, without money and without friends. He saw a crowd in the public square. A sale was going on, but there was no one to act as clerk. Douglas offered himself, and acted as clerk for three days, and earned six dollars.
Teaches school
Douglas decided to teach school. He went around with a paper and the parents of forty children signed it, at three dollars apiece.
While teaching, he studied law, and was admitted to practice in His rapid promotion
He was a member of Congress at thirty, and a United States Senator at thirty-four. He was a candidate before the Democratic National Convention for President in 1852, and again in 1856.
Rapid rise caused by love of debate
186. A Great Debater. Few men in America have had a more rapid
rise in politics than Stephen A. Douglas. This was partly due to his power as a
public speaker. He loved the rough and tumble ways of the campaign orator. He was
the greatest off-hand debater in America.
Really a little giant
Douglas was a short man, below the usual height. But he was broad-shouldered and big-chested. His head was large, and was set upon a stout, strong neck. His jaw was square and his chin broad. His eyes were piercing. He had long, dark hair, and when in debate, he shook it like a lion's mane. His whole body was compact and strong. He was truly called a "Little Giant."
Douglas's aim was victory
Douglas threw himself into debate, body as well as mind. His eloquence was like a mighty roaring stream, sweeping men off Douglas's their feet before they had time to think.
Nobody wantonly provoked him
Douglas's aim in debate was to win. When he was right, his words were like bullets that went straight to the mark. Yet no one excelled him in making his audience see as he saw. No man so well as Douglas could make the worse appear the better reason.
He was a master debater in the Senate of the United States. Not a man in that body of debaters would willingly and wantonly provoke him to a contest.
Author of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill
This was Douglas in 1854, when he introduced for the committee on territories the
famous Kansas-Nebraska Bill, repealing Formation of the Republican party
Douglas destroys one party and creates another
Douglas had destroyed one party, the Whig, and had made another. His own party, the Democratic, was badly shaken. No such political changes had ever taken place in so short a time in American history.
In 1852, the anti-slavery vote for President was slightly more than one hundred fifty thousand, while in 1856, it went beyond a million two hundred fifty thousand.
Chicago refuses to welcome him
Douglas was now the most unpopular man in the whole North. He went home to Chicago. No cannon boomed a welcome. No long lines of marching men greeted him. The flags were at half mast. The church bells tolled as if calling the people to a funeral. Chicago had not been acting this way. Her people were angry with Douglas on account of the Kansas-Nebraska bill.
The hall in which Douglas spoke was over-flowing, but the Tired and beaten he goes home
Quarrels with President Buchanan
Later Douglas quarreled with President Buchanan over Kansas. Buchanan declared the slavery constitution of Kansas was the true constitution. This Douglas denied, because, he said, the people of Kansas had not been given a fair chance to vote on it. Through this quarrel he again won his way to the hearts of the people of Illinois.
The Lincoln-Douglas debates
187. Debates with Lincoln. Then came the great debates with
Lincoln. Douglas met the champion of the new Republican party, which was formed to
prevent slavery from going into the territories.
The South offended
Douglas and Breckenridge
The people of the slave states did not like the way in which Douglas made answer to
Lincoln's question about keeping slavery out of a territory. The southern delegates
refused to vote for him in the National Democratic Convention at Charleston, in
1860, and left the convention. A few weeks later the convention again met at
Baltimore. The southern men again refused to stand by Douglas, and nominated
Breckenridge of Kentucky for President, a man who favored slavery. But the Northern
Democrats nominated
South Carolina threatens secession
The October elections went in favor of the Republicans. Already South Carolina and other states were talking of secession. Douglas had a month to speak in the North, but recalled his engagements and made a trip to the South. He denied that any state had the right of secession, the right to dissolve the Union: "I think the President ... should treat all attempts to break up the Union ... as Old Hickory treated the nullifiers in 1832."
Douglas in debate with slave-holding senators
In the Senate, after his defeat for the Douglas Presidency, Douglas engaged the slave-holding senators in furious debate. In his anger, one asked Douglas what he would advise the new President to do. "I do not choose," said Douglas, "to proclaim what my policy would be in view of the fact that the Senator does not regard himself as the guardian of the honor and interests of my country."
Stands by President Lincoln
188. Douglas Stands for the Union. When President Lincoln by
stood up to read his great inaugural address to the thousands who came to hear it,
Stephen A. Douglas, his old rival, stood by his side, holding Lincoln's hat, and
speaking words of praise.
Douglas visits the White House
That night at the ball in honor of President Lincoln, Douglas swept down the great hall with Mrs. Lincoln on his arm, as if to say to all men: "I am standing by the President."
When the news came of the fall of Fort Sumter, Douglas made a long visit to his
former antagonist in the White House. On the Sends a message to his followers Ready to fight to save the Union
Reception by a Republican legislature
Douglas went back to Illinois, and was given a reception by the Republican legislature, such as would have made glad the heart of any man. He spoke to friends and neighbors— to Union men. Nearly everybody in the North was wildly enthusiastic for the Union.
Douglas at home
Again Douglas went home to Chicago and in the great hall in which Lincoln had been nominated, he spoke for the Union to ten thousand people. Now indeed they were his own neighbors.
In a few days the telegraph sent the news that he was dead. He left a "last will and testament" to his two boys, who were at college and who were unable to reach home: "Stand by the Constitution and the Union."
He died as he had lived, loving his country first, as truly in defeat as in victory. On the shores of Lake Michigan, in the great city of Chicago, the people have built a stately monument to the memory of Stephen A. Douglas.
Abraham Lincoln, 1809
190. The Backwoodsman Who Became President. Abraham Lincoln was
born in Kentucky, February 12, 1809. His parents were so poor that they hardly knew
that they were poor. When he was seven years old, his family crossed the Ohio River
and settled in Indiana, which was a new state where there were many things to
do.
They found a place in the deep, dark forest, in the southern part of the state, and began to build a cabin for a home. Abe was an industrious little fellow and worked hard to help build it. It was not much of a house— only fourteen square. One side was left out and here they built the fire. It was not very warm in winter and not very cool in summer. The hard ground was the floor.
Lincoln's father makes the furniture
The father was a sort of carpenter, and out of rough timbers he made the table on which they ate, and the three-legged stools on which they sat. He also made the bedsteads, which consisted of poles driven into the wall. What more did they need?
In the loft of the cabin Abe made himself a bed of leaves. Every night he climbed into the loft by means of wooden pins driven into the wall. He was busy helping cut down trees and burning them to make room for a patch of corn and pumpkins.
The lad and his sister roasted the ears of young corn over the fire. The ripe corn was ground into meal from which corn bread was made. This was baked in the ashes or on a board in front of a bed of red-hot coals.
The woods, great thick woods for miles on all sides of them, were broken only here
and there by a "clearing." In these forests As a hunter
His mother's death
They were living in the cabin when Abe's mother sickened and died. He was broken-hearted. She had taught him what little he knew. Her last words to him were: " Try to live as I have taught you and to love your Heavenly Father."
Lincoln's tribute to his mother
Many years after, when he became famous, he said: "All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." She was put in a coffin roughly cut out of logs by the same tools that had made their furniture, and laid to rest in a corner of the clearing. Long years afterward a good man put a stone over the grave, with this inscription: "Nancy Hanks Lincoln, the mother of President Lincoln, died October 5, A. D. 1818, aged 35 years."
Lincoln gets a new mother
After a year his father went back to Kentucky to look about for a wife. He found a widow, named Sarah Bush Johnston, and married her. He had known her before he met Nancy Hanks. She was thrifty and industrious, and her bedding and other household goods filled a four-horse wagon.
Before winter came she made her husband put a good floor, and a door, and windows in the cabin. She took charge of Abe and his sister, and made them "look a little more human." She put good clothes on the children and put them to sleep in comfortable beds.
Abe's education
191. Lincoln Educates Himself. Schools were scarce in that new
country, and Abe never had more than a year at school. His stepmother encouraged him
in every way to study at home.
A taste for reading
He copies down what pleases him
When Abe got a taste for reading, it was hard to satisfy it. He read the Bible, "Æsop's Fables," "Robinson Crusoe," "Pilgrim's Progress," a History of the United States, and Weem's "Life of Washington." He borrowed the "Revised Statutes of Indiana." These were all solid books, good for a young boy to read. When a sentence pleased him, he read it, and re-read it. If he did not own the book, he took many notes, filling his copy book with choice sentences.
Lincoln reads while he eats
John Hanks, a boy brought up with Lincoln, says: "When Abe and I returned to the house from work, he would go to the cupboard, snatch a piece of corn bread, sit down, take a book, cock his legs up as high as his head, and read." He read, wrote, and ciphered incessantly.
A great story-teller when a boy
Young Lincoln was soon able to do a "man's labor," although only a boy. He was strong and powerful, and a great favorite. In that family of brothers, sisters, and cousins, his good-natured jokes and stories kept peace. Abe was the great story-teller of the family.
At nineteen years of age
At the age of nineteen Lincoln reached his full height of six feet four inches. By that time he had read every book he could find, and could "spell down" the whole country. "He could sink an axe deeper into the wood than any man I ever saw," said a neighbor.
Moves to Illinois
When Abe was twenty-one, the entire family started for Illinois. Along forest roads, and across muddy prairies, for two weeks they traveled till they came to the Sangamon River.
They built a cabin on the north fork of the river. With the help of John Hanks, young Lincoln plowed fifteen acres, planted it in corn, and split the rails from the tall walnut trees on the ground and fenced it.
A trip to New Orleans
192. Tries to be a Business Man. The next year he was hired to
take a flatboat to New Orleans. The boat was loaded with hogs, pork, and corn. The
wages of the trip were fifty cents a day, and twenty dollars besides for each
man.
A slave auction
Clerk in a store
They "poled" and rowed their slow way down the Ohio and the Mississippi. At New Orleans, Lincoln first saw a slave auction. He saw men and women sold. As he turned away he said to a friend: "If ever I get a chance to hit that thing, I'll hit it hard." He did not then dream of the mighty blow he would one day strike. After his return from New Orleans, he became a clerk in a store.
One day a woman gave Lincoln six cents too much. That very evening he walked several miles to find her and give back the money. At another time Lincoln found that he had not given a woman as much tea as she paid for. He went in search of her and gave her the rest of the tea.
The Black Hawk War
About this time Lincoln joined a company of soldiers going to the Black Hawk War. An Indian chief named Black Hawk was on the "war path."
All the frontier was up in arms against him and his band of braves. Lincoln was
well pleased when nearly all the men in his company Lincoln elected captain
Fame as a story-teller spreads
Little fighting was done by Lincoln's company, but sitting around the camp fires in the evening, he became famous as a story-teller, and he made many friends.
193. Makes a Success in Politics. On his return from the war,
though he was only twenty-three years old, he became a candidate for the state
legislature, but was defeated.
Runs for the legislature
A little later he was again a candidate. This time he won. After the election, he said to a friend: "Did you vote for me?" "I did," replied the man. "Then you must lend me two hundred dollars." Lincoln needed a suit of clothes and money to pay the expenses for traveling in a stage coach to the capital!
In 1837 the legislature passed a set of resolutions in favor of slavery and condemning the Abolitionists. Lincoln could not stand this. He and one other man signed a protest declaring that slavery was founded on "injustice and bad policy."
Lincoln was reflected to the legislature seven times. He generally got more votes than other men on the ticket because the people liked his quaint sayings and his unpretending manner.
Lincoln licensed to practice law
In the meantime, after three or four years of study, he was given a license to practice law. He made it a rule never to take a case which he believed to be wrong. He was a successful lawyer but the road to fame by way of the law was a slow one. It gave Lincoln a chance to engage in politics, as we have already seen.
His taste for public speaking
He liked "stump speaking." He liked to go about the country from one speaking place to another, or to travel from one county to another to meet the different sessions of the courts. He spoke for what he believed to be the truth. He was always in earnest, and made his hearers feel that he was sincere.
Speaks for Harrison and Henry Clay
In 1840 he was one of Harrison's orators, and in 1844 he threw all his power and influence in favor of Henry Clay, his favorite among the great men, for the Presidency.
Lincoln in Congress
In 1846 the Whigs of Springfield, where he was then living, put Lincoln forward for Congress, and succeeded in getting him elected. He was not in favor of the war with Mexico, then going on, and was not selected to run again. Lincoln returned to Springfield, and began the practice of law with greater success than ever before.
When Senator Douglas of Illinois, in 1854, carried the Kansas-Nebraska Bill through Congress, anti-slavery men all over the nation raised a storm of indignation. This bill repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had stood for thirty years, and threw the territories open to slavery.
The champion against Douglas
Douglas spoke at the state fair, held in Springfield. He tried to explain why he favored the Kansas-Nebraska Bill. Lincoln made a speech four hours in length, ably answering the argument of Douglas. This speech made him the champion for the anti-slavery people in the state against Douglas.
Public opinion points toward Lincoln
The same question was fought out between them at Peoria, a little later. Again Lincoln met Douglas's arguments. People began to talk of Lincoln as the next United States Senator. More and more, popular opinion in the state began to turn toward Lincoln.
Accordingly, in 1858, at Springfield, the Republicans in convention named Lincoln for United States Senator. He made a speech to the Republicans, in which he said that this country can not remain half slave and half free-that it must become all slave or all free.
Nominated for United States Senator
This called every man to face a new question. No greater question could be raised.
Some friends of Lincoln pleaded with
Lincoln challenges Douglas
194. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Douglas attacked this speech,
and Lincoln challenged him to hold several joint debates before the people of
Illinois. Seven debates were arranged, in which Douglas insisted upon opening and
closing four.
People came from far away to hear the debates
The people of Illinois were mainly farmers in 1858. They traveled long distances to hear these giants debate the question of slavery. Some of them were several days coming and going— in the wagons, on horseback, or on foot. The great newspapers in the larger cities sent men to listen to these debates, and take down the very words used by Lincoln and Douglas. The editors of these papers knew that the people were anxiously waiting to read what these men had to say about slavery.
The fatal answer
"Can the people of a territory get rid of slavery?" Lincoln asked. "Yes," said Douglas. That was a fatal answer. Douglas by this answer lost the support of the Democrats of the South, although he held the Democrats of Illinois. He could still be Senator, but he could never be President.
The debates went on. "I do not understand," said Lincoln, "that because the white man is to have the superior position, that the negro should be denied everything ... there is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights [named] in the Declaration of Independence ... I agree with Judge Douglas, he [the negro] is not my equal in many respects— certainly not in color, perhaps not in moral and intellectual endowments. But, in the right to eat the bread, without the leave of anybody else, which his own hands have earned, he is my equal, the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of any living man."
Lincoln made famous by the debates
These debates made Lincoln widely known. He accepted invitations to speak in Ohio, New York, and New England.
Lincoln the rail-splitter
In May, 1860, the Republicans of Illinois met in state convention, Lincoln was there. The people picked him up, lifted him over their heads, and placed him on the platform. The cheering was loud. Just at this moment John Hanks came into the hall carrying two fence rails, with the stars and stripes mounted between them, bearing in large words the following: "Taken from a lot made by Abraham Lincoln and John Hanks in the Sangamon Bottom in the year 1830." The people stood up and cheered, and threw their hats high and shouted for Lincoln, the "rail-splitter." He made them a speech. The convention then and there named him as the choice of the Republican party of Illinois for the next President of the United States.
The candidate of the Republican party
195. Lincoln President. A few weeks later Abraham Lincoln was
nominated in Chicago by the National Convention of the Republican party for the
Presidency. Just as the passage of Douglas's Kansas-Nebraska Bill killed the old
Whig party, so the debates between Lincoln and Douglas split the Democratic party
into a Northern and a Southern wing.
Lincoln elected
Douglas was nominated by the Northern wing, and Breckenridge by the Southern wing. This division in the Democratic party resulted in the election of Lincoln to the Presidency, in November, 1860.
During the fall and winter, seven Southern states left the Union, and set up a government called the "Confederate States of America." They had their government all in running order before Lincoln left Springfield.
Bound for Washington
At Independence Hall
In February, 1861, Lincoln said good-by to the people of Springfield, and started for Washington to take his seat as President. The people were bound to see him and hear his voice and shake his hand. Along the route there were cheers, bonfires, and military parades with miles of marching men. At Philadelphia, he raised a flag over Independence Hall. He made a touching speech in regard to the men of the Revolution who had sat in that hall, and pledged himself to abide by the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
The inauguration
On March 4, with soldiers guarding the capitol, Lincoln read his inaugural address and took the oath of office which all Presidents before him had taken. This speech was listened to with the greatest interest. It was now plain to everybody that Lincoln meant to fight, if fighting were necessary to save the Union.
Surrender of Fort Sumter
In April Confederates fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. After awful hardships, Colonel Anderson and his men surrendered the fort to the Confederate troops.
Call for seventy-five thousand men
Lincoln immediately sent forth the call for seventy-five thousand men. War had come— civil war, the most dreadful kind of war. Four more states left the Union, and joined the "Confederate States." But the slave states of Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri remained with the Union. Lincoln made it a war to save the Union and not a war to get rid of slavery. The great majority at the North were willing to fight for the Union which Jackson, Webster, and Clay had done so much to save.
The slavery question comes up
But the slavery question would keep coming up. The Confederates used the slaves to build forts, cook for the army, and to do other work. Thus the slave took the place of the white soldier. Other slaves raised food supplies and cared for the women. In this way the slaves were constantly being used to help fight against the Union.
The Emancipation Proclamation
The time had come to destroy slavery. Lincoln now saw that by freeing the slaves he could strike a heavy blow at the Confederacy. So as Commander-in-chief of the Union armies, he issued the Proclamation of Emancipation January 1, 1863.
The war, however, continued more than two years longer. The long list of dead and wounded on both sides saddened Lincoln. Day by day the lines in his kindly face grew deeper.
Finally the news came that General Grant had hammered General Lee's lines to pieces, and that Jefferson Davis and his Lincoln cabinet were leaving Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.
Lincoln visits Richmond
Early in April President Lincoln went to visit Richmond. He saw a city on fire, and a mob breaking into houses.
Lee surrenders to Grant
Grant was pursuing Lee's army. He overtook it, and on April 8 offered terms of surrender. Lee accepted. The President's heart was filled with gratitude that no more lives were to be sacrificed on either side.
Lincoln assassinated
195. President Lincoln Assassinated. The evening of April 14,
1865, Lincoln went to Ford's Theater in Washington to rest his body and mind. As he
sat in a box, John Wilkes Booth, an actor, shot him in the back of the head. Booth
sprang upon the stage, flourished his revolver, and escaped.
Died in Washington April 15, 1865
Abraham Lincoln died the next day. Thus the nation lost a great man. He was truly a man "with malice toward none, with charity for all."
Monuments to Lincoln
Many monuments have been built to honor the name of this great man. The most unique one is in Edinburgh, Scotland— it is a life size statue with one hand holding the Emancipation Proclamation and with the other striking the chains from a half-rising slave. The largest memorial is at Springfield, Illinois, the home of Lincoln and where he lies buried. One of the most celebrated is the St. Gaudens statue in Lincoln Park, Chicago.
The Leading Facts.
1. Douglas worked on a farm, and went to school in winter. 2. Went to Canandaigua, New York; formed a debating club; went West.
3. He stopped at Winchester, Ill., taught school, then studied
law, and was Attorney-General of the state at twenty-one. 4.
Douglas was rapidly promoted until he was finally made a Senator. 5. A great debater. Was author of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill. 6. Douglas joined in debate for the senatorship. 7. The
South, dissatisfied with Douglas, split the Democratic Party, elected Lincoln, and
left the Union. 8. Douglas stood bravely by Lincoln until his
death. 9. Lincoln, born of poor parents in the state of Kentucky,
went over to Indiana at seven years of age. 10. Helped build a
cabin, cleared the forests, and went hunting. 11. Lincoln lost his
mother, and his father married again. 12. Had little schooling,
but read a few books very thoroughly. 13. Very powerful at
twenty-one; could "spell down" the whole country. 14. Moved to
Illinois; went to New Orleans, and saw a slave auction. 15.
Lincoln was elected Captain in Black Hawk War; elected to legislature for four
terms. 16. Elected to Congress one term. Attacked Douglas for
Kansas-Nebraska Bill. 17. Lincoln and Douglas held joint debates.
Douglas displeased the South. 18. Lincoln was elected President,
the South seceded, and Douglas stood by the Union. 19. Lincoln
issued Emancipation Proclamation. 20. He visited Richmond after
its fall; returned to Washington; was assassinated.
Study Questions.
1. What early traits did Douglas show? 2. Why
did the Canandaigua boys like Douglas? 3. What sort of a town was
St. Louis in 1833? 4. Why were the people pleased with Douglas?
5. Tell the story of his rapid rise in politics. 6. How could debate cause Douglas to rise? 7. Picture
Douglas in debate. 8. Why were people of the North opposed to the
Kansas-Nebraska bill? 9. What changes in politics were caused by
the bill? 10. Picture Douglas in Chicago. 11.
Why, in 1860, did the South refuse to vote for Douglas? 12. Tell
the story of Douglas's stand for the Union.
13. Describe Lincoln's early surroundings. 14.
Picture Abe and his sister. 15. How did Abe help get their meat?
16. What did he owe to his mother? 17. What
did Abe's new mother do for him? 18. What books did Abe read and
how did he read them? 19. Why was Abe liked in the family? 20. How tall was Lincoln? 21. What did he do soon
after going to Illinois? 22. What did he see in New Orleans that
was new to him? 23. Prove Lincoln was honest. 24. How old was Lincoln when he ran for the legislature? 25. Tell the story of Lincoln's experiences in running for the legislature.
26. Why did Lincoln love public speaking? 27.
How did Lincoln become the 28. What new declaration did Lincoln make in his
Springfield speech? 29. Why did Lincoln challenge Douglas? 30. What was the fatal question put to Douglas by Lincoln? 31. To what rights did Lincoln say the black man is entitled? 32. Picture the scene in the state Convention of 1860. 33. Why was Lincoln elected? 34. Give an account of the
demonstrations made in honor of Lincoln. 35. What kind of a war
did Lincoln make of the Civil War? 36. Why would the question of
slavery keep coming up? 37. Tell the story of his visit to
Richmond. 38. How did the nation feel over Lincoln's death? 39. How has he been honored?
Suggested Readings. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS: Brown, Stephen A. Douglas; The Reminiscences of Carl
Schurz, II, 29-38; Flint, Life of Stephen A. Douglas,
16-222.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN: Baldwin, Four
Great Americans, 187-246; McMurry, Pioneers of the Mississippi
Valley, 170-184; Wright, Children's Stories of American
Progress, 159-178, 299-327; Brooks, Century Book of Famous
Americans, 193-210; Hart and Stevens, Romance of the Civil
War, 1-112; Bolton, Lives of Poor Boys Who Became Famous,
342-367; Mabie, Heroes Every Child Should Know, 309-319; Nicolay,
Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln; Coffin, Abraham
Lincoln.
Ulysses Simpson Grant 1822
196. A Poor Boy Becomes a Great Man. Ulysses Simpson Grant was
born in 1822 in Ohio, at a place called Point Pleasant. His parents removed the next
year to Georgetown, Ohio, where they lived for a long time.
Early schooling
Liked horses
Young Grant went to the subscription school, but was taught little besides reading, writing, and arithmetic. He did not like the leather business— his father's occupation— but did enjoy farm work, because horses were used there.
At eight he hauled the wood needed at home and in the leather factory, and at eleven he was able to plow. This work he enjoyed a great deal.
Fun for boys
As he was growing up, there was plenty of fun, such as fishing and swimming in the summer, and skating and sleighing in the winter.
He liked to travel
He liked to travel. When the news came that he had been appointed a cadet at West Point, the only reason he saw for going was that it gave him a chance to travel.
The ride to Philadelphia in the cars
He enjoyed his steamboat ride to Pittsburg and the canal boat ride to Harrisburg. Here young Grant saw railroad cars for the first time. He rode to Philadelphia at the rate of twelve miles an hour. He was not in a hurry, and went slowly to New York, and then on to West Point.
Does not enjoy West Point
Grant did not enjoy West Point. He was there because his father wanted him there; but military life had no charms for him then. He did like mathematics, however.
When his four years at West Point were over he wanted to be in the cavalry, not forgetting his early days on the farm. But he had no chance, as the boys with better scholarship were given the cavalry positions.
Fights under General Taylor
Lieutenant Grant fought in the Mexican War, under General Taylor, from the Rio Grande to Buena Vista, 1847. Just before the Battle of Buena Vista, Grant was transferred to General Scott's command, which marched against the Mexican capital.
Lieutenant Grant entered the city of Mexico with General Scott. No foreign soldier had set foot in the "Halls of the Montezumas" since the days of the great Cortés, more than three hundred years before.
Goes to California
After peace was made Lieutenant Grant went with his regiment to California by way
of the Isthmus of Panama. Not long Resigns and goes back home
He tried farming near St. Louis, but fell sick. He sold the farm and went into the real estate business, but this business did not pay. He sold out again, and went to Galena, Illinois, to be a clerk in his father's store. Here he was living when the Civil War broke out in 1861.
Lincoln's call in Galena
197. Grant Answers Lincoln's Call. When Lincoln's call for
seventy-five thousand men reached Galena, all business was stopped. There were no
party divisions. That evening the court house was packed. Grant was chairman of the
meeting. It was new business for him, and he had to be told what to do.
Grant goes to Springfield
A company was raised on the spot. The women of Galena made the uniforms. Grant went to Springfield. The governor put him to work getting soldiers ready for the war.
After a time, he was made colonel of a regiment, and soon had it in a fine state of discipline.
Rapid promotion
He rose rapidly from a colonel of a regiment to a brigadier-general in command of several regiments, and then was made major-general in command of an army.
Captures Fort Henry
While General Grant was at Cairo, he planned the expedition against Fort Henry 'on the Tennessee and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland. These two places were less than ten miles apart. With the help of Commodore Foote and his gunboats, he easily captured Fort Henry.
Then came the attempt on Fort Donelson. It was a harder task, because the fort was
defended by many more men. The Confederates tried to break through the right wing of
Grant's Unconditional and immediate surrender
Confederates fall back
The surrender of Forts Donelson and Henry forced the Confederates to give up the line extending through Columbus and Fort Donelson to Cumberland Gap. The Confederate line of defense now extended from Memphis, through Corinth, to Chattanooga. This was the first great blow that the Confederacy received. General Grant was a hero in the eyes of the North.
Pittsburgh Landing
General A. S. Johnston killed
Grant now pushed on south to Pittsburg Landing, where the Confederates from Corinth, Mississippi, under Albert Sidney Johnston, attacked him furiously. At the end of the first day's fight, Grant's men were beaten back a mile and a half toward the Tennessee. That night General Buell brought reinforcements, and on the next day the Confederates were defeated. The Union army lost the larger number of men. The Confederates were saddened by the death of General Johnston.
Grant moves against the Mississippi
With the second line of Confederate defense broken, General Grant turned his attention to the Mississippi River. As long as the Mississippi was open to the South, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas could the send food supplies to the Confederates on the east side of the river.
Grant moved down to capture Vicksburg in the beginning of 1863. General Pemberton was protecting the city with a large army. The siege Grant drove Pemberton into Vicksburg, and laid siege to it.
The siege of Vicksburg
For seven weeks the siege continued. Nobody could slip in or out. Meat and bread grew scarce. General Grant's cannon knocked the houses to pieces. People found shelter in cellars and in caves dug in the earth.
The surrender
On the Fourth of July, 1863, Vicksburg surrendered, with Pemberton's army of more than thirty thousand men. There was great rejoicing throughout the North. President Lincoln sent words of congratulation. Congress voted Grant a medal.
Another Fourth of July victory
On the same day General Lee was defeated at Gettysburg. He had marched into Pennsylvania with a veteran army. North and South were anxiously awaiting the result. Both victories for the North came on the same day. July 4, 1863, was the turning point in the Civil War.
Capture of New Orleans
198. Farragut Aids Grant. On July 9, Port Hudson, the last
Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi, surrendered. Before Grant captured
Vicksburg, Captain David Farragut of the Union forces, with his large fleet, had cut
the cables across the Mississippi, destroyed the Confederate boats, and captured New
Orleans.
Admiral Farragut
The hero of this exploit was born in east Tennessee. At the age of twelve he was a midshipman on the "Essex," on her famous cruise in the Pacific (1814.) After capturing New Orleans he aided General Grant and Commodore Foote in clearing the Mississippi. But in 1864 he struck the Confederacy a still greater blow. He sailed into Mobile Bay, capturing the fleet and the fort defending it, in spite of sunken mines and hidden torpedoes. Mobile was the last great seaport open to the Confederacy.
Yankees in possession of the Mississippi
Thus, by the capture of New Orleans and Vicksburg, the Confederacy was cut in two, and Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas could send no more supplies to the Confederate armies in the East.
Lieutenant general Grant
199. Grant Commander of the Army. President Lincoln saw in
General Grant the qualities of a great soldier. He sent for him to come to
Washington. Grant went, and was there made lieutenant-general in command of all the
Armies of the United States.
His first object
One head now directed the fighting for the Union. Grant took command at once. His first great object was to capture Lee's army.
Grand and Lee meet in the "Wilderness"
The direct road to Richmond lay through the "Wilderness," a region covered with a thick forest of tangled underbrush. General Lee was in there with his veteran troops. It was the route of danger. Into this wilderness Grant plunged with a great army. The fighting began. It was almost constant charge and countercharge for a month, with long lists of dead and wounded.
Grant finally takes Petersburg
Grant moved his army around to the James River and attacked Petersburg. This place was finally taken in the spring of 1865, and President Lincoln ran down from Washington to visit Grant and his soldiers.
"Richmond is fallen"
General Lee had told the Confederate President he could hold Richmond no longer. President Davis started southward. Lee was also trying to break away, but his army was weakened by hard fighting, and Sheridan, who commanded the cavalry, was too quick for him.
Grant and Lee at Appomattox
General Grant wrote to General Lee suggesting that he surrender, and save further bloodshed. Lee agreed, and the terms of surrender were signed April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House.
General Johnston surrenders
More than a year before, General Sherman had taken charge of the Union forces around Atlanta. After capturing it, he marched with sixty thousand men to the sea, at Savannah. From Savannah, he marched northeast into North Carolina, where he met a Confederate army under his old rival, General Joseph E. Johnston. Johnston after a brave fight surrendered to Sherman.
After the war was over, General Grant served a while in the cabinet of President Johnson, who became President at Lincoln's death.
Tour around the world
200. Grant President. In 1868 he was elected President of the
United States. He was reflected in 1872. After his term of service was over as
President, he made a tour around the world and was received with great honor by both
rulers and people.
Dies in 1885
He returned to the United States, and in his last days wrote his memoirs. He died July 23, 1885, at Mount McGregor, near Saratoga, New York. His body rests in Riverside Park, New York City, where a magnificent monument has been erected to his memory.
The Leading Facts.
1. Grant born of farmer parents. Loved to work with horses. 2. Sent to West Point; was in Mexican War under generals Taylor and
Scott. Went to California; was made captain, and resigned. 3. Went
into business near St. Louis. Was clerk for his father at Galena. 4. Grant enlisted in the Civil War; rose rapidly till made a major-general.
5. Captured Forts Henry and Donelson. Fought two days' battle at
Pittsburg Landing. 6. Grant captured Vicksburg; was made
lieutenant-general, and sent into the Wilderness after General Lee. 7. Grant fought a month, then moved around to 8. Richmond fell. Grant offered Lee terms of
surrender. 9. Grant was twice made President; afterwards he went
around the world. 10. Died at Mount McGregor.
Study Questions.
1. Tell the story of Grant until he reached West Point. 2. What examples of obedience did Grant give? 3.
What did Grant witness in the war with Mexico? 4. Tell the
interesting changes he saw taking place on the Pacific slope. 5.
What did Grant do at Galena when Lincoln's call came? 6. Tell of
his promotion. 7. What was the meaning of the victory at Fort
Donelson? 8. Tell the story of Pittsburg Landing. 9. What great result was to be accomplished by the capture of Vicksburg and
other Mississippi River positions? 10. What two victories came on
the Fourth of July and what did both mean? 11. How did Grant's
victory impress the President? 12. Give an account of the battle
of the "Wilderness." 13. What was Lee's word to Davis? 14. Picture the scene at Appomattox Court House. 15. Tell the story of Grant after the close of the Civil War.
Suggested Readings. ULYSSES S. GRANT: Burton, Four American Patriots, 195-254; Brooks, Century Book of Famous Americans, 181-191; Hart and Stevens, Romance of the Civil War, 179-183; Hale, Stories of
War, 21-29, 74-91, 92-118, 168-187, 226-264; Bolton, Famous
American Statesmen, 307-360.
DAVID G. FARRAGUT: Bolton, Lives
of Poor Boys Who Have Become Famous, 219-237; Mahan, Admiral
Farragut, 1-306.
Robert E. Lee 1807
201. The Great General of the Confederacy. Robert E. Lee was born
in Virginia in 1807, with the best blood of the Cavaliers in his veins. His father
was "Light Horse Harry" Lee, the famous cavalryman of the Revolution.
Wins honor at West Point
As young Lee grew up, he followed in the footsteps of his great father. He went to school at Alexandria, George Washington's old town, and prepared for West Point. He was a cadet officer at West Point, and during the last year held the rank of honor in the corps.
While yet a boy he visited Arlington, across the Potomac from Washington, the home
of George Washington Parke Custis. Here Marries the playmate of his childhood
When he left West Point, Lee was a second lieutenant. Later he was made a first lieutenant, and then promoted to be captain, and given charge of a company.
Wins fame in Mexico
In the war with Mexico, he earned honor and fame. He was rapidly promoted from captain to major, from major to lieutenant-colonel, and from lieutenant-colonel to colonel.
In charge at West Point
When the Mexican war was over, and peace had come, Lee was given charge of the Academy at West Point. While there he made improvements in the discipline and in the course of study of that famous military school.
After three years, Lee resigned his position at West Point and went to fight the Indians on the frontier. During this time the agitation over slavery began to enter even the army. Colonel Lee believed in the Union, and was opposed to secession.
Lee goes with his state
But when Virginia followed other slave states out of the Union and into the Confederacy, Lee went with his native state. Before he took this step, President Lincoln sent a friend to offer him a promotion in the army, if he would fight for the Union. Lee replied: "How could I take part against my native state, or raise my hand against my relatives, my children, and my home?"
Virginia put him at the head of her troops, and when she joined the Confederacy, he
was made one of her generals. Early in 1862 Defends Richmond
Compels McClellan to retreat
202. Lee Wins Victory After Victory. The change was quickly seen.
Although McClellan, the Union general, had a much larger army, Lee immediately
attacked it in a seven days' battle, compelling McClellan to retreat. The attack
upon Richmond had failed.
Defeats General Pope
Lee turned, and hurled his army with great fury against another Northern general, Pope, defeated him, and threatened Washington. The excitement in the capital was great.
Invades Maryland
Flushed with victory, General Lee decided to lead his army into Maryland. Supplies for the army were abundant. But the people of Maryland did not join his army as he had expected. The bloody battle of Antietam was the result of this invasion. General Lee slowly withdrew his troops across the Potomac into Virginia.
Defeats Union Army at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville
n December, he fought and defeated the Union army at Fredericksburg. Early in the year 1863 Lee again defeated the Union forces, with great slaughter, at Chancellorsville. Here Lee lost his most brilliant and dashing general, "Stonewall" Jackson, who was killed accidentally by his own troops.
Invades the North
After resting his troops and gathering reinforcements, Lee made a dash through Maryland into Pennsylvania. Washington and the North were full of excitement, but a great Union army was now hurrying to meet him.
Greatest battle of the war
Pickett's charge
The loss
203. The Battle of Gettysburg. The two armies met at Gettysburg,
and there for three days was fought the greatest battle of the Civil War. On the
last day occurred Pickett's famous charge. Fifteen thousand Southern veterans, led
by General George E. Pickett, with bayonets gleaming, charged across the
valley— more than a mile in width— right up to the muzzle of the Union
guns. The slaughter was fearful. Finally the Confederates retreated. Lee's army was
defeated. More than fifty thousand men, on both sides, were killed, wounded, and
missing at Gettysburg.
Lee never invades again
204. Facing a Powerful Army. General Lee crossed the Potomac, and
never again invaded the North. Little was done until General Grant, in 1864, took
command of all the Union forces, which now numbered nearly one hundred twenty
thousand soldiers. Against this powerful army General Lee could oppose not more than
seventy thousand.
Grant plunges into the "Wilderness"
In May, 1864, the Union troops crossed the Rapidan near Chancellorsville, and entered the "Wilderness." Here in this thicket of underbrush the armies fought a terrible two days' battle. Lee was a match for Grant under these conditions, for the number of soldiers did not count much in such a place.
Lee meets Grant at Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor
Lee faced the Union troops at Spottsylvania, and another two days' fight occurred. Thirty-six thousand were dead, wounded, and missing. As a result of this battle, General Lee again faced Grant's troops at Cold Harbor, where McClellan had been defeated two years before.
The frightful slaughter
After the struggle was over, twelve thousand Union men lay dead and wounded upon the field of battle. Lee was fighting behind breastworks, and Grant's men in the open field.
Petersburg
Suddenly Lee received dispatches to move his troops to Petersburg. Soon Grant was there thundering at the gates. Lee, with his army behind fortifications, held him at bay until the spring of 1865.
Supplied hard to get
204. The Waning of the Confederacy. General Lee's troops were
wearing out. There were no more to take their places. Food and clothing became
scarce. So many of the Confederate states had been overrun by the Union troops that
supplies of all kinds were hard to get. Before this, Southern women had been busy
knitting socks and preparing other supplies for the army, but now it was hard to
find material for supplies.
In the spring, Lee told Jefferson Davis that Richmond would have to fall, and that all the papers and documents would have to be removed. General Lee was planning to take his army to Danville, Virginia, where he could unite with the army of General Joseph E. Johnston. With the two armies, it was planned to strike General Sherman before Grant's army could come to his aid.
Sheridan blocks the way
The Confederacy doomed
Davis and his cabinet left Richmond at night, and got safely away. General Lee could not move so quickly. He was able to reach Appomattox Court House, and there he found his way blocked by General Sheridan and his cavalry. There was now no reason for shedding any more blood. The Confederacy was doomed.
In the spring of 1865 General Lee received a letter from General Grant, asking that
further fighting cease, and that arrangements be made for surrender. The two
generals met at a farmhouse, Terms of surrender
It was a trying time for General Lee. He went back "to break the sad news to the brave troops he had so long commanded ... They pressed up to him, anxious to touch his person or even his horse." With a voice filled with emotion, he said to his soldiers: "We have fought through the war together; I have done the best I could for you. My heart is too full to say more!" And then, in silence, he rode on to his headquarters near by and passed alone into his tent.
Morning brought the final parting with his loyal army. Surrounded by a throng of sorrowing soldiers, General Lee mounted his faithful iron gray horse, "Traveler," then, the last sad farewells said, rode slowly away to his home in Richmond.
President of Washington College
In a short time, General Lee was elected president of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University, at Lexington, Virginia. Many offers of help came to him at this time, but he declined them all. Other offers came to him to engage in business and make a fortune, but he refused them all, preferring his quiet duties as a college president.
He died in 1870
General Lee died in Lexington in 1870. A monument to the memory of this great man has been erected in Richmond, and likewise one in Lexington. Since the close of the Civil War General Lee's fame as a noble man and a great soldier has grown steadily.
The Leading Facts.
1. Robert E. Lee was born in Virginia; went to school at
Alexandria. 2. Went to West Point, won honors, and was made second
lieutenant. 3. Lee was in the Mexican War, and won praise from
General Scott; took charge of West Point. 4. Followed Virginia
into secession and was given command of her troops. 5. Given
charge of the army defending Richmond, and began the seven days' fighting. 6. Defeated General Pope, invaded Maryland, and fought the battle of
Antietam. 7. General Lee won the battles of Fredericksburg and
Chancellorsville, but failed at Gettysburg. 8. Defended Richmond
against Grant for nearly a year. 9. Lee accepted Grant's terms at
Appomattox. 10. Accepted the Presidency of Washington College at
Lexington, Virginia. Died 1870.
Study Questions.
1. What do you know of "Light Horse Harry"? 2.
Tell the story of young Lee until he entered West Point. 3. Tell
of his promotion after leaving West Point. 4. What did Lee do for
West Point? 5. Why did Lincoln think Lee would accept a promotion
in the Union Army? 6. What was Lee's reply? 7.
What positions had he held when he became head at Fair Oaks? 8.
What two victories led Lee to invade Maryland and what great battle was fought? Have
you heard of this battle before? 9. What two victories led Lee to
invade Pennsylvania? 10. Tell the story of Gettysburg. 11. What was the effect on Lee's army? 12. How
could 70,000 men hold 120,000 at bay? 13. Tell the story of Lee's
fighting in the Wilderness. 14. Picture the condition of Lee's
army in the spring of 1865. 15. What was Lee's plan after Richmond
fell? 16. Why did he not carry out this plan? 17. Why did Lee's men need their horses? 18. Picture
General Lee's farewell to his soldiers. 19. Tell the story of Lee
after the war ceased.
Suggested Readings. ROBERT E. LEE: Hale, Stories of War, 61-73, 119-149; Mabie, Heroes Every Child Should Know, 289-308; Magill, Stories from Virginia History, 162-172.
STONEWALL JACKSON: Addey, Stonewall Jackson, 13-30, 31-93, 94-153, 154-240.
George Dewey 1837
At Annapolis as student
205. The Battle of Manila Bay. George Dewey was born in Vermont,
in 1837. As a boy, Dewey was full of life and fun, and led the boys of Montpelier in
sports and pranks. He went to Norwich University and afterward to the Naval Academy
at Annapolis.
An honor graduate
Fights with Farragut
He was graduated with honor, and was placed on the frigate "Wabash," then in the Mediterranean. He was made lieutenant (1861) and placed on board the ship "Mississippi." The Civil War broke out in this year, and Dewey went to the Gulf of Mexico to fight with Farragut.
Run the batteries of Vicksburg
Dewey took part with Farragut's fleet in running past the forts below New the Orleans. Twice, too, they ran by the batteries to aid Grant while besieging Vicksburg.
In 1865, he was made lieutenant-commander for brave conduct. At the close of the war he was stationed on the flagship "Colorado," and sailed -in European waters.
At Annapolis as instructor
For two years Dewey was an instructor in his old school at Annapolis. After his
term at the Naval Academy he served on board various ships; sometimes Commands in Asia
In the harbor of Hong-kong
McKinley's dispatch
While in the harbor of Hong-kong, China, with his fleet of six war ships, President McKinley sent him this dispatch: "Proceed at once to the Philippine Islands. Commence operations, especially against the Spanish fleet. You must capture or destroy the vessels. Use utmost endeavor."
Sails for Manila Bay
Goes "all lights out"
The battle begins
The way it was done
Immediately his fleet put to sea. He entered Manila Bay, and crept, under cover of the night, past the first line of forts. The American vessels were going into the bay with "all lights out." In an unlucky moment, one of the war ships sent up some sparks. At once the Spanish cannon let loose. Dewey's ships answered, and kept moving ahead. In spite of sunken mines, torpedoes, and unknown dangers, Dewey kept right on toward the town of Cavite. The Spanish ships it was were protected by forts. Five times the American broadsides tore done through the Spanish ships. In a few hours the work was done.
The victory
Twelve Spanish ships lay helpless wrecks, and over two hundred Spaniards were killed. Not a man was killed nor a vessel lost on the American side. In a few months, Manila surrendered to the American forces.
Honor Dewey
Public sentiment called upon Congress to show honor to Dewey. Accordingly, the rank of Admiral was given to him.
Pacific coast nearer Asia
The possession of the Philippines has brought the Pacific coast of America into closer contact with the continent of Asia. San Francisco in California, Portland in Oregon, and Seattle in Washington, especially, have been greatly benefited by the addition of the Philippines to our country.
Cervera's fleet
Santiago Bay206. The Great Victory in Cuban Waters. The war with Spain had
not been going on long, when a Spanish fleet under Admiral Cervera sailed toward the
West Indies. Which way is Cervera's fleet going? Will he go direct to Cuba, and
break the American blockade, or will he sail northward, and attack the many
defenseless cities on the Atlantic coast of the United States?
Commodore Schley discovers the Spanish ships
Cervera had time to get coal for his vessels and food for his sailors, and to put his vessels in good fighting shape, before Commodore Schley discovered the Spanish ships and blockaded them with the American fleet. If Cervera would only stay in the harbor till an American army could take Santiago, then his fleet could be captured very easily.
Will Cervera say?
Hobson's plan
But would he remain in the harbor? This uncertainty led Lieutenant Hobson to invent the plan of blowing up a vessel just where the mouth of the harbor is narrowest in order to obstruct it. Hobson, with a few bold men, took the coaling vessel "Merrimac," and when all was ready, steered her straight for the entrance.
The Spaniards finally saw the "Merrimac" coming. What a rain of shot and shell! But
she kept right on. Her rudder was shot away, and Hobson had to sink the ship
lengthwise, instead of across, the channel. When all was ready, the torpedoes were
Hobson and men swim and are taken prisoners
Shafter's land forces advance
What will Cervera do?
More than a month now passed by. The American land forces under General Shafter, fifteen thousand strong, were advancing on the city of Santiago. Meanwhile the fleet commander, Commodore Sampson, arrived and took command of the blockade. What would Cervera do? Would he remain, and share the fate of the city, or would he make a dash for liberty?
Black smoke
"The enemy is trying to escape"
The war ship "Texas" was nearest the mouth of the harbor, on the morning of July 3, when, suddenly, black smoke was seen, then the bow of a vessel pushed itself into view, coming out of the harbor. The electric gongs on the "Texas" sounded, and every man flew to his place. "The enemy is trying to escape" signaled several of the ships. Commodore Sampson, in his flagship, the "New York," had gone to the headquarters of the army, and Commodore Schley took charge of the fleet as the battle began.
The "Maria Teresa: leads Spanish ships
The "Brooklyn," the "Iowa," the "Oregon," and the "Indiana" dashed at the enemy. Admiral Cervera's flagship, the "Infanta Maria Teresa," led the Spanish ships. Coming out at full speed, she let fly a shell at the "Texas." The guns of the "Texas" then opened on her,
American seamanship and marksmanship
The Spanish ships came out with all the steam their boilers could bear. They drove forward for their lives. But American seamanship and better marksmanship soon told the story.
The loss on both sides
Every one of the six Spanish ships was blown up, was run ashore while on fire, or was captured. Six hundred men were killed, and thirteen hundred were taken prisoners. Only one man among the Americans was killed, and one badly wounded.
The way the victory was received
It was a great victory. The band on the "Oregon" played the "Star Spangled Banner." Other crews gave three cheers. The men on the "Texas," led by Captain Philip, bared their heads and silently thanked God.
Capture of Santiago and treaty of peace
The army around Santiago, having won the positions it attacked at El Caney and San Juan, was now impatient to storm that place. But two weeks after the great naval battle negotiations were opened with the Spanish general, Toral, and he surrendered.
This put an end to the war in Cuba. Spain ceded Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands to the United States. For the Philippines Spain was paid twenty million dollars.
The Leading Facts.
1. Dewey went to the Naval Academy, and was placed on the Wabash.
2. Went with Farragut's fleet in the Civil War. 3. Afterwards was instructor at Annapolis. 4. Received
orders to go to the Philippines. Sailed into Manila Bay, and defeated the Spaniards
in a great naval battle. 5. Dewey became the idol of the American
people. 6. Admiral Cervera's fleet sailed for Santiago Bay, where
the American fleet tried to bottle it up. 7. The Spaniards sailed
out and the Americans pursued, sank, burned, or captured the entire fleet.
Study Questions.
1. Tell the story of George Dewey until he joined Farragut. 2. Mention some experiences he had during the Civil War? 3. Why was 1896 a great year for Dewey? 4. Repeat
McKinley's dispatch to him. 5. Picture the scene in Manila Bay.
6. Estimate the effect on Europe. 7. How did
Congress honor Dewey? 8. What is the meaning of the Philippines
for us?
9. What questions did the coming of Cervera's fleet raise? 10. What problem did his fleet set' for the Americans? 11. What was Hobson's aim? 12. Picture the scene of
Hobson's exploit. 13. How many land troops did General Shafter
have? 14. Picture Cervera's "dash for liberty." 15. What was the meaning of this second great victory over the Spanish? 16. How was peace made?
Suggested Readings. GEORGE DEWEY: Morris, The War with Spain, 150-169; Barrett, Admiral George Dewey, 55-152, 230-251.
CAPTURE OF CERVERA'S FLEET: Morris, The War with Spain, 180-214, 267-285.
TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF AMERICA
If you have received as much pleasure from reading the "Stories of Heroism" as I have from writing them, we should feel truly grateful. We have watched these men through childhood and youth and manhood gradually growing in strength and force of character; each expanding in activity and power and steadily developing those heroic qualities demanded by the times and by the work required of him.
We have followed the bold mariners, who, risking their lives, sailed fearlessly into unknown seas which tradition peopled with monsters. We have stood beside the brave men who planted the colonies, and have witnessed their hard-fought battles with climate, sickness, hunger, the wild beast, and the savage Indian.
We have watched the great men of the Revolution win their way to independence when to fail, perhaps, meant death.
We beheld those daring frontiersmen pushing back the line which separated the wilderness from civilization. We have looked with admiration upon those self-sacrificing men of peace who braved the terrors of unknown forest and trackless prairie, conquering the savage by the gentler methods of religion.
We have met heroes who won fame on land and on sea, in peace and in war. Heroes who forever will be remembered for daring deeds in battle; for great wisdom and energy devoted to the up-building of our country and its institutions; and for scientific discoveries and wonderful inventions which have changed the course of history.
To us it matters little why these great men of the past gave their talents, their fortunes, or their lives to the cause for which they fought or toiled. It is important, however, that we know their united efforts have made America a great and happy country, the home of freedom, the refuge of the persecuted, and the land of boundless opportunities.
If the study of their heroic lives has taught us why they sometimes failed and at other times succeeded, and has helped us the better to prepare for the future, our time has not been wasted. If it has stirred our hearts with love of country and inspired within us a desire to do our part in the world's work, we may rest content. The flag of our country will remain unsullied forever by disloyalty or dishonor.
Upon you, my young readers, must soon fall the task of caring for the institutions founded by these patriotic and devoted men. The past history of our country written in their lives is finished and unalterable. Its future history is what you shall make it.
Webster's International Dictionary has been used as authority for spelling and pronunciation, except in the case of a few foreign names, where the Century Cyclopedia of Names has been used.