HISTORY
OF THE
UNITED STATES;
PKKPAKEL)
ESPECIALLY FOR SCHOOLS:
NEW AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, EMBRACING THE FEATURES
OF
LYMAN'S HISTORICAL CHART.
BY
JOHN CLARK RIDPATH, LL. D.,
Vice-Prest. and Prof, of Belles- Lettres and History in Indiana Asbury University ,
Author of a Popular History of the United States ; an Academic History
of the United States ; an Inductive Grammar; etc., etc.
GRAMMAR SCHOOL EDITION.
ILLUSTRATED WITH CHARTS, MAPS, PORTRAITS, SKETCHES, AND DIAGRAMS.
JONES BROTHERS & COMPANY:
CINCINNATI. PHILADELPHIA. CHICAGO.
J. M. OLCOTT, IXDIAXAPOLIS, IND.; J. C. CHILTON & CO., DETROIT, MICH.;
W. H. McCLAIX, DESMOINES, IOWA; T. N. JAMES & CO., HOUSTON, TEX.
matte. OBe*r.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 187o, by
JOHN T. JONES,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
EDUCATION DEPTf
ELECTROTYPED AT
THE FRANKLIN TYPE FOUNDRY,
CINCINNATI.
PREFACE.
I OFFER to American boys and girls a new history of their
country. My hope has been to make them love the inspiring
story.
In the preparation of this little book, the following objects
have been kept in view:
I. To give an accurate and spirited Narrative of the principal
events in our country's history from the discovery of America to
the present time.
II. To present a clear and systematic Arrangement of the sev
eral subjects, giving to every fact, whether of peace or war, its
true place and proportion in the narrative.
III. To give an Objective Representation by means of charts,
maps, and drawings, of all the more important facts of our his
tory.
IV. To employ such a Style and Method as seem best adapted
to fix the attention of the student and to awaken his enthusiasm.
Whether I have succeeded in this work, it is not mine to de
cide. — If success has not rewarded the effort, the failure has been
\n the execution rather than in the plan and purpose.
I surrender this NEW GRAMMAR SCHOOL HISTORY OF THE
UNITED STATES to those for whose benefit it was begun and has
been finished. I ask of teacher and student a just recognition
of whatever worth the work may be found to possess, and a char
itable criticism of its defects.
J. C. R.
INDIANA ASBURY UNIVERSITY,
Jan. 1st, 1880.
M69917
CONTENTS.
PAGE
PREFACE 5
CONTENTS 6-8
INTRODUCTION 9-10
PART I.
CHAPTER ABORIGINAL AMERICA.
I.-The Red Men 11-14
PART II.
VOYAGE AND DISCOVERY.
II.— The Icelanders and Norwegians in America 15-17
III.— Spanish Discoveries 18-21
IV.— Spanish Discoveries.— Continued 22-29
V.— The French in America 29-35
VI.— English Discoveries and Settlements 35-42
VII.— English Discoveries and Settlements.— Continued 43-48
VIII.— Voyages and Settlements of the Dutch 48-50
PART III.
COLONIAL HISTORY.
I. PARENT COLONIES.
IX.— Virginia.— The First Charter 51-57
X.— Virginia.— The Second Charter 58-60
XI.— Virginia.— The Third Charter 61-65
XII.— Virginia.— The Royal Government 66-72
XIII.— Massachusetts.— Settlement 73-S1
XIV.— Massachusetts.— The Union 82-85
XV.— Massachusetts.— King Philip's War 86-92
XVI.— Massachusetts.— War and Witchcraft 93-97
XVII.— Massachusetts.— Wars of Anne and George 97-102
XVIII.— New York.— Settlement 103-107
XIX.— New York.— Administration of Stuyvesant 107-110
XX.— New York under the English 111-119
II. MINOR EASTERN COLONIES.
XXI.— Connecticut 120-126
XXII.-Rhode Island 127-130
XXIII.-New Hampshire 131-133
III. MINOR MIDDLE COLONIES.
XXIV.— New Jersey 134-138
XXV.-Pennsylvauia 139-143
(vi)
CONTENTS. vii
OHAPT.R IV- MINOR SOUTHERN COLONIES. PAOE
XXVI.— Maryland 144-148
XXVII.— North Carolina 149-151
XX VIII. -South Carolina 152-156
XXIX.— Georgia 156-160
V. FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
XXX.— Causes 161-164
XXXI.— Campaigns of Washington and Braddock 165-167
XXXII.— Ruin of Acadia 16K 169
XXXIII.— Expeditions of Shirley and Johnson 170 172
XXXIV.— Two Years of Successes 173 178
PART IV.
REVOLUTION AND CONFEDERATION.
XXXV.— Causes 179-186
XXXVI.-The Beginning 187 192
XXXVII. -The Work of '76 192-200
XXXVIII.— Operations of '77 200-207
XXXIX.— France to the Rescue 208-212
XL.— Movements of '79 213-216
XLL— Reverses and Treason 216-221
XLII.— The End 221-228
XLIII.-Confederation and Union 229-232
PART V.
NATIONAL PERIOD.
XLIV.— Washington's Administration 233-237
XLV.— Adams's Administration 238-240
XLVI.— Jefferson's Administration 241-247
XLVIL— Madison's Administration and War of 1812 247-252
XLVIIL— War of 1812.— Continued 252-257
XLIX.— The Campaigns of '14 258-264
L.— Monroe's Administration 264-267
LI.— Adams's Administration 268-269
LII. — Jackson's Administration .270-274
LIIL— Van Buren's Administration 275-277
LIV.— Administrations of Harrison and Tyler 277-281
LV.— Folk's Administration and the Mexican War 281-289
LVL— Administrations of Taylor and Fillmore 2J«i-2«4
LVIL— Pierce's Administration 1:95-296
LVIIL— Buchanan's Administration 297 300
LIX.— Lincoln's Administration and the Civil War 301-303
LX.— The Causes 303-306
LXL— First Year of the War 306 311
LXII.-Campaigns of '62 312-319
LXIII.— The Work of '63 320 326
LXIV.— The Closing Conflicts 327-338
LXV.— Johnson's Administration 339-343
LXVI.— Grant's Administration 343-352
LXVIL— Hayes's Administration 353-361
LXVIII.— Administrations of Garfleld and Arthur ... 362-367
ILLUSTRATIONS.
I. CHARTS.
CHART I.— Voyage and Discovery
CHART II.— Colonial Period ................ :
CHART III.— Revolution and Confederation
CHART IV.— National Period— First Section
CHART V.— National Period— Second Section
MAP
MAP
MAP
MAP
MAP
II. MAPS.
I.— Voyage and Discovery ........................................................................
II.— English Grants... .................................................................................
III.— French, English, Dutch, Swedish, and Spanish Provinces ............
IV.— The United States at the Close of the Revolution ...........................
V.— The Territorial Growth of the United States ...................................
18
52
180
234
276
36
44
108
228
346
III. PORTRAITS.
Adams, Samuel
185
Jefferson Thomas
241
•\darins, John
239
Lee Robert F
317
Baltimore, Lord
145
301
Brandt Joseph
211
Marion, Francis
218
243
Burgovne, John
203
Calhoun John C
293
280
Chase, Salmon P
342
16
Clay Henry
292
157
Columbus Christopher.
19
140
Cornwallis, Lord
227
Scott Win field
287
Davis Jefferson
309
331
Brwircl Willi'iin H
311
Farragut, David G
Sherman William T
330
Franklin, Benjamin
209
52
Fulton, Robert
Garfleld, James A
246
363
300
Stuyvesant, Peter
Stimner, Charles
Taylor Zacharv
109
348
290
Grant Ulysses S
344
Greeley, Horace
346
Greene Nathaniel
2^5
329
Hamilton, Alexander
Henry, Patrick
231
182
233
Webster Daniel
271
Houston Sam
298
76
Hudson Henry
103
.. 124
Jackson, Andrew
Jackson, Stonewall....
270
... 324
Wolfe James
175
IV. TOPOGRAPHICAL DIAGRAMS.
Jamestown and Vicinity .................. 56
Early Settlements in New England. 80
First Scene of King Philip's War ..... 87
Second" " " " ..... 88
Third " " " " " ..... 89
Siege of Louisburg .............................. 101
Scene of the Pequod War ................... 122
East and West Jersey ......................... 136
Philadelphia and Vicinity ................ 142
Country of the Savannah .................. 159
First Scene of the French and In-
dian War .......................................... 1&3
Scene of Braddock's Defeat ............... 167
The Acadian Isthmus ........................ 168
Vicinity of Lake George .................... 170
Vicinity of Quebec ............................. 174
Sceneof the Battle of Bunker Hill... 189
Siege of Boston ................................... 193
Battle of Long Island ......... .............. 196
Scene of Operations about N . Y ........ 197
Battles of Trenton and Princeton ..... 199
Scene of Burgoyne's Invasion ...........
Encampment at Valley Forge ..........
Siege of Charleston .............................
Scene of Operations in the South ....
Sceneof Arnold's Treason .................
Siege of Yorktown .............................
Scene of Hull's Campaign ................
The Niagara Frontier ........................
Scene of the Creek War .....................
Scene of Taylor's Campaign ..............
Scene of Scott's Campaign ................
Scene of Operations in West Va ........
Vicinity of Manassas Junction .......
Scene of Operations in South-west..
Scene of Campaigns in Virginia,
Maryland and Pennsylvania .........
Vicinity of Richmond .......... ............
Vicksburg and Vicinity ....................
Sherman's Campaign ........................
Operations in Virginia ......................
Scene of the Sioux War, 1876 .............
V. SKETCHES.
Specimen of Indian Writing
The Treaty between Governor Carver and Massasoit
Roger Williams's Reception by the Indians
The Old Stone Tower at Newport
The Exile of the Acadians
The Memorial Hall
204
207
217
219
2^0
226
250
251
255
282
286
307
308
310
316
318
321
328
334
350
13
74
78
128
(viii)
INTRODUCTION.
fTlHERE are five periods in the history of the United States.
It is important for the student to understand these at the
beginning. Without such an understanding his notion of our
country's history will be confused and his study rendered difficult.
2. First of all there was a time when the Western continent
was under the dominion of the Red men. The savage races pos
sessed the soil, hunted in the forests, roamed over the prairies.
This is the Aboriginal Period in American history.
3. After the discovery of America, the people of Europe were
for a long time engaged in exploring the New World and in
making themselves familiar with its shape and character. For
more than a hundred years, curiosity was the leading passion with,
the adventurers who came to our shores. Their disposition was.
to go everywhere and settle nowhere. These early times may be
called the Period of Voyage and Discovery.
4. Next came the time of planting colonies. The adventurers,
tired of wandering about, became anxious to found new States in
the wilderness. Kings and queens turned their attention to the
work of colonizing the New World. Thus arose a third period —
the Period of Colonial History.
(ix)
x INTRODUCTION.
5. The Colonies grew strong and multiplied. There were thir
teen little sea-shore republics. The rulers of the mother-country
began a system of oppression and tyranny. The Colonies revolted,
fought side by side, and won their freedom. Not satisfied with
mere independence, they built them a Union strong and great.
This is the Period of Revolution and Confederation.
6. Then the United States of America entered upon their career
as a nation. Three times tried by war, and many times vexed
with civil dissensions, the Union established by our fathers still
remains for us and for posterity.
7. Collecting these results, we find in the history of our country :
First. THE ABORIGINAL PERIOD; from remote antiquity to the
coming of the White men.
Second. THE PERIOD OF VOYAGE AND DISCOVERY ; A. D. 986-
1607.
Third. THE COLONIAL PERIOD; A. D. 1607-1775.
Fourth. THE PERIOD OF REVOLUTION AND CONFEDERATION,
A. D. 1775-1789.
Fifth. THE NATIONAL PERIOD; A. D. 1789-1882.
In this order the History of the United States will be presented
in the following pages.
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
PART I.
ABORIGINAL AMERICA.
CHAPTER I.
THE RED MEN.
rTIHE primitive inhabitants of the New World were the Red men
-L called INDIANS. The name Indian was given to them from
their supposed identity with the people of India. Columbus and
his followers believed that they had reached the islands of the far
East, and that the natives were of the same race with the inhab
itants of the Indies. The mistake of the Spaniards was soon dis
covered ; but the name Indian has ever since remained to designate
the native tribes of the Western continent.
2. The origin of the Indians is involved in obscurity. At what
date or by what route they came to the New World is unknown.
The notion that the Red men are the descendants of the Israelites
is absurd. That Europeans or Africans, at some early period,
crossed the Atlantic by sailing from island to island, seems im
probable. That the people of Kamtchatka came by way of Behring
Strait into the northwestern parts of America, has little evidence
to support it. Perhaps a mor£ thorough knowledge of the Indian
languages may yet throw some light on the origin of the race.
3. The Indians belong to the Bow-and-Arrow family of men.
To the Red man the chase was everything. Without the chase he
(ID
12 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
languished and died. To smite the deer and the bear was his chiei'
delight and profit. Such a race could live only in a country of
woods and wild animals.
4. The northern parts of America were inhabited by THE ESQUI
MAUX. The name means the eaters of raw meat. They lived in
snow huts or hovels. Their manner of life was that of fishermen
and hunters. They clad themselves in winter with the skins of
seals, and in summer, with those of reindeers.
5. The greater portion of the United States east of the Missis
sippi was peopled by the family of THE ALGONQUINS. They were
divided into many tribes, each having its local name and tradition.
Agriculture was but little practiced by them. They roamed about
from one hunting-ground and river to. another. When the White
ra«3ri came,' the AJgaaquia nations were already declining in num
bers and influence. Only a few thousands now remain.
6. Around the shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario lived THE
HURON-IROQUOIS. At the time of their greatest power, they em
braced no fewer than nine nations. The warriors of this confederacy
presented the Indian character in its best aspect. They were brave,
patriotic, and eloquent; faithful as friends, but terrible as enemies.
7. South of the Algonquins were THE CHEROKEES and THE Mo-
BILIAN NATIONS. The former were highly civilized for a primitive
people. The principal tribes of the Mobilians were the Yamassees
and Creeks of Georgia, the Seminoles of Florida, and the Choc-
taws and Chickasaws of Mississippi. These displayed the usual
disposition and habits of the Ked men.
8. West of the Mississippi was the family of THE DAKOTAS.
South of these, in a district nearly corresponding with the State of
Texas, lived the wild COMANCHES. Beyond the Rocky Mountains
were the Indian nations of the Plains; the great families of THE
SHOSHONEES, THE SELISH, THE KLAMATHS, and THE CALIFOR-
NIANS. On the Pacific slope, farther southward, dwelt in former
times the civilized but feeble race of AZTECS.
9. The Red men had a great passion for war. Their wars were
undertaken for revenge, rather than conquest. To forgive an in
jury was considered a shame. Revenge was the noblest of the
virtues. The open battle of the field was unknown in Indian
THE RED MEN.
13
warfare. Fighting was limited to the ambuscade and the massacre.
Quarter was rarely asked, and never granted.
10. In times of peace the Indian character appeared to a better
advantage. But the Red man was always unsocial and solitary.
He sat by himself in the woods. The forest was better than a
wigwam, and a wigwam better than a village. The Indian woman
was a degraded creature — a mere drudge and beast of burden.
11. In the matter of the arts the Indian was a barbarian. His
SPECIMEN OF INDIAN WRITING.
Translation: Eight soldiers (9), with muskets (10), commanded by a captain
(1), and accompanied by a secretary (2), a geologist (3), three attendants (4, 5, 6),
and two Indian guides (7, 8), encamped here. They had three camp fires
(13, 14, 15), and ate a turtle and prairie hen (11, 12), for supper.
house was a hovel, built of poles set up in a circle, and covered
with skins and the branches of trees. Household utensils were
few and rude. Earthen pots, bags and pouches for carrying pro
visions, and stone hammers for pounding corn, were the stock and
store. His. weapons of offense and defense were the hatchet and
the bow and arrow. In times of war, the Red man painted his
face and body with all manner of glaring colors. The fine arts
were wanting. Indian writing consisted of half-intelligible hiero
glyphics scratched on the face of rocks or cut in the bark of trees.
12. The Indian languages bear little resemblance to those of
other races. The Red man's vocabulary was very limited. The
14 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
principal objects of nature had special names, but abstract ideas
could hardly be expressed. Indian words had a very intense mean
ing. There was, for instance, no word signifying to hunt or to fish;
but one word signified " to-kill-a-deer-with-an-arrow ;" another,
" to-take-fish-by-striking- the-ice." Among some of the tribes, the
meaning of words was so restricted that the warrior would use one
term and the squaw another to express the same idea.
13. The Indians were generally serious in manners and behavior.
Sometimes, however, they gave themselves up to merry-making and
hilarity. The dance was universal — not the social dance of civilized
nations, but the solemn dance of religion and of war. Gaming was
much practiced among all the tribes. Other amusements were com
mon, such as running, wrestling, shooting at a mark, and racing in
canoes.
14. In personal appearance the Indians were strongly marked.
In stature they were below the average of Europeans. The Esqui
maux are rarely five feet high. The Algonquins are taller and
lighter in build; straight and agile; lean and swift of foot. The
eyes are jet-black and sunken ; hair black and straight ; skin cop
per-colored or brown ; hands and feet small ; body lithe, but not
strong; expression sinister, or sometimes dignified and noble.
15. The best hopes of the Indian race seem now to center in
the Choctaws, Cherokees, Creeks, and Chickasaws of the Indian
Territory. These nations have attained a considerable degree of
civilization. Most of the other tribes are declining in numbers and
influence. Whether the Indians have been justly deprived of the
New World will remain a subject of debate ; that they have been
deprived can be none. The White races have taken possession of
the vast domain. To the prairies and forests, the hunting-grounds
of his fathers, the Red man says farewell.
The name Indian.— Origin of the race considered.— Not Israelites.— Not Euro-
peans.-Devotiou of the Indians to the chase.— The Esquimaux.— Their posi
tion and habits.-The Algonquius.-Their character.— The Huron-Iroquois.—
Cherokees and Mobilians.-The Dakotas.— Races of the West.— Indian principles
of war.— Disposition in peace.- Indian arts.- Implements.— Writing. -Language.
— Manners and customs.— Personal appearance.— Decline of the race.
PART II.
VOYAGE AND DISCOVERY.
A. D. 980-1607.
CHAPTER II.
THE ICELANDERS AND NORWEGIANS IN AMERICA.
rTlHE western continent was first seen by white men in A. D.
J- 986. A Norse navigator by the name of HERJULFSON, sailing
from Iceland to Greenland, was caught in a storm and driven
westward to Newfoundland or Labrador. Two or three times the
shores were seen, but no landing was made or attempted. The
coast was low, abounding in forests, and so different from the well-
known cliffs of Greenland as to make it certain that another shore
hitherto unknown was in sight. On reaching Greenland, Herjulf-
son and his companions told wonderful stories of the new lands
seen in the west.
2. Fourteen years later, the actual discovery of America was
made by LEIF ERICKSON. Resolving to know the truth about
the country which Herjulfson had seen, he sailed westward from
Greenland, and in the spring of the year 1001 reached Labrador.
Landing with his companions, he made explorations for a con
siderable distance along the coast. The country was milder and
more attractive than his own, and he was in no haste to return.
Southward he went as far as Massachusetts, where the company
remained for more than a year. Rhode Island was also visited ;
(15)
16
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
and it is alleged that the adventurers found their way into New
York harbor.
3. In the years that followed Leif Erickson's discovery, other
companies of Norsemen came to the shores of America. THOR-
WALD, Leif's brother, made a voyage to Maine and Massachusetts
in 1002, and is said to have died at Fall River in the latter State.
Then another brother, THORSTEIN by name, arrived with a band
of followers in 1005; and in the year 1007, THORFINN KARLSEFNE,
the most distinguished mariner of his day, came with a crew of a
hundred and fifty men, and made explorations along the coast of
Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, and perhaps
as far south as the
capes of Virginia.
4. Other compa
nies of Icelanders and
Norwegians visited
the countries farther
north, and planted
colonies in Newfound
land and Nova Scotia.
Little, however, was
known or imagined by
these rude sailorsof the
extent of the country
which they had discov
ered. They supposed
that it was only a por
tion of Western Green
land which, bending to
the north around an
arm of the ocean, had
reappeared in the west.
The settlements which were made were feeble and soon broken up.
Commerce was an impossibility in a country where there were only
a few wretched savages with no disposition to buy and nothing at
all to sell. The spirit of adventure was soon appeased, and the
A NORSE SEA-KINO OF THE ELEVENTH CENTURY.
ICELANDERS AND NORWEGIANS IN AMERICA. 17
restless Northmen returned to their own country. To this unde
fined line of coast, now vaguely known to them, the Norse sailors
gave the name of VINLAND.
5. During the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth centuries occa
sional voyages were made; and as late as A. D. 1347, a Norwegian
ship visited Labrador and the north-eastern parts of the United
States. In 1350 Greenland and Vinland were depopulated by a
great plague which had spread thither from Norway. From that
time forth communication with the New World ceased, and the
history of the Northmen in America was at an end. The Norse
remains which have been found at Newport, at Fall River, and
several other places, point clearly to the events here narrated ; and
the Icelandic historians give a consistent account of these early
exploits of their countrymen. When the word America is men
tioned in the hearing of the schoolboys of Iceland, they will at
once answer with enthusiasm, "Oh, yes; Leif Erickson discovered
that country in the year 1001."
6. An event is to be weighed by its consequences. From the
discovery of America by the Norsemen, nothing whatever resulted.
The world was neither wriser nor better. Among the Icelanders
themselves the place and the very name of Vinland were forgotten.
Europe never heard of such a country or such a discovery. His
torians have until late years been incredulous on the subject, and
the fact is as though it had never been. The curtain which had
been lifted for a moment was stretched again from sky to sea, and
the New World still lay hidden in the shadows.
Herjulfson is driven by a storm to the American coast.— Leif Erickson
discovers America. — Thorwald and Thorstein Erickson make voyages.— Thor-
finn Karlsefue explores the shores of Maine and Massachusetts. — Other
voyages are made by the Norsemen. — Communication with the New World is
broken off by the plague.— Nothing practical results from the Icelandic discov
eries.
18 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER III.
SPANISH DISCOVERIES IN AMERICA.
IT was reserved for the people of a sunnier clime than Iceland first
to make known to the European nations the existence of a West
ern continent. Spain was the happy country under whose patron
age a new world was to be added to the old ; but the man who was
destined to make the revelation was not himself a Spaniard : he
was to come from Italy, the laud of valor and the home of great
ness. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS was the name of that man whom
after ages have rewarded with imperishable fame.
2. The idea that the world is round was not original with Colum
bus. The English traveler, Sir John Mandeville, had declared in
the first English book ever written (A. D. 1356) that the world is
a sphere ; that he himself, when traveling northward, had seen the
polar star approach the zenith, and that on going southward, the
antarctic constellations had risen overhead ; and that it was both
possible and practicable for a man to sail around the world and
return to the place of starting. But Columbus was the first prac
tical believer in the theory of circumnavigation; and although he
never sailed around the world himself, he demonstrated the possi
bility of doing so.
3. The great mistake with Columbus was not concerning the
figure of the earth, but in regard to its size. He believed the
world to be no more than ten thousand or twelve thousand miles
in circumference. He therefore confidently expected that after
sailing about three thousand miles to the westward, he should arrive
at the East Indies; and to do that was the one great purpose of
his life.
4. Christopher Columbus was born at Genoa, Italy, in A. D.
1435. He was carefully educated, and then devoted himself to the
1000 1100 1200
130C
Central Period of the
3Iiddlo Ages.
21. C'onrad II.
52. Frederick
The CRU
Harbarossa.
SADES.
35. Union of Cas
tile an 1 Lron.
ItlAek.
56. Henry IV.
HOLSE OF CAPET IN
FRANCE.
8. Louis \ 1.
37. Lou is VII.
71.Conqu
80. Phi
35. Stephen.
26. Lout* IX. 85. Ph
ent of Ireland,
lip II.
ilip IV.
16. PI
28
IT. Canute.
Henry I.
is. Magna Charta gr
anted.
66. Willia
DANISH KINGS IN ENG
LAND.
m I.
M.Henry II.
72. Edwa
rd I.
7. Edns
89. R
iehard I.
The NORMANS.
1. LEIF KKlrkSll.V u !.,.landic
The PLANT AGENETS.
Heroic Age.
'27.
THE WESTERN
L'l. Krik t'psi snit u.s
CONTINENT
liinln.p to Vinland.
UNKNO
WN T(
ISjani<> ll«-i julfsoii iiiv.-n
V . l>. 1IX<i.
1 !ioiu:il«l l!ii (.sou
*
\*
^
A. 1 lioiHl«-in Li irltsnii
7. Tlioi linn ik.;i K.-li,<
'
AMERICA
UNDER
THE ABO
RIG
CHART I.
ICELANDIC discoveries
SPANISH '
ENGLISH '
FRENCH
PERIOD OF VOYAGE AND DISCOVERY,
A. D. 986 1607.
I'ORTL'GUKSB '
1400
1500
1000
35. Columbus bo
I'll.
is. John Huss.
). First book
which Ih,. :i
written in Kiiglish, in 98.
tithor, sir ,) oil n Mandeville,
De Oama doubles the Cape
of Good Hope and reaches
declares th
e splierical figure of the
the East Indies.
earth and t
he practicability of circuni-
navigation.
80. Cba
ne*vi. griming Jn
Luther.
benteto.
48. Treaty of
Westpha
lia.
. 22. Charles VII.
The Reformalio
n.
61. Louis XI
9. John Calvin.
E OF VA-
72. St. Ba
rtliolomew.
,OTS
15. Francis I.
jUxOi
89. H
eiiry IV.
77. Rich
ard 11.
19. Charles Y.
10. Louis XIII.
74. Fertli
iiaucl and Isabella.
The PURITANS,
43. Louis
8.5. He
nry VII.
XIV.
Wars of the Rosos.
9. Henry VIM.
3. James I.
47. Edward VI.
The LANCASTERS,
53. Mary.
25. Charles I.
He.
58. Elizabet
fa.
ml III.
The YORKS,
The TUDORS.
The STUARTS.
92.
ColUlllbllS discovers the West
Indies.
E EUROP
EAN NATIONS, 9|,
-'ecniid voyage.
Third voyage.
The great pla
Greenland
no
gue depopulates Iceland,
and Vinland ; communica- ^*.
Discovers America.
Amerigo Vespucci makes a
voyage to South America.
tion with the
New World is cut off.
12. De Leon explores Flori
da.
- 25. De Aylloii in Caroli
na.
28. De Xarvaez makes
explorations in Florida.
39. De Solo in Ame
rica.
05. Meleiid
ez founds St. Augustine.
97.
John Cabot discovers North
America.
98.
Sebastian Cabot explores the
American coast.
78. Mar
tin Frobisher's voyages.
L company of
Norsemen in America.
79. Dra
83. Gil
ke on the Pacific coast.
focrt's voyage.
77. C'OI 11
lllbllS visits Iceland ***
leign's attempts at coloni-
xaHon .
and le
arns of the New World.
2. Ciosiiold's direct voyage.
3. I*ring's voyage.
8. Waymoutu in Maine.
7. Settlement at James
IAL
TRIBES.
town.
20. The Puritans at
Plymouth.
24. Verrazzaiii explor
es the American cuaM.
34. Cartier's expedit
ion.
42. Roberral in
Canada.
02. Ribault
with the Hugueiiotd.
64. Lnudoii
niere's enterprise.
98.
L.a Rot-lie in Xova Scotia.
n.
4. De Monts and Chaiii-
plain.
5. Port Royal founded.
8. Founding of Quebec.
-n.
9. Hudson in America.
ilc
14. Explorations of
1. Voyages of the CortereaU.
Block and May.
-
!'.». Ma&rellaii circumnav- 14. Founding of New
:-Mt,-~ ti>. _ Amsterdam.
DISCOVERIES IN AMERICA.
19
sea. His own inclination, as well as his early training,made him a
sailor. For twenty years he traversed the parts of the Atlantic
adjacent to Europe ; he visited Iceland ; then went to Portugal,
and finally to Spain. For more than ten years the poor enthusiast
was a beggar, going from
court to court, explaining to
(iull moiiarchs the figure of
the earth and the ease with
v.hich the rich islands of
the East might be reached
by sailing westward. He
found one appreciative lis
tener, the noble and sym
pathetic Isabella, queen of
Castile. Be it never for
gotten that to the faith
and insight and decision
of a woman the final suc
cess of Columbus must be
attributed.
5, On the morning of the
3d day of August, 1492,
Columbus, with his three
ships, left the harbor of
Palos. After seventy-one days of sailing, in the early dawn of
October 12, Rodrigo Triana, a sailor on the Pinto,, set up a shout
of "Land!" A gun was fired as the signal. The ships lay to.
There was music and jubilee ; and just at sunrise Columbus stepped
ashore, set up the banner of Castile in the presence of the natives
and named the island San Salvador. During the three remainimr
months of this first voyage the islands of Concepcion, Cuba, and
Hayti were added to the list of discoveries; and on the bay of
Caracola, in the last-named island, was erected a fort, the first
structure built by Europeans in the New World. In the early
part of January, 1493, Columbus sailed for Spain, where he
arrived in March, and was every where greeted with rejoicings and
applause.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
20 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
6. In September of the following autumn Columbus sailed on
his second voyage, which resulted in the discovery of the Wind
ward group and the islands of Jamaica and Porto Rico. It was at
this time that the first colony was established in Hayti, and Co
in m bus's brother appointed governor. After an absence of nearly
three years, Columbus returned to Spain ; but he now found him
self the victim of bitter jealousies and suspicions. All the rest of
his life was clouded with persecutions and misfortunes.
7. In 1498 Columbus made a third voyage, discovered the island
of Trinidad and the mainland of South America, near the mouth
of the Oronoco. Thence he sailed back to Hayti, where he found
his colony disorganized ; and here, while attempting to restore order,
he was seized by an agent of the Spanish government, put in chains,
and carried to Spain. After much disgraceful treatment, he was
sent out on a fourth and last voyage, in search of the Indies ; but
besides making some explorations along the south side of the Gulf
of Mexico, the expedition , accomplished nothing, and Columbus
returned once more to his ungrateful country. The good Isabella
was dead, and the great discoverer, a friendless and despised old
man, sank into the grave.
8. Of all the wrongs done to the memory of Columbus, the great
est was that which robbed him of the name of the new continent.
In the year 1499, AMERIGO VESPUCCI, a Florentine navigator of
no great celebrity, reached the eastern coast of South America.
Two years later he made a second voyage, and then hastened home
to give to Europe the first published account of the Western World.
In his narrative all reference to Columbus was omitted ; and thus
through his own craft, assisted by the dullness of the times, the
name of this Vespucci, rather than that of the true discoverer, wa^
given to the New World.
9. The discovery of America produced great excitement in Eu
rope. In Spain especially there was wonderful zeal and enthusiasm.
Within ten years after the death of Columbus, the principal islands
of the West Indies were explored and colonized. In the year 1510
the Spaniards planted on the Isthmus of Darien their first conti
nental colony. Three years later, DE BALBOA, the governor of
the colony, crossed the isthmus and from an eminence looked down
SPANISH DISCO VARIES IN AMERICA. 21
upon the Pacific. Not satisfied with merely seeing the great water,
he waded in a short distance, and drawing his sword, took possession
of the ocean in the name of the king of Spain.
10. Meanwhile, PONCE DE LEON, who had been a companion of
Columbus, fitted out a private expedition of discovery and adven
ture. He had grown rich as governor of Porto Kico, and had also
grown old. But there was a Fountain of Perpetual Youth some
where in the Bahamas — so said a tradition in Spain — and in that
fountain the old soldier would bathe and be young again. So in
the year 1512, he set sail from Porto Kico; and on Easter Sunday
came in sight of an unknown shore. There were waving forests,
green leaves, and birds of song. Partly in honor of the day,
called in the ritual of the Church Pascua Florida, and partly to
describe the delightful landscape, he named the new shore FLOR
IDA — the Land of Flowers.
11. A landing was made a short distance north of where, a half
century later, St. Augustine was founded. The country was claimed
for the king of Spain, and the search was continued for the Fount
ain of Youth. The romantic adventurer turned southward, ex
plored the coast for many leagues, discovered the Tortugas, and
then sailed back to Porto Rico, no younger than when he started.
12. The king of Spain gave Ponce the governorship of his Land
of Flowers, and sent him thither to establish a colony. He did
not, however, reach his province until the year 1521, and then the
Indians were hostile. Scarcely had he landed when they fell upon
him in battle ; many of the Spaniards were killed, and the rest had
to fly to the ships for safety. Ponce de Leon himself was wounded
with an arrow, and carried back to Cuba to die.
Spain makes the New World known to Europe.— Old ideas about the figure
of the earth.— Columbus.— Sketch of his life.— The favor of Isabella.— Columbus
departs on his first voyage.— Discovers San Salvador, Cuba, and Hayti.— Second
voyage of Columbus.— Third.— He discovers South America.— Fourth voyage.—
Columbus's misfortunes and death.— Wrong done to his memory.— Vespucci
makes two voyages to South America.— Excitement in Europe.— A colony is
planted on the Isthmus.— Balboa discovers the Pacific.— Ponce de Leon makes
explorations in Florida.— Is killed by the Indians.
22 HIS LORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER IV.
SPANISH DISCOVERIES IN AMERICA.— CONTINUED.
THE year 1517 was marked by the discovery of Yucatan by FER
NANDEZ DE CORDOVA. While exploring the northern coast of
the country, his company was attacked by the natives, and he him
self mortally wounded. During the next year the coast of Mexico
was explored for a great distance by GRIJALVA, assisted by Cor
dova's pilot; and in the year 1519, FERNANDO CORTEZ landed
with his fleet at Tabasco, and in two years conquered the Aztec
empire of Mexico.
2. Among the daring enterprises which marked the beginning of
the sixteenth century, that of FERDINAND MAGELLAN is worthy of
special mention. A Portuguese by birth, a navigator by profes
sion, this bold man determined to discover a south-west passage to
Asia. With this object in view, he appealed to the king of Portu
gal for ships and men. The monarch listened coldly, and gave no
encouragement. Incensed at this treatment, Magellan went to
Spain, and laid his plans before Charles V. The Emperor seized
the opportunity, and ordered a fleet of five ships to be fitted out
at the public expense and properly manned.
3. The voyage was begun from Seville in August of 1519. Ma
gellan soon reached the coast of South America, and spent the
autumn in explorations. Not at first successful in his efforts, he
passed the winter on the coast of Brazil. Renewing his voyage
southward, he came at last to that strait which still bears his
name, and passing through, found himself in the open and bound
less ocean. The weather was beautiful, and the peaceful deep was
called THE PACIFIC.
4. Magellan now held steadily on his course for nearly four
months, suffering much from want of water and scarcity of pro-
SPANISH DISCO VERIES IN AMERICA.— CON TIN UED. 23
visions. In March of 1520 he came to the group of islands called
the Ladrones. Sailing still westward, he reached the Philippine
group, where he was killed in a battle with the natives. But the
fleet was now near to China, and the rest of the route was easy.
A new captain was chosen, and the voyage was continued to the
Moluccas. Only a single ship was now deemed in a fit condition
to venture on the homeward voyage ; but in this vessel the crews
pmbarked, and returning by way of the Cape of Good Hope
arrived in Spain in September, 1522. The circumnavigation of
the globe, long believed in as a possibility, had now been accom
plished.
5. The next important voyage to America was in the year 1520.
DE AYLLON, a judge in St. Domingo, conducted the expedition.
He and six other wealthy men, eager to stock their plantations
with slaves, determined to do so by kidnapping natives from the
Bahamas. Two vessels were fitted out for the purpose, and De
Ayllon commanded in person. When the ships were nearing their
destination, they encountered a storm which drove them northward
and brought them to the coast of South Carolina. The name of
Chicora was given to the country, and the River Cambahee was
called the Jordan. The friendly natives made presents to the
strangers and treated them with great cordiality. They flocked on
board the ships; and when the decks were crowded De Ayllon
weighed anchor and sailed away. A few days afterward a storm
wrecked one of the ships, and most of the poor wretches who were
huddled under the hatches of the other died.
6. Returning to Spain, De Ayllon repeated the story of his ex
ploit to Charles V., who gave him the governorship of Chicora.
On reaching his province in 1525, he found the natives hostile.
His best ship ran aground in the mouth of the Jordan, and the
Indians fell upon him with fury, killing many of the crew. The
rest were glad enough to get away with their lives.
7. In 1526 Charles V. appointed DE NARVAEZ governor of
Florida. The territory thus placed at his disposal extended from
Cape Sable three-fifths of the way around the Gulf of Mexico.
De Narvaez arrived at Tampa Bay in April of 1528. His force
consisted of two hundred and sixty soldiers and forty horsemen.
24 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
The natives treated them with suspicion, and, holding up their
gold trinkets, pointed to the north. The hint was eagerly caught
at by the Spaniards, whose imaginations were fired with the sight
of the precious metal. They struck boldly into the forests, expect
ing to find cities and empires, and found instead swamps and sav
ages. Crossing the Withlacoochie and the Suwanee, they finally
came to Apalachee, a squalid village of forty cabins. This, then,
was the mighty city to which their guides had directed them.
8. Oppressed with fatigue and goaded by hunger, they plunged
again into the woods and wandered on, until they reached the sea
at the harbor of St. Mark's. Here they expected to find their
ships, but not a ship was there, or had been. With great labor
they constructed some brigantines, and put to sea in hope of
reaching the Spanish settlements in Mexico. After shipwrecks
and almost endless wanderings, only four miserable men of all
the company, under the leadership of the heroic De Vaca, were
rescued at the village of San Miguel, on the Pacific coast, and
conducted to the city of Mexico.
9. In the year 1537 a new expedition was planned which sur
passed all the others in the brilliancy of its beginning and the dis
asters of its end. FERDINAND DE SOTO was the leader. At his
own request, he was appointed governor of Cuba and Florida, with
the privilege of exploring and conquering the latter country. A
great company of young Spaniards flocked to his standard. Of
these he selected six hundred of the most gallant and daring.
Great preparations were made for the conquest ; arms and stores
were provided ; shackles were wrought for the slaves ; tools for the
forge and workshop were supplied ; twelve priests were chosen to
conduct religious ceremonies; and a herd of swine was driven on
board to fatten on the maize and mast of the country.
10. Leaving the harbor of San Lucar, the fleet touched at Ha
vana, and the enthusiasm was kindled to a higher pitch than in
Spain. De Soto left his wife to govern Cuba during his absence ;
and after a voyage of two weeks, the ships cast anchor in Tampa
Bay. Some of the Cubans who had joined the expedition were
terrified at the prospect before them and sailed back to the security
of home ; but De Soto and his cavaliers despised such cowardice,
SPANISH DISCO VERIES IN AMERICA.— CONTINUED. 25
and began their march into the interior. In October of 1539 they
arrived at the country of the Apalachians, on the left bank of
Flint River, where they spent the winter. For four months they
remained in this locality, sending out exploring parties in various
directions. One of these companies reached the gulf at Pensacola,
and made arrangements that supplies should be sent out from
Cuba to that place during the following summer.
11. In the early spring the Spaniards left their winter-quarters
and continued their march to the north and east. An Indian guide
told them of a powerful and populous empire in that direction ; a
woman was empress, and the land was full of gold. A Spanish
soldier, who had been a captive among the Indians, denied the
truth of the story ; but De Soto and the freebooters pressed on
through the swamps and woods. In April, 1540, they came upon
the Ogechee River. Here they were delayed. The Indian guide
went mad, and lost the whole company in the forest. By the 1st of
May they had reached South Carolina, and were within a two days'
march of where De Ayllon had lost his ships.
12. From this place the wanderers turned westward, and passed
across Northern Georgia from the Chattahouche to the upper tribu
taries of the Coosa; thence down that river to Lower Alabama.
Here, just above the confluence of the Alabama and the Tombec-
bee, they came upon the Indian town of Mauville, or Mobile, where
a battle was fought with the natives. The town was set on fire,
and two thousand five hundred of the Indians were killed or burned
to death. Eighteen of De Soto's men were killed and a hundred
and fifty wounded. The Spaniards also lost most of their horses
and baggage.
13. The ships of supply had meanwhile arrived at Pensacola,
but De Soto and his men were too proud to avail themselves of
help. Turning to the north, fyy the middle of December they
reached the country of the Chickasaws. They crossed the Yazoo ;
snow fell; and the Spaniards were on the point of starvation.
They succeeded, however, in finding some fields of maize and an
Indian village, which promised them shelter for the winter. Here,
in February, 1541, they were attacked in the night by the Indians,
set the town on fire, determining to make an end of the for-
26 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
eigners; but Spanish weapons and discipline again saved De Soto
and his men.
14. The Spaniards next set out to journey farther westward, and
the guides brought them to the Mississippi. The point where the
Father of Waters was first seen by white men was a little north
of the thirty-fourth parallel of latitude ; the day of the discovery
can not certainly be known. The Indians came down the river in a
fleet of canoes, and offered to carry the Spaniards over; but a cross
ing was not effected until the latter part of May.
15. De Soto's men now found themselves in the land of the
Dakotas. The natives were inoffensive and superstitious. At one
place they were going to worship the Spaniards, but De Soto would
not permit such idolatry. They continued their march to the St.
Francis River, which they crossed, and reached the site of New
Madrid. Thence westward the march was renewed for about two
hundred miles ; thence southward to the tributaries of the Washita
River. On the banks of this stream they passed the winter of
1541-42. Here the Spaniards treated the natives with savage
cruelty.
10. De Soto's men now turned toward the sea, and came upon
the Mississippi in the neighborhood of Natchez. The spirit of the
leader was completely broken. A malignant fever seized upon his
emaciated frame, and then death. The priests chanted a requiem,
and in the middle of the night his companions put his body into a
rustic coffin and sunk it in the Mississippi.
17. Before his death, De Soto had named Moscoso as his suc
cessor. Under his leadership, the half-starved adventurers turned
once more to the west. They crossed the country to the upper
waters of the Red River, and then ranged the hunting-grounds of
the Pawnees and the Comanches. In December of 1542 they came
again to the Mississippi, a short distance above the mouth of Red
River. Here they built seven boats, and on the 2d day of July,
1543, set sail for the sea. The distance was almost five hundred
miles, and seventeen days were required to make the descent
On reaching the Gulf of Mexico, they steered to the south-west,
and finally reached the settlement at the mouth of the River of
Palms.
:
SPANISH DISCO VERIES IN AMERICA.— CONTINUED. 27
18. The next attempt by the Spaniards to colonize Florida was in
the year 1565. The enterprise was entrusted to PEDRO MELENDEZ, ./
a Spanish soldier of ferocious disposition. He was under sentence
to pay a heavy fine at the time when he received his commission
from Philip II. Melendez was to plant in some favorable district
of Florida a colony of not less than five hundred persons, and was
to receive two hundred and twenty-five square miles of land adja
cent to the settlement, and a large salary. Twenty-five hundred
persons joined the expedition.
19. The real object had in view by Melendez was to destroy a
colony of French Protestants, called Huguenots, who had made a
settlement near the mouth of the St. John's River. This was
within the limits of the territory claimed by Spain ; and Melendez
thought that to kill French heretics in the name of patriotism and
religion was the way in which to restore his character and bring
him into favor again. His former crimes were to be washed out
in the blood of innocent men. The Catholic party at the French
court had communicated with the Spanish court as to the where
abouts and intentions of the Huguenots, so that Melendez knew
where to find and how to destroy them.
20. It was St. Augustine's day when the Spaniards came in
sight of the shore, but the landing was not effected until the 2d
of September. The harbor and the river which enters it from
the south were named in honor of the saint. On the 8th day of
the same month, Philip H. was proclaimed monarch of North
America ; a solemn mass was said by the priests ; and the founda
tion-stones of the oldest town in the United States were put into
their place. This was seventeen years before the founding of
Santa Fe, and forty-two years before the settlement at Jamestown.
21. Melendez soon turned his attention to the Huguenots. The
latter were expecting to be attacked, and all their vessels except
two sailed out of the river and put to sea, intending to anticipate
the movements of the Spaniards. But a furious storm arose and
dashed to pieces every ship in the fleet. Most of the crews, how
ever, reached the shore at the mouth of the river. Melendez
collected his forces at St. Augustine, stole through the woods, and
falling on the defenseless colony, utterly destroyed it. Men, women,
28 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
and children were alike given up to butchery. Two hundred were
massacred. A few escaped into the forest, Laudonniere, the Hu
guenot leader, among the number, and were picked up by the two
French ships which had been saved from the storm.
22. The crews of the wrecked vessels were the next object of
vengeance. Melendez discovered them, and deceiving them with
treacherous promises, induced them to surrender. They were
ferried across the river and driven off, tied two and two, toward
St. Augustine. As they approached the Spanish fort, a signal was
given and the work of slaughter began anew. Seven hundred
defenceless victims wrere slain. Only a few mechanics and Catholic
servants were left alive. With this bloody work the first permanent
European colony was planted in our country.
23. The Spaniards had now explored the coast from the Isthmus
of Darien to Port Royal in South Carolina. They were acquainted
with the country west of the Mississippi as far north as New
Mexico and Missouri, and east of that river they had traversed
the Gulf States as far as the mountain ranges of Tennessee and
Njrth Carolina. With the establishment of their first permanent
colony on the coast of Florida, the period of Spanish voyage and
discovery may be said to end.
24. A brief account of the only important voyages of the
Portuguese to America will here be given. At the time of the
discovery by Columbus, John II. was king of Portugal; but he
paid little attention to the New World. In 1495 he was succeeded
by his cousin Manuel, a man of different character. This mon
arch, in ordor to secure some of the benefits which yet remained
to discoverers, fitted out two vessels, and in the summer of 1501 sent
GASPER CORTEREAL to make a voyage to America.
25. The Portuguese ships reached Maine in July, and explored
the coast for nearly seven hundred miles. Little attention was
paid by Cortereal to the great forests of pine which stood along
the shore, promising ship-yards and cities. He satisfied his ra
pacity by kidnapping fifty Indians, whom, on his return to Portu
gal, he sold as slaves. A new voyage was then undertaken, with
the purpose of capturing another cargo of natives ; but a year went
by, and no tidings arrived from the fleet. The brother of the
THE FRENCH IN AMERICA. 29
Portuguese captain then sailed in hope of finding the missing
vessels. He also was lost, but in what manner is not known.
The fate of the Cortereals and their slave-ships has remained a
mystery of the sea.
Cordova discovers Yucatan.— Grijalva explores Mexico.— Cortez invades and
conquers the country.— Magellan sails around South America.— His crew reach
the East Indies.— Return to Europe.— Narvaez is appointed governor of Flor
ida.— Explores the country.— The company is shipwrecked.— Four men reach
San Miguel.— De Soto sets out on an expedition.— Arrives at Tampa Bay.—
Spends the winter on Flint River.— The company march into South Carolina.—
Cross into Georgia.— Capture Mauville.— Spend a winter on the Yazoo.— Dis
cover the Mississippi.— Explore Arkansas and return.— De Soto dies.— His men
again march westward.— Return to Red River.— Descend the Mississippi.—
Reach the Spanish settlements.— Melendez comes to Florida, and founds St.
Augustine.— Murders the Huguenots.— Massacres the shipwrecked crews.— Ex
tent of the Spanish explorations.— The Portuguese voyage of Gaspar Cortereal.—
He sells a cargo of Indian slaves.— The Cortereals are lost at sea.
CHAPTER V.
. THE FRENCH IN AMERICA.
FRANCE was not slow to profit by the discoveries of Columbus.
As early as 1504 the fishermen of Normandy and Brittany
reached the banks of Newfoundland. A map of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence was drawn by a Frenchman in the year 1506. Two
years later some Indians were taken to France ; and in 1518 the
attention of Francis I. was turned to the New World. Five years
afterward a voyage of discovery was planned, and JOHN VERRAZ-
ZANI of Florence was commissioned to conduct the expedition.
The object of the voyage was to discover a north-west passage to
the East Indies.
2. In January, 1524, Verrazzani left the shores of Europe.
Sailing with a single ship, called the Dolphin, after fifty days of
30 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
tempestuous weather, he discovered the main land in the latitude
of Wilmington. He sailed southward and northward along the
coast and began a traffic with the natives. The Indians of this
neighborhood were found to be a timid race, unsuspicious and
confiding. A half-drowned sailor, washed ashore by the surf, was
treated with kindness, and permitted to return to the ship.
3. The voyage was continued toward the north. The coast of
New Jersey was explored, and the hills marked as containing
minerals. The harbor of New York was entered and its spacious
waters noted with admiration. At Newport, Verrazzani anchored
for fifteen days, and a trade was again opened with the Indians.
Here the French sailors repaid the confidence of the natives by
kidnapping a child and attempting to steal an Indian girl.
4r. From Newport, Verrazzani continued his explorations north
ward. The long line of the New England coast was traced with
care. The Indians of the north were suspicious. They would buy
no toys, but were eager to purchase knives and weapons of iron.
In the latter part of May, Verrazzani reached Newfoundland. In
July he returned to France and published an account of his great
discoveries. The name of NEW FRANCE was given to the country
whose coast had been traced by the crew of the Dolphin.
5. In 1534, Chabot, admiral of France, selected JAMES CARTIER,
a seaman of St. Malo, to make a voyage to America. Two ships
were fitted out for the enterprise, and after twenty days of sailing
under cloudless skies anchored on the 10th day of May off the
coast of Newfoundland. Cartier circumnavigated the island to
the northward, crossed the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and entered the
Bay of Chaleurs. Not finding a passage westward, he changed his
course to the north, and ascended the coast as far as Gaspe Bay.
Here he set up a cross and proclaimed the French king monarch
of the country. Again he entered the St. Lawrence, and ascended
the broad estuary until the narrowing banks made him aware that
he was in the mouth of a river. Cartier, thinking it impracticable
to pass the winter in the New World, set sail for France, and in
thirty days reached St. Malo.
6. Another voyage was planned immediately. Three ships were
provided, and a number of young noblemen joined the expedition.
THE FRENCH IN AMERICA. 31
The sails were set by zealous crews, and on the 19th of May the
new voyage was begun. This time there was stormy weather, yet
the passage to Newfoundland was made by the 10th of August. It
was the day of St. Lawrence, and the name of that martyr was
given to the gulf and to the stream which enters it from the west.
The expedition proceeded up the river to the island of Orleans,
where the ships were moored in a place of safety. Two Indians,
•whom Cartier had taken with him to France, gave information
that higher up the river there was an important town. Proceed
ing thither in his boats, the French . captain found it as the In
dians had said. A village lay at the foot of a high hill in the
middle of an island. Climbing to the top of the hill, Cartier
named the island and town Mont-Real. The country was declared
to belong to the king of France ; and then the boats dropped down
the river to the ships. During this winter twenty-five of Cartier's
men were swept off by the scurvy, a malady hitherto unknown in
Europe.
PS 7. With the opening of spring, preparations were made to return
to France. The winter had proved too much for French enthu
siasm. A cross was again planted in the soil of the New World,
and the homeward voyage began. The kind and generous king
of the Hurons was decoyed on board and carried off to die. On
the 6th of July the fleet reached St. Malo; but by the accounts
which Cartier published, the French were greatly discouraged.
Neither silver nor gold had been found in New France ; and what
was a new world good for that had not silver and gold ?
8. FRANCIS LA ROQUE OF ROBERVAL was the next to undertake
the colonization of America. This nobleman was commissioned by
the court of France to plant a colony on the St. Lawrence. The
titles of viceroy and lieutentant-general of New France were con
ferred upon him ; but the man who was chiefly relied on to give
character to the proposed colony was James Cartier. He only
' seemed competent to conduct the enterprise with any promise of
success. His name was accordingly added to the list, and he was
honored with the office of chief pilot and captain-general.
9. It was a difficult task to find material for the colony. The
French peasants were not eager to embark for a country which
32 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
promised nothing better than savages and snow. Cartier's honest
narrative had left no room for dreaming. So the work of enlisting
volunteers went on slowly, until the government opened the prisons
of the kingdom and gave freedom to whoever would join the ex
pedition. There was a rush of robbers and swindlers, and the
lists were immediately filled. Only counterfeiters and traitors were
denied the privilege of gaining their liberty in the New World.
10. In May of 1541, five ships, under command of Cartier, left
France, and soon reached the St. Lawrence. The expedition pro
ceeded up the river to the present site of Quebec, where a fort was
erected and named Charlesbourg. Here the colonists passed the
winter. Cartier was offended because of the subordinate position
which he held, and made no effort to prosecute discoveries which
could benefit no one but Roberval. When La Roque arrived with
immigrants and supplies, Cartier sailed away with his part of the
squadron, and returned to Europe. Roberval was left in New
France with three shiploads of criminals who could be restrained
only by whipping and hanging. The winter was long and severe,
and spring was welcomed for the opportunity which it gave of
returning to France. The enterprise, undertaken with so much
pomp, resulted in nothing.
11. About the middle of the sixteenth century Coligni, the Pro
testant admiral of France, formed the design of establishing in
America a refuge for the Huguenots of his own country. In 1562
he obtained from Charles IX. the privilege of planting a colony
of Protestants in the New World. JOHN RIBAULT, of Dieppe,
was selected to lead the Huguenots to the land of promise. In
February, the company reached the coast of Florida near the site
of St. Augustine. The River St. John's was entered and named
the River of May. The vessel then sailed along the coast to the
entrance of Port Royal ; here it was determined to make the set
tlement. The colonists were landed on an island, and a stone
was set up to mark the place. A fort was erected and named
CAROLINA — a name which was afterward given by the English to the
whole country from the Savannah to Virginia. In this fort Ri-
bault left twenty-six men, and then sailed back to France. Civil
war was now raging in the kingdom, and neither supplies nor
THE FRENCH IN AMERICA. 33
colonists could be procured. In the following spring the men in
the fort, discouraged with long waiting, mutinied and killed their
leader. Then they built a rude brig and put to sea. They were
at last picked up by an English ship and carried to France.
12. Two years after this attempt another colony was planned,
and LAUDONNIERE chosen leader. The character, however, of this
second Protestant company was very bad. The harbor of Port
Royal was now shunned by the Huguenots, and a point on the
River St. John's was selected for the settlement?. A fort was built
here, and things were going well until a part of the colonists con
trived to get away with two of the ships. Instead of returning to
France, they began to practice piracy ; were caught, brought back,
and hanged. The rest of the settlers were on the eve of breaking
up the colony, when Ribault arrived with supplies and restored
order. It was at this time that Melendez discovered the Hugue
nots and murdered them.
13. But DOMINIC DE GOURGES of Gascony visited the Spaniards
with signal vengeance. This man fitted out three ships, and with
only fifty seamen on board arrived on the coast of Florida. With
this handful of soldiers he surprised three Spanish forts on the St.
John's, and made prisoners of the inmates. Unable to hold his
position, he hanged the leading captives to the branches of the
trees, and put up this inscription to explain what he had done:
"Not Spaniards, but murderers."
14. In the year 1598, the MARQUIS OF LA ROCHE obtained a
commission authorizing him to found a colony in the New World.
The prisons of France were again opened to furnish the emi
grants. The vessels soon reached the coast of Nova Scotia, and
anchored at Sable Island, a dismal place, where forty men were
left to form a settlement. La Roche returned to France and died ;
and for seven years the forty criminals languished on Sable Island.
Then they were picked up by some passing ships and carried back
to France, but were never remanded to prison.
15. In the year 1603 the sovereignty of the country from the
latitude of Philadelphia to one degree north of Montreal, was
granted to DE MONTS. The chief provisions of his patent were a
monopoly of the fur-trade of the new country, and religious freedom
34 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
for the Huguenots. With two shiploads of colonists he left France
in March of 1604, and reached the Bay of Fundy. The summer
was spent in making explorations. Poutrincourt, the captain of
one of the ships, being pleased with a harbor which he had dis
covered on the coast of Nova Scotia, asked and obtained a grant
of some beautiful lands adjacent, and with a part of the crew
went on shore. De Monts crossed to the west side of the bay, and
begun to build a fort at the mouth of the St. Croix. But in the
following spring they abandoned this place and joined Poutrin
court. Here, on the 14th day of November, 1605, the founda
tions of the first permanent French settlement in America were laid.
The name of Port Royal was given to the fort, and the country,
including Nova Scotia, was called ACADIA.
16. In 1603 SAMUEL CHAMPLAIN, the most soldierly man of his
times, was commissioned by Rouen merchants to establish a trad
ing post on the St Lawrence. The traders saw that a traffic in
furs was a surer road to riches than the search for gold and
diamonds. Champlain crossed the ocean, sailed up the river, and
selected the spot on which Quebec now stands, as the site for a
fort. In the autumn he returned to France, and published a faith
ful account of his expedition.
17. In 1608, Champlain again visited America, and on the 3d
of July in that year the foundations of Quebec were laid. In the
next year he and two other Frenchmen joined a company of
Huron and Algonquin Indians who were at war with the Iroquois
of New York. With this band he ascended the Sorel River until
he came to the long, narrow lake which has ever since borne the
name of its discoverer.
18. In 1612 Champlain came to New France for the third time,
and the success of the colony at Quebec was assured. Franciscan
monks came over and began to preach among the Indians. They
and the Protestants quarreled, and the settlement was much dis
turbed. Champlain again went with a war-party against the Iro
quois. His company was defeated, he himself wounded and obliged
to remain all winter among the Hurons. In 1617 he returned to
the colony, in 1620 began to build, and four years afterward com
pleted the fortress of St. Louis. When this castle appeared on
ENGLISH DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 35
the high cliff above the town and river, the permanence of the
French settlements on the St. Lawrence was no longer doubtful.
Champlain became governor of New France, and died in 1635.
To him, more than to any other man, the success of the French
colonies in North America must be attributed.
The French reach America.— Verrazzani makes a voyage.— Explores the
country as far norih as Newfoundland.— Cartier is sent to America.— Reaches
Newfoundland and enters the St. Lawrence. — Returns to Europe.— Sails on a
second expedition.— Ascends the St. Lawrence. — His crew are attacked with
scurvy.— He passes the winter at Quebec.— Returns to France.— Roberval plans
a colony.— Cartier joined to the undertaking.— Prisons of France furnish emi
grants.— Expedition reaches the St. Lawrence.— The leaders quarrel.— Cartier
goes back to France. — The colony returns. — Roberval sails with another fleet. —
Is lost at sea. — Ribault conducts a band of Huguenots to Port Royal. — Builds
Fort Carolina. — The settlement is abandoned. — The enterprise renewed by
Laudouniere. — A Huguenot colony is established on tlie St. John's. — But de
stroyed by Melendez.— De Gourges takes vengeance on the Spaniards. — La
Roche is commissioned to colonize America.— French prisons again opened.—
A settlement is made on Sable Island.— The company carried to France.— De
Monts made viceroy. — Departs with a colony. — Reaches the Bay of Fundy.—
Port Royal founded by Poutrincourt. — De Monts on the St. Croix. — The country
named Acadia. — Champlain receives a commission. — Sails with a colony to the
St. Lawrence.- Goes against the I roquois.— Returns and founds Quebec.
CHAPTER VI.
ENGLISH DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS.
ON the 5th of May, 1496, Henry VII., king of England, com
missioned JOHN CABOT of Venice to make discoveries in the
Atlantic and Indian Oceans, to carry the English flag, and to take
possession of all countries which he might discover. Cabot was a
brave, adventurous man who had been a sailor from his boyhood,
and was now a wealthy merchant of Bristol. Five ships were
fitted out, and every thing made ready for the voyage. In April,
36 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
1497, the fleet left Bristol; and on the morning of the 24th of
June, the gloomy, shore of Labrador was seen. Tim was the real
discovery of tJie American continent Fourteen months elapsed before
Columbus reached the coast of Guiana, and more than two years
before Vespucci saw the main land of South America.
2. Cabot explored the coast of the country for several hundred
miles. He supposed that the land was a part of the dominions of
the Cham of Tartary ; but finding no inhabitants, he went on shore,
according to the terms of his commission, planted the flag of Eng
land, and took possession in the name of the English king. No
man forgets his native land ; by the side of the flag of his adopted
country Cabot set up the banner of the republic of Venice — emblem
of another flag which should one day float from sea to sea.
3. As soon as he had satisfied himself of the extent of the coun
try, Cabot sailed for England. On the homeward voyage he twice
saw the coast of Newfoundland, but made no landing. After an
absence of three months, he reached Bristol, and was greeted with
enthusiasm. The town had holiday, and the people were wild about
the great discovery. The king gave him money; new ships were
fitted out, and a new commission was signed in February of 1498.
But after the date of this patent the name of John Cabot dis
appears from history. Where the rest of his life was passed and
the circumstances of his death are unknown.
4. Sebastian, son of John Cabot, inherited his father's genius.
He had already been to the New World on the first voyage, and
now he took up his father's work with all the fervor of youth. The
very fleet which had been equipped for John Cabot was entrusted
to Sebastian. The object had in view was the foolish project of
discovering a north-west passage to the Indies.
5. The voyage was made in the spring of 1498. Far to the north
the icebergs compelled Sebastian to change his course. It was July,
and the sun scarcely set at midnight. Seals were seen, and the
ships plowed through such shoals of codfish as had never before
been heard of. Labrador was again discovered. New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, and Maine were next explored. The whole coast .of
New England and of the Middle States was now, for the first time
since the days of the Norsemen, traced by Europeans. Nor did
ESGLLSH DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 37
Cabot desist from this work, which was bestowing the title of dis
covery on the crown of England, until he reached Cape Hatteras.
From that point he began his homeward voyage.
0. The future career of Cabot was a strange one. Henry VII.,
although quick to appreciate the value of Sebastian's discoveries,
was slow to reward the discoverer. When that monarch died, the
king of Spain enticed Cabot away from England and made him
pilot-major of the Spanish navy. He lived to be very old, but the
circumstances of his death and his place of burial are unknown.
7. The year 1498 is the most marked in the whole history of
discovery. In the month of May, VASCO DE GAMA, of Portugal,
doubled the Cape of Good Hope and succeeded in reaching Hin-
dostan. During the summer the younger Cabot traced the eastern
coast of North America through more than twenty degrees of
latitude. In August Columbus himself reached the mouth of the
Orinoco. Of the three great discoveries, that of Cabot has proved
to be by far the most important.
8. The career of English discovery was checked during the
greater part of the sixteenth century. In 1493 Pope Alexander
drew an imaginary line three hundred miles west of the Azores,
and gave all islands and countries west of that line to Spain.
Henry VII. was a Catholic, and did not care to have a conflict
with his Church by claiming the New World. His son and suc
cessor, Henry VHL, at first adopted the same policy, and it was
not until after the Reformation in England that the decision of the
pope came to be disregarded, and finally despised and laughed at.
9. During the reign of Edward VI. the spirit of adventure was
again aroused. In 1548 the king's council gave Sebastian Cabot a
hundred pounds to return from Spain and become grand-pilot of
England. The old admiral quitted Seville and once more sailed
under the English flag. In the reign of Queen Mary the power of
England on the sea was not materially extended, but with the acces
sion of Elizabeth a new impulse was given to voyage and adventure.
10. MARTIN FROBISHER, aided by the earl of Warwick, began
anew the work of discovery. Three small vessels were fitted out
to sail in search of a north-west passage to Asia. One of Fro-
bisher's ships was lost on the voyage ; another returned to England,
38 HISTORY OF THE UXITED STATES.
but the third sailed on until a higher latitude was reached than
ever before on the American coast. The group of islands in the
mouth of Hudson's Strait was discovered. The larger island
lying northward was named Meta Incognita^ In latitude sixty-
three degrees and eight minutes Frobisher entered the strait which
has ever since borne his name. He then sailed for England,
carrying home with him an Esquimau and a stone said to contain
gold.
11. London was greatly excited. In May, 1577, a new fleet de
parted for Meta Incognita to gather the precious metal. For weeks
the ships were in danger of being crushed among the icebergs. The
summer was unfavorable. The vessels did not sail as far as Fro
bisher had done on a previous voyage. The mariners were alarmed
at the perils around them, and sought the first opportunity to get
out of these dangerous seas and return to England.
12. The English gold-hunters were not yet satisfied. Fifteen new
vessels were fitted out, the queen bearing part of the expense, and
in the spring of 1578 a third voyage was begun. Three of the
ships, loaded with emigrants, were to remain in the promised land.
The other twelve were to be freighted with gold-ore and return to
London. The vessels, struggling through the icebergs, finally
reached Meta Incognita and took on cargoes of dirt. The pro
vision-ship slipped away and returned to England. Affairs grew
desperate. The north-west passage was forgotten. The colony
which was to be planted was no longer thought of. With several
tons of the spurious ore under the hatches, the ships set sail for
home. The El Dorado of the Esquimaux had proved a failure.
13. In 1577 SIR FRANCIS DRAKE sailed around to the Pacific
coast by the route which Magellan had discovered, and became a
t.-rror to the Spanish vessels in those waters. Having thus en
riched himself, he formed the project of tracing up the western
coast of North America until he should find a north-west passage,
and thence sail eastward around the continent. He proceeded
northward as far as Oregon, when his sailors, who had been for
several years within ftie tropics, began to shiver with the cold, and
the enterprise was given up. Drake passed the winter of 1579-80
in a hapbor on the coast of Mexico, To all that portion of America
ENGLISH DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 39
which he had thus explored he gave the name of New Albion ; but
the English claim thus established was of little value.
14. SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT was perhaps the first to form a
rational plan of colonization in America. His idea was to plant an
agricultural and commercial state. He sought aid from the queen,
and received a patent authorizing him to take possession of any six
hundred square miles of unoccupied territory in America, and to
establish a colony of which he should be proprietor and governor.
Assisted by^his illustrious half-brother, WALTER RALEIGH, Gilbert
prepared five vessels, and in June of 1583, sailed for the west. The
best ship in the fleet abandoned the rest and returned to Plymouth.
In August, Gilbert reached Newfoundland, and took possession of
the country. Soon the sailors discovered some scales of mica, and
a judge of metals declared the glittering mineral to be silver ore.
The crews became insubordinate. Some went to digging the sup
posed silver, while others gratified their piratical disposition by
attacking the Spanish fishing-ships in the neighboring harbors.
15. Meanwhile, one of Gilbert's vessels became worthless, and
had to be abandoned. With the other three he sailed toward the
south. Off the coast of Massachusetts, the largest of the ships was
wrecked, and a hundred sailors were drowned. Gilbert determined
to return to England. The weather was stormy, and the two ships
now remaining were unfit for the sea. The captain remained in the
weaker vessel, called the Squirrel, already shattered and ready to
sink. As the ships were struggling through the sea at midnight the
Squirrel was suddenly engulfed ; not a man of the crew was saved.
The other vessel finally reached Falmouth in safety.
16. The project of colonization was next renewed by Raleigh.
In the spring of 1584 he obtained a new patent as liberal as Gil
bert's. Raleigh was to become proprietor of a tract in America
extending from the thirty-third to the fortieth parallel of latitude.
This territory was to be peopled and organized into a state. The
frozen north was now to be avoided, and the country of the Hugue
nots chosen as the seat of an empire. Two ships were fitted out,
and- the command given to Philip Amidas and Arthur Barlow.
17. In July the vessels reached Carolina. The sea was smooth
and glassy. The woods were full of beauty and song. The natives
40 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
were generous and hospitable. The shores of Albemarle and Pam-
lico Sounds were explored, and a landing effected on Roanoke
Island, where the English were entertained by the Indian queen.
But neither Amidas nor Barlow had the courage necessary to the
enterprise. After a stay of two months they returned to England,
praising the beauties of the new land. Queen Elizabeth gave to
her delightful country in the New World the name of VIRGINIA.
18. In December, 1584, Sir Walter's patent was confirmed by
Parliament. The plan of colonization was undertaken with renewed
zeal. The proprietor fitted out a second expedition, and appointed
Ralph Lane governor of the colony. Sir Richard Grenville com
manded the fleet, and a company, partly composed of young nobles,
made up the crew. The fleet of seven vessels reached America on
the 20th of June. At Cape Fear they were in danger of being
wrecked ; but six days afterward they reached Roanoke in safety.
Here Lane was left with a hundred and ten of the immigrants to
form a settlement. Grenville returned to England, taking with
him a Spanish treasure-ship which he had captured.
19. Hostilities soon broke out between the English and the In
dians. Wingina, the king, and several of his chiefs were allured
into the power of the English and murdered. Hatred and gloom
followed this deed ; and the sense of danger became so great that
when Sir Francis Drake came in sight with a fleet, the colonists
prevailed on him to carry them back to England.
20. A few days afterward a shipload of stores arrived from the
prudent Raleigh; but finding no colony, the vessel sailed back
to England. Soon Sir Richard Grenville came to Roanoke with
three well-laden ships, and made a fruitless search for the colonists.
Not to lose possession of the country, he left fifteen men on the
island, and set sail for home.
21. But another colony was easily made up. A charter of gov
ernment was granted by the proprietor, John White was chosen
governor, and every care taken to secure the success of the
"City of Raleigh," soon to be founded in the west. In. July
the emigrants arrived in Carolina. A search for the fifteen men
who had been left on Roanoke a year before revealed the fact
that the natives had murdered them. Nevertheless, the northern
ENGLISH DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 41
extremity of the island was chosen as the site for the city, and
there the foundations were laid.
22. Disaster attended the enterprise. The Indians were still hos
tile. When peace was concluded Sir Walter conferred on Manteo,
one of the Indian chiefs, the title of Lord of Roanoke— a silly piece
of business. The copper-colored nobleman could do nothing to aid
the colonists. The fear of starvation soon compelled White to re
turn to England for supplies. Had the settlers given themselves
to tilling the soil and building houses, no further help would have
been needed. The 18th of August was the birthday of Virginia
Dare, the first-born of English children in the New World.
When White set sail for England he left behind a colony of a hun
dred and eight persons, whose fate has never been ascertained.
23. Ealeigh soon sent out two supply -ships to succor his starving
colony, but his efforts to reach them were unavailing. The vessels
which he sent with stores went cruising after Spanish merchant
men and were captured by a man-of-war. Not until 1590 did the
governor return to search for the unfortunate colonists. The island
was a desert. No soul remained to tell the story of the lost.
24. Sir Walter, after spending two hundred thousand dollars in
the attempt to found a colony, gave up the enterprise. He as
signed his rights to an association of London merchants, and it
was under their authority that White made the final search for
the settlers of Roanoke. From this time very little in the way of
discovery was accomplished by the English until 1602, when the
work was renewed by BARTHOLOMEW GOSNOLD.
25. Thus far all the voyages to America had been by way of the
Canary Islands and the West Indies. Abandoning this path, Gos-
nold, in a small vessel, called the Concord, sailed directly across the
Atlantic, and in seven weeks reached Maine. The distance thus
gained was fully two thousand miles. Explorations were made from
Cape Elizabeth to Cape Cod. Here the captain, with four of his
men, went on shore. It was the first landing of Englishmen within
the limits of New England. On the most westerly of the Elizabeth
Islands the first New England settlement was begun.
26. It was a short-lived enterprise. A traffic was opened with
the natives which resulted in loading the Concord with sassafras-
42 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
root. When the ship was about to depart or England, the settlers
pleaded for permission to return with their friends. Gosnold ac
ceded to their demands, and the island was abandoned. After a
voyage of five weeks, the Concord reached home in safety.
27. Gosnold gave glowing accounts of the country ; and it was
not long until another expedition to America was planned. Two
vessels, the Speedwell and the Discoverer, composed the fleet, with
MARTIN PRING for commander. A cargo of merchandise was put
on board; and in April, 1603, the vessels sailed for America.
They came safely to Penobscot Bay, and spent some time in ex
ploring the harbors of Maine. Pring sought the sassafras region,
and loaded his vessels at Martha's Vineyard. Thence he returned
to England, reaching Bristol, after an absence of six months.
28. Two years later, GEORGE WAYMOUTH made a voyage to
America. He anchored among the islands of St. George, on the
coast of Maine, and explored the harbor. A trade was opened
with the Indians, some of whom returned with Waymouth to
England. The voyage homeward was safely made, the vessels
reaching Plymouth in June. This was the last English expedition
before the actual establishment of a colony in America.
Henry VII. commissions John Cabot.— Who discovers America.— Is recom-
missioned.— Sebastian explores the American coast. -Becomes pilot of Spain.—
The year 1498.— English discovery impeded.— Maritime enterprise under Eliza
beth.— Frobisher sails to America.— Returns to London.— Conducts a fleet to Meta
Incognita.— Sir Francis Drake goes to the Pacific coast.— Attempts the discovery
of a north-west passage.— Gilbert forms a plan of colonization.— Assisted by
Raleigh.— Conducts a fleet to Newfoundland.— The spurious minerals.— Gilbert
loses his ships and men.— Is lost at sea.— Raleigh sends out Amidas and Barlow.—
They reach Roanoke.— The place is abandoned.— Raleigh sends a second colony.—
Difficulties with the Indians.— The colony is taken home by Drake.— A new
charter granted by Raleigh.— Emigrants arrive at Roanoke.— A town is laid out.—
Troubles with the Indians.— Manteo is made a peer.— White returns to England.—
Birth of Virginia Dare.— The fate of the colony.— Raleigh assigns his patent.—
Gosnold makes a direct voyage. -Attempts to form a settlement on Elizabeth
Island. -Gosnold trades with the natives.-An expedition is sent out under
Pring.- He explores the New England coast.— Waymouth sails 011 a voyage.—
Trades with the Indians.— Returns to England.
EMiLISlI DISCOVERIES AS I) SETTLEMENTS. 43
CHAPTER VII.
\
ENGLISH DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS.— CONTINUED.
THE 10th of April, 1606, was a great clay in the history of the,
New World. On that day King James I. issued two patents to
men of his kingdom, authorizing them to colonize all that portion
of North America lying between the thirty-fourth and forty-fifth
parallels of latitude. The immense tract extended from the mouth
of Cape Fear River to Passamaquoddy Bay, and westward to the
Pacific Ocean.
2. The first of these patents was granted to an association of
nobles, gentlemen and merchants called the LONDON COMPANY;
while the second was issued to a similar body organized at Ply
mouth, and bearing the name of the PLYMOUTH COMPANY. To
the former corporation was given the region between the thirty-
fourth and the thirty-eighth degrees of latitude, and to the latter
the tract from the forty-first to the forty-fifth degree. The belt
of three degrees between the thirty-eighth and forty-first parallels
was to be open to colonies of either company, but no settlement
of one party was to be made within less than a hundred miles of
the nearest settlement of the other. The nature and extent of
these grants will be fully understood from an examination of the
accompanying map. Only the London Company was successful in
establishing an American colony.
3. The leading man in the London Company was Bartholomew
Gosnold. His principal associates were Edward Wingfield, a rich
merchant, Robert Hunt, a clergyman, and John Smith, an adven
turer. Sir John Popham, chief-justice of England, Richard Hak-
luyt, a historian, and Sir Ferdinand Gorges, a nobleman, were also
members. The affairs of the company were to be administered by
44 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
a Superior Council, residing in England, and an Inferior Council,
residing in the colony. All legislative authority was vested in the
king. In the organization of the companies no principles of self-
government were admitted. A foolish provision in the patent re
quired the proposed colony to hold all property in common for five
years. The best law of the charter allowed the emigrants to retain
in the New World all the rights of Englishmen.
4. In August, 1606, the Plymouth Company sent their first ship
to America. In the autumn another vessel was sent out, which re
mained in the country until the following spring. Encouraged by
the reports which were brought back, the company, in the summer
of 1607, despatched a colony of a hundred persons. A settlement
was begun at the mouth of the River Kennebec. A block-house
and several cabins were built, and the place named St. George.
Then the ships returned to England, leaving a colony of forty-five
persons ; but the winter of 1607-8 was very severe. Some of
the settlers were starved and some frozen ; the store-house was
burned, and when summer came the remnant escaped to England.
5. The London Company had better fortune. A fleet of three
vessels was fitted out under command of Christopher Newport.
In December the ships, having on board a hundred and five
colonists, among whom were Wingfield and Smith, left England.
Newport foolishly took the old route by way of the Canaries, and
did not reach America until April. It was the design to land on
Roanoke Island, but a storm carried the ships northwrard into the
Chesapeake. Entering the bay, the vessels came to the mouth of
a beautiful river, which was named in honor of King James.
Proceeding up stream about fifty miles, Newport found on the
northern bank a peninsula noted for its beauty; the ships were
moored and the emigrants went on shore. Here, on the 13th day
of May (Old Style), 1607, were laid the foundations of James
town, the oldest English settlement in America.
6. Meanwhile a new impulse was given to the affairs of North
Virginia by the activity of John Smith. In 1609 he left James
town and returned to England. There he formed a partnership
with four wealthy merchants of London to trade in furs and estab
lish a colony within the limits of the Plymouth grant. Two ships
MAP II.
ENGLISH GRANTS
ENGLISH DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 45
were freighted with goods and put under Smith's command. The
summer of 1614 was spent on the coast of Maine, where a traffic
was carried on with the Indians. But Smith himself found nohler
work to do. Beginning as far north as practicable, he explored
the country, and drew a map of the whole coast from the Penob-
scot to Cape Cod. In this map, which is a marvel of accuracy
considering the circumstances under which it was made, the country
was called NEW ENGLAND. In November the ships returned to
Plymouth, taking with them the proofs of a successful voyage.
7. In 1615 a small colony of sixteen persons, led by Smith, was
sent out in a single ship. When nearing the American coast, they
encountered a storm, and were obliged to return to England. In
spite of these reverses, the leader renewed the enterprise, and
raised another company. Part of his crew became mutinous and
left him in mid-ocean. His own ship was captured by a band of
French pirates, and himself imprisoned in the harbor of Rochelle.
But he escaped in an open boat and made his way to London. He
now published a description of New England, and urged the com
pany of Plymouth to action. But the London Company was jeal
ous of its rival, and put obstacles in the way. The years 1617-18
were spent in making plans of colonization, until finally the Ply
mouth Company was superseded by a new corporation called the
COUNCIL OF PLYMOUTH. On this body were conferred almost
unlimited powers and privileges. All that part of America lying
between the fortieth and the forty-eighth parallels of north lati
tude, and extending from ocean to ocean, was given in fee simple
to the forty men who composed the council. More than a million
of square miles were embraced in the grant.
8. John Smith was now appointed admiral of New England.
The king issued a proclamation enforcing the charter, and every
thing gave promise of the early settlement of America. Such
were the schemes of men to people the Western Continent. Mean
while, a Power above the will of man was working out the same
result. The time had come when, without the knowledge or con
sent of James I. or the Council of Plymouth, a permanent settle
ment should be made on the shores of New England.
9. About the close of the sixteenth century, a number of poor
46 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Puritans, scattered through the North of England, joined them
selves together for free religious worship. They believed that
every man has a right to know the truth of the Scriptures for
himself. Such a doctrine was repugnant to the Church of Eng
land. Queen Elizabeth declared such teaching to be subver
sive of the monarchy. King James was also intolerant; and
from time to time violent persecutions broke out against the feeble
and dispersed Christians.
10. Many of the Puritans left England and went into exile in
Holland. In 1608 their ship brought them in safety to Amster
dam, where, under the care of their pastor, John Robinson, they
passed one winter, and then removed to Leyden. They took the
name of PILGRIMS, and grew content to have no home or resting-
place. But they did not forget their native land. During their
ten years of residence at Leyden they longed to return to their
own country. The strange language of the Dutch sounded
harshly to them. They pined with unrest, and were anxious to
do something to convince King James of their patriotism.
11. In 1617 the Puritans began to meditate a removal to the
New World. There they would forget the past, and be at peace
with their country. John Carver and Robert Cushman were des
patched to England to ask permission to settle in America. The
agents of the Council of Plymouth favored the request, but the
king refused. The most that he would do was to make a promise
to lei the Pilgrims alone in America.
12. The Puritans were not discouraged. Out of their own re
sources they provided the means of departure, and set their faces
toward the sea. The Speedwell, a small vessel, was purchased at
Amsterdam, and the Mayflower, a larger ship, was hired for the
voyage. The former was to carry the emigrants from Leyden to
Southampton, where they were to be joined by the Mayflower, with
another company .from London. Assembling at the harbor of
Delft, on the River Meuse, as many of the Pilgrims as could be
accommodated went on board the Speedwell. The whole congrega
tion accompanied them to the shore. There Robinson gave them a
farewell address, and the prayers of those who were left behind
followed the vessel out of sight.
ENGLISH DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 47
13. On the 5th of August, 1620, the vessels left the harbor of
Southampton ; but in a few days the Speedwell was found to be
shattered and leaky. Both ships anchored at Dartmouth, and
eight days were spent in making repairs. Again the sails were
set ; but the Speedwell was unable to breast the ocean, and put
back to Plymouth. Here the ship was abandoned; but the Pil
grims were encouraged by the citizens, and the more zealous went
on board the Mayflower for a final effort. On the 6th of September
the first colony of New England, numbering one hundred and two
souls, saw the shores of Old England sink behind the sea.
14r. For sixty-three days the ship was buffeted by storms. It
had been the intention of the Pilgrims to found their colony on
the Hudson; but the tempest carried them northward to Cape
Cod. On the 9th of November the vessel was anchored in the
bay ; a meeting was held and the colony organized under a solemn
compact. In the charter which they there made for themselves
the emigrants declared their loyalty to the English king, and
agreed to live in peace and harmony. Such was the simple con
stitution of the oldest New England State. To this instrument all
the heads of families, forty-one in number, set their names. An
election was held in which all had an equal voice, and John Car
ver was chosen governor.
15. Miles Standish, John Bradford, and a few others, went on
shore and explored the country ; nothing was found but a heap of
Indian corn under the snow. On the 6th of December, the gov
ernor landed with fifteen companions. The weather was dreadful.
Rains and snow-storms covered the clothes of the Pilgrims with
ice. They were attacked by the Indians, but escaped to the ship
with their lives. The vessel was steered to the southwest for
forty-five miles, and at last driven by accident into a haven on the
west side of the bay. The next day, being the Sabbath, was spent
in religious services, and tm Monday, the llth of December (Old
Style), 1620, the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.
It). It was the dead of winter. The houseless immigrants fell
a-dying of hunger and cold. After a few days spent in explora
tions, a site was selected near the first landing, the snow-drifts were
cleared away, and on the 9th of January the toilers began to build
48 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
New Plymouth. Every man took on himself the work of making
his own house ; but the ravages of disease grew daily worse.
Lung-fevers wasted every family. At one time only seven men
were able to work on the sheds which were built for protection.
If an early spring had not brought relief, the colony must have
perished. Such were the sufferings and sorrows of that winter
when New England began to be.
James issues patents to the London and Plymouth Companies.— The
London Company to plant colonies between the 84th and the 38th parallels. — The
Plymouth Company to make settlements from the 41st to the 45th degree.— Gos-
nold, Smith, Hakluyt, and Wingfleld, the leaders.— No democratic principles in
the charter.— A ship is sent out. by the Plymouth Company.— A second vessel
despatched to America.— A settlement is attempted on the Kennebec.— is aban
doned.--^ fleet is sent out by the London Company.— Arrives in the Chesa
peake.— Jamestown is founded.— The Plymouth Company revived by Smith.—
He explores and maps New England.— Attempts are made to form a colony.—
The Plymouth Company is superseded by the Council of Plymouth.— A new
plan of colonization is made.— Smith appointed admiral.— The Puritans in
England.— They remove to Amsterdam and Leyden.— Determine to remove to
America.— Ask permission.— Meet with discouragements.— Procure two ves
sels.— Sail from Leyden, and afterward from Southampton.— The Speedwell is
found unfit for the voyage.— The Pilgrims depart in the Mayflowei'.—A. stormy
voyage.— Cape Cod is reached.— The frame of government.— Carver is elected
governor.— The landing is delayed.— The ship driven by storms.— En ters Ply
mouth harbor.— The Puritans on shore.— Begin to build.— Attacked with dis
eases.— Many die.— An early spring brings relief.
CHAPTER VIII.
VOYAGES AND SETTLEMENTS OF THE DUTCH.
THE first Dutch settlement in America was made on Manhattan
Island. The colony resulted from the voyages of SIR HENRY
HUDSON. In the year 1607 this great sailor was employed by a
company of London merchants to discover a new route to the
VOYAGES AND SETTLEMENTS OF THE DUTCH. 49
Indies. He first made a voyage in a single ship into the North
Atlantic, but was compelled by the icebergs to return to England.
Another voyage also resulted in failure ; and his employers gave up
the enterprise. In 1609 the Dutch East India Company furnished
him with a ship called the Half Moon, and in April he set out on
his third voyage for the Indies. Again he ran among the icebergs,
and further sailing was impossible. But not discouraged, he imme
diately set sail for America.
2. In July, Hudson reached the coast of Maine. Sailing south
ward, he passed Cape Cod, and in August reached the Chesapeake.
Again he turned to the north, and on the 28th of the month an
chored in Delaware Bay. Then the voyage was continued along
the coast of New Jersey, until, on the 3d of September, the Half
Moon came to anchorage in the bay of Sandy Hook. Two days
later a landing was effected. The natives came with gifts of corn,
wild fruit, and oysters. On the 10th of the month the vessel
passed the Narrows and entered the noble river which bears the
name of HUDSON.
3. For ei.erht days the Half Moon sailed up the river. Such
beautiful forests and valleys the Dutch had never seen before. On
the 19th of September the vessel was moored at Kinderhook ; but
an exploring party rowed up stream beyond the site of Albany.
After some days they returned to the ship, the vessel dropped down
the river, and on the 4th of October the sails w^ere spread for Hol
land. On the homeward voyage the Half Moon was detained in
England, and the crew were claimed as Englishmen.
4. In the summer of 1610, a ship, called the Discovery, was given
to Hudson, who now left England never to return. He sailed in
the track which Frobisher had taken, and on the 2d day of Au
gust entered the strait which bears the name of its discoverer.
No ship had ever before been in these waters. The great captain
and his crew believed that the route to China was at last dis
covered; but he soon found himself environed wTith the terrors of
winter in the frozen gulf of the North. With great courage he
bore up until his provisions were almost exhausted. Then the
treacherous crew7 broko out in muciny. They seized Hudson and
his only son, with seven other faithful sailors, threw them into an
50 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
open boat, and cast them off among the icebergs. The fate of the
illustrious mariner has never been ascertained.
5. In 1610 the Half Moon was liberated and returned to Am
sterdam. In the same year several ships owned by Dutch mer
chants sailed to the banks of the Hudson and engaged in the fur-
trade. In 1614 an act was passed by the States-General of Hol
land giving to merchants of Amsterdam the right to trade and
establish settlements in the country explored by Hudson. A fleet
of five trading- vessels arrived in the summer of the same year at
Manhattan Island. Here some rude huts had already been built
by former traders, and the settlement was named New Amsterdam.
6. In the fall of 1614, Adrian Block sailed into Long Island
Sound, made explorations to the mouth of the Connecticut, thence
to Narraganset Bay, and to Cape Cod. Christiansen, another
Dutch commander, sailed up the river from Manhattan to Castle
Island, and erected a block-house, which was named Fort Nassau.
Cornelius May, the captain of a small vessel called the Fortune,
sailed from New Amsterdam and explored the Jersey coast as far
as the Bay of Delaware. Upon these two voyages Holland set up
a claim to the country which was now named NEW NETHERLAND,
extending from Cape Henlopen to Cape Cod — a claim which
Great Britain and France treated with contempt. Such were the
feeble beginnings of the Dutch colonies in New York and Jersey.
Dutch settlements in America result from the voyages of Hudson.— He is em
ployed to find the Indies.— Sails into the North Atlantic.— Fails in his effort.—
Is sent on a second voyage.— And fails.— Goes into the service of the Dutch.—
s tils 011 a third voyage.— Is driven back by the icebergs.— Turns to America.—
Explores the coast. — Enters New York harbor. — Discovers the Hudson River. —
Explores that stream as far as Albany. — Returns to Dartmouth. — Is detained
by the English.— Is sent 011 a fourth expedition.— Discovers Hudson Strait and
Bay.— Is overtaken by winter.— The crew mutiny.— Hudson is cast off among
the icebergs.— Dutch vessels begin to trade at Manhattan.— The States-General
grant a right to trade.— A settlement is made on Manhattan Island.— Block
explores Long Island Sound.— Christiansen builds Fort Nassau.— May explores
the coast of New Jersey.— Holland claims the country from Delaware Bay to
Cape Cod.
PART III.
COLONIAL HISTORY.
PARENT COLONIES.
A. ». 1607— 1754.
CHAPTER IX.
,1 VIRGINIA— THE FIRST CHARTER.
THE first settlers at Jamestown were idle and improvident. Only
twelve of those who came in 1607 were common laborers. There
were four carpenters in the company, six or eight masons and black
smiths, and a long list of gentlemen. If necessity had not soon
driven these to toil, the colony must have perished. The few mar
ried men had left their families in England.
2. The affairs of the colony were badly managed. King James
had made out sealed instructions ; and the names of the governor
and members of the council were unknown during the voyage. In
this state of misrule, Captain John Smith, the best man in the col
ony, was suspected of making a plot to murder the council and to
make himself king of Virginia. He was arrested and confined
until the end of the voyage. When at last the colonists reached
rheir destination, the king's instructions were unsealed and the names
of the Inferior Council made known. A meeting was held and
Edward Wingfield elected first governor of Virginia. Smith was
now charged with sedition and excluded from the council. But
when it was found that his enemies could bring nothing against
him, he was restored to his place.
3. As soon as the settlement was well begun, Smith and New
port, with twenty others, explored James River for forty -five miles.
4 (51)
52
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Just below the falls, near the present site of Kichmond, the ex
plorers found the capital of Powhatan, the Indian king. But
the "city'' was only a squalid village of twelve wigwams. The
monarch received the
foreigners with cour
tesy and showed n<>
dislike at the intru
sion. The company
returned to James
town, and on the 15th
of June Newport em
barked for England.
4. The colonists now
began to realize their
situation. They were
alone in the New
World. Winter was
approaching. Dread
ful diseases broke out
in the settlement,
and the colony was
brought almost to
ruin. At one time
only five men were
able to go on duty as sentinels. Gosnold died, and before the
middle of September one-half of the colonists had been swept off
by the malady. But the frosts of autumn came, and the ravages
of disease were checked.
5. Civil dissension was added to other calamities. President
Wingfield and George Kendall were detected in embezzling the
stores of the colony, and were removed from office. Ratcliffe was
then chosen president, but was found incompetent. Only Martin
and Smith now remained in the council, and by common consent
the latter took charge of the colony.
6. The new president was an Englishman by birth; a soldier,
a traveler, and a hero. Under his administration the new settle
ment soon began to show signs of progress. His first care was to
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.
1OOO
11-32. (jiistavus Adolphus the Great. sa. Pet
1- !•>. The Thirty Years' War.
24-42. Kiehelieu.
I.V.I- 12. Galileo, the Astronomer.
I.V.I-IM. KaCOll, the Philosopher. 43. LoiliS XIV.
l.v.l -If,. Shakespeare, the Dramatist. 85. Revocation
32-17IM. John Locke, the Philosopher. 87. The Hab
l.V^-T). <«rotiiiM. Author and Statesman.
1.-71 .".n. Kepler, the Astronomer. 48. Peace of Westphalia.
8-74. MiltOll, the Poet. 4!>. Abolition of the English Monarchy. 88. Second
3. James VI. of .Scotland becomes 4<>. OliVCl* Cl'OlllWell. Protector. 8S. WilliJi
James I. of England. f>0 ^ Rpstoration
2.r>. Charles I. 42. The English Involution.
60. Charles II. 85. .In m « - I
'.H. 1
7, • VIRGINIA colonized by tlie Loil- 43. Persecutions of the Baptists and Quakers.
5o* OOBtMUiy at Jamestown. 41. Tin- Indian masMicre. 73. Grant to Arlington andl'ui
-. John .Smith, novel nor, explores tin- Chesapeake. 76. Bacon's Ktl.ellion.
'.i. Second Charter granted. 42. JK-rUi'U'y's administration.
12. Third Charter granted. 80. Virginia become
in. Bstablishment of the HotMe Of BwmMWC. M. R<
I'J. lutrtMltietioil of«lavei\V. d admiiiistrat'n'. '.'2. \\
21. Th,- London Company 51. . NORTH CAROLINA coloni/.ed by tin- EngHs
is dissolved. . LO Lord ( 'lal t-ndon.
24. Tlie royal <zovernm<>nt. . G'J. The Grand -Model la i
I'D. llarvey'sadmmisiration. . .-:;. S<(li •-<>:'
34. ^MARYLAND <;«d,mi /.,-d l,y the Baltimore**.
:'.'.'. Representative government established. <n. K-
42. War \vitli tin- Indians. 75. Administration of *
^ . 4">. ClayJMiM!, '.> insiirr.-ctioii. 1C'. •
14. NEW YORK titled by the J>uteh. 63. War with the Indians. w
2.;. The Walloona come to New Amsterdam. t'.i. Conquest of .\e\v Netherlaud 1-y t
47. I»eter Stuyvesitnt, governor. 92. I
2-'.. Miiiuit, L'ovcrnor. 74. Administration of Sir
2'.'. The Charter of Privileges is granted. '
. Imini.stration of Kieffc. 84. Tr.
&>. Leisl.:'
38, • DELAWARE '-.V . Conquered by the Dutch.
. colonix.cdby the . 82. .Finally se|. a
. Swedes. . . 'in. .-e
23, . NEW JERSEY titled by 64. Permanent coloni/.ation.
the I>uteli. 68. First General Assembly.
• . 77. Uivi-
20, • MASSACHUSETTS colonized by the I'm ium* at 79, . NEW HAMP-
21. Treat v with .M J'lymouth. . SHIRE "i
. 26. First settlement in Maine. . i/.ed as adi.-i;
3u. Boston founded . ndony.
34. The ball- ,t-l,o \- introdnood. 75. Killer I'll i I i|»^\V
36. Banishment oi \Yili txl. B
Harvard Coll Ml. Kin;
39. The printing-press at Cambridge. yo. Fir-
i:;. T land. «I2. T
36."RHODE ISLAND -i .../,! i^v Roger Williams.
•
. 41. The Democracy estaldi<he
30."- CONNECTICUT -. ..,.7,1 .„ Warwiek.~~ ,-:. iiid,.
33. Hartford f(.un<led. ST. An.lros'
37. IVqiiod War. 75. Captain Bull's defen.-,
. 3'.). ( onstiliilion framed. C,2. 'Winthro|N u'overiior.
70. - SOUTH CAROLINA co
71. Importation ot slave.-,.
'oil fouil
86. Arrival
CM ART II. -82
fr3. PhiladelplTia
HI. s,
92. 1
COLONIAL PERIOD.
A. D. 1607-1775.
17OO
i.. , I'rii'il 62. Catharine II. 30-1J7. Burke.
" rieVi'ii." 4... Frederick the Great.
I ar of the Kpaiiish Succession. 40. War of the Austrian Su« « «.-ioii.
13. Peace ot Itrccht. 46. Treaty of Aix-la-1 hapcllc. 89. French
15 LOUIS XV. Revolution.
71. Louis XV I. K«>ij.Mi
of Ter-
orpus granted. ror.
1642-27. Sir Isaac NewtOIl, the Mathematician.
1640-16 Leibnitz, German philosopher. 9-S4. I>r. Samuel Johnson.
"'
, Accession of the House of • o.
Hanover-Brunswick. to. The Roekintzham Ministry.
65. The Stamp Aft.
8-78. Chatham.
'2. Anne. 14. CSeorge I.
iaiu 111. _ 27. fcieorge II. _ in. Cieorge III.
32. Birth of Washington.
r>5. Passage of the Virginia Resolutions.
roprietary Government.
i.-nt re-established.
tii ami Mary College founded. _ ._
y. Arrival ot (Jcrnian iniini>jrr:mts.
11. War with the Tuscaroras.
2'J. l-'iual ot-paration of the Carolinas.
[overnor. 44. The Spanish invasion. _ ^
1"). Kestoration of tlie Baltimores.
nvernment establislied.
liarlt'M i'alvert.
i«'l t'ouley, govt-rnoi-. _ ._
e French invasion. 32. Trial of Zengt-r. M. Freui'li uiiil liKliaii War.
iiL'!i.>li. 32. Administration of Cosby.
filer's Administration. 41. The negro plot.
muni Aiulros. 54. Franklin's Constitution adopted at Albany.
telloiuoiit. L'ov.-rnor. 65. Fir.-t Colonial Congress.
y. < oruhiirj Vs administration. 7(1. The British riot.
.'irrect'n. '.'. Expedition a^aiiir-t Montreal. __ fxS. Fall of Louisburg. .
from New York.
m of Delaware from Pennsylvania.
2. Union of the Jerseys. 38. Administration of Lewis Morris.
2. Kuyal government established.
st .Trrsfy. _ 2>. Separated from New York. _ __
Re-nnrted with Massachusetts.
". A|III*'"S Ws"*-
-Letter
10. First post-office. ___
» her charter1' EXPedit'°U agai"Sl ^^ ~H® ^ ^ ^islnr,. 75. JQ %™?,^
lliaui'.H War. 5'J. Wolfe's expedition.
.. 20. Introduction of tea. 70. Tumult in I5o.-ton.
lem wi'n-hi-ra:'r.' _ 40. liiuy <»eor^e'>8 WTar. _ 73. The J3ostou Tea-party.
•
- ^u-ee". A|III*'"S Ws"*- 41. ' Final separation of New Hampshire from Massachusetts.
4. in -Letter established.
cd by the Kiiglish. 20. Royal government established. 73. Destruction of tea
2. Expedition against .ct. Aucnstine. at Charleston.
5. War with the Indians.
• • Huguenots. i:>. War with the Yaniassees.
rand Mixk-1 a!'i
_ __ 19. Revolution in the government. _ ._
FLA. colonized by Peiin.
ded. 53. Washington's mis- 74. Second Colonial Congress
in of Delaware. 18-79. The younper Penns in authority. Bion to Le Bceuf. I at Philadelphia.
.
6-i«o. Dr. Benjamin Franklin. _ _ 76. Independence.
33, • GEORGIA colonized by Oglethorpe.
42. fj| Bloody Marsh.
52. Royal sovernmeni, established. %
:>s. K.stablishment of the Episcopal Chureh.
VIRGINIA.— THE FIRST CHARTER. 53
improve the buildings of the plantation. The next measure was
to secure a supply of provisions. There had been a plentiful har
vest among the Indians ; but the work of procuring corn was not
an easy task. Descending James River to Hampton Roads, Smith
landed with five companions and offered the natives hatchets and
copper coins in exchange for corn. The Indians only laughed at
the proposal, and mocked the foreigners by offering a piece of bread
for Smith's sword and musket. The English then charged on the
wigwams, and found an abundant store of corn. A parley ensued ;
and the warriors were obliged to purchase peace by loading the
boats of the English, who then rowed up the river to Jamestown.
7. Soon the Indians in the neighborhood of the settlement began
to come into the fort with voluntary contributions. The fear of
famine passed away. The woods were full of wild turkeys. Good
discipline was maintained in the colony, and friendly relations were
established with the natives. Seeing the end of their distresses, the
colonists became cheerful and happy.
8. As soon as winter set in, the president, with six Englishmen
and two Indian guides, began to explore the country on the
Chickahominy. It was believed by the people of Jamestown
that by going up this stream they could reach the Pacific Ocean!
Smith knew the absurdity of such an opinion, but humored it
because of the opportunity which it gave him to explore new ter
ritory. The rest might dig for gold-dust and hunt for the Pacific ;
he would see the country and make maps.
9. The president and his companions ascended the river until it
dwindled to a mere creek, winding about the woods and meadows.
The men who were left to protect the boats were attacked by the
Indians, and several of the English were killed. Smith was at last
discovered, wounded with an arrow, and chased through the woods.
He fought, ran, and fired by turns, stumbled into a morass, and
was finally overtaken. The savages were wary of their antagonist
until he laid down his gun and was pulled out of the mire.
10. Smith demanded to see the Indian chief, and on being taken
into his presence, excited his curiosity by showing him a pocket-
compass and a watch. These instruments struck the Indians with
awe ; but the savages grew tired of trifling, bound their captive to
54 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. »
a tree, and prepared to shoot him. At the critical moment he
flourished his compass in the air and the Indians were afraid to
fire. But the danger of torture was yet to be avoided.
11. Smith was next taken to Orapax, a few miles from the site
of Richmond. Here he found the Indians making preparations
to attack and destroy Jamestown. They invited him to become
their leader, but he refused and managed to write a letter to his
countrymen telling them of their peril. This letter, which seemed
to the Indians to have a mysterious power of carrying intelligence,
frightened them more than ever. When the warriors arrived at
Jamestown and found every thing as Smith had said, their terror
knew no bounds ; and, as soon as they returned, all thought of
attacking the colony was given up.
12. The Indians now marched their captive about from village
to village. Near the fork of York River, they came to Pamunkey,
the capital of Opechancanough. Here Smith was turned over to
the priests, who assembled in their Long House and for three days
danced around him, sang and yelled after the manner of their
superstition. The object was to determine by this wild ceremony
what his fate should be. The decision was against him, and he was
condemned to death.
13. Smith was next taken down the river to a town where Pow-
hatan lived in winter. The savage monarch was now sixty years
of age. He received the prisoner with. all the formalities peculiar
to his race. Clad in a robe of raccoon skins, he took his seat in the
Long House. His two daughters sat near him, and warriors and
women were ranged around the hall. The king reviewed the cause
and confirmed the sentence of death. Two large stones were
brought into the hall, Smith was dragged forth bound, and his
head put into position to be crushed with a war-club. A painted
savage was ordered out of the rank and stood ready. The signal
was given ; the executioner raised his club, and another moment
had decided the fate of the captive and his colony. But in that
moment, Matouka,* the eldest daughter of Powhatan, rushed be-
•:'Po\vnatan's tribe had a superstition tlmt a person whose real name was unknoum
could not be injured. They therefore toM the English falsely that Matonka's name
was Pocahontas.
VIRGINIA.— THE FIRST CHARTER. 55
tween the warrior's club and the prostrate prisoner. She clasped
his head in her arms and held on until her father, yielding to her
appeals, ordered Smith to be unbound. Again he was rescued
from a terrible death.
1-4. Powhatan decided that the prisoner should remain in his
household and make toys for his daughters. Soon, however, it
was agreed that he should return to Jamestown. He was liberated
on condition that he should send back to Orapax two cannons and
a grindstone. Certain warriors accompanied Smith to the set
tlement, where, under pretense of teaching them gunnery, he
had the cannons loaded with stones and discharged among the
tree-tops. There was a terrible crash, and the savages, fearing to
touch the dreadful engines, returned to their king with neither
guns nor grindstones.
15. Only thirty-eight of the settlers were now alive, and these
were frost-bitten and half starved. Their leader had been absent
for seven weeks in the middle of winter. The old fears of the
colonists had revived, and when Smith returned he found all
hands preparing to abandon the settlement. With much persua
sion he induced the majority to abandon this project, but the rest,
burning with resentment against him, made a conspiracy to kill him.
16. In these days Newport arrived from England, bringing a
store of supplies and a hundred and twenty immigrants. But the
new-comers gave no promise of good. They were gentlemen, gold-
hunters, jewelers, engravers, adventurers, and strollers. Smith was
much vexed at this, for he had urged Newport to bring over only
a few industrious mechanics and laborers.
17. As soon as the weather would permit, the new-comers and
some of the old settlers began to stroll about the country digging
for gold. In a bank of sand at the mouth of a small creek some
glittering particles were found, and the whole settlement was
thrown into excitement. Martin and Newport filled one of the
ships with the supposed gold-dust and sent it to England. Soon
afterward a company sailed up James River to find the Pacific
Ocean! Fourteen weeks of the spring-time were consumed in
this nonsense. Even the Indians ridiculed the madness of men
who were wasting their chances for a crop of corn.
56
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
18. In the midst of this general folly Smith formed the design
of exploring the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Accompa
nied by Dr. Russell and thirteen others, he left Jamestown on the
2d day of June. In an open barge he steered boldly out by way
of Hampton Roads as
far as Smith's Island.
Returning thence
around Cape Charles,
the survey of the east
ern shore of the bay
was begun, and con
tinued northward as
far as the river Wi-
comico. From this
point the expedition
crossed over to the
Patuxent, and thence
northward along the
western side to the Pa-
tapsco. Here some of
the company became
discontented, and in
sisted on returning to
the colony. Smith
consented, but in steer
ing southward had the
good fortune to enter
the mouth of the Po
tomac. Pleased with
the prospect, the crew
turned the barge up
stream and continued
the voyage as far as the falls at Georgetown. Tired of adven
ture, they then dropped down the river to the bay, and reached
Jamestown on the 21st of July.
19. After a rest of three days a second voyage was begun.
This time the expedition reached the head of the bay, and sailed
JAMESTOWN AND VICINITY.
Smith's First Voyage in the Chesapeake ....
Smith's Second Voyage in the Chesapeake
VIRGINIA.— THE FIRST CHARTER. 57
far up the Susquehanna. Here the Indians were of gigantic stat
ure and fierce disposition. On the return voyage Smith explored
every sound and inlet of any note, as far as the liappahannoc.
This stream he ascended to the head of navigation, and then re
turned to Jamestown. He had been absent a little more than
three months, and had explored the coast of the great bay for
fully three thousand miles. He had been driven about by storms,
once wrecked, once stung by a poisonous fish and brought so near
to death that his comrades digged his grave; now he was come
back to the colony with a MAP OF THE CHESAPEAKE, which lie
sent by Newport to England, and which is still preserved.
20. Smith was now formally elected president. Soon there was
a marked change for the better ; gold-hunting ceased, and the rest
of the year was noted as a time of prosperity. In the autumn
Newport arrived with seventy additional immigrants. The health
was so good that only seven deaths occurred between September
and the following May. Every well man was obliged to work
six hours a day. New houses were built, new fields fenced in ; and
through the winter the sound of axe and hammer gave token of a
prosperous and growing village.
Bad character of the first settlers.— Necessity drives them to labor.— The king
gives sealed instructions.— Smith is arrested.— Restored to his place in the
council.— He and Newport explore the James.— Newport goes to England.— The
colonists are discouraged.— Disease ravages the settlement.— Gosnold dies.—
Wingfield embezzles the funds.— Is removed from office.— Ratcliffe succeeds.—
And is impeached.— Smith takes control of the colony.— Sketch of his life.—
The settlement flourishes.— Smith procures supplies.— The Indians bring pro
visions.— Smith explores the Chickahominy.— Is captured by the Indians.—
Saves his life by stratagem.— Is carried to Orapax.— Is condemned to death.—
And saved by Pocahontas.— Is liberated.— Returns to Jamestown.— Terrifies the
savages.— Deplorable condition of the settlement.— Plot to abandon the place.—
Newport arrives with new immigrants.— As bad as the others.— The gold-
hunters go abroad. — And find mica in the sand.— A ship load of dirt sent to Eng
land.— The planting season goes by.— Smith makes his exploration of the
Chesapeake.— Returns.— Is elected president.— Newport arrives with immi
grants and supplies.— Progress of the colony.
58 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER X.
VIRGINIA.— THE SECOND CHARTER.
ON the 23d day of May, 1609, King James granted to the Lon
don Company a new charter, by which the government of
Virginia was completely changed. The territory was extended
from Cape Fear to Sandy Hook, and westward to the Pacific
Ocean. The members of the Superior Council were now to be
chosen by the stockholders of the company, vacancies were to
be filled by the councilors, who were, also empowered to elect a
governor.
2. The new council was at once organized, and Lord De La
Ware chosen governor for life. With him were joined in authority
Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers, Christopher Newport, Sir
Thomas Dale, and Sir Ferdinand Wainman. Five hundred emi
grants were speedily collected, and in June a fleet of nine vessels
sailed for America, Lord Delaware did not himself accompany
the expedition, but delegated his authority to Somers, Gates, and
Newport. In July the ships, then in the West Indies, were scat
tered by a storm. One vessel was wrecked, and another, having
on board the commissioners of Delaware, was driven ashore on one
of the Bermudas ; the other seven ships came safely to James
town.
3. Captain Smith continued in authority under the old constitu
tion; but the colony was in an uproar. The president was in
daily peril of his life. He put some of the most rebellious
brawlers in prison, and then, in order to distract the attention of
the rest, planned two new settlements — one, of a hundred and
twenty men, at Nansemond ; the other, of the same number, at the
falls of the James. Both companies behaved badly. In a few
days after their departure troubles arose with the Indians. . While
VIRGINIA.— THE SECOND CHARTER. 59
attempting to quell these difficulties, Smith was wounded by the
explosion of a bag of gunpowder. Despairing of relief under the
imperfect medical treatment which the colony afforded, he decided
to return to England. He accordingly delegated his authority to
Sir George Percy, and about the middle of September, 1609, left
the scene of his toils and sufferings, never to return.
4. A colony of four hundred and ninety persons remained at
Jamestown. Such was the bad management after Smith's de
parture that the settlement was soon brought face to face with
starvation. The Indians became hostile; stragglers were mur
dered ; houses were set on fire ; disease returned to add to the
desolation ; and cold and hunger made the winter long remembered
as THE STARVING TIME. By the last of March only sixty persons
were left alive.
5. Meanwhile, Sir Thomas Gates and his companions who had
been shipwrecked in the Bermudas, constructed two small vessels,
and set sail for Virginia. They came in expectation of a joyful
greeting. What was their disappointment when a few wan, half-
starved wretches crawled out of their cabins to beg for bread!
Whatever stores the commissioners had brought with them were
distributed to the settlers, and Gates assumed control of the gov
ernment.
6. But the colonists had now determined to abandon the place
forever. In vain did the commissioners remonstrate ; they were
almost driven to yield to the common will. An agreement was
made to sail for Newfoundland, and on the 8th of June Jamestown
was abandoned. The disheartened settlers were anxious to burn
the town, but Gates prevented them from doing so. Embarking
in their four boats, the colonists dropped down with the river, and
it seemed that the enterprise of Raleigh and Gosnold had ended in
a failure.
7. Lord Delaware was already on his way to America. Before
the escaping settlers had reached the sea the ships of the governor
came in sight. He brought additional immigrants, plentiful sup
plies, and promise of better things. The colonists reluctantly con
sented to return, and before nightfall the fires were again kindled
at Jamestown. On the next day the governor caused his commis-
60 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
sion to be read, and entered upon the discharge of his duties. His
amiability and virtue, no less than the wisdom of his administra
tion, endeared him to all and inspired the colony with hope.
8. Lord Delaware was compelled, on account of ill-health, to
return to England. His authority was delegated to Percy, who
had been the deputy of Captain Smith. The Superior Council
hud already dispatched a new shipload of stores and another
company of emigrants, under Sir Thomas Dale. When the vessel
arrived at Jamestown, Percy was superseded by Dale, who adopted
a system of martial law as the basis of his administration. In
the latter part of August, Sir Thomas Gates arrived with a fleet
of six ships, having on board three hundred additional immigrants
and a large quantity of stores.
9. Thus far the property of the settlers at Jamestown had been
held in common. The colonists had worked together, and in time
of harvest deposited their products in public storehouses. Now the
right of holding private property was recognized. Governor Gates
had the lands divided so that each settler should have three acres
of his own ; every family might cultivate a garden and plant an
orchard, the fruits of which no one but the owner was allowed to
gather. The benefits of this system of labor were at once apparent,
and the laborers became cheerful and industrious.
King James grants a new charter.— Changes are made in the government.^
A new council is organized.— Delaware is chosen governor.— His associates.—
A fleet with emigrants sails for America.— Encounters a storm.— Two ves
sels are wrecked.— Seven ships reach Jamestown.— The commissioners are
left on the Bermudas.— Smith retains the presidency.— New settlements are
projected.— Smith is wounded.— Returns to England.— Colony suffers after his
departure.— The starving time.— Gates and his companions reach Virginia.—
The settlement is abandoned.— Delaware meets the colony.— And persuades
them to return.— Prosperity begins.— Delaware falls sick.— And returns to Eng
land.— Percy is deputy.— Dale arrives as governor.— Brings immigrants.— New
colonists arrive.-The colony improves.— Gates is made governor.-The right of
private property is recognized.
VIRGINIA— THE THIRD CHARTER 61
CHAPTER XI.
VIRGINIA— THE THIRD CHARTER.
IN the year 1612 the London Company obtained from the king a
third patent, by which the character of the government was
again changed. The Superior Council was abolished, and the
stockholders were authorized to elect their own officers and to gov
ern the colony on their own responsibility. The cause of this
change was the unprofitableness of the colony and the dissatisfac
tion of the company with the management of the council. The
new patent was a great step toward a democratic form of govern
ment in Virginia.
2. In 1613, while Captain Samuel Argall was on an expedition
up the Potomac, he learned that Pocahontas was residing in that
neighborhood. With the help of an Indian family the captain
enticed the girl on board his vessel and carried her captive to
Jamestown. The authorities of the colony decided that Powhatan
should pay a heavy ransom for his daughter's liberation. The
old king indignantly refused, and ordered his tribes to prepare
for war. Meanwhile, Pocahontas was converted to the Christian
faith and became a member of the Episcopal Church. Soon after
ward John Rolfe, a worthy young man of the colony, sought the
hand of the princess in marriage. Powhatan and his chiefs gave
their consent, and the nuptials were celebrated in the spring of
the next year. By this means a bond of union was established
between the Indians and the whites.
3. Two years later, Rolfe and his wife went to England, where
they were received with great respect. Captain Smith gave them
a letter of introduction to *Queen Anne, and many attentions were
bestowed on the modest daughter of the Western wilderness. In
the following year, while Rolfe was making preparations to return
62 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
to America, Pocahontas fell sick and died. There was left of this
marriage a son, who came to Jamestown, and was a man of some
importance in the colony. To him several families of Virginians
still trace their origin. John Randolph of Roanoke was a de
scendant of Pocahontas.
4. Captain Argall was next sent with an armed vessel to the
coast of Maine. The object of the voyage was to protect the
English fishermen, and to destroy the colonies of France, if any
should be -found within the territory claimed by England. The
French authorities of Acadia were at this time building a village
near the mouth of the Penobscot. This settlement was pillaged
and the houses burned ; part of the inhabitants were sent to France
and the rest carried to the Chesapeake. The French colony at the
mouth of the St. Croix was next attacked, and the fort cannon
aded and destroyed. At Port Royal, Argall burned the hamlet
which Poutrincourt had built there eight years before. On his way
back to Virginia he fell upon the Dutch of Manhattan Island,
destroyed their huts, and compelled the settlers to acknowledge
the king of England. By these outrages, the French settlements
in America were confined to the banks of the St. Lawrence.
5. In March of 1614, Sir Thomas Gates returned to England,
leaving the government in the hands of Dale. In these times the
laws of the colony were much improved, and the colonial industry
took a better form. Hitherto the settlers had engaged in planting
vineyards and in the manufacture of soap, glass, and tar. The
managers of the company had at last learned that these articles
could be produced more cheaply in Europe than in America.
They hud also discovered that the products of the New World
might be raised and exported with great profit. The chief of
these products was the tobacco-plant, the use of which had become
fashionable in Spain, England, and France. This, then, became
the leading staple of the colony, and was even used for money.
So entirely did the settlers give themselves to the cultivation of
the weed that the streets of Jamestown were plowed up and planted
with it.
0. In 1617 the unprincipled Captain Argall was elected governor.
His administration was marked by fraud and violence. When the
VIRGINIA— THE THIRD CHARTER. 63
news of his proceedings reached England emigration ceased, and
Lord Delaware embarked for Virginia, in the hope of restoring
order. But the worthy nobleman died on the voyage, and Argall
continued in office. In 1619 he was at last displaced, and Sir
George Yeardley appointed to succeed him.
7. Martial law was now abolished. Taxes were repealed, and
the people freed from many burdens. Another action was taken
of still greater importance. Governor Yeardley divided the planta
tions into eleven districts, called boroughs, and ordered the citizens
of each borough to elect two of their r umber to take part in the
government. The elections were duly held, and on the 30th of
July, 1619, the Virginia HOUSE OF BURGESSES was organized —
the first popular assembly in the New World. In this body there
was freedom of debate but very little political power.
8. The year 1619 was also marked by the introduction of slavery.
The servants at Jamestown had hitherto been English or Germans,
whose term of service had varied from a few months to many years.
No perpetual servitude had thus far been recognized. In the month
of August a Dutch man-of-war sailed up the river to the planta
tions, and offered by auction twenty Africans. They were pur
chased by the wealthier class of planters, and made slaves for life.
9. There were now six hundred men in the colony ; but they
were, for the most part, rovers who intended to return to England.
Very few families had emigrated, and society in Virginia was rude
and coarse. In this condition of affairs, Sir Thomas Smith was
superseded by Sir Edwyn Sandys, a man of prudence and integrity.
A reformation of abuses was at once begun and carried out. In the
summer of 1620, the new treasurer succeeded in sending to Amer
ica a company of twelve hundred and sixty-one persons. Among
the number were ninety young women of good breeding and modest
manners. In the following spring, sixty others of similar good
character came over, and received a hearty welcome.
10. When Sandys sent these women to America, he charged
the colonists with the expense of the voyage — a measure made
necessary by the fact that the company was bankrupt. An assess
ment was made according to the number who were brought over,
and the rate fixed at a hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco for
64 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
each passenger — a sum which the settlers cheerfully paid. There
were merry marriages at Jamestown, and the social condition of
the colony was much improved. When the second shipload came,
the cost of transportation was fixed at a hundred and fifty pounds
for each passenger, which was also paid without complaint.
11. In July of 1621 the London Company gave to Virginia a
code of written laws framed according to the English constitution.
The governor of the colony was to be appointed by the company,
a council to be chosen by the same body, and a house of burgesses
to be elected by the people- In making laws the councilors and
burgesses sat together. When a new law was proposed, it was
debated, and if passed received the governor's signature, and was
then sent to England to be ratified. The constitution acknowl
edged the right of petition and of trial by jury; and the burgesses
were given the power of vetoing the acts of the company.
12. In October, 1621, Sir Francis Wyatt, who had been com
missioned as governor, brought the new constitution of Virginia.
The colony was found in a flourishing condition. The settlements
extended for a hundred and forty miles along the banks of James
River, and far into the interior. But the Indians had grown jeal
ous of the colonists, and determined to destroy them before it
should be too late. Circumstances favored the savages in their
meditated treachery. Pocahontas was dead. The peaceable Pow-
hatan had likewise passed away. Opechancanough, who succeeded
him in 1618, had long been plotting the destruction of the English,
and the time had come for the tragedy.
13. Until the very day of the massacre the Indians continued on
terms of friendship with the colonists. They came into the settle
ments, ate with their victims, borrowed boats and guns, and gave
no token of hostility. On the 22d of March, at midday, the
work of butchery began. Every hamlet in Virginia was attacked
by the barbarians. Men, women, and children were indiscrimi
nately slaughtered, until three hundred and forty-seven had perished
under the hatchets of the savages.
14. But Indian treachery was thwarted by Indian faithfulness.
A converted Red man, wishing to save an Englishman who iiad
been his friend, went to him on the night before the massacre and
VIRGINIA.— THE THIRD CHARTER. 65
revealed the plot. The alarm was spread among the settlements,
and thus the greater part of the colony escaped destruction. But
the outer plantations were entirely destroyed. The people crowded
together on the larger farms about Jamestown, until of the eighty
settlements there were only eight remaining. Still, there were
sixteen hundred brave men in the colony; and sorrow soon gave
place to vengeance. Parties of English soldiers scoured the coun
try, burning villages and killing every savage that fell in their
way, until the tribes were driven into the wilderness. The colo
nists, regaining their confidence, returned to their farms, and the
next year the population increased to two thousand five hundred.
15. The liberal constitution of Virginia soon proved offensive to
King James, and he determined to obtain control of the London
Company, or suppress it altogether. A committee was appointed
to look into the affairs of the corporation and report on its manage
ment. The commissioners performed their duty, and reported that
the company was unsound in its principles, that the treasury was
bankrupt, and that the government of Virginia was very bad.
16. Legal proceedings were now instituted against the company,
and the judges decided that the patent was null and void. The
charter of the corporation was accordingly canceled by the king,
and in June of 1624 the London Company ceased to exist. But
its work had been well done. A torch of liberty had been lighted
on the banks of the James, which all the tyranny of after times
could not extinguish.
The London Company receives a third patent.— The colony unprofitable.—
Argall kidnaps Pocahontas.— Who is married to Rolfe.— They visit England.—
And leave descendants in Virginia.— Argall destroys the French settlements
in Acadia.— Subdues the Butch of Manhattan.— Dale becomes governor.— To
bacco is the staple of Jamestown.— Is used for money.— Argall is chosen gov
ernor.— Delaware sails for America.— And dies.— Yeardley supersedes Argall.—
Abolishes martial law.— Establishes the House of Burgesses.— Slavery is intro
duced.— Society is low.— Women are sent over.— And married to the colonists.—
A constitution is granted.— Wyatt becomes governor.— Settlements spread
abroad.— The Indians become jealous.— And massacre the people.— But are de
feated.— The company is opposed by the king.— A commission is appointed.—
And the company's charter is revoked. -But liberty is planted in Virginia.
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER XII.
VIRGINIA.— THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT.
A ROYAL government was now established in Virginia. The
new administration consisted of a governor and twelve coun
cilors. The General Assembly of the colony was left undisturbed,
and the rights of the colonists remained as before. Governor
Wvatt was continued in office ; and in making up the new coun
cil, the king wisely selected the friends of the colony rather than
the untried partisans of his court. The Virginians found in the
change of government as much cause of gratitude as of grief.
2. Charles I., the successor of King James, paid but little atten
tion to the affairs of his American colony. By and by the com
merce in tobacco attracted his notice, and he attempted to gain a
monopoly of the trade, but the colonial authorities defeated the
project. It is worthy of note that at this time the king recog
nized the Virginia assembly as a rightfully constituted body. The
reply which was returned to his proposal was signed by the gov
ernor and council, and by thirty-one of the burgesses.
3. In 1620 Governor Wyatt retired from office, and Yeardley,
the old friend of the colonists, was reiippointed. The young State
was never more prosperous than under this administration, which
was ended with the governor's death, in 1627. During the preced
ing summer a thousand new immigrants had come to swell the
population of the province.
4. The council of Virginia had a right, in case of an emergency,
to elect a governor. In this manner Francis West was chosen by
the councilors ; but as soon as the death of Yeardley was known in
England, King Charles commissioned John Harvey to assume the
government. He arrived in the autumn of '1629, and from this
time until 1635, the colony was distracted with the presence of a
most unpopular chief magistrate. He began his administration by
VIRGINIA.— THE EOYAL GOVERNMENT. 67
taking the part of certain land speculators against the people.
Finally the assembly of 1635 passed a resolution that Sir John
Harvey be thrust out of office, and Captain West be appointed in
his place " until the king's pleasure may be known in this matter."
But King Charles treated the whole affair with contempt. The
commissioners appointed by the council of Virginia to conduct
Harvey's impeachment were refused a hearing, and he was restored
to the governorship of the colony. He continued in power until
the year 1639, when he was superseded by Wyatt, who ruled until
the spring of 1642.
5. About this time monarchy was abolished in England. Olivei
Cromwell was made Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. By
him the nation was ruled until 1658, when he was succeeded by
his son Richard. But the latter became alarmed at the dangers
around him, and resigned. Soon afterward, Charles II., exiled son
of Charles I., was called home, and on the 18th of May, 1660, was
restored to the throne of England.
6. Virginia shared in some degree the distractions of the mother-
country. In 1642 Sir William Berkeley became governor of the
colony, and remained in office for ten years. His administration,
notwithstanding the troubles abroad, was noted as a time of rapid
growth and development. The laws were greatly improved. The
old disputes about the lands were satisfactorily settled. Cruel
punishments were abolished, and the taxes equalized. The general
assembly was regularly convened, and Virginia became a free and
prosperous State. In 1646 there were twenty thousand people in
the colony.
7. In March of 1643, a law was enacted by the assembly declar
ing that no person who disbelieved the doctrines of the Engli h
Church should be allowed to teach, or to preach the gospel, within
the limits of Virginia. This act was the source of much bitterness
among the people. The few Puritans in the colony were excluded
from places of trust, and some were driven from their homes.
Governor Berkeley was a leader in these persecutions, by which all
friendly relations with New England were broken off for many
years.
8. Next came another war with the Indians. Early in 1044,
5
68 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
the natives, believing that there still remained a hope of destroying
the English, planned a general massacre. On the 18th of April,
when the authorities were off their guard, the savages fell upon
the frontier settlements, and before assistance could be brought
murdered three hundred people. The warriors then fled, but were
followed by the English and driven into the woods and swamps.
Opechancanough was captured, and died a prisoner. The tribes
were punished without mercy, and were soon glad to buy a peace
by the cession of large tracts of land.
9. During the Commonwealth an ordinance was passed by Par
liament laying heavy restrictions on the commerce of such English
colonies as refused to acknowledge the supremacy of Cromwell's
government. Foreign ships were forbidden to enter the colonial
harbors. In 1651 the Navigation Act was passed, and the trade
of the colonies was still more seriously distressed. In this new
law it was enacted that the foreign commerce of Virginia should
be carried on wholly in English vessels, and directed exclusively
to the ports of England.
10. The Virginians opposed these measures, and Cromwell de
termined to compel obedience. A war- vessel with commissioners on
board was sent into the Chesapeake. Negotiations were opened ;
an offer of peace was made, and gladly accepted. The terms of
the settlement were very favorable to popular liberty ; the com
mercial restrictions were removed, and the trade of the colony was
made as free as that of England. English liberty was guaranteed
to every citizen, and Virginia again grew prosperous.
11. For a while the colonists conducted their government as they
would. The important matter of choosing a governor was sub
mitted to the House of Burgesses ; when so great a power had
been once exercised, it was not likely to be relinquished. Three
governors were chosen in this way, and the piivilec/e of electing soon
became a right The assembly even declared that such a right ex
isted, and that it should not be taken away.
12. In 1660 Samuel Matthews, the last of the three elected gov
ernors, died. The Burgesses were convened and an ordinance
passed declaring that the supreme authority of Virginia was in the
colony, and would continue there until a delegate should arrive
VIRGINIA.— THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT. 69
from the British government. The house then elected as governor
Sir William Berkeley, who acknowledged the right of the Bur
gesses to choose. The question of recognizing Charles II. as king
was debated at the same session, but not decided. Most of the
people desired' the Restoration, but prudence forbade an open ex
pression of such a preference.
13. As soon as it was known in Virginia that Charles II. had
become king, Governor Berkeley issued writs in the name of the
king for the election of a new assembly. The adherents of the
Commonwealth were thrust out of office, and royal favorites estab
lished in their places. The Virginians soon found that they had
exchanged a republican tyrant with good principles for a mo-
narchial tyrant with bad ones. The former commercial system was
reenacted in a worse form than ever. The new law provided that
all the colonial commerce should be carried on in English ships ; the
trade of the colonies was burdened with a heavy tax, and tobacco,
the staple of Virginia, could be sold nowhere but in England.
14. King Charles, regarding the British empire as personal prop
erty, soon began to reward the profligates who thronged his court,
by granting them large tracts of land in Virginia. It was no
uncommon thing for an American planter to find that his farm
was given away to some flatterer of the royal household. Great
distress was occasioned by these unjust grants, and finally, in 1673,
the king set a limit to his own recklessness by giving away the ivhole
State. Lord Culpepper and the Earl of Arlington received a deed
by which was granted to them for thirty-one years all the country
called Virginia.
15. The colonial legislation of these times was selfish and narrow-
minded. The aristocratic party in the colony had obtained con
trol of the House of Burgesses, and the new laws were as bad as
those of England. A statute was passed against the Baptists,
and the peace-loving Quakers were fined and persecuted. Per
sonal property was heavily taxed, while the large estates were ex
empt. The salaries of the officers were secured by a duty on
tobacco, and the biennial election of Burgesses was abolished.
16. When the people were worn out with the governor's exac
tions, they availed themselves of a pretext to assert their rights
70 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
by force of arms. A war with the Susquehanna Indians furnished
the occasion for an insurrection. The tribes about the head of
Chesapeake Bay had been attacked by the Senecas and driven
from their homes. They, in turn, fell upon the English settlers
of Maryland, and the banks of the Potomac became the scene
of a border war. Virginia and Maryland made common cause.
John Washington, great-grandfather of the first President, led a
company of militia against the Indians, and compelled them to
sue for peace. Six of their chieftains went into Virginia as am
bassadors, and were foully murdered. This atrocity maddened the
savages, and a devastating warfare raged along the whole frontier.
17. Governor Berkeley sided with the Indians ; but the colonists
remembered only the acts of treachery of which the Red men had
been guilty, and thirsted for revenge. There was a division of
opinion among the people ; the aristocratic party took sides with
the governor and favored a peace; while the popular party, led
by young Nathaniel Bacon, clamored for war.
18. Five hundred men rushed to arms, and the march was
begun into the enemy's country. Berkeley and the aristocratic
faction were enraged, and proclaimed Bacon a traitor. Troops
were levied to disperse the militia ; but scarcely had Berkeley and
his forces left Jamestown when anotner popular uprising compelled
him to return. Bacon came home victorious. The old assembly
was broken up, and a new one elected on the basis of universal
suifrage. Bacon was chosen a member, and made commander-in-
chief of the Virginia army. The governor refused to sign his
commission ; but Bacon appealed to the people, and Berkeley was
compelled to yield. The governor was also obliged to sign a pa
per commending Bacon's loyalty, zeal, and patriotism.
19. A military force was now stationed on the frontier, and
peace returned to all the settlements. But Berkeley was proud
and vengeful, and only awaited an opportunity to begin the strug
gle anew. In a short time "he repaired to the county of Glou
cester, where he summoned a convention of ' loyalists, and Bacon
was again proclaimed a traitor.
20. The governor's forces were collected on the eastern shore
of the Chesapeake ; the crews of some English ships were joined
VIRGINIA.— THE ROYAL GOVERNMENT. 71
to his command, and the fleet set sail for Jamestown. The place
was taken without much resistance; but when Bacon and the
patriots drew near, the loyal forces went over to his standard.
Berkeley was again obliged to fly, and the capital was held by
the people's party. It was now rumored that an English fleet
was approaching for the subjugation of the colonies. The patriot
leaders held a council, and it was decided that Jamestown should
be burned. Accordingly, in the dusk of the evening the torch was
applied, and the only town in Virginia was laid in ashes.
21. In this juncture of affairs Bacon fell sick and died. The
patriot party, discouraged by the loss of their leader, was easily dis
persed. A few feeble efforts were made to revive the cause of the
people, but the animating spirit was gone. The royalists found
an able captain in Robert Beverly, and the authority of the gov
ernor was rapidly restored. The cause of the people and the
leader of the people had died together.
22. Berkeley's vindictive passions were now let loose upon the
defeated insurgents. Twenty -two of the leading patriots were
seized and hanged with scarcely time to bid their friends farewell.
Thus died Thomas Hansford, the first American who gave his life
for freedom. Thus perished Edmund Cheesman, Thomas Wilford,
and William Drummond, martyrs to liberty. Nor is it certain
when the executions would have ended had not the assembly met
and passed an act that no more blood should be spilt for past
offences. When Charles II. heard of Berkeley's ferocity, he ex
claimed, "The old fool has taken away more lives in that poor
country than I for the murder of my father."
23. The consequences of the rebellion were very disastrous.
Berkeley and the aristocratic party had now a good excuse for
suppressing all liberal principles. The printing-press was inter
dicted. Education was forbidden. To speak or to write any thing
against the administration or in defence of the late insurrection,
was made a crime to be punished by fine or whipping. If the
offence should be three times repeated, it was declared to be trea
son punishable with death. The former methods of taxation were
revived, and Virginia was left at the mercy of arbitrary rulers.
24. In 1675 Lord Culpepper, to whom with Arlington the
72 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
province had been granted, obtained the appointment of governor
for life. The right of the king was thus relinquished, and Vir
ginia became a proprietary government. The new magistrate
arrived in 1680 and assumed the duties of his office. His ad
ministration was characterized by avarice and dishonesty. Re
garding Virginia as his personal estate, he treated the Virginians
as his tenants and slaves.
25. In 1683 Arlington surrendered his claim to Culpepper, who
thus became sole proprietor as well as governor; but before he
could proceed to further mischief, his career was cut short by the
king. Charles II. found in Culpepper's vices and frauds a sufficient
excuse to remove him from office and to revoke his patent. In
1684, Virginia again became a royal province, under the govern
ment of Lord Howard, of Effingham, who continued in office until
near the close of the century. The affairs of the colony during the
next fifty years are not of sufficient interest and importance to re
quire extended notice. When the French and Indian War shall
come, Virginia will show to the world that the labors of Smith and
Gosnold and Bacon were not in vain.
Royal government is established. — The administration is unchanged. — Charles
I. becomes king. — Recognizes the Virginia Assembly. — Yeardley is re-elected
governor. — Dies. — West is chosen by the council. — Harvey arrives from Eng
land. — Land-grants vex the people. — Harvey is impeached. — But is sustained
by the king.— Wyatt succeeds.— Monarchy is abolished in England.— Cromwell
becomes Protector. — Berkeley becomes governor. — The Puritans are perse
cuted.— An Indian war arises.— The savages are beaten.— Cromwell restricts the
commerce of Virginia.— Sends a fleet to America.— And the Virginians sub
mit. — Favorable terms are granted. — Peace continues during the common
wealth. — The Burgesses elect three go vernors.— Berkeley is thus chosen. — At
the Restoration issues writs in the king's name. — Tyranny follows. — Com
merce is restricted.— The Virginians complain.— Charles II. gives away Virginia
lands.— And finally the whole State to Arlington and Culpepper.— The Qua
kers and the Baptists are persecuted.— Taxes are odious.— The people rebel.—
An Indian war is the excuse.— Bacon heads the insurrection.— The Indians are
punished.— Berkeley flees.— Returns.— Captures Jamestown.— Bacon takes the
place, and burns It.— Dies.— The patriots are dispersed.— And the leaders
hanged. — A despotism is established. — Culpepper becomes governor. — Treats
Virginia as an estate. — Arlington surrenders his claim. — The king recalls the
grant.— And Virginia becomes a royal province.— Howard administers the gov
ernment.
MASSACHUSETTS.— SETTLEMENT. 73
CHAPTER XIII.
MASSACHUSETTS.— SETTLEMENT.
spring of 1621 brought hope to the Pilgrims of New Ply-
mouth. The returning sun was welcome. The winter had
swept off half of the number. The son of the noble Carver was
among the first victims. The governor himself sickened and died,
and his wife found rest in the same grave with him. Now, with
the approach of warm weather, the pestilence was checked, and
the survivors revived with the season. Out of the snows of winter
and the terrors of death the Puritans came forth triumphant.
2. In February, Miles Standish was sent out with his soldiers
to gather information concerning the natives. The army of New
England consisted of six men besides the general. Deserted wig
wams were found ; the smoke of camp-fires arose in the distance ;
savages were occasionally seen in the forest. These fled at the
approach of the English, and Standish returned to Plymouth.
3. A month later a Wampanoag Indian, named Samoset, ran
into the village and bade the strangers welcome. He gave an
account of the neighboring tribes, and told of a great plague by
which the country had been swept of its inhabitants. The present
feebleness and desolation of the natives had resulted from the
malady. Another Indian, called Squanto, who had been carried
away in 1614, and had learned to speak English, came to Ply
mouth, and confirmed what Samoset had said.
4. By the influence of these two natives, friendly relations were
established with the Wampanoags. Massasoit, the stichem of the
nation, was invited to visit Plymouth. The Pilgrims received him
with much ceremony. Standish ordered out his soldiers, and
Squauto acted as interpreter. Then and there was ratified the
first treaty made in New England. The terms were few and
74
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
simple. There should be peace between the whites and the Red
men. No injury should be done by either party to the other.
All offenders should be given up to be punished. If the English
engaged in war, Massasoit should help them; if the Wampa-
noags were attacked unjustly, the English should give them aid.
THE TKEATY BETWEEN
5. This treaty remained inviolate for fifty years. Other chiefs
followed the example of Massasoit. Nine of the tribes acknowl
edged the English king. One chieftain threatened war, but Stan-
dish's army obliged him to beg for mercy. Canonicus, king of the
Narragansetts, sent to William Bradford, who succeeded Governor
Carver, a bundle of arrows wrapped in the skin of a rattlesnake ;
but the governor stuffed the skin with powder and balls and sent
it back fo the chief, who did not dare to accept the challenge.
The hostile emblem was borne about from tribe to tribe, until
finally it was returned to Plymouth.
6. The summer was unfruitful, and the Pilgrims were brought to
the point of starvation. New immigrants, without provisions or
MASSACHUSETTS.— SETTLEMENT. 75
stores, arrived, and were quartered on the colonists during the
winter. For six months the settlers were obliged to subsist on
hulf allowance. At one time only a few grains of corn remained
to be distributed, and at another there was absolute want. Then
some English fishing-vessels came to Plymouth and charged the
colonists two prices for food enough to keep them alive.
7. The new immigrants remained at Plymouth until the summer
of 1622, then removed to the south side of Boston harbor and
founded Weymouth. There they wasted the fall in idleness, and
attempted to keep up their stock of provisions by defrauding the
Indians. Thus provoked, the natives planned to destroy the
colony ; but Massasoit went to Plymouth and revealed the plot.
Standish marched to Weymouth with his eight men, killed several
warriors, and carried home the chief's head on a pole. The tender
hearted John Robinson wrote from Leyden : " I would that you
had converted some of them before you killed any."
8. The summer of 1623 brought a plentiful harvest to the people
of the colony, and there was no longer any danger of starvation.
The natives became dependent on the settlement for corn, and
brought in an abundance of game. At the end of the fourth year,
there were a hundred and eighty persons in New England. The
managers, who had expended thirty -four thousand dollars on the
enterprise, were discouraged, and proposed to sell out their claims
to the colonists. The offer was accepted ; and in November of
1627, eight of the leading men of Plymouth purchased from the
Londoners their entire interest for nine thousand dollars.
9. Before this transfer, the colony had been much vexed by the
attempt to set over them a minister of the English Church. To
avoid this very thing they had come to the New World. There
was dissension for a while. The English managers withheld sup
port; the stores of the colonists were sold to them at three prices;
and they were obliged to borrow money at sixty per cent. But
the Pilgrims would not yield, and the conflict ended with the
purchase of the proprietors' rights in the colony.
10. In 1624 a settlement was made at Cape Ann. John White,
of Dorcester, England, collected the emigrants and sent them to
America. The colony was established, but after two years the
76
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
cape was abandoned; the company moved farther south and
founded Salem. In 1628 a second colony arrived in charge of
John Endicott, who was chosen governor. In 1629, Charles I.
issued a charter by which the colonists were incorporated under the
name of THE GOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY
IN NEW ENGLAND. In July two hundred immigrants arrived, half
of whom settled at Plymouth, while the other half removed to the
north side of Boston
harbor and founded
Charlestown.
11. In Septem
ber, 1629, it was
decreed that the
government of the
colony should be
transferred from
England to Amer
ica, and that the
charter should be
entrusted to the
colonists them
selves. As soon as
this action was
known, emigration
began on an exten
sive scale. In the
year 1630 about
three hundred of the
best Puritan fam
ilies came to New England. They were virtuous, well-educated,
courageous men and women, who left comfortable homes with no
expectation of returning. It was their good fortune to choose a
noble leader.
12. The name of John Winthrop, governor of Massachusetts, is
worthy of lasting remembrance. Born a royalist, he cherished
the principles of republicanism. Surrounded with affluence and
comfort, he left all to share the destiny of the Pilgrims. Calm,
JOHN WINTHROP.
MASSACHUSETTS.— SETTLEMENT. 77
prudent, and peaceful, he joined the zeal of an enthusiast with
the faith of a martyr.
13. A part of the new immigrants settled at Salem; others at
Cambridge and Watertown, on Charles River ; while others founded
Roxbury and Dorchester. The governor resided for a while at
Charlestown, but soon crossed over to the peninsula of Shawmut
and founded BOSTON, which became henceforth the capital of the
colony. With the approach of winter sickness came, and the dis
tress was great. The new comers were tender people 'who could
not endure the blasts of Massachusetts Bay. Coarse and scanty
fore added to the griefs of disease. Sleet and snow drifted in
where feeble men and frail women moaned out their lives. Before
mid-winter two hundred had died ; but there was heard neither
murmur nor repining.
14:. In 1631, a law was passed restricting the right of suffrage.
It was enacted that none but church members should be permitted
to vote at the elections. Nearly three-fourths of the people were
thus excluded from exercising the rights of freemen. Taxes were
levied for the support of the gospel ; attendance on public worship
was enforced by law; none but members of the church were
eligible to office. The very men who had so recently escaped with
only their lives to find religious freedom in another continent,
began their career in the New World with intolerance.
15. Young ROGER WILLIAMS, minister of Salem, cried out
against the prescriptive law. He declared to his people that the
conscience of man is not bound by the authority of the magistrate,
and that civil government has only to do with civil matters. For
this he was obliged to quit the ministry of the church at Salem
and retire to Plymouth. Finally, in 1634, he wrote a paper in
which he declared that grants of land, though given by the king
of England, were invalid until the natives were justly paid. When
arraigned for these teachings, he told the court that a test of
church-membership in a voter was as ridiculous as the selection of
a doctor on account of his skill in theology.
16. After a trial, Williams was condemned for heresy and ban
ished. In mid-winter he left home and became an exile in the
forest. For fourteen weeks he wandered through the snow, sleep-
78 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ing on the ground or in a hollow tree, living on parched corn and
acorns. He carried with him a private letter from the good Gov
ernor Winthrop, and the Indians showed him kindness. Massasoit
invited him to his cabin, and Canonicus, king of the Narragan-
setts, received him as a brother. On the left bank of the Black-
KOGKR WILLIAMS RECEPTION BY THE INDIANS.
stone a resting-place was found ; and with the opening of spring
the exile planted a field and built a house. Soon he learned that
Plymouth colony claimed that place, and another removal became
necessary. With five companions, he embarked in a canoe and
came to the west side of the bay. Here he was safe. A tract
of land was purchased from Canonicus; and in June of 1636, the
founder 01 Ehode Island laid out the city of PROVIDENCE.
17. In 1634 a representative form of government was estab
lished in Massachusetts. On election-day the voters were called
together, and the learned Cotton preached long against the pro
posed change. The assembly listened attentively, and then went
on ivith the election. To make the reform complete, a BALLOT-BOX
MASSACHUSETTS.— SETTLEMENT. 79
was substituted for the old method of public voting. The restric
tion on the right of suffrage was the only remaining bar to free
government in New England.
18. During the next year three thousand new immigrants ar
rived. It was worth while to come to a country where the princi
ples of freedom were recognized. The new-comers were under the
leadership of Hugh Peters and Sir Henry Vane. Such was the
popularity of the latter, that in less than a year after his arrival
he was chosen governor of the colony.
19. New settlements were now formed at a distance from the
bay. One company of twelve families, led by Simon Willard and
Peter Bulkeley, marched through the woods to some open meadows
sixteen miles from Boston, and there founded Concord. Later in
the same year, another colony of sixty persons left the older
settlements and pressed their way westward to the Connecticut
River. A dreadful winter overtook them in their new homes.
Some died; others waded back through the dreary snows and
came half-starved to Boston ; but the rest outbraved the winter.
Spring brought relief, and the pioneers, creeping out of their huts,
became the founders of Windsor, HARTFORD, and Wethersh'eld.
20. The banishment of Roger Williams created strife among
the people of Massachusetts. The ministers v.ere stern and exact
ing. Still, the advocates of free opinion multiplied. The clergy,
notwithstanding their great influence, felt insecure. Religious
debates became the order of the day. Every sermon was reviewed
and criticised.
21. Prominent among those who were accused of heresy was
Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, a woman of genius, who had come over'in
the ship with Sir Henry Vane. She desired the privilege of speak
ing at the weekly debates, and was refused. Indignant at this,
she became the champion of her sex, and declared that the min
isters were no better than Pharisees. She called meetings of her
friends, and pleaded with fervor for the freedom of conscience.
The doctrines of Williams were reaffirmed with more power and
eloquence than ever. Many of the magistrates favored the new
beliefs; and the governor himself espoused the cause of Mrs.
Hutchinson.
80
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
MAP OF EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN NEW ENGLAND.
22. When Sir Henry's term of office expired a meeting of the
synod of New England was called. The body convened in Au
gust of 1637, and Mrs. Hutchinson and her friends were banished
from Massachusetts. A large number of the exiles wended their
way toward the home of Roger Williams. Miantonomoh, a Nar-
ragansett chieftain, made them a gift of the island of Rhode
Island; there, in 1641, a little republic was established, in which
persecution, for opinion's sake, was forbidden.
23. In 1636 the general court of the colony passed an act ap
propriating between one and two thousand dollars to found a
college. The measure met with favor, for the Puritans were
quick to appreciate the advantages of learning. Newtown was
selected as the site of the proposed school. Plymouth and Salem
gave gifts to help the enterprise; and from villages in the Con
necticut valley came contributions of corn and wampum. In
1638, John Harvard, a minister of Charlestown, died, bequeath-
MASSACHUSETTS.— SETTLEMENT. 81
ing his library and nearly five thousand dollars to the school.
To perpetuate his memory the new institution was named
HARVARD COLLEGE, and the name of Newtown was changed to
Cambridge.
24:. The PRINTING-PRESS came also. In 1638 Stephen Daye, an
English printer, arrived at Boston, and in the following year set
up a press at Cambridge. The first American publication was an
almanac for New England, bearing date of 1639. During the next
year, Thomas Welde and John Eliot, two ministers of Roxbury,
and Richard Mather, of Dorcester, translated the Hebrew Psalms
into English verse. This was the first book printed in America.
25. Charles I. and his ministers now took measures to check
the growth of the Puritan colonies. The first plan which sug
gested itself was to stop emigration. In 1638 a squadron of eight
vessels, ready to sail from London, was detained by the royal
authority. Many of the most prominent Puritans in England were
on board of these ships. It has been asserted that John Hampden
and Oliver Cromwell were turned back by this detention. By this
course King Charles hastened the English Revolution, and brought
<ibout his own downfall.
The Pilgrims are saved by the coming of spring.— Staudish reconnoitres.—
Samoset and Squanto at Plymouth.— A treaty is made with Massasoit.— Other
tribes acknowledge the king.— Caiiouicus is overawed.— An unfruitful summer.
—New immigrants are quartered on the colony.— The Pilgrims are destitute.—
Weymouth founded.— Stand ish punishes the Indians.— Weymouth is aban
doned. -A plentiful harvest. — Robinson remains at Leyden. — The colonial enter
prise unprofitable. — The managers sell out.— The English Church is favored.—
Salem is founded.— The Company of Massachusetts Bay is chartered.— Boston is
founded.— The government is transferred to America.— The large immigration.
-Winthrop is governor. — Cambridge is founded. — Watertown. — Roxbury. —
Dorchester. — The colony suffers. — Suffrage is restricted. — Williams protests.—
And is banished.— Goes among the Indians. — Tarries at Seekonk. — Founds
Providence.— A representative government is established.— The ballot-box is
introduced. — Three thousand immigrants arrive. — Vane and Peters are the
leaders.— Concord is founded. — Colonies remove to the Connecticut.— Religious
controversies. -Mrs. Hutchinson is banished.— She and her friends establish a
republic on Rhode Island.— Harvard College is founded.— A printing-press is set
up.— Eliot, Welde and Mather translate the Psalms.— Liberty flourishes. -
Emigration is hindered.
82 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER XIV.
MASSACHUSETTS.— THE UNION.
NEW ENGLAND was fast becoming a imtion. Wellnigh fifty
villages dotted the face of the country. Enterprises of all
kinds were rife. Manufactures, commerce and the arts were in
troduced. William Stephens, a shipbuilder of Boston, had already
built and launched an American vessel of four hundred tons'
burden. Twenty-one thousand two hundred people had found
a home between Plymouth Rock and the Connecticut.
2. Circumstances suggested a union of the colonies. The western
frontier was exposed to the hostilities of the Dutch on the Hudson.
Similar trouble was apprehended from the French on the north.
Indian tribes capable of mustering a thousand warriors were likely
at any hour to fall upon the helpless villages. The prevalence of
common interests made a union of some sort indispensable.
3. The first effort to consolidate the colonies was ineffectual.
But in 1643, a plan of union was adopted, by which Massachusetts,
Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven were joined in a con
federacy, called THE UNITED COLONIES OF NEW ENGLAND. The
chief authority was conferred upon an assembly composed of two
representatives from each colony. These delegates were chosen
annually at an election where all the freemen voted by ballot.
There was no president other than the speaker of the assembly.
Provision was made for the admission of other colonies into the
union, but none were ever admitted.
4. At a meeting of the assembly in December, 1641, Nathaniel
Ward brought forward a written instrument, which was adopted as
the constitution of the State. This statute was called the BODY
OF LIBERTIES, and was ever afterward esteemed as the great
charter of colonial freedom. In 1644 it was decreed that the
MASSACHUSETTS.-THE UNION. 83
councilors and the representatives of the people should sit apart,
each with their own officers and under their own management.
Bv this measure the legislature was made independent and of
equal authority with the governor's council.
5. During the supremacy of the Long Parliament in England
several acts were passed which endangered the interests of Massa
chusetts, but powerful friends, especially Sir Henry Vane, stood up
in Parliament and defended the colony against her enemies. After
the abolition of monarchy, an English statute was made which
threatened the complete overthrow of the new State. Massachu
setts was invited to surrender her charter, and to hold her courts
i?i the name of Parliament. But the people of New England were
too cautious to accept the proposition. Cromwell did not insist on
the measure, and Massachusetts retained her charter.
6. The Protector was the friend of the American colonies. The
people of New England were his special favorites. For more than
ten years he continued their benefactor. During his administra
tion Massachusetts was left in the full enjoyment of her coveted
rights ; and the people were as free as those of England.
7. In 1652 it was decreed by the general court at Boston that
the jurisdiction of the province extended as far as three miles
north of the source of the Merrimac. By this measure the terri
tory of Massachusetts was extended to Casco Bay. Settlements
had been made on the Piscataqua in 1626, but had not flourished.
In 1639 a charter was issued to Sir Ferdinand Gorges, who became
proprietor of the province. His cousin, Thomas Gorges, was made
deputy-governor. A constitution, big enough for an empire, was
drawn up, and the village of York became the capital. Meanwhile
the Plymouth Council had granted to another corporation sixteen
hundred square miles of the territory around Casco Bay, and this
claim had been purchased by Rigby, a member of Parliament.
Between him and Gorges disputes arose; the villagers of Maine
appealed to the court at Boston to settle the difficulty, and the
province was annexed to Massachusetts.
8. In July of 1656, the QUAKERS began to arrive at Boston.
The first who came were Ann Austin and Mary Fisher. They
were caught and searched for marks of witchcraft, and then thrown
6
84 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
into prison After several weeks' confinement they were brought
forth and banished. Before the end of the year eight others were
arrested and sent back to England. A law was passed that Quakers
who persisted in coming to Massachusetts should have their ears cut
off and their tongues bored through with a red-hot iron.
9. In 1657 Ann Burden, who had come from London to preach
against persecution, was seized and beaten. Others were whipped
and exiled. The assembly of the four colonies convened, and the
penalty of death was passed against the Quakers as disturbers of
the public peace.
10. In 1659 four persons were arrested and brought to trial.
They were given the option of going into exile or of being hanged.
Mary Dyar and Nicholas Davis chose banishment; but Marmaduke
Stephenson and William Robinson stood firm and were sentenced
to death. Mary Dyar returned from her exile and was also con
demned. The men were hanged without mercy; and the woman
was banished. But she returned a second time and was executed.
William Leddra was next tried, condemned, and hanged.
11. Before the trial of Leddra wyas concluded, Wenlock Christi-
son rushed into the court-room and upbraided the judges for shed
ding innocent blood. He spoke boldly in his own defence ; but
the jury brought in a verdict of guilty, and he was condemned.
Others, eager for martyrdom, came forward, and the jails were
filled with prisoners. But before the day arrived for Christison's
execution, the public conscience was aroused ; the law was repealed,
and Christison, with twenty-seven others, was liberated.
12. The English Revolution had now run its course. Cromwell
was dead. Tidings of the restoration of Charles II. reached Boston
on the 27th of July, 1660. In the same vessel that bore the news
came Edward Whalley and William Goffe, two of the judges who
had passed sentence of death on Charles I. Governor Endicott
received them with courtesy. British agents came in hot pursuit
to arrest them. For a while the fugitives baffled the officers, then
escaped to New Haven, and at last found refuge at the village of
Hadley, where they passed the rest of their lives.
13. On the restoration of the English monarchy, a law was
passed by which all vessels not bearing the English flag were for-
MASSACHUSETTS.— THE UNION. 85
bidden to trade in New England. Articles produced in the col
onies and demanded in England should be shipped to England only.
Other articles might be sold in any of the ports of Europe. The
products of England should not be manufactured in America, and
should be bought from England only ; and a duty of five per cent
was put on both exports and imports. This was the beginning of
those measures which produced the AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
14-. In 1664 war broke out between England and Holland. It
became a part of the English plans to conquer the Dutch settle
ments ori the Hudson. Charles II. was also anxious to obtain con
trol of all the New England colonies ; and with this end in view,
four commissioners were appointed to go to America to settle
colonial disputes, and to exercise authority in the name of the
king. The real object was to get possession of the charter of
Massachusetts. In July, 1664, the royal judges arrived at Boston.
15. They were not wanted at Boston. The people of Massachu
setts knew that this supreme judgeship was dangerous to their
right of self-government. The colonial charter was accordingly
put into the hands of a committee for safe keeping. The general
court forbade the citizens to answer any summons issued by tjie
royal judges. A letter, full of manly protests, was sent to the
king. The commissioners were rejected in all the colonies except
Rhode Island. Meanwhile, the English monarch, learning how his
judges had been received, recalled them, and they left the country.
For ten years after this event, the colony was very prosperous.
Progress of New England. -Circumstances favor a union.— Massachusetts,
Plymouth, Connecticut and New Haven are confederated. — Other colonies not
admitted. -A Body of Liberties is formed.— The two legislative branches are
separated.— The English Revolution is favorable to New England.— Vane de
fends the colonies.— Parliament demands the charter of Massachusetts.— Crom
well the friend of Massachusetts.— Maine is annexed.— Early settlements in
Maine.— The (Quakers arrive at Boston. — Are persecuted and banished. -The
death penalty against them. — Four persons are executed.— The law is repealed.
—News of the restoration i-eaches Boston.— Whalley and Goffe arrive. And
escape to Connecticut.— The Navigation Act is passed.— War between England
and Holland.— Charles II. attempts to subvert the charter.— Commissioners are
sent to Massachusetts.— Are defeated in their objects.— The colony prospers.
$6 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER XV.
MASSACHUSETTS.— KING PHILIP'S WAR.
old king Massasoit died in 1662. His son, Alexander, now
became chief of the nation, but died within the year; and
the chieftainship descended to the younger brother, PHILIP OF
MOUNT HOPE. It was the fate of this brave man to lead his
people in a final struggle against the whites. Causes of war
already existed, and the time had come for the conflict.
2. The natives of New England had sold their lands. The
English were the purchasers ; the chiefs had signed the deeds ; the
price had been fairly paid. The old men died, but the deeds
remained, and the lands could not be recovered. There were at
this time in the country east of the Hudson about twenty-five thou
sand Indians and fifty thousand English. The young warriors
could not understand the validity of land-titles. They sighed for
the freedom of their fathers' hunting-grounds. The ring of English
axes had scared the game out of the forest, and English nets had
scooped the fishes from the rivers. The Wampanoags had nothing
left but the peninsulas of Bristol and Tiverton.
3. There were personal grievances also. King Alexander had
been arrested, tried by an English jury, and imprisoned. He had
caught his death -fever in a Boston jail. Perhaps King Philip, if
left to himself, would have still sought peace. He was not a rash
man ; and he clearly foresaw the result of a war with the whites.
But the young men of the tribe were thirsting for revenge, and
could no longer be restrained. The women and children were put
under the protection of Canonchet, king of the Narragansetts. On
the 24th of June, 1675, the village of Swanzey was attacked, and
eight Englishmen were killed.
4:. Within a week the militia of Plymouth, joined by volunteers
MASSACHUSETTS.— KINO PHILIPS WAR.
87
from Boston, entered the enemy's country. A few Indians were
overtaken and killed. The troops marched into the peninsula of
Bristol and compelled Philip to fly for his life. With five or six
hundred fugitives he escaped to Tiverton, on the eastern side of
the bay. Here they were at-
»
tacked, but lying concealed
in a swamp, they beat back
the English with consider
able loss. The place was
then surrounded and be
sieged for two weeks; but
Philip and his men managed
to escape in the night and
fled to the country of the
Nipmucks, in Central Mas
sachusetts. A general In
dian war broke out. The
hatred of the savages was
easily kindled into hostility.
For a whole year the settle
ments on the frontier became a scene of burning and massacre.
5. After Philip's flight, the English forces marched against the
Narragansetts. By them the women and children of the Wam-
panoags had been received and sheltered. King Canonchet was
given his choice of peace or war. Afraid of English muskets, he
signed a treaty, agreeing to deliver up all fugitives from the hostile
tribe. Still, it was expected that the Narragansetts would break
their pledges and join Philip.
6* Philip soon persuaded the Nipmucks to take up arms. As
usual with savages, hostilities were begun with treachery. Cap
tains Wheeler and Hutchinson were sent with twenty men to
Brookfield to hold a conference with the Nipmuck chiefs. Near"
the village the Indians laid an ambush, surrounded the English,
and killed nearly the whole company. A few survivors escaping
to the settlements, gave the alarm, and the people fled to their
block-house in time to save their lives.
7. After a siege of two days, the savages succeeded in firing the
FIRST SCENE OF KING PHILIP'S WAR.
88
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
\!
house with burning arrows, and the destruction of all seemed cer
tain. But a shower of rain poured down, and the flames were
extinguished. Reinforcements came from Springfield, and the
Indians fled. The people of Brookfield now sought refuge in the
towns along the river. On the 26th of
August, a battle was fought at Deerfield.
The whites were successful ; but a few days
afterward the savages fired the village, and
the greater part of it was burned. A store
house containing the harvests was saved, and
Captain Lathrop, with eighty men, under
took the task of removing the stores to Had-
ley. A train of wagons, guarded by the
soldiers, left Deerfield on the 18th of Sep
tember, and proceeded five miles, when they
were surrounded by eight hundred Indians
who lay in ambush at the ford of Bloody
Brook. The whites fought desperately, and
were killed almost to a man. Meanwhile,
Captain Mosely arrived with seventy militia
and the battle continued, the English retreating until they were
reinforced by a hundred and sixty English and Mohegans. The
savages were then beaten back with heavy losses.
8. On the day of the burning of Deerfield, Hadley was attacked
while the people were at church. The savages had already begun
their work of butchery, when the gray-haired General Goffe
rushed forth from his place of concealment, rallied the people,
and saved them from destruction. After the Indians had been
driven into the woods, the veteran went back to his covert and was
seen no more. During the autumn there was fighting at Spring
field, Hadley, and Hatfield. At the latter place the Indians were
'repulsed with heavy losses. The distant farms and settlements
were abandoned, and the people sought shelter in the larger towns
near the river.
9. Philip now gathered his warriors and repaired to the Narra-
gansetts. By receiving them, Canonchet violated his treaty with
the English, but he chose to share the fate of Philip. Massachu-
SECOND SCENE OF
KING PHILIP'S WAR.
MASSACHUSETTS.— KING PHILIPS WAR.
89
THIRD SCENE OF KING PHILIP S WAR.
setts immediately declared war against the Narragansetts, and
Rhode Island was invaded by a thousand men led by Colonel
Winslow. The manner of defence adopted by the savages favored
their destruction at one blow. In the middle of a cedar swamp,
^ near Kingston, the Wam-
panoags and Narragansetts
collected to the number of
three thousand. Into this
place was gathered the
whole wealth of the two
nations. The wigwams
extended over several acres
of land that rose out of the
swamp. A fort was built
on the island, and fortified
with a breastwork of felled
trees. Here the savages believed themselves secure from assault.
10. The English forces reached the fort on the 19th of December.
The only entrance to the camp was over a faUen tree. A few
brave men sprang forward, but were swept off by the fire of the
Indians. Another company crept around the defences, and, find
ing a point unguarded, charged into the inclosure. The work of
death now began in earnest. The wigwams were set on fire, and
the flames swept around the village. The Indians, attempting to
escape from the burning fort, were met by the English with loaded
muskets. More than a thousand warriors were killed or captured.
The wounded, the old men, the women and children of the nation,
were burned to death. Eighty English soldiers were killed and a
hundred and fifty wounded.
11. A few of the savages, led by Philip, escaped to the Nip-
mucks. In the following spring the war was renewed. Around
three hundred miles of frontier, from Maine to the mouth of the
Connecticut, there was massacre and devastation. Lancaster,
Medfield, Groton, and Marlborough were laid in ashes. Wey-
mouth, within twenty miles of Boston, met the same fate. Every
where were the traces of burning and murder.
12. But the resources of the savages were soon wasted, and their
90 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
numbers grew daily less. In April, Canonchet was captured on
the banks of the Blackstone. Refusing to make a treaty, the
haughty chieftain was put to death. Philip's company had dwin
dled to a handful. His wife and son were made prisoners; the
latter was sold as a slave, and ended his life in the Bermudas.
The savage monarch cared no longer to live. A company of sol
diers surrounded him near his old home at Mount Hope. A
treacherous Indian took a deadly aim at the breast of his chieftain.
The report of a musket rang through the woods, and the king of
the Wampanoags sprang forward and fell dead.
13. New England suffered terribly in this war. The losses of
the war amounted fo five hundred thousand dollars. Thirteen
towns and six hundred dwellings lay in ashes. Six hundred men
had fallen in the field. Gray-haired sire, mother and babe had
sunk together under the blow of the Red man's tomahawk. Now
there was peace again. The Indian race was swept out of New
England. The tribes beyond the Connecticut came and pieaded
for their lives. The colonists returned to their farms and villages
to build new homes in the ashes of old ruins.
14. It was hoped that the English government would help to
repair the losses which the colonists had sustained ; but not so.
Instead of help came Edward Randolph with authority from the
king to collect duties in New England Governor Leverett re
ceived him coldly, and told him that the people had finished the
Indian war without expense to the English treasury, and that they
were now entitled to the enjoyment of their rights. And so Ran
dolph sailed back to London.
15. The next trouble was concerning the province of Maine. Sir
Ferdinand Gorges, the old proprietor, was now dead ; but his heirs
still claimed the territory. The people of Maine had put them
selves under the authority of Massachusetts; but the heirs of
Gorges carried the matter before the English council, and in 1677
a decision was given in their favor. The Boston government then
made a proposition to the Gorges family to purchase their claims ;
the proposition was accepted, and for the sum of twelve hundred
and fifty pounds the province was transferred to Massachusetts.
16. A similar difficulty arose in regard to New Hampshire. As
MASSACHUSETTS.— KING PHILIPS WAR. 91
early as 1622 the Plymouth council had granted this territory to
Ferdinand Gorges and Captain John Mason. Seven years after
ward Gorges surrendered his claim to Mason, who thus became sole
proprietor. But this territory was also covered by the charter of
Massachusetts. Mason died ; and in 1679 his son Robert came
forward and claimed the province. This cause was also taken
before the ministers, who decided that the title of the younger
Mason was valid. To the great disappointment of the people of
both provinces, the two governments were separated. A royal
government, the first in New England, was now established over
New Hampshire, and Edward Cranfield became governor.
17. But the people refused to recognize Cranfield's authority.
The king attributed this conduct to the influence of Massachusetts,
and directed his judges to make an inquiry as to whether Massa
chusetts had not forfeited her charter. In 1684, the royal court
gave a decision in accordance with the monarch's wishes. The
patent was forfeited, said the judges; and the king might assume
control of the colony. But before the charter could be revoked,
Charles II. fell sick and died.
18. The new king, James II., adopted his brother's policy, and
in 1686, the scheme so long entertained was carried out. The
charter of Massachusetts was formally revoked ; all the colonies
between Nova Scotia and Narragansett Bay were consolidated, and
Sir Edmund Andros was appointed royal governor of New England.
King James could hardly have found a tool better fitted to do his
will. It was enacted that nothing might be printed in Massachu
setts without the governor's sanction. Popular representation was
abolished. Voting by ballot was prohibited. Town meetings were
forbidden. The public schools were allowed to go to ruin.
19. The despotism of Andros was quickly extended from Cape
Cod Bay to the Piscataqua. The civil rights of New Hampshire
were overthrown. In May of 1686 the charter of Rhode Island
was taken away and her constitution subverted. The seal was
broken, and a royal council appointed to conduct the government.
Andros next proceeded to Connecticut. Arriving at Hartford in
October of 1687, he found the assembly in session, and demanded
the surrender of the charter. The instrument was brought in and
92 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
laid upon the table. A debate ensued, and continued until evening.
When it was about to be decided that the charter should be given
up, the lamps were dashed out. Other lights were brought in ; but
the charter hud disappeared. Joseph Wads worth, snatching up
the parchment, bore it off through the darkness and concealed it
in a hollow tree, ever afterward remembered as THE CHARTER
OAK. But the assembly was overawed and the authority of
Andros established throughout the country.
20. But his dominion ended suddenly. The English Revolution
of 1688 was at hand. James II. was driven from his throne ; the
system of arbitrary rule which he had established fell with a crash,
and Andros with the rest. The news of the accession of William
and Mary reached Boston on the 4th of April, 1689. On the 18th
of the month, the citizens of Boston rose in rebellion. Andros was
seized and marched to prison. The insurrection spread; and before
the 10th of May New England had regained her liberties.
Philip king of the Wampanoags. — Causes of war. — Alexander's imprison
ment.— Outrages are committed.— The war begins.— Philip is pursued to Mount
Hope.— Is driven from the country.— Goes to the Nipmucks.— A general war
ensues.— The Narragansetts remain neutral.— English embassadors massacred
at Brookfleld.— The town is attacked.— And burned.— Deerfield destroyed.— La -
throp is ambushed at Bloody Brook.— Hadley is attacked.— Rescued by Goffe.—
Springfield is destroyed.— Hadley burned.- The savages are defeated at Hat-
field. — The English invade the country. — Philip and his forces take refuge
in a swamp. — Are surrounded. — And utterly routed.— Ruin of the Narra
gansetts. — The war on the frontiers. — Towns and villages destroyed. — The
savages grow feeble. — Canonchet is put to death.— Philip's family are captured.
—And sold as slaves.— Himself hunted down.— And shot.— Submission of the
tribes.— Losses of New England.— The English government refuses help.— Ran
dolph comes to Massachusetts.— And is resisted.— Massachusetts purchases
Maine.— Difficulties concerning New Hampshire.— Royal government is es
tablished.— Cranfield's administration.— The king's hostility.— His death.— The
charter of Massachusetts is annulled. — James II. appoints Andros governor. —
The liberties of the people are destroyed.— The government of Andros is ex
tended over New England.— The charter of Connecticut is saved.— The Revo
lution of 1688.— Andros is imprisoned.— And the colonies regain their liberties.
MASSACHUSETTS— WAR AXD WITCHCRAFT. 93
CHAPTER XVI.
MASSACHUSETTS.— WAR AND WITCHCRAFT.
IN 1689 war was declared between France and England. This,
conflict is known in American history as KING WILLIAM'S
WAR. When James II. escaped from his kingdom, he took refuge
at the court of Louis XIV. of France. The two monarchs were
both Catholics, and on this account an alliance was made between
them. Louis agreed to support James in his effort to recover the
English throne. Parliament, meanwhile, had conferred the crown
on King William. Thus the new sovereign was brought into con
flict with the exiled James and his ally, the king of France. The
war which thus originated in Europe soon extended to the French
and English colonies in America.
2. The struggle began on the frontier of New Hampshire. On
the 27th of June, a party of Indians in alliance with the French
made an attack on Dover. The venerable magistrate of the town,
Richard Waldron, now eighty years of age, was murdered. Twenty-
three others were killed, and twenty-nine dragged off captive into
the wilderness.
3. In August a hundred Abenakis came down from the Penob-
scot, and attacked Pemaquid — now Bremen. A company of
farmers were surrounded in the harvest-field and murdered. The
fort was besieged and compelled to surrender. A few of the peo
ple escaped into the woods; the rest were killed or carried away
captive. The English and the Mohawks entered into an alliance,
but the latter refused to make war upon their countrymen of
Maine. The Dutch settlements of New Netherland made common
cause with the English against the French.
4. In January, 1690, a regiment of French and Indians left
Montreal, crossed the Mohawk, and reached the village of Sche-
94 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
nectady. At midnight they stole through the gates, raised the
war-whoop, and began the work of death. The town was soon in
flames. Sixty people were killed and scalped; the rest, escaping
half-clad into the darkness, ran sixteen miles through the snow to
Albany. The settlement of Salmon Falls, on the Piscataqua, was
next attacked and destroyed. The English fort at Casco Bay was
taken and the settlements broken up.
5. New England was thoroughly aroused. In order to provide
the means of war, a congress was convened at New York. Here
it was resolved to attempt the conquest of Canada. At the same
time, Massachusetts was to cooperate by sending a fleet up the St.
Lawrence against Quebec. Thirty-four vessels, carrying two thou
sand troops, were fitted out, and the command given to Sir Wil
liam Phipps. Proceeding first against Port Royal, he compelled
a surrender ; the whole of Nova Scotia submitted without a strug
gle. The expedition was foolishly delayed until October ; and an
Indian carried the news to the governor of Canada. When the
fleet came in sight of the town, the castle was so well garrisoned as
to bid defiance to the English ; and it only remained for Phipps to
sail back to Boston. To meet the expenses of this expedition,
Massachusetts issued bills of credit which were made a legal tender.
Such was the origin of PAPER MONEY in America.
6. Meanwhile, the land forces had proceeded from Albany to
Lake Champlain. Here dissensions arose among the commanders,
and the expedition had to be abandoned. Sir William Phipps was
now sent to England to procure aid from the government and to
secure a reissue of the old colonial charter. But the ministers re
plied that the English armies could not be spared, and that the old
patent would not be reissued. In the spring of 1692, Sir AVilliam
returned to Boston commissioned as royal governor of Massachu
setts, Plymouth, Maine, and Nova Scotia.
7. The war still continued. In 1694, the village of Oyster River
was destroyed by the savages. The inhabitants were either killed
or carried into captivity. Two years later, Pemaquid was a second
time surrendered to the French and Indians. The captives were
sent to Boston and exchanged for prisoners held by the English.
In the following March, Haverhill was captured under circum-
MASSACHUSETTS.— WAR AND WITCHCRAFT. 95
stances of great atrocity. Nearly forty persons were butchered
in cold blood; only a few were spared for captivity. Among the
latter was Mrs. Hannah Dustin. Her child, only a week old, was
dashed against a- tree. The heart-broken mother, with her nurse
and a lad named Leonardson, was taken by the savages to an
island in the Merrimac. Here, while their captors, twelve in
number, were asleep at night, the three prisoners arose, armed
themselves with tomahawks, and with one deadly blow after
another crushed in the temples of the savages, until ten of them lay
still in death. Then, embarking in a canoe, the captives dropped
down the river and reached the English settlement in safety.
8. But the war was already at an end. Early in 1697, commis
sioners of France and England assembled at the town of Ryswick,
in Holland ; and on the 10th of the following September, a treaty
of peace was concluded. King William was acknowledged as the
rightful sovereign of England, and the colonial boundary-lines of
the two nations in America were established as before.
9. The darkest page in the history of New England is that which
records the SALEM WITCHCRAFT. In February of 1692, in that
part of Salem afterward called Danvers, a daughter and a niece
of Samuel Parris, the minister, were attacked with a nervous dis
order which rendered them partially insane. Parris pretended to
believe that the girls were bewitched, and that an Indian maid
servant was the author of the affliction. He had seen her per
forming some of the rude ceremonies of her religion, and this
gave color to his suspicions. He accordingly tied the ignorant
creature and whipped her until she confessed herself a witch.
Here, perhaps, the matter would have ended had not other causes
existed for the spread of the delusion.
10. But Parris had had a quarrel in his church. A part of the
congregation, led by George Burroughs, a former minister, disbe
lieved in witchcraft, while Parris and the rest thought such dis
belief the height of wickedness. The celebrated Cotton Mather,
minister of Boston, had recently preached much on the subject
of witchcraft, teaching that witches were dangerous and ought to
be put to death. Sir William Phipps, the royal governor, was a
member of Mather's church. Stoughton, the deputy-governor, was
96 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
the tool of Parris and Mather. To these men must be charged
the dreadful crimes that followed.
11. By the laws of England and of Massachusetts, witchcraft
wras punishable with death. In the early history of the colony,
one person charged with being a wizard had been arrested at
Charlestown, convicted and executed. But many people had now
grown bold enough to denounce the baleful superstition ; and some
thing had to be done to save witchcraft from falling into con
tempt. A special court was accordingly appointed by Phipps to
go to Salem and judge the persons accused by Parris. Stoughton
was the presiding officer, Parris the prosecutor, and Mather a
bishop to decide when the testimony was sufficient to condemn.
12. On the 21st of March, the proceedings began. Mary Cory
was arrested, brought before the court, convicted, and hurried to
prison. Sarah Cloyce and Rebecca Nurse, two innocent sisters,
were next apprehended as witches. The only witnesses against
them were the foolish Indian woman and the niece of Parris. The
victims were sent to prison, protesting their innocence. Giles
Cory, a patriarch of eighty years, and Edward Bishop, a sturdy
farmer, and his wife were next arrested and condemned. George
Burroughs was accused and imprisoned. And so the work went on,
until seventy-five innocent people were locked up in dungeons.
13. In hope of saving their lives, some of the prisoners confessed
themselves witches. It was soon found that those were to be put
to death who denied the reality of witchcraft. Convictions fol
lowed fast; the gallows stood waiting for its victims. Burroughs
was brought to the scaffold. Old Giles Cory refused to plead, and
ivas pressed to death. Five women were hanged in one day.
14:. Between June and September, twenty victims were hurried
to their doom. Fifty-five others were tortured into the confession
of falsehoods. A hundred and fifty lay in prison awaiting their
fate. Two hundred were accused or suspected, and ruin seemed to
impend over New England. But a reaction at last set in among
the people. The court which Phipps had appointed to sit at
Salem was dismissed. The spell was broken. The prisons were
opened, and the victims of superstition went forth free. In the
beginning of the next year a few persons were arrested and tried
MASSACHUSETTS.— WARS OF ANNE AND GEORGE. 97
for witchcraft. Some were even convicted; but not another life
was sacrificed.
15. Most of those who participated in these terrible scenes con
fessed the wrong which they had done; but confessions could not
restore the dead. Mather, in a vain- attempt to justify himself,
wrote a book in which he expressed his thankfulness that so many
witches liad met tfieir just doom ; and the hypocritical pamphlet re
ceived the approbation of the. president of Harvard College.
IR, E O -A. DP I T TJ L -A. T I O ItT .
King William's War begins.— The causes.— Dover is attacked and burned.—
Pemaquid, Schenectady, and Salmon Falls are destroyed.— An expedition is
planned against Canada.— Phipps takes Port Royal.— But fails at Quebec.—
And returns.— Paper money is issued.— Failure of the land expedition.— Phipps
goes to England.— And returns as royal governor.— Oyster River is destroyed.—
Haverhill is attacked and burned.— Mrs. Dustin's captivity.— The treaty of Rys-
wick.— The witchcraft excitement begins at Salem.— The causes.— Parris and
Mather.— The trials.— Convictions.— Executions.— The reaction.— Mather's book.
CHAPTER XVII.
MASSACHUSETTS.— WARS OF ANNE AND GEORGE.
IN less than four years after the treaty of Ryswick, France and
England were again involved in a war which soon extended to
the American colonies. In the year 1700, Charles II., king of
Spain, died, having named as his successor Philip of Anjou, a
grandson of Louis XIV. This measure pointed to a union of the
crowns of France and Spain. The jealousy of England, Holland,
and Austria was aroused; the archduke Charles of the latter
country was put forward as a candidate for the Spanish throne;
and war was declared against Louis XIV. for supporting Philip.
2. In 1701 James II., the exiled king of Great Britain, died at
the court of Louis, who now recognized the son of James as sov-
98 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ereign of England. This action was regarded as an insult to
English nationality. King William prepared for war, but did not
live to carry out his plans. In May of 1702, he died, leaving the
crown to his sister-in-law, Anne, daughter of James II. From the
circumstances of her reign, the conflict with France is known in
American history as QUEEN ANNE'S WAR; but a better name is
The War of the Spanish Succession.
3. In August, 1701, the powerful Five Nations, south of Lake
Ontario and the St. Lawrence, made a treaty of neutrality with
both the French and the English. The Abenakis of Maine did
the same; but the French prevailed with the latter to break
their compact. The first notice of treachery was a massacre. In
one day the whole country between the town of Wells and Casco
Bay, was given up to burning and butchery.
4. In midwinter of 1703-4, the town of Deerfield was destroyed
by three hundred French and Indians from Canada. Forty-seven
of the inhabitants were tomahawked. A hundred and twelve were
dragged into captivity. The prisoners, many of them women and
children, were obliged to march to Canada. Eunice Williams, the
minister's wife, fainted by the wayside, and her brains were dashed
out with a hatchet. Those who survived were afterward ransomed
and permitted to return to their homes. A daughter of Mr. Wil
liams remained among the Mohawks, married a chieftain, and in
after years returned in Indian garb to Deerfield. But love of the
woods and of her tawny husband prevailed over the charms of
civilization, and she soon went back to the savages.
5. For several years a border- war was carried on in Maine and
New Hampshire. In 1707, a fleet, bearing a thousand soldiers,
was equipped at Boston and sent against Port Royal. But the
defence was conducted with so much skill that the English were
obliged to abandon the undertaking. Again the enterprise was
renewed; and in 1710 an English and American fleet of thirty-
six vessels, having on board four regiments of troops, sailed against
Port Royal. The garrison was weak ; famine came, and after a
feeble defence, the place surrendered. All of Nova Scotia passed
under the dominion of the English. The name of Port Royal was
changed to ANNAPOLIS, in honor of Queen Anne.
MASSACHUSETTS.— WARS OF ANNE AND GEORGE. 99
6. Preparations were now made to invade Canada. A land
force under General Nicholson was to march against Montreal.
Fifteen men-of-war and forty transports were placed under com
mand of Sir Hovenden Walker for the reduction of Quebec.
Seven regiments of veterans, from the armies of Europe, were
added to the colonial forces and sent with the expedition.
7. For six weeks the fleet was foolishly delayed at Boston. On
the 30th of July, the ships set sail for the St. Lawrence. Pro
ceeding up the river, the fleet, on the 22d of August, was enveloped
in a fog. A gale came on, and eight of the best vessels w7ere
dashed to pieces on the rocks. Eight hundred and eighty-four
men went down in the whirlpools. The remaining ships sailed
back to England; and the colonial troops were disbanded at Boston.
8. Meanwhile, the army of General Nicholson had marched
against Montreal. But when news arrived of the failure of the
fleet, the land expedition was also abandoned. The folly of Walker
had brought the campaign of 1711 to a shameful end. France
had already made overtures for peace. On the llth of April,
1713, a treaty was concluded at Utrecht, a town of Holland.
By the terms of the settlement, England obtained control of
the fisheries of Newfoundland. Labrador, the Bay of Hudson,
and Nova Scotia, were ceded to Great Britain. On the 13th of
July a second treaty was concluded with the Indians by which
peace was secured throughout the American colonies.
9. In the times that followed Queen Anne's war, the people were
greatly dissatisfied with the royal governors. The opposition to
those officers took the form of a controversy about their salaries.
The assembly insisted that the governor and his councilors should
be paid in proportion to the importance of their offices, and for
actual service only. But the royal commissions gave to each officer
a fixed salary, which was frequently out of proportion to the serv
ices required. The difficulty was finally adjusted with a compro
mise in which the advantage was on the side of the people. It
was agreed that the salaries of the royal officers should be an
nually allowed, and the amount fixed by vote of the assembly.
10. On the death of Charles VI. of Austria, in 1740, there were
two claimants to the crown of the empire — Maria Theresa, daughter
7
100 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
of the late emperor, and Charles Albert of Bavaria. Each claim
ant had his party and his army ; war followed ; and nearly all
the nations of Europe were swept into the conflict. England and
France were arrayed against each other. The contest that ensued
'is generally known as the War of the Austrian Succession, but in
American history is called KING GEORGE'S WAR; for George II.
was now king of England.
11. In America the only important event of the war was the
capture of Louisburg, on Cape Breton Island. This place, stand
ing at the entrance to the St. Lawrence, was regarded as a key to
the Canadian provinces. Governor Shirley brought the matter
before the legislature of Massachusetts; it was resolved to attempt
the capture of the enemy's stronghold, and the other colonies were
invited to aid the enterprise. Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, New York, and Pennsylvania contributed men and sup
plies. The forces of Massachusetts alone numbered more than
three thousand. An invitation was sent to Commodore Warren,
commanding the English fleet in the West Indies, to join the col
onial forces. William Pepperell, of Maine, was appointed com-
mander-in-chief ; and on the 4th of April, 1745, the American
fleet sailed for Cape Breton.
12. At Canseau, Nova Scotia, the expedition was detained for
sixteen days. Commodore Warren brought his fleet safely thither
on the 23d of April. On the last day of the month the armament,
numbering a hundred vessels, entered the Bay of Gabarus in sight
of Louisburg. A landing was effected four miles below the city.
On the next day four hundred volunteers, led by William Vaughan,
stormed a French battery and turned the guns upon the fortress.
An English battery was established on the east side of the harbor,
but the walls of Louisburg were so strong- that little damage wras
done by the guns across the bay. The soldiers of New England
lashed their heavy cannons upon sledges, and dragged them through
a marsh to solid ground within two hundred yards of the enemy's
works. Still, the fort stood firm, and the siege progressed slowly.
13. On the 18th of May a French ship of sixty-four guns, laden
with stores for the garrison, was captured by Warren's fleet. The
French were greatly discouraged, and the defence grew feeble.
MASSACHUSETTS.— WARS OF ANNE AND GEORGE. 101
SIEGE OF LOUISBURG, 1745.
On the 26th of the month an effort was made to capture the
French battery in the harbor ; but the storming party was repulsed
with the loss of a hundred and seventy-six men. A general assault
was set for the 18th of June ; but on the day previous the garrison
sent out a flag of truce ; terms
of capitulation were agreed
on, and the English flag was
hoisted over the fortress.
14. By the terms of surren
der, Louisburg and Cape Bre
ton were given up to England.
The rejoicing in the colonies
was only equaled by the indig
nation in France. Louisburg
must be retaken at all haz
ards, said the French ministers.
For this purpose a powerful fleet was sent out in the following year,
but before reaching America the commander died. Storms and
disasters drove the ill-fated expedition to ruin. The renewal of
the enterprise, in 1747, was attended with like misfortunes.
15. In 1748 a treaty of peace was concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle,
a town of Western Germany. Nothing was gained but a res
toration of conquests. Cape Breton was given back to France,
Not a single boundary line was settled by the treaty. The real
war between France and England for supremacy in the West
was yet to be fought.
16. The history of Massachusetts has now been traced through
a period of a hundred and thirty years. A few words on THE
CHARACTER OF THE PURITANS may be added. They were a vigor
ous and hardy people, firm-set in the principles of honesty and
virtue. They were sober, industrious, frugal ; resolute, zealous,
and steadfast. They esteemed truth more than riches. Loving
home and native land, they left both for the sake of freedom ;
and finding freedom, they cherished it with the devotion of
martyrs. Despised and hated, they rose above their revilers. In
the school of evil fortune they gained the discipline of patience.
They were the children of adversity and the fathers of renown.
102 HMTO.RY ')F THE UNITED STATES.
17. The gaze of the Puritan was turned ever to posterity. He
believed in the future. For his children he toiled and sacrificed.
The system of free-schools is the monument of his love. The
printing-press is his memorial. Almshouses and asylums are the
tokens of his care for the unfortunate. With him the outcast
found sympathy, and the wanderer a home. He was the earliest
champion of civil rights, and the builder of THE UNION.
18. In matters of religion the fathers of New England were
sometimes intolerant and superstitious. Their religious faith was
gloomy. Human life was deemed a sad and miserable journey.
To be mistaken was to sin. To fail in trifling ceremonies was
reckoned a crime. In the shadow of such belief the people became
austere and melancholy. They set up a cold and severe form of
worship. Dissenters themselves, they could not tolerate the dissent
of others. To punish error seemed to the Pilgrims to be right and
necessary. But Puritanism contained within itself the power to
correct its own abuses. The evils of the system may well be for
gotten in the glory of its achievements. Without the Puritans,
America would have been a delusion and liberty only a name.
Causes of Queen Anne's War.— Field of operations in America.- A treaty is
made with the Five Nations.— The conflict begins.— Deerfleld is burned.— And
the inhabitants carried captive to Canada.— Barbarities of the Indians.— An
expedition is sent against Port Royal.— The attempt fails.— Is renewed in 1710.—
Port Royal is taken.— And named Annapolis.— Preparations are made for
invading Canada.— Nicholson commands the land forces.— And Walker the
fleet -rThe squadron is delayed.— Is ruined by a storm in the St. Lawrence.—
Returns in disgrace.— The expedition by land is abandoned.— A treaty is made
at Utrecht.— A separate peace with the Indians.— The people of Massachusetts
resist the royal governors.— Causes of King George's War.— The conflict begins.
—Importance of Louisburg.— Its conquest is planned.— The colonies contribute
men and means.— The expedition leaves Boston.— Is joined by Warren's fleet.
—Invests Louisburg.— The siege.— Cape Breton submits.— France attempts to
reconquer Louisburg.— Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.— Character of the Puritans.
NE W YORK.— SETTLEMENT.
103
CHAPTER XVIII.
NEW YORK— SETTLEMENT.
THE settlement of New Amsterdam resulted from the voyages
of the brave Sir Henry Hudson. For ten years after its
founding, the colony was governed by the directors of the Dutch
East India Company. In 1621 the Dutch West India Company
was organized, and Manhattan Island, with its cluster of huts,
passed at once
under the con-
trol of the
new corpora
tion.
2. In April,
1623, the ship
New Nether-
land, with
thirty fa m i-
lies on board,
arrived at
New Amster
dam. The col
onists, called
WALLOONS,
were Dutch
Protestant
refugees. Cor
nelius May
was the leader
of the com
pany. Most of the new immigrants settled with their friends on
Manhattan; but the captain, with a party of fifty, made explora-
104 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
tions as far as Delaware Bay. A few miles below Camden, a
block-house was built and named Fort Nassau. In the same year
Joris, another Dutch captain, sailed up the Hudson to the present
site of Albany, where he built Fort Orange.
3. In 1625 William Verhulst became governor of the colony at
Manhattan. In January of the next year, Peter Minuit was ap
pointed to succeed him. In May the island, containing more than
twenty thousand acres, was purchased from the natives for twenty-
four dollars. A block-house was built and surrounded with a pali
sade. New Amsterdam was already a town of thirty houses.
4. The Dutch of New Amsterdam and the Pilgrims of New
Plymouth were early and fast friends. In 1627 an embassy was
sent by Minuit to Plymouth with expressions of good will. Gov
ernor Bradford replied with words of sympathy, but advised the
Dutch to obtain new land-titles from the council of Plymouth.
5. In 1628 the population of Manhattan numbered two hundred
and seventy. The settlers engaged in the fur- trade. In 1629 the
West India Company framed a CHARTER OF PRIVILEGES, under
which a class of proprietors called patroons were authorized to
colonize the country. The conditions were that each patroon should
purchase his lands of the Indians ; and that he should establish a
colony of not less than fifty persons.
6. Five estates were immediately laid out. Three of them were
on the Hudson ; the fourth, on Staten Island ; and the fifth, in the
southern half of Delaware. Samuel Godyn was patroon of this
estate, but the management was entrusted to David de Vries. With
thirty immigrants, he reached Delaware Bay in the spring of 1631,
and founded Lewistown, the oldest settlement in Delaware.
7. De Vries soon returned to Holland, leaving the settlement in
charge of Hosset. The latter brought the colony to ruin. The
natives rose upon the colonists and left not a man alive. The
houses were burned to the ground ; nothing but ashes remained to
testify of savage passion.
8. In April of 1633, Minuit was superseded by Wouter van
Twiller. Three months previously the Dutch erected a block
house at Hartford. In October of the same year, an armed vessel
from Plymouth sailed up the river and defied the Dutch com-
NEW YORK— SETTLEMENT. 105
mander. The English proceeded up stream to the mouth of the
Farniington, where they built Fort Windsor. Two years later, by
the building of Say brook, at the mouth of the Connecticut, they
obtained control of the river above and below the Dutch fort.
9. In 1626,Gustavus Adolphus, the Protestant king of Sweden,
formed the design of establishing settlements in America. But
before his plans could be carried into effect, he became in
volved in war, and the company which had been formed was dis
organized. In 1632,Gustavus was killed in battle, but the Swedish
minister took up the work which his master had left unfinished.
The charter of the company was renewed, and after four years the
enterprise was brought to a successful issue.
10. Late in 1637, a company of Swedes and Finns left the har
bor of Stockholm, and in the following February arrived in Dela
ware Bay. The country from Cape Henlopen to the falls at
Trenton, was honorably purchased of the Indians. The name of
NEW SWEDEN was given to the territory. On the left bank of a
small tributary of the Brandywine, a spot was chosen for the settle
ment. The immigrants soon provided themselves with houses.
The creek and the fort were both named Christiana, in honor of
Christina, the maiden queen of Sweden. In a short time the banks
of the bay and river were dotted with pleasant hamlets.
11. The authorities of New Amsterdam were jealous of the
Swedish colony. Sir William Kieft, who had succeeded Van
Twiller, warned the settlers of their intrusion on Dutch territory.
But the Swedes went on enlarging their borders. Kieft, indignant
at these aggressions, sent a party to rebuild Fort Nassau, on the
old site below Camden. The Swedes adopted active measures of
defence. Ascending the river to within six miles of the mouth of
the Schuylkill, they landed. On the island of Tinicum, a short
distance below Philadelphia, they built a strong fort of hemlock
logs. Here, in 1643, Governor Printz established his residence.
12. In 1640 New Netherland became involved in a war with
the Indians. Dishonest traders had maddened them with rum and
then defrauded them. The savages of the Jersey shore crossed
over to Staten Island, burning and killing. New Amsterdam was
soon put in a state of defence, and a company of militia was sent
106 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
against the savages. On both sides the war degenerated into
treachery and murder. Through the mediation of Roger Wil
liams, a truce was obtained, and immediately broken. A chief
tain's son, who had been robbed, went to the nearest settlement
and killed the first Hollander whom he met. Governor Kieft
demanded the criminal, but the chiefs refused to give him up.
13. While the dispute was still unsettled, a party of Mohawks
came down the river to enforce their supremacy over the Algonquins
in the vicinity of New Amsterdam. The latter begged assistance
of the Dutch. Kieft now saw an opportunity of wholesale destruc
tion. A company of soldiers set out from Manhattan, and dis
covered the camp of the Algonquins. The place was surrounded
by night, and the first notice of danger given to the savages was
the roar of muskets. Nearly a hundred of the poor wretches were
killed by those to whom they had appealed for help.
14. When it was known among the tribes that the Dutch, and
not the Mohawks, were the authors of this outrage, the war was
renewed with fury. The Indians divided into small war-parties
and concealed themselves in the woods ; then rose upon defence
less farmhouses, burning and butchering without mercy. At this
time Mrs. Anne Hutchinson was living with her son-in-law in the
valley of the Housatonic. Her house was surrounded and set on
fire by the savages ; every member of the family except one child
was murdered. Mrs. Hutchinson herself was burned alive.
15. In 1643 Captain John Underbill of Massachusetts was ap
pointed to command the Dutch forces. He first invaded New
Jersey, and brought the Delawares into subjection. A decisive
battle was fought on Long Island ; and at Greenwich, in Western
Connecticut, the power of the Indians was finally broken. The
Iroquoia came forward with proposals for peace. Both parties
were anxious to rest from the ruin of war. On the 30th of Au
gust, 1645, a treaty was concluded at Fort Amsterdam.
16. Nearly all of the bloodshed of this war may be charged to
Governor Kieft. The people had many times desired to make
peace with the Indians, but the project had always been defeated
by the governor. As soon as the war was ended, petitions for
his removal were circulated and signed by the people. In 1647
NEW YORK.— ADMINISTRATION OF STUYVESANT. 107
the West India Company revoked his commission and appointed
Peter Stuyvesant to succeed him. Kieft embarked for Europe;
but the ship in which he sailed was wrecked on the coast of Wales,
and the guilty governor found a grave in the sea.
The East India Company govern Manhattan.— A colony is sent from Hol
land.— A charter is granted to the West India company.— The Walloons arrive
at New Amsterdam.— May builds Fort Nassau.— And Jorris, Fort Orange.— May
is governor.— And then Verhulst.— And Minuit.— Manhattan is purchased.—
And fortified.— Friendly relations of the Walloons and the Puritans.— The
Dutch devote themselves to the fur-trade. — Growth of the colony. — A charter
is granted.— The patroous. — Five manors are laid out.— Delaware is colonized.—
And then abandoned. — Van Twiller succeeds Minuit.— A fort is built at Hart
ford.— The English claim the Connecticut.— Sweden proposes to plant an
American colony.— The project is delayed.— But renewed.— A colony reaches
the Delaware.— Settles at Christiana.— Is prosperous.— New Netherlaud is
jealous.— Fort Nassau is rebuilt.— Printz removes to Tinicum.— The Indian
War breaks out.— The Mohawks come.-Kieft massacres the Algonquins.— The
war continues.— Fate of Mrs. Hutchinson.- Underbill conquers the Indians. -
Kieft the author of the war.— Stuyvesant succeeds him.
CHAPTER XIX.
NEW YORK.— ADMINISTRATION OF STUYVESANT.
PETER STUYVESANT entered upon his duties on the llth of
J- May, 1647, and continued in office for seventeen years. His
first care was to conciliate the Indians. So intimate and cordial
became the relations between the natives and the Dutch that they
were suspected of making common cause against the English.
Massachusetts was alarmed lest su^h an alliance should be formed.
But the policy of Stuyvesant was based on nobler principles.
2. Until now the West India Company had had exclusive con
trol of the commerce of New Netherland. In 1648 this monopoly
was abolished, and regular export duties were substituted. The
108 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
benefit of the change was soon apparent in the improvement of
the Dutch province. In a letter written to Stuyvesant by the
secretary of the company, the prediction was made that the com
merce of New Amsterdam should cover every ocean, and the ships
of all nations crowd into her harbor. But for many years the
growth of the city was slow. The better parts of Manhattan
Island were still divided among the farmers. Central Park was
a forest of oaks and chestnuts.
3. In 1650 the boundary was fixed between New England and
New Netherland. The line extended across Long Island north
and south, passing through Oyster Bay, and thence to Greenwich,
on the other side of the sound. From this point northward the
dividing-line was nearly identical with the present boundary of
Connecticut on the west. This treaty was ratified by the colo
nies, by the West India Company, and by the States-General of
Holland ; but England treated the matter with indifference.
4:. Stuyvesant now determined to subdue the colony of New
Sweden. In 1651, an armament left New Amsterdam for the
Delaware. On the present site of NewT Castle, Fort Casimir was
built and garrisoned with Dutch soldiers. The Swedish settle
ment of Christiana was almost in sight of this fortress, and a
conflict could not be avoided. Rising, the governor of the Swedes,
waited until Fort Casimir was completed, then captured the place
by stratagem, and hoisted the flag of Sweden.
5. It was a short-lived triumph. The West India Company
at once issued orders to Stuyvesant to compel the Swedish colo
nists to submit. In September of 1655, the old governor, at the
head of six hundred troops, sailed against New Sweden. Before
the 25th of the month every fort belonging to the Swedes had
been forced to surrender. Honorable terms were granted to all,
and in a few days the authority of New Netherland was estab
lished. The little State of New Sweden had ceased to exist. The
possessions of the various nations in America may be studied
from the accompanying map, drawn for the year 1655.
6, While Stuyvesant was absent on his expedition against the
Swedes, the Algonquins rose in rebellion. In a fleet of sixty-
four canoes they appeared before New Amsterdam, yelling and
V ENGLISH 1'eUow.
DUTCH Blue. \
X SWEDISH Purple.\
SPANISH Green.
NEW YORK.— ADMINISTRATION OF 8TUYVESA2TT. 109
discharging arrows. After paddling about until their rage was
spent, the^ savages went on shore and began to burn and mur
der. The return of the Dutch from Delaware induced the chiefs
to sue for peace, which
Stuyvesant granted on
better terms than the
Indians deserved.
7. In 1663 the town
of Kingston was at
tacked and destroyed
by the Indians. Sixty-
five of the inhabitants
were tomahawked or
carried into captivity.
To punish this outrage
a strong force was sent
from New Amsterdam.
The Indians fled to the
woods; but the Dutch
soldiers pursued them
to their villages, burned
their wigwams, and
killed every warrior
who could be over
taken. In May of 1664, a treaty of peace was concluded.
8. Governor Stuyvesant had great difficulty in defending his
province against the claims of other nations. Discord at home
added to his embarrassments. For many years the Dutch had
witnessed the growth and prosperity of the English colonies.
Boston had outgrown New Amsterdam. The schools of Mass
achusetts and Connecticut flourished; the academy on Manhattan,
after a sickly career of two years, was discontinued. In New
Netherland heavy taxes were levied for the support of the poor;
New England had no poor. The Dutch grew emulous of the
progress of their neighbors, and attributed their own want of
thrift to the mismanagement of the West India Company.
9. On the 12th of March, 1664, the duke of York received
PETER STUYVESANT.
110 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
from Charles II. a patent for the whole country between the Con
necticut and the Delaware. Without regard to the% rights of
Holland or the West India Company, through whose exertions the
valley of the Hudson had been peopled, the English monarch by
this act robbed a' sister kingdom of a well-earned province.
10. The duke of York made haste to secure his territory. An
English squadron under command of Richard Nicolls was imme
diately sent to America. On the 28th of August, the fleet an
chored before New Amsterdam. Governor Stuyvesant convened
the Dutch council and exhorted them to rouse to action and fight.
Some one replied that the West India Company was not worth
fighting for. Burning with indignation, Stuyvesant snatched up
the proposal of Nicolls and tore it to tatters. It was all in vain.
The brave old man was forced to sign the capitulation; and on
the 8th of September, 1664, New Netherland ceased to exist.
11. The English flag was hoisted over the fort and town, and
the name of NEW YORK was substituted for New Amsterdam.
The surrender of fort Orange, now named Albany, followed on
the 24th ; and on the 1st of October the Swedish and Dutch set
tlements on the Delaware capitulated. The conquest was com
plete. The supremacy of Great Britain in America was finally
established. From Maine to Georgia, every mile of the American
coast was under the flag of England.
IRE O ^ IP I T TJ- L -A.T I O 3ST .
Stuyvesant is appointed governor.— Peace established with the Indians.—
Free trade succeeds monopoly.— Growth of the colony.— A boundary is estab
lished between New England and New Netherland.— The Dutch again claim
New Sweden.— Build Fort Casimir.— The place is captured by the Swedes.—
Stuyvesant conquers New Sweden.— The Algonquins rebel.— And are subdued.
—The Indians burn Kingston.— Are punished.— Stuyvesaut is beset with diffi
culties.— New Netherland lags.— The Dutch prefer English laws.— The province
is granted to the duke of York.— He makes good his claim.— Conquers New
Netherland.
NEW YORK UNDER THE ENGLISH 111
CHAPTER XX.
NEW YORK UNDER THE ENGLISH.
pICHARD NICOLLS, the first English governor of New York,
J-*' began his duties by settling boundaries. As early as 1623
Long Island had been granted to the earl of Stirling. Connecticut
also claimed that part of the island included in the present county
of Suffolk. The claim of Stirling was purchased by the governor,
but the pretensions of Connecticut were set aside. This action
was the source of much discontent until the duke of York com
pensated Connecticut by making a favorable change in her south
west boundary.
2. In 1664 the territory between the Hudson and the Del
aware was granted to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret.
This district, nearly corresponding with the State of New Jersey,
was now taken from New York, and a separate government
established by the proprietors. The country below the Dela
ware, called THE TERRITORIES, was consolidated with New
York and ruled by deputies of that province. Finally, the
name of NEW YORK was extended to all the country formerly
called New Netherland,
3. The Dutch had surrendered themselves to the English gov
ernment in the hope of obtaining civil liberty. But it was a
poor sort of liberty that any province was likely to receive from
Charles II. The promised rights of the people were evaded and
withheld. The old titles by which the Dutch farmers held their
lands were annulled. The people were objiged to accept new
deeds from the English governor, and to pay him therefor large
sums of money.
4. In 1667 Nicolls was superseded by the tyrannical Lord Love
lace. The people became dissatisfied and gloomy. The discontent
112 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
was universal. Several towns resisted the tax-gatherers and passed
resolutions denouncing the government. The only attention which
Lovelace and his council paid to these resolutions was to order them
to be burnt before the town-house of New York. When the
Swedes, a quiet people, resisted the governor's exactions, he wrote
to his deputy: "If there is any more murmuring against the
taxes, make them so heavy that the people can do nothing but
think how to pay them."
5. In 1672 Charles II. was induced by the king of France to
begin a war with Holland. The struggle extended to the colonies,
and New York was for a short time revolutionized. In 1673 a small
Dutch fleet sailed for America, and arrived before Manhattan
on the 30th of July. Manning, the deputy-governor of New York,
was frightened, and no defence was attempted. The fort was sur
rendered ; the city capitulated ; and the whole province yielded
without a struggle. New Jersey and Delaware submitted. The
name of New Netherland was revived; and the authority of Hol
land was restored from Connecticut to Maryland.
6. But the conquest was only a brief military occupation of
the country. The civil authority of the Dutch was never reestab
lished. In 1674 Charles II. was obliged to conclude a treaty
of peace. All conquests made during the war were restored.
New York reverted to the English government, and the rights
of the duke were again recognized in the province. Sir Edmund
Andros was now appointed governor. On the last day of October
the Dutch forces were finally withdrawn, and Andros assumed con
trol of the government.
7. It was a sad sort of government for the people. All the
abuses of Lovelace's administration were revived. Taxes were
levied without authority of law, and the protests of the people
were treated with scorn. A popular legislative assembly was
demanded, but the duke of York wrote to Andros that popular
assemblies were dangerous to the government, and that he did not
see any use for them.
8. In July of 1675, Andros made an effort to extend his author
ity over Connecticut. The assembly of that colony heard of his
coming, and sent word to Captain Bull, at Saybrook, to resist
NEW YORK UNDER THE ENGLISH. 113
Andros in the name of the king. When the latter came in sight
and hoisted the flag of England, the same colors were raised within
the fort. The governor was permitted to land ; but when he began
to read his commission, he was ordered in the king's name to desist.
Overawed by the Saybrook militia, Andros retired to his boats and
set sail for Long Island.
9. The next attempt was to extend the jurisdiction of New York
over New Jersey. Andros issued a decree that ships trading with
that province should pay a duty at the custom-house of New York.
This action was resisted. Andros attempted to frighten the assem
bly of New Jersey into submission, and arrested Philip Carteret,
the deputy-governor. The representatives of the people, however,
declared themselves to be under the protection of the Great Charter,
which not even the duke of York could alter or annul. In August
of 1682 the "Territories" beyond the Delaware w?ere granted by
the duke to William Penn. This little district, first settled by the
Swedes, afterward conquered by the Dutch, then transferred to
England, was now finally separated from New York and joined to
the new province of Pennsylvania.
10. In 1683 Thomas Dongan, a Catholic, became governor of
New York. For thirty years the people had been clamoring for a
general assembly. At last the duke of York yielded to the demand.
The new governor came with instructions to call an assembly of
the freeholders of New York, by whom certain persons should be
elected to take part in the government. Then, for the first time,
the people of the province were permitted to choose their own
rulers and to frame their own laws.
11. The new assembly made haste to declare THE PEOPLE to be a
part of the government. All freeholders were granted the right
of suffrage ; trial by jury was established ; taxes should not be
levied except by the assembly; soldiers should not be quartered
on the people; martial law should not exist; no person should be
persecuted on account of his religion.
12. In July of 1684, the governors of New York and Virginia
were met by the chiefs of the Iroquois at Albany ; and the terms
of a lasting peace were settled. A long war ensued between the
Five Nations and the French. The Jesuits of Canada employed
114 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
every artifice to induce the Indians to break their treaty with the
English; but the alliance was faithfully observed. In 1684, and
again in 1687, the French invaded the territory of the Iroquois;
but the warlike Mohawks and Oneidas drove back their foes with
loss and disaster.
13. In 1685 the duke of York became king of England. It
was soon found that even a monarch could violate his pledges.
King James became the enemy of the government which had been
established in his American province. The legislature of New
York was dismissed. An odious tax was levied. Printing-presses
were forbidden ; and all the old abuses were revived.
14-. In 1686 Edmund Andros became governor of New England.
It was his plan to extend his authority over New York and
New Jersey. To the former province, Francis Nicholson was sent
as Andros's deputy; and until the English Revolution of 1688,
New York was ruled as a province of New England. When the
news of the accession of William of Orange reached New York,
there was great rejoicing. The people rose in rebellion against
Nicholson, who was glad to escape to England.
15. The leader of the insurrection was Captain Jacob Leisler.
A committee of ten took upon themselves the task of governing.
Leisler was appointed commandant of New York, and afterwards
provisional governor. The councilors, who were friends of the
deposed Nicholson, left the city and went to Albany. Here the
party opposed to Leisler organized a second provisional government.
Both factions began to rule in the name of William and Mary, the
new sovereigns of England.
16. In 1689 Milborne, the son-in-law of Leisler, was sent to
Albany to demand the surrender of the town. But the leaders of
the northern faction opposed the demand and Milborne was
obliged to retire. Such was the condition of affairs at the begin
ning of King William's War. In the spring of 1690 the au
thority of Leisler as governor of New York was recognized
throughout the province. The summer was spent in prepara
tions to conquer Canada. The general assembly was convened at
the capital ; but little was accomplished except a recognition of
the government of Leisler.
NEW YORK UNDER THE ENGLISH. 115
17. In January of 1691, Captain Richard Ingoldsby arrived at
New York. He brought intelligence that Colonel Sloughter had
been appointed governor of the province. Leisler received In-
goklsby with courtesy, but the latter haughtily demanded the
surrender of His Majesty's fort. Leisler refused to yield, but ex-
piessed his loyalty to King William and Colonel Sloughter. In
lUarch the governor himself arrived ; and Leisler on the same day
tendered his submission. He wrote a letter to Sloughter, express
ing a desire to surrender the post to the governor. The letter was
unanswered. Ingoldsby was sent with verbal orders to receive the
fort. Leisler capitulated, and he and Milborne were seized and
sent to prison.
18. As soon as the government was organized the prisoners were
brought to trial. It was decided that Leisler had been a usurper.
Sentence of death was passed on him and Milborne, but Sloughter
hesitated to put the sentence into execution. In this state of
affairs the governor was invited to a banquet by the royal coun
cilors ; and when heated with drink, the death-warrant was thrust
before him for his signature. He succeeded in signing his name
to the parchment; and before his drunken revel had passed away,
his victims had met their fate. On the 16th of May, Leisler and
Milborne were taken from prison and hanged.
19. In the same summer Governor Sloughter renewed the treaty
with the chiefs of the Five Nations. In 1692 Major Schuyler, at
the head of the New York militia, made a successful expedition
against the French beyond Lake Champlain. Meanwhile, the
assembly of the province met and passed a resolution against arbi
trary taxation, and another which declared the people to be a part
of the government.
20. Sloughter was succeeded in office by Benjamin Fletcher, n
bad man of poor abilities. The new executive arrived in Septem
ber of 1692. It was at this time the purpose of the English king
to place under a common government all the territory between the
Connecticut and the Delaware. Fletcher was accordingly com
missioned as governor and commander-in-chief of New Yrork, and
also of the militia of Connecticut and New Jersey. In the latter
province he met with little opposition ; but the Puritans of Hart-
8
116 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ford treated his pretensions with contempt. He made an effort
to establish the English Church in New York, but was resisted
and defeated.
21. In 1696 New York was invaded by the French. But they
were soon driven back by the English and the Iroquois. Before a
second invasion could be undertaken, King William's War was
ended. In 1697 the Irish earl of Bellomont succeeded Fletcher as
governor. His administration was the happiest in the history of
the colony. His authority, like that of his predecessor, extended
over a part of New England. Massachusetts and New Hampshire
were under his jurisdiction, but Connecticut and Khode Island re
mained independent.
22. To Bellomont's administration belongs the story of Captain
William Kidd, the pirate. A vessel was fitted out by a company of
distinguished Englishmen, to protect the commerce of Great Britain
and to punish piracy. Governor Bellomont was one of the pro
prietors; and Kidd received a commission as captain. The ship
sailed from England before Bellomont's departure for New York.
Soon the news came that Kidd himself had turned pirate and be
come the terror of the seas. For two years he continued his career,
then appeared publicly in the streets of Boston, was seized, sent to
England, tried, convicted and hanged. What disposition was made
of the treasures which the pirate-ship had gathered on the ocean
has never been ascertained. It has been thought by some that the
vast hoard of ill-gotten wealth was buried in the sands of Long
Island.
23. In May of 1702, Bellomont was superseded by Lord Corn-
bury. A month previously the proprietors of New Jersey had
surrendered their province to the English Crown. All obstacles
being thus removed, the two colonies were formally united in one
government under Cornbury. For thirty-six years the two pro
vinces continued under the jurisdiction of a single governor.
24. Lord Cornbury was greatly disliked by the people. He
attempted to establish the English Church ; used the public money
for his personal benefit ; and persecuted those who had taken part
in Leisler's insurrection. In 1708 the civil dissensions of the
province reached a climax. The people petitioned for the gov-
NEW YORK UNDER THE ENGLISH. 117
ernor's removal. The councilors selected their own treasurer, and
refused to vote appropriations. Then came Lord Lovelace with a
commission from Queen Anne, and the wretched Cornbury was
turned out of office. Left to the mercy of his subjects, they ar
rested him for debt and threw him into prison.
25. In the winter of 1709-10, eighteen hundred volunteers from
the Hudson and the Delaware made an unsuccessful expedition
against Montreal. The army marched northward as far as Lake
George. Here information was received that the English fleet,
which was to cooperate against Quebec, had been sent to Portugal ;
the armament of New England was insufficient of itself to attempt
the conquest ; and the troops of New York were obliged to retreat.
Again, in 1711, the army which was to invade Canada by land was
furnished by New York. A second time the provincial forces
reached Lake George ; but the newrs of the disaster to Walker's
fleet destroyed all hope of success, and the discouraged soldiers
returned to their homes. A heavy debt remained as the result
of these campaigns.
26. In 1713 the Tuscaroras of Carolina, being defeated and driven
from their homes by the Southern colonists, marched northward and
joined their kinsmen on the St. Lawrence, making the sixth nation
in the Iroquois confederacy. Nine years later the governors of
New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia .made a commercial treaty
writh the Six Nations, by which the fur-trade of the Indians was
secured by the English. In order to gain the full benefit of this
arrangement, Governor Burnett of New York established a trading-
post at Oswego, on Lake Ontario. The French, meanwhile, had
built a strong fort at Niagara, and another at Crown Point, on
the western shore of Lake Champlain.
27. The administration of Governor Cosby, who succeeded Bur
nett in 1732, was troubled with a dispute about the freedom of
the press. The liberal party of the province held that a public
journal might criticise the acts of the administration. The aris
tocratic party opposed such liberty as dangerous to good govern
ment. Zenger, an editor who published criticisms on the governor,
was seized and put in prison. Great excitement ensued. The
people praised their champion. Andrew Hamilton, a lawyer of
118 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Philadelphia, went to New York to defend Zenger, who wag
brought to trial in July of 1735. The cause was heard, and the
jury brought in a verdict of acquittal. The aldermen of New
York, in order to testify their appreciation of Hamilton's serv
ices, made him a present of an elegant gold box, and the people
were enthusiastic over their victory.
28. In the year 1741 occurred what is known as THE NEGRO
PLOT. Negroes constituted a large fraction of the people. Sev
eral fires occurred, and the slaves were suspected of having kin
dled them ; now they became feared and hated. Some degraded
women started a rumor that the negroes had made a plot to burn
the city, and set up one of their own number as governor. The
terrified people were ready to believe anything. The reward of
freedom was offered to any slave who would reveal the plot.
Many witnesses rushed forward ; the jails were filled with the
accused; and more than thirty of the miserable creatures, with
hardly the form of a trial, were convicted and then hanged or
burned to death. Others were transported and sold' as slaves in
foreign lands. As soon as the excitement had subsided, it came
to be doubted whether the whole affair had not been the result
of terror and fanaticism. The verdict of after times has been
that tfiere was no plot at all.
29. During the progress of King George's War, New York
was several times invaded by the French and Indians. But the
invasions were easily repelled. Except the destruction of a few
villages in the northern part of the State, little harm was done
to the province. The alliance of the Mohawks with the Eng
lish made the invasion of New York by the French an exploit
of more danger than profit. The treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle,
concluded in 1748, again brought peace and prosperity to the
people of New York.
30. Such is the history of the little colony planted on Man
hattan Island. A hundred and thirty years have passed since the
first feeble settlements were made ; now the valley of the Hudson
is filled with farms and villages. Tho Walloons of Flanders and
the Puritans of New England have blended into one people. Dis
cord and contention have only resulted in colonial liberty. There
NEW YORK UNDER THE ENGLISH. 119
are other struggles through which the sons of New York must
pass before they gain their freedom. But the oldest and greatest
of the Middle Colonies has entered upon a glorious career, and
the foundations of an EMPIRE STATE are laid.
Nicolls settles boundaries.— New Jersey is granted to Berkeley and Carteret.—
Is claimed by Nicolls.— The Territories.— The Dutch claim liberty.— New land-
titles are issued.— Lovelace succeeds Nicolls.— Is resisted by the people.-His
tyranny.— Friendship of the English and the Dutch.— War with Holland.— New
York is reconquered.— But is restored to England.— Andros begins his govern
ment.— Claims the country from Connecticut to Maryland.— Is baffled by
Captaiu Bull at Say brook.— Attempts to overawe New Jersey.— Delaware is
separated from New York.— And joined to Pennsylvania.— Dongan becomes
governor.— The right of representation is conceded.— Character of the constitu
tion.— A treaty is made with the Iroquois.— The duke of York becomes king.—
And overthrows colonial liberties.— Andros governor of New England.— Claims
all the colonies north of the Delaware.— Leisler's insurrection.— The province
yields to his authority.— Schenectady is burned.— Ingoldsby arrives.— Leisler and
Milborne are arrested.— And hanged.— The Iroquois treaty is renewed.— The
Indians make war on the French.— The assembly declares against arbitrary
rule.— Fletcher governor.— Usurps the government of New Jersey.— Is defeated
at Hartford.— Effort to establish the Episcopal Church.— The French invade
New York.— Are repelled.— Bellomont becomes governor.— The career of Cap
tain Kidd.— Corn bury succeeds Bellomont.— New Jersey is annexed to New
York.— Cornbury's administration.— He is overthrown.— And succeeded by
Lovelace.— An expedition is made against Montreal.— New York in debt,— The
Tuscarora migration.— A fort is built at Oswego.— The French fortify Niagara
and Crown Point.— Cosby governor.— Assails the freedom of the press.— The trial
of Zenger.— The negro plot.— French invasions of New York.— Treaty of Aix-
la-Chapelle.— Prospects of the province.
MTKTOR EASTERN COLONIES.
CHAPTER XXI.
CONNECTICUT.
THE history of Connecticut begins with the year 1630. The first
grant of the territory was made by the council of Plymouth
to the earl of Warwick ; and in March, 1631 the claim was trans
ferred by him to Lord Say-and-Seal, Lord Brooke, and John Hamp-
den. Before a colony could be planted, the Dutch of New Nether-
land reached the Connecticut and built a fort at Hartford. The
people of Plymouth immediately sent out a force to counteract
this movement of their rivals; for the territorial claim of the
Puritans extended over Connecticut and over New Netherland itself.
2. When the English squadron sailing up the Connecticut came
opposite the Dutch fort, the commander of the garrison ordered
Captain Holmes to strike his colors, and threatened to fire in case
the fleet should attempt to pass ; but the English defiantly hoisted
sails and proceeded up the river. At the mouth of the Farming-
ton the Puritans landed and built the block-house of Windsor.
3. In October of 1635, a colony of sixty persons from Boston
settled at Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield. Earlier in the
same year the younger Winthrop, son of the governor of Massa
chusetts, arrived in New England. Under his direction a fort was
built at the mouth of the Connecticut. The works were com
pleted just in time to prevent the entrance of a Dutch trading-
vessel which appeared at the mouth of the river. Such was the
founding of Saybrook, named in honor of Lord Say-and-Seal and
Lord Brooke.
4. To the early annals of Connecticut belongs the sad story of
THE PEQUOD WAR. The country west of the Thames was more
thickly peopled with savages than any other portion of New Eng-
(120)
CONNECTICUT. 121
land. The warlike Pequods were able to muster seven hundred
warriors. The whole force of the English did not amount to two
hundred men. But the superior numbers of the savages were more
than balanced by the courage and weapons of the English.
5. In the year 1633, the crew of a trading- vessel were murdered
on the banks of the Connecticut. An Indian embassy went to Bos
ton to apologize ; a treaty was made, and the Pequods acknowl
edged the king of England. The Narragansetts, enemies of the
Pequods, had already made peace with Massachusetts. A recon
ciliation was thus effected between the two races of savages. But
as soon as the Pequods were freed from their fear of the Narra-
gansetts, they began to violate their treaty with the English. Out
rages were committed, and soon the war began in earnest.
6. In this state of affairs the Pequods attempted to induce the
Narragansetts and the Mohegans to join in a war against the
English. But Roger Williams, now in Rhode Island, sent a letter
to Sir Henry Vane, governor of Massachusetts, warned him of the
danger, and volunteered to oppose the conspiracy. The governor
replied, urging Williams to use his endeavors to thwart the alli
ance. Embarking alone in a canoe, the exile left Providence, and
crossed the bay to the house of Canonicus, king of the Narragan
setts. There he found the ambassadors of the Pequods. For three
days and nights, at the peril of his life, he pleaded with Canonicus
to reject the proposals of the hostile tribe. At last his efforts were
successful, and the Narragansetts voted to remain at peace.
7. The Mohegans also rejected the proposed alliance. In the
meantime, repeated acts of violence had roused the colony. Dur
ing the winter of 1636-37 many murders were committed. In
April a massacre occurred at Wethersfield, in which nine persons
were killed. On the 1st of May the towns of Connecticut declared
war. Sixty volunteers were put under command of Captain John
Mason, of Hartford. Seventy Mohegans joined the expedition;
and Sir Henry Vane sent Captain Underhill with twenty soldiers
from Boston.
8. The descent from Hartford to Saybrook occupied one day.
On the 20th of the month, the expedition passed the mouth of the
Thames ; here was the principal seat of the Pequod nation. When
122
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
M-Lt
SCENE OF THE PEQUOD WAR.
the savages saw the squadron go by they set up shouts of exulta
tion, and persuaded themselves that the English were afraid to
hazard battle. The fleet proceeded quietly into Narragansett Bay.
Here the troops landed and began their march into the country of
the Pequods. At the cabin of Canonicus, Mason met the chiefs of
the Narragansetts, and tried
to persuade them to join him
against the enemy ; but they,
fearing that the English might
be defeated, decided to remain
neutral.
9. On the 25th of May the
troops came within hearing of
the Pequod fort. The warriors
spent the night in uproar and
jubilee. At two o'clock in the
morning the English soldiers rose from their places of conceal
ment and rushed forward to the fort. A dog ran howling among
the wigwams, and the warriors sprang to arms. The English leaped
over the puny palisades and began the work of death. "Burn
them !" shouted Mason, seizing a flaming mat and running among
the cabins; and in a few minutes the wigwams were a sheet of
flame. The English and Mohegans hastily withdrew. The savages
ran round and round like wild beasts in a burning circus. If one
of the wretched creatures burst through the flames, it was only to
meet certain death. The destruction was complete. Only seven
warriors escaped ; seven others were made prisoners. Six hundred
men, women, and children perished, nearly all of them being
burned to death in a heap. Before the rising of the sun the
pride and glory of the Pequods had passed away forever. Sassa-
cus, the chief of the tribe, escaped to the Mohawks and was mur
dered. Two of the English were killed and twenty others wounded
in the battle.
10. In the morning three hundred Pequods, the remnant of the
nation, approached from a second fort and found their town in
ashes. The warriors stamped the earth in rage, and ran yelling
through the woods. Mason's men returned to Saybrook, and thence
CONNECTICUT. 123
to Hartford. The remnants of the Pequods were pursued into
the swamps west of Saybrook. Every wigwam was burned and
every field laid waste. T\vo hundred fugitives were hunted to
death or captivity. The prisoners were distributed as servants
among the Narragansetts, or sold as slaves.
11. In the pursuit of the Pequods the English became acquainted
with the coast west of the mouth of the Connecticut. Here some
men of Boston tarried over winter, built cabins, and founded NEW
HAVEN. Thither, in April, came a Puritan colony from England,
led by Theophilus Eaton and John Davenport. On the first Sab
bath after their arrival they assembled for worship under an oak ;
and Davenport preached a touching sermon on THE TEMPTATION
IN * THE WILDERNESS. The next care was to purchase land from
the Indians. For the first year there was no government except a
covenant that all would be obedient to the Scriptures.
12. In June of 1639, the men of New Haven held a convention
in a barn, and adopted the Bible for a constitution. The govern
ment was called the House of Wisdom, of which Eaton, Daven
port, and five others were the seven Pillars. None but church
members were admitted to citizenship. All officers were to be
chosen at an annual election. Other settlers came, and villages
sprang up on both shores of the Sound.
13. Until 1639 the Western colonies had been subject to Mass
achusetts. Now the people began to think of a separate com
monwealth. Delegates from the three towns came together at
Hartford, and on the 14th of January a constitution was framed for
the colony. The new instrument was one of the most simple and
liberal ever adopted. But neither Saybrook nor New Haven would
accept the frame of government by which the other colonies in the
valley of the Connecticut were united.
14. In 1643 Connecticut became a member of the Union of
New England. New Haven was also admitted ; and in the next
year Saybrook was annexed to Connecticut. In 1650, Governor
Stuyvesant met the commissioners of the province at Hartford,
and established the western boundary of the province. This
measure promised peace; but in 1651 Stuyvesant was suspected
of inciting the Indians against the English. Connecticut and
124
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
New Haven sought aid from Cromwell, who sent out a fleet to
cooperate with the colonists in the reduction of New Netherland.
But the news of peace arrived, and hostilities were averted.
15. On the restoration of monarchy in England, Connecticut
recognized King Charles as rightful sovereign. The younger
Winthrop was sent as
ambassador to Lon
don to procure a royal
patent for the colony.
He bore with him a
charter which had been
prepared by the au
thorities of Hartford.
Lord Say-and-Seal and
the earl of Manchester
lent their influence to
induce the king to sign
it. Winthrop showed
him a ring which
Charles I. had given
to Winthrop's grand
father; and the token
so moved the monarch's
feelings that in a care
less moment he signed
the colonial charter —
the most liberal and
ample ever granted by an English king.
16. When Winthrop returned to Connecticut he was chosen gov
ernor of the colony, and continued in office for fourteen .years.
The civil institutions of the province were the best in New Eng
land. Peace reigned. During King Philip's War, Connecticut
was saved from invasion. Not a hamlet was burned, not a life
lost within her borders.
17. In July of 1675, Sir Edmund Andros, governor of New York^
came to Say brook to read his commission as governor of Connec
ticut; but Captain Bull who commanded the fort ordered him to
THE YOUNGER WINTHKOP.
CONNECTICUT. 125
stop. In vain did Andros insist that his dominions extended
from the Connecticut to the Delaware. " Connecticut has her
own charter, signed by King Charles II.," said Captain Bull;
" leave off your reading, or take the consequences!" And the
red-coated governor, trembling with rage, was sent to his boat by
the Say brook militia.
18. In October of 1687, Andros, now governor of all New Eng
land, made his famous visit to Hartford. On the day of his ar
rival he invaded the assembly while in session, seized the book of
minutes, and wrote FINIS at the bottom of the page. He then
demanded the surrender of the colonial charter: Governor Treat
pleaded earnestly for the preservation of the document. An
dros was inexorable. The shades of evening fell. How Joseph
Wadsworth carried away and concealed the precious parchment
has been told in the history of Massachusetts. When the gov
ernment of Andros was overthrown, Connecticut, with the other
New England colonies, regained her liberty.
19. In 1693 Governor Fletcher of New York went to Hartford
to take command of the militia. He bore a commission from King
William ; but by the terms of the charter the right of command
ing the troops was vested in the colony. Fletcher, however,
ordered the soldiers under arms and proceeded to read 'his com
mission. "Beat the drums!" shouted Captain Wadsworth, who
stood at the head of the company. "Silence!" said Fletcher;
the drums ceased, and the reading began again. "Drum! drum!"
cried Wadsworth ; and a second time the voice of the reader was
drowned. "Silence!" shouted the governor. Wadsworth stepped
before the ranks and said, "Colonel Fletcher, if I am interrupted
again, I will let the sunshine through your body." That ended
the controversy. Fletcher, thinking it better to be a living gov
ernor than a dead colonel, returned to New York.
20. "I give these books for the founding of a college in this
colony." Such were the words of ten ministers who, in 1700,
assembled at Branford, near New Haven. Each of them, as he
uttered the words, deposited a few volumes on the table where
they were sitting ; such was the founding of YALE COLLEGE. In
1702 the school was opened at Saybrook, where it continued for
126 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
fifteen years, and was then removed to New Haven. One of the
most liberal patrons of the college was Elihu Yale, from whom
the institution took its name. Common schools already existed in
almost every village of Connecticut.
21. The half century preceding the French and Indian war was
a time of prosperity in the western parts of New England. Con
necticut was especially favored. Peace reigned throughout her
borders. The farmer reaped his fields in cheerfulness and hope.
The mechanic made glad his dusty shop with anecdote and song.
The merchant feared no tariff, the villager no taxes. Want was
unknown, and pauperism unheard of. With fewer dark pages in
her history, Connecticut had all the lofty purposes and noble vir
tues of Massachusetts.
Connecticut is granted to Warwick.— And transferred to Say-and-Seal.— The
Dutch fortify Hartford.— The Puritans claim the country.— Found Windsor.—
A colony leaves Boston.— Settles on the Connecticut.— Wiuthrop founds Say-
brook.— The English control the river.— The Pequod War.— The Narragansetts
make a treaty with the English.— The Pequods do likewise.— Violate the com
pact.— Attempt an alliance with the Narragansetts.— Williams defeats the
project.— The Mohegans join the English.— A massacre at Wethersfleld.— Mason
is chosen to command.— A force is organized.— Proceeds against the Pequods.—
And destroys the nation.— New Haven is founded.— The Bible for a constitu
tion.— Civil government begins.— Character of the laws.— Connecticut joins the
Union.— Say brook is annexed.— A treaty is made with Stuyvesant.— War with
New Netherland is threatened.— King Charles is recognized.— Winthrop is sent
to England.— Obtains a charter. — Returns.— Is chosen governor. — Growth of the
colony. — Aiidros attempts to assume the government. — Is thwarted.— Returns. —
Invades the assembly at Hartford.— The charter is saved.— Fletcher enters
the colony.— Is baffled by Wads worth.— Yale College is founded.— Development
of the province.
RHODE ISLAND. 127
CHAPTER XXII.
RHODE ISLAND.
IN June of 1636, the exiled Roger Williams left the country of
the Wampanoags and passed down the Seekonk to Narragan-
sett Rivor. With his five companions he landed on the western
bank, purchased the soil of the Narragansetts, and laid the found
ations of Providence. Other exiles joined the company. New
farms were laid out and new houses built. Here, at last, was
found at PROVIDENCE PLANTATION a refuge for all the persecuted.
2. The leader of the new colony was a native of Wales ; born
in 1606; liberally educated at Cambridge. He had been the
friend of Milton, and was a great hater of ceremonies. He had
been exiled to Massachusetts, and was now exiled by Massachusetts.
He brought to the banks of the Narragansett the great doctrines
of religious liberty and the equal rights of men.
3. Soon after arriving in Rhode Island, Williams conceived it
to be his duty to receive a second baptism. But who should per
form the ceremony in that wilderness? Ezekiel Holliman, a lay
man, was selected for the sacred duty. Williams meekly received
the rite at the hands of his friend, and then in turn baptized him
and ten other exiles of the colony. Such was the organization of
the first Baptist Church in America.
4-. The beginning of civil government in Rhode Island was
equally simple. Mr. Williams was the natural ruler of the little
province, but he reserved for himself no wealth, no privilege.
The lands, purchased from Canonicus, were freely distributed
among the colonists. Only two small fields were kept by the
founder for himself. All the powers of the government were en
trusted to the people. A simple agreement was made by the set
tlers that in matters not affecting the conscience they would yield
128
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
obedience to such rules as the majority might make for the public
good. In questions of religion the conscience should be to every
man a guide.
5. The new government stood the test of experience. Instead
of turmoil and dis
sension, Providence
Plantation had peace
and quiet. It was
found that all relig
ious sects could live
together in harmony.
Miantonomoh, chief
of the Narragansetts,
loved Roger Will
iams as a brother.
It was his friendship
that enabled Will
iams to notify Mass
achusetts of the Pe-
quod conspiracy, and
to defeat the plans
of the hostile na
tion. This good deed
induced his friends
at Salem to make an effort to recall him from banishment; but
his enemies prevented his return.
6. During the Pequod war Rhode Island was protected by the Nar
ragansetts. In the year 1638, Mrs. Hutchinson and her friends arrived
in Rhode Island. The leaders of the company were John Clarke
and William Coddington. Roger Williams made haste to welcome
them to his province. Governor Vane of Massachusetts prevailed
upon Miantonomoh to make them a gift of Rhode Island. The
first settlement was made at Portsmouth, in the northern part of
the island. The Jewish nation furnished the model for the gov
ernment of the colony. William Coddington was chosen judge,
and three elders were appointed to assist him. In the following
year he took the title of governor, and the administration became
THE OLD STONE TOWER AT NEWPORT.
RHODE ISLAND. 129
more modern. At the same time a party of colonists removed to
the south-western part of the island, and laid the foundations of
NEWPORT. In sight of this settlement, stood the old stone tower,
a monument built by the Norsemen.
7. In March of 1641, a public meeting was convened; the citi
zens came together on terms of equality, and the task of framing
a constitution was undertaken. In three days the instrument was
completed. The government was declared to be a "DEMOCRA-
CIE." The supreme authority was lodged with the freemen of the
island. The vote of the majority should always rule. No one
should be distressed on account of religious doctrine. The little
republic was named THE PLANTATION OF RHODE ISLAND.
8. In 1643 Providence and Rhode Island were refused admission
into the Union of New England. Soon afterward Roger Williams
was sent to London to procure a charter for the new colonies. On
the 14th of March in the following year the patent was granted,
and Rhode Island became an independent commonwealth.
9. The new government was organized at Portsmouth, in 1647.
A code of laws was framed, and a president and subordinate offi
cers were chosen. Four years afterward, William Coddington suc
ceeded in obtaining from the English council a decree by which
the island of Rhode Island was separated from the common gov
ernment. But John Clarke and Roger Williams went to London
and prevented the disunion. Williams was offered the governor
ship of the province ; but he refused the commission.
10. Clarke remained in England to guard the interests of the
colony. In 1660 Charles II. came home from his long exile.
Rhode Island had accepted a charter from the Long Parliament,
and it was doubtful whether the new king would renew it. The
people had hardly the courage to plead for so great a favor. But
the king and his minister assented ; and on the 8th of July, 1663,
the charter ^vas reissued. All the provisions of the old patent
were renewed. On the 24th of November, the new charter was
brought to Rhode Island and read aloud to the people.
11. For nearly a quarter of a century Rhode Island prospered.
The distresses of King Philip's War were forgotten. Roger Will
iams grew old and died. At last came Sir Edmund Andros, and
130 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
demanded the surrender of the constitution of Rhode Island.
The demand was evaded by Governor Clarke and the colonial as
sembly. But Andros repaired to Newport, dissolved the govern
ment, and broke the seal of the colony. Five councilors were
appointed to control the affairs of the province, and the common
wealth seemed ruined.
12. But the usurpation was as brief as it was shameful. In the
spring of 1689, the news came to Rhode Island that Andros and his
officers were prisoners at Boston. On May-day the people rushed
to Newport and made a proclamation of their gratitude for the
deliverance. An old Quaker, named Henry Bull, more than eighty
years of age, was chosen governor. The aged veteran accepted the
trust, and spent his last days in restoring the liberties of Rhode
Island.
13. Again the little State around the Bay of Narragansett was
prosperous. For more than fifty years the peace of the colony was
undisturbed. The principles of the illustrious founder became the
principles of the commonwealth. The renown of Rhode Island
has not been in vastness of territory, in mighty cities or victorious
armies, but in devotion to truth, justice, and freedom.
Williams founds Rhode Island.— Sketch of his life.— The Baptist Church is
organized.— Civil government begins.— Character of the institutions.— Mass
achusetts refuses to recall Williams.— A colony at Portsmouth.— The Jewish com
monwealth.— Newport is founded.— The Norse tower.— A democracy is estab
lished.— Rhode Island is rejected by the Union.— Williams procures a charter.—
The Island of Rhode Island secedes.— Is reannexed.— Patriotism of Williams.—
Charles II. reissues the charter.— Prosperity of Rhode Island.— Andros over
turns the government.— Is overthrown.— Henry Bull is governor.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. 131
CHAPTER XX11I.
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
IN 1622 the territory between the Merrimac and the Kennebec
was granted by the council of Plymouth to Sir Ferdinand
Gorges and John Mason. The proprietors made haste to secure
their new domain by actual settlements. In the spring of 1628,
two small companies of colonists were sent out by Mason and
Gorges to people their province. One party of immigrants
landed at Little Harbor, near Portsmouth, and began to build a
village. The other company proceeded up stream and laid the
foundations of Dover. With the exception of Plymouth and
Weymouth, Portsmouth and Dover are the oldest towns in New
England. But the progress of the settlements was slow ; for many
years the two villages were only fishing stations.
"2. In 1629 the proprietors divided their dominions, Gorges re
taining the part north of the Piscataqua, and Mason taking the dis
trict between the Piscataqua and the Merrimac. In May of this
year, Rev. John Wheelwright visited the Abenaki chieftains, and
purchased their claims to the territory held by Mason; but in the
following November, Mason's title was confirmed by a second pat
ent; and the name of NEW HAMPSHIRE was given to the prov
ince. Very soon Massachusetts began to urge her rights to the
district north of the Merrimac.
3. In November of 1635, Mason died, and his widow undertook
the government of the province. But after a few years the terri
tory was given up to the servants and dependents of the late
proprietor. In this condition of affairs, John Wheelwright, with
a small party of friends, repaired to the banks of the Piscataqua
and founded the village of Exeter. The little colony was declared
a republic, established on the principle of equal rights.
132 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
4. On the 14th of April, 1642, New Hampshire was united
with Massachusetts. The law restricting the rights of citizenship
to church members was not extended over the new province ; for
the people of Portsmouth and Dover belonged to the Church of
England. New Hampshire was the only colony east of the Hudson
not originally founded by the Puritans.
5. The union continued in force until 1679. In the mean time,
the heirs of Mason had revived the claim of the old proprietor.
In 1677 a decision was given by the courts of England that the
Masonian claims were invalid as to the civil jurisdiction of New
Hampshire, but valid as to the soil. On the 24th of July, 1679,
New Hampshire was separated from the jurisdiction of Massachusetts
and organized as a distinct royal province. Edward Cranfield
was chosen governor.
6. Before his arrival the sawyers and lumbermen of the Piscat-
aqua convened a general assembly at Portsmouth. A resolution
was passed by the representatives that no act, law, or ordinance,
should be valid unless made by the assembly and approved by
the people. When the king heard of this resolution, he declared
it to be both wicked and absurd.
7. In November of 1682, Cranfield dismissed the popular as
sembly. The excitement ran high. At Exeter the sheriff was
beaten with clubs. The farmers' wives met the tax-gatherers
with pailfulls of hot water. At the village of Hampton, Cran-
field's deputy was led out of town with a rope around his neck.
Cranfield, unable to collect his rents and vexed out of his wits,
wrote to England begging for the privilege of going home.
8. An effort was now made to restore New Hampshire to
Massachusetts ; but before this could be done the charter of the
bitter province had been taken away and Edmund Andros ap
pointed governor of New England. The colonies north of the
Merrimac quietly yielded to his authority. But when he was im
prisoned by the citizens of Boston, the people of the northern
towns also rose in rebellion. In 1690 New Hampshire was
again annexed to Massachusetts. In August of 1692, this ac
tion was annulled, and the two provinces were a second time
separated, against the protests of the people. In 1698 New
NEW HAMPSHIRE. 133
Hampshire was attached to the government of the earl of Bello-
mont. Afterward, for a period of forty-two years, the province
was under the authority of Massachusetts. Not until 1741 was
a final separation effected between the colonies north and south
of the Merrimac.
9. Meanwhile, the heirs of Mason had sold to Samuel Allen,
of London, their title to New Hampshire. His son-in-law, named
Usher, was appointed deputy governor. The new proprietor made
an effort to enforce his claim, but was everywhere resisted. For
many years the history of New Hampshire contains little else
than a record of strifes and lawsuits. Finally, in 1715, the heirs
of Allen abandoned their claim in despair. A few years after
ward one of the Masons discovered that the deed which his an
cestor had made to Allen was defective. The original Masonian
patent was accordingly revived. In the final adjustment of this
long-standing difficulty, the colonial authorities allowed the va
lidity of the old patent as to the unoccupied portions of the territory,
and the Masons surrendered their claims to all the rest.
10. Of all the colonies, New Hampshire suffered most from the
Indian wars. Her settlements were constantly exposed to savage
invasion. During King Philip's War the suffering along the
frontier was very great. In the wars of William, Anne, and George,
the province was visited with devastation and ruin. But in the
intervals of peace the spirits of the people revived, and the
hardy settlers returned to their wasted farms. Out of these con
flicts and trials came that sturdy race of pioneers who bore such
a heroic part in the contests of after years.
Xew Hampshire is colonized by Gorges and Mason.— The province is
divided.— Wheelwright purchases the Indian title.— Mason's patent is con
firmed. — He dies. — Difficulties ensue. — Exeter is founded. — New Hampshire is
united with Massachusetts.— The Masonian claim is decided.— The two prov
inces are separated.— Cranfield appointed governor.— A general assembly is
convened. — The royal officers are resisted. — Andros assumes the government. —
New Hampshire and Massachusetts are united. — Governed by Bellomont. — Fi
nally separated.— The Masonian claim again.— How decided.— Suffering of the
colony in the Indian wars.— Character of the people.
MINOR MIDDLE COLONIES.
CHAPTER XXIV.
NEW JERSEY.
THE history of New Jersey begins with the founding of Eliza-
bethtown, in 1664. As early as 1618, a trading-station had
been established at Bergen ; but forty years passed before perma
nent dwellings were built in that neighborhood. In 1623 Fort
Nassau was erected on the Delaware ; but after a few months,
May and his companions abandoned the place and returned to
New Amsterdam.
2. The territory of New Jersey was included in the grant made
to the duke of York. In 1664 that portion of the province lying
between the Hudson and the Delaware, extending as far north as
forty-one degrees and forty minutes, was assigned to Lord Berke
ley and Sir George Carteret. These noblemen adhered to the
king's cause during the civil war in England, and were now re
warded with the gift of New Jersey. Just after the conquest, a
company of Puritans made application to Governor Nicolls, and
received a grant of land on Newark Bay. The Indian titles were
purchased ; in the following October a village was begun and
named Elizabethtown.
3. In August of 1665, Philip Carteret arrived as governor.
He was violently opposed by Nicolls, but could not be prevented
from taking possession of the new settlements. Elizabethtown was
made the capital of the colony ; Newark was founded ; flourish
ing hamlets appeared on the shores of the bay as far south as
Sandy Hook. In honor of Sir George Carteret, who had been
governor of the Isle of Jersey, his American domain was named
NEW JERSEY,
(134)
NEW JERSEY. 135
4-. Berkeley and Carteret, though royalists, provided for their
new State an excellent constitution. The government was made
to consist of a governor, a council, and a popular legislative
assembly. There should be no taxation unless levied by the
representatives of the people. Difference of opinion should be
respected, and freedom of conscience guaranteed to every citizen.
The lands of the province were distributed to the settlers for i\
quit-rent of a half- penny per acre, not to be paid until 1670.
5. In 1668 the first assembly convened at Elizabeth town. The
representatives wrere Puritans, and the laws of New England were
impressed on the legislation of the colony. Affairs went well until
1670, when the quit-rents fell due. The colonists, in the mean
time, had purchased their lands of the Indians, and the collection
of the rents was resisted. The colony became a scene of strife
and revolution. In May of 1672, the colonial assembly deposed
the governor, and chose James Carteret in his place.
6. After the conquest of New York by the Dutch and the
restoration of the province to England, the duke of York re
ceived from the king a second patent for the country between the
Connecticut and the Delaware. At the same time he confirmed
his former grant of New Jersey to Berkeley and Carteret. But
soon afterward Sir Edmund Andros was appointed royal governor
of the whole country. Carteret defended his claim against An
dros; but Berkeley sold his interest in New Jersey to John Fen-
wick, to be held in trust for Edward Byllinge.
7. In 1675 Philip Carteret resumed the government of the
province. Andros opposed him in every act, and kept the
colony in an uproar. Finally he arrested Carteret and brought
him to New York for trial. Meanwhile, Byllinge made an as
signment of his property to Gawen Laurie, Nicholas Lucas, and
William Penn.
8. These men were Quakers. Here, then, was an opportunity
to establish an asylum for the persecuted Friends. Penn and his
associates applied to Sir George Carteret for a division of the
province. It was accordingly agreed to divide New Jersey so
that Carteret's district should be separated from that of the
Quakers. The line of division was drawn from the southern
136
HISTORY OF THE TJX IT ED STATES.
point of land on the east side of Little Egg Harbor to a point
on the Delaware in the latitude of forty-one degrees and forty
minutes. The territory
lying east of this line re
mained to Sir George as
sole proprietor, and was
named EAST JERSEY;
while that portion lying
between the line and the
Delaware was called WEST
JERSEY, and passed under
the control of Perm.
9. Early in the follow
ing March, the Quaker pro
prietors published a code
of laws called THE CON
CESSIONS. For every thing
was conceded to the people.
The constitution rivaled
the charter of Connecticut
in the liberality of its
principles. The authors
of the instrument then ad
dressed the Quakers of
England, recommending
the province and inviting
immigration.
10. The invitation was
not in vain. Before the
end of the year a colony of more than four hundred Friends
found homes in West Jersey. When the emigrant ships arrived
in the Delaware, the agent of Andros at New Castle obliged them
to pay duties before proceeding. But Sir William Jones decided
that the duke of York had no right to collect taxes in the
country of the Delaware. All claims to West Jersey were ac
cordingly withdrawn ; and the Quaker colonists were left in the
enjoyment of independence. An effort was now made by the
AM) WKST JKHSKY, 1677.
NEW JERSEY. 137
proprietors of East Jersey to secure a deed of release from the
duke of York. The petition was granted, and the whole ter
ritory was freed from foreign authority.
11. In November of 1681, Jennings, the deputy -governor of
West Jersey, convened the first general assembly. The Quakers
now met together to make their own laws. The CONCESSIONS
were reaffirmed. Men of all races and religions were declared
to be equal. Imprisonment for debt was forbidden. The sale of
ardent spirits to the Red men was prohibited. Taxes should
be voted by the representatives of the people. The lands of
the Indians should be acquired by purchase. Finally, a crim
inal might be pardoned by the person against whom the offense
was committed.
1*2. In 1682 William Penn and eleven other Friends purchased
the province of East Jersey. Robert Barclay, of Scotland, author
of the book called Barclay's Apology, was appointed governor for
life. The whole of New Jersey was now held by the Friends.
The administration of Barclay was noted for a large immigration
of Scotch Quakers who came to find freedom in East Jersey.
13. In 1685 James II. appointed Edmund Andros royal gov
ernor of the colonies from Maine to Delaware. In 1688 the
Jerseys were brought under his jurisdiction. When the news
came of the abdication of the English monarch, Andros could do
nothing but surrender to the indignant people. His imprisonment
at Boston has already been narrated.
14. But the condition of New Jersey was deplorable. It was
almost impossible to tell to whom the territory rightfully be
longed. From 1689 to 1692 there was no settled government
in the territory ; and for ten years thereafter the people were
vexed with more rulers than any one colony could accommodate.
Finally, in April of 1702, all proprietary claims being waived
in favor of the king, the territory between the Hudson and the
Delaware became a royal province.
15. New Jersey was now attached to the government of Lord
Cornbury of New York. But each province retained its own
legislative assembly and a distinct organization. This method of
government continued for thirty-six years1, and was then ended by
138 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
the action of the people. In 1728 the representatives of New
Jersey sent a petition to George II., praying for a separation of
the two colonies. Ten years later the effort was renewed and
brought to a successful issue. New Jersey was made independ
ent, and Lewis Morris received a commission as royal governor
of the province.
16. The people of New Jersey were but little disturbed by the
successive Indian wars. The native tribes on this part of the
American coast were weak and timid. The province is specially
interesting as being the point where the civilization of New Eng
land blended with the civilization of the South. Here the insti
tutions and laws of the Pilgrims were modified by contact with
the habits and opinions of the people who came with Gosnold
and Smith. The line between East and West Jersey is also the
line between the Puritans of Massachusetts and the cavaliers of
Virginia. Along this dividing line came the followers of Penn
to subdue ill-will and make a UNION possible.
Early settlements in New Jersey.-At Bergen.-And Fort Nassau.-The prov
ince is given to Berkeley and Carteret.— Nicolls makes a grant to Puritans.—
Elizabethtown is founded.— Nicolls contends with the Carterets.— The pro
prietors frame a constitution.— Character of the laws.— The quit-rents.— The
colonists resist payment.— Philip Carteret is deposed.— James Carteret becomes
governor.— New Jersey is retaken by Holland.— And again ceded to England.—
The Duke of York renews his charter.— And ros governor.— Carteret resists.—
Berkeley sells West Jersey to Fenwick.— Disputes of Carteret and Andros.—
Laurie, Lucas and Penn buy West Jersey.— New Jersey is divided.— The pro
prietors issue the Concessions.— The Quakers colonize West Jersey.— The Duke
of York claims the country.— Sir William Jones decides against him.— An -
dros's claim is annulled.— The Quakers frame a constitution.— East Jersey is
purchased by the Friends.— Barclay is governor.— The two Jerseys submit to
Andros.— Regain their liberties.— Conflicting claims.— The proprietors sur
render their rights to the Crown.— New Jersey becomes a royal province.— Js
attached to New York under Cornbury.— The people petition for a separation.—
Morris becomes governor.— New Jersey not injured by Indian ware.
PENNSYLVANIA. 139
CHAPTER XXV.
PENNSYLVANIA.
THE Quakers were greatly encouraged with the success of their
colonies in New Jersey. For more than a quarter of a century
they had been buffeted with persecutions. But imprisonment and
exile had not abated their zeal. The benevolent spirit of Penn
urged him to find for his people an asylum in the New World.
In June of 1680, he appealed to King Charles for the privilege
of founding a Quaker commonwealth in America.
2. The petition was heard with favor. On the 5th of March,
1681, a charter was granted by Charles II., and William Penn
became the proprietor of PENNSYLVANIA. The vast domain em
braced under the new patent was bounded on the east by the
Delaware, extended north and south over three degrees of latitude,
and westward through five degrees of longitude. The three coun
ties of Delaware were reserved for the duke of York.
3. In consideration of this grant, Penn relinquished a claim of
sixteen thousand pounds against the British government. He
declared that his object was to found a free commonwealth, with
out respect to the color, race or religion of the inhabitants. One
of his first acts was to address a letter to the Swedes in his prov
ince, telling them to keep their homes, and fear no oppression.
4. Within a month from the date of his charter, Penn published
a glowing account of his new country, promising freedom of con
science, and inviting emigration. During the summer three ship
loads of Quakers left England for the land of promise. William
Markham, the deputy-governor of the province, was instructed by
Penn to deal justly with all men, and to make friends of the In
dians. In October the proprietor sent a letter to the natives,
assuring them of his brotherly affection.
I
140
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
5. During the winter of 1681-82, Penn drew up a constitution
for his people. In the meantime, the duke of York had surren
dered his claim to the three counties on the Delaware. The
whole country on the we«t bank of the river, from Cape Henlopen
to the forty-
third degree
of latitude,
was now
transferred
to Penn.
The sum
mer of 1682
was spent
in further
preparation.
The propri-
: etor wrote
^a letter of
|^ farewell to
the Friends
i in England;
embarked
with a large
company of
emigrants;
and on the
27th of Oc
tober, land
ed at New Castle, where the people were waiting to receive him.
6. WILLIAM PENN was born on the 14th of October, 1644.
lie was the oldest son of Sir William Penn of the British navy.
At the age of twelve he was sent to the University of Oxford,
where he distinguished himself as a student until he was expelled
on account of his religion. Afterward he traveled on the Conti
nent, and then became a student of law at London. For a while
he was a soldier, and was then converted to the Quaker faith.
His father drove him out of doors, but he was not to be turned
WILLIAM PENN.
PENNSYLVANIA. 141
from his course. He proclaimed the doctrines of the Friends;
was arrested and imprisoned, first in the Tower of London, and
afterward at Newgate. Despairing of toleration in England, he
cast his gaze across the Atlantic. West Jersey was purchased;
Pennsylvania was granted by King Charles; and now Penn himself
arrived in America to found a government on the basis of peace.
7. The Quaker governor delivered an affectionate address to the
crowd of Swedes, Dutch, and English who came to greet him.
His pledges of a liberal government were renewed, and the people
were exhorted to sobriety and honesty. Penn then ascended
the Delaware to Chester; visited West Jersey; and spent some
time at New York. In a few weeks he returned to his own
province and began his duties as chief magistrate.
8. Friendly relations were established between the Friends and
Red men. A great conference, appointed with the sachems of the
neighboring tribes, was held on the banks of the Delaware. Penn
declared his brotherly affection for the Indians. Standing before
them, clad in the simple garb of the Quakers, he said: "MY
FRIENDS: We have met on the broad pathway of good faith.
We are all one flesh and blood. Being brethren, no advantage
shall be taken on either side. When disputes arise, we will settle
them in council. Between us there shall be nothing but openness
and love." The chiefs replied: "While the rivers run and the
sun shines we will live in peace with the children of William
Penn." And the treaty was sacredly kept. The Quaker hat and
coat proved to be a better defence than coat-of-mail and musket.
9. In December, 1682, a general convention was held at Chester.
The object was to complete the territorial legislation. After the
session, Penn repaired to the Chesapeake to confer with Lord Balt
imore about the boundaries of their provinces. After a month's
absence he returned to Chester and drew a map of his proposed
capital. The neck of land between the Schuylkill and the Dela
ware was purchased of the Swedes. In February of 1683, the
native chestnuts, walnuts and ashes were blazed to indicate the
lines of the streets, and PHILADELPHIA was founded. Within a
month a general assembly was in session at the new capital. A
democratic form of government was adopted. The officers were the
142
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
governor, a council consisting of members chosen for three years,
and a popular assembly, to be annually elected. The right of veto
ing objectionable acts of the council was left in the hands of Penn.
10. The growth of Philadelphia was astonishing. In 1683 there
were only three or four houses.
The ground-squirrels still
lived in their burrows, and
the wild deer ran through the
town. In 1685 the city con
tained six hundred houses;
the schoolmaster had come
and the printing-press had
begun its work. In another
year Philadelphia had out
grown New York. In Au
gust of 1684, Penn took
leave of his colony, and sailed
for England.
PHILADELPHIA AND VICINITY.
11. Nothing occurred to
disturb the peace of Pennsylvania until the secession of Delaware
in 1691. The three lower counties, which had been united on
terms of equality with the six counties of Pennsylvania, became
dissatisfied with some acts of the assembly and insisted on a separa
tion. The proprietor gave consent ; Delaware withdrew from the
union and received a separate deputy-governor.
12. For his adherence to the cause of King James II., Penn
was several times imprisoned. In 1692 his proprietary rights were
taken away, and the government of Pennsylvania was transferred
to Fletcher of New York. In the following year, Delaware shared
the same fate; all the provinces between Connecticut and Maryland
were consolidated under Fletcher's authority. But the suspicions
against Penn's loyalty were found to be groundless, and he was
restored to his rights.
13. In December of 1699, Penn visited his American com
monwealth. He found the lower counties in a state of hostility
to the assembly. In order to restore peace, the proprietor
drew up another constitution, more liberal than the first. But
PENXS YL VAN I A. 1 43
Delaware would not accept the new frame of government. In 1702
the assemblies of the two provinces sat apart; and in the follow
ing year Delaware and Pennsylvania were finally separated.
14-. In the winter of 1701, Penn returned to England. The
ministers had now formed the design of establishing royal govern
ments in all the colonies. The presence of Penn was required in
England in order to prevent the success of the scheme. After
much controversy his rights were fully recognized. In July of
1718, the founder of Pennsylvania sank to rest. His estates, vast
and valuable, were bequeathed to his three sons, John, Thomas
and Richard. By them, or their deputies, Pennsylvania was gov
erned until the American Revolution. In the year 1779, the claims
of the Penn family were purchased by the legislature of Pennsyl
vania for a hundred and thirty thousand pounds.
15. The colonial history of the State founded by Penn is one
of special interest and pleasure. It is a narrative of the victories of
peace, and of the triumph of peaceful principles over violence and
wrong. It is doubtful whether the history of any other colony in
the world is touched with so many traits of innocence and truth.
"I will found a free colony for all mankind," were the words of
William Penn. How well his work was done shall be told when
the bells of his capital city shall ring out the glad notes of AMER
ICAN INDEPENDENCE.
:R,IE c A. FITTJ IJ.A.T x o 3sr .
The Friends are persecuted in Europe.— Penn designs to plant a Quaker State
in America.— Charles II. grants the charter of Pennsylvania.— Penn relin
quishes his claims on the British government.— Declares his purposes. — Invites
emigration. — A colony departs under Markham. — The Indians are assured
of friendship.— Penn frames a constitution.— The Duke of York surrenders
Delaware.— Extent of Penii's dominion.— He leaves England with a colony.—
Sketch of his life.— He addresses the people at New Castle.— Visits New York.—
Makes the great treaty with the Indians.— A convention is held at Chester. -
A constitution is adopted.— Penn visits Lord Baltimore.- Philadelphia is
founded.— Growth of the city.— Penn sails for England.— Delaware secedes.—
Penn adheres to James II.— Is imprisoned.— His province is taken away.— But
restored.— Penn revisits America.— The constitution is modified.— Delaware is
separated.— Penn returns to England.— Dies.— His sons become proprietors
of Pennsylvania.— The province is purchased by the legislature.
MEN"OR SOUTHERN COLONIES.
CHAPTER XXVI.
MARYLAND.
nAPTAIN JOHN SMITH was the first white man to explore
\J the Chesapeake. In 1621, William Clayborne, an English
surveyor, was sent out by the London Company to make a map
of the country around the bay. By the second charter of Vir
ginia that province included all of the present State of Mary
land. To explore and occupy the country was an enterprise of
the highest importance to the Virginians.
2. In May of 1631, Clayborne was authorized to survey the
country as far north as the forty-first degree of latitude, and to
establish a trade with the Indians. This commission was con
firmed by Governor Harvey of Virginia, and in the spring of
1632 Clayborne began his important work.
3. The enterprise was attended with success. A trading-post
was established on Kent Island, and another near Havre de
Grace. The Chesapeake was explored and a trade opened with
the natives. The limits of Virginia were about to be extended
to the borders of New Netherland. But in the mean time, relig
ious persecutions were preparing the way for the foundation of
a new State in the wilderness. Sir George Calvert, a Catholic
nobleman of Yorkshire, better known by his title of LORD BAL
TIMORE, was destined to become the founder.
4. King James, who was not unfriendly to the Catholics, first
granted to- Sir George a patent for the southern part of New
foundland, and here, in 1623, a colony was established. But
it soon became evident that the settlement must be removed,
and Lord Baltimore turned his attention to the Chesapeake.
(144)
MARYLAND.
145
5. In 1629 he made a visit to Virginia. The general assembly
offered him citizenship, but required such an oath of allegiance as
no honest Catholic could take. Lord Baltimore thereupon left the
narrow-minded legislators ; returned to London ; drew up a charter
for a new State on
the Chesapeake ;
and induced King
Charles to sign it.
6. The bounda
ries of Sir George's
province may be
learned by an ex
amination of Map
II. The provisions
of the charter were
ample. No prefer
ence was given to
any particular relig
ion. The lives and
property of the colo
nists were carefully
guarded. Arbitrary
taxation was forbid
den. The power of
making the laws was conceded to the freemen of the colony.
7. Before the patent could receive the seal of state, Sir George
Calvert died. His title descended to his son Cecil ; and to him,
on the 20th of June, 1632, the charter was issued. In honor of
Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I., the name of MARYLAND was
conferred on the new province. It only remained for the younger
Lord Baltimore to raise a company of emigrants and carry out
his father's designs. In the fall of 1633, a colony numbering two
hundred persons was collected. Leonard Calvert, a brother of
Cecil, was appointed to accompany the colonists to America.
8. In March of 1634, the immigrants arrived at Old Point
Comfort. They proceeded up the bay and ascended the Poto
mac to the mouth of Piscataway Creek. A conference was held
IALT1MOBK.
146 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
with the chiefs of an Indian village, who told Calvert that he
and his colony might stay or go just as tiiey pleased. Consider
ing this answer as a threat, Calvert again embarked, and dropped
down stream to the mouth of the St. Mary's. Finding a half
deserted Indian village, the English moved into the vacant huts.
The rest of the town was purchased ; and the name of ST.
MARY'S was given to the colony.
9. Friendly relations were established with the natives. The
Indian women taught the wives of the English how to make
corn-bread, and the warriors instructed the colonists in the art
of hunting. There was neither anxiety nor want in the colony.
Within six months the settlement had grown into greater pros
perity than Jamestown had reached in as many years.
10. In February of 1635, a general assembly was convened and
the work of legislation begun. Soon the province was involved in
difficulty. For Clayborne, with his companions on Kent Island,
resisted Lord Baltimore's authority. In 1637, a bloody skirmish
occurred on the eastern shore of the bay. Several lives were
lost, but Clayborne's followers were defeated. Calvert's forces
overpowered the settlement on Kent Island and executed one or
two of the rebels. Clayborne escaped into Virginia, and the gov
ernor sent him to England for trial. There he appealed to the
king. The cause was heard by Parliament, and it was decided
that his commission was null and void.
11. In 1639 a representative government was established in
Maryland. Hitherto a system of democracy had prevailed ; each
freeman had been allowed a vote in determining the laws. When
the new delegates came together, a declaration of rights was
adopted. All the liberal principles of the colonial patent were re
affirmed. The rights of citizenship were declared to be the same
with those of the people of England.
12. In 1642 Indian hostilities were begun on the Potomac. But
the settlements of Maryland were compact, and no great suffering
was occasioned. In 1644 the savages agreed to bury the hatchet
and to renew the pledges of friendship. Hardly, however, had
the echo of war died away, when the colony was troubled by
the return of its old enemy — Clayborne.
MARYLAND. 147
13. Arriving in the province in 1644, he began to tell the law
less spirits of the colony that they were wronged and oppressed by
the government. An insurrection broke out. The government of
Calvert was overthrown, and the governor obliged to fly to Vir
ginia. Clayborne seized the records of Maryland, and destroyed
them. For more than a year the colony was controlled by the
insurgents. Soon, however, Calvert collected troops, defeated the
rebels, and in 1646 restored his authority.
14-. In 1650 the legislature of Maryland was divided into two
branches. The rights of Lord Baltimore were denned by law.
An act was passed declaring that no taxes should be levied with
out the consent of the assembly. Such was the condition of affairs
in the colony when the commonwealth was established in England.
15. In 1651 parliamentary commissioners came to America to
assume control of Maryland. Stone, the deputy of Baltimore,
was deposed from office ; but in the following year he was per
mitted to resume the government. In April of 1653 he published
a proclamation declaring that the recent interference had been
a rebellion. Clayborne thereupon collected a force in Virginia,
drove S^one out of office, and directed the government himself.
16. In 1654 a Protestant assembly was convened at Patuxent.
The supremacy of Cromwell was acknowledged, and the Catholics
were deprived of the protection of the laws. Civil war ensued.
Governor Stone armed the militia, and seized the records of the
colony. A battle was fought near Annapolis, and the Catholics
were defeated, with a loss of fifty men. Stone was taken prisoner,
but was saved from death by the friendship of some of the in
surgents. Three of the Catholics were tried and executed.
17. In 1656 Josias Fendall was sent out as governor of the
province. For two years the government was divided, the Cath
olics exercising authority at St. Mary's, and the Protestants at
Leonardstown. In 1658 a compromise was effected; Fendall was
acknowledged as governor, and the acts of the Protestant assembly
wore recognized as valid.
18. After the death of Cromwell, Maryland was declared inde
pendent. On the 12th of March, 1660, the rights of Lord Baltimore
were set aside, and the whole power of government was assumed
in
148 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
by the House of Burgesses. On the restoration of monarchy the
Baltimores were again recognized, and Philip Calvert was sent out
as governor. Fendall had resigned his trust and accepted an elec
tion by the people. He was now condemned on a charge of
treason. Lord Baltimore, however, proclaimed a general pardon.
19. From 1675 to 1691, Charles Calvert was governor of Mary
land. Only once during this period was the happiness of the
colony disturbed. After the abdication of James II., the deputy
of Lord Baltimore hesitated to acknowledge William and Mary.
A rumor was spread abroad that the Catholics had leagued with
the Indians to destroy the Protestants. In 1689 the Catholic party
was compelled to surrender the government. For two years the
Protestants held the province, and exercised civil authority.
20. On the 1st of June, 1691, the charter of Lord Baltimore
was taken away, and a royal governor appointed. Sir Lionel
Copley received a commission, and assumed the government in
1692. The Episcopal Church was established by law. Religious
toleration was abolished and the government administered on
despotic principles. This condition of affairs continued until 1715,
when Queen Anne restored the heir of Lord Baltimore to the
rights of his ancestor. Maryland remained under the authority of
the Calverts until the Revolution.
Clayborne explores the Chesapeake.— Establishes trading-pqgts.— Sir George
Calvert plans a colony.— Sends a company to Newfoundland.— Goes to Vir
ginia.— Returns to England.— Obtains a charter.— Character of the patent.—
Calvert dies.— Sir Cecil succeeds him. -The name of Maryland.— A colony is
sent out under Leonard Calvert.— Founds St. Mary's.— Friendly relations with
the Indians.- -Growth of the colony.— An assembly is convened.— Clayborne's
insurrection.— He escapes into Virginia.— Is sent to England.— Representative
government established. -An Indian war breaks out.— Clayborne leads a second
insurrection.— Overthrows the government.— The rebellion is suppressed.— Di
vision of the legislature.— Commissioners are appointed by Parliament.— Dis
sensions of Stone and Clayborne.- The civil war.— Fendall's rebellion.— Mary
land declares independence.— Fendall is condemned.— Charles Calvert is gover
nor.— The Protestants gain control of the State.— Maryland a royal province.—
The heir of Baltimore regains his rights.— The Calverts rule the colony.
NORTH CAROLINA. 149
CHAPTER XXVII.
NORTH CAROLINA.
THE first effort to colonize North Carolina was made by Sir
Walter Raleigh. In 1630 the country was 'granted to Sir
Robert Heath. But after thirty-three years, the patent was re
voked by the English king. The name of CAROLINA had been
given to the country by John Ribault in 1562.
2. In the year 1622, the country was explored by Pory. Twenty
years later a company of Virginians on the lower Roanoke estab
lished a trade with the natives. The first actual settlement was
made on the Chowan about the year 1651. In 1661 a company
of Puritans settled on Oldtown Creek. In 1663 Lord Clarendon,
and seven other noblemen, received a grant of all the country
between the thirty-sixth parallel and the river St. John's.
3. In the same year William Drummond was chosen governor
by the settlers on the Chowan, and the name of ALBEMARLE
COUNTY COLONY was given to the district. In 1665 the Puritan
colony on Cape Fear River was broken up by the Indians ; but
soon afterward the. territory was purchased by a company of
planters from Barbadoes. A new county named CLARENDON
was laid out, and Sir John Yeamans elected governor.
4. The work of preparing a frame of government for the new
province was assigned to Sir Ashley Cooper. The philosopher
John Locke was employed by him and his associates to prepare
the constitution. From March until July of 1669, Locke worked
away in drawing up a plan which he called THE GRAND MODEL.
It contained a hundred and twenty articles; and this was but the
beginning! The empire of Carolina was divided into districts of
four hundred and eighty thousand acres each. The offices were
divided between two grand orders of nobility.
150 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
5. All attempts to establish the new government ended in fail
ure. But the settlers of Albemarle and Clarendon had mean
while learned to govern themselves. They grew prosperous by
trading in staves and furs; and when this traffic was exhausted,
began to remove to other settlements. In 1671 Governor Yea-
mans was transferred to the new colony on Ashley River, and the
whole county of Clarendon was surrendered to the natives.
6. The people of the colony were greatly oppressed with taxes.
The trade with New England alone was weighed down with an
annual duty of twelve thousand dollars. A gloomy opposition to
the government prevailed; and when, in 1676, large numbers of
refugees from Virginia arrived in Carolina, the discontent was
kindled into an insurrection. The people seized Governor Miller
and his council, and established a new government of their own.
John Culpepper, the leader of the insurgents, was chosen gov
ernor. In 1679 Miller and his associates escaped from confine
ment and went to London. Governor Culpepper, who followed to
defend himself, was seized, indicted for treason, tried and ac
quitted.
7. In 1680 Seth Sothel was sent out by the proprietors as gov
ernor of the province. In crossing the ocean he was captured by
pirates, and did not arrive in Carolina until 1683. After five
years of tyranny, the base, bad man was overthrown in an insur
rection. Finding himself a prisoner, he begged to be tried by the
assembly of the province. The request was granted, and the cul
prit escaped with less punishment than he deserved.
8. Sothel was succeeded by Ludwell, who arrived in 1689. His
administration was a period of peace. In 1695 came Sir John
Archdale. Then followed the administration of Governor Walker;
then, in 1704, the attempt of Robert Daniel to establish the
Church of England. In the mean time new settlers came from
Virginia and Maryland — Quakers came from New England, Hu
guenots from France, and peasants from Switzerland.
9. The Indians of North Carolina gradually wasted away.
Some of the nations were already extinct. The lands of the
savages had passed to the whites, sometimes by purchase, some
times by fraud. Of all the tribes of the Carolinas only the
NORTH CAROLINA. 151
Corees and the Tuscaroras were still formidable. These grew
jealous and went to war with the whites.
10. On the night of the 22d of September, 1711, the savages
rose upon the scattered settlements, and murdered a hundred
and thirty persons. Civil dissensions prevented the authorities
from adopting vigorous measures of defence. But Colonel Barn-
well came from South Carolina with a company of militia and
friendly Indians ; and the savages were driven into their fort. A
treaty of peace was made; but Barn well's men, on their way home
ward, sacked an Indian village, and the war was at once renewed.
11. In the next year, Colonel Moore of South Carolina arrived
with a regiment of whites and Indians, and the Tuscaroras were
pursued to their fort on Cotentnea Creek. This place was carried
by assault. Eight hundred warriors were taken prisoners. The
power of the hostile nation was broken ; and the Tuscaroras,
abandoning their hunting-grounds, marched across Virginia, Mary
land, and Pennsylvania, joined their kinsmen, of New York, and
became the sixth nation of the Iroquois.
12. In 1729 a separation was effected between the two Caro-
linas, and a royal governor was appointed over each. In spite of
many reverses, the northern colony had greatly prospered. Intel
lectual development had not been as rapid as the growth in num
bers and wealth. Little attention had been given to questions
of religion. There was no minister in the province until 1703.
Two years later the first church was built. The printing-press
did not begin its work until 1754. But the people were brave
and patriotic. They loved their country, and called it the LAND
OF SUMMER.
The name of Carolina.— Early explorations.— The country is granted to Clar
endon and others.— Albemarle and Clarendon colonies are founded.— Cooper ami
Locke frame the Grand Model.— Clarendon county is abandoned.— The proprie
tors oppress the colonists.— A rebellion ensues.— Governor Culpepper goes lo
England.— Soth el is se.nt out as governor.— He is overthrown.— Ludwell suc
ceeds.— And then Walker.— The colony prospers. -Decline of the Indian tribes.—
A war breaks out. — Barnwell's expedition.— Peace. — And war again.— Moore in
vades the country of the Tuscaroras.— The savages are beaten.— The nation is
divided.— The Tuscarora migration.— Division of the Caroliuas.— Character of
the people.
152 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
IN January of 1670, the proprietors of Carolina sent out a
colony under command of Joseph West and William Sayle.
The new emigrants reached the mainland in the country of the
Savannah. The vessels first anchored near the site of Beaufort.
But the colonists, dissatisfied with the appearance of the country,
sailed northward along the coast, and entered the mouth of Ashley
River. On the first high land upon the southern bank were laid
the foundations of Old Charleston, named in honor of Charles II.
2. Sayle hud been commissioned as governor of the colony.
The settlers soon organized a little government on the principles
of common sense. Five councilors were elected by the people,
and five others appointed by the proprietors. Twenty delegates,
composing a house of representatives, were chosen by the colonists.
Within two years the government was firmly established.
3. In 1671 Governor Sayle died, and West assumed the duties
of the vacant office. In a few months Sir John Yeamans, who
had been governor of the northern province, was commissioned
as chief magistrate of the southern colony. He brought with
him to Ashley River a cargo of African slaves. Thus the labor
of the black man was substituted for the labor of the white man,
and in less than two years slavery was firmly established. The
importation of negroes went on so rapidly that they soon out
numbered the whites as two to one.
4. During the year 1671, the country was rapidly filled with
people. Fertile lands were abundant. Wars and pestilence had
almost destroyed the native tribes. The proprietors of Carolina
sent several ships to New York, loaded them with the discon
tented people of that province, and brought them to Charleston.
SOUTH CAROLINA. 153
Charles II. collected a company of Protestant refugees in Europe,
and sent them to Carolina to introduce the silk-worm and to
cultivate the grape.
5. In 1680 the present city of Charleston was founded. Thirty
dwellings were erected during the first summer. The village im
mediately became the capital of the colony. The unhealthy
climate retarded the progress of the new town, but the people
were full of life and enterprise.
6. Soon a war broke out with the Nestoes, who lived in the
neighborhood of Charleston. Scenes of violence occurred on the
border, and a bounty was offered for every captured Indian.
When the warriors were taken they were sold as slaves for the
West Indies. The strife continued for a year, and was then con
cluded with a treaty of peace.
7. England, France, Scotland and Ireland all sent colonies to
South Carolina. Especially did the French Huguenots come in
great numbers ; for they were now persecuted in their own country.
They were met by the proprietors with a promise of citizenship;
but the promise was not well kept ; for the general assembly
claimed the right of fixing the conditions of naturalization. Not
until 1697 were all discriminations against the French immigrants
removed.
8. In 1686 came James Colleton as governor. He began his
administration with an attempt to establish the constitution pre
pared by Locke. Soon the colony was in a state of rebellion.
The militia wyas called out and the province declared under mar
tial law. But the people were only the more exasperated. In
1689 William and Mary were proclaimed as sovereigns, and Col
leton was banished from the province.
9. Seth Sothel now repaired to Charleston and assumed the
government. For a while he induced the people to sustain his
authority. But after a turbulent rule of two years, he too was
driven away. One bright page redeems the record of his admin
istration. In May of 1691 equal rights were granted to the
Huguenots. Philip Ludwell spent a year in a well-meant effort
to administer the government ; but the people were fixed in their
dislike of the constitution, and Ludwell returned to Virginia.
154 HISTORY OF THE UNJTED STATES.
10. Iii April of 1693, the proprietors of Carolina annulled the
Grand Model, and Thomas Smith was appointed governor. He
was soon superseded by John Archdale, a distinguished Quaker,
under whose administration the colony entered upon a new career
of prosperity. The quit-rents on lands were remitted for four
years. The Indians were conciliated with kindness, and the Hu
guenots protected in their rights. It was a real misfortune when,
in 1698, the good governor was recalled to England.
11. James Moore was next commissioned as chief magistrate.
The first important act of his administration was a declaration of
war against the Spaniards of St. Augustine. It was voted to
raise and equip a force of twelve hundred men, and to invade
Florida by land and water. In September of 1702, two expedi
tions departed, the land-forces led by Colonel Daniel and the
fleet commanded by the governor.
12. The English vessels sailed to the St. John's. Daniel
marched overland and captured St. Augustine. But the Span
iards withdrew without serious loss into the castle. Without ar
tillery the place could not be taken. Two Spanish men-of-war
appeared at the mouth of the St. John's, and the English ships
were "blockaded. Governor Moore, collecting his forces, hastily
retreated into Carolina. The only results of the unfortunate ex
pedition were debt and paper money.
13. In December of 1705, the governor led an expedition
against the Indians. On the 14th of the month the invaders
reached a fortified town near St. Mark's. The place was carried
by assault, and more than two hundred prisoners were taken.
On the next day Moore's forces defeated a large body of Indians
and Spaniards. Five towns were carried in succession, and the
English flag was borne to the Gulf of Mexico.
14. In the first year of Governor Johnson's administration, an
act was passed disfranchising all dissenters from the English
Church, but Parliament voted that the act was contrary to the
laws of England. In November of the same year the colonial
legislature revoked the law ; but Episcopalianism continued to be
the established faith of the province.
15. In the year 1706, Charleston was besieged by a French
SOUTH CAROLINA. 155
and Spanish fleet. The people of the capital, led by Governor
.Johnson and Colonel Rhett, prepared for a stubborn defence.
One of the French vessels succeeded in getting to shore with eight
hundred troops, but they were driven back with a loss of three
hundred in killed and prisoners. The siege was at once abandoned.
10. In the spring of 1715, the Yamassees rose upon the
frontier settlements and committed an atrocious massacre. The
desperate savages came within a short distance of the capital ;
and the whole colony was threatened with destruction. But Gov
ernor Craven rallied the militia, and the savages were pursued to
the banks of the Salkehatchie. Here a decisive battle was fought,
and the Indians were completely routed. The Yamassees collected
their tribe and retired into Florida.
17. At the close of the war the assembly petitioned the pro
prietors to bear a portion of the expense. But they refused, and
would take no measures for the protection of the colony. The
people, greatly burdened with rents and taxes, grew dissatisfied
with the proprietary government. In the new election every dele
gate was chosen by the popular party. When James Moore, the
new chief magistrate elected by the people, was to be inaugurated,
Governor Johnson tried to prevent the ceremony. But the militia
collected in the public square, and before nightfall the government
of Carolina was overthrown. Governor Moore was duly inaugur
ated in the name of King George I.
18. Francis Nicholson was soon afterward commissioned as gov
ernor. He began his duties by concluding treaties of peace with
the Cherokees and the Creeks. But another change in colonial
affairs was now at hand. In 1729 seven of the proprietors of
Carolina sold their claims in the province to the king. The sum
paid by George II. for the two colonies was twenty-two thousand
five hundred pounds. Royal governors were appointed, and the
affairs of the province were settled on a permanent basis.
19. The people who colonized South Carolina were brave and
chivalrous. The Huguenot, the Scotch Presbyterian, the Eng
lish dissenter, the Irish adventurer, and the Dutch mechanic,
composed the material of the PALMETTO STATE. Equally with
the Puritans of the North, the South Carolinians were lovers of
156 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
liberty. The people who were once governed by the peaceful
Archdale, and once led to war by the gallant Craven, became the
leaders in politeness and honor between man and man.
IR/IE C -A.IP I T TJ Ij -A.T I O 2sT -
A colony is sent out under West and Sayle.— Settles on Ashley River.— Locke's
constitution is rejected.— And a simple government adopted.— West becomes
governor.— And then Yeamans.— Slavery is introduced.— Rapid immigration.—
Charleston is founded. — An Indian war arises. — Immigrants arrive from Eng
land, Scotland, and Ireland. — The Huguenots come to South Carolina. — Colleton
becomes governor. — Is overthrown. — Sothel takes the office. — Is banished. — Lud-
well next. — The proprietors abrogate the Grand Model. — Administration of Arch-
dale. — Moore succeeds.— The war with Florida. — Moore and Daniel attempt to
take St. Augustine. — Moore's campaign against the Indians.— The dissenters are
disfranchised.— The act is revoked by Parliament.— The Spaniards besiege
Charleston.— And are repelled.— The Yamassees are conquered.— Revolution in
South Carolina.— Nicholson is governor.— The proprietors sell Carolina to the
king.— A royal government is established.— Character of the people.
CHAPTER XXIX.
GEORGIA. '
/GEORGIA, the thirteenth American colony, was founded by
vJ James Oglethorpe, an English philanthropist. The laws of
England permitted imprisonment for debt. Thousands of English
laborers were annually arrested and thrown into jail. In order to
provide a refuge for the poor and the distressed, Oglethorpe ap
pealed to George II. for the privilege of planting a colony in
America. The petition was favorably heard, and on the 9th of
June, 1732, a charter was issued by which the territory between
the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers, and westward to the Pacific,
was granted to a corporation, to be held in trust for the poor. In
honor of the king, the new province was named GEORGIA.
157
2. Oglethorpe, who was a brave soldier and a member of Parlia
ment, was the principal member of the corporation. To him the
leadership of the first colony to be planted on the Savannah was
entrusted. By the middle of November a hundred and twenty
emigrants were ready to sail for the New World. In January
of 1733 the
company was
welcomed at
Charleston.
Further south
the colonists
entered the
river, and, on
the 1st of
February, laid
the f o u n d a-
tions of Sa
vannah. Broad
streets were
laid out, and
a beautiful vil
lage of tents
and board
houses a p -
peared among
the pine trees.
3. To mo-
chichi, chief
of the Yama-
craws, came from his cabin to see the new-comers. " Here is a
present for you," said he to Oglethorpe. The present was a buffalo
robe painted with the head and feathers of an eagle. "The
feathers are soft, and signify love ; the buffalo skin is the emblem
of protection. Therefore love us and protect us," said the old
chieftain. Seeing the advantages of peace, Oglethorpe invited the
Muskhogees to a council at his capital. The conference was held
on the 29th of May. Long King, the sachem, spoke for all the
JAMES OGLETHOKPE.
158 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
tribes. The English were welcomed to the country. Gifts were
made, and the governor responded with words of friendship.
4. The councilors in England encouraged emigration. Swiss
peasants, Scotch Highlanders, and German Protestants all found
a home on the Savannah. In April of 1734, Oglethorpe, accom
panied by Tomo-chichi, made a visit to England. It was said in
London that no colony was ever before founded so wisely as
Georgia. The councilors prohibited the importation of rum.
Traffic with the Indians was regulated by a license. Slavery was
positively forbidden. While the governor was still abroad, a com
pany of Moravians arrived at Savannah.
5. In February of 1736, Oglethorpe came back with a colony
of three hundred. These were also Moravians, people of deep
piety and fervent spirit. First among them was John Wesley,
the founder of Methodism. He came to Georgia to spread the
gospel and convert the Indians. But he was doomed to much
disappointment in his work ; and after a residence of less than
two years he left the colony. His brother, Charles Wesley, came
also as a secretary to Governor Oglethorpe. In 1738 the famous
George Whiten* eld came and preached with fiery eloquence through
all the colonies.
6. Meanwhile, Oglethorpe, anticipating war with Florida, began
to fortify. All of Georgia was embraced in the Spanish claim.
But Oglethorpe had a charter for the territory as far south as the
Altamaha. In 1736 he ascended the Savannah and built a fort
at Augusta. On the north bank of the Altamaha, Fort Darien
was built. On St. Simon's Island a fortress was erected and
named Frederica. The St. John's was claimed from this time
forth as the southern boundary of Georgia. The governor again
visited England, and returned with a regiment of troops.
7. In October, 1739, England published a declaration of war
against Spain. In the first week of the following January, Ogle
thorpe invaded Florida, and captured two fortified towns. Re
turning to Charleston, he induced the assembly to support his
measures; and with a force of more than a thousand men he
marched against St. Augustine. The place was besieged for five
weeks. But sickness prevailed in the English camp. The troops
GEORGIA.
159
of Carolina, despairing of success, marched homeward. The Eng
lish vessels abandoned the siege and returned to Frederica. Ogle-
thorpe, yielding to necessity, collected his men and withdrew
into Georgia.
8. The Spaniards now de
termined to carry the war
into Georgia. Preparations
be<ran on a vast scale. In
June of 1742, a fleet of
thirty-six vessels, carrying
more than three thousand
troops, sailed from St. Au
gustine for the reduction of
Fort William on Cumber
land Island. But Oglethorpe
reinforced the garrison, and
then fell back to Frederica.
The Spanish vessels followed.
From the southern point of
the island to Frederica, Ogle
thorpe had cut a road which
lay between a morass and a
forest. Along this path the
Spaniards must pass to at- w
tack the town.
9. In order to cope with
superior numbers, the English general resorted to stratagem. He
wrote a letter to a French deserter in the Spanish camp, telling
him that two British fleets were coming to America to aid Ogle
thorpe; and that if the Spaniards did not make an immediate
attack on Frederica, they would be captured. The letter was
delivered, and the Frenchman was arrested as a spy; but the
Spaniards were perplexed, and it was finally decided to make the
attack on Frederica.
10. The English general posted his men between the swamp and
the forest. On the 7th of July the enemy reached the pass, were
fired on from the thicket and driven back in confusion. The main
160 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
body of the Spanish forces pressed on into the same position, stood
firm for a while, but were presently routed with a loss of two
hundred men. The name of Bloody Marsh was given to this
battle-field. Within a week the whole Spanish force reembarked
and sailed for Florida.
11. The colony of Georgia was now firmly established. In 1743
Oglejhorpe bade adieu to the people to whose welfare he had given
ten years of his life. He had never owned a house nor possessed
an acre of ground in the province. He now departed for England
where he lived to be nearly a hundred years of age.
12. The regulations which the councilors for Georgia had adopted
were poorly suited to the wants of the colony. The settlers had
no titles for their lands. Estates could descend only to the
oldest sons of families. The colonists charged their poverty to
the fact that slave-labor was forbidden in the province. The pro
prietary laws became unpopular. The statute excluding slavery
was not enforced. Slaves began to be hired, first for short terms
of service, then for longer periods, then for a hundred years.
Finally, slaves were brought directly from Africa and sold to the
planners below the Savannah. The new order of things was
acknowledged by the councilors; and, in June of 1.752, they sur
rendered their patent to the king. A royal government was estab
lished over the country, and the people were granted the freedom
of Englishmen. For some time the progress of the colony was not
equal to the expectations of its founder, but before the Revolution
Georgia had become a growing State.
IR, IE O -A. IP I T TJ I-. ^T I O IJST .
Georgia is founded by Oglethorpe.— He leads forth a colony. — Founds Savan
nah.— The friendly natives.— A treaty is made with the Muskhogees. — Immi
grants arrive from Europe.— Oglethorpe goes to England. — Returns. — The Mo
ravians. -The Wesleys.— And Whitefield.— Conflicting claims of Georgia and
Florida.— Oglethorpe builds forts.— War breaks out.— The governor besieges St.
Augustine.— And fails.— The Spaniards invade Georgia.— Oglethorpe's strata
gem. -The battle of Bloody Marsh.— The Spaniards are defeated. -The governor
returns to England.— Slavery is introduced.— The prohibitory law is repealed.—
Growth of the colony.
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
CHAPTER XXX.
CA USES.
THE time came when the American colonies began to act to
gether. The final struggle between France and England for
colonial supremacy in America was at hand. Necessity compelled
the English colonies to join in a common cause against the foe.
This is the conflict known as THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
Causes of war had existed for many years.
2. The first of these causes was the conflicting territorial claims
of the two nations. England had colonized the sea-coast ; France
had colonized the interior of the continent. The English kings
claimed the country from one ocean to the other. The French,
however, began to push their way westward and southward along
the great lakes to the head-waters of the Wabash, the Illinois, and
the St. Croix, then down these streams to the Mississippi and the
Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of the French was to divide the
American continent and to take the larger portion.
3. The first colonies and trading-posts of France in the Mis
sissippi valley were established by the Jesuit missionaries. As
early as 1641, Charles Raymbault explored Lake Huron and Lake
Superior. In the following thirty years, missions were established
in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. In 1673 the explorers,
Joliet and Marquette, reached the Wisconsin, and passed down
that river and the Mississippi to the mouth of the Arkansas.
4. ROBERT DE LA SALLE carried the flag of France still farther.
Sailing westward through the great lakes, he reached the mouth
(161)
162 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
of the St. Joseph, and then crossed the country to the Illinois.
From this place he was obliged to return on foot to Fort Fron-
tenac. Father Hennepin, one of La Salle's companions, explored
the Mississippi as far as the falls of St. Anthony.
5. In 1682 La Salle explored Illinois and descended the Mis
sissippi to the Gulf of Mexico. The up-river voyage was success
fully accomplished, and La Salle sailed for France. In January
of 1685, he returned in command of four emigrant ships, and
reached the coast of Texas, where a colony was established. March
ing northward in the hope of reaching Canada, La Salle was mur
dered by one of his own men on the 20th of March, 1687.
6. The French soon established military posts at Frontenac, at
Niagara, at the Straits of Mackinaw, and on the Illinois. Before
1750, settlements had been made on the Maumee, at Detroit, at
Green Bay, at Vincennes, at Kaskaskia, at Natchez, and on the
Bay of Biloxi. At this time the only outposts of the English
were a fort at Oswego, and a few cabins in West Virginia.
7. The immediate cause of hostilities was a conflict between the
frontiersmen of the two nations in the Ohio valley. In order to
prevent the intrusion of the French fur-traders into this country,
a number of Virginians joined themselves together in a body called
THE OHIO COMPANY. In March of 1749, they received from
George II. a land-grant of five hundred thousand acres, located
between the Kanawha and the Monongahela. But before the
company could send out a colony, the governor of Canada de
spatched three hundred men to occupy the valley of the Ohio.
In the next year, however, the Ohio Company sent out an explor
ing party under Christopher Gist, who traversed the country and
returned to Virginia in 1751.
8. This expedition was followed by vigorous movements of the
French. They built a fort called Le Boeuf, on French Creek,
and another named Venango, on the Alleghany. About the same
time the country south of the Ohio was again explored by Gist and
a party of armed surveyors. In 1753 the English opened a road
from Will's Creek through the mountains, and a small colony was
planted on the Youghiogheny.
9. The Indians were greatly alarmed at the prospect. They
FRENCH AXD INDIAN WAR.— CAUSES.
lb'3
rather favored the English cause, but their allegiance was un
certain. In the spring of 1753, the Miami tribes, under the leader
ship of the Half-King, met Benjamin Franklin at Carlisle, Penn
sylvania, and made a treaty with the English.
10. Before proceeding to actual war, Governor Dinwidtlie <!"-
termiiiLd to try a final re
monstrance with the French.
A paper was drawn upsetting
forth the nature of the Eng
lish claim to the valley of the
Ohio, and warning the au
thorities of France against
further intrusion. A young
surveyor named GEORGE
WASHINGTON was called
upon to carry this paper from
Williamsburg to General St.
Pierre at Presque Isle, on
Lake Erie.
11. On the last day of Octo- ___ _________
ber, 1753, Washington Set OUt FIRST SCENE OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, ITiii.
on his journey. He was attended by four comrades besides an in
terpreter and Christopher Gist, the guide. The party reached the
Youghiogheny, and passed down that stream to the site of Pitts-
burg. At Logstown, Washington held a council with the Indians,
and then pressed on to Venango. From this place he traversed
the forest to Fort le Boeuf. Here the conference wTas held with
St. Pierre. Washington was received with courtesy, but the
general of the French refused to enter into any discussion. He
was acting, he said, under military instructions, and would eject
every Englishman from the valley of the Ohio.
12. Washington >oon took leave of the French, and returned to
Venango. Then, with Gist as his sole companion, he left the
liver and struck into the woods. Clad in the robe of an Indian;
sleeping with frozen clothes on a bed of pine-brush ; guided
at night by the North Star ; fired at by a prowling savage
from his covert; lodging on an island in the Alleghany until the
164 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
river was frozen over ; plunging again into the forest, the young
ambassador came back without wound or scar to the capital of
Virginia. The answer of St. Pierre was laid before the governor,
and the first public service of Washington was ended.
13. In the mean time, the Ohio Company had sent thirty-three
men, under command of Trent, to erect a fort at the source of the
Ohio. In March, 1754, they reached the confluence of the Alle-
ghany and the Monongahela, and built the first rude block-house
on the site of Pittsburg. After all the threats of the French, the
English had beaten them and seized the key to the Ohio valley.
14. Soon, however, French boats came down the river; and
Trent was obliged to surrender. Washington was now stationed
at Alexandria to enlist recruits. But it was too late to save
Trent's men from capture. The French immediately occupied
the post, built barracks and laid the foundations of FORT DU
QUESNE. To retake this place Colonel Washington set out from
Will's Creek .in May of 1754. The possession of the disputed
territory was now to be determined by war.
The colonies begin to act together.— A sense of danger unites them. — The
French and Indian war arises.— Causes considered.— Conflicting territorial
claims.— English colonies on the sea-board. — French colonies in the interior. —
France proposes to confine the English to the Atlantic slope.— French settle
ments result from the efforts of the Jesuits.— Missions are established on the
lakes.— Joliet and Marquette discover the Mississippi.— La Salle reaches the
Illinois.— Explores the Mississippi to the Gulf.— Sails for France.— Returns with
a colony.— Reaches Texas.— Is murdered.— French posts are established.— The
Ohio valley to be occupied.— The frontiersmen of France and England come in
conflict.— The Ohio Company is organized.— Obtains a grant of land.— France
claims the Ohio valley.— Gist traverses the country.— The French fortify Le B<euf
and Venango.— Gist makes a second exploration.— An English colony on the
Youghiogheny.— The Indians favor the English.— The Half-King confers with
Franklin.— Dinwiddie sends a despatch to St. Pierre.— Washington is chosen for
the mission.— Sets out to the site of Pittsburg.— And thence to Le Boauf. -Confers
with St. Pierre.— And returns to Virginia.— Trent begins a fort at the fork of the
Ohio. -The French capture the place.— And build Du Quesne.— Washington is
sent to retake the post.
CAMPAIGNS OF WASHINGTON AND BRAD DOCK. 165
CHAPTER XXXI.
CAMPAIGNS OF WASHINGTON AND BRADDOCK.
WASHINGTON, with his little army of Virginians, was com
missioned to build a fort at the source of the Ohio, and to
repel all who interrupted the English settlements in that country.
In April the young commander left Will's Creek, but the march
was toilsome. The men were obliged to drag their cannons. The
roads were miserable ; rivers were bridgeless ; provisions insufficient.
2. On the 26th of May, the English reached the Great Mea
dows. Here Washington was informed that the French were on
the march to attack him. A stockade was immediately erected,
and named Fort Necessity. Washington, after conference with
the Mingo chiefs, determined to strike the first blow. Two In
dians followed the trail of the enemy, and discovered their hid
ing place. The French were on the alert, and flew to arms.
"Fire!" was the command of Washington; and the first volley of
a great war went flying through the forest. The engagement was
brief and decisive. Jumonville, the leader of the French, and
ten of his party were killed, and twenty-one were made prisoners.
3. Washington returned to Fort Necessity and waited for rein
forcements. Only one company of volunteers arrived. Washing
ton spent the time in cutting a road for twenty miles in the direc
tion of Fort du Quesne. The Indians wTho had been expected to
join him from the Muskingtim and the Miami did not arrive.
His whole force scarcely numbered four hundred. Learning that
the French general De Villiers was approaching, Washington
deemed it prudent to fall back to Fort Necessity.
4. Scarcely were Washington's forces safe within the stockade,
when, on the 3d of July, the regiment of De Yilliers came in
sight, and surrounded the fort. The French stationed themselves
166 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
on the eminence, and fired down upon the English with fatal
effect. The Indians climbed into the tree-tops. For nine hours
the assailants poured a shower of balls upon Washington's men.
At length, seeing that it would be impossible to hold out, he
accepted the terms which were offered by the French general.
On the 4th of July, the English garrison marched out of the
fort, and withdrew from the country.
5. Meanwhile, a congress of the American colonies had assem
bled at Albany. The first object had in view was to renew the
treaty with the Iroquois. The convention next took up the work
of uniting the colonies in a common government. On the 10th
of July, Benjamin Franklin presented the draft of a constitution,
which was finally adopted. Philadelphia was to be the capital.
The chief executive was to be a governor appointed by the king.
Each colony should be represented in congress by not less than two
or more than seven representatives.
6. Copies of this constitution were transmitted to the several
colonies ; but the new scheme of government was everywhere re
ceived with disfavor. The English ministers also rejected it, say
ing that the Americans were trying to make a government of their
own. Meanwhile, the French were constantly preparing for war.
7. Early in 1755, General Braddock arrived in America, and on
the 14th of April, met the governors of the colonies at Alexandria.
The plans of four campaigns were agreed on. Lawrence, the gov
ernor of Nova Scotia, was to complete the conquest of that province.
Governor Johnson, of New York, was to capture Crown Point.
Shirley, of Massachusetts, was to take Fort Niagara, Braddock
himself was to lead the main army against Fort du Quesne.
8. In the latter part of April, the British general set out with
two thousand veterans, from Alexandria to Fort Cumberland. A
few provincial troops joined the expedition. Washington became
an aid-de-camp of Braddock, and frequently gave him honest
counsel, which the British general rejected.
9. Braddock marched with the main body. On the 19th of June,
he put himself at the head of twelve hundred chosen troops and
pressed forward towards Fort du Quesne. Colonel Dun bar was left
behind with the rest of the army. On the 9th of July, when the
CAMPAIGNS OF WASHINGTON AND BRADDOCK. 167
English were only twelve miles from Fort du Quesne, they were
suddenly attacked by the French and Indians hidden among the
rocks and ravines.
10. The battle began with a panic. The men h'red constantly,
but could see no enemy. Brad-
dock rushed to the front and
rallied his men ; but it was all in
vain. They stood huddled to
gether like sheep. The forest was
strewn with the dead. Out of
eighty- two officers, twenty -six
were killed. Only Washington
remained to distribute orders. Of
the privates seven hundred and
fourteen had fallen. A retreat
began at once, and Washington,
with the Virginians, covered the
flight of the army. ^ ~£™CEW
11. On the next day the In
dians returned to Fort du Quesne,
clad in the laced coats of the British officers. The dying Braddock
was borne in the train of the fugitives. On the evening of the
fourth day he died. When the fugitives reached Dunbar's camp,
the confusion was greater than ever. The artillery, baggage, and
public stores were destroyed. Then followed a hasty retreat to
Fort Cumberland, and finally to Philadelphia.
SCENE OF SHADDOCK'S DEFEAT, 1755.
Washington marches to Great Meadows.— Builds Fort Necessity.— Attacks the
French.— Extends the road toward Du Quesne.— De Villiers approaches.— Attacks
Fort Necessity.— And compels a surrender.— An American congress assembles at
Albany.— Franklin plans a union.— The colonies reject the constitution.— France
sends soldiers to America.— Braddock is sent by England.— He confers with the
governors.— Plans four campaigns.— Marches his army to Fort Cumberland.—
Proceeds against Du Quesne.— Approaches the fort.— Meets the French and In
dians.— And is defeated.— Washington saves the remnant of the army.— Death
of Braddock.— Dunbar retires to Philadelphia.
168
HISTORY OF THE U SITED STATES.
CHAPTER XXXII
RUIN OF ACADTA.
BY the treaty of Utrecht, made in 1713, Acadia, or Xova Scotia,
was ceded by France to England. The great majority of the
people in that province were French, and the English government
was only a military occupation. At the outbreak of the French
and Indian War the population amounted to more than sixteen
thousand. The enterprise of reducing these people to submission
was entrusted to Governor Lawrence, who was to be aided by a
British fleet. On the 20th of May, 1755, the squadron, with three
thousand troops, sailed from Boston for th,e Bay of Fundy.
2. The French had one fortress, named Beau-Sejour, situated
near the head of Chignecto Bay, and another fort called Gaspereau,
on the north side of the isthmus, at Bay Verte. But there was
no preparation for defence at either place. On the 16th of June,
Beau-Sejour was taken, and
Fort Gaspereau a few days
afterward. In a campaign
of a month, the English had
made themselves masters of
the whole country east of the
St. Croix.
3. The French inhabitants
still outnumbered the Eng
lish, and Governor Lawrence
determined to drive them
into banishment. The Eng-
4 lish officers first demanded
an oath of allegiance aiid the
The British vessels were then
THE ACADIAN ISTHMt'S, 175.'>.
surrender of all firearms and boats.
made ready to carry the people into exile.
RUIN OF AC ADI A.
1G9
4. The country about the isthmus was now laid waste, and the
peasants driven into the larger towns. Wherever a sufficient
number could be gotten together they were compelled to go on
shipboard. At the village of Grand Pre more than nineteen him-
F THE ACADIANB.'
dred people were driven into the boats at the point of the bayonet.
Wives and children, old men and mothers, the sick and the infirm,
all shared the common fate. More than three thousand of the
Acadians were carried away by the British squadron, and scattered,
helpless and half starved, among the English colonies.
Nova Scotia under English rule. — Lawrence is authorized to subdue the French
inhabitants.— The English fleet leaves Boston.— The French forts on the Bay of
Fundy.— The fleet arrives at Beau-Sejour.— The place surrenders.— The other
forts capitulate. — The British officers determine to exile the inhabitants. — The
country is laid waste. — And the people carried into banishment.
"Longfellow's Evangeline is founded on this incident.
170
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
CAMPAIGNS OF SHIRLEY AND JOHNSON.
third campaign planned by Braddock was to be conducted
by Governor Shirley against Fort Niagara. Early in August,
he set out from Albany with two thousand men. Four weeks were
spent at Oswego in preparing boats. Then tempests prevailed,
and sickness broke out in the camp. The Indians deserted the
standard of the English, and on the 24th of October the provin
cial forces, led by Shirley, marched homeward.
2. The fourth expedition was entrusted to General William
Johnson. The object was to capture Crown Point, and to drive
the French from Lake Champlain. Early in August the army
proceeded to the Hudson above Albany, and
built Fort Edward. Thence Johnson pro
ceeded to Lake George and laid out a camp.
A week was spent in bringing forward the
44 artillery and stores.
3. In the meantime, Dieskau, the French
commandant at Crown Point, advanced with
fourteen hundred French, Canadians, and In
dians to capture Fort Edward General John
son sent Colonel Williams, and Hendrick, the
chief of the Mohawks, with twelve hundred
men, to relieve the fort. On the morning of the
8th of September, Colonel Williams's regiment
and the Mohawks were ambushed by Dieskau's
forces and driven back to Johnson's camp.
4. The Canadians and French regulars, unsupported by the
Indians, then attacked the English position. For five hours the
battle was incessant. Nearly all of Dieskau's men were killed. At
last the English troops charged across the field, and completed the
VICINITY OF LAKE
GEORGE, 175").
CAMPAIGNS OF SHIRLEY AND JOHNSON. 171
rout. Dieskau was mortally wounded. Two hundred and sixteen
of the English were killed. General Johnson now constructed on
the site of his camp Fort William Henry. Meanwhile, the French
had fortified Ticonderoga. Such was the condition of affairs at
the close of 1755.
5. In the beginning of the next year, the command of the Eng
lish forces was given to Governor Shirley. Washington at the
head of the Virginia provincials repelled the French and Indians
in the valley of the Shenandoah. The Pennsylvania volunteers,
choosing Franklin for their colonel, built a fort on the Lehigh,
and made a successful campaign. The expeditions, which were
planned for the year, embraced the conquest of Quebec and the
capture of Forts Frontenac, Toronto, Niagara, and Du Quesne.
0. The earl of Loudoun now received the appointment of com-
mander-in-chief of the British forces. General Abercrombie was
second in rank. In the last of April, the latter, with two bat
talions of regulars, sailed for New York. On the 17th of May,
Great Britain, after nearly two years of actual hostilities, made a
declaration of war against France.
7. In July Lord Loudoun assumed the command of the colonial
army. The French, meanwhile, led by the marquis of Montcalm,
who had succeeded Dieskau, besieged and captured Oswego. Six
vessels of war, three hundred boats, a hundred and twenty can
non, and three chests of money were the fruits of the victory.
8. During this summer the Delawares in Western Pennsylvania
rose in war, and killed or captured more than a thousand people.
In August Colonel Armstrong, with three hundred volunteers,
marched against the Indian town of Kittanning, and on the 8th
of September, defeated the savages with great losses. The village
was burned and the spirit of the Indians completely broken.
9. On the 20th of June, 1757, Lord Loudoun sailed from New
York with an army of six thousand regulars to capture Louisburg.
At Halifax he was joined by Admiral Hoi bourn with a fleet of
sixteen men-of-war. There were on board five thousand troops
fresh from the armies of England. But Loudoun, instead of pro
ceeding to Cape Breton, tarried a while at Halifax, and then sailed
back to New York without striking a blow.
172 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
10. Meanwhile, the daring Montcalm, with more than seven thou
sand French, Canadians, and Indians advanced against Fort William
Henry. The place was defended by five hundred men under
Colonel Mouro. For six days the French pressed the siege with
vigor. The ammunition of the garrison wras exhausted, and nothing
remained but to surrender. Honorable terms were granted by
the French. On the 9th of August the French took possession of
the fortress. Unfortunately, the Indians procured a quantity of
spirits from the English camp. In spite of the utmost exertions of
Montcalm, the savages fell upon the prisoners and massacred
thirty of them in cold blood.
11. Such had been the successes of France, during the year that
the English had not a single hamlet left in the whole basin of the
St. Lawrence. Every cabin where English was spoken had been
swept out of the Ohio valley. At the close of the year 1757,
France possessed twenty times as much American territory as P^ng-
land ; and five times as much as England and Spain together.
IR, IE C -A- IP I T TJ 3L-A.T I O IT .
A campaign is planned against Niagara.— Shirley commands.— Proceeds to
Oswego. — Marches home. — Oswego is rebuilt. — Johnson goes against the French
on Lake Champlain.— Builds Fort Edward.— Forms a camp on Lake George.—
Dieskau approaches.— Meets the English.— And drives them to the camp.— The
battle.— Dieskau is killed.— The English lose heavily.— Johnson builds Fort Wil
liam Henry.— The French reinforce their forts.— Shirley becomes commander-in
chief.— Washington repels the Indians.— Franklin defends Pennsylvania.— Lou-
doun is commander-in-chief of the forces in America.— He and Abercrombie
arrive with soldiers and supplies.— England declares war.— Abercrombie goes to
Albany.— Montcalm captures Oswego.— The Delawares revolt.— And are pun
ished.— Loudoun attempts the conquest of Lou isburg.— Proceeds to Halifax.—
Holbourn joins him.— They do nothing.— Loudoun returns to New York.— Mont
calm and the Iroquois capture Fort William Henry. — The Indians massacre the
prisoners. — Review of the situation.
TWO YEARS OF SUCCESSES. 173
CHAPTER XXXIV.
TWO YEARS OF SUCCESSES.
WILLIAM PITT was now placed at the head of the English
ministry. Loudoun was deposed from the American army.
General Abercrombie was appointed to succeed him ; but the
main reliance was placed on an efficient corps of subordinate
officers. Admiral Boscawen was put in command of the fleet.
General Ainherst was to lead a division. Young Lord Howe
was next in rank to Abercrombie. James Wolfe led a brigade;
and Colonel Richard Montgomery was at the head of a regiment.
2. Three expeditions were planned for 1758; one to capture
Louisburg; a second, to reduce Crown Point and Ticonderoga;
and the third to retake Fort du Quesne from the French. On
the 28th of May, Amherst, with ten thousand men, reached Hali
fax. In six days more the fleet was anchored before Louisburg.
On the 21st of July, three French vessels were burned in the har
bor. The town was reduced to a heap of ruins. On the 28th of the
month Louisburg capitulated. Cape Breton and Prince Edward's
Island were surrendered to Great Britain. The garrison, number
ing nearly six thousand men, became prisoners of war.
3. On the 5th of July, General Abercrombie, with an army of
fifteen thousand men, moved against Ticonderoga. The country
about the French fortress was unfavorable for military operations.
On the morning of the 6th, the English fell in with the picket
line of the French. A severe skirmish ensued ; the French were
overwhelmed, but Lord Howe was killed in the onset.
4. On the morning of the 8th, the English divisions were ar
ranged to carry Ticonderoga by assault. A desperate battle of
more than four hours followed, until, at six o'clock in the even
ing, the English were finally repulsed. The loss on the side of
174
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
the assailants amounted in killed and wounded to nineteen hun
dred and sixteen. In no battle of the Revolution did the British
have so large a force engaged or meet so terrible a loss.
5. The English now retreated to Fort George. Soon after
ward three thousand men, un
der Colonel Bradstreet, were
sent against Fort Frontenac,
on Lake Ontario. The place
was feebly defended, and after
a siege of two days compelled
to capitulate. The fortress
was demolished. Bradstreet's
success more than counter
balanced the failure of the
English at Ticonderoga.
6. Late in the summer,
General Forbes, with nine
thousand men, advanced
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VICINITY OF
against Fort du Quesne. Washington led the Virginia provin
cials. The main body moved slowly, but Major Grant, with the
advance, pressed on to within a few miles of Du Quesne. Ad
vancing carelessly, he was ambuscaded, and lost a third of his
forces. On the 24th of November, Washington wras within ten
miles of Du Quesne. During that night the garrison took the
alarm, burned the fortress and floated down the Ohio. On the
25th the victorious army marched in, raised the English flag, and
named the place PITTSBURGH.
7. General Amherst was now promoted to the chief com
mand of the American forces. By the beginning of summer,
1759, the British and colonial armies numbered nearly fifty thou
sand men. The entire French army scarcely exceeded seven
thousand. Three campaigns were planned for the year. General
Prideaux was to conduct an expedition against Niagara. Amherst
was to lead the main division against Ticonderoga and Crown
Point. General Wolfe was to proceed up the St. Lawrence and
capture Quebec.
8. On the 10th of July, Niagara was invested by Prideaux.
TWO YEARS OF SUCCESSES.
175
The French general D'Aubry, with twelve hundred men, marched
to the relief of the fort. On the 15th, General Prideaux was
killed by the bursting of a mortar. Sir William Johnson suc
ceeded to the command, and disposed his forces so as to intercept
the approaching French. On the morning of the 24th, D'Aubry's
army came in sight.
A bloody engage
ment ensued, in
which the French
were completely
routed. On the
next day, Niagara
capitulated, and
the French forces,
to the number of
six hundred, be
came prisoners of
war.
9. At the same
time Amherst was
marching with an
army of eleven
thousand men
against Ticonder-
oga. On the 22d
of July, the Eng
lish forces were dis
embarked where
Abercrombie had formerly landed. The French did not dare to
stand against them. On the 26th, the garrison, having partly
destroyed the fortifications, abandoned Ticonderoga and retreated
to Crown Point. Five days afterward, they deserted this place
also, and entrenched themselves on Isle-aux-Noix, in the river
Sorel.
10. It remained for General Wolfe to achieve the final victory.
Early in the spring, he began the ascent of the St. Lawrence.
His force consisted of nearly^ eight thousand men, assisted by a
GENERAL JAMES WOLFE.
176 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
fleet of forty-four vessels. On the 27th of June, the armament
arrived at the Isle of Orleans, four miles below Quebec. The
English camp was pitched at the upper end of the Island. Wolfe's
vessels gave him command of the river, and the southern bank
was undefended. On the night of the 29th, General Monckton was
sent to seize Point Levi. From this position the Lower Town was
soon reduced to ruins, and the Upper Town much injured; but
the fortress held out.
11. On the 9th of July, General Wolfe crossed the north
channel and encamped on the east bank of the Montmorenci.
This stream was fordable at low water. On the 31st of the month,
a severe battle was fought at the fords of the river, and the
English were repulsed with heavy losses. Wolfe, after losing nearly
five hundred men, withdrew to his camp.
12. Exposure and fatigue threw the English general into a
fever, and for many days he was confined to his tent. A council
of officers was called, and the indomitable leader proposed a second
assault. But the proposition was overruled. ' It was decided to
ascend the St. Lawrence, and gain the Plains of Abraham, in
the rear of the city. The lower camp was broken up, and on the
6th of September, the troops were conveyed to Point Levi. Wolfe
then transferred his army to a point several miles up the river.
He then busied himself with an examination of the northern bank,
in the hope of finding some pathway up the steep cliffs to the
plains in the rear of Quebec.
13. On the night of the 12th of September, the English entered
their boats and dropped down the river to a place called Wolfe's
Cove. With great difficulty the soldiers clambered up the preci
pice; the Canadian guard on the summit was dispersed; and Jn
the dawn of morning Wolfe marshaled his army for battle. Mont-
calm was in amazement when he heard the news. With great
haste the French were brought from the trenches on the Mont-
morenci, and thrown between Quebec and the English.
14. The battle began with an hour's cannonade ; then Montcalm
attempted to turn the English flank, but was beaten back. The
Canadians and Indians were routed. The French regulars wavered
•and were thrown into confusion. Wolfe, leading the charge, was
TWO YEARS OF SUCCESSES. 177
wounded in the wrist. Again he was struck, but pressed on.
At the moment of victory a third ball pierced his breast, and he
sank to the earth. ''They run, they run! "said the attendant
who bent over him. "Who run?" was the response. "The
French are flying everywhere," replied the officer. "Do they
run already? Then I die happy," said the expiring hero.
15. Montcalm, attempting to rally his regiments, was struck
with a ball and mortally wounded. "Shall I survive?" said he
to his surgeon. "But a few hours at most," answered the attend
ant. "So much the better," replied the heroic Frenchman, "I shall
not live to witness the surrender of Quebec."
16. Five days after the battle, Quebec was surrendered, and
an English garrison took possession of the citadel. In the fol
lowing spring, France made an effort to recover her losses. A
severe battle was fought a few miles west of Quebec, and the
English were driven into the city. But reinforcements came and
the French were beaten back. On the 8th of September, in
the same year, Montreal, the last important post of France in the
valley of the St. Lawrence, was surrendered to General Amherst.
Canada had passed under the dominion of England.
17. In the spring of 1760, the Cherokees of Tennessee rose
against the English. Fort Loudoun, in the north-eastern ex
tremity of the State, was besieged by the Red men and forced
to capitulate. Honorable terms were promised ; but as soon as the
surrender was made, the savages massacred the garrison. Colonels
Montgomery and Grant were despatched by General Amherst to
chastise the Indians. After a vigorous campaign the savages were
driven into the mountains and compelled to sue for peace.
18. For three years the war between France and England con
tinued on the ocean. The English fleets were everywhere vic
torious. On the 10th of February, 1763, a treaty of peace wa&
made at Paris. All the French possessions in North America
eastward of the Mississippi from its source to the river Iber-
ville, and thence through Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to
the Gulf of Mexico, were surrendered to Great Britain. At the
same time, Spain, with whom England had been at war, ceded
East and West Florida to the English Crown. Thus closed the
178 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
French and Indian War. By this conflict it was decided that
the decaying institutions of the Middle Ages should not prevail in
America, and that the powerful language, just laws, and priceless
liberties of the English race should be planted forever in the vast
domains of the New World.
Pitt becomes prime minister.— Loudoun is deposed.— Abercrombie succeeds.
—Able generals sent to America.— Three campaigns are planned.— Amherst
and Wolfe capture Louisburg.— Abercrombie is repulsed at Ticonderoga.—
Bradstreet takes Frontenac.— Forbes marches against Du Quesne— Grant is
defeated.- Washington leads the advance.— The French abandon Du Quesne.—
Amherst commander-in-chief.— Pitt plans the conquest of Canada. -Prideaux
defeats the French at Niagara.— Captures the fortress.— Amherst takes Ticon
deroga.— Wolfe proceeds against Quebec.— Besieges the city.— The Lower Town
is destroyed.— The battle of Mont morenci.— Wolfe ascends the river.— Gains
the Plains of Abraham.— Fights a decisive battle.— Defeats the French.— Is
slain.— Quebec capitulates.— And then Montreal.— The Cherokee revolt is quell
ed. —The war continues oil the ocean. -England is victorious.— A treaty of
peace.— The terms.
PAUT IV.
REVOLUTION AND CONFEDERATION.
A. D. 1775—1789.
CHAPTER XXXV.
CA USES.
»
THE American Revolution was an event of vast importance.
The question decided by it was whether the English colonies
in America should govern themselves or be ruled by Great Britain.
The decision was rendered in favor of independence. The result
has been the grandest republican government in the world.
2. The most general cause of the Revolution was THE RIGHT OF
ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT, claimed by Great Britain and denied
by the colonies. The question began to be discussed about the
time of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748; and from that
period until 1775, each year witnessed a renewal of the agitation.
But there were also many minor causes tending to bring on a
conflict with the mother-country.
3. First of these was the influence of France, inciting the colonies to
rebel. The French had ceded Canada to Great Britain with the hope
of securing American independence. England feared such a result.
It was even proposed in Parliament to re-cede Canada to France
in order to check the growth of the American States.
4r. Another cause was the natural disposition of the colonists. They
were republicans in politics. The people of England were mon
archists. The colonists had never seen a king. Their dealings
with the royal officers had created a dislike for foreign institu
tions. For a long time the colonists had managed their own
affairs in their own way.
12 (179)
180 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
5. The growth of public opinion in the colonies tended to independ
ence. The better class of men came to believe that a separation
from England was very desirable. As early as 1755, John Adams,
then a young school-teacher in Connecticut, wrote in his diary;
"In another century all Europe will not be able to subdue us.
The only way to keep us from setting up for ourselves is to dis
unite us."
G. Another cause of the Revolution was the personal character of
the king. George III. was one of the worst rulers of modern
times. He was a stubborn, thick-headed man, who had no true
notion of human rights. His ministers were, for the most part,
men of like sort with himself.
7. The more immediate cause of the war with the mother-
country was the passage by Parliament of a number of laws de
structive of colonial liberty. The first of these was THE IMPORTA
TION ACT of 1733. By the terms of this statute, exorbitant
duties were laid on sugar, molasses and rum. In 1750 it
was enacted that iron-works should not be erected in America.
The manufacture of steel was forbidden ; and the felling of pines,
outside of enclosures, was interdicted. All of these laws were dis
regarded by the people of the colonies as being unjust and tyran
nical. In 1761 the colonial courts were authorized to issue to the
king's officers a kind of search-warrants, called Writs of Assistance.
Armed with this authority, petty constables might enter every
place, searching for goods which were suspected of having evaded
the duty. At Salem and Boston the writs were resisted. James
Otis publicly denounced the parliamentary acts as unconstitutional.
8. In 1763, and again in the following year, the English officers
were authorized to seize all vessels engaged in unlawful trade.
Before the passage of this act was known at Boston, a great town-
meeting was held. Samuel Adams was the orator. A powerful
argument was produced showing that under the British constitu
tion taxation and representation were inseparable.
9. On the 10th of March, 1764, Mr. Grenville, the prime min
ister, brought before the House of Commons a resolution that it
would be proper to charge certain stamp-duties on the American
colonies. The news of the proposed measure was borne to America,
1775 76 77 78 79 80 81
41-90. Joseph II. of Austria.
12-86. Fred .crick the CHremt of Pru
The Br
ssia. A1U8
itish Ministry
nee wlili Fr
WJM- belw
offer terms to t
aiice.
een Ureat B
he America
ritain an
54-93. Louis
XVI. of France.
Revolt of
the Hungarian
8.
38-1820. Geo
rge 111. of
Seventeen t
England.
lousaud liessi
ans hired for t
he American W
Jones' victory.
ar. Armod N
eutrality d
Pi
Montreal and Q
tebec.
Admiral
Byron in conim
Wrar
and of the Brit
between
ish fleet.
VIK<;i M4I •••touia re
"•ommends indo
pendence.
Arnold's i
Pat*
Lord n
iek II, m > .
n n mot '•
folk burned.
from aiithorit
iwe in the The
y. Major Clark
sapeake.
I'H I'xpedition a
Tory devastat
gainst the Tndi
onsat Norfolk.
ThuVir
NORTH «'A
ROL.INA.
P| King'*
Monnti'in.
Tli.- |>"o
pie of rharlott
e declare indep
endence.
r^\ ,,
SOUTH CA
ROL.INA.
ITij Charlesto
n.
pllMonk's C
orner.
Fort Moult
rie built.
M*)[| ttochy
Mount.
Arrival o
f the British S
quadron.
PH Hanoi
ng Eock.
1 ijj •> • -j
e of Charleston.
Re
|f|% The (
Arrival of
La Fayette and
De Kalb.
W Hoik
34-
1832. Thomas S
u inter. !£>
n
95. Francis Ma
rion. F*
h — ^ f a
// of Savannah.
OF01M.I A.
PBDU
*•** Ft. Siinlnt
'.!/.
Res
E^gA V-4^9 A n
justa.
p5w Sic
geofSat:uuuah.
HMKiV«n«>»
NEW YOR
American ar
my arrives at
New York.
P\ r«-P
'anck's and Ston
y Point.
f*\ White rininx. Con
gress at New Y
ork city.
39-89. Ethan
Allen Pil Fltrt H'i'*>'inglo
n.
O\ Ticoml
eroga.
Peekskill ta
Vr+N Sag Har-
p5w bar.
ken by the Brit
i '] T!"
ish.
Cherry Valley M
assacre.
jQf^ Onw
M:U .n: its
n Point.
EY. 1 apt
Washington^
Burerovne's i
U "T\ /;> "''
u rod at Uaskin
retreat across
nvasion begins.
ington.
fi;in. mul xiirrend
1 Stony
er of Burgoyne.
onmonth.
Point rr-lakrn.
Arnold's
Kxe
Treason.
cutiou of A
Jersey. |||
Trenton mul I'n
The Briti
ncelon. Win
sh leave the St
ter-quarters at
ate.
Middlebrook.
Mutiny of
Mutiny of
rcir"
ts Miffiin and M
ercer.
NEW II ATI
fsiiiiti:.
John Stark
rallies the mili
tin, Pj Hu
libaril/on.
Kj Destr
uction of the
•mom. is
Nathaniel
ra ASSA< HIT
LANI>.
(Jreelie joins t
British
SETTS'. The
Capture of
he army,
in Narrairansc
patriot aiithm
CiPiieral Fresco
The French
tt Bay. ]@i Sl
ity restored in
tt. The
fleet at Newpo
ege of Newport.
Massachusetts
British evacua
rt. The
The
to the State
patriot ant
French sqi
ft^'ia
n.
e, Clinton, and
Burgoyne arr]
v«.
John Hanc
ock, goveri
f§ B»a
«• Hill.
Kj Destr
uction of the Am
erican squai
Q
age1! proclama
tion issued.
D'Eeta
ing's fleet
Y '~\ ^
(•V v, 1
TIP- British
evacuate Bosto
n.
| COXXEl'TIfTT.
Trvon's In
vasion.
|T|j Uorse Ne
ck burned.
•«r>»
iel I'm nam rallies the
militia.
t of Pnnam.
1 A
B'-n-'l id \rn..ld le.ul s the troops of
New Haven.
" P.uiMiin^ of Ka.st II
aven. Fairf
PENXSYf, VA>'I 1. Vint er-quarters at
Valley r
Wa-:. inted colmmand r-in-clhief. Ulintlon supersedes I Howe.
Sila- I'eane sen
t to Franco.
D •<•'••
Wyoming M<i\*<>
ere.
Robert Me
D
Germanlojcn.
Bt
The Briti
sh evacuate Ph
iladelphia.
I>eola
ration of In
dependence.
Invasion of t
he Indian coun
try. A
Dr.
Franklin com
missioner to F
ranee.
TheConfedera
HOD proposed
; -i Bran
dywine.
D.
„ rh
Howe
iladelphia take
Ian. Is at Elk Hi
n by the Britis
ver.
h.
Recep
Pa t i'i' 't
government or
gauized.
at A
The Briti
sh fleet in the D
elaware.
DELAWAB
E. Patriot
government orlganixed. Re
storation of th
e patriot autho
rity in Del
!>'•] aware overrun
by the British.
84
85
87
88
80
lc£| Defeat
•KM Sieve of
of De Grasse at
Gibraltar.
Martinique.
CMART H*.
»aiu.
•
Retireme
Prel
nt of the Lord
iminary treaty.
Supplemental
North Ministr
treatv.
Treaty of
Fontainebleau.
REVOLUTION I CONFEDERATION.
ed by Russia.
•at Britain
Defliiit ive Treaty,
and Holland.
A. D. 1775-1789.
e of Minorca \by the Spaniard]*.
Frederick
William II
The Triple
u of Holland.
Alliance.
PS iii Virginia.
Legislature d
'icge of Yorktu
render of Corn
Wa
Ispereed.
n-n mi'l uttr-
wallis.
shington retire
Virginia
s to Mount Ver
redes the Nort
Washington r
tioual Conv
non.
li western Terr
econimends a C
entiou.
tory.
onstitu-
Virginia rat
ifies the
Constitution.
The
British evacua
te Wilmington.
Convention
rd.
rejects the
Constitution.
The
British evacna
te Charleston.
South Caroli
tion of the p
atriot authorit
y.
na ratifies the
II X.
Constitution.
inn.
iety-Six.
taw Springs.
ion of the pat
riot authority.
Georgia rati
The Bri
tish evacuate S
avan uah.
fies the
Constitution.
Decimal
currency adop
ted.
Northwestern
Territory
Clinton s
uperseded hv Si
rGuy Carleton.
organized.
The Bri
tish evacuate
New York.
St. Clair appoi
nted
New
York cedes the
Northwestern
Territory.
governor.
Was
ington bids adi
eu to the army.
New York
ratifies the
Constitution.
'ennsylvania
line.
New
Jersey ratifies
New Jersey li
ne.
the
Constitution.
ricun fqwdron
in (he Penobscot.
The
y restored in R
node Island.
Convention
a stationed at
Newport.
rejects the
Constitution.
Massachusetts
cedes the Nor
th-
Massachusetts
t the Penobscot.
western Terr
itory.
ratifies the
Constitution.
ston.
Shay's Re
bellion.
Griswold; Am
old's depredatio
ns.
Connecticut ce
western Terr
les the North-
to ry.
Connecticut
ratifies the
ind Norwalk.
Constitution.
ippointed Seer
etary of Finan
ce.
-
Constitutional
Convention.
f North Amer
ica organized.
Pen
nsylvania rati
fies the
les of Conf
ederation ra
tilled.
Constitution.
Treatv of
Peace ratified
by Congress.
Wa
shington make
s his report of
the war.
f Washington
olis.
Congress
Was
at Annapolis,
irington resign
a his commissi
on.
Del
aware ratifies
e.
the
Constitution.
EEVOL UTION.—CA USES. 181
producing universal excitement. Resolutions against the acts of
the ministers were passed by the people of almost every town.
Remonstrances were addressed to the king and the two houses of
Parliament.
10. Nevertheless, in March of 1765, the English Parliament
passed the STAMP ACT. In the House of Commons the measure
received a majority of five to one. In the House of Lords the
vote was unanimous. On the 22d of the month, the royal assent
was given to the measure. Benjamin Franklin, who was then in
London, wrote to a friend at home, that the sun of American
liberty had set.
11. The provisions of the Stamp Act were these: Every legal
document, required in the colonies, should, after the 1st day of the
following November, be executed on stamped paper to be furnished
by the British government. For each sheet the colonists were
required to pay a sum varying from three pence to six pounds
sterling. Every pamphlet, almanac and newspaper was required
to be printed on paper of the same sort, the value of the stamps
ranging from a half-penny to four pence. No contract should be
binding unless written on paper bearing the stamp.
12. The news of the hateful act created great wrath in America.
The bells of Philadelphia and Boston rung a funeral peal. In
New York a copy of the Stamp Act was carried through the
streets with a death's-head nailed to it, and a placard bearing this
inscription : THE FOLLY OF ENGLAND AND THE RUIN OF AMERICA.
The general assemblies were at first slow to move; there were
many old loyalists among the members. But the younger repre
sentatives did not hesitate to express their sentiments. In the
Virginia House of Burgesses there was a memorable scene.
13. Patrick Henry, the youngest member of the House, waited
for some older delegate to lead in opposition to Parliament. But
the older members hesitated or went home. Offended at this luke-
warmness, Henry snatched a blank leaf out of an old law book
and drew up a series of resolutions, declaring that the Virginians
were Englishmen with English rights ; that the colonists were not
bound to yield obedience to any law imposing taxation on them ;
and that whoever said the contrary was an enemy to the country.
182
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
14. A violent debate ensued. Two future Presidents of the
United States were in the audience; Washington occupied his
seat as a delegate, and Thomas Jefferson, a young collegian, stood
outside of the railing. The eloquent Henry bore down all oppo
sition. "Caesar
had his Brutus,"
said the orator;
"Charles I. had
his Cromwell,
and George
III.—" "Trea
son!" shouted
the speaker.
"Treason! trea
son!" exclaimed
the loyalists,
springing to their
feet. " — And
George III. may
profit by their
example," con
tinued Henry;
and then added,
"If that be trea
son, make the
most of it !" The resolutions were put to the house and carried ;
but on the next day, when Henry was absent, the most violent
paragraph was repealed.
15. Similar resolutions were adopted by the assemblies of New
York and Massachusetts. James Otis proposed an America^ Con
gress. The proposition was favorably received by nine of the col
onies ; and, on the 7th of October THE FIRST COLONIAL CONGRESS
assembled at New York. Timothy Ruggles of Massachusetts was
chosen president. A DECLARATION OP RIGHTS was adopted setting
forth that the American colonists, as Englishmen, could not con
sent to be taxed but by their own representatives. Memorials were
sent to Parliament and a petition to the king.
5
PATRICK HENRY.
REVOLUTION.— CA USES. 183
16. On the 1st of November, the Stamp Act was to take effect.
During the summer great quantities* of the stamped paper had
been sent to America. But everywhere it was rejected or de
stroyed. The^ 1st of November was kept as a day of mourning.
17. At first, legal business was suspended. The court-houses
were shut up. Not even a marriage license could be legally is
sued. By and by, the offices were opened, and business went on
as before ; but was not transacted with stamped paper. It was at
this time that the patriotic society known as THE SONS OF LIBERTY
was organized. The merchants of New York, Boston, and Phila
delphia entered into a compact to purchase no more goods of
Great Britain until the Stamp Act should be repealed.
18. The colonists had their friends in England. Eminent states
men espoused the cause of America. In the House of Commons
Mr. Pitt delivered a powerful address. " You have," said he, "no
right to tax America. I rejoice that America has resisted." On
the 18th of March, 1766, the Stamp Act was formally repealed.
But at the same time a resolution was added declaring that Par
liament had the right to bind the colonies in all cases whatsoever.
19. The repeal of the Stamp Act produced great joy, both in
England and America. A fewr months afterward, a new British
cabinet was formed under the leadership of Pitt. While he was
confined by sickness to his home in the country, Mr. Townshend
brought forward a new scheme for taxing America. On the 29th
of June, 1767, an act was passed imposing a duty on all the glass,
paper, painters' colors, and tea which should thereafter be imported
into the colonies. , .
20. The resentment of the Americans burst out anew. Another
agreement not to purchase British goods was entered into by the
American merchants. The newspapers were filled with denuncia
tions of Parliament. Early in 1768, the assembly of Massachusetts
adopted a circular calling upon the other colonies for assistance in
the effort to obtain redress of grievances. The ministers were
enraged and required the assembly to rescind their action, and to
express regret for that "rash and hasty proceeding."
21. In the month of June, a sloop, charged with evading the
payment of duty, was seized by the custom-house officers of Boston.
184 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
But the people attacked the houses of the officers, and obliged the
occupants to fly to Castle William. General Gage was now ordered
to bring from Halifax a regiment of regulars and overawe the
people. On the 1st of October the troops, seven hundred strong,
marched with fixed bayonets into the capital of Massachusetts.
22. In February of 1769, the people of Massachusetts were de
clared rebels, and the governor was directed to arrest those deemed
guilty and send them to England for trial. The general assembly
met this outrage with defiant resolutions. Similar scenes were
enacted in Virginia and North Carolina. In the latter State an
insurrection was suppressed by Governor Tryon; the insurgents,
escaping across the mountains, became the founders of Tennessee.
23. Early in 1770, the soldiers in New York cut down a liberty
pole which stood in the park. A conflict ensued, in which the
people won the day. On the 5th of March, a more serious diffi
culty occurred in Boston. A crowd of people surrounded Captain
Preston's company of the city guard, hooted at them, and dared
them to fire. At length the soldiers discharged a volley, killing
three of the citizens and wounding several others. This outrage,
known as the Boston Massacre, created a profound sensation.
Captain Preston and his company were arrested and tried for mur
der. Two of the offenders were convicted of manslaughter.
24. Parliament now passed an act repealing all duties on Amer
ican imports except that on tea. The people, in answer, pledged
themselves to use no more tea until the duty should be uncondition
ally repealed. In 1772 an act was passed that the salaries of the
officers of Massachusetts should be paid without consent of the
assembly. About the same time, the Gaspee, a royal schooner an
chored at Providence, was boarded by the patriots and burned.
25. In 1773, Parliament removed the export duty which had
hitherto been charged on tea shipped from England. The price
was by so much lowered; and the ministers thought that, when
the cheaper tea was offered in America, the colonists would pay the
import duty without suspicion. Ships were loaded with tea for the
American market. Some of the vessels reached Charleston; but
the chests were stored in cellars, and the contents ruined. At
New York and Philadelphia the ships were forbidden to enter. At
REVOL UTION.—CA USES.
185
Boston the authorities would not permit the tea to be landed. On
the 16th of December, there was a great town-meeting at which
seven thousand people were present. Adams and Quincy spoke
to the multitudes. Evening came on, and the meeting was about to
adjourn, when a
war-whoop was
heard, and fifty
men disguised as
Indians marched
to the w h a r f,
where the tea-
ships were at an
chor. The dis
guised men
quickly boarded
the vessels and
emptied three
hundred and for
ty chests of tea
into the bay.
Such was THE
BOSTON TEA-
PARTY.
26. Parlia
ment made haste
to find revenge.
On the last day of
March, 1774, THE BOSTON PORT BILL was passed. It was enacted
that no kind of merchandise should any longer be landed or shipped
at the wharves of Boston. The custom-house was removed to
Salem, but the people of that town refused to accept it. The in
habitants of Marblehead gave the free use of their warehouses to
the merchants of Boston. When the news of the passage of the
Port Bill reached Virginia, the burgesses entered a protest on their
journal. Governor Dunmore ordered the members to their homes ;
but they met and continued their work in another place. On
the 20th of May, the charter of Massachusetts was annulled. The
SAMUEL ADAMS.
186 'HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
people were declared rebels ; and the governor was ordered to send
abroad for trial all persons who should resist the officers.
27. In September THE SECOND COLONIAL CONGRESS assembled
at Philadelphia. Eleven colonies were represented. One address
was sent to the king ; another to the English nation ; and another
to the people of Canada. A resolution was adopted to suspend all
commercial intercourse with Great Britain. Parliament retaliated
by ordering General Gage to reduce the colonists by force. A
fleet and ten thousand soldiers were sent to aid him.
28. Boston Neck was seized and fortified by the British. The
stores at Cambridge and Charlestown were conveyed to Boston;
and the general assembly was ordered £o disband. Instead of
doing so, the members voted to equip an army of twelve thousand
men for defence. There was no longer any hope of a peaceable
adjustment. The colonists were few and feeble; but they were
men of iron wills who had made up their minds to die for liberty.
Importance of the Revolution.— The question decided by it.— The causes.—
Great Britain claims the right of arbitrary government.— France incites the
rebellion. — The disposition of the Americans encourages independence. — Public
opinion.— The king provokes a conflict. — Parliament passes oppressive acts. —
The question of taxation.— The Importation Act.— Its provisions.— Writs of
Assistance are issued.— The sugar and wine duties.— A Stamp Act is proposed.—
Indignation in the colonies.— The Stamp Act is passed.— Its provisions.— The
news is received in America.— Scene in the House of Burgesses.— Passage of
Henry's resolutions.— Other assemblies pursue a similar course.— The first
Colonial Congress.— A Declaration of Rights is adopted.— Memorials to the
king and Parliament.— The Stamp Act is resisted.— And the stamps destroyed.—
Suspension of business.— The Sons of Liberty.— The non-importation agree
ment.— Pitt defends the colonists.— Repeal of the Stamp Act.— Townshend
secures the passage of a glass and tea-tax.— The Americans resist.— Circular of
Massachusetts.— Seizure of a sloop at Boston.— Insurrection of the people.—
Gates takes possession of Boston.— Is ordered to arrest the patriots.— Rebellion
of Virginia and North Carolina.— Conflict at New York.— The Boston massacre.
—Repeal of the duties.— Passage of the Salary Act.— Burning of the Gaspee.—
Tea is shipped to America.— Is spoiled at Charleston.— Refused at New York
and Philadelphia.— And poured overboard at Boston.— Passage of the Port
Bill.— Opposition of the Burgesses. -The charter of Massachusetts is annulled.—
The people declared rebels.— The second Congress assembles.— A British army
is ordered to America.- Boston Neck fortified.— Military stores removed.— The
assembly refuses to disband. -War inevitable.
THE BEGINNING. 187
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE BEGINNING.
AS soon as the intentions of General Gage were known, the peo
ple of Boston, concealing their ammunition in carts, con
veyed it to Concord. On the night of the 18th of April, Gage
despatched eight hundred men to destroy the stores. The plan
of the British was made with great secrecy ; but the patriots dis
covered the movement. When the regiment, under command of
Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn, set out for Concord, the people
of Boston were roused by the ringing of bells and the firing of
cannons. William Dawes and Paul Revere rode with all speed,
to Lexington and spread the alarm through the country.
2. At two o'clock in the morning a company of a hundred and
thirty minute-men assembled on the common at Lexington. No
enemy appeared until five o'clock, when the British, under com
mand of Pitcairn, came in sight. The provincials were led by
Captain Parker. Pitcairn rode up and exclaimed : " Disperse,
ye villains! Throw down your arms!" The minute-men stood
still, and Pitcairn cried, <l Fire ! " The first volley of the Revolu
tion whistled through the air, and sixteen of the patriots fell dead
or wounded. The rest fired a few shots, and dispersed.
3. The British pressed on to Concord ; but the inhabitants had
removed the stores to a place of safety, and there was but little
destruction. While the British were ransacking the town, the
minute-men encountered a company of soldiers who were guarding
the North Bridge. Here the Americans fired under orders of
their officers, and two British soldiers were killed. The rest began
a retreat through the town towards Lexington. For six miles
the battle was kept up along the road. Hidden behind trees,
fences, and barns, the patriots poured a constant fire upon the
188 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ranks of the enemy. At one time it seemed that the whole British
force would be obliged to surrender. The American loss was
forty-nine killed, thirty-four wounded, and five missing ; that of
the enemy was two hundred and seventy-three.
4. The battle of Lexington fired the country. Within a few
days an army of twenty thousand men gathered about Boston. A
line of entrenchments was drawn from Roxbury to Chelsea. To
drive Gage into the sea was the common talk. John Stark came
down with the New Hampshire militia. Israel Putnam, with a
leather waistcoat on, hurried to the nearest town, mounted a horse
and rode to Cambridge, a distance of a hundred miles, in eight
een hours. Rhode Island sent her men under Nathaniel Greene.
Benedict Arnold came with the provincials of New Haven.
5. Ethan Allen, with a company of two hundred and seventy
patriots, advanced against Ticonderoga. Benedict Arnold joined
the expedition as a private. On the evening of the 9th of May,
the force reached the shore of Lake George, opposite Ticonderoga.
6. On the following morning, eighty-three men succeeded in
crossing. With this mere handful, Allen made a dash and gained
the gateway of the fort. The sentinel was driven in, closely fol
lowed by the patriot mountaineers. Allen rushed to the quarters
of the commandant, and cried out: "Surrender this fort in
stantly'!" "By what authority ? " inquired the officer. "In the
name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress," said
Allen, flourishing his sword. There was no alternative. The gar
rison were made prisoners and sent to Connecticut, By this daring
exploit vast quantities of military stores fell into the hands of the
Americans. Two days afterward Crown Point was also taken.
7. On the 25th of May, Generals Howe, Clinton, and Bur-
[royne arrived at Boston. The British army was augmented to
more than ten thousand men. It was now rumored that Gage
was about to sally out of Boston to burn the neigh boring "towns
and devastate the country. The Americans determined to antici
pate this movement by fortifying Bunker Hill, which commanded
the peninsula of Charlestown.
8. On the night of the 16th of June, Colonel Prescott was sent
with a thousand men to entrench the hill. The provincials reached
THE BEGINNING.
189
SCENE OF THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL,
the eminence ; but Prescott and his engineer, not liking the posi
tion, proceeded down the peninsula to Breed's Hill, within cannon
range of Boston. On this summit a redoubt was thrown up during
the night. The British ships
in the harbor were so near
that the Americans could
hear the sentinels repeating
the night-call, "All is well."
9. As soon as it was light,
General Gage ordered the
ships in the harbor to can
nonade the American position.
The British batteries on
Copp's Hill also opened fire.
Just after noon, three thou
sand British veterans, com
manded by Generals Howe and Pigot, landed at Morton's Point.
The Americans numbered about fifteen hundred. Generals Put
nam and Warren served as privates in the trenches. Charlestown
was burned by the British as they advanced. Thousands of spec
tators climbed to the house-tops in Boston to watch the battle.
On came the British in a stately and imposing column.
10. The Americans reserved their fire until the advancing line
was within a hundred and fifty feet. Then instantly from the
breastworks every gun was discharged. The front rank of the
British melted away, and the rest hastily retreated. Howe rallied
his men and led them to the second charge. Again the American
fire was withheld until the enemy was but a few rods distant.
Then with steady aim volley after volley was poured upon the
column until it was broken and driven into flight.
11. The vessels of the British fleet now changed position until
the guns were brought to bear upon the American works. For
the third time, the British soldiers charged with fixed bayonets up
the hillside. The Americans had but three or four rounds of
ammunition remaining. These were expended on the advancing
enemy. Then there was a lull. The British clambered over the
ramparts. The provincials hurled stones at the assailants. It
190 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
was^in vain ; the defenders of liberty were driven out of their
trenches at the point of the bayonet. The brave Warren gave
his life for freedom. The loss of the British in the engagement
was a thousand and fifty-four in killed and wounded. The Ameri
cans lost a hundred and fifteen killed, three hundred and five
wounded, and thirty-two prisoners. Prescott and Putnam con
ducted the retreat to Prospect Hill.
12. The battle of Bunker Hill rather inspired than discouraged
the colonists. The news was borne to the South, and a spirit of
determined opposition was everywhere aroused. The people began
to speak of THE UNITED COLONIES OF AMERICA. At Charlotte,
North Carolina, the citizens ran together in a convention, and
made a declaration of independence.
13. On the day of the capture of Ticonderoga, the colonial
Congress assembled at Philadelphia. Washington was there, and
John Adams and Samuel Adams, Franklin and Patrick Henry ;
Jefferson came soon afterward, A last appeal was addressed to
the king ; and he was told that the colonists had chosen war in
preference to slavery. Early in the session John Adams made an
address, in the course of which he noticed the necessity of ap
pointing a commander-in-chief and the qualities requisite in that
high officer. The speaker concluded by putting in nomination
George Washington of Virginia. On the 15th of June, the
nomination was confirmed by Congress ; and the man who had
saved the wreck of Braddock's army was called to build a nation.
14. GEORGE WASHINGTON was born in Westmoreland county,
Virginia, on the llth of February (Old Style), 1732. At the
age of eleven he was left to the sole care of his mother. His
education was limited to the common branches of learning. Sur
veying was his favorite study. Aj the age of sixteen he was sent
by his uncle to survey a tract of land on the South Potomac.
The important duties which he performed in the service of the
Ohio Company and his campaign with Braddock have already
been narrated. With great dignity he accepted the appointment
of commander-in-chief, and set out to join the army at Cambridge.
15. Congress had voted to equip twenty thousand men, but the
means of doing so were not furnished. Washington had a force
THE BEGINNING. 191
of fourteen thousand five hundred volunteers, but they were un
disciplined and insubordinate. The supplies of war were almost
wholly wanting. The array was soon organized and arranged in
three divisions. The right wing, under General Ward, held Rox-
bury; the left, commanded by General Charles Lee, rested at
Prospect Hill ; the centre, under the commander-in-chief, lay at
Cambridge. The siege of Boston was pressed with vigor.
16. Meanwhile the king's authority was overthrown in all the
colonies. Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia, who was driven
from office, proclaimed freedom to the slaves and raised a force
of loyalists, but was defeated by the patriots near Norfolk.
17. The Americans looked to Canada for aid. In order to en
courage the- people of that province to take up arms, Generals
Schuyler and Montgomery were ordered to proceed against St.
John and Montreal. The former fort was reached on the 10th of
September, but could not at first be taken. Afterward General
Montgomery succeeded in capturing the fortress. Montreal was
next invested, and on the 13th of November obliged to capitulate.
18. Montgomery next proceeded, with three hundred men,
against Quebec. In the mean time, Colonel Arnold had set out
with a thousand men from Cambridge, and after a inarch of
untold hardship and suffering, had reached the St. Lawrence and
climbed to the Plains of Abraham. At Point aux Trembles he
was joined by Montgomery, who assumed command. The whole
force did not exceed nine hundred men. Quebec \vas defended
by greatly superior numbers. For three weeks, with his handful
of troops, Montgomery besieged the town, and then staked every
thing on an assault.
19. Before daybreak on the 31st of December, 1775, the first
division, under Montgomery, attacked the Lower Town. The
second column, led by Arnold, attempted to storm the Prescott
Gate. As Montgomery's men were rushing forward, a battery
before them burst forth with a storm of grape-shot. At the first
discharge Montgomery fell dead. The men, heartbroken at their
loss, retreated to Wolfe's Cove, above the city.
20. Arnold had meanwhile fought his way into the Lower
Town. While leading the charge he was severely wounded and
192 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
borne to the rear. Captain Morgan led his brave band along the
narrow streets until he was overwhelmed and compelled to sur
render. Arnold retired to a point three miles above the city.
The small-pox broke out in the camp ; Quebec was strengthened ;
and in the following June the Americans evacuated Canada.
The patriots remove their stores.— Pi tcairn is sent to destroy them.— Dawes
and Revere arouse the people.— The British reach Lexington.— Fire on the
patriots.— Proceed to Concord.— Are attacked.— And driven back to Boston.—
The country is fired.— The patriots gather at Cambridge.— Allen and Arnold
capture Ticonderoga.— The British are reinforced.— Gage's plans.— The Ameri
cans fortify Breed's Hill.— The battle. -Excitement of the people.— The North
Carolinians declare independence. — The Colonial Congress assembles. — Wash
ington commander-in-chief.— Sketch of his life.— Organization of the army.—
Royal rule is overthrown.— Struggle with Dunmore.— Expedition against Que
bec.— Led by Schuyler, Montgomery, and Arnold.— Montgomery takes Mon
treal.— Arnold's march.— He and Montgomery unite against Quebec.— The town
is invested.— The assault and defeat.— Fall of Montgomery.— Canada evacuated.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE WORK OF '76.
AT last came the king's answer to the appeal of Congress. The
petition of the colonies was rejected with contempt. By this
tyrannical answer the day of independence was brought nearer.
Meanwhile, General Howe had succeeded Gage in command of
the British troops in Boston.
2. All winter long, the city was besieged by Washington. By
the first of spring, 1776, he felt himself strong enough to risk an
assault ; the officers of his staff thought otherwise, and a different
plan was adopted. It was resolved to seize Dorchester Heights
and drive Howe out of Boston.
THE WORK OF 76.
193
3. For two days the attention of the British was drawn by a
fire from the American batteries. On the night of the 4th of
March, a detachment set out under cover of the darkness and
reached the Heights unperceived. The British noticed nothing
unusual; but, when morning
dawned, Howe saw at a glance
that he must carry the
American position or aban
don the city. He accordingly
ordered two thousand four
hundred men to storm the
Heights before nightfall.
4. Washington visited the
trenches and exhorted his
men. It was the anniversary
of the Boston Massacre, A
battle was momentarily ex
pected ; but while the British MTLES '' ==* ===== =— s
delayed, a storm arose and
rendered the harbor impassable. It continued to blow for a
whole day, and the attack could not be made. Before the follow
ing morning the Americans had so strengthened their fortifications
that all thoughts of an assault were abandoned. Howe found
himself reduced to the extremity of giving up the capital of
New England.
5. After some days there was an agreement between Washing
ton and the British general that the latter should retire from Bos
ton unmolested on condition that the city should not be burned.
On the 17th of March, the whole British army went on board the
fleet and sailed away. The American advance at once entered
the city. On the 20th, Washington made a formal entry at the
head of the triumphant army. The country was wild with delight.
Congress ordered a gold medal to be struck in honor of Washing
ton, victorious over the enemy.
6. In a short time, the commander-in-chief repaired with the
army to New York. General Lee pressed forward with the Con
necticut militia, and reached that city just in time to baffle an
194 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
attempt of Sir Henry Clinton, whose fleet arrived off Sandy
Hook. Clinton next sailed southward, and was joined by Sir
Peter Parker and Lord Cornwallis with two thousand five hun
dred men. The force of the British was deemed sufficient to
capture Charleston.
7. The Carolinians, led by General Lee, rose in arms and
flocked to Charleston. The city was fortified ; and a fort, which
commanded the entrance to the harbor, was built on Sullivan's
Island. On the 4th of June, the British squadron came in sight.
On the 28th, the British fleet began a bombardment of the fort-
tress, which t was commanded by Colonel Moultrie. The vessels
of the fleet poured a tempest of balls upon the fort; but the
walls, built of palmetto, were little injured. The flag-staff was
shot away, but Sergeant Jasper leaped down from the wall,
recovered the flag, and set it in its place again. As evening drew
on, the British were obliged to retire with a loss of two hundred
men. The loss of the garrison amounted to thirty-two. As soon
as the British could repair their fleet, they set sail for New York.
8. During the summer, Washington's forces were increased to
twenty-seven thousand men ; but the effective force was little
more than half that number. Great Britain was making the
vastest preparations. By a treaty with some of the German
States, seventeen thousand Hessians were hired to fight against
America. Twenty-five thousand English troops were levied ; and
a million dollars were voted for the expenses of the war.
9. Thus far the colonists had claimed to be loyal subjects of
Great Britain. Now the case seemed hopeless. The people urged
the general assemblies, and the general assemblies urged Congress,
to a declaration of independence. Congress responded by recom
mending the colonies to adopt such governments as might best
conduce to the safety of the people.
10. On the 7th of June, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Vir
ginia offered a resolution in Congress declaring that the United
Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.
A long and exciting debate ensued. The final consideration of
Lee's resolution was postponed until the 1st of July. On the
llth of June, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Frank-
THE WORK OF '76. 195
lin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston, were appointed a
committee to prepare a formal declaration.
11. On the 1st of July, the committee's report was laid before
Congress. On the next day Lee's resolution was adopted. During
the 3d, the formal declaration was debated with great spirit. The
discussion was resumed on the 4th, and at two o'clock in the after
noon, the DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE was adopted
by a unanimous vote.
12. The old bellman of the State House rang out the note of
freedom to the nation. The multitudes caught the signal and
answered with shouts. Everywhere the declaration was received
with enthusiastic applause. At Philadelphia the king's arms were
torn down and burned in the street. At Williamsburg, Charleston,
and Savannah there were bonfires. At Boston the declaration was
read in Faneuil Hall. At New York the populace pulled down the
statue of George III. and cast it into bullets. Washington ordered
the declaration to be read at the head of each brigade.
13. The leading principles of the Declaration of Independence
are these : That all men are created equal ; that governments are
instituted for the welfare of the people; that the people have a
right to alter their government ; that the government of George
III. had become destructive of liberty ; that the king's tyranny
over his American subjects was no longer endurable ; and that,
therefore, the United Colonies of America are, and of right ought
to be, free and independent States.
14. Early in July, General Howe landed a force of nine thou
sand men on Staten Island. Thither Clinton came from the siege
of Charleston, and Admiral Howe from England. The whole
British force in the vicinity of New York amounted to thirty
thousand men. Nearly half of them were Hessians. Washing
ton's army was greatly inferior in numbers and discipline.
15. Lord Howe had been instructed to try conciliatory measures
with the Americans. First, he sent to the American camp a
despatch directed to George Washington, Esquire. Washington
refused to receive a communication which did not recognize his
official position. Howe then sent another message, addressed to
George Washington, et€., etc., etc.; and the bearer insisted that
196
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
'KM
\ fif*£&}S? >£"*
aiid-so-forth might mean General of the American Army. But Wash
ington sent the officer away. It was known that Howe's authority
extended only to granting pardons, and to this Washington replied
that since no offence had been committed no pardon was required.
10. Lord Howe and his brother at once began hostilities. On
the 22d of August, the British,
to the number of ten thou
sand, landed on Long Island.
The Americans, about eight
thousand strong, were posted
in the vicinity of Brooklyn.
On the morning of the 27th
of August, Grant's division of
the British army proceeded as
far as Greenwood Cemetery,
where he was met by General
Stirling with fifteen hundred
men'; and the battle at once
began. In this part of the
field there was no decisive
result. General Heister, in command of the British centre, ad
vanced beyond Flatbush, and engaged the main body of the
Americans, tinder General Sullivan. Here the Hessians gained
little or no ground until Sullivan was suddenly alarmed by the
noise of battle on his left and rear.
17. General Putnam had neglected to guard the passes on the
left of the American army. During the night General Clinton
had occupied the heights above the Jamaica road, and now his
division came down by way of Bedford. Sullivan found him
self surrounded and cut off. The men fought bravely, and many
broke through the lines of the British. The rest were scattered,
killed, or taken prisoners.
18. Cornwallis, attempting to cut off Stirling's retreat, was re
pulsed. Most of Stirling's men • reached the American lines at
Brooklyn. Generals Stirling, Sullivan, and Woodhull were taken
prisoners. Nearly a thousand patriots were killed or missing. It
seemed an easy thing for Clinton and Howe to capture all the rest.
BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND, 1776.
THE WORK OF '76.
197
19. Washington, perceiving that he could not hold his position,
resolved to withdraw to New York. The enterprise was extremely
hazardous. At eight o'clock on the evening of the 29th, the em
barkation of the army began. All night with muffled oars the
boatmen rowed silently back and forth. At daylight on the follow
ing morning, the movement was discov
ered by the British. They rushed into
the American entrenchments, and
found nothing but a few worthless guns.
20. The defeat on Long Island was
very disastrous to the American cause.
Many of the troops returned to their
homes. Only by constant exertion did
Washington keep his army from dis
banding. The British fleet anchored
within cannon-shot of New York.
Washington retired to the Heights of
Harlem. On the 15th of September,
the British landed three miles above
New York. Thence they extended
their lines across the island and took
possession of the city.
21. On the following day, there was a skirmish between the
advance parties of the two armies. The British were driven
back with a loss of a hundred men. On the 16th of October,
Howe embarked his forces, passed into Long Island Sound, and
landed in the vicinity of Westchester. The object was to get
upon the American flank and cut off communications with the
Eastern States. Washington detected the movement, and faced
the British east of Harlem Kiver. On the 28th a battle was
brought on at White Plains. Howe began the engagement with
a cannonade, which was answrered writh spirit. The Americans
were driven from one position, but entrenched themselves in
another. Night came on ; and Washington withdrew to the
heights of North Castle. Howe remained for a few days at
White Plains, and then returned to New York.
22. Washington now crossed to the west bank of the Hudson
SCENE OF OPERATIONS ABOUT
XEW YORK, 1776.
198 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
and took post at Fort Lee. Four thousand men were left at
North Castle under General Lee. Fort Washington, on Manhat
tan Island, was defended by three thousand men under Colonel
Magaw. The skillful construction of this fort had attracted the
attention of Washington, and led to an acquaintance with the
engineer, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, then a stripling but twenty
years of age.
23. On the 16th of November, Fort Washington was captured
by the British. The garrison were made prisoners of war and
crowded into the jails of New York. Two days after the surren
der, Fort Lee was taken by Lord Cornwallis. Washington with
his army, now reduced to three thousand men, retreated to Newark;
but Cornwallis and Knyphausen came hard after the fugitives.
The patriots continued their flight to Princeton, and finally to
Trenton on the Delaware. Nothing but the skill of Washington
saved the remnant of his forces from destruction.
24:. On the 8th of December, Washington crossed the Delaware.
Cornwallis, having no boats, was obliged to wait for the freezing of
the river. The British army was stationed in the towns and
villages east of the Delaware. Trenton was held by two thousand
Hessians under Colonel Rahl. It was seen that as soon as the
river should be frozen the British would march into Philadelphia.
Congress accordingly adjourned to Baltimore.
25. On the same day that Washington crossed the Delaware,
the islands of Rhode Island and Conanicut were taken by Admiral
Parker's fleet; and the American squadron under Commander
Hopkins was blockaded in Blackstone River. During his retreat
across New Jersey, Washington sent despatches to General Lee, at
North Castle, to join the main army as soon as possible. That
officer marched with his command as far as Morristown, and then
took up his quarters at Basking Ridge. On the 13th of Decem
ber, a squad of British cavalry captured Lee and hurried him off
to New York. General Sullivan took command of Lee's division,
and hastened to join Washington. The entire American force now
amounted to a little more than six thousand.
26. The tide of misfortune turned at last. Washington saw in
the disposition of the British forces an opportunity to strike a blow
THE WORK OF 76.
199
for his country. The leaders of the enemy were off their guard.
The Hessians on the east side of the river were spread out from
Trenton to Burlington. Washington conceived the design of cross
ing the Delaware and striking the detachment at Trenton before a
concentration of the enemy's forces could be effected. The Amer
ican army was arranged in three divisions. The first, under General
Cadwallader, was to cross the river at Bris
tol. General Ewing was to pass over a
little below Trenton. Washington himself,
with twenty-four hundred men, was to
cross nine miles above Trenton, march
down the river and assault the town.
Christmas night was selected as the time
for the movement.
27. The Delaware was filled with floating
ice. Ewing and Cadwallader were both
baffled in their efforts to cross the river.
Washington, having succeeded in getting
over, divided his army into two columns and
pressed forward. At eight o'clock in the
morning the Americans came rushing into the village from both
directions. The Hessians sprang from their quarters and attempted
to form in line. Colonel Rahl was mortally wounded. Nearly a
thousand of the Hessians threw down their arms and begged for
quarter. Before nightfall Washington, with his army and the
whole body of captives, was safe on the other side of the Delaware.
28. The battle of Trenton roused the nation from despondency.
The militia flocked to the general's standard ; and fourteen hun
dred soldiers, whose term of enlistment now expired, reentered the
service. Robert Morris, the great financier of the Revolution, came
forward with his fortune to the support of his country.
29. Three days after his victory, Washington again crossed the
Delaware. Here all the American detachments in the vicinity
were ordered to assemble. To General Heath, stationed at Peeks-
kill, Washington sent orders to move into New Jersey. The
British fell back from their outposts and concentrated at Princeton.
Cornwallis resumed command in person. So closed the year. Ten
BATTLES OF TRENTON AND
PRINCETON, 1776-7.
200 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
days previously, Howe only waited for the freezing of the Delaware
before taking up his quarters in Philadelphia. Now it was a ques
tion whether he would be able to hold a single town in New Jersey.
The king answers the colonies.— Howe succeeds Gage.— Siege of Boston.— The
British evacuate the city.— The Americans enter.— Public rejoicings.— Washing
ton goes to New York.— Clinton threatens the city.— Corn wallis and Parker
proceed against Charleston.— Rising of the Carolinians.— The attack on Moultrie.
—Distresses of the army.— Great Britain hires the Hessians.— And makes new
levies. — The question of independence. — Lee's resolutions. — A committee is ap
pointed. — The Declaration of Independence adopted. — Its leading principles. —
Howe returns. — Attempts to open negotiations. — The British advance on Long
Island. — The battle. — Washington saves the army. — Discouragement of the peo
ple.— The British take New York.— Movements of the two armies.— Battle of
White Plains.— Notice of Hamilton.— The capture of Fort Washington.— Fort Lee
is taken.— The Americans retreat across New Jersey.— British successes in Rhode
Island.— Lee's capture.— Washington recruits his army.— Recrosses the Dela
ware.— Defeats the British at Trenton.— Effect of the battle.— Alarm of the Brit
ish.— Robert Morris to the rescue.— The situation.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
OPERATIONS OF '77.
ON the 1st of January, 1777, Washington's army at Trenton
numbered about five thousand men. On the next day, Corn-
wallis approached with greatly superior forces. During the after
noon, there was severe skirmishing along the roads east of Trenton.
Washington took up a new position south of Assanpink Creek. The
British, attempting to force a passage, were driven back; and Corn-
wallis deferred the main attack till the morrow.
2. During the night, Washington called a council of war, and it
was determined to leave the camp, pass the British left flank, and
OPERATIONS OF 77. 201
strike the enemy at Princeton. The baggage was removed to
Burlington. The camp-fires were brightly kindled and kept burn
ing through the night. Then the army was put in motion towards
Princeton. Everything \vas done in silence. The morning light
showed the British sentries a deserted camp.
3. At sunrise Washington was entering Princeton. At the same
time the British were marching out to reinforce Cornwallis. The
Americans met them in the edge of the village, and the battle at
once began. The British charged bayonets, and the militia gave
way in confusion. General Mercer received a mortal wound. But
the Pennsylvania regulars, led by the commander-in-chief, stood
their ground. Washington rallied his men with the greatest
bravery; and the British were routed, with a loss of four hundred
and thirty men in killecl, wounded and missing.
4. Washington, fearing the approach of Cornwallis, hastily with
drew to the north, and on the 5th of January, took a position at
Morristown. Cornwallis retired to New Brunswick. In a short
time the greater part of New Jersey was recovered by the patriots.
Cornwallis gradually contracted his lines until his whole force was
cooped up in New Brunswick and Amboy.
5. In the early spring, the American stores at Peekskill were
destroyed by the British. On the 13th of April, Cornwallis sur
prised General Lincoln, on the Raritan ; but the latter made good
his retreat. On the 25th of the month, General Tryon, with a
detachment of two thousand men, proceeded against Danbury,
Connecticut. After burning the town, the British were attacked
by the patriots under Wooster and Arnold, and lost two hundred
men. The veteran Wooster fell in this engagement.
6. On the night of the 22d of May, Colonel Meigs, of Connect
icut, embarked two hundred men in whale-boats, crossed the sound,
and attacked Sag Harbor. The British were overpowered; only
four of them escaped ; five or six were killed, and, the remaining
ninety were made prisoners. The stores were destroyed by the
patriots, who, without the loss of a man, returned to Guilford.
Colonel Meigs was rewarded with an elegant sword from Congress.
7. The patriot forces of the North were now concentrated on the
Hudson; and a camp, under Arnold, was laid out on the Delaware.
202 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
In the latter part of May, Washington broke up his winter-quarters
and took an advantageous position only ten miles from the British
camp. Howe crossed over from New York and threatened an
attack upon the American lines. For a month, the two armies
countermarched and skirmished. Finally,, the British retired to
Amboy, and on the 30th of June crossed over to Staten Island.
8. On the 10th of July, General Fresco tt of the British army
was captured at a farm-house near Newport, by Colonel William
Barton and forty volunteers. This lucky exploit gave the Amer
icans an officer of equal rank to exchange for General Lee. Colonel
Barton was rewarded with an elegant sword by Congress. That
body had, in the mean time, returned to Philadelphia.
9. From the beginning of the war, the people of France had been
friendly to the American cause. By and by, their sympathy became
more outspoken. The French ministers would do nothing openly to
provoke a war with Great Britain ; but secretly they rejoiced at
every British misfortune. The Americans came to understand that
if money was required, France would lend it; if arms were to be
purchased, France had arms to sell. During the year 1777, the
French managed to supply the colonies with twenty thousand
muskets and a thousand barrels of powder.
10. At last the republicans of France began to embark for Amer
ica. Foremost of all came the young MARQUTS OF LA FAYETTE.
Fitting a vessel at his own expense, he eluded the officers, and with
the brave De Kalb and a small company of followers reached South
Carolina, in April of 1777. He entered the army as a volunteer,
and in the following July, was commissioned a major-general.
11. One of the most important events of the war was the cam
paign of General Burgoyne. Superseding Sir Guy Carleton in
command of the English forces in Canada, he spent the spring of
1777 in organizing an army of ten thousand men for the invasion
of New York. The force consisted of British, Hessians, Canadians,
and Indians. The plan of the campaign embraced a descent upon
Albany and New York, and the cutting off of New7 England from
the Middle and Southern colonies.
12. On the 1st of June, Burgoyne reached Lake Champlain, and
on the 16th proceeded to Crown Point. This place was occupied
OPERATIONS OF
203
by the British ; and on the 5th of July, Ticonderoga, which was
defended by three thousand men under General St. Clair, was cap
tured. The garrison re
treated to Hubbardton ,
Vermont. Here an engage
ment ensued, in which the
Americans fought 4§o ob
stinately as to check the
pursuit. On the following
day, the British reached
Whitehall and captured a
large quantity of stores.
13. At this time the
American army of the
North was commanded by
General Schuyler. His
forces, numbering between
four and five thousand,
were at Fort Edward. This
place was captured by Bur-
goyne on the 30th of July, the Americans retreating down the
Hudson. The British general now despatched Colonels Baum and
Breymann, with a strong detachment, to seize the stores at Ben-
nington, Vermont. Colonel John Stark rallied the New Hampshire
militia, and on the 15th of August, met the British near the village.
On the following morning, there was a furious battle, in which
.Baum's force was completely routed. The British lost in killed,
wounded, and prisoners more than eight hundred men. The country
was thrilled by the victory.
14. A few days after the battle of Bennington, Burgoyne re
ceived intelligence of a still greater reverse. At the beginning of
the invasion a large force of Canadians and Indians, commanded
by General St. Leger, had been sent against Fort Schuyler, on the
Mohawk. On the 3d of August, St. Leger invested the fort.
General Herkimer rallied the militia of the country, but was de
feated with a loss of a hundred and sixty men. Meanwhile, how
ever, General Arnold had led a detachment from the Hudson for
GENERAL JOHN BURGOYNE.
204
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
SCENE OF BURGOYNE'S
INVASION, 1777.
the relief of the fort. At his approach the savages fled. St.
Leger, dismayed at their treachery, raised the siege and retreated.
Such was the news that was borne to Bur-
goyne at Fort Edward.
15. The British general lost a month in
procuring supplies from Canada. He now
found himself hemmed in by nine thousand
patriot soldiers. General Lincoln arrived
with the militia of New England. Wash
ington sent several detachments from the
regular army. Morgan came with his rifle
men. General Gates superseded Schuyler
in command of the northern army. On
the 8th of September, the American head
quarters were advanced to Stillwater.
On the 14th of the month, Burgoyne
crossed the Hudson and took post at Sara
toga. The two armies now came face to face. On the 19th, a
general battle ensued, continuing until nightfall. The conflict,
though severe, was indecisive ; the Americans retired within their
lines, and the British slept on the field. To the patriots the result
of the battle was equivalent to a victory.
16. The condition of Burgoyne grew critical. His supplies failed ;
his Canadian and Indian allies deserted his standard. Meanwhile,
General Clinton, who commanded the British army in New York,
sailed up the river and captured Forts Clinton and Montgomery.
But nothing further was accomplished, and Burgoyne became des
perate. On the 7th of October, he hazarded another battle, in
which he lost his bravest officers and nearly seven hundred privates.
The brave General Eraser, who commanded the British right, was
killed. His disheartened men turned and fled from the field. On
the American side, Arnold was the inspiring genius of the battle.
The Americans were completely victorious.
17. Burgoyne now began a retreat, and on the 9th of October,
reached Saratoga. Here he was intercepted by Gates and Lincoln,
and driven to surrender. On the 17th of October, terms of capitu
lation were agreed on, and the whole army, numbering five thou-
OPERATIONS OF 77. 205
sand seven hundred and ninety-one, became prisoners of war.
Among the captives were six members of the British Parliament.
Forty-two pieces of brass artillery, five thousand muskets, and an
immense quantity of stores were the fruits of the victory.
18. As soon as the invasion was at an end, a large portion of
the army was despatched to aid Washington. For, in the mean
time, a great campaign had been in progress in the South ; and the
patriots were sorely pressed. On the 23d of July, Howe had sailed
from New York, with eighteen thousand men, to attack Philadel
phia. Learning that the Americans had obstructed the Delaware,
he determined to change his plan, enter the Chesapeake, and make
the attack by land. Washington advanced his headquarters from
Philadelphia to Wilmington. The American army, numbering
between eleven and twelve thousand men, was concentrated at that
place. The forces of Howe were vastly superior, but Washington
hoped to beat back the invaders and save the capital.
19. On the 25th of August, the British landed at Elk River, in
Maryland, and began their march toward Philadelphia. Washing
ton selected the Brandywine as his line of defence. The left wing
was stationed at Chad's Ford, while the right, under General Sulli
van, was extended up the river. On the llth of September, the
British reached the opposite bank and began battle. The Hessians
under Knyphausen attacked at the ford ; but the British, led by
Cornwallis and Howe, marched up the Brandywine and crossed
above the American right. Sullivan allowed himself to be out
flanked. Washington was misled by false information ; the right
wing was crushed in by Cornwallis; and the day was lost.
20. During the 'night the patriots retreated to Westchester. The
loss of the Americans amounted to a thousand men ; that of the
British to five hundred and eighty-four. La Fayette was severely
wounded. Count Pulaski so distinguished himself in this engage
ment that Congress honored him with the rank of brigadier.
Washington continued his retreat as far as German town. On the
15th of the month, he recrossed the Schuylkill and met Howe at
Warren's Tavern. A spirited skirmish ensued, and a great battle
was imminent. But just as the conflict was beginning, a violent
tempest swept over the field. The combatants were deluged, their
206 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
cartridges soaked, and fighting made impossible. Washington still
attempted to keep between the British and the city. But Howe
succeeded in crossing the Schuylkill, and hastened to Philadelphia.
On the 26th of September, the city was taken, and the main divis
ion of the British army encamped at Germantown.
21. Congress adjourned, first to Lancaster, and afterward to York,
where they held their sessions until the next summer. Washington
now made his camp on Skippack Creek, twenty miles from the city.
On the night of the 3d of October, he attempted to surprise the
British at Germantown. But the roads were rough, and the differ
ent columns reached the British outposts at irregular intervals.
There was much severe fighting, and at one time it seemed that
the British would be overwhelmed ; but they gained possession of
a large stone house and could not be dislodged. The tide turned
against the patriots, and the day was lost. Of the Americans about
a thousand were killed, wounded, and missing. The British loss
was five hundred and thirty-five.
22. On the 22d of October, Fort Mercer, on the Delaware, was
assaulted by twelve hundred Hessians. Count Donop, the com
mander, and nearly four hundred of his men, fell before the
American entrenchments. At the same time the British fleet
attacked Fort Mifflin on Mud Island. A siege ensued, lasting till
the 15th of November. Then at midnight the fortress was set
on fire, and the garrison escaped to Fort Mercer. On the 20th
of November this fort was also abandoned to the British. General
Howe thus obtained control of the Delaware.
23. After the battle of Germantown, Washington took up
his headquarters at Whitemarsh. The patriots began to suffer
for food and clothing. On the evening of the 2d of December,
Howe held a council of war at the house of Lydia Darrah in
Philadelphia. It was decided to surprise Washington in his
camp. But Lydia, who overheard* the plans of Howe, left
the city on pretence of going to mill, rode to the American lines,
and gave the alarm. When, on the morning of the 4th, the
British approached Whitemarsh, they found the cannons mounted
and the patriots in order of battle. The British general mano3iivred
for four days, and then marched back to Philadelphia.
OPERATIONS OF 'TV.
207
24:. On the llth of December, Washington went into winter-
quarters at Valley Forge, on the right bank of the Schuylkill.
Thousands of the soldiers were without shoes, and the frozen
ground was marked with bloody footprints. Log cabins were
built, and everything was done that could be done to secure the
comfort of the -suffering patriots.
But it was a long and dreary win
ter. These were the darkest days
of Washington's life. Congress in
a measure abandoned him. The
success of the army of the North
was unjustly compared with the
reverses of the army of the South.
Many men high in military and
civil station left the great leader
unsupported. But the allegiance of the army remained unshaken,
and the nation's confidence in the chieftain became stronger than
ever. At the close of 1777, the patriot cause was obscured with
clouds and misfortune.
ENCAMPMENT AT VALLEY FORGE, 1777-8.
The British advance against Trenton.— Washington withdraws his forces. —
Wins a victory.— Takes post at Morristown.— The British at New Brunswick.—
Destruction of stores at Peekskill.— Lincoln attacked at Boundbrook.— Tryon
burns Danbury.— Meigs takes Sag Harbor.— Washington advances into New
Jersey. — The British threaten Philadelphia. — Leave New Jersey. — Barton cap
tures Prescott.— Congress returns to Philadelphia.— Help from France.— Coming
of La Fayette and De Kalb.— Burgoyne's campaign.— Fall of Crown Point and
Ticonderoga.— The battle of Hubbardton.— Capture of Whitehall.— Fort Edward
is taken.— Schuyler retreats.— The battle of ^ennington.— St. Leger besieges Fort
Schuyler.— Herkimer is defeated.— Arnold advances.— St. Leger retreats.— Dis
couragement of Burgoyne.— The battle of Saratoga.— A diversion is attempted
by Clinton.— The second battle.-«-Burgoyne is driven to surrender.— The army
of the North relieves Washington. — The movement of Howe against Phila
delphia.— He enters the Chesapeake.— The battle of Brandywine.— Retreat of
the Americans.— Washington advances to Warren's Tavern.— A storm prevents
the battle.— The British capture Philadelphia.— Congress at Lancaster.— Wash
ington on Skippack Creek.— The battle of Germantown.— Capture of Forts Mer
cer and Mifflin.— The Americans at Whiternarsh.— Adventure of Lydia Dar-
rah.— The British winter at Philadelphia.— The Americans at Valley Forge.—
Sorrows of Washington.
208 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
FRANCE TO THE RESCUE.
IN November of 1776, Silas Deane of Connecticut was appointed
commissioner to France. His first service was to make a secret
arrangement to supply the Americans with- materials for carrying
on the war. In the autumn of 1777, a ship, laden with two
hundred thousand dollars' worth of arms, ammunition and specie,
was sent to America. In that ship came Baron Steuben, who was
commissioned by Congress as inspector-general of the army.
2. Arthur Lee and Benjamin Franklin were also appointed
by Congress to negotiate a treaty with the French king. In De
cember of 1776, they reached Paris and began their duties. For
a long time King Louis and his minister stood aloof from the
proposed alliance. They hated Great Britain, and gave secret
encouragement to the colonies; but an open treaty with the
Americans was equivalent to a "war with England, and that the
French court dreaded.
3. Now it was that the genius of Dr. Franklin shone with a
peculiar lustre. At the gay court of Louis XVI. he stood as
the representative of his country. His wit and genial humor
made him admired ; his talents and courtesy commanded respect ;
his patience and perseverance gave him final success. During
the whole of 1777, he remained at Paris and Versailles. At last
came the news of Burgoyne's surrender. A powerful British
army had been subdued by the colonists without aid from
abroad. The success of the American arms induced the king to
accept the proposed alliance with the colonies. On the 6th of
February, 1778, a treaty was concluded ; France acknowledged the
independence of the United States, and entered into relations of
friendship with the new nation.
FRANCE TO THE RESCUE.
209
4. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, the author of the first treaty between
the United States and a foreign nation, was born in Boston on the
17th of January, 1706. His father was a manufacturer of soap
and candles. At the age of twelve, Benjamin was apprenticed
to his brother
to learn the art
of printing. In
1723 he went
to Philadelphia,
entered a print
ing-office, and
rose to distinc
tion. He visited
England; re
turned ; found
ed the first cir
culating library
in America;
edited Poor
Richard?* Alma
nac ; discovered
the identity of
electricity and
lightning; es
poused the
patriot cause;
and devoted his
old age to perfecting the American Union. The name of Frank
lin is one of the brightest in history.
5. In May bf 1778, Congress ratified the treaty with France.
A month previously, a French fleet, under Count d'Estaing, had
been sent to America. Both France and Great Britain immedi
ately prepared for war. George III. now became willing to treat
with his American subjects. Lord North brought forward two
bills in which everything that the colonists had claimed was con
ceded. The bills were passed by Parliament, and the king as
sented. Commissioners were sent to America ; but Congress in-
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
210 HISTORY OF THE U SITED STATES.
formed them that nothing but an acknowledgment of the inde
pendence of the United States would now be accepted.
G. The British army remained at Philadelphia until June of
1778. The fleet of Admiral Howe lay in the Delaware. When
the* rumor came that the fleet of D'Estaing was approaching,
the English admiral set sail for New York. On the 18th of June,
the British army evacuated Philadelphia and retreated across New
Jersey. Washington occupied the city, and followed the retreat
ing foe. At Monmouth the British were overtaken. On the
morning of the 28th, General Lee was ordered to attack the
enemy. The American cavalry under La Fayette was driven
back by Cornwallis. Lee ordered his line to retire to a stronger
position ; but the troops mistook the order and began a retreat.
Washington met the fugitives and administered a severe rebuke
to Lee. The fight continued till nightfall, and Washington anx
iously waited for the morning. During the night, however, Clin
ton withdrew his forces and escaped.
7. The loss of the Americans was two hundred and twenty-
seven. The British left nearly three hundred dead on the field.
On the day after the battle, Washington received an insulting
letter from Lee demanding an apology. Washington replied that
his language had been warranted by the circumstances. Lee
answered in a still more offensive manner, and was thereupon ar
rested, tried by a court-martial, and dismissed from his command
for twelve months. He never reentered the service, and did not
live to see his country's independence.
8. The British forces were now concentrated at New York.
Washington took up his headquarters at White Plains. On the
llth of July, Count d'Estaing's fleet attempted to attack the
British squadron in the bay ; but the bar at the entrance pre
vented the passage of the French vessels. D'Estaing next sailed
for Rhode Island, and General Sullivan proceeded to Providence
to cooperate with him in an attack on Newport. On the 9th of
August, Sullivan secured a favorable position on the island. A
joint attack by land and sea was planned for the following day.
On that morning the fleet of Lord Howe came in sight; and
D'Estaing sailed out to give battle. Just as the two squadrons
FRANCE TO THE RESCUE.
211
were about to begin an engagement, a storm arose by which the
fleets were parted and greatly damaged. D'Estaing repaired to
Boston, and Howe returned to New York.
9. Sullivan laid siege to Newport, but soon found it necessary
to retreat. The British pursued, and a battle was fought in
which the enemy was re
pulsed with a loss* of two
hundred and sixty men.
On the following night,
Sullivan succeeded in es
caping from the island.
General Clinton returned
to New York.
10. The command of
the British naval forces
was now transferred to
Admiral Byron. Early in
October, a band of incen
diaries, led by Colonel Fer
guson, burned the Amer
ican ships at Little Egg
Harbor. In the preceding
July, Major John Butler,
in command of sixteen hundred loyalists, Canadians, and Indians,
marched into the valley of Wyoming, Pennsylvania. The set
tlement was defenceless. On the approach of the tories and
savages, a few militia, old men, and boys, rallied to protect their
homes. A battle was fought, and the patriots were routed. The
fugitives fled to a fort, which was crowded with women and
children. Honorable terms were promised by Butler, and, the
garrison capitulated. On the 5th of July, the gates were opened
and the barbarians entered. Immediately they began to plunder
and butcher. Nearly all the prisoners fell under the hatchet and
the seal ping-knife.
11. In November there was a similar massacre at Cherry Val
ley, N( \v York. The invaders were led by Joseph Brandt, chief
of the Mohawks, and Walter Butler, a son of Major John But-
l \
JOSEPH BKAM>T.
212 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ler. The people of Cherry Valley were driven from their homes;
women and children were tomahawked and scalped; and forty
prisoners dragged into captivity. To avenge these outrages, an
expedition was sent against the savages on the Susquehanna ;
and they in turn were made to feel the terrors of war. In the
spring of 1778, Major Clarke marched against the Indians west
of the Alleghanies. The expedition descended to the mouth of
the Ohio; and, on the 4th of the following July, captured Kas-
ksskia. Other important posts were taken; and, on the 26th of
February, 1779, Vincennes was forced to capitulate.
12. On the 3d of November, Count d'Estaing's fleet sailed for
the West Indies. In December Admiral Byron left New York
to try the fortunes of war on the ocean. Colonel Campbell, with
two thousand men, was sent by General Clinton for the conquest
of Georgia. On the 29th of December, the expedition reached
Savannah. The place was defended by General Robert Howe
with eight hundred men. A battle was fought, and the Amer
icans were driven out of the city. The patriots crossed into
South Carolina and found refuge at Charleston. Such was the
only real conquest made by the British during the year 1778.
Silas Deane is sent to France.— The French favor the Americans.— Rupplies are
sent to the patriots.— Steuben arrives.— Lee and Franklin are appointed to
negotiate a treaty.— Franklin's influence.— A treaty is concluded.— Sketch of
FrankliTi.— Arrival of D'Estaing's fleet. — War threatened between France and
England.— Efforts of Great Britain for peace.— The British fleet at Philadelphia.
—The city evacuated.— Washington pursues.— The battle of Monmouth.— Lee
disobeys orders.— Is co\art-martialed and dismissed.— British concentrate at New
York.— The city is threatened by D'Estaing.— He sails against Rhode Island.—
Sullivan cooperates against Newport.— Howe follows D'Estaing.— Both squad
rons shattered by a storm.— The siege of Newport.— Abandonment of the enter
prise.— Destruction of American shipping.— Byron succeeds Howe.— Marauding
of the British.— The Wyoming massacre.— Ruin of Cherry Valley.— The expedi
tion of Major Clarke.— The French and British fleets sail away.— A force is sent
against Savannah.— Capture of the city.
FRANCE TO THE RESCUE. 213
CHAPTER XL.
MOVEMENTS OF '79.
THE winter of 1778-79 was passed by the American army at
Middlebrook. There was much discouragement among the
soldiers ; for they were neither paid nor fed. But the influence
of Washington prevented a mutiny. In February, Governor
Tryon of New York marched with fifteen hundred regulars and
tories to destroy the salt-works at Horse Neck, Connecticut. Gen
eral Putnam rallied the militia and made a brave defence. The
Americans were finally outflanked by the British and obliged to
fly. It was here that General Putnam, when about to be over
taken, spurred his horse down a precipice and escaped.
2. In the latter part of May, Clinton sailed with an arma
ment up the Hudson to Stony Point. The garrison, unable to
resist, escaped from the fortifications. On the first of June, the
British bombarded Verplanck's Point, on the other side of the
river, and compelled a surrender. In July, Tryon, with twenty-six
hundred Hessians and tories, captured New Haven. East Haven
and Fairfield were given to the flames. At Nonvalk, while the
village was burning, Tryon on a neighboring hill, sat in a rock
ing-chair and laughed heartily at the scene.
3. On the 15th of July, General Wayne marched against Stony
Point. In the evening, he halted near the fort and gave his
orders. The British pickets were caught and gagged. Every
thing was done in silence. Muskets were unloaded and bayonets
fixed ; not a gun was to be fired. The assault was made a little
after midnight. The patriots never wavered in the charge. The
ramparts were scaled ; and the British, finding themselves between
two lines of bayonets, cried out for quarter. Sixty-three of the
enemy fell ; the remaining five hundred and forty-three were made
214 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
prisoners. Of the Americans only fifteen were killed and eighty-
three wounded. General Wayne secured the ordinance and stores,
and then destroyed the fort.
4. Three days afterward, Major Lee captured the British gar
rison at Jersey city. On the 25th of the month, a fleet was sent
against a British post at the mouth of the Penobscot. On the
13th of August, while the American ships were besieging the post,
they were attacked and destroyed by a British squadron. In the
summer of this year, four thousand six hundred men, led by Gen
erals Sullivan and James Clinton, were sent against the Indians on
the Susquehanna. At Elmira the savages and tories had fortified
themselves ; but on the 29th of August, they were forced from
their stronghold and utterly routed. The country between the
Susquehanna and the Genesee was wasted by the patriots. Forty
Indian villages were destroyed.
5. On the 9th of January, 1779, Fort Sunbury, on St.
Catherine's Sound, was captured by the British under General
Prevost. This officer then assumed command of the British army
in the South. A force of two thousand regulars and loyalists was
despatched against Augusta*. On the 29th of January, the British
reached their destination, and Augusta was taken.
6. In the mean time, the tories, who were advancing to join the
British at Augusta, were defeated by the patriots under Captain
Anderson. On the 14th of February, they were again overtaken
and routed by Colonel Pickens. Colonel Boyd, the tory leader,
and seventy of his men were killed. Seventy-five others were
captured, and h've of the ringleaders hanged. The western half
of Georgia was quickly recovered by the patriots.
?. General Ashe was sent with two thousand men to intercept
the enemy. On the 25th of February, the Americans crossed
the Savannah and pursued Campbell as far as Brier Creek. Here
the patriots came to a halt ; and General Prevost, marching from
Savannah, surrounded Ashe's command. A battle was fought on
the 3d of March ; the Americans were totally routed and driven
into the swamps. By this defeat Georgia was again prostrated,
and a royal government was established over the State.
8. Within a month, General Lincoln was again in the field
MOVEMENTS OF '79. 215
with five thousand men. He advanced up the left bank of the
river in the direction of Augusta ; but, at the same time, Gen
eral Prevost crossed the Savannah and marched against Charles
ton. General Lincoln turned back to attack him, and the British
made a hasty retreat. The Americans overtook the enemy at
Stono Ferry, ten miles west of Charleston, but were repulsed with
considerable loss. Prevost then fell back to Savannah. From
June until September, military operations were suspended.
9. Count d'Estaing now arrived with his fleet from the West
Indies to cooperate with Lincoln in the reduction of Savannah.
Prevost concentrated his forces for the defence of the city. On
the 12th of September, the French, numbering six thousand,
effected a landing, and advanced to the siege. Eleven days elapsed
before General Lincoln arrived with his forces. On the 16th of the
month, D'Estaing demanded a surrender; but Prevost answered with
a message of defiance. The siege was pressed with vigor, and the city
constantly bombarded. But the defences remained unshaken. At
last D'Estaing notified Lincoln that the city must be stormed. It was
determined to make the assault on the morning of the 9th of October.
10. Before sunrise the allies advanced against the redoubts of
the British. The attack was made with great vehemence. At one
time it seemed that the works would be carried. The flags of
Carolina and France were planted on the parapet, but were soon
hurled down. Sergeant Jasper, the hero of Fort Moultrie, was
killed. The allied columns were driven back with fearful losses.
Count Pulaski was struck with a grape-shot, and borne dying from
the field. D'Estaing retired on board the fleet, and Lincoln re
treated to Charleston.
11. On the 23d of September, Paul Jones, cruising off the coast
of Scotland with a fleet of French and American vessels, fell in
with a British squadron, and a bloody battle ensued. The Serapis,
a British frigate of forty-four guns, engaged the Poor Richard
within musket-shot. At last the vessels were lashed together,
and the Serapis struck her colors. Jones transferred his men to
the conquered ship, and the Poor Richard went down. Of the
three hundred and seventy-five men on board the fleet of Jones,
three hundred were either killed or wounded.
216 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
12. So closed the year 1779. The colonies were not yet free.
The French alliance had brought but little benefit. The national
treasury was bankrupt. The patriots of the army were poorly fed,
and paid only with unkept promises. The disposition of Great
Britain was still for war. The levies of sailors and soldiers made
by Parliament, amounted to a hundred and twenty thousand ;
while the expenses of the War Department were set at twenty
million pounds sterling.
IR,E C-A-IPITTJ L^TIOIST .
Hardships of the soldiers.— Try on 's expedition.— Is attacked by the militia.—
Putnam's exploit.— Fall of Stony Point and Verplanck's.— Insurrection in Vir
ginia.— Tryon invades Connecticut.— Destruction of East Haven, Fairfield, and
Norwalk.— Stony Point is retaken by Wayne.— Lee captures Jersey City.—
An American flotilla is lost in the Penobscok— Sullivan ravages the Indian
country.— The British evacuate Rhode Island.— Fort Suubury is taken.— Fall of
Augusta.— Anderson defeats the tories.— Pickens gains a victory.— Augusta is
evacuated.— Defeat of Lincoln's army.— He again takes the field.— Is beaten at
Stono Ferry.— Suspension of activity.— D'Estaing arrives.— Siege of Savannah.—
The assault.— Paul Jones's victory.— The situation.
CHAPTER XLI.
REVERSES AND TREASON.
DURING the year 1780, military operations at the North were
suspended. Early in July, Admiral De Ternay arrived at
Newport with a French squadron and six thousand land-troops
under Count Rochambeau. The Americans were greatly elated at
the coming of their allies. In September, the commander-in-chief
held a conference with Rochambeau, and the plans of future cam
paigns were determined.
2. In the South the patriots suffered many reverses. South
Carolina was completely overrun by the enemy. On the llth of
February, Admiral Arbuthnot anchored before Charleston. Sir
Henrv Clinton and five thousand men were on board the fleet.
REVERSES AND TREASON.
217
The city was defended by fourteen hundred men, under General
Lincoln. The British effected a landing, and advanced up the
right bank of Ashley River. On the 7th of April, Lincoln was
reinforced by seven hundred Virginians. Two days afterward,
Arbuthuot succeeded in passing Fort
Moultrie, and came within cannon-shot
of the city.
3. A siege was at once begun, and
prosecuted with vigor. Lincoln sent
three hundred men under General Hu-
ger to scour the country north of Cooper
River. Apprised of this movement,
Tarleton with the British cavalry stole
Upon Huger's forces at Monk's Corner, SIEGE OF CHARLESTON, 1780.
and dispersed the whole company. The city was now fairly hemmed
in. From the beginning the defence was hopeless. The fortifica
tions were beaten down, and Lincoln, dreading an assault, agreed
to capitulate. On the 12th of May, Charleston was surrendered
to the British, and the garrison became prisoners of war.
4. A few days before the surrender, Tarleton surprised and
dispersed a body of militia on the Santee. Afterward three ex
peditions were sent into different sections of the State. The
American post at Ninety-Six was seized. A second detachment
invaded the country on the Savannah. Cornwallis crossed the
Santee and captured Georgetown. Tarleton with seven hundred
cavalry overtook the Americans under Colonel Buford, 011 the
Waxhaw, charged upon and scattered the whole command.
5. The authority of Great Britain was reestablished over South
Carolina. Clinton and Arbuthnot returned to New York, and
Cornwallis was left to hold the conquered territory. In this con
dition of affairs, Thomas Sumter and Francis Marion appeared
as the protectors of the State. They rallied the militia and began
an audacious partisan warfare. Detachments of the British were
swept off as though an enemy had fallen on them from the skies.
At Rocky Mount, Colonel Sumter burst upon a party of dragoons,
who barely saved themselves. On the 6th of August, he attacked
a detachment at Hanging Rock, defeated them and retreated. It
218
HISTORY OF THE UNITED
'
ment"
terror
There
when
sword
was in this battle that young Andrew Jackson, then but thirteen
years of age, began his career as a soldier.
6. Marion's company consisted of twenty men and boys, white
and black, half clad and poorly arm eel. But the number increased,
and the " Ragged Regi-
soon became a
to the enemy,
was no telling
or where the
of the fearless
leader would fall.
From the swamps at
midnight he and his
men .would suddenly
dart upon the encamp
ments of the enemy.
During the summer and
autumn of 1 780 he swept
around Cormvallis's po
sitions, cutting his lines
of communication and
making incessant onsets.
7. General Gates now
advanced into the Carolines. Lord Rawdon concentrated his forces
at Camden.- Hither came Cornwallis with reinforcements. The
Americans took post at Clermont. Cornwallis and Gates each formed
the design of surprising the other in the night. On the evening of
the 15th of August, they both moved from their camps and met mid
way on Bander's Creek. After a severe battle the Americans were
completely defeated, with a loss of more than a thousand men. Baron
I)e Kalb was mortally wounded. The reputation of Gates was blown
away like chaff, and he was superseded by General Greene.
8. A few days after the battle, Sumter's corps was overtaken
by Tarleton at Fishing Creek and completely routed. Only
Marion remained to harass the enemy. On the 8th of Septem
ber, the British advanced into North Carolina, and on the 25th
reached Charlotte. Colonel Ferguson, with eleven hundred reg-
FHANCIS MARION.
REVERSES AND TREASON.
219
ulars and tories, was sent into the country west of the Catawba
to encourage the loyalists. On the 7th of October, while he and
his men Were encamped on King's Mountain, they were attacked
by a thousand riflemen led by Colonel Campbell. A desperate
battle ensued ; Fer
guson was slain, and
three hundred of his
men were killed or
wounded. The re
maining eight hun
dred threw down
their arms and beg-
g e d for quarter.
Ten of the leading
tory prisoners were
condemned by a
court-martial and
hanged.
9. Meanwhile, the
credit of the nation
was sinking to the
lowest ebb. Con
gress resorted to pa
per money
SCENE OF OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTH, 1780-81.
At first the continental bills were received at par;
but the value of the notes rapidly diminished, until, by the mid
dle of 1780, they were not worth two cents to the dollar. Busi
ness was paralyzed for the want of a currency ; but Robert Morris
and a few other wealthy patriots came forward with their private
fortunes and saved the colonies from ruin. The mothers of
America also lent a helping hand ; and the patriot soldiers were
supplied with food and clothing.
10. In the midst of the gloom, the country was shocked by the
news that Benedict Arnold had turned traitor. After the battle
of Bemis's Heights, in the fall of 1777, he had been promoted to
the rank of major-general, and made commandant of Philadelphia.
Here he married the daughter of a loyalist, and entered upon a
career of extravagance which overwhelmed him with debt. He
220
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
then began a system of frauds on the commissary department of
the army. Charges were preferred against him by Congress, and
he was convicted by a court-martial. ,
11. Seeming to forget his disgrace, Arnold obtained command of
the fortress of West Point on the Hudson. On the last day of
July, 1780, he assumed control of the arsenal and depot of stores
at that place. He then entered
into a secret correspondence with Sir
Henry Clinton, and finally offered to
betray his country for gold. It was
agreed that the British fleet should
ascend the Hudson, and that the gar
rison and the fortress should be given
up without a struggle.
12. On the 21st of September,
Clinton sent Major John Andrei to
hold a conference with Arnold and
make arrangements for the surrender.
Andre, who was adjutant-general of
the British army, went in full uni
form ; and the meeting was held out-
M-KNK OF ARNOLD'S TREASON, i7so. side of the American lines. About
midnight of the 21st, he went ashore from the Vulture, and met
Arnold in a thicket. Daydawn approached, and the conspirators
entered the American lines. Andre, disguising himself, assumed
the character of a spy.
13. During the next day, the business was completed. Arnold
agreed to surrender West Point for ten thousand pounds and a
commission as brigadier in the British army. Andre received
papers containing a description of West Point, its defences, and the
best method of attack. During that day, an American battery
drove the Vulture down the river ; and Andre was obliged to cross
to the other side and return by land. He passed the American
outposts in safety ; but at Tarry town he was confronted by three
militiamen* who stripped him, found his papers, and delivered
* John Paulding, David Williams and Isaac van Wart. Congress afterward rewarded
them with silver medals and pensions for life.
THE END. 221
him to Colonel Jameson at North Castle. Arnold, on hearing the
news, escaped on board the Vulture. Andre was tried by a court-
martial at Tappan, and condemned to death. On the 2d of Oc
tober, he was led to the gallows, and, under the stern code of war,
was hanged.
14. For several years Holland had favored the Americans; now
she began negotiations for a treaty similar to that between France
and the United States. Great Britain discovered the purposes of
the Dutch government, and remonstrated. On the 20th of De
cember, an open declaration of war was made. Thus the Nether
lands were added to the enemies of England.
in the North suspended.— Ternay's fleet arrives.— Campaigns are
planned.— Arbuthnot and Clinton besiege Charles on.— The city is taken.— Rav
ages of Tarleton.— Plan of the British to conquer South Carolina.— Capture of
Ninety-Six.— Cornwallis's and Tarleton's successes.— South Carolina is subju
gated.— Clinton returns to New York.— Marion's and Sumter's bands.— Their
victories.— Gates takes command.— The British at Camden.— Gates advances
against them.— Is defeated.— Is superseded by Greene.— Sumter's corps is broken
up.— Bawdon advances into North Carolina.— Ferguson's tories are defeated.—
Financial distresses.— Sacrifices of Morris.— The treason of Arnold.— Andr6 is
sent to a conference.— The interview.— Andr6 is captured, condemned and ex
ecuted.— Treaty with Holland.
CHAPTER XLII.
THE END.
T?OR the Americans, the year 1781 opened gloomily. The con-
•*- dition of the army was desperate — no food, no pay, no clothing.
On the first day of January, the whole Pennsylvania line mutinied
and marched on Philadelphia. At Princeton they were met by
emissaries from Sir Henry Clinton, and were tempted with offers
of money and clothing if they would desert the American standard.
222 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
The patriots answered by seizing the British agents and delivering
them to General Wayne to be hanged. The commissioners of
Congress offered the insurgents a large reward, but the reward was
refused; and a few liberal concessions on the part of the govern
ment quieted the mutiny.
2. About the middle of the month, the New Jersey brigade re
volted. This movement Washington quelled by force. General
Howe marched to the camp with five hundred regulars and com
pelled the mutineers to execute their own leaders. From that
day order was restored. Congress was thoroughly alarmed. An
agent was sent to France to obtain a loan of money. Robert Mor
ris was appointed secretary of finance ; and the Bank of North
America was organized to aid the government.
3. On arriving at New York, Arnold received his commission as
brigadier in the British army. In the preceding November, Wash
ington and Major Lee had attempted to capture him. Sergeant
John Champe undertook the work, deserted to the enemy, entered
New York, joined Arnold's company, and concerted measures to
abduct him from the city. But Arnold moved his quarters, and
the plan was defeated. A month afterward, he was given com
mand of sixteen hundred men, and, on the 16th of December, left
New York for Virginia.
4. In January the traitor began war on his countrymen. His
proceedings were marked with much ferocity. In the vicinity of
Richmond a vast quantity of property was destroyed. Arnold then
took up his headquarters in Portsmouth ; and Washington again
planned his capture. The French fleet was ordered to cooperate
with La Fayette in the attempt. But Admiral Arbuthnot drove
the French squadron back to Rhode Island. La Fayette abandoned
the undertaking, and Arnold again escaped.
5. In April General Phillips arrived at Portsmouth and assumed
command of the army. In May Phillips died, and for seven days
Arnold held the supreme command of the British forces in Vir
ginia. On the 20th of the month, Lord Cornwallis arrived and
ordered him to begone. Returning to New York, he made an
expedition against New London, in his native State. Fort Gris-
wold, which was defended by Colonel Ledyard, was carried by
THE END. 223
storm. When Ledyard surrendered, seventy-three of the garrison
were murdered in cold blood.
6. General Greene was now in command of the American army
at Charlotte, North Carolina. Early in January, General Morgan
was sent into the Spurtanburg district of South Carolina to repress
the tories. Colonel Tarleton followed with his cavalry. The Amer
icans took a position at the Cowpens, where, on the 17th of January.
they were attacked by the British. Tarleton made the onset with
impetuosity; but Morgan's men bravely held their ground. At last
the American cavalry, under Colonel William Washington, made
a charge and scattered the British dragoons like chaff. Ten British
officers and ninety privates were killed.
7. When Cornwallis heard of the battle, he marched up the
river to cut off Morgan's retreat. But Greene hastened to the
camp of Morgan and took command in person. On the 28th of
January, the Americans reached the Catawba and crossed to the
northern bank. Within two hours the British arrived at the ford.
During the night the rain poured down in torrents ; the river was
swollen to a flood ; and it was many days before the British could
cross. Then began a race for the Yadkin.
8. The distance was sixty miles. In two days the Americans
reached the river. The crossing was nearly effected, when the
British appeared in sight. That night the Yadkin was made im
passable by rains, and Cornwallis was again delayed. On the 9th
of February, the British succeeded in crossing. The lines of retreat
and pursuit were now nearly parallel. A third time the race-began,
and again the Americans won it. On the 13th, Greene, with the
main division, crossed the Dan into Virginia. •
9. On the 22d of February, General Greene returned into North
Carolina. Meanwhile, Cornwallis had sent Tarleton into the region
between the Haw and Deep Rivers to encourage the tories. Three
hundred loyalists were already under arms in that neighborhood.
While marching to join Tarleton, they were intercepted, and the
entire company dispersed by Colonel Lee.
10. Greene's army now numbered more than four thousand men.
Determining to avoid battle no longer, he marched to Guilford
Court-House. Cornwallis moved forward to the attack. On the
224 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
15th of March, the two armies met, and a severe but indecisive
battle was fought. The Americans were driven back for several
miles; but in killed and wounded the British loss was greatest.
11. Early in April, Cornwallis retreated to Wilmington, and
then proceeded to Virginia. The British forces in the Carolinas
remained under Lord Rawdon. The American army soon ad
vanced into South Carolina and captured Fort Watson, on the
Santee. Greene took post at Hobkirk's Hill, near Camden. On
the 25th of April, Rawdon moved against the American camp.
A severe battle ensued ; and for a while it seemed that the British
would be routed. At last, however, the American centre was
broken, and the day lost.
12. On the 10th of May, Lord Rawdon retired to Eutaw Springs.
The British posts at Orangeburg and Augusta fell into the hands
of the patriots. Ninety-Six was besieged by General Greene. The
supply of water was cut off from the fort, and the garrison reduced
to the point of surrendering, when Rawdon approached, and the
Americans were obliged to retreat. General Greene passed the
sickly months of summer in the hill-country of the Santee.
13. Sumter, Lee, and Marion were constantly abroad, smiting
the tories right and left. Lord Rawdon now went to Charleston
and became a principal actor in one of the most shameful scenes
of the Revolution. Colonel Isaac Hayne, a patriot who had once
taken an oath of allegiance to the king, was caught in command
of a troop of American cavalry. He was arraigned before Colonel
Balfour, the commandant of Charleston, and condemned to death.
Rawdon gave his sanction, and Colonel Hayne was hanged.
14. On the 22d of August, General Greene marched toward
Orangeburg. The British retired to Eutaw Springs. There the
Americans overtook them on the 8th of September. One of the
fiercest battles of the war ensued; and General Greene was denied
a decisive victory only by the bad conduct of some of his troops.
After losing five hundred and fifty-five men, he gave over the
struggle. The British lost in killed and wounded nearly seven
hundred. Stuart retreated to Monk's Corner; Greene followed;
and after two months of manoeuvring, the British were driven into
Charleston. In the whole South only Charleston and Savannah
THE END.
225
were now held by the king's array; the latter city was evacuated
on the llth of July, and the former on the 14th of December,
1782. Such was the close of the Revolution in the Carolinas and
Georgia.
15. In the beginning of May, 1781, Cornwallis took command
of the British
army in Virgin
ia. The country
was ravaged,
and property de-
stroyed to the
value of fifteen
million dollars.
La Fayette, to
whom the de
fence of the State
had been e n -
trusted, was un
able to meet
Cornwallis in the
field. While the
British were near
Richmond, a de
tachment under
Tarleton pro
ceeded to Char-
lottesville, and
captured the
town and seven members of the legislature,
escaped into the mountains.
16. On the 6th of July, General Wayne, who led La Fayette..
advance, suddenly attacked the whole British army, at Green Springs
on the James. Cornwallis was surprised by the audacious onset, and
Wayne, seeing his mistake, made a hasty retreat. The loss of the
two armies was equal, being a hundred and twenty on each side. The
British next marched to Portsmouth; but early in August, the army
was conveyed to Yorktown, on the southern bank of York River.
GENERAL GREENE.
Governor Jefferson
226
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
17. La Fayette followed and took post eight miles from the
British. During the months of July and August, Washington, from
his camp on the Hudson, looked wistfully to the South. Clinton
was kept in alarm by false despatches, written for the purpose of
falling into his hands. These intercepted messages indicated that the
Americans would immediately besiege New York. When Clinton
was informed that Washington was marching toward Virginia, he
would not believe it. Washington pressed rapidly forward, and
joined La Fayette at Williamsburg. On the 30th of August, a
French fleet, with
four thousand troops
on board, reached the
Chesapeake and an
chored in the mouth
of York River. Corn-
wallis was blockaded
by sea and land.
18. Count de Bar-
ras, who commanded
the French flotilla at
Newport, also arriv
ed. On the 5th of
September, Admiral
Graves appeared in
the bay, and a naval
battle ensued, in which the British ships were roughly handled. On
the 28th, the allied armies encamped around Yorktown. On the
night of the 6th of October, the trenches were opened at the distance
of six hundred yards from the British works. On the llth, the allies
drew their second parallel within three hundred yards of Cornwallis's
redoubts. On the night of the 14th, the enemy's outer works were
carried by storm. On the 10th the British made a sortie, but were
repulsed. On the next day Cornwallis proposed a surrender; on the
18th, terms of capitulation were signed; and on the afternoon of the
19th, the whole British army, consisting of seven thousand two
hundred and forty-seven English and Hessian soldiers laid down
their arms and became prisoners of war.
THE END.
227
19. On the evening of the 23d, the news was borne to Congress.
On the morrow, the members went in concourse with the citizens to
the Dutch Lutheran church and turned the afternoon into a thanks
giving. The note of rejoicing sounded throughout the land. In
England the king and his ministers heard the tidings with rage;
but the English people
were secretly pleased. On
the 20th of March, 1782,
Lord North and his friends
resigned their offices. A
new ministry was formed,
favorable to peace. The
command of the British
forces in the United States
was transferred to Sir Guy
Carleton, a man friendly to
American interests.
20. In the summer of
1782, Richard Oswald was
sent by Parliament to Par
is, to confer with Franklin
and Jay in regard to the
terms of peace. John
Adams and Henry Laurens also entered into the negotiations. On
the 30th of November, preliminary articles of peace were signed;
and in the following April, the terms were ratified by Congress.
On the 3d of September, 1783, a final treaty was effected between
all the nations that had been at Avar.
21. The terms of THE TREATY OF 1783 were these : A complete
recognition of the independence of the United States; the cession
by Great Britain of Florida to Spain ; the surrender of the remain
ing territory east of the Mississippi to the United States; the free
navigation of the Mississippi and the lakes; and the retention by
Great Britain of Canada and Nova Scotia.
22. Early in August, Sir Guy Carleton received instructions to
evacuate New York city. By the 25th of November, every thing
was in readiness; the British army was embarked ; the sails were
LOEI) COUNWALLJS.
228 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
spread; the ships stood out to sea; dwindled to white specks on
the horizon; disappeared. The Briton was gone. After the
struggles of an eight years' war the patriots had achieved their
independence.
23. On the 4th of December, Washington assembled his officers
and bade them a final adieu. When they were met, he spoke a few
affectionate words to his comrades, who came forward, and with
tears and sobs bade him farewell. Washington then departed to
Annapolis, where Congress was in session. At Philadelphia he
made a report of his expenses during the war. The account, in
his own handwriting, embraced an expenditure of seventy-four thou
sand four hundred and eighty-five dollars — all correct to a cent.
24. The route of the chief to Annapolis was a continuous tri
umph. The people by thousands flocked to the roadsides to see
him pass. On the 23d of December, Washington was introduced
to Congress, and delivered an address full of wisdom and modesty.
With great dignity he surrendered his commission as commander-
in-chief of the army. General Mifflin, the president of Congress,
responded in an eloquent manner, and then the hero retired to
his home at Mount Vernon.
IR, E C -A. IP I T TJ ID .A. T I O 2sT .
Desperate condition of the army. — The Pennsylvania and Jersey lines
revolt. — Robert Morris secretary of finance.— Champe attempts to capture
Arnold.— Arnold's expedition to Virginia.— Second plan to capture him.—
He becomes cornmander-in-chief in Virginia.— Is superseded.— Leads a band
into Connecticut.— Captures Fort Griswold.— Greene advances into South Caro
lina.— Morgan at the Cowpens.— Cornwallis attempts to cut off his retreat.—
Greene takes command. — Crosses the Catawba.— Race for the Yadkiu. — Greene
wins it.— Race for the Dan.— Greene wins it.— Turns upon the enemy.— Lee
disperses the tories.— Greene moves to Guilford.— An indecisive battle.— The
British retreat to Wilmington.— Cornwallis goes to Virginia.— The Americans
advance into South Carolina.— The battle of Hobkirk's Hill.— The siege of
Ninety-Six.— Greene in the highlands.— Sumter, Lee, and Marion overrun the
country.— Execution of Hayne.— The battle of Eutaw Springs.— The British re
treat to Charleston. — The campaign in Virginia. — Cornwallis ravages the State.—
Is attacked by Wayne.— Proceeds to Yorktown.— The Army of the North comes
lown upon him.— The French fleet cooperates.— Yorktown is besieged.— And
Ctornwallis's army taken.— Rejoicings.— Fall of the king's party in Parliament.—
Negotiations for peace. — A treaty is concluded. — Its terms. — Carleton supersedes
Clinton.— Evacuation of New York.— Washington retires to private life.
MAP IV.
THE UNITED STATES
FROM THK
CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTION
~, 0 .VI J'i U
I K f, n H u f
CONFEDERATION AND UNION. 229
CHAPTER XLIII.
CONFEDERATION AND UNION.
TAUR1NG the progress of the Revolution the civil government
U of the United States was in a deplorable condition. Nothing
but the peril of the country had, in the first place, led to the" calling
of a Congress. When that body assembled, it had no constitution
nor power of efficient action. The two great wants of the country
were money to carry on the war and a central authority to direct the
war. Whenever Congress would attempt a firmer government, the
movement would be checked by the remonstrance of the colonies.
"2. Foremost of those who worked for better government was
Benjamin Franklin. In 1775 he laid before Congress the plan of a
perpetual confederation of the States. But the attention of that
body was occupied with the stirring events of the war, and Frank
lin's measure received little notice. Congress, without any real
authority, began to conduct the government, and its legislation was
generally accepted by the States.
3. On the llth of June, 1776, a committee was appointed by
Congress to prepare a plan of confederation. After a month the
work was completed and laid before the house. The debates on
the subject continued at intervals until the 15th of November,
1777, when a vote was taken in Congress, and the articles of con
federation were adopted. The next step was to transmit the
articles to the State legislatures for ratification. By them the new
frame of government was returned to Congress with many amend
ments. These having been considered, the articles were signed
by the delegates of eight States, on the 9th of July, 1778. Be
fore the following February, the representatives of Georgia, North
Carolina, New Jersey, and Delaware had signed the compact.
Maryland did not assent until March of 1781.
230 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
4. The government of the United States under the confeder
ation was A LOOSE UNION OF INDEPENDENT COMMONWEALTHS.
The executive and legislative powers were vested in Congress — a
body composed of not less than two nor more than seven represen
tatives from each State. The sovereignty was reserved to the
States. There was no chief magistrate of the Republic ; and no
general judiciary was provided for. The consent of nine States
was necessary to complete an act of legislation. The union was
declared to be perpetual.
5. On the 2d of March, 1781, Congress assembled under the
new form of government. From the first, the inadequacy of that
government was manifest. Congress had no real authority. The
first duty was to provide for the payment of the war debt of
thirty-eight million dollars. Congress recommended a general tax
to meet the indebtedness. Some of the States made a levy for that
purpose; others refused. Robert Morris was brought to poverty
in a vain effort to sustain the government.
6. In this condition of affairs, Washington advised the calling
of a convention to meet at Annapolis. The proposition was re
ceived with favor; and in September of 1786 the representatives
of five States assembled. The question of a tariff was discussed ;
and then attention was given to a revision of the articles of con
federation. It was finally resolved to adjourn until the following
year. Congress invited the legislatures to appoint delegates to the
convention. All of the States except Rhode Island responded; and
on the. second Monday in May, 1787, the representatives assembled
at Philadelphia. Washington was chosen president of the conven
tion. On the 29th of the month, Edmund Randolph introduced a
resolution to adopt a new constitution. A committee was accord
ingly appointed to revise the articles of confederation. Early in
September, the report of the committee was adopted ; and that
report was THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.*
7. On the question of adopting the Constitution the people were
divided. Those who favored the new government were called
FEDERALISTS ; those who opposed, ANTI-FEDERALISTS. The lead
ers of the former were Washington, Jay, Madison, and Hamil
ton, the latter statesman throwing his whole energies into the
*See Appendix.
CONFEDERATION AND UNION.
231
controversy. In the papers called the Federalist he and Madison
answered every objection of the anti-Federal party. To Hamil
ton the Republic owes a debt of gratitude for having established
on a firm basis the true principles of free government.
8. Under the Constitution the powers of government are ar
ranged under three
heads — L E G I s L A-
TIVE, EXECUTIVE,
and JUDICIAL.
The legislative
power is vested in
Congress — com
posed of a Senate
and a House of
Represen tatives.
The Senators are
chosen, for a term
of six years, by the
legislatures of the
several States.
Each State is rep
resented by two
Senators. The
Representatives are
elected by the peo
ple ; and each State
is entitled to a number of representatives proportionate to its popu
lation. The members of this branch are chosen for two years.
9. The executive power of the United States is vested in a
President, chosen for four years by the Electoral College. The
electors composing the college are chosen by the people ; and each
State is entitled to a number of electors equal to the number of
its representatives and senators in Congress. The duty of the
President is to enforce the laws of Congress in accordance with the
Constitution. He is also commander-in-chief of the armies and
navies. In case of the death or resignation of the President, the
Vice-President becomes chief magistrate.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
232 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
10. The judicial power of the United States is vested in a su
preme court and in inferior courts established by Congress. The
highest judicial officer is the chief-justice. The judges hold their
offices during life or good behavior. The right of trial by jury
is granted in all cases except the impeachment of public officers.
Treason against the United States consists iii levying war against
them, or in giving aid to their enemies.
11. The Constitution provides that new territories may be or
ganized and new States admitted into the Union; that to every
State shall be guaranteed a republican government; and that the
Constitution may be altered or amended by the consent of two-
thirds of both houses of Congress and three-fourths of the legis
latures of the States. In accordance with this provision, fifteen
amendments have since been made to the Constitution.
12. Before the end of 1788, eleven States had adopted the Con
stitution. The new government was to go into operation when
nine States should ratify. For a while, North Carolina and Rhode
Island hesitated. In accordance with an act of Congress, the first
Wednesday of January, 1789, was named as the time for the elec
tion of a chief-magistrate. The people had but one voice as to the
man who should be honored with that high trust. Early in April,
the ballots of the electors were counted, and George Washington
was unanimously chosen President and John Adams Vice-President
of the United States. On the 14th of the month, Washington re
ceived notification of his election, and departed for New York.
His route was a constant triumph. With this event the era of
nationality in the New Republic is ushered in.
Bad condition of the government. — Franklin pleads for union. — A commit*
tee appointed to prepare a Constitution. — The Articles of Confederation are
adopted.— The colonies are slow to ratify.- The confederation. -Defects of the
same.— A firmer Constitution is projected.— The convention at Annapolis.— Ad
journment to Philadelphia.— The Constitution is reported to the convention.-
And adopted. — The people divide on the question. — Hamilton.— Character of
the Constitution. — Amendments thereto. — Ratification by eleven States. — Wash
ington is chosen President.— John Adams for the vice-presidency.
PAUT V.
NATIONAL PERIOD.
A. D. 1789-1878.
CHAPTER XLIV.
WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION, 1789-1797.
ON the 30th of April, 1789, Washington was inaugurated first
President of the United States. The ceremony was performed
on the balcony of the
old City Hall, on the
site of the Custom-
House, in Wall street.
Chancellor Livingston
of New York adminis
tered the oath of office.
The streets and house
tops were thronged
with people ; flags flut
tered ; cannon boom- ___
ed from the Battery. f
Washington retired to ijji
the Senate chamber. H
and delivered his in
augural address. Con
gress had already been
organized.
2. The new govern
ment was embarrassed
with many difficulties.
By the treaty of 1783
the free navigation of the Mississippi had been guaranteed. Now
(233)
WASHINGTON.
234 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
the Spaniards of New Orleans hindered the passage of American
ships. On the frontier the Red men were at war with the settlers.
As to financial credit, the United States had none.
3. On the 10th of September, an act was passed by Congress
instituting a department of foreign affairs, a treasury department
and a department of war. Washington nominated Jefferson as
secretary of foreign affairs; Knox, secretary of war; and Hamil
ton, secretary of the treasury. A supreme court was also organ
ized, John Jay receiving the appointment of first chief-justice.
Edmund Randolph was chosen attorney-general. Meanwhile, the
objections of North Carolina and Rhode Island were removed,
and both States ratified the Constitution, the former in November
of 1789, and the latter in the following May.
4. The war debt of the United States, including the revolu
tionary expenses of the several States, amounted to nearly eighty
million dollars. Hamilton, adopted a broad and honest policy.
His plan proposed that the debt of the United States due to
American citizens, as well as the debt of the individual States,
should be assumed by the general government, and that all should
be fully paid. By this measure the credit of the country was vastly
improved. Hamilton's financial schemes were violently opposed by
Mr. Jefferson and the anti-Federal party.
5. The question of fixing the seat of government was next dis
cussed; and it was agreed to establish the capital for ten years at
Philadelphia, and afterward at some locality on the Potomac. The
next measure was the organization of the territory south-west of the
Ohio In 1790 a wrar broke out with the Miami Indians. These
tribes went to war to recover the lands which, they had ceded to the
United States. In September General Harmar, with fourteen hun
dred men, marched from Fort Washington, on the present site of
Cincinnati, to the Maumee. On the 21st of October, the army
was defeated with great loss at a ford of this stream. General
Harmar retreated to Fort Washington.
6. In 1791 THE BANK OF THE UNITED STATES was established
by an act of Congress. On the 4th of March, Vermont, which
had been an independent territory since 1777, was admitted into
the Union as the fourteenth State. The claim of New York to
1789 93 97
1801 5 9
French
Revolution.
93. Fall of the Giro
Napoleon
ndists. 99. ( 'vert h
Bonaparte.
row of the French
irectory. g.Th
e Milan Deere
93. Execution of Lo
uis XVI. 9
J. Napol
eon, First Consul.
8.Th
e IN ninsii
. Reign of Te
rror.
1800.
flurry, minister at
•"ranee.
9. Divorce of i
94. Fall of Rob
94. Partition of
espierre.
97. Pinckney order
Poland.
4.Na
ed to leave France.
>oleon Emperor.
^ Trafalgar.
i. tsl Wagrai
10- Marri
(•eorffe III.
13. British depreda
94. Jay forms
tions on neutral co
a treaty with Great
mmerce.
Britain.
Vj^AuHerltix.
11. T
96. G
reat politi
2al distu
•bances in Englan
7. Treaty
of Tilsit.
4. Th
great Irish rebel!
on.
1800.
l§\ Harengo.
Revival of the
6. Blockade ot
Rule of 17;
the coast fron
8. Or
lers in c'ounci
Washington,
President.
John Adams,
President.
James M,<
JOHN Al>A.tl
S, Vice-President.
Jefferson, PI>
dent.
9. The Emhai
Jefferson, Secreta
•y of State.
JEFFERSON,
Vice-President.
9. Mr. Erskiin
cil" shall
Hamilton, Secret
iry of Treasury.
AARON BUR
R, Vice-President.
). Harrison'.- I
10. Pop
Knox, Secretary
)f War.
98. War with
France.
11. 1
John Jay, Chief-J
ustice.
98. Wash in
comman
fftoii re-appointed
der-in-chief.
11-1
Edmond Randolji
N'ortli Carolina ra
i, Attorney-Gener
tines the Constituti
98. Hamilton,
in.
first major-general.
11.
11.
90. Rhode Isla
d ratifies the Cons
9
titution.
9. Was
hingtoii dies at
Mt. Vernon, a. 67.
1. John Marshall,
hief-Justice.
90. Seat of gov
•ninicnt at Philade
Iphia.
1800.
Treatv with Franc
^
'.ill. Population
3,929,214.
3. Ohio ad mi
;ed into the Union .
91. Bank
oftheTTnl
establishe
i.
*rv»
1800.
Indiana Territo
y organized.
''! [v I ^
/. Glair's defeat.
p-Nii^
1800.
Passage of the alien
nd sedition laws.
91. Ver
moiit admitted in
to the Uni
in.
3. Purcha
eof Louisiana.
92.
Kentiieky admi
tted into the Union.
3. War
villi the Rurh
ary States
92.
Washington, r
e-elected
Preside)!
4. H
inilton killed in a
duel.
92. J
olin Adams, re-
elected Vi
ce Presid
ent.
4. J
>flVr.s<m re-elect
ed President.
'.»:;. Genet, French
minister a
t Philade
Iphia.
Jeorge Clinto
n, Vice-Pres
94. The Whisk
y Insunec
Hon.
. ^1 i<:ii- .••• Tei
ritory orLr:tni/
p* § •victory
t- -4
. Lewis and Clai
k's expeditioi
95. Jay's
Treaty.
6. Burr's conf
piracy.
i
1800.
Removal of the seat
of government to
Washington City,
D.C.
W.TeimesM'C admitt
ed into the Union.
7 V£(Afi
', tilt'
1800.
Population,
• KW 0
hesapeakc.
7. Passaize
of the Ein-
HH
barg<
Act.
LOUI
SI AN A,'
7. Tlieli
rat Steainl
;i i-'n
nch Pro\-.
'
CMAI^'T' TV.
National Period-First Section,
A. D. 1789-1837.
17
23
33 1837
14. Deposition
of Napoleon. 21. Napoleon dies.
Frederick
William.
rVar. 15. Treaty
of Paris.
27. Ackno
wledgment of the
independence of
fee.
20.0
eorge IV.
Greece.
|r~Vj
30. The Frenc
h Revolution and
'^-J-A
aterloo.
24. C
harles X.
election of Lou
f Napoleon to Ala
ria Louisa.
is Philippe.
vasi,.n (,f Russia.
28. A
bolition of the Test
Act.
luce of Wales
Stlereagh tfecreta
becomes Regent
ry of Foreign Att'a
rs.
30. Polish rev
31. Fall of
olution.
Warsaw.
14. Treaty of
Ghent.
30. William
IV.
15. Rise ot
the Radical party
in England.
/
32. P
assage of the Great
t to Elba.
Reform Bill by
16. P
arliamentary refoi
ms.
Parliament.
•11, President.
James Monro
Cj President.*
John Q. Ada
HIS, President.
k'TON, again Vic
i repealed.
e-President.
l> AMIil, TOn
17. Treaty with the
PKINS, Vice-Pi
Northwest Indians
i>
esident.
JOHN C. CAL
Andrew Jack
JOHN C. CAL
HOl'N, Vice-Pre
SOU, President.
HOl'N, again V.-
sident. Prest.
notice that the
•' Orders in Ooun-
admitted into the I
26. Treaty with
nion. the Creek
29-54. Era of the W
cratic Pa
hig :md Demo-
rties.
it Fi-rt \V;ivne.
1. 16. B
ypecanoe. }|l; f
: -. Illinois
ank of the Inite.l
War with Algi
iidiaiia admitter
admitted Into the U
States recharteied
ers.
into the Union.
nion. Indians.
26. Thomas Je
26. John Adam
26. Great Mas
30. Populatio
fferson, died Julv 4
s, died July 4thj a
onic excitement.
n, 12,866,020..
th, aged 82.
ged 90.
e President and L
Me Belt. fJT
Monroe re-elec
oiupkins re-ele
ted. 28. A
cted.
gitation of the tar
31. Monro
ffqnestion.
e died, aged 73.
tin Henrv conspir
tion of the United
ICf. 20. P
States Bank chart
opulation, 9,638,45
er.
3.
32. T
he great tariff ex
citement.
- lav.-.' E
uisiniia admitt
mbargo. 19. A gre
ed into the Union.
at financial crisis.
32. T
he doctrine of Nul-
Vhr declared
nry Dearborn, co
e surrender of M
against Great
nunander-in-chief.
ackinaw.
Britain.
32. P
by South Carolina,
reclamation of the
_|| Brownstown.
19. Alab
ama admitted int
o the Union.
32. C
President,
harles Carroll died,
rrender of Detroi
t. 19. Ark
ansas Territory o
rganized.
aged 96.
3^ The Constitufi
=SJ The Wasp an
:£» The United St
on and Guerriwe.
d Frolic. 20.
ate*
Elaine admitted i
nto the Union.
32. T he Black
JHaw k War.
„,- T-l ' * Vr i • , n
nian.
21. Rise of the slav
ery agitation.
32. F
rsi national con
vention.
[ft Queenstoicn.
21. Missouri adm
itted into the Unic
n. 32. J
ackson, re-
! i. [ ^ E m •
fun, Horseshoe Ben
22. The Sout
ti American States
recognized
elected.
Van Union. V.-
rafliftoii re-el ec
:it»riHge <>«>rr
| •
ted.
y, Vice-President.
as sove
The 51 o
reign powers.
nroe Doctrine.
President.
33. Pas«tge of Clay's
Compromise bill.
P*i Siege of F
ortMei/js.
24. V
sit of LaFayette.
33. Removal of gov
• !_...'.'
5. IFIl ^'"' ^"""
> |O) Toronto.
'• p--*4 a«(Z C'/i
iclory.
es.
K. Tallashachce, T«
Fort George, Burli
rosier' s Field.
24. T
ladega .
iglon Bay,
le President elect
of Representatives.
ed by the House
ernment funds
from the United
States Bank.
33. John Randolph
died, aged 60.
>. Yomigstown, L
TV 77r>rn
ewistown, Manclie
et and Peacock.
ster, Black Rock, a
nd Buffalo burned.
34 The Indi
an Territory
organized.
ps5J yAe C/ies ipeuke and tilianno
, kj?s The Argu'* and Pelican.
i.
35-39. Sem-
inoleWar.
14 Wii C7"';1'
35. Chief-
' )P«4 £">"' '' x /".'<ne an*? BW?
isburg.
Justice M ar-
,, Irpi Plattsl'iinj.
shalldied,a.80.
pbl For/ .17- ]f>nrv.
Q" P t fi
14. NVushii
1 1. J»c
n City raptured,
vades Florida.
in New York.
14. Hartford C
H. Treat v of
onvention.
Peace.
The Specie
Circular.
L5. T"\
New Orleans.
36. Ex-
President Madi
Florida
a
son died, a. 85.
36. Ar
Spanish
*ProT- 19. ! Flo
rida ceded to the
kansas admitted
. Un
ted States.
into the Union.
MKXICO, a
1. Jlexico beco
mes an inde-
36. .' TEX-
i Vice-
ut Rep
ublic.
. AS.
ilty.
Santa
WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION. 235
the province had been purchased, in 1789, for thirty thousand
dollars. The census of the United States, for 1790, showed a pop
ulation of three million nine hundred and twenty-nine thousand.
7. After the defeat of Harraar, General St. Clair, with two
thousand men, set out from Fort Washington to break the power
of the Miamis. On the 4th of November, he was attacked in
the south-west angle of Mercer county, Ohio, by more than two
thousand warriors, led by Little Turtle and several American ren
egades. After a terrible battle, St. Clair was completely defeated,
with a loss of half his men. The fugitives retreated precipitately to
Fort Washington. The news of the disaster spread sorrow through
out the land. St. Clair was superseded by General Wayne, whom
the people had named Mad Anthony.
8. The population of Kentucky had now reached seventy-three
thousand. Seventeen years before, Daniel Boone, the hardy
hunter of North Carolina, had settled at Boonesborough. Har-
rodsburg and Lexington were founded about the same time.
During the Revolution the pioneers were constantly beset by the
savages. After the expedition of General Clarke, in 1779, thou
sands of immigrants came annually. In the mean time, Virginia
had relinquished her claim to the territory; and on the 1st of
June, 1792, Kentucky was admitted into the Union. At the
presidential election of 1792, Washington was again unanimously
chosen ; as Vice-President, John Adams was reflected.
9. Washington's second administration wras greatly troubled in
its relations with foreign governments. Citizen Genet, who was
sent by the French republic as minister to the United States, ar
rived at Charleston, and was greeted with great enthusiasm.
Taking advantage of his popularity, the ambassador fitted out
privateers to prey on the commerce of Great Britain, and plan
ned an expedition against Louisiana. When Washington refused
to enter into an alliance with France, the minister threatened to
appeal to the people. But Washington stood unmoved, and demanded
the minister's recall. The authorities of France heeded the demand,
and Genet was superseded by M. Fouchet.
10. In 1794 the country was disturbed by a difficulty in
Western Pennsylvania, known as THE WHISKY INSURRECTION.
236 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Congress had, three years previously, imposed a tax on all ardent
spirits distilled in the United States. Genet and his partisans
had incited the people of the distilling regions to resist the tax-
collectors. The disaffected rose in arms. Washington issued two
proclamations, warning the insurgents to disperse; but instead of
obeying, they fired upon the officers of the government. General
Henry Lee, with a strong detachment of troops, then inarched t(/
the scene of the disturbance and dispersed the rioters.
11. In the fall of 1793, General Wayne entered the Indian
country with a force of three thousand men. Near the scene of
St. Clair's defeat, he built Fort Recovery, and then pressed on
to the junction of the Au Glaize and the Maumee. Here he-
built Fort Defiance. Descending the Maumee, he sent proposals
of peace to the Indians, who were in council but a few miles
distant. Little Turtle would have made a treaty; but the ma
jority were for battle. On the 20th of August, Wayne overtook
the savages at the town of Waynesfield, and routed them with
terrible losses. The chieftains were obliged to purchase peace
by ceding to the United States all the territory east of a line
drawn from Fort Recovery to the mouth of the Kentucky River.
This was the last service of General Wayne. In December of
1796, he died and was buried at Presque Isle.
12. In 1793 George III. issued instructions to British priva
teers to seize all neutral vessels found trading in the French West
Indies. The United States had no notification of this measure;
and American commerce to the value of many millions of dollars
was swept from the sea. Chief-Justice Jay was sent as envoy to
demand redress of the British government. Contrary to expecta
tion, his mission was successful; and in November of 1794, an
honorable treaty was concluded. It was specified in the treaty
that Great Britain should make reparation for the injuries done,
and surrender to the United States certain Western posts which
until now had been held by England.
13. In 1795 the boundary between the United States and
Louisiana was settled. Spain granted to the Americans the free
navigation of the Mississippi. About this time a difficulty arose
with the dey of Algiers. For many years Algerine pirates had
WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION. 237
been preying upon the commerce of civilized nations. The dey
had agreed with these nations that his pirate ships should not
attack their vessels if they would pay him an annual tribute.
The Algerine sea-robbers were now turned loose on American
commerce, and the government of the United States was also
obliged to purchase safety by paying tribute.
11. In 1796 Tennessee, the third new State, was admitted into
the Union. Six years previously, North Carolina had surrendered
her claims to the territory. The population already numbered
more than seventy thousand. The first inhabitants of Tennessee
were as hardy a race of pioneers as ever braved the wilderness.
15. Washington was solicited to become a candidate for a third
election; but he would not. In September of 1796, he issued to
the people of the United States his Farewell Address — a document
full of wisdom and patriotism. The political parties at once put
forward their candidates — John Adams as the choice of the Fed
eral, and Thomas Jefferson of the anti-Federal party. The chief
question between the parties was whether it was the true policy of
the United States to enter into intimate relations with France.
The anti-Federalists said, Yes! The Federalists said, No! On that
issue Mr. Adams was elected, but Mr. Jefferson, having the next
highest number of votes, became Vice-President ; for according to
the old provision of the Constitution, the person who stood second
on the list became the second officer in the government.
IR, E C -A. IP I T U IL, .A. T I O ItT .
Washington is inaugurated.— And the new government organized.— The
country is beset with difficulties.— A cabinet is formed.— Hamilton's financial
measures.— The seat of government is fixed.— An Indian war breaks out.— Har-
mar is defeated.— The Bank of the United States is established.— Vermont is
admitted into the Union. — St. Clair is defeated by the Indians. — Is superseded
by Wayne.— Kentucky is admitted.— Washington reel ected.— The foreign rela
tions of the government are troubled.— Genet's conduct. — Fouchet supersedes
him.— The Whisky Insurrection.— Wayne defeats the Red men at Waynes-
field.— Compels a cession of territory.— Dies.— Great Britain orders the seizure
of American vessels.— Jay procures a treaty.— The compact with Spain.— Peace
is purchased of Algiers.— Tennessee is admitted.— Washington issues his Fare
well Address.— The candidates for the presidency.— Adams and Jefferson are
elected.
238 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
CHAPTER XLV.
ADAMS'S ADMINISTRATION, 1797-1801.
ON the 4th of March, 1797, President Adams was inaugurated.
From the beginning, his administration was embarrassed by
political opposition. Adet, the French minister, urged the gov
ernment to conclude a league with France against Great Britain.
When the President and Congress refused, the French Directory
began to demand an alliance. On the 10th of March, that body
issued instructions to French men-of-war to assail the commerce
of the United States. Mr. Pinckney, the American minister, was
ordered to leave France.
2. These proceedings were equivalent to a declaration of war.
The President convened Congress in extraordinary session. El-
bridge Gerry and John Marshall were directed to join Mr. Pinck
ney in a final effort for a peaceable adjustment of the difficulties.
But the Directory refused to receive the ambassadors except upon
condition that they would pay into the French treasury a quarter
of a million of dollars. Pinckney answered that the United States
had millions for defence, but not a cent for tribute. The envoys were
then ordered to leave the country.
3. In 1798 an act was passed by Congress completing the or
ganization of the army. Washington was called from his retire*
ment and appointed commander-in-chief. Hamilton was chosen
first major-general. A navy of six frigates had been provided for
at the session of the previous year ; and a national loan had been
authorized. The treaties with France were declared void, and
vigorous preparations were made for war. The American frig
ates put to sea, and, in the fall of 1799, did good service for
the country. Commodore Truxtun, in the Constellation, won dis
tinguished honors. On the 9th of February, while cruising in the
ADAMS'S ADMINISTRA TION.
239
West Indies, he attacked the Insurgent, a French man-of-war, car
rying forty guns and more than four hundred seamen. A desper
ate engagement ensued ; and Truxtun gained a complete victory.
4:. Meanwhile, Napoleon Bonaparte had overthrown the Direc
tory of France and made himself first consul. He immediately
sought peace
with the United
States. Three
American am
bassadors—Mur
ray, Ellsworth,
and Da vie —
were sent to
Paris, in March
of 1800. Nego
tiations were at
once opened,
and, in the fol
lowing Septem
ber, were termi-
nated with a
treaty of peace.
5. Before the
war-cloud was
scattered, Amer
ica was called to
mourn the loss
of Washington. On the 14th of December, 1799, after an illness
of only a day, the chieftain passed from among the living. All
hearts were touched with sorrow. Congress went in funeral pro
cession to the German Lutheran church, where General Henry
Lee delivered a touching and eloquent oration. Throughout the
world the memory of the great dead was honored with appropriate
ceremonies. To the legions of France, Napoleon announced the
event in a beautiful tribute of praise. The voice of partisan malig
nity that had not hesitated to assail even the name of Washington,
was hushed into silence; and all mankind agreed with Lord Byron
JOHN ADAMS.
240 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
in declaring the illustrious dead to have been among warriors,
statesmen and patriots
" The first, the last, the best,
THE ClNCINNATUS OF THE WEST."
0. The administration of Adams and the eighteenth century
drew to a close together. The new Republic was growing strong
and influential. The census of 1800 showed that the population
of the country had increased to over five millions. The seventy-
five post-offices reported by the census of 1790 had been multiplied
to nine hundred and three; the exports of the United States had
grown from twenty millions to nearly seventy-one millions of dol
lars. In December of 1800, Congress assembled in Washington
city. Virginia and Maryland had ceded to the United States the
District of Columbia, a tract ten miles square lying on both sides
of the Potomac. The city was laid out in 1792; and in 1800 the
population numbered between eight and nine thousand.
7. With prudent management the Federal party might have re
tained control of the government. But much of the legislation of
Congress had been unwise and unpopular. The "Alien Law," by
which the President was authorized to send foreigners out of the
country, was specially odious. The " Sedition Law," which pun
ished with fine and imprisonment the freedom of speech and of the
press, was denounced as an act of tyranny. Partisan excitement
ran high. Mr. Adams and Mr. Charles C. Pinckney were put
forward as the candidates of the Federalists, and Thomas Jefferson
and Aaron Burr of the Democrats. The election was thrown into
the House ^>f Representatives; and the choice fell on Jefferson and
Burr.
Opposition to the new administration. — France demands an alliance. — Orders
the destruction of American commerce.— Pinckuey is dismissed. — The extra
session of Congress.— Gerry, Marshall and Pinckney are sent to France.— The
Directory want money.— Piuckuey's answer.— An American army is organized.
—Washington commander-in-chief.— The work of the navy.— Truxtuii's vic
tory.— Napoleon seeks peace.— Death of Washington.— Close of the administra
tion. — Growth of the country.— The Alien and Sedition laws. — Overthrow of the
Federal party. — Jefferson is elected president. — And Burr vice-president.
JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRA TION.
241
CHAPTER XLVI.
JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATION, 1801-1809.
AT the beginning of his administration, Mr. Jefferson transferred
the chief offices of the government to members of the Demo
cratic party. Such action was justified by the adherents of the
President, on
the ground that
the affairs of a
republic will be
best adminis
tered when the
officers hold
the same politi
cal sentiments.
One of the first
acts of Congress
was to abolish
the system of
internal reve
nues. The un
popular laws
against for
eigners and the
freedom of the
press were also
repealed.
2. In the
THOMAS JEflftRSON.
year 1800, a line was drawn through the North-west Territory
from the mouth of the Great Miami River through Fort Re
covery to Canada. Two years afterward the country east of
242 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
this line was erected into the State of Ohio and, in 1803, was ad
mitted into the Union. The portion west of the line was organized
under the name of INDIANA TERRITORY. Vincennes was the capi
tal ; and General William Henry Harrison was appointed governor.
About the same time, MISSISSIPPI TERRITORY was organized.
3. More important still was the purchase of Louisiana. In
1800, Napoleon had compelled Spain to make a cession of this
territory to France. He then prepared to send an army to New
Orleans to establish hi§ authority. But the United States remon
strated against such a proceeding; and Bonaparte authorized his
minister to dispose of Louisiana by sale. The President appointed
Mr. Livingston and James Monroe to negotiate the purchase. On
the 30th of April, 1803, terms were agreed on; and for the sum
of eleven million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars Louisiana
was ceded to the United States. It was also agreed that the
United States should pay certain debts due from France to Ameri
can citizens — the sum not to exceed three million seven hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. Thus did the vast domain west of the
Mississippi pass under the dominion of the United States.*
4. Out of the southern portion of the great province the TER
RITORY OF ORLEANS was organized, with the same limits as the
present State of Louisiana; the rest continued to be called THE
TERRITORY OF LOUISIANA. Very justly did Mr. Livingston say
to the French minister as they arose from signing the treaty: "This
is the noblest work of our lives."
5. In 1801 John Marshall became chief-justice of the United
States. In the colonial times, the English constitution and com
mon law had prevailed in America. When the new Republic was
organized, it became necessary to modify the principles of law and
to adapt them to the altered form of government. This great
work was accomplished by Chief-Justice Marshall.
6. The Mediterranean pirates still annoyed American merchant
men. The emperors of Morocco, Algiers and Tripoli became
especially troublesome. In 1803 Commodore Preble was sent to
the Mediterranean to protect American commerce and punish the
pirates. The frigate Philadelphia, under Captain Bainbridge, sailed
*Sce M.vp V.
JEFFERSOWS ADMINISTRATION.
243
directly to Tripoli. When nearing his destination, Bainbridge gave
chase to a pirate which fled for safety to the harbor. The Philadel
phia, in close pursuit, ran upon a reef of rocks near the shore, and
was captured by the Tripolitans. The officers were treated with
some respect, bur, the crew were enslaved.
7. In the fol
lowing Febru
ary, Captain
Decatur sailed
to Tripoli in a
Moorish ship,
called the In
trepid. At night
fall, Decatur
steered into the
harbor, slipped
alongside of the
Philadelphia,
sprang on deck/
with his daring p
band, and killed^
or drove over
board every
Moor on the
.vessel. In a
moment the
frigate was
fired; Decatur and his crew escaped to the Intrepid without the
loss of a man.
8. In July of 1804, Commodore Preble arrived at Tripoli and
began a siege. The town was bombarded, and several Moorish
vessels were destroyed. In the mean time, William Eaton, the
American consul at Tunis, had organized a force, and was marching
overland to Tripoli. Hamet, who was the rightful sovereign of
Tripoli, was cooperating with Eaton in an effort to recover his
kingdom. Yusef, the Tripolitan emperor, alarmed at the dangers
around him, made overtures for peace. His offers were accepted
CHIEF-JUSTICE MARSHALL.
244 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
by Mr. Lear, the American consul for the Barbary States ; and a
treaty was concluded on the 4th of June, 1805.
9. In 1804 the country was shocked by the intelligence that
Vice-President Burr had killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
As his term of office drew to a close, Burr foresaw that he would
not be renominated. In 1803 he became a candidate for governor
of New York ; but Hamilton's influence in that State prevented
his election. Burr thereupon sought a quarrel with Hamilton;
challenged him ; met him at Weehawken, on the morning of the
llth of July, and deliberately murdered him. Thus the brightest
intellect in America was put out in darkness.
10. In the autumn of 1804, Jefferson was reflected. For Vice-
President George Clinton of New York was chosen in place of
Burr. In the next year, a part of the North-western Territory
was organized under the name of MICHIGAN. In the same spring,
Captains Lewis and Clarke set out from the falls of the Missouri
River, with thirty-five soldiers and hunters, to explore Oregon.
For two years, through forests of gigantic pines, and along the banks
of unknown rivers did they continue their explorations. After
\vandering among unheard-of tribes of savages, and traversing a
route of six thousand miles, the adventurers, with the loss of but
one man, returned to civilization.
11. After the death of Hamilton, Burr fled to the South. At
the opening of the next session of Congress he returned to pre
side over the Senate. Then he took up his residence with an Irish
exile named Blannerhassett, who had built a mansion on an island
in the Ohio, near the mouth of the Muskingum. Here Burr made
a treasonable scheme to raise a military force, invade Mexico, detach
the South-western States from the Unioil, and overthrow the gov
ernment of the United States. But his purposes were suspected.
The military preparations at Blannerhassett's Island were broken
up. Burr was arrested in Alabama and taken to Richmond to
be tried for treason. Chief-Justice Marshall presided at the trial,
and Burr conducted his own defence. The verdict was, " Not
guilty — -for ward of sufficient proof" Burr afterward practiced law
in New York, lived to old age, and died in poverty.
12. During Jefferson's second term, the country was much
JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 245
agitated TDY the aggressions of the British navy. England and
France were engaged in war. The British authorities struck blow
after blow against the trade between France and foreign nations;
and Napoleon retaliated. The plan adopted by the two powers
was to blockade each other's ports with men-of-war. By such
means the commerce of the United States 'was greatly injured.
13. In May of 1806, England blockaded the whole coast of
France. American vessels, approaching the French ports, were
seized as prizes. In the following November, Bonaparte issued a
decree blockading the British isles. Again American merchant
men were subjected to seizure. In January of the next year, Great
Britain retaliated by prohibiting the French coasting-trade. These
measures were all in violation of the laws of nations.
14. Great Britain next set up her peculiar claim of citizenship,
that whoever is born in England remains through life a subject of
England. English cruisers were authorized to search American
vessels for persons suspected of being British subjects. Those who
were taken were impressed as seamen in the English navy.
15. On the 22d of June, 1807, the frigate Chesapeake was hailed
near Fortress Monroe, by a British man-of-war, called the Leopard.
British officers came on board and demanded to search the vessel for
deserters. The demand was refused and the ship cleared for action.
But before the guns could be charged, the Leopard poured in a
destructive fire, and compelled a surrender. Four men were taken
from the captured ship, three of whom proved to be American citi
zens. Great Britain disavowed this outrage, and promised repara
tion ; but the promise was never fulfilled.
16. The President issued a proclamation forbidding British ships
of war to enter American harbors. On the 21st of December,
Congress passed the EMBARGO ACT, by which all American vessels
were detained in the ports of the United States. The object was
to cut off commercial intercourse with France and Great Britain.
But the measure was of little avail ; and after fourteen months the
embargo act was repealed. Mean while, in November of 1808, the
British government published an "order in council," prohibiting
all trade with France and her allies. Thereupon Napoleon issued
the "Milan decree," forbidding all trade with England and her
246
HIS TOE Y OF THE UNITED STATES.
colonies. By these outrages the commerce of the United States
was wellnigh destroyed.
17. While the country was thus distracted, Robert Fulton was
building THE FIRST STEAMBOAT. This event exercised a vast in
fluence on the future development of the nation. It was of great
importance to
the people of
the inland
States that
their rivers
should be
en
livened with
rapid naviga
tion. This,
without the ap-
plication of
steam, was im
possible. Ful
ton was an
Irishman by de-
scent and a
Pennsylvania!!
by birth. His
education in
boyhood was
imperfect, but
was afterward improved by study at London and Paris. Return
ing to New York, he began the construction of a steamboat. "When
the ungainly craft was, completed, Fulton invited his friends to go
on board and enjoy a trip to Albany. On the 2d of September,
1807, the crowds gathered on the shore. The word was given, and
the boat did not move. Fulten went below. Again the word was
given, and tJie boat moved. On the next day the company reached
Albany. For many years this first rude steamer, called the Cler-
mont, plied the Hudson.
18. Jefferson's administration drew to a close. The territorial
area of the United States had been vastly extended. Burr's wicked
MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION AND WAR OF 1812. 247
conspiracy had come to naught. Pioneers were pouring into the
valley of the Mississippi. The woods by the river-shores resounded
with the cry of steam. But the foreign relations of the United
States were troubled. The President declined a third election,
and was succeeded by James Madison of Virginia. For Vice-
President George Clinton was reelected.
Jefferson puts Democrats in office.— Ohio is admitted.— Indiana and Missis
sippi organized.— Louisiana is purchased.— The Territory of Orleans set off.—
John Marshall chief-justice.— The Mediterranean pirates.— Preble is sent against
them.— The Philadelphia is captured.— Retaken and burned.— The siege of Tri
poli.— Yusef signs a treaty.— Burr kills Hamilton.— Jefferson is reelected.—
Michigan is organized.- -Lewis and Clarke explore Oregon.— Burr's conspiracy.—
He is tried for treason.— British aggressions on American commerce.— England
blockades the French coast.— Napoleon retaliates.— Great Britain forbids the
coasting-trade.— The English theory of citizenship.— The Leopard attacks the
Chesapeake.— Passage of the Embargo Act.— The Orders in Council and Milan
Decree.— Fulton and his steamboat.— Summary.
CHAPTER XLVII.
MALISONS ADMINISTRATION AND WAR OF 1812.
THE -new President had been a member of the Continental Con
gress, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and
secretary of state under Jefferson. He owed his election to the
Democratic party, whose sympathy with France and hostility to
Great Britain were well known. On the' 1st of March, the em
bargo act was repealed by Congress, and another measure adopted
by which American ships were allowed to go abroad, but were forbid
den to trade with Great Britain. Mr. Erskine, the British minister,
now gave notice that by the 10th of June the "orders in council,"
so far as they affected the United States, should be repealed.
2, In the following spring Bonaparte issued a decree for the
seizure of all American vessels that might approach the ports of
France. But in November, the decree was reversed, and all
248 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
restrictions on the commerce of the United States were removed.
But the government of Great Britain adhered to its former meas
ures, and sent ships of \var to enforce the " orders in coun
cil/,
3. The affairs of the two nations were fast approaching a crisis.
The government of the United States had fallen completely under
control of the party which sympathized with France. The Amer
ican people, smarting under the insults of Great Britain, had
adopted the motto of FREE TRADE AND SAILORS' RIGHTS, and
had made up their minds to fight. The elections, held between
1808 and 1811, showed the drift of public opinion; the sentiment
of the country was that war was preferable to national disgrace.
4. In the spring of 1810 the third census of the United States
was completed. The population had increased to seven million
two hundred and forty thousand souls. The States now numbered
seventeen ; and several new Territories were preparing for admission
into the Union. The rapid march of civilization westward had
aroused the jealousy of the Red men, and Indiana Territory was
afflicted with an Indian war.
5. Tecumtha, chief of the Shawnees — a brave and sagacious
warrior — and his brother, called the Prophet, were the leaders of
the revolt. Their plan was to unite all the nations of the North
west Territory in a final effort to beat back the whites. When,
in September of 1809, Governor Harrison met the chiefs of several
tribes at Fort Wayne, and purchased three million acres of land,
Tecumtha refused to sign the treaty, and threatened death to those
who did. In 1810 he visited the nations of Tennessee and exhorted
them to join his confederacy.
6. Governor Harrison stood firm, sent for soldiers, and mustered
the militia of the Territory. The Indians began to prowl through
the Wabash Valley, murdering and stealing. The governor then
advanced to Terre Haute, built Fort Harrison, and hastened toward
the town of the Prophet, at the mouth of the Tippecanoe. When
within a fewT miles of this place, Harrison was met by Indian ambas
sadors, who asked for a conference on the following day. Their
request was granted; and the American army encamped for the
night. The place selected was a piece of high ground covered with
MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION AND WAR OF 1812. 249
oaks. Before daybreak on the morning of the 7th of November,
1811, the savages, seven hundred strong, crept through the marshes,
surrounded Harrison's position, and burst upon the camp. But
the American militia fought in the darkness, held the Indians in
check until daylight, and then routed them in several vigorous
charges. On the next day, the Americans burned the Prophet's
town and soon afterward returned to Vincennes.
7. Meanwhile, Great Britain and the United States had come
into conflict on the ocean. On the 16th of May, Commodore
Rodgers, commanding the frigate President, hailed a vessel off the
coast of Virginia. Instead of a polite answer, he received a cannon-
ball in the mainmast. Rodgers responded with a broadside, silenc
ing the enemy's guns. In the morning — for it was already dark —
the hostile ship was found to be the British sloop-of-war Little Belt.
This event produced great excitement throughout the country.
8. On the 4th of November, 1811, the twelfth Congress of the
United States assembled. Many of the members still hoped for
peace; and the winter passed without decisive measures. On the
4th of April, 1812, an act was passed laying an embargo for ninety
days on all British vessels within the harbors of the United States.
But Great Britain would not recede from her hostile attitude. Be
fore the actual outbreak of hostilities, Louisiana, the eighteenth
State,, was, on the 8th of April, admitted into the Union. Her
population had already reached seventy-seven thousand.
9. On the 19th of June, a declaration of war was made against
Great Britain. Vigorous preparations for the conflict were made
by Congress. It was ordered to raise twenty-five thousand regular
troops and fifty thousand volunteers. The several States were re
quested tQ call out a hundred thousand militia. A national loan
of eleven million dollars was authorized. Henry Dearborn, of
Massachusetts, was chosen commander-in-chief of the army.
10. The war was begun by General William Hull, governor of
Michigan Territory. On the 1st of June, he marched from Day
ton with fifteen hundred men. For a fiill month, the army toiled
through the forests to the western extremity of Lake Erie. Ar
riving at the Maumee, Hull sent his baggage to Detroit. But the
British at Maiden were on the alert, and captured Hull's boat with
250
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Sandusky
every thing on board. Nevertheless, the Americans pressed on to
Detroit, and on the 12th of July, crossed the river to Sandwich.
11. Hull, hearing that Mackinaw had been taken by the British,
soon returned to Detroit. From this place he sent Major Van
Home to meet Major Brush, who had reached the river Raisin
with reinforcements. But Tecumtha laid
an ambush for Van Home's forces and de
feated them near Browns town. Colonel
Miller with another detachment attacked
and routed the savages with great loss,
and then returned to Detroit.
12. General Brock, governor of Can
ada, now took command of the British at
Maiden. On the 16th of August, he ad
vanced to the siege of Detroit. The
Americans in their trenches were eager
for battle. When the British were within
-"• ~' • "• , "
SCENE or HULL'S CAMPAIGN, 1812. five hundred yards, Hull hoisted a white
flag over the fort. Then followed a surrender, the most shameful in
the history of the United States. All the forces under Hull's com
mand became prisoners of war. The whole of Michigan Territory
was surrendered to the British. Hull was afterward court-martialed
and sentenced to be shot; but the President pardoned him.
13. About the time of the fall of Detroit, Fort Dearborn, on the
present site of Chicago, was surrendered to an army of Indians.
The garrison capitulated on condition of retiring without molesta
tion. But the savages, finding that the whisky in the fort had
been destroyed, fell upon the retreating soldiers, killed some, and
distributed the rest as captives.
14. On the 19th of August, the frigate Constitution, commanded
by Captain Isaac Hull, overtook the British Guerriere off the
coast of Massachusetts. The vessels manoeuvred for awhile, the
Constitution closing with her antagonist, until at half-pistol shot she
poured in a broadside, sweeping the decks of the Guerriere and
deciding the contest. On the following morning, the Guerriere,
being unmanageable, was blown up; and Hull returned to port
with his prisoners and spoils.
MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION AND WAR OF 1812. 251
15. On the 18th of October, the American Wasp, under Captain
Jones, fell in with a fleet of British merchantmen off the coast of
Virginia. The squadron was under protection of the Frolic, com
manded by Captain Whinyates. A terrible engagement ensued,
lasting for three-quarters of an hour. Finally the American crew
boarded the Frolic and struck the British flag. Soon afterward the
Powtiers, a British seventy-four gun ship, bore down upon the
scene, captured the Wasp, and retook the wreck of the Frolic.
16. On the 25th of the month, Commodore Decatur, command
ing the frigate United States, captured the British Macedonian, a
short distance west of the Canary Islands. The loss of the enemy
in killed and wounded amounted to more than a hundred men.
On the 12th of December, the Essex, commanded by Captain
Porter, captured the Nocton, a British packet, having on board
fifty-five thousand dollars in specie. On the 29th of December,
the Constitution, under command of Commodore Bainbridge, met
the Java, on the coast of Brazil. A
furious battle ensued, continuing for
two hours. The Java was reduced to
a wreck before the flag was struck.
The crew and passengers, numbering
upward of four hundred, were trans
ferred to the Constitution, and the hull
was burned at sea. The news of these
victories roused the enthusiasm of the
people.
17. .On the 13th of October, a
thousand men, commanded by General
Stephen Van Rensselaer, crossed the
Niagara River to capture Queenstowu.
They were resisted at the water's
edge; but the British batteries on the
THE NIAGARA FRONTIER, 1812. heights were finally carried. The
enemy's forces, returning to the charge, were a second time re
pulsed. General Brock fell mortally wounded. The Americans
entrenched themselves, and waited for reinforcements. None
came; and after losing a hundred and sixty men, they were then
252 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
obliged to surrender. General Van Rensselaer resigned his com
mand, and was succeeded by General Alexander Smyth.
18. The Americans now rallied at Black Rock, a few miles
north of Buffalo. From this point, on the 28th of November, a
company was sent across to the Canada shore ; but General Smyth
ordered the advance party to return. A few days afterward,
another crossing was planned ; but the Americans were again com
manded to return to winter quarters. The militia became muti
nous. Smyth was charged with cowardice and deposed from his
command. In the autumn of 1812, Madison was reflected Presi
dent; the choice for Vice-President fell on Elbridge Gerry, of
Massachusetts.
Previous services of Madison.— The Non-intercourse Act takes the place of the
embargo.— Promised repeal of the Orders in Council.— Bonaparte makes a de
cree.— And then revokes it.— Obstinacy of Great Britain.— Third census.— Tecum-
tha and the Prophet.— Harrison purchases lands.— Tecumtha refuses to ratify.—
Harrison marches up the Wabash.— Is attacked by night.— And routs the sava
ges.— Fight of the President and the Little Kelt.— The twelfth Congress.— British
vessels are embargoed.— Louisiana is admitted.— War declared against Eng
land.— Hull marches to Lake Erie.— Invades Canada.— Van Home's defeat. ~
Miller's victory. — Hull's surrender. — Pie is convicted of cowardice. — Capture of
Fort Dearborn. — The Constitution captures the Giierriere. — The Wasp, the Frolic. —
The Poictiers, the Wasp.— The United States, the Macedonian.— The Essex, the
Nocton. — And the Constitution, the Java. — Van Rensselaer moves against Queeiis-
town.— Carries the batteries.— Death of Brock.— The Americans surrender.—
Smyth succeeds Van Rensselaer.— The Americans at Black Rock.— Madison
reflected.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
WAR OF 1812.— CONTINUED.
IN the beginning of 1813, the American army was organized in
three divisions: THE ARMY OF THE NORTH, tinder General
Wade Hampton; THE ARMY OF THE CENTRE, under the com-
mander-in- chief; THE ARMY OF THE WEST, under General Win
chester, who was soon superseded by General Harrison. Early in
WAR OF 1812.— CONTINUED. 253
January, the latter division moved toward Lake Erie to regain the
ground lost by Hull. On the 10th of the month, the American
advance reached the rapids of the Maumee, thirty miles from Win
chester's camp. A detachment then pressed forward to French-
town, on the river Raisin, captured the town, and on the 20th of
the month, were joined by Winchester with the main division.
2. Two days afterward the -Americans were assaulted by a
thousand five hundred British and Indians under General Proctor.
A severe battle was fought. General Winchester, having been
taken by the enemy, advised his forces to capitulate. The Amer
ican wounded ivere left to the mercy of the savages, who at once began
and completed their work of butchery. The rest of the prisoners
were dragged away through untold sufferings to Detroit, where
they were afterward ransomed.
3. General Harrison now built Fort Meigs, on the Maumee.
Here he was besieged by two thousand British and savages, led by
Proctor and Tecumtha. Meanwhile, General Clay, with twelve
hundred Kentuckians, advanced to the relief of the fort. In a few
days the Indians deserted in large numbers, and Proctor, becoming
alarmed, abandoned the siege, and retreated to Maiden,
4. Late in July, Proctor and Tecumtha with nearly four thousand
men again besieged Fort Meigs. Failing to draw out the garrison,
the British general filed off with half his forces and attacked Fort
Stephenson, at Lower Sandusky. This place was defended by a
hundred and sixty men under Colonel Croghan, a stripling but
twenty-one years of age. On the 2d of August, the British ad
vanced to storm the fort. Having crowded into the trench, they
were swept away almost to a man. The repulse was complete.
Proctor now raised the siege at Fort Meigs and returned to Maiden.
5. At this time, Lake Erie was commanded by a British squad
ron of six vessels. The work of recovering these waters was en
trusted to Commodore Oliver H. Perry. His antagonist, Commo
dore Barclay, was a veteran from Europe. With great energy
Perry directed the construction of nine ships, and was soon afloat
On the 10th of September, the two fleets met near Put-in Bay.
The battle was begun by the American squadron, Perry's flag-ship,
the Laurence, leading the attack. His principal antagonist was the
254 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Detroit, under command of Barclay. The British guns had the
wider range, and were better served. In a short time, the Law
rence was ruined ; and Barclay's flag-ship was almost a wreck.
6. Perceiving how the battle stood, Perry seized his banner, got
overboard into an open boat, and transferred his flag to the Niagara.
With this powerful vessel he bore down upon the enemy's line,
drove right through the midst, discharging terrible broadsides right
and left. In fifteen minutes the British fleet was helpless. Perry
returned to the hull of the Lawrence, and there received the sur
render. And then he sent to General Harrison this despatch:
"WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND THEY AEE OURS."
7. For the Americans the way was now opened to Canada. On
the 27th of September, Harrison's army was landed near Maiden.
The British retreated to the river Thames, and there faced about
to fight. The battle-field extended from the river to a swamp.
Here, on the 5th of October, the British were attacked by Generals
Harrison and Shelby. In the beginning of the battle, Proctor
fled. The British regulars were broken by the Kentuckians under
Colonel Richard M. Johnson. The Americans wheeled against the
fifteen hundred Indians, who lay hidden in the swamp. Tecumtha
had staked all on the issue. For awhile his war-whoop sounded
above the din of the conflict. Presently his voice was heard no
longer; for the great chieftain had fallen. The savages, appalled
by the death of their leader, fled in despair. So ended the cam
paign in the West. All that Hull had lost was regained.
8. Meanwhile, the Creeks of Alabama had taken up arms. In
the latter part of August, Fort Mims, forty miles north of Mobile,
was surprised by the savages, who murdered nearly four hundred
people. The governors of Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi made
immediate preparation for invading the country of the Creeks.
The Tennesseeans, under General Jackson, were first to the rescue.
Nine hundred men, led by General Coffee, reached the Indian town
of Tallushatchee, burned it, and left not an Indian alive. On the
8th of November, a battle was fought at Talladega, and the savages
were defeated with severe losses. Another fight occurred at Atitosse,
on the Tallapoosa, and again the Indians were routed.
9. During the winter, Jackson's troops became mutinous and
WAR OF 1812.— CONTINUED.
255
S?/
were going home. But the general set them the example of living
on acorns, and threatened with death the first man who stirred
from the ranks. And no man stirred. On the 22d of January,
1814, the battle of Emucfau was fought. The Tennesseeans again
gained the victory. At Horseshoe Bend the Creeks made their
final stand. On the 27th of March, the whites under General
Jackson stormed the breastworks and
drove the Indians into the bend of
the river. There, huddled together,
a thousand Creek warriors, with the
women and children of the tribe, met
their doom. The nation was com
pletely conquered.
10. On the 25th of April, 1813,
General Dearborn, commanding the
Army of the Centre, embaiked his
forces at Sackett's Harbor, and pro
ceeded against Toronto. Here was the
most important depot Of Supplies in SCEXEOF THE CREEK WAR, 1S13-H,
British America. The American fleet under Commodore Chaun-
cey had already obtained the mastery of Lake Ontario. On the
27th of the month, seventeen hundred men, under General Pike,
were landed near Toronto. The Americans drove the enemy from
the water's edge, stormed a battery, and rushed forward to carry
the main defences. At that moment the British magazine blew up
with terrific violence'. Two hundred men were killed or wounded.
General Pike was fatally injured; but the Americans continued
the charge and drove the British out of the town. Property to
the value of a half million dollars was secured to the victors.
11. While this movement was taking place, the enemy made a
descent on Sackett's Harbor. But General Brown rallied the
militia and drove back the assailants. The victorious troops at
Toronto reembarked and crossed the lake to the mouth of the
Niagara. On the 27th of May, the Americans, led by Generals
Chandler and Winder, stormed Fort George. The British retreated
to Burlington Bay, at the western extremity of the lake.
12. After the battle of the Thames, General Harrison had trans-
256 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ferred his forces to Buffalo, and then resigned his commission.
General Dearborn also withdrew from the service, and was suc
ceeded by General Wilkinson. The next campaign, planned by
General Armstrong, embraced the conquest of Montreal. The
Army of the Centre was ordered to join the Army of the North
on the St. Lawrence. On the 5th of November, seven thousand
men, embarking twenty miles north of Sackett's Harbor, sailed
against Montreal. Parties of British, Canadians, and Indians,
gathering on the bank of the river, impeded the expedition. Gen
eral Brown was landed with a considerable force to drive the enemy
into the interior. On the llth of the month, a severe but inde
cisive battle was fought at a place called Chrysler's Field. The
Americans passed down the river to St. Regis, where the forces of
General Hampton were expected to form a junction with Wilkin
son's command. But Hampton did not arrive ; and the Americans
went into winter quarters at Fort Covington.
13. In the mean time, the British on the Niagara rallied and
recaptured Fort George. Before retreating, General McClure,
the commandant, burned the town of Newark. The British and
Indians crossed the river, took Fort Niagara, and fired the villages
of Youngstown, Lewiston, and Manchester. On the 30th of De
cember, Black Rock and Buffalo were burned.
14. Off the coast of Demarara, on the 24th of February, 1813,
the sloop-of-war Hornet, commanded by Captain James Lawrence,
fell in with the British brig Peacock. A terrible battle of fifteen
minutes ensued, and the Peacock struck her colors. While the
Americans were transferring the conquered crew, the ocean yawned
and the brig sank. Nine British sailors and three of Lawrence's
men were sucked down in the whirlpool.
15. On returning to Boston the command of the Chesapeake was
given to Lawrence, and again he put to sea. He was soon chal
lenged by Captain Broke, of the British Shannon, to fight him.
Eastward from Cape Ann the two vessels met on the 1st day of
June. The battle was obstinate, brief, dreadful. In a short time,
every officer of the Chesapeake was either killed or wounded. Law
rence was struck with a musket-ball, and fell dying on the deck.
As they bore him down the hatchway, he gave his last order — ever
WAR OF 1812.— CONTINUED. 257
afterward the motto of the American sailor — " DON'T GIVE UP THE
SHIP!" The Shannon towed her prize into the harbor of Halifax.
There the bodies of Lawrence and Ludlow, second in command,
were buried by the British.
16. On the 14th of August, the American brig Argus was over
taken by the Pelican and obliged to surrender. On the 5th of
September, the British brig Boxer was captured by the American
Enterprise off the coast of Maine. Captain Blyth, the British com
mander, and Burrows, the American captain, both of whom were
killed in the battle, were buried side by side at Portland. On the
28th of the following March, while the Essex, commanded by
Captain Porter, was lying in the harbor of Valparaiso, she was
attacked by two British vessels, the Plicebe and the Cherub. Cap
tain Porter fought his antagonists until nearly all of his men were
killed or wounded; then struck his colors and surrendered.
17. From honorable warfare the naval officers of England stooped
to marauding. Early in the year, Lewistown was bombarded by
a British squadron. Other British men-of-war entered the Chesa
peake and burned several villages on the shores of the bay. At
the town of Hampton, the soldiers and marines perpetrated great
outrages. Commodore Hardy, to whom the blockade of New Eng
land had been assigned, behaved with more humanity. Even the
Americans praised him for his honorable conduct. So the year
1813 closed without decisive results.
Arrangement of the army.— The Americans capture Frenchtown.— Surrender
to Proctor.— And are butchered.— Harrison at Fort Meigs.— Clay raises the siege.
—Proctor and Tecumtha return.— Attack Fort Stephenson.— And are defeated
by Croghan.— Perry gains a signal victory on Lake Erie.— Harrison embarks his
forces to Maiden. — Follows the British and Indians to the Thames. — And routs
them in battle. — The Creek massacre at Fort Mims. — Jackson and Coffee burn
Tallushatch.ee.— Battles of Talladega and Autosse.— Winter and starvation.—
Battle of Emucfau.— And Horseshoe Bend.— Dearborn captures Toronto.— The
British attack Sackett's Harbor.— The Americans take Fort George.— Wilkinson
commander-in-chief.— Expedition against Montreal.— The battle of Chrysler's
Field.— Winter quarters at Fort Covington.— McClure evacuates Fort George.—
Burns Newark.— The British retaliate.— The Hornet captures the Peacock.— The
Chesapeake is taken by the Shannon.— Death of Lawrence.— Capture of the
Argus.— The Enterprise takes the Boxer.— The Essex is captured by the Phcebe
and Cherub. — The British bombard Lewistown. — Marauding in the Chesapeake.
258 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER XLIX.
THE CAMPAIGNS OF '14.
IN the spring of 1814, another invasion of Canada was planned;
but there was much delay. Not until the 3d of July did Gen
erals Scott and Ripley, with three thousand men, cross the Niagara
and capture Fort Erie. On the following day, the Americans ad
vanced in the direction of Chippewa village. Before reaching that
place, however, they were met by the British, led by General Riall.
On the evening of the 5th, a severe battle was fought on the plain
south of Chippewa River. The Americans, led on by Generals
Scott and Ripley, won the day.
2. General Riall retreated to Burlington Heights. On the even
ing of the 25th of July, General Scott, commanding the American
right, found himself confronted by Riall's army, on the high
grounds in sight of Niagara Falls. Here was fought the hardest
battle of the war. Scott hel$ his own until reinforced by other
divisions of the army. The British reserves were brought into
action. Twilight faded into darkness. A detachment of Amer
icans, getting upon the British rear, captured General Riall and
his staff. The key to the enemy's position was a high ground
crowned with a battery. Calling Colonel James Miller to his side,
General Brown said, " Colonel, take your regiment and storm that
battery." "I'LL TRY, sm," was Miller's answer; and he did take
it, and held it against three assaults of the British. General Drum-
mond was wounded, and the royal army, numbering five thousand,
was driven from the field with a loss of more than eight hundred.
The Americans lost an equal number.
3. After this battle of Niagara, or Lundy's Lane, the American
forces fell back to Fort Erie. General Gaines crossed over from
Buffalo, and assumed command of the army. General Drummond
THE CAMPAIGNS OF '14. 259
received reinforcements, and on the 4th of August invested Fort
Erie. The siege continued until the 17th of September, when a
sortie was made and the works of the British were carried. Gen
eral Drummond then raised the siege and retreated to Fort George.
On the 5th of November, Fort Erie was destroyed by the Ameri
cans, who recrossed the Niagara and went into winter quarters at
Black Rock and Buffalo.
4. The winter of 1813-14 was passed by the army of the North
at Fort Covington. In the latter part of February, General
Wilkinson began an invasion of Canada. At La Colle, on the
Sorel, he attacked the enemy, and was defeated. Falling back to
Plattsburg, he was superseded by General Izard. At this time,
the American fleet on Lake Champlain was commanded by Com
modore MacDonough. The British general Prevost now advanced
into New York at the head of fourteen thousand men, and ordered
Commodore Downie to ascend the Sorel with his fleet.
5. The invading army reached Plattsburg. Commodore Mac-
Donough's squadron lay in the bay. On the 6th of September,
Macomb retired with his forces to the south bank of the Saranac.
For four days the British renewed their efforts to cross the river.
Downie's fleet was now ready for action, and a general battle was
planned for the llth. Pre vest's army was to carry Macomb's po
sition, while the British flotilla was to bear down on MacDonough.
The naval battle began first, and was obstinately fought for two
hours and a half. Downie and many of his officers were killed ;
the heavier British vessels were disabled and obliged to strike
their colors. The smaller ships escaped. After a severe action,
the British army on the shore was also defeated. Prevost retired
precipitately to Canada ; and the English ministry began to devise
measures of peace.
6. Late in the summer, Admiral Cochrane arrived off the coast
of Virginia with an armament of twenty-one vessels. General
Ross, with an army of four thousand veterans, came with the fleet.
The American squadron, commanded by Commodore Barney, was
unable to oppose so powerful a force. The enemy entered the
Chesapeake with the purpose of attacking Washington and Balti
more, The larger division sailed into the Patuxent, and on the
260 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
19th of August, the forces of General Ross were landed at Bene
dict. Commodore Barney was obliged to blow up his vessels and
take to the shore. From Benedict the British advanced against
Washington. At Bladensburg, six miles from the capital, they
were met, on the 24th of the month, by the forces of Barney.
Here a battle was fought. The militia behaved badly; Barney
was defeated and taken prisoner. The President, the cabinet, and
the people betook themselves to flight; and Ross inarched unop
posed into Washington. All the public buildings except the
Patent Office were burned. The unfinished Capitol and the Presi
dent's house were left a mass of ruins.
7. Five days afterward, a portion of the British fleet reached
Alexandria. The inhabitants purchased the forbearance of the
enemy by the surrender of twenty-one ships, sixteen thousand
barrels of flour, and a thousand hogsheads of tobacco. After the
capture of Washington, General Ross proceeded with his army
and fleet to Baltimore. The militia, to the number of ten thou
sand, gathered under command of General Samuel Smith. On
the 12th of • September, the British were landed at the mouth of
the Patapsco ; and the fleet began the ascent of the river. The
land-forces were met by the Americans under General Strieker.
A skirmish ensued, in which General Ross was killed ; but Colonel
Brooks assumed command, and the march was continued. Near
the city, the British came upon the American lines and were
brought to a halt.
8. Meanwhile, the British squadron had ascended the Patapsco
and begun the bombardment of Fort Me Henry. From sunrise of
the 13th until after midnight, the guns of the fleet poured a
tempest of shells upon the fortress.* At the end of that time, the
w7orks were as strong as at the beginning. The British had under
taken more than they could accomplish. Disheartened and baffled,
they ceased to fire. The land-forces retired from before the en
trenchments, and the siege of Baltimore was at an end.
9. On the 9th and 10th of August, the village of Stonington,
Connecticut, was bombarded by Commodore Hardy ; but the
* During the night of this bombardment, Francis S. Key, who was detained oil board
a British ship in the bay, composed The Star Spangled Banner.
THE CAMPAIGNS OF '14. 261
«
British, attempting to land, were driven back. The fisheries of
New England were broken up. The salt-works at Cape Cod es
caped by the payment of heavy ransoms. All the harbors from
Maine to Delaware were blockaded. The foreign commerce of
the Eastern States was totally destroyed.
10. From the beginning, many of the people of New England
had opposed the war. The members of the Federal party cried
out against it. The legislature of Massachusetts advised the call
ing of a convention. The other Eastern States responded to the
call ; and on the 14th of December the delegates assembled at
Hartford. The leaders of the Democratic party did not hesitate
to say that the purposes of the assembly were disloyal and treason
able. After remaining in session, with closed doors, for nearly
three weeks, the delegates published an address, and then ad
journed. The political prospects of those who participated in tne
convention were ruined.
11. During the progress of the war the Spanish authorities of
Florida sympathized with the British. In August of 1814, a
British fleet was allowed by the commandant of Pensacola to use
that post for the purpose of fitting out an expedition against Fort
Bowyer, on the bay of Mobile. General Jackson, who commanded
in the South, remonstrated with the Spaniards, but received no
satisfaction. He thereupon marched a force against Pensacola,
stormed the town, and drove the British out of Florida.
12. General Jackson next learned that the British were making
preparations for the conquest of Louisiana. Repairing to New
Orleans, he declared martial law7, mustered the militia, and adopted
measures for repelling the invasion. From La Fitte, a smuggler,
he learned the enemy's plans. The British army, numbering twelve
thousand, came from Jamaica, under Sir Edward Packenham. On
the 10th of December, the squadron entered Lake Borgne, sixty
miles north-east of New Orleans.
13. On the 22d of the month, Packenham's advance reached the
Mississippi, nine miles below the city. On the night of the 23d,
Generals Jackson and Coffee advanced with two thousand Tennes
see riflemen to attack the British camp. After a bloody assault,
Jackson was obliged to fall back to a strong position on the canal,
262 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
four miles below the city. Packenham advanced, and on the 28th
cannonaded the American position. On New Year's day the at
tack was renewed, and the enemy was driven back. Packenham
now made arrangements for a general battle.
14. Jackson was ready. Earthworks had been constructed, and
a long line of cotton-bales and sand-bags thrown up for protection.
On the 8th of January, the British moved forward. The battle
began with the light of morning, and was ended before nine o'clock.
Column after column of the British was smitten with irretrievable
ruin. Jackson's men were almost entirely secure from the enemy's
fire, while every discharge of the Tennessee and Kentucky rifles
told with awful effect on the exposed veterans of England. Pack
enham was killed; General Gibbs was mortally wounded. Only
General Lambert was left to call the fragments of the army from
the lield. Of the British, seven hundred were killed, fourteen
hundred wounded, and five hundred taken prisoners. The Ameri
can loss amounted to eight killed and thirteen wounded.
15. General Lambert retired with his ruined army into Lake
Borgne. Jackson marched into New Orleans and was received
with great enthusiasm. Such was the close of the war on land.
On the 20th of February, the American Constitution, off Cape St.
Vincent, captured two British vessels, the Cyane and the Levant.
On the 23d of March, the American Hornet ended the conflict by
capturing the British Penguin off the coast of Brazil.
16. Already a treaty of peace had been made. In the summer
of 1814, American commissioners were sent to Ghent, in Belgium,
and were there met by the ambassadors of Great Britain. The
agents of the United States were John Quincy Adams, James A.
Bayard, Henry Clay, Jonathan Russell, and Albert Gallatin. On
the 24th of December, a treaty was agreed to and signed. In both
countries the news was received with deep satisfaction. On the
18th of February, the treaty was ratified by the Senate, and peace
was publicly proclaimed.
17. The only significance of the treaty was that Great Britain
and the United States agreed to be at peace. Not one of the issues,
to decide which the war had been undertaken, was even mentioned.
Of the impressment of American seamen not a word was said.
THE CAMPAIGNS OF '14. 263
The wrongs done to the commerce of the United States were not
referred to. Of "free trade and sailor*' rights," the battle-cry of
the American navy, no mention was made. The treaty was chiefly
devoted to the settlement of unimportant boundaries and the pos
session of some small islands in the Bay of Passamaquoddy.
18. The country was now burdened with a war-debt o£a hundred
million dollars. The monetary affairs of the nation were in a de
plorable condition. The charter of the Bank of the United States
expired in 1811, and the other banks had been obliged to suspend
specie payment. Trade was paralyzed for the want of money. In
1816 a bill was passed by Congress to re-charter the Bank of the
United States. The President interposed his^ veto; but in the
following session the bill was again passed in an amended form.
On the 4th of March, 1817, the bank went into operation; and the
business and credit of the country began to revive.
19. During the war with Great Britain the Algerine pirates re
newed their depredations on American commerce. The government
of the United States now ordered Commodore Decatur to proceed
to the Mediterranean and chastise the sea-robbers into submission.
On the 17th of June, Decatur fell in with the principal frigate of
the Algerine squadron, and after a severe fight, compelled the
Moorish ship to surrender. On the 19th, Decatur captured another
frigate. A few days afterward he sailed into the Bay of Algiers,
and obliged the frightened dey to make a treaty. The Moorish
emperor released his American prisoners, relinquished all claims to
tribute, and gave a pledge that his ships should trouble American
merchantmen no more. Decatur next sailed against Tunis and
Tripoli, compelled these States to give pledges of good conduct,
and to pay large sums for former depredations.
20. The close of Madison's administration was signalized by the
admission of Indiana into the Union. The new commonwealth
was admitted in December, 1816. About the same time was
founded the Colonization Society of the United States. Many dis
tinguished Americans became members of the association, the ob
ject of which was to provide a refuge for free persons of color.
Liberia, in Western Africa, was selected as the seat of the pro
posed colony. Immigrants arrived in sufficient numbers to found
264 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
a flourishing negro State. The capital was named Monrovia, in
honor of James Monroe, who, in the fall of 1816, was elected as
Madison's successor. Daniel D. Tompkins, of Kew York, was
chosen Vice-President.
Scott and Ri pi ey capture Erie.— Battles of Chippewa and Niagara.— Siege of
Fort Erie.— Winter quarters at Black Rock.- Wilkinson invades Canada.— Is de
feated at LaC'olle.— McPonough's squadron on Champlaiii.— The British advance
to Plattsburg.— Attack by land and water.— And are defeated.— Cochrane and
Ross in the Chesapeake.— Battle of Bladeusburg.— Washington is captured by the
British.— Public buildings burned.— Alexandria pays a ransom.— Siege of Balti
more. -Ravages in New England. -Tne Federal peace party.— The Hartford
Convention. -Jackson captures Pensacola.— Takes command at New Orleans —
Approach of the British.— Skirmishingand fighting.— The decisive battle.— Ruin
of Packenham's army.— Sea-fights afterward.— The treaty of Ghent and its
terms. -Condition of the country.— Re-chartering of the United States Bank.—
The Mediterranean pirates again. — Decatur sent out against them.- He captures
Moorish ships.- And dictates the terms of peace.— Indiana is admitted.— Liberia
founded.— Monroe is elected President.
CHAPTER L.
MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION, 1817-1825.
THE policy of Madison was adopted by his successor. The
stormy times of the war gave place to many years of peace.
The new President was a native of Virginia; a man of great tal
ents and accomplishments. He had been a Revolutionary soldier ;
a member of Congress; governor of Virginia; envoy to France and
England; secretary of state under Madison. The members of the
new cabinet were, — John Quincy Adams, secretary of state;
William H. Crawford, secretary of the treasury; John C. Cal-
houn, secretary of war; William Wirt, attorney-general. States
men of all parties devoted their energies to the payment of the
national debt. Commerce soon revived; the government was
MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION. 265
economically administered ; and in a few years the debt was hon
estly paid.
2. In December of 1817, Mississippi was organized and admitted
into the Union. The new State came with a population of sixty-
five thousand souls. At the same time, the attention of the gov
ernment was called to a nest of pirates on Amelia Island, off the
coa^t of Florida. An armament was sent against them, and the
lawless establishment was broken up. Another company, on the
island of Galveston, was also suppressed.
3. The question of internal improvements now began to be agi
tated. Without railroads and canals the products of the interior
could never reach a market. Whether Congress had a right to
vote money to make public improvements was a question of debate.
In one instance a bill was passed making appropriations for a
national road across the Alleghanies, from Cumberland to Wheel
ing. Among the States, New York took the lead in improvements
by constructing a canal from Buffalo to Albany. The cost of the
work was nearly eight million dollars.
4-. In 1817 the Seminole Indians of Georgia and Alabama
became hostile. Some negroes and Creeks joined the savages in
their depredations. General Gaines was sent into the Seminole
country, but his forces were found inadequate. General Jack
son was then ordered to reduce the Indians to submission. He
mustered a thousand riflemen from Tennessee, and in the spring
of 1818, completely overran the hostile country.
5. While on this expedition, Jackson took possession of St.
Mark's. The Spanish troops, stationed there, were removed to
Pensacola. Two Englishmen, named Arbuthnot and Ambrister,
charged with inciting the Seminoles to insurrection, were tried by
a court-martial, and hanged. Jackson then captured Pensacola,
and sent the Spanish authorities to Havana. The enemies of
General Jackson condemned him for these proceedings; but the
President and Congress justified his deeds. The king of Spain
now proposed to cede Florida to the United States. On the 22d
of February, 1819, a treaty was concluded at Washington city by
which the whole province was surrendered to the American gov
ernment. The United States agreed to relinquish all claim to
206 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Texas and to pay to American citizens, for depredations committed
by Spanish vessels, five million dollars.
0. In 1818 Illinois, the twenty-first State, was organized and ad
mitted into the Union. The population of the new commonwealth
was forty-seven thousand. In December of 1819, Alabama was
added, with a population of a hundred and twenty-five thousand.
About the same time, Arkansas Territory was organized. In 1820
the province of Maine was separated from Massachusetts and ad
mitted into the Union. The population of the new State had
reached two hundred and ninety-eight thousand. In August of
1821, Missouri, with a population of seventy-four thousand, was
admitted as the twenty-fourth member of the Union.
7. When the bill to admit Missouri was brought before Congress,
a proposition was made to prohibit slavery in the new State. This
measure was supported by the free States of the North, and
opposed by the slaveholding States of the South. Congress was
distracted with long and angry debates. At last the measure,
known as THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE, was brought forward and
adopted. Its provisions were— first, the admission of Missouri as a
slaveholding State ; secondly, the division of the rest of the Lou
isiana purchase by the parallel of thirty-six degrees and thirty
minutes; thirdly, the admission of new States, south of that line,
with or without slavery, as the people might determine; fourthly,
the prohibition of slavery in all the new States north of the divid
ing-line.
8. The President's administration grew into high favor with
the people; and in the fall of 1820 he was reflected. As Vice-
President, Mr. Tompkins was also chosen for a second term. The
attention of the government was next called to a system of piracy
which had sprung up in the West Indies. Early in 1822, an
American fleet was sent thither, and more than twenty piratical
ships were captured. In the following summer, Commodore Porter-
was despatched with a larger squadron. The retreats of the sea-
robbers were completely broken up.
9. About this time, many of the countries of South America
declared their independence of foreign nations. The people of the
United States sympathized with the patriots of the South. Henry
MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION. 267
Clay urged upon the government the duty of recognizing the
South American republics. In March of 1822, a bill was passed
by Congress embodying his views. In the President's message of
1823, the declaration was made that the American continents are not
subject to colonization by any European power. This is the principle
ever since known as THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
10. In the summer of 1824, the venerated La Fayette, now
aged and gray, revisited the land for whose freedom he had shed
his blood. The patriots who had fought by his side came forth to
greet him. In every city he was surrounded by a throng of shout
ing freemen. His journey through the country was a triumph.
It was a solemn moment when he stood alone by the grave of
Washington. In September of 1825, he bade adieu to the people,
and sailed for his native land. While Liberty remains, the name
of La Fayette shall be hallowed.
11. In the fall of 1824, four candidates were presented for the
presidency. John Quincy Adams was put forward as the candi
date of the East; William H. Crawford of Georgia as the choice
of the South ; Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson as the favorites
of the West. Neither candidate received a majority of the elec
toral votes, and the choice of President was referred to the House
of Representatives. By that body Mr. Adams was elected. For
Vice-President, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina was chosen by
the electoral college.
ILE O^A-IFI TUL-A-TIOItT -
The new President and his policy.— The cabinet.— Revival of the country.—
Mississippi is admitted.— The pirates of Amelia Island dispersed.— The question
of internal improvements arises.— The canal from Buffalo to Albany.— The
Seminole War breaks out.— Jackson captures St. Marks.— Hangs Arbuthnot and
Ambrister.— Takes Pensacola.— The cession of Florida.— Illinois is admitted.—
And Alabama. — Arkansas is organized.— And Maine admitted.— And Missouri.
— The Missouri Compromise.— Monroe and Tompkins are reelected.— Commo
dore Porter suppresses piracy in the West Indies.— Sympathy of the United
States for the South American republics.— The Monroe Doctrine.— The visit of
La Fayette.— John Quiucy Adams chosen President.
268 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER LI.
ADAMS'S ADMINISTRATION, 1825-1829.
THE new President was a man of the highest attainments in
literature and statesmanship. At the age of eleven years he
accompanied his father, John Adams, to Europe. At Paris and
Amsterdam and St. Petersburg the son continued his studies, and
became acquainted with the politics of the Old World. In his
riper years, he served as ambassador to the Netherlands, Portugal,
Prussia, Russia, and England. He had also held the offices of
United States senator, and secretary of State.
2. The new administration was a time of peace; but the spirit
of party manifested itself with much violence. The adherents of
General Jackson and Mr. Crawford united in opposition to the
President. In the Senate the political friends of Mr. Adams were
in a minority, and their majority in the lower House lasted for
only one session. In his inaugural address the President strongly
advocated the doctrine of internal improvements.
3. When, in the year 1802, Georgia relinquished her claim to
Mississippi Territory, the general government agreed to purchase
for the State all the Creek lands b ing within her borders. This
pledge the United States had never fulfilled, and Georgia com
plained of bad faith. Finally, in March of 1826, a treaty was
concluded between the Creek chiefs and the President, by which a
cession of all their lands in Georgia was obtained. At the same
time, the Creeks agreed to remove beyond the Mississippi.
4. On the 4th of July, 1826— just fifty years after the Declara
tion of Independence — John Adams, second President, and his
successor, Thomas Jefferson, both died. Both had lifted their
voices for freedom in the days of the Revolution. One had writ
ten and both had signed the great Declaration. Both had lived
ADA M&S ADMINISTRA TION. 269
to see their country's independence. Both had reached extreme
old age: Adams was ninety; Jefferson, eighty-two. Now, while
the cannon were booming for the fiftieth birthday of the nation,
the honored patriots passed from among the living.
5. In the congressional debates of 1828, the question of the tariff
was much discussed. By a tariff is understood a duty levied on
imported goods. The object of the same is — first, to produce a
revenue for the government ; and secondly, to raise the price of the
article on which the duty is laid, in order that the domestic man
ufacturer of the thing taxed may be able to compete with the
foreign producer. When the -duty is levied for the latter purpose,
it is called a protective tariff. Mr. Adams and his friends favored
the tariff; and in 1828 protective duties were laid on fabrics made
of wool, cotton, linen and silk; and those on articles manufactured
of iron, lead, etc., were much increased.
6. With the fall of 1828, Mr. Adams, supported by Mr. Clay,
was put forward for reelection. General Jackson appeared as the
candidate of the opposition. In the previous election Jackson had
received more electoral votes than Adams; but the House of
Representatives had chosen the latter. Now the people were de
termined to have their way; and Jackson was triumphantly elected,
receiving a hundred and seventy-eight electoral votes against
eighty-three for his opponent.
Sketch of the President.— Partisan opposition to him.— Internal improvements
favored by the executive.— Trouble with Georgia about the lands of the Creeks.
—Settled by a treaty.— Death of Adams and Jefferson.— Discussion of the tariff
in Congress.— A protective duty laid on fabrics. — Adams renominated for the
presidency.— General Jackson put forward by the Democrats.— And elected.
270
HISTORY OF THE V SITED STATES
CHAPTER LII.
JA CKSON'S ADMINTSTRA TION, 1 829 -1 837.
rPHE new President was a military hero — a man of great talents
J- and inflexible honesty. His integrity was unassailable ; his
will like iron. He was one of those men for whom no toils are
too arduous. His
personal char
acter was im
pressed upon his
administration.
At the begin
ning, he re
moved nearly
seven hundred
office-holders,
a n d appointed
their stead
his own political
friends.
2. In his first
message the
President took
ground against
rechartering the
Bank of the
United States.
He recommend
ed that the old charter should be allowed to expire by its own
limitation in 1836. But the influence of the bank was very great;
and in 1832 a bill to recharter was passed by Congress. The
in
ANDREW JACKSON.
JAVKSOFS ADMINISTRATION.
271
President opposed his veto ; a two-thirds majority in favor of the
bill could not be secured, and the new charter failed.
3. In the congressional session of 1831-32, additional tariffs were
levied upon goods imported from abroad. By this act the man
ufacturing dis
tricts were fa
vored at the
expense of the
agricultural
States. South
Carolina was
specially offend
ed. A conven
tion of her peo
ple was held,
and it was re
solved that the
tariff-law of
Congress was
null and void.
Open resistance
was threatened
in case the offi
cers should at
tempt to collect
the revenues at Charleston. In the United States Senate the
right of a State to nullify an act of Congress was boldly pro
claimed. On that question had already occurred the great debate
between Colonel Hayne, senator from South Carolina, and Daniel
Webster of Massachusetts. The former appeared as the champion
of State rights, and the latter of constitutional supremacy.
4. The President now took the matter in hand and issued a
proclamation denying the right of a State to nullify the laws of
Congress. But Mr. Calhoun, the Vice-President, resigned his
office to accept a seat in the Senate, where he might defend the
doctrines of his State. The President, having warned the South
Carolinians, ordered a body of troops under General Scott to pro-
DANIEL \\ERSTF.K.
272 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ceed to Charleston. The leaders of the nullifying party receded
from their position, and bloodshed was avoided. Soon afterward
Mr. Clay secured the passage of a bill providing for a gradual
reduction of the duties until they should reach the standard de
manded by the South.
5. In the spring of 1832, the Sac, Fox, and Winnebago Indians
of Wisconsin began a war. They were led by the famous chief,
Black Hawk. The lands of the Sacs and Foxes had been purchased
by the government twenty-five years previously. The Indians, how
ever, remained in the ceded territory. When at last they were
required to give possession, they refused to comply. The govern
ment insisted that they fulfill their contract, and hostilities began.
The governor of Illinois called out the militia. General Scott was
sent with troops to Chicago, to cooperate with General Atkinson.
The latter waged a vigorous campaign, defeated the Indians, and
made Black Hawk prisoner. The captive chief was taken to
Washington and the great cities of the East. Returning to his
own people, he advised them to make peace. The warriors aban
doned the disputed lands and retired into Iowa.
6. Difficulties also arose with the Cherokees of Georgia — the
most civilized of all the Indian nations. The government of the
United States had promised to purchase the Cherokee lands for the
benefit of Georgia. The pledge was not fulfilled ; and the legis
lature passed a statute extending the laws of the State over the
Indians. At the same time, the Cherokees and Creeks were denied
the use of the State courts. The Indians appealed to the President
for help ; but he refused to interfere. He recommended the re
moval of the Cherokees to lands beyond the Mississippi. THE
INDIAN TERRITORY was accordingly organized in 1834. The In
dians yielded with great reluctance. More than five million dol
lars were paid them for their lands. At last General Scott was
ordered to remove them ; and during the years 1837-38, the Cher
okees were transferred to their new homes in the West.
7. More serious was the conflict with the Seminoles. The trouble
arose from an attempt to remove the tribe beyond the Mississippi.
Hostilities began in 1835, .and continued for four years. Osceola
and Micanopy, chiefs of the nation, denied the validity of a former
JACKSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 273
cession of Seminole lands. General Thompson was obliged to ar
rest Osceola and put him in irons. The chief then gave his assent
to the old treaty, and was liberated, but immediately entered into
a conspiracy to slaughter the whites.
8. Major Dade, with a hundred and seventeen men, was now
despatched from Fort Brooke, on Tampa Bay, to reinforce General
Clinch at Fort Drane, seventy-five miles from St. Augustine.
Dade's forces fell into an ambuscade, and were all massacred except
one man. On the same day Osceola, with a band of warriors,
surrounded a storehouse where General Thompson was dining, and
killed him and four of his companions.
9. On the 31.<t of December, General Clinch defeated the In
dians on the Withlacoochie. On the 29th of February, 1836,
General Gaines was attacked near the same battle-field ; and again
the Seminoles were repulsed. In October Governor Call of Florida,
with two thousand men, overtook the savages in the Wahoo Swamp,
near the scene of Dade's massacre. Here the Indians were again
defeated and driven into the Everglades.
10. In the mean time, the President had put an end to the
Bank of the United States. After vetoing the bill to recharter
that institution, he conceived that the surplus funds which had
accumulated in its vaults would better be distributed among the
States. Accordingly, in October of 1833, he ordered the funds
of the bank, amounting to ten million dollars, to be distributed
among certain State banks designated for that purpose. The
financial panic of 1836-37, following soon afterward, was attrib
uted by the Whigs to the destruction of the national bank
and the removal of the funds. But the adherents of the Presi
dent replied that the panic was attributable to the bank itself.
11. In 1834 the strong will of the chief magistrate was brought
into conflict with France. In 1831 the French king had agreed to
pay five million dollars for injuries formerly done to American
commerce. But the government of France neglected the payment
until the President recommended to Congress to make reprisals
on French merchantmen. This measure had the desired effect,
and the indemnity was paid. Portugal was brought to terms in a
similar manner.
274 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
12. In these years, several eminent statesmen fell by the hand
of death. On the 4th of July, 1831, amid the rejoicings of the
national anniversary, ex-President Monroe passed away. In the
following year, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the lust surviving
signer of the Declaration of Independence, died at the age of
ninety-six. A short time afterward, Philip Freneau, the poet of
the Revolution, departed from the land of the living. On the 24th
of June, 1833, John Randolph of Roanoke died in Philadelphia.
In 1835 Chief- Justice Marshall breathed his last, at the age of
fourscore years; and in the next year ex-President Madison, worn
with the toils of eighty-five years, passed away. On the 16th of
December, 1835, a fire broke out in New York city and laid
thirty acres of buildings in ashes. Just one year afterward, the
Patent Office and Post-office at Washington were burned.
13. In June of 1836, Arkansas, with a population of seventy
thousand, was admitted into the Union. In the following January,
Michigan territory was organized as a State and added to the
Republic. The new commonwealth brought a population of a
hundred and fifty -seven thousand. In the autumn of 1836,
Martin Van Buren was elected President. As to the vice^
presidency, no one secured a majority, and the choice devolved
on the Senate. By that body Colonel Richard M. Johnson of
Kentucky was chosen.
Character of Jackson.— He fills the offices with his political friends.— Opposes
the rechartering of the United States Bank.- Vetoes the bill.- The tariff ques,
tion again.-South Carolina attempts nullification.-Debate of Webster and
Hayne.— The President's proclamation.— South Carolina recedes from her posi-
tion.-Mr. Clay's tariff compromise.— The Black Hawk War breaks out.— Gen
erals Scott and Atkinson drive the Red men to submission.— The difficulty with
the Cherokees.— Scott compels their removal to the West.— A Second Seminole
war.— The arrest of Osceola.— Dade's massacre.— Murder of General Thompson.—
Clinch defeats the savages. -Gaines on the Withlacoochie.— Battle of the Wahoo
Swamp.-The President orders the distribution of the funds.-A panic follows.-
The President is vituperated.— He brings France and Portugal to terms.— Death-
list of eminent men.-Fires in New York and Washington.— Arkansas and
Michigan admitted into the Union.— Van Buren elected President.
VAN BUREAU ADMINISTRATION.
CHAPTER LIII.
VAN BURSTS ADMINISTRATION, 1837-1841.
MARTIN VAN BUREN, eighth President, was born at Kin-
derhook, New York, on the 5th of December, 1782. After
receiving a limited education he became a student of law. In 1821
he was chosen United States senator. Seven years afterward, he
was electe^ governor of New York, and was then appointed
minister to England. From that important mission he returned
to accept the office of Vice-President.
2. One of the first duties of the new administration was to
finish the Seminole War. In 1837 the command of the army in
Florida was transferred to General Jessup. In the fall, Osceola
came to the American camp with a flag of truce; but he was sus
pected of treachery, seized, and sent a prisoner to Fort Moultrie,
where he died. The Seminoles, however, continued the war. In
December Colonel Zachary Taylor, with a thousand men, marched
into the Everglades of Florida, and overtook the savages near
Lake Okeechobee. A hard battle was fought, and the Indians
were defeated. For more than a year, Taylor continued to hunt
them through the swamps. In 1839 the chiefs signed a treaty;
but their removal to the West was made with much delay.
3. In 1837 the country was afflicted with a serious monetary
panic. The preceding years had l»em a time of great prosperity.
A surplus of nearly iorty million dollars, in the national treasury,
had been distributed among the States. Owing to the abundance
of money, the credit system was greatly extended. The banks
of the country were multiplied to seven hundred. Vast issues of
irredeemable paper money increased the opportunities for fraud.
4. The bills of these unsound banks were receivable for the
18
276 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
public lands. Seeing that the government was likely to be de
frauded out of millions, President Jackson issued an order, called
THE SPECIE CIRCULAR, by which the land-agents were directed to
receive nothing but coin in payment for the lands. The effects of this
circular followed in the first year of Van Buren's administration.
The banks suspended specie payment. In the spring of 1837, the
failures in New York and New Orleans amounted to a hundred
and fifty million dollars.
5. When Congress convened in the following September, a bill
authorizing the issue of ten millions of dollars in treasury notes
was passed as a temporary expedient. More important by far was
the measure proposed by the President under the name of THE IN
DEPENDENT TREASURY BILL, by which the public funds were to
be kept in a treasury established for that special purpose. It was
the President's plan thus to separate the business of the United
States from the general business of the country.
6. The Independent Treasury Bill was at first defeated in the
House of Representatives. But in the following regular session of
Congress the bill was again brought forward and adopted. During
the year 1838, the banks resumed specie payments. But trade
was less vigorous than before. Discontent prevailed ; and the ad
ministration was blamed with everything.
7. In the latter part of 1837, a portion of the people of Canada
broke out in revolt and attempted to establish their independence.
The insurgents found sympathy in the United States. Seven hun
dred men from New York, taking arms, seized and fortified Navy
Island, in the Niagara River. The loyalists of Canada, however,
succeeded in firing the Caroline, the supply-ship of the adventurers,
cut her moorings, and sent the burning vessel over Niagara Falls.
For a while, the peaceful relations of the United States and Great
Britain were endangered. But the President issued a proclama
tion of neutrality, forbidding further interference with the affairs
of Canada.
8. Mr. Van Buren became a candidate for reelection, and re
ceived the support of the Democratic party. The Whigs put for
ward General Harrison. The canvass was one of the most exciting
in the history of the country. Harrison was triumphantly elected.
1837 41 45 49 53 57
40. Frederick William IV.
37. Attempted capt
by Don Carlos.
ure of Madrid
46. Pius
46.
IX.
Outbreak of the H
52.
ungarian Revoluti
Fall of Kossuth a
on.
nd the Hung
39. Suppression of the Carl-
ists in Spain.
48.
48.
Revolution in Fran
52.
A republic proclai
ce.
The so-called Tr
med.
ipartite Ti
40. Th
re
e body of Napoleon
turned to France.
48.
Louis Napole
52.
54. The Oat
on Bonapart
Louis Napole
end 71 an i ft
6, elected P
OH, Presiden
37. Victoria sue
ceeds to the Englis
h throne.
52.
Louis Napole
Oil, Emperor
37. Insurrection in Canada.
54. The Cri
mean War
,r>,s. Mil!!!
Van Buren,
President. iJaillCS K. Po
Win. H. Harrison, President.
Ik, President.
Zachary Tayl
Franklin Pie
Or, President.
1'Ce, Presid.
James Bu
Died July y,
1850.
RICHARD 71. J 0 11 N IV-
<; i.o K4; F. 71.
»l 1 I.I, \ K l> FI
JOHN C. 1
J 0 11 X K 0 K, . L K R , Vice-
I>AI^I^AS,Yice-
President
Vice-President, a
after «Tu 1 y '*, l.xr>0.
nd President
\\ 11.1,1 \«l u.
Ii !>'<>. V.-l
elected by the
President, after
46. loua ad
milted into 'the U
57. The 1'red
April, 1841.
46. The .Smith sonian Institution c
rganteed.
41. Repeal of the
k9. California t
orms a State govei
nineiil .
37. Monetary panic.
Independent
Treasury Bill.
46. The Or
••uoii Bomidar
4<t. Renewal of the
y Treaty.
slavery agitation.
•>7. Personal 1
ty P.ill.
37. The Iiide-
41. Veto of the
46. General T
aylor advances to
the Rio (jrandf.
p e 11 «I e ii t
United States
49. New 7Iexie
O Territory organi
zed.
Treasury
Bill.
Bank charter,
and resigna
45. Florida adm
itted into the 1'ni.
50. Pa
n.
the Omnibus
Bill.
Lake Oke-
tion of the
46. The Mexi
cans cross the Rio
Grande.
"'• |5w chnbee.
President's
50. Texas cede
s territory to the <z.
neral < •
admitted in
Cabinet.
4 £L
Alto,
a de la Palma.
53. Kane's Arctic
53. Route for a Pac
exjiedition.
itic Railroad .
to the 1'innn.
50. Utah Ter
rilorv organized.
42. The We
bster- Ashburt
on Treaty.
53. The fiadsde
11 Pureliat-
46. The Mexic an.s recross the Rio
Grande.
57. Th
3'.). Xauvo
o founded by the M
ornions.
50. John C. Cal
houn died, aged 68.
outbreak in 1
46. Congress
declares war airai
D81 .Mexico.
57. The (ii>t \
40. G
reat political excite
lllellt .
'K~~^ Captu
50. Population
re of Matamarat.
23,191,876.
'>.">. Arizona Terr
Telegraj
itorv orj
rey*. 50. Californ
ia admitted into t
he Vnion.
51. The F
ugitive Slave Law.
^liiii
admitted int<
42. Completio
n of Bunker Hill
Monument.
->3-60. Walker's fil
blistering exj
46. Fremont i
n California.
54. Treaty wit
)i Japan.
40. P
filiation, 17,069,45
3. 46. Colonel D
on iph an's march.
54. The World
'sFairatXew^
jg~Vv
£uena Vista.
58. The
47. ^>J^i
Vera Cruz.
pait'ii of M
44. J
oe Smith killed.
and Senati
.it. The "»!:«
rtin lioszt
44. T
he Magnetic Teleg
raph in operation.
Cerro Gordo.
51. The Ka
54. Repeal of
nsas-Xel»i-:i
4 1 . yp^A
Contreras, San Anto
nio.
promise.
52.
Kossuth's visit to
the Cnited Si
l£~Vfc
Chunibusco.
5'.*. \
47- fcj|l
Dmnifntl of Santa
Anna.
Irving died,
I — "^
Moli'no del Rey, Co*
a de Matta.
47* J^J[A
CliapuLtepec.
milted
52.
Henry Clay died, a
ged 75. (
47. Capture of Mexico.
Comm
4S. Treaty of Ouada
liipe Hidalgo.
•
48. Discovery of Gold
in California.
ofth
Parl
55. Civil
war in Kansas
4S. ^Ex-President John
Q. Adams died, ag
-Isl. (
•ts. Wiseonsin adm
tted into the I'nio
n.
48.
The Department of
;he Interior organi
zed.
TF.XAS ...«!.,.
eiideiit si nee
'36.
52.
Daniel Webster di
ed, aged 70. f
Dem
.".>. I>:ilii:ir. Piv-ident.
1
11. Houston,
1"). Texas adinitt
ed into the rnion.
(
Pre-idellt .
7IKXICO. the "Central K.-publi
37. linstaiiieiit e. President.
c." US.
Mexican cession.
.'!>. Yera < 'nix. hesii'i_'fd by the Fr
ench.
•11. Santa Anna. PP -:d.-nt.
1
73
, 77
1881
i
67. War
between Pruss la and Austria.
77. The Russo-
Turkish War.
William I.
67. Hano
68. F
ver absorbed by 1'r
ormation of North
ussia. . [tion.
German Confedera-
77 MlfJ &iege of
77. p^ Kara.
81. Assassination of
the Czar of Russia.
71. Begin
ning of Franco.
11. Invasion of Eu
ropean Turkey
ause.
I'r u«.*i;m War.
by the
77 lOl Sieqe and
Russians.
capture of Plecna.
71. L^ 'Sedan .
77 ' pJi Collapse
of Ottoman Empire.
71. Downfall of Napoleon.
78. Treaty o f San Stefano.
78. Treaty of Berlin.
t.
72.
1F%| Sieqe of Pans ;
79. Death of PlUS IX.
^Ii Ti-eatv of Pe
3,06, Y •*',*,
n years.
poleon III.
ity of Peace bet
65. Fenian troubles
68. R
ween
72.
in Ireland,
eform Bill passed,
of the G
King William
proclaimed Emp
74. Overthrow
ladstone Ministry.
79. Leo
eror. ' Tne
79. Over
throw of Disraeli
JL111.
Zulu War.
81. Accession of
Alexander III.
iua and Englau
d.
70. Irish Chur
ch disestablished.
Ministry. 80. B ritish troubles in
62. Death of
Prince Albert,
71.Billfo
rbidding sale of Co
mmissions.
Afghanistan.
the Con
sort.
72. Po
pulation United Ki
ngdom, 31,465,480.
81. Death of Earl
e East India arm
y.
74. Disraeli.
Prime Minister.
Beacon sticld.
braham Lin coin, President. |U. S. Grant,
President. R. B. HayCS,
J.A.Oarfleld,
1U, President.
Andre wJolm
SOU, President aft
er April 15, 1865.
President.
W. A. WHEEL
President.
ER,
i 1 N III IH.I
Vice-President.
S< II 1 YI.KK C
OIT'A'V Vice-1'reoident.
C. A. ARTHUR.
ANNIBAL i'l
Ten o 'the Sout
AMl,IX,V.-Pres.
hern States secede.
69. The Pacific Rai IronH completed.' r"'^?.w Southern
Vice-President,
and President after
ir of the
fcp» Fall of Fort
jy«U Swnter.
The President c
West fired upon.
66. The Atlan
tic Cable laid,
alls for 75,000 men.
69. Edwin M. Stan
70. The Fiftee
70. Robert E.
70. Admiral F
nth Amendment a dopted.
Lee died, aged 63.
arragut died, aged 169.
September 19, ISM.
8J. Assassination of
President l»ar-
field.
Confederate Colngressat Montgom
ery. 70. Virginia.
Mississippi, and T exas re-admitted i
nto the Union.
The President c
1T>» Bull Eun.
alls for 500,000 me
65. Reconstruction
n. 70. Populatio
of the seceded Stat
n 38,558,371.
es under-
77. The great Railr
77. The Nez Pe
oad Strikes.
rce War.
f$\ Ball's Bluff.
62- WM»
taken bv the
65. Amnesty P
,7. 66. Tennessee
President.
reclamation.
re-admitted into th
e Union.
77. Great financial
77. Oliver P. Morto
78. William C
depression.
n died, aged 54.
ullen Brvant died,
Mason and Slid
ell captured.
71. Burni
ng of Chicago.
aged 84.
81. James T. Field-
Kansas admi
tted into the Union.
72.
The Alabama
Claims sett led.
died.
d. ,, r
62.
onelson. 67- Purch
urgLdg. 67. Xebr
ase of Alaska.
asliii admitted int
o the Union.
78. Bayard Tav
78.EsiaUishm
lor died, aged 54.
ent of a Chinese
,,„ CC* The M
oriitor'and »',~. 1
onpeachnient of Pi
esident Johnson.
Embassy
in U. S.
''- ^ Me,-
rimac. 6s. T
he Fifteenth Ame
ndmeiit adopted.
78. Life-saving
Service establ'd.
M
61.
eesborovfih. 6s. A
Royal and Port Rep
rkansas, Alabama,
ublic. Carolina
Georgia, Florida,
re-admitted into
Louisiana, North C
;he Union.
arolina, South
e. f
Oaks.
79. Resu
mption of Specie
i 62. ' ;~
Days' battles. 68. G
reat monetary pani
72.
c in New York City.
William H. Sewar
Grant re-elect' d.
Pavment by
d died, aged 71.
79. Zacha
the Government,
riah Chandler died.
lion. 63. The
Emancipatio
Siefic of Vicksburg.
n Proclamati
on.
Henry Wilson,
80. R
Vice-Pres., died
efunding Question
in Congress.
Chickamauga.
Nov. 22, 1875.
^ -v
Lookout 31<»i')t'ini.
72.
Horace Greelev die
d, aged 61. 80. T
he Tenth Census:
Ma r.3. we*
• i Eid'lf .
t Tlivlnla Admi
Sieae ofKnoxville.
72.
tted into the Union.
72.
Great fire in Bosto'n.
[77-70. Grant's tour
General George G. Meade died, aged
Pop., 50,152,866.
around the world.
• • I lAforo^ n'- raid
72.
Boundarv dispute b
etween the United
States and Great
'.ill. -- inr? C&anreZZorsriWe.
Britian settled.
78. The bill fo
r Remonetizing
u- «4 Lee invades Penns
ylvania.
Silver pa
ssed by Congress.
63. Ijfl \Gettysburg.
78. The Ilalit'a
sion mak
x Fishery Coinmis-
o an award of
gton 63. The President orders a dr
aft for 200,000 troop
s.
5,500,000
dollars against the
M. T he President calls
for 300,000 men.
73. ModocWar.
United St
ates.
in ad- f. \1f**Dalton,Resaca.
73. The Credit Mob
ilier investigation.
81. Matt. H. Car
if Union. p-J^Da^as, Kenesa
U'.
73. Chief- Justice C
base died, aged 6:3.
penter died.
ie T'uvuipqp 1^""^ r>. f
73. Great financial
crisis and monetar
y panic.
n th U S "4> KJoL Siegt of Atlant
a.
74. Charles S i mner died, aged 63.
uptiou ' ' . «lj|.FVanftH».
76. Colorado admit
red into the Union.
76. Centennial €e
lebration M
larleston. 64. Nevada admitted
into the Union.
| Philadelphia.
IttnFort McAHiste
r.
76.
The disputed Pivsi
leiicy is settled.
illation, M'
s+£\ Petersburg.
V—^» \Tnhilp Tin 11
31,443,231. f.
BCL.^ Mobile nn\i ,
^SJ For t Fisher.
eat of the
fcpa The Alabama
rf~^i '*'•-*- ?* •"*••"* "^^ -r-
Partv. M>
fbt3j"wi Kfarsarge.
X^ jtix\5L jtv j^ jk *
th Ciir-
jr^.The WUdernett.
;cedes.
Harbor.
64.
Kin coin re-elect
ed.
_ ____^ _
. rive Forks.
p~S\ Lee's surre
65. Lincoln assass
nder.
nated.
National Perloi-Seconfl Section.
62. French in
64.
Maximilian e
ected Emperor. A. D. 1837-1882.
07. Frenc
h armv withdrawn.!
f
ADMINISTRATIONS OF HARRISON AND TYLER. 277
After controlling the government for forty years, the Democratic
party was temporarily overthrown. For Vice-President, John
Tyler of Virginia was chosen.
Sketch of the new executive.— Continuance of the Seminole War.— Colonel
Taylor defeats the savages at Lake Okeechobee. — And compels submission.—
The financial panic of '37. — The Specie Circular. — The banks suspend. — Tre
mendous failures.— Treasury notes are issued.— The Independent Treasury Bill
is passed.— Partial revival of business.— The Canada insurrection.— Afiair of the
Caroline.— Order is restored.— General Harrison is elected President.
CHAPTER LIV.
ADMINISTRATIONS OF HARRISON AND TYLER, 1841-1845.
fTlHE new President was a .Virginian by birth, the adopted son
-L of Robert Morris. He was graduated at Hampden-Sidney
College, and afterward entered the army of St. Clair. He became
governor of Indiana Territory, which office he filled with great
ability. He began his duties as President by calling a special
session of Congress. An able cabinet was organized, with Daniel
Webster as secretary of state. Everything promised well for the
new Whig administration ; but before Congress could convene, the
President, now sixty-eight years of age, fell sick, and died just one
month after his inauguration. On the 6th of April, Mr. Tyler
became President of the United States.
2. He was a statesman of considerable distinction ; a native of
Virginia; a graduate of William and Mary College. In 1825 he
was elected Governor of Virginia, and from that position he was
sent to the Senate of the United States. He had been put upon
the ticket with General Harrison through motives of expediency;
for although a Whig in political principles, he was known to be
hostile to the United States Bank.
278 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
3. One of the first measures of the new Congress was the repeal
of the Independent Treasury Bill. A bankrupt law was then
passed for the relief of insolvent business men. The next measure
was the rechartering of the Bank of the United States. A bill for
that purpose was brought forward and passed; but the President
interposed his veto. Again the bill received the assent of both
Houses, only to be rejected by the executive. By this action a
rupture was produced between the President and the party which
had elected him. All the members of the cabinet except Mr.
Webster resigned their offices.
4-. A difficulty now arose with Great Britain about the north
eastern boundary of the United States. Since the treaty of 1783
that boundary had been in question. Lord Ashburton on the part
of Great Britain, and Mr. Webster on the part of the United
States, were called upon to settle the dispute. They performed
their work in a manner honorable to both nations ; and the present
boundary was established.
5. In the next year, the country was vexed with a domestic
trouble in Rhode Island. By the terms of the old charter of that
State the right of suffrage was restricted to property-holders. A
proposition was now made to change the constitution, and on that
issue the people of Rhode Island were nearly agreed ; but in respect
to the manner of annulling the old charter there was a division.
One faction, called the "law and order party," chose Samuel W.
King as governor. The other faction, called the "suffrage party,"
elected Thomas W. Dorr. In May of 1842 both parties met and
organized their governments.
6. The "law and order party" now undertook to suppress the
faction of Dorr. The latter resisted, and made an attempt to cap
ture the State arsenal. But the militia drove the assailants away.
Afterward, Dorr's partisans were dispersed by the troops of the
United States. Dorr fled from Rhode Island; but, a few months
later, was arrested, tried for treason, and sentenced to imprison
ment for life. He was then offered a pardon, but refused to accept
it; and in June of 1845, was set at liberty.
7. About the same time, a disturbance occurred in New York.
Until the year 1840, the descendants of Van Rensselaer, one of the
ADMINISTRATIONS OF HARRISON AND TYLER. 279
old Dutch patroons of New Netherland, had held a claim on lands
in the counties of Kensselaer, Columbia, and Delaware. At last
the farmers grew tired of paying rents and rebelled. In 1844 the
anti-rent party became so bold as to coat with tar and feathers their
fellow-tenants who made the payments to the Rensselaers. Time
and again the authorities of the State were invoked to quell the
rioters; and the dispute has never been permanently settled.
8. Of a different sort was the difficulty with the Mormons.
Under the leadership of their prophet, Joseph Smith, they made
their first settlement in Jackson county, Missouri. Here their
numbers increased to fully fifteen hundred. A difficulty arose
between them and the people of Missouri. The militia was called
out, and the Mormons were obliged to leave the State. In 1839
they crossed the Mississippi into Illinois, and laid out a city which
they called Nauvoo, meaning Hie Beautiful. Here they built a
splendid temple. Other Mormons came to join the community,
until the number reached ten thousand. For awhile Smith admin
istered the government according to Mormon usage ; then serious
troubles arose between the Mormons and the people of Illinois,
and civil war ensued.
9. Finally, Smith and his brother were arrested, taken to Car
thage and lodged in jail. On the 27th of June, 1844, a mob
broke open the jail doors and killed the prisoners. In the follow
ing year, Nauvoo was besieged by the populace. At last the Mor
mons gave up in despair, and resolved to exile themselves beyond
the limits of civilization. In 1846 they began a toilsome march
to the far West ; crossed the Rocky Mountains ; reached the Great
Salt Lake ; and founded Utah Territory.
10. Meanwhile, a great agitation had arisen in regard to Texas.
From 1821 to 1836 this vast territory had been a province of Mex
ico. It had been the policy of that country to keep Texas unin
habited, in order that the Americans might not encroach on the
Mexican borders. At last, however, a large land-grant was made
to Moses Austin of Connecticut, on condition that he would settle
three hundred families within the limits of his domain. After
ward the grant was confirmed to his son Stephen, with the privi
lege of establishing five hundred additional families of immigrants.
280
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
11. In the year 1835, the Texans raised the standard of rebell
ion. In a battle, fought at Gonzales, a thousand Mexicans were
defeated by a Texan force of five hundred. On the Gth of March,
1836, a Texan fort, called the Alamo, was surrounded by eight
thousand Mexicans, led by Santa Anna. The garrison was overpow
ered and mas'
sacred. The
daring David
Crockett was
one of the vic-
tims o*f the
butchery. I n
the next month
wras fought the
decisive battle
of San Jaciiito,
^ which gave to-
Texas her inde
pendence.
12. The peo
ple of Texas
nowr asked to be
admitted hit a
the Union. At
fil'St tll6
PROFESSOR 8. F. B. MOUSE.
sition was declined by President Van Buren. In 1844, the question
of annexation was again agitated ; and on that question the people
divided in the presidential election. The annexation was favored by
the Democrats and opposed by the Whigs. James K. Polk of
Tennessee was put forward as the Democratic candidate, while the
Whigs chose their favorite leader, Henry Clay. The former was
elected; for Vice President, George M. Dallas of Pennsylvania was
chosen.
13. On the 29th of May, 1844, the news of the nomination of
Mr. Polk was sent from Baltimore to Washington by THE MAG
NETIC TELEGRAPH. It was the first despatch ever so transmitted ;
and the event marks an era in the history of civilization. The in-
FOLK'S ADMINISTRATION AND MEXICAN WAR. 281
ven tor of the telegraph, which has proved so great a blessing to
mankind, was Professor Samuel F. B. Morse of Massachusetts.
Perhaps no other invention has exercised so beneficent an influence
on the welfare of the human race.
14. When Congress convened in December of 1844, a bill to
annex Texas to the United States was brought forward, and, on
the 1st of the following March, was passed. The President imme
diately gave his assent; and, on the 29th of December, Texas took
her place in the Republic. On the 3d of March in this year, bills
for the admission of Florida and Iowa were also signed ; but the
latter State was not formally admitted until December 28th, 1846.
Sketch of the President's life.— He enters upon his duties.— Falls sick.— And
dies. — Tyler succeeds him. — Repeal of the Independent Treasury Bill. — The bill
to re-charter the United States Bank is vetoed by the President.— Rupture be
tween the executive and Congress.— Resignation of the cabinet.— The north
eastern boundary is settled by the Webster-Ashburton treaty.— The Rhode
Island insurrection.— The suffrage party elects Dorr.— And the law-and-order
party King.— The latter is supported by the government.— Dorr's followers are
scattered.— And himself convicted of treason.— But afterward pardoned.— The
Van Rensselear land troubles in New York.— The Mormons are driven from
Missouri.— Found Nauvoo.— Popular feeling against them.— Smith and his
brother are murdered. — And the Mormons driven into exile. — They journey to
Salt Lake.— The Texas excitement begins.— The people rebel against Mexico.—
Battle of Gonzales.— Massacre of the Alamo.— The battle of San Jacinto.— Texas
independent.— Seeks admission into the Union.— The question of annexation
before the people.— On that issue Polk is elected President.— Professor Morse and
the telegraph.— Texas admitted into the Union.- Also Iowa and Florida.
CHAPTER LV.
FOLK'S ADMINISTRATION AND THE MEXICAN WAR, 1845-49.
DRESIDENT POLK was a native of North Carolina. In boy-
J- hood he removed with his father to Tennessee, and in 1839
rose to the position of governor of that State. At the head of his
cabinet he placed James Buchanan of Pennsylvania.
2. A war with Mexico was at hand. On the 4th of July, 1845,
282
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
the Texan legislature ratified the act of annexation. Almonte, the
Mexican minister at Washington, immediately left the country.
The authorities of Texas sent an urgent request to the President to
despatch an army for their protection. Accordingly, General
Zachary Taylor was ordered to march thither from Louisiana. The
question at issue between Texas and Mexico was concerning bounda
ries. Texas claimed the Rio Grande as her western limit, while
Mexico was determined to have the Nueces as the separating line.
The government of the United States resolved to support the claim
of Texas. General Taylor moved forward to Corpus Christi, at
the mouth of the Nueces, and by November of 1845, concentrated
a force of nearly five thousand men.
3. In the following January, General Taylor was ordered to ad
vance to the Rio Grande. It was known that an army of Mexi
cans was gathering for the invasion of Texas. In March the
American army advanced to Point Isabel, on the gulf. There
General Taylor established his depot of supplies, and then pressed
on to the Rio Grande. He took his station opposite Matamoras
and erected a fortress, named Fort Brown.
4. On the 26th of April, a company of American dragoons,
under Captain Thornton, was attacked by
the Mexicans, east of the Rio Grande, and
after losing sixteen men was obliged to sur
render. This was the first bloodshed of the
war. General Taylor, leaving the fort un
der command of Major Brown, hastened to
Point Isabel and strengthened the defences.
This done, he set out with a provision-train
and an army of two thousand men to re
turn to Fort Brown.
5. Meanwhile, the Mexicans had crossed
the Rio Grande and taken a position at Palo Alto. On the 8th of
May the Americans came in sight and immediately joined battle.
After a severe engagement the Mexicans were driven from the field,
with the loss of a hundred men. Only four Americans were killed
and forty wounded ; among the former was the gallant Major Ring-
gold.
JSS — W.
>F TA VI.OK S CAM-
FOLK'S ADMINISTRATION AND MEXICAN WAR. 283
6. On the following day, General Taylor resumed his march,
and within three miles of Fort Brown, again came upon the Mexi
cans. They had selected for their battle-field a place called Resaca
de la Palma. The enemy fought better than on the previous day.
The American lines were severely galled until Captain May's
dragoons charged through a storm of grape-shot, rode over the
Mexican batteries, and captured La Vega, the commanding gen
eral. The Mexicans, abandoning their guns, fled in a general rout.
On reaching Fort Brown, General Taylor found that the place had
been constantly bombarded by the guns of Matamoras.
7. When the news from the Rio Grande was borne through the
Union, the war spirit was everywhere aroused. On the llth of
May, 1846, Congress made a declaration of war. The President
was authorized to accept fifty thousand volunteers, and ten million
dollars were placed at his disposal. Nearly three hundred thou
sand men rushed forward to enter the ranks. The American
forces were organized in three divisions : THE ARMY OF THE WEST,
under General Kearney, to cross the Rocky Mountains against the
northern Mexican provinces; THE ARMY OF THE CENTRE, under
General Scott as commander-in-chief, to march from the gulf coast
into the heart of the enemy's country; THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION,
under General Taylor, to hold the districts on the Rio Grande.
8. By the middle of summer, General Wool despatched a force
of nine thousand men to the Rio Grande. Ten days after the
battle of Resaca de la Palma, General Taylor captured Matamoras.
The Mexicans fell back and took post at Monterey. Taylor was
obliged to tarry near the Rio Grande until the latter part of August.
By that time his numbers were increased to six thousand six hun
dred. The march against Monterey was begun; and on the 19th
of September, the town, defended by ten thousand troops under
Ampudia, was reached and invested.
9. On the 21st of the month, the Americans, led by General
Worth, carried the heights in the rear of the town. The Bishop's
Palace was taken by storm on the following day. On the 23d the
city was successfully assaulted in front by Generals Quitman and
Butler. The American storming-parties charged into the town.
They reached the Grand Plaza, or public square. They hoisted the
284 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
victorious flag of the Union ; turned upon the buildings where the
Mexicans were concealed; charged up dark stairways to the flat
roofs of the houses; and drove the enemy to a surrender.
10. After the capitulation, General Taylor agreed to an armistice
of eight weeks. But the Mexicans employed the interval in war
like preparations. General Santa Anna was called home from
Havana to take the presidency of the country. A Mexican army
of twenty thousand men was sent into the field. General Taylor
again moved forward, and on the 15th of November, captured the
town of Saltillo. Victoria, a city in the province of Tamaulipas,
was taken by General Patterson. To that place General Butler
advanced from Monterey. General Wool, with strong reinforce
ments from San Antonio, entered Mexico, and took a position
within supporting distance of Monterey.
11. In June of 1846, the Army of the West, led by General
Kearney, set out from Fort Leavenworth for the conquest of New
Mexico and California. After a wearisome march he reached Santa
Fe, and on the 18th of August captured the city. With four hun
dred dragoons Kearney continued his march toward the Pacific
coast. At the distance of three hundred miles from Santa Fe he
was met by Kit Carson, who brought intelligence that California
had already been subdued. But Kearney with only a hundred
men continued his march to the Pacific.
12. For four years Colonel John C. Fremont had been exploring
the country west of the Rocky Mountains. In California he re
ceived despatches informing him of the war with Mexico, and be
gan to urge the people of California to declare their independence.
The frontiersmen flocked to his standard ; and a campaign was be
gun to overthrow the Mexican authority. In several engagements
the Americans were victorious over superior numbers. Meanwhile,
Commodore Sloat had captured the town of Monterey. A few days
afterward Commodore Stockton took San Diego. Fremont now
joined the naval commanders in a movement against Los Angelos,
which was taken without opposition. Before the end of summer the
whole of California was subdued. On the 8th of January, 1847, the
Mexicans were decisively defeated in the battle of San Gabriel, by
which the authority of the United States was completely established.
FOLK'S ADMINISTRATION AND MEXICAN WAR. 285
13. In the mean time, Colonel Doniphan, with seven hundred
men began a march through the enemy's country from Santa Fe
to Saltillo. On Christmas day, he gained the battle of Bracito, on
the Rio Grande. On Sacramento Creek he met the Mexicans in
overwhelming numbers, and on the 28th of February completely
routed them. He then marched unopposed into Chihuahua, and
finally joined General Wool in safety.
14. General Scott now arrived in Mexico and ordered the Army
of Occupation to join him on the gulf for the conquest of the capi
tal. By the withdrawal of their troops, Taylor and Wool were
left in a critical condition; for Santa Anna was advancing against
them with twenty thousand men. General Taylor was able to
concentrate at Saltillo a force of only six thousand. His effective
forces amounted to but four thousand eight hundred. At the head
of this small army he chose a battle-field at Buena Vista.
15. On the 22d of February the Mexicans came pouring over
the hills from the direction of San Luis Potosi. Santa Anna de
manded a surrender, and was met with defiance. On the 23d the
battle began. A heavy column was thrown against the American
centre, but was driven back by Captain Washington's artillery.
The Mexicans next fell upon the American flank, where the second
regiment of Indianians gave way. But the troops of Mississippi
and Kentucky were rallied to the breach ; and again the enemy
was hurled back. In the crisis of the battle the Mexicans made a
furious charge upon Bragg's battery; but the columns of lancers
were scattered with volleys of grape-shot. Against tremendous
odds the field was fairly won. The Mexicans, having lost nearly
two thousand men, made a precipitate retreat.
16. On the 9th of March, 1847, General Scott, with twelve thou
sand men, landed to the south of Vera Cruz, and invested the city.
On the morning of the 22d, the cannonade was begun. On the
water side Vera Cruz was defended by the castle of San Juan
d'Ulloa. For four days the bombardment continued without cessa
tion. An assault was already planned, when the authorities of the
city proposed capitulation. On the 27th, terms of surrender were
signed, and the American flag was raised over Vera Cruz.
17. The route to the capital was now open. On the 8th of April,
286
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
GULF Of
EXICO
SCENE OF SCOTT'S CAMPAIGN, 1847.
General Twiggs set out on the road to Jalapa. General Scott fol
lowed with the main division. On the 12th of the month, Twiggs
_^__^_^__________^____v came upon Santa Anna, with
fifteen thousand men, on the
heights of Cerro Gordo. On
the 18th, the American army
advanced to the assault; and
before noonday every position
of the Mexicans had been
successfully stormed. Nearly
three thousand prisoners were
taken, together with forty-
three pieces of bronze artillery. Santa Anna escaped with his life,
but left behind his wooden leg.
18. On the next day the victorious army entered Jalapa. The
strong castle of Perote was taken without resistance. Turning
southward, General Scott next led his army against the ancient
city of Puebla. Though inhabited by eighty thousand people, no
defence was made or attempted. Scott here waited for reinforce
ments from Vera Cruz.
19. By the 7th of August, the American army was increased to
eleven thousand men. General Scott again began his march upon
the capital. The army swept through the passes of the Cordilleras
to look down on THE VALLEY OF MEXICO. Never before had the
American soldiery beheld such a scene— a living landscape of green
fields, villages, and lakes.
20. At Ayotla, fifteen miles from the capital, General Scott
wheeled to the south, around Lake Chalco, and thence westward to
San Augustin. The city of Mexico could be approached only by
causeways leading across marshes and the beds of bygone lakes.
At the ends of these causeways were massive gates strongly de
fended. To the left were Contreras, San Antonio, and Molino del
Rey. Directly in front were the powerful defences of Churubusco
and Chapultepec. These various positions were held by Santa
Anna with more than thirty thousand Mexicans.
21. On the 20th of August, Generals Pillow and Twiggs stormed
the Mexican position at Contreras. In seventeen minutes six thou-
FOLK'S ADMINISTRATION AND MEXICAN WAR. 287
sand Mexicans, under General Valencia, were driven in utter rout
from their fortifications. A few hours afterward General Worth
carried San Antonio. This was the second victory. General Pillow
led a column against one of the heights of Churubusco ; and after
a terrible assault the position was carried. This was the third tri
umph. Gen
eral T w i g g s
added a, fourth
victory by
storming an
other height of
C h u r u busco ;
while the fifth
was achieved
by Generals
Shields and
Pierce, who de
feated Santa
Anna's re
serves.
22. On the
morning after
the battles, the
Mexican a u -
thorities came
out to negoti
ate. General GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT.
Scott rejected their proposals, rested his men until the 7th of Sep
tember, and then renewed hostilities. On the next morning, Gen
eral Worth stormed Molino del Rey and Casa de Mata, the western
defences of Chapultepec. The guns were next brought to bear on
Chapul tepee itself, and on the 13th, that citadel was carried by
storm. Through the San Cosme and Belen gates the conquering
army swept into the suburbs of Mexico.
23. During the night, Santa Anna and the officers of the gov
ernment fled from the city. On the following morning, forth came
a deputation from the city to beg for mercy ; but General Scott,
288 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
tired of trifling, turned them away with contempt. ''Forward!"
was the order that rang along the lines at sunrise. The war-worn
regiments swept into the famous city, and at seven o'clock the flag
of the Union floated over the halls of the Montezumas.
24. On leaving his capital, Santa Anna turned about to attack
the hospitals at Puebla. Here eighteen hundred sick men had been
left in charge of Colonel Childs. For several days a gallant resist
ance was made by the garrison, until General Lane, on his march
to the capital, fell upon the besiegers and scattered them. It was
the closing stroke of the war.
25. The military power of Mexico was completely broken. It
only remained to determine the conditions of peace. In the winter
of 1847-48, American ambassadors met the* Mexican Congress at
Guadalupe Hidalgo, and on the 2d of February, a treaty was con
cluded. By the terms of settlement the boundary-line between
Mexico and the United States was established on the Rio Grande
from its mouth to the southern limit of New Mexico; thence west
ward along the southern, and northward along the western, boundary
of that territory to the Gila ; thence down that river to the Color
ado; thence westward to the Pacific. New Mexico and Upper
California were relinquished to the United States. Mexico guar
anteed the free navigation of the Gulf of California, and the river
Colorado. The United States agreed to surrender all places in
Mexico, to pay that country fifteen million dollars, and to assume
all debts due from the Mexican government to American citizens.
26. A few days after the signing of the treaty, a laborer, em
ployed by Captain Sutter to cut a mill-race on the American fork
of Sacramento River, discovered some pieces of gold in the sand. The
news spread as if borne on the wind. From all quarters adventur
ers came flocking. For a while there seemed no end to the discov
eries. Straggling gold-hunters sometimes picked up in a few hours
the value of five hundred dollars. The intelligence went flying to
the ends of the world. Men thousands of miles away were crazed
with excitement. Thousands of adventurers started overland to Cal
ifornia. Before the end of 1850, San Francisco had grown to be a
city of fifteen thousand inhabitants. In September of that year,
California was admitted into the Union ; and by the close of 1852,
the State had a population of more than a quarter of a million.
FOLK'S ADMINISTRATION AND MEXICAN WAR. 289
27. In the first summer of President Folk's administration the
country was called to mourn the death of General Jackson. The
veteran warrior and statesman died at his home, called the Her
mitage, in Tennessee. On the 23d of February, 1848, ex-President
John Quincy Adams died at the city of Washington. He was
struck with paralysis in the House of Representatives, where he
had so many times electrified the nation with his eloquence.
28. In 1848 Wisconsin, last of the great States formed from
the North-western Territory, was admitted into the Union. The
new commonwealth came with a population of two hundred and
fifty thousand. Another presidential election was already at hand.
General Lewis Cass of Michigan was nominated by the Democrats,
and General Zachary Taylor by the Whigs. As the candidate of the
new Free-Soil party, ex-President Martin Van Buren was put for
ward. The real contest, however, lay between Generals Cass and
Taylor. The memory of his recent victories in Mexico made Gen
eral Taylor the favorite with the people, and he was elected by a
large majority. As Yice-President, Millard Fillmore, of New
York, was chosen.
Sketch of Polk.— Texas ratifies the annexation.— General Taylor sent to defend
the country.— The boundary question.— Taylor ordered to the Rio Grande.— He
establishes a post at Point Isabel.— Builds Fort Brown. —Beginning of hostilities.—
Taylor fights the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. — The news in the
United States. — Declaration of War. — Plan of the campaigns. — General Wool
musters the forces. — Taylor captures Matamoras and Monterey. — An armistice.—
Santa Anna made President of Mexico.— Saltillo is taken by Worth.— Victoria by
Patterson.— Wool advances.— Kearney captures Santa F6.— And marches to the
Pacific coast.— The deeds of Colonel Fremont.— Rebellion of the Californians.—
Monterey,San Diego, and Los Angelos taken.— Battle of San Gabriel.— The battles
of Colonel Doniphan.— Taylor's and Wool's forces ordered to the coast.— Critical
condition of Taylor's army.— Approach of Santa Anna.— Battle of Bueiia Vista.—
Scott besieges and captures Vera Cruz.— Marches against the capital.— Battle of
Cerro Gordo.— Jalapa, Perote, and Puebla are taken.— The army passes the Cordil
leras.— Reaches Ayotla.— The approaches and fortifications of the city.— Storm
ing of Contreras and San Antonio.— Churubusco is carried.— The Mexicans driven
back to Chapultepec.— Scott rests his army.— Molino del Rey and Casa de Mala
are stormed.— Chapultepec is taken.— Flight of the Mexican government.— The
American army enters the city. — Santa Anna attacks the hospitals at Puebla. —
Downfall of the Mexican authority.— The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.— Its
terms.— The discovery of Gold in California.— Death of Jackson and John Quincy
Adams.— Wisconsin is admitted.— The canvass for President.— Rise of the Free-
Soil party.— Election of Taylor to the presidency.
290
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER LVI.
ADMINISTRATIONS OF TAYLOR AND FILLMORE, 1849-1853.
THE new President was a Virginian by birth, a soldier by pro
fession. During the war of 1812, he distinguished himself in
the Northwest. In the Somhiole War he bore a part, but earned
h i s greatest
r e n o w n i n
Mexico. His
administra
tion began
with a violent
agitation o n
the question
of slavery in
the territories.
2. In his
first message
the President
advised the
people of Cal
ifornia to pre
pare for ad
mission into
the Union.
The advice
was promptly
accepted. A
PRESIDENT TAYLOK. COllVCntlOn
was held at Monterey in September of 1849. A constitution pro-
]ubitiny slavery was framed, submitted to the people, and adopted.
ADMINISTRATIONS OF TAYLOR AND FILLMORE. 291
Peter H. Burnet was elected governor of the Territory ; represent
atives were chosen ; and on the 20th of December, the new gov
ernment was organized at San Jose.
3. When the question of admitting California came before Con
gress the members were sectional ly divided. The admission of
the new State was favored by the representatives of the North and
opposed by those of the South. The latter claimed that with the
extension of the Missouri Compromise to the Pacific the right to
introduce slavery into California was guaranteed by the general
government, and that therefore the proposed constitution of the
State ought to be rejected. The reply of the North was that the
Missouri Compromise had respect only to the Louisiana purchase,
and that the Californians had framed their constitution in their
own way.
•4. Other questions added fuel to the controversy. Texas claimed
New Mexico as a part of her territory, and the claim was resisted
by the people of Santa Fe. The people of the South complained
that fugitive slaves were aided and encouraged in the North. The
opponents of slavery demanded the abolition of the slave-trade in
the District of Columbia.
5. Henry Clay appeared as a peacemaker. On the 9th of May,
1850, he brought forward, as a compromise, THE OMNIBUS BILL,
of which the provisions were as follows : First, the admission of
California as a free State ; second, the formation of new States, not
exceeding four in number, out of Texas, said States to permit or
exclude slavery as the people should determine ; third, the organi
zation of territorial governments for New Mexico and Utah, with
out conditions as to slavery ; fourth, the establishment of the present
boundary between Texas and New Mexico ; fifth, the enactment of
a stringent law for the recovery of fugitive slaves ; si.i'th, the aboli
tion of the slave-trade in the District of Columbia.
6. When the Omnibus Bill was laid before Congress, the de
bates broke out anew. While the discussion was at its height,
President Taylor fell sick, and died on the 9th of July, 1^0. Mr.
Fillmore at once took the oath of office and entered upon the duties
of the presidency. A new cabinet was formed, with Daniel Web
ster at the head as secretary of state.
iy
292
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
7. On the 18th of September, the compromise proposed by Mr.
Clay was adopted, and received the sanction of the President. The
excitement in tlio
country rapidly
abated, and the
controversy seem
ed at an end.
Shortly afterward
Mr. Clay bade
adieu to the Sen
ate, and sought
at Ashland a
brief rest from
the cares of public
life.
8. The year
1850 was marked
by an attempt of
some American
adventurers to
conquer Cuba. It
was thought that
the Cubans were
anxious to annex themselves to the United States. General Lopez
organized an expedition in the South, and on the 19th of May,
1850, effected a landing at Cardenas, a port of Cuba. But there
was no uprising in his favor ; and he was obliged to return to
Florida. Renewing the attempt in the following year, he and his
band were defeated and captured by the Spaniards. Lopez and
the ringleaders were taken to Havana and executed.
9. In 1852 a serious trouble arose with England. By the terms of
former treaties the coast-fisheries of Newfoundland belonged to Great
Britain. But outside of a line drawn three miles from the shore
American fishermen enjoyed equal rights. A quarrel now arose as to
how the line should be drawn across the bays and inlets; and both
nations sent men-of-war to the contested waters. But reason tri
umphed over passion, and in 1854 the difficulty was settled happily
HENRY CLAY.
ADMINISTRATIONS OF TAYLOR AND FILLMORE. 293
by negotiation ; and the right to take fish in the bays of the British
possessions was conceded to American fishermen.
10. During the summer of 1852, the Hungarian patriot Louis
Kossuth made the tour of the United States. He came to plead
the cause of Hungary before the American people, and was every-
where received
with expressions
of sympathy and
good-will. But
the policy of the
United States
forbade the gov
ernment to inter
fere on behalf of „„ ,_..______..
the Hungarian
patriots.
11. The atten
tion of the Ameri
can people was
next directed to
explorations i n
the Arctic Ocean.
In 1845 Sir John
Franklin, a brave
English seaman,
went on a voy
age of discovery
to the North.
Years went by,
and no tidings came from the daring sailor. Other expeditions
were sent in search, but returned without success. Henry Grinnell,
of New York, despatched a fleet to the North, under command of
Lieutenant De Haven. In 1853 an Arctic squadron was equipped,
the command of which was given to Dr. Elisha Kent Kane ; but
the expedition returned without the discovery of Franklin.
12. During the administrations of Taylor and Fillmore, many
distinguished men fell by the hand of death. On the 31st of
JOHN C. CALHOUN.
294 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
March, 1850, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina passed away.
At the age of sixty-eight he fell from his place like a scarred oak
of the forest 'never to rise again. His death was much lamented,
especially in his own State, to whose interests he had devoted the
energies of his life. Then followed the death of the President;
and then, on the 28th of June, 1852, the great Henry Clay sank
to rest. On the 24th of the following October, Daniel Webster
died at his home at Marshfield, Massachusetts. The office of
secretary of state was then conferred on Edward Everett.
13. The political parties again marshaled their forces. Franklin
Pierce of New Hampshire appeared as the candidate of the Dem
ocratic party, and General Winfield Scott as the choice of the
Whigs. The question at issue before the country was the Com
promise Act of 1850. Both the Whig and Democratic platforms
stoutly reaffirmed the doctrines of the Omnibus Bill. A third
party arose, however, whose members declared that all the Terri
tories of the United States ought to be free. John P. Hale of
New Hampshire was put forward as the candidate of this Free
Soil party. Mr. Pierce was elected by a large majority, and
William K. King of Alabama was chosen Vice-President.
Sketch of the chief magistrate.— The question of slavery in California.— A
territorial government is organized.— The controversy in Congress.— Other polit
ical vexations.— Cluy as a peacemaker.— Passage of the Omnibus Bill.— And its
provisions.— Death of Ihe President.— The slavery excitement subsides.— Retire
ment of Mr. Clay.— The Cuban expedition is organized.— Lopez and his associates
are executed.— The difficulty about the coast fisheries is settled by a treaty.— The
tour of Kossuth.— Arctic expeditions of Franklin, De Haven, and Kane.— Death
of Calhoun, Clay, and Webster.— The candidates for the presidency.— Pierce is.
elected
PIERCES ADMINISTRATION. 295
CHAPTER LVII.
PIERCE }S ADMINISTRATION, 1853-1857.
THE new chief magistrate was a native of New Hampshire, a
graduate of Bowdoin College, and a statesman of considerable
abilities. On account of ill health, Mr. King, the Vice-President,
was sojourning in Cuba. Growing more feeble, he returned to Ala
bama, where he died in April, 1853. As secretary of state, William
L. Marcy of New York was chosen.
2. In 1853 a corps of engineers was sent out to explore the route
for A PACIFIC RAILROAD. The enterprise was at first regarded as
visionary and impossible. In the same year, the boundary between
New Mexico and Chihuahua was satisfactorily settled. The diffi
culty was adjusted by the purchase 'of the claim of Mexico. The
territory thus acquired is known as THE GADSDEN PURCHASE.
3. In the same year intercourse was opened between the United
States and Japan. Hitherto the Japanese ports had been closed
against the vessels of Christian nations. In order to remove this re
striction, Commodore Perry sailed into the Bay of Yeddo. He ex
plained to the Japanese officers the desire of the United States to
enter into a treaty. On the 14th of July, the commodore obtained
an audience with the emperor, and presented a letter from the Presi
dent. In the next spring, a treaty was concluded; and the privi
leges of commerce were granted to American merchantmen.
4. On the very day of Perry's introduction to the emperor, the
Crystal Palace was orened in New York for the WORLD'S FAIR.
The palace was built of iron and glass. Specimens of the arts and
manufactures of all nations were put on exhibition within the build
ing. The enterprise and genius of the whole country were quick
ened into new life by the beautiful and instructive display.
5. In January of 1854, Senator Douglas of Illinois brought for-
296 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ward a proposition to organize Kansas and Nebraska. In the bill
reported for this purpose a clause was inserted providing that the
people of the territories should decide for themselves whether the new
State should be free or slaveholding. This was a repeal of the Mis
souri Compromise of 1821. From January until May, Mr. Doug
las's report, known as THE KANSAS-NEBRASKA BILL, was debated in
Congress, and finally passed.
6. Whether the new State should admit slavery now depended
upon the vote of the people. The territory was soon filled with an
agitated mass of people, thousands of whom had been sent thither to
vote. In the elections of 1854-55, the pro-slavery party was triumph
ant. The State Legislature at Lecompton framed a constitution
permitting slavery. The Free Soil party, declaring the elections to
have been illegal, assembled at Topeka, and framed a constitution
excluding slavery. Civil war broke out between the factions. In
September of 1855, the President appointed John W. Geary of
Pennsylvania military governor of Kansas, with power to restore
order. The hostile parties were soon quieted ; but the agitation had
already extended to all parts of the Union. The Kansas question
became the issue in the presidential election of 1856.
7. James Buchanan of Pennsylvania was nominated as the
Democratic candidate. He planted himself on the Kansas-Nebraska
Bill, and secured a heavy vote both North and South. As the can
didate of the Free Soil or People's party, John C. Fremont of Cali
fornia was brought forward. The exclusion of slavery from all the
Territories was the principle of the Free Soil platform. The Amer
ican or Know-Nothing party nominated Millard Fillmore. Mr.
Buchanan was elected by a large majority, while the choice for the
vice-presidency fell on John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky.
Sketch of Franklin Pierce.— A route for a Pacific Railroad is explored.— Set
tlement of the boundary of New Mexico. — The Japanese ports are opened to the
United States.— The World's Fair.— A bill to organise Kansas and Nebraska is
passed.— Renewal of the slavery agitation.— The troubles in Kansas.— Geary sent
thither as military governor.— Marshaling of parties on the slavery question.—
Buchanan is elected to the presidency
BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION. 297
CHAPTER LVIII.
BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION, 1857-1861.
TAMES BUCHANAN was a native of Pennsylvania, born on
J the 13th of April, 1791. In 1831 he was appointed minister
to Russia, was afterward Senator of the United States, and sec
retary of state under President Polk. In 1853 he received the
appointment of minister to Great Britain. As secretary of state
in the new cabinet General Lewis Cass of Michigan was chosen.
2. In the first year of Buchanan's administration, a serious trouble
occurred with the Mormons. The difficulty arose from an attempt
to enforce the authority of the United States over Utah. An army
of two thousand five hundred men was sent to the territory in 1857
to establish courts and compel obedience. For a while the Mormons
resisted ; but when, in the following summer, the President pro
claimed a pardon to all who would submit, they yielded ; and order
was restored. But the troops were not withdrawn from Utah until
1860.
3. Early in 1858, an American vessel, while exploring the Para
guay River, in South America, was fired on by a garrison. Rep
aration for the insult was demanded ; but the government was
obliged to send out a fleet to obtain satisfaction. The authorities
of Paraguay finally quailed before the American flag, and apologies
were made for the wrong which had been committed.
4. The 5th of August, 1858, was noted for the completion of
THE FIRST TELEGRAPHIC CABLE across the Atlantic. The success
of this great work was due to the genius of Cyrus W. Field of New
York. The cable was stretched from Trinity Bay, Newfoundland,
to Valentia Bay, Ireland; and telegraphic communication was es
tablished between the Old World and the New.
5. In 1858 Minnesota was added to the Union. The population
of the new State was a hundred and fifty thousand. In the next
298
HISTORY OF THE US! TED STATES.
year, Oregon, the thirty-third State, was admitted, with a popula
tion of forty-eight thousand. On the 4th of the preceding March,
General Sam Houston of Texas, one of the most remarkable civil
and military heroes of the nation, bade adieu to the Senate of the
United States and re
tired to private life.
6. The slavery
question continued to
vex the nation. In
1857 the Supreme
Court of the United
States, after hearing
the cause of Dred
Scott, formerly a
slave, decided that
negroes are not, and
cannot become, citi
zens. Thereupon, in
several of the free
States, PERSONAL
LIBERTY BILLS were
passed, to defeat the
Fugitive Slave Law.
In the fall of 1859,
John Brown of Kan
sas, with a party of twenty -one daring men, captured the arsenal at
Harper's Ferry, and held his ground for two days. The national
troops were called out to suppress the revolt. Thirteen of Brown's
men were killed, two made their escape, and the rest were captured.
The leader and his six companions were tried by the authorities of
Virginia, condemned and hanged. In Kansas the Free Soil party
gained ground so rapidly as to make it certain that slavery would
be interdicted from the State.
7. In the presidential canvass of 1860, the candidate of the Re
publican party was Abraham Lincoln of Illinois. The distinct prin
ciple of this party was opposition to the extension of slavery. In
April the Democratic convention assembled at Charleston; but the
v
BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION. 299
Southern delegates withdrew from the assembly. The rest adjourned
to Baltimore and chose Douglas as their standard-bearer. There also
the delegates from the South reassembled in June, and nominated
John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky. The American party chose
John Bell of Tennessee as their candidate. The contest resulted
in the election of Mr. Lincoln.
8. The leaders of the South had declared that the choice of
Lincoln for the presidency would be a just cause for the dissolution
of the Union. A majority of the cabinet and a large number of
senators and representatives in Congress were advocates of disun
ion. It was seen that all the departments of the government would
shortly pass under the control of the Republican party. The Pres
ident was not himself a disunionist; but he declared himself not
armed with the constitutional power to prevent secession by force.
The interval, therefore, between the election and the inauguration
of Mr. Lincoln, was seized by the leaders of the South as the fitting
time for dissolving the Union.
9. The work of secession began in South Carolina. On the 17th
of December, 1860, a convention met at Charleston, and after three
days passed a resolution that the union hitherto existing between South
Carolina and the other States, was dissolved. The sentiment of dis
union spread with great rapidity. By the first of February, 1861,
six other States — Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisi
ana, and Texas — had all passed ordinances of secession. Nearly
all the senators and representatives of those States resigned their
seats in Congress and gave themselves to the disunion cause.
10. In the secession conventions a few of the speakers denounced
disunion as bad and ruinous. In the convention of Georgia, Alex
ander H. Stephens, afterward Vice-President of the Confederate
States, undertook to prevent the secession of his State. He de
livered a powerful oration in which he defended the theory of
secession, but spoke against it on the ground that the measure was
impolitic, unwise, disastrous.
11. On the 4th of February, 1861, delegates from six of the
seceded States assembled at Montgomery, Alabama, and formed a
new government, called THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.
On the 8th, the government was organized by the "election of Jef-
300
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
ferson Davis of Mississippi as provisional President, and Alexander
H. Stephens as Vice-President. A few days previously a peace con
ference met at Washington, and proposed certain amendments to the
Constitution. But Con
gress gave little heed;
and the conference ad
journed.
12. The country
seemed on the verge of
ruin. The army was on
remote frontiers — the
fleet in distant seas.
The President was dis
tracted. With the ex
ception of Forts Sum-
ter, Moultrie, Pickens,
and Monroe, all the im
portant posts in the
seceded States had been
seized by the Confeder
ate authorities. Early
in January, the Presi
dent sent the Star of the West to reinforce Fort Sumter. But the
ship was fired on by a battery and driven away from Charleston.
Thus in gloom and grief the administration of Buchanan drew to
a close. Such was the alarming condition of affairs that it was
deemed prudent for the new President to enter the capital by night.
ALEXANDER 11. STEPHENS.
Sketch of the President.— The Mormon difficulty is settled.— A trouble with
Paraguay is quieted by treaty.— The first Atlantic cable is laid.— Minnesota is
admitted.— Retirement of Houston.— The Bred Scott decision and Personal Lib
erty bills.— John Brown's insurrection.— The political parties again divide on the
slavery question.— Lincoln is elected President.— Condition of affairs in the gov
ernment. — Position of Buchanan. — Seven States withdraw from the Union. —
Position of Stephens.— Organization of the Provisional Confederate govern
ment.— Davis for President.— The peace movements end in failure.— .Seizure of
forts and arsenals by the Confederates.— The Star of the West is driven off from
Sumter.— The President elect reaches Washington.
LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION AND CIVIL WAR.
301
CHAPTER LIX.
LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION AND THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865.
A BRAHAM LINCOLN was a native of Kentucky, born on the
-k± 12th of February, 1809. At the age of seven he was taken
to Southern Indiana, where his boyhood was passed in poverty and
toil. On reaching his
majority, he removed
to Illinois, where he
distinguished himself
as a lawyer. Regained
a national reputation
in 1858, when, as the
competitor of Stephen
A. Douglas, he can
vassed Illinois for the
United States Senate.
2. The new cabinet
was organized with
William H. Seward of
New York as secre
tary of state. Salmon
P. Chase of Ohio was
chosen secretary of the
treasury, and Simon
Cameron secretary of
war; but he was soon
succeeded by Edwin
M. Stanton. The secretaryship of the navy was conferred on
Gideon Welles. In his inaugural address the President indicated
his policy by declaring his purpose to repossess the forts and public
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
302 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
property which had been seized by the Confederates. On the 12th
of March, an effort was made by the seceded States to obtain from
the national government a recognition of their independence; but
the negotiations failed. Then followed a second attempt on the
part of the government to reinforce Fort Sumter.
3. The defences of Charleston were held by seventy-nine men
under Major Robert Anderson. With this small -force he retired
to Fort Sumter. Confederate volunteers flocked to the city, and
batteries were built about the harbor. The authorities of the Con
federate States determined to anticipate the movement of the gov
ernment by compelling Anderson to surrender. On the llth of
April, General P. T. Beauregard, commandant of Charleston, sent
a flag to Sumter, demanding an evacuation. Major Anderson re
plied that he should defend the fortress. On the following morn
ing the first gun was fired from a Confederate battery; and a
bombardment of thirty-four hours' duration followed. The fort
was obliged to capitulate. The honors of war were granted to
Anderson and his men.
4. Three days after the fall of Sumter the President issued a
call for seventy-five thousand volunteers to serve three months in
the overthrow of the secession movement. Two days later Virginia
seceded from the Union. On the 6th of May, Arkansas followed,
and then North Carolina, on the 20th of the month. In Tennes
see there was a powerful opposition to disunion, and it was not
until the 8th of June that a secession ordinance could be passed.
In Missouri the movement resulted in civil war, while in Kentucky
the authorities issued a proclamation of neutrality. The people of
Maryland were divided into hostile parties.
5. On the 19th of April, when the Massachusetts volunteers
were passing through Baltimore they were fired upon by the citi
zens, and three men killed. This was the first bloodshed of the
war. On the day previous, a body of Confederate soldiers captured
the armory of the United States at Harper's Ferry. On the 20th
of the month, another company obtained possession of the great
navy yard at Norfolk. The property thus captured amounted to
fully ten millions of dollars. For a while, Washington city was in
danger of being taken. On the 3d of May, the President issued a
CIVIL WAR.— CAUSES. 303
call for eighty-three thousand soldiers to serve for three years or
during the war. General \V infield Scott was made coinmander-
in-chief. War ships were sent to blockade the Southern ports.
In the seceded States there was boundless activity. The Southern
Congress adjourned from Montgomery, to meet on the 20th of
July, at Richmond. There Mr. Davis and the officers of his cabi
net had assembled to direct the affairs of the government. fc?o
stood the antagonistic powers in the beginning of June, 1861. It
is appropriate to look briefly into THE CAUSES of the conflict.
IREC.A.I'XTTJIj-A.TIOlT-
Sketch of Abraham Lincoln.— Organization of his cabinet.— His purpose to re
possess the forts of the United States.— Preparations to reinforce Sutnter.— Con
federate movements in Charleston.— Bombardment and fal 1 of Su inter. —The call
for troops.— Secession of Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. -
The soldiers attacked in Baltimore.— Capture of Harper's Ferry and the Norfolk
navy yard.— Activity and preparations.— Davis and his cabinet at Richmond.
CHAPTER LX.
CA USES.
FT1HE most general cause of the civil war in the United States was
J- the different construction put upon the Constitution by Hie people of
Hie North and Hie South. A difference of opinion existed as to how
that instrument was to be understood. One party held that tlio
Union of the States is indissoluble ; that the States are subordinate
to the central government ; that the acts of Congress are binding
on the States; and that all attempts at nullification and disunion
are disloyal and treasonable. The other party held that the na
tional Constitution is a compact between sovereign States ; that for
certain reasons the Union may be dissolved ; that the sovereignty
of the nation belongs to the individual States; that a State may
304 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
annul an act of Congress ; that the highest allegiance of the citizen
is due to his own State; and that nullification and disunion are
justifiable and honorable.
2. This question struck into the very heart of the government.
It threatened to undo the whole civil structure of the United
States. In the earlier history of the country the doctrine of State
sovereignty was most advocated in New England. Afterward the
people of that section passed over to the advocacy of national sov
ereignty, while the people of the South took up the doctrine of
State rights. As early as 1831, the right of nullifying an act of
Congress was openly advocated in South Carolina. Thus it hap
pened that the belief in State sovereignty became more prevalent in
the South than in' the North.
3. A second cause of the civil war was tJie different system of labor
in the North and in the South. In the former section the laborers
were freemen ; in the latter, slaves. In the South the theory was
that capital should own labor; in the North that both labor and
capital are free. In the beginning all the colonies had been slave-
holding. In the Eastern and Middle States the system of slave-
labor had been abolished. In the North-western Territory slavery
was excluded from the beginning. Thus there came to be a divid
ing line drawn through the Union. Whenever the question of
slavery was agitated, a sectional division would arise between the
North and the South. The danger arising from this sourc*e was
increased by several subordinate causes.
4. The first of these was the invention of THE COTTON GIN. In
1793 Eli Whitney, of Massachusetts, went to Georgia, and resided
with the family of Mrs. Greene, widow of General Greene. His
attention was directed to the tedious process of picking cotton by
hand. So slow was the work that the production of upland cotton
was profitless. Mr. Whitney succeeded in inventing a gin which
astonished all beholders. From being profitless, cotton suddenly
became the most profitable of all the staples. It was estimated that
Whitney's gin added a thousand millions of dollars to the revenues
of the Southern States. Just in proportion to the increased profit
ableness of cotton, slave-labor grew in demand and slavery became
an important and deep-rooted institution.
CIVIL WAR.— CAUSES. 305
5 From this time onward, there was constant danger of dis
union. In THE MISSOURI AGITATION of 1820-21, threats of dis
solving the Union were freely made in both the North and the
South. When the Missouri Compromise was enacted, it was the
hope of Mr. Clay and his fellow-statesmen to save the Union by
removing the slavery question from the politics of the country.
6. Next came THE NULLIFICATION ACTS of South Carolina.
The Southern States had become cotton-producing; the Eastern
States had given themselves to manufacturing. The tariff meas
ures favored manufacturers at the expense of producers. Mr.
Calhoun proposed to remedy the evil by annulling the laws of
Congress; and another compromise was found necessary in order to
allay the animosities which had been awakened.
7. THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS led to a renewal of the Agita
tion. Those who opposed the Mexican War did so because of the
fact that thereby slavery would be extended. At the close of the
war came an enormous acquisition of territory. Whether the same
should be made into free or slaveholding States was the question
next agitated. This controversy led to the passage of THE OMNI
BUS BILL, by which the excitement was again allayed.
8. In 1854 THE KANSAS-NEBRASKA bill opened the question
anew. Meanwhile, the character of the Northern and the Southern
people had become quite different. In population and wealth the
North had far outgrown the South. In 1860 Mr. Lincoln was
elected by the votes of the Northern' States. The people of the
South were exasperated at the choice of a chief-magistrate whom
they regarded as hostile to their interests.
9. The third general cause of the war was the want of intercourse
between the people of tJie North and the South. The great railroads
ran east and west. Emigration flowed from the East to the West.
Between the North and the South there was little travel or inter
change of opinion. From want of acquaintance the people became
estranged and jealous. They misrepresented each other's beliefs,
and suspected each other of dishonesty and ill-will.
10. A fourth cause was the publication of sectional books. During
the twenty years preceding the war, many works were published
whose popularity depended on the animosity existing between the
306 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
two sections. In such books the manners and customs of one sec
tion were held up to the contempt of the people of the other section.
In the North the belief was fostered that the South was given up
to inhumanity ; while in the South the opinion prevailed that the
Northern people were a mean race of cowardly Yankees.
11. TJie evil influence of demagogues may be cited as the fifth gen
eral cause of the war. From 1850 to 1860, American statesmanship
and patriotism were at a low ebb. Ambitious and scheming poli
ticians had obtained control of the political parties. The welfare of
the country was put aside as of little value. In order to gain power,
many unprincipled men in the South were anxious to dedroy the
Union, while others in the North were willing to abuse the Union
for the same purpose.
12. Added to. all these causes was a growing public opinion in the
North against the institution of slavery itself; a belief that slavery was
wrong and ought to be destroyed. This opinion, comparatively
feeble at the beginning of the war, was rapidly developed, and had
much to do in determining the final character of the conflict.
The causes.— First, the different construction of the Constitution In the North
and the South.— Fatal character of this dispute.— Second, the system of slavery.—
The cotton gin.— The Missouri agitation.— The annexation of Texas, and the Mex
ican War.— The nullification measures of South Carolina. -The Omnibus Bill.—
The Kansas-Nebraska imbroglio.— Third, the want of intercourse between the
North and the South.— Fourth, the publication of sectional books.— Fifth, the in
fluence of demagogues.— Sixth, hostility to slavery itself.
CHAPTER LXI.
FIRST YEAR OF THE WAR.
ON the 24th of May, the Union army crossed the Potomac from
Washington to Alexandria. At this time Fortress Monroe was
held by twelve thousand men, under General B. F. Butler. At
Bethel Church, in that vicinity, was stationed a detachment of
FIRST YEAR OF THE WAR.
307
Confederates commanded by General Magruder. On the 10th of
June, a body of Union troops was sent to dislodge them, but was
repulsed with considerable loss. >
2. In the last of May, General T. A. Morris moved forward from
Parkersburg to Grafton, West Virginia. On the 3d of June, he
defeated a force of Confederates
at Fhilippi. General George B.
McClellan now took the command,
and on the llth of July, gained
a victory at Rich Mountain. Gen
eral Garnett, the Confederate com
mander, fell back to Carrick's
Ford, on Cheat River, where he
was again defeated and himself
killed. On the 10th of August,
General Floyd, with a detachment
of Confederates at Carnifex Ferry,
on Gauley River, was attacked by
General William S. Rosecrans and "
. . SCENE OF OPERATIONS IN WEST VIRGINIA, KStil.
obliged to retreat. On the 14th
of September, the Confederates under General Robert E. Lee were
beaten in an engagement at Cheat Mountain.
3. In the beginning of June, General Robert Patterson marched
against Harper's Ferry. On the llth of the month, a division
commanded by Colonel Lewis Wallace made a successful onset
upon the Confederates, at Romney. Patterson then crossed the
Potomac and pressed back the Confederate forces to Winchester.
Thus far there had been only petty engagements and skirmishes.
The time had now come for the first great battle of the war.
4. The main body of the Confederates, under General Beaure-
gard, was concentrated at Manassas Junction, twenty -seven miles
west of Alexandria. Another large force, commanded by General
Joseph E. Johnston, was in the Shenandoah Valley. The Union
army at Alexandria was commanded by General Irwin McDowell,
while General Patterson was stationed in front of Johnston. On
the 16th of July, the national army moved forward, and. on the
morning of the 21st, came upon the Confederate army, between
20
308
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Bull Run and Manassas Junction. A general battle ensued, con
tinuing with great severity until noonday. In the crisis of the
conflict General Johnston arrived with nearly six thousand fresh
troops from the Shenandoah Valley; and in a short time
McDowell's army was hurled back in rout and confusion into the
defences of Washington. The
Union loss in killed, wounded
and prisoners amounted to two
thousand nine hundred and
fifty-two; that of the Confed
erates to two thousand and
fifty.
5. Meanwhile, on the 20th
of July, the new Confederate
government was organized at
Richmond. Jefferson Davis,
the President, was a man of
wide experience in the affairs
of state, and considerable rep-
OF MANASSAS JUNCTION, 1861. utation as a soldier. He had
served in both houses of the national Congress, and as a member
of Pierce's cabinet. His decision of character and advocacy of
State rights had made him a natural leader of the South.
6. The next military movements were made in Missouri. A
convention, called by Governor Jackson in the previous March,
had refused to pass an ordinance of secession. But the disunionists
were numerous and powerful ; and the State became a battle-field.
Both Federal and Confederate camps were organized. By captur
ing the United States arsenal at Liberty, the Confederates obtained
a supply of arms and ammunition. By the formation of Camp
Jackson, near St. Louis, the arsenal in that city was endangered ;
but by the vigilance of Captain Nathaniel Lyon the arms and
stores were sent to Springfield.
7. The Confederates now hurried up troops from Arkansas and
Texas in order to secure the lead mines in the southwest part
of the State. On the 17th of June, Lyon defeated Governor
Jackson at Booneville, and on the 5th of July, the Unionists, led
FIRST YEAR OF THE WAR,
309
by Colonel Franz Sigel, were again successful in a fight at Carthage.
On the 10th of August, a hard battle was fought at Wilson's
Creek, near Springfield. General Lyon made a daring attack on
the Confederates under Generals McCulloch and Price. The
Federals at first gained
the field, but General
Lyon was killed, and
his men retreated.
8. General Price
now pressed northward
to Lexington, which
\vas defended by two
thousand six hundred
Federals, commanded
by Colonel Mulligan.
A stubborn defence
was made, but Mulli
gan was obliged to
capitulate. On the
16th of October, Lex
ington was retaken by
the Federals. General
John C. Fremont fol
lowed the retreating
Confederates as far as
Springfield, when he was superseded by General Hunter. The
latter retreated to St. Louis, and Price fell back toward Arkansas.
9. Notwithstanding the neutrality of Kentucky, the Confederate
general Polk entered the State and captured the town of Columbus.
The Confederates also gathered in force at Belmont, on the oppo
site bank of the Mississippi. Colonel Ulysses S. Grant, with three
thousand Illinois troops, was now sent into Missouri. On the 7th
of November, he made a successful attack on the Confederate camp
at Belmont; but was afterward obliged to retreat.
10. After the rout at Bull Run, troops were rapidly hurried to
Washington. The aged General Scott retired from active duty,
and General McClellan took command of the Army of the Potomac.
JEKKKKSON DAVIS.
310
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
By October his forces had increased to a hundred and fifty thou
sand men. On the 21st of that month, two thousand troops were
thrown across the Potomac at Ball's Bluff. Without proper sup
port, the Federals were attacked by a force of Confederates under
General Evans,
driven to the river,
their leader, Colonel
Baker, killed, and the
whole force routed
with a loss of eight
hundred men.
11. In the summer
of 1861, a naval ex
pedition, commanded
by Commodore
Stringham and Gen
eral Butler, proceeded
to the North Carolina
coast, and on the 29th
of August, captured
the forts at Hatteraa
Inlet. On the 7th
of November, an armament, under Commodore Dupont and General
Thomas W. Sherman, reached Port Royal, and captured Forts
Walker and Beau regard. The blockade became so rigorous that
communication between the Confederate States and foreign nations
was cut off. In this juncture of affairs, a serious difficulty arose
with Great Britain.
12. The Confederate government appointed James M. Mason
and John Slidell as ambassadors to France and England. The
envoys, escaping from Charleston, reached Havana in safety. At
that port they took passage on the British steamer Trent for Europe.
On the 8th of November, the vessel was overtaken by the United
States frigate San Jatinto, commanded by Captain Wilkes. The
Trent was hailed and boarded; the two ambassadors were seized,
transferred to the San Jaeinto, and carried to Boston. When the Trent
reached England, the whole kingdom burst out in a blaze of wrath.
SCENE OF OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTH-WEST, 1801.
FIRST YEAR OF THE WAR.
311
13. At first the government of the United States was disposed
to defend Captain Wilkes's action. Had such a course been taken,
war would have been
inevitable. The coun
try was saved from the
peril by the diplomacy
of William H. Seward,
the secretary of
state. When Great
Britain demanded rep
aration for the insult
and the liberation of
the prisoners, he re
plied in a mild, cau
tious, and very able
paper. It was con
ceded that the seizure
of Mason and Slidell
was not justifiable ac
cording to the law of
nations. An apology
was made for the wrong
done ; the Confederate
ambassadors were liber- WTLMAM H. SEWARD.
ated, put on board a vessel, and sent to their destination. So
ended the first year of the civil war.
Advance of the "Union array.— Fight at Bethel Church.— Morris and MeClellan
move forward in West Virginia.— Engagements at Philippi, Rich Mountain,
Carrick's Ford, Carnifex Feriy, Cheat Mountain and Romney.-Th$ Confeder
ates concentrate at Mauassas.— The national forces advance.— The battle and
the rout. -The Confederate government at Richmond.— Notice of Davis.—
Affairs in Missouri.— Confederates capture Liberty.— Form Camp Jackson.—
Lyon defends St. Louis.— Battles of Carthage and Springfield.— Price captures
Lexington.— Fremont pursues him.— And is superseded.— Grant captures Bel-
mont.— MeClellan is made commander-in-chief.— The disaster at Ball's Bluff—
Hatteras Inlet and Port Royal secured by the Federals.— Capture of Masou and
Sliuell.— They are released by Mr. Se\vurd.
HISTORY OF THE U SITED XT AT EX.
CHAPTER LXII.
CAMPAIGNS OF '62.
THE Federal forces now numbered about four hundred and fifty
thousand men. Of these nearly two hundred thousand, under
General McClellan, were encamped near Washington. Another
army, commanded by General Buell, was stationed at Louisville,
Kentucky. Oil the 9th of January, Colonel Humphrey Marshall,
commanding a force of Confederates on Big Sandy River, was de
feated by a body of Unionists, led by Colonel Garfield. Ten days
later, an important battle was fought at Mill Spring, Kentucky.
The Confederates, under Generals Crittenden and Zollicoffer, were
severely defeated by the forces of General George H. Thomas.
Zollicoffer was killed in the battle.
2. At the beginning of the year, the capture of Forts Henry and
Donelson, on the Tennessee and the Cumberland, was planned by
General Halleck. Commodore Foote was sent up the Tennessee
with a fleet of gunboats, arid General Grant was ordered to move
forward against Fort Henry. Before the land-forces reached that
place, the flotilla compelled the evacuation of the fort, the Con
federates escaping to Donelson.
3. The Federal gunboats now dropped down the Tennessee and
then ascended the Cumberland. Grant pressed on from Fort
Henry, and began the siege of Fort Donelson. The defences were
manned by ten thousand Confederates, under General Buckner,
Grant's force numbered nearly thirty thousand. On the 16th of
February, Buckner was obliged to surrender. His army became
prisoners of war, and all the magazines, stores and guns of the fort
fell into the hands of the Federals.
4. General Grant now ascended the Tennessee to Pittsburg Land
ing. A camp was established at Shiloh Church, near the river;
CAMPAIGNS OF '62. 313
and here, on the 6th of April, the Union army was attacked by
the Confederates, led by Generals Albert S. Johnston and Beaure-
gnrd. All day long the battle raged with great slaughter on both
sides. Night fell on the scene with the conflict undecided; but in
the crisis General Buell arrived with strong reinforcements. In
the morning General Grant assumed the offensive. General John
ston had been killed, and Beauregard was obliged to retreat to
Corinth. The losses in killed, wounded and missing were more
than ten thousand on each side.
5. After the Confederates evacuated Columbus, Kentucky, they
fortified Island Number Ten in the Mississippi, opposite New
Madrid. Against this place General Pope advanced with a body
of Western troops, while Commodore Foote descended the Mis
sissippi with his gunboats. Pope captured New Madrid; and for
twenty-three days Island Number Ten was besieged. On the 7th
of April, the Confederates attempted to escape ; but Pope had cut
off the retreat, and the garrison, numbering five thousand, was cap
tured. On the 6th of June, the city of Memphis was taken by
the fleet of Commodore Davis.
6. Early in the year, General Curtis pushed forward into Arkan
sas and took position at Pea Ridge, among the Mountains. Here
he was attacked on the 6th of March by twenty thousand Confed
erates and Indians, under Generals McCulloch, Mclntosh, and Pike.
A hard-fought battle ensued, lasting for two days. The Federals
were victorious; McCulloch and Mclntosh were killed, and their
men obliged to retreat toward Texas.
7. After the destruction of the navy yard at Norfolk, the Con
federates had raised the frigate Merrimac, one of the sunken ships,
and plated the sides with iron. The vessel was then sent to attack
the Union fleet at Fortress Monroe. Reaching that place on the
8th of March, the Merrimac began the work of destruction; and two
val uable vessels, the Cumberland and the Congress, were sent to the
bottom. During the night, however, a strange ship, called the
Monitor, invented by Captain John Ericsson, arrived from New
York; and on the following morning, the two iron-clad monsters
turned their enginery upon each other. After fighting for five
hours, the Merrimac was obliged to retire badly damaged to Norfolk.
314 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
8. On the 8th of February, a Federal squadron, commanded by
General Ambrose E. Burnside and Commodore Goldsborough, at
tacked the Confederate fortifications on Roanoke Island. The <rar-
o
rison, nearly three thousand strong, were taken prisoners. Burn-
side next proceeded against Newbern, and on the 14th of March,
captured the city. Proceeding southward, he reached the harbor
of Beaufort, and on the 25th of April, took possession of the town.
9. On the llth of the same month, Fort Pulaski, at the mouth
of the Savannah, surrendered to General Gillmore. Early in
April, a powerful squadron, under General Butler and Admiral
Farragut, ascended the Mississippi and attacked Forts Jackson and
St. Philip, thirty miles above the gulf. From the 18th to the 24th,
the fight continued without cessation. At the end of that time
Admiral Farragut succeeded in running past the batteries. On the
next day, he reached New Orleans and captured the city. General
Butler became commandant, and the fortifications were manned
with fifteen thousand Federal soldiers. Three days afterwards, Forts
Jackson and St. Philip surrendered to Admiral Porter.
10. The Confederates now invaded Kentucky, in two strong di
visions, the one led by General Kirby Smith and the other by
General Bragg. On the 30th of August, Smith's army reached
Richmond, and routed the Federals stationed there, with heavy
losses. Lexington was taken, and then Frankfort ; and Cincinnati
was saved from capture only by the exertions of General Wallace.
Meanwhile, the army of General Bragg advanced from Chatta
nooga, and, on the 17th of September, captured a Federal division
of four thousand five hundred men at Mumfordsville. The Con
federate general pressed on toward Louisville, and would have
taken the city but for the arrival of General Buell. Buell's army
was increased to a hundred thousand men. In October he again
took the field, and on the 8th of the month, overtook General
Bragg at Perryville. Here a severe but indecisive battle was
fought; and the Confederates, laden with spoils, continued their
retreat into East Tennessee.
11. On the 19th of September, a hard battle was fought at luka
between a Federal army, under Generals Rosecrans and Grant, and
a Confederate force, under General Price. The latter was defeated,
CAMPAIGNS OF '62. 315
losing, in addition to his killed and wounded, nearly a thousand
prisoners. Kosecrans now took post at Corinth with twenty thou
sand men ; while Grant, with the remainder of the Federal forces,
proceeded to Jackson, Tennessee. Generals Van Dorn and Price
turned about to recapture Corinth. There, on the 3d of October,
another severe battle ensued, which ended, after two days' fighting,
in the repulse of the Confederates.
12. General Grant next moved forward to cooperate with Gen
eral Sherman in an effort to capture Yicksburg. On the 20th of
December General Van Doru cut Grant's line of supplies at Holly
Springs, and obliged him to retreat. On the same day, General
Sherman dropped down the river from Memphis to the Yazoo. On
the 29th of the month, he made an unsuccessful attack on the
Confederates at Chickasaw Bayou. The assault was exceedingly dis
astrous to the Federals, who lost in killed, wounded, and prisoners
more than three thousand men.
13. General Rosecrans was now transferred to the command of
the Army of the Cumberland, with headquarters at Nashville.
General Bragg, on his retirement from Kentucky, had thrown his
forces into Murfreesborough. Rosecrans moved forward, and on
the 30th of December, came upon the Confederates on Stone's
River, a short distance north-west of Murfreesborough. On the
following morning a furious battle ensued, continuing until night
fall. The Union army was brought to the verge of ruin. But
during the night Rosecrans rallied his forces, and at daybreak was
ready to renew the conflict. On that day there was a lull. On
the morning of the 2d of January, Bragg's army again rushed to
the onset, gained some successes at first, was then checked, and
finally driven back with heavy losses. Bragg withdrew his shat
tered columns, and filed off toward Chattanooga.
14. In Virginia the first scenes of the year were enacted in the
Shenandoah Valley. General Banks was sent forward with a
strong division, and in the last of March, occupied the town of
Harrisonburg. To counteract this movement, Stonewall Jackson
was sent with twenty thousand men to pass the Blue Ridge and cut
off Banks's retreat. At Front Royal, the Confederates fell upon the
Federals, routed them, and captured their guns and stores. Banks
316
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
succeeded, however, in passing with his main division to Strasburg
and escaping out of the valley.
15. Jackson now found himself in great peril. For General
Fremont had been sent into the valley to intercept the Confeder
ate retreat. But Jackson succeeded in reaching Cross Keys before
Fremont could attack him. The battle was so little decisive that
Jackson pressed on to Port
Republic, where he attacked
and defeated the division of
General Shields.
10. On the 10th of March,
the Army of the Potomac,
set out from the camps about
Washington to capture the
Confederate capital. The
advance proceeded as far as
Manassas Junction, where
McClellan, changing his plan,
embarked a hundred and
twenty thousand of his men
for Fortress Monroe. From
that place, on the 4th of
April, the Union army ad
vanced to Yorktown. This
place was defended by ten
thousand Confederates, under
General Magruder ; and here
PENNSYLVANIA, is62. McClellan's advance was de
layed for a month. On the 4th of May, Yorktown was taken and
the Federal army pressed on to West Point, at the junction of the
Mattapony and Pamunkey. McClellan reached the Chickahominy
without serious resistance, and crossed at Bottom's Bridge.
17. On the 10th of May, General Wool, the commandant of
Fortress Monroe, led an expedition against Norfolk and captured
the town. On the next day, the iron-clad Virginia was blown up to
save her from capture. The James River was thus opened for the
supply-transports of the Army of the Potomac. On the 31st of
SCENE OF CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, AND
CAMPAIGNS OF '62.
317
May, that army was attacked by the Confederates at a place called
Fair Oaks, or Seven Pines. Here for a part of two days the bat
tle raged with great fury. At last the Confederates were driven
back; but McClellan's victory was by no means decisive. Gen
eral Joseph E. Johnston, the Commander-in-chief of the Confeder
ates, was severely
wounded; and the
command devolved
on General Robert
E. Lee.
18. Mc.Clellan
now formed the de
sign of retiring to a
point on the James
below Richmond.
Before the move
ment fairly began,
General Lee, on
the 25th of June,
struck the right
wing of the Union
army at Oak Grove,
and a hard-fought
battle ensued. On
the next day,
another engage
ment occurred at
Mechanicsville, and the Federals won the field. On the following
morning, Lee renewed the struggle at Gaines's Mill, and came
out victorious. On the 29th, McClellan's army was attacked at
Savage's Station and again in the White Oak Swamp — but the
Confederates were kept at bay. On the 30th was fought the des
perate battle of Glendale, or Frazier's Farm. On that night the
Federal army reached Malvern Hill, twelve miles below Richmond.
General Lee determined to carry the place by storm. On the
morning of the 1st of July, the whole Confederate army rushed
forward to the assault. All day long the struggle for the pos-
UEXEUAL ROBERT E. LEE.
318
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
session of the high grounds continued. Not until nine o'clock
at night did Lee's columns fall back exhausted. For seven days
the roar of battle had been heard almost without cessation.
19. On the 2d of July, McClellan retired with his army to Har
rison's Lauding, a few miles down the river; and the great cam
paign was at an end. The
Federal army had lost moije
than fifteen thousand men, and
the losses of the Confederates
had been still greater.
20. General Lee now
formed the design of captur
ing the Federal capital. The
Union troops between Rich
mond and Washington were
under command of General
John Pope. Lee moved north
ward, and on the 20th of Au
gust Pope retreated beyond
the Rappahannock. Mean-
OF RICHMOND, is62. while, General Banks was at
tacked by Stonewall Jackson at Cedar Mountain, where nothing
but hard fighting saved the Federals from a rout.
21. Jackson next shot by with his division on a flank movement
to Miinsissas Junction, where he made large captures. Pope then
threw his army between the two divisions of the Confederates. On
August 28th and '29th, there was terrible fighting on the old Bull
Run battle-ground. At one time it seemed that Lee's army would
be defeated ; but Pope's reinforcements were withheld by General
Porter, and on the 31st, the Confederates struck the Union army
at Chantilly, winning a complete victory. Generals Stevens and
Kearney were among the brave men who fell in this battle. Pope
withdrew his broken columns as rapidly as possible, and found
safety within the defences of Washington.
22. General Lee crossed the Potomac at Point of Rocks, and
on the 6th of September captured Frederick. On the 10th, Ha-
gerstown was taken, and on the 15th, Stonewall Jackson seized
CAMPAIGNS OF '(52. 319
Harper's Ferry, with nearly twelve thousand prisoners. On the
previous day, there was a hard-fought engagement at South
Mountain, in which the Federals were victorious. McClellan's
army was now in the rear of Lee, who fell back to Antietam Creek
and took a strong position near Sharpsburg. Then followed two
days of skirmishing, which terminated on the 17th in one of the
great battles of the war. From morning till night the strugglr
continued with unabated violence, and ended, after a loss of more
than ten thousand men on each side, in u drawn battle. Lee with
drew his forces from the field and recrossed the Potomac.
23. General McClellan moved forward to Rectortown, Virginia.
Here he was superseded by General Buruside, who changed the
plan of the campaign, and advanced against Fredericksburg. At
this place the two armies were again brought face to face. Burn-
side's movement was delayed, and it was not until the 12th of De
cember that a passage could be effected. Meanwhile, the heights
south of the river had been fortified, and the Union columns were
hurled back in several desperate assaults which cost the assailants
more than twelve thousand men. Thus in disaster to the Federal
cause ended the campaigns of 1862.
IR, E O A. IF I T TJ L ^ T I O ItT -
Extent and position of the Union forces.— The Confederates defeated on the
Big Sandy and at Mill Spring.— Fort Henry is taken —Siege of Fort Donelson.—
Battle of Shiloh.— Island Number Ten is taken.— The battle of Pea Ridge. -Fight
of the Monitor and the Merrimac. — Burnside captures Roanoke Island, Newbern,
and Beaufort.— Farragut and Butler ascend the Mississippi.— Capture of New
Orleans.— Fall of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. -Kirby Smith invades Ken
tucky.— Battle of Richmond.— Bragg marches on Louisville.— The city held by
Buell.— Battle of Perryville.— Battles of luka and Corinth.— Grant moves against
Vicksburg. — Battle of Chickasaw Bayou.— Battle of Murfreesborough.— Banks
and Jackson on the Shenandoah. -Fight at Front Royal.— Battles of Cross Keys
and Port Republic —McClellan advances.— Yorktown is taken. -Wool captures
Norfolk.— The Virginia destroyed.— Battle of Fair Oaks.--Lee made general-in-
diief of the Confederates. -McClellan changes base.— The seven days' battles.—
The Union army at Harrison's Landing.- Lee strikes for Washington.— Is op
posed by Pope. - Flank movement of Jackson. — Battles of Manassas and Chan-
tilly — Lee invades Maryland.— Harper's Ferry is taken. — Engagement at South
Mountain.— Battle of Antietam.— Burnside in command.— Is defeated at Fred
ericksburg.
320 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER LXIII.
THE WORK OF '63.
THE war had now grown to enormous proportions. The Con
federate States were draining every resource of men and means.
The superior energies of the North were greatly taxed. On the
day after the battle of Malvern Hill, President Lincoln issued a
call for three hundred thousand troops. During Pope's retreat
from the Rappahannock, he sent forth another call for three hun
dred thousand, and to that was added a draft of three hundred
thousand more. Most of these demands were promptly met, and
it became evident that in resources the Federal government was
vastly superior to the Confederacy.
2. On the 1st day of January, 1863, the President issued THE
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. The war had been begun with no
well-defined intention to free the slaves of the South. But during
the progress of the war the sentiment of abolition had grown with
great rapidity; and when at last it became a military necessity to
strike a blow at the labor-system of the South, the step was taken
with but little opposition. Thus, after an existence of two hun
dred and forty four years, African slavery in the United States was
swept away.
3. Early in January, General Sherman despatched an expedition
to capture Arkansas Post, on the Arkansas River. The Union
forces reached their destination on the 10th of the month, fought a
battle with the Confederates and gained a victory. On the next
day, the post was surrendered with nearly five thousand prisoners.
4-. Soon afterward, the Union forces were concentrated for the
capture of Vicksburg. Three months were spent by General Grant
in beating about the bayous around Vicksburg, in the hope of
getting a position in the rear of the town. A canal was cut across
THE WORK OF '63.
321
a bend in the river with a view to opening a passage for the gun
boats. But a flood washed the works away. Then another canal
was begun, only to be abandoned. Finally, it was determined to
run the fleet past the Vicksburg batteries. On the night of the
16th of April, the boats dropped down the river. All of a sud
den the guns burst forth with shot and shell, pelting the passing
steamers; but they went by
with little damage.
5. General Grant now
marched his land-forces down
the Mississippi and formed a
junction with the squadron.
On the 1st day of May he de
feated the Confederates at
Port Gibson. The evacua
tion of Grand Gulf followed
immediately. The Union
army now swept . around to
the rear of Vicksburg. On the
12th of May, a Confederate
VICKSUUKU AND VIClNiTV, 16*33.
force was defeated at Raymond. On the 14th of the month, a
decisive battle was fought near Jackson ; the Confederates were
beaten, and the city captured. General Pemberton, sallying forth
with his forces from Vicksburg, was defeated by Grant on the 16th
at Champion Hills, and again on the 17th at Black River Bridge.
Pemberton then retired within the defences cf Vicksburg.
6. The city was now besieged. On the 19th of May, Grant
made an assault but was repulsed with terrible losses. Three days
afterward, the attempt was renewed with a still greater destruction
of life. But the siege was pressed with ever-increasing severity
Admiral Porter bombarded the town incessantly. Reinforcements
swelled the Union ranks. Pemberton held out until the 4th of
July, and was then driven to surrender. The defenders of Vicks
burg, numbering thirty thousand, became prisoners of war. Thou
sands of small arms, hundreds of cannon, and vast quantities of
ammunition and stores were the fruits of the great victory.
7. Meanwhile, General Banks had been conducting a campaign
322 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. .
on the Lower Mississippi. From Baton Rouge he advanced into
Louisiana, reached Brashear City, and gained a victory over the
Confederates at Bayou Teche. He then moved northward and be
sieged Port Hudson, the last fort held by the Confederates on the
Mississippi. The garrison made a brave defence; and it was not
until the 8th of July, that the commandant, with his force of six
thousand men, was obliged to capitulate.
8. Just before the investment of Vicksburg, occurred the great
raid of Colonel Benjamin Grierson. With the Sixth Illinois Cav<
airy, he struck out from La Grange, Tennessee, traversed Missis
sippi to the east of Jackson, cut the railroads, destroyed property,
and after a rapid course of more than eight hundred miles, gained
the river at Baton Rouge.
9. Late in the spring Colonel Streight's command went on a raid
into Georgia, but was surrounded and captured by General Forrest.
In the latter part of June, Rosecrans succeeded in crowding Gen
eral Bragg out of Tennessee. The Union general followed and
took post at Chattanooga, on the left bank of the Tennessee. Dur
ing the summer, Bragg was reinforced by the corps of Johnston
and Longstreet. On the 19th of September, he turned upon the
Federals at Chickamauga Creek, in the north-west angle of Georgia.
A hard battle was fought, but night came with the victory unde
cided. On the following morning the fight was renewed. After
the conflict had continued for some hours, the national battle-line
was opened by a mistake of General Wood. Bragg thrust forward
a heavy column into the gap, cut the Union army in two, and
drove the right wing into a rout. General Thomas, with desperate
firmness, held the left until nightfall, -and then withdrew into
Chattanooga. The Union loss amounted to nearly nineteen thou
sand, and that of the Confederates was even greater.
10. General Bragg pressed forward to besiege Chattanooga.
But General Hooker arrived with two corps from the Army of the
Potomac, opened the Tennessee River, and brought relief. At the
same time General Grant assumed the direction of affairs at Chat
tanooga. General Sherman arrived with his division, and offensive
operations were at once renewed. On the 24th of November,
Lookout Mountain, overlooking the town and river, was stormed
THE WORK OF '63. 323
by the division of General Hooker. On the following day, Mis
sionary Ridge was also carried, and Bragg's army fell back in full
retreat toward Ringgold.
11. On the 1st of September, General Burnside arrived with his
command at Knoxville. After the battle of Chickamauga, General
Longstreet was sent into East Tennessee, where he arrived and
began the siege of Knoxville. On the 29th of November, the
Confederates attempted to carry the town by storm, but were re
pulsed with heavy losses. General Sherman soon marched to the
relief of Burnside ; and Longstreet retreated into Virginia.
1*2. Early in 1863, the Confederates resumed activity in Arkansas
and Southern Missouri. On the 8th of January, they attacked
Springfield, but were repulsed. Three days afterward, at Harts-
ville, a battle was fought with a similar result. On the 26th of
April, General Marmaduke attacked the post at Cape Girardeau,
but the garrison drove the Confederates away. On the 4th of July
General Holmes made an attack on the Federals at Helena, Ar
kansas, but was repulsed. On the 13th of August, Lawrence,
Kansas, was sacked, and a hundred and forty persons killed by a
band of desperate fellowrs led by a chieftain called Quantrell. On
the 10th of September, the Federal general Steele captured Little
Rock, Arkansas.
13. In the summer of this year General John Morgan made a
great raid through Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. He crossed the
Ohio at Brandenburg, and began his march to the north. At
Corydon and other points he was resisted by the home-guards and
pursued by General Hobson. Morgan crossed into Ohio, made a
circuit north of Cincinnati, and attempted to re-cross the river.
But the raiders were driven back. The Confederate leader pressed
on, until he came near New Lisbon, where he was captured by the
brigade of General Shackelford. After a four months' imprison
ment, Morgan escaped and made his way to Richmond.
M. On the 1st of January, General Magruder captured Gal-
ve^ton, Texas. By this means the Confederates secured a port of
entry in the Southwest. On the 7th of April, Admiral Dupont,
with a fleet of iron-clads, attempted to capture Charleston, but was
driven back. In June the city was besieged by a strong land-force,
324
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
under General Q. A. Gillmore, assisted by Admiral Dahlgren's
fleet. After the bombardment had continued for some time, Gen
eral Gillmore, on the 18th of July, attempted to carry Fort Wag
ner by assault, but was repulsed with severe loss. The siege pro
gressed until the 6th of September, when the Confederates evacuated
the fort and retired to Charleston. Gillmore now brought his
guns to bear on the
wharves and build
ings in the lower
part of the city.
But Charleston still
held out ; and the
only gain of the
Federals was the
establishment of a
complete blockade.
15. After his re
pulse at Fredericks-
burg, General Burn-
side was superseded
by General Joseph
Hooker, who, in the
latter part of April,
crossed the Rappa-
h ann ock an d
reached Chancel-
lorsville. Here, on
the morning of the
2d of May, he was attacked by the Army of Northern Virginia, led
by Lee and Jackson. The latter general, at the head of twenty-
five thousand men, outflanked the Union army, burst upon the
right wing, and swept everything to destruction. But it was the
last of Stonewall's battles. As night came on, the Confederate
leader received a volley from his own lines, and fell to rise no more.
16. On the 3d, the battle was renewed. General Sedgwick was
defeated and driven across the Rappahannock. The main army
was crowded between Chancellorsville and the river, where it re-
STONEWALL JACKSON.
THE WORK OF '63. 325
mained until the 5th, when General Hooker succeeded in with
drawing his forces to the northern bank. The Union losses
amounted in killed, wounded, and prisoners to about seventeen
thousand; that of the Confederates was less by five thousand.
17. Next followed the cavalry raid of General Stoneman. On
the 29th of April, he crossed the Rappahannock with ten thousand
men, tore up the Virginia Central Railroad, cut General Lee's
communications, swept around within a few miles of Richmond,
and then recrossed the Rappahannock in safety.
18. General Lee now determined to carry the war into the
North. In the first week of June he crossed the Potomac, and cap
tured Hagerstown. On the 22d he entered Chambersburg, and then
pressed on through Carlisle to within a few miles of Harrisburg.
The militia of Pennsylvania was called out, and volunteers came
pouring in from other States. General Hooker pushed forward to
strike his antagonist. General Lee rapidly concentrated his forces
near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. On the eve of battle the command
of the Union army was transferred to General George G. Meade,
who took up a position on the hills around Gettysburg. Here the
two armies, each numbering about eighty thousand men, were
brought face to face
19. On the 1st of July, the struggle began, and for three days
the conflict raged. The battle reached its climax on the 3d, when
a Confederate column, three miles long, headed by the Virginians
under General Pickett, made a final charge on the Union centre.
But the onset was in vain, and the men who made it were mowed
down with terrible slaughter. The victory remained with the
national army, and Lee was obliged to turn back to the Potomac.
The entire Confederate loss was nearly thirty thousand ; that of the
Federals twenty-three thousand a hundred and eighty-six. Gen
eral Lee withdrew his forces into Virginia, and the Union army
resumed its position on the Potomac.
20. The administration of President Lincoln was beset with
many difficulties. The last calls for volunteers had not been fully
met. The anti-war party of the North denounced the measures
of the government. On the 3d of March, THE CONSCRIPTION ACT
was passed by Congress, and the President ordered a draft of three
326 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
hundred thousand men. The measure was bitterly opposed, and
in many places the draft-officers were resisted. On the loth of
July, in the city of New York, a mob rose in arms, demolished
buildings, burned the colored orphan asylum, and killed about a
hundred people. For three days the authorities were set at de
fiance; but a force of regulars and volunteers gathered at the
<cene, and the riot was suppressed.
21. Only about fifty thousand men were obtained by the draft.
But volunteering was quickened by the measure, and the employ
ment of substitutes soon filled the ranks. In October the Presi
dent issued another call for three hundred thousand men. By
these measures the columns of the Union army were made more
powerful than ever. In the armies of the South, on the other
hand, there were already symptoms of exhaustion. On the 20th
of June in this year, West Virginia was separated from the Old
Dominion and admitted as the thirty-fifth State of the Union.
:e/E C .A-IP IT TJ X^TI O2ST .
Proportions of the conflict.— New calls for troops.— The Emancipation Procla
mation.— Capture of Arkansas Post.— Movements against Vicksburg.— The fleet
passes the batteries. -Battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, and Champion
Hills.— The siege and capture of Vicksburg.— Fall of Port Hudson.— Cavalry raid
of Grierson.— Rosecrans drives Bragg across the Tennessee.— Battle of Chicka-
mauga.— Siege of Chattanooga.— Storming of Lookout and Missionary Ridge.—
Longstreet in Tennessee.— Siege of Knoxville.— Engagements atSpringfleld, Cape
Girardeau, and Helena.— The sacking of Lawrence.— Capture of Little Rock.-~
Morgan invades Indiana.— Is hemmed in and captured.— The Confederates take
Galveston.— The siege of Charleston.— Hooker commands the Army of the Poto
mac.— Battle of Chancellorsville.— Death of Stonewall Jackson.— Stoneman's
raid.— Lee invades Pennsylvania.— The battle of Gettysburg.— Retreat of the
Confederates.— The conscript ion.-Riot in New York.— The draft.— New calls for
boldiers.-West Virginia a State.
THE CLOSING CONFLICTS. 327
CHAPTER LXIV.
THE CLOSING CONFLICTS.
EARLY in February, 1864, General Sherman moved from Vicks-
burg to Meridian. In this vicinity the railroad tracks were
torn up for a hundred and fifty miles. At Meridian General Sher
man expected a force of Federal cavalry which had been sent out
from Memphis, under General Smith. The latter advanced into
Mississippi, but was met by the cavalry of Forrest, and driven back
to Memphis. General Sherman thereupon retraced his course to
Vicksburg. Forrest continued his raid northward to Paducah,
Kentucky} and. made an assault on Fort Anderson, but was re
pulsed with a severe loss. Turning back into Tennessee, he came
upon Fort Pillow, on the Mississippi, and carried the place by storm.
2. In the spring of 1864, THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION was un
dertaken by General Banks. The object was to capture Shreve-
port, the seat of the Confederate government of Louisiana. On
the 14th of March, the Federal advance captured Fort de Russy,
on Red River. The Confederates retreated to Alexandria, and on
the 16th, that city was taken by the Federals. Three days after
ward, Natchitoches was captured. The fleet now proceeded up
stream toward Shreveport, and the land-forces whirled off to the left.
3. At Mansfield, on the 8th of April, the advancing Federals
were attacked by the Confederates, and completely routed. At
Pleasant Hill, on the next day, the main body of the Union army
was badly defeated. The flotilla now descended the river from the
direction of Shrevepo* t. The whole expedition returned as rapidly
as possible to the Mississippi. General Steele had, in the mean
time, advanced from Little Rock to aid in the reduction of Shreve
port ; but learning of the Federal defeats, he withdrew after several
severe engagements.
328
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
4. On the 2d of March, 1864, General Grant was appointed
commander-in-chief of all the armies of the United States. Seven
hundred thousand soldiers were now to move at his command. Two
great campaigns were planned for the year. The Army of the Po
tomac, under Meade and the general-in-chief, was to advance upon
Kichmond. Gen
eral Sherman,
with a hundred
thousand men,
was to march
from Chattanoo
ga against At
lanta.
5. On the 7th
of May, General
Sherman moved
forward. AtDal-
====___=== ton he succeeded
SHERMAN'S CAMPAIGN, i86t. in turning Gen
eral Johnston's flank, and obliged him to fall back to Resaca.
After two hard battles, on the 14th and 15th of May, this place
was carried, and the Confederates retreated to Dallas. Here, on.
the 28th, Johnston made a second stand, but was again outflanked,
and compelled to fall back to Lost Mountain. From this position
he was forced on the 17th of June. The next stand was made on
Great and Little Kenesaw Mountains. From this line on the 22d
of June the division of General Hood made a fierce attack, but
was repulsed writh heavy losses. Five days afterward, General
Sherman attempted to carry Great Kenesaw by storm ; but the
assault ended in a, dreadful repulse. Sherman resumed his former
tactics, and on the 3d of July, compelled his antagonist to retreat
across the Chattahoochee. By the 10th of the month, the whole
Confederate army had retired to Atlanta.
6. This stronghold was at once besieged. Here were the
machine-shops, foundries, and car-works of the Confederacy. At
the beginning of the siege, the cautious General Johnston was
superseded by the rash General J. B. Hood. On the 20th, 22d>
THE CLOSING CONFLICTS.
329
and 28th of July, the latter made three assaults on the Union lines,
but was repulsed with dreadful losses. It was in the second of
these battles that the brave General James B. McPherson was
killed. For more than a month the siege was pressed with great
vigor. At last Hood was obliged to evacuate Atlanta; and on the
2d of September,
the Union army
marched into the
captured city.
7. General Hood
now marched
northward toward
Tennessee, swept
up through North
ern Alabama,
crossed the river
at Florence, and
advanced on Nash
ville. Meanwhile,
General Thomas,
with the Army of
the Cumberland,
had been detached
from Sherman's
army and sent
northward to con
front Hood. Gen- GENEBAL THOMAS.
eral Schofield, who commanded the Federal forces in Tennessee,
fell back before the Confederates and took post at Franklin.
Here, on the 30th of November, he was attacked by Hood's
legions, and held them in check till nightfall, when he retreated
within the defences of Nashville. At this place all of General
Thomas's forces were concentrated. Hood came on, confident of
victory, and prepared to begin the siege; but before the work was
fairly begun, General Thomas, on the 15th of December, fell upon
the Confederate army, and routed it with a loss of more than
twenty-five thousand men. For many days of freezing weather
330
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Hood's columns were pursued, until at last they found refuge in
Alabama.
8. On the 14th of November, General Sherman burned Atlanta
and began his MARCH TO THE SEA. His army numbered sixty
thousand men. He cut his communications with the North, aban
doned his base of
supplies, and struck
out for the sea-coast,
two hundred and
fifty miles away.
The Union army
passed through Ma-
con and Milledge-
ville, crossed the
Ogeechee, captured
Gibson and Waynes-
borough, and on the
10th of December,
arrived in the vi
cinity of Savannah.
On the 13th, Fort
McAllister was car
ried by storm. On
the night of the
20th, General Har-
dee, the Confeder
ate commandant,
escaped from Sa
vannah and retreated to Charleston. On the 22d, General Sher
man made his headquarters in the city.
9. January, 1865, was spent by the Union army at Savannah.
On the 1st of February, General Sherman began his march against
Columbia, South Carolina. The Confederates had not sufficient
force to stay his progress. On the 17th of the month, Columbia
was surrendered. On the same night, Hardee, having destroyed
the public property of Charleston and kindled fires which laid four
squares in ashes, evacuated the city; and on the following morning
GENERAL SHERMAN.
THE CLOSING CONFLICTS.
331
the national forces entered. From Columbia General Sherman
inarched into North Carolina, and on the llth of March, captured
the town of Fayetteville.
10. General Johnston was now recalled to the command of the
Confederate forces, and the advance of the Union army began to
be seriously op
posed. At Averas-
borough, on Cape
Fear River, Gen
eral Hardee made
a stand, but was
repulsed. When,
on the 19th of
March, General
Sherman was ap
proaching Bentons-
ville, he was at
tacked by Johnston,
and for a while the
Union army was in
danger of defeat.
But the day was
saved by hard fight
ing, and on the 21st,
Sherman entered
Goldsborough.
Here he was rein
forced by Generals
Schofield and Terry. The Federal army turned to the north-west,
and on the 13th of April, entered Raleigh. This was the end of
the great march; and here, on the 26th of the month, General
Sherman received the surrender of Johnston's army.
11. Meanwhile, important events had occurred on the Gulf.
Early in August, 1864, Admiral Farragut bore down on the de
fences of Mobile. The harbor was defended by a Confederate fleet
and the monster iron-clad Tennessee. On the 5th of August, Far
ragut ran past Forts Morgan and Gaines into the harbor. In
ADMIRAL FARRAGUT.
332 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
order to direct the movements of his vessels, the old admiral
mounted to the maintop of the Hartford, lashed himself to the
rigging, and from that high perch gave his commands during the
battle. One of the Union ships struck a torpedo and sank. The
rest attacked and dispersed the Confederate squadron; but just as
the day seemed won, the Tennessee came down at full speed to
strike the Hartford. Then followed one of the fiercest conflicts of
the war. The Union iron-clads closed around their antagonist and
battered her with fifteen-inch bolts of iron until she surrendered.
12. Next came the capture of Fort Fisher, at the entrance to
Cape Fear Kiver. In December, Admiral Porter was sent with a
powerful American squadron to besiege and take the fort. General
Butler, with six thousand five hundred men, accompanied the ex
pedition. On the 24th of the month, the troops were sent ashore
with orders to storm the works. When General Weitzel, who led,
came near enough to reconnoitre, he decided that an assault could
only end in disaster. General Butler held the same opinion, and
the enterprise was abandoned. Admiral Porter remained before
Fort Fisher with his fleet, and General Butler returned to Fortress
Monroe. Early in January, the siege was renewed, and on the
15th of the month, Fort Fisher was taken by storm.
13. In the previous October, Lieutenant Gushing, with a number
of volunteers, embarked in a small steamer, and entered the
Roanoke. A tremendous iron ram, called the Albemarle, was discov
ered lying at the harbor of Plymouth'. Cautiously approaching,
the lieutenant sank a torpedo under the Confederate ship, exploded
it, and left the ram a ruin. The adventure cost the lives or cap
ture of all of Cushing's party except himself and one other, who
made good their escape.
14. During the progress of the war, the commerce of the United
States was greatly injured by the Confederate cruisers. The first
ship sent out was the Savannah, which was captured on the same
day that she escaped from Charleston. In June of 1861, the
Sumt&r, commanded by Captain Semmes, ran the blockade at New
Orleans, and did fearful work with the Union merchantmen. But
in February of 1862, Semmes was chased into the harbor of
Gibraltar, where he was obliged to sell his vessel.- The Nashville
THE CLOSING CONFLICTS. 333
ran out from Charleston, and returned with a cargo worth three
millions of dollars. In March of 1863, she was sunk by a Union
iron-clad in the Savannah River.
15. The ports of the Southern States were now closely block
aded. In this emergency the Confederates turned to the ship-yards
of Great Britain, and began to build cruisers. In the harbor of
Liverpool the Florida was fitted out; and going to sea in the
summer of 1862, she succeeded in running into Mobile Bay. She
afterward destroyed fifteen merchantmen, and was then captured
and sunk in Hampton Roads. The Georgia, the Olustee, the She-
nandoah and the Chickamauga, all built at the ship-yards of Glas
gow, Scotland, escaped to sea and made great havoc with the
merchant-ships of the United States.
16. Most destructive of all was the Alabama, built at Liverpool.
Her commander was Captain Raphael Semmes. A majority of
the crew were British subjects; and her armament was entirely
British. In her whole career, involving the destruction of sixty-
six vessels and a loss of ten million dollars, she never entered a
Confederate port. In the summer of 1864, Semmes was overtaken
in the harbor of Cherbourg, France, by Captain Winslow, com
mander of the steamer Kearsarge. On the 19th of June, Semmes
went out to give his antagonist battle. After a desperate fight of
an hour's duration, the Alabama was sunk. Semmes was picked
up by the English Deerhound and carried to Southampton.
17. On the night of the 3d of May, 1864, the national camp at
Culpepper was broken up, and the march on Richmond was begun.
On the first day of the advance, Grant crossed the Rapidan and
entered the Wilderness, a country of oak woods and thickets. He
was immediately attacked by the Confederate army. During the
5th, 6th and 7th of the month, the fighting continued incessantly
with terrible losses ; but the results were indecisive. Grant next
made a flank movement in the direction of Spottsylvania Court
house. Here followed, from the 9th till the 12th, one of the
bloodiest struggles of the war. The Federals gained some ground
and captured the division of General Stewart ; but the losses of
Lee were less than those of his antagonist.
18. Grant again moved to the left, crossed the Pamunkey, and
334
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
X S Y L
Chamberaburgo
came to Cold Harbor, twelve miles north-east of Kichmond.
Here, on the 1st of June, he attacked the Confederates, but was
repulsed with heavy losses. On the morning of the 3d, the assault
was renewed, and in half an hour nearly ten thousand Union sol
diers fell dead or wounded before the Confederate entrenchments.
The repulse of the Fed
erals was complete, but
they held their lines as
firmly as ever.
19. General Grant
now changed his base to
James River. General
Butler had already taken
City Point and Bermuda
Hundred. Here, on the
15th of June, he was
joined by General Grant's
whole army, and the
combined forces moved
forward and began the
siege of Petersburg.
20. Meanwhile, im
portant movements were
taking place on the
Shenandoah. When
Grant moved from the
]ga isnJJL Rapidan, General Sigel
OPERATIONS IN VIRGINIA, '64 AND '65. marched up the valley
to New Market, where he was met and defeated by the Confeder
ate cavalry, under General Breckinridge. The latter then re
turned to Richmond, whereupon the Federals faced about, over
took the Confederates at Piedmont, and gained a signal victory.
From this place Generals Hunter and Averill advanced against
Lynchburg. By this movement the valley of the Shenandoah was
again exposed to invasion.
21. Lee immediately despatched General Early to cross the Blue
Ridge, invade Maryland and threaten Washington city. With
THE CLOSING CONFLICTS. 335
thousand men Early began his march, and on the 5th of
July crossed the Potomac. On the 9th, he defeated the division of
General Wallace on the Monocacy. But the battle saved Wash
ington and Baltimore from capture.
22. General Wright followed Early as far as Winchester. But
the latter wheeled upon him, and the Union troops were driven
across the Potomac. Early next invaded Pennsylvania and burned
Chambersburg. General Grant now appointed General Philip H.
Sheridan to command the army on the Upper Potomac. The
troops placed at his disposal numbered nearly forty thousand. On
the 19th of September, Sheridan marched upon Early at Win-
chaster, and routed him in a hard-fought battle. On the 22d of
August, he gained another complete victory at Fisher's Hill.
23. Sheridan next turned about to ravage the valley. The ruin
ous work was fearfully well done. Nothing worth fighting for was
left between the Blue Ridge and the Alleghanies. Maddened by
his defeats, Early rallied his forces, and again entered the valley.
Sheridan had posted his army on Cedar Creek, and feeling secure,
had gone to Washington. On the 19th of October, Early surprised
the Union camp, captured the artillery, and sent the routed troops
flying in confusion toward Winchester. The Confederates pursued
as far as Middletown, and there paused to eat and rest. On the
previous night, Sheridan had returned to Winchester, and was now
coming to rejoin his army. He rode twelve miles at full speed,
rallied the fugitives, and gained one of the most signal victories of
the war. Early's army was completely ruined.
24. All fall and winter, General Grant pressed the siege of
Petersburg. On the 30th of July, a mine was exploded under one
of the forts ; but the assaulting column was repulsed with heavy
losses. On the 18th of August, a division of the Union army seized
the Weldon Railroad and held it against several assaults. On the
28th of September, Battery Harrison was stormed by the Federals,
and on the next day, General Paine's brigade carried the redoubt on
Spring Hill. On the 27th of October, there was a battle on the
Boydton road ; and then the army went into winter-quarters.
25. On the 27th of February, Sheridan gained a victory over
Early at Waynesborough, and then joined the commander-in-chief.
336 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
On the 1st of April, a severe battle was fought at Five Forks, in
which the Confederates were defeated with a loss of six thousand
prisoners. On the next day, Grant ordered a general assault on the
lines of Petersburg, and the works were carried. On that night,
Lee's army and the Confederate government fled from Richmond ;
and on the following morning the city was entered by the Federal
troops. The warehouses were fired by the retreating Confederates,
and the better part of the city was reduced to ruins.
26. General Lee retreated as rapidly as possible to the south
west. Once, at Deatonsville, the Confederates turned and fought,
but were defeated with great losses. For five days the pursuit
was kept up; and then Lee was brought to bay at Appomattox
Court-house. There, on the 9th of April, 1865, the work was done.
General Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia, and the
Confederacy was hopelessly overthrown. General Grant signalized
the end of the strife by granting to his antagonist the most liberal
terms. How the army of General Johnston was surrendered a few
days later has already been narrated. After four dreadful years of
bloodshed and sorrow, THE CIVIL WAR WAS AT AN END.
27. The Federal authority was rapidly extended over the South,
Mr. Davis and his cabinet escaped to Danville, and there for a
few days kept up the forms of government. From that place they
fled into North Carolina. The ex-President continued his flight
into Georgia, and encamped near Irwinsville, where, on the 10th
of May, he was captured by General Wilson's cavalry. He was
conveyed to Fortress Monroe, and kept in confinement until May of
1867, when he was taken to Richmond to be tried for treason. He
was admitted to bail ; and his cause was finally dismissed.
28. At the presidential election of 1864, Mr. Lincoln was chosen
for a second term. As Vice-President, Andrew Johnson of Ten
nessee was elected. In the preceding summer, the people of Ne
vada framed a constitution, and on the 31st of October the new
commonwealth was proclaimed as the thirty-sixth State. The gold
and silver mines of Nevada soon surpassed those of California in
their yield of precious metals.
29. At the outbreak of the civil war the financial credit of the
United States sank to a very low ebb. Mr. Chase, the secretary
THE CLOSING CONFLICTS. 337
of the treasury, first sought relief by issuing TREASURY NOTES,
receivable as money. By the beginning of 1862, the expenses
of the government had risen to more than a million of dollars
daily. To meet these tremendous demands on the government,
Congress next provided AN INTERNAL REVENUE. This was made
up from two general sources : first, a tax on manufactures, incomes
and salaries; second, a stamp-duty on all legal documents. The
next measure was the issuance of LEGAL TENDER NOTES of the
United States, to be used as money. These are the notes called
Greenbacks. The third great measure adopted by the government
was the sale of UNITED STATES BONDS. The interest upon them
was fixed at six per cent., payable semi-annually in gold. In the
next place, Congress passed an act providing for the establishment
of NATIONAL BANKS. National bonds, instead of gold and silver,
were used as a basis of the circulation of these banks ; and the re
demption of their bills was guaranteed by the treasury of the
United States. At the end of the conflict, the national debt had
reached nearly three thousand millions of dollars.
30. On the 4th of March, 1865, President Lincoln was inaugu
rated for his second term. Three days after the evacuation of
Richmond by Lee's army, the President made a visit to that city.
On the evening of the 14th of April, he, with his wife and a party
of friends, attended Ford's Theatre in Washington. As the play
drew near its close, a disreputable actor, named John Wilkes Booth,
stole into the President's box, and shot him through the brain.
Mr. Lincoln lingered in an unconscious state until morning, and
died. It was the greatest tragedy of modern times. The assassin,
after the murder, escaped into the darkness, and fled.
31. At the same hour, another murderer, named Lewis Payne
Powell, burst into the bed-chamber of Secretary Seward, sprang
upon the couch of the sick man, and stabbed him nigh unto death.
The city was wild with alarm. Troops of cavalry departed in all
directions to hunt down the assassins. On the 26th of April, Booth
was found concealed in a barn south of Fredericksburg. Refusing
to surrender, he was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett. Powell was
caught and hanged. David E. Herrold and Geo. A. Atzerott,
together with Mrs. Mary E. Surratt, at whose house the plot was
338 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
formed, were also condemned and executed. Michael O'Laughlin,
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, and Samuel Arnold were sentenced to im
prisonment for life, and Edward Spangler for six years.
32. So ended in darkness, but not in shame, the career of Abra
ham Lincoln — one of the most remarkable men of any age or
country. He was prudent, far-sighted, and resolute; thoughtful,
calm, and just; patient, tender-hearted, and great. The manner
of his oleath consecrated his memory. From city to city, in one
vast funeral procession, the mourning people followed his remains
to their last resting-place at Springfield.
Sherman's campaign to Meridian.— He retires to Vicksburg.— Forrest's raid.—
The Red River expedition.— Capture of Fort de Russy, Alexandria, and Natchi-
toches.— Union disaster and retreat.— Steele falls back to Little Rock.— Grant
lieutenant-general.— Plan of the campaigns of '64.— Sherman advances.— Battles
of Dalton, Resaca, and Dallas.— Repulses at Kenesaw.— Siege and capture of
Atlanta.— Hood invades Tennessee.— Battle of Franklin.— Siege of Nashville.—
Ruin of Hood's army.— Sherman's march to the sea.— Capture of Macou, Mil-
ledgeville, Gibson, and Wayuesborough.— Storming of Fort McAllister.— Escape
of Hardee.— And capture of the city.— Renewal of the march.— Columbia, Charles
ton, and Fayetteville are taken.— Johnston restored to command.— Battles of
Averasborough and Bentonsville.— Capture of Goldsborough and Raleigh.— Sur
render of Johnston.— Farragut in Mobile Bay.— Fort Fisher Is besieged.— And
finally taken by storm.— Cushing's exploit.— The Confederate cruisers.— The
Savannah.— Career of the Sumter.— Cruise of the Nashville.— The Confederates use
the British ship-yards. -Building of the Florida.— The Georgia, the Olnstee, the
Shenandoah, and the Chickamauga built at Glasgow. — Career of the Georgia and
the Shrnandoah.— The Alabama scours the ocean.— Runs into Cherbourg.— Is de
stroyed by the Kearsarge.— The Army of the Potomac moves from Culpepper.—
Reaches the Wilderness.— The battles.— Grant advances to Spottsylvania.— Terri
ble fighting there.— The Union army repulsed at Cold Harbor.— Grant changes
base.— Butler captures Bermuda and City Point.— Junction of the armies.— The
siege of Petersburglbegins.— Sigel on the Shenandoah.— Battles of New Market
and Piedmont.— Early threatens Washington and Baltimore.— Fight at Winches
ter.— The Confederates burn Chambersburg.— Sheridan is sent into the valley.—
Battles of Winchester and Fisher's Hill.— Sheridan ravages the country.— Early
routs the Federals at Cedar Creek.— Sheridan returns, and destroys Early's
army.— The siege of Petersburg continues.— Battles of Boydtown and Five
Forks.— Flight of the Confederate government.— Fall of Richmond.— Surrender
of Lee.— The Federal authority is reestablished.— Capture and trial of Davis.—
Lincoln reflected.— Financial condition of the country.— Treasury notes.— In
ternal Revenue.— Legal Tenders.— Bonds.— Banks.— The debt.— Lincoln is rei'n-
augurated.— Visits Richmond.— Is assassinated.— Punishment of his murderers.—
Character of Lincoln.
JO&NSOtfS ADMINISTRATION. 339
CHAPTER LXV.
JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION, 1865-1869.
ON the day after the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, Andrew John
son became President of the United States. He was a native
of Raleigh, North Carolina — born in 1808. With no advantages
of education, he passed his boyhood in poverty. In 1828 he re
moved to Greenville, Tennessee, where he soon rose to distinc
tion, and was elected to Congress. As a member of the United
States Senate in 1860-61, he opposed secession with all his powers.
In 1862 he was appointed military governor of Tennessee. This
office he held until he was nominated for the vice-presidency.
2. On the 1st of February, 1865, Congress adopted an amend
ment to the Constitution by \vhich slavery was abolished through
out the Union. By the 18th of the following December, the
amendment had been ratified by the Legislatures of twenty-seven
States, and was duly proclaimed as a part of the Constitution. The
emancipation proclamation had been issued as a military necessity;
and the results of the instrument were incorporated in the funda
mental law of the land.
3. On the 29th of May, THE AMNESTY PROCLAMATION was
issued by the President. By its provisions a pardon was extended
to all persons — except those specified in certain classes — who had
taken part in upholding the Confederacy. During the summer of
1865, the great armies were disbanded, and the victors and van
quished returned to their homes to resume the work of peace.
4-. The finances of the nation were in an alarming condition.
The war-debt went on increasing until the beginning of 1866.
The yearly interest grew to a hundred and thirty-three million
dollars in gold. The expenses of the government had reached two
hundred millions of dollars annually. But the revenues of the
22
340 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
nation proved sufficient to meet these enormous outlays, and at
last the debt began to be diminished.
5. During the civil war, the emperor Napoleon III. succeeded
in setting up a French empire in Mexico. In 1864 the Mexican
crown was conferred on Maximilian of Austria, who sustained his
authority with French and Austrian soldiers. But the Mexican
president Juarez headed a revolution ; the government of the
United States rebuked France for her conduct; Napoleon with
drew his army ; and Maximilian was overthrown. Flying to
Queretaro, he was besieged and taken prisoner. On the 13th of
June, 1867, he was tried and condemned to be shot; and six days
afterward the sentence was carried into execution.
0. After a few weeks of successful operation, the first Atlantic
telegraph had ceased to work. But Mr. Field continued to advo
cate his measure and to plead for assistance both in Europe and
America. He made fifty voyages across the Atlantic, and finally
secured sufficient capital to lay a second cable. The work began
from the coast of Ireland in the summer of 1865 ; but the first
cable parted and was lost. In July of 1866, a third cable, two
thousand miles in length, was coiled in the Great Eastern, and again
the vessel started on her way. This time the work was completely
successful. Mr. Field received a gold medal from Congress, and
the plaudits of all civilized nations.
7. The administration of President Johnson is noted as the time
when the Territories of the United States assumed their present
form. A part of the work was accomplished during the civil Avar.
In March of 1861, the Territory of Dakota was detached from
Nebraska and given a distinct organization. The State of Kansas
had at last, on the 29th of January, 1861, been admitted into the
Union, under a constitution framed at Wyandotte. In February,
1863, Arizona \vas separated from New Mexico, and on the 3d of
March, in that year, Idaho was organized out of portions of Dakota,
Nebraska, and Washington Territories. On the 26th of May, 1864,
Montana was cut off from Idaho. On the 1st of March, 1867,
Nebraska was admitted into the Union as the thirty-seventh State.
Finally, on the 25th of July, 1868, the Territory of Wyoming was
organized out of portions of Dakota, Idaho, and Utah.
JOHNSONS ADMINISTRATION. 341
8. The year 1867 was signalized by THE PURCHASE OF ALASKA.
Two years previously, the territory had been explored by a corps
of scientific men with a view of establishing telegraphic communi
cation with Asia. The explorers found that the coast-fisheries were
of great value, and that the forests of white pine and yellow cedar
were among the finest in the world. Negotiations for the purchase
were at once opened, and on the 30th of March, 1867, a treaty
was concluded by which, for the sum of seven million two hundred
thousand dollars, Kussia ceded Alaska to the United States. The
territory embraced an area of five hundred and eighty thousand
square miles, and a population of twenty-nine thousand souls.
9. Very soon after his accession, a serious disagreement arose
between the President and Congress. The difficulty grew out of
the question of reorganizing the Southern States. The point in
dispute was as to the relation which those States had sustained to
the Federal Union during the civil war. The President held that
the ordinances of secession were null and void, and that the se
ceded States had never been out of the Union. The majority in Con
gress held that the acts of secession were illegal and unconstitu
tional, but that the seceded States had been actually detached from
the Union, and that special legislation was necessary in order to
restore them to their former relations.
10. In 1865, measures of reconstruction were begun by the Pres
ident. On the 9th of May, a proclamation was issued for the restor
ation of Virginia to the Union. Twenty days later a provisional
government was established over South Carolina ; and similar meas
ures were adopted in respect to the other States of the Confederacy.
On the 24th of June, all restrictions on trade and intercourse with
the Southern States were removed. On the 7th of September, a
second amnesty proclamation was issued, by which all persons who
had upheld the Confederate cause — excepting the leaders — were
unconditionally pardoned. Meanwhile, Tennessee had been reor
ganized, and in 1866 was restored to its place in the Union. When
Congress convened, a committee of fifteen members was appointed,
to which were referred all questions concerning the reorganization
of the Southern States. In accordance with measures reported by
this committee, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana,
342
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
North Carolina, and South Carolina were reconstructed, and in
June and July of 1868, readmitted into the Union. Congress had,
in the meantime,
passed THE CIVIL
RIGHTS BILL, by
which the privileges
of citizenship were
conferred on the
freedmen of the
South. All of these
congressional enact
ments were effected
over the veto of the
President.
11. Meanwhile, a
difficulty had arisen
in the President's
cabinet which led
to his impeachment.
On the 21st of Feb
ruary, 1868, he no
tified Edwin M.
Stan ton, secretary of
war, of his dismissal
from office. The act was regarded by Congress as a usurpation of
authority and a violation of law. On the 3d of March, articles of
impeachment were agreed to by the House of Representatives, and
the President was summoned before the Senate for trial. Proceed
ings began on the 23d of March and continued until the 26th of
May, when the President was acquitted. Chief- Justice Salmon P
Chase, one of the most eminent of American statesmen and jurists,
presided during the impeachment.
12. The time for another presidential election was already at
hand. General Ulysses S. Grant was nominated by the Repub
licans, and Horatio Seymour, of New York, by the Democrats.
The canvass was one of great excitement. The questions most dis
cussed by the political speakers were those arising out of the civil
CHIEF-JUSTICE CHASE.
GRANTS ADMINISTRATION. 343
war. The principles advocated by the majority in Congress fur
nished the Republican platform of 1868, and on that platform
General Grant was elected by a large majority. As Vice-President,
Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana, was chosen.
:R,E O^IPITTJ L^TI OICT.
Johnson in the presidency.— Slavery is formally abolished.— The Amnesty
Proclamation.— A struggle with the war-debt.— Napoleon's empire in Mexico.—
Maximilian is captured and shot.— Final success of the Atlantic telegraph.— The
Territories assume their final form.— Alaska is purchased from Russia.— The
difficulty between the President and Congress.— The reconstruction imbroglio.—
Second amnesty.— The Southern States are readmitted.— The President removes
Stauton.— Is impeached.— And acquitted.— General Grant is elected President.
CHAPTER LXVI.
GRANTS ADMINISTRATION, 1869-1877.
ULYSSES S. GRANT, eighteenth President of the United
States, was born at Point Pleasant, Ohio, April 27th, 1822.
At the age of seventeen he entered the Military Academy at West
Point, and was graduated in 1843. He served with distinction in
the Mexican war ; but his first national reputation was won by the
capture of Forts Henry and Donelson. From that time he rapidly
rose in rank, and in March, 1864, was Appointed lieutenant-general
and Commander-in-chief of the Union army.
2. The first great event of the new administration was the com
pletion of THE PACIFIC RAILROAD. The first division of the road
extended from Omaha, Nebraska, to Ogden, Utah, a distance of
a thousand and thirty-two miles. The western division reached
from Ogden to San Francisco, a distance of eight hundred and
eighty-two miles. On the 10th of May, 1869, the work was com
pleted with appropriate ceremonies.
3. Before the inauguration of President Grant two additional
344
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
amendments to the Constitution had been adopted. The first of
these, known as the Fourteenth Amendment, extended the right
of citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United
States, and declared
the validity of the
public debt. Early
in 1869, the Fifteenth
A m e n d m e n t was
adopted by Congress,
providing that the
right of citizens to
vote shall not be de
nied or abridged on
account of race, color,
or previous condition
of servitude. This
clause was proclaimed
by the President as
a part of the Consti
tution, on the 30th
of March, 1870.
4. In the first three
months of the same
year, the reorganiza
tion of the Southern States was completed. On the 24th of Jan
uary, the senators and representatives of Virginia were readmitted to
their seats in Congress. On the 23d of February a like action was
taken in regard to Mississippi; and on the 30th of March the
work was finished by the readmission of Texas.
5. In 1870 was completed the ninth census of the United States.
Notwithstanding the ravages of war, the last ten years had been
a period of growth and progress. During that time the population
had increased to thirty-eight million five hundred and eighty-seven
thousand souls. The national debt was rapidly falling off. The
products of the United States had grown to a vast aggregate.
American manufacturers were competing with those of England in
the markets of the world. The Union now embraced thirty-seven
ULYSSES S GRANT.
GRANTS ADMINISTRATION. 345
States and eleven Territories. The national domain had spread to
the vast area of three million six hundred and four thousand square
miles. Few things have been more wonderful than the territorial
growth of the United States. The nature of this development will
be easily understood from the accompanying map.
6. In January of 1871, President Grant appointed Senator Wade
of Ohio, Professor White of Xew York, and Dr. Samuel Howe of
Massachusetts, to visit Santo Domingo and report upon the desira
bility of annexing that island to the United States. The measure
was earnestly favored by the President. After three months spent
abroad, the commissioners returned and reported in favor of annexa
tion ; but the proposal was met with opposition in Congress, and
defeated.
7. The claim of the United States against the British govern
ment for damages done by Confederate cruisers during the civil
war still remained unsettled. After the war Great Britain grew
anxious for an adjustment of the difficulty. On the 27th of Feb
ruary, 1871, a joint high commission, composed of five British and
five American statesmen, assembled at Washington city. From
the fact that the cruiser Alabama had done most of the injury com
plained of, the claims of the United States were called THE ALA
BAMA CLAIMS. After much discussion, the commissioners framed
a treaty, known as the Treaty of Washington. It was agreed that
all claims of either nation against the other should be submitted to
a board of arbitration to be appointed by friendly nations. Such a
court was formed, and in the summer of 1872 convened at Geneva,
Switzerland. The cause of the two nations was heard, and on the
14th of September, decided in favor of the United States. Great
Britain was required to pay into the Federal treasury fifteen million
five hundred thousand dollars.
8. The year 1871 is noted in American history for the burning
of Chicago. On the evening of the 8th of October a fire broke
out in De Koven street, and was driven by a high wind into the
lumber-yards and wooden houses of the neighborhood. All day
long the flames rolled on, sweeping into a blackened ruin the most
valuable portion of the city. The area burned over was two thou
sand one hundred acres, or three and a third square miles. Nearly
346
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
two hundred lives were lost, and the property destroyed amounted to
about two hundred millions of dollars.
9. As the first term of President Grant drew to a close, the
political parties
made ready for the
twenty-second pres
idential election.
Many parts of the
chief magistrate's
policy had been
made the subjects
of con tr oversy.
T h e congressional
plan of reconstruc
tion had been un
favorably received
in the South. The
elevation of the
negro race to the
rights of citizenship
was regarded with
apprehension. The
military spirit was
still rife in the coun
try, and the issues of the civil war were rediscussed with much
bitterness. On these issues the people divided in the election of
1872. The Republicans renominated General Grant for the presi
dency. For the vice-presidency Mr. Colfax was succeeded by
Henry Wilson of Massachusetts. As the standard-bearer of the
Liberal Republican and Democratic parties Horace Greeley, editor
of the New York Tribune, was nominated. This was the last act
in that remarkable man's career. For more than thirty years he
had been a leader of public opinion in America. After a lifetime
of untiring industry he was now called to the forefront of political
strife. The canvass was one of wild excitement. Mr. Greeley
was overwhelmingly defeated, and died in less than a month after
the election.
HORACE GKEELEY.
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GRAFT'S ADMINISTRATION. 347
10. On the evening of the 9th of November, a fire broke out on
the corner of Kingston and Summer streets, Boston, spread to the
north-east, and continued with unabated fury until the morning of
the llth. The best portion of the city, embracing some of the
finest blocks in the United States, was laid in ashes. The burnt
district covered an area of sixty-five acres. Eight hundred build
ings, property to the value of eighty million dollars, and fifteen
lives were lost in the conflagration.
11. In the spring of 1872, Superintendent Odeneal hacl been
ordered to remove the Modoc Indians from their lands on Lake
Klamath, Oregon, to a new reservation. The Indians refused to
go ; and in the following November, a body of troops was sent to
force them into compliance. The Modocs resisted, kept up the war
during the winter, and then retreated into a volcanic region called
the lava-beds. Here, in the spring of 1873, the Indians wTere sur
rounded. On the llth of April, a conference was held between
them and six members of the peace commission ; but in the midst
of the council the savages rose upon the kind-hearted men who sat
beside them, and murdered General Canby and Dr. Thomas in cold
blood. Mr. Meacham, another member of the commission, was
shot, but escaped with his life. The Modocs were then besieged
in their stronghold ; but it was the 1st of June before Captain
Jack and his band were obliged to surrender. The chiefs were
tried by court-martial and executed in the following October.
12. In 1873 a difficulty arose in Louisiana which threatened the
peace of the country. Owing to the existence of double election-
boards, two sets of presidential electors had been chosen in the
previous autumn. Two governors — William P. Kellogg and John
McEnery — were elected ; rival legislatures were returned by the
hostile boards ; and two State governments were organized. The
dispute was referred to the President, who decided in favor of Gov
ernor Kellogg. On the 14th of September, 1874, a large party,
led by D. B. Penn, rose in arms and took possession of the State-
house. Governor Kellogg fled to the custom-house and appealed
to the President. The latter ordered the adherents of Penn to dis
perse, and troops were sent to New Orleans to enforce the procla
mation. On the assembling of the legislature in the following
348
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
December, the difficulty broke out more violently than ever, and
the soldiery was again called in to settle the dispute.
13. About the beginning of President Grant's second term, the
country was agitated by THE CREDIT MOBILISE INVESTIGATION in
Congress. The Credit Mobilier was a joint stock company organized
in 1863 for the pur
pose of construct
ing public works.
In 1867 another
company which had
undertaken to build
the Pacific Eailroad
purchased the
charter of the Credit
Mobilier, and the
capital was in
creased to three
million seven hun
dred and fifty thou
sand dollars. Owing
to the profitableness
of the work, the
stock rose in value
and large dividends
were paid to the
shareholders. I n
1872 it became known that much of this stock was owned by
members of Congress. A suspicion that those members had voted
corruptly in matters affecting the Pacific Railroad, seized the public
mind and led to a congressional investigation, in the course of
which many scandalous transactions were brought to light.
14. In the autumn of 1873, occurred one of the most disastrous
financial panics ever known in the United States. The alarm was
given by the failure of Jay Cooke & Company of Philadelphia.
Other failures followed in rapid succession. Depositors hurried to
the banks and withdrew their money. Business was paralyzed,
and many months elapsed before confidence was sufficiently restored
CHARLES 8UMNEB.
GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION.
349
to enable merchants and bankers to engage in the usual transac
tions of trade.
15. In the last years, many public men have fallen by the hand
of death. In December of 1869, Edwin M. Stanton died. In
1870 General Robert E. Lee, president of Washington and Lee
THE MEMORIAL HALL.
University, General George H. Thomas, and Admiral Farragut
passed away. In 1872 William H. Seward, Professor Morse,
Horace Greeley, and General Meade were all called from the
scene of their earthly labors. On the 7th of May, 1873, Chief-
Justice Chase fell under a stroke of paralysis ; and on the llth of
March, in the following year, Senator Charles Sumner of Massa
chusetts died in Washington city. On the 31st of July, 1875, ex-
President Andrew Johnson, who had been recently chosen United
States senator from Tennessee, passed from among the living. On
the 22d of the following November, Vice-President Henry Wilson,
whose health had been gradually failing since his inauguration,
sank into rest.
16. With the coming of 1876, the people made ready to celebrate
THE CENTENNIAL OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE. The city of
Philadelphia was the central point of interest. There, on the 10th
of May, the great International Exposition was opened with im-
350
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
posing ceremonies. In Fairmount Park, on the Schuylkill, were
erected beautiful buildings to receive the products of art and in
dustry from all nations. The Main Exposition Building, Machin
ery Hall, the Memorial Hall, the Horticultural and Agricultural
buildings, the United States
Government Building, and
the Woman's Pavilion, were
the principal structures which
adorned the grounds. By the
beginning of summer these
stately edifices were filled to
overflowing with the richest
products, gathered from every
clime and country. On the
4th of July, the centennial of
the great Declaration was
commemorated in Philadel-
""•*" 50 10° 15I> IW pliia, with an impressive ora-
SCENE OF THE sioux WAR, 1876. tjon by William M. Evarts,
of New York, and a National Ode by the poet, Bayard Taylor.
The average daily attendance of visitors at the Exposition was over
sixty-one thousand. The grounds were open for one hundred and
fifty-eight days; and the receipts for admission amounted to more
than three million seven hundred thousand dollars. On the 10th
of November, the Exhibition, the most succesful of its kind ever
held, was formally closed by the President of the United States.
17. The last year of President Grant's administration was noted
for THE WAR WITH THE Sioux. These fierce savages had, in 1867,
made a treaty with the United States, agreeing to relinquish all of
the territory south of the Niobrara, west of the one hundred and
fourth meridian, and north of the forty-sixth parallel. By this
treaty the Sioux were confined to a large reservation in south
western Dakota, and upon this reservation they agreed to retire by
the first of January, 1876. But many of the tribes continued to
roam at large through Wyoming and Montana, burning houses,
stealing horses, and murdering whoever opposed them.
18. The Government now undertook to drive the Sioux upon
GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION. 351
their reservation. A large force of regulars, under Generals Terry
and Crook, was sent into the mountainous country of the Upper
Yellowstone, and the savages, to the number of several thousand,
were crowded back against the Big Horn Mountains and River.
Generals Custer and Reno, who were sent forward with the Seventh
Cavalry to discover the whereabouts of the Indians, found them en
camped in a village on the left bank of' the Little Horn.
19. On the 25th of June, General Custer, without waiting for
reinforcements, charged headlong with his division into the Indian
town, and was immediately surrounded. The struggle equaled in
desperation and disaster any other Indian battle ever fought in
America. General Custer and every man of his command fell in the
fight. The whole loss of the Seventh Cavalry was two hundred
and sixty-one killed, and fifty- two wounded. General Reno held
his position on the bluffs of the Little Horn until General Gibbon
arrived with reinforcements and saved the remnant from destruction.
20. Other divisions of the army were soon hurried forward, and
during the summer and autumn, the Indians were beaten in several
engagements. Negotiations were opened looking to the removal of
the Sioux to the Indian Territory ; but the project proved imprac
ticable. On the 24th of November, the Sioux were decisively de
feated by Colonel McKenzie, at a pass in the Big Horn Moun
tains. On the 5th of January, the savages were again overtaken
and routed by the forces of Colonel Miles.
21. The remaining bands, under Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse,
being able to offer no further serious resistance, escaped across the
border and became subject to the authorities of Canada. Here
they remained until the following autumn, when the Government
opened negotiations with them for their return to their reservation.
A commission, headed by General Terry, met Sitting Bull and his
warriors at Fort Walsh, on the Canadian frontier. Here a con
ference was held on the 8th of October. Full pardon for past
offenses was offered to the Sioux on condition of their peaceable
return and future good behavior. But Sitting Bull and his chiefs
rejected the proposal with scorn; the conference was broken off,
and the savages were left at large in the British territory north of
Milk River.
352 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
22. On the 1st of July, 1876, the constitution of Colorado was
ratified by the people of the territory. A month later the Presi
dent issued his proclamation, and the new commonwealth took her
place as the thirty-eighth member of the Union. The population
of the State already numbered forty-five thousand. Until 1859,
Colorado constituted a part of Kansas. In that year a convention
was held at Denver, and a distinct territorial government was or
ganized. At the close of 1875, the yield of gold in " the Centen
nial State " had reached the sum of seventy millions of dollars.
23. The twenty-third presidential election was one of the most
exciting and critical in the history of the nation. General Ruther
ford B. Hayes, of Ohio, and William A. Wheeler, of New York,
were chosen as candidates by the Republicans ; Samuel J. Tildeii,
of New York, and Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana, by the Dem
ocrats. The Independent Greenback party presented as candidates
Peter Cooper, of New York, and Samuel F. Cary, of Ohio. The
canvass began early and with great spirit. The real contest lay be
tween the Republicans and the Democrats. The election \vas held.
The general result was ascertained, and both parties claimed the vic
tory ! The election was so evenly balanced between the candidates;
there had been so much irregularity in the elections in South Car
olina, Florida, Louisiana, and Oregon; and the power of Congress
over the electoral proceedings was so poorly defined, — that no cer
tain result could be announced. For the first time in the history
of the country, there was a disputed presidency.
24+ When Congress convened in December, the whole question
came before that body for adjustment. After much debating, it
was agreed that the disputed election returns should be referred for
decision to A JOINT HIGH COMMISSION, consisting of five mem
bers chosen from the United States Senate, five from the House
of Representatives, and five from the Supreme Court. The Com
mission was accordingly constituted. The returns of the disputed
States were referred to the tribunal ; and on the 2d of March a
result was reached. The Republican candidates were declared
elected. One hundred and eighty-five electoral votes were cast for
Hayes and Wheeler, and one hundred and eighty-four for Tilden
and Hendricks.
HAYES'S ADMINISTRATION. 353
Sketch of President Grant.— The Pacific Railroad is completed.— The Four
teenth and Fifteenth Amendments are adopted.— The Southern States are re
stored to the Union.— The ninth census and its lesson. -The Santo Domingo bus
iness.— The Alabama Claims are adjusted by the Geneva Court.— The burning
of Chicago.— The Presidential election.— The candidates.— Grant is reflected.—
Character and death of Greeley.— Great fire in Boston.— The Modoc War.— Mur
der of the peace commissioners.— The savages are subdued.— The Louisiana
imbroglio.— The Credit Mobilier investigation.— The financial crisis of 1873-74.—
Death-roll of eminent men.— The Centennial Exhibition.— The Sioux War
breaks out.— The Custer massacre.— The Indians are overpowered.— Sitting Bull
and his band escape to Canada.— The conference with them.— Admission of
Colorado.— The great election of 1876.— A disputed presidency.— The result.
CHAPTER LXYII.
HAYES'S ADMINISTRATION, 1877-1881.
"pUTHERFORD B. HAYES, nineteenth President of the
£i) United States, was born in Delaware, Ohio, on the 4th of Oc
tober, 1822. His ancestors were soldiers of the Revolution. His
primary education was received in the public schools. Afterward,
at the age of twenty, he was graduated from Kenyon College. In
1845 he completed his legal studies, and began the practice of his
profession, first at Marietta, then at Fremont, and finally as city
solicitor, in Cincinnati. During the Civil War he performed much
honorable service in the Union cause, rose to the rank of major-
general, and in 1864, while still in the field, was elected to Con
gress. Three years later, he was chosen governor of his native
State and was reflected in 1869, and again in 1875.
2. In his inaugural address, delivered on the 5th of March,*
President Hayes indicated the policy of his administration. The
patriotic and conciliatory utterances of the address did much to
quiet the bitter spirit of partisanship which for many months had
disturbed the country. The distracted South was assured of right
'-The 4th of March fell on Sunday. The same thing has happened in the following
years: 1753, 1781, 1821 (Monroe's inauguration, second term), 1849 (Taylor's inaugura
tion), 1877 (Hayes's inauguration);— and the same will hereafter occur as follows: 1917,
1945, 1973, 2001, 2029, 2057, 2085, 2125, 2153.
354 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
purposes and honest plans on the part of the new chief-magistrate ;
a radical reform in the civil service was avowed as a part of his
policy ; and a speedy return to specie payments was recommended
as the final cure for the deranged finances of the nation.
3. On the 8th of March, the President named the members of
his cabinet. William M. Evarts, of New York, was chosen secre
tary of state; John Sherman, of Ohio, secretary of the treasury;
George "W. McCrary, of Iowa, secretary of war ; Richard W.
Thompson, of Indiana, secretary of the navy; Carl Schurz, of
Missouri, secretary of the interior ; Charles E. Devens, of Mas
sachusetts, attorney-general ; and David M. Key, of Tennessee,
postmaster-general. These nominations were duly ratified by the
Senate, and the new administration and the new century of the Re
public were ushered in together.
4. In the summer of 1877 occurred what is known as THE
GREAT RAILROAD STRIKE. The managers of the leading railways
from the seaboard to the West had declared a reduction in wages,
and the measure was violently resisted by the employes of the com
panies. On the 16th of July, the workmen of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad left their posts and gathered such strength in Balti
more and at Martinsburg, West Virginia, as to prevent the run
ning of trains and set the authorities at defiance. The militia was
called out by Governor Matthews and sent to Martinsburg, but was
soon dispersed by the* strikers. The President then ordered Gen
eral French to the scene with a body of regulars, and the blockade
of the road was raised. On the 20th of the month, a terrible tu
mult occurred in Baltimore ; but the troops succeeded in scattering
the rioters, of whom nine were killed and many wounded.
5. Meanwhile, the strike spread everywhere. In less than a
week the trains had been stopped on all the important roads be
tween the Hudson and the Mississippi. Travel ceased, freights
perished, en route, business was paralyzed. In Pittsburgh the
strikers, rioters, and dangerous classes, gathering in a mob to the
number of twenty thousand, obtained complete control of the city
and for two days held a reign of terror unparalleled in the history
of the country. The Union Depot and all the machine shops and
other railroad buildings of the city were burned. A hundred and
HAYES'S ADMINISTRATION. 355
twenty-five locomotives, and two thousand five hundred cars laden
with valuable cargoes were destroyed. The insurrection was finally
suppressed by the regular troops and the Pennsylvania militia, but
not until nearly a hundred lives had been lost and property de
stroyed to the value of more than three millions of dollars.
6. A similar but less terrible riot occurred at Chicago on the
25th of the month. In this tumult fifteen of the insurgents were
killed. On the next day St. Louis was for some hours in peril of
the mob. San Francisco was at the same time the scene of a dan
gerous outbreak, which was here directed against the Chinese immi
grants and the managers of the lumber yards. Cincinnati, Colum
bus, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne were for a while in
danger, but escaped without serious loss of life or property. By
the close of the month, the alarming insurrection was at an end.
Business and travel flowed back into their usual channels ; but the
sudden outbreak had given a great shock to the public mind, and
revealed a hidden peril to American institutions.
7. In the spring of 1877, a war broke out with the Nez Perce"
Indians of Idaho. This tribe of natives had been known to the
Government since 1806, at which time a treaty was made with
them by the explorers, Lewis and Clarke. In 1854 the national
authorities purchased a part of the Nez Perce territory, large res
ervations being made in Northwestern Idaho and Northeastern
Oregon ; but some of the chiefs refused to ratify the compact, and
remained at large. This was the beginning of difficulties.
8. The war began with the usual depredations by the Indians.
General Howard, commanding the Department of the Columbia,
marched against them with a small force of regulars ; but the Nez
Perces, led by their noted chieftain Joseph, fled first in this direc
tion and then in that, avoiding battle. During the greater part
of summer the pursuit continued ; still the Indians could not be
overtaken. In the fall they were chased through the mountains
into Northern Montana, where they were confronted by other
troops commanded by Colonel Miles.
9. The Nez Perces were next driven across the Missouri Eiver,
near the mouth of tlie Musselshell, and were finally surrounded
in their camp north of the Bear Paw Mountains. Here, on the
23
356 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
4th of October, they were attacked by the forces of Colonel Miles.
A hard battle was fought, and the Indians were completely routed.
Only a few, led by the chief White Bird, escaped. All the rest
were either killed or made prisoners. Three hundred and seventy-
five of the captive Nez Perec's were brought back to the American
post on the Missouri. The troops of General Howard had made
forced marches through a mountainous country for a distance of six
teen hundred miles! The campaign was crowned with complete
success.
10. During the year 1877, the public mind was greatly agitated
concerning THE REMONETIZATION OF SILVER. By the first coinage
regulations of the United States, the standard unit of value was the
American Silver Dollar. From 1792 until 1873, the quantity of
pure metal in this unit had never been changed, though the amount
of alloy contained' in the dollar was several times altered. In 1849
a gold^ dollar was added to the coinage, and from that time forth
the standard unit of value existed in both metals. In 1873-74 a
series of acts were adopted by Congress bearing upon the standard
unit of value, whereby the legal-tender quality of silver was abol
ished, and the silver dollar omitted from the list of coins to be
struck at the national mints.
11. In January, 1875, THE RESUMPTION ACT was passed by
Congress. .It was declared that on the 1st of January, 1879, the
Government should begin to redeem its outstanding legal -tender
notes in coin. The question was now raised as to the meaning of
the word "coin" in the act; and, for the first time, the attention
of the people was aroused to the fact that the privilege of paying
debts in silver had been taken away. A great agitation followed.
The cry for the remonetization of silver reached the Government, and
in 1878 a measure was passed by Congress for the restoration of
the legal-tender quality of the old silver dollar, and for the com
pulsory coinage of that unit at a rate of not less than two millions
of dollars a month. The President returned the bill with his ob
jections, but the veto was crushed under a tremendous majority,
and the old double standard of values was restored.
. 12. In the summer of 1878, several of the Gulf States were
scourged with a YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC. The disease made its
HA YES'S ADMINISTEA TION. 357
appearance in New Orleans, and from thence was scattered among
the towns along the Mississippi. Soon the people began to fly from
the pestilence. The cities of Memphis and Grenada became a scene
of desolation. At Vicksburgh the ravages of the plague were
almost equally terrible; and even in the parish-towns remote from
the river the horrors of the scourge were felt. All summer long
the disease held on unabated. A regular system of contributions
was established in the Northern States, and men and treasure were
poured out without stint to relieve the suffering South. After more
than twenty thousand people had fallen victims to the plague, the
frosts of October came at last, and ended the pestilence.
13. By the Treaty of Washington,* it was agreed that the right
of the United States in certain sea-fisheries which had hitherto be
longed to Great Britain, should be acknowledged and maintained.
It was conceded that the privilege of taking fish on the sea-coasts
and in the harbors, and creeks of the provinces of Quebec, Nova
Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward's Island, and the islands
adjacent, should be guaranteed to American fishermen. The gov
ernment of the United States agreed to relinquish the duties which
had hitherto been charged on certain kinds of fish imported by
British subjects into American harbors; and in order to balance
any discrepancy, and to make the settlement of the question full,
fair, and final, it was further agreed that any total advantage
to the United States might be compensated by a sum in gross to
be paid by the American government. To determine what such
sum should be, a Commission W7as provided for, and in the summer
of 1877 the sittings began at Halifax. In November the country
was startled by the announcement that an award of five millions
of dollars had been made against tlie American government! The
decision was received with general surprise, and for awhile it
seemed probable that the arbitration might be renounced. It was
decided, however, that the award would better stand; and in No
vember, 1878, the amount was paid to the British government.
14. The year 1878 witnessed the establishment ^ A RESIDENT
CHINESE EMBASSY at Washington. For twenty years the great
treaty negotiated by An son Burlingame had been in force between
*" See page 345.
358 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
the United States and China. The commercial relations of the
two countries had been vastly extended, and a knowledge of the
institutions and manners of the Celestial Empire had in some
measure broken down the race-prejudice against the Mongolians.
The enlightened policy of the emperor had also contributed to
establish more friendly intercourse with the United States. The
officers chosen by the imperial government as its representatives in
the United States were Chen Lan Pin, Yung Wing, and Yung
Tsang Siang. On the 28th of September the embassy was received
by the President. The ceremonies of the occasion were among the
most interesting ever witnessed in Washington. The speech of
Chen Lan Pin, the minister, was equal in dignity and appropriate
ness to the best efforts of a European diplomatist.
15. In June, 1878, THE LIFE-SAVING SERVICE OF THE UNITED
STATES was established by act of Congress. The plan proposed the
establishment of regular stations and light-houses on all the exposed
parts of the Atlantic coast and along the great lakes. Each station
was to be manned by a band of surfmen experienced in the dangers
peculiar to the shore in times of storms, and drilled in the best
methods of rescue and resuscitation. Boats of the most approved
pattern were provided and equipped. A hundred appliances and
inventions suggested by the wants of the service were supplied, and
their use skillfully taught to the brave men who were employed at
the stations. The success of the enterprise has been so great as to
reflect the highest credit on its promoters. The number of lives
saved through the agency of the service reaches to thousands an
nually, and the amount of human suffering and distress alleviated
by this beneficent movement is beyond computation.
16. On the 1st of January, 1879, THE RESUMPTION OF SPECIE
PAYMENTS was accomplished by the treasury of the United States.
For more than seventeen years gold and silver coin had been at a
premium over the legal-tender notes of the Government. At times
the purchasing power of a dollar could hardly be predicted from
one week to Another. A spirit of rampant speculation had taken
possession of the market values of the country. After the passage
of the Resumption Act, in 1875, the debtor classes of the country
entered a period of great hardship; for their indebtedness constantly
HA YES'S ADMINISTRA TION. 359
augmented in a ratio beyond the probability, if not the possibility,
of payment. It was an epoch of financial ruin and bankruptcy.
With the near approach of Resumption a certain degree of con
fidence was restored, and the actual accomplishment of the fact
was hailed by many as the omen of better times.
17. The presidential election of 1880 was accompanied with the
usual excitement attendant upon great political struggles in the
United States. The elections of 1878 had generally gone against
the Republican party, and there were reasons to expect that in the
impending contest for the presidency the Democratic party wTould
prove successful. The Republican national convention was held in
Chicago on the 2d and 3d of June ; a platform of principles was
adopted, and General James A. Garfield, of Ohio, nominated for
President. For Vice-President,*Chester A. Arthur, of New York,
received the nomination. The Democratic national convention as
sembled in Cincinnati, on the 22d of June, and nominated for the
presidency General Winfield S. Hancock, of New York, and for
the vice-presidency William H. English, of Indiana. The National
Greenback party held a convention in Chicago, on the 9th of June,
and nominated General James B. Weaver, of Iowa, fcrr President,
and General Benjamin J. Chambers, of Texas, for Vice-President.
18. The canvass had not progressed far until it became evident
that the contest lay between the Republican and the Democratic
party. The election resulted in the choice of Garfield and Arthur.
Two hundred and fourteen electoral votes, embracing those of
nearly all the Northern States, were cast for the Republican candi
dates, and one hundred and fifty-five votes, including those of every
Southern State, were given to Hancock and English. The candi
dates of the National party secured no electoral votes, though the
popular vote given to Weaver and Chambers aggregated 307,000.
19. Soon after retiring from the presidency, General Grant with
his family and a company of personal friends, set out to make A
TOUR OF THE WORLD. The expedition attracted the most conspicu
ous attention both at home and abroad. The departure from Phila
delphia on the 17th of May, 1877, was the beginning of such a
pageant as was never before extended to any citizen of any nation of
the earth. Wherever the distinguished ex-President went he was
360 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
welcomed with huzzas and dismissed with plaudits. The first eight
een months of the tour were spent in visiting the cities and countries
of Europe, and in January of 1879 the company embarked from
Marseilles for the East. The following year was spent in visiting the
great countries of Asia — India first ; then Burmah and Siam ; then
China ; and then Japan. In the fall of 1879 the party returned to
San Francisco, bearing with them the highest tokens of esteem
which the great nations of the Old World could bestow upon the
honored representative of the New.
20. The CENSUS OF 1880 was undertaken with more system and
care than ever before in the history of the country. The work was
entrusted to the superintendency of Professor Francis A. Walker.
During the decade the same rapid progress which had marked the
previous history of the United States was more than ever illustrated.
In every source of national power the development of the country
had continued without abatement. The total population of the
states and territories of the Union now amounted to 50,182,525 —
an increase since 1870 of more than a million inhabitants a year!
New York was still the leading state, having a population of
5,083,173. • Nevada was least populous, showing an enumeration
of but 62,265. Of the 11,584,188 added to the population since
the census of 1870, 2,246,551 had been contributed by immigration,
of whom about 85,000 annually came from Germany alone. The
number of cities having a population of over 100,000 inhabitants
had increased during the decade from fourteen to twenty. The
center of population had moved westward about fifty miles, and
now rested at the city of Cincinnati.
21. The statistics of trade and industry were likewise of a sort to
gratify patriotism, if not to excite national pride. The current of
the precious metals which for many years had flowed constantly
from the United States to foreign countries turned strongly, in
1880, towards America. The importation of specie during the year
just mentioned amounted to $93,034,310, while the exportation of
the same during the year reached only $17,142,199. During the
greater part of the period covered by the census abundant crops had
followed in almost unbroken succession, and the overplus in the great
staples peculiar to 6ur soil and climate had gone to enrich the
HA YES'S ADMINISTEA TION. 361
country, and to stimulate to an unusual degree those great in
dustries upon which national perpetuity and individual happiness
are founded.
22. During the administration of Hayes several eminent Ameri
cans passed from the scene of their earthly activities. On the 1st
of November, 1877, Senator Oliver P. Morton, of Indiana, after
battling for many years against the deadly encroachments of par
alysis, died at his home in Indianapolis. His death, though not
unforeseen, was much lamented. Still more universally felt was
the loss of the great poet and journalist, William Cullen Bryant,
who, on the 12th of June, 1878, at the advanced age of eighty-four,
passed from among the living. For more than sixty years his name
had been known and honored wherever the English language is
spoken. On the 19th of December, in the same year, the illustrious
Bayard Taylor, who had recently been appointed American minister
to the German Empire, died suddenly in the city of Berlin. His
life had been exclusively devoted to literary work ; and almost every
department of letters, from the common tasks of journalism to the
highest charms of poetry, had been adorned by his genius. On
the 1st day of November, 1879, Zachariah Chandler, of Michi
gan, one of the organizers of the Kepublican party, and a great
leader of that party in the times of the civil war, died suddenly at
Chicago. On the 24th day of February, 1881, the distinguished
Matt. H. Carpenter, of Wisconsin, expired at Washington, and on
the 24th day of April, in the same year, the noted publisher and
author, James T. Fields, died at his home in Boston.
Sketch of President Hayes.— His inaugural address.— The policy indicated.— His
cabinet organized.— The great railroad strike disturbs the country.— Troubles on
the Baltimore and Ohio line.— Riot at Pittsburgh.— Mobs in Chicago and St. Louis.
—At San Francisco.— The Nez Percfi war breaks out.— Howard subdues the tribe.
— Silver is remonetize'd.— The Resumption Act is passed.— Yellow Fever desolates
the South.— The Halifax Commission makes an award against the United States.
A Chinese legation is established at Washington.— The Life-saving service is in
stituted.— The Resumption of Specie Payments is accomplished.— The presiden
tial election of 1880.— Results in the choice of Garfleld.— General Grant makes a
tour of the world.— The census of 1880— Death-roll of eminent men.
362 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
CHAPTER LXVIII.
ADMINISTRATIONS OF GARFIELD AND ARTHUR, 1881-1885.
TAMES A. GARFIELD, twentieth president of the United States,
V was born at Orange, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, November 19, 1831.
He wras left in infancy to the sole care of his mother and to the rude
surroundings of a backwoods home. Blest with an abundance of
physical vigor, the boy gathered from country toil a sound consti
tution, and from country schools the rudiments of education. In
boyhood his services were in frequent demand by the farmers of the
neighborhood — for he developed unusual skill as a mechanic.
Afterward he served as a driver and pilot of a canal boat plying
the Ohio and Pennsylvania canal. At the age of seventeen he
attended the High School in Chester, was afterwards a student at
Hiram College, and in 1854 entered Williams College, from which
he was graduated with honor.
2. In the same year, Garfield returned to Ohio, and was made
first a professor and afterwards president of Hiram College. This
position he held until the outbreak of the civil war when he left
his post to enter the army. In the service he rose to distinction,
and while still in the field, was elected by the people of his dis
trict to the lower house of Congress. In 1879 he was elected to
the United States Senate, and hard upon this followed his nomi
nation and election to the presidency. American history has fur
nished but few instances of a more steady and brilliant rise from
the poverty of an obscure boyhood to the most distinguished elect
ive office in the gift of mankind.
3. On the 4th of March, 1881, President Garfield, according to
the custom, delivered his inaugural address, and on the day follow
ing the inauguration sent to the Senate for confirmation the names
of the members of his cabinet. The nominations were, for secre-
ADMINISTRATIONS OF GARFIELD AND ARTHUR. 363
tary of state, James G. Elaine, of Maine; for secretary of the
treasury, William Windom, of Minnesota; for secretary of war,
Robert T. Lincoln, of Illinois; for secretary of the navy, William
H. Hunt, of Louisiana; for secretary of the interior, Samuel J.
Kirkwood, of Iowa; for attorney-general, Wayne McVeagh, of
.TAMES A. GARFIELD.
Pennsylvania; for postmaster-general, Thomas L. James, of New
York. These nominations were promptly confirmed, and the new
administration entered upon its course with omens of an auspicious
future.
4:. The prospects of the new administration were soon darkened
with political difficulties. A division arose in the ranks of the
364 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
Republican party. The two wings 01 the Republicans were nick
named the "Stalwarts" and the "Half-breeds:" the former, headed
by Senator Coukliug of New York, the latter, led by Mr.
Elaine, the Secretary of State, and indorsed by the President him
self. The Stalwarts claimed the right of dispensing the appointive
offices of the Government, after the manner which prevailed for
several preceding administrations ; the President, supported by his
division of the party, insisted on naming the officers in the various
States according to his own wishes.
5. The chief clash between the two influences in the party
occurred in New York. The collectorship of customs for the port
of New York is the best appointive office in the Government. To
fill this position the President nominated Judge William Robertson,
and the appointment was antagonized by the New York Senators,
Conkling and Platt, who, failing to prevent the confirmation of
Robertson, resigned their seats, returned to their State, and failed
of a re-election.
6. A few days after the adjournment of the Senate in June, the
President made arrangements to visit Williams College, where his
two sons were to be placed at school, and to pass a short vacation
with his sick wife at the sea-side. On the morning of July 2d, in
company with Secretary Blaine and a few friends, he entered the
Baltimore depot at Washington to take the train for Long Branch,
New Jersey. A moment afterward he was approached by a miser
able miscreant named Charles Jules Guiteau, who, unperceived,
came within a few feet of the company, drew a pistol, and fired
upon the Chief Magistrate. The aim of the assassin was too well
taken, and the first shot struck the President in the back, inflict
ing a dreadful wound. The bleeding chieftain was borne away to
the executive mansion, and the wretch who had committed the
crime was hurried to prison.
7. For a week or two the hearts of the American people vibrated
between hope and fear. The best surgical aid was procured, and
bulletins were daily issued containing a brief outline of the Presi
dent's condition. The conviction grew day by day that he would
ultimately recover. Two surgical operations were performed with
a 'view of improving his chances for life ; but a series of relapses
ADMINISTRATIONS OF GARFIELD AND ARTHUR. 365
occurred, and the President gradually weakened under his suffer
ings. As a last hope he was, on the 6th of September, carefully
conveyed from Washington City to Elberon, where he was placed
in a cottage only a few yards from the surf. Here, for a brief
period, hope again revived ; but the symptoms were aggravated at
intervals, and the patient sank day by day.
8. At half past ten on the evening of September 19th, the anni
versary of the battle of Chickamauga, his vital powers suddenly
gave way, and in a few moments death closed the scene. For eighty
days he had borne the pain and anguish of his situation with a
fortitude and heroism rarely witnessed among men. The dark
shadow of the crime which had laid him low heightened the luster
and glory of his great and exemplary life.
9. On the day following this deplorable event Vice-President
Arthur took the oath of office in New York, and repaired to Wash
ington. The hearts of the people, however, clung for a time to
the dead rather than to the living President. The funeral of
Garfield was observed first of all at Washington, whither the body
was taken and placed in the rotunda of the Capitol. Here it was
viewed by tens of thousands of people during the 22d and 23d of
September. In his life-time the illustrious dead had chosen, as his
place of burial, Lakeview Cemetery, at Cleveland, Ohio, and
thither, on the 24th of the month, the remains were conveyed by
way of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. As in the case of the dead
Lincoln, the funeral processions and ceremonies were a pageant,
exhibiting everywhere the loyal respect and love of the American
people for him who had so lately been their pride. On the 26th
of September his body was laid in its final resting-place.
10. Chester A. Arthur was born in Vernon, Franklin County,
Vermont, October 5, 1830. He is of Irish descent, and was edu
cated at Union College, from which institution he was graduated
in 1849. For awhile he taught school in his native State, and
then came to New York City to study law. During the civil war
he was Quartermaster-General of the State of New York, a very
important and trying office. After 1865 he returned to the prac
tice of law, and was in 1871 appointed Collector of Customs for
the port of New York. This position he held until July, 1878,
366 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.
when he was removed by President Hayes. Again he returned to
his law practice, but was soon called by the voice of his party to
be a standard bearer in the Presidential canvass of 1880.
11. The assumption of the duties of his high office by President
Arthur was attended with but little ceremony. On the 22d of
September, the oath of office was again administered to him, in
the Vice-President's room in the Capitol. After this he delivered
a brief and appropriate address, referring in a touching manner to
the death of his predecessor. Those present — including General
Grant, ex-President Hayes, Senator Sherman, and General Sher
man, the head of the army — then paid their respects, and the
ceremony was at an end.
12. In accordance with custom, the members of the Cabinet
immediately tendered their resignations. These were not at once
accepted, the President, instead, inviting all the members to retain
their places. For the time all did so, except Mr. Windom, Secre
tary of the Treasury, who was succeeded by Judge Charles J.
Folger, of New York. Mr. MacVeagh, the Attorney-General,
also resigned a short time afterwards, and the President appointed
as his successor Hon. Benjamin H. Brewster, of Philadelphia. The
next to retire from the Garfield Cabinet were Mr. Blaine, Secre
tary of State, and Mr. James, Postmaster-General, who were
succeeded in their respective offices by Hon. F. T. Frelinghuyseu,
of New Jersey, and Hon. Timothy O. Howe, of Wisconsin. The
people generally, without respect to party lines, were well pleased
with the spirit of him who had so suddenly been called to the
chief magistracy of the Union.
THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY has thus been traced from the
times of the aborigines to the present day. The story is done.
The Republic has passed through stormy times, but has at last
entered her Second Century in safety and peace. The clouds that
were recently so black overhead have broken, and are sinking
behind the horizon. The equality of all men before the law has
been written with the iron pen of war in the constitution of the
Nation. The union of the States has been consecrated anew by
ADMINISTRATIONS OF GARFIELD AND ARTHUR. 367
the blood of patriots and the tears of the lowly. The temple of
freedom reared by our fathers still stands in undiminished glory.
THE PAST HAS TAUGHT ITS LESSON ; THE PRESENT HAS ITS DUTY ;
AND THE FUTURE ITS HOPE.
Sketch of President Garfleld.— His inaugural and cabinet.— Dissensions in Ihe
Republican party.— The break in New York.— The President is assassinated.— His
sufferings and death.— The accession of Arthur.— Sketch of his life.— Cabinet
changes. — Conclusion.
APPENDIX.
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union,
establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common de
fense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to our
selves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of North America.
ARTICLE I.
SECTION 1. — All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Con
gress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Rep
resentatives.
SEC. 2. — The House of Representatives shall be composed of members
chosen every second year by the people of the several States, and the elect
ors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the
most numerous branch of the State legislature.
No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age
of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and
who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall
be chosen.
Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several
States which may be included within this Union, according to their respect
ive numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of
free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and exclud
ing Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons. The actual enumera
tion shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress
of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such
manner as they shall by law direct. The number of representatives shall
not exceed one for every thirty thousands but each State shall have at least
one representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of
New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts, eight, Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations, one, Connecticut, five, New York, six,
New Jersey, four, Pennsylvania, eight, Delaware, one, Maryland, six, Vir
ginia, ten, North Carolina, five, South Carolina, five, and Georgia, three.
When vacancies happen in the representation from any State, the execu
tive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker and other offi
cers; and shall have the sole power of impeachment.
SEC. 3. — The Senate 'of the United States shall be composed of two sena
tors from each State, chosen by the legislature thereof, lor six years; and
each senator shall have one vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in consequence of the first elec
tion, they shall be divided, as equally as may be, into three classes. The
seats of the senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of
(368)
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 369
the second year, of the second class, at the expiration of the fourth year, and
of the third class at the expiration of the sixth year, so that one-third may
be chosen every second year; and if vacancies happen, by resignation or oth
erwise, during the recess of the legislature of any State, the executive thereof
may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislature
which shall then fill such vacancies.
No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained to the age of
thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and -who
shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State for which he shall
be chosen.
The Vice-President of the United States shall be president of the Senate,
but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall choose their other officers, and also a president pro tem-
pore, in the absence of the Vice-President, or when he shall exercise the of
fice as President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When
sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the
President of the United States is tried, the chief -justice shall preside; and
no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the
members present.
Judgment, in cases of impeachment, shall not extend further than to re
moval from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor,
trust, or profit under the United States; but the party convicted shall, never
theless, be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment,
according to law.
SEC. 4. — The times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators
and representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the legislature
thereof; but the Congress may, at any time, by law, make or alter such reg
ulations, except as to the places of choosing senators.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year; and such meet
ing shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law
appoint a different day.
SEC. 5. — Each house shall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qual
ifications of its own members; and a majority of each shall constitute a
quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to
day, and may be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members,
in such manner and under such penalties as each house may provide.
Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its mem
bers for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel
a member.
Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time
publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require
secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any
question, shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the
journal.
Neither house, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent
of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than
that in which the two houses shall be sitting.
SEC. 6. — The senators and representatives shall receive a compensation for
their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the
United States. They shall, in all cases except treason, felony, and breach
of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance *on the session
of their respective houses, and in going to and returning from the same;
and, for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned
in any other place.
370 APPENDIX.
No senator or representative shall, during the time for which he was
elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United
States which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have
been increased, during such time; and no person holding any office under
the United States shall be a member of either house during his continuance
in office.
SEC. 7. — All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Rep
resentatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments, as on
other bills.
Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the
Senate, shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the
United States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it,
with his objections, to that house in which it shall have originated, who
shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconsider
it. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of that house shall agree to
pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other
house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and, if approved by two-
thirds of that house, it shall become a law. But, in all such cases, the votes
of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays; and the names of the
persons voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of
each house respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the President
within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to
him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless
the Congress by their adjournment prevent its return, in which case it shall
not be a law.
Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate
and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of
adjournment), shall be presented to the President of the United States; and,
before the same shall take effect, shall be approved by him, or, being disap
proved by him, shall be repassed by two-thirds of the Senate and House of
Representatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case
of a bill.
SEC. 8. — The Congress shall have power: —
To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and
provide for the common defense and general welfare, of the United States;
but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United
States:
To borrow money on the credit of the United States:
To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States,
and with the Indian tribes:
~~To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the
subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States:
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the
standard of weights and measures:
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current
coin of the United States:
To establish post-offices and post -roads:
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited
times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writ
ings and discoveries:
To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court:
To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas,
and offenses against the law of nations:
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules con
cerning captures on land and water:
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 371
To raise and support armies; but no appropriation of money to that use
shall be for a longer term than two years:
To provide and maintain a navy:
To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval
forces :
To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union,
suppress insurrections, and repel invasions:
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for
governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United
States, reserving to the States respectively, the appointment of the officers,
and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline pre
scribed by Congress:
To exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases Whatsoever, over such dis
trict (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular States,
and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of government of the United
States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the con
sent of the legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection
of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings: — And
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into
execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Consti
tution in the government of the United States, or in any department or of
ficer thereof.
SEC. 9. — The migration or importation of such persons, as any of the States
now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Con
gress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight; but a tax, or
duty, may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for
each person. •
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless
when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.
No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed.
No capitation or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the
census, or enumeration, hereinbefore directed to be taken.
No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any State. No
preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the
ports of one State over those of another; nor shall vessels bound to or from
one State be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties, in another.
No money shall be drawn from the treasury but in consequence of appro
priations made by law; and a regular statement and account of the receipts
and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time.
No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States; and no person
holding any office of profit or trust under them shall, without the consent of
the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind
whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.
SEC. 10. — No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation;
grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make
any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any
bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of con
tracts; or grant any title of nobility.
No State shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any imposts or
duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for
executing its inspection laws; and the net prod'uce of all duties and imposts
laid by any State on imports or exports, shall be for the use of the treasury
of the United States; and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and.
control of the Congress. No State shall, without the consent of Congress, lay
any duty of tonnage, keep troops or ships of war in time of peace, enter into
372 APPENDIX.
any agreement or compact with another State or with a foreign power, or
engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will
not admit of delay.
ARTICLE II.
SECTION 1. The executive power shall be vested in a President of the
United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four
years, and together with the Vice-President, chosen for the same term, he
elected as follows: —
Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may
direct, a number of electors equal to the whole number of senators and rep
resentatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress; but no
senator or representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under
the United States, shall be appointed an elector.
The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for
two persons, of whom one, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same
State with themselves. And they shall make a list of all the persons voted
for, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and
certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United
States, directed to the president of the Senate. The president of the Senate
shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all
the certificates; and the votes shall then be counted. The person having
the greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a
majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if there be more
than one who have such majority, and have <m equal number of votes, then
the House of Representatives shall immediately choose, by ballot, one of
them for President; and if no person have a majority, then, from the five
highest on the list, the said house shall, in like manner, choose the Presi
dent. But, in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States;
the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for this
purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the States;
and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. In every
case, after the choice of the President, the person having the greatest num
ber of votes of the electors shall be Vice-President. But, if there should
remain two or more who have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from
them, by ballot, the Vice-President.
The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the
day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same
throughout the United States.
No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States
at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the
office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who
shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen
years a resident within the United States.
In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death,
resignation, or inability to discharge the -powers or duties of the said office,
the same shall devolve on the Vice-President; and the Congress may, by
law, provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of
the President and Vice-President, declaring what officer shall then act as
President; and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be
removed, or a President shall be elected.
The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensa
tion, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for
which he shall have been elected; and he shall not receive within that
period any other emolument from the United States or any of them.
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 373
Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following
oath or affirmation: —
" I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office
of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, pre
serve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."
SEC. 2. — The President shall be commander-in-chief of the army and
navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when
called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the
opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive depart
ments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and
he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the
United States, except in cases of impeachment.
He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur; and he
shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall
appoint, ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, judges of the
Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appoint
ments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established
by law; but the Congress may, by law, vest the appointment of such inferior
officers as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or
in the heads of departments.
The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen
during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions, which shall ex
pire at the end of their next session.
SEC. 3. — He shall, from time to time, give to the Congress information of
the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures
as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occa
sions, convene both houses, or either of them, and, in case of disagreement
between them with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them
to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and
other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully exe
cuted; and shall commission all the officers of the United States.
SEC. 4. — The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers of the United
States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of
treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
ARTICLE III.
SECTION 1. — The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in a
Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to
time ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and inferior
courts, shall hold their offices during good behavior; and shall, at stated
times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall not be dimin
ished during their continuance in office.
SEC. 2. — The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity,
arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties
made, or which shall be made, under their authority; to all cases affecting
ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls; to all cases of admiralty
and maritime jurisdiction; to controversies to which the United States shall
be a party ; to controversies between two or more States, between a State and
citizens of another State, between citizens of different States, between citizens
of the same State claiming lands under grants of different States, and be
tween a State, or the citizens thereof, and foreign States, citizens, or subjects.
In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, and
those in which a State shall be a party, the Supreme Court shall have orig-
374 APPENDIX.
inal jurisdiction. In all the other cases befote mentioned, the Supreme
Court shall have appellate jurisdiction both as to law and fact, with such
exceptions, and under such regulations, as the Congress shall make.
The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury;
and such trial shall be held in the State where the said crimes shall have
been committed; but, when not committed within any State, the trial shall
be at such place or places as the Congress may by law have directed.
SEC. 3. — Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying
war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and com
fort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two
witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but
no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture, except
during the life of the person attainted.
ARTICLE IV.
SECTION 1. — Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the
public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State. And the
Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts,
records, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.
SEC. 2. — The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and
immunities of citizens in the several States.
A person charged in any State with treason, felony, or other crime, who
shall flee from justice, and be found in another State, shall, on demand of
the executive authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to
be removed to the State having jurisdiction of the crime.
No person held to service or labor in one State under the laws thereof
e'scaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein,
be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim
of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.
SEC. .3. — New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union;
but no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any
other State; nor any State be formed by the junction of two or more States,
or parts of States, without the consent of the legislature of the States con
cerned, as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules
and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the
United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to
prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular State.
SEC. 4. — The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a
republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against
invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when
the legislature can not be convened), against domestic violence.
ARTICLE V.
The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary,
shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the
legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a convention for
proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid, to all intents
and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by^the legislatures
of three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths
thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the
Congress; Provided,, that no amendment, which may be made prior to the
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 375
year one thousand eight hundred and eight, shall in any manner affect the
first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no
State, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the
Senate.
ARTICLE VI.
All debts contracted, and engagements entered into, before the adoption of
this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this
Constitution, as under the Confederation.
This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made
in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under
the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land;
and the judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any thing in the con
stitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.
The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of
the several State legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of
the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath or
affirmation to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be
required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United
States.
ARTICLE VII.
The ratification of the conventions of nine States shall be sufficient for
the establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the
Done in Convention by the unanimous consent of the States present, the seventeenth
day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-
seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In
witness whereof we have hereunto subscinbed our names. .
GEORGE WASHINGTON, President,
and Deputy from Virginia.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. — John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman.
MASSACHUSETTS. — Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King.
CONNECTICUT. — William Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman.
NEW YORK. — Alexander Hamilton.
NEW JERSEY. — William Livingston, David Bearly, William Patterson,
Jonathan Dayton.
PENNSYLVANIA. — Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris,
George Clymer, Thomas Fitzsimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Gou-
verneur Morris.
DELAWARE. — George Read, Gunning Bedford, Jr., John Dickinson, Rich
ard Bassett, Jacob Broom.
MARYLAND. — James McHenry, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Daniel
Carroll.
VIRGINIA. — John Blair, James Madison, Jr.
f NORTH CAROLINA.— William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Wil
liamson.
SOUTH CAROLINA. — John Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles
Pinckney. Pierce Butler.
GEORGIA. — William Few, Abraham Baldwin.
Attest: WLLUAM JACKSON, Secretary.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.
ARTICLE I.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or
of :he press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to peti
tion the government for a redress of grievances.
ARTICLE II.
A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
ARTICLE III.
No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the
consent of the owner; nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed
by law.
ARTICLE IV.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated; and
no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or
affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the
person or things to be seized.
ARTICLE V.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous
crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in
cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia when in actual
service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject, for
the same offense, to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be
compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself; nor be
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall
private property be taken for public use without just compensation.
ARTICLE VI.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy
and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the
crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously
ascertained by law; and to be informed of the nature and cause of the
accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have com
pulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assist
ance of counsel for his defense.
ARTICLE VII.
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed
twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved; and no fact
tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United
States than according to the rules of the common law.
(376)
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 377
ARTICLE
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor crnel
and unusual punishments inflicted.
ARTICLE IX.
The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not be con
strued to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
ARTICLE x.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to
the people.
ARTICLE XI.
The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend
to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the
United States by citizens of another State, or by citizens or subjects of any
foreign State.
ARTICLE XH.
The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for
President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhab
itant of the same State with themselves; they shall name in their ballots
the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for
as Vice-President; and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for
as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the num
ber of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit
sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the
president of the Senate; the president of the Senate shall, in the presence of
the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the
votes shall then be counted; the person having the greatest number of votes
for President shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the
whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have such majority,
then from the persons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three on
the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall
choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But, in choosing the Presi
dent, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each State
having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or
members from two-thirds of the States, and a majority of all the States shall
be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not
choose a President, whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them,
before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall
act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability
of the President.
The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall
be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number
of electors appointed; and if no person have a majority, then from the two
highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a
quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of
senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice.
But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President, shall
be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.
378 APPENDIX.
ARTICLE Xin.
SECTION 1. — Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a pun
ishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall
exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
SEC. 2. — Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appropriate
legislation.
ARTICLE XIV.
SECTION 1. — All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and sub
ject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the
State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;
nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without
due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.
SEC. 2. — Eepresentatives shall be apportioned among the several States,
according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of per
sons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote
at any election for choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the
United States, representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers
of a State, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the
male inhabitants of such State being twenty -one years of age, and citizens
of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in
rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced
in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the
whole number of male citizens twenty -one years of age in such State.
SEC. 3. — No ^ person shall be a senator, or representative in Congress, or
elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military,
under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken
an oath as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as
a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of
any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have en
gaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort
to the enemies thereof; but Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each
house, remove such disability.
SEC. 4. — The validity of the public debt of the United States authorized
by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions, and bounties for
services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.
But neither the United States, nor any State, shall assume or pay any debt
or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United
States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such
debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void.
SEC. 5. — The Congress shall have power to enforce by appropriate legisla
tion the provisions of this Article.
ARTICLE XV.
SECTION 1. — The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States, or by any State, on account of race,
color, or previous condition of servitude.
SEC. 2.-— The Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appro
priate legislation.
PRONUNCIATION OF PEOPER NAMES.
[E., English; F., French; S., Spanish; P., Portuguese ; It., Italian; G.. German
N., Norse ; Sw., Swedish ; Pol., Polish ; L., Latin ; I., Indian.]
Abenaki [I.], ab-e-nali-ki.
Abercrombie [E.]. ab-er-krum-bi.
Adet [F.], ah-da.'
Adolphus [L.], £Udol-fus.
Aix-la-Chapelle [F.], aks-lah-shah-
pel.
Algonquin [L], al-g6n-lcen.
Almonte [S.], al-mon-te.
Altamaha [I.], awl-ta-ma-haw.
Alvarado [S.], al-va-rah-do.
Ambrister [E.], am-bris-ter.
Amerigo Vespucci [It.], ah-mer-e-gG
ves-poot-che.
Amidas [E.], am-id-as.
Ampudia [S.], am-poo-di-a.
Andre [F.], an-drfi.
Anjou [F.], ong-zhoo.*
Antietam [E.], an-te-tam.
Antonio de Espego [S.], ahn-to-m-6
da es,pa-ho.
Apalachee [I.], ap-a-Iach-e.
Arbuthnot [E.], ahr-buth-not.
Armada [S.], ahr-mah-da.
Ashe [E.], ash.
Au Glaize [F.], o-glaz.
Autosse [I.], aw-tos-e.
Ayavalia [S.], i-ah-vahl-ya.
Ayotla [S.], I-ot-la.
Aztecs [I.], az-teks.
Balfour [E.], bal-foor.
Barron [E.], bahr-ron.
Baum [E.], bawm.
Bayard [E.], bl-ahrd.
Beaufort [E.], bu-furt.
Beaujeau [F.], bo-zhu.
Beauregard [F.], bo-ra-gahrd.
Beau-Sejour [F.], bo-sa-zhoor.
Behring [E.], be-ring.
Bellomont [E.], bel-6-mont.
.], bulk-li.
.], bur-goin.
Bergen [E.],
Berkeley [E.], berk-li.
Bermudas [E.], ber-mu-daz.
Bernard [E.], ber-nahrd.
Bienville [F.], be-ong-vel.
Biloxi [E.], be-16ks-i.
Blennerhassett [E.], blen-ner-hfts-set.
Blyth [E.], blith.
Borgne [E.], born.
• Boscawen [E.], bos-feaw-en.
; Bowdoin [E.], bo-den.
I Bracito [S.], brah-the-to.
Bulkeley [E.],
Burgoyne [E.]
; Cabot [E.], kab-6t.
! Cadwallader [E.], kad-wahl-la-der.
! Cambahee [I.], kahm-ba-he.
l Canonchet [I.], ka-non-shet.
Canonicus [L], ka-non-I-kus
j Canseau [F.], kan-so.
Carleton [E.], kahrl-tun.
Cartier [F.], kahr-ti-a.
Casa de Mata [S.], kalis a da mab-ta.
Casamir [Sw.], kas-i-mir.
Castin [F.], kas-tan.
Chabot [F.], sha-bo.
Chaleurs [F.], shah-lcor.
Cham [Tartar], kam.
Champe [E.], kamp.
Champlain [F.], sham-plan.
Chantilly [E.l shahn-til-li.
Chapultepec [S.] kah-pool-ta-pSk.
Chattahouche [L], chat-ta-hoo-che.
Chaudiere [F.], sho-de-ar.
Chauncey [E.], chawn-se.
Cherbourg [F.], sher-boorg.
Cherokee [I.], cher-5-ke.
Chickamauga [E.], chik-a-maw-ga.
Chickasaws [I.], chik-a-sawz.
(379)
380
PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES.
Chicora [S.], che-ko-ra.
Chignecto [I.], she-nek-to.
Chihuahau [S.], she-wah-wah.
Chippewa [I.], chip-pe-wah.
Choctaws [I.], chok-tawz.
Christiansen [E.], krist-yan-sun.
Christison [Sw.], krls-ti-sun.
Chrysler [E.], kris-ler.
Churubusco [S.], koo-roo-boos-ko.
Clarendon [E.], klar-en-dun.
Cochrane [E.], kok-ran.
Coligni [F.J, ko-len-ye.
Columbus [L.], ko-lum-biis.
Comanclies [I.], ko-man-chez.
Concepcion [S.], kon-thep-thi-on.
Condi* [F.], kon-da.
Contreras [S.], kon-tra-ras.
Copernicus [L.], ko-per-m-kus.
Copley [E.], kop-le.
Cordilleras [S.], kor-del-ya-rahs.
Corees [I.], ko-rez.
Cornwallis [E.], kawrn-walU-Ks.
Cotentnea [E.], ko-tent-ne-a.
Credit Mobilier [F.], cra-di mo-bil-i-
ar.
Croghan [E.], krog-han.
Cyan [E.], sl-an.
Dacres [E.], dak-erz.
Dahlgren [E.], dal-gren.
Dakotas [I.], dah-ko-tahz.
D'Anville [F.], dong-vel.
Darrah [E.], dahr-rah.
D' Aubrey [F.], do-bra.
Daye [E.], da.
De Ayllon [S.], da il-yon.
De Balboa [S.], da bahl-bo-a.
De Barras [F.], du bahr-rab.
Deeatur [E.], de-ka-tur.
De Fleury [F.], du fliir-i.
De Grasse [F.], du gras.
De Kalb [F.], du kahlb.
Delalace [F.], du-la-pl«ls.
De Monts [F.], du
De Narvaez [F.], da nahr-vah-eth.
D'Estaing [F.], da-stang.
De Terney [F.], du ter-na.
De Vaca [S.], da vah-ka.
De Vergor [F.], du var-gor.
De Villiers [F.], du vGl-yar.
De Vries [F.], de-vres.
Dieppe [F.], de-6p.
Dieskau [F.], de-cs-ko.
Dominic de Gourges [F.], do-man-ek
du
Dongan [E.], dun-gan.
Doniphan [E.], don-i-fan.
Dupont [E.J, doo-pont.
Du Quesne [F.], de kan.
Dyar [E.], dl-ar.
Eldorado [S.], el-do-rah-d5.
Emucfau [I.], e-miik-faw.
Endicott [E.], 6n-di-k6t.
Erickson [E.], er-iks-sun.
Erskine [E.], 6r-skin.
Esquimaux [I.], es-ki-moz.
Falmouth [E.], fal-muth.
Faneuil [F.], fiin-il.
Farragut [E.], fahr-ra-gu.
Ferdinand de Soto [S.], fer-di-nand
da so-to.
Ferdinand Gorges [E.], fer-di-nand
gor-jez.
Ferdinand Magellen [P.], f6r-di-
nand ma-jel-lan.
Ferguson [E.], fur-gu-sun.
Fernandez de Cordova [S.], fer-
nahii-deth da kor-do-va.
Fernando Cortez [S.], fer-iiahn-dc
kor-teth.
Fouchet [F.], foo-sha.
Fraser [E.], fra-zer.
Freneau [E.], fre-no.
Frobisher [E.], frob-ish-er.
Frontenac [F.], fron-te-nak.
Gabarus [E.], ga-bar-us.
Galileo [It.], gah-li-la-6.
Gambier [F.], gahm-bi-a.
Gaspar Cortereal [P.], gahs-pahr
kor-ta-ra-ahl.
Gaspe [F.], gas-pa.
Gaspereau [F.I gahs-per-o. ^
Genet [F.], zhe-na.
Genoa [It.], jen-6-ah.
Gila [S.], he-lah.
Gillis [G.], gll-lis.
Girardeau [E.], ji-ralir-do.
Gloucester [E.], glos-ter.
Godyn [E.], go-dl
Goffe [E.],
Gonzales [S.], gon-thah-leth.
Gorgeana [E.], gor-je-an-a.
Gosnold [E.], gos-nold.
Goulburn [E.], gool-burn.
Grierson [E.], grer-sim.
Grijalva [S.], gre-hahl-va.
Guadalupe Hidalgo [S.], gwah-da-
loo-pa he-dahl-go.
Guerriere [F.], ger-ri-ar.
PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES.
381
Guiana [S.], ge-ahn-a.
Gustavus [L.], gus-ta-viis.
Hakluyt [E.], hak-loot.
Havre de Grace [F.], hahver dii
gras.
Hayne [E.], han.
Heister [G.], hls-ter.
Henlopen [E.], hen-lo-pen.
Herjulfson [N.], har-yoolf-sfm.
Herkimer [E.], hur-ki-mer.
Hertel [F.], her-t&l.
Hochelaga [I.], hok-e-Iah-ga.
Hosset [G.], hos-set.
Housatonic [I.], hoo-sa-ton-ik.
Houston [E.], hows-tun.
Hovenden [E.], ho-ven-den.
Huguenots [F.], hu-g6 nots.
Iroquois [I.], ir-6-kwah.
Isabella [S.], iz-a-bel-a.
Isle-aux-Noix [F.], el-6-iiooah.
luka [E.], i-yoo-ka.
Jameson [E.], jam-e-sun.
Jesuits [E.], jez-u-its.
Joliet [F.], zho-li-a.
Joris [G.], yo-ris.
Juarez [S.], hwaw-r8th.
Jumonville [F.], zhe-m5ng-v61.
Kamtchatka [I.], kam-tchat-ka.
Kaskaskia [L], kas-kas-ki-a.
Kearney [E.], kahr-ne.
Kearsarge [E.]> kahr-sahr-gg, or
k6r-sahrj.
Kieft [E.], keft.
Klamathas [L], klam-aths.
Knowlton [E.], nol-tun.
Knyphausen [G.], nep-howr-sen.
Kosciusko [Pol.], kfts-si-us-ko.
Kossuth [G.], kos-shoot.
La Colle [F/
Ladrones [*
La Favette _
La Fitte [F/
La Roche [F.], la rosh.
La Roque [F.], la rok.
La Salle [F.], la-sal.
Lathrop [E.], la-thrup.
Laudonnierre [F.], lo-don-m-ar.
Laurie [E.], law-ri.
La Vega [S.], lah va-ga.
Le Beef [F.J, lu buf.
Leddra [E.], ISd-ra.
Ledyard [E.], 16d-yahrd.
Leif Erickson [N.]', llf 6r-ik-sun.
Leisler [G.], lls-ler.
lahd-ro-nes.
fa-et.
Leitch [E.], lech.
Leverett [E.], lev-6r-et.
Leyden [G.], 11-den.
Lionel [E.], li-6-nel
Lopez [S.], lo-peth.
Los Angeles [S.], los-ahng-el-es.
Loudon [E.], loo-dooii.
Liitzen [G.], letz-en.
Luzerne [Swiss], loo-zern.
Macdonough [E.], mak-don-6.
Macdougall [E.], maak-cloo-gal.
Macomb [E.], ma-kom.
Magaw [E.], ma-gaw.
Mandeville [E.], man-de-vil.
Manteo [I.], mahn-te-o.
Manuel [P.], maiin-oo-al.
Markam [E.], inalirk-am.
Marlborough [E.], mahrl-bru.
Marquette [F.], mahr-ket.
Massasoit [L], ma-sas-6-it.
Matagorda [S.], mat-a-gor-da.
Mather [E.], mathe-er.
Matoaka [I.], mat-6-ak-a.
Mattapony [L], ma-tap-6-m.
Matthews [E.], math-uz.
Maumee [I.], maw-me.
Maurepas [F.], rnor-pali.
Maximilian [G.], max-i-mll-yan.
McCullough [E.], mak-knl-lo.
Mclntosh [E.], mak-in-tosh.
Meacham [E.], me-chain.
Meigs [E.], megz.
Meta Incognita [L.], me-ta m-cog-
ni-ta.
Meuse [G.], mus.
Mianatonomoh [I.], mi-an-to-no-mo.
Micanopy [I.], mi-kaii-6-pi.
Minuit [G.], min-oo-it.
Mohegan [I.], mo-he-gan.
Molino del Rey [S.], mo-le-no del rii.
Monckton [E.], munk-tun.
Monk [E.], munk.
Monocacy [I.], mo-nok-a-si.
Montcalm [F.J, mont-kahm.
Monteano [S.], mon-tfi-alm-6.
Montezuma [IJ, m5n-te-zoo-uia.
Montmorenci [E.], m5nt-nio-ren-si.
Mosley [E.], moz-le.
Moultrie [E.], mol-trt.
Nairne [E.], narn.
Nassau [F.], nas-so.
Natchitoches [I.], nach-i-toch-es.
Naumkeag [I.], nawm-ke-ag.
Nauvoo [E.], naw-voo. .
382
PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES.
Nicols [E.], mk-ulz.
Nipmucks [I.], nip-muks.
Nueces [S.], nwa-ses.
Ocklawaha [I.], 6k-la-wah-hah.
Odeneal [E.], o-den-el.
Ogechee [I.], 6-ge-che.
Oglethorpe [E.], o-gel-thorp.
O'Hara [E.], 6-hahr-ra.
Ojeda [S.], o-ha-da.
Okeechobee [I.], 6-ke-cho-be.
Oldham [E.], old-am.
Olustee [E.], 6-liis-te.
Oneidas [I.], 6-nI-das.
Opecancanough [I.], 6-pe-kan-kan-o.
Orapax [I.], or-a-pax.
Osceola [I.], 6s-se-o-la.
Oswald [E.], 6s-wawld.
Otis [E.], o-tis.
Oxenstiern [Sw.], oks-en-stern.
Pascua Florida [L.], pahs-koo-a flor-
i-da.
Patapsco [I.], pa-tap-sko.
Patuxent [I.], pa-tu
Raleigh [E.], raw-li.
Ratcliffe [E.], rat-klif.
Rawdon [E.I, raw-dun.
Raymbault [F.], ram-bo.
Revere [E.I re-ver.
Rhett [E.], rgt.
Riall [E.], rl-al.
Ribault [F.], re-bo.
Roberval [P.I rob-er-vahl.
Rochambeau [P.], r5-sham-bo.
Rochelle [F.], ro-sh6l.
Roderigo Triana [S.], rod-re-go tre-
ah-na.
Rosecrans [G.], ros-krahns.
Ryswick [G.I, res-wik.
-tuks-ent.
Pauw [G.], paw.
Pedro Melendez [S.], pa-dr^ tna-16n-
deth.
Pemaquid [I.], pem-a-kwid,
Pepperell [E.], pep-p6r-el.
Pequod [L], pe-kwod.
Perote [S.], pa-ro-te.
Philippine [E.], fil-ip-in.
Pigot [E.], pig-ot.
Pinta [S.], pen-ta.
Piscataqua [L], pis-kat-a-kwa,
Pitcairn [E.], plt-karn.
Pizzaro [S.], pe-thahr-rO.
Pocahontas [I.], pok-a-hon-tas.
Poictiers [F.], pwah-te-a.
Point au Trembles [F.],' pwan to
trail nibl.
Ponce de Leon [S.], pon-tha da la-
on.
Pontchartrain [F.], pOn-shahr-tran.
Porto Rico [S.], por-to re-ko.
Poutrincourt [F.], poo-tran-koor.
Powhatan [I.], pow-hat-aii.
Presque Isle [F.], presk-el.
Prevost [E.], prev-ost.
Prideaux [F.], prid-o.
Puebla [SJ, pwSb-lah.
Pulaski [Pol.], poo-lahs-ki.
Quantrell [E.], kwalin-trel.
Queretaro [S.], ka-ra-tah-r(5.
Kahl [G.], rahl.
Salkehatchie [I.], sal-ke-hach-e.
j Saltillo [S.], sahl tel-yo.
I Samoset [I.], sam-6-set.
i San Cosme [S.], sahn kos-ma.
! Sandys [E.], sftn-dis.
San Jose [S.], sahn hd-sa.
San Juan d'Ulloa [S.], sahn hwatin
dool-o-ah.
San Miguel [S.], sahn mig-oo-al.
Santa Maria [S.], salm-t.> mah-re-a.
Sassacus [I.], sas-sak-us.
Sayle [E.], sal.
Schenectady [I.], skg-nek-ta-di.
Schuyler [E.], ski-ler.
Selish [L], se-lish.
Seminoles [I.], sem-i-nolz.
Semmes [E.], semz.
Seville [S.], se-vil.
Seward [E.], soo-ahrd.
Sheaffe [G.], shaf-fe.
Shirley [E.], shur-li.
Shoshonees [I.], sho-sho-nez.
Sigel [G.], se-ge^r
Sioux [I.], soo. '"
Sloughter [E.], slo-t6r.
Sothel [E.], soth-6l.
I Squanto [L], skwalin-to.
St. Augustine [E.], sant aw-gus-ten.
I Steuben [G.], stu-ben.
Stirling [E.], stur-ling.
St. Leger [F.], sant lej-6r.
Stoughton [E.], sto-tfin.
St. Pierre [F.], san pe-ar.
Streight [F.I strat.
Stuyvesant [G.], stl-ves-ant.
Subercase [F.], se-ber-kahs.
Suwanee [I.], soo-walin-e.
Talladega [L], tahl-la-de-ga.
Tallapoosa [I.], tal-la-poos-a.
PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES.
383
Tallushatchee [I.], tal-lus-hach-e.
Tamanlipas [S.], tahm-aw-le-pas.
Tanacharisson [L.], tan-a-kar-is-sun.
Tarleton [E.], tahrl-tttn.
Teche [F.], tesh.
Tecumtha [L], te-kum-tha.
Thames [E.], temz.
Theresa [G.], ter-6s-zl.
Thortinn Karlsefne [N.], tor-fin
kahrl-sef ne.
Thorstein Erickson [N.], tor-stin er-
ik-sun.
Tituba [L], ti-too-ba,
Tohopeka [I.], to-ho-pe-ka.
Tomo-Chichi [I.], to-mo-che-cln.
Tortugas [S.], tor-too-gahs.
Tuscaroras [I.], tiis-kil-ro-rahz.
Van Rensselaer [E.], van ren-se-lahr.
Van Twiller [G.], van twel-ler.
Vasco de Gama [P.], vahs-ko da
gah-ma.
Vaudreuil [F.], vo-dru-el.
Vaughan [E.], vawn.
Vera Cruz [S.], va-rah kroos.
Vergennes [F.], ver-zhen.
Verhulst [G.], var-hoolst.
Verra^zani [It.
Wadsworth [E
\
ver-rat-tsah-ni.
\vods-wurth.
Wahoo [I.], waw-hoo.
Wainman [E.], wan-inan.
Walloons [G.], wahl-loonz.
Wampanoags [I.], wahm-pan-o-agz.
Warwick [E.], wahr-rick.
Washita [F.], wosh-i-taw.
Waymouth [E.], iva-muth.
Weehawken [I.], we-hawk-en.
Weitzel [G.], wit-zel. '
\Velde [E.], wel-d6.
Whalley [E.], hwahl-li.
Whinyates [E.], liwiii-yats.
Whitefield [E.], hwit-feld.
Wingina [I.], wm-ge-na.
Winthrop [E.], win-thrup.
Wilkes [E.], wilks.
Withlacooohie [I.], with-la-koo-che.
Worcester [E.], woos-ter.
Wouter [G.], woo-t6r.
Wyatt [E.], AVl-at.
Xeres [S.], ha-r^th.
Yamacraws [I.], yahm-a-krawz.
Yamassees [I.], ya-mas-ez.
Yeamans [E.], ye-manz.
Yeardley [E.], yiird-li.
Youghiogheny [I.], yoh-ho-ga-m.
Yusef [Moorish], yoo-sef.
Zenger [G.], zen-ger.
INDEX.
Abenakis, The, War with, 93, 98.
Abercrombie, General, Expedition of
against Ticonderoga, 173.
Acadia, Name of, 34; ruin of, 168-169.
Adams, John, Predicts American Inde
pendence, 180; nominates Washington
for general-in-chief, 190; member of
committee to draft Declaration, 194;
commissioner to Paris, 227; Vice-Pres
ident, 232 ; elected President, 237 ; admin
istration of, 238-240 ; death of, 268.
Adams, John Quincy, Secretary of State,
264; elected President. 267; sketch ~f,
268; administration of, 268-269; death
of, 289.
Adams, Samuel, Speaks out for liberty, 185.
Adot, M., Evil influence of in United States,
238.
Adolphus, Gustavus, Plans an American
colony, 105.
Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of, 101.
Alabama, Admission of, 266.
Alabama, The, Career of, 333.
Alabama Claims, The, Settlement Of, 345.
Alaska, Purchase of, 341.
Algiors, Tribute paid to, 237; brought to
terms, 263.
Algonquins, The, Territorial position of, 12.
Allen, Ethan, Expedition of against Ticon
deroga, 188.
Amendments to Constitution, Notice of,
232; passage of fourteenth and fifteenth,
344.
Amherst, General, Commander-in-chief in
America, 174.
Amidas, Philip, Voyage of, 39.
Amnesty Proclamation, The, Account of,
339.
Anderson, Robert, At Fort Sumter, 302.
Andro, John, Connection of with Arnold's
treason, 220.
Andros, S'r Edmund, Career of in America,
91, 112, 114, 12-J, 129, 132, 137.
Antiotam, Battle of, 319.
Anti- Federalist Party, The, Rise of, 230.
Archdale, John, Governor of South Caro
lina, 154.
Arctic Explorations, Account of, 293.
Argall, Samuel, Expeditions of, 61, 62.
Arkansas, Organization of, 266; admission
of, 274.
Arnold, Benedict,' At Ticonderoga, IbJ-; ex
pedition of against Quebec, 191 ; heroism
of, 204 ; treason of. 219 ; in Virginia, 222.
Arthur, Chester A., elected Vice- President,
359 ; accedes to the presidency, 365 ;
sketch of, 365 ; administration of, 365-
Atlanta, Capture of, 329.
Bacon, Nathaniel, Rebellion of, 70.
Balboa, Discovery of the Pacific by, 20.
Baltimore, Siege of, 260; attack on Union
soldiers io, 302.
Baltimore, Lords, Colonize Maryland, 145.
Bank of the United States, Organization
of, 234; expiration of charter of, 263; re-
charteriug of vetoed by Jackson, 271;
new charter of vetoed by Tyler, 278.
Banks, N. P., In West Virginia, 315; in com
mand of the Red River expedition, 327.
Barclay, Robert.Governor of New Jersey ,137.
Barlow, Arthur, Voyage of, 39.
• omont, Earl of, Governs New York, 116.
B-nnington, Battle of, 203.
Berkeley. Sir William, Governor of Vir
ginia, 67; vengeance of, 71; proprietor
of New Jersey, 134.
Black Hawk, War, The, Account of, 272.
Elaine, James G., Secretary of State, 362.
Blockade, The question of in Europe, 245.
Bonaparte, Napoleon, Policy of toward the
United States, 239- sells Louisiana, 242;
measures of Against Great Britain, 245;
issues Milan Decree, 245.
Bonaparte, Lonis Napoleonj Intrigue of re
specting Mexico, 340.
Boone, Daniel, Colonizes Kentucky, 235.
Booth, John Wilkes, Assassination of Lin
coln by, 337.
Boston, Founded, 77; occupied by the Brit
ish army, 184 ; massacre at, 184 ; siege of,
188-193; great fire in, 347.
Braddock, Edward, Campaign or against
the French, 166-167.
Bradford, William, Governor or Alassachu-
setts, 74.
(384)
INDEX.
385
Bragg, Braxton, At Murfreesborough, 315;
at Chickamauga, 322; at Lookout and
Missionary Ridge, 322-323.
Brandywine, Battle of. 205.
Breckinridge, John C., Vice-President. 296;
in command in the Shenandoah Valley,
334.
Brown, John, Insurrection led by, 298.
Bryant, William Cullen, Death of, 356.
Buchanan, James, Elected President, 296;
sketch of, 297; administration of, 297-300.
Buckner, S. B., At Fort Donelson, 312.
Buena Vista, Battle of, 285.
Bull Run, Battles of, 308, 318.
Bunker Hill, Fortification of by Americans,
188; battle of, 189.
Burgesses, House of, Establishment of, 63;
scene in, 181.
Burgoyne, General, Invasion of, 202; capit
ulation of, 204.
Burnside, Ambrose E., In command of the
Army of the Potomac, 319; at Freder-
icksburg, 319.
Burr, Aaron, Elected Vice-President, 240;
kills Hamilton, 244; conspiracy of, 244.
Butler, B. F., At New Orleans, 314; at Ft.
Fisher, 332; at Bermuda Hundred, 334.
Cabinet, The, Organization of, 234.
Cable, The Atlantic, Laying of, 297, 340.
Cabot, John, Voyage of, 35.
Cabot, Sebastian, Voyage and explorations
of, 36.
Calhoun, John C., Secretary of War, 264;
Vice-President, 267; as a nullitier, 271;
death of, 294.
California, Discovery of gold in, 288 ; organ
ization of, 291 ; admission of, 292.
Californians, The, Territorial position of, 12.
Calvert, Sir George, Sketch of, 144.
Calvert, Sir Cecil, Colonizes Maryland, 145.
Camden, Battle of, 218.
Canadian Insurrection, The, Account of,
276.
Canonchet, Notice of, 87; execution of, 90.
Canonicus, Notice of, 78.
Cape Breton, Conquest of, 101.
Carpenter, Matt. H., Death of, 361.
Carteret, Sir George, Proprietor of New
Jersey, 134.
Cartier, James, Voyage of, 30.
Carver, John, Leader of the Pilgrims, 47;
death of, 73.
Census, of 1790 and 1800, 240 ; of 1810, 248 ;
Of 1870, 344 ; of 1880, 360.
Centennial of American Independence,
Account of, 350.
Cerro Gordo, Battle of, 286.
Champe, Sergeant John, Attempt of to !
capture Arnold, 222.
Champion Hills, Battle of, 321.
Champlain, Samuel, Career of in Amer- i
ica, 34.
Chancellors ville, Battle of, 324.
Chandler, Zachariah, Death of, 361.
Chapultepec, Battle of, 287.
Charles I., Relations of with American col
onies, see Afossochusetts and Virginia.
Charles II., Relations of with American col
onies, see Massachusetts and Virginia.
Charleston, Founding of, 153; taken by the
British, 217; evacuation of, 225; siege of,
323; capture of by Sherman, 330.
Charter of New England, Account of, 76.
Charter Oak, The, Story of, 91, 125.
Chase, Salmon P., Secretary of the Treas
ury, 301; presides at the impeachment
trial of Johnson, 342; death of, 349.
Cherokees, The, Territorial position of. 12;
war with, 177; difficulties with, 272.
Chesapeake, Bay of, Exploration of by
John Smith, 56.
Chesapeake, The, Affair of, 245.
Chicago, Burning of, 345.
Chickamauga, Battle of, 322.
Chicora, Old name of Carolina, 23.
Chinese Embassy, Established at Washing
ton, 357.
Chippewa, Battle of, 258.
Churubusco, Battle of, 287.
Civil Rights Bill, The, Passage of, 342.
Civil War, The, Causes of, 303-306 ; history
of, 306-336.
Citizenship, English views of, 245.
Clarke, John, Colonizes Rhode Island, 128;
services of, J29.
Clarke, William, Exploring expedition of,
244.
Clayborne, William, Career of in Mary
land, 144-147.
Clay, Henry, Secures the passage of Omnibus
Bill, 291 ; death of, 294,
Clinton, George, Vice-President, 244.
Clinton, Sir Henry, Attempt of to save
Burgoyne, 204.
Coddington, William, Sets up Israel in
Rhode Island, 128.
Colfax, Schuyler, Vice-President, 343.
Coligni, Mentioned, 32.
Colonies, The American, Dispute of with
Great Britain, 179-186; independence of,
195, 227.
Colonization Society, The, Organization
of, 263.
Colorado, Admission of, 352.
Columbia, District of, Organization of, 240.
Columbus, Christopher, Sketch of, 18; dis
covery of America by, 19; misfortunes
of, 20.
Comanches, The, Territorial position of, 12.
Concord, Battle of, 187.
Confederation, History of, 229-230.
Congress, The First Colonial, Meeting of,
10.
Congress of the Revolution, Assembling
of, 186.
Connecticut, Colonization of, 120; history
of, 120-126.
386
INDEX.
Constitution of the United States, Analy
sis of, 231 ; adoption of by the States, 232;
text of, see Appendix.
Constitution, The, Affair of, 250.
Cooper, Sir Ashley, Proprietor of Carolina,
149.
Cordova, Explorations of, 22.
Corinth, Battle of, 315.
Cornbury, Lord, Governor of New York,
116.
Cornwallis, Lord, Pursues Washington
across New Jersey, 198; at Princeton,
201 ; at Brandywine, 205 ; in Carolina,
223; in Virginia, 225; surrender of at
Yorktown, 226.
Cortereal, Gaspar, Voyages of, 28.
Cortez, Fernando, Conquest of Mexico by,
Cotton Gin, The, As a factor of the Civil
War, 304.
Cranfield, Edward, Governor of New Hamp
shire, 91 ; career of in the province, 132.
Credit Mobilier, The, Uproar concerning,
348.
Creeks, The, War with, 254; difficulties
with, 268.
Cromwell, Oliver, Relations of with Vir
ginia, 67; favors New England, 83.
Crown Point, Expedit'n of Johnson against,
170.
Cuba, Difficulties concerning, 292.
Dakotas, The, Territorial position of, 12.
Dale, Sir Thomas, Governor of Virginia, 60.
Dare, Virginia, Birth mentioned, 41.
Darrah, Lydia, Story of. 206.
Davis, Jefferson, President of the Confed
eracy, 299 ; sketch of, 308 ; flight of from
Richmond, 336 ; capture and trial of, 336.
Daye, Stephen, First printer in America, 81.
Dearborn, Henry, Commander-in-chief of
American army, 249.
De Ayllon, Discovery of Carolina hy, 23.
Decatur, Commodore, In the Mediterra
nean, 263.
De Gama, Circumnavigation of Africa by,
37.
De Gourges, Settles with the Spaniards, 33.
De Kalb, Baron, Fights for liberty, 202?
killed, 218.
Delaware, Colonization of, 105; secession
of from Pennsylvania, 142.
De Leon, Ponce, Discovery of Florida by,
21.
Demagogues, Influence of, 306.
Democratic Party, The, Comes into power,
241.
De Monts, In America, 34.
De Soto, Ferdinand, Explorations of, 24-26.
Detroit, Capture of by the British, 250.
Doniphan, Colonel, Campaign of, 285.
Dorr Insurrection, The, Account of, 278.
Douglas, Stephen A., Favors popular sov
ereignty, 295.
Draft, The, Ordered by Congress, 325.
Drake, Sir Francis, Career of, 38; carries off
Raleigh's colony, 40.
Dred Scott Decision, The, 298.
East India Company, The Dutch. Men
tioned, 49.
Eaton, William, Campaign of in Africa, 243.
Emancipation Proclamation, Issued by Lin
coln, 320.
Embargo Act, The, Passage of, 245.
Erickson, Lief, Discovers America, 15.
Erickson, Thorwald and Thorstein, 16.
Ericsson, John, Invents Monitor, 313.
Esquimaux, Territorial position of, 13.
Eutaw Springs, Battle of, 224.
Fair Oaks, Battle of, 317.
Farragut, Admiral, On the Mississippi, 314;
capture of Mobile by, 331.
Federalist Party, The, Rise of, 230.
Field, C. W., Lays Atlantic cable, 297.
Fields, James T., Death of, 361.
Fillmore, Mi Hard, President, 291.
Financial Crisis, of 1873, 348.
Five Forks, Battle of, 336.
Florida, Colonization of, 27; cession, 265;
admission of, 281.
Forrest, IS. B., Raid of, 327.
Fort Donelson, Capture of, 312.
Fort Du Quesne, See Fort Pitt.
Fort Fisher, Capture of, 332.
Fort Jackson, Capture of, 314.
Fort Le Boeuf, Affairs at, 163.
Fort McHenry, Defense of, 260.
Fort Meigs, Siege of, 253.
Fort Mifflin, Defense of, 206.
Fort Moultrie, Attack on, 194.
Fort Nassau, Built, 134.
Fort Necessity, Built and defended by
Washington, 165.
Fort Orange, Building of, 50, 103.
Fort Pitt, Built, 164; taken by English, 174.
Fort St. Philip, Capture of, 314.
Fort Sumter, Bombardment of, 302.
Fort William Henry, Siege of, 172.
France, Possessions of in America, 172 ; in
cites the colonies to rebel, 179 ; alliance
of with U. S., 208 ; difficulties with, 238.
Franklin, Benjamin, Plans Union for Amer
ica, 166 ; favors liberty, 181 ; at the court
of Louis XVI., 208; sketch of, 209.
Fredericksburg, Battle of, 319.
Fremont, John C., Explorations of, 284.
French, The, Explorations and settlements
of in America, 29-35, 161-162.
Frobisher, Martin, Voyages of, 37.
Fulton, Robert, Invents steamboat, 246.
Gadsden Purchase, Account of, 295.
Gage, General, Occupies Boston, 186.
Garfleld, James A., Elected President, 359;
sketch of, 362-; administration of, 362-365 ;
assassination of, 364.
Gates, Horatio. In the North, 204.
INDEX.
387
Genet, Citizen, Career ot in the United
States, 235.
George III., Character of, 180.
Georgia, History of, 150-160.
Gerry, Elbridge, Vice-President, 252.
Gettysburg, Battle of, 325.
Ghent, Treaty of, 262.
Gist, Christopher, Expedition to the Ohio, 162.
Gold, Discovery of in California, 288.
Gorges, Ferdinand, Proprietor of New
Hampshire, 131.
Gosnold, Bartholomew, New route of, 41.
Grant, Ulysses S., At Donelson, 312; at Pitts-
burg Landing, 312 ; at Vicksburg, 321 ;
commander-in-chief, 328; in the Wilder
ness, 333; besieges Petersburg, 335; in
pursuit of Lee, 336; elected President,
343 ; sketch of, 343 ; administration of,
343-351 ; tour of, 359.
Great Britain, Colonizes America, 35-48;
grants of territory by, see Map II ; ex
tent of possessions, (1655), see Map III;
oppresses the colonies, 179-186; treaty
with, 227; doctrine of respecting neu
trals, 245.
Greeley, Horace, Notice of, 346.
Greanj, Nathaniel, Splendid campaigns of
in tie Carolinas, 223-225.
Guerriere, The. Affair of, 250,
Guilford, C. H., Battle of, 223.
Guiteau, the assassin, 364.
Half Moon, The, Voyages of, 49-50.
Halifax Fishery Award, Account of, 357.
Hamilton, Alexander, Builder of FortWash-
ingto , 198; defender of the Constitution,
231 ; Secretary of the Treasury, 234 ; first
major-general, 238 ; killed, 244.
Harmar, General, Expedition of, 234.
Harrison. William Henry, Governor of In
diana, 248 ; at Tippecanoe, 248 ; in com
mand of the army of the West, 252;
elected President, 27C; sketch of, 277;
administration of, 277; death of, 277.
Hartford Convention, The, 261.
Harvard College, Founding of, 381.
Hayes, Rutherford B., Sketch of, 353; ad
ministration of, 353. .
Hayne, Senator, Debate with Webster, 271.
Henry, Patrick, Makes some remarks, 182.
Herjulfson, Discovers America, 15.
Hessians, The, Hired to fight America, 194.
Hobkirk's Hill, Battle of, 224.
Hood, J. B.. Driven from Atlanta, 329; de
feated at Nashville, 329.
Hooker, Joseph, At Lookout, 322; in com
mand of the Army of the Potomac, 324.
Houston, Sam, Sketch of, 298.
Howe, General, Notices of, 192, 195.
Hudson, Sir Henry, Explorations of, 49.
Huguenots, The, Persecution of, 153.
Hull, William, Disastrous campaign of, 249.
Huron-Iroquois, The, Territorial position
of, 12.
Hutchinson, Anne, Notices of, 79, 106.
Icelanders, Discover America, 15.
Illinois, Admission of, 26fi.
Independence, Declaration of, 195 ; achieve
ment of, 227; centennial of, 350.
Indiana, Admission of, 263.
Indians, The, Sketch of, 11-14.
Indian Territory, Organized, 272.
Internal Revenue, Account of, 337.
Iowa, Admission of, 281.
Iroquois, The, Territorial position of, 12.
Isabella, Favor of to Columbus, 19.
Jackson, Andrew, In command against the
Creeks, 254 ; at New Orleans, 261 ; elected
President, 269; sketch of, 270; adminis
tration of. 270-274 ; death of, 289.
Jackson, Stonewall. At Cedar Mountain,
318 ; at Fredericksburg, 319 ; at Chancel-
lorsville. 324; death of, 324.
Jamestown, Founding of, 44.
Japan, Opening of intercours2 with, 295.
Jay Cooke & Co., Failure of, 348.
Jay, John, Appointed chief-justice, 234 ; ne
gotiates a treaty with Great Britain, 236.
Jefferson, Thomas, Author of the Declara
tion, 194 ; Secretary of State, 234 ; Vice-
President, 237 ; elected President, 240 ; ad
ministration of, 241-247.
Jesuits, The, Discoveries of, 161, 162.
Johnson, Andrew, Elected Vice-President,
336; becomes President, 339; sketch of,
339 ; administration of, 339-343 ; death of,
349.
Johnston, Joseph E., At Manassas, 307;
wounded, 317; surrender of, 331.
Kansas, Troubles in, 296; admission of, 340.
Kansas-Nebraska Bill, Account of, 296.
Kearney, Philip, Expedition of to Califor
nia, 284; killed at Chantilly, 318.
Kearsarge, The, Destroys the Alabama, 333.
Kenesaw Mountain, Battle of, 328.
Kentucky, Admission of, 235.
Kidd, William, Career of, 116.
Kossuth, Louis, In the United States, 293.
La Fayette, Marquis de, Gives himself to
the cause of liberty, 202; campaigns of
in Virginia, 225; visit of to America,
267.
La Salle, Explorations of, 161.
Laudonniere, In Florida, 33.
Lee, Charles, At Monmouth, 210.
Lee, Richard Henry, Resolutions of Inde
pendence offered by, 194.
Lee, Robert E., In West Virginia, 307 ; com
mander-in-chief of the Confederates, 317;
invades Maryland, 318 ; at Antietam, 31P ;
invades Pennsylvania, 325 ; in the Wil
derness, 333; retreat of from Richmond,
336; surrender of, 336 ; death of, 349.
Lewis, Captain, Explorations of, 244.
INDEX.
Lexington, Battle of, 187.
Life-Saving Service, Establishment of, 35S.
Lincoln, Abraham, Elected President, 299;
sketch of, 301 ; administration of, 301-338 ;
issues Emancipation Proclamation, 320 ;
re-elected, 336; assassination of, 337.
Little Belt, The, Affair of, 249.
Livingston, Edward, Purchases Louisiana,
Locke, John, Prepares the Grand Model,
14<).
London Company, Organization of, 43; grant
to, 43 and Map II.
Long Island, Battle of, 196.
Lookout Mountain, Storming of, 322.
Louisburg, Siege of, 100.
Louisiana, Purchase of, 242; admission of,
249; discord in, 347.
Lundy's Lane, Battle of, 258.
Lyon, Nathaniel, In Missouri, 308.
Madison, James, Elected President, 247;
sketch of, 247 ; administration of, 247-264 ;
death of, 274.
Magellan, Ferdinand, Voyage of, 22.
Maine, Admission of, 266.
Malvern Hill, Battle of, 317.
Manassas, Battle of, 308.
Mandeville, Sir John, Views of respecting
the figure of the earth, 18.
Marion, Francis, Career of, 217, 224.
Marshall, John, Chief-Justice, 242.
Maryland, History of, 144-148.
Mason, J. M., Ambassador of the Confed
eracy, 310.
Massachusetts, Colonization of, 35-48 ; his
tory of, 73-102.
Mather, Cotton, responsible for witchcraft
atrocities, 95.
McClellan, George B., Campaign of in West
Virginia, 307 ; in command of the Army
of the Potomac, 309; peninsular cam
paign of, 316-318 ; at Antietam, 319.
Meade, George G., In command of the Army
of the Potomac, 325 ; at Gettysburg, 325.
Meigs, Colonel, At Sag Harbor, 201.
Melendez, Pedro, In Florida, 27.
Merrimac, Fights the Monitor, 313.
Michigan, Admission of, 274.
Mill Spring, Battle of, 312.
Minnesota, Admission of, 297.
Minuit, Peter, Governor of New Netherland,
103.
Missionary Ridge, Storming of, 323.
Mississippi, Admission of, 265.
Missouri, Admission of, 266.
Missouri Compromise, History of, 266.
Mobilians, Territorial Position of, 12.
Modocs, The, War with, 347.
Monitor, Fight of with Merrimac, 313.
Monmouth, Battle of, 210.
Monroe, James, Elected President, 264 ; ad
ministration of, 264-267; death of, 274.
Monroe Doctrine, The, 267.
Monterey, Storming of, 283.
Montgomery, Richard, Expedit'n of agains'
Canada, 191 ; death of, 191.
Morgan, Daniel, At the Cowpens, 223.
Morgan, John, Raid of, 323.
Mormons, The, Account of, 279.
Morris, Robert, Devotes his fortune to lib
erty, 199 ; secretary of finance, 222.
Morris, T. A., In West Virginia, 307.
Morse, S. F. B., Invents the telegraph, 280.
Morton, Oliver P., Sketch of, 356.
Murfreesborough, Battle of, 315.
Narvaez, De, Governor of Florida, 23.
Nashville, Siege of, 329.
National Debt, The, Extent of, 339.
Nebraska, Admission of, 340.
Negro Plot, The, In New York, 118.
Nevada, Admission of, 336.
New Amsterdam, Founding of, 50.
New England, Colonization of, 47, 73, 120
127, 137.
New Hampshire, History of, 131-133.
New Haven, Founding of, 123.
New Jersey, History of, 134-138.
New Netherland, History of 103-110
New Orleans, Battle of, 262.
New Sweden, Colonization of, 105; history
of, 105-108; extent of, see Map III.
New York, Colonization of, 103 ; history of,
103-119.
New York City, Settlement of, 103 : under
the Dutch, 103-110; under the English,
111-119 ; evacuation of, 227.
Nez Perce Indians, War with, 355,
Norsemen, The, Discovery of America by,
15; traces of in Rhode Island, 129.
North Carolina, History of, 149-151.
North-eastern Boundary, Settlement of,
Northwest Territory, Division of, 241.
Nullification, Account of, 271 ; a cause of
the Civil War, 305.
Oglethorpe, James, Career of in Georgia,
156-160.
Ohio, Organization and admission of, 242.
Omnibus Bill, The, History of, 291.
Orders in Council, The, Issued by Great
Britain, 245; promised repeal, 247.
Oregon, Admission of, 298.
Pacific Railroad, The, Project of, 295 ; com
pletion of, 343.
Palo Alto, Battle of, 282.
Paper Money, First used in America, 94.
Parris, Samuel, Responsible for witchcraft
atrocities, 95.
Paul Jones, Great naval battle of, 215.
Penn, William, In New Jersey, 137 ; propri
etor of Pennsylvania, 139 ; sketch of, 140.
Pennsylvania, History of, 139-143.
Pequods, The, War with, 120.
Perry, Oliver H., Victory on Lake Erie, 253.
INDEX.
389
Petersburg, Siege of, 335-336.
Philadelphia, Founding of, 141.
Philip, King, War with, 86-90.
Pierce, Franklin, Elected President, 294;
sketch of, 295; administration of, 295-
2%.
Pitt, William, Defends America, 183.
Pittsburg Landing, Battle of, 313.
Plymouth, Founding of, 47.
Plymouth Company, The. Organization of,
43; graii t to, 43 and Map II.
Plymouth Council, The, Organization of,
45; grant to, 45 and Map II.
Pocahontas, Story of, 54.
Polk, James K., Elected President, 280;
sketch of, 281 ; administration of, 281-
289.
Pope, John, Campaign of in Virginia, 318.
Porter, Admiral, Bombards Vicksburg, 321;
at Fort Fisher, 332.
Port Royal, Founded, 34 ; siege of, 98.
Portuguese, The, Discoveries of, 28.
Princeton, Battle of, 201.
Printing-Press, The, Set up in Cambridge,
81.
Pulaski, Count, Honored for service at
Brandy wine, 205.
Puritans, The, Rise of, 46; at Leyden, 46;
voyage of to America, 47; compact of,
47; character of, 101.
Putnam, Israel, Exploit of, 213.
Quakers, The, Persecutions of, 84 ; coloni
zation of Pennsylvania by, 139.
Quebec, Founding of, 34; expedition of
Walker against, 99; captured by Wolf3,
176 ; expedition of Arnold against, 191.
Railroad Strike, The, History of, 354.
Raleigh, Sir Walter, Attempts of to colo
nize America, 39 ; founds Raleigh, 41.
Reconstruction, Difficulties of, 341-342.
Red River Expedition, The, Account of, 327.
Remonetization of Silver, History of, 356.
Resaca De La Palma, Battle of, 283.
Resumption Act, Adoption of, 356.
Resumption of Specie Payments, Account
of, 358.
Revolution, The, Causes of, 179-186 ; history
of, 187-228.
Rhode Island, History of, 127-130.
Ribault, John, Voyages of, 32.
Richmond, Capital of the Confederacy, 303 ;
evacuation and burning of, 336.
Rolfe, John, Account of, 61.
Rosecrans, W. S., At Murfreeshorough, 315;
at Chickamauga. 322.
Ryswick, Treaty of, 95.
Salem, Founded, 76; witchcraft at, 95.
Sander's Creek, Battle of, 218.
Santa Anna, At Buena Vista, 285 ; at Cerro
Gordo, 286 ; driven from Mexico, 287.
Santo Domingo, Project to annex, 345.
Savannah, Founding of, 157; conquest of,
212 ; capture of by Sherman, 330.
Scott, Winfleld, At Lundy 's Lane, 258 ; plans
the invasion of Mexico, 285 ; at Vera Cruz,
285: at Cerro Gordo, 286; enters Mexico,
288; commauder-in-chief of the Union
army, 303.
Secession, Account of, 299.
Seminoles, The, War with, 265, 272,
Seven Days' Battles, The, Account of, 317.
Seward, William H., Secretary of State, 301 ;
diplomacy of in the Trent affair, 311 ; at
tempted assassination of, 337 ; death, 349.
Sheridan, Philip H., In the Shenandoah
Valley, 33-5.
Sherman, W. T., At Chickasaw Bayou, 315^
from Chattanooga to Atlanta, 328; March
to the Sea, 330; from Savannah to Ra
leigh, 330.
Silver, Remonitization of, 356.
Sioux Indians, War with, 350-351.
Slavery, Introduction of, 63; exclusion of
from Georgia, 158 ; a cause of the Civil
War, 304 ; abolished, 320, 339.
Slidell, John, Ambassador of the Confeder
acy, 310 ; capture of, 310.
Smith, John, Voyages of in New England,
44 ; captured, 45 ; troubles of at James
town, of; sketch of, 52 ; captivity of, 53 ;
exploration of Chesapeake by, 56 ; presi
dent of Virginia, 57.
Sons of Liberty, Organization of, 183.
Sothel, Seth, Career of in North Carolina.
150; in South Carolina, 153.
South Carolina, Colonization of, 152; his
tory of, 152-156.
Spain, Discovers and colonizes America,
18-29; territorial possessions of in 1665,
Map III ; treaty with, 265.
Springfield, Battle of, 309.
Stamp Act, Passage of, 181 ; repeal of, 183.
Standish, Miles, General of New England,
73.
Stanton, Edwin M., Secretary of War, 301;
death of, 349.
Stat-» Rights, Advocated in South Carolina,
271 ; a cause of the Civil War, 303.
St. Augustine, Founding of, 27.
St. Clair, Arthur, Expedition of, 235.
Steambott, The, Invention of, 246.
Stephens, Alexander H., Opposes secession,
299 ; Vice-President of Confederacy, 300.
Stony Point, Capture of by the British, 213 ;
retaken by Wayne, 213.
Stuyvesant, Peter, Administration of in
New Netherland, 107-110.
Sumner, Charles, Death of, 349.
Sumter, Thomas, Career of in the Carolines,
217, 224.
Supreme Court, Organization of, 234.
Tariff, The, Question of, 269, 271.
Taylor, Zachary, Sent to occupy Texas, 282;
at Buena Vist% -,j ; elected President,
390
INDEX.
289; sketch of, 290; administration of,
290-291 ; death of, 291.
Taylor, Bayard, Death of, 361.
Tea-Party, The Boston, Celebrated, 185.
Tecumtha, Wsk with, 243; death of, 254.
Telegraph, The, Invention of, 280.
Tennessee, Colonization of, 184 ; admission
of, 237.
Territorial Development, Of the United
States, 345 and Map V.
Territories of the United States, Final
form of, 340.
Texas, Early history of, 279; annexation of
proposed, 280 ; admission of, 281.
Ticonderoga, Expedit'n of Johnson against,
170 ; attack on by Abercrombie, 173 ; capt
ure of by Ethan Allen, 188.
Tippecanoe, Battle of, 249.
Tompklns, D. D., Vice- President, 264.
Treaty, Of Utrecht, 99 ; of Aix-la-Chapelle,
101 ; of Paris (1763), 177 ; of alliance with
France, 208; definitive of 1783, 227; Jay's,
236 ; of Ghent, 262 ; of Washington (1819),
265 ; the Webster- Ashburton, 278 ; of Gua-
dalupe Hidalgo, 288 ; of Washington (1872),
345.
Trenton, Battle of, 199.
Tyler, John, Vice-President, 277 ; President,
277; sketch of, 277; administration of,
277-281.
Utah, Colonization, 279 ; difficulties In, 297.
Valley Forge, American army at, 207.
Van Buren, Martin, Elected President, 274 :
sketch of, 275; administration of, 275-277.
Vermont, Admission of, 234.
Verrazzani, John, Voyage of, 29.
Vespucci, Voyages of, 20.
Vicksburg, Siege of, 321.
Vinland, Limits of. 17.
Virginia, Name of. 40 ; colonization of, 44 ;
history of, 51-72.
Wadsworth, Jos., Hides the charter, 92.
"Wallace, Lewis, At Romney, 307 ; defends
Cincinnati, 314; on the Monocacy, 335.
War, King Philip's, 86 ; King William's, 93 ;
Queen Anne's, 98; King George's, 100;
Pequod, 120; French and Indian, 161-178;
Revolutionary, 179-228; of 1812, 247-262;
Black Hawk, 272; with Mexico, 281-288;
the Civil, 301-338 ; Modoc, '347 ; Sioux, 350 ;
Nez Perce, 368.
Warren, Joseph, At Bunker Hill, 189.
Washington City, Founding of, 240; capt
ure of by the British, 260.
Washington, George, Sent to the French,
163; builds Fort Necessity, 165; with
Braddock, 166; made general-in-chief,
190; sketch of, 190; negotiations of with
Howe, 195 ; retreat of across New Jersey,
198; at Trenton, 199; at Princeton, 201;
at Brandy wine, 205; sorrows of, 207; at
Monmouth, 210; at Yorktown, 226; fa
vors Union, 230; chosen President, 232;
administration of, 233-237; Farewell Ad
dress of, 237; death of, 239.
Wayne, Anthony, At Stony Point, 213; ex
pedition of against the Indians, 233.
Webster, Daniel, Debate with Hayrie, 271;
concludes Ashburton treaty, 278.
Wesley, Charles, Methodist and poet, 158.
Wesley, John, In Georgia, 158.
West Virginia, Admission of, 326.
Whig Party, The, In power, 277, 289.
Whisky Insurrection, The, Account of, 235.
Whitefield, George, In Georgia, 158.
Whitney, Eli, Invents the Cotton Gin, 304.
Wilderness, The, Battles in, 333,
Williams, Roger, Minister of Salem, 77; ban
ishment of, 77 ; founder of Providence, 78 ;
sketch of, 127.
Wilson, Henry, Vice-President, 346 ; death
of, 349.
Winthrop, John, Governor of Massachu
setts, 76.
Winthrop, The Younger, Leader of the Con
necticut colony, 124.
Wisconsin, Admission of, 289.
Witchcraft, The Salem, Story of, 95.
Wolfe, James, Expedition of against Que
bec, 175; death of, 177.
World's Pair, The, Account of, 295.
Wyoming, Massacre of, 211.
Yale College, Founding of. 126.
Yeamans, Sir John, Governor of Carolina,
149.
Yellow Fever Epidemic, Accoun* Of, 356.
Yorktown, Siege of, 226.
Yusef, The Emperor, Is brouj**- to his
senses, 243.
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