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THE

MAKERS
OF

W3ODBURN
MORAN

' OF THE
UNIVERSITY

THE
MAKERS OF AMERICA

JAMES A. WOODBURN

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

AND

THOMAS F. MORAN

PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AUTHORS OF "THE CITIZEN AND THE REPUBLIC,'

ELEMENTARY AMERICAN HISTORY AND GOVERNMEI
AND "INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN HISTORY"

LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.

NEW YORK CHICAGO BOSTON TORONTO

First Edition, Jane, 1922;

Reprinted, August, 1922

Reprinted, September, 1923

Reprinted, May, 1924

EDUCATION LIBH§

MADE IN THE UNITED STATES

EHC.

W ^

If 2 L4
PREFACE

THE purpose of this little book is to set forth in
simple form the story of some of the most important
events and movements in our later history. It deals
with certain "high spots" in our national life. It
makes no pretense of being a connected history of the
period which it covers.

The book is almost entirely biographical. The Com
mittee of Eight of the American Historical Association
rendered a useful service to the teaching of history in
the public schools by recommending that the history
work of the fourth and fifth grades should be largely
biographical in character. Biography interests young
people. It makes a personal and dramatic appeal
which is impossible in any other form of presentation.
And after all, a lively interest in history is more to
be desired than an accumulation of facts.

We are indebted to many teachers for valuable
suggestions in the preparation of this book, but most
of all to Miss Ida Williams, teacher of the fifth grade
in the public schools of West Lafayette, Indiana.

It is hoped that the book will do something towards
creating an interest in American history and bringing
about a sound and sane patriotism on the part of the
younger citizens of the Republic.

JAMES A. WOODBURN
THOMAS F. MORAN

iii

M577€G9

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks are due for the use of pictures to the following :

Old Colony Trust Co. for the New England Village.
U. S. Naval Academy for Portrait of John Paul Jones.
Wisconsin State Historical Society for Daniel Boone's Cabin.
Continental Fire Insurance for Clark's Capture of Kaskaskia.
Mr. Frederick A. Meserve for Photograph of Lincoln.
International Harvester Co. for Tractor.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

INTRODUCTION — "THE SPIRIT OF '76" i

I. JAMES OTIS, "THE FLAME OF FIRE" 8

II. PATRICK HENRY, THE ORATOR OF THE REVOLU
TION 18

III. SAMUEL ADAMS, THE ORGANIZER OF THE REVO

LUTION 33

IV. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, THE BALANCE WHEEL OF

THE REVOLUTION 45

V. GEORGE WASHINGTON, THE PILLAR OF THE RE
PUBLIC 54

VI. A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 88

1. NATHANAEL GREENE, THE FIGHTING QUAKER

2. DANIEL MORGAN, A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

3. FRANCIS MARION, "THE SWAMP Fox"

4. THOMAS SUMTER, "THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCK"

5. NATHAN HALE, THE BOY PATRIOT.

VII. JOHN PAUL JONES, "THE FATHER OF THE AMERI
CAN NAVY" 113

VIII. DANIEL BOONE, THE KENTUCKY PATHFINDER . . 118

1. HARRODSBURG

2. BOONESBORO

3. THE WILDERNESS ROAD

IX. GEORGE ROGERS CLARK, THE SAVIOR OF THE

NORTHWEST 150

X. "LONG LIVE GEORGE WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES" 169

1. THE INAUGURATION

2. THE CAPITAL CITY

XI. ELI WHITNEY AND THE COTTON PLANTATION . 181

vi CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

XII. THOMAS JEFFERSON, "THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 189

1. THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE

2. LEWIS AND CLARK AND THE FAR WEST

3. ANDREW JACKSON, FRONTIER STATESMAN

XIII. THE HIGHWAY, THE WATERWAY, AND THE RAIL

WAY 2II

1. ROBERT FULTON, INVENTOR OF THE STEAMBOAT

2. DEWITT CLINTON AND THE ERIE CANAL

3. THE FIRST AMERICAN RAILROAD

4. SAMUEL F. B. MORSE AND THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH

XIV. THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST 230

1. SAM HOUSTON OF TEXAS

2. THE MEXICAN WAR

3. THREE GREAT FRONTIERSMEN:

"DAVY" CROCKETT, JOHN C. FREMONT, AND
"KIT" CARSON

4. SUTTER'S MILL AND "THE FORTY-NINERS"

(a) CAPTAIN SUTTER

(b) JUNIPERO SERRA, SPANISH MISSIONARY

XV. THREE GREAT AMERICAN STATESMEN 249

1. DANIEL WEBSTER

2. HENRY CLAY

3. JOHN C. CALHOUN

XVI. "THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 262

1. ABRAHAM LINCOLN

2. JEFFERSON DAVIS

3. ULYSSES S. GRANT

4. ROBERT E. LEE

5. WILLIAM T. SHERMAN

6. PHILIP H. SHERIDAN

7. THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON

8. JAMES E. B. STUART

9. THE CLOSE OF THE WAR

XVII. GREAT AMERICAN INDUSTRIES 297

1. AGRICULTURE, MINING AND LUMBERING

2. MANUFACTURING — THE STEEL MILLS

INDEX 305

"RING. RING FOR LIBERTY!"

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

INTRODUCTION

"THE SPIRIT OF '76"

Slowly the mist o'er the meadow was creeping,
Bright on the dewy buds glistened the sun,

When from his couch, while his children were sleeping,
Rose the bold rebel and shouldered his gun.

— OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

IT WOULD be extremely interesting if you and I
could go back one hundred and fifty years and see
our nation in its early childhood. We could then
walk about the streets of New York and glance into the
parlors of the quaint old Dutch homes. And what
curious costumes we would see in the churches and on
the streets!

In a leisurely stroll about the streets of Boston
we might possibly meet some of the men who fought
for American Independence and later laid the firm
foundations of our nation. We might visit the New
England "Meeting House," where they used to hold
the long Sunday services.

In Philadelphia we might see the old Liberty Bell

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

hanging in the State House, and ready to ring out the
news of the Declaration of Independence. At Charles
ton we might see the southern planter loading his bales

A NEW ENGLAND MEETING HOUSE

The church, or Meeting House, was the center of the old New
England town.

of tobacco on a long, low, sailing vessel about to depart
for Europe, or we might wander about the broad
southern plantation and listen to the negro melodies.
We might enter a small log cabin in a clearing in the
wilderness, and while there might read in a little news
paper, by the light of the open fireplace, an account of
the progress of Washington and his army in their fight
for Independence. If we looked about us we would
see the trusty rifle on the wall, and the skins of fur-
bearing animals scattered on the floor. The spinning
wheel, the candle mold, and the ox yoke would all be
in their places. Possibly a steaming dinner of wild

"THE SPIRIT OF '76" 3

turkey, pudding, and other pioneer delicacies would be
on the table. All this would be new and wonderful.

LOADING A SAILING SHIP FOR EUROPE

The sights and sounds of the early morning have a
peculiar fascination, and so also have those scenes of
pioneer life which go to make up the early dawn of
our nation's history.

These things would be interesting, but it would be still
more interesting if we could meet and talk with some
of the great men who founded this Republic. How

4 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

should you like to accompany George Washington on
one of his surveying trips through the western wilder
ness? How should you like to stand by the road
side and see Paul Revere rush by in the moonlight with
his horse's hoofs striking sparks from the pebbles in
the streets? How should you like to sit in the con
vention at Richmond and hear Patrick Henry thunder
forth his famous speech in which he said "Give me
liberty or give me death?" It would be interesting,
would it not, to hear Thomas Jefferson read from the
Declaration of Independence or Benjamin Franklin
from his "Poor Richard's Almanac?"

While we cannot ramble through the highways and
byways of our country as it was a century and a
half ago and talk with the Fathers of the Republic,
it is possible for us to do the next best thing. We
can read the stories of the lives of the great Ameri
can leaders. The life stories of these great Americans
constitute the History of the United States. These
men are the Makers of America, and by studying their
lives, and using our imaginations, we can live over
again the more than four hundred years which have
elapsed since Columbus sailed from Spain.

The stories in this little book begin with the old
Revolutionary days. You have already studied in
previous grades the story of the Discovery of America.
You have followed Christopher Columbus and John
Cabot on their memorable voyages across the "Sea
of Darkness." You went, in imagination, with Magellan

"THE SPIRIT OF '76" 5

on his trip around the globe. You were with John
Smith during the "starving time," and you made the
acquaintance of Pocahontas and John Rolfe in their
Virginia homes. You marched, gun in hand, behind
Captain Miles Standish, the sturdy Pilgrim soldier.
Possibly in your dreams you have seen King Philip
and his dusky warriors peering out from behind the
forest trees.

You have met old Peter Stuyvesant of New Am
sterdam stumping around on his wooden leg, and you
have heard William Penn telling his followers that the
Indians must be justly treated. You followed Wash
ington and Braddock into the dark valley of the
Monongahela River, and there, deep in the primeval
forest, you saw that terrible massacre at the hands of
the French and Indians. A little later you followed
Wolfe along the steep, narrow, and winding path
leading up to the Plains of Abraham. You may pos
sibly have heard him recite that verse from Gray's
"Elegy" just before the ascent:

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,

Await alike th' inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

Be that as it may, you certainly witnessed the fall
of Quebec in 1759, and you know that with Quebec
fell the power of France in North America.

You have read of the joys and sorrows of the English

6 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

colonists, and also of the foes which they were com
pelled to face. First of all the Indians, naturally
enough, resented the coming of the white men. They
did not like to see the " palefaces" roaming about their
hunting grounds and fishing in their streams. There
was a running fight of many years before the white
men finally became the masters of the continent. Then,
too, the Dutch in New Amsterdam were not entirely
friendly but they also were overcome by the English.
Finally the French, both in Europe and America, were
not on very good terms with the English. . The French
and English, therefore, fought it out in the forests of
North America, and the English were victorious. In
the course of time, then, the English colonists had met
and overcome three important enemies.

After conquering the French many of the English
colonists felt that they had still another foe to face.
There was a growing feeling of hostility towards Eng
land, the Mother Country. Many of the colonists
came to feel that Great Britain was governing the col
onies in an unjust and selfish way. They felt that they
were being taxed illegally, and were being deprived in
other ways of their rights as Englishmen.

Franklin said that " British subjects, by removing to
America, cultivating a wilderness, extending the domain,
and increasing the wealth, commerce, and power of the
Mother Country, at the hazard of their lives and
fortunes, ought not, and in fact do not thereby lose
their native rights." As a result of this feeling the

" THE SPIRIT OF '76" 7

American colonists declared their independence of the
Mother Country, and set up a new nation on the
Atlantic Coast. We are now to be introduced to some
of the principal actors in this great American drama.

PRONOUNCING LIST

Monongahela Mo-non-ge-he'la
primeval pri-me'val

CHAPTER I

JAMES OTIS, "THE FLAME OF FIRE"

Let independence be our boast,
Ever mindful what it cost;
Ever grateful for the prize,
Let its altar reach the skies!

—JOSEPH HOPKINSON

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION is one of the most
important and inspiring events in the whole history
of mankind. It gave independence to the English
colonies in North America; it gave hope to oppressed
people everywhere; and it was a blessing to the English
people and the English Government.

It was, of course, more important to the American
people than to any one else. It gave us the right to
govern ourselves. This means that after the Revolu
tion our forefathers managed their own affairs in their
own way. They levied their taxes and spent their pub
lic money as they saw fit. They made their own laws
and there was no king to tell them what they must
do. They were free men.

The American Republic, in which "We, the people,"
govern ourselves, has been copied in all quarters of

JAMES OTIS 9

the globe. It has served as a splendid example of free

government, and many have profited by it. If a man

is capable of governing himself

it is much better for him to do

so, than to be ruled by a king.

It makes a much better man out

of him.

Now, if it is true that the
American Revolution is really
such an important event in his
tory, all American citizens ought
to know something about it.
They ought to know what
caused it. They ought to know
what the Revolutionary Fathers
were fighting for; and they
ought to be familiar with the
life stories of such men as George
Washington, Patrick Henry,
Samuel Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and
the others who helped to win
our Independence.

JAMES OTIS

James Otis spoke out
against the policy of King
George the Third long be
fore most men did. He
denounced the kind of
search warrant which was
being used.

You will remember that
John Smith's "lazy gentlemen"
founded the Jamestown Colony, in Virginia, in 1607;
and that the sturdy Pilgrim Fathers came to Plymouth,
Massachusetts, a short time after. One by one other

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

English colonies were established, until thirteen of them
were scattered along the ocean coast from Massachusetts
to Georgia. At first there was no connection existing
among these colonies. Each one was separate and dis
tinct from its neighbors, but all were under the control of
England.

As long as these colonies were small and poor the
Mother Country paid
little attention to
them; but as soon as
they grew strong and
wealthy they began
to attract some
notice. Then it was
that England began
to regulate the trade
of the colonies for her
own benefit, and to
levy taxes on them

GEORGE THE THIRD

This is a picture of the headstrong
king of England against whom the
Revolutionary Fathers fought.

to help pay the ex
penses of her govern
ment.

Now, you know

that a small boy does not usually object when his
parents or his teachers tell him what he should do, but
when he grows up he wishes to have something to say
about his own affairs. If he earns his own money, he
wishes to spend at least a part of it as he thinks best.
He does not wish to be " bossed around" all of the time.

JAMES OTIS

It was the same way with the colonies when they grew
up. Their leaders insisted that the colonists were
Englishmen who had gone away from home, and that
they were still entitled to all the rights and privileges
of the Englishmen who had remained in England.

STAMP COLLECTOR CHASED BY A MOB

When the British agents tried to collect money for stamps they
got into trouble. Andrew Oliver is seen fleeing to escape the sticks
and stones of the crowd.

There was one right which the Englishman had
always insisted upon and that was the right to levy
his own taxes or have them levied by men chosen to
represent him. In the case of the colonists the taxes
were being levied, not by themselves, but by men three

12 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

thousand miles away. To this there was a very vigor
ous objection, and this objection finally led to war.

In an old English novel there is a story of a peculiar
piece of warfare. A Duke's army is laying siege to a
town which is in a state of revolt, and finally captures
a tall, odd looking man, dressed in knight's armor — the
leader of the rebellion. The tall "knight" was really not
a knight at all, but a tradesman with a quick wit and
a stammering tongue. While the knight and his cap
tor were talking matters over, it occurred to the latter
that he would like to know just why the town revolted.
So he turned to the captured soldier and said, "But what
is your grievance, my good friend?" To this the knight
replied, "Toota, toota, toota, toota, — too much taxes."

"Too much taxes" have been the cause of a great
many wars and revolutions, but our forefathers of the
American Revolution objected, not so much to "too
much taxes" as to any tax at all which was levied by
outsiders.

In this struggle against the Mother Country, the
colonists had able and fearless leaders. James Otis, a
young lawyer of Massachusetts, was one of the fore
most of these. Otis was born in Barnstable, Massa
chusetts, on February 5, 1725. He was descended from
a good old English family which had come to that
state from the southwestern part of England only
fifteen years after the Pilgrim Fathers had landed at
Plymouth. The young James was, apparently, a bright

JAMES OTIS 13

lad, and was graduated from Harvard College at the
age of eighteen. Later he studied law and began the
practice of his profession at Plymouth. After a few
years he went to Boston and there became interested
in the cause of the colonists.

While practicing law he apparently kept up his college
studies, as he wrote a Latin textbook which was used

HARVARD UNIVERSITY IN ITS EARLY DAYS
Otis was graduated from Harvard.

for a time in Harvard College. He also wrote a Greek
textbook, but it was never published because the print
ing shops of the New World did not have Greek letters,
and besides there was no printer who could have set
up the type.

While Otis was a lawyer in Boston, England said that
goods could not be brought into American ports with
out the payment of a duty, or tax, to the King's
officers. The colonists thought this law unfair, and

14 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

proceeded to smuggle the goods into the country with
out paying anything. This practice continued for
years. Finally, the English officers began to enforce the
law, and proceeded to search, without a legal warrant,
the houses and other buildings in which they suspected
the smuggled goods had been stored. The officers were

sometimes impudent
and spiteful, and the
whole matter was very
annoying. The people
protested that the
search was not lawful,
and James Otis took
the lead in the opposi
tion. He resigned his
office as Attorney for
the King, and pleaded
the case of the people

OLD STATE HOUSE, BOSTON

Here James Otis made some of his
famous speeches.

free of charge. In do
ing this he showed
himself to be a true
Some people blamed
They said that he

patriot and a man of high ideals,
him for his course of action,
had deserted the cause of his King, and they threat
ened him in all sorts of ways. Otis, however, was "as
immovable as the eternal hills." "Let the consequences
be what they will," he said, "I am determined to pro
ceed. The only principles of public conduct that are
worthy of a gentleman or a man, are to sacrifice estate,

JAMES OTIS 15

ease, wealth, and applause, and even life, to the sacred
calls of his country."

He then proceeded to attack the methods of the
British officers without mercy. "I will to my dying
day/' he exclaimed, " oppose with all the powers and
faculties God has given me, all such instruments of
slavery on the one hand, and villainy on the other."
"A man's house is his castle," he continued, "and Eng
lish liberty forbids that it should be entered except in
a lawful way."

He was as bold as he was eloquent, and he must have
known that he was risking his own life when he flew
into the face of the King, and condemned "a kind of
power, the exercise of which in former periods of history
cost one king his head, and another his throne."

For five hours Otis thundered on in that old Massa
chusetts court against the tyranny of the king and in
favor of the rights of the people. He made a wonder
ful impression. John Adams was there as a young man
of twenty-four, and he likened Otis to "a flame of
fire." "Then and there," said Adams, " American
Independence was born." And all of this took place
fourteen years before the War for Independence began.

With his gifted pen and his trumpet voice Otis con
tinued to assail the foes of American liberty. He made
enemies for himself, of course, and many of them.
Some of these detested him bitterly and sought ways
of doing him harm. Finally, eight years after he made
his great speech in the Massachusetts court, he pub-

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

lished an article in one of the Boston newspapers which
greatly angered the British officers. Soon after this a
dozen men pounced upon him in the darkened room
of a public coffee-house and beat him unmercifully. One

JAMES OTIS BEFORE THE JUDGES

It was here that Otis made one of his most famous speeches.
Notice^that the judges are wearing wigs and gowns. Our Supreme
Court judges now wear gowns but not wigs.

of them struck him on the head with a heavy cane
(some say with a sword), and he never recovered from
the blow, although he lived on for fourteen years. His
health was broken and he suffered from " frequent
attacks of insanity." He brought suit for damages
against one of his assailants and obtained a judgment
for five thousand dollars, which he promptly returned
when the man handed him a written apology.

Otis tried to enter public life again and attempted

JAMES OTIS 17

to practice law, but he was not able to do either. He
was shattered mentally and physically and lingered on,
for the most part, in a state of hopeless insanity. He
did recover sufficiently to take part in the Battle of
Bunker Hill in 1775, and to try a single law case three
years later.

It is said that during this period he often expressed
the wish that his life might be ended by a stroke of
lightning. His wish was granted. While standing near
the open door of his home at Andover, Massachusetts,
he was instantly killed by a bolt from the sky. He
had lived long enough, however, to see his country a
free and independent nation. His death took place in
1783, — the year in which Great Britain acknowledged
by treaty the Independence of the United States.

The career of James Otis was not a long one, but it
was extremely important. He deserved well of his
native land.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Why is the American Revolution important?

2. What was the most important cause of the American

Revolution?

3. How had the Englishman always insisted that his taxes be

levied?

4. Why was James Otis called a " flame of fire? "

5. Did James Otis object to the searching of houses or to the

way in which it was done?

CHAPTER II

PATRICK HENRY, " THE ORATOR OF THE
REVOLUTION "

Breathes there the man with soul so dead
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land!

- SIR WALTER SCOTT

THE WORK of James Otis was continued by Patrick
Henry. You probably know that Massachusetts and

Virginia were the two most
important leaders in the
American Revolution. Pat
rick Henry was born in
Virginia in 1736 - - four
years after the founding of
the Georgia Colony. He
was eleven years younger
than Otis, and four years
younger than Washington.
He was very well acquainted
with Washington, Jefferson,
and the other great men of
his time.

Henry's father was a well educated Scotchman of
good, hard, common sense, and his mother was de-

PATRICK HENRY

PATRICK HENRY 19

scended from a brilliant Welsh family. Indeed, one
of her brothers, William Winston, is said to have been
one of the most powerful orators of his day, being
surpassed in Virginia only by Patrick Henry himself.

The young Henry was a bright lad of good family,
and it might seem that his way to a brilliant success
in life would be easy. It takes more, however, to make
a successful career than a brilliant mind and a good
family. It takes hard work and a great deal of it.
Right here was Henry's weak point. He didn't care
for hard work. He didn't care for school or books.
He preferred to sit on the bank of a stream and fish
or to roam through the woods with a shotgun on his
shoulder in search of wild game. He would much
rather talk with a trapper or a backwoodsman than
with a school teacher. The simple fact is that Patrick
Henry as a boy was rather dreamy and somewhat
inclined to be indolent.

For a few years the young Henry attended a small
school near his home and studied reading, writing, and
arithmetic. He was not making much progress in his
studies, however, and his father took him out of school
and taught him at home. In this task the father was
assisted by his brother, who was pastor of one of the
churches of the home town. With his father and his
uncle working over him the boy had no possible chance
of escape, and he did learn some Latin and Greek, and
a good deal of Mathematics.

His minister uncle also gave him some valuable in-

20 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

struction in morals and religion. According to his own
account he was taught the following excellent rules of
conduct : ' To be true and just in all my dealings. To
bear no malice or hatred in my heart. To keep my
hands from picking and stealing. Not to covet other
men's goods; but to learn and labor truly, to get my
own living, and to do my duty in that state of life
into which it has pleased God to call me."

The boy had good instruction at home, but it did
not last very long. At the age of fifteen he put aside
his books and went into business. He served an ap
prenticeship for a year, and then went into partnership
with his brother William in a small country store.
Their father furnished the money for it, and the boys
were to carry on the business; but since Patrick had
very little business ability, and brother William had
even less, the store failed within a few months.

Patrick was now waiting for something to turn up.
He waited in vain for about a year, and at the end
of that time, when he was eighteen years of age, with
no money in his pocket and nothing to do, he got
married. His wife was Miss Sarah Shelton, and her
capital was about equal to that of her husband. Her
father was an inn-keeper, and the young bridegroom
tried his hand for a time in helping " to keep a hotel."

The parents on both sides saw that something had
to be done, and so came to the rescue. They procured
a small farm in the neighborhood and a few slaves,
and set the young couple up in house-keeping. Patrick

PATRICK HENRY 21

and his bride were very happy but they were also very
poor farmers, and at the end of two years this venture
failed also.

Henry, now a boy of twenty, tried his luck once
more. With the money which he received from the
sale of his slaves he bought another country store. The
result was what might have been expected. He failed
again. Henry was now twenty- three years of age with
a wife and several small children dependent upon him.

In spite of his rather unhappy position, however, he
was in splendid health and fine spirits. Thomas Jeffer
son met him at a social gathering about this time and
said that Henry seemed to have a passion for music,
dancing, and pleasantry. The young man had a fine
mind, robust strength, and good moral principles, and
would do well what he was fitted for. He had no taste
for farming, hotel keeping, or running country stores,
but there was a great and important work for him to
do as soon as he found himself.

Sometime while he was keeping store, or farming, or
helping about the hotel he acquired a taste for good
reading. He read the history of the Ancients, of the
English, and of the colonists in Virginia. He was also
a religious man and read the Bible regularly. In this
way he improved his use of the English language, and
thus prepared himself for the great work which he was
destined to do.

Finally, after knocking around a good deal, he made
up his mind to become a lawyer. After studying law for

22 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

a month or six weeks he presented himself for the ex
amination and was admitted to practice. He was then
only twenty-four years of age and, poorly prepared as
he was, it looked as though he were doomed to another
failure. He didn't fail, however, for he had now found
a kind of work in which he was interested.

Three years after beginning his practice, he was em
ployed in a very important suit known as " The Par
sons' Cause." During the trial of this case he discovered
his wonderful oratorical powers, and became famous
almost in a single day. He won the case and his elo
quence was talked about all over the county. At last
he had shown the real stuff that was in him. He be
came a popular lawyer and public speaker. Clients
rushed to him, and he was now on the high road to
success.

Just about this time England passed the famous
Stamp Act, which required the colonists in America
to purchase stamps and place them on newspapers,
pamphlets, and legal papers of various kinds. The
English Government wished to raise money in this way.
The colonists objected to the tax. At this critical
moment Patrick Henry appeared in the House of Bur
gesses of Virginia (the legislature of the colony) and
boldly declared that the Virginia Legislature had the
sole right to lay taxes upon the inhabitants of the
Colony, and that any one who thought differently was
an enemy of the people. He introduced a set of resolu
tions to this effect, and there followed a debate which

PATRICK HENRY 23

Jefferson called " most bloody." In the course of this
debate Henry held that the English Government should
not be permitted to tax the colonists. His bold de
fiance of the Mother Country startled and shocked
many of the older members of the assembly.

PATRICK HENRY ADDRESSING THE VIRGINIA ASSEMBLY
"If this be treason, make the most of it."

It was in the course of this debate that one of the
most dramatic scenes in American History took place.
Coming to a climax in his fiery speech, Henry blazed
forth his memorable warning to George the Third, the
King of England. "Caesar had his Brutus/' he said;
" Charles the First his Cromwell; and George the
Third" — (shouts of " treason," "treason," came from

24 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

all parts of the house. Henry paused for a moment in
an attitude of defiance until the cries ceased. And then,
rearing himself with a look and a bearing of still
prouder and fiercer determination, . . . without in the
least flinching from his position, he finished the sen
tence) — "and George the Third may profit by their
example. If this be treason, make the most of it!"
This was in 1765.

The resolutions were then passed by the house and
Henry, thinking that his task had been accomplished,
set out joyously for home. He must have presented
a picturesque figure as he started upon his journey. He
was described as "wearing buckskin breeches, his
saddle-bags on his arm, leading a lean horse, and
chatting with a companion who walked by his side."

On the following morning, with Henry out of the
way, the House became frightened and hastily erased
from its records a part of the resolutions. It was too
late, however. The bold words of Henry had already
gone out of the legislative hall and, " borne on the wings
of the wind," were well on their way to every nook and
corner of the colonies. They did their work well and
were an important factor in uniting the colonists
against the Mother Country.

For nine years after this memorable scene Henry
worked hard at his law practice, and developed the
power of his great genius. He had become a great
lawyer and a greater public speaker.

It will be remembered that there was no bond of

PATRICK HENRY

union among the colonies. Without such a bond they
could not act in common against the oppression of the
Mother Country; and since this oppression increased
rather than diminished, it seemed necessary to have a
meeting of the leading men from all the colonies to
talk things over. The result was the First Continental
Congress which met
in Philadelphia in the
fall of 1774.

Patrick Henry,
naturally enough, was
one of the men chosen
to represent Virginia
in this Congress.
Several days before
the time appointed

for the meeting, he

CARPENTER'S HALL, PHILADELPHIA
set out on horseback ™ n . ^ . „

Ine Continental Congress met in this
tor Philadelphia. He building. We saw Washington, Henry and

°n thdr way to attend the

stopped off at Mount
Vernon for a day and
a night, for a visit with his friend George Washington,
who lived in a beautiful old mansion on the Potomac
River. We may be sure that during this visit the two
great men talked over the wrongs of the colonies and
the plans for the Philadelphia Congress. On the following
day Henry and Washington, accompanied by Edmund
Pendleton, another distinguished Virginian, set out on
horseback for Philadelphia. The three great men jogged

26 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

into the city on the morning of September 5th, just in
time to attend the opening of the great Congress.

Henry, as might be expected, took an important part
in the work of this Congress. He apparently had come
to the conclusion that there would be a war between
England and the colonies. He did not see how it
could be avoided. John Adams tells us that near the
close of the Congress he was talking this matter over
with Henry. Neither man was hopeful of a peaceful
settlement. Adams expressed the opinion that the
resolutions and petitions which they were sending to
England would find their way into the King's waste
paper basket, and thus amount to nothing. Adams
said that, as they were talking, Henry raised his head
and exclaimed with emphasis, " After all, we must
fight."

This famous Congress lasted for seven weeks, and
then Henry went back home, but was still interested
in public affairs.

The Revolution was approaching rapidly and interest
was intense. Meetings were being held everywhere
from Massachusetts to Georgia. One of these meetings
was held in a church in Richmond, Virginia. Here
Patrick Henry made a great and memorable speech.
The main purpose of the meeting was to make arrange
ments for the raising of an army to fight the Mother
Country, in case they were compelled to do so. Henry
again presented a bold set of resolutions looking to the

PATRICK HENRY 27

defense of the colonies and made the speech of his
life in their support. It was a notable address in many
ways, but particularly in one. Up to this time many
men had spoken of the possibility of a war with England
but all had expressed a hope that such a war might be
avoided. Henry now came out boldly and said that it
was impossible to avoid such a war. :'The war is com
ing; it has come already," he exclaimed, while many
timid souls shivered at his bold utterance. He looked
upon "all further talk of peace as mere prattle."
"This is no time for ceremony," he said; "it is a ques
tion of slavery and freedom." He accused England
of making plans to subdue the colonies. What about
"those warlike preparations which cover our waters and
darken our lands? What do they mean? They are
meant for us; they can be meant for no other. In
vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope
of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any
room for hope ... If we wish to be free ... we must
fight! I repeat it, sir ... we must fight! An appeal
to arms, and to the God of hosts, is all that is left us."

He was opposed to delay. "They tell us, sir, that
we are weak," he continued, — "unable to cope with
so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be
stronger? Will it be next week, or next year? Will it
be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British
guard shall be stationed in every house?"

Henry also thought that outside nations would help
the colonists. "Besides, sir," he continued, "we shall

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who
presides over the destinies of nations, and who will
raise up friends to fight our battles for us." He was
right in one respect. France did aid us with men and
money during the Revolution.

When one enters
the old church in
Richmond, as many
travelers do, and
stands with un
covered head, he can
almost hear the ring
ing words of the con
clusion of this great
speech.

Gentlemen may cry
peace, peace, but there
is no peace. The war is
actually begun. The
next gale that sweeps
from the north will bring
to our ears the clash
of resounding arms. Our
brethren are already in
the field. Why stand
we here idle? What is
it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear,
or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and
slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course
others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me
death!

PATRICK HENRY

"But as for me, give me liberty or
give me death."

PATRICK HENRY 29

Henry's resolutions were carried and he was now in
great demand everywhere. For a short time he was in
the military service. He was also the first Governor
of Virginia. His services and advice were sought on
every hand.

There was also another solemn duty to which he was
called. In the midst of these trying times his wife,
Sarah, had died and left six small children to the care
of her husband. Henry found great comfort in caring
for the motherless little brood, — as well as a father
could.

Henry's condition at this time was rather pitiable.
He was an old and broken man at fifty. The strain
of the Revolutionary days had left its mark. He was
also poor and even in debt. He had neglected his law
practice and his private business for the public welfare.
His spirit was not broken, however, and he took up his
law work again in order to win back his private fortune.
He worked harder than ever before. He studied hard
on his law cases. In one instance he sent his grandson
on horseback a distance of sixty miles in order to get
a law book which he needed in one of his cases.

It is pleasing to note that he was successful in this
undertaking, and a few years later he was able to re
tire from his labors and live in ease and comfort for
the rest of his life.

He spent his last days on a beautiful estate, called
Red Hill, overlooking the Staunton River. He loved
the surroundings of this secluded spot. Here he lies

30 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

buried, and the farm is still owned by members of
his family.

Henry's life at Red Hill, in the midst of his family
and friends, was truly delightful. He was careful about
his health and used no wines or liquors at all. In
fact he was so shocked by the great amount of drunken
ness in America
after the Revolu
tionary War that he
did every thing in his
power to check it.
He tried to find some
harmless substitute
for strong liquor.
He employed a
Scotch brewer to
PATRICK HENRY'S OLD HOME AT RED HILL make a "soft" or

temperance drink.

While he was governor of Virginia he always had this
beverage upon his dinner table, trying in every way to
make it popular.

His grandson has left us a beautiful picture of his
home life at Red Hill. The family residence was on
a high bluff overlooking the bottom lands of the river.
Henry was accustomed, during the milder seasons of
the year, to get up before sunrise, "while the air was
cool and calm," and enjoy the sounds of the early
morning as they came from the farmyard, the river,
and the wood lot. A little later he would stand on the

PATRICK HENRY 31

high place and give directions to his slaves who were
half a mile away. "The strong musical voices of the
negroes responded to him." It is said that even at this
time his beautiful voice could be heard distinctly "over
&n area which ten thousand people could not have
filled," and that "the tones of his voice were as melo
dious as the notes of an Alpine horn."

During all of this time the aged statesman continued
to read his Bible. He spent one hour each day in
private devotion. His hour of prayer was at sunset,
and during that sacred time, his grandson tells us, no
member of the family " ever intruded upon his privacy."

Finally, when he knew that his end was near, he
remarked to the physician at his bedside that religion
was a great comfort to a man about to die. A few
moments later he closed his eyes in peace, breathed his
last, and was gathered unto his fathers. He might
have said,

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Patrick Henry didn't succeed very well at first. What do

you think the reason was?

2. What body of men in your state would correspond to the

House of Burgesses of Virginia?

3. Why did men shout "treason," "treason," while Patrick

Henry was making his famous speech?

4. When and where did the First Continental Congress meet?

What was the purpose of the meeting?

32 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

5. Where is " Red Hill " and for what is it noted?

6. Why did Patrick Henry have so much influence in Virginia

and elsewhere? Was it on account of his oratory alone?

7. What government office did he hold in Virginia?

8. What was the Stamp Act?

9. Tell something about Patrick Henry's family life.
10. What did he do for his country?

PRONOUNCING LIST

Burgesses bur'jes-ez

CHAPTER III

SAMUEL ADAMS, THE ORGANIZER OF THE
REVOLUTION

If it were not for two or three Adamses, we should do
well enough.

— THOMAS HUTCHINSON,
Royal Governor of Massachusetts

JAMES OTIS and Patrick Henry preached resistance to
the policy of the Mother Country with a fiery zeal.
They were the impassioned orators of the Revolution.
They stirred up the colonists to a high pitch of en
thusiasm. They moved and persuaded them to take
a firm stand for Independence.

Samuel Adams was a very different kind of man.
He was not much of a talker, but he was a tireless
worker. After Otis and Henry had persuaded men to
act, Adams told them what action to take. He called
meetings, appointed committees, wrote letters, and
drafted resolutions. He saw to it that things were ac
tually done. He made plans and got men to carry
them out. He was a man of action, not of words. He
did not merely talk about things, he did things.

"Samuel Adams was born to serve on committees."
He has been called "the man of the town meeting."

34 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Some have called him "the brains of the Revolution."
Massachusetts was the leader of the Revolution; Bos
ton was the leader of Massachusetts; and Samuel
Adams was the leader of Boston. So it will be seen
that there was good reason for calling Adams The
Organizer of the Revolution.

The Adams family is one of the most illustrious in
American History. Two members of this family have
occupied the Presidential chair, and a score of others
have held prominent positions in the Nation. The
founder of the family in this country was Henry Adams,
who came from England with his wife and family of
eight children at a very early date.

Samuel Adams, the subject of this sketch, was born
in Boston, in 1722. He was a member of a family of
twelve children. His father was a thrifty and success
ful business man who owned a malt house on the Bay.
The fine old family mansion was located near by. It
stood on the water front and commanded a splendid
view of the harbor.

The father, who was also named Samuel, was a
leader in public affairs, and at one time a member of
the legislature of the colony. His son called him "a
wise and a good man," and such he undoubtedly was.

The young Adams was a staid and serious lad, and,
unlike Patrick Henry, attended school with great regu
larity. It is said that he passed along the street so
regularly, in going to and from school, that laborers
were in the habit of telling the time of day by his

SAMUEL ADAMS

SAMUEL ADAMS
Adams is pleading the cause of the colonies and urging Independence.

36 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

appearance. Whether this is true or not, he was "as
steady as a clock" and made good progress in his studies.

He later went to Harvard College where he was
graduated at the age of eighteen. His father wished
him to become a minister, but he was inclined to be
a lawyer. He began the study of law but did not seem
to be very much interested in it. His mother also was
opposed to it. The profession of law was not at that
time in such good standing as it is now.

The young Adams then went into business. He
didn't like this either. He had no taste for trade and
cared very little for money. It was about this time
that his father gave him five thousand dollars to enable
him to set up in business for himself. He loaned half
of his money to a friend who never paid it back and
promptly lost the remainder in a business venture. He
then went into partnership with his father in the malt
business, but the musty old malt-house had no attrac
tions for him. He was about as good a business man
as Patrick Henry was; but, as in the case of Henry,
there was a more important work awaiting him.

He was a patriot, not a money maker. He once told
his cousin, John Adams, that he never made plans for
"laying up anything for himself or others after him."
When he was about to set out for Philadelphia to
attend the first Continental Congress, some of his
friends saw that his clothes were rather shabby and
suspected that there was not much money in his
pocket. Consequently, they bought him a suit of

SAMUEL ADAMS

clothes, a new wig and a hat, a dozen pairs of stock
ings, and six pairs of shoes. And when he admitted
that his funds were rather low, they also gave him a
modest sum of money to pay his expenses.

Although Adams usually thought things over care-

JOHN HANCOCK DISCUSSING THE STAMP ACT

Hancock is standing. John and Samuel Adams are present, also
a ship captain who has brought stamps from England to sell to the
colonists.

fully he was rather extreme and radical in his views.
His period of greatest activity begins with the passing
of the Stamp Act, which he opposed most vigorously.
He also suggested the calling of the Stamp Act Con
gress to protest against the measure.

3^ THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

About this time the colonies began to sound the
slogan "no taxation without representation." It was
then suggested by some that the American colonies
might send representatives to sit in the British Parlia
ment. James Otis and Benjamin Franklin were of

READING THE STAMP ACT IN BOSTON

The British Stamp Act of 1765 caused great excitement in America.
It contained fifty-five clauses and put a stamp tax on a great many
different articles. It was repealed a year later.

this mind, and thought that the difficulty with the
Mother Country might be solved in this way. Adams
was not of this opinion. He thought that a small
number of American representatives would not count
for much in such a large assembly as the British Par
liament. He had thought the whole matter over care-

SAMUEL ADAMS

fully and said that he would be satisfied with nothing
less than the complete independence of the colonies.

When once he had made up his mind, Adams was
steadfast in his opinions. After the repeal of the
Stamp Act, and before
the Declaration of
Independence, General
Gage tried to make
Adams change his
mind. Gage was Com
mander of the British
troops in America and
suggested to Adams
that he stop fighting
and "make peace with
the King." To this
Adams replied, " I trust
I have made my peace
with the King of kings.
No personal considera
tions shall induce me
to abandon the

SAMUEL ADAMS CALLED BEFORE THOMAS

HUTCHINSON, THE ROYAL GOVERNOR

righteous cause of my Adams Save the Governor a good deal of

,, J trouble and was called in for discipline,

country.

Adams was a stern Puritan and could not be easily
moved from the path of duty. Thomas Hutchinson,
the King's Governor of Massachusetts, in a letter to
the British Government, said that Adams was of "such
obstinate and inflexible disposition that no gift nor

40 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

office would ever conciliate him." It was the custom
in those days to bribe men by "gift" or " office," but
the plan would not work in the case of Samuel Adams.

A little later, when the Declaration of Independence
was being discussed, and when some timid souls began
to show signs of weakness, Adams exclaimed: "I
should advise persisting in our struggle for liberty
though it were revealed from Heaven that 999 were to
perish, and one out of 1,000 were to survive and retain
his liberty. One such freeman must possess more virtue,
and enjoy more happiness, than 1,000 slaves; and let
him propagate his like, and transmit to them what he
has so nobly preserved."

The Declaration of Independence was passed soon
after, and Samuel Adams .took great pleasure in sign
ing it. His friend John Hancock had signed it first
in letters so large that " George the Third could read
it without his glasses."

Naturally enough, all of this did not tend to make
Adams popular with the British officers; and so the
King's men tried to capture him and his friend Hancock
and send them to England to be tried for treason. They
knew very well what their fate would be if they were
captured.

On the night before the Battle of Lexington, the
first battle of the Revolution, General Gage laid plans
to capture the two men, whom he called the " Arch
Rebels." Hancock and Adams had stopped for the
night at the home of Rev. Jonas Clarke in Lexing-

SAMUEL ADAMS 41

ton. Gage planned to swoop down upon them at mid
night and bring them to Boston in chains. Paul Revere,
however, rode out from Boston on Deacon Larkin's
swift horse and arrived at the minister's house just in
time to give them warning. As the British troops
appeared, Hancock and Adams left the house and took
to the woods. The next day Adams stood on a wooded

KITCHEN AND LIVING ROOM IN THE JONAS CLARKE HOUSE*

Examine the picture carefully and see how many of the articles you
can identify.

hill near by and, seeing the beginning of the Battle of
Lexington, exclaimed, " What a glorious morning for,
America!" He had visions of Independence for the
colonies.

All the threats of the British officers could not in
timidate Samuel Adams. He stuck to his task and
used every possible means to accomplish his work.
He would talk to men in the street and on the docks,

42 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

— everywhere that men would listen to him. He also
wrote pamphlets, and " poured himself into the news
papers." He never seemed to tire of writing. People
passing his house were accustomed to see a light in
his window in the wee small hours of the morning. As
they went their way they often said to themselves that
" Sam Adams was hard at work writing against the
Tories" in England. The Tories knew it, also. They
felt the jab of his pen. One of the royal governors of
Massachusetts once said of Adams that "every dip of
his pen stings like a horned snake."

While active in the affairs leading to the Revolution,
Adams still continued to live in the old mansion on
the Bay with its " light in the window." His home
.life was happy and comfortable. A son, now twenty-
two years of age, was studying medicine, after having
graduated from Harvard College. His daughter, a
charming young girl of seventeen, was still in school.
There was joy and music in the family circle. Adams
had a good voice and liked to sing some of the old
songs. Family prayers were said, and the Bible was
read aloud every evening. "Old Surry," a black
"mammy," lived in the Adams family for fifty years
and was devotedly attached to every member of it.
When slavery was abolished in Massachusetts, she was
offered her freedom but declined. She threw the papers
into the fire, and exclaimed that "she had libbed too
long to be trifled with."

Old Queue was another patriotic and interesting

SAMUEL ADAMS 43

member of the Adams household. Queue was a fine,
big, intelligent Newfoundland dog, and he was in
entire sympathy with his master's views. He hated
the British soldiers just as much as anyone could.
Whenever he saw a "red coat" he made a dash for it.
As a result "he was cut and shot in several places by
the soldiers . . . and bore to his grave honorable scars
from his fierce encounters." Old Queue did his part
in winning Independence for the American colonies.

Samuel Adams devoted his whole life unselfishly to
public affairs, with no thought of his own private
fortune. He served on committees of various kinds
and held important offices both in the state and nation.
His salary was either nothing at all or very small. He
saved nothing, and it might have been necessary to
bury him at public expense if he had not inherited
six thousand dollars upon the death of his son. His
son, already mentioned, was an army surgeon, who at
the time of his death had certain claims against the
government. These claims went to his father and
helped him greatly in his old age.

On the early morning of Sunday, October 2, 1803,
the tolling of the church bells awakened the inhabitants
of Boston and they knew that Samuel Adams had passed
away. He was eighty-one years of age at the time of
his death. He was buried, very fittingly, near the
resting place of the victims of the "Boston Massacre."
(p. 58). "In what is now Adams Square, the town
he loved has commemorated him worthily in imposing

44 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

bronze. His dust lies almost beneath the feet of the
passers in the great thoroughfare, and no stone marks
the spot."

Here lie the ashes of "Sam Adams, the Malster,"
"a man, who, in the history of the American Revolu
tion, is second only to Washington."

That man may last, but never lives,
Who much receives, but nothing gives.

Samuel Adams gave his all to his Country.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. How did Samuel Adams differ from James Otis and Patrick

Henry?
12. What do you consider Adams's greatest service to the

Revolution?

3. Where is Harvard University located?

4. What is meant by " No Taxation without representation"?

5. See if you can find a copy of John Hancock's signature to

the Declaration of Independence.

6. Which was the first battle of the American Revolution?

Locate it on the map.

7. Why is Samuel Adams sometimes called " The Father of

the American Revolution" ?
B. See if you can find out who the "Tories" were.

CHAPTER IV

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, THE BALANCE WHEEL
OF THE REVOLUTION

As a patriot none surpassed him.

-JOHN T. MORSE, JR.

But matchless Franklin! What a few
Can hope to rival such as you,
Who seized from kings their sceptered pride,
And turned the lightning's darts aside.

-PHILIP FRENEAU

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN is an old friend. We first met
him as a young printer in Boston. Later we saw him,
as a boy of seventeen, setting out to seek his fortune in
New York. Not finding anything to do in that place,
he went to Philadelphia, where he became famous.
We all remember how odd and old-fashioned he looked
when he walked down Market Street, Philadelphia,
with a loaf of bread under each arm and munching a
third. We have all probably read parts of his "Poor
Richard's Almanac," which contains so many wise and
useful sayings.

Franklin was a great and a wise man, but, at the

46 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

same time, a very simple and modest one. He was
truly genuine and sincere and never cared for show.
He makes "Poor Richard" say:

Fond pride of dress is sure a very curse;
Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse.

And again he says:

It is as truly folly for the poor to ape the rich, as for the
frog to swell in order to equal the ox.

Franklin was the oldest man in the public life of
America at the time of the Revolution. And no other
man of his day could do so many things well. For
this reason he has been called "the many-sided
Franklin."

As a man he was kind, genial and thoughtful. There
was no malice in his great soul. He was not selfish.
He wanted a "square deal" for everybody. He never
acted hastily. When a matter was presented to him he
thought it over carefully — up one side and down the
other — before coming to a conclusion. He took large
and broad views of things. He had traveled exten
sively, both in Europe and America, and was a kind of
"citizen of the world." He was a very human sort
of man and everyone loved him. He was also a practi
cal man of good, hard, common sense, and thus became
The Balance Wheel of the Revolution.

Franklin was born in Boston in 1706, and was thus
sixty years of age when the colonists were fighting for
the repeal of the Stamp Act. Franklin was one of the

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

FRANKLIN'S BOOK SHOP

48 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

last of the great men of America to advocate the inde
pendence of the colonies, but he was one of the first
to protest against unjust taxation. His influence in this
respect was powerful in England as well as in this country.
After the Stamp Act was passed, Franklin went to
England and tried to get it repealed. He appeared be
fore the House of Commons (the lower house of the
English Parliament) and gave his reasons in a most
convincing way. This dialogue between Franklin and
the members of Parliament has been printed and is
very interesting. Franklin stated the case of the Ameri
can colonists as well as it could possibly be stated.
Let us notice a few of the questions and answers.

Question: "Do you think the people of America would submit

to pay the stamp duty, if it was moderated?"
Answer: "No, never unless compelled by force of arms."
Question: "What was the temper of America towards Great

Britain before the year 1763?"
Answer: "The best in the world."
Question: "And what is their temper now?"
Answer: "O, very much altered."
Question: "And have they not still the same respect for

Parliament?"

Answer: "No, it is greatly lessened."
Question: "Do you think if the Stamp Act is repealed that the

North Americans will be satisfied?"
Answer: "I believe they will."

Question: "What used to be the pride of Americans?"
Answer: "To indulge in the fashions and manufactures of

Great Britain."
Question: "What is now their pride?"

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Answer'. "To wear their old clothes over again till they can
make new ones."

This interview was a long one and in the course of
it Franklin presented many facts and views which
were new to the men
across the sea. Some
of the questions, you
will notice, were asked
by men who were
friendly to the
American colonies in
order to bring out |

"***** tjm H 1

these facts and views.

The Stamp Act was
repealed a short time
after and it is likely
that Franklin's inter
view was influential in
bringing this about.

Ten years later,
when Franklin had
reached the age of
three score years and

ten, he helped to draft the Declaration of Independence
and also signed his name to that great document. Thomas
Jefferson wrote the Declaration after getting suggestions
from the other members of the committee, of whom
Franklin was one. Franklin had a very gifted pen and
some thought that he might be called upon to write the

DISCUSSING THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE

You will recognize Thomas Jefferson,
John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.

50 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

document. One man, however, tells us that Franklin was
not chosen for this task because it was feared that he
might put a joke into it.

The signing of this document was, of course, a very
serious matter, but all were in good humor now that the
struggle was over. After signing his name one man
remarked very seriously, "Now we must all hang to
gether." "Yes," said Franklin, "or we shall all hang
separately."

A few months before this time the British Lord
North had a conversation with Franklin in regard to
a settlement of the American trouble. North said:
"An agreement is necessary for America; it is so easy
for Britain to burn all your seaport towns."

To this Franklin replied: "My little property con
sists in houses in those towns; you may make bonfires
of them whenever you please; the fear of losing them
will never alter my resolution to resist to the last the
claim of Parliament."

On the day after the Declaration of Independence
was signed, Franklin wrote the following letter to
William Strahan, who had been his intimate friend:

MR. STRAHAN. — You are a member of Parliament, and one
of that majority which has doomed my country to destruction.
You have begun to burn our towns and murder our people.
Look upon your hands; they are stained with the blood of your
relations! You and I were long friends; you are now my enemy,
and I am

Yours,
B. FRANKLIN

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

BENJAMIN FKANKLIN

Franklin was a student of general welfare. He began the paving of
streets in Philadelphia, started the circulating library, organized the
first fire company, invented the Franklin stove to take the place of
the old open fireplace, and did many other things for the good of
the people.

52 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Two years after the Declaration of Independence;
Franklin went to France with two other men and
succeeded in making an agreement whereby France
aided us with men and money in our struggle with
Great Britain. Franklin was a great favorite at the
court of France and had much influence in bringing
about this treaty.

After Independence had been won Franklin again
went to England — this time on a very different
mission. He was to make a treaty of peace. He did
so in 1783; and, as Tom Paine remarked, "The times
that tried men's souls were over."

In the summer of 1787 a great convention of the
leading men of America was called together in Phila
delphia to make a new constitution for the United
States. Franklin, at eighty-one years of age, was one
of the most valuable members of this body. He was
America's " grand old man," and was greatly beloved
by all the members. When the delegates could not
agree, or when they became angry, it was usually
Franklin's part to smooth matters out.

Franklin's sense of humor was so strong that he
could not restrain it even when serious matters were
being considered. It will be noticed, however, that
wisdom was always mixed with his humor. For example
when he was twenty- two years of age, he wrote the
following epitaph for himself:

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 53

"The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer, Lies here
. . . ; But the work shall not be lost, for it will
appear once more in a new and more elegant edition,
revised and corrected by the author."

Although he did not attend church regularly Franklin
was a devoutly religious man. He believed in prayer
and practiced it. Here is one of Thomson's poems
of which he was fond:

Father of light and life, thou good supreme!

O teach me what is good; teach me thyself!

Save me from folly, vanity, and vice,

From every low pursuit; and fill my soul

With knowledge, conscious peace, and virtue pure;

Sacred, substantial, never-fading bliss!

After a well rounded and complete life Franklin
died in Boston in 1790 at the ripe old age of eighty-
four. A short time before his death, and when he
knew that his end was near, he insisted upon getting
up to have his bed properly made. He wished, as he
said, to "die in a decent manner."

The chief motive of his life was to promote the welfare of
mankind.

— JOHN T. MORSE, JR.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. How did Benjamin Franklin resemble a " balance wheel "?

2. Why was Franklin called " many-sided "?

3. Do you think that Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry

were alike in disposition?

4. What was the chief motive of Benjamin Franklin's life?

CHAPTER V

GEORGE WASHINGTON, THE PILLAR OF THE
REPUBLIC

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cul
tivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality
enjoin this conduct.

- WASHINGTON 's FAREWELL ADDRESS

WE HAVE all met George Washington before — many
times. We saw him as a boy of seventeen surveying

in the western wilder
ness. We saw him a
sturdy frontiersman of
twenty-one carrying
the famous message to
the French command
er in northwestern
Pennsylvania. We
held our breath at
times, not knowing
whether he would re-

WASHINGTON AS A SURVEYOR

Washington surveyed the western wilder- fllrn fn Vircrinia in

ness. He preceded the "Westward

Movement." safety or fall a victim

to the perils of winter

or the treachery of the red man. At the time of Brad-
dock's famous march we saw him save the day in the dark

GEORGE WASHINGTON

valley of the Monongahela River. Some of us have paid
a loving tribute to his memory at the old home on the
Potomac River, and all of us think of him each year on
the twenty-second of February.

Washington was a very different kind of man from
those already considered. He was not a great orator

like Otis or Henry.

In fact he rarely
attempted to make
a speech. He was
not a skillful writer
and organizer like
Samuel Adams. He
wrote many letters
on public questions,
but his spelling was
rather poor, and his
grammar not always
correct. He was not
so good a scholar as
Alexander Hamilton

\ *«'• Field

Alexandria c
Mount Vernonc

MAP SHOWING SOME OF WASHINGTON'S
ACTIVITIES IN THE OLD FRENCH WAR

His home was at Mount Vernon. He
carried his famous letter to the French
Commander at Fort Le Bceuf, and he
fought on Braddock's Field.

or James Madison.
In his services to the nation, however, he excelled all
these men. He was a great, large man, of good common
sense and sound judgment. He knew' the thing to be
done, and did it without flinching.

Unlike Patrick Henry he was a splendid business
man. He was thrifty and saving and owned a great
deal of property. For all of these reasons the people

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

came to have great confidence in him. He was the
Pillar of the Republic — the strong staff upon which
the nation leaned in time of danger.

Things went from bad to worse in the contest with
the Mother Country, and soon the fight was on. All

of the eloquence of
Patrick Henry and the
good sense and kindli-
ness of Benjamin
Franklin could not
stem the tide of British
tyranny. The king
and his minsters kept
right on in their stupid
way. Some of the
great men in the Eng
lish Parliament, such
Here on March 5, 1770, the first blood- a s Edmund Burke and
shed in the Revolutionary War took William Pitt, pleaded
place.

with them to with
draw the British troops from America and treat the col
onists fairly. They paid no attention to this good advice.
They did, of course, repeal the Stamp Act; but they
made other laws which were just as bad, or even worse.
They levied many other taxes and again the colonists
objected. The Americans erected " liberty poles" with
flags on top and the British soldiers cut them down,
sawed them into pieces, and piled them up in front of

THE BOSTON MASSACRE

GEORGE WASHINGTON

the buildings where meetings were being held. On one
occasion a riot followed and one man was killed.

In Boston the people objected very seriously to the
presence of the British troops. The soldiers were not

THE BOSTON TEA PARTY

Here the "Indians" are dumping the tea into the Boston Harbor.
Why would they not permit it to be brought ashore?

a very nice class of men. They carried on horse-racing
and gambling on Sunday, during church hours, and to
this the Puritan spirit objected. Men and boys began
to annoy them, and finally pelted them with sticks and
stones. On March 5, 1770, the soldiers fired into a

58 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

crowd, killing five of the citizens and wounding six.
All Boston was at fever heat. A great mass meeting
demanded that the soldiers be withdrawn from the city,
and this was done. For many years after, this event,
which came to be known as the " Boston Massacre,"
was celebrated by meetings and memorial speeches.

The English backed up on other measures but not
quite far enough. They repealed all the objectionable
taxes except the one on tea. They then tried to bring
a cargo of tea into the Boston harbor. The indignant
citizens wanted the ship to turn back, but the Royal
Governor refused to give the order. A party of men
dressed up as Indians then went on board the vessel
and dumped the tea into the Boston harbor. It is said
that on the next morning a great many prominent citi
zens of Boston found quantities of tea in their shoes.
This "tea party," as it was called, was another step
toward war.

It kept King George so long awake
His brain at last got addled.

The English reply to the "Boston Tea Party" was
the passage of five "intolerable" or unbearable meas
ures. These measures provided for the closing of the
Boston harbor — an act of vengeance. They also
changed the charter of Massachusetts, and provided
that more troops should be sent to America to be
"quartered" upon the people. This made the colonists
furious, but all to no avail. It was seen that war might

GEORGE WASHINGTON

break out at any moment. The " Minute-Men'7 were
organized. These were men who had pledged themselves
to be ready for service in the field at a moment's notice.
They had not long to wait. General Gage, who did
not use very good sense, sent his troops to Concord to

THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON
Notice that an old fence furnished part of the entrenchments.

capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams and to de
stroy some military supplies which had been stored at
that place. Paul Revere heard of this plan and, gallop
ing out on horseback, gave the alarm. Hancock and
Adams escaped and the Minute-Men met the British

60 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

troops on the village green of Lexington on April 19,
1775. Here the American Revolution began.

At Concord bridge the fight was continued and the
British were driven back in great disorder to Boston.
They had lost two hundred and seventy men, while
the Americans lost ninety- three.

The next scene in the Revolution is laid at Fort
Ticonderoga on the beautiful shore of Lake Champlain.
Ethan Allen was a Connecticut boy who had gone out
into the wild country between the Green Mountains
and Lake Champlain. Here he became a bold leader
of the frontiersmen, and \vhen he heard of the fight
at Lexington he marched his hardy men against the
British at Fort Ticonderoga. These " Green Mountain
Boys" under their brave leader, "the Robin Hood of
the forest," advanced at first with joyous shouts and
then with stealthy tread into the forest thickets. The
poet Bryant has described this advance as follows:

How the dark wood rings with our voices shrill

That startle the sleeping bird!
To-morrow eve must the voice be still,

And the step must fall unheard.
The Briton lies by the blue Champlain,

In Ticonderoga's towers,
And ere the sun rise twice again,

Must they and the lake be ours.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

The Briton and the Lake were ours because Allen
and his brave band surprised the stronghold at day
break, and demanded its surrender "in the name of
the Great Jehovah and
the Continental Congress."
The commander of the fort,
who had hastily jumped
out of bed and was still
rubbing his eyes, thought
it best to surrender, and he
did so, May 10, 1775.

The capture of this post
was important because it
cut the British line which
reached to Canada, and also
because a large amount of
military supplies fell into
the hands of the Ameri
cans. The captured cannon
were dragged on sledges over
the snow to the sea coast
and then sent to Boston.

ETHAN ALLEN

The next scene in this This statue is Placed in the
, .... Capitol Building at Washing-

great drama of liberty was ton, D. C.

on the top of Bunker Hill,

near Boston. The Americans had fortified the top of this
hill and the British army, under General Howe, was sent
to drive them out. The British thought that the raw

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

American soldiers would get excited and fire at them
before they came within range of their guns. They planned
then to drive them from their trenches with a bayonet

ISRAEL PUTNAM STARTING FOR THE FRONT

When the Minute-Men were called it did not take Israel Putnam
long to grasp his musket and powder horn.

charge. In all of this they reckoned without the American
leader, General Israel Putnam, a sturdy old frontier
fighter. Putnam said he would punish severely any
man who fired before he could see the whites of the eyes
of the British.

The British came
held their fire until
away. Volley after
volley followed and
the British lines fell
back, but formed
again. Again they
were repulsed.

The British form
ed again and charged
up the hill a third
time. This time they
were more careful.
UA burnt child
dreads the fire."
They went up by a
roundabout way.
The ships in the
harbor were helping
them by hurling
shells among the de
fenders of the hill.
Charlestown, near
by, was on fire. A
great column of

GEORGE WASHINGTON 63

up the hill and the Americans

the enemy was only sixty feet

THE BEGINNING OF THE REVO
LUTION

Ethan Allen's "Green Mountain Boys"
took Ticonderoga and the "Minute-
Men" fought at Lexington and Con
cord. Charlestown burned while the
battle raged on Bunker Hill. Notice
that Maine at this time was a prov
ince of Massachusetts.

black smoke surrounded and almost blinded the Ameri
cans. Their ammunition gave out and they were com
pelled to fall back. The Briton was a victor on that
June day on the top of Bunker Hill — but it was a

64 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

very costly victory. He had lost one half of his whole
force. A thousand Englishmen lay dead or dying on
the slope of the hill.

The Americans lost about one half of that number.
But among these was General Joseph Warren, one of
the truest and bravest men that ever drew sword on
the field of battle.

THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL

The battle showed the Americans that they could stand against the
British Regulars.

For the Americans it was a great moral victory. It
gave them confidence in themselves. It showed them
that their raw troops could stand up and fight success
fully against the British Regulars.

While this battle was being fought Washington was
preparing to take command of the American army.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

66 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Four days later he saddled his horse and set out for
Boston. He had gone only twenty miles from home
when he heard the news from Bunker Hill. His quick
question was, "Did the militia fight?" When he was
assured that they did, he exclaimed, "Then the liberties
of the country are safe."

There was now a broad gap between the colonists
and the Mother Country. Even the kindly Franklin
gave up all hope of reconciliation. The next step
was to pass a Declaration of Independence and in
this way tell the people of the world the reasons for
breaking away from the control of England. This
was done by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia
on July 4, 1776. There was a long and vigorous
debate. Some opposed the Declaration. People on
the streets grew impatient. The old bell ringer in
the State House waited and waited but the signal did
not come. "They'll never do it! They'll never do it!"
people began to mutter. Then finally the old man was
told to Ring! and the old Liberty Bell pealed out the
bold tidings.

It seems now as if the old bell was made for just
this purpose. Long years before, when the king and
the colonists were at peace, this inscription taken from
the Old Testament had been placed on the bell:

Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the
inhabitants thereof.

GEORGE WASHINGTON 67

The Liberty Bell did its duty and the church bells
and the cannon took up the refrain. Bonfires lit up
the sky all the way from Massachusetts to Georgia.

The fight was now on and George the Third was
right when he said: "The die is cast; the colonies
must either submit or triumph/'

They had already made arrangements to triumph.

"THE SPIRIT or '76"

Several great painters have represented the Spirit of '76 on canvas.
Here the Revolutionary soldier is going out to fight.

On June 15, two days before the battle of Bunker Hill,
the Continental Congress had chosen George Washing
ton Commander-in-chief of the American army. Wash
ington left the room in haste as soon as his name was

68 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

mentioned by John Adams. He returned the next day,
however, and said that since he was called, he would
try to do his duty. He also said that he would accept
no pay aside from his expenses.

Washington rode on toward his post of duty. Early
in July he arrived at Cambridge, near Boston, and
hastily reviewed that motley crowd called the Conti
nental Army. As he sat on horseback under the
famous elm at Cambridge his appearance was de
scribed as "truly noble and majestic." Even a London
paper remarked: " There is not a king in Europe but
would look like a house servant by his side."

Washington was soon in serious business up to his
ears. He took his army from Boston to defend New
York and was defeated by General Howe in the Battle
of Long Island. He saved his men from capture by the
strategy of leaving his camp fires burning while he
took his army across the river in the night. Washing
ton was a master in covering a retreat. On several
occasions he saved his army from capture in this way.
His position was now a perilous one and he retreated
across New Jersey to the west side of the Delaware
River. The British pushed after him hoping to capture
the American army "bag and baggage." They might
possibly have done so if they had not preferred the
ease and comfort of winter quarters.

These were dark days in the Revolution, but Wash
ington did not falter. He knew that Howe was in New

GEORGE WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON CROSSING THE DELAWARE

70 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

York celebrating Christmas. The Germans, who were
aiding the British, were in camp at Trenton, New
Jersey, and Washington felt that they would be off
their guard on account of a small amount of home
sickness and a large amount of drinking. He thought
this a good time for a bold stroke. He was not
mistaken.

He determined to cross the Delaware River and
strike Trenton. He did so on Christmas Day, 1776.
The weather was both cold and dismal. The river
was dotted with huge blocks of floating ice and the
air was filled with a driving sleet. It seemed a perilous
undertaking to take an army across this angry stream
on such a day. One of Washington's generals told him
that it could not be done. Washington did not agree
with him. He picked out some expert boatmen from
New England and tackled the job. After ten hours
of cold and dangerous work, a large part of it under
cover of the night, Washington had his little army on
the Jersey shore. He then pushed on in the sleet and
cold in order to reach Trenton, ten miles away, by day
break. The men were in a pitiable condition. Some
of them were marching barefooted in the snow, leaving
a trail of blood behind them. Some of the men had
lost their guns in crossing the river. The remainder
of the weapons were so water-soaked that they were
almost useless. "We must depend on the bayonet,"
said Washington.

A sharp attack was promptly made and the German

GEORGE WASHINGTON 71

commander, with seventy men, was killed and a thou
sand men laid down their arms in surrender.

Washington had won a brilliant victory but his
position was still very dangerous. There was a British
force of two thousand men only a few miles down the
river. Seeing his danger, he went back with his pris
oners and spoils and recrossed the river.

Three days later he again crossed over to the Jersey
side. Lord Cornwallis, one of the British commanders,
was about to embark for England, but instead of that
he was sent to drive Washington back. He had laid
plans to capture him or, as he said, to "run down the
Old Fox." The two men exchanged compliments in
the night with their big guns, and Cornwallis intended
to attack early in the morning. Washington was
getting ready. All through the night his camp fires
burned brilliantly and the British sentinels could hear
the blow of the spade and swing of the pickaxe as the
Americans were building their entrenchments. When
the British got ready to attack, they found, to their
great surprise, that the American camp was empty.
The bird had flown; or rather the Old Fox had made
tracks for parts unknown.

As soon as Cornwallis had time to look about him he
found Washington cutting off the line to his base of
supplies. After a fight near Princeton, the British
withdrew to New York, leaving Washington in posses
sion of practically all of New Jersey. Washington's
bold strokes at Trenton and Princeton had changed the

72 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

whole face of the situation and there was great re
joicing in America.

Other dark days were yet in store for Washington.
Howe had collected a great army in the vicinity of
Philadelphia for the purpose of taking that important

THE BATTLE OF PRINCETON
It was here that Washington won one of his most notable victories.

place. He defeated Washington in two battles in the
southeastern part of Pennsylvania, and then entered
the city.

Soon after this Washington went into winter quar
ters at Valley Forge, about twenty miles from Phila
delphia. This was a terrible winter and a severe test
upon the fiber of Washington and his men. Washing
ton took his little army into the hills of Valley Forge

GEORGE WASHINGTON 73

about the middle of December, 1777, with no shelter
for them save the bleak valleys and hillsides. They set
to work at once, throwing up entrenchments and
building log huts.

There was a shortage of food for the men, and many
horses died on account of lack of feed. Clothing
was lacking and the men suffered terribly from the
biting weather. Blood from their bare feet marked
their tracks on the snow and the frozen ground. In
stead of sleeping at night many of the men were com
pelled to sit up huddled around the camp fire in order
to keep from freezing to death.

Sickness, of course, gripped the stricken camp. The
frozen ground was, in many cases, the only hospital
bed to be had. When he had been less than a week at
Valley Forge Washington reported about three thou
sand men " unfit for duty because of their nakedness
in the bitter winter."

Food was not particularly scarce but it was very hard
to get. Howe's men in Philadelphia had enough, and
to spare, while the Americans at Valley Forge, only a
few miles away, were actually starving. "The Farmers
of eastern Pennsylvania closed their ears to the groans
of Valley Forge and brought meat and flour in great
abundance to the British'. . . at Philadelphia."

It is said by some that these farmers were losing
faith in the American cause and expected the British
to win the war. They wanted to be on the winning
side. There may be some truth in this explanation,

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

but it should be remembered that the farmer got
British gold for the supplies which he brought to Phila
delphia, while Washington had nothing to offer but the

WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE
They are directing affairs at Valley Forge.

almost worthless paper money. The profiteer was
abroad in the land and, to make matters worse, trans
portation facilities were very poor.

Washington, however, was not a man to stand and
twirl his thumbs and look on in a case of this kind.
He "took the bull by the horns" and announced that he
would hang to a tree the first man whom he caught
taking provisions to the British. He then sent out men
with instructions to take food by force and to tell the

GEORGE WASHINGTON

people that they would be paid for it at some future
time.

In the midst of all this suffering there was some good
cheer. The men were drawn into a closer comradeship
by their hardships. They made the best of a bad situa
tion. Some of the officers gave a scanty dinner, now
and then, to which only those who had holes in their
trousers were invited. The others were looked upon

as too aristocratic
and " stuck up " to
eat with the common
people.

Washington had
two brilliant young
men with him during
this winter at Valley
Forge. One was
Alexander Hamilton,
born in the West In
dies, and among the
ablest men in the

whole history of the public life of the United States.
He was twenty-one years of age at the time, and
was Washington's secretary and intimate personal
friend.

The other was the Marquis de Lafayette, who stole
out of France and came to America to fight in behalf
of the Colonies. The king of France had forbidden his
going. The young Lafayette, who was only twenty

OLD FORT AT VALLEY FORGE AS IT
APPEARS TODAY

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

years of age at the
time, had a great
enthusiasm for the
American cause.
"With the welfare of
America," he wrote,
"is closely linked the
welfare of mankind."
He was made a Major
General in the Ameri
can army before he
was twenty-one years
old.

There were some
other men in this
little company at Val
ley Forge who later
became famous. Na-
thanael Greene, a
Quaker from Rhode
Island, was one of the
number. He was a
blacksmith, who, by
hard study, made him
self into a first-class
soldier. He was with
Washington at

Trenton and now gave him his support at Valley Forge.

He was later made Quarter-master-general of the army.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Hamilton was born in the West Indies.
He was making speeches on Government
when he was seventeen. He helped to
make our Constitution and to win the
Revolution. He was killed in a duel
with Aaron Burr when 47 years of age.

GEORGE WASHINGTON 77

Henry Knox, a bookseller of Boston, had very little
military training, but at the age of twenty-five he took
charge of the artillery around Boston. He was now
sharing the hardships of Vallty Forge.

Daniel Morgan, an old Indian fighter, left his Vir
ginia farm at the outbreak of the war and hurried to
Boston to join the army. He fought valiantly in many
battles, both before and after this time. He, too,
was with Washington sharing the glories and the pri
vations of Valley Forge.

Such was the winter that prevailed
Within the crowded, frozen gorge;

Such were the horrors that assailed
The patriot band at Valley Forge.

It was a midnight storm of woes

To clear the sky for Freedom's morn;

And such must ever be the throes
The hour when Liberty is born.

— THOMAS BUCHANAN READ

We must now turn back a little and follow the fortunes
of another American army under Schuyler and Gates in
eastern New York. In the summer of 1777 the British
planned a bold campaign to cut the Colonies into two
parts. General Burgoyne with one British army was to
come down from Canada, and General Howe with another
was to go up the Hudson from New York. They were
to meet at Albany.

78 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

As it happened, however, Howe's army was very
busy about Philadelphia and when he sent General
Clinton up the Hudson to meet Burgoyne it was too
late. The Americans had combined against him in
the important battle of Saratoga.

As Burgoyne pushed southward General Schuyler,

THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA

It was here that Arnold was wounded and protected the German
soldier who shot him.

who was in command of the American forces, harassed
him at every step. Supplies were burned, bridges were
destroyed and trees were felled across his pathway, so
that he could scarcely make a mile a day. He had to
go on, however, as his retreat to Canada was now cut

GEORGE WASHINGTON 79

off by American forces. He pushed forward to his
doom. A large amount of baggage made his progress
slower still. It required thirty wagons to carry the
belongings of the general himself. Not all of these
things, it would seem, were necessary to a military
campaign. Some of the packages were filled with
choice liquors. It is said that Burgoyne had champagne
on his table " almost to the day of final disaster."

In the meantime, there was no word from Howe,
and Burgoyne kept wondering why he did not come.
Messengers were sent to find the cause of the delay, but
they never came back. They were caught and hanged as
spies while trying to get through the American lines.

Burgoyne's situation was becoming desperate. The
Americans were getting him in a corner. Washington
was keeping Howe entertained about Philadelphia, and
no help could be sent to Burgoyne. Finally on Sep
tember 19, in a battle, usually known as the First
Battle of Freeman's Farm, Burgoyne tried to cut his
way out and thus save his army from defeat and cap
ture. He failed with a heavy loss.

In the meantime, Congress had removed Schuyler
from the command and had given it to General Gates.
Gates was a selfish and tricky man and was not loyal
to Washington.

Another important move had also been made. Howe
had instructed General Clinton to go up the Hudson
and help Burgoyne. Clinton started, but it was now
too late.

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

SCENES OF THE LATTER PART OF THE
REVOLUTION

This map shows the scene of Burgoyne's
surrender at Saratoga and of Washing
ton's brilliant strokes at Trenton and
Princeton. It also shows the location
of Washington's dismal camp at Valley
Forge and the scene of the final triumph
at Yorktown.

Burgoyne was in a trap. He

There was no time
to be lost. Burgoyne
now fought his
Second Battle of
Freeman's Farm,
near Saratoga. Here
he was badly beaten
and Benedict Arnold,
who later turned
traitor to his country,
displayed most amaz
ing bravery on the
American side. "Call
that man back," said
Gates, as Arnold
dashed off on horse
back, "or he will do
something rash."
Arnold couldn't hear
the call, and came
back only when the
victory was won. A
large part of this
battle was fought in
the dense woods, and
here the American
frontiersmen were
perfectly at home,
could neither retreat

GEORGE WASHINGTON 81

nor advance. His camp was commanded by American
guns and he was not strong enough to cut his way out.
American sharpshooters, perched high in the trees,
picked off any Britisher who ventured out into the open.
Horses were killed in the same way. Sometimes a cap
was hung out to draw the fire of the riflemen. Bullets
riddled it instantly. Food was scarce. The Indian
allies had sulked off, and the German hired soldiers
were homesick and tired of the whole business. Finally
ten days after the second battle, Burgoyne surrendered
his entire army to Gates on October 17, 1777. This
battle was the turning-point of the Revolution, and a
great English historian has called it one of the fifteen
decisive battles of the world.

It is not pleasant to relate that some of the officers
of the American army were not loyal to Washington.
Arnold betrayed his confidence and finally • went over
and fought for the British. Gates was a timid and
jealous schemer. Some others formed a conspiracy
against Washington and tried to depose him and put
someone else in his place. Arnold finally left America
and went to England. It would have been well if
some others had done the same thing. A famous pick
pocket once wrote a play to be acted by his fellow-
convicts who had been sent out of the country for
crime. One line of the play read as follows:

True patriots we, for, be it understood,
We left our country for our country's good.

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Some of Washington's enemies might have been
better patriots if they had followed the example of the
pickpocket and his associates at Botany Bay and left
the country for their country's good.

After the surrender at Saratoga the British cause
in America was doomed. The final scene in the great
drama was enacted at Yorktown, Virginia.

WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE
The two friends here appear after the victory at Yorktown.

Yorktown is on the shore in the eastern part of the
state, near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Here Corn-
wallis threw up his fortifications and settled down.
Without knowing it, he had placed himself in a trap.
Some French troops joined forces with Washington at

GEORGE WASHINGTON 83

New York and marched south to cut off his retreat by
land. A large French fleet under Count de Grasse
suddenly appeared and took control of the sea. De
Grasse was a born fighter. His men said that ordi
narily he was about six feet tall, but when fighting a
battle he was six inches taller.

Alexander Hamilton was there and so was General
Lafayette. In speaking of Lafayette, Cornwallis said
that he would run out some day and capture "the boy;"
but "the boy," with his small force of men, succeeded
in keeping out of his reach.

The assault began and the Americans riddled the
town with their guns. One of the French soldiers later
said that there were "big holes made by bombs, cannon
balls, splinters, barely covered graves, arms and legs
of blacks and whites scattered here and there, most of
the houses riddled with shot and devoid of window-
panes."

Cornwallis thought of flight but that seemed hope
less. He finally surrendered his entire army of seven
thousand men. "I thought it would have been wanton
and not human," he said later, "to sacrifice the lives
of this small body of gallant soldiers."

The British surrender at Yorktown on October 19,
1781, practically ended the war. King George wanted
to fight on but Parliament did not agree with him.
Some little fighting followed, but the treaty of peace
was made by Franklin and others in 1783. Thus the
American colonists had finally won their independence

84 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

after eight years of hard fighting, much of it under the
most disheartening conditions.

Washington now returned to the home at Mount
Vernon which he loved so well. Here he hoped to
spend the remainder of his days. He said: "I had
rather be at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about
me, than to be attended at the seat of government by
the officers of State and the representatives of every
power in Europe."

His wish was not granted. He was soon called again
into the service of his country. After the treaty of
peace was made things did not go well with the govern
ment. The form of government was not good and a
convention was called in Philadelphia to make a new
one. The result was the Constitution of the United
States under which we are now living. Washington
was a delegate to this convention from Virginia. Being
the leading man in that body, he was made the pre
siding officer.

A little later the people, with one voice, chose him
to be the first President of the United States. After
holding this office for two terms he refused to listen to
proposals for a third term and was finally permitted
to return to the beloved shades of Mount Vernon
where he died two years later.

For a long time we had a wrong idea about Wash
ington as a boy. A man named Mason Weems wrote

GEORGE WASHINGTON 85

a book about him and pictured him as a goody-good
kind of fellow. He related stories about Washington's
boyhood, many of which were not true. Washington
was not a faultless and conceited little prig with a
starched collar around his neck and curls hanging
down his back. He didn't run and tattle every tune
another boy offended him. He fought his own battles. He
had a high temper, but usually kept it well under control.

Like most other boys he was always on tiptoe when
the circus came around. A little later in life he was
fond of a good horse-race. The fox-hunt, the cock
fight, and other rough frontier sports appealed to him.
He liked to roam through the forests in search of big
game and to spend the night in the open air. "Happy,"
said he, "is the man who gets the berth nearest the fire."
He was also a favorite in society and liked to dance the
stately minuet.

As a man he always liked good clothes. "He had a
weakness for gold lace, silk stockings, and silver span
gles. His liking for fine feathers never quite forsook
him." Unlike his friend Thomas Jefferson, he cared a
great deal for dignity and ceremony.

He was subject to the same diseases that other
people were. "He suffered at times from measles,
smallpox, malaria, and toothache, and late in life he
solemnly put it on record that his false teeth were a
misfit." Washington himself was not deceived. He
knew perfectly well that in many respects he was just
like other people.

86 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Washington was a good, careful, thrifty business
man. He kept an exact account of his expenses, even
to the cost of repairing a hairpin for one of the women
of his household.

He read books on agriculture. He did not guess at
things. He found that there were 844,800 grass seeds
to the pound, and from this he figured out the amount
which should be sown to the acre.

Washington was one of the largest landowners of
his time. He was also one of the richest men in Amer
ica. When he died he owned 60,000 acres of land and
his property was valued at $530,000. In his will he
remembered forty-one relatives of his wife and himself.
He had no children. "God left him childless that he
might be the father of the Country."

Best of all, Washington was a true and an honest
man. He always stood for what he believed to be
right. When the British put the tax on tea, he ban
ished tea from his table. When war was threatened,
he said he would, if necessary, raise and equip out of
his own pocket a thousand men and march with them
to Boston. One who knew him well said that he
was "the honestest man that ever adorned human
nature."

When we review Washington's career from his boy
hood in the wilderness to his final resting place on the
bank of the Potomac, we can readily see why it was
that he was called: "First in War, First in Peace,
First in the hearts of his Countrymen."

GEORGE WASHINGTON 87

He died peacefully at Mount Vernon in 1799 at the
age of sixty -seven.

His work well done, the leader stepped aside,
Spurning a crown with more than kingly pride,
Content to wear the highest crown of worth,
While time endures, First Citizen of earth.

-JAMES J. ROCHE

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Why is Washington called "the Pillar of the Republic"?

2. What was the cause of the " Boston Massacre "?

3. What were the "Intolerable Acts"? Why were they

so-called?

4. Who were the " Minute-Men "?

5. Why was the capture of Fort Ticonderoga important?

6. Where is Bunker Hill located?

7. What noted men were with Washington at Valley Forge?

8. Why was Burgoyne's surrender called a "turning-point"

in the war?

9. What important event took place on October 19, 1781?

10. How did Washington and Patrick Henry compare as busi

ness men?

11. Read Holmes' "Grandmother's Story of Bunker-Hill Battle."

PRONOUNCING LIST

Potomac po-to'mak

Marquis de Lafayette mar'kwis d La-fa-et'

Burgoyne ber-goin'

CHAPTER VI

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES

NATHANAEL GREENE, THE FIGHTING QUAKER

WHILE Washington had a most difficult task to
perform he was not called upon to fight the battles
of the Revolution alone. He had valiant helpers. One
of the foremost of these was Nathanael Greene, The
Fighting Quaker.

Greene was a farmer and blacksmith, born in Rhode
Island, in 1742. He went to the country school for
a time but did not remain there very long. His father
was a plain man who did not believe in very much
education. He thought if a boy could read, write,
spell, and solve a few simple problems in arithmetic
that nothing else was necessary.

As a boy Nathanael worked on the farm, in the mill,
and in the blacksmith shop. He also found time to
read good books. He studied law, joined the militia,
and became a careful student of military tactics.

After the battle of Lexington, troops were raised
in Rhode Island and sent to join the Continental army
under Washington at Cambridge. Greene was in com
mand of these troops. Washington saw at once that

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES

he would make a good soldier, and gave him an im
portant post. Washington's judgment was correct.
Greene turned out to be "the best man in the Ameri
can army next to Washington himself."

Greene was in favor, at an early time, of the inde
pendence of the colonies, and
had written to the Rhode
Island men in Congress, ask
ing them to vote for the
Declaration. He was also in
the battle of Bunker Hill and
was able to give valuable
advice as a result of his
military studies.

At Trenton he commanded
one wing of Washington's
army. A little later, by great
skill, he saved the American

NATHANAEL GREENE

c ,. Greene was Washington's right-

army from destruction on the hand man in the Revolution.

Brandywine Creek. He also H^ could do a §reat deal with

a few men. He was kind and
tOUght bravely at German- generous to his enemies.

town, when, in the dense fog, .

one part of the American army fired upon another part.
These two battles were fought in south-eastern Pennsyl
vania, about the time that Burgoyne was surrendering
to Gates at Saratoga.

In the following year he accepted the office of Quar
termaster-general of the army with the understanding
that he would still have the right to command his

90 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

troops in action. Greene was a real fighting man.
In his new office it was his duty to provide and dis
tribute supplies for the army. This work had not
been well done, and the experience of Washington's
men at Valley Forge was disastrous on this account.
General Greene did good work at his new post.

On account of his knowledge of military law Greene
was made head of the court which passed upon the
case of Major John Andre. A recent writer has re
marked that "no soldier in America was better versed
in the military art in all its details than Greene."

Perhaps it would be well to say a few words about
the interesting career of John Andre. We have already
made the acquaintance of Benedict Arnold. Arnold
was a Connecticut bookseller, and enlisted early in the
Revolution. He performed dazzling feats of bravery
at Quebec, Saratoga, and other places. He finally
came to the conclusion that Congress hadn't treated
him fairly. He wished to be promoted more rapidly
than he was. In a dark moment he made up his
mind to obtain command of West Point on the Hudson
River and then surrender himself and the fortress to
the British.

Washington, not suspecting his plans, gave him the
command. He then began his correspondence with
the British and General Clinton appointed Major
John Andre, a bright young officer, to talk the matter
over with Arnold. Andre assumed the name of "John

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 91

Anderson " and met Arnold in the woods at night a
short distance below West Point, on the west side of
the river. The meeting place was a dark and secluded
spot among the fir trees -- " the haunt of the owl and
whippoorwill."

On his way back to the British army in New York
Andre was captured near Tarrytown — a place since
made famous by Washington Irving in his stories of
Rip Van Winkle and other characters.

The court over ' which. General Greene presided
decided that Andre was a spy and, according to the
law of nations, should be put to death. He was hanged
on October 2, 1780, and his ashes were later taken to
London for burial. Arnold escaped to England and
lived the dismal life of a traitor. He did not accomplish
much in the British army as he was never trusted there.

It was in the South, however, and rather late in
the war, that Greene did his best work. When the tide
of war was going against the British they made a
strong attempt to save Georgia and the two Carolinas.
Cornwallis was in command in the South. This was
about a year before his surrender at Yorktown. Gen
eral Gates had command of the American army and
things were not going very well for the American cause.
So, about two weeks after the execution of Andre, Greene
was appointed to take the place of Gates. Cornwallis
soon saw that he was facing a very different kind of
man. Greene was far more able and energetic.

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Greene went south and took command of the Ameri
can army early in December. He soon put things in
righting shape. In doing this he was assisted by several
notable leaders. One of these was Daniel Morgan, the
famous fighter from Virginia, whom we have already

met. Morgan took
charge of the west
ern part of the
American army and
defeated the British
in the battle of Cow-
pens, in the north
ern part of South
Carolina, about the
middle of January.
Greene also set
his army in motion
and, joining hands
with Morgan after
the battle of Cow-
pens, started across
North Carolina to
wards Virginia. A
noted historian has called this march "one of the most
dramatic retreats in military annals."

Cornwallis started after him in hot pursuit. Before
beginning the race, he destroyed large quantities of
supplies and burned his heavy baggage so that he
might march rapidly. It was a merry chase. The

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR IN THE

SOUTH

Greene and Cornwallis raced across
North Carolina from Cowpens to the
River Dan. Marion's men were en
camped on the Big Pedee River and
Andrew Jackson fought at Hanging
Rock.

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 93

two armies sped on in a northeasterly direction across
the central part of North Carolina. Sometimes they
were so close together that they seemed to be one army
rather than two.

If you will look at the map you will notice that
several rivers had to be crossed on this march. These
streams seemed to be as friendly to the Americans as
the Red Sea was to the Hebrews in the time of Moses.
A series of heavy rains came on and the Americans
were fortunate enough, in each case, to get across the
stream before high water. By the time the British
came up the streams were swollen and their progress
was delayed. The rivers in their courses certainly
fought on the side of the Americans in this race.

Finally the Americans reached the River Dan at
the boundary line between North Carolina and Vir
ginia. Here they crossed over into Virginia. A short
time later Cornwallis appeared in sight but the river
was then a raging torrent and he could not cross. Here
he gave up the chase, turned back, and went into camp
a few miles to the south.

Greene now had time to look around him. He gath
ered up some recruits, recrossed the Dan and sud
denly appeared with his whole force at Guilford Court
House in the interior of North Carolina. Here he
took his stand. Cornwallis also appeared at this place
after a tiresome and foodless march and then was
fought "one of the severest battles in modern times.'7
Cornwallis claimed a victory, but another such victory
"would have ruined his army beyond repair."

94 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

The whole campaign in the South was a very peculiar
one. The British won some victories, but after each
victory they found themselves in danger and were com
pelled to move on. This was due to strategy rather

than strength on the
part of Greene.
Greene excelled in
dividing his oppo
nents, in enticing them
off on long marches,
and in tiring them out.
He had studied tactics
of this kind long be
fore the war began.
He would undoubtedly
have made a good
quarter-back on the
football field. Finally
Cornwallis, tired out
and disgusted, left the
far South and went
northward to his
doom at Yorktown.
General Greene had accomplished his purpose. "All
the boasted fabric of royal government in the South
had come down with a crash and the Tories who had
supported it were having evil days."

At the close of the war Greene returned to Rhode
Island, his native state, and was received with great

NEWS FROM YORKTOWX

A rider on the back of a swift horse
took the place of the telegraph and the
telephone in those days.

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 95

honor. The "literary blacksmith" found himself fa
mous. Congress struck a gold medal in his honor and
gave him two field guns.

The far South, which he had liberated, also showed
its gratitude. South Carolina
gave him a large landed estate
which he sold to pay bills for
the supplies of his army in the
South. Georgia also gave
him a beautiful plantation a
few miles up the river from
Savannah. He made his
home at this place in the fall
of 1785 and died of sunstroke
in the following summer.

Xathanael Greene has been
highly honored in his native
state, in the far south, and in
the City of Washington.
Rhode Island has placed a
bronze statue of him in the
National Capital, and he and
Roger Williams represent
that state in the National
Hall of Statuary in the

Capitol building. There is also a monument in his honor
in the City of Savannah.

One of the pleasantest things to read about, however,
is the intimate friendship which existed between Wash-

XATHAXAEL GREENE

This statue is in Statuary Hall
in the National Capitol at
Washington, D. C.

96 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

ington and Nathanael Greene. Washington always had
the utmost confidence in Greene as a man and as a
soldier. On the other hand, Greene respected and loved
his great chief. When Greene died and it came to
Washington's notice that his family was without means
he wrote to Mrs. Greene and told her that if she would
entrust her son, George Washington Greene, to his
care he would "give him as good an education as this
country will afford. "

DANIEL MORGAN, A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

Daniel Morgan was a big, rough, two-fisted fighter.
He was a member of a Welsh family and was born
in New Jersey, but early in life he moved to Virginia,
While still a boy in his teens he enlisted for the old
French War and became a wagon driver in General
Braddock's Army. Here he came into close contact
with the British Army officers. He didn't like them.
One of them insulted him and he promptly knocked
him down. Morgan got five hundred lashes for the
offense, but the officer later made a public apology for
the insult.

Morgan was a giant in size and strength and his
power of endurance was almost beyond belief. He had
almost no education, but was a man of good intelligence
and was loyal to the core. He was a natural leader of
men and well fitted for the wild campaigns of the
backwoods.

He was a match for the red man in skill and strategy,

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 97

and more than a
match for him in
strength and daring.
On one occasion he
and his men were
engaged in a fierce
forest fight with the
Indians and things
were going against
them. Nearly all of
his men had fallen
and Morgan himself
had been shot through
the neck. He was
certain that he was
about to die but was
determined, as he said,
"not to leave his
scalp in the hands of a
dirty Indian." Lean
ing forward, he put
his arms around the
neck of his horse and
dashed away through
the wilderness until,
finally, his last pur
suer threw his tomahawk at him and turned back in
disgust.
After the old French War was over, Morgan went

DANIEL MORGAN

Daniel Morgan in the garb of a back
woodsman ready to fight the Indians
or the British. He was an expert with
the rifle.

g8 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

to the bad for a short time. He became a saloon
fighter, gambler, and a hard drinker. However, he
reformed, became the owner of some property, and
was all ready for business when the Revolution
broke out.

You will remember that immediately after the battle
of Bunker Hill, Washington went to Cambridge, near
Boston, and took charge of the American army. A
few days later old rough-and-ready Daniel Morgan
reported for duty with his famous company of sharp
shooters. It was said that any one of these back
woodsmen, while marching at a double quick pace,
could split a squirrel with a bullet from his rifle, at a
distance of three hundred yards.

While at Cambridge Morgan fell in with Benedict
Arnold and the two men were side by side in some of
the most brilliant feats of the war. In the first year
of the Revolution the Americans determined to invade
Canada. Benedict Arnold was in charge of the ex
pedition, and Daniel Morgan was one of his companions.
The men had a terrible time in getting to Canada
through dense forests, tangled vines, and northern
snows. Sometimes they had to wade through bogs
with their worn-out shoes. Again they forced their
way through thorny bushes and lost parts of their
clothing in so doing. They were short of food, and
when wild game gave out they ate a number of their

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 99

dogs. "My men/' said Arnold, "were in want of
everything except stout hearts."

Finally the armies arrived at the frowning walls
of Quebec — the most strongly fortified city in America.
At two o'clock on the morning of New Year's Day, 1776,
"in a blinding snowstorm," they began the attack.
Arnold was carried from the field in great agony drag
ging a broken leg behind him. Morgan stepped in and
filled the gap and, with the aid of his Virginia riflemen,
forced his way into the town only to be taken prisoner.
He was discharged, however, about seven months later.

You will remember that the Americans caught Bur-
goyne in a trap and defeated him in the Second Battle
of Freeman's Farm in the fall of 1777. Arnold was
there and so was Morgan. Morgan was on the recep
tion committee and made a furious attack on the
British just as soon as they appeared in view. Arnold
had no command but he waded in just the same and
charged the British with "mad fury." In the heat of
the battle a wounded German soldier, lying on the
ground, shot at Arnold, killed his horse and broke the
General's leg above the knee. An American soldier,
upon seeing this, ran up and was about to pin the
wounded German to the ground with his bayonet when
Arnold exclaimed, "For God's sake, don't hurt him;
he's a fine fellow!" How much better it would have
been for Arnold's reputation if he had died immediately
after speaking those words!

100

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

We have already noticed that General Nathanael
Greene went to North Carolina towards the close of
the war and took command of the American army in
the South. When he arrived there he found old Daniel
Morgan, "a host in himself," ready to help him.

Morgan was given charge of one part of the army
and was to operate against General Tarleton, a brave

SKIRMISH IN THE BATTLE or COWPENS

and skillful soldier. As Tarleton approached, Morgan
retreated in order to find a battle ground suited to
his liking. He chose a large cattle pasture, known as Cow-
pens, and drew up his army with its back to the Broad
River. He did this, he said, so that his raw militia, not
being able to run away, would be compelled to fight.

On the morning of January 17, 1781, Tarleton ap
peared. His men were wet, tired, and muddy but

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 101

he struck the American line at sunrise without delay.
The British were confused by Morgan's peculiar tactics
and his unusual military formations. They were com
pletely routed and lost heavily in killed, wounded,
field guns, and small arms. "Their loss was about equal
to the whole American force engaged." The Americans
had only twelve men killed.

From the standpoint of military tactics Cowpens is
said to have been "the most brilliant battle of the
War for Independence." Morgan was voted the thanks
of Congress and was given a gold medal for this victory.

A few months later, the Revolution was practically
over. Morgan then went back to his old home in Vir
ginia and was a patriot in peace as well as in war. He
served two terms in Congress and ended his stormy
career in 1802 at the age of sixty-six.

FRANCIS MARION, "THE SWAMP Fox"

Our band is few, but true and tried,

Our leader frank and bold;
The British soldier trembles

When Marion's name is told.
Our fortress is the good greenwood,

Our tent the cypress- tree;
We know the forest round us

As seamen know the sea.
We know its walls of thorny vines,

Its glades of reedy grass,
Its safe and silent islands

Within the dark morass. — BRYANT

102 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

The war in the South was made illustrious by still
another great name — that of General Francis Marion,
The Swamp Fox, of South Carolina. Marion, unlike
Morgan, was a small and modest man. He had only
a few men under his command — sometimes less than
twenty and rarely more than seventy. These men
were poorly equipped. At times they fought with
swords made from old saws at the crossroads black
smith shop, and again they melted spoons and cups
in order to get material for their bullets.

These men were apparently just as much at home
in their native swamps and jungles as the rabbits were
in the thickets or the rooks and crows in the tree tops.

With merry songs we mock the wind

That in the pine-top grieves,
And slumber long and sweetly

On beds of oaken leaves.

They sprang from their lair in the jungle where
Lynch's Creek flows into the big Pedee, struck the
enemy a stinging blow and retreated almost before
he knew what was going on.

A moment in the British camp -

A moment — and away,
Back to the pathless forest

Before the peep of day.

Marion's men enjoyed to the utmost these midnight
marches, sudden surprises, and desperate hand to hand
combats.

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 103

Well knows the fair and friendly moon

The band that Marion leads —
The glitter of their rifles,

The scampering of their steeds.
'Tis life to guide the fiery barb

Across the moonlight plain;
'Tis life to feel the night-wind

That lifts his tossing mane.

Marion was born in South Carolina one week after
the birth of George Washington in Virginia. His
family belonged to that noble band of French people
who had been driven from their native land by the
tyranny of King Louis the Fourteenth. They were
Huguenots and might well be called, "the French Pil
grim Fathers." They were good citizens and had fight
ing blood in their veins.

Marion's father was a planter or farmer on the
Atlantic coast near Georgetown, and the boy worked
on the home place until called away to fight the
Cherokee Indians.

When the Revolutionary War broke out Marion, of
course, offered his services and was appointed captain
of some local troops. He did not enter upon his whirl
wind career, however, until the year before the battle
of Yorktown — and at that time he had only sixteen
men under his command.

He then proceeded to make life miserable for Corn-
wallis. He would dart out and strike and then retreat.
One of his exploits of this kind was at Nelson's Ferry

IO4

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

in South Carolina. Nelson's Ferry is in the eastern
part of the state where one of the main wagon roads
leading to Charleston crosses the Santee River. A
company of British soldiers was approaching the Ferry

when Marion and a
few followers darted
out from nowhere in
particular, captured
twenty-six of them,
liberated one hundred
and fifty American
prisoners, and de
parted without losing
a single man.

Exploits like that
at Nelson's Ferry
were repeated over
and over again.
Marion had now
established himself in
his famous camp on
the Pedee River and
could defy the forces
of the great Corn-
wallis. This camp was described as "a most secluded
spot . . . covered with forest trees and abounding with
game." Marion felt very much at home in such a place as
this. He knew the swamp paths but the British didn't.
Neither was he afraid of the gaunt wolf or the rattlesnake.

FRANCIS MARION

This is the way he dashed through the
forests and swamps of the South. Read
the "Song of Marion's Men" by William
Cullen Bryant.

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 105

Cornwallis, at length, became very angry and sent
General Tarleton in search of Marion. "I sincerely
hope/7 he said, "you will get at Mr. Marion." "Mr.

GENERAL MARION AND A BRITISH OFFICER
General Marion and his guest had a meal consisting of sweet
potatoes. The British officer ate almost nothing, while Marion de
clared it a very good meal. When the officer returned to his camp
he said that men who were serving without pay and almost destitute
of food and clothing could not be conquered.

Marion," however, proved to be very hard to get.
Tarleton scoured the country from Camden to Nelson's
Ferry, burning houses and crops as he went. Along
his line of march he left homeless women and children

io6 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

huddled around bonfires in the open air of the chill
November nights. But he did not "get at Mr. Marion/'

Marion, on the contrary, in all his raids, was humane
and even chivalrous. At a later time he was able to
say, " There is not one house burned by my orders or
by any of my people. It is what I detest, to distress
poor women and children."

Tarleton also flogged people in an attempt to make them
tell him where Marion's camp was located. He didn't
succeed. The people were loyal to the great commander.

The old "Swamp Fox" was living up to his name
and was very hard to get sight of, although he did not
remain in hiding all of the time. On one occasion he
and his men "actually galloped into Georgetown and
captured the commander of that post." And they also
galloped back again in safety to their den in the forest.

Marion stuck to his task and continued to help
Greene in his campaign against the British in the South.
Only a month before the surrender at Yorktown, in
the battle of Eutaw Springs, Marion commanded the
right wing of Greene's army.

After the war was over he married a French woman,
a member of a wealthy family, and settled down in his
native state. He built a beautiful house on the Santee
River, not far from Nelson's Ferry, the scene of one of
his most daring raids. The Marion home, presided over
by his young and charming bride, became famous for
miles around on account of its most generous hos
pitality. Here he died at the age of sixty-three.

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES

107

Of all the picturesque characters of our Revolutionary period,
there is perhaps no one who, in the memory of the people, is
so closely associated with romantic adventure as Francis Marion.

- JOHN FISKE

THOMAS SUMTER, "THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCK"

We should not leave the Revolutionary War in the
South without a few words about Thomas Sumter,
whom the British called " The
South Carolina Gamecock."
Sumter was a brilliant but
an irregular sort of fighter,
somewhat resembling Daniel
Morgan and Francis Marion.
Cornwallis called him "the
greatest plague in this
country," and said, "but for
Sumter and Marion, South
Carolina would be at peace."

Sumter was a native of
Virginia and was with General
Braddock when he went down
to defeat in the Valley of the
Monongahela. At the out-

THOMAS SUMTER

Sumter, "the South Carolina
Gamecock/' was born in Vir
ginia in 1734. He was with

break of the Revolutionary Braddock at the time of his

J famous defeat, but survived to
War he was again on duty fight in t*he Revolution.

as the commander of a com
pany of South Carolina rifle
men. Later like Marion he "hid in the swamps of the

was a dashing fighter and
pestered the British terribly.

io8 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Santee and struck out at the British." He defeated them
in the Battle of Hanging Rock which was fought not far
from the scene of the battle of Cowpens in South
Carolina.

He beat them back! beneath the flame

Of valor quailing, or the shock!
And carved, at last, a hero's name

Upon the glorious Hanging Rock.

It was at Hanging Rock that Andrew Jackson, who
later became President of the United States, fought his
first battle. He was an orphan boy, only thirteen years
of age at the time, but he put up a good fight.

Sumter lived on for many years after the war and
represented his state in both Houses of Congress. He
was also our Minister to Brazil for a short time. He
will always be remembered, however, as an expert in
that wild kind of warfare which did so much to win
Independence for the United States. In this kind of
fighting he was second only to General Francis
Marion.

Unlike Marion, he was a tall man of powerful build.
He lived to be ninety-eight years old and died at South
Mount, not far from that Hanging Rock upon which he
had carved his name.

NATHAN HALE, THE BOY PATRIOT

Before taking leave of this brilliant group of Revolu
tionary heroes let us pause for a moment and lay a rose

A GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES 109

upon the grave of Nathan Hale, 77/6 Boy Patriot.
Hale's career was not a long one — he died at twenty-
one — but it was exceedingly important to his country.
Nathan Hale was born in Connecticut and was grad
uated from Yale College at the age of eighteen. He

NATHAN HALE IN DISGUISE

He is going about the British camp seeking information for the use
of Washington.

began his life work as a school teacher, but after the
battle of Lexington he responded to his country's call.
He entered active military service at once and soon
became a captain.

He was in New York with Washington in 1776 when
the commander-in-chief wanted some information in re
gard to the British Army. Hale volunteered to enter

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the British camp and obtain this information. After
receiving his instructions from Washington he set out
upon his perilous task. He entered the enemy's camp
on Long Island disguised as a young farmer — some
say as a Dutch school teacher — and proceeded to get

THE EXECUTION or NATHAN HALE

the information which Washington wanted. He was
very thorough and painstaking about his task. He
went about making close observations. He also made
sketches and wrote down notes in .regard to what he
saw.

Things were going beautifully with him until, in an

GROUP OF REVOLUTIONARY HEROES in

evil moment, a relative saw and recognized him. This
relative was a Tory and he hastened to the British
officers and told them what he had seen.

The young Hale was taken to the headquarters of
General Howe in one of the old mansions and was later
locked up in the greenhouse for the night. The next
day he told his captors what his name was and why he
came into the British camp. It was really not necessary
for him to do this as the papers found upon his person
told the entire story.

He was hanged as a spy on the following day with
out any trial whatever. His execution was carried out
in a most heartless and brutal way. He was not per
mitted to have the services of a minister and even a
copy of the Bible was denied him. He was permitted
to write letters of farewell to his mother, sisters, and
sweetheart, but even these were heartlessly destroyed
before his eyes.

Finally the executioner asked him, when his last mo
ment had arrived, if he had anything which he wished
to say. His reply was, "I only regret that I have but
one life to lose for my country."

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. What General ranked next to Washington in the Revolu

tionary War?

2. Mention four men who were prominent in the War in the

South.

3. Trace on the map the race between Greene and Cornwallis.

4. What was Greene's strategy in fighting?

112 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

5. What was said to be the most brilliant battle of the Revolu

tion? Who was its leader?

6. Why was General Francis Marion called " The Swamp Fox"?

7. What did Cornwallis call Sumter?

8. What boy of thirteen fought in the Battle of Hanging Rock?

What high office did he afterwards hold?

9. Why do we remember Nathan Hale?

PRONOUNCING LIST

Guilford gil'ferd Andre an'dra

Huguenots hu'ge-nots picturesque pik-tur-esk'

CHAPTER VII

JOHN PAUL JONES, " THE FATHER OF THE
AMERICAN NAVY"

MOST of our great wars have been fought on the
sea as well as on the land. This was true of the Ameri
can Revolution. When the war began the Americans
had no navy. In the first year of the war, however,
Congress ordered thirteen fighting ships to be built,
and bought some merchant ships to be made over into
vessels of war. This was a small beginning for a great
navy, but the famous American sea rovers made the
most of what they had. One of the boldest of these
sea dogs was John Paul Jones, The Father of the Ameri
can Navy.

John Paul, as he was called when a boy, was born in
Scotland. He was apprenticed to a shipmaster at the
age of twelve. He made many sea voyages when quite
young and was, for a short time, engaged in the slave
trade. He did not like this job, however, and soon
gave it up.

He was apparently a self-reliant lad. When he was
seventeen he had command of a vessel which was trad
ing with the West Indies. Two years before the Revo
lution broke out John Paul came to Virginia and settled

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down in that place. His brother had recently died
there and John Paul had inherited his estate.

It should not really be said that he settled down in
Virginia, because he never settled down anywhere. He

was always in the current of
active affairs. He never
stopped.

At the outbreak of the
Revolution, and when he was
twenty-eight years of age, he
offered his services to Con
gress. They were accepted,
and he was made an officer
in the infant navy. It was
at this time that he took the
name of Jones out of admira
tion for General Willie Jones,
a wealthy planter of North
Carolina, who had befriended
him in his days of poverty.
From this time on he was
known as John Paul Jones.
Soon after this time he hoisted an American flag on
the ship-of-war, Alfred. This was the first flag ever
hoisted on an American war ship. The flag was a
banner of yellow silk bearing the picture of a pine tree
and a rattlesnake, with the words, " Don't tread on me."
Jones was a kind of Francis Marion gone out to sea.
He struck wherever he could find an enemy to strike.

JOHN PAUL JONES

John Paul Jones fought on
many seas and under many
flags. His was a brave, un
daunted spirit.

JOHN PAUL JONES 115

In the summer of 1777 he sailed away to Europe, on
board the Ranger, looking for victims. In the spring of
the following year, while prowling around the coasts
and harbors of the British Isles, he landed at White-
haven, England, spiked thirty-eight of the big British
guns and then sailed away.

The following summer found him cruising along the
eastern shore of Scotland. The happy thought occurred
to him that if he could capture a real live British noble
man he might exchange him for money or for Ameri
can prisoners. He also knew that the Earl of Selkirk,
an old friend of his father's, lived in that locality, near
the mouth of the River Dee.

Jones anchored the Ranger and, with a few men in
a small boat, rowed to the mansion of the Earl, only
to find that his intended victim was not at home. He
was about to go back to the boat empty-handed when
one of his men announced that he was going to plunder
the house and carry off the silver plate. Jones tried
to persuade him not to do so, but to no avail. The
man went in and made the demand and the terrified
lady of the house handed over the family silver. A
little later, when the plunder of the expedition was sold,
Jones bought the plate and sent it back to Lady Selkirk
with a polite note of apology. It is said of John Paul
Jones that he never forgot the friends of his boyhood days.

In the following year, 1779, came the most memorable
exploit of this great sea fighter. This time he was cruis
ing along the eastern coast of England. His boat was

n6 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

the Bon Homme Richard (the good man Richard), named
in honor of Poor Richard's Almanac. The boat was an
old hulk which had been given to Jones by the King of
France. "Her decks were too weak for her guns; her
guns were too old for service," and her motley crew was
made up of men from all quarters of the globe.

While cruising along the shore in September, Jones
sighted the Serapis, a fine, new, large, British frigate.
In a moment the fight was on. The Serapis was the
better sailor and thus had a great advantage. But
Jones ran his old boat alongside and lashed the two
vessels together with a two-inch cable. Then took
place one of the most desperate and bloody sea fights
in all history. The Richard was pretty well shot to
pieces, but when Jones was asked if he was ready to
surrender, his calm reply was, "I have not yet begun
to fight."

The battle was fought at night and the sky was lit
up for miles around by the flames from the burning
vessels. Both vessels were on fire, the Serapis in a
dozen places at one time. Finally Jones shot away
her main mast and she hauled down her flag and sur
rendered. The Richard, in her worthless condition, was
abandoned and sank soon after in the North Sea.

The British captain was not very cheerful about his
surrender. He had known of Jones before and re
marked to him, "It is painful to deliver up my sword
to a man who has fought with a rope around his
neck." He referred to the fact that the British govern-

"I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT.'

JOHN PAUL JONES 117

ment had declared Jones a pirate and an outlaw and
would hang him if caught.

This victory caused great excitement all over the
British Isles. The minister having charge of the navy
wrote to one of his captains telling him to search the
seas at once and declaring, "that if he took Paul Jones,
he would be as high in public estimation as if he had
beaten the combined fleets of France and Spain."

Some years after the close of the American Revolu
tion John Paul Jones became an officer in the Russian
navy and helped to defeat the Turks. A few years
later the man who had fought under the flags of three
nations and was highly honored by all three, died in
Paris at the early age of forty-five. His career was as
stormy as any of the seven seas over which he sailed.
A few years ago his remains were conveyed in high
honor to the United States and buried with all the
honors of war in one of the buildings of the Naval
Academy at Annapolis.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Who was the first man to hoist an American flag on a ship-

of-war?

2. Where did the fight between the Bon Homme Richard and

Serapis take place?

3. What is the purpose of the Naval Academy at Annapolis?

4. Take a map and trace the wanderings of John Paul Jones.

PRONOUNCING LIST
Ranger ran'jir Bon Homme Richard bon om re'shar

CHAPTER VIII
DANIEL BOONE, THE KENTUCKY PATHFINDER

FOR a long time the settlements in America were
scattered in a thin fringe along tne Atlantic Coast. The
country west of the Allegheny Mountains was left in the
quiet possession of the Indian and the buffalo. After
a time, however, venturesome men wanted to know
what this western country looked like. They had a
natural human curiosity. They had also heard stories
of the fertile soil, fine rivers, and, above all, perhaps,
of the wild game and fur-bearing animals. Hardy men
packed up their few belongings, including a rifle and
a powder horn, and started out with a shout of West
ward, ho! The Westward Movement was now on.

This was the golden age of hunters, trappers, Indian
fighters, and backwoodsmen, and the greatest of these
was Daniel Boone. He was a pathfinder, and a path-
maker as well, to the Far West, and many followed in
his wake. The Far West in those days, it should be
understood, was made up of the eastern parts of Ken
tucky and Tennessee.

The southwestern part of England is famous as the
home of heroes. Here lived Hawkins, Drake, and the
other "sea dogs of Devon" who made Great Britain
famous on the ocean.

118

DANIEL BOONE

119

In this same neighborhood there lived a Quaker
named Squire Boone. Boone had heard many glowing
tales about William Penn's Colony in North America.
He had a dash of
adventure in his blood
and longed for the
forests of the New
World. He made up
his mind to go and
finally set sail, with
some other members
of his family. In due
time he found his way
up the Delaware River
to Philadelphia.

Boone immediately
fell in love with the
Quaker Colony and
also with one of its
fairest daughters,
Miss Sarah Morgan.
They were married
soon after in the old
Quaker Meeting
house and settled

down to the life of pioneers. The clear blue smoke from
their log cabin curled in a solitary and lonely way above
the tall trees of the forest.

The cabin was not lonely within, however, as chil-

DANIEL BOONE AND His DOG

The dog, man's most faithful animal
friend, followed Boone through the
western forests.

120 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

dren soon began to arrive, and the sixth of these was
named Daniel. He was born in the year 1734, not far
from the present site of Reading, Pennsylvania.

The young Daniel was not brought up with a silver
spoon in his mouth. Neither did he amuse himself
with mechanical toys like those of today. His pioneer
mother was too busy to give him much attention. So
he probably played on the floor with the furs which
his father had brought home or fondly caressed his
father's rifle, if left within his reach.

As he grew up he lived the life of a pioneer boy.
Even as a little fellow he became skillful in woodcraft.
It is said that when he was about ten years old he was
accustomed to kill birds and other small game with a
" knob-root sapling" which he threw with great ac
curacy.

At twelve his father made him a present of a rifle,
and also gave him the task of furnishing meat for the
family table. Never did a boy take more keen enjoy
ment in a task. Daniel felt supremely happy and im
portant when he went in search of game. He was a
good hunter. He could tread the forest in his mocca-
sined feet without breaking a twig or stirring a leaf.

Needless to say, Boone did not care very much for
book learning. As a matter of fact he " never saw the
inside of a school room" in his life. His mother and
an aunt gave him all the instruction he ever received.
His writing and spelling were always poor and his use
of the English language was not like that of most other

DANIEL BOONE 121

people. On one of his woodland trips he cut an inscrip
tion in the bark of a beech tree to the effect that he
had "tilled a bar" at that place. And in one of his
letters he speaks of "sculping" the Indians and "flus-
terating" their plans. Although he was uneducated,
he had a bright, keen, and intelligent mind. In some
respects, of course, he was highly educated. He studied
nature's wide-open book during his entire life.

During the time that Daniel was not hunting or
trapping he was engaged as a farmer, weaver, or black
smith. In those days the frontiersman had to do
almost everything himself. He was a "Jack of all
trades." Boone never had any great liking for any of
these occupations, but he disliked the forge less than
the others. It has been suggested that this was be
cause his blacksmith shop "enabled him to repair
broken rifles and traps." During this whole time,
whether he was aware of it or not, he was preparing
himseJf for his great work by a careful study of the
habits and traits of the American Indian,

IN NORTH CAROLINA

The early pioneer was restless. He loved to wander.
So one day Squire Boone told his family that he was
going to move to North Carolina. The family started
off in a canvas top wagon, somewhat like the prairie
schooner of a later date. Daniel was fifteen years of age
at this time, and the trip was a great event in his life.

122

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The Boones drifted leisurely along and it was more
than a year and a half before the crack of Boone's rifle
" first woke the echoes of the Carolina Mountains."
Daniel had found a hunter's paradise. There was an
abundance of wild game on every hand. "The buffalo,

THE FOOTPRINTS OF DANIEL BOONE AND GEORGE ROGERS CLARK

This map should be referred to constantly in studying the careers of
Boone and Clark.

the elk, the Virginia deer, the bear, the panther, the
wildcat, wolf, and fox wandered through the meadows
and cane brakes about its rivers, or took their repose
amid the cool shades of its rocky heights."

The Boone family was only nicely settled in its new
home in the Valley of the Yadkin River when the
French and Indian War came on. When the call came

DANIEL BOONE 123

for volunteers a hundred men from North Carolina re
sponded for duty. Daniel Boone, a boy of twenty, was
in this company. By rapid marching this little band
arrived just in time to join General Braddock's expedi
tion against Fort Duquesne.

It is not known that Boone did anything very won
derful in this war but he did form a very important
acquaintance while he was with General Braddock. He
fell in with John Findley, a hunter and pack-peddler,
who had traveled in Kentucky. This meeting was the
turning-point in Boone's career. Findley told him all
about the fine climate, the beautiful forests, and the
abundant game of the Kentucky country. This natu
rally fired him with a desire to visit that paradise of
the backwoodsman. He did so soon after, and it was
in this connection that he became famous.

It is not well for a backwoodsman to be alone. So,
in due time, Daniel Boone met Rebecca Bryan, a young
girl, who was described as " black-eyed and rosy-
cheeked." It was a case of love at first sight. Rebecca
was only fifteen at the time of her engagement and
seventeen at the time of her marriage. Boone's father,
who was a Justice of the Peace, read the marriage service
for the happy pair.

The blue smoke then curled up from another cabin
in the wilderness. Baby James Boone arrived in the
year following the marriage and two years later Israel
Boone put in an appearance. In the course of time
six other sons and daughters gathered around the Boone

124

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

fireside. Their names were, Susannah, Jemima, Lavinia,

Rebecca, Daniel, and John.

In the meantime, Boone was working hard in the

field and forest and living the care-free life in the open

which he enjoyed so much. It was not long, however,

until the bliss of this
quiet life was jarred
by the war whoops of
the Cherokee Indians.
It looked for a time
as though all of the
western settlements
would be wiped out of
existence. And so
Daniel and Rebecca
gathered up their
little children, and
went in haste to the
eastern shore of Vir
ginia. As soon as

BOONE FIGHTING INDIANS Boone had established

his family in that

place he himself went back to North Carolina to fight
the Indians. When the danger from the red men was
over he brought his family back again to the old home
in North Carolina.

Boone was still restless. He didn't care much for
farming and game was becoming scarce in the Yadkin
Valley. So, with his rifle on his shoulder, he was com-

DANIEL BOONE 125

pelled to go long distances from home in order to find
game. At one time he found himself on the Watauga
River in eastern Tennessee. It was here that he
"tilled a bar" and made note of it on the bark of a
tree.

He was charmed with the beauty and the silence of
the whole country. On one occasion, when standing on
a mountain peak and looking down upon the buffalo
grazing peacefully below, he exclaimed; "I am richer
than the man mentioned in the Scripture, who owned
the cattle on a thousand hills — I own the wild beasts
of more than a thousand valleys."

Soon after this we find Boone ranging about in
Florida where he thought of setting up a new home.
His wife was not in favor of this, however, and he gave
it up. He was still restless and his heart still longed
for the land about which his friend Findley had told
him.

As fate would have it, John Findley turned up just
at this time, and was a guest in the Boone cabin during
the entire winter. While the big logs crackled in the
open fireplace, the two men made plans for an expedi
tion to Kentucky. A party was finally organized for
the spring, composed of Boone, Findley, and four other
hardy men from the Valley.

To KENTUCKY

On May Day, 1769, the party started towards the
setting sun, leaving their wives and children behind

126

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them. The men were equipped in the best backwoods
fashion. Each man rode a horse and led another be
hind him. They were clad in leather shirts and breeches

BOONE'S FIRST GLIMPSE OF KENTUCKY

Boone's friend, John Findley, had told him that Kentucky was a
beautiful country. It was even more beautiful than he expected
and he stared and gazed in silence.

and had soft moccasins on their feet. Their rifles glis
tened in the sunlight, while their knives and tomahawks
hung conveniently at their sides. They must have pre
sented a striking picture as they waved a good-bye to
their wives and children just before disappearing around

DANIEL BOONE 127

a bend in the road. The day was beautiful. "It was
a glorious morning for the commencement of a glorious
enterprise."

They finally reached the promised land and were not
disappointed. Mother Nature had on her best dress and
received the newcomers with a smile. Game was plen
tiful on every hand. The animals were also quite tame.
The buffalo kept on grazing quietly as the hunters ap
proached. They were not frightened because they did
not yet know that man was their enemy. They found
this out a little later and soon learned to seek safety
by a mad rush through the thickets.

After toiling on for about two months Boone and
his party halted, and pitched camp on a small stream
in the east central part of the state. Going out from
this camp as a center, they began to hunt and trap,
and also to skin their fur-bearing victims. It was an
easy matter to kill the animals and soon the hunters
had an abundance of food for their meals and a fine
stock of furs for the market.

They lived undisturbed in the peace and quiet of
their forest camp for some time. It then became evi
dent that the Indians were aware of their presence.
The red men lurked about the valley and one evening
they captured Boone and his brother-in-law John
Stewart. The Indians then compelled Boone to show
them the way to the camp. Upon arriving there they
surprised and captured the other four men, and then
proceeded to help themselves to whatever they wanted.

128 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

They packed up the furs, weapons, and everything else
of value and then released their prispners after telling
them to leave the country as fast as their legs could
carry them. Findley and three others were very glad
to take the hint, but Boone and Stewart said they
would remain in Kentucky and fight it out.

The two men then began to shift for themselves.
They entered a Shawnee camp in the neighborhood
and took four horses. The Indians gave chase, and
two days later Boone and Stewart were again in
captivity.

The Indians then told their captives that they were
going to take them to a Shawnee Village, a long dis
tance away. They started out on their journey. On
this journey Boone 's keen mind made use of his Indian
studies of a few years before. The two captives put
themselves on their very best behavior, and soon the
Indians began to have a kindly feeling towards them.
They gave them more privileges as time went on and
Boone was watching for his opportunity to escape.

Finally, one night after they had been on the march
for a week and while the Indians were all sleeping
soundly, Boone thought it a good time to strike out.
He wakened Stewart and the two men set out together.
" Keeping well out of the glow of the camp fire, the
two plucky backwoodsmen secured rifles, bullets, and
powder, and, their moccasined feet never making a
sound, vanished ghost-like into the darkness of the
surrounding cane brake."

DANIEL BOONE 129

Findley and his three companions were in the mean
time making rapid strides for North Carolina. Near
the Cumberland gap they met Squire Boone, the brother
of Daniel, and a companion who were bringing a load
of supplies to the Boone camp in Kentucky. Findley
and his followers related their sad experience and said
that they believed Boone and Stewart were dead. After
talking the matter over both parties started back for
North Carolina, when a very unexpected event occurred.
Boone and Stewart came suddenly out of the forest and
made their appearance before their astonished compan
ions. They were in rags and tatters, tired out and
half starved.

Boone told his story. Some of the men wanted to
go back east, but Boone 's spirit was unbroken and he
declared his intention of going to Kentucky. He did
so, and his brother and John Stewart and one other
man accompanied him. Not long after this these four
hardy men were sitting about a new camp fire in the
Kentucky forest, not far from the embers of the old one.

Once again the men started to roam the woods. One
day Stewart did not return. The country round about
the camp was searched, but all to no avail. Five years
later Boone found some human bones in a hollow tree
and the powder horn near by had the name of Stewart
upon it. These remains told the tale of Stewart's
fate.

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA
BOONESBORO

In spite of all this Boone loved Kentucky. It was
a beautiful place and the people were not crowded.
There was "elbow room and breathing space," as Boone
once put it. Consequently he went back to North

CUMBERLAND GAP

Through this beautiful gap in the mountains Daniel Boone and
his followers passed on their way to Kentucky. Find its location
on the map.

Carolina and, in 1773, with his wife and children,
started for their permanent home in Kentucky. Five
other families joined the line of march and traveled,
sometimes on foot and sometimes on horseback, sleep
ing at night under the open sky.

Boone's journey westward was sad and eventful.

DANIEL BOONE 13 z

While on the march he sent his son James with a few
men to one of the frontier settlements to obtain some
supplies. The trip was not a long one. The men
started early in the morning and expected to return
before dark. They reached the settlement, obtained
their supplies, and were on their way back when they
lost the trail. Being compelled to go into camp for
the night they built a fire, cooked their supper, and
then rolled up in their blankets around the camp fire.
The smoke from their camp attracted the attention of
some skulking Shawnees who hung around until day
break and then made a surprise attack. Young James
Boone, a fine, big, muscular lad of seventeen, fell under
the red man's tomahawk, and so did all the others of
the party with the exception of two — a negro and a
white man. The two survivors found their way to
Boone 's camp, which was only three miles away, and
told their story to the sorrowing father and mother.

That was a gloomy morning for Daniel and Rebecca
Boone. The father hurried to the scene of the mas
sacre and lovingly carried the body of his son back to
the camp. The body of the young James was con
signed to mother earth and simple prayers went up
from the lips of these forest children. The dense leaves
overhead, fanned by the chilly October wind, sang a
requiem over the newly made grave, and the travelers
moved on.

James Boone was the eldest son and at the age of
seven had begun to go on hunting trips with his father.

132 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

In this way a beautiful comradeship sprang up be
tween father and son. "In the cold nights^of the open
camp, as Daniel and James lay under the frosty stars,
the father kept the boy warm snuggled to his breast
under the broad flap of his hunting shirt. Sometimes
the two were away from home for months together,
and Daniel declared little James to be as good a woods
man as his father."

A very serious debate took place in the quiet forest
as soon as the burial was over. The majority of the
party wanted to abandon the expedition. Boone's voice
was on the other side. He wished to press on to Ken
tucky, the land of his dreams. However, the Indians
became still more threatening and most of the party
turned back.

Boone, however, still hung around the locality. He
found it very difficult to support his family in an
abandoned hut which he found on the Clinch River.
Finally in the following summer (1774) he pushed back
into the interior of Kentucky and founded Boonesboro
on the Kentucky River.

On this trip he made a discovery. James Harrod
had led a small company of men from Pennsylvania
into Kentucky and had founded Harrodsburg only a
short time before. If Boone's former expedition had
not been interrupted by the death of his son, to him,
and not to James Harrod, would have fallen the honor
of having founded the first permanent white settle
ment in what is now the State of Kentucky.

DANIEL BOONE

133

RICHARD HENDERSON

Harrod and Boone had made their settlements in
Kentucky in an irregular sort of way. They had only
a very shadowy claim to the land and the Indians re
sisted them at every step. It now occurred to Richard
Henderson of North Carolina to form a company and

DANIEL BOONE MEETS THE INDIANS
They are discussing the famous treaty made at Sycamore Shoals.

obtain lands from the Indians by treaty. He accord
ingly organized a party known as the Transylvania
Company and met the Indians at a place called Syca
more Shoals to make the bargain. This was in the
spring of 1775. Twelve hundred red men met the
whites in a very remarkable assembly at this place.
Henderson was a masterful and attractive man, and
as he spoke to the Indian? they soon fell under his

I34 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

sway. There was one exception to this rule. Old
Chief Dragging Canoe pleaded eloquently with his
people not to sell their lands to the pale faces, but to
no avail. The sale was made and it included almost all
of the present state of Kentucky and a part of
Tennessee.

THE WILDERNESS ROAD

Henderson was now ready for action. He had known
Daniel Boone back in the Yadkin Valley of North
Carolina and now employed him to cut a way for his
wagons into the heart of Kentucky. The result was
the famous " Wilderness Road."

This road is one of the most noted in American his
tory and was an important route into the western
country. Boone blazed the trees to indicate the trail,
and his followers, with axe in hand, chopped their
narrow passage through trees, vines, and dense under
growth, a distance of about two hundred miles. It was
slow and difficult work. In one instance they had to
cut their way through "a region of dead brushwood,
through which not even the buffalo had penetrated."

At times the road making was a fairly easy task.
Boone and his men made use of the buffalo trails as
much as they could. These trails were beaten down
by the heavy animals as they went to and from the big
"Salt Licks" of Kentucky. The buffalo was very fond
of salt and sometimes went long distances to get it.
On one occasion the attention of the road makers was

DANIEL BOONE 135

attracted by a low, rumbling sound not very far away.
Going to the top of a little hill they looked down and
saw a herd of hundreds of buffaloes lumbering along
the trail with little calves frolicking by their sides.

Life in Boonesboro was primitive and simple. Boone
was the very center of it. He directed everything. As
soon as the fort was finished Boone's wife and chil
dren came out and his home life was again established.

Boone also had a part in drafting the simple laws
which were made for the government of the colony.
One of these laws, strangely enough, was for the pro
tection of wild game, and another "to prevent profane
swearing and Sabbath breaking." Most of these Ken
tucky pioneers were Scotch-Irish and were very strict
in matters relating to religion and the Sabbath. They were
also very thrifty and close in the care of their property.
It was said of them that "they kept the Sabbath and
everything else that they could lay their hands on."

While life in Boonesboro was simple it was also
dangerous. Boone used to say, with some pride, that
his wife and daughters were the first white women to
look upon the Kentucky River. This honor was not
without its dangers. One warm summer day Jemima
Boone and Elizabeth and Fanny Galloway, the young
daughters of one of Boone's most intimate friends, went
out in a canoe on the Kentucky River. The care-free
girls, from fourteen to sixteen years of age, paddled
along for a time and then let their canoe drift into the
bushes of the opposite shore. The Indians had been

136 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

quiet for a long time, and the girls did not suspect
any danger. In this they were mistaken. Five Shawnee
braves were hiding near the shore waiting for the canoe
to approach them. As the girls came near, one of the
Indians waded out quietly into the water and grabbed
the canoe and pulled it ashore almost before the girls
knew what was going on. The younger girls were para
lyzed by fright, but the eldest, Elizabeth Galloway,
swung her canoe paddle heavily upon the head of the
Indian brave and made a deep wound in his scalp. She
was quickly disarmed, however, and the five Indians set
out to take the girls to the Shawnee towns on the north
side of the Ohio River.

The girls, true to their backwoods instinct, began to
think of means of escape. They knew that the men
of Boonesboro would set out in search of them as soon
as they were missed. So, as they went along the trail,
they were careful to make deep tracks in the path where
the ground was wet and soft. Again, they stealthily
broke little twigs on the bushes by the wayside and
left them hanging down. As often as they could, with
out being seen by their captors, they tore fragments
from their clothing and hung them like little flags on
the thorn bushes as they passed. In this way they
blazed a trail for their rescuers.

It was nearly sundown before the girls were missed.
A hasty search revealed the abandoned canoe and the
marks of the scrambling on the river bank. Then the
chase began. Two parties set out in pursuit of the

DANIEL BOONE 137

redskins. At the head of one was Richard Galloway,
father of two of the missing girls. Daniel Boone led
the other. In Boone's party were Samuel Henderson,
Flanders Galloway, and John Holder, three young men
to whom the girls were engaged to be married. This
party set out on foot and with all the eagerness of a
well trained pack of hounds.

They had gone only a few miles when darkness came
on. They turned in for the night but were up and off
again at the first peep of dawn. Guided by the marks
and signs which the girls had left along the way, they
plunged on through the forest and made thirty miles
on the second day. The next morning they were up
again, bright and early, and off on the trail. After
going a short distance they halted as they saw a line
of blue smoke rising over the trees. Here their moc-
casined feet trod softly as they closed in upon the
camp. Boone could see the Indians about the fire
cooking their breakfast while the three girls, tired and
forlorn, were resting upon the ground a short distance
away. The men closed in stealthily. Boone gave the
signal and his men made a rush upon the Indians. The
braves, taken by surprise, had no time to tomahawk
their captives, but dived headlong into the cane brake
leaving most of their weapons behind them. Boone
and his men fired a volley after them and it is likely
that some of the shots took effect. But the men were
so delighted that they embraced the girls instead of
pursuing the Indians.

138

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

" THE DARK AND BLOODY GROUND "
The fight for Kentucky went on. For years there was
a running battle between the white man and the Indian
for the possession of this beautiful country. The land

finally became known as
"The Dark and Bloody
Ground." An Indian chief
had said to Boone when the
treaty of Sycamore Shoals
was signed: "Brother, it is
a fine land we sell to you,
but I fear you will find it
hard to hold." It turned out
to be very hard to hold and
many lives were lost in the
attempt.

In one instance Boone fell
in the fight with his leg
broken by a bullet, and a
bloodthirsty brave was upon
him with a whoop, with his
axe raised to give the bold
backwoodsman the finishing
stroke. Simon Kenton, a
young blond giant from Virginia, was too quick for him.
His rifle cracked and the tomahawk fell from the harm
less hand. "Well, Simon," said Boone after the fight
was over, "you behaved like a man." Backwoodsmen
were often sparing of their words.

SIMON KENTON, "THE BLOND
GIANT '; or KENTUCKY,

who in his youth rescued Boone,
became one of the foremost
pioneers of the West.

DANIEL BOONE I3g

Daniel got into still more trouble a little later on.
A supply of salt was necessary to preserve the meat
supply during the summer months. It was not easy
to import salt so the Boonesboro people got a few large
kettles and obtained their supply by boiling the water
of the salt springs.

Boonesboro was located near the central part of
Kentucky and in the northern part, on the Licking
River, was a famous Buffalo "lick," known as "Lower
Blue Lick." To this Boone and a small party of men
made a pilgrimage for salt boiling in. midwinter of 1778.
They planned on bringing back with them a year's
supply. There was no great difficulty in getting to the
Lick, as the buffaloes had made a well-beaten path.

Boone and his men reached the Lick in due time and
settled down to their task. The boiling process con
tinued for several weeks, and during that time the men
sent back large quantities of salt to the Fort. Their
task was nearly finished and they were almost ready
to return to- Boonesboro when their leader was again
taken captive. He was alone and about ten miles from
the Blue Lick Camp, leading his packhorse, when a
band of Shawnees, who had been watching him, took
him by surprise in the midst of a blinding snowstorm.
Boone released his horse and ran, dodging and darting
through the trees. The Indians proved fleet of foot
and soon Boone was captured and bound.

The Indians took Boone to their encampment some
miles away and then, to his dismay, he learned that

140

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

they were on their way to attack Boonesboro. There
were about one hundred and twenty braves in the
band and Black Fish was in command.

The Indians were delighted at the capture of such a
prize. All of them had heard of the great backwoods
man, and some of them recognized him as the man who
had escaped from their clutches several
years before. They made merry with
him and told him that he would not
escape again.

The Indians then told Boone that he
would have to conduct them to the Blue
Lick salt camp, which they intended to
capture. Boone did some quick think
ing. He concluded that it would be
better to have them attack the men at
the salt camp than the women and
children at Boonesboro. So he led
the way and later persuaded his men to surrender with
out a fight.

This capture, as Boone had expected, turned the
minds of the Indians away from Boonesboro and the
entire party headed for the Shawnee villages on the
little Miami River in the southwestern part of Ohio.
The trip was difficult. The weather was cold and the
snow deep, and not much game ventured out. The
men became very hungry and began to eat their dogs
and horses. For several days they had nothing to eat
but slippery elm bark. Much worn out, they finally

BOONE'S
POWDER HORN

Note the carv
ing on the horn.

DANIEL BOONE 141

reached the camp, near the present site of Xenia,
Ohio.

From this place they took their prisoners to General
Hamilton, the British Governor at Detroit. It should
be remembered, of course, that all of this took place
in the midst of the American Revolution. Hamilton
tried to buy Boone from the Indians but they would
not listen to it. Black Fish, the great chief, had de
termined to take Boone back to Ohio and adopt him as
his own son. He did this, and Daniel Boone became
"Big Turtle" of the Shawnees.

The ordeal of adoption into an Indian tribe was by
no means pleasant. The hair of the head was pulled
out by the roots, with the exception of a small tuft
on the top, which was decorated with ribbons in true
barbaric fashion. The candidate was then plunged into
the river and bathed and his face was painted in the
latest Indian style. Boone was a skillful actor and
gained the good will of the Indians by pretending that
he appreciated the great honor which was being con
ferred upon him.

BOONE'S THRILLING ESCAPE

Boone, in reality, was thinking more of escape than
of honor. His new father gave him some privileges.
He was allowed to go out on hunting expeditions and,
when he did, he was in the habit of hiding away some
of his bullets and powder to be used when he made his
break for liberty.

142 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

:ak.

One day, when Boone had been in
captivity for several months, he was sent
with a company of Indians to boil salt at
a spring near the Scioto River. When
he returned a short time later he was
surprised to find Indian braves, with
their war paint on, crowding into the
Shawnee village from all directions. He
had learned a little something of the
Shawnee language and soon found that
a powerful expedition was being planned
to destroy Boonesboro and other Ken
tucky settlements. Boone felt that he
must act instantly to save his colony, as
the march was to start within a week.

There was no time to be lost. Boone
must get back home to wrarn his people
at any cost. He made his preparations
hastily and threw the Indians off their
guard. Early one morning, about the
middle of June, so the story runs, while
Black Fish was watching a flock of wild
turkeys, his son, Big Turtle, made a
dash for the Ohio River. This was the
beginning of one of the most thrilling
races for life in human history. Boone
DANIEL BOONE'S wante(i to save the lives of his friends

(jUN

The notches show and Datives and to do this "he raced
the number of In- through the forests at top speed." He
waded in the beds of streams and used

DANIEL BOONR I43

all the arts of the backwoodsman to throw his pur
suers off the trail.

He reached the Ohio and found the river out of its
banks. How could he get across? Luckily he found
an old canoe which had been abandoned in the bushes.
After making some hasty repairs he pushed the canoe
into the raging torrent and was soon on the Kentucky
side.

He again plunged into the thicket and made his way
towards Boonesboro as fast as his legs could carry him.
He had had almost nothing to eat since his flight began,
as he did not wish to attract the attention of the Indi
ans by firing his gun. He slept a little at night in hollow
logs or concealed in the dense underbrush. His legs
and arms were cut and torn, and his feet were pounded
and battered. He was faint with hunger and fatigue.
Finally on the third day of his trip he shot a buffalo
near the salt camp where he had been captured and
treated himself to a good meal — the first one since
his dash began.

Finally, "he staggered into Boonesboro, where he
was welcomed as one risen from the dead." He had
traveled one hundred and sixty miles in four days and
had eaten only one meal. His wife had long since
" given him up for dead," and had gone back to her
old home in the Yadkin Valley of North Carolina.
She and her family traveled back tc her father's house
over the Wilderness Road which her husband had
blazed.

144 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

THE ATTACK QN THE FORT

Boone warned his people and they prepared for the
attack. Black Fish and his men were rather slow about
starting and September came before the savages ap
peared outside Boonesboro. They came with about
four hundred men under the command of Black Fish,
Black Bird, Black Hoof, and other notable warriors.
Boone had about seventy-five men for the defense
of the Fort.

Black Fish came with fine words and wanted to make
a treaty and take the fort without a fight. Boone had
several parleys with the chief in order to gain time to
get ready for the defense. In the meantime the cattle
were being brought into the Fort, the rifles made ready,
and a supply of water stored up from a spring outside
the stockade. When the talking was over, Boone told
the Indians plainly that he "had determined to defend
the Fort while a man was living."

The siege began but the Indians were not able to
make much headway. They were not good at that
kind of warfare. Finally they resorted to deceit and
strategy. They tried to tunnel under the Fort from
the bank of the river. But the tunnel caved in and
the Indians gave up the job in disgust.

For nine days and nights the siege lasted and the
Indians used a tremendous amount of ammunition.
The Kentucky men picked up one hundred and twenty-
five pounds of lead about the stockade, while not less

DANIEL BOONE 145

than one hundred pounds more were imbedded in the
logs of the blockhouse. The Indians made no further
attempt to capture the Fort commanded by Daniel
Boone.

Kentucky, "The Dark and Bloody Ground," was
thus won for the white men by Boone and his daring
companions.

IN WEST VIRGINIA AND MISSOURI

After doing his work in Kentucky, Boone, deeply
in debt, took his wife and younger children and plunged
once more into the
backwoods. This
time we find him with
his rifle and traps in
the forests of West
Virginia. Here he
took up his abode on
the bank of the great
Kanawha River. This
was in 1778.

The Boone family
remained in West Vir
ginia for about eleven
years. Then Boone once more, at the age of sixty-five,
turned his face towards the setting sun. In other words
he packed up his family and all his belongings (not very
many) and crossed the Mississippi River into Missouri.
When asked why he moved on again in his old age his

DANIEL BOONE'S CABIN

This was the last of Boone's cabins in
the Wilderness. It was in Missouri.

146 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

simple reply was: "Too crowded; I want more elbow

room."

In the meantime Boone had endeared himself very
greatly to his neighbors. When he left West Virginia
his friends gathered on the bank of the Kanawha and,
with tears in their eyes, watched his little boat set off
down stream for the Ohio.

These people had known him for years as their store
keeper, friend, neighbor, and protector. They had also,
on one occasion, elected him to represent them in the
Legislature of Virginia. Faithful to his duty, he made
his way through the forests and in due time appeared
in the Legislative Hall with his rifle on his shoulder
and his faithful dog at his heels. It does not appear
that he was very much interested in the debates at
Richmond as we find him homeward bound in a very
short time.

As Boone 's boat went down the Ohio the old friends
and neighbors in Kentucky stood on the bank arid
shouted and waved their greetings to the old pathfinder.
Finally he passed over the " Father of Waters" and
built his last cabin for Rebecca Boone and himself not
far from the present site of St. Louis.

His fame had preceeded him to Missouri and he soon
became a leader in the frontier settlements. He was a
sort of Justice of the Peace, and decided cases on the
basis of right. He didn't know or care much about
law or evidence. When he found a man guilty of an

DANIEL BOONE 147

offense he sometimes sentenced him- to be flogged with
a hickory rod. When both parties to the case seemed
to be at fault he ordered both to be switched. He also
gave instructions that the rod should be "well laid on."

Boone worked hard and prospered and was able to
pay off his debts, some of which he had made in Ken
tucky thirty years before. He was never able to save
much, however, and at one time in Missouri his entire
available capital was only fifty cents.

Fourteen years after reaching Missouri Rebecca Boone
died. Her life, on the whole, had been one of love and
happiness in spite of its pioneer hardships. Daniel
Boone was now very lonely and went to live with one
of his sons. This son, however, lived in a stone house
which was quite palatial for Missouri in those days.
Boone preferred the log cabin with "the silent challenge
of the forest." So he built a small hut in his son's
yard and bunked there and broiled his venison steak on
the end of a ramrod.

He was comfortable in this place but soon grew rest
less again, and at the age of eighty-five began to have
visions of another western trip — this time to California.
His children, however, and possibly the grave on the
river bank near by, persuaded him to remain in Missouri.

He did not have long to tarry. He began to think
of the "great adventure" upon which he must soon em
bark. He had no fears, however, of the "dark trail"
into the unknown.

His end came in the mellow days of September —

148 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

just when the chill in the air would have called him
out for a hunting trip. " Unburdened by the pangs of
disease he went out serenely, by the gentle marches of
sleep, into the new country."

He was buried by the side of his beloved Rebecca,
not far from the Missouri River. There the two pio
neers rested in the forest calm for twenty-five years. At
the end of that time their ashes were carried back to
Kentucky and buried at Frankfort, the capital of what
was once the "The Dark and Bloody Ground." A
beautiful monument marks the spot. Their real monu
ment, however, is this busy, thriving, western country
which these two brave souls had the courage and
the hardihood to' penetrate and to throw open to
civilization.

NOTE — The reader will find much additional information in regard
to the opening of the West in Bruce's " Daniel Boone and the Wilder
ness Road/' and in Constance Lindsay Skinner's " Pioneers of the Old
Southwest." Many of the short quotations in this chapter are taken
from these delightful books.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. What was the "Westward Movement"?

2. In what different states did Daniel Boone live?

3. What was the first permanent white settlement in Kentucky?

Where located?

4. How did Boone make the " Wilderness Road "?

5. What was a " Salt Lick "?

6. Why was Kentucky called " The Dark and Bloody Ground "?

7. Tell one adventure that Boone had with the Indians.

DANIEL BOONE

149

8. What happened at Sycamore Shoals?

9. What did Boone do in Boonesboro ?

10. What service did such men as Daniel Boone and Simon

Kenton render to this Country?

11. Locate: Cumberland Gap, Wilderness Road, Kanawha River,

Clinch River.

PRONOUNCING LIST

Reading red 'ing Scioto si-o'to

Allegheny al-le-ga'ny requiem re'kwi-em

Duquesne du-kan' Jemima jem-l'ma

Xenia ze'm-a

CHAPTER IX

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK, THE SAVIOR OF THE
NORTHWEST

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK and Daniel Boone were alike
in some ways but very unlike in others. Both
were hardy frontiersmen. Both were daring fighters of

dauntless courage. Both were
men of iron will. Both were
born on the Atlantic sea
board. And, most important
of all, the work of each was
done in the great western
country. The West owes a
great debt to each of these
men for his fine services. The
service rendered, however,
was not the same in the two
cases.

Boone was a backwoods
man and trapper who led the
way to an unexplored country, while Clark was a mili
tary commander who conquered a large tract of terri
tory. Boone led men in small numbers while Clark
commanded an army. Boone was a hunter and Clark

150

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK

This picture represents the
"Savior of the Northwest" at
the height of his military career.

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 151

a soldier. Boone opened up the Kentucky country to
settlement and led the way, while Clark conquered
the territory between the Ohio and the Mississippi and
added it to the domain of the United States.

George Rogers Clark was born in Virginia in 1752.
His birthplace is only a mile and a half from Monti-
cello, the old home of Thomas Jefferson. The Clark
family is of English origin. The founder of the family
in America came to this country almost as early as the
Pilgrim Fathers did. Soon after coming here, he mar
ried a Scotch girl who was known as "the red-haired
beauty." This fact may account for the large amount
of red hair in the Clark family. The mother of George
Rogers Clark was Ann Rogers, a member of an old and
prominent Virginia family.

George Rogers Clark was a member of a family of
ten — six boys and four girls. When the Revolutionary
War broke out several of the boys enlisted in the Ameri
can army for regular service, while George Rogers made
a plan of his own for striking the British in the North
west. One of his brothers joined him in this under
taking.

The young Clark didn't spend very much time in
school. He was a man of action rather than a student.
He was able to write a fairly good letter but his spell
ing and grammar were rather poor. He was good in
mathematics and, like Washington, was quite skillful
as a surveyor.

He was soon attracted by the loud call of the North-

152 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

west and, when he was nineteen, he went across the
mountains to explore and to survey. He liked the
country and, apparently, was earning considerable money.
In a letter to his father he said: "I get a good deal of
cash by surveying on this river."

Clark, however, was more of a soldier than a sur
veyor, and soon after this time (1775), when the Shaw-
nee Indians were making war upon Boone and his
followers, we find him in Kentucky fighting for the
settlers. Clark's old friend, Simon Kenton, who saved
Boone from the Indian's tomahawk, was engaged in
this same business.

Clark thought the land in Kentucky the best in the
world and wanted his father and mother to move out.
The Indians were on the war path, however, and his
parents thought it best to remain in Virginia a while
longer.

They did finally leave the old Virginia home and
follow their sons into the western country. They took
up their abode at Mulberry Hill, near Louisville. Here
they built a rude log cabin with a chimney on the out
side. This cabin was still standing a short time ago,
but was in a tumble-down condition. It was, apparently,
the scene of many Indian attacks and "the logs are full
of holes as a result."

At this time Clark was described as a man of fine
appearance and pleasing manners. He was bold and
energetic and a natural leader of men. So about the
time the Declaration of Independence was signed he

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 153

began to think less about getting land and more about
the safety and welfare of the Kentucky settlers.

Kentucky, at this time, was under the control of
Virginia and Clark went back to that State on one
occasion to look after the interests of the western
settlers. It is interesting to note that the journey was
made over the Wilderness Road which Daniel Boone
had cut through with so much toil and suffering. The
trip was a hard one. The season was wet and Clark
had his troubles. He lost his horse and walked until
his feet were " blistered and sore." No wonder; he had
traveled about seven hundred miles!

Clark was delayed so long by the difficulties of the
trip that the Virginia Legislature which he wished to
consult about Kentucky was not in session when he
arrived. He did the next best thing, possibly a better
thing — he saw Governor Patrick Henry. Henry was
sick at home at the time, but he met Clark and listened
to what he had to say about the Kentucky settlers and
their dangers.

The result of this meeting was that Clark got five
hundred pounds of powder to take back with him for
the defense of the settlers against the Indians. Five
hundred pounds of powder would not have amounted
to much in the great World War, but it was a tremen
dous help in the frontier wars of Kentucky. Clark was
delighted to get it.

The Virginia officials delivered the powder at Pitts
burgh and Clark set out to take it to Kentucky by the

154 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

river route. This was a dangerous undertaking, as
hostile Indians were constantly prowling along both
banks of the river. And what a nice prize five hundred
pounds of dry powder would be for the Indians to cap
ture! However, in spite of the danger, Clark got a

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK AND THE INDIANS

Clark had many meetings with the red men and usually succeeded
in winning them over and making them his friends.

few good boatmen to help him and started down
stream.

The powder was conveyed down the river without
serious mishap, although the Indians fired into the
party several times from the bushes along the banks.

After leaving the river, Clark and his men were
not able to carry the powder into the interior without

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 155

assistance. So they divided up their precious burden
and hid it away in several different places. At a later
time parties of men came out from the settlements and
took the powder to Harrodsburg, where it was received
with much rejoicing.

Clark now felt strong enough to strike out, not only
against the Indians, but also against the British. The
Revolution was on, of course, and British troops were
stationed at Detroit, Vincennes, Kaskaskia, and other
places in this western country. Clark felt that the
British were inciting the Indians to make raids on the
white settlements. He planned to put a stop to all
this by striking boldly at the British posts.

In the meantime, Clark and his men had to " sleep with
their eyes open." A little incident which occurred at
Harrodsburg will show how necessary it was for them to
be always on guard. In the late summer some of the
men were working in the field a short distance from the
fort. Near them was a patch of high weed§. Not
far off a herd of cattle began to grow restive. They
looked around them instead of grazing. Clark im
mediately suspected what the trouble was. With a
small party of men he stole quietly out of the Fort
and, going in a roundabout way through the woods,
came up in the rear of the patch of weeds. Four of the
Indians hiding in the tall weeds were killed and the
others were chased away to a big Indian camp which
Clark and his men destroyed.

In the meantime, Clark was getting ready to march

156 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

against the British posts. He had thought some of
going back to Virginia and joining the American army
in the East, but came to the conclusion that he could-
do more good by a little revolution of his own in the
western country. It was also true that the people
of Kentucky had become very much attached to him
and looked upon him as their strong defender.

In order to get help for his expedition against the
British posts he made a trip back to Virginia, but before
he started he promised his friends in Kentucky that he
would return to them.

When Clark reached Virginia he went to the Gover
nor, Patrick Henry, and laid before him his plans
for attacking the British. Henry was favorable to
the plan, and called in Thomas Jefferson and two other
men to talk the matter over with Clark and himself.
The result was that Clark's plan was approved and he
was given sixty thousand dollars to carry it out.

In the meantime, the whole matter was to be kept a
profound secret. Governor Henry prepared two sets of
instructions — one to be made public, and the other,
the real set, for Clark's guidance. It need not be said
that the public instructions said nothing whatever
about attacking the British posts. Clark, of course,
was very much pleased to have his plan aided and
approved by Governor Henry and others in Virginia.

In January of 1778 Clark left Virginia and began to
recruit men for his great undertaking. He got to
gether a few men for the enterprise and started joyfully

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 157

down the river. They pitched camp on Corn Island in
the Ohio River, near the present site of Louisville.
Corn Island was a rather high spot of land. Clark
said he noticed that it was almost always above water.
Perhaps it should be noted at this point that Clark had
not yet told his men what his secret instructions were,
and they had no idea that they were going to attack
the British.

A few families had joined Clark's expedition for the
purpose of establishing a settlement. These families set
about to cut down the timber and clear up a part of
the cane brake for their log cabins and crops. This
Island has now completely disappeared. The timber
was cut off and the rains and the current of the river
gradually washed it away.

Clark fortified one end of the Island, built store
houses and huts and proceeded to recruit men for his
expedition. He succeeded in getting only one company
of Kentucky men. On account of the Indian mutter-
ings it was not thought best to allow more men to go
against the British.

EXPEDITION AGAINST KASKASKIA

Finally, when all was in readiness, Clark told his men
that they were going to march against the British at
Kaskaskia. A few of the officers had undoubtedly
known this before. Most of the men received the news
with pleasure, but a part of one company did not.
They left the Island stealthily before daybreak and

158 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

made tracks for their forest homes. Clark sent mounted
men after them, but they scattered through the woods
and all escaped capture with the exception of a very
few who were brought back to the camp in a most dis
tressed condition.

Clark made up his mind that he ought to have about
five hundred men in order to make his expedition a
success. He could muster only one hundred and
seventy-five, however, but this did not seem to dis
courage him. He was determined to push on. "I
knew my case was desperate," he said, "but the more
I reflected on my weakness, the more I was pleased
with the enterprise."

At the proper time Clark let out the rest of his
secret by saying, "We start at dawn tomorrow morn
ing." There was great excitement on the Island and sad
farewells were tearfully said. The timid men had, for
the most part, backed out and those remaining were
ready for "glory or the grave."

It was a bright morning on the 24th of June, 1778,
when Clark's men took to their boats. They must have
been somewhat nervous and perhaps were made more
so when the heavens were darkened by an almost total
eclipse of the sun. The little company went up the
river about a mile in order to get into the main channel,
and then Clark tells us, "We shot the falls at the very
moment of the sun being in a great eclipse."

They pressed on with all speed, running day and
night for four days, with different sets of boatmen

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 159

Finally the company landed, hid the boats, and
went the rest of the way to Kaskaskia overland.
The trip was a very difficult one as the men had no
horses or wagons or other means of conveying the bag
gage, aside from their own sturdy backs. In this way
they pushed on for six days through brush and over

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK CAPTURES KASKASKIA

He appeared unexpectedly at a ball and quietly told the dancers
what his errand was.

swamps until, on the evening of August 4, they came
in sight of Kaskaskia.

About midnight Clark and his men entered the town
without being seen by the sentinels. Inside the Fort
a merry dance was going on. Clark is said to have
walked in and told the dancers to keep right on but to
remember that they were now dancing under the con
trol of Virginia and not of Great Britain.

160 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Simon Kenton, the powerful giant from Virginia,
went to the bed where the Governor was peacefully
sleeping and quietly placed him under arrest. And so
Kaskaskia, the famous British post on the Mississippi,
fell into the hands of the Americans without striking
a blow.

It might be well to remember that Kaskaskia was
originally a French post and that now most of its
inhabitants were French. Father Gibault, the wise
and kindly Roman Catholic Priest, was the most in
fluential man at the post aside from the military officers.
Clark gained the confidence of the good Father and
from this time on he was "a tower of strength to the
Americans."

The British in command of the place had told the
inhabitants of the post that in case of their capture
by the Americans they should expect no mercy. Now
that they were in the hands of Clark and his men the
people were greatly terrified. They were expecting the
worst.

On this occasion Clark showed himself to be a really
great man. He soon found that the people of the post
did not know anything about the real causes of the
American Revolution. The British had kept them in
ignorance or had misled them. Clark now explained
the whole matter to the people in a plain and simple
way. He said he had no desire to punish them in any
way, and that if they would show their loyalty to the
American cause, they would have the protection of the

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK

161

American Government and all the privileges of Ameri
can citizens. "No sooner had they heard this," said
Clark, "than they fell into transports of joy that really
surprised me."

Clark was, of course, greatly pleased and told them
that he would give them the oath of fidelity in a few
days, after they had had time to think it over. They

FORT CLARK

thought it over and gladly accepted the American
terms.

As a matter of fact, the people of these French posts
had no great love for their British masters, and were
glad enough to support the American cause. Kaskaskia
then, with its two hundred and fifty families, became
Fort Clark.

Clark was still full of fight and energy. On the

1 62 TEE MAKERS OF AMERICA

evening of the day upon which Kaskaskia surrendered
he sent one of his officers with thirty mounted men to
capture three other posts lying to the north and west.
These men, almost worn out by fatigue and lack of
sleep, surprised the posts and captured them very
easily. The most important of these was Cahokia which,
with its one hundred families, stood near the present
site of St. Louis.

In the meantime, Father Gibault was a great help in
bringing the Americans and the French together. He
told his people of the treaty which France had made
with the colonies and this helped to win them over.
In their backwoods homes the news of the treaty had
not reached them before.

Father Gibault did another good service. Clark's
eyes were upon Vincennes as the most important of all
the British posts. Father Gibault thought that by
explaining matters to the French people at that post he
could persuade them to come over to the American side.
With a small party of men he set out and soon entered
the town on the Wabash. He was well known and
well liked at Vincennes, and soon the Indians were sur
prised at seeing the American flag floating over the
Fort. They could not understand it.

In the meantime, the British General Hamilton at
Detroit had heard of the loss of Vincennes. He wanted
to regain it and set out with five or six hundred men
for that purpose. The Americans, who had only three
or four men for the defense of the fort, surrendered

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 163

"with the honors of war" in December of 1778. The
British had marched six hundred miles in seventy-two
days in order to reach the post.

The news of the capture of Vincennes reached Clark
sometime in the following month, and he made plans at
once for its recovery. He had only two hundred men
- one hundred Americans and one hundred Frenchmen.
He knew that Hamilton would capture him in the spring
if he did not capture Hamilton first. There was no time
for delay. He planned a march across the entire state
of Illinois through mud, ice, snow, and sleet to the post
on the Wabash. Father Gibault, as usual, was "the
power behind the throne."

THE MARCH AGAINST VINCENNES

Finally on February 5, 1779, General Clark with his
brave band, after receiving the blessing of Father Gi
bault, started against Vincennes. It was a great day at
Kaskaskia. Everybody turned out to see the soldiers
of! on their march of two hundred and thirty miles.

A few days later they came to a river which they
crossed on trees felled for that purpose. The river was
too deep for fording. After getting across they encamped
on the bank without tents in the winter rain.

The great level plain was a sea of water and in some
instances the horses were obliged to swim. Clark did
all sorts of things to keep up the spirits of his men, and
often had them singing marching songs. When they
found a small piece of high land they thought they were

1 64 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

extremely lucky and pitched camp for the night. One
morning on starting out they had to break ice one-half
to three-quarters of an inch in thickness in order to wade
through.

While Clark encouraged his men in every possible way
he was a stern commander. One time, when his men
were in the water, he ordered one of his Majors, with
twenty-five men, to bring up the rear and shoot down
any man who tried to turn back. In one instance Clark
tells us that the water was up to his shoulder and that
the men were compelled to steady themselves by taking
hold of the bushes and trees along the line of march.

One day, when they were chilled through, half starved
and nearly exhausted, an Indian canoe loaded with buf
falo meat and other provisions came into sight. The
canoe was promptly seized and hot buffalo broth refreshed
the worn-out soldiers.

When Clark was about two miles from Vincennes he
wrote a letter to the people of the village and told them
"to keep out of the streets," as there was likely to be
trouble. He said: "•! am determined to take your fort
this night and I am now only two miles away." He ad
vised all "friends to the king" to join "the hair-buyer
General." He always called General Hamilton "the
hair-buyer" because it was said that he bought the
scalps of white men brought in by the Indians.

Clark watched his messenger go into the town with
this letter, and then, with his field glasses a few moments
later, he saw people rushing about the streets in great

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 165

excitement. He said in his letter that he was not willing
to surprise the town, but he had, apparently, given them
a tremendous surprise.

Clark wrote in his diary: "A little before sunrise we
moved, and displayed ourselves in full view of the town,
crowds gazing at us. " He expected to see the fort bristle
up, but it did not do so. There were no signs of life.

Finally, Clark opened fire on the fort. Even then the
British did not suspect what was going on. They
thought that a party of drunken Indians was saluting
them. But when one of their men was shot down, the
drums began to roar and the garrison was aroused to
action. Clark later found that his letter had been posted
up in the town but that no one had told the soldiers in
the fort a single word about it.

Clark kept up the firing from about eight o'clock in
the evening until nine o'clock the following morning.
During this time his men were not more than thirty
yards from the walls of the fort, but they lay in pro
tected places. They were also such experts with the rifle
that they picked off any man who appeared in an open
ing of the fort to fire a gun.

Clark then sent Hamilton a letter demanding his sur
render and saying that if he were compelled to take the
fort by storm he might expect "such treatment as is
justly due to a murderer."

To this Hamilton quietly replied that he was "not dis
posed to be awed" into taking any step which was \iot
worthy of a British officer.

166 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

The firing then began again and finally Hamilton pro
posed that he and Clark have a meeting and talk the
matter over. This was done, and as a result Hamilton
surrendered the fort and his men as prisoners of war.

Clark had one man wounded and none killed. The sur
render was arranged on the afternoon of February 24,
1779. On the morning of the 25th, at ten o'clock, the
fort was turned over to General Clark.

Clark had now wrested the whole of the territory be
tween the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers from the
British and made it a part of the United States of Amer
ica. "He followed the trail of the buffalo, and civi
lization followed him."

The Legislature of Virginia passed a resolution thank
ing Clark for his services in conquering this Northwest
Territory and the people of the United States have been
thanking him ever since.

Clark remained in the active service of his country
until the close of the Revolution. He was then relieved
of his command by Virginia in 1783. He had given the
best years of his life and money out of his own pocket
to his country's cause. In return for this he received
almost nothing.

The Virginia Legislature did grant to him and his
men 150,000 acres of land in the southern part of Indi
ana, and of this area Clark obtained about 8,000 acres.
He didn't get much out of his land, however, and for
several years before his death he lived in disappointment

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK

167

and poverty. He felt that this country had been
ungrateful.

The iron frame which had withstood the hardships of
the Illinois swamps in mid
winter now broke down under
the weight of his disappoint
ment. He lived in retire
ment, took no interest in
public affairs, and tried to
drown his sorrows with liquor.

He never married and lived
much of his time alone in an
out-of-the-way cabin. Here
he had a stroke of paralysis
and fell over against the fire
place in such a way as to burn
one of his legs severely. The
leg was afterwards ampu
tated. Anaesthetics, of
course, were not known in
those days and General Clark
ordered that drums and fifes
be played while the operation
was being performed. In the
meantime, he bore up bravely,
beating time with his fingers
to the drums and fifes. He died at the home of his
sister, near LouisviUe, Kentucky, in 1818, at the age of
sixty-five.

STATUE OF GEORGE ROGERS

CLARK, IN INDIANAPOLIS
Notice the inscription at the
base.

1 68 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

There is a fine monument to the memory of George
Rogers Clark at Monument Place, Indianapolis, bearing
this inscription:

GENERAL
GEORGE ROGERS CLARK

CONQUEROR
OF THE COUNTRY

NORTHWEST OF THE RIVER OHIO

FROM THE BRITISH

1778-9

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. What was the great service of George Rogers Clark?

2. What did Patrick Henry have to do with the work of Clark?

3. In what way did Father Gibault help General Clark?

4. Trace on the map the line of march from Kaskaskia to

Vincennes.

5. Why was the capture of Vincennes important?

6. Why did Clark think that his country was ungrateful?

7. Read Thompson's " Alice of Old Vincennes."

PRONOUNCING LIST

Gibault zhe-bo'
Cahokia ka-ho'ki-a
anaesthetics an-es-thet'iks

CHAPTER X

"LONG LIVE GEORGE WASHINGTON,
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES"

THE INAUGURATION

WE HAVE already noticed that a body of leading men
met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to make a new
Constitution for the United States. These men met in
Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independ
ence had been signed a few years before. Washington
was the president of this Convention and Benjamin
Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and
other great American leaders were members of it.

These men worked hard during the hot months of the
summer and finally the Constitution was finished on
September 17, 1787. This date is now celebrated in all
parts of the United States as " Constitution Day."

After the Constitution was completed it had to be
sent around to the various states for their approval. We
now think a great deal of our Constitution but at that
time many good men were strongly opposed to it. Pat
rick Henry, for example, tried very hard to have it
thrown overboard. But Washington, Franklin, Hamil
ton, Madison, and others were in favor of it and the
thirteen states finally agreed to accept it.

169

1 70 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

It was arranged that the new form of government should
go into effect on March 4, 1789. This was a very im
portant event. On the afternoon of March 3 the guns
in New York harbor fired a farewell salute to the old
form of government. On the following morning the
same guns fired another salute to the new government
and church bells all over the city rang out in honor of
the great event.

Not much of anything else, however, was done on
March 4. Things moved slowly in those days. Roads
were very poor, and men could not travel over them
very rapidly. Many of the rivers had no bridges and
crossing on the ice or on rafts or by fording was both
dangerous and slow. The mail crept along at a snail's
pace. So, the members of Congress were tardy in arriv
ing in New York, the seat of the government.

Finally the members arrived, or a sufficient number of
them, and the Electoral votes were counted. It was
found that Washington had been elected President and
John Adams, a cousin of Samuel, Vice-president. Wash
ington received every vote that was cast.

A messenger was sent at once to Mount Vernon to
notify him of his election. Washington knew that he
was going to be elected and had everything about ready
to depart for New York.

About ten o'clock on the morning of April 16 Wash
ington mounted his horse and set out once more to serve
his country. He was not lonesome on this long journey.
Crowds of people stood by the road-side all the way from

LONG LIVE GEORGE WASHINGTON

GEORGE WASHINGTON
First in War, First in Peace, First in the hearts of his countrymen.'

172

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Mount Vernon to New York and greeted him as he
passed. He was, no doubt, very much pleased; but he
dreaded the duties of his office as no one had been Presi
dent before.

One sunny afternoon he arrived at the bank of the

Delaware River where he had
crossed a few years before
in order to strike the British
at Trenton. The scene was
changed now. It was a
beautiful spring day. There
was no wind, no sleet, no
blocks of floating ice, no inky
darkness. Instead of all this,
a great arch had been placed
on the bridge at Trenton with
the inscription: "The defen
der of the mothers will be the
protector of the daughters."
As he passed underneath the
arch a number of young girls,
dressed in white and with
wreathes upon their heads,
scattered flowers in his path
way while singing an ode expressing their love and grati
tude. Washington was greatly touched and often spoke
in the tenderest terms of the "white-robed choir" at
Trenton.

On the 3oth of April, and soon after his arrival in New

JOHN ADAMS

John Adams was a school
teacher and lawyer of Massa
chusetts. He helped to draft
the Declaration of Independ
ence and was the first Vice-pres
ident and the second President
of the United States. He was
a cousin of Samuel Adams.

LONG LIVE GEORGE WASHINGTON

173

York, he took the oath of office. Great crowds of people
came to the inauguration. Services were held in all the
churches of the city in the forenoon and at twelve
o'clock the inauguration took place.
Washington rode to the place of meeting in a coach

WASHINGTON'S FIRST INAUGURATION

This scene represents the balcony of Federal Hall, New York. It
was here that Robert Livingston called out: ''Long live George
Washington, President of the United States."

drawn by four fine horses in beautifully decorated har
ness. He was always fond of good horses and his ani
mals had splendid care. The head groom was in the
habit of rubbing the animals with a clean linen handker
chief and if he found any dirt the stable boys had to do
their work over again.

174 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

The white horses were given particular care. The
night before they were to be driven they were daubed
with a coat of whiting and then wrapped up for the
night. In the morning the wrappings were removed and
the dry paste was rubbed off and their bodies were pol
ished. In this way their coats were made white and
glossy. Their hoofs were blackened and polished and
their teeth brushed and then they were ready for the
harness. Washington liked to have everything in good
style.

Washington and a few of the men at the inauguration
stood on the balcony of Federal Hall while thousands of
people thronged the streets below. When the new Presi
dent had taken the oath of office, Mr. Livingston of New
York stepped forward on the balcony and shouted:
"Long live George Washington, President of the United
States."

The people in the streets sent up a mighty shout.
The flag was run up and the guns of the harbor fired
the first presidential salute. This was one of the most
notable scenes in the whole history of the United States.

THE CAPITAL CITY

EVERY nation must have a capital city. The United
States did not have a permanent capital when Washing
ton was made President. The headquarters of the gov
ernment had been placed for the time being in New
York, then a city of about thirty thousand people.
Federal Hall, the most beautiful and most artistic public

LONG LIVE GEORGE WASHINGTON

175

building in America, had recently been completed and
presented to Congress by the city. The architect of the
building was the same French engineer who, at a later
time, laid out the City of Washington. The interior of
the building was beautifully decorated and handsomely

SECOND INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON, 1793
This took place in the State House at Philadelphia.

furnished. In this exquisite setting the new government
of the United States began its career.

The permanent capital had not yet been located.
Several places had been mentioned and the new capital was
much sought after. It was finally arranged that the seat
of the government should remain in New York until
1790. It was then to be removed to Philadelphia to remain

176 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

for ten years. In the meantime, Congress had located
the District of Columbia, in its present site on the
Potomac River.

A good deal had to be done in order to build a capital

in the wilderness. The
land was obtained from
Virginia and Maryland,
and arrangements were
made with the farmers
and others who owned
it. It was then sur
veyed, and Major
L'Enfant, the French
engineer who had
planned Federal Hall,
was employed to lay out
the new city.

The Major did his
work in a splendid way.
He provided for broad
streets, magnificent

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

This map shows the original bounda
ries of the District. The land was
ceded to the National Government by
Maryland and Virginia. In 1846 the
land on the Virginia side of the river
was given back to that state because
it was not needed by the National
Government. The Potomac River, in
this part of its course, is entirely
within the District. Usually a
boundary line runs down the tenter
of a river, but this is not the case
here. Do you see any reason for this
unusual arrangement?

avenues, spacious parks,
and a great many open
"squares" and " cir
cles." More than one-
half the area of the city is now given over to streets and
parks as against one-fourth of the area in the City of
Paris.

The building of the White House, or the home of the

LONG LIVE GEORGE WASHINGTON

177

President, was begun in 1792 and the corner stone of
the great Capitol building was laid by Washington in the
following year. These fine buildings must have presented
a strange and ghost-like appearance in the midst of a
dense wilderness. They were magnificent structures but
people were obliged to
wind their way about,
among the trees and
slush, and through
miry paths, in order
to reach them.

The President want
ed to have the new
Capital named The
Federal City, but the
committee having the
matter in charge
named it Washington,
in honor of the first
citizen of the Republic.

A few of the buildings were partly finished in 1800
and in that year the Capital was moved from Philadel
phia to Washington. John Adams was President of the
United States at the time. Thomas Jefferson was the
first President to be inaugurated in the City of Wash
ington.

When President John Adams and his good wife Abigail
moved into the WTiite House they didn't find it a very
comfortable home. The house was not finished and was

THE WHITE HOUSE IN 1799

This picture represents the White House
a short time before John and Abigail
Adams moved into it.

i78

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

uncomfortably furnished. Mrs. Adams remarked that
while they were living in the midst of a dense forest
wood for fuel was very scarce.

She did, however, have one convenience which the
lady of the White House no longer enjoys. She was in

THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY

This is the home of the President of the United States. It has
been greatly changed since the days of President John Adams,

the habit of hanging up her laundry to dry in one of the
unfinished rooms when the weather outside was not
favorable for that purpose.

The Adamses must have noticed a great difference be
tween Philadelphia and Washington. Philadelphia was
a place of 70,000 people and was the largest city in the

LONG LIVE GEORGE WASHINGTON 179

United States. It had many conveniences which the
new Capital could not possibly have.

Washington has changed very greatly since the days
of John and Abigail Adams. It is now one of the most
beautiful Capital cities in the world. Its broad streets,
smooth pavements, beautiful parks, fine statuary, mag-

THE CAPITOL BUILDING AT WASHINGTON, D. C.

The Senate Chamber is in one wing and the House Chamber in the
other. Between them is the magnificent dome with its fine paintings.

nificent public buildings, and artistic private dwellings
all combine to make it a notable city.

When you go to Washington you will wish to take a
ride around the city and visit the Capitol building where
Congress meets, and the White House where the Presi
dent lives. You will also wish to visit the library build
ing which contains one of the largest and finest collec
tions of books in the world. Rock River Park where the

i8o THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Presidents like to drive will be found delightful. And, of
course, you will not miss seeing the great Washington
monument five hundred and fifty feet high. This im
mense shaft was built in honor of George Washington
from materials furnished by the different states. An
elevator will take you to the top but you can walk up the
winding stairway on the inside if you think your legs
can stand it.

After having done all this you will wish to take the
boat and ride fifteen miles down the Potomac River to
Mount Vernon. Here you will find the delightful home
place of George Washington with the buildings and gar
dens kept much as they were when the father of his
country loved to ramble about the plantation.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. What is " Constitution Day "?

2. Why was Washington inaugurated on the 30th of April

instead of the 4th of March?

3. In which three cities has the seat of the Government of the

United States been located?

4. Who was the first President inaugurated in Washington,

D. C.?

5. If you have seen the City of Washington, write a short

essay about it.

PRONOUNCING LIST
L'Enfant lan'fan

CHAPTER XI

ELI WHITNEY AND THE COTTON PLANTATION

THERE are many great names in American history
that are not connected with war or politics. One oi
these is that of Eli
Whitney, the school
teacher and inventor.
Whitney lived in
Washington's time
and invented the cot
ton gin. The cotton
gin is a machine for
separating the cotton
seed from the fiber or
the woolly part of the
plant. Before Whit
ney's time this work
was done by hand and
was a very slow and
tiresome process.

Eli Whitney was
born in Massachusetts in the year that the English Parlia
ment passed the Stamp Act. He was graduated from
Yale College at the age of twenty-seven. While in
college he worked hard at all sorts of jobs in order to get

181

ELI WHITNEY, THE INVENTOR OF
THE COTTON GIN

182

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

money to pay his expenses. This may possibly account
for the fact that he was not very young when he finished
his course.

After leaving college he went to Georgia to teach the
children of a wealthy planter. For some reason or other

he did not take up his
teaching work at once
but went to live in the
home of Mrs. Na-
thanael Greene, widow
of the famous Revolu
tionary General. Whit
ney was a natural
mechanic with an in
ventive turn of mind
and soon began to make
things. Mrs. Greene
saw his ability and en
couraged him to con
tinue.

One day some people who were dining at the home of
Mrs. Greene were talking about the difficulty of separa
ting the cotton seed from the fiber. They also said they
were sorry that there was no machine to do the work.
"Apply to my young friend here," said Mrs. Greene, "he
can make anything." The men talked it over with Whit
ney and he became interested at once. He had never
seen a cotton seed before coming to Georgia but he was
willing to learn.

ELI WHITNEY'S COTTON GIN

This is the little machine which did
the work of a thousand persons. The
gins of the present day are much
larger and are run by steam or elec
tricity.

ELI WHITNEY AND THE COTTON PLANTATION 183

He soon worked out a plan for a machine. He had to
start on his problem from the very beginning. He pro
cured a cotton plant with the seed in the woolly fiber
and began to study it.

He then picked up a few crude tools about the house.

WHITNEY'S COTTON GIN SOMEWHAT ENLARGED

He made a few others. He had to do much of this work
by hand. He had to draw his own wire as none could be
purchased even in Savannah.

He finally made a simple machine, the principle of
which is still in use in the South. He had a cylinder

1 84

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

which was made to revolve by means of a hand crank.
On the cylinder were rows of saw-like teeth. When the
cylinder was made to revolve it pulled the fibers of cot-

PICKING COTTON

It takes a large number of people to pick the fleecy cotton from
the plant. This is a scene in the state of Arkansas.

ton through holes in a plate placed a short distance above
it. These holes would permit the fiber to pass through but
were too small for the seeds. These were consequently
scraped off and remained on the upper side of the plate.

ELI WHITNEY AND THE COTTON PLANTATION 185

It was considered a good day's work for a person to
pick the seeds from a pound of cotton by hand. Whit
ney's machine, even in its crude form, could clean a
thousand pounds in the same length of time. By
attaching a two-horse power to it it could clean five
times that amount. The steam gins in the South now
clean the cotton with wonderful rapidity.

Whitney's invention increased very greatly the amount
of cotton raised in the United States. The production of
cotton had been held back by the slow and expensive
process of cleaning it by hand. The number of acres
planted to cotton was now increased many fold, and Eli
Whitney may be looked upon as the father of the cotton
plantation. It was his invention which made possible
the great plantations in the South where thousands of
rollicking negroes pick cotton to be shipped to Europe.
Whitney's invention in the course of time reduced the
price of cotton cloth from a dollar and a half a yard to
a few cents. At this price cotton cloth was placed within
reach of almost everybody.

The gin also revived the institution of slavery. It
made slavery more popular because slave labor was
necessary to the production of cotton on a large scale.
Before Whitney made his invention, slavery was gradu
ally dying out in all parts of the United States. In a
word then, it was Whitney's invention, more than
anything else, that placed "King Cotton" on the
throne.

Inventors very often, for some reason or other, re-

i86

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

ceive very little profit from their inventions. This was
the case with Eli Whitney. We shall see later the cause
of this.

Whitney was naturally very proud of his useful ma
chine. Mrs. Greene
was proud of it also
and she invited a few
friends to come to her
home to see it work.
They were all delight
ed and praised the
young inventor
highly.

In the meantime, a
young man named
Miller, who had been
in college with Whit
ney, came to Georgia
and became the hus
band of Mrs. Greene.
Miller had some

Compare this giant gin with Eli Whit- money and Whitney
ney's. This one is located in Dallas, had a valuable ma-
Texas, a busy and progressive city. , . , ,

chine, so the two

men went into partnership to manufacture the cotton
gins,

Whitney had not yet obtained a patent on his machine
and so the gin was carefully kept under lock and key.
He did, however, exhibit it proudly to planters who came

A MODERN COTTON GIN

ELI WHITNEY AND THE COTTON PLANTATION 187

from miles around to see a machine which could do the
work of a thousand men.

The people evidently liked the cotton gin. One night
they broke into Whitney's workshop and carried away
his prize. Soon after this cotton gins, copied after Whit
ney's, were at work in different parts of the state. Some
of them were turned by hand, others by horses or oxen,
and still others by water power.

Whitney in the meantime had obtained a patent from
the government. He then brought suit against those
who were making use of his invention. He didn't get
much satisfaction. As a rule he was cheated out of the
fruits of his labor. People, apparently, preferred to get
the use of the machine for nothing. He did obtain
fifty thousand dollars from the state of South Carolina
and a little something from North Carolina. But this
was about all used up in paying the costs of lawsuits.

In 1812 he asked to have his patent renewed on the
ground that he had received little benefit from it. In
this application he said that the money which he had
received "did not equal the amount saved by his ma
chines in one hour." His application was denied.

After this he went back home to New Haven, Con
necticut, and made a fortune by making firearms for the
government during the war of 1812 with England. He
died at his home in New Haven at the age of sixty.

Whitney was a benefactor to mankind, but, like most
inventors, he did not reap much financial profit from his
labors.

i88 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Where was Eli Whitney born? Where did he make his

great invention?

2. What was the connection between the Cotton Gin and

Slavery?

3. What trouble did Whitney have about his patent?

4. How much cotton could be separated from the seeds by

hand in a day by one person before Whitney invented the
gin?
6. How much could be separated with the use of the gin?

CHAPTER XII

THOMAS JEFFERSON, " THE MAN OF THE
PEOPLE "

The American people took Jefferson into their hearts
as they have never taken any other statesman until
Lincoln in these latter days.

— JOHN FISKE

WE HAVE already made the acquaintance of Thomas
Jefferson. We recall him most distinctly perhaps as the
author of the Declaration of Independence. He was also
the third President of the United States and the first
President to be inaugurated in the City of Washington.

Thomas Jefferson was descended from an old Welsh
family which came to Virginia at a very early time -
before the Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth Rock.

Thomas was the third child in a family of ten. His
father, Peter Jefferson, was a leader in the community.
He was a man of quick intelligence and great physical
strength.

Peter Jefferson's family was in very easy circum
stances and lived on a farm of about 2,000 acres which
was tilled by 30 slaves.

Thomas Jefferson went to the country school near his
home and was later graduated from William and Mary

189

igo THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

College at Williamsburg, Virginia, the second oldest col
lege in the United States. Later he studied law and was
lawyer and farmer at the same time, until he abandoned
both professions to enter public office.

When he was twenty-nine years of age he married
Martha, the daughter of John Wayles, a prominent Vir
ginia lawyer. Wayles died soon after and Mrs. Jefferson
inherited an estate of 4,000 acres with 135 slaves.

The Jeffersons now had a very comfortable family in
come. Even before this inheritance Thomas Jefferson
had an income of about three thousand dollars per year
from his law practice and two thousand dollars from his
land. This was a rather large income for a family in
Virginia in those days. It might easily have been larger
but Jefferson, unlike Washington, was not a very good
business man. He took care of public affairs very much
better than he did of private affairs.

Thomas Jefferson, next to Franklin, could do more
things well than any other man in the history of the
public life of the United States. He was very successful
as our representative in Europe; he was fairly success
ful as President of the United States; he was a leader
in education; he was a student of science, literature,
and religion; he introduced better methods in agri
culture; and as a political leader he was unsurpassed.
In addition to all of this he was a splendid mathemati
cian, an easy writer of good and forceful English, and a
violinist of considerable ability.

Jefferson, probably, took a more keen delight in agri-

THOMAS JEFFERSON, "THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Jefferson was prominent for forty years in the public life of the
United States. The motto on his seal was " Rebellion to tyrants
is obedience to God."

IQ2 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

culture than in anything else. He was always inventing
things and trying to find better ways of farming. He
also searched all over the world for new seeds and new
plants. "The greatest service," he once said, "which
can be rendered to any country, is to add a useful plant
to its culture.7' Acting upon this idea he brought olive
plants from France and a new kind of rice from Africa,
and introduced them into the plantations of Georgia
and South Carolina.

Jefferson was also the inventor of the "first scientific
plow." Before his time the old wooden plow was large
ly in use and farmers were afraid to use the iron plow
because they thought it would poison the soil and kill
the crops. Jefferson had no such fear. But it took all
of his persuasion and influence to induce the farmer to
use the new and better kind of plow.

He also imported the first threshing machine ever seen
in Virginia and carried on experiments with other imple
ments of various kinds.

Jefferson was always very fond of agriculture and liked
those engaged in it. When he was about to enter
public office as a young man he said that he would never
"wear any other character than that of a farmer."
"Cultivators of the earth," he said, "are the most valu
able citizens." At another time he wrote : "Those who
labor in the earth are the chosen people of God."

It is rather disappointing to find that, in spite of his
love for the land, Jefferson was not able to raise more
than six or eight bushels of wheat to the acre. This,

THOMAS JEFFERSON, "THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 193

however, was probably more than the average yield for
the entire state at that time. Agricultural methods were
very poor and much of the soil had been worn out by
tobacco crops.

Jefferson was always working on something which prom
ised to be a help to the people. It has been said that
he "ran riot in schemes for conferring practical benefits
on mankind." He not only did things himself but he
encouraged such men as Eli Whitney and Robert
Fulton who had an inventive genius.

He also took a very lively interest in education, which
was rather backward at the time, and was the founder
of the University of Virginia.

While he liked the farmer he did not care much for
the mechanic or the manufacturer. He loved the open
country but he disliked the city. He was plain and
simple in dress and manners and scorned all show and
ceremony. He had faith in the wisdom and good sense
of the masses of the people and always said that they
should control the government.

In personal appearance Jefferson' was an impressive
man but by no means a handsome one. He was six feet
two and one-half inches tall, and muscular as well.
When he was President he was described as: "A tall
man, with a very red, freckled face, and gray neglected
hair .... He wore a blue coat, green velveteen
breeches with pearl buttons, yarn stockings, and slippers
down at the heels, — his appearance being very much
like that of a tall, large-boned farmer."

194

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Jefferson grew old gracefully and when he left the
White House he returned to his beautiful country estate
called Monticello, situated near Charlottesville, Virginia.

MONTICELLO, THE OLD HOME OF THOMAS JEFFERSON

Thousands of people from all parts of the world made
pilgrimages to Monticello to see Thomas Jefferson and
possibly to speak a word with him. He died there on
July 4, 1826 — the fiftieth anniversary of the Decla
ration of Independence. During his last illness it was
his hope that he might be permitted to live until the
dawn of the 4th of July.

He died at one o'clock in the afternoon. John Adams
passed away a few hours later and his last words were:
"Thomas Jefferson still lives." He did not know that
his old friend had gone on before.

THOMAS JEFFERSON, "THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 195

Thomas Jefferson lies buried at Monticello and the
shaft over his grave bears this inscription, written by
Jefferson himself:

"Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the
Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute
of Virginia for religious freedom, and father of the
University of Virginia. "

JEFFERSON AND THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE

The purchase of Louisiana was a diplomatic triumph of the
first magnitude. No American negotiators ever acquired so much
for so little.

- ALLEN JOHNSON

The territory of the United States was doubled during
the time that Jefferson was President. By the treaty of
1783 with Great Britain the western boundary had been
placed at the Mississippi River. Now Jefferson pur
chased from France all of that vast territory extending
from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and
to the Canadian boundary on the north. This was
known as the " Louisiana Territory."

In one respect the work of Jefferson was like that of
George Rogers Clark. Clark added the Northwest
Territory to the domain of the United States and Jef
ferson added the Louisiana Territory. They used dif
ferent methods, however. Clark obtained his addition
by conquest and Jefferson got his by purchase. The
United States was growing very rapidly for an infant
nation.

THOMAS JEFFERSON,11 THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 197

This territory between the Mississippi River and the
Rocky Mountains has had a very interesting history.
It changed hands many times. To begin with, of course,
it was in the possession of the Indian. He roamed
over it at will and there was no one to interfere with
him. After a time, however, the Frenchmen came. Their
great explorers, Champlain, LaSalle, Father Marquette,
and others traversed the country from the Great Lakes
to the Gulf of Mexico and took possession of it in the
name of the King of France. They set up rude crosses
and buried plates made of lead with French inscriptions
upon them in order to hold their claims. That was not
really a very good way to lay claim to the heart of a
continent, but that is the way the French did it.

Sometime later this territory fell into the hands of
Spain. In the French and Indian war, or the Seven
Years War, as they called it in Europe, Spain helped
France against England. As her reward she received the
Louisiana Territory by the treaty of 1763.

Not very long after this time, Spain gave the territory
back to France by secret treaty. So, when Jefferson be
came President, France again owned this tract of land
west of the Mississippi River.

Why did the people of the United States want this
great area of wild land? Did they need more land for
farming? Were they becoming crowded? Had all the
land been filled which Daniel Boone and George Rogers
Clark had opened up to settlement? No, these were not
the reasons. There was still wild land enough for every-

198 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

body on the east side of the great river. As a matter of
fact Jefferson made no attempt at first to purchase all of
this territory. He simply wanted a small amount of
land near the mouth of the Mississippi River, where the
City of New Orleans now stands.

Now why did the Americans want this land about the
mouth of the River? Of what use would it be to them?
It will require some explanation to answer these ques
tions.

The Americans were now raising large amounts of
agricultural products to be shipped to Europe. There
were two outlets for these products. Some of them were
shipped from ports on the Atlantic Ocean and others
were sent down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of
Mexico.

After the close of the American Revolution the West
had developed quite rapidly. Many settlers had pushed
out towards the Mississippi River, following in the foot
steps of Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton. These men
cut away the forest, broke up the soil, and raised abun
dant crops. They had to get these crops to the market
and were in the habit of using the Mississippi River for
this purpose.

In a single year the farmers of Kentucky, Tennessee,
and Ohio had sent down the Mississippi River "one
hundred and twenty thousand pounds of tobacco, ten
thousand barrels of flour, twenty-two thousand pounds
of hemp, five hundred barrels of cider, and as many more
of whiskey." This "down river" commerce was increas-

THOMAS JEFFERSON,'1 THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 199

ing all the time and was very important to the western
farmer. It would, of course, have been impossible for
him to haul his products overland to an Atlantic sea
port.

These products were brought down the river on rafts,
barges, and small boats of all kinds and then put on
board large, ocean-going sailing vessels, bound for Europe.
It was thus necessary to have a. place near the mouth of
the river where goods could be landed and stored until
the big boats were ready to take them to Europe. For
this purpose Spain had granted us a "right of deposit,"
as it was called, or the right to land goods for a time on
Spanish territory. Now that France owned the land she
might deny this privilege to the Americans.

It should be remembered also that France owned the
land on both sides of the river at its mouth. The Loui
siana Territory was not all on the west side of the Mis
sissippi. It also included the land on the east side of
the river upon which the City of New Orleans is located.

So when it became known that France again owned
this territory the western farmers were much interested.
In fact they were greatly excited and made plans to
seize the mouth of the river by force in case the French
refused to sell. In their rough-and-ready way they said:
"Let us take what we want by force of arms and then
make a treaty with France about it afterwards."

Jefferson, of course, would rather purchase the land
than take it by force. Our Minister to France was Mr.
Robert R. Livingston, who had administered the oath

20O

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

of office to Washington when he became President.
Jefferson instructed Livingston to buy, if possible, a
suitable area near the mouth of the river. The great
Napoleon was at the head of France and Livingston took

up the matter with
one of his ministers.
Napoleon absolutely
refused to sell a single
inch of French terri
tory in America.
Livingston could
make no headway.
He was up against a
stone wall.

Jefferson then
appointed James
Monroe, who later
became President of
the United States, to
go to France and help
Livingston. Monroe
had spent some time
in France and the
French people were
Suddenly a great change took

JAMES MONROE

James Monroe was President of the
United States for two terms. It was he
who told the Europeans that they could
make no more settlements on the Ameri
can continents. He also said that they
should not interfere with any of the
governments in America. This is called
the Monroe Doctrine.

very fond of him.
place almost in the twinkling of an eye. Napoleon's
minister met Livingston one day and said to him:
"Would you care to buy the whole Louisiana Territory
and, if so, what price would you be willing to pay for it ? "

THOMAS JEFFERSON, "THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 201

This question almost took Livingston's breath away.
Here was land enough for an Empire " tossed into his
lap." He had no authority to buy this vast tract and
no money to pay for it. He knew also that the United
States didn't really need the whole territory. Monroe
had not yet arrived and he had no one to talk the
matter over with.

Fortunately, Monroe reached Paris on the very next
day and Livingston obtained some comfort. Even then
the two men didn't know quite what to make of it. They
couldn't understand why Napoleon, who had refused
emphatically to sell a very small piece of land, should
now offer the entire territory for sale. They thought
possibly that the French were trying to play a trick on
them.

This sudden change on Napoleon's part was fully ex
plained sometime later. It was all simple enough. He
had heard that the English were about to send a large
army to take the territory from France by force and he
made up his mind that he would rather sell, or even
give, the land to the United States, than have it fall
into the hands of his old enemy England. He could also
use the money to good advantage in carrying on his
wars.

Livingston and Monroe thought the opportunity too
good to be lost. They concluded to take the risk and
buy the territory. They did so in a treaty signed April
30, 1803. In this treaty they agreed to pay France
$15,000,000 for the land.

202 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Thus by a few strokes of the pen the western bound
ary of the United States was pushed out to the Rocky
Mountains and the area of the country was doubled.
The area of the new territory was larger than the com-

CELEBRATING THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE, 1803

The people were delighted to see the stars and stripes floating over
the Territory.

bined areas of Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain,
Portugal, and Italy.

After the treaty was signed Livingston remarked,
"We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our
lives."

THOMAS JEFFERSON, " THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 203

LEWIS AND CLARK AND THE FAR WEST
When you buy a large farm you like to tramp around
and look it over. President Jefferson had purchased a
very extensive farm west of the Mississippi River but
did not know very much about it. Neither did anyone
else. There were vast stretches into which no white man
had ever penetrated. Parts of it were not known even
to the Indians.

Jefferson presented a report to Congress after the pur
chase was made and tried to tell the members something
about the far-away territory. He had a very difficult
time. There was not very much to tell. He pieced to
gether all that he could get from books and from the
stories of travelers. But this was not very much and a
a good deal of it was not true. He then made up his
mind to send out explorers and find out something
definite about his new purchase.

The men sent on this important expedition were Meri-
wether Lewis and William Clark, brother of the famous
George Rogers Clark.

Meriwether Lewis was a member of a good, old Vir
ginia family which had rendered fine service to the
country. The young Lewis was a natural hunter and
explorer even from early boyhood. When he was only
eight years old he was in the habit of going out into the
woods alone "in the dead of night" to hunt with his
dogs. He did this, too, in all kinds of weather and
seemed to be as happy in the driving snow as in the
balmy sunshine.

2O4

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

He attended school until he was eighteen and then
went back to the farm and took a delight in studying
both plants and animals.

At the age of twenty he went into the military service
of the United States and at twenty-three was made a

WESTERN EXPLORATION

This map shows the trail of Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition
to the Pacific Coast. It also shows the two expeditions made by Zebulon
Pike about the same time.

captain. He also served for a time as President Jef
ferson's private secretary. Lewis was thus well qualified
to do the task assigned to him by the President.

William Clark, second in command to Lewis, was
another Virginian and also a military man. Like his
brother, George Rogers Clark, he was familiar with the

THOMAS JEFFERSON, "THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 205

habits and traits of the Indian and this knowledge was
of constant use on his western journey.

Before starting out on their trip across the continent
the men read everything they could find in regard to the
country. This, of course, was not very much.

The two men with their helpers set out and got as far
as Cahokia on the Mississippi River — the old post
which George Rogers Clark had captured during the
Revolution. It was then December (1803) and the men
found it impossible to go farther until spring. Conse
quently they went into camp for the winter in what is
now the state of Illinois at a point opposite the mouth of
the Missouri River.

Their instructions were to go up the Missouri River,
cross the mountains, and go down one of the rivers lead
ing to the Pacific Ocean. They were also to make a
study of Indian life and of the geographical features of
the country. They were to observe the plants and ani
mals along the route and write down notes about all they
saw. They were instructed to take particular notice of
the number and variety of fur-bearing animals.

In May of the following year (1804) the men broke
camp and started up the Missouri River in three boats.
Before winter set in they reached Mandan, in what is
now the state of North Dakota. Here they pitched
camp.

In the spring (1805) they started up the river again,
across North Dakota and Montana to the headwaters of
the Missouri River in the Bitter Root Mountains.

206

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

They then crossed the ridge (sometimes called the
"Great Divide") and hunted about for a stream to take
them to the Pacific. They finally stumbled upon the
Clear Water River. This brought them to the Snake

EXPEDITION OF LEWIS AND CLARK

Lewis and Clark passed through some of the most beautiful scenery
in the world. They were astonished by the wonderful views at
almost every bend of the river.

River. Going down the Snake River they came to the
Columbia and were then on the highway to the Pacific.
Late in the fall they "saw the waves like small moun
tains rolling out in the sea." They had now reached
the western boundary of the continent and here, on the

THOMAS JEFFERSON, "THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 207

shores of that ocean which Magellan had crossed many
years before, and which Balboa had discovered in 1513,
they pitched their camp for the winter.

In the following spring (1806) the party started back
east but soon divided into two parts. Lewis was in
command of one and Clark of the other. In the early
fall of that year both parts of the expedition reached the
present site of St. Louis. Here ended one of the most
noted and valuable exploring expeditions in American
history.

ZEBULON PIKE

Other men besides Lewis and Clark were roaming over
the new continent in those days. One of these was
Zebulon Pike.

At the time that Lewis and Clark started up the Mis
souri (1804) Pike left St. Louis and ascended the Mis
sissippi. He pushed on almost to the source of that
great river and ran up an American flag on a trading
post in the northern part of what is now the state of
Minnesota.

In the following year he went up the Arkansas River
and finally came to the mountain peak which bears his
name. He then explored the Rio Grande, was captured
by the Spanish, and finally made his way to the interest
ing old town of Santa Fe.

ANDREW JACKSON, THE FRONTIER STATESMAN
More important perhaps than any of these frontiersmen
was Andrew Jackson "The Hero of New Orleans. "

208

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

We have already met Andrew Jackson at the Bat
tle of Hanging Rock where, as a boy of thirteen,
he was fighting for the Independence of the United
States.

We find him again in the War of 1812, or the second

war with Great Britain. The
Creek Indians in what is now
the state of Alabama had
been stirred up to attack the
whites by Tecumseh, the
famous Indian chief. The
white men took up arms and
killed about one-fifth of the
whole Creek tribe. It was in
this war that Andrew Jack
son won the Battle of Horse
shoe Bend on the Tallapoosa
River. Some of the braves
fled to Florida and the rest
ceded a large area of land in
Georgia and Alabama to
General Jackson. This

opened up a vast tract to white men for settlement,
and Jackson became a great hero.

Later in the war he won a still more important victory.
On January 8, 1815, he defeated the British in the
famous battle of New Orleans. The British lost more
than 2,000 men while Jackson's loss was about 70. It
is a peculiar fact that this battle was fought after the

ANDREW JACKSON

This picture represents the
"Hero of New Orleans" in his
old age. He was called "Old
Hickory" on account of his un
bending qualities.

THOMAS JEFFERSON, "THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE" 209

treaty of peace was agreed upon by Great Britain and the
United States. Jackson knew nothing about this treaty
and just kept right on righting.

A little later we find Andrew Jackson in Florida.
Florida was in the possession of Spain and had long been
a thorn in the side of the United States — for two rea
sons. The boundary of the territory was indefinite and
Spain made no attempt to control the Indians and other
lawless people who were making raids across the border.
President Jefferson tried to solve the problem by buying
the territory, but Spain refused to sell.

In one of his campaigns against the Indians Andrew
Jackson chased them out of the United States and into
Florida. While there he captured two forts, St. Mark's
and Pensacola, in the northwest part of Florida and
hanged two British subjects who were aiding the Indians
and stirring them up to make raids on the whites. He
also hanged two Indian chiefs without a trial.

Jackson had done a bold act. He had entered Spanish
territory and had executed two British subjects. John
Quincy Adams, as Secretary of State, handled the whole
matter boldly and successfully. He showed that the
British subjects had no right to be doing what they did
and that it was necessary for Jackson to put down the
lawlessness in Florida since Spain was unwilling or un
able to do so.

The result of the whole matter was that Spain sold
Florida to the United States on Washington's birthday,
1819, for the sum of $5,000,000. Two years later An-

210 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

drew Jackson became the first American Governor of
Florida.

The Florida problem was now solved, and another im
mense tract of land was added to the territory of the
United States.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Why is Jefferson called " The Man of the People "?

2. Mention three important things which Jefferson did.

3. What was Jefferson's attitude toward agriculture?

4. How did we happen to buy Louisiana from the French?

5. Why was possession of the mouth of the Mississippi River

important?

6. Bound the Louisiana Purchase.

7. Trace on the map the route taken by Lewis and Clark.

8. Who was Zebulon Pike?

9. In what way was Andrew Jackson connected with Florida?

PRONOUNCING LIST

Napoleon na-po'le-un Arkansas ar'kan-sa

Monroe mun-ro' Rio Grande re'o gran' da

Santa Fe san'ta fa'

CHAPTER XIII

THE HIGHWAY, THE WATERWAY, AND THE
RAILWAY

THE UNITED STATES had now become a very large
country. It was no longer limited to the thirteen colo
nies strung along the Atlantic coast. George Rogers
Clark had taken the Northwest Territory from the
British; President Jefferson had purchased the Loui
siana Territory from France ; and President Monroe had
purchased Florida from Spain after Andrew Jackson had
invaded that territory.

It was now necessary to make roads through this vast
area. People wanted to travel from place to place
and it was necessary to bring the farmers' crops to
market.

The buffalo path and the Indian trail were the earliest
highways for land travel. A little later the trail was wid
ened and straightened and thus made into a highway like
Daniel Boone's " Wilderness Road." Still later, the road
was graded and drained and bridges were made across
streams. Later still, a few favored roads or "turnpikes"
had their surfaces covered with gravel or broken stone.
Even with these improvements, land travel in the United
States in the early part of the nineteenth century was
difficult and painfully slow.

211

212 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Water travel was easier and quicker. The rivers of
the continent became the highways for the explorer's
canoe and trader's barge. It is difficult to see how the
early explorer could have made a survey of the continent
or how the farmer could have gotten his products to
market without the great rivers.

There was one great disadvantage, however, in river
travel. It was very easy to glide down stream but al
most impossible to push a loaded boat back up stream.
This is now easily done by means of steam power. But
there were, of course, no steamboats in those days.

ROBERT FULTON, THE INVENTOR OF THE STEAMBOAT

This leads us to the interesting story of Robert Fulton
and his great invention. Robert Fulton, father of the
steamboat, was born in Pennsylvania about ten years
before the American Revolution broke out. He was
educated in the common schools and later became skill
ful in the painting of small-sized portraits. After a
time he made money enough by his art to buy a farm.
He wanted this as a home for his mother.

After seeing his mother comfortably settled in her new
home, he went to England. Here he studied painting
under a famous artist. He also became an engineer.

Just about this time James Watt invented the steam
engine. Fulton was greatly interested in it and saw
many of the uses to which it could be put.

He studied the working of the steam engine when he
was not painting and began to invent machines to be run

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 213

by steam. Among other things he invented a steam
shovel which was used in digging canals and in making
the channels of rivers deeper and wider. He also wrote
papers on the making of canals and similar subjects.

He then went to France where he lived for several
years. During this time he
was very active. He studied
languages and worked hard
on several in vent ions. Among
other things he invented a
torpedo which he offered to
both France and England. It
was rejected by both countries
and then Fulton came to the
United States and took the
matter up with the officials at
Washington. Here he re
ceived more encouragement.
It is interesting to note that
Fulton thought the torpedo a
more important invention than the steamboat.

Just at this time, however, he turned his attention in
another direction. He wished to invent a boat which
could be propelled up stream at a reasonable rate of
speed by means of steam power. A great many men had
tried to do this before Fulton's time but were not suc
cessful in a practical way.

Experiments on the steamboat were made in Europe
a hundred years before Fulton's time and James Rumsey

ROBERT FULTON

This picture represents the
handsome face of Robert Ful
ton, inventor and painter.

214

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

and John Fitch, both Americans, had made steamboats
of rude construction before Fulton took the matter up.
No one had yet, however, made a practical steamboat.
While in Paris Fulton made up his mind that the prob
lem could be solved. He went over to Scotland where
a steamboat was actually running and made a study of it.

When he came to
America in 1806 he
built a steamboat
which he called the
Clermont. The vessel
was 130 feet long and
1 8 feet wide and was
able to carry 160 tons.
Finally everything
was in readiness for
the trial trip on the
Hudson. The boat

THE CLERMONT

The Clermont was Fulton's successful
steamboat. It was named from the
country estate of Robert R. Livingston
who aided him. Notice the sail. Steam
boats for many years also made use of
the power of the wind.

started off nicely but

soon stopped. Many people then said "I told you so. " A
small repair was made, however, and the little pioneer
proceeded bravely on her way up the river. She made
the trip to Albany and back in spite of wind, wave, tide,
and the remarks of people who said, "The thing cannot
be done."

The Clermont soon after began regular trips between
New York and Albany and was able to make the dis
tance of 150 miles in about a day and a half. A little
later the steamboat, spouting smoke and sparks, was

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 215

seen on the lakes and rivers of North America. When
it first appeared the Indians, deer, and buffaloes fled in
terror into the wilderness.

About a dozen years after Fulton's invention the little
steamboat Savannah crossed the ocean from America to
England. From that time to this the ocean steamer has
been an important factor in the world's work.

Today we honor the name of Robert Fulton while we
have forgotten those who pointed their fingers at the
Clermont and called it " Fulton's folly."

With the launching of the Clermont on the Hudson a new era
in American history began.

- ARCHER B. HULBERT

THE ERIE CANAL

Fulton's invention was a great help to the people of
the new country. It enabled travelers to make long
trips with comfort and it also made it possible for
the farmer to get his products to market quickly and
cheaply. But, of course, the steamboat could not go
where there was no water to carry it.

This led to the building of canals upon which boats
loaded with passengers and freight were pulled or towed
slowly along.

A few canals had been made before Fulton's time but
the first really great and important one in America was
the Erie Canal, extending from Albany to Buffalo, a
distance of 363 miles.

216

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

D A

This water highway is the connecting link between
the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Men had
thought and talked and written about such a canal
for many years before the digging was begun. General
Schuyler, of the Revolutionary army, said that such a
canal should be constructed. It was Governor De Witt

Clinton, however,
who made the dirt
fly. For this reason
the Erie Canal has
often been referred
to as "De Witt
Clinton'sbig ditch."
The first steps
towards the con
struction of this
canal were taken in
1 8 10 and the pro
ject was finished fifteen years later. Governor Clinton
and others went to Washington and asked the help of
Congress in the great undertaking. This was denied
and the state of New York then undertook to carry the
whole burden.

During the War of -1812 the whole matter was
dropped for about three years. The country had to at
tend to other matters.

Throughout this period the old stage-coach and the
freight wagons carried passengers and freight from place
to place as well as they could. One of these wagons

THE ERIE CANAL

This map shows the course of the Erie
Canal from Buffalo to Albany. It passes
through a beautiful and picturesque part
of the state and connects several im
portant cities. It is a worthy monument
to Governor De Witt Clinton.

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 217

took a load of people from New York to Philadelphia, a
distance of ninety miles, in three days. After that the
wagon was proudly called "the flying machine." Auto
mobiles now sometimes make this distance in two hours
instead of three days.

This kind of travel was slow and expensive and really
somewhat dangerous.
Accidents occurred at
times and occasionally
the wagons were rob
bed in the lonely
stretches of forest
through which they
were compelled to
pass. So when the war
was over Clinton again
urged the building of
the canal and did not
let things rest until
the work was com
pleted. He was not at
all discouraged when
Congress refused to help. This seemed to make him more
determined than ever to carry out his plan.

Clinton was elected Governor of New York in 1816
and then, of course, he had more influence than ever.
He worked on the canal project in the daytime and
dreamed about it at night.

Finally on July 4, 1817, the first shovelful of dirt was

THE OLD-TIME STAGE-COACH

The travel was slow and expensive. A
stage ran from New York to Boston three
times a week. It took three days to make
the trip. Sometimes the passengers had
to get out and push the coach out of the
mud. The coach averaged about four
miles an hour.

2l8

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

thrown up, and the great project was begun. It was no
small task to push a canal through the wilderness and
swamps of New York, a distance of nearly 400 miles.

THE OPENING OF THE ERIE CANAL

Governor Clinton of New York in the presence of a distinguished
company of men and women, is pouring water from Lake Erie into
the Hudson River.

In Europe the wheelbarrow and shovel were still used
in canal building but in this work the plow and the
scraper took their places. Giant machines were also used
which took trees and stumps in their mighty grasp and

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 219

tore them from the soil as easily as one could pull a weed
out of his garden.

The frozen ground of winter helped the men to haul
supplies where they were needed. The work, however,
was very hard and many of the men became ill.

The wilderness and swamps were also unhealthful. A
thousand men were on the sick list at one time, suffering
from fever and ague,
and for a short time
the work on the canal
was brought to a
standstill.

After eight years of
the hardest kind of
work Clinton, still
Governor of the State,
opened the completed
canal with a big cele
bration. A large party
of people went

LIFE ON A CANAL BOAT

Freight and passengers moved slowly in
the clumsy and sluggish canal boat. The
passengers, however, had a good visit
when the weather was pleasant. Notice
the tow-line and the horses on the tow-
path.

stately procession
down the river from
Albany to New York. At the end of the journey Gover
nor Clinton poured into the Atlantic Ocean some water
which had been taken from the Great Lakes. As he did
so he declared that the two bodies of water were united
in marriage.

The canal cost the state $7,602,000, but has been
worth many times that amount to the state and Nation.

220 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

The state collected $8,500,000 in tolls on the canal
during the first nine years of its existence. Its value in
connecting the West with the East can hardly be over
estimated.

Although large sums were collected as tolls on the
canal, the rates were very low. It cost at this time
thirty-two dollars to carry a ton of goods one hundred
miles by wagon, while the cost by the canal was only
one dollar and a half.

The canal is still running and is just as important as it
ever was as a highway of commerce. It is opened every
year in the spring after the ice goes out and boats con
tinue to run, now propelled by steam, until the ice
comes again in the early winter.

The next time you travel from Buffalo to Albany
over the New York Central Railway do not fail to get a
good view of the Erie Canal with its walled banks and
its lazy, clumsy steam barges.

THE FIRST AMERICAN RAILROAD

The locomotive came puffing along in the United
States about twenty-five years after Fulton's steamboat
had frightened the natives along the Hudson River.
Some men had talked about such a thing a long time
before Fulton invented the Clermont. They did not call
it a locomotive, however, but a " steam carriage." The
present massive locomotive, weighing scores of tons,
does not look very much like a carriage, does it?

A short time before Fulton's steamboat was finished a

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 221

man named Evans had a vision of the locomotive. He
said: "The time will come when a steam carriage will
set out from Washington in the morning, the passengers
will breakfast at Baltimore, dine at Philadelphia, and

THE DE WITT CLINTON

This was the first passenger train on the New York Central Rail
road. It caused great excitement. Even the dogs, chickens and
geese were interested.

sup in New York." It was not very long before this
was done. At the present time trains run from Washing
ton to New York in five or six hours.

The railroad grew up very gradually and very slowly.
The first tracks were laid without any idea of using a

222

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

locomotive. In a mining district, for example, wooden
tracks with strips of iron on top would be laid and cars
loaded with coal would be pushed over them by hand.

Sometimes horses were used to draw the cars and in
some cases sails were spread in order to make use of the

power of the wind.

Finally, Peter Cooper made
an engine called the "Tom
Thumb, " the first locomotive
built in the United States.
The "Tom Thumb "was built
in a shop near Baltimore.
In 1831 it made its first trip
of thirteen miles out of Balti
more in one hour. This was
a great occasion. The little
engine drew one open car
which was occupied by the
owners of the road and a few
others. It was a very jolly
party and all were singing the
praises of the "Iron Horse."
The "Tom Thumb" was

a great success. Two years before this time a locomotive
was imported from England but it could not be used be
cause it was too heavy for the slender tracks.

Soon after this time the "De Witt Clinton" made a
successful trip over the Mohawk Valley Railroad in New
York. It ran from Albany to Schenectady, a distance

PETER COOPER

Builder of the "Tom Thumb,"
the first locomotive ever con
structed in America.

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 223

of seventeen miles in an hour. This train also carried a
merry party and there was a fine banquet in Scheneo
tady that evening to celebrate the event.

A man who rode on this train wrote an account of the
journey sometime after. He said that the coaches were
tied together by means of chains, " leaving from two to
three feet slack." When the train started the passengers

AN ELECTRIC TRAIN

The electric locomotive is now taking the place, to some extent, of
the steam locomotive. It is more powerful for the steep grades of
the Rocky Mountains and is cleaner for use in cities.

were jerked over backwards and when the train stopped
they were thrown forward.

Pitch was used for fuel and the dense black smoke,
filled with sparks and cinders, poured down upon the
heads of the passengers. Umbrellas were used for
protection but these caught fire and burned up during
the first mile of the trip. After that there was nothing
for the passengers to do but to "grin and bear it."

The whole countryside turned out to see the won-

224 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

derful train as it passed by. Many people came in
wagons and forgot, apparently, that their horses might
be frightened by the fiery monster. The horses did
object and many of them ran away in terror. The
writer expressed the thought that some of them might
be running yet.

This was the beginning of the railway system of the
United States. At first it was used to help out the
canal and the wagon road. Then it was seen that the
railway was in many ways the best method of trans
portation. It did not cost so much to build a mile
of railroad as it did to build a mile of canal. The
locomotive was faster than the canal boat and the
railroad did not freeze over in the winter season.
Then too, the railroad could be carried over the
mountains while the canal could not. Low water in
the summer and floods in the spring had no terrors
for the railroad, while they often halted the canal
boat.

All of these things recommended the iron horse
rather than the sluggish boat. It is said that in 1830
there were twenty-three miles of railroad in the United
States. There are now about two hundred and sixty-
six thousand miles — or more than in any other country
in the world.

SAMUEL F. B. MORSE AND THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH

Professor Samuel F. B. Morse deserves to be ranked
with the great inventors of the world. He invented the

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 22$

electric telegraph by means of which we are able to
send messages thousands of miles in a few minutes.

Perhaps you have been in a telegraph office or rail
road station and have listened to the clicking of the
Morse instrument without thinking very much about
it. It was so very familiar
to you, and you had heard it
so many times, that there
seemed to be nothing new or
remarkable about it. As a
matter of fact you were
listening to one of the most
wonderful instruments ever
invented by the brain of
man.

Morse was born in Massa
chusetts while Washington
was President of the United
States. He was graduated
from Yale College when he
was nineteen years of age
and then, like Robert Fulton,

went to England to study painting. In fact he and
Robert Fulton studied there under the same artist. He
also did some very good work in sculpture.

After remaining in England five years he returned to
the United States and worked as a portrait painter in
Boston and New York for several years. Later he was
elected Professor of Art in the University of the City
of New York.

SAMUEL F. B. MORSE

Whenever we send or receive a
telegram or read the news from
a distant city, we are indebted
to Professor Morse.

226 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

During all this time Professor Morse had been in
terested in electricity and had learned a good deal
about it. One time when coming back from Europe
he had a conversation with a man who told him about
some electrical experiments which had recently been
carried on in France. It was at this time (1832) that
he got the idea of the electric telegraph.

He went to work on his idea and a few years later
he was sending messages in his own room over a mile
of wire. Morse did not have money enough to con
tinue his work and so asked Congress to help him. He
wanted to build an experimental telegraph line from
Washington to Baltimore. Congress failed to assist him
and he worked on and did as well as he could with his
slender means.

Some years later the bill for his assistance came up
again in Congress, but his chances of securing aid
seemed to be very small. The last day of the session
came and nearly two hundred bills were on the list
ahead of his. Morse went to bed that evening with
a heavy heart and without hope. The next morn
ing, however, the cheery voice of Miss Ellsworth,
the young daughter of the chief of the patent office,
told him that Congress at the hour of midnight had
appropriated thirty thousand dollars for his assist
ance.

This was a wonderful help and the line from Balti
more to Washington was built. Finally all was in readi
ness for the first great test. Then Professor Morse sent

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 227

from Washington the following message to his assistant
in Baltimore: "What hath God wrought?" This was
the message suggested by the young Miss Ellsworth who
had brought him the glad tidings. News items of an
important character were then sent over the wire in a
rapid and almost magical way.

As in the case of Eli Whitney, men tried to steal the
profits of Morse's great invention, and he was com
pelled to bring many lawsuits in order to obtain his
rights.

Morse had made a wonderful and a useful invention
and was highly honored everywhere. Yale College gave
him another degree and the King of Prussia, the
Emperor of Austria, and the Sultan of Turkey, had
medals struck in his honor. He was recognized in a simi
lar way all over the civilized world. He was also given,
on one occasion, a purse of eight thousand dollars
in gold.

In 1871 a beautiful bronze statue of him was erected
in one of the parks in New York City. The money
for this was given by the telegraph operators. The
poet Bryant unveiled the statue and on that same even
ing Professor Morse attended a banquet and reception
in his honor and sent his greetings to cities all over the
world. In doing this he made use of one of the old
telegraph instruments which had seen service on the
Washington-Baltimore line.

During this same time Morse was interested in pho
tography and made the first "sun pictures," or tin-

228 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

types, ever made in the United States. Some of these
are still in exist ance.

Professor Morse closed his long and useful life in
New York City at the age of eighty-one years.

Morse's great invention made a wonderful change in
business. It made great newspapers possible; it helped
in the management of railroads and the running of
trains; it helped government business and, in fact, busi
ness of all kinds; and it also lifted a great burden from
the mails.

It was much easier and cheaper to build telegraph
lines than to build canals and railroads and soon the
whole eastern part of United States became a net
work of wires.

It was not so easy to push the lines out to the
Pacific Coast. In the middle of the nineteenth century
the famous "Pony Express" carried the mails over
land to the Pacific. This means that the sacks were
carried on the backs of swift horses over the old "Salt
Lake Trail."

In 1 86 1 the Western Union Telegraph Company
strung the first telegraph wire over the mountains to
the Pacific Ocean. This was very expensive because
the line ran over hundreds of miles of uninhabited
country and had to be protected from Indians and
buffaloes as well as from wind and storm. The com
pany thought at one time of putting the wire under
ground.

THE HIGHWAY, WATERWAY, AND RAILWAY 229

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Tell the story of the Clermont's trial trip on the Hudson.

2. Trace the course of the Erie Canal on the map.

3. What do you consider the greatest difficulty which De Witt

Clinton had to face in digging the Erie Canal?

4. How was the Erie Canal useful to the people of New York?

5. For what was Peter Cooper noted?

6. In what ways were railroads an improvement over canals?

7. How did steamboats and railroads and the telegraph help the

country?

8. Get a telegraph operator to explain the Morse alphabet

to you.

PRONOUNCING LIST

Clermont kler'mont
Schenectady ske-nek'ta-di

CHAPTER XIV
THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST

WE HAVE watched the rapid growth of the country
as one great tract of land after another was added
to the national domain. We are now going to see how
the Golden Southwest, extending from Texas to Califor
nia, came into possession of the United States. This
brings us to the story of

SAM HOUSTON or TEXAS

Houston was another of that unterrified race of
pioneers which opened up our western country. Vir
ginia, as we have already seen, was the mother of
many of these adventurers. Houston also was born in
Virginia while Washington was President of the United
States. While he was still a small boy his family moved
to Tennessee. Here he came into close contact with
the Indians, and the Cherokees adopted him as a mem
ber of their tribe.

Houston was an active and a patriotic man and took
part in the Indian wars of his time. When Andrew
Jackson fought the Creeks Houston was with him and
was badly wounded in one of the battles. David
Crockett, whom we shall meet later, was also in
Jackson's command.

230 <

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST

231

It is in connection with Texas, however, that Sam
Houston is best known. After leaving the army Hous
ton became a lawyer and served in Congress for a while.
He was also Governor of Tennessee. During a part of
the time he went to live with the Cherokees and pro
tected them from dishonest
white men. He then went
to Texas, where he im
mediately became famous.

Texas, at one time, was a
part of Mexico but the Tex-
ans were not happy under
Mexican rule. Most of the
Texas people were Americans
and did not like the Mexican
government. Finally, in 1835,
they revolted and declared
their independence of the
Mexican government, just as
our Revolutionary forefathers SAM HOUSTON

did in the case of England in Houston was a sturdy leader

of men. He might be called the

"Father of Texas."

1776.

They had a hard struggle

but they had brave leaders in Sam Houston, Crockett,
Bowie, and others. They fought as bravely as any men
could possibly fight. They also suffered terribly when, as
prisoners, they fell into the hands of the Mexicans. In
one case more than 350 of them who had surrendered
were marched out in line and shot.

232

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

At the Alamo, a fort in southern Texas, one thou
sand Mexicans laid siege to one hundred and eighty-
three Texans. The Texans sent out word that they

THE BATTLE or THE ALAMO

It is no wonder that the Texans took as their war cry "Remember

the Alamo."

would neither surrender nor retreat. The Mexicans
made an attack from three sides and all of the Texans
with the exception of five or six died fighting. It

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST

233

would have been better for them if they had all died
in battle as they were massacred soon after, "not a
man being left alive to tell the tale." The Texas
people to this day have not forgotten the Alamo.
A short time later (April, 1836) the two armies met

SANTA ANNA A PRISONER BEFORE SAM HOUSTON

Santa Anna was Dictator of Mexico and Commander of the
Mexican forces. He was defeated by the Texans under Sam
Houston and others.

at San Jacinto, near Galveston. The Texans shouted
their battle cry "Remember the Alamo " and charged
on the Mexicans. The Texans killed, captured, or
routed the entire Mexican Army. Santa Anna, the
Mexican ruler, was among the prisoners. In this
battle the Mexicans lost sixteen hundred men, which

234 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

was twice the entire number under the command of
Sam Houston.

This battle decided the contest. The Texans, under
the able leadership of Sam Houston, had won their
independence. They set up a little republic of their
own and elected Houston their first President. This
was in 1836. And "the Lone Star Republic," as it
was called, continued to be independent until annexed
to the United States with its own consent.

THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS

Agitation for the annexation of Texas began almost
immediately after independence was won. The Texas
people were mostly Americans — at any rate their
leaders were — and the southern men wanted more
territory for the institution of slavery. These two
things finally brought about the annexation.

This question was decided by the presidential elec
tion of 1844. James K. Polk, who favored annexation,
was elected. Henry Clay was his opponent. During
the campaign the people shouted:

Hurrah for Polk and annexation,
Down with Clay and high taxation!

Just before Mr. Polk took the presidential chair,
Congress passed a resolution providing for the annexa
tion of "the Lone Star Republic." Texas agreed a little
later and became a state in the American Union in
December, 1845.

Houston during all of this time favored the union of

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST 235

Texas with the United States and was now elected a
United States Senator from the new state. A little
later he was chosen Governor and was holding this
position when the Civil War came on.

At the outbreak of the war a convention of delegates
voted that Texas should withdraw from the Union.
Houston opposed this action with all his power and
made the greatest speech of his life against it. When
his state did go out of the Union in spite of his pro
tests, he retired from office and refused to take the
oath of allegiance to the southern Confederacy. This
was the end of his public career. He died a short time
after (1863) at the age of seventy.

THE MEXICAN WAR

The annexation of Texas led to a war with Mexico.
Mexico had never really acknowledged the independence
of Texas. She still claimed that Texas was a part of
Mexico and was very angry when the United States
annexed that territory.

There was also another cause for the war. The
United States claimed that the Rio Grande was the
southern boundary of Texas. Mexico claimed that
Texas didn't extend that far south. The President sent
a part of the United States army to take possession
of the disputed strip of land. The Mexicans made an
attack upon the American troops and the war was on.
This was in the spring of 1846 — only a year after
Congress had voted to annex Texas.

236

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

In about two years the war was over. The Ameri
cans won every battle. General Taylor, better known
as "Old Rough-and- Ready/' crossed the Rio Grande and
carried the war into the enemy's territory. He met

GENERAL SCOTT ENTERING THE CITY OF MEXICO

General Scott was sometimes called "Old Fuss and Feathers." but
he entered the enemy's capital and practically pui an end to the
Mexican War.

Santa Anna, dictator of Mexico, and beat him deci
sively in the Battle of Buena Vista. As a result of this
battle all of the northwestern part of Mexico fell into
Taylor's hands. From this time on, he was known as
the "Hero of Buena Vista."

A little later General Scott marched a victorious

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST 237

American army into the City of Mexico, the capital
of the country, and the war was practically over.

A treaty of peace was made soon after and Mexico
was compelled to give to the United States all of the
land north of the Rio Grande. This included New.
Mexico, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts
of other states, or about eight hundred thousand square
miles in all. On the other hand the United States
agreed to pay a large sum of money to the Mexican
government.

About the time the Mexican War began the United
States made a treaty with England and obtained the
Oregon territory in the northwestern part of the United
States. This, together with the land obtained from
Mexico, pushed the boundary of the country out to
the Pacific Ocean.

The thirteen infant colonies had now expanded until
they reached from the Atlantic on the east to the Pacific
on the west and from Canada on the north to the Gulf
of Mexico on the south.

THREE GREAT FRONTIERSMEN
"DAVY" CROCKETT

Several other men had active parts in the great
drama of the Southwest aside from Sam Houston.
One of these was "Davy" Crockett whom we have
already met in the war against the Creek Indians.

Crockett was born in Tennessee soon after the close

238 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

of the Revolutionary War. His home was a beautiful
but solitary spot not far from the Great Smoky Moun
tains. He never attended school very much but had
a bright, keen mind. While still young he became a

skillful hunter and trapper
and a noted Indian fighter.
After the Indian troubles
quieted down, Crockett went
to Congress for six years. He
then drifted over to Texas
and arrived there just in time
to take part in the fight for
Independence.

Crockett fought in the
Battle of the Alamo and was
one of the six survivors who
surrendered at the end of the
siege. They were promised
protection but all were
brutally murdered at the command of Santa Anna.
Crockett was struck down by a dozen swords.

JOHN C. FREMONT, "THE OLD PATHFINDER"

Another hero of the Southwest was John C. Fre
mont. Fremont was born in Georgia in 1813. He
was graduated from college at the age of seventeen
and taught mathematics in the United States Navy
for two or three years.

His real work, however, was that of the explorer.

DAVID CROCKETT

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST

239

He wandered far and wide over the western country
and was particularly familiar with the California coast.

When the Mexican War came on Fremont took a
hand in the contest and made a conquest of California.

He had many honors conferred upon him by the
kings of Europe and the rulers of other countries, but
he was proudest of all
of the title which was
given to him by his
own countrymen.
They loved to call him
The Old Pathfinder.

He was the first
candidate nominated
by the Republican
party for the Presi
dency of the United
States (1856). He
was defeated but he
helped to fight the
battles of the Civil
War and then aided in getting a railroad across the con
tinent. It is interesting to note that this road touched
some of the trails over which he had tramped in his
earlier years.

After his nomination for the Presidency by the
party which was opposed to the extension of slavery,
the poet Whittier addressed to him the following
lines :

FREMONT "THE PATHFINDER"

Exploring Party Crossing the Rocky
Mountains.

240 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Strong leader of that mountain band,

Another task remains,
To break from Slavery's desert land

A path to Freedom's plains.

The winds are wild, the way is drear,
Yet, flashing through the night,

Lo! icy ridge and rocky spear
Blaze out in morning light!

Rise up, FREMONT! and go before;

The Hour must have its Man;
Put on the hunting-shirt once more,

And lead in Freedom's van!

"Kix" CARSON, THE SCOUT

"Kit" Carson, whose real name was Christopher
Carson, was born in Kentucky in 1809 — the year of
Lincoln's birth. He liked the great outdoors. He was
never so happy as when enjoying the solitude of the
forest or the freedom of the plains. He didn't care
to be cooped up in a house or a schoolroom.

At the age of seventeen he began his pioneer life of
adventure. He was a "trapper on the plains" for eight
years and a hunter in the forest for as many more. He
then fell in with John C. Fremont and was his guide
on some of his trips of exploration. He was well quali
fied for this work. He had roamed over a large part
of the western country. He knew the Indian tribes,
had learned some of their languages, and as a rule was

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST

241

welcome in their wigwams and tepees. He thus made
it easy for settlers to follow in his wake.

During the Mexican War he was an officer in the
" United States Mounted Rifles," and later was ap
pointed an Indian agent.
While acting as agent he
made many treaties between
the Indians and the white men.

During the Civil War he
saw service both in Indian
Territory and in the Rocky
Mountain country and was
promoted in military rank.

When he was not hunting,
trapping, exploring, or fight
ing for his country, he was
engaged in the more peaceful
and less exciting pursuits. If
you had been in the West dur
ing the "Gold Days" you
might have seen the famous
scout driving a flock of six
thousand five hundred sheep
over the Rockies to California.

"Kit" Carson died in Colorado in 1868 at the age
of fifty-nine years. He had blazed the way over the
mountains to the "Golden Gate" and civilization fol
lowed after him.

"Kix" CARSON, THE SCOUT

He belonged to a race of men
now passed away. He would
have been an interesting leader
for "Boy Scouts."

242 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

SUITER'S MILL AND "THE FORTY-NINERS"

Oh, my heart is filled with the days of yore,

And oft I do repine
For the Days of Old, and the Days of Gold,

And the Days of Forty-nine.

About the time that the treaty of peace was signed
with Mexico, Captain John Sutter, a California pioneer,

DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN CALIFORNIA

There was great excitement. Americans, Spaniards, Indians, cow
boys, hunters and trappers were searching for the yellow particles
in the mill race of Slitter's mill.

was building a rude sawmill on his estate on the Sa
cramento River. One of his workmen, John Marshall,

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST 243

while walking along the mill race one day, saw some
yellow particles in the water. Some of these were as
large as grains of wheat but most of them much smaller.
He scraped up a few and brought them to the Captain.
When analyzed the particles proved to be gold. Sutter,
at first, wanted to keep the discovery a profound secret.
He might as well have tried to confine the golden atmos
phere of California in a bird cage.

The news soon spread to the ends of the earth. The
"gold fever" was contagious. Men left their occupa
tions everywhere and flocked to California in great
numbers. When they heard of the great discovery
they simply dropped their tools, put a few articles of
clothing into a little bag, and started out.

They expected to pick up gold in the beds of the
streams or dig it out of the surface of the earth. Dur
ing the summer of 1849 ^ roads led to the Pacific
Coast. By mid-summer-it is estimated that California
contained one hundred thousand people. San Fran
cisco had grown from almost nothing to a city of twenty
thousand.

The story of Captain Sutter is an intensely interesting
one. He was born in Germany and studied in Switzer
land. He served in the Swiss army for several years
and then came to Missouri and became a citizen of the
United States. Here he engaged in the cattle business
and drove hundreds of animals over the old Santa Fe
trail.

Besides English and German he could speak French

244

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

and Spanish fluently and so could carry on business
in Mexico or almost anywhere else. He was very suc
cessful and became known as a great trader all through
the West.

EMIGRANTS GOING WEST

They are making camp for the night and are going to have some
prairie chickens for supper.

Like many others he was attracted by the stories
which travelers told of the wonderful climate, the fer
tile soil and the natural beauty of the Pacific Coast.
Accompanied by a few men he set out on a journey
over thousands of miles of rugged country, many parts
of which had never been pressed by the foot of a
white man.

First he went up to Oregon, then down the Colum-

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST

245

bia River to the coast, and then on to the Hawaiian
Islands. From these islands he pushed on in a pur
chased freight boat to Sitka, the capital of Alaska.
Alaska at that time, was owned by Russia. After
looking about for a time he sailed back to San Fran
cisco Bay (1839). There
on the banks of the Sac-,
ramento River he estab
lished a little colony and
set himself up in business.
In a short time he became
very wealthy.

Sutter's Fort, as his
colony was called, became
widely known in the West
and was visited by many
travelers. Here they always
found cheer and comfort and
a hearty welcome. Captain
Sutter was always ready to
lend a helping hand to a
fellow man in distress.

In the meantime the Mexicans had heard of Sutter's
Fort and threatened to drive him out of the country.
Just at this time, however, the Mexican War came on
and John C. Fremont appeared at the head of a small
band of American soldiers and took possession of the post.

We have already noticed that gold was discovered
on the lands of Captain Sutter in 1848. We would all

CAPTAIN JOHN SUTTER

Captain Sutter at one time was
one of the leading men on the
Pacific Coast. Although gold
was found on his property he
died a poor man.

246 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

like, I imagine, to find a vein of gold on our farm or
in our door yard. But the discovery in the case of
Captain Sutter was little less than a calamity. All of
his fine estate in California was taken away from him.
It is possible that his title to it was not very good in
the first place, and yet Mexico had given it to him as
a reward for military services. Anyway he lost his lands
and his cattle and died a poor man in Washington, B.C.,
in 1880.

JUNIPERO SERRA, SPANISH MISSIONARY

Of names illustrious in the pioneer mission field of America
none is more renowned than Junipero Serra.

- HERBERT E. BOLTON

Not all the people of the Golden Southwest were
seeking for gold. Some of them were laying up
treasures in heaven. This was true of the early Span
ish missionaries. Many of these men left fame and
comfort in the Old World in order "to enter the labor
ious and perilous life of a missionary to the savages.
It was a life that promised little but hardships, disap
pointment, danger, to be cut short, perhaps, by a
death of agony at the hands of those he sought to
save."

These missionaries had a lively interest in th'e spiritual
welfare of the children of the forest and tried to teach
them the principles of Christianity. In order to do this
they learned the Indian dialects and then, by a very

THE GOLDEN SOUTHWEST

247

slow and difficult process, they gave them their lessons
in religion.

The missionaries also taught them how to work and
to play and to live better, cleaner, and more com
fortable lives. They taught the Indians new games to
take the place of more cruel
ones, They also furnished
them with a better kind of
amusements.

In all of this work Junipero
Serra, a Catholic missionary,
was a leader. He was ' ' gentle,
loving, and selfless." He
sought no profit for himself.
He owned no property. He
lived in a cell very rudely
furnished and had none of
the real comforts of life.

His work was much appre
ciated by the Indians. They
called him " Father" and loved him as such. They
mourned his death. "From far and near, the Indians
who venerated him came to strew his coffin with flowers.
And they wept bitterly that their Padre (Father),
now silent in death, would never again greet them with
his habitual tender admonition ... to love God."

The Spanish missionaries were a powerful influence in
the early civilization of the Golden Southwest.

JUNIPERO SERRA

Serra was probably the fore
most Spanish missionary to
America.

248 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

All in all, indeed, Serra was the outstanding Spanish pioneer
of California.

— HERBERT E. BOLTON

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Wnere is 'the Golden Southwest?

2. Why did Texans remember the Alamo?

3. What was the " Lone Star Republic"? How long did it

last?

4. Who was Sam Houston?

5. Why did the annexation of Texas lead to a war with Mexico?

6. Locate: Rio Grande, Alamo, San Jacinto.

7. Who was " Davy " Crockett?

8. Why was John C. Fremont called " the Pathfinder "?

9. Who was "Kit" Carson?

10. Who were "The Forty-Niners "?

11. What kind of work did the Spanish Missionaries do in the

Golden Southwest?

12. How much territory did the United States get from Mexico

at the close of the Mexican War?

PRONOUNCING LIST

Houston hu'stun San Jacinto san ja-sm'to

Alamo a/la-mo Buena Vista bu'na vis'ta

Junipero Serra ho-ni'pa-ro sar'ra

Hawaiian ha-wl'yan

Padre pa'dra

CHAPTER XV
THREE GREAT AMERICAN STATESMEN

DANIEL WEBSTER, ORATOR, LAWYER, AND STATESMAN

Let our object be our Country, our whole Country, .
and nothing but our Country. And by the blessing of
God may that Country itself become a vast and splen
did monument, not of oppression and terror, but of
wisdom, of peace, of liberty, upon which the world
may gaze with admiration forever.

-DANIEL WEBSTER

WE HAVE now come to a point where our country is
entering upon the second great stage or period of its Na
tional life. Independence has been won, the new form of
government has been put into operation, and the terri
tory has been rounded out from ocean to ocean. The
Fathers of the Republic have, for the most part, passed
away and a new set of men have taken charge of "the
Ship of State."

One of the most noted of these was Daniel Webster,
the famous orator, lawyer, and statesman. Webster
was also one of the most noted students of the Con
stitution that ever lived. Washington was the founder
of the American Union; Webster was the preacher of

the Union; and Lincoln was the savior of the Union.

249

250

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Daniel Webster, America's greatest orator, was born
in New Hampshire a few months after the American
forces had won the battle of Yorktown. He was a sickly
little fellow and was not called upon to do the heavy
work of the backwoods farm. He was also the ninth

child in the family so that
the elder children were prob
ably able to do the farm work
without his assistance.

This arrangement gave the
young Daniel an excellent
opportunity to play, to
ramble in the woods, and
thus to improve his health.
It also gave him an oppor
tunity to study the habits of
birds and animals, which he
delighted to do.

He started to school when
he was very young and learned
his lessons easily and rapidly.
On one occasion his teacher
offered a pocketknife as a
prize to the pupil who could recite the greatest number
of verses from the Bible. The next day, when the test
came, Daniel recited verse after verse until the teacher
suddenly stopped him and handed him the prize. He was
able, apparently, to go on almost without limit.

Daniel did well in school and continued to grow strong

DANIEL WEBSTER

America's foremost orator was
majestic in appearance.

pleaded for an everlasting union
of the states.

THREE GREAT AMERICAN STATESMEN 251

both in mind and body. His physical growth was quite
remarkable. From a frail child he grew to be a strong,
massive, and sturdy man.

He was also a man of noble presence. Thomas Car-
lyle, the great English writer, called him "a magnificent
specimen of manhood."

His voice was strong and pleasing. When he thun
dered forth his great orations he was tremendously
impressive — so much so, that men came to call him "the
God-like Daniel." It was said that every word he spoke
" weighed a pound."

He entered Dartmouth College in New Hampshire at
the age of fifteen and was soon looked upon as a most
remarkable student. His fine presence and his unusual
ability as a public speaker made him a marked man.
While still a student he was invited to give the 4th of
July oration in the college town. He did this with such
a display of learning and oratorical ability that he be
came famous almost from that day.

After graduating from college at the age of nineteen
he began to study law and to teach school at the same
time. The money which he got for his first year of teach
ing he gave to one of his brothers to help him through
college.

Politics went hand in hand with law. In 1812 Webster
was elected to serve in the Lower House of Congress.
These were stirring times. The War of 1812 was on and
the young man plunged into the thick of the debates.
The contest became exceedingly bitter and, on one oc-

252

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

casion, Webster was challenged to fight a duel, but very
sensibly declined.
A few years later he was elected to the United States

WEBSTER'S REPLY TO HAYNE IN THE U. S. SENATE, 1830

Webster spoke for four hours on this occasion. Some of the people
in the galleries came hundreds of miles to hear him.

Senate. Here was the scene of his greatest triumphs.
Here he crossed swords in debate with the greatest
men of the nation, including John C. Calhoun and
Robert Y. Hayne.

THREE GREAT AMERICAN STATESMEN 253

Later still he became Secretary of State in the Presi
dent's Cabinet. He was also a candidate for the
Presidency of the United States but was never elected to
that office.

Webster's greatest fame, however, is based upon his
oratorical ability. He spoke on many patriotic occasions
but his favorite subject was the Constitution of the
United States.

He also delivered many able speeches in the courts of
law and was greatly sought after in important cases.

His most famous oration is his "Reply to Hayne,"
delivered in the United States Senate in 1830. Senator
Hayne of South Carolina in the course of a speech had
declared that the Constitution was a " compact" or an
agreement from which any state might withdraw when
ever it saw fit. Webster denied this. He claimed that
the union of the states was everlasting and could not be
broken. He said that no state could withdraw.

This debate caused great excitement all over the coun
try as well as in Washington. People came from long
distances to hear the great oratorical gladiators. The
hotels were filled and the Capitol Building itself was
crowded to its utmost capacity. People were extremely
anxious to get a glimpse of the great orators and to listen
to the persuasive tones of their voices.

Webster spoke for four hours without manuscript and
without immediate preparation. The effect was wonder
ful. He was tremendously effective in action. "Eye,
brow, each feature, every line of the face seemed touched,

254 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

as with celestial fire. The swell and roll of his voice
struck upon the ears of the spellbound audience, in deep
and melodious cadence, as waves upon the shore of the
far-resounding sea."

Webster continued in public life for more than twenty
years after his great triumph, and died at his beautiful
home in Marshfield, Massachusetts, in 1852, at the age
of seventy years.

The boundless prairie learned his name,
His words the mountain echoes knew;

The northern breezes swept his fame
From icy lake to warm bayou.

— OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

HENRY CLAY, "THE GREAT PEACEMAKER"

Personally, he was one of the most attractive char
acters in our history.

Henry Clay was another famous son of old Virginia.
He was born in that state in the midst of the American
Revolution and, like most country boys of his time, re
ceived his early education in an old log school house.
His father was John Clay, a Baptist preacher, of fine
oratorical ability. He died when Henry was quite a
young boy and left to his wife the task of rearing their
seven children without sufficient means. Henry did what
he could to assist his mother in this difficult undertaking.
He worked in a drug store for a time and was always
willing to do anything that turned up.

THREE GREAT AMERICAN STATESMEN

255

When quite young he began the study of law. About
this time his family moved to Kentucky. Henry re
mained behind for a while but at the age of twenty he fol
lowed his family "to grow up with the West." He then
opened a law office in Lexing
ton.

Clay entered politics as a
young man and was elected
to the Kentucky State Legis
lature. Soon after this, and
when only twenty-nine years
of age, he was appointed to
fill a vacancy in the United
States Senate. He was really
too young to be a Senator but
nothing was said about it at
the time.

Later he was elected to the
Lower House of Congress and
was the Speaker, or presiding
officer of that house, for five
terms. He made a splendid
record in this office. He is now looked upon as one of
the greatest Speakers the House of Representatives has
ever had.

He became Secretary of State in the administration of
John Quincy Adams. He then went for a second time to
the Senate of the United States where he, Daniel Webster,
and John C. Calhoun were known as the "Big Three."

HENRY CLAY

This picture represents "the
mill boy of the Slashes" in
his old age.

256

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

He was nominated for the Presidency twice and was
twice defeated. After one of his defeats he is said to have
remarked, "I would rather be right than be President."

HENRY CLAY SPEAKING IN THE U. S. SENATE

The chamber and the galleries were always crowded when Clay
spoke. See if you can find Calhoun and Webster in the picture.

In 1812 he was one of the so-called " war-hawks" who
stirred up the country to war against England. England
at this time was making raids on our merchant ships and
impressing American sailors into her service. Clay

THREE GREAT AMERICAN STATESMEN 257

thought that we ought to put a stop to this and to go to
war if necessary.

Clay was also one of the great orators of his time.
He had one of the most pleasing and captivating voices
ever possessed by a public speaker. He was also exceed
ingly attractive personally and his ways were winning.

He had many nicknames. He was called " the mill
boy of the Slashes" because he was born in the part of
Virginia known by that name. The " Slashes" were a
great tract of " marsh land overgrown with bushes."
Clay as a boy was often seen on horseback carrying his
grist to the mill.

He was also called "the great peacemaker" because
he was able to settle so many bitter disputes in American
history. Most of these related to slavery.

After a long and brilliant career Clay died in Wash
ington, D.C., at the age of seventy-five. His remains
were taken from that city to their final resting place in
Lexington, Kentucky. His memory was honored all
along the line. In New York a memorial procession was
held in which a large silk banner was carried bearing this
inscription :

Hearts which glow for freedom's sway,
Come and mourn for Henry Clay.

If any one desires to know the leading and paramount object
of my public life, the preservation of this Union will furnish
him the key.

— HENRY CLAY

258

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

JOHN C. CALHOUN
I am a States' Rights man.

-JOHN C. CALHOUN

The third member of the "Big Three" was John C.
Calhoun of South Carolina. Calhoun, like Webster and
Clay, was a lawyer, a statesman, and a student of the

Constitution. He differed,
however, in many ways from
the other two great men.

Webster exalted the powers
of the national government
over those of the states. Cal
houn exalted the powers of
the states over those of the
national government. " I am
a States' Rights man," he
exclaimed in one of his great
speeches. And he remained
so to the end of his days.

Webster held that the union
of the states could not be
broken. Calhoun claimed
that a state could withdraw
from the Union at any time
it wished to do so. When Calhoun's own state, South
Carolina withdrew, or seceded, from the Union in 1860
the Civil War came on.

JOHN C. CALHOUN

John C. Calhoun of South
Carolina was one of the greatest
orators and lawyers of the
South. He was an opponent
of Webster.

THREE GREAT AMERICAN STATESMEN 259

Clay looked upon the Constitution and the national
government in much the same way that Webster did. He
said, if the union of the states were ever broken he hoped
he would not live to see the " heart rending" spectacle.

Webster was a New England man, while Clay and
Calhoun were born in the South.

Calhoun remained during his whole life in his native
state, while Clay's active life was spent in Kentucky, a
" border state."

All three of these men were in the Senate of the United
States at one time and all three died about the same
time. Webster and Clay passed away in 1852 and Cal
houn in 1850. The three men were intellectual giants
and took part in some of the most notable debates in our
history.

John C. Calhoun was a member of a Scotch-Irish
family. His father was born in Ireland and was brought
to America when he was six years old. The Calhoun
family lived in Pennsylvania and Virginia for a short
time but soon found its way to the northern part of
South Carolina.

Here John was born in 1782 — the year after the sur
render at York town. His father died while John was
still a small boy and the mother and the children lived
a simple and quiet life on a small farm. The young boy
had very little opportunity of going to school and so he
roamed about the woods and studied the birds and trees
instead.

260

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Finally when he was eighteen years of age he made up
his mind to prepare for college. By hard work he was
ready in two years and entered Yale. He was graduated
from that institution two years later. He always felt

WEBSTER, CLAY, AND CALHOUN

that his preparation for college was too hasty and not as
thorough as he would have liked it. This was some
thing of a handicap to him in his later life.

After graduating from Yale he remained in Connecti
cut for a while studying law. He then returned to South
Carolina for the practice of his profession. His career

THREE GREAT AMERICAN STATESMEN 261

from this time on is closely connected with the history
of his native state.

Like Clay, Calhoun was a " war-hawk" and said in
Congress that the United States should go to war with
England to put a stop to the outrages on American ships
and sailors.

Calhoun was a Cabinet member, Vice-President of the
United States, and for many years a member of the
United States Senate.

In all of these positions he showed marked ability. He
is best known, however, on account of his views on the
nature of the Constitution. These views, as we have
seen, were the direct opposite of those of Webster. The
majority of the people of the United States accepted the
views of Webster, and John C. Calhoun thus found him
self "an advocate of a lost cause."

He died in Washington, D.C., in 1850 and many pil
grims now visit his burial place in the old churchyard at
Charleston, South Carolina.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. How did Webster and Calhoun differ in their ideas on the

Constitution?

2. Where did Daniel Webster go to College?

3. What was the " Reply to Hayne "?

4. What did Clay mean by his remark, " I would rather be

right than be President " ?
6. Who were the War-hawks?
6. What is a " States' Rights man"?

CHAPTER XVI
"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY"

THE CLASHING of the views of Webster and Calhoun
became general between the North and the South and
led directly to a great "war between the states." The
North and the South differed over the slavery problem.
The men of the North wanted to keep slavery out of the
new territories and to restrict it in many other ways.
The men of the South were opposed to all this. They
felt that they had a right to take their slaves with them
wherever they went. They also felt that their slaves
should be protected by law in the same way that other
property was protected.

After quarreling over the matter for forty or fifty years
without coming to any agreement the southern states,
following the views of Calhoun, withdrew from the
Union. South Carolina, Calhoun's own state, was the
first to secede. The others followed soon after.

The northern states, following the views of Webster,
claimed that the South had no right to withdraw. Both
sides felt that they were right and both were very much
in earnest. They took up arms, and the result was a ter
rible and bloody war which lasted for four years.

262

" THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 263

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, "THE GREAT EMANCIPATOR"

Abraham Lincoln, known among the slaves of the
South as " Father Abraham," was President of the
United States during this war.

Lincoln's grandfather owned a farm in western
Virginia. He was apparently quite well-to-do. Families,
on their way west, were in the habit of passing the
Lincoln homestead. They also stopped and talked now
and then. After a time Lincoln also caught the western
fever. He sold his farm and struck out with his family
for the Cumberland Gap and the " Wilderness Road."
He was headed for "the dark and bloody ground."
Lincoln, by the way, was an intimate friend of Daniel
Boone, the Indian fighter, and Mrs. Lincoln was a cousin
of the great Daniel.

A short time after this, Lincoln was killed by the In
dians and left his widow and five small children to make
their wray in the world almost unaided. The youngest
boy, a lad named Thomas, at the age of six, became a
"wandering laboring boy," picking up a few cents for
odd jobs wherever he could. Later he was a sort of
carpenter and worked about wherever he could find
anything to do. He married Nancy Hanks, a very
bright and attractive young girl. Nancy was tall and
frail, delicate in health, and her strength was not equal
to the hardships of the frontier life.

The happy young couple set up housekeeping in an old
shed. "Tom" Lincoln was not much of a carpenter and

264 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

things did not go well with him. He gave up car
penter work and took to farming. About sixty miles
south of Louisville he built the rudest kind of log cabin.
It had no floor aside from the earth and contained only
one room. It had no doors, nor windows, nor pictures
on the walls. In the midst of these bleak and barren
surroundings, on the i2th day of February, 1809,
Abraham Lincoln, one of the world's greatest men, was
born.

This historic log cabin was located on the Rock Spring
Farm in Hardin County, Kentucky. The original cabin
has vanished but it has since been rebuilt and is being
carefully preserved. The old farm has also been pur
chased and will be kept in honor of the " First American.''

Things were going pretty well with this pioneer family,
but Thomas Lincoln had a "wandering foot." He soon
moved his family to another locality not very far away.
At this place he built another log cabin much like the first.
Here the boy Abe and his sister Nancy, two years older
than he, went to school for a short time. It was to this
cabin that Abe brought great bundles of spicewood
branches to burn in the open fireplace. By the light of
the brilliant blaze he studied his lessons or listened to
his mother as she read to him.

A spirit of restlessness again came over Thomas Lin
coln and he determined to pull up stakes and move on.
He had heard great tales of the Indiana country to the
north. Putting his household goods on a rude raft he
floated them down a small creek to the Ohio and down

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 265

to what is now Spencer County, Indiana. Here he left
the river, plunged fifteen miles into the forest, and
selected the site for his new home.

He then walked back to the old Kentucky cabin and
brought his family on horseback to the new home in
Indiana. Abe was seven and Nancy was nine at this
time.

It was a weird sight that presented itself to the eyes
of the young children. "In these woods the children
saw many strange wild animals. Here was the home of
the deer and the wild cat, the wolf and the bear. In
the fallen leaves and undergrowth crept copperheads and
rattlesnakes, while in the shadow of the trees they saw
more birds than the little boy and girl could count.
Stately, solitary cranes waded in the shallow water of
the creek; overhead were flocks of screaming green and
yellow paroquets; and in the more open places occasional
wild turkeys were seen." 1

The father and son built a "half-faced" camp for the
winter. It was too late in the season (November) to
build a regular log cabin. This camp was open on one
side although the thermometer dropped during the winter
to eleven degrees below zero. A huge bonfire outside the
cabin was kept burning day and night in order to keep
the family comfortable and the wild animals from the
door.

"We can picture the boy and girl as they lay by night

on the hard earth inside their half-faced camp, with their

1 Moores' " Abraham Lincoln."

266

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

feet toward the blazing fire, and enjoyed the dreamless
sleep that their tired little bodies had earned, while Tom
Lincoln, the father, listened to the howl of the storm and,
hearing the cry of the wolf somewhere in the darkness,
knew that he must keep up the fire or harm would come."
It was in this lonely wilderness that frail Nancy Hanks

Lincoln, the mother of
Abraham, sickened
and died. Thomas
Lincoln and his son
made a rough coffin
from slabs of green
wood and laid her to
rest in the solemn
forest. Several
months after this time
Abraham succeeded in
getting a traveling

LINCOLN THE RAIL-SPLITTER

Lincoln was a famous rail-splitter during
his early life in Illinois. Some of these
rails were carried in the political parades
of 1860 when he was chosen President.

minister to come to
the spot and conduct
funeral services over
the grave of his mother.

For a time Abe went about the country splitting rails
and doing other kinds of farm work for twenty-five cents
a day. His sister did housework for the neighbors. In
the meantime also he was reading stray books and asking
questions of everybody who could give him any infor
mation. He also went to school again for a short time
and studied his books by the light of the open fire.

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY"

267

Soon Thomas Lincoln's foot " began to itch again." He
had heard stories of the great fertility of the prairie land
in Illinois. The tide of immigration was still flowing
west and again Lincoln joined the great caravan. When
his ox cart set out it was accompanied by the father,
his two children, and a stepmother — a wonderful woman
who had done splendid things for Abe and Nancy.

Abraham was now twenty-one years of age and six
feet four inches tall.
He went to the village
of New Salem, Illinois,
worked in a mill, and
clerked in a store. He
also made a business
trip to New Orleans
on a flatboat and
while there came into
contact with the cruelties of slavery. The sight made a
deep impression upon his mind, and led him to say, "If
I ever get a chance to hit slavery, I'll hit it hard."

While in New Salem he was appointed postmaster of
the village and was accustomed to carry the letters about
in his high hat and deliver them to their owners as he
met them upon the streets. He also ran a general store
for a time but this venture soon failed, and left Lincoln
badly in debt. He went to work, however, and quickly
paid off the debts of his partner and himself. The sum
was not large but to him it seemed enormous and he
frequently referred to it as "the national debt."

LINCOLN THE POSTMASTER

268 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

When he was twenty-three years of age another great
sorrow came into his life. He met Ann Rutledge, a "fair-
haired, delicate girl of nineteen," and fell deeply in
love with her. He won her hand and was looking fondly
forward to his wedding day when she was taken sud
denly ill and died. He was terribly depressed. One
night he exclaimed in anguish: "I cannot forget. The
thought of the snow and the rain on her grave fills me
with an indescribable grief. "

Lincoln, however, labored on and finally succeeded in
gaining a good education. He found an old law book at
the bottom of a barrel of rubbish and studied it with
great diligence. He borrowed other books and finally
when he was twenty-nine years of age he was admitted
to the practice of law. His joy knew no bounds. He
felt that he was now well started on his life work.

Law and politics often go hand in hand, and so it was
in Lincoln's case. In the practice of law and in business
Lincoln was so honest and upright that the people every
where called him " Honest Abe." This fact, of course,
helped him in politics. The people felt that they could
trust him.

He shot upward rapidly and in the summer of 1860
was nominated by the Republicans for the Presidency of
the United States. He was elected by a large majority
but his election was the signal for a war between the
North and the South.

The southern states said that they would withdraw
from the Union if Lincoln was elected; and Lincoln was

"TEE BLUE AND THE GRAY"

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

270 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

pledged, in case of his election, to prevent just that
thing.

He pleaded with the southern leaders and tried in
every way to persuade them not to break up the Union,
but all to no avail. In his first inaugural address he
spoke as follows:

In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not
in mine, are the momentous issues of civil war. The government
will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being
yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in
Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most
solemn one to 'preserve, protect, and defend' it.

I am loth to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We
must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it
must not break, our bonds of affection. The mystic cords of
memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave
to every living heart and hearth-stone all over this broad land,
will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched,
as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

Four years later, when the war was nearly over, he
delivered his second inaugural address. In this address
he showed, more than ever before, the largeness of his
humanity. In conclusion he said:

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty
scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet if God wills that
it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two
hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and
until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by
another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY"

271
the

years ago, so still it must be said, that the judgments of
Lord are true and righteous altogether.

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness
in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the

ABRAHAM LINCOLN AT GETTYSBURG DELIVERING His FAMOUS

SPEECH

" Government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall
not perish from the earth."

work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him
who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his
orphans, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a
lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

272

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

On another occasion Lincoln made a notable ad
dress — perhaps the most notable that he ever made.
In the midst of the war he went to Gettysburg, Penn
sylvania, to speak at
the dedication of the
National Cemetery.
The Battle of Gettys
burg was the turning
point of the war and
had been fought on
this memorable field
a few months before.
A part of the field had
been set aside as a
National Cemetery
and a distinguished
party, headed by the
President, went to
Gettysburg to dedi
cate it.

Lincoln's address on
this occasion is one of
the most sublime in
the English language.
In closing he spoke as
follows:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN FREEING THE SLAVES
This statue is in the city of Boston.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task
remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY"

273

full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that
these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under
God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government
of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish
from the earth.

The death of the
"Great Emancipator"
was a tragic one. On
the 1 4th of April, 1865,
while attending a play
in a Washington
theater, he was shot
by a half -crazy actor,

named John Wilkes Booth. He died on the folio wing
day and his death was mourned by the whole civilized
world.

THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, WASHINGTON,
D. C.

JEFFERSON DAVIS, LEADER OF A "Losx CAUSE"

When the southern states withdrew from the Union,
their delegates met at Montgomery, Alabama, and formed
a Union of their own which they called the Confederate
States of America. Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was
elected President of the new Confederacy.

Mr. Davis was at his home near Vicksburg when
notified of his election. The Capital of the Confederacy
had been located at Montgomery (it was later changed
to Richmond, Virginia), and Mr. Davis hastened to that
place to take the oath of office.

His journey was like a triumphal procession. He

274

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

made twenty-five speeches on the way and was welcomed
in Montgomery with a great ovation. When he got off
the train the crowd insisted on a speech and he said,
among other things: "We are now determined to main
tain our position. We will
maintain our rights and our
government at all hazards.
Our separation from the
Union is complete, and no
compromise, no reconstruc
tion, can now be entertained. "
The people of the South
were not blustering as some
thought at this time. They
were most terribly in earnest.
Strangely enough, Jefferson
Davis was born in Kentucky,
only a short distance from
the log cabin which was the
birthplace of Abraham
Lincoln. Davis was a West
Point man and had fought
in the Mexican War. He
served as President of the
Southern Confederacy dur
ing the entire war and was captured by Union troops a
short time after the contest closed. He was in prison
for a time, then released on bail, but never brought to
trial.

JEFFERSON DAVIS

Mr. Davis was President of the
Southern Confederacy during
its entire existence. He was
born in Kentucky but was a
resident of Mississippi at the
time of the Civil War.

"THE BLUE AND THE GREY"

275

He wrote a history of the Southern Confederacy in two
large volumes and died four years later (1889) in New
Orleans at the age of eighty-one.

ULYSSES S. GRANT, "THE HERO or APPOMATTOX"

When asked what state he hails from,

Our sole reply shall be,
He comes from Appomattox

And its famous apple tree.

-MILES O'REILLY

The two opposing armies in the Civil War were led by
Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee — two of the great
est military comman
ders of modern times.

General Grant was
a " Buckeye." He
was born in 1822, in
Point Pleasant, Ohio,
a small village about
twenty-five miles
from Cincinnati. A

THE BIRTHPLACE or U. S. GRANT

He rose to be Commander-in-Chief of the
Northern Armies and later was President
of the United States for two terms.

little later the Grant
family moved to
Georgetown, Ohio,
the scene of the boy
hood days of the " Silent General. "

Ulysses was a strong, manly, and self-reliant lad, and
made himself useful on the farm and in the tannery
owned by his father.

276 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

The father, Jesse Grant, was fairly well educated for
the pioneer times and wished to give his son a still bet
ter education. So the young Ulysses was sent away to
school for a time and then made up his mind that he
would like to enter the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York.

When it became known about the village that Ulysses
Grant wished to become a cadet at West Point, the
loafers on the street corners laughed heartily at the idea.
They looked upon him as a silent, and almost stupid,
sort of lad without any of the qualities of a soldier. His
father, however, never lost faith in his son's abilities.

The next step was to get an appointment to the Acad
emy. After some delay, the home Congressman was
induced to appoint the young Grant to West Point, and
Ulysses set out for the Academy in high spirits. It
might be said at this point that his real name was Hiram
Ulysses Grant. Since the young lad did not particular
ly fancy this combination of initials he made up his
mind to register at the Academy as Ulysses Hiram
Grant. However, the Congressman making the appoint
ment knew that his name was Ulysses and that his
mother's name was Simpson and, consequently, appoint
ed him as Ulysses Simpson Grant — a name which he
bore ever after.

Grant didn't have a very good time during his first
days at the Academy. He was not very well dressed,
was rather uncouth in appearance, and the older students
made no end of fun of him. He had, however, put his
hand to the plow and had no thought of turning back.

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 277

While at West Point he was a student of about aver
age ability and soon became known as a fairly good
athlete and an excellent horseman. After a time he also
became something of a "good fellow" and was usually
ready for a frolic.

One night a chicken was being roasted in Grant's
room. This, of course, was against the rules of the Acad
emy. An officer suddenly appeared at the door, where
upon Grant hurriedly concealed the chicken and stood at
" attention." The officer entered and Grant saluted.
The officer then examined the ceiling of the room with
great care and said: "Mr. Grant, I think there is a
peculiar odor in this room." "I have noticed it, sir,"
said Grant. "Be careful then that something does not
catch fire," said the officer. "I will, thank you, sir,"
replied Grant with a salute. The interview was over
and the feast proceeded.

The four years at the Academy developed the young
lad to a great extent. He was fairly good in all of his
studies and especially so in Mathematics and Engineer
ing. As a horseman he had few superiors.

After finishing his course at West Point he was sent
to the United States Military Barracks about ten miles
from St. Louis. It was here that he became acquainted
with Miss Julia Dent, whom he afterwards married.

About this time the war with Mexico broke out and
Grant was ordered to Louisiana to prepare for active
service. He was Quartermaster and was not supposed
to take part in the battles. On one occasion, however,

278 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

he mounted his horse and charged with the rest of the
"boys." It was very fortunate that he did so as the
Commander needed a messenger to ride back in haste for
ammunition and reinforcements. He called for a volun
teer. Grant responded. "You're just the man to do
it," said the Commander. "Keep on the side streets
and ride hard."

Grant dashed off at a full gallop. At every cross
street the bullets whizzed by his ears and he swung down
on the side to put the body of the horse between him
and the enemy. While in this position he forced the
animal to clear a wall four feet high. He came to the
end of his trip in safety and delivered his message on
time.

A few years after the close of the war he resigned from
the army and went back to his father's home. He was
not very welcome there. His father had begun to look
upon him as a failure. His father-in-law, Colonel Dent,
also looked upon him in much the same light. Colonel
Dent turned over a small farm to Mrs. Grant and
Ulysses worked hard upon it to support his wife and
two children. Without a word of complaint he broke
up the land and built a rude log cabin in the wilderness,
which was very appropriately named "Hardscrabble."

His health then began to fail and he went to St. Louis
in search of lighter employment. He became a clerk in
in a real estate office but was not much of a success even
there. His condition was pitiable. He lost his job and
went out into the streets looking for employment.

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 279

He finally drifted back to Galena, Illinois, and found
employment with his father and brothers. Grant was
at this place when the Civil War broke out and took an
important part in enlisting men for the army. This
work gave him a new lease on life.

He explained clearly to the volunteers what their en
listment meant. "The army," he said, "is not a picnic
party nor is it an excursion. You will have hard fare.
You may be obliged to sleep on the ground after long
marches hi the rain and snow. If you put your name
down you should know what it means. I intend to
enlist myself."

Just as 'soon as he entered the army he made himself
felt. He didn't say much but he did a great deal. He
was not handsome or well dressed and some of the men
were inclined to make fun of him. One of them, how
ever, looked him over very carefully and said: "Boys,
let me tell you something. I stood close enough to him
to see his eyes and the set of his jaw. I'll tell you what
he is, he is the Colonel of this regiment."

Soon Grant began to take the forts on the Mississippi
and to open up the river so that "The Father of waters
could flow un vexed to the sea." Then men began to
ask, "Who is this man Grant who fights battles and
wins them?"

He laid siege to Fort Donelson. His old West Point
comrade, General Simon Buckner, who was in command,
asked for terms of surrender. "No terms except uncon
ditional surrender; I propose to move immediately upon

280

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

your works, " was Grant's reply. The Fort surrendered.

This reply electrified the Nation and after that he was

called "Unconditional Surrender Grant."

About this time
some men began to
gossip and backbite.
They sent complaints
to President Lincoln
about Grant. The
President dismissed
the complaints by say
ing, "I can't spare
this man; he fights."
On account of
Grant's great success
es in the West he was
made commander-in-
chief of the armies of
the United States.
His slogan then was
"On to Richmond!"
Grant's presence and
his vigorous methods

soon put the army of the Potomac in fine spirits. The

soldiers often sang:

Ulysses leads the van.

For we will dare

To follow where
Ulysses leads the van.

GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT

He is sitting before his tent and has
been studying maps and military plans.
He is now, apparently, thinking it over.

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 281

As commander-in-chief of the Union Armies Grant
received the surrender of Lee at Appomattox on April 9,
1865, and the war was practically over.

A few years later he was elected President of the
United States and held that office for two terms.

In spite of his great war record Grant was a man of
peace. While in London on his famous trip around the
world he remarked: "I have never felt any sort of fond
ness for war, and I have never advocated it except as a
means of peace. I was always a man of peace."

When he delivered his first inaugural address as Presi
dent of the United States he closed with these significant
words: "Let us have peace." These same words have
since been fittingly inscribed upon his tomb on the banks
of the Hudson. They are on the side facing the south.
This is significant, for he never bore any enmity towards
the South or its people.

His last days were full of heroic grandeur. While suf
fering from a fatal disease he was patient, kind, and
gentle. While in great physical pain he worked diligently
upon his book so that he might leave something for the
support of his wife and family. While in this condition
his old classmate, General Simon Buckner, called upon
him and went away with tears in his eyes. Did they
discuss the incidents about Fort Donelson?

The end came at Mt. McGregor, New York in 1885.
In the funeral procession, which took place a few days
later, General Joseph Johnston and General Simon
Buckner, of the Confederate army, marched side by side

282 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

with General William T. Sherman and General Philip H.
Sheridan, who fought on the other side. "Over the body
of Grant, the great warrior of peace, the North and the
South clasped hands in a Union never again to be broken."

ROBERT E. LEE, THE IDOL OF THE SOUTH

He was thoroughly unselfish; he was swayed only by that
principle which he had been taught to believe, and had ever
firmly held, that his allegiance to his native state was higher
than that which he owed to the Union.

Robert E. Lee, the commander-in-chief of the Con
federate armies, was born in Virginia in 1807. He was
two years older than Abraham Lincoln and fifteen years
older than Ulysses S. Grant. He was a member of an
old and illustrious Virginia family and grew up to be a
fine type of soldier and gentleman.

Like Grant, Lee was a West Point man. He was an
excellent student in the Academy and when graduated
he stood second in his class. At a later time he was
Superintendent of the Academy for nearly three years.

In April, 1861, Virginia withdrew from the Union.
Lee, believing in the right of the state to do so, con
sidered it his duty to cast his lot with his native state
rather than with the Nation. He, therefore, resigned his
commission in the army and accepted the command of
the Virginia troops.

When he took command of these forces he said:
"Trusting in Almighty God, an approving conscience,
and the aid of my fellow-citizens, I devote myself to the

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY

283

aid of my native state, in whose behalf alone will I ever
draw my sword."

Lee had a terrible struggle before he came to the con
clusion that his first duty was to the state rather than

CONFEDERATE CAMP IN VIRGINIA

to the Nation. About the time that he made this deci
sion he wrote to his sister as follows:

I had to meet the question, whether I should take part [in
the war] against my native state. With all my devotion to
the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American
citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my
hand against my relatives, my children, my home.

284

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Lee's decision to cast his lot with Virginia greatly
strengthened the Confederate cause. He had made a
good record in the army, he was a skillful military man,
a splendid engineer, and a gentleman of culture. The

whole South had con
fidence in his ability
as an officer and in
his integrity as a man.
His people never had
reason to change
their views in this
respect.

He was fifty-four
years of age when the
war began and had
been married since he
was twenty-five to
Mary Custis, daugh
ter of the adopted son
of George Washing
ton. Through this
marriage he obtained
possession of "Arling
ton/7 a beautiful estate opposite Georgetown on the
Virginia side of the Potomac River. This estate has
since been intimately connected with the Lee family.
For a year or so after his appointment he did not have
a very important place in the Confederate army. He
looked after the fortifications about Richmond, and was

GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, COMMANDER-
IN-CHIEF or THE CONFEDERATE FORCES

" THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 285

military adviser to the President of the Confederacy and
to his Secretary of War. In the second year of the war
he took an active command and was later placed at the
head of all the Confederate armies.

On the gth of April, 1865, as we have already seen, he
was compelled to surrender his entire army to General
Grant, from whom he received most courteous and most
generous treatment.

Immediately after the close of the war he was elected
President of Washington College (now Washington and
Lee) in Lexington, Virginia. He held this position until
his death in 1870. During the latter part of his life he
lived in retirement and appeared in public on only two
occasions. He lies buried on the old college campus.
After his death his eldest son took his place as President
of the institution.

He was indeed "The Idol of the South" and the pic
ture of General Lee, sitting upon his famous horse
"jTraveler," may be seen in thousands of homes in the
South.

GENERAL GRANT'S RIGHT-HAND MEN

While General Grant accomplished great things in the
war he did not do his work alone. On the contrary he
had most able and valiant helpers. One of these was

GENERAL WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN

Sherman, like Grant, was born in Ohio. He was also
a West Point man. When the war came on he was

286 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Superintendent of a Military Academy which had re
cently been established by the state of Louisiana. He
promptly resigned this position and took his place in
the Union Army.

Sherman took part in some of the most important
battles of the war such as Bull Run, Shiloh, and Vicks-
burg. His most noted achievement, however, was his
historic march "from Atlanta to the sea" in 1864.

Our camp fires shone bright on the mountain

That frowned on the river below,
As we stood by our guns in the morning,

And eagerly watched for the foe;

When a rider came out of the darkness

That hung over mountain and tree,
And shouted: Boys, up and be ready!

For Sherman will march to the sea!

The march to the sea was a bold stroke. It was car
rying the war into the very heart of the enemy's country
and much depended upon the success of this project.
On November 1 1 Sherman cut the telegraph wires leading
to Washington and prepared to make his plunge. Four
days later, leaving the City of Atlanta in flames, he set
out for the sea with about 60,000 men.

As the army was starting out from Atlanta one of the
bands struck up the tune of "John Brown's soul goes
marching on." The men caught up the strain and
sang the chorus "Glory, glory, Hallelujah" with tre
mendous enthusiasm.

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 287

For thirty-nine days the army marched through Georgia,
living on the country as it went, and spreading des
olation on every hand. The people of the state were
panic-stricken. A message
from the Confederate Capital
read as follows:

Remove your negroes, horses,
cattle, and provisions from
Sherman's army and burn what
you cannot carry away. Burn
all bridges and block up the
roads on his route. Assail the
invader in front, flank, and rear,
by night and by day. Let him
have no rest.

GENERAL WILLIAM T.
SHERMAN

General Sherman was the hero
of the famous march from
Atlanta to the Sea.

Sherman pressed on, how
ever, and on December 24,
1864, he took possession of
the City of Savannah. On
the 26th he sent the follow
ing message to President Lincoln: "I beg to present to
you, as a Christmas gift, the City of Savannah, with 1 50
guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000
bales of cotton."

Sherman had accomplished his bold purpose. The
enemy's country was cut into two parts. The back
bone of the Confederacy was broken, and the end of the
war was in sight.

288

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

PHILIP H. SHERIDAN

Another man who did much to win the war was

Philip H. Sheridan, better known as "Gallant little Phil."

Sheridan was the most brilliant cavalry officer of the

SHERIDAN'S RIDE
"Gallant little Phil" is rallying his men for the victory.

Civil War. His most noted exploit was in the Shenan-
doah Valley sometimes called the " storehouse of the
South." The valley was also "the backdoor to Wash
ington" and a southern army was threatening the na
tional capital from this point. Grant ordered Sheridan

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 289

to drive out the Confederates and lay waste the valley.
He was "to destroy what he could not consume."

Sheridan did his work most thoroughly. He de
stroyed grain, barns, and agricultural tools. Mills were
demolished and cattle were driven off. Nothing was
left. It was said "that a crow flying over the valley
would have to carry his own rations."

But the story does not end here. Sheridan was fight
ing in the valley against General Early, a very lively
sort of individual. General Early suddenly appeared
from nowhere and threw his men with great force against
the Union troops at Cedar Creek. Sheridan at the time
was at Winchester, "twenty miles away." The Union
troops retreated in confusion. There was almost a
stampede. Then occurred "Sheridan's Ride," famous in
song and story. The little General got word of what was
happening and turned the head of his famous black
horse, Rienzi, toward the scene of the battle.

But there is a road from Winchester town,
A good, broad highway leading down;
And there, through the flush of the morning light,
A steed as black as the steeds of night
Was seen to pass, as with eagle flight;
As if he knew the terrible need,
He stretched away with his utmost speed,
Hills rose and fell, but his heart was gay,
With Sheridan fifteen miles away.

Under his spurning feet, the road
Like an arrowy Alpine river flowed,

2 go THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

And the landscape sped away behind
Like an ocean flying before the wind;
And the steed, like a bark fed with furnace ire,
Swept on, with his wild eye full of fire;
But, lo! he is nearing his heart's desire;
He is snuffing the smoke of the roaring fray,
With Sheridan only five miles away.

He arrived just in time to save the day. "Come on,
boys, we're all right," he shouted as he galloped along
the line waving his hat. " We'll whip them yet and
sleep in our old quarters tonight."

Defeat was turned into victory by the personality of
the great General and the Confederate raids in the
Shenandoah Valley ceased for all time.

GENERAL LEE'S RIGHT-HAND MEN

While the Union commanders in the Civil War dis
played bravery and marked military skill it must be
remembered that the Confederate commanders were also
brave and able men.

THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON

One of Lee's right-hand men was General Thomas
Jonathan Jackson, better known as " Stonewall" Jack
son. Jackson was a Virginian and a graduate of the
West Point Military Academy. He was probably the
most peculiar commander in either army. He was
deeply religious and had the Bible in his tent as well as

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY"

291

his sword. When the men heard Jackson praying in his
tent before daybreak they knew that something serious
was at hand. Jackson was always terribly in earnest.

He first came into prominence in the Battle of Bull
Run, one of the earliest battles of the war. In this
famous engagement one flank
of the Southern army was
giving way before the on
slaughts of the Union troops.
A Confederate commander,
attempting to rally his men,
exclaimed: "There stands
Jackson like a stone wall."
The men stopped their flight
and the battle was finally
won by the army of the South.
The name " Stone wall" stuck
to Jackson ever after.

He was a beloved command-
and a true soldier. He

THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON

11 Stone wall" Jackson gave up
his life for the Confederate
cause. He was one of the
right-hand men of General
Robert E. Lee.

was accidentally shot by his
own men in the Battle of
Chancellorsville and died of
pneumonia a few days later.

Although he was about to enter the Valley of the
Shadow of Death, his military duties were still upon
his mind. He was delirious for a time just before his
death but his active mind was issuing commands to his
men. He gave these orders:

2Q2

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Order A. P. Hill to prepare for battle.

Tell Major Hawks to advance the commissary train.

Let us cross the river and rest in the shade.

When General Lee heard of the death of his great
commander he said that he felt as though his right hand
had been taken away.

JAMES E. B. STUART

General James E. B. Stuart was a dashing figure on
southern battle fields when mounted on his spirited mare

— ' ' Skylark. ' ' He always wrote

fhis name J. E. B. Stuart and
his men lovingly called him
"Jeb."
Stuart was born in Virginia
and was graduated from the
West Point Military
^ f? Academy. He joined the

Confederate army at the
beginning of the war and
served almost to its close.
He was looked upon by both
sides as one of the most daring
officers in the service.

He was a bold raider —
quick to strike and get away. He harassed the Union
army at many points. He would swoop down suddenly,
burn baggage wagons, take prisoners, and carry away
mules and horses. He was always swift and alert.

GENERAL J. E. B. STUART

"Jeb" Stuart, as he was called
by his men, was one of the
most brilliant cavalry officers
of the war.

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 293

His men were usually few in number but they were all
Virginians who rode their own horses and knew the
country in which they were scouting.

Stuart won no great battles but he was an intelligent
man who rendered a useful service. He was a sincere
Christian and thoroughly reliable in every way. General
Johnston once said "How can I sleep unless he is on the
outpost?" And General Lee testified " He never brought
me a false report." On one occasion he rode entirely
around the army of the Potomac in order to get infor
mation for his chief.

Finally in a battle with Sheridan's men in 1864, near
Richmond, he was fatally wounded and died soon after
at the age of thirty-one. His death was looked upon as
a great blow to the Confederate army — almost as great
as that of " Stonewall " Jackson.

THE CLOSE or THE WAR

The surrender of Lee at Appomattox practically ended
the war. The two great armies which had fought against
each other for four years were now disbanded and the
men went quietly to their homes to take up the tasks of
peace. The union of the states was restored and both
North and South have since labored for the common wel
fare of a united nation. In 1898 men from both sections
of the country fought shoulder to shoulder in the Span
ish-American War, and at a later time they joined hands
in the great World War against the armies of the Ger
man Government.

294

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

"THE BLUE AND THE GRAY" 295

At the present time there are very few survivors of
either army. The ranks of the Blue and the Gray have
been thinned with the passing years. Most of these
brave men have answered their final roll call.

By the flow of the inland river,

Whence the fleets of iron have fled,
Where the blades of the grave-grass quiver,

Asleep are the ranks of the dead:

Under the sod and the dew,

Waiting the judgment day;
Under the one, the Blue,

Under the other, the Gray.

No more shall the war cry sever,

Or the winding river be red;
They banish our anger forever

When they laurel the graves of our deadl

Under the sod and the dew,

Waiting the judgment day;
Love and tears for the Blue,

Tears and love for the Gray.

— FRANCIS MILES FINCH

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Was the Civil War fought to preserve the Union or to

abolish slavery?

2. Why was Lincoln called "The Great Emancipator "?

3. Lincoln's addresses are written in almost perfect English

How do you think he learned to write in this way?

2g6 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

4. Find out what you can about Lincoln City, Indiana.

5. Why did Grant seem to be a failure before the Civil War?

6. Why was Robert E. Lee " The Idol of the South "?

7. In what ways did he show his fine spirit after the war

was over?

8. Why was Sherman's " March to the Sea " important?

9. Read T. B. Read's " Sheridan's Ride. "

10. Kow did " Stonewall" Jackson get his nickname?

11. Tell the story of General " Jeb " Stuart.

PRONOUNCING LIST

Appomattox ap-6-mat'uks Ulysses u-lis'ez

Galena ga-le'na Shenandoah shen-an-do'a

CHAPTER XVII
GREAT AMERICAN INDUSTRIES

WHEN peace came the great industries of the United
States began to flourish as never before. No other country
in the world has ever had such a rapid growth in agri
culture and manufacturing as the United States has had
since the Civil War.

AGRICULTURE, LUMBERING, AND MINING

The area of the United States is very large. It con
tains more than 3,000,000 square miles, and embraces
within its boundaries all kinds of soils and every variety
of climate. It has light sand, heavy clay, and black
loam. It has the rigorous climate of northern Maine
and the balmy atmosphere of Florida and California.

This great variety of soil and climate makes it pos
sible for the United States to produce a corresponding
variety of agricultural products. The Gulf States produce
cotton in great abundance. Some of this is manufac
tured at home, but a large part of it is sent to England
and other foreign countries. A wide belt across the
central part of the continent is largely given over to

corn and winter wheat. Wool and live stock are pro-

297

298

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

duced in the Rocky Mountain country and grain and
fruits on the Pacific Coast. Dairying and mixed farm
ing are prominent in New York and New England.
Spring wheat abounds in Minnesota and the Dakotas.
We find lumber in great abundance in the cotton
states, the central Northwest, and the Pacific North
west; and Maine, of
course is the old
"Pine tree State."

Iron ore is found
widely scattered over
the territory of the
United States from
Lake Superior on the
north to the Gulf of
Mexico on the south,
and from Tennessee
on the east to the
Rocky Mountains on the west.

The great coal belt of the United States stretches
across the states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio,
Kentucky, Tennessee Indiana, and Illinois. It would
be impossible to carry on our great manufacturing in
dustries without these immense coal fields — to say
nothing of heating our homes and cooking our food.

Large veins of gold, silver, and copper are found in
the Rocky Mountain region and on the Pacific Coast.
Copper in large quantities has been discovered in the
vicinity of the Great Lakes.

A COAL MINER AT WORK
He is undercutting a deposit of coal.

GREAT AMERICAN INDUSTRIES

299

A COTTON MILL IN LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS
This huge factory contains thousands of power-looms.

A CATTLE ROUND-UP

Horsemen round up the cattle on the western plains now and then
for branding and for sale.

300 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

Large deposits of oil have been found in many places
from Pennsylvania on the east to southern California
on the west. In recent years rich oil fields have been
opened up in Oklahoma and Texas.

If you will look at the map on the opposite page you
will notice the great variety and the importance of
the products coming from the soil of the United States.
The area of the country is also so vast that the amounts

THE TRACTOR AT WORK

The tractor is taking the place of the horse on many farms. Almost
all kinds of farm work can now be done in this way.

of these products are astonishing. The reports of the
United States census give some very interesting figures
in this respect.

The recent advances in agriculture in this country
have been largely due to better and more scientific
methods of farming and to the use of improved farm
machinery. There is now an Agricultural College and
an Agricultural Experiment Station in every state of the
Union, and these institutions are teaching the farmer
how to fertilize and prepare the soil, how to select and

302

THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

plant the seed, and finally how to care for and harvest
his crop. These things are vastly better done than in
our fathers' days.

Agricultural machinery has also been greatly improved.
It was a marked advance from the crooked stick to
the gang plow. There is a vast difference between
the sickle and the modern reaper or harvester. How
would you like the task of cutting the grain on one
of the great wheat fields of the Dakotas by means of
a sickle?

Improvements are still being made. The American
is a very ingenious person. In 1833 a clerk in the patent
office at Washington resigned because he thought that all

the possible inven
tions had already been
made. He was greatly
mistaken. The era of
invention was only
just beginning at that
time.

THE STEEL MILLS

Great advances
have also been made
in manufacturing.
Nowhere is this more

evident than in the steel industry. One of the old
Emperors said that -he found Rome a city of brick and
left it a city of marble. Our forefathers found the United

CLEVELAND STEEL MILLS

Iron ore is brought in boats from
Minnesota and Michigan and made
into steel in these giant mills.

GREAT AMERICAN INDUSTRIES 303

States a country of wood and made it a land of brick,
cement, and steel.

Steel is the most important item in modern building.
It is found in skyscrapers, battleships, railways, and
bridges, to say nothing of machines, tools, and imple
ments. The American industrial world could not exist
in its present form without the use of steel.

The development of the steel industry has been rather
recent. Such men as Andrew Carnegie, Henry C. Frick,
and Charles M. Schwab had a large part in this devel
opment. A visit to Gary, Indiana, to Pittsburgh or Beth
lehem, Pennsylvania, will readily convince you of the
magnitude and importance of the steel industry in the
United States.

Now what shall we say in regard to the future indus
trial development of our country? Is it not likely that
the next fifty years will show a still more astonishing
advance in this respect than the last fifty years? Ameri
ca's to-morrow is likely to be a very interesting period.

We have reviewed in this little book the life stories of
some of the greatest men produced by the United States.
These men were, in a very true sense, The Makers of
America. They founded the Republic, fought its battles,
and carried on its government. They explored the
wilderness, built railroads, and invented labor-saving
machinery. They gave their best services unselfishly to
you and to me.

304 THE MAKERS OF AMERICA

These men accomplished great things,, partly because
they were men of ability. This, however, does not
account for it all. They could stick to their task until it
was completed. The poet Longfellow was right when he
said:

The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.

HINTS AND QUESTIONS

1. Why does the United States produce such a large variety

of agricultural products?

2. What are the principal products of your state?

3. What is the United States Patent Office?

4. Go through a manufacturing establishment whenever you

can. Study the operations.

HINTS TO TEACHERS

"IF the pupil in the fourth and fifth grades comes into vital touch with
great leaders, by living over again their lives and fortunes, he will find History
a study of absorbing interest and of untold value as an aid to the understanding
of life ..."

Report of Committee of American School Citizenship League.

IN order to obtain this " absorbing interest" and "untold
value" the best efforts of the authors and the teacher are essen
tial. And in history teaching, especially in the earlier grades,
the teacher is a more important factor than the text-book. Much
of the success of the class-room work will depend upon the teacher's
ability to vitalize the material presented in the book. An at
tempt should be made to stimulate the imagination of the child
so as to cause him to live over again the scenes depicted on the
printed page. He should be led as close as possible to the char
acters and scenes of the period. The Makers of America should
be living and moving men rather than statues on pedestals or
steel engravings hanging on the wall. In order to bring this
about, picture, poem, and story should be utilized. Oral presen
tation should not be neglected. The voice and the personality
of the teacher carry an appeal to the child which no cold type
can equal.

Geography, also, should be called upon . The boy cannot march
in imagination with Lewis and Clark unless he knows the route
and the contour of the country traversed. "History without
geography is all in the air."

THE INTRODUCTION

If the class has done biographical work in the fourth grade
the Introduction will constitute a review of some of the out
standing events in the earlier period of American History. If
no such work has been done, it will be well for the teacher to

305

306 HINTS TO TEACHERS

read the Introduction to the class with such explanations as may
seem necessary.

A collection of pictures illustrating the scenes referred to will
add much to the vividness of the text.

CHAPTER I

Have the pupils memorize appropriate quotations from Sidney
Lanier's America and Frank L. Stockton's One Country.

CHAPTER II

Ask the pupils to imagine themselves present at the meeting in
the old church at Richmond. Have them describe the scene in
a paragraph or two.

CHAPTER III

Have the pupils draw a map of Massachusetts and locate upon
it the various places mentioned in the chapter.

CHAPTER IV

Ask the class to read Joseph Hopkinson's Hail Columbia and
commit to memory the third stanza. (It would be well to have
in the school library a copy of Poems of American History, edited
by Burton E. Stevenson).

CHAPTER V

Before leaving this chapter it would be well (i) to sum up the
causes of the American Revolution and (2) to review the geog
raphy of the campaigns.

CHAPTER VI

An interesting game could be devised by having members of
the class impersonate the characters mentioned in the chapter
and tell something about themselves. The remaining members
would then guess their identity. In order to make the game
somewhat more difficult and instructive additional information
should be procured from other books.

HINTS TO TEACHERS 307

CHAPTER VII

Ask the pupils to write an imaginary account of some expedi
tion or sea fight of John Paul Jones, as Jones himself might have
written it in his diary.

CHAPTER VIII

Ask the pupils to imagine themselves members of the Boone
family and to write two or three paragraphs about their home,
food, dress and games.

CHAPTER IX

Have the pupils study a map of the United States and indicate
the places connected with the career of George Rogers Clark.

CHAPTER X

Have the class make a collection of pictures relating to the
City of Washington as it is today.

CHAPTER XI
Read Chamberlain's How we are Clothed.

CHAPTER XII

(a) Ask the class to make a list of the states carved out of the
Louisiana Purchase.

(b) Ask them to make a list of the places one would pass through
in going over the route of Lewis and Clark.

CHAPTER XIII

(a) Have the pupils make a collection of pictures of steam
boats from Fulton's time to the present.

(b) Have them make a miniature Erie Canal on the sand table
showing locks and terminals.

CHAPTER XIV

Use the characters mentioned in the chapter as the basis of a
game similar to that suggested for Chapter VI.

30$ HINTS TO TEACHERS

CHAPTER XV

Read a few extracts fram the speeches of Webster, Clay, or
Calhoun and explain their meaning to the class.

CHAPTER XVI

(a) Read to the class some of the stories relating to the boy
hood of Abraham Lincoln.

(b) Have the pupils make a collection of pictures illustrating
the birthplace, boyhood, family life, and various homes of Abra
ham Lincoln.

CHAPTER XVII

Ask each member of the class to go through a factory, if pos
sible, and write a short account of what he saw.

SUMMARY

At the end of the term it will be well to have a general review
and summing up. Do not leave things at loose ends. Try to
have the class look upon the whole period as one of great devel
opment. The following phases should be emphasized: —

(a) Territorial Expansion

(b) Growth of Population

(d) Development of Manufacturing

(e) Development of Transportation Facilities
(/) Development of Education and Culture
(g) Progress in Free Government

(h) THE INFLUENCE OF THE MAKERS OF AMERICA
IN ALL OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.

INDEX

Adams, John hears James Otis, 16; quotes
Patrick Henry, 26; Vice President, 172,

177-

Adams, Samuel, 33; early life, 34; organizer of
Revolution, 34; portrait, 35; attends
Continental Congress, 36; protests
against Stamp Act, 37; before Governor
Hutchinson, 39; quoted on liberty, 40;
British attempt to capture, 40; home
life, 42.

Agricultural machinery, 302.

Agricultural products, 297.

Alamo, the, 232, 238.

Allen, Ethan, 60.

Andre, John, 90.

Appomattox, 281.

Arnold, Benedict, 78, 80, 81, 90, 98, 99.

Blue and the Grey, 262.

Bon Homme Richard, 116.

Boone, Daniel, 118; boyhood, 120; education,
120; as a hunter, 120; as a nature-lover,
121 ; as Jack of All Trades, 121; in North
Carolina, 121; map of Boone's travels,
122; Yadkin River, 122; marries Re
becca Bryan, 123; in Tennessee, 125; in
Florida, 125; to Kentucky, 125; Boone
fighting Indians, 126; captured by In
dians, 127; escapes from Indians, 128;
death of James Boone, 131; Boone's
powder horn, 140; adopted by Indians,
141; Boone's thrilling escape, 141;
Boone's gun, 142; in West Virginia and
Missouri, 145; Boone's cabin in Mis
souri, 145; in the legislature of Virginia,
146; leader in the frontier settlements,
146.

Boonesboro, 130; life in, 135; threatened by
Indians, 140; attacked, 144.

Boston Massacre, 58.

Boston Tea Party, 57, 59.

Braddock, 5, 123.

Buckner, General Simon, 279.

Buena Vista, battle of, 236.

Bunker Hill, battle of, 61, 64.

Burgoyne, General, 77, 78, 79, 80.

Burgoyne's surrender, 81.

Burke, Edmund, 56.

Cabot, John, 4.

Calhoun, John C., 258, 262.

Canal boat, 219.

Capital City, 174.

Capitol building, 179.

Carson, Kit, 240.

Cattle round-up, 299.

City of Washington, 175.

Civil War, 275.

Civil War, close of, 293.

Clark, George Rogers, 150; plans attack on
British, 155, 156; Kaskaskia, expedition
against, 157, 159; Gibault, Father, 160;
Fort Clark, 161; Hamilton, British gen
eral at Detroit, 162; Vincennes, 162,
163; last years, 166.

Clay, Henry, 234, 254.

Clermont, 214.

Climate of U.S., 297.

Clinton, General, 78, 79.

Clinton, Governor De Witt, 216.

Coal, 300.

Coal miner at work, 300.

Colonies, thirteen, 10; England taxes them.
10; smuggle goods, 14.

Colonists, English, 6.

Colonists' houses searched, 14.

Columbus, Christopher, 4.

Concord Bridge, 59.

Confederate camp in Virginia, 283.

Confederate States of America, 273.

Constitution of the U.S., Webster defends, 253.

Constitutional convention, 84.

Cooper, Peter, 222.

Cornwallis, 71, 92, 93, 103.

Cornwallis' surrender, 83.

Cotton gin, 182-187.

Cotton mill, 299.

Cotton-picking, 184.

Cowpens, battle of, 92, 100.

Crockett, David, 237.

Cumberland Gap, 129, 130.

Dairying, 300.

Dark and Bloody ground, 138, 145.
Davis, Jefferson, 273.

Declaration of Independence: Liberty Bell,
ready to ring, 2; Jefferson reading, 4.

300

INDEX

signed by Adams, 40; Franklin discuss
ing, 49; Jefferson writes, 49; signing, 65;
passage, 66.

District of Columbia, 176.

Dutch in New Amsterdam, 6.

Emigrants going West, 243.
England, hostility grows toward, 6.
Erie Canal, 215.

Findley, John, 123, 125.

First Continental Congresses ; passes Declara
tion of Independence, 66; chooses Wash
ington as commander, 67.

Fort Donelson, 279.

Franklin, Benjamin: reading Poor Richard's
Almanac, 4; quoted on native rights, 6;
mentioned, 38; early life, 45; "Balance
Wheel of Revolution," 46; book shop, 47;
in England, 48; Stamp Act, discusses,
49J Declaration, discusses, 49; portrait,
51; to France for aid in war, 52; helps
make Constitution, 52.

Freeman's farm, battle of, 79.

Freeman's farm, second battle of, 80.

Fremont, John C., 238.

French and Indians, 5.

French and Indian war, map, 55.

French and Indian War, 122.

French in the New World, 6.

Fulton, Robert, 212.

Gage, General, 39, 41.

Gates, General, 77, 79, 80, 81

George III, 10, 23, 67, 83.

Gibault, Father, 160.

Gold discovered in California, 242.

Golden Southwest, 230.

Grant, portrait, 280.

Grant, Ulysses S., 275.

Greene in the South, 91.

Greene, Nathanael, 76, 88-96.

Guilford Court House, battle of, 93.

Hale, Nathan, 108-111.

Hamilton, Alexander, 75, 76, 83.

Hancock discusses the Stamp Act, 37; British
try to capture, 40.

Hanging Rock, battle of, 108.

Harrod, James, 132.

Harrodsboro, 132.

Hayne, Robert Y., 252.

Henderson, Richard, 133.

Henry, Patrick, 4; early life, 18; indolence
19; moral education, 20; marriage, 20
keeps a hotel, 20; in a country store, 20
21; as a farmer, 21 ; social life, 21; read
ing, 21 ; lawyer, 22; Parson's cause, 22
oratorical powers discovered, 22; in house

of Burgesses, 22; U.S. taxation, 23; ad
dresses Virginia Assembly, 23; law prac
tice, 24; attends First Continental Con
gress, 25; speech in Richmond, 27; urges
war, 27; Governor of Virginia, 29; later
life, 29; Red Hill, 30; helps Clark, 153.

Highway, waterway and railway, 211.

Horses, Washington's, 173.

Houston, Sam, of Texas, 230.

Howe, General, 61, 68, 77, 78, 79.

Indians, 6, 124, 126, 128, 131, 135, 141, i44.
Industries, great American, 297.
Iron ore, 300.

Jackson, Andrew, 108, 207-210.

Jackson (Stonewall), Thomas Jonathan, 290;

portrait, 291.
Jamestown, Virginia, 9.
Jefferson, Thomas, 189; portrait, 191.
Jefferson writes Declaration, 49.
Jones, John Paul, 113.
Junipero Serra, 246.

Kenton, Simon, 138, 152, 160.
Kentucky and Tennessee purchased, 134.
Kentucky, first glimpse of, 126.
Kitchen of Jonas Clarke House, 41.
Knox, Henry, 77.

Lafayette, 75, 83.

Lee, Robert E., 275, 282; portrait, 284.

Lee's surrender, 294.

Lexington, battle of, 41, 59.

Lewis and Clark, 203.

Liberty Bell, i, 66.

Liberty poles, 56.

Lincoln, Abraham, 263; his grandfather, 263;
his father, 263; his boyhood, 264; the
rail-splitter, 266; the postmaster, 267;
studies law, 268; portrait, 269; elected
President, 270; inaugural address quoted,
270; inaugural address, second, 270;
Gettysburg speech, 272; freeing the
. slaves, 272; Lincoln Memorial, 273;
Lincoln quoted, 280.

Livingston, Robert R., 199.

Log cabin, wilderness, 2.

Lone Star Republic, 234.

Long Island, battle of, 68.

Louisiana Purchase, 195, 202.

Louisiana Territory, early history of, 197.

Lumber, 300.

Magellan, Ferdinand, 4.

Maps: French and Indian War, 55; beginning
Revolution, 63; Erie Canal, 216; Revolu
tion in the South, 92; Revolution, latter

INDEX

part, 80; showing acquisition of U.S.

territory, 196; showing industries, 298;

showing travels of Boone and Clark,

122; showing Western exploration, 204.
Marion, Francis, 100-107.
Meeting House, New England, i; illustrated, 2.
Mexican War, 235.
Mexico and treaty of peace, 237.
Missionary, Spanish, 246.
Mississippi River, Jefferson wants land near,

198.

Monroe, James, 200.
Monticello, 194.

Morgan, Daniel, 77, 92, 96-101.
Morse, S. F. B., and the electric telegraph, 224.
Mt. Vernon, 84.

Napoleon, 200.
Naval warfare, 116.
Navy, U.S., 113.
Nelson's Ferry, 103, 105.
New Amsterdam, 5.

Oil, 301.

Otis, James: portrait, 9; early life, 12; op
poses King, 14; principles of conduct, 14;
before the judges, 15; struck by sword,
16; flame of fire, 16; mentioned, 38.

Parson's cause, 22.
Philip, King, 5.
Pike, Zebulon, 207.
Pitt, William, 56.
Planter, Southern, 2.
Pocahontas, 5.
Polk, James K., 234.
Princeton, battle of, 71, 72.
Putnam, Israel, 62.

Quebec, fall of, 5.

Railroad, first American, 220.

Revere, Paul, 4, 41, 59.

Revolution, American, 8, 141, 155, 160.

Revolution, beginnings, map, 63.

Revolution, end of, 83.

Revolution, latter part, map, 80.

Revolutionary heroes, 88.

Revolutionary War in the South, map, 91.

Rolfe, John, 5.

Salt Licks, 134, 139.
San Francisco, 244.
San Jacinto, battle of, 233.
Santa Anna, 233.
Saratoga, battle of, 78.
Saratoga, surrender at, 82.
Schuyler, General, 77, 79.

Scott, General, enters Mexico City, 236.

Self-government, 8.

Serapis captured by John Paul Jones, 116.

Serra, Junipero, 246.

Sheridan, Philip H., 288.

Sheridan's ride, 289.

Sherman, William T., 285.

Sherman's march to the sea. 286.

Slavery, 262.

Smith, John, 5.

Southern States, 262.

"Spirit of '76," 67.

Stage coach, 217.

Stamp Act, 48; stamp collector mobbed, n:

Patrick Henry, 22; Adams, 37; Hancock,

37; reading Stamp Act, 38.
Standish, Miles, 5.
States rights, 258.
Steam boat, Fulton invents, 213.
Steel, 303.
Steel mills, 302.
Stewart, John, 127, 129.
Stuart, J. E. B., General, 292.
Stuyvesant, Peter, 5.
Sumter, Thomas, 107.
Sutter, Captain John, 242.
Sycamore Shoals, treaty of, 133.

Tarleton, General, 100, 105, 106.

Taxation without Representation, 38.

Taxes, 56.

Taxes, "Too Much," 12.

Taylor, General, "Old-Rough-and-Ready," 236.

Telegraph, Morse invents, 224.

Texas, Annexation of, 234.

Texas, early days in, 231.

Ticonderoga, 59.

Tobacco loading, 2; illustrated, 3.

Tom Thumb, 222.

Tractor at work, 201.

Train, electric, 223.

Travelling by highway, 211.

Trenton, battle of, 70.

University of Virginia, 193.
U.S. Map showing acquisition of territory,
196.

Valley Forge, 72, 73, 74-

War of 1812, 251, 256.

Warren, Joseph, 64.

Washington, George: surveying, 4, 54; Brad-
dock, 5, 59; early life, 54; "Pillar of the
Republic," 56; covers retreat, 68; crossing
the Delaware, 69; Washington and La
fayette, 82; made President of Constitu-

312 INDEX

tional Convention, 84; as a boy, 85; as White House, 177, 178.

a man, 86; as President, 169; adopting Whitney, Eli, 181.

new constitution, 169; First Cabinet, 170; Wilderness Road, 134.

Inauguration, 170; portrait, 171; passes Wolfe, General, 5.

through Trenton, 172.

Water travel, 212. Yorktown, 94.

Webster, Daniel, 250, 262. Yorktown, battle of, 82.

30328

£176

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