GIFT OF SEELEY W. MUDD and GEORGE I. COCHRAN MEYER ELSASSER DR. JOHN R. HAYNES WILLIAM L. HONNOLD JAMES R. MARTIN MRS. JOSEPH F. SARTORI to tin UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN BRANCH JOHN FISKE This book is DUE on the last date stamped below GEORGE WASHINGTON. HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY A TEXT-BOOK FOR SCHOOLS OSCAR H. COOPER, LL.D. Superintendent of Schools, Galveston, Texas, and Ex-Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Texas HARRY F. ESTILL Professor in the Sam Houston State Normal Institute Huntsville, Texas LEONARD LEMMON Superintendent of Schools, Sherman, Texas BOSTON, U.S.A. GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS CTbf atbcnartun ^rrss 1898 84984 COPYRIGHT, 1895, BY GINN & COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1898, BY OSCAR H. COOPER HARRY F. ESTILL LEONARD LEMMON ALL RIGHTS RESERVED E: PREFACE. THIS " History of Our Country " has been prepared in the belief that there is need of a text-book on the history of the United States which would present fairly and impartially all sections of the Union. The authors have endeavored to divest the narrative of all bias for or against the North or the South, the East or the West. The strife for sectional or partisan supremacy has often transcended the bounds of true patriotism, but it is believed that such strife has been inevitable, and that ..I in the long run it has made our country stronger and richer 3 in the nobler elements of national life. Love of country is ^ greater than the love of party, and loyalty to the state is a 0) permanent and indestructible element in loyalty to the nation. , A-4-- f Ignorance of geography. 21. condition I , . , ... of his Time, j ff vlval of learn -g : I Water-route to India. . f Early life. f His belief. 23. His Plan. 4 _ l_ Errors in his calculations. 24. His Disap- pointments. His native city. King John of Portugal. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. 25. Success. Queen Isabella's aid. {Equipment ; start. Course. Discouragements. o ... f Land sighted. 27, 28. Discovery. { r \ Claim made. . f Stormy weather. 29. The Return. ! [^ Reception in Spain. 30. Three Other f Settlement on Hayti. Voyages. \ South America discovered. 31. Last Days. His poverty ; his grave. J A new world revealed. ' \ Enlightenment of mankind hastened. f Nativity and home. 33. John Cabot. | Conditions of his yoyage f Equipment. 34. His Voyage. { Land discovered . 36. Sebastian Cabot. Voyage and explorations. J Shorter route across Atlantic. 37. Results. | Bagis of ngland , s daim EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 2Q EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. THE NAME OF THE CONTINENT. 40. Some years after Columbus' discovery, Amerigo Vespucci (called in Latin, Americus Vesputius), an Italian navigator, employed first by Spain, afterward by Portugal, made several voyages to the New World. While in the service of Portugal, in 1501, Vespucci explored the coast of Brazil far enough to discover that that country was not part of India, as the northern lands visited by Columbus and the Cabots were still supposed to be. His explorations proved the existence of a new continent in the southern hemisphere. The news created almost as great an impression in the Old World as had Colum- bus' supposed discovery of a western route to Asia. Miiller, a German printer, who published Vespucci's description of this new southern continent, suggested that the country be called "Terra Americi," the Land of Americus. The suggestion was seized upon by geographers, and the name America, first re- stricted to South America, was afterward applied to the entire continent. SPANISH EXPLORATIONS. 41. Spain's Advantage. The discoveries of Columbus were magnificent triumphs for Spain, and gave her an ad- vantage over the other nations of Europe in the race of dis- covery and exploration that now followed. Portugal was Spain's greatest rival on the seas. To prevent the two nations from quarreling over the new lands in the west, the Pope issued a decree fixing a dividing line between their pos- sessions. He selected a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands, and declared that all heathen lands west of this meridian should belong to Spain ; all east of it, to HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. Portugal. (See, from map, page 24, how this decision was an- other point in Spain's favor.) Every bold Spanish captain was now eager to win wealth and distinction by the conquest of new countries for his sovereign. Inspired by the heroic example of Columbus, they despised the fears that so recently Spanish Explorations. chilled the bravest hearts. Not strange seas, nor trackless forests, nor hostile savages could check these daring explorers. 42. Florida Discovered. Ponce de Leon had accom- panied Columbus on his second voyage, and was afterward made governor of one of the West India Islands. Having been deposed from his office, the old man brooded over his dis- grace, and longed for the strength and glory of his younger days. The Indians had told him that in the distant lands across the sea was a spring that could make forever young those who bathed in its waters. De Leon believed the story, and at his own expense fitted out an expedition to search for the wonderful fountain. On Easter Sunday, 1512, he came in EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 31 sight of land, which he named Florida, from the Spanish Pascua Florida (Flowery Easter). Years afterward he returned to establish a colony. His men were attacked so fiercely by the Indians that they had to hurry to their ships, and Ponce de Leon was mortally wounded by an arrow. Sad that the old man should receive his death wound in the beautiful land where he had expected to gain im- mortal youth ! 43. The Pacific Ocean Balboa, another Spanish explorer, sailed to the Isthmus of Panama, and heard from the Indians of a great sea which lay beyond the lands he had touched. With a small band of soldiers, he .boldly set out through forests and across mountains toward the interior of the country. At last, from the top of a mountain peak, he caught sight of the blue waves of a great ocean. Reaching the shore, Balboa waded into the water, and waving his sword above his head, claimed for the king of Spain the ocean and all the lands it touched (1513). His discovery proved North America to be a separate continent, and not a part of Asia. 1 44. The World Circumnavigated Seven years later (1520), Magellan, a Portuguese sailor in the service of Spain, coasting along the southern part of South America, passed through the straits that bear his name, and sailed upon the ocean which Balboa had discovered. Magellan gave the name Pacific to the great ocean because he found it so peaceful dur- ing his voyage. Landing on the western coast of South America, he was killed in a battle with the Indians. His men, continuing the voyage, crossed the Pacific and Indian Oceans, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and reached Spain in safety. This was the first circumnavigation of the globe. The question of the shape of the earth was thus settled forever, 1 As to South America see 40. 32 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. and a western route to India was found at last, page 24.) (See map, 45. Conquest of Florida -- Ferdinand de Soto had been a soldier under Pizarro in the Spanish conquest of Peru. Re- turning to Spain, he was ambitious to rival the exploits of his former leader. The name of Florida was at that time given to the whole of the southern part of what is now the United De Soto's Expedition, 1539-1542. (The outlines and names of States are given for acing De Soto's course.) States. De Soto determined to explore this vast region in the hope of finding gold. Landing on the western coast of the peninsula of Florida, he sent his ships back, and with 600 men, started through the forests and swamps toward the north. His men were dressed in gay uniforms and mounted on fine horses. They were supplied with every kind of weapon then known, and besides took with them bloodhounds to use against the Indians and chains to bind their captives. For three years De Soto's band wandered through the present states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, in the EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 33 vain search for gold their numbers constantly diminishing from attacks of the Indians and from wasting sickness. 46. Discovery of the Mississippi. At last, in 1541, De Soto came in sight of the Mississippi River near where the city of Memphis now stands. For the first time the upper course of the great " Father of Waters " was seen by a white man. 1 Exposure and repeated disappointments, however, had broken the health and spirits of the adventurous Spaniard, and he died the next year. The Indians had feared De Soto, and to con- ceal his death from them, his body was buried at midnight in the mighty river he had discovered. His men wandered, and probably entered the present State of Texas ; then returning to the river, they floated down to the Gulf, finally reaching the Spanish settlements in Mexico. 47. Explorations in the West. While Magellan was mak- ing his famous voyage around the world, Mexico with its rich mines and ancient civilization ( 2) was being conquered by the Spanish general, Cortez. From Mexico expeditions were sent out to explore the country to the north. Coronado was the most prominent explorer of this region. California was visited and the Pacific coast explored as far north as Oregon. 48. Texas was traversed from the Gulf of Mexico to its northwestern boundary in 1528 by Cabeza de Vaca and three companions, the sole survivors of an unsuccessful attempt to explore Florida. Having lost their ships off the Florida coast, they built a few rude boats and coasted along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico until they reached Texas. They landed some- where near Galveston Island and passed through the country northwest as far as the Rio Grande River. Proceeding to- 1 Recent investigations indicate that the mouth of the Mississippi was entered in 1519 by Alvarez de Pineda, an explorer of the Gulf coast. 34 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. ward the Pacific coast, they were met by some Spanish soldiers who escorted them to the city of Mexico. 49. The First Permanent Settlement. Pedro Menendez, hearing that a company of Huguenots, or French Protestants, had formed a settlement on the St. Johns River in Florida, resolved to expel the intruders and colonize the country for the king of Spain. He set sail with a large fleet and over two thousand people. Landing on the northeast coast of Florida, he laid the foundation of a town which he called St. Augustine. This was in the year 1565, and is important, as it marks the first per- manent European settlement within the present limits of the United States. Some of the old stone houses built by Menendez' men over three hundred years ago are still standing. Pushing through the woods with a band of soldiers, Menendez surprised the French fort and put to death the help- less garrison. Above the mangled corpses this inscription was placed : " Not as to Frenchmen, but as to heretics." When the news of the massacre reached France, a brave Frenchman named Gourges resolved to avenge the deed. He sold his property, purchased ships, and with one hundred and fifty men sailed secretly to Florida. A Spanish fort near the ruins of the former French settlement was surprised and taken, and Old Spanish Gateway at St. Augustine. (Called the "City Gate.") EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 35 its garrison hung from the surrounding trees with this inscrip- tion above them: " Not as to Spaniards, but as to murderers." Gourges did not have enough men to warrant an attack on St. Augustine, so he sailed back to France. 50. Other Settlements. Before the close of the sixteenth century other Spanish settlements were made at Ysleta, 1 on the Rio Grande, near El Paso, Texas, and at Santa Fe, New Mex- ico. The gold mines of Mexico and Peru now became so attractive to the Spaniards that they made little effort afterward to extend their explorations or settlements. 51. Extent of Spanish Claims By virtue of the discov- eries of Columbus and the grant of the Pope, Spain made a general claim to the whole of the continent of America, save Brazil, which she conceded to Portugal (41). A more definite claim was made to the region then known as Florida (embra- cing all the southern part of the United States) and to the Pacific coast. The Spanish explorers, De Leon, De Soto, Coronado, and others, had traversed this territory and had established, as they claimed, the right of Spain to its owner- ship. The period of Spanish explorations in North America covered about a hundred years, from 1492 to the close of the next century. FRENCH EXPLORATIONS. 52. The Newfoundland Fisheries. When the Cabots re- turned from their great voyages of discovery, they reported that the northern shores they had visited swarmed with fish to such an extent as sometimes to stay the speed of their ships. The men of Brittany, in France, were hardy sailors and great fisher- 1 There is some ground for the claim that the settlement at Ysleta was made before that at St. Augustine. HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. men, and in a few years after the news of Cabot's voyage reached France the banks of Newfoundland began to be fre- quented by French fishing-vessels. Cape Breton Island was named in honor of the home of these fishermen. The fisheries and the fur trade with the Indians proved so profitable that the attention of the French people was directed to this part of America, and the way was paved for the French occupa- tion of Canada. 53. The At- lantic Coast. Twenty-seven years after Ca- bot's discovery of the continent, nearly the same extent of coast from Nova Sco- tia to Chesa- peake Bay was explored by Ver- azzani, an Italian in the French service (1524). Verazzani claimed the country for the French king, and named it New France, ignoring the claims of England. EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 37 54. The St. Lawrence River Cartier, a native French- man, on the day known to the Catholics as St. Lawrence Day, entered a gulf which he called the Gulf of St. Lawrence (1535). He ascended the stream now known as the St. Law- rence River, and took possession of the country for the king of France. On a subsequent voyage he made an unsuccessful attempt to found a colony. Many years afterward the land which Cartier then claimed for his king became the great French stronghold in America. 55. Attempts at Settlement in the South. The French Huguenots made two unsuccessful attempts to plant colonies : one in South Carolina, the other in Florida. The settlers called the first settlement Carolina in honor of the French King Charles, or Carolus IX. When their provisions were exhausted, they abandoned their fort and sailed back to France. The Florida colony on the St. Johns River was attacked by the Spaniards under Menendez ( 49), and all the settlers were massacred. 56. The First Permanent Settlement. Civil wars between Protestants and Catholics so distracted the people of France that it was more than fifty years after Cartier's unsuccessful colony on the St. Lawrence before another attempt was made to establish a French settlement in this region. In 1605, De Monts received from the French king, for the purpose of fur trade, a grant of land lying between the fortieth and forty- sixth parallels (from New Jersey to Nova Scotia). He estab- lished a colony at Port Royal (now Annapolis), Nova Scotia. This was the first permanent French settlement in America. A more important settlement was made three years later (1608) by Champlain at Quebec. The founding of Quebec marks the beginning of French occupancy of Canada. The settlement soon became a city, and was the capital of the French possessions in America. 84984 38 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. 57. The Great Lakes. The French fur traders and trap- pers gradually ascended the St. Lawrence. Keeping on good terms with the Indians, they pushed along the shores of the Great Lakes, until a line of trading-posts was established from the St. Lawrence to Lake Superior. To the heroism of the missionaries of the Roman Catholic Church, the conquest of the vast lake region for France is largely due. Their patient en- durance and their self-devotion won the respect and affection of the Indians, and gave to the French an influence over the savage tribes that was possessed by no other people. 58. The Mississippi Valley.- It was more than a hundred years after De Soto's discovery of the Mis- sissippi before the mighty river was again visited by a white man. The upper course of the stream was u Sa||e finally reached by French missionaries and traders from the Great Lakes. In 1682, La Salle, an explorer of the Great Lake region, resolved to sail down the Mississippi to its mouth, hoping to discover, by means of the great river, a passage across the continent to India ; or, in any event, to establish a fort at the mouth of the river, thus securing con- trol of its commerce as well as possession of the country for his king. Floating down the river with a few companions, he reached the broad bosom of the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle was impressed with the importance of his achievement, as with solemn ceremonies he claimed for the crown of France all the EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 39 country drained by the great river and its tributaries. He named the vast region Louisiana, in honor of Louis XIV. La Salle resolved to plant a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. Returning to France, he told his story to the King. Four ships were given him, with men and supplies, to establish the settlement he desired. Sailing back by way of Florida, he missed the mouth of the Mississippi, and landed at Matagorda Bay, on the coast of Texas (1685). After several vain attempts to reach the Mississippi by land, La Salle was assassinated by one of his own men. A settlement made by his followers on the Texas coast perished. The mouth of the Mississippi was again visited in 1699 by Iberville, who made a settlement at Biloxi, in the present State of Mississippi, afterwards removing it to Mobile. New Orleans was founded in 1718. 59. Extent of French Claims. After the failure of the French settlements in South Carolina and Florida, the French claim to the Atlantic coast south of the Penobscot River, based on Verazzani's explorations, was abandoned to other nations. The explorations of Cartier, De Monts, Champlain, La Salle, and the French missionaries and traders gave to France pos- session of a vast crescent-shaped region from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Lake Superior, thence down the Mississippi Val- ley, from the source of the river to its mouth. The French continued their explorations in this territory until their posses- sions in America were wrested from them by the English in 1763 ( 202). ENGLISH EXPLORATIONS. 60. Indifference of the English. After the discoveries of the Cabots the English lagged behind the Spanish and French in the exploration of the New World. They were disappointed at the failure to find the gold, silks, and spices of India. More- 4O HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. over, the Catholic sovereigns of England hesitated to set aside the Pope's decree giving the new continent to Spain. Until the reign of Queen Elizabeth, nearly a hundred years after the Cabots' great voyages, no other noteworthy attempt at explora- tion of the western continent was made by the English. 61. Description of the Florida Coast. Sir John Hawkins was an English sailor and slave-trader, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth as a reward for his services in a great naval battle with the Spaniards. On one of his slave-trading expedi- tions he sailed along the whole coast of Florida. This was in the same year as the founding of St. Augustine. Delighted, as Ponce de Leon had been, with the beauty of the country, he wrote a full, and careful description of it, and took back with him samples of tobacco, potatoes, and other products of the soil. This was the first account of Florida by an Englishman. 1 Hawkins hoped to draw the attention of his countrymen to this beautiful region, that English colonies might be planted there. Attempting to reach Florida on a subsequent voyage, he was driven by storm to the Mexican coast, where he was attacked by a Spanish fleet, and all but two of his ships were captured or destroyed. 62. Sir Francis Drake and the Pacific Coast. Sir Francis Drake had served under Sir John Hawkins, and was commander of one of the two ships that barely escaped the Spaniards on the coast of Mexico. From that day he swore vengeance on the subjects of Spain. Setting sail from Eng- land with two vessels, Drake attacked one Spanish settlement after another. He landed on the Isthmus of Panama, and 1 In Hawkins's narrative appears the following quaint mention of the use of to- bacco : " The Floridians, when they travel, have a kinde of herbe dryed, which, with a cane and an earthen cup in the end, with fire, and the dryed herbs put together, do sucke thro the cane the smoke thereof, which smoke satisfyeth their hunger, and therewith they live four or five days without meat or drink" EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. from near the spot where Balboa made his great discovery, caught sight of the Pacific Ocean. Falling on his knees, he prayed that he might at some time sail a ship on that sea. On his next voyage, with a larger fleet, Drake sailed through the Straits of Magellan and out into the Pacific Ocean. English Explorations. Many Spanish ships loaded with treasures from the mines of Peru fell into his hands. 1 Coasting toward the north as far as California, he entered a " convenient and fit harbor " (probably San Francisco Bay). He found the natives very friendly. They insisted on crowning Drake as their king, and he modestly accepted the honor for the queen of England, naming the 1 One treasure-ship alone, captured by Drake, was valued by the Spaniards at three million dollars. The memory of the English " Dragon," as he was called, was detested by the Spaniards for centuries afterward. 42 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. country New Albion. He returned to England by way of the Cape of Good Hope, and reached his home in September, 1580. On this long and perilous voyage Drake had inflicted untold injury on his enemies, the Spaniards, had planted the English flag in regions before unexplored, and had made the second circumnavigation of the globe. 63. The Old Problem. The hope of finding a western route from England to India had not been abandoned. Vespucci, Balboa, and Magellan had proved that America was not a part of Asia. Yet it was for a long time afterward be- lieved that the New World was a group of large islands, and that a passage could be found through them to the Pacific. A Portuguese sailor, Da Gama, at the close of the fifteenth cen- tury had rounded the southern extremity of Africa and dis- covered for his nation a route to India in that way. (See map, p. 24.) Magellan, sailing under the Spanish flag, passed around Cape Horn, and thus opened up to the Spaniards a passage to the coveted land. Ineffectual attempts were made by the English to find a northeast passage around the northern coast of Europe. 64. The Northwest Passage. In the efforts to find a pas- sage to India around the northern extremity of America; the English took the lead. Martin Frobisher made three expe- ditions with the twofold purpose of finding a northwest passage and of searching for gold. He discovered the bay now known as Frobisher's Bay and brought back to England more than thirteen hundred tons of yellowish ore, which proved to be of little value (1576). Captain John Davis sailed into the strait which now bears his name, but was compelled by the severe weather to return to England (1585). Henry Hudson entered the great bay whose name now pre- serves his memory (1610). For eight months his ship was EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 43 locked in by ice. A mutiny then occurred, and Hudson with a few companions was set adrift in an open boat and never heard of afterward. 1 William Baffin, with a crew of seventeen men, coasted along the western shore of Greenland, and (in 1616) entered the great sea since known as Baffin's Bay. (In 1850 the English Captain McClure discovered a "north- west passage " ; the ice, however, makes it useless.) 65. First Attempt at Colonization. Sir Humphrey Gilbert was the first Englishman to secure a charter 1 for colonizing the New World. He made two unsuccessful expeditions with this purpose, the first in 1578. On his second voyage, five years later, he took possession of Newfoundland, but, meeting with disaster, started homeward without making a settlement. The ship in which he sailed went down in a storm with all on board. He had refused to return in a larger vessel, remarking to the captain, " It is as near to Heaven by sea as by land." 66. Second Attempt at Colonization. Sir Walter Raleigh was a favQrite of Queen Elizabeth. He obtained a charter for colonizing all the country between the parallels of thirty-five and forty-five degrees (from South Carolina to Nova Scotia), and fitted out two ships for an explor- ing expedition to find a suit- able location. The queen positively forbade him to join the expedition himself, as she was unwilling for her favorite Raleigh. 1 While in the employ of the Dutch the previous year Hudson had discovered the river now known as Hudson River ( 72). 44 HISTORY OF OUR COU.NTRY. to risk his life in " dangerous sea-fights." His vessel landed at Roanoke Island on the coast of North Carolina (1584). The men were charmed with the magnificent trees, the abundant grapes, and the fertility of the soil. They carried back glow- ing accounts of the adaptability of the country for settlement. 67. Settlements on Roanoke Island. The country was named Virginia, in honor of Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen. Be- fore the close of the century Raleigh made two attempts to establish a settlement. The first colony remained a year on Roanoke Island and then, provisions giving out, returned to England in one of the ships of Sir Francis Drake, who hap- pened to be coasting that way. The second expedition set sail for Chesapeake Bay, but also landed on Roanoke Island (1587). No communication was had with England by the little colony for three years. Finally, when relief was sent to them, the settlement was in ruins and no traces of the colonists could be found save the word CROATOAN l carved on a tree near by. Whether they had been murdered by the Indians or had wandered into the wilderness to starve is not known Raleigh, having spent a large fortune in these unsuccessful enterprises, was compelled to abandon the colonization of Virginia. He wrote to a friend, however, " I shall yet live to see it an English nation." Although his efforts at coloniza- tion were failures, yet he had drawn the attention of his countrymen to Virginia as a region adapted to settlement. The founding of the first permanent English settlement in America, twenty years later, was partly the result of his labors. 2 1 Croatoan was the name of a small island a few miles distant. It is possible that the Colonists perished in an attempt to remove to this island. 2 From his returned colonists Raleigh learned the use of tobacco, and introduced it at the English court. The custom of smoking or " drinking " tobacco, as it was called, soon became general in England. Raleigh also planted some specimens of the potato on his Irish estates, and thus brought this important article of food into general use. See 61, footnote. EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 45 68. Third Attempt at Colonization. Bartholomew Gos- nold in 1602 sailed from England in a small ship with twenty- three persons, eleven of whom expected to remain and establish a colony. He took the most direct course across the Atlantic between the northern route of the Cabots and the southern pathway of the Spaniards thereby shortening the distance a thousand miles ( 37). Coasting along the shores of New England, he loaded his ship with sassafras and cedar. A quarrel arose among his men, and all idea of a settlement was abandoned. Returning to England, his cargo was seized by Sir Walter Raleigh, because the expedition had been undertaken without his consent and in violation of his "patent " or grant to Virginia ( 66). 69. First Permanent English Settlement. A commercial company, known as the "London Company," obtained from King James I. a grant to the region embraced in Raleigh's former patent. In 1607, a settlement was founded by this company at Jamestown, on the banks of the James River, in Virginia. This was the first permanent English settlement in America. (For full account see 80-82.) 70. Extent of English Claims. The discoveries of the Cabots and the subsequent explorations of English sailors gave England a claim to the eastern coast of North America from Labrador to Florida. The western boundary of this territory was not defined. The English claim extended in- definitely, and was limited only by the extent of the continent. Queen Elizabeth made no attempt to establish her title to the Pacific coast based on the explorations of Sir Francis Drake. The period of English exploration begins with Hawkins and Drake, in the last part of the sixteenth century. English ex- plorations and settlements in the eastern part of the present limits of the United States went hand in hand, and continued to near the middle of the eighteenth century. 4 6 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. EXPLORATIONS OF THE DUTCH. 71. Holland in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. It was more than a hundred years after the discovery of America when the Dutch began their explorations in the New World. In the beginning of the seventeenth century the long and bloody struggle to free Holland from Spanish tyranny came to a close, and the independence of the Netherlands was es- tablished. In an age of bigotry and perse- cution, Holland estab- lished religious free- dom in her borders and became a refuge for the oppressed of other lands. Enter- ing upon a career of prosperity, she now Dutch Explorations. became one of the richest nations in the world. The genius and bravery of her naval captains gave her fleets the command of the ocean. Half the commerce of Europe was carried in her ships. Her great trading companies began to extend their operations around the globe. 72. The Hudson River. Sir Henry Hudson, 1 an English- man, after making two voyages in a vain search for a north- east passage to the Pacific Ocean, left the service of his coun- trymen and entered the employ of a Dutch trading company. 1 The same Hudson who afterward discovered Hudson's Bay, and perished in its waters ( 64). EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 47 In the Dutch ship " Half Moon," he started on the track of his former voyages, with the same purpose in view. Stopped by the ice off the northern coast of Norway, he turned toward the west, hoping to find the looked-for passage in that direction. In 1609, he entered New York Bay, and sailed up the waters of the majestic river which now bears his name. Arriving at the present site of Albany, and seeing no prospect of reaching the western ocean, he returned. 73. Subsequent Explorations and Settlement. Dutch sail- ors explored the coast from Delaware Bay to Cape Cod. Trading-posts were established, and a profitable fur trade with the Indians was begun. In 1623 thirty Dutch fami- lies, sent over by the Dutch West India Company, established themselves on Manhattan Island, the present site of New York City. The settlement was named New Amsterdam, and became the capital of the Dutch colony. About the same time a settle- ment was made at Fort Orange (Albany). The Dutch continued to establish trading-posts in the present limits of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. 74. Extent of Dutch Claims. The Dutch claimed the valley of the Hudson River, and the country explored by them from Delaware Bay to Cape Cod. In honor of the mother country, they named this region New Netherland. The period of Dutch exploration and settlement, beginning with Henry Hudson, 1609, continued for about fifty-five years, when the territory controlled by .this people was surrendered to the English ( 1 68). THE SWEDES IN AMERICA. 75. Settlement. Sweden, the home of the ancient North- men, had but a small share in the colonization of the country that her daring sailors had visited so many centuries before. 4 8 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. The Swedish King, Gustavus Adolphus, the ablest monarch of his time, realized the commercial advantage to be derived from a Swedish settlement in the New World, and resolved to estab- lish a colony in America. The brave king was killed in bat- tle, but his plan of a Swedish settlement was carried out. In 1638, a settlement was made in the present State of Delaware, near the site of Wilmington, and was called Christiana, in honor of the infant queen, daughter of Gustavus Adolphus. 76. Extent of Swedish Claims. The Swedes explored the country from the southern cape of Delaware Bay to the falls of the Delaware River, where Trenton now stands. This region, embracing the present State of Delaware and the southern half of New Jersey, was claimed by them, and was called New Sweden. The period of Swedish exploration and settlement was brief, covering about seventeen years. The territory of the Swedes then passed into the hands of the Dutch of New York ( 167). 77. Summary. A German printer suggested the name America, in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, who had visited and described the coast of Brazil. The name was first restricted to South America, North America being considered part of India. Within the present limits of the United States, five European nations explored and made claim to territory. Of these the Spaniards took the lead. Their explorations, beginning with the voyage of Columbus, ex- tended over a period of about a hundred years, and were devoted to the search for gold rather than the founding of colonies. By men in the service of Spain the Pacific Ocean was discovered, the world was first Swedish Explorations. EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 49 circumnavigated, the southern and western portions of the United States were explored and conquered, and the first permanent settlement, St: Au- gustine (1565), was made. The French explored a portion of the Atlantic coast, and made ineffec- tual attempts to plant colonies in South Carolina and Florida. French missionaries and traders explored and secured control of the St. Lawrence, European Claims, 1650. the Great Lake region, and the Mississippi Valley. Their first permanent settlements were made at Port Royal, N. S. (1605), and at Quebec (1608). For over two hundred years their explorations within the present limits of the United States continued. The first to discover the mainland of America, the English claimed the continent from Labrador to Florida. By an Englishman the second circumnavigation of the globe was made, and the coast of California was HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. visited. English ships explored the northern shores of North America in the effort to find a northwest passage to India. Two unsuccessful efforts were made to form an English settlement on Roanoke Island, N. C. The first permanent English settlement was made at Jamestown (1607). Eng- land, beginning her active explorations many years later than Spain or Chart of Discoveries and Explorations. France, continued them through her colonists nearly two centuries, or until the independence of the United States was won. The Dutch explored and claimed the valley of the Hudson, and the coast from Cape Cod to Delaware Bay. Their explorations hi this region con- tinued about fifty years, until the English conquered it from them. They established their first settlement on Manhattan Island, the present site of New York City (1623). The Swedes made a settlement at Fort Christiana, at the mouth of the Delaware River (1638). They claimed the present State of Delaware and the southern part of New Jersey, but were overcome by the Dutch of New York seventeen years after their first settlement. EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS. 5 I 78. Thought Questions. How do you account for Spain's outstripping other nations in the exploration of the New World ? Has Spain any posses- sions in America to-day ? Mention some European nations that took no part in the colonization of America. What motives chiefly influenced the Spanish explorers ? The French ? The English ? The Dutch ? The Swedes ? Which nation was especially successful in its dealings with the Indians ? Can you explain why ? What nation was first to prove that the New World was not part of India? How was this done? What can you say of the power of the Pope at that time ? What discoveries were the result of an effort to find a passage to India ? In what instance did reli- gious bigotry lead to a settlement ? What discoveries and explorations were made by Italians ? What memorial of Sir Walter Raleigh remains in our geographical names? What were the causes of the failure of the first attempts at settlement by the English ? Show how the European claims overlapped each other. Copy on blackboard the chart of discoveries and explorations. TOPICAL ANALYSIS (EXPLORATIONS AND SETTLEMENTS). AMERICUS VESPUTIUS : 40. { ^rations. ^ Name of continent. f Discoveries of Columbus. 41. Spam's Advantages. 42. Ponce de Leon. of the f Purpose of voyage. \ Discovery and fate. 43. Balboa. f Discovery. \ Claim. H 1 44.MageUan.l-- {Conquest of Florida. Discovery of Mississippi. Fate. ( Mexico. 47. Cortez. Coronado, etc. \ .... [_ California. 48. De Vaca : Journey through Texas. f Purpose of voyage. 49. Menendez. -j Settlement. [ Conflict with Huguenots. 50. Other Settlements. 51. Territory Claimed. HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. f Coasts frequented. 52. Fishermen. | ResuUs f Coast explored. 53. Verazzani. | Claim 54. Cartier : River discovered. f Settlement in South Carolina. 55. Huguenots. | Settlement in Florida . f First permanent settlement. 56. De Monts and Cartier. ue j c founded f Region claimed for France. 57. Traders and Missionaries. | Heroism rf missionaries . f Discovery of mouth of Mississippi. 58. La Salle. j Attempt to plant sett lement. 59. Territory Claimed. 60. Indifference of English : Causes. 61. Hawkins: Description of Florida coast. f Hatred of Spanish. 62. Sir Francis Drake, j Pacific coast visited. [ Circumnavigation of globe. f Success of Portugal. 63. Water Route to India. < Success of Spain. (_ Attempts of English. 64. Efforts to find a Northwest Passage. f Secures charter. iert ' \ Attempts at settlement. C Charter. 66, 67. Raleigh. < Voyage of exploration. [_ Attempts at settlement. , f Route. 68. Gosnold. . ^ Attempt at settlement. 69. London Company. ( Grant obtained. L First permanent settlement. 70. Territory Claimed. 71. Holland in i6th and zyth Centuries. {Purpose of voyage. Riv 73. West India Company : Settlement. 74. Territory Claimed. SWEDISH i 75 ' Gustavus Adolphus : Settlement planned by him. DUTCH. ^ 72 ' Hudson ' | River discovered. THE COLONIAL PERIOD. FOUNDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 79. The True Beginning of Our History. In the estab- lishment of the first permanent English settlement in America, we find the true beginning of our country's history. All that comes before this has been preparatory ^like the clearing off of stones, trees, and undergrowth from a piece of land prepar- atory to building a house. Adventurous sea captains, daring soldiers, enterprising traders, and gold hunters have passed and repassed before our eyes in the preceding pages. Now the scene changes, and the curtain rises upon the log-cabin home of the settler with its background of growing crops. Hereto- fore Spaniards and Frenchmen have been the most conspicu- ous figures ; now Englishmen are to play the leading part. We shall see how the courage, endurance, and genius for self-gov- ernment of these Englishmen overcame every obstacle and wrested from other nations the control of the continent. THE SOUTHERN COLONIES. VIRGINIA. 80. The Founders of Virginia. Sixteen years after the disappearance of Raleigh's last colony on Roanoke Island, a movement was begun that resulted in the first permanent Eng- lish settlement in America. Two men stand out prominently as the leading spirits in this enterprise, the one already famous as a sailor and explorer, the other as a soldier and ad- venturer. Their names were Bartholomew Gosnold and John Smith. 54 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. Captain Gosnold, we have already learned ( 68), made the first direct voyage across the Atlantic, and sailed along the New England coast. He was now eager to plant a colony in the milder climate farther South. Captain John Smith was both writer and fighter, and one of the greatest adventurers in an adventurous age. While yet a boy he left his home, and enlisted as a private soldier in the wars of Holland. Joining the forces against the Turks, he was captured and made a slave. He killed his master and escaped to Russia, and thence when only twenty-five years of age, returned by way of Germany, France, Spain, and Morocco to England. The Virginia enterprise drew Smith and Gosnold together, and they became warm advocates of the scheme for establishing \l f ?mm a colon y- 81. The London Compa- ny. The expensive failures of Raleigh had discouraged Captain John Smith. all attempts at colonizing Virginia, and no private person was now willing to furnish the necessary means for undertaking another settlement. There were in England at this time, however, several great trading companies that were growing rich from their commerce with distant lands. The success of two of these the Muscovy Company and the East India Company induced a number of merchants and prominent men to embark with Gosnold and Smith in a similar enterprise. Accordingly two new companies were organized with authority from the king to establish colonies in America and control the commerce of the new THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 55 settlements. These companies were known as the London and the Plymouth Companies, from the residence of their principal stock-holders, and they were granted in equal parts the vast region between the parallels of 34 and 45, or what is now the southern boundary of North Carolina and the middle of Nova Scotia. The southern half of this grant was given to the London Company, and was called South Virginia ; the northern half to the Plymouth Company, and called North Virginia. 82. The First Settlement. Colonists were sent out by both Plymouth and London Companies the same year (1606). The Plymouth Company attempted a settlement on the coast of Maine, but the place was abandoned by the colonists after the first winter. The London Company was more successful. In the last days of the year, a little fleet of three vessels, under the command of Captain Christo- pher Newport, set sail down the Thames for South Virginia. Captain Gosnold commanded one of the vessels, and John Smith was among the passengers. After a stormy voyage they entered Chesapeake Bay, givirfg the names of the two eldest sons of the king to the capes that guard its mouth. Sailing up the river known to the Indians as the Powhatan, but called by the colonists the James River in honor of their sovereign, they chose a flat peninsula on its northern "bank as the place for their settlement. Jamestown was the name these loyal English- men applied to their group of huts. The year 1607 marks the date of this, the first permanent English settlement in America just one hundred and ten years after Cabot's great discovery. Virgi 56 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. 83. The First Colonists. There were one hundred and five persons in the little company that laid the foundations of Jamestown. More than half of the whole number were " gen- tlemen " unused to manual labor, and so were poorly fitted for the rough life of the wilderness. The colonists were either unmarried men or else they had left their wives and children behind. Consequently they did not look upon their cabins as homes in the true sense of the word. Most of them expected to find gold and pearls, and in a short time to return to England loaded with riches. 1 Some were influenced by a desire to convert the Indians ; others were fond of adventure, and wished to extend the English dominions in America. All slept under the trees in the pleasant May weather until their log cabins were built. 84. The First Charter. The form of government of the colonists was as poorly adapted to their surroundings as were the settlers themselves. Queen Elizabeth was dead, and the reign of James I. had begun. King James was called by a wit of the time, " The most learned fool in Christendom," and the complicated form of government he devised for the first Virgin- ians seems to justify the epithet. Besides the London Com- pany there were to be two governing bodies called " Councils," one residing in England, appointed by the king, the other, a subordinate Council in Virginia, appointed by the English Council. The Company was empowered to coin money and collect taxes. Perhaps the worst provision was that which required all the products of the colonists to be brought to a l In a popular English play of that period, one of the characters, speaking of Vir- ginia, is made to say: " I tell thee golde is more plentiful! there than copper is with us ; and for as much redde copper as I can bring I'll have thrice the weight in golde. Why, man, all their dripping pans are pure golde, and all the chains with which they chain up their streets are massive golde ; all the prisoners they take are fettered in golde ; and for rubies and diamonds they goes forth in holy dayes and gather 'em by the seashore to hang on their children's coates and stick in their children's caps." THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 57 public store-house, and there apportioned by an officer as they were needed. Thus, as no man could enjoy the products of his own labor, there was no reward for industry, and laziness was encouraged. 85. Troubles. More than once it seemed that the failures at Roanoke Island were to be repeated at Jamestown. The place was low and un- healthful. Malaria arising from the marshy banks of the river caused slow fevers which swept away more than half of the colonists before the first summer was ended. In the beginning of 1608 two more ship-loads of immi- grants were sent over by the London Company. The mad search of the newcomers for gold caused the cultivation of the soil to be neglected, while the wretched plan of a " com- mon store-house " encour- aged idleness. In the winter of 1609-1610, pro- Ruins of Jamestown visions were entirely ex- hausted, and the starving colonists began to live on roots and acorns, and skins of horses. One man, driven to insanity, killed his wife for food. The horrid deed was discovered and he was burnt to death as a punishment. Still the suffering continued. The miserable survivors in despair resolved to abandon Virginia and return to England. They buried their 58 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. cannon, and embarking in two ships floated down the river and out of sight of the huts of Jamestown. Fortunately before proceeding far they met Lord Delaware with a fleet and boun- tiful supplies. All returned to the deserted settlement, and the colony was saved. The next year more colonists arrived, and the settlement of Henrico (now Richmond) was founded. 86. The Great Deliverer. In the perils of the colony dur- ing the first two years of its existence, there was one man whose clear head and strong arm repeatedly saved the settlement from destruction. Captain John Smith, under the absurd charge of an attempt to make himself " King of Virginia," had been at first deposed from his position as a member of the Council by his jealous associates. He demanded a trial by jury, and was triumphantly acquitted, his leading prosecutor being compelled to pay him two hundred pounds damages. Disgusted with the incapacity of their rulers, the colonists finally made Smith pres- ident of the Council, and entrusted the management of their affairs to him. " No persuasion," writes an old chronicler, " could persuade him to starve." Assembling all the settlers, he addressed the idlers thus : " I protest, by that God that made me, you shall not only gather for yourselves, but for those that are sick; and he that will. not work shall not eat." The stern soldier's orders were obeyed, and at once there was a change for the better. To supply their immediate wants Smith led an expedition to the most important village of the Indian chief Powhatan, and by force obtained a supply of corn from the Indians. The savages regarded the bold captain with fear and admiration, and as long as he remained in Virginia gave but little trouble. 1 But for Captain John Smith the Jamestown i In his " General! Historic of Virginia" Captain Smith relates that on one of his exploring expeditions he was taken prisoner by the Indians and sentenced to death, but that his life was spared through the entreaties of Powhatan's little daughter, Pocahontas. This same Indian maiden was afterward married to John Rolfe, one of the settlers. Rolfe and his bride visited England, where " Lady Rebecca," as Poca- hontas was called, was received with honor at the court, and her beauty much admired. THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 59 colony would in all probability have perished, and the history of English settlement in America would have been changed. 87. The Indians. Powhatan was the great chief of the Vir- ginia tribes east of the mountains. The influence of John Smith, and the marriage of the old chief's daughter, Pocahontas, to Rolfe, made Powhatan the firm friend of the whites, and during his lifetime the savages were at peace with the settlers. Under Powhatan's successor, Opechancanough, two plots were formed to destroy the colonists by attacking all their settlements at the same time. The first plot was carried out in 1622, when over three hundred defenseless whites were murdered. The settlers hastily assembled, attacked the savages furiously, hunted them as if they were wild beasts, and drove them far to the frontier. The second massacre came twenty years later. Governor Berkeley raised a troop of horsemen, routed the Indians and captured Opechancanough. The old chief was nearly blind from age, and so infirm that he had to be carried on a litter. Yet his mind was vigorous and his spirit unbroken. The governor expected to send the captive chief to England, but he was murdered by one of his guards. After this Virginia had little to fear from Indian attacks. 88. Tobacco Culture. We have seen how the Indian custom of smok- ing tobacco excited the wonder of the first English explorers of America ( 61, footnote). Sir Walter Raleigh made the practice fashionable at the Eng- lish court, and it soon became general throughout England. The soil and climate of Great Britain were not suited to the growth of the plant, so the fashionable 6O HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. English smokers had to depend upon the uncertain crops of the Indians for a supply for their pipes. (Cigars were not known, and tobacco-chewing was rare.) Soon after the Jamestown colony was firmly established, John Rolfe began the systematic culture of tobacco. He succeeded so well, and found such a ready sale for his crop, that Governor Yeardley directed the general attention of the colonists to the production of the plant. Tobacco culture soon became the chief occupa- tion of the Virginians. Every year thousands of hogsheads of the valuable product were exported to England. All other oc- cupations were neglected, and the tobacco industry became an important element in the material, political, and social history of Virginia. 89. The First Assembly and Constitution. In the first five years of her existence Virginia had three different charters. The third charter abolished the London Council, and allowed the Company to govern their colony directly. A resolution was passed by the Company granting to the Virginians the right to choose for themselves a " General Assembly " to make their laws. Every freeman was allowed to vote, and two " burgesses " were elected from each "plantation," or settlement. The laws of the Assembly were to be approved by the London Company before they could be binding. The first Assembly consisted of twenty-two members. It met at Jamestown, 1619, and was the first law-making Assembly chosen by the people that ever met in America. Two years later (1621) the colonists were granted a written constitution, defining their rights and providing for regular meetings of the Assembly. 1 i This first American constitution was the work of Sir Edwin Sandys, one of the ablest friends of Virginia. He had been chosen treasurer of the company against the wishes of King James, who is said to have remarked, " Choose the devil if you will, but not Sir Edwin Sandys." THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 6 1 90. Wives for the Settlers The wise heads in the London Company realized that their colony would never succeed as long as the settlers looked wistfully back to Eng- land as their home. So the plan was devised of sending out from England numbers of young women as wives for the Virginians, to make homes for them in the wilderness, and thus awaken in the men an interest in the prosperity and good government of the colony. The young women were to be of good character, and the cost of the passage of each (one hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco) was to be paid by the man who chose her as his wife. The damsels, too, were not to be " enforced to marry against their wills." This curious plan succeeded finely. When the first ship-load of ninety maidens arrived at Jamestown, a crowd of young men and old bachelors who were fortunate enough to have the required amount of tobacco, assembled to greet them. Courtships were made in short order. As soon as a man made satis- factory arrangements with a partner, he paid for her passage, and they were married at once. There was no trouble in find- ing husbands for all, and the ninety brides were so well pleased that they wrote back home and persuaded sixty more maidens to come over, and make sixty more lonely bachelors happy. 91. The First Slaves. The same year that marks the meeting of the first Assembly and the beginning of free gov- ernment in Virginia, was also the beginning of African slavery in this country. In 1619 a Dutch vessel sailed up the James River and offered for sale to the planters twenty negroes captured on the coast of Africa. The slaves were bought and put to work on the tobacco plantations. Their labor was found profitable, and when others were brought over a ready sale was found for them. In a few years slaves were found in greater or less numbers in all the American colonies. 62 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. 92. Fall of the London Company. King James did not like the spirit of liberty and opposition to royal power that was displayed in the great meetings of the London Company. He sent a committee to Virginia to inquire into the affairs of the colony. The Assembly refused to. submit their records ; and when the king's commissioners bribed the clerk to sur- render them, the Assembly punished their faithless servant by cutting off his ear. But, as everybody expected, the obstinate king carried his point. The charter was annulled, and the London Company, that had controlled the colony for seven- teen years and had laid the foundation of free government, was dissolved. Virginia became a royal colony and passed under the direct control of the king (1624). 93. The "Old Dominion." About the middle of the seventeenth century Oliver Cromwell led a revolution in Eng- land against the authority of the king. The armies of Charles I. (the successor of James I.) were beaten, and the king was tried and beheaded by his subjects. For eleven years England was under the rule of a "Lord Protector" instead of a king, while the late king's son, afterward Charles II., was a wandering exile. During this period many of the king's followers fled to Virginia, among them John Washington, the great-grandfather of George Washington, and also the ancestors of Jefferson, Patrick Henry, the Lees, Randolphs, and other families afterward prominent in history. The sympathies of the Virginians were with the royalists, and these exiles were warmly welcomed. In one of her charters, Virginia was called "His Majesty's Ancient Colony and Dominion of Virginia." For this reason, and because of her loyalty to the exiled monarch, Virginia received the name of the "Old Dominion." 94. Bacon's Rebellion. Though loyal to the King, the colonists grew more and more discontented with the oppressive THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 63 laws of England and the misrule of the governors. During an Indian attack, Governor Berkeley ordered the troops that were ready to march against the savages to disband, probably be- cause an Indian war would interfere with his profits from their trade. The people chose Nathaniel Bacon, a young and popular planter, as their leader, and without waiting for authority from the governor, they marched against the Indians and defeated them. In the meantime Berkeley declared Bacon and his men rebels. Bacon's party then met and signed an oath to resist the governor and any forces that might be sent over from England, until the king should be informed of the true state of affairs. Civil war followed between the adherents of Bacon and those of the governor. Bacon's party was suc- cessful, and the governor was driven out of Jamestown. A new Assembly met and passed a number of laws for the relief of the people. In the midst of his success, however, Bacon died of fever caused by exposure. No leader was found to take his place, and his party fell to pieces. Berkeley returned to Jamestown and, seizing the government, began to take vengeance upon those who had opposed him. King Charles II. finally removed him from office, 1 remarking, " The old fool has taken away more lives in that miserable country than I have for the murder of my father." 95. Settlement of the Valley. The region between the Blue Ridge and the Alleghany, known as the "Valley of Virginia," was settled by a class of people different from the colonists on the banks of the James. The first wave of im- migration into this section came from Pennsylvania, and was composed of Germans and Scotch-Irish, who were attracted by reports of the fertility of the soil. Later, numbers of Scotch- Irish Presbyterians, seeking greater religious freedom, came 1 For thirty-five years Berkeley had been a leading figure in Virginia history, having held the office of governor during the greater part of this time. 64 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. from eastern Virginia to the upper valley, and many families were brought direct from Scotland and Ireland. The large tobacco plantations, so numerous east of the mountains, were not found in the valley ; so in their manner of life, as in their religion, the Virginians of this section differed from their Church-of-England neighbors across the mountains. 96. Later History of the Colony. By the close of the colonial period the struggling settlement on the banks of the James had grown to a prosperous colony of over half a million inhabitants. On account of the unhealthfulness of its site, Jamestown was abandoned, and Williamsburg became the capital. This town was founded on the spot where Bacon and his men had taken the oath to resist the king's troops. Its streets were planned in the form of a W and M, in honor of William and Mary. Here William and Mary College, the principal seat of learning in the Southern colonies, was located. Under Governor Spottswood, the pirates of Chesapeake Bay were routed, and their famous leader, "Blackboard," was killed. Spottswood established the first iron furnace in Virginia, and did much to develop the resources of the colony. 97. Summary. Virginia, the oldest English colony, was founded at Jamestown in 1607, by the London Company, a mercantile body that wished to extend its trading operations by forming settlements in America. The charter obtained from King James I. provided a wretched form of government. Sickness, starvation, and quarrels brought the settlement to the verge of ruin. John Smith saved the colony from destruction. Young women were brought over from England as wives for the settlers. The importation of needy adventurers ceased, and a stream of immigration from the best classes of England flowed into the colony. The use of tobacco was learned from the Indians, and the culture of the plant became so profitable that it formed the universal occupation of the settlers. In the year 1619, the first colonial assembly met. In the same year the first African slaves were introduced. Seventeen years after the founding of Jamestown King James dissolved the London Company and made Virginia a royal colony. The misrule of Governor Berkeley led to the civil strife THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 65 known as " Bacon's Rebellion," which was brought to a close by Bacon's death. Throughout the colonial period Virginia held a leading position among the English colonies. MARYLAND. 98. Settlement. Twenty-seven years after the settlement of Jamestown, two English ships sailed into Chesapeake Bay bearing men and supplies for the founding of a new colony north of the Potomac. They sailed up the broad bosom of the Potomac, entered a small tributary near its mouth, and landing, established their first settlement, which they called St. Mary's (1634). Land was purchased from the In- dians, together with part of the growing crops. The Indian women taught the settlers how to make "hoe-cakes" of corn meal, and the In- dian men helped them to hunt the deer. A large proportion of the settlers were laboring men. More fortunate than its Virginia neighbors, the new colony escaped the perils of starva- tion and Indian massacres, and was soon firmly established. 99. The Founders of Maryland. These colonists were sent out from England by Cecil Calvert. George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, was a rich English nobleman and a member of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholics were at that time persecuted in England, and George Calvert wished to found a refuge in America for his brethren. He first tried Newfoundland, but found the climate there too severe. He 66 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. then went to Virginia with a number of followers. On his re- fusal to take the " Oath of Supremacy " (acknowledging the king of England as the head of the Church) the Virginians requested him to leave their colony. Returning to England, he obtained from his friend, King Charles I., a grant to that part of Virginia lying north of the Potomac. The new colony was to be called Maryland, in honor of Hen- rietta Maria, wife of the king. Just before his char- ter was issued Lord Balti- more died. His son, Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, carried out his father's plans. 100. The Government of the Colony. The charter of Maryland contained a more complete grant of power than that of any George Calvert, First Lord Baltimore. ' other colony. The proprie- tor, as Lord Baltimore and his successors were called, was authorized to make all necessary laws, with the consent of the freemen ; and these laws were to be binding without the ap- proval of the English king or Council. The colonists were to be free from taxation by the crown, and were to enjoy all the rights of Englishmen. The king only asked, as a token of allegiance, two Indian arrows every year. 101. Territorial Disputes. There was much dissatisfac- tion among the Virginians on account of the fact that the Maryland grant embraced territory included in their charter. William Clayborne, a member of the Virginia Council, had established a trading post on an island in Chesapeake Bay THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 67 within the disputed limits. When the Maryland authorities demanded that he should pay for a license to trade, he raised a body of troops and resisted. He was defeated, however, and his property seized. Clayborne fled to Virginia, and after- ward went to England to make his complaint to the king. The king, however, decided against him. After Pennsylvania was founded, a dispute arose between that colony and Maryland as to the boundary between them. The present line was finally agreed upon, and was called " Mason and Dixon's Line," from the two surveyors by whom it was laid off. 102. Religious Troubles. Though Maryland was founded as a refuge for oppressed Catholics, yet Christians of every de- nomination were welcomed. Her government was the first in the history of the world under which all Christians possessed equal rights. 1 During Cromwell's rule in England, the govern- ment of Maryland passed into the hands of Protestants. Sad to say, they began to persecute the Catholics, and civil war fol- lowed. The Protestants under Clayborne, who was now at the head of the Puritan party, were successful, and the Governor of Maryland was compelled to flee from the colony. After the death of Cromwell, Lord Baltimore's authority was again estab- lished and religious toleration was restored. 103. Changes in the Government. In 1692, King William annulled Lord Baltimore's charter, and for twenty-five years Maryland remained a royal colony under the control of govern- ors appointed by the king. The capital was moved from St. Mary's to Providence, afterward called Annapolis in honor of the queen. The fifth Lord Baltimore, having changed his religion, was recognized as Proprietor, and under his son the i In 1638 William Lewis was fined one hundred pounds of tobacco for abusing Protestants, and forbidding his servants to read Protestant books. 68 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. old government was reestablished, and remained in force until the Revolution. 104. Summary. George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, a Roman Catholic nobleman, in order to found a refuge for his oppressed brethren, obtained from the King a grant to that part of the territory of Virginia lying north of the Potomac. The first settlement, St. Mary's, was founded in 1634. The charter was extremely liberal. All Christians were allowed equal rights. William Clayborne of Virginia, with a band of followers, resisted the authority of Maryland over a certain island in the Potomac. War followed between Clayborne's followers and the troops of the Governor. Clayborne was defeated and driven from the colony. Afterward he returned, put him- self at the head of the Protestant party, and compelled the Governor to flee. The Protestant rulers then treated the Catholics with great severity. Finally Calvert's authority was reestablished. King William annulled the charter and for twenty-five years Maryland was a royal colony. Then the fifth Lord Baltimore was recognized as proprietor and the old proprietary government was restored. NORTH CAROLINA. 105. Settlement. The first attempts to plant an English settlement in the New World were on the coast of the present State of North Carolina ( 67). After the failure of Sir Walter Raleigh's last colony, however, this region was for a long time abandoned. In 1629 Charles I. gave to Sir Robert Heath the vast territory between the present states of Virginia and Florida; but Heath made no attempt at settlement, and nothing came of the grant. Virginia claimed part of this region ( 81), and her Assembly asserted authority over it by issuing grants of land to settlers and trading companies. A settlement of Virginians was formed on the shores of Albemarle Sound ( l6 S3)- Ten years later some Englishmen from the West India Islands settled on the Cape Fear River. 106. Colony Established. In 1663, Charles II., ignoring the claims of Virginia, gave to the Earl of Clarendon, the Duke THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 6 9 of Albemarle, and six other noblemen (including Governor Berkeley, of Virginia), as a reward for their faithfulness to him, the region formerly em- SETTLEMENT OF THE :.Au ff u8tine CAROLINAS braced in Heath's patent. These proprietors estab- lished their authority over the settlements already formed, and proceeded to introduce other colonists. In Heath's patent, the name Carolina, given by the French to their fort on the coast (55), was applied to the entire territory, in honor of Charles I. of Eng- land. This name was retained by the new proprietors. 107. The Charter. The charter of Carolina, as of Mary- land, allowed great freedom of action to the proprietors. They could make any laws whatever, provided they were in accord- ance with the laws and customs of England. A most important provision, however, was that no laws could be passed without " the advice, assent, and approbation of the freemen " or their delegates, who were to be assembled from time to time. 1 08. The Fundamental Constitutions. The noblemen who owned Carolina did not believe in giving much power to the common people. With the aid of the philosopher, John Locke, an elaborate plan of government, called the " Fundamental Constitutions," was prepared for the colony. By these Consti- tutions the eldest proprietor was made a sort of king of the province. The other proprietors were to be officers with high- sounding titles. There was to be a parliament elected by the people, but it could discuss only such measures as were pro- posed by the Grand Executive Council appointed by the pro- 70 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. prietors. The inhabitants of the colony were to be divided into classes called barons, landgraves, caciques, and commons, and the commons were allowed no share in the government. 109. Effect of Misgovernment. From the first, the colo- nists regarded the Fundamental Constitutions as unsuitable and oppressive. They claimed that according to the charter their consent was necessary to any change of government. Yet for twenty-five years the proprietors vainly attempted to enforce their absurd plan upon the settlers. Moreover, the governors appointed by the proprietors were nearly all tyranni- cal and worthless men. The result of so much misrule was to give the people a contempt for all government, and to retard the growth of the colony. 1 10. A Royal Colony. For about seventy years North Carolina and South Carolina were considered one colony, although each had a separate governor and assembly. The proprietors, after a long struggle with their obstinate colo- nists, finally abandoned the Fundamental Constitutions and allowed the settlers to govern themselves according to the charter of Charles II. In 1729, the proprietors sold all their rights to the King, and North and South Carolina became royal provinces. Summary. See 116. SOUTH CAROLINA. in. Settlement. In the southern part of the immense region known as Carolina, two rivers, the Ashley and the Cooper, flowing through a fertile and lovely district, unite their waters just before reaching the sea. On the western bank of the first named of these streams, two ship-loads of im- migrants, sent out from England by the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, landed and began to build their future homes (1670). THE ENGLISH* COLONIES. /I The new settlement was named Charleston, in honor of the English king. A few years later it was removed to the strip of land between the Ashley and the Cooper rivers, the present site of the city of Charleston. 112. The Settlers. The first settlers of Charleston were a mixed population, including English, Irish, Scotch, French, and Germans. On account of religious persecution at home, large numbers of French Protestants, known as Huguenots, came to the colony. These were intelligent, orderly, indus- trious, and religious, an excellent class of immigrants. 113. Rice-Culture. A sea captain returning from a voyage to Madagascar gave some rice seed to one of the colonists. The seed were planted, and the climate and soil proved to be admirably adapted to rice production. A machine for husking the seed having been invented, rice culture soon became a leading occupation of the people. 114. Troubles with the Spaniards and the Indians. The Spaniards at St. Augustine regarded the settlers of South Carolina as intruders upon their territory. In 1686 a com- bined force of Spaniards and Indians attacked and destroyed an English settlement at Port Royal. Some years later, the South Carolinians made an expedition against St. Augustine, 72 in which they burned the town but failed to take the fort. Troubles with the Spaniards and their Indian allies continued until the new colony of Georgia was formed between South Carolina and the hostile Spaniards. 115. Government of the Colony. At first South Carolina was governed as part of Carolina. The " Fundamental Con- stitutions " met the same resistance from the southern colo- nists that it did from their northern neighbors. In 1711, the people of South Carolina rose against the rule of the proprie- tors, and invited their governor to hold his office in behalf of the king. On his refusal, they chose one of their own number governor, and proceeded to control the government as a royal colony. The king approved their action. In 1729, North and South Carolina were finally separated, and both were declared royal provinces. 116. Summary, the Carolinas. In 1663, King Charles II. granted to the Earl of Clarendon, the Duke of Albemarle, and other noblemen the vast region lying between Virginia and Spanish Florida (including a part of what was then the territory of Virginia). A short time before this grant was made a few colonists from Virginia and some Englishmen from the West Indies had made settlements on Albemarle Sound and Cape Fear River. In 1670, Charleston was founded by settlers sent by the proprietors direct from England. The northern and southern parts of Carolina were allowed each a separate governor and Assembly. There was much misgov- ernment, especially in the northern colony. The introduction of rice-cul- ture added prosperity to South Carolina. The Spaniards and Indians of Florida were a source of danger to the southern colony until Georgia was founded. About seventy years after the first settlement, North Carolina and South Carolina were separated and both became royal colonies. GEORGIA. 117. The Territory of Georgia was originally part of the Carolina grant. When South Carolina became a royal prov- ince, the Savannah River was made its southern boundary, the country between that stream and Spanish Florida being re- THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 73 tained by the king as "crown lands." George II. granted the region lying between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers to their sources, thence due west to the Pacific, to James Ogle- thorpe and a company of "trustees," who named their pro- posed colony Georgia in honor of the king. 118. The Founders of Georgia. At that time the English jails were full of people who were imprisoned because they LT% could not pay their debts. James Oglethorpe was a brave soldier and member of parliament who was touched with pity for the sufferings of the debtors. He induced others to join him in raising a fund for transporting the better class of these debtors to America, where they would be able to make homes for them- selves and to begin life anew. So much interested was he in his unselfish enterprise, that he came to America himself, cheerfully gave his money, and bravely endured every danger in the interest of the colony. 119. First Settlement. Oglethorpe obtained his grant from the king in 1732 (the same year that Washington was 74 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. born). He came over with his colonists, and the next year founded the city of Savannah on a bluff overlooking the Savannah River. 120. Growth and Government of the Colony. Besides the English debtors large numbers of persecuted German Prot- estants came to Georgia. All laws were made by the trustees, and the colonists were allowed no share in the gov- ernment. .Religi- ous toleration was granted to all save Roman Catholics. Slavery was prohib- ited and the impor- tation of rum for- bidden. However, the government of the trustees was unpopular, and in 1752, Georgia became a royal James Oglethorpe. colony. Oglethorpe was very successful in his dealings with the Indians. Tomochichi, a neighboring chief, like Powhatan in Virginia, and Massasoit in Massachusetts, was the firm friend of the whites. 121. Preaching of the Wesleys and Whitefield. The brothers John and Charles Wesley accompanied Oglethorpe to Georgia, the former as missionary of the English Church. For three years John Wesley faithfully ministered to the settlers and Indians, undergoing every hardship in his laborious mis- sion. Returning to England, he and his brother Charles be- came the founders of the Methodist Church. George W T hitefield THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 75 joined them, and succeeded John Wesley as missionary to Georgia. Whitefield was a pulpit orator of wonderful power. His clear, musical voice could be heard distinctly by an audi- ence of twenty-five thousand people. He traveled through the colonies from Georgia to Massachusetts, preaching in the open air to vast crowds and exerting a powerful influence wherever he went. 122. Troubles with the Spaniards. The Spaniards of Florida constantly threatened the destruction of the Georgia settlements. There were invasions and counter-invasions until the close of the French and Indian War (1763) when Spain gave up to England all Spanish territory south of the Altamaha River. The limits of the colony of Georgia were then extended to include the present states of Georgia, Alabama, and Missis- sippi. 123. Summary. Georgia, the youngest of the original thirteen colo- nies, was founded by James Oglethorpe as a refuge for the unfortunate debtor class of England. The territory of the colony lay between the 7 6 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. Savannah and Altamaha Rivers. In 1733 the first settlement was made at Savannah. The Wesleys and George Whitefield visited the colony and ex- erted a great influence by their preaching. Twenty years after the founding of Georgia, Oglethorpe's " trustees " surrendered their rights of govern- ment, and the colony passed under the immediate control of the king. There were occasional conflicts with the Spaniards on the south, until Florida was ceded by Spain to England. The territory of Georgia was then extended west and south to the Mississippi. 124. Thought Questions. Account for the gradual loss of promi- nence of the Spanish in American history. Why were the Swedes and Dutch so slow in attempting settlements ? What points of superiority over all their competitors did the English possess in the struggle for possession of the continent ? In what sense was- Raleigh the founder of Virginia ? What motive actuated the London Company in their colonization enter- prise? What rights were granted to the Virginians by this company? What ideas resembling that of a " common store-house " are held in modern times? Show that they are as foolish to-day as they ever were. What do you think of John Smith's rule that "he who will not work, shall not eat"? In what ways did the profitableness of tobacco culture influence Virginia history? Was Bacon a rebel? What do you think of the justice of his course ? Why were the " Scotch-Irish " so called ? How did the Virginians regard the first settlers of Maryland ? What motives led to the founding of Maryland? How did it happen that two colonies were formed in Carolina? Compare the condition of debtors to-day with their condition 1 50 years ago. What resemblance is there between the circumstances of Oglethorpe's founding of Georgia and Baltimore's founding of Maryland ? What dif- ference do you notice ? Fill out the following table for Southern colonies : COLONY. First Settlement. Date. By Whom Founded. Religion of First Settlers. Motive of Founders. Virginia . . Jamestown 1607 London Co. Church of England Commercial gain Maryland. . N. Carolina . S. Carolina . Georgia . . THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 77 TOPICAL ANALYSIS (THE SOUTHERN COLONIES). A New Epoch, j A glance backward. 79. A JNew Epoch. . [ Rights of the colonists. 1 08. Fundamental Constitutions, -i _, \ Provisions. f The Constitutions. 109. Misgovernment. < Conduct of Governors. [ Result. Carolina divided. A royal colony. Location. Name. By whom sent. Mixed population. 1 1 3. Rice Culture. 114. Contests with the Spanish in Florida. J Uprising of the colonists. \ A royal colony. Limits of the grant. Name. f The man. 118. The Founder. -I His object. His self-sacrifice. 112. Settlers. 115. Government. 117. The Territory. GEORGIA (continued}. THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 79 f 1 19. The First Settlement. f The Indians. 1 20. Growth of the , , _ Government ot the I rustees. Colony. A royal colony. 121. Preaching of the Wesleys and Whitfield. 122. Troubles with the J Invasions from Florida. Spaniards. ^ Fla. surrendered to England. THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES. MASSACHUSETTS. Within the present limits of Massachusetts there were once two colonies, known as the Plymouth Colony and the Massa- chusetts Bay Colony. /. PLYMOUTH COLONY. 125. Religious Classes in England. At the beginning of the seventeenth century the people of England were divided according to religious belief into two great classes : the Roman Catholics, who in times past had controlled the government, but now were comparatively few in number and were oppressed by unjust laws ; and the Protestants (so called originally because they protested against some of the beliefs and practices of the Catholics), who were now the ruling class. But the Protestants were themselves divided. The great majority of them, includ- ing most of the rich and the nobility, were members of the Church of England, whose ministers were appointed and sup- ported by the government. Among the Protestants, however, there were many who objected to certain forms and observ- ances of the English Church. Those who carried their opposition so far as to establish separate churches were called Separatists, while those who preferred to remain in the English Church but wished to see it changed in some forms and doctrines ("purified" as they said) were known as Puritans. 8o HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. Draw on blackboard : CATHOLICS (few and oppressed). English People PROTES- . TANTS 'Church of England (great majority of people). Puritans Dissenters (or Conformists). (or Puritans) Separatists (or Non-Con- Presbyterians, Independents, 1 Quakers, etc. 126. The Founders of the Plymouth Colony. In the next year after Jamestown was founded, a little congregation of Separatists, unwilling to give up their religious belief and un- able longer to endure the persecutions to which they were sub- jected, fled from England and sought a home in Holland ( 71). Here they remained for a number of years un- disturbed. But they were still Englishmen, and it grieved them to see their children, by intermarriage with the Dutch, gradually forget their language and religion, and become ab- sorbed in a foreign nation. Their thoughts turned to America. In the wilds of the New World they hoped to find a refuge, where, free from alien influences, they could worship God as they chose. 127. Difficulties in the Way. These exiled Englishmen decided on the northern part of the vast region then called Virginia as the best place for their new home. But two great THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 8 1 difficulties were in the way of the undertaking ; the permission of the English authorities to make a settlement in their Ameri- can possessions had to be secured, and means had to be pro- vided to pay the expenses of the enterprise. The London Company was favorable, but the king hesitated to promise them freedom of religion. At last they secured a " patent " 1 from the Company with only the indirect assurance from the king " that he would connive at them and not molest them, provided they carried themselves peaceably." London mer- chants agreed to furnish the means, on condition that for seven years the proceeds of all labor should go to a common fund, and at the close of that period there should be an equal divi- sion of houses, lands, and goods between the merchants and colonists. 128. The Voyage to America. Under William Brewster, an elder of their church, a large part of this Separatist congre- gation set sail from Holland in a small ship called the Speed- well. They sailed first to. England, where they found a larger vessel, the Mayflower, hired for their use. Here a number of friends joined them. The two ships started out on their west- ern voyage together, but the Speedwell was soon found to be too leaky to proceed, and returned to England. The May- flower continued on her course alone, and after a voyage of nine weeks, in November, 1620, came in sight of the shores of Cape Cod. 129. Settlement of Plymouth. The " Pilgrims," as these wanderers were called, intended to settle near the mouth of the Hudson, the northern limit of the Virginia Company, but 1 Plymouth, unlike her neighboring colonies, never had a charter from the King. Her attempts to secure one were defeated by religious opposition in England, and jealousy of adjoining colonies in America. The company called "the Governor and Council of Plymouth " had a charter giving them the powers of government. This company granted a " patent " to the colonists and their friends which allowed them only the rights to settle and trade. 82 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. stormy weather and the opposition of the ship's crew forced them to make a landing on the coast which they first reached. Several weeks were spent in exploring the shores of Cape Cod Bay in search of a suitable place for settlement. Finally a small harbor, known on Cap- tain John Smith's map as Ply- mouth, was chosen. Here they found " divers cornfields and little running brooks, a place very good for settle- ment." It was December 21, 1620, when the landing was made and the settlement begun. 130. Government. Finding themselves outside the limits of the Virginia Company, whose grant they held, the colonists, before landing, drew up and signed the following paper as a basis of their government : " Jn tbe name of I! V ward he took refuge among the Indians and founded the colony of Rhode Is- land. Mrs. Anne Hutchinson delivered public lectures in the colony, in which she urged, among other doctrines, that not an upright life, but a direct inward revelation proved a person to be saved, and that any one "justified" and "sanctified" was absolutely free from sin. Her teachings caused great excitement and gained many adherents. They were looked upon by the stern Puritans- as dangerous to public morals, and she was banished from the colony. 1 139. The First Slave Ship. The first American slave ship was built at Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1636. It was used The Church in which Roger Williams Preached Salem. It is still standing. 1 Mrs. Hutchinson was kindly received in Rhode Island by Roger Williams Afterwards, having removed to New York, she was killed in an Indian massacre. THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 8/ for transporting to this country slaves captured on the coast of Africa. Two years later this ship brought her first cargo of negro slaves into Massachusetts. This was the beginning of an extensive and profitable trade by which slaves were carried in New England ships to all the English colonies. 140. Indian Troubles. Massachusetts, in common with her sister colonies, was engaged in two bloody Indian wars, the Pequod War and King Philip's War. These are described later ( 156160). 141. The Witchcraft Craze. The stern religious life of the Puritans and the intensity of their convictions led to a ready acceptance of the supernatural. In the latter part of the seventeenth century belief in witchcraft, which had long been accepted in the Old World, reached a climax of fanati- cism in New England, and hurried the people into deeds of cruelty and bloodshed. In 1684, Rev. Increase Mather pub- lished a book called "A Record of Illustrious Providences," containing an account of the cases of witchcraft that had al- ready occurred and describing the characteristics of the " devil- try " of the witches. A few years later the children of John Goodwin of Boston claimed to have been bewitched by an Irish servant-woman, against whom one of them had a spite. Among other symptoms, they barked like dogs, mewed like cats, and were struck dumb at the sight of the Shorter Cate- chism. The so-called witch was tried, convicted, and hanged. At Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, a witchcraft craze seized the people. Twenty persons were executed as witches, hundreds were imprisoned, and a reign of terror prevailed. Rev. Increase Mather, then President of Harvard College, was a leading spirit in the prosecutions. He was heartily supported by the governor and highest judges of the colony. At last the people returned to their senses, and, after a few years had passed, 88 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. Massachusetts appointed a fast-day for the " errors into which magistrates and people had been led by Satan and his instru- ments." 142. Period of Oppression. In 1678, the lawyers of King James II. declared that the charter of Massachusetts had been forfeited by the failure of her government to enforce the navigation laws of England. Petitions and remonstrances of the colonists were of no avail. A few years later (1684) the charter was declared to be null and void. The colony was left absolutely subject to the king, and the people were deprived of all their political rights. Sir Edmund Andros was appointed governor of New England. This tyrant levied taxes on his own authority, and declared that all lands belonged to the crown ; the colonists could establish their title only by paying fees to the royal officials. This despotic government continued until the news of the overthrow of King James reached Massa- chusetts. The people then rose against their rulers, put Andros in jail, and reestablished their old government. 143. Plymouth Joined to Massachusetts Bay. As before related, the colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay were united in one colony in 1691. The province of Maine and the territory of Nova Scotia were included in the new colony, thenceforth known as Massachusetts. The new charter of 1692 provided that the governor should be appointed by the king, and all acts of the legislature were to be sent to England for approval. The religious qualification for voters was no longer continued, but a property qualification was required. 144. Summary. A congregation of English Separatists, to escape persecution in their native land, fled to Holland. Dissatisfied there, they resolved to settle in America. They obtained a patent from the London Company, and sailing by way of Plymouth, England, landed in 1620 on the Massachusetts coast. They named their settlement Plymouth. Finding themselves outside the territory of the London Company, they obtained a THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 8 9 patent from the Council for New England (successors to the Plymouth Company). . John Carver was chosen as their first governor, and Miles Standish was their leader against the Indians. Eight years later John Endicott and other prominent English Puritans obtained from the Council for New England a grant of territory lying north of Plymouth. Settlements were made at Salem, Boston, and other places. Endicott obtained from the king a charter designating his colony the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and giving to himself and his associates the powers of government. The " stockholders " having all moved to Mas- sachusetts, the colony became a self-governing commonwealth. Roger Williams and Mrs. Hutchinson were banished on account of their religious teachings. Two Indian wars caused great loss of life and property. Dur- ing the "witchcraft craze" many innocent persons were imprisoned and put to death. In 1678 the king annulled the charter of Massachusetts Bay Colony, and for five years the people were under the despotic rule of Gov- ernor Andros. In 1691 Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay were united in one colony, known as Massachusetts. The population and wealth of Massachusetts gave her a preeminence among the Northern colonies corresponding to that of Virginia in the South. CONNECTICUT. 145. Settlement. The Dutch settlers of New York and the Plymouth colonists both established trading posts on the Connecticut River , , , ,.,.,.. , at an early date ; but the real found- ers of the Connecti- cut colony came from Massachu- setts. In 1635 J onn W i n t h r o p, the younger, built Fort Saybrook at the mouth of the Connecticut River. The next year Hartford was founded by Thomas Hooker, a Puritan minister, who had marched through the woods from Massachusetts with his entire 9 o HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. congregation. John Davenport, another minister, with a com- pany of immigrants, settled New Haven. 146. Union of the Settlements. Around the towns of Hartford and New Haven as centers, numerous settlements sprang up. For a while there were three colonies, Saybrook, Connecticut, and New Haven. In a few years these were re- duced to two by the union of the Saybrook and Connecticut colonies. The Connecticut colony was conspicuous for the liberal and democratic government established by its people. The New Haven colony was less tolerant in religious matters. After a separate existence of about thirty years the New Haven colony was absorbed by Connecticut. The three original col- onies were thus reduced to one. 147. The Charter. The charter of Connecticut, which was obtained through the efforts of Winthrop, gave a great deal of liberty to the people, allow- ing them to elect all their officers. Consequently they prized it highly, and when the Eng- lish government demanded the surrender of their charter, they put off compliance until Andros with a large escort came to Hartford to enforce the king's order. Andros held a conference in the evening with the governor and council of the colony. Tradition says that the lights in the room were suddenly extinguished, THE ENGLISH COLONIES. QI and the charter was hidden in a hollow oak-tree. Andros, however, took control of affairs, and for a few years the charter government was overthrown. With the downfall of Andros ( 162) the old charter (or a duplicate) was brought from its concealment, the government under it was reorganized, and continued in force until the Revolution. 148. Summary. The first settlers of Connecticut came from Massa- chusetts. Settlements were formed at Hartford by Thomas Hooker, and at New Haven by John Davenport. For a time three colonies existed, the Connecticut colony, the New Haven colony, and the Saybrook colony. Finally these were combined into the Connecticut colony. The charter of Connecticut was liberal in its provisions, and was much prized by the peo- ple. During the period of Andros's rule over New England the charter gevernment of Connecticut was overthrown, but was restored with the downfall of James II. RHODE ISLAND. 149. Settlement. When Roger Williams was driven from Massachusetts ( 138), he fled southward through the woods, and with a few followers established a settlement which he called Providence at the head of Narragansett Bay (1636). The following year a party of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson's follow- ers made a settlement on an island in the bay, afterward known as Rhode Island. These settlements and others near them were subsequently united under the name of " The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." 150. Government. Roger Williams declared that in his colony no one should ever be disturbed on account of his reli- gious belief. The settlers were chiefly refugees from other colonies. They were independent thinkers in politics as well as in religion, and they did not get along peaceably together. For twenty-seven years there were quarrels between the differ- ent settlements with only a weak government over them. Finally a charter was secured which united the different settle- 9 2 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. ments, granted entire religious freedom, and allowed the people to elect their own officers. 151. Separate Position. Rhode Island was the first col- ony to establish the great principle of complete religious free- dom. 1 Because of her independent position in religion, as well as on account of her unsettled government, Rhode Island was viewed with suspicion and dislike by the other New Eng- land colonies, and was not allowed to join the New England Confederation ( 157). 152. Summary. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams, who, when banished from Massachusetts, established the first settlement at Providence in 1636. The next year a party of Mrs. Hutchinson's followers settled " Rhode Island," in Narragansett Bay. Roger Williams enforced the great principle of religious freedom, and his colony became a refuge for the oppressed. The government of Rhode Island was at first turbulent and unsettled. Finally a charter was obtained uniting the different settle- ments. After this better order prevailed. NEW HAMPSHIRE. 153. Some of those who suffered from religious persecution in the older New England colonies, went to New Hampshire, where settlements had been made as early as 1623. The population in this colony increased very slowly, owing to confusion in land titles and disputes about government. It was too weak for independence and was several times united to Massachusetts ; it finally be- came a separate colony in 1741. New Hampshire had no charter, but was subject directly to the king. Vermont was claimed as part of her territory. 1 Maryland gave equal freedom to all Christians. THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 93 154. Summary. New Hampshire was settled by immigrants from other New England colonies. Its growth was slow. In 1741 it became a separate colony, subject directly to the king. NEW ENGLAND AS A WHOLE. 155. Close Relation of the Colonies. The region em- braced by the colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire was first called " New England " by Captain John Smith, on a map of his explorations. The " Council for New England," to whom the land was granted in 1620, adopted the name in their title. The early history of these colonies is in many respects similar. We have seen that Massachusetts was the parent colony of all the others. The character, occupation, and religion of the settlers, their mode of local government, their dangers, and their interests, were much the same. The following topics relate to events which to some extent affected all these colonies. 156. The Pequod War. The Pequods, one of the strongest and fiercest Indian tribes of New England, came in contact with the settlers in the Connecticut valley, soon after the first settlements were made in that region. They tried to get the help of the powerful Narragansetts of Rhode Island, but through the influence of Roger Williams, the Narragansetts refused aid. The weak Connecticut people, in their distress, appealed to Massachusetts. A little army of five hundred men was raised by the two colonies. Under Captain John Mason, they attacked the leading Pequod village on the Mystic River in Connecticut. The Indians were completely routed, and seven hundred, including women and children, were slain, and two hundred taken prisoners. The captives were sold as slaves, and the great tribe of Pequods was extinguished. 94 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. 157. The New England Confederation. The Pequod War taught the colonies the advantage of union in time of danger. In 1643, Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven determined upon a permanent Confederation to be known as "The United Colonies of New England." 1 The object of the Confederation was to gain better protection against foreign and domestic enemies. Each colony was left perfectly free to manage its own internal affairs, while exter- nal matters pertaining to the good of all were entrusted to eight commissioners, two chosen by each colony. This is im- portant as the first confederation of British colonies in Amer- ica. It lasted more than forty years. Besides affording pro- tection against the Indians it brought the New England colo- nies into closer sympathy with each other, and showed the other colonies the advantages of union. 158. King Philip's War ; Cause. On the death of Mas- sasoit, who for so many years had been a friend of the whites, his eldest son, Alexander, became chief of the tribe of Wam- panoags, who lived near the head of Narragansett Bay. As Alexander was suspected of plotting against the settlers, a company of men from Plymouth surprised him in his hunting lodge, and took him prisoner. This insult made the proud Indian furious. He was seized with a dangerous fever, from which he died soon after his release from captivity. His brother, Philip, succeeded him as chief. Philip possessed unusual ability and wielded a great influence over the New England tribes. He hated the whites and awaited an occasion for an outbreak. When three Indians of his tribe were accused of murder, found guilty, and put to death by the colonists, Philip called his warriors to arms, and a bloody war began 1 For exclusion of Rhode Island see paragraph 150. THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 95 159. Battles and Massacres. One Sunday as the people of the village of Swanzey in the Plymouth colony were returning from church, they were attacked by the savages and a number of them were killed. Troops were sent from Massachusetts to aid the Plymouth peo- ple. The Indians were attacked and beaten, but escaped from place to place. Philip now drew to his support nearly all the New ^m ttacking a Settlement. England tribes and the war spread into all the colonies. According to a secret plot, a number of different settlements were attacked at the same day and hour. Hadley, Massa- chusetts, was surprised while the people were at church. In the fight that followed it is said that a strange man with long beard rushed to the front, rallied the hard-pressed colonists, and led them to victory. This was Goffe, the " regicide," one of the judges who had condemned King Charles I. to death, 96 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. and who, having fled to America, was living in concealment among the Puritans of Massachusetts. In a Rhode Island swamp a severe battle was fought with the Narragansetts, in which the savages were completely defeated. . Philip's allies began to desert him. His wife and little son were captured. " My heart breaks ! " he cried, " I am ready to die." He was at last shot by a faithless Indian. By his death, the power of the Indians was broken. 160. Results of King Philip's War. King Philip's War was the severest blow the New England colonies suffered. The struggle lasted two years, and while it resulted in the com- plete overthrow of the Indians, yet it was long afterward be- fore the colonies recovered from the losses which it caused. Over six hundred men were killed. Thirteen towns were destroyed, six hundred houses were burned, half a million dollars worth of property was destroyed, and a heavy debt was contracted, requiring the taxes to be greatly increased. 161. The Great Revival A reaction against the stern theology of the early days began in New England during the early part of the eighteenth century, and there was much looseness of religious belief and conduct. Then followed a period of intense religious excitement, known as the "Great Awakening." Beginning in the church of Jonathan Edwards, in Massachusetts, the revival reached its highest point in 1740, under the preaching of George Whitefield. There were conver- sions in nearly every town in New England. Many, however, objected to the great excitement that accompanied the revival. Controversies followed, and a division in the churches was the result. There was much difference of opinion as to the general good effect of the revival. It certainly exerted a great influ- ence upon subsequent religious thought in New England. 162. New England under One Governor. King James II. made Sir Edmund Andros governor of all the New England THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 97 colonies, afterward adding New York and New Jersey to his jurisdiction. The charters were either taken away or declared annulled, and Andros ruled in a most despotic manner. When the people of England banished King James, the New Eng- land colonists immediately followed their example by deposing Governor Andros. The colonies were then allowed to resume their old forms of government. 163. Summary. A close relation existed among the New England colonies. Important events that affected one, affected all. The war with the Pequod Indians originated in Connecticut. Massachusetts came to the aid of her sister colony and the savages were completely routed. The New England Confederation, formed for mutual defense against the Indians, in- cluded all the New England colonies except Rhode Island and lasted forty years. King Philip's War began in Massachusetts. There were numerous battles and massacres, resulting in great loss to the colonists. At last Philip was killed, and the power of the Indians overthrown. Under the preaching of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, there was a memora- ble religious awakening in New England. King James II. placed all the New England colonies under one governor. When King James was banished by his subjects, the old colonial governments were restored. 164. Thought Questions. Is there any persecution on account of religion in the United States to-day? Do you know of any religious intolerance? What circumstances of their history make the intolerance of the colonists seem inexcusable ? What explanation can you offer for their conduct in this respect ? Compare John Smith and Miles Standish ? Why did the Plymouth Colony have a patent instead of a charter? Why did Massachusetts Bay Colony outstrip Plymouth ? How was slavery regarded 250 years ago? Does slavery exist anywhere to-day? Why did Con- necticut prize her charter so highly ? What colonies may be considered off-shoots of Massachusetts ? Fill out the following table : COLONY. First Settlement. Date. 1620 1628 By Whom Founded. Religion of First Settlers. Motive of Founders. Mass Connecticut . . | Plymouth < Salem Brewster and others Endicott and others Separatist ) Puritan / Religious freedom. Rhode Island . New Hampshire 9 8 HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY-. TOPICAL ANALYSIS (NEW ENGLAND COLONIES). 126. , f Their religion. pTmouthN ght from England. [ Dissatisfaction with their new home. Looking toward J Authority to form settlement. America. \ Means for the voyage. The ships. First land seen. 127. 1 28. The Voyage. 129. Settlement. 130. Government. f Failure to reach destination. \ Landing and settlement. Agreement signed. First Colonists. 132. '33- L *34- 136. '37- 138. 139- 140. First governor. Classification. Sufferings. f New immigrants. Growth of Colony. { New patent. [_ London stockholders. Capt. Standish : Successful dealings with Indians. Union with Massachusetts Bay Colony. f Founders. The Beginning.^ Patent. [ Settlement. f Purpose of founders. Government.