Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

Taylor's Administration.—The 16th national election (244); Mining

life in California (246); Slavery agitation revived (247).

Fillmore's Administration.-The Compromise of 1850 (247); The

Mormons (248).

Pierce's Administration.-Repeal of the Missouri Compromise (249);

Civil war in Kansas; Treaty with Japan (250). Summary (251).

Buchanan's Administration.-The 18th National Election; John

Brown's raid (253); Condition of the country in 1860 (254); Secession

(255); Occupation of Fort Sumter; the Southern Confederacy (256);

Admission of Minnesota, Oregon, and Kansas (257).

Lincoln's Administration. His inauguration; Fall of Fort Sumter

(258); Battle of Bull Run (261); The war in Missouri (262); Naval op-

erations (263); Confederate privateers; The Trent affair (264); Union

successes (265); Battle of Shiloh; Taking of New Orleans (266); At-

tack of the Virginia (268); Battle of the iron ships (269); Peninsula

campaign (270); Lee's first invasion of the North (272); Burnside's

campaign; Confederate money (274); Misapplication of means; Eman-

cipation; Hooker's campaign (276); Lee's second invasion; Battle of

Gettysburg (277); Obligation to the patriot dead (278); Organizations

of mercy (279); The Mississippi opened (280); Draft riot in New York

(281); The war in Tennessee and Georgia (282); West Virginia and

Nevada (283); Red river expedition (284), Sherman's campaign (285);

Battle of Nashville; Sherman's march to the sea (286); Grant's cam-

paign in Virginia (287); The Shenandoah valley (288); Achievements

of the navy (289); Sherman's campaign of 1865 (290); Evacuation of

Richmond (291); Surrender of Lee and Johnston; As assination of

Lincoln (293); Cost of the war (294); Miracles of the war (295).

Johnson's Administration.-Lincoln's funeral (295); Reconstruction

(296); Johnson's impeachment (296); Nebraska and Alaska (297).

Grant's Administration.-The Alabama Claims (298); The nation's

centennial; Admission of Colorado; The century of progress (300).

Hayes's Administration.-His inauguration; Important events (308).

Garfield's Administration.—His early history (312); his death (313).

Arthur's Administration.-Yorktown centennial (314).

Cleveland's Administration.-His inauguration (315).

Acquisition of Territory (320), The States, origin of their names (321), The Succes-

sive Capitals (325), Political Parties (326), Slavery in the United States (329), Tables

of the Presidents and Vice-Presidents (335), Battles of the Revolution (336, 337), of

the Second War with England (338), of the Mexican War (339), Settlement of the

States (340).

Declaration of Independence (1), Constitution of the United States (5), The Presi
dents, the time and place of their birth and death (24), Examination Questions (25).

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.

SECTION I.

DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS.

1. WHO first discovered America? This question has been discussed by many able writers, but no one thus far has so answered it as to carry conviction to the minds of all persons. It has been claimed by some of these writers that First hundreds of years before the time of Columbus, Discovery of navigators from countries on the east and north

America.

of the Mediterranean sea sailed to the Atlantic ocean, and then were driven by tempests across the ocean to the continent beyond. Other writers have contended that the honor of the discovery belongs to Wales. Again, we have the tradition of Irishmen having found a beautiful country far to the west of their island, in which they lived for a long time. These are not the only claims that have been put forth; but, among them all, that which has the best evidence to sustain it is in behalf of the people called Scan-di-na'-vi-ans, who occupied the region comprising the countries of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. They were also called Northmen or Norsemen.

2. "The restless activity and adventurous spirit of the Scandinavians were not confined to the Baltic sea. They boldly roamed over the great northern and western oceans, without chart or compass, in quest of adventures and plun- The der, or to find out new lands where they might Northmen's form settlements more or less permanent. Their navigators discovered many islands north of Scotland. At a very early period, a Norwegian sea-rover was driven by a storm quite to the Arctic Circle, until he descried a large

Discoveries.

country which, from its aspect, he called Snoe'-land, or the land of snow, but which has been since more appropriately named Iceland (861).

3. About a century after, Torwald, a jarl (petty king) of Norway, who had been exiled from his native land for having slain his enemy, retired to that island with his son Er'-ik, surnamed Randi, or the Red. After the death of his father, Erik was compelled to leave Iceland for the same reason which had banished Torwald from Norway. Seeking a new asylum, he took ship, and directed his course towards the south-west. He found a small island in a strait, and passed the winter there. In the spring he explored the main-land, and, finding it covered with a delightful verdure, he called it Greenland.

4. There was formerly, say the ancient sagas, a man of Norway who navigated from one country to another with his son Bjarne (byār'-ne), and generally spent the winters in Norway. It happened, once on a time, that they were separated from each other, and Bjarne sought his father in Norway, but not finding him there he learnt that he was gone to the newlydiscovered country of Greenland. Bjarne resolved to seek and find out his father wherever he might be, and for this purpose set sail for Greenland, directing himself by the observation of the stars and by what others had told him of the situation of the land.

5. The three first days he was carried to the west, but afterwards the wind, changing, blew with violence from the north, and drove him southwardly for several days. He at last descried a flat country covered with wood, the appearance of which was so different from that of Greenland, as it had been described to him, that he would not go on shore, but made sail to the north-west. In this course he saw an island at a distance, but continued his voyage, and arrived safely in Greenland, where he found his father (1001).

6. In the following summer, Bjarne made another voyage to Norway, where he was hospitably received by Erik, a dis

1002

The Northmen's Discoveries.

17

tinguished jarl of that country. The jarl, to whom he related his adventures, reproached him for not having explored the new land towards which he had been accidentally driven. Bjarne having returned to his father in Greenland, there was much talk among the settlers of pursuing his discovery. The restless, adventurous spirit of Leif (life), son of Erik the Red, was excited to emulate the fame his father had acquired by the discovery of Greenland. He purchased Bjarne's ship, and manned it with thirty-five men. Leif then requested his father to become the commander of the enterprise. Erik at first declined, on account of the increasing infirmities of his old age. He was, however, at last persuaded by his son to embark; but as he was going down to the vessel on horseback his horse stumbled, which Erik received as an evil omen for his undertaking. I do not believe,' said he, that it is given to me to discover any more lands, and here will I abide.' Erik returned to his house, and Leif set sail with his thirty-five companions, among whom was one of his father's servants, a native of the south-countries, named Tyrker (tur'-ker), probably a German.

6

7. They first discovered what they supposed to be one of the countries seen by Bjarne, the coast of which was a flat, stony land, and the background crowned with lofty mountains covered with ice and snow. Pursuing their voyage further south, they now came to another coast, also flat, covered with thick wood, and the shores of white sand gradually sloping toward the sea. Here they cast anchor and made a landing. Pursuing their voyage with a north-east wind for two days and nights, they discovered a third land, the northern coast of which was sheltered by an island. Here they again landed, and found a country, not mountainous, but undulating and woody, and abounding with fruits and berries delicious to the taste.

8. From thence they re-embarked and made sail to the west to seek a harbor, which they at last found at the mouth of a river, where they were swept by the tide into the lake

from which the river issued. They cast anchor, and pitched their tents at this spot, and found the river and lake full of the largest salmon they had ever seen. Finding the climate very temperate and the soil fruitful in pasturage, they determined to build huts and pass the winter here."

9. The spot selected, it is supposed, was in the latitude of Boston. "It happened one day, soon after their arrival, that Tyrker, the German, was missing, and as Leif set a great value upon the youth on account of his skill in various arts, he sent his followers in search of him in every direction. When they at last found him he began to speak to them in the German language, with many extravagant signs of joy. They at last made out to understand that he had found vines bearing wild grapes. He led them to the spot, and they brought to their chief a quantity of the grapes which they had gathered. Leif, thereupon, named the country Vinland."

10. The Northmen made settlements in Greenland, as they had previously done in Iceland; but these, after a period of more than a hundred years,

perished; and when Columbus set Christopher sail on his eventful voy

[graphic]

Columbus.

age in 1492, they were entirely forgotten. It is safe to say that Columbus had no knowledge then, or afterward, of a second continent, nor is there any evidence that he even supposed there was a second. His object was to find a short way to the rich country in the south-eastern part of Asia, and the islands near to it, called India, or the Indies. 11. A Venetian traveler, named Marco Polo,1 as well as other

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.

The first and most extensive traveller among the Eastern nations was Marco Polo, who passed seventeen years in the service of the Khan of Tartary, during which he visited the chief countries and cities of Eastern

« AnteriorContinuar »