The Beginner's American History

This little book is intended by the writer as an introduction to his larger work entitled The Leading Facts of American History.

It is in no sense an abridgment of the larger history, but is practically an entirely new and distinct work.

Its object is to present clearly and accurately those facts and principles in the lives of some of the chief founders and builders of America which would be of interest and value to pupils beginning the study of our history. Throughout the book great care has been taken to relate only such incidents and anecdotes as are believed to rest on unexceptionable authority.

The numerous illustrations in the text are, in nearly every case, from drawings and designs made by Miss C. S. King of Boston.

In the preparation of this work for the press--as in that of the entire Leading Facts of History Series--the author has been especially indebted to the valuable assistance rendered in proofreading by Mr. George W. Cushing of Boston.

DAVID H. MONTGOMERY, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

CONTENTS. PARAGRAPH I. COLUMBUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II. JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT . . . . . . . . 21 III. BALBOA, PONCE DE LEON, and DE SOTO . . . 28 IV. SIR WALTER RALEIGH . . . . . . . . . . . 32 V. CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH . . . . . . . . . . . 37 VI. CAPTAIN HENRY HUDSON . . . . . . . . . . 52 VII. CAPTAIN MYLES STANDISH . . . . . . . . . 62 VIII. LORD BALTIMORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 IX. ROGER WILLIAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 X. KING PHILIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 XI. WILLIAM PENN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 XII. GENERAL JAMES OGLETHORPE . . . . . . . . 102 XIII. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN . . . . . . . . . . . 109 XIV. GEORGE WASHINGTON . . . . . . . . . . . 123 XV. DANIEL BOONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 XVI. GENERAL JAMES ROBERTSON . . . . . . . . 156 XVII. GOVERNOR JOHN SEVIER . . . . . . . . . . 156 XVIII. GENERAL GEORGE ROGERS CLARK . . . . . . 161 XIX. GENERAL RUFUS PUTNAM . . . . . . . . . . 169 XX. ELI WHITNEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 XXI. THOMAS JEFFERSON . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 XXII. ROBERT FULTON . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 XXIII. GENERAL WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON . . . . . 201 XXIV. GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON . . . . . . . . . 206 XXV. PROFESSOR SAMUEL F. B. MORSE . . . . . . 220 XXVI. GENERAL SAM HOUSTON . . . . . . . . . . 229 XXVII. CAPTAIN ROBERT GRAY . . . . . . . . . . 233 XXVIII. CAPTAIN J. A. SUTTER . . . . . . . . . . 236 XXIX. ABRAHAM LINCOLN . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

A SHORT LIST OF BOOKS INDEX

LIST OF LARGE MAPS. PARAGRAPH I. Map Illustrating the Early Life of Washington . . . . . . 127 II. Map of the Revolution (northern states) . . . . . . . . . 135 III. Map of the Revolution (southern states) . . . . . . . . . 140 IV. The United States at the close of the Revolution . . . . 187 V. The United States after the Purchase of Louisiana (1803) 188 VI. The United States after the Purchase of Florida (1819) . 218 VII. The United States after the Acquisition of Texas (1845) . 230 VIII. The United States after the Acquisition of Oregon (1846) 235 IX. The United States after the Acquisition of California and New Mexico (1848) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 X. The United States after the Gadsden Purchase (1853) . . . 240 XI. The United States after the Purchase of Alaska (1867) See Map of North America (giving a summary of the territorial growth of the United States) . . . . . . . 240

NOTE.--In these maps it has been thought best to give the boundaries of the thirteen original states as they now exist; and to show the outlines of other states before they were organized and admitted.