AMERICAN LEADERS
AND HEROES

A PRELIMINARY TEXT-BOOK IN
UNITED STATES HISTORY

BY

WILBUR F. GORDY

PRINCIPAL OF THE NORTH SCHOOL, HARTFORD, CONN.; AUTHOR OF
"A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FOR SCHOOLS"; AND
CO-AUTHOR OF "A PATHFINDER IN AMERICAN HISTORY"

WITH MANY ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1907

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COPYRIGHT, 1901, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

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PREFACE

In teaching history to boys and girls from ten to twelve years old simple material should be used. Children of that age like action. They crave the dramatic, the picturesque, the concrete, the personal. When they read about Daniel Boone or Abraham Lincoln they do far more than admire their hero. By a mysterious, sympathetic process they so identify themselves with him as to feel that what they see in him is possible for them. Herein is suggested the ethical value of history. But such ethical stimulus, be it noted, can come only in so far as actions are translated into the thoughts and feelings embodied in the actions.

In this process of passing from deeds to the hearts and heads of the doers the image-forming power plays a leading part. Therefore a special effort should be made to train the sensuous imagination by furnishing picturesque and dramatic incidents, and then so skilfully presenting them that the children may get living pictures. This I have endeavored to do in the preparation of this historical reader, by making prominent the personal traits of the heroes and leaders, as they are seen, in boyhood and manhood alike, in the environment of their every-day home and social life.

With the purpose of quickening the imagination, questions "To the Pupil" are introduced at intervals throughout the book, and on almost every page additional questions of the same kind might be supplied to advantage. "What picture do you get in that paragraph?" may well be asked over and over again, as children read the book. If they get clear and definite pictures, they will be likely to see the past as a living present, and thus will experience anew the thoughts and feelings of those who now live only in their words and deeds. The steps in this vital process are imagination, sympathy, and assimilation.

To the same end the excellent maps and illustrations contribute a prominent and valuable feature of the book. If, in the elementary stages of historical reading, the image-forming power is developed, when the later work in the study of organized history is reached the imagination can hold the outward event before the mind for the judgment to determine its inner significance. For historical interpretation is based upon the inner life quite as much as upon the outward expression of that life in action.

Attention is called to the fact that while the biographical element predominates, around the heroes and leaders are clustered typical and significant events in such a way as to give the basal facts of American history. It is hoped, therefore, that this little volume will furnish the young mind some conception of what our history is, and at the same time stimulate an abiding interest in historical and biographical reading.

Perhaps it is needless to say that the "Review Outline" may be used in many ways. It certainly will furnish excellent material for language work, oral or written. In so using it pupils may well be encouraged to enlarge the number of topics.

I wish to acknowledge my obligations to Professor William E. Mead, of Wesleyan University, who has read the manuscript and made invaluable suggestions; also to my wife, whose interest and assistance have done much to give the book whatever of merit it may possess.

Wilbur F. Gordy.

Hartford, Conn., May 1, 1901.

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CONTENTS

tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">136 XII. Patrick Henry and the Stamp Act, 146 XIII. Samuel Adams and the Boston Tea Party, 156 XIV. Paul Revere and the Battle of Concord and Lexington, 165 XV. Benjamin Franklin and Aid from France, 175 XVI. George Washington, the Virginia Planter and the Revolutionary Soldier, 189 XVII. Nathaniel Greene, the Hero of the South, and Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," 211 XVIII. Daniel Boone, the Kentucky Pioneer, 222 XIX. Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, 234 XX. Robert Fulton and the Steamboat, 246 XXI. Andrew Jackson, the Upholder of the Union, 253 XXII. Daniel Webster, the Defender and Expounder of the Constitution, 264 XXIII. Samuel Finley Breese Morse and the Electric Telegraph, 273 XXIV. Abraham Lincoln, the Liberator of the Slaves, 282 XXV. Ulysses Simpson Grant and the Civil War, 302 XXVI. Some Leaders and Heroes in the War with Spain, 314

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

42 John Smith and the Indians, 45 Indian Weapons, 46 Ruins of Jamestown, 47 Apache's War-club, 50 Sioux Indian Bow and Arrow with Stone Point, 50 Navajo Sling, 51 A Pappoose Case, 51 Tobacco Plant, 56 Loading Tobacco, 57 The Burning of Jamestown, 61 Miles Standish, 64 The Mayflower, 70 A Matchlock Gun, 74 A Group of Pilgrim Relics, 75 Pilgrims Returning from Church, 77 Brewster's and Standish's Swords, 79 Roger Williams on his Way to Visit the Chief of the Narragansett Indians, 83 A Block House, 84 Roger Williams's Meeting-House, 85 A Puritan Fireplace, 87 William Penn, 92 William Penn's Famous Treaty with the Indians, 95 Penn's Slate-roof House, Philadelphia, 98 A Belt of Wampum Given to Penn by the Indians, 99 Cavelier De La Salle, 103 Long House of the Iroquois, 104 The Murder of La Salle by his Followers, 113 George Washington, 116 Washington's Birthplace, 117 Washington Crossing the Alleghany River, 119 The Death of Braddock, 129 James Wolfe, 136 General Montcalm, 139 The Death of Wolfe,

tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">141 Patrick Henry, 146 George III., 149 St. John's Church, Richmond, 152 Samuel Adams, 156 Faneuil Hall, Boston, 160 The Old South Church, Boston, 161 The "Boston Tea Party," 163 Paul Revere, 165 The Old North Church, 168 Stone in Front of the Harrington House, Lexington, Marking the Line of the Minute-Men, 170 The Retreat of the British from Concord, 172 Benjamin Franklin, 175 Franklin in the Streets of Philadelphia, 180 Franklin Experimenting with Electricity, 184 Lafayette Offering His Services to Franklin, 186 George Washington, 189 Washington's Coach, 190 A Stage Coach of the Eighteenth Century, 191 Washington's Retreat through New Jersey, 199 Winter at Valley Forge, 204 Washington's Home—Mount Vernon, 208 Nathaniel Greene, 211 Lord Cornwallis, 215 General Francis Marion, 218 Marion and His Men Swooping Down on a British Camp, 219 Daniel Boone, 222 Indian Costume (Female), 224 Indian Costume (Male), 225 Daniel Boone in his Cabin, 228 A Hand Corn Mill, 229 A Wigwam, 231 Indian Implements, 232 Thomas Jefferson, 234 Monticello, 237

align="left">Thomas Jefferson at Work upon the First Draft of the Declaration of Independence, 238 Robert Fulton, 246 A Pack Horse, 247 A Flat Boat, 248 The Clermont, 251 Andrew Jackson, 253 Andrew Jackson's Cradle, 254 A Spinning Wheel, 255 Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans, 261 Daniel Webster, 264 Marshfield—Home of Daniel Webster, 271 S. F. B. Morse, 273 Telegraph and Railroad, 280 Abraham Lincoln, 282 Lincoln's Birthplace, 283 Lincoln Studying, 287 Slaves on a Cotton Plantation, 299 Ulysses S. Grant, 302 The Meeting of Generals Grant and Lee at Appomattox, 310 The McLean House, 311 General R. E. Lee, 312 The Wreck of the Maine, 316 Admiral Dewey, 318 President MCKinley, 319 "Escolta," Manila's Main Street, 320

LIST OF MAPS

href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@35742@[email protected]#Page_72" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">72 The Rhode Island Settlement, 88 The Pennsylvania Settlement, 97 Map Showing Routes of Cartier, Champlain, and La Salle, also French and English Possessions at the Time of the Last French War, 107 The English Colonies and the French Claims in 1754, 121 The French in the Ohio Valley, 123 Quebec and Surroundings, 138 Paul Revere's Ride, 167 Franklin's Journey from New York to Philadelphia, 178 Map Illustrating the Battle of Long Island, 196 Map Illustrating the Struggle for the Hudson River and the Middle States, 201 Map Showing the War in the South, 213 The Kentucky Settlement, 223 Map of Louisiana Purchase: also United States in 1803, 242 Map Illustrating Two of Andrew Jackson's Campaigns, 258 Map of the United States showing the Southern Confederacy, the Slave States that did not Secede, and the Territories, 297 Map Illustrating Campaigns in the West in 1862-63, 307 The United States Coast and the West Indies, 315 Portion of the Coast of China and the Philippine Islands, 325

From very early times there existed overland routes of trade between Europe and Asia. During the Middle Ages traffic over these routes greatly increased, so that by the fifteenth century a large and profitable trade was carried on between the West and the East. Merchants in Western Europe grew rich through trade in the silks, spices, and precious stones that were brought by caravan and ship from India, China, and Japan. But in 1453 the Turks conquered Constantinople, and by frequent attacks upon Christian vessels in the Mediterranean made the old routes unsafe. A more practicable one became necessary.

Already in the early part of the fifteenth century Portuguese sea-captains had skirted the western coast of Africa, and by the close of the century others of their number had rounded the Cape of Good Hope, in their search for a water route to the Indies. But Spain, at that time the most powerful nation of Europe, adopted a plan quite different from that of the Portuguese. What this plan was and how it was carried out, we can best understand by an acquaintance with the life and work of the great sea-captain and navigator, Christopher Columbus.

More than four hundred and fifty years ago there lived in the city of Genoa a poor workingman, who made his living by preparing wool for the spinners. Of his four sons, the eldest was Christopher, born in 1436. Young Christopher was not, so far as we know, very different from most other boys in Genoa. He doubtless joined in their every-day sports, going with them to see the many vessels that sailed in and out of that famous sea-port, and listening for hours to the stories of sailors about distant lands.

But he did not spend all his time in playing and visiting the wharves, for we know that he learned his father's trade, and in school studied, among other things, reading, arithmetic, grammar, geography, and map-drawing. We can easily believe that he liked geography best of all, since it would carry his imagination far out over the sea and to lands beyond the sea. In map-drawing he acquired such skill that when he became a man he could earn his living, when occasion demanded, by making maps and charts.

Beyond these facts little is known about the boyhood and youth of Columbus. Very likely much of his early life was spent upon the sea, sailing on the Mediterranean and along the west coast of Africa. Once he went as far north as England and perhaps even farther, but of this we are not certain.

In the course of many voyages he heard much of the work done by Portuguese sailors and discoverers, for Portugal was at that time one of the

greatest sea-powers of the world. As Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, was naturally a centre for sea-faring men, and as it was also the home of his brother Bartholomew, Columbus, at the age of about thirty-five, went there to live.