2021/04/07

Full text of "Founders of Freedom in America: A Biographical History for the Elementary Grades"

Full text of "Founders of Freedom in America: A Biographical History for the Elementary Grades"

FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA. 

A Biographical History for 
the Elementary Grades 



BY DAVID B. CORSON 

SuPT. OF Schools, Newark, N. J. 

AND HUBERT R. CORNISH 

Principal, Paterson, N. J. 



HINDS, HAYDEN & ELDREDGE, Inc. 

NEW YORK PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO 

=================================
JUN 16 1922 
---------------------
PREFACE 



The authors of this history believe that another text on 
the subject is justified at this time only by the fact that 
some of the big ideals for which this coimtry stands should 
receive greater emphasis than has been usual. These are 
now more clearly defined than formerly, making it desirable 
that a text designed as this is for the fifth and sixth grades 
shall be a helpful adjimct in teaching them. It should 
include, too, a treatment of the lives and achievements of 
some of the men and women who have influenced the great 
movements in our national life during recent years. 

The development of the ideals of Uberty and the giving 
of unselfish service for the good of mankind have been 
stressed throughout the book. In the preparation of the 
stories the fact that America has been not only a refuge for 
those who sought to escape persecution but a land of oppor- 
timity and of material and moral, as well as political, 
progress has been uppermost in the minds of the authors. 

Five connecting chapters are included in the book for 
the purpose of preparing the pupils' minds for some of 
the important events of the different periods into which 
the history is divided. The aim is to establish a viewpoint 
and to give an interpretative basis for the subsequent 
narratives. 

The biographical treatment, so appealing to children, is 
used because children in the fifth and sixth grades possess 

• • • 
lU 



IV PREFACE 

a strong love of romance and adventure and of heroic 
deeds. American history affords ample material to satisfy 
the craving of the yoimg mind. The deeds of daring 
mariners and pioneers and the action of courageous soldiers 
and statesmen and other leaders are as interesting in fact 
as are others in fiction. The stories are told, first, to kindle 
the admiration of children, and, second, to form the back- 
groimd for the development of the ideals which have made 
the United States a government imder which civil and 
religious liberty are guaranteed, and under which they are 
enjoyed by a freedom-loving people. 

The authors wish to call attention especially to the four 
projects included in the book. The dramatization of 
"Columbus' Voyage, Discovery, and Victorious Retmn," 
and the project *' Impersonation by Children of Explorers 
and Pioneers'' have been worked out by Miss Mabel L. 
Bennett, Helping Teacher, Union County, New Jersey. 
The projects, "The Life of Daniel Boone," and "How 
Clara Barton and the Red Cross have Shown us the Joy 
of Unselfish Service," have been written by Miss Vera 
M. Telfer, Helping Teacher, Warren Coimty, New Jersey. 
The pageant immediately following Chapter XLVII, entitled 
"The Development of Liberty in America," has been 
worked out by the teachers and pupils of the Belmont 
Avenue School, Newark, N. J. The authors trust that 
teachers will consider the use of tHese and similar projects 
indispensable to the successful presentation and teaching 
of this textbook in elementary American history. 

The authors wish to thank those who have read and crit- 
icized the manuscript. Many valuable suggestions have 
been received from these friends, 

D. B. C. 
tl, R, Q, 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Special Table of Maps and Studies . . . . . ix 

Prehistoric America. 

I. The Prehistoric Peoples of America 1 

II. The Norsemen and Leif Ericson — ^The Norsemen in America 5 
Period of Discovery and Exploration by Europeans, 1492-1607, 
115 Years. 

III. The New Worid: A Land of Freedom 9 

IV. Christopher Colmnbus and His Discoveries and Explorations 11 

V. Project — Dramatization of Columbus* Voyage, Discovery, and Victorious Return 21 

VI. John Cabot and His Discoveries and Explorations; the Basis of England's Later Claims in America ... 30 

VII. Juan Ponce de Leon and the Fabled Fountain — Discoveries and Explorations 34 

VIII. Other Spanish Explorers and their Discoveries — ^The Work of Balboa, Magellan, Corte/; Pizarro and De Soto 36 

IX. English Explorers of the Sixteenth Century — Spain and England on the Sea; Famous English Sailors, John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake .42 

X. Sir Walter Raleigh and His Attempt to make Settlements 
in America. Reasons for English Colonization in America < 46 
Period of Settlement and Development, 1607-1775, 168 Years 

XI. Settlements in America 51 

XII. John Smith and the First Permanent English Settlement in 
America — ^The Settlement of Jamestown; Character of the Settlement; Success of the Settlement; Smith's Aid to the Settlement 53 

XIII. Myles Standish and the Settlement of New England — The Pilgrims and their Reason for Coming to America; 
the Majrflower Compact; Success of the Settlement; 
Myles Standish^s Part in the Settlement ... 68 

XIV. John Winthrop and Other Puritan Leaders — The Puritans in England; The First Settlement; John Winthrop's Aid as Governor 65 

XV. Henry Hudson and the Dutch in America — ^Explorations 
of Hudson; History of the Settlement of New Amsterdam 72 

XVI. Samuel de Champlain and the French in America — Discov- 
eries and Explorations of Cartier and Champlain; 
Explorations of La Salle, and the Present Borders of the United States 82 

XVII. William Penn and the Settlement of the Quakers in America 
— ^An Account of the Quakers; Penn's Part in the Settlement of Pennsylvania 89 

XVIII. Lord Baltimore and James Oglethorpe and their Services 
for Freedom — ^Brief Review of Settlements and Other 
Colonies with Special Reference to Lord Baltimore in 
Maryland; Oglethorpe's Part in the Settlement of Georgia 95 

XIX. James Wolfe and the War between England and France in 
America — ^An Account of the French and Indian War 
with Special Reference to Wolfe and Montcalm . 100 
XX. Project: Impersonation by Children of Explorers and Pio- 
neers 107 

Period op the Revolution, Marked by War for Independence, 
THE Confederation of the States, and the Establishment 
. OF THE Constitution of the United States, 1775-1789, 14 
Years. 

XXI. The Establishment of a New Nation 110 

XXII. Benjamin Franklin and the Union of the Colonies — His 
Early Life; Life in Philadelphia; His Inventions 
Work as a Printer ; His Work During the Revolutionary 

Period 112 

XXIII. The Desire for Liberty and Two of the Leaders — ^Patrick 



TABLE OF CONTENTS VU 

OHAPTBB PAOB 

Henry and Samuel Adams; Their Part in the Pre-Rev- 
olutionary Period 121 

XXrV. George Washington and the War for Independence — ^His 
Early Life; His Home Life; His Part in the French 
and Indian War; His Work during the War for Inde- 
pendence and Following 134 

XXV. John Paul Jones and the War for Independence — An 
Account of the American Navy in the War for Inde- 
pendence with Special Reference to Jones . 151 

XXVI. Thomas Jefferson and the War for Independence — ^His 
Work during the War for Independence and as Presi- 
dent of the United States, with Special Reference to 
the Declaration of Independence and to the Louisiana 
Purchase 156 

Period of Development and the Growth of Nationality, 1789- 

1865, 76 Years. 

XXVII. The Growth of a Nation .162 

XXVIII. Daniel Boone and the Settlement of tfce West — ^Early Pio- 
neer Life; Western Settlement with Special Reference 

to Boone 164 

XXIX. Project: Life of Daniel Boone 170 

XXX. Alexander Hamilton and the Finances of the New Nation — 
Hamilton During the War for Independence; His 
Great Work as an Officer in Washington's Cabinet . 173 
XXI. Robert Fulton and the Progress of Transportation — ^Inven- 
tion of the Steamboat, and the Consequences of this 

Invention 178 

XXXII. Labor-saving Machines and Their Importance in the 

Development of the Country — Invention of the 
Cotton-gin and the Consequences of this Invention . 183 
XXXIII. Andrew Jackson and Nullification — ^Jackson's Elarly life; 

His Part in the Battle of New Orleans; Question of 
States' Rights with Special Reference to Nullification. 188 
XXXrV. The Railroad and the Progress of Transportation — 

Beginning of the Railroad in America and the Conse- 
quences of this Improvement in Traveling . . . 193 
XXXV. Henry Clay and Daniel Webster and the Growth of 
Nationality — ^The Life of Clay and of Webster, with 



Vm TABLE OP CONTENTS 

CBAPTBB PAQB 

Special Reference to the Part that They took in the 

Discussion of States' Rights 197 

! XXXVI. Abraham Lincobi, the Great Emancipator — ^His Boy- 
hood Da3rs, Yomig Manhood, and life as President 
with Special Reference to His Work in Preserving 

the Union 206 

XXXin. Ulysses S. Grant, the Victorious General of the Civil 

War — ^His life and Services as General in the Civil 
War 216 

Pebiod of Matebial and Moral Progress, and the Expansion 
OP THE Nation into a World power, 1865- 

XXXVIII. The History of Our Times 222 

XXXIX. Improvements in Machinery — ^An Account of the Reaper 

with Reference to Influence on the Western Expan- 
sion; An Account of the Improved Machinery for 
Making Newspapers and the Consequences Thereof . 225 
XL. Morse and the Telegraph — ^Invention and Use of the 

Telegrailh and Telephone 232 

XLI. Thomas A. Edison, the Great Inventor — Special Refer- 
ence to His many Inventions and their Value . . 236 
XTill. Frances E. Willard and the Temperance Crusade — ^Her 
Girlhood and Education; Work as Leader of the 

Temperance Movement 242 

XUII. Clara Barton and the Red Cross — Special Reference to 

the Work of the Red Cross Society in the World War. 246 
XLTV. Project: How Clara Barton and the Red Cross have 

shown us the Joy of Unselfish Service . .251 

XLV. Theodore Roosevelt, the American — ^His Life as Boy, 
Young Man, and as President; His many Public 

Services 256 

XLVI. Anna Howard Shaw and Woman Suffrage — ^Miss Shaw's 

Part in the Woman Suffrage Movement . 263 

XLVII. Woodrow Wilson and the World War— Special Refer- 
ence to America's Part in this War; Woodrow 

Wilson's Part in the World War 267 

XLVIIL Project: The Development of Liberty in America . . 279 

Important Dates in our History 290 

Index 293 



MAP STUDIES 

Fig. 1— Voyages and Settlements, 1492-1607 facing page 36 

Fig. 2 — ^The West Indies facing page 37 

Fig. 3 — The French in the Mississippi Valley facing page 84 

Fig. 4 — Map Showing Location of Indian Tribes facing page 85 

Fig. 5 — The English Colonies in 1700 following page 96 

Fig. 6 — Map Showing Rival Claims of European Nations 

facing page 100 
Fig. 7 — ^United States, Showing Southern Confederacy 

following page 212 
Fig. 8 — ^Land Acquired by the United States following page 258 



IX 

=========================================================

FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 



CHAPTER I THE PREHISTORIC PEOPLES OF AMERICA 

The United States is now a great nation of many people 
living on fanns, in villages, and in large cities. They have 
made many inventions, such as the automobile, telegraph, 
telephone, electric light, and have made wonderful progress 
in manufacturing articles for their daily use, in architectiu-e, 
in the practical arts, and in education. Only a few him- 
dred years ago a different race lived here xmder different 
conditions. The coimtry was a vast wilderness unknown 
to the civilized peoples of Eiu-ope. 

In the Mississippi Valley great moimds of earthworks are 
found— the work of a prehistoric people. Little is known 
of these people or of the Cliff Dwellers who built houses 
upon ledges and in the cliffs of the moimtains of New Mex- 
ico. These and other Indians, as they were later named by 
Colmnbus, had instead of roads only paths through the 
forest. They made no bridges over the streams or rivers 
and no boats except the birch canoe. 

The most civilized of the Indian tribes lived in Mexico 
and Peru and other parts of the American continent. 
Wonderful defensive works, aqueducts, paved roads, monu- 
ments, altars, idols, and temples are found there in ruins. 



I FOUNDEIte OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

The Spanish seekers for gold conquered great cities in these 
countries. 

The Indian of the land now known as the United States 
lived here for centuries but did nothing to improve himself 
or his people. His son followed the old customs, learning 
to hunt and to fight. His education was to catch fish with 
a spear, to shoot the arrow, to throw the tomahawk, and to 
learn the traditions of the tribe. The Indian man regarded 
labor as fit only for women. 
The Indian woman built 
the wigwam, cut the wood, 
scratched the ground with 
a stick or clam shell, 
planted the com, cooked 
the food, made theclothing 
of dressed skins, and car- 
ried the burdens on a 
journey. She was not the 
equal of her husband, but 
an underling who ate what 
was left of her lord's feast 
and took the coldest place 

. , .. in the wigwam. The In- 

Aii Indian. ,. , , 

dian man was lazy and 

shiftless. He waa revengeful, but grateful for favors and 

was hospitable to his tribesmen or friends. He talked very 

tittle, was grave and even haughty in manner. He endured 

suffering without flinching. He was superetitious, and 

beUeved that spirits lived in beasts and reptiles and bu-ds 

and rivers and lakes. He thought these spirits could 

harm him and he dreaded to offend any of them. He 

believed that at death his spirit went to the Happy Hunting . 

Grounds where he would find great joy. There was a 



THE PREHISTORIC PEOPLES OP AMERICA 3 

tradition among the North American Indians of an Indian 
of miraculous birth who was sent among them " to clear 
their rivers, forests, and fishing groimds, and to teach them 
the arts of peace." Among the different tribes he was 
called by various names, the best known of which is Hia- 
watha.* Longfellow describes him thus: 

" From his lodge went Hiawatha, 
Dressed for travel, armed for hunting; 
Dressed in deer-skin shirt and leggings. 
Richly wrought with quills and wampum; 
On his head his eagle-feathers, 
Round his waist his belt of wampum, 
In his hand his bow of ash-wood, 
Strung with sinews of the reindeer; 
In his quiver oaken arrows, 
Tipped with jasper, winged with feathers; 
With his mittens, Minjekahwun, 
With his moccasins enchanted." 

Although cruel and treacherous in warfare, the Indians 
were also alert and brave. The coming of the white men to 
America caused a long struggle between them and the red 
men. The Indians were friendly to the early English set- 
tlers in Massachusetts and in Pennsylvania because the 
people of these settlements treated them, as you will learn, 
in a kind and just manner. Their relations with the Span- * 
iards, the French, and the English are of great interest in 
American history. 

The Indians are now living in reservations, chiefly in the 
western part of the United States. At the burial of the 
unknown soldier of the World War in Arlington Cemetery 
on Armistice Day, November 11, 1921, Plenty Coups, an 

See Schoolcraft's '' Algic Researches," Vol. 1, p. 134, and ** History, 
Condition and Prospects pf th^ Io<Jifta Tribw of the United States." Part 
jn, p. 314, 



4 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

Indian chief, laid his feathered war bonnet and coup stick 
reverently on the bier as a tribute of the Indians of America 
to those of their race who fought with the Americans in that 
great struggle. In doing this he said, " I feel it an honor 
to the red man that he takes part in this great event because 
it shows that the thousands of Indians who fought in the 
great war are appreciated by the white man. ... I hope 
that the Great Spirit will grant that these noble warriors 
have not given up their lives in vain and that there will be 
peace to all men hereafter. . . . This is the Indian's hope 
and prayer.'' 

■ 

THINGS TO DO 

I. Discuss what is meant by prehistoric, 

II. Borrow from the library descriptions of the Cliff Dwellers and the 
Mound Builders of the United States to use in class. 

III. Borrow from the library descriptions of the ?incient people of 

Mexico and Peru for use in class. 

IV. Bring to school some Indian pictures for class study. 
V. Read in class a few selections from HiavxUha. 

VI. What is an Indian Reservation? Locate some of them. 
VII. Name some large cities of the United States. 
VIII. Make a list of inventions that you know have made life in America 
easy and convenient. 



CHAPTER II THE NORSEMEN AND LEIF ERICSON 

The Norsemen in America. — In early times there lived 
in the northern coimtries of Europe a strong, hardy race of 
people, called Northmen, Norsemen, or VikiQgs, who loved 
adventure and gloried in battle. Many of these people 
were sailors who scoured the seas in small boats made of 
oak timbers fastened together with iron bolts and withes 
made from the roots of trees. Some of their boats were 
ornamented at the prow with the head of a dragon, while the 
stem was built to resemble a dragon's tail. Besides the sails, 
these boats carried many oars. The largest vessels were 
very small compared with ocean-going boats of to-day. 

With these small, clumsy vessels, however, the Vikings 
made themselves feared on the sea. They would appear 
suddenly off the coast of France or England and would 
plimder and then bum what they did not want. They 
forced the French king to give them land in the northern 
part of his kingdom. Some of the Northmen settled there, 
and it has since been called Normandy. They also con- 
quered and settled a part of England. 

Some of the Vikings were driven to the shores of Iceland 
by a great storm. After a time they found their way back 
to their homes. Word of the new country spread abroad, 
and soon several boatloads of Northmen went to Iceland 
and remained there. 

Such a long journey as that from Norway to Iceland was 
not easy to make in those days. The compass had not 




6 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

come into use. The sailors knew in which direction they 
were sailing only when they could see the stars or the sun. 
In times of storm they had to trust to good luck to keep 
them on the right course. There were no maps to aid 
sailors. Little of the world was known, as you will find 
when you read the next chapter. 



Ships of the Vikings, 

In vessels Uke thf^ Ihe brave Norgoinen mud? tnany [Dtii! viiyagCB. 

From Iceland, one bold Norseman, Eric the Red, sailed 
in search of other lands. It was in the short Arctic summer, 
and he discovered in the northern seas a beautiful grass- 
covered country which he called Greenland. The Vikings 
were used to cold countries, and it was not long before many 
of them settled along the shores of Greenland, cold and deso- 
late at any season except the summer. 

In the year 1000 Leif Ericson, the son of Eric the Red, 
also set out on a voyage of discover}'. After a long sail he 



THE NORSEMEN AND LEIP ERICSON 7 

reached a land that seemed strange to the Northmen 
because, instead of the ice and snow and dreary weather 
that they were accustomed to, they saw green trees, tall 
grass, and beautiful flowers. They went ashore and found 
grapes hanging in great clusters on vines growing in the 
woods. For that reason they called the country Vinland, 
meaning Vineland. 



Diacoveriee of the Vikings about 1000 a.d. 

On thii map may he tracpit the rDU(« (ollnwed by Leif Eciraon. 

Leif Ericson s'ailed back to Greenland after a short stay 
in Vinland, and after his father's death became chief of the 
Greenland colony. Because of his many adventures and 
his good fortune, he was called Leif the Lucky. 

During the next few years the Northmen made several 
attempts to plant colonies in Vinland. One man and his 
followere, after staying there three years, became discouraged 
because of the unfriendly natives and sailed back to his home 
in Greenland. We now know these natives by the name of 
Indians, but the Norsemen called them Skraellings. 



8 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

The land that Leif Ericson discovered was North America. 
We are not sure where he and his companions landed, but 
it is thought that it was somewhere along what is now called 
Massachusetts Bay. Although there was no result of any 
value from Leif Ericson's journeys, he was the first white 
man known to have reached North America. We may well 
remember him for that reason. It was nearly five himdred 
years before a voyage to the new world was again made by 
sailors from Europe. From that date, 1492, we shall take 
up the study of the history of our country. 

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. Why do you think the Norsemen loved the sea? 
II. Give as many reasons as you can why the Norsemen could not 

sail far from land. 
III. Why were the discoveries of Leif Ericson not important in our 
history? 



PERIOD OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION, 

1492—1607, 115 YEARS 

CHAPTER III 

THE NEW WORLD; A LAND OF FREEDOM 

While studying this book try to put yoiu^elf in the place 
of each man or woman about whom you are reading. If 
you do this you will be better able to imderstand why Colmn- 
bus made his voyages, why John Smith helped in settling the 
new country, and why other leaders did the work that 
helped in time to make our country " the land of the free 
and the home of the brave." 

Try, too, as you read, to see how the work of one man 
made it possible for others to do what they did. It should 
be easy to see why explorers sailed to America after Coliun- 
bus retiOTied with the great news that a new land lay in the 
ocean far to the west of Europe. After the explorers came 
the settlers, seeking freedom in religion and government, 
which they did not have in the old world. 

Through pictures and through stories about the life and 
deeds of leaders in American history you can get very well 
acquainted with them. You may be able to picture them 
as they went about their daily tasks, and if you think care- 
fully you will discover reasons for what they did in discovery 
and exploration, and later in the development of our country. 

Coliunbus and the other great explorers of America lived 
about four centuries ago. That may seem a long time to 




10 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

you, but it is not long as we measure the life of man and his 
work on the earth. Some men live to be nearly one hun- 
dred years old. The lives of four such men would about 
equal the length of time that has passed since our country 
was first foimd by Columbus. 

It took nearly two hundred years to explore the coast and 
the principal rivers that led inland in America. This seems 
a long time when we think that now a man may go from 
New York to London in about six days, or in a much 
shorter time in an aeroplane. A conversation may even 
be carried on by wireless telephone between cities in America 
and cities in Europe. As you learn about early explorations, 
compare the past with the present as to means of travel 
and the sending of messages. 

Through study of the work of men like Colmnbus others 
were enabled to learn more and more about America. 
Finally, the people of Europe came to know so much about 
the new world that many began to think that men and 
women might make homes there as good as or better than 
their European homes. This was, as you will learn, the 
beginning of the period of settlement. 

Men may be tied down by customs in government, in 
religion, and in other matters. As you study the Uves of 
the early leaders, note their efforts to free themselves from 
various forms of bondage. Find out, too, the meaning of 
opportunity and then explain, as you study the different 
stories, why America has been a '^ Land of Opportunity '' 
for so many people. 



CHAPTER IV 

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AND HIS EXPLORATIONS AND 

DISCOVERIES 

We must understand something about conditions in 
Europe during the last half of the fifteenth century before 
we begin the study of what Christopher Columbus did, and 
why he did it. If you should read a history of Eiu-ope of 
this period, you would find that many of the cities of 
southern Europe, especially Genoa, Italy, had built up a very 
prosperous trade with India and other sections of the East, 
as it was known then. This commerce was carried on 
mostly by way of the Black and Caspian Seas. You will 
see from the map that this route led by Constantinople. 

Trade prospered until the Turks captm^ Constantinople 
in 1453. They were not friendly to the people of Europe. 
As soon as they had possession of Constantinople they shut 
ofif all trade by way of the Black Sea and by other routes. 
This was a very serious matter to those cities that depended 
largely on their Eastern trade. What were they to do? 

You, who have seen maps and globes showing the world 
as it really is, could easily answer this question. You can 
find many ways of getting to India besides going through 
the Black Sea or overland through western Asia. But it 
was a very difficult matter to settle at that time because it 
was not known that the world is round. No one had sailed 
far out on the ocean. The maps of that time showed only a 
small part of Europe, a little of Asia, and northern Africa. 

XI 



12 FOUNDERS OF FHBEDOM IN AMEHICA 

Many stories were told of the terrible monsters that lived 
in the ocean, and pictures of some of these imaginary ani- 
mals were placed on the maps. One of these pictures is 
shown on the next page. If you examine it, you will know 
why the sailors were 
afraid to venture far 
out to sea. 

Most men thought 
the world was flat, 
and surrounded by 
an ocean. A few be- 
lieved the world to 
be round, as we know 
it to be, but they 
thought it was much 
smaller than it really 
is. Their writings 
and the maps they 
made show us that 
even these wise men 
thought there was 
but one ocean be- 
tween Western Eu- 
CbriBtopher Columbus.' rope and Asia. They 

His (rest disoovery opened a new world for eipkntUon had nCVCr thoUght 

of the land which 
is our home. The Norsemen did not know what they 
had discovered, five hundred years before this time, 
nor did the other peoples of Europe know of theu- explor- 
ations. 

Columbus beheved as these few learned men did. He 
was bom in Genoa, and when only a boy he showed a strong 
desire for a seaman's life. He entered the University of 



CHMSTOPHGR COLUMBUS AND HIS EXPLORATIONS 13 

Pavia at the age of ten. At that school he learned a great 
deal about nav^ation. After leaving the University he 
spent some time saihng the Mediterranean Sea. Later he 
sailed on Portuguese vessels along the coast of Western 
Europe as far north as Iceland, and southward aloi^ the 
west coast of Africa. 



About this time sailors began to use the compass. It 
was a great aid to navigators because the direction could 
always be known, no matter how dark or foggy the weather. 
The sailors of this period had, therefore, a great advantage 
over the Norsemen or Vikings, 

Bom by the sea, educated for the sea, always a student 
of navigation, and with many years of experience, it is no 
wonder that Columbxis wished to find a new route for trading 



14 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

with India. Not only was he anxious to do this, but he 
beheved he knew how to do it. 

He believed, with many of the learned men of Italy, that 
by sailing west he could reach the lands in the East, In 
order to accomplish this great undertaking, however, 
Ck)lmnbus was obliged to seek aid from someone who had 
money to fit out vessels and to pay sailors to man them. 

He first placed his plans before men in Italy, but they 
gave him no encouragement. He then went to King John 



of Portugal, who called learned men together to hear Colum- 
bus explain his ideas of the shape of the world, and how one 
could reach the East by sailing west. They were so far 
from being convinced, however, that they ridiculed him and 
asked if he thought people on the other side of the world 
could walk about with their heads hanging down. 

After his failure in Portugal, Columbus went to King 
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Seven years passed 
before he could persuade the King and Queen to give hun 
ships to cross the ocean. At last he convinced Queen Isa- 
bella that he was right, and she promised to pledge her 



CHRI8TOPHBH COLUMBUS AND HIS EXPLORATIONS 15 

jewels, if necessary, to help fit out ships for the great 
voyage. 

It was very difficult to find men to sail the ships. They 
believed that they would be lost if they sailed too far to the 
West. It was necessary for the King to order some sailors 



The CanivetH of Columbus. 

to go on the ships. Convicts were released from prison to 
complete the crews. 

Finally all was in readiness, and on August 3, 1492, Colum- 
bus left the port of Palos with three vessels, the Pinta, the 
Nina, and the Santa Maria. The Santa Maria, Columbus' 
flag-ship, was the largest. It was about ninety feet long 
said twenty feet wide. In the picture of these vessels you 
may see that they were open, with small decks. The 
sailors had very little protection in stormy weather. It is 



16 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

not surprising that men were afraid to go on such a voyage 
as Columbus planned, into an unknown sea, with vessels 
which were so small that we wonder now how they with- 
stood the waves. 

The first stop was at the Canary Islands, where it was 
necessary to stay three weeks to repair one of the ships. On 
September 6th, a fresh start was made, and from then for 
over a month the little vessels sailed steadily westward. 
Great tracts of seaweed were met. The sailors were afraid 
they would be caught in these weeds and would have to 
remain there and die. As the wind blew always towards 
the west they were frightened, because it seemed to them 
that they would never be able to return. They were also 
afraid of the great monsters that they had always heard 
about. 

After weeks had passed without signs of land, the discon- 
tent became so great that some of the men threatened to 
mutiny. Columbus, hopeful even in th^se trying days, 
urged them on by his strong will and words of encourage- 
ment. Finally, the air became balmy and floating sticks 
and bushes in the water showed them that land must be near. 
Queen Isabella had offered a prize to the man who first 
sighted land, and Columbus had promised to give him a 
velvet coat. After such a long voyage with its unrest and 
fear, and with the hope now of winnmg the Queen's prize, 
all were eager to see land. At last, one evening a sailor 
shouted " Land! " He had seen a light, — a. torch carried by 
someone on the shore. On the following morning Colum- 
bus and some of the members of the crews of each vessel 
landed. An impressive ceremony followed. Unfurling a 
banner they took possession of the country in the name of 
Spain. The land, which proved to be an island, they called 
San Salvador. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AND HIS EXPLORATIONS 17 

America was discovered October 12, 1492. The voyage had 
taken 49 days of actual sailing. This seems very long when 
we think of the trip made by two airmen in the summer of 
1919, when the voyage across the Atlantic took but 16 hours. 

Where is the Island of San Salvador? Columbus thought 
it was north of Japan. We can see how far from correct his 
map was when we consider that San Salvador is more than 



Columbus' T endi ng, 

[ii dmaed in their finest uniiDn 



8000 miles from Japan. He saw no signs of golden-roofed 
palaces, inhabited by people dressed in beautiful silks such 
as he had read were to be found in Japan. He found only 
a savage race of people who lived in homes like tents and 
went about almost naked. They had never seen boats with 
sails before, and were frightened by Columbus' ships, which 
they thought were great birds. 

Within a short time the httle fleet left San Salvador and 



18 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

cruised about searching for Japan and its wonders. During 
this voyage Columbus discovered Cuba and Haiti. As he 
thought all these lands were a part of India, he called the 
group of islands the West Indies and the natives of the 
islands Indians. 

On Christmas morning the Santa Maria was wrecked on 
a sand bank off the coast of Haiti. As the Pinta had already 
deserted, Columbus was left with but one vessel. With the 
timbers of the wrecked Santa Maria he built a fort near the 
coast, leaving forty men there with guns and provisions. 
He then sailed for home where he arrived on March 12, 1493. 

A great welcome awaited the man who had been given 
up for lost. As he had been away seven months, few thought 
that he would ever return. Columbus, who had been ridi- 
culed and laughed at, was now greeted as a hero. The King 
and Queen showered honors upon him at their court. They 
gave him the title of " Don,'' and, rejoicing in his success, 
were never weary of hearing about the strange people and 
things which he had found in the new land. 

It was not as difficult to get men for a second voyage under- 
taken by Columbus as it had been for the first one. In 
September, 1493, a fleet of seventeen vessels carrying fifteen 
hundred men set forth. As before, they sailed westward, 
expecting to join the little group left by Columbus at San 
Salvador. To their grief, however, they found only the 
ruins of the fort when they reached there, and no trace of 
the men. They cruised about, discovered Jamaica, landed 
on the islands of Haiti and Porto Rico, and established the 
colony of Hispaniola, or '' Little Spain,'' on Haiti. They 
spent nearly three years in searching here and there for the 
treasures that they felt sure were to be found in the new 
land, but they returned empty-handed to Spain. 

There was then no such welcome as when Colmnbus 



CHHISTOPHBR COLTIMBUS AND HIS EXPLORATIONS 19 

returned the first time. The Spanish people expected gold 
and lost faith in Columbus when he was not successful in 
finding it. He was thought to be a fraud. 

Queen Isabella still had faith in him, however, and 
encouraged him to make another trial. In 1498 he set forth 
on his third voyage. On this trip he discovered the main- 
land of South America, and sailed along the northern coast, 
always in search of the great treasures of India and China. 
He cruised about amoi^ the West Indies and visited the 
colony of Hispaniola. There Columbus found discontent 
among the colonists. The Governor falsely accused him, 
put him in chains, and sent him back to Spain. The Queen, 
however, was very indignant at his treatment and released 
him. 

By this time Columbus was old and discouraged because 
he had not found a short route to India, nor the treasures 
of the eastern world. But 
Queen Isabella still beUeved in 
him, and, in 1502, sent him out 
on a foiirth voyage. This time 
he met with even greater mis- 
fortunes than before. One of his 
vessels was wrecked. He and 
his men nearly starved. 

He returned to Spain broken 
in health, to find his good friend, 
Queen Isabella, dead. The king 
paid no attention to him. He 

was ignored by those to whom Americus Vespuciua. 

his discoveries later brought '^'"^™,™^j"ui^i,^^runV"' 
great wealth and distinction. 

He gave a new world to Spain, but died, in 1506, believing 
he had reached the Indies. 



20 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

Columbus' efforts made Spain one of the wealthiest and 
most important countries of Europe. Building up a great 
trade with the colonies that he planted in the new world, 
she soon found the longed-for land of gold in South America 
and Mexico. 

As all Europe profited by the discoveries of Columbus, 
you might well suppose that the new country would have 
been called by his name, but he did not get even that honor. 
Another man, named Americus Vespucius, a Florentine 
navigator, made a voyage to the new world in 1501, and 
upon his return to Europe wrote an account of his travels. 
People soon afterwards began to call the new country 
America, after the author of this book. 

THINGS TO TfflNK ABOUT 

I. How do we know the world is round? 
II. Why did Columbus need to be a good sailor? 

III. What would you have thought if you had been living in Colum- 

bus* time and had heard his plans? 

IV. Why was it hard for him to obtain money for his voyage? 
V. Did Columbus do what he wished to do? Explain. 

VI. What do you mean by explorations? 
VII. Why was Columbus honored at first and then ill treated? 
VIII. Do you think Columbus was a great man? Why? 



CHAPTER V 

PROJECT— DRAMATIZATION OF COLUMBUS' VOYAGE, DIS- 
COVERY AND VICTORIOUS RETURN 

By Mabel L. Bennett, Union County, N. J. 

Teacher's Aim: 

To show the ideas, plans, and aims of Columbus and how they were 
received by the people of his time. To give the pupils a vivid picture 
of the manners and customs of that period, and so arouse a keen interest 
in history. 

Children's Aim: 

To write a play to be given on some particular occasion. 

Motivation : 

Let us make believe we are play writers and actors and write a play 
about Columbus. 

Procedure : 

Lesson I, — Give an oral English lesson with the purpose of having 
pupils decide upon plan of writing a play for some occasion. 

Lesson II, (This may take several lessons.) — ^Plan how to do it; plan 
scope of play and material needed. 

Lesson III, — Divide class into groups. Give each group a very 
definite assignment, the report of which is to be given on a certain date. 

Lesson IV. (and as many more as are needed) — ^Have groups report. 
Let pupils decide, at the end of each report, what material can be used 
in the play. 

Lessons IX, X, (or whatever number it may be). — Let the play be 
written by groups or by class as a whole as a board exercise. 

Give the play for a special occasion. 

After play is given, have a class discussion, bringing out how the 
presentation of the play might be improved if it is to be given again, 

21 



22 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

This project affords excellent opportunity for correlation in oral and 
written English and in Drawing. For instance, a plan of the stage 
showing the arrangement of the furniture, position of characters in the 
opening tableau, etc., would be very interesting material for a drawing 
lesson or two. Instances of the correlation of oral and written English 
have abready been given. 

MODEL PLAY 

Costumes and Stage Furniture arranged by the pupils 

Courtiers — Bloomers, capes, men's soft hats with plumes. 

King and Queen — ^Velvet and brocades (masquerade costume). 

Indians — Indian suits. 

Throne — Chairs covered with velvet hangings. 

Forest — Ferns, palms, rubber plant. 

Act I 

Scene — Court of Spain. 

Characters — Ferdinand, Isabella, Columbus, courtiers, page. 

Page — (blowing trumpet) A summons from their Majesties, King Ferdi- 
nand and Queen Isabella, that the nobles of the land assemble in the 
court one hour hence. 
Court assembles. 

King — Most noble gentlemen, the purpose of this meeting is to hear the 
plans of a certain man called Columbus, who claims that he knows 
how to reach the East in a new and wonderful way. 

Page — (enters) ' T is Columbus, Your Majesty. 

King — ^Bring the gentleman to the court. 

Foflfe — (enters, followed by Columbus). 

Columbus — Your Majesties. 

(Columbus falls before the king and queen in reverence, and 
bows low to the lords.) 

Columbus — A thousand thanks. Your Majesty, for this opportunity to 
present to this glorious court a plan that will make this country the 
richest in the world. O great and wonderful King, every nation will 
envy you, but none will rival your power and wealth. 

King — Let us hear this wonderful plan of yours, Columbus. 

Cclumhus — Not many years ago the fierce Turks captured Constanti- 
nople, and since then these robbers have made it impossible for the 



PROJECT — DRAMATIZATION OP COLtTMBUS' VOYAGE 23 

Christian nations to trade with the East. Our only hope is to find 
a new route to the Indies. I believe the earth is round and that if 
we sail west we will reach the Indies without any great difficulty. 

Courtier — ^What makes you think the world is round, Columbus? 

Columbus — Ever since I was a small boy, I have watched the boats at sea, 
, and I have noticed, noble gentlemen, that the ship does not dis- 
appear as a whole, but that at first the hull is lost to view, then the 
deck, then the lower part of the sails, and finally the top masts. This 
could happen only if the world were round. 

Courtier — If a ship sails down hill as it goes across the ocean, can it sail 
up hill to get back to port? 

Courtier — ^What a crazy idea! If the earth is round, do the people on the 
other side of the world walk with their heads down? 

Courtier — Ha! Ha! Do the trees in that land grow with their roots in the 
air? 

Courtier — What a funny idea! In that opposite land do the rain and snow 
fall up instead of down? You're a crazy fellow! 

ColumJlyus — You may laugh at my plan, but I know I am right. I believe 
that by sailing across the western sea I will reach the rich country 
of China. 

Courtier — Be careful, Columbus, remember that huge dragon in the Sea 
of Darkness that could swallow you at one gulp; yes, swallow you 
and your whole ship, too. 

Courtier — ^Before you get out very far that great bird will swoop down 
upon you, and carry you away in its claws and drop you over the 
edge of the world. 

Courtier — How will you pass through the place where the water is boiling 
and where the fogs are so black you can't see your hand before your 
face? No! No! your plan is worse than foolish. 

Columbus — ^You may think my plan foolish, but I have been reading 
Marco Polo's wonderful book, and to obtain the riches of that 
country I would be willing to risk my life on the Sea of Darkness. 

Courtier — It is indeed a wonderful country and the plan is worth con- 
sidering, but I think this fellow is crazy, nevertheless. 

Columbus — Then too, I feel that I have been chosen by Heaven to find 
this new route, and to convert the people of these lands to our 
Christian faith. It is a great work, O noble gentlemen. 

Qaeen — It is indeed a great work, Columbus, and I trust that you may 
accomplish your task and meet with the greatest success. 



24 FOrNT>EE8 or TBEKDOU IS AMERICA 

/' i-fr If tili^ et*urt iJjouW lii-Ip y<>u in tliis underUldng, wbat are the 

^,'j.um»^^^—Jm^ tiiT** fav*>f> I a~k- Fmrt: that I be mftde Admiral of 
tut hfAt, 

h^^jiA : tixat I \)tt ina^e govonor of the laodfi I disoover, and 

Tojfd : tijiX tAte-ietiih (A the gold and silver found shafl be mine. 
/:Vw^,4^— rjfje-t^th of the ffAd and silver! No, indeed! 
O/wf*^— )Miy t^litMiid thi« foreigner be granted these Immkhs? 
<^4^>% -' Tift a n^^lile undertaking and worthy of our support. 
^An^ 'U, Qiiften/— But, my dear, the Treasury is low. (To Crfumbos) 

Y^Mir lAsm in worthy of consideration and within a few days we will 

utftmn ytm of our decision. 
CUtinJ/uM \(*ry well, Your Majesty, a thousand thanks for your gracioas 

rWithdrawH.) 
dfmfiinr — ^Tlie fellow's crazy! 
/IV/iiWwr— What frnilish schemes! 

Cfmnier — Tliis fellow from Italy is very modest in his demands. 
King— The court in dismissed. 



Act n 

Same — fin l)oard Sania Maria, 

CtmrncterH - <.'olumbu8, Sailors. 

(Sailors gathered on deck, some sitting, others sta ndin g— faces 
express glmmi and despair.) 

Fir 4 Sailor- - Water, water, water ever>'where and not a sign of land! 

Stamd I'm sick and tired of this everlasting Water. For nine weeks 
now we've l)een sailing west and farther west, but we never get any- 
where. We'll all be crazy before that dreamer changes his mind. 

Third It's awful. I don't wonder our wives and children cried whea 
we left Palos. We'll never get back home and Fd rather be dead 
than kec*p on. 

F(mHh Just think of what we've gone throu^. In the first place that 
compass dot^sn't point to the North Star. I know we've been giv«i 
a reason for it, but I don't believe it any more than I bdieve the 
earth is round. Something awful will happen to us before long. 

Fijth (>f course it will. So far, the great dragon has been asle^ bat 
if we strike another bed i)f sea-weed, we'll be gobbled up, ship and all 



'» »» 



'?, 



•^>: 



t „ 



PROJECT — DRAMATIZATION OF COLUMBUS^ VOYAGE 25 

First — WeVe been disappointed many times. Do you remember that 

night when we thought we saw land, and how we stayed on deck till 

morning, only to discover that we had been fooled by a cloud? 
Second — Indeed, I do, and I remember how that stubborn captain of 

ours refused to make any change in his plan, but was determined to 

sail west, and sail west he did. 
Third — ^Yes, and I remember how he threatened to put us in chains if we 

didn't obey. 
Fovrth — Let's throw him overboard. 

Fifth — ^But what would we do without him, for he really is a fine sailor? 
First — ^Yes, he is a good sailor, but I am so tired of hearing him say, 

" Sail on ! Sail on! " whenever we ask him what to do to reach shore. 
Cry — Land birds! Land birds! (All gaze after birds.) 
Second — I wish those birds would carry me with them. They'll soon 

reach shore. 
Third — Let's follow ihem. 

Fifth — ^Who'll ask Columbus to change his course? 
Fourth — I'm ready. 

(Columbus enters and he, too, gazes after birds.) 
O Columbus, those birds are fl3ring to shore? Won't you turn 
your course and follow them? 
Columbus — ^But I know we will reach the Indies if we keep on due west. 
Fourth — Perhaps those birds will reach a nearer land. 
Cdumbus — ^But I want to reach the Indies. 
Sailor (aside) — ^The stubborn thing. 
Sailor (aside) — Let's throw him overboard. 
Fourth — We'll be crazy if we don't reach land soon. Nine weeks on this 

Sea of Darkness is enough to drive anyone insane. We beg you to 

change your course. 
AU — ^Yes, yes, you must change your course! 
Cclumhus — ^But I'm siu^ we'll reach the Indies soon. 
Sailors — ^Follow the birds! Change your course! Change your course! 
Columbus (to himself) — ^That slight change will make very little difference 

in the end. If it will satisfy these men, I guess I'll do it. (To * 

men) — ^Very well, my men, we'll turn our course a little to the south 

and follow the birds. Then I hope you'll be satisfied and that there 

will be no more grumbling. Exit Columbus. 
Sailors — ^Hurrah! Now well soon reach land. 



26 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 



Act m 

Scene — ^Tropical Shore of America. 

Characters — Columbus — ^Three Spanish Noblemen — Sailors — Indians. 
Indian — (with eyes shaded and looking off in the distance calls to other 
Indians, busy in the forest.) 

My brothers, my brothers, look! Off in the distance I see a 
wonderful bird with great white wings. (All Indians come 
near the shore.) 
Indian — It is coming nearer! How large it is! (All stand gazing. X 
Indian — How strange! A boat full of people is coming from the bird. 
Indian — ^The Great Spirit must be sending a message to his children. 

Let us watch in secret. (Indians find shelter behind trees.) 
Indian — What pale faces they have! (Indians retreat further into forest; 
a grating sound is heard and into view come Columbus with noble- 
men and sailors carrying banners, spear, etc.) (All fall to their 
knees, kiss the ground in joy and sing the Doxology.) (Indians creep 
neai-er.) 
Cdumhus — (Smiting the ground with his sword.) To this beautiful land, 
I give the name of San Salvador. 
(Planting the flag.) 

In the name of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and of Spain, I 
take possession of this land and of all the lands bordered by this 
mighty sea. 

(All members of party crowd around Columbus; some embrace 
him; others kiss his hand and kneel before him. 
Fir si — Oh, great and noble Columbus! 
Second — My brave captain! 
Third — Forgive, I pray thee, all my disobedience. 
Fourth — ^Always, through every danger will I follow thee. 
Fifth — Long live Columbus! 
AU — Long live Columbus! Long live Columbus! 

(Indians come nearer and gaze in wonder at palefaces and bow 
before them.) 
Indian — ^Welcome, brother, welcome. 
Indian — Paleface friends, the redskins bid you welcome. 
Indian — O white visitors from the skies, may the Great Spirit be kind to 
his children who welcome you to their homes. 



PROJECT — DRAMATIZATION OF COLUMBUS' VOYAGE 27 

Columbus — Many thanks, kind friends. 

(Turning to Spaniards) — Before dispersing let us salute our 
flag and sing our national anthem. 
All — (Salute flag and sing.) 

Act IV 

<Scen€-^panish Court. 

Characters— (^ueen Isabella with ladies-in-waiting; King Ferdinand with 
guards, noblemen, Indians, sailors, page, Columbus. 
Stately Assembling of court — Music. 
Sailors enter each carrying some object, — ^bird, cotton, gold, etc., 

from the new world. 
Indians enter, arrayed in feathers and paint, and take places 
near sailors. 

Columbus — (Enters, preceded by page carrying banner— bows low before 
the king and kneeling before the queen, kisses her hand.) O most 
noble monarchs, through God's providence, we have been permitted 
to return to our homeland, and with grateful hearts we present to 
this great nation and to Your Majesties all lands of the western world. 

King — (Extending hand.) Arise, Columbus; so great a discoverer is 
indeed worthy of our highest respect and esteem. We invite you 
to sit with us and relate your wonderful adventures. 

Queen — (Extending hand.) Yes, Columbus, our hearts are full of thanks- 
giving to God for your safe return. We rejoice in your success and 
welcome you most heartily to our court. 

Columbus — ^A thousand thanks. Your Majesties, for this gracious recep- 
tion, and with great delight will I make known to you the story of 
my adventures. 

King — Be seated, Columbus. 

Columbus — Many thanks, O noble king — (Pause). After leaving Palos, 
on Aug. 3, we sailed to the Canary Islands, then turned our course 
due west. For many weeks we sailed. The weather was mild and 
the sea calm and smooth. There were days of discouragement, 
especially toward the last; but finally land was sighted on Oct. 12. 
Everyone rejoiced, for our task was finished and all fears removed. 
As quickly as possible we rowed ashore and claimed the land for 
Spain. 

King — Splendid! Did you find a promising country? 



28 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

Columbus — ' Tis a wonderful land with sunny skies and balmy air. The 
forests are most luxuriant with palms and valuable woods. Among 
the trees are briUiant birds and curious animals. A few of these I 
have brought as gifts to Your Majesties. 
(Sailor carrying parrots comes forward.) 

Queen — (Examines them — as do king and ladies-in-waiting.) 
What gorgeous feathers! 

Ladif — Beautiful! 

Columbus — Listen carefully and you will hear these birds speak. 

(He rubs their heads and one parrot calls, " Long live the king!" 
while another cries, " Long live the queen! ") 

Kififf — Wonderful! 

Lddy — How extraordinary! 

Columbus — (As sailor brings up basket of fruit and flowers.) This is a 
small collection of the fruits and flowers. 

Queen — What beautiful colors! 

Lady — How sweet they are! 

Columbus — The plains are covered with fields of cotton. (Sailor displays 
cotton.) 

King — Good! 

Columbus — Here are some of the ornaments worn by the natives. (Sailor 
shows ornaments; others examine them.) 

Queen — What odd bracelets! 

Lady — How unique! 

Lady — Isn't this chain interesting? 

King — Did you find any gold mines? 

Columbus — ^The time was short and our explorations were near the coast. 
We found no mines, but the Indians told us of seven wonderful cities 
to the west, full of gold, silver, and precious stones. 

King — Were the natives friendly? 

Columbus — When first we landed, they were afraid and hid in the bushes; 
but when they found that we did not want to harm them, they grew 
friendly. They marveled at our white skin and thought us visitors 
from the skies. Three of these people have returned with us to 
Spain to be baptized into our faith. 

Queen — ' Tis a noble work you have done, Columbus. 

(Indians come forward — bow low to the queen and king.) 

Lady — ^What red skins and black hair they have! 

Lady—How strange their dress! Isn't it picturesque? 



PROJECT — DRAMATIZATION OF COLUMBUS' VOYAGE 29 

Kinff — ^Their weapons are very simple. 

Columbus — ^But they are expert marksmen, nevertheless. 
(Indians return to places.) 

Columbus — For several months we cruised about, but we were anxious 
to return to Spain with our report. As the Sarda Maria was 
wrecked shortly before we left we built a fort on Hispaniola and 
left a few men to guard it. The rest of us embarked in the Pirda 
and Nina, Because of a terrific storm we were driven far apart and 
did not see each other again until we met in the harbor of Palos. 

Queen — Grod's providence is surely marvelous. 

King — Arise, Columbus, and kneel before us while this court expresses 
its appreciation of your services. (Columbus kneels and the king 
drawing his sword strikes Columbus on the shoulder.) I herewith 
name thee Admiral of the Seas, a Spanish Don, and Grovemor of 
all the lands thou dost discover. 

(The Court pays homage to Columbus and then in great state passes 
from the throne room.) 

References and Supplementary Reading 

America's Story for American Children Mara L, Pratt 

life of Columbus Washington Irving 

Columbus \ Joaquin Miller 

"Columbus Song,'' taken from " 1492. " 

The True Story of Christopher Columbus E, S. Brooks 

Life of Christopher Columbus for Boys and Girls G. W, Moores 



CHAPTER VI 

JOHN CABOT AND ENGLAND'S CLAIM IN AMERICA 

The news of the attempts of Columbus to find a new- 
route to India and China was taken to England by mer- 
chants' ships traveling to that coimtry. In those times 
this was the only means by which news could travel. There 
was no telephone, telegraph, nor cable to carry a message 
from Spain to England, or even around the world, in a few 
minutes, as they now do. The English king, Henry VII, 
was much interested when he heard of the great discovery. 
He thought that his coimtry should share in the wealth that 
this new route to the East would make available. 

At this time there was living in England an Italian who 
was ready to imdertake such a voyage as the king desired. 
His name was John Cabot. He was bom in Genoa, where 
Columbus had been bom a few years earlier, spent a part 
of his life in Venice, and from the merchants there learned 
a great deal about China. He had also traveled in Arabia, 
where he had seen great caravans loaded with the spices and 
rich goods produced in the East. Because of this he had a 
strong desire to visit China and India. 

The king turned to John Cabot when he heard of the 
voyages of Colimibus. Cabot readily agreed to take com- 
mand of a ship to sail for the new land. In May, 1497, one 
vessel commanded by Cabot, accompanied by his son 
Sebastian and eighteen men, set sail from Bristol. You 
may see by looking at the map that the route followed by 

30 



JOHN CABOT AND ENGLAND'S CLAIU IN AUEBICA 31 

Cabot was far north of that followed by Columbus. He 
6ailed westward, and on June 24 sighted the coast of 
Labrador. He named the country New-found-land, and 
claimed it in the name of the king of England. He then 
returned home, thinkii^ he had landed on the eastern coast 



The Type of VeaaeJs used by John Cabot. 

of Asia. He did not find the new route to China that he 
was searching for, but he did establish for England a claim 
to vast regions in the new world. For his services he was 
given ten pounds, or about fifty dollars, by the king, and 
was paid a small pension by the city of Bristol. Honored 
by the king and people, he was known as the Great Admiral. 
Another voyage was undertaken by Cabot in 1498. 



32 FOUm>EBS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

With a fleet of five or six vessels he explored the coast of 
Noi^ America as far south as Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 
Sebastian Cabot and a pilot of one of the ships each made a 
map of the coast which they explored. These maps, which 
were the first ever made of this region, are still in existence. 



The light portions on the eafltem coast of North America show the diaooveriea 
made by the Cabots. 

John Cabot was lost on this voyage. In fact, only one 
of the ships ever reached England again. Sebastian Cabot, 
on his return, reported seeii^ great quantities of codfish 
near the coast of Newfoundland. This was of interest to 
Bristol, which was an important fishing town. The fish- 
eries later established near Newfoundland, as a result of 
Cabot's report, have grown to be the gii^atest in the world. 

King Henry, who wanted the wealth of China and India, 



JOHN CABOT AND ENGLAND'S CLAIM IN AMERICA 33 

lost all interest when Cabot did not find it. It was 
over fifty years before any more attempts were made by 
England to explore the new land. When, however, Eng- 
land again turned her attention to the new world, she based 
her claims wholly upon Cabot's explorations. 

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. What were the chief reasons for the explorations of the Cabots? 
II. What was learned from their journeys? 

III. What country profited most from the journeys of the Cabots? 
Why? 



CHAPTER VII 

JUAN PONCE DE LEON AND THE FABLED FOUNTAIN 

For a luimber of years after Columbus made his voyages, 
the Spanish people suffered no interference with their 
explorations in the new world, as it soon came to be called. 
As you have seen, the English king lost interest as soon as 
Cabot failed to bring back gold and other treasures. It 
was over fifty years before any other English explorers made 
voyages to America. But, in the meantime, the Spanish 
explorers were busy establishing colonies and exploring in 
different parts of the new world. As they were in search of 
wealth, few of them tried to build homes where they might 
live. They wanted to get rich quickly. Some of them did, 
as we shall see, but many lost their lives in their efforts to 
conquer the Indians whose property they were seeking to 
take away. 

Colonies were soon established on various islands of the 
West Indies. This made it easy to fit out armies and take 
them to different parts of the country to explore or conquer 
as they wished. 

Some of the governors of the different islands ah'eady 
were rich men. Among them was Juan Ponce de Leon, 
governor of Porto Rico. He came over with Columbus on 
his second voyage. He had heard from men who had made 
voyages to the country north of Porto Rico that they had 
seen people living on fine fruits and other foods which grew 
without cultivation. They also told him that the natives 
were rich — that they possessed beautiful jewels and much 

34 



JtTAN PONCE DB LEON AND THE FABLED FOUNTAIN 36 

gold. Best of all, however, to de Leon, who was now an 
old man, the travelers told him of a fountam, the waters 
of which would bring back a man's youth, if he bathed in 
them. Fully believing this fable, he fitted out three fine 
ships, and, in 1513, set sail for the land of the wonderful 
fountain. 

We wonder now how de Leon could have beUeved such a 
story, but men of that time were ready to accept any tale 
of the new land. They had read many stories of China and 
India which were supposed to be true,— stories as strange 
as this legend of the foimtain of youth. 

On Easter Simday, 1513, de Leon caught his first view of 
a new land of beautiful groves of trees and many flowers 
growing in the tall rich grass. Because of these flowers 
and because he found the new land on Easter Simday, 
which was called Pasqua Florida, or Flowery Easter, he 
named the land Florida. 

His landing place was probably not far from the present 
city of St. Augustine. After several weeks spent in exploring 
along the coast, he was obUged, however, to go back to 
Porto Rico an older man than when he came, having found 
no fountain, as he had hoped. 

On a second voyage, in 1521, de Leon was wounded in a 
fight with the Indians. The men who managed to escape 
sailed with him for Cuba, where he died from the effects of 
his wound. De Leon's experience was like that of other 
Spaniards who placed personal gain ahead of a desire to 
build up and make a good use of the coimtry. 

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. What do you think of de Leon^s reason for his voyage? 
II. What good result came from his explorations? 
III. For whom was de Leon working? 



CHAPTER VIII 

BALBOA AND OTHER SPANISH EXPLORERS AND THEIR 
DISCOVERIES 

In the year in which de Leon discovered Florida, another 
Spaniard, Balboa by name, a governor of one of the Spanish 
colonies, visited an Indian village on the Isthmus of Pan- 
ama. He was told by the Indians of a great sea that lay 
to the south. He traveled to the new sea and discovered 
the greatest ocean of the earth, which, later on, in 1519, 
was called the Pacific by 
a Portuguese sailor named 
Magellan. 

At the time of Balboa it 
was a great task to cross the 
narrow piece of land now 
known as the Isthmus of 
Panama, but in these days 
boats pass from the Atlantic 
to the Pacific Ocean through 
the great Panama Canal in 
Ferdinand Magellan. eight hours. 

He WM the first of the early eiplorBraiomska Magellan WES Sent OUt by 

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the great ocean until he reached the islands off the Eastern 
coast of Asia. Taking possession of these islands for Spain, 
he named them the Philippines, after the Spanish king. 
They remained a Spanish possession until bought by the 




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BALBOA AND OTHEE SPANISH EXPLORERS 37 

United States in 1898. Magellan was killed in a fight with 
the natives on one of the Philippine Islands. One of his 
vessels continued on the voyage and finally reached home 
by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. If you trace 
this first trip around the world on the globe, you will see 
that it proved what Columbus had believed — ^that the 
world is round and that the East may be reached by sailing 
westward. It was by this voyage, too, that people came to 
know that Colimibus had really found a new world and not 
just a part of Asia, as he thought. 

Hernando Cortez, a brave young soldier^ heard in 1519 
of great wealth in Mexico. He fitted out a small army and 
set out to conquer the Aztecs, as the people of Mexico were 
called, and to take their riches. After many trials he suc- 
ceeded, in 1521, in taking the Aztec capital. Thus Mexico 
became a possession of Spain. In this case the report of 
wealth was true. The Spaniards found riches to satisfy 
their wildest dreams. Mexico has been free from Spanish 
rule for many years, but the Spanish language is still 
spoken, and Spanish customs are still followed in that 
country. 

Pizarro, one of the soldiers in the settlement of Panama, 
led an expedition to Peru in South America, where the Incas 
dwelt. Like the Aztecs, the Incas were half-civiUzed Indi- 
ans who had built many wonderful buildings and had 
gathered together great treasures of gold, silver, and jewels. 
The Spaniards showed no mercy to these people, using every 
means, no matter how unfair, to conquer them. When the 
ruler of the Incas was captured and killed, Pizarro and his 
followers gained the gold and treasures that they valued so 
much. He met the same fate, however, as many others 
who used their strength to injure the weak. He was killed 
in a quarrel with some of his followers. His conquest, like 



38 POUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

that of Cortez, added to Spain's share of the new world 
great areas with vast riches. 

Among the soldiers who helped Pizarro conquer the Incas 
was a young Spaniard named Hernando de Soto. He, like 
many others, became very rich through the conquest of 
Peru. Moreover, for his services the king of Spain gave him 
the governorship of Cuba. It would seem that he should 
have been satisfied with these riches, and the honor of 
serving as Governor of Cuba, which at that time was a 
very important colony. But he was not. He wanted more 
wealth, and thought that he might find another Peru near 
the country explored by de Leon. In 1539 he took six 
hundred men with him and set sail to the coast of Florida 
where he landed and began his journey into the wilderness. 
He marched inland toward the North through what is now 
Florida and Georgia. He then turned to the West and 
passed through the present states of Alabama and Missis- 
sippi. It was a journey filled with hardships, and the 
treasures of gold for which he was always searching could 
not be found. The land through which he passed was the 
home of many Indian tribes. His treatment of these 
Indians was the same as Pizarro's in Peru. De Soto pun- 
ished and killed without mercy. He forced Indians to be 
his slaves, and treated them worse than we would treat 
beasts. Indians were forced to act as guides, and if they 
disobeyed in any way, they were killed by horrible tortures. 
All this angered the natives, who sent messengers through- 
out the country to spread the news of the strange traveler 
whose only thought was to gain riches, no matter what the 
cost in hmnan suffering. He was even cruel to the men in 
his army. He would not listen to pleadings to return when 
they saw what hardships they had to endure. After two 
years of wandering, they reached the banks of the Missis- 



BALBOA AND OTHEB SPANISH BXPLOREES 39 

sippi River. This was in 1541. He did not know it, but 
he achieved more distinction by discovering this great river 
than great wealth could ever have brought him. 



Discovery of the Mississippi River by De Soto. 

De Soto crossed the Mississippi and, still searching for 
gold, led his men northward and explored the country nearly 
as far as Missouri. Finally, tired out and discouraged, he 
turned back and started for home. He was taken ill before 
he had gone far and died with the thought that his journey 



40 POUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

had been a failure. He could thinlc of success only as 
measured by one thing — gold. 

His followers dared not bury his body where the Indians 
would find it, because de Soto's cruel treatment of the 
Indians had made them all enemies. With their leader 
gone, the soldiers feared the Indians might attack and prob- 
ably kill them and so they lowered de Soto's body by night 



The Burial of De Soto in the Waters of the Great River that he Discovered. 

into the waters of the great river he had discovered. Then 
they set out on the long hard journey home. When they 
did finally reach Mexico, where other Spaniards had settled, 
only half of the proud army that started out remained. 
These three hundred men were worn out with hunger and 
nearly dead from hardships. They thought they had 
gained nothing, but a great discovery had been made, and 
Spain had established a claim to still another of the richest 
regions of the world. 



BALBOA AND OTHER SPANISH EXPLORERS 41 

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. Do you think any white man had seen the Pacific Ocean before 
Balboa did? Why was he called the discoverer of it? 

II. Why was Magellan's trip around the worid important? 
III. What does the history of Cortez teach us about the desires of the 
Spanish in America? 

rv. Give as many reasons as you can why de Soto's journey was 
difficult. 

V. De Soto did not find what he was searching for but he has an impor- 
tant place in our history. Why? 



CHAPTER IX DRAKE: AN ENGLISH EXPLORER OF THE SIXTEENTH 

CENTURY 

As you have already learned, the Spanish sailors were 
about the only ones who explored and conquered the new 
world for many years after Columbus discovered it. Spain 
grew rich and powerful through the conquests of Mexico, 
Peru and other coimtries, and used this wealth later on to 
wage war against other countries in Europe, particularly 
England. 

England had by the latter half of the sixteenth century 
become a great nation, and was Spain's chief rival in Europe. 
Anxious to have a share in the wealth of the new world, 
Queen EUzabeth was willing to lend her aid to English 
sailors who wished to compete with the Spaniards in getting 
this wealth. At this tune the laws of the sea were very lax, 
and, even in tunes of peace, it was not uncommon for an 
English ship to captiu-e a Spanish vessel laden with treasiures, 
rob it of food and valuables, and sail away. This was as 
true of other sailors as of the English. Today we should 
call such practice piracy. A pirate is punished with death 
if captured, but at that time the most successful sea rob- 
bers became great men and received honors from their 
rulers. 

One of these English sailors who profited by trading with 
the Spanish colonies in the new world was John Hawkins. 
He made much money by bringing negroes over to this coun- 

42 



drake: an enqush explorer 43 

try from Africa and selling them as slaves to the Spanish. 
He is said to have been the first Englishman to enga^ in the 
negro slave trade with America. While on a voyage in 1567, 
his fleet was attacked by the Spanish and all but two boats 
were destroyed. 

With Hawkins on this unfortunate trip was a youi^ 
cousin of his named Francis Drake. This young man, who 
was twenty-two years of age at this time, had been a sailor 
from youth and was as brave as he was a good sailor. 
Because he could not forgive the Spanish for the loss of his 
wealth in Hawkins' defeat, it was not 
long before he set out with a stout 
ship to capture as many Spanish 
treasureships as possible, and also to 
do what damage he could to the 
Spanish colonies in the new world. 
He succeeded in capturing many 
vessels, and raided many Spanish o- t?_ ■ r. i 

' , ^ ■ . , Sir Francis Drake. 

coast settlements. Drake made three The unt journey sround the 
voyages through the West Indies and ™''^ ™ ""i* ^y ">" 
along the coast of Mexico and South 
America, gatheri:^ a harvest of gold and spreading fear among 
the Spanish people as he went. On the third voy^e he spent 
some time on the Isthmus of Panama, and while wandering 
over the Isthmus saw the Pacific ocean, which Balboa had 
discovered sixty years before. He resolved to sail that 
great ocean in an English ship. 

Upon his return to his home-land he was greatly honored 
by his queen. After remaining in England for some time, he 
set out again with a fleet in the hope of gaining some of the 
wealth of Peru. He finally succeeded in passing through 
the Strait of Magellan, but his own vessel, the " Golden 
Hind," was the only one that made the passage into the 



44 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

Pacific. All the others were lost on the rocks, or deserted 
him when their sailors saw the dangers of the strait. 

Drake sailed northward and gathered vast treasures in 
Chile and Peru from the Spanish, who were taken by sur- 
prise and became easy prey for him both on land and sea. 
He is said to have seized nearly a million dollars' worth of 
treasure from one ship alone. 

After his adventures along the coast of South America, 
he sailed to the North and spent the winter of 1579 in what 
is now California. He claimed the land in the name of 
England, naming it New Albion. In the spring he contmued 
his journey and finally, in late summer of 1580, reached 
England, having sailed completely around the world. 

You will agree that Drake was a hardy seaman when 
you know that he made all these journeys to the Spanish 
colonies and completed a three years' voyage around the 
world in a slow sailing ship of that time, all before he was 
forty years old. 

His services to his coimtry did not close with this voyage, 
however, for in 1588 the Spanish king detemuned to put a 
stop to England's attacks on the Spanish-American trade. 
He fitted out a great fleet of vessels, called the Spanish 
Armada, and set out to invade England. Lord Howard 
commanded the English fleet against the Spanish, but Drake 
served under him as an important officer. The great sea 
fight resulted in the destruction of the Spanish fleet, and 
gave England the secure place on the seas which she has 
always held. She was thereafter '' Mistress of the Seas." 

Later voyages of Drake were not so successful as his 
earlier ones. While on a voyage with his cousin. Sir John 
Hawkins, the Spaniards defeated them. Hawkins died 
from an illness which broke out among the sailors. Drake 
still kept on, but he, too, was taken ill, died, and was buried 



drake: an ENGLISH EXPLORER 45 

at sea. He was a brave sailor, and his efforts helped to 
make England a great sea power. This power made it easy 
for her to take a prominent place among European nations 
when the time came for English colonists to settle in 
America. 

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 

r. Why do you think the Spanish gained so much in America before 

other countries began to colonize? 
II. What is meant by a pirate? 

III. Would you like to have been a sailor with Drake? 

IV. Why was Drake honored by his queen? 
V. Do you think Drake was a patriot? 



CHAPTER X Sm WALTER RALEIGH AND HIS ATTEMPTS TO MAKE 

SETTLEMENTS IN AMERICA 

From the time of Sir Francis Drake England's interest 
in the new world rapidly increased. Spain had reaped a 
golden harvest from her conquests in America, for her trade 
with the colonies that she had established was very profit- 
able. Drake did some damage to Spanish commerce by 
raiding her colonies and destroying her ships, but it was left 
to others to build up for England colonies and trade that 
could compete with those of Spain. 

Besides the establishment of trading points for England 
in America, there were other reasons why Englishmen 
wanted to plant colonies there. They had the same hope 
as the Spanish, that there were gold and silver to be found. 
Moreover, as there were many people in England at that 
time who could find no work, it was thought that America 
would be a good place to which to send them. 

Sir Hiunphrey Gilbert first attempted in 1587 to plant a 
British colony in America, but he was unsuccessful. He 
made a second trial later, but two out of his three vessels 
were wrecked in a storm and he himself lost his life. 

Gilbert had a stepbrother named Walter Raleigh who 
took up the work of trying to colonize America for England 
after Gilbert's death. At the age of fifteen Raleigh entered 
Oxford University. He showed unusual ability in his 
studies, and, because of this and his gracious manners, he 
soon made many friends. He left the university after three 

46 



SIR WAI/TBR RALBIOH 47 

years and fought in France, Holland, and Ireland. After 
his return to England his many accomplishments brought 
him to the notice of Queen Elizabeth. She was so pleased 
■ with his wit, charm, and leamli^ that it was not long before 
he became a general favorite at her court. As she gave him 
many special privileges 
which brought him great 
wealth, we find him at 
the time of Gilbert's 
death well prepared to 
take up the work that 
Gilbert could not do. 
The queen had granted 
Gilbert a charter which 
gave him " the r^t to 
lay claim to any land 
in the West not actually 
possessed by a Chris- 
tian." This charter she 
now gave to Rale^, 
who by its terms was 
made governor over all 
colonies he might estab- Queen Elizftbetb. 

lish. The charter also Enil»otl'" peat queen h*lped io the eflDrta to ouln 
Bettlementa in AmericiL. 

granted the people who 

desired to go to America the same political and religious 

rights that they had in England. 

Raleigh thought it best to send out an exploring party 
to look over the land to find the best place for a settlement. 
Two ships set out in 1584. This expedition landed in the 
autumn on an island in Pamlico Sound in what is now 
North Carolina. They found the country beautiful with 
flowers, the climate warm, and fish and game in abundance. 



48 FOUNDERS OF FEEEDOM IN AMERICA 

They explored Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, and then 
returned to England. The report made to the queen so 
pleased her that she named the country in her own honor. 
As she was unmarried and had the title, " The Vii^ 
Queen " she called the new land Virginia. 

Soon after the return of this expedition Raleigh sent out 
seven ships loaded with colonists. These men landed at 
Roanoke Island and estab- 
lished a colony. Unfortu- 
nately, the colonists did not 
like to work, and, instead 
of planting crops for food, 
they depended upon what 
they could get from the 
Indians. As they were not 
always fair, however, in 
their treatment of the In- 
dians, it was not long be- 
fore an unfriendly feeling 
Sir Walter Raleigh. grew up. It soon becanie 

^'^.ttTpt'ed't^^iuTZJlT"'"* difficult to get food and 
many colonists died the 
first winter. All would have probably perished if Sir 
Francis Drake had not happened along and taken the few 
survivors back to England. 

The colonists took with them two plants that they had 
foimd growing on Roanoke Island. One of these was the 
potato, which the English had never seen up to this time. 
The other plant was tobacco. The colonists had tried it 
and thought it worthy of being carried all the way to Eng- 
land. The potato ha.s become an important food in many 
countries, and tobacco is used all over the world, in every 
land. 



SIR WALTER RALEIGH 49 

In 1587 Raleigh made another attempt to make a settle- 
ment in America. This time he included women and chil- 
dren among his colonists. The expedition was under the 
command of Captain John White. These colonists also 
landed on Roanoke Island. A short time after they landed, 
the first English child was bom in what is now the United 
States. The child was a grand-daughter of Captain White 
and was named Virginia Dare. She was bom in 1587. 

After remaining with the colonists a short time, Captain 
White returned to England to report to Raleigh, and to get 
aid for the colony. He expected to return almost immedi- 
ately, but when he reached England he found everyone 
excited over the preparations to fight the Spanish Armada. 
It was not easy to provide ships and men to relieve the 
colony in the new world when England was in so much 
danger, and two years passed before White returned to 
America. When he reached Roanoke Island no trace 
could be found of the colonists. Their fate has always 
remained a mystery. 

Raleigh gave up the attempt to plant a colony in America 
after this failure. He had spent a fortune in his efforts to 
make a settlement in the new world but had failed to accom- 
pUsh his purpose. His example, however, and the lessons 
learned from his efforts encouraged other EngUsh people to 
try to settle in America, so that it was not long before many 
colonies were established. Through hard work and perse- 
verance the settlements throve and laid the foundations 
for the prosperous land which finally became the United 
States. 



50 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 



THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. What were two reasons why the English wished to have colonies 

in America? 
II. Why did Raleigh send out an exploring party to look over the land? 
III. Why did his first colony not succeed? 
rV. Why are the potato and tobacco important plants? 
V. What good did Raleigh do even though he failed to start a perma- 
nent settlement in America? 



PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, 

1607-1775, 168 YEARS 



CHAPTER XI SETTLEMENTS IN AMERICA 



In the story of Sir Walter Raleigh we learned of attempts 
to make settlements in America. His failm^s did not dis- 
courage others, but instead taught them to make better 
plans. Permanent settlements were finally established in 
Virginia and New England. 

Note the time and the nature of the homes made in the 
new world. Think of the strong men who helped to make 
these homes. They were the leaders of that period of his- 
tory called the Period of Settlement. 

As suggested in the first chapter of this book, you should 
become as well acquainted as possible with such men as 
John Smith, Myles Standish, and other leaders. Try to 
imagine yourself with them in their journeys on the sea, in 
their homes in America, and in their daily tasks in the little 
settlements that they helped to make. 

All men and women who came to America had good 
reasons that made them desire to leave their homes in the 
old world and brave the hardships of a new land. As you 
study the stories look for these reasons and then explain the 
difference between the life led by these early settlers while 
in Europe and their life as led in America. Why was this 

51 



52 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

a land of freedom for them? Find out in what ways America 
was a " Land of Opportunity '' to the eariy Virginians, the 
Pilgrims, the Puritans, the Quakers, and to others. 

The early settlers were dependent upon the mother 
country. Explain why. As time passed and the number 
of homes increased, the land that was once a wilderness 
became cultivated farms. Cities grew up where it was 
handy to take various products for trade or shipping. 
Boston, New York, and Philadelphia were the most impor- 
tant. The people grew less dependent upon the mother 
country. Explain why. There was more of a feeling that 
America was for Americans and that the colonists should be 
free from governments in Europe. As you study the dif- 
ferent stories, look for passages showing the growth of such 
a feeling. 

Determine how long it took to establish settlements in 
the country from New England to Greorgia. Compare the 
length of this period with the length of the period of 
exploration. 

Study the pictures and the maps as well as the stories, 
and make a collection of other pictures that will show some- 
thing about the early colonists and their home life in 
America. 

As you study, determine, if you can, what those men and 
women in Virginia, New England, New Jersey, Pennsyl- 
vania, and other colonies did for you. 



( , 



CHAPTER XII 

JOHN SMITH AND T^ FIRST PERMANENT ENGLISH 

SETTLEMENT 

The Gabots, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Walter Raleigh 
were all great Englishmen and did great deeds for their 
country, but the credit for makmg the first permanent 
English settlement in what is now the United States belongs 
to men who followed them and profited by what they had. 
done. It was about twenty years after Raleigh's unsuc- 
cessful efforts to plant a colony in America that a body of 
wealthy merchants, joined together in what was called the 
London Company, sent out a group of people, one hundred' 
and five in number, for the purpose of making a settlement 
in the new world. This group of colonists set out New 
Year's Day, 1607, in three small vessels. It was May 
before they finally landed on the banks of a river which 
flows into Chesapeake Bay. This river they named the 
James in honor of James I, who was the king of England at 
that time. The settlement was named James-town for 
the same reason. 

Like those in Raleigh's colony, these settlers were not the 
kind of men to do the necessary work of building up a colony. 
Many of them were '* gentlemen " who did not think they 
should work with their hands. They thought it would be 
easy to gather a fortune in America, and then return to 
England. They were mistaken. Soon after they came 
the weather became very warm. The place where they 
settled was unhealthful. Food was hard to get. Many of 

53 



54 FOUNDERS OP FBEEDOM IN AMGBICA 

the settlers died of starvation or disease. The Indians, too, 

were unfriendly, and helped to make the colonists' life 

very hard. 
The man who did most to help the colony over the trials 

of the first year was Captain J6lm Smith. He was a 
young man twenty- 
eight years of age 
who had seen much 
of the worid, hav- 
ing had many ad- 
ventiu-es in the 
war in Holland, 
and in other parts 
of Europe. His 
adventures, as he 
tells them in the 
story of his life, 
read like those of 
a hero in a fairy 
tale. ■ We know 
from his work in 
Virginia that he 
was fearless. His 
Captain John Siniih. management of the 

Suob men M Captain Smith made it possibla for the eoHy affairs of the Colo- 
■ettlera to bnild homes and live in the new land. . , , ■ . 

nists proves that 
he was as wise as he was fearless in his relations with the 
Indians. 

John Smith showed the " gentlemen " how to work, and 
soon had them hewing trees and buildii^ log houses. It 
was not easy to keep them at such common work as building 
houses, because many of them wanted to search for the gold 
that they thought might be found. They did send a load 



JOHN SMITH AND THE FIRST ENGLISH SETTLEMENT 5j5 

of yellow sand to England, thinking it was gold, but it 
turned out to be of no value. 

A rule was made by Smith that all should work if tkey were 
to eat. At first they had a common storehouse, but: this 
plan made it easy for the lazy ones to get food as well as the 
workers. Everybody went to work when the food supply 
was stopped. 

John Smith believed Virginia was a narrow piece of land 
between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and he made 
several trips up the different rivers in the hope of finding 
the Pacific. You can see from the map how far he was 
from right in his ideas of the size and shape of the continent- 
of America. 

On one of these exploring expeditions he was captured 
by the Indians, who killed all his companions smd would 
have taken his life also had he not aroused their wonder by 
showing them his pocket compass. He also wrote a letter 
on a piece of paper to his friends in Jamestown. This 
astonished the Indians to think that Smith " could make 
paper talk." Afterwards Smith was taken before the chief 
of the tribe, Powhatan. For a time Powhatan was pleased 
with the compass and kept Captain Smith a prisoner near 
him. It was not long, however, before he tired of his 
prisoner, and would have kill^ him had not Pocahontas, 
his daughter, pleaded for Captain Smith's life. Not only 
was his life spared, but he was sent back to his friends. in 
Jamestown. . r-r^ 

The colonists were in a sad condition when John Smith 
returned from his unprisonment.^ He helped th^ to get 
com from the Indians, and to> catch fish from the rivers f oi: 
food. As they still did not work as they should have, the 
colonists could not secure enough food. The river water 
also was not good to drink. Many were taken sick ^jad 



56 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

some died. During one cold winter it was even necessary 
to kill the dogs and horses for food. 

However, more settlers kept on coming from England, 
ai^ finally a ship with women and children came. Real 
homes were made with women to care for them, and the 
colony prospered. 

In 1609 John Smith left the colony. He was injured by 
an explosion of gunpowder, and was obliged to go to Eng- 
land for surgical treatment. He revisited America later, 
exploring the coast from Maine southward. He made a 
map of the district and presented it to King Charles on his 
return to England. This map was remarkable for its accu- 
racy. John Smith named the region that he explored New 
England, a name which it has kept to this day. Later on 
he attempted to plant a colony in New England, but was 
imsuccessful. He ^pent the last years of his life at home 
in England writing books about his travels and adventures. 

By 1619 the number of colonists in Virginia had increased 
to about four thousand. These people desired to have a 
government of their own, and asked permission of the Lon- 
don Company to elect representatives from different parts 
of the colony who could meet together to make laws for the 
colony. Permission was granted, and in 1619 these repre- 
sentatives met in Jamestown. This vxis the first km- 
making body to meet in America. It afterwards came to be 
known as the House of Burgesses. 

Another event that is not so pleasant to record took place 
in 1619. In that year a shipload of negroes was brought 
to Virginia by traders and sold to the settlers as slaves. 
Trading in slaves increased and extended as the coimtry 
grew, until the slave question became one of the most 
important in the history of the United States. 

John Smitli was a brave and determined leader of men. 



JOHN SMITH AND THE FIRST ENGLISH SETTLEMENT 57 

He helped to establish the first permanent EngUsh settle- 
ment, Jamestown, m America. In this settlement in 1619 
the House of Burgesses was established and negro slavery 
was introduced. These were very important events in our 
national history. They marked the beginning of the two 
most vital questions in that history, — ^the questions of 
representative government and of slavery. 

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. Why did it take so long to start a successful settlement in America? 
II. Why were the first men who came to Jamestown not good men to 
make a settlement? 

III. How did John Smith help the settlers at Jamestown? 

IV. Why did the colonists wish to make their own laws? 

v. Why were men needed who could stand hardships as John Smith 
did? 



..w . .JU . 



CHAPTER Xni MTLES STANDISH AND THE SETTLEMENTS IN 

NEW ENGLAND 

Not many years after John Smith and other Englishmen 
settled in Jamestown, another group of Englishmen, women, 
and children foimded a settlement at Plymouth, in what is 
now the State of Massachusetts. This group of people did 
not go to America to get rich; instead of thai they wanted a 
home and a place to worship as they desired. They were 
called Pilgrims. 

At that time King James was the ruler of England. He 
wanted all the people to worship after the same plan. 
There were some men and women, however, who set up 
chm-ches of their own, and, as they had separated from the 
King's chm-ch, they were called Separatists. Some of the 
people wanted to change and reform, or, as they said, 
purify, this form of worship. They were called Puritans. 
The king's officers persecuted these people who differed 
from the king in their idea of worship ; and as some travelled 
from place to place to escape persecution they came to be 
called Pilgrims. 

The Pilgrims left England and settled in Holland. As 
they found the Dutch people friendly, their life in Holland 
was pleasant. After stajdng there a few years, however, 
they foimd that their children were learning the Dutch 
language and following Dutch customs. They did not like 
to see that, because they really loved their home land and 
wanted their children to grow up as English men and women. 

58 



UTLES 8TANDISH AND THE SETTLEMENT IN NEW ENQLAND 59 

On accoxmt of this they wished to leave Holland. They 
finally decided to go to the new land, America, 
'in July, 1620, about one hundred of the Pilgrims in Hol- 
land set sail for America in the Speedwell, from the port of 
Iieyden where most of them lived. Amoi^ them was 
-Captain Myles Standish, an Englishman, who, although 
he was not a Pilgrim, had joined them in Holland and had 
become well liked. He 
had shown bravery in the 
wars in Holland, and in 
America, as you shall 
see, his mihtary trainii^ 
hdped him very much 
in giving aid to the new 
Settlers. He was a small 
man, with reddish hair 
and beard. He some- 
times dressed in armor 
and his weapons con- 
sisted of a heavy sword 
and a flint-lock gun. 

Another vessel, the 
Mayflower, joined the 
SpeedweW a.t Southamp- 
ton, England. As the Myles Standish. 

„ J 71 -"^ J. 1. The vork of Standisb wu like that of Captuu 

Speedwell proved to be j^hn smith of j«».»t<,wi.. 

unfit for the voyage, one 

hundred and two of the voy^ers crowded into the Mayflower. 
They finally started in September and took nine weekg.to 
reach America. They planned to go to Virginia, but great 
storms arose and drove the Mayflower to the north of "the 
course. When they finally reached land it was near Cape Cod. 
While at anchor in Cape Cod Bay they signed an ^ree- 
ment that aU should obey for the general good of the 



60 FOUNDERa OF FBEEDOU IN AMERICA 

colony. This covenant agreed to by tlie little band of 
Pilgrims shows that they had respect for proper laws. They 
wished for freedom from laws that caused them to be per^ 
secuted, and they gained this freedom by coming to America. 
That they were law-abiding is shown by their willingness to 
put their names to the body of laws prepared by their .leader 
and the selection of a governor to execute the laws. They 
chose John Carver for their first governor. 

As it was not easy to find a good place to land and build 
homes, Myles Standish and a few other men spent several 
weeks exploring the land. At last they decided to settle at 
a place called Ply- 
mouth on John 
Smith's map of that 
region. The water 
was shallow near the 
shore, which made it 
necessary for the 
people in landii^ to 
The Mayflower. 8*«P f™™ t^e boat 

to a great stone lyii^ 
near the shore, and from that to the land. This rock, which 
may be seen to this day, is called Plymouth Rock. 

The Pilgrims landed December 21, 1620. The day was 
cold, and snow covered the ground. There was no shelter 
and food was scarce. They suffered from the severe cold 
but they set about to build a house. It was not many days 
before they had a log cabin biiilt where all hved until other 
homes could be built. 

The first winter was filled with severe trials for these brave 
people. Many of them were ill, and at one time only Myles 
Standish and a few other men were well enough to care for 
the sick people. Standish proved himself as good a nurse 



MYLES STANDISH AND THE SETTLEMENT IN NEW ENGLAND 61 

as he was a soldier. He tenderly cared for those who were 
too weak to help themselves, at the same time keeping care- 
ful watch that 'the Indians did not attack the settlement. 
Over half of the little group died the first winter. Among 
these were Rose Standish, Myles Standish's wife, and John 
Carver, the governor. In order that the Indians might not 
know how many had died, the graves were level witii the 
ground, and, in the Spring, com was planted over them as 
well as on the other land. 

An Indian named Samoset visited the settlers in the 
Spring. He had learned English from an English fisherman 
and surprised the Pilgrims by calling out, " Welcome, 
Englishmen!" He remained at the settlement over night 
and then returned to his home in the forest. He soon 
returned with another Indian named Squanto, who had 
been taken prisoner by some English explorers, had been 
taken to England, and while there had learned the English 
language. He informed the settlers that Massasoit, the 
chief of his tribe, would visit them in a short time. Prepa- 
rations were made to receive Massasoit as an important 
man should be received. Myles Standish and a group of 
soldiers met him and escorted him to the governor. Friendly 
greetings and presents were exchanged, and a peace compact 
was drawn up. This peace was kept for fifty years. 

Squanto liked the ways of the white people, and spent 
several years with them. He taught them how to raise 
com and other vegetables and how to trap the game of the 
forest. Such pleasant relations with the Indians helped 
the colonists. Many hardships that John Smith and his 
followers suffered were thus avoided in New England. 

The harvest of the first season was so plentiful that the 
Pilgrims set aside a day of thanksgiving for the good crops. 
The Indians were invited, and Massasoit and several of his 



62 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

followers spent three days of feasting and entertainment 
with the Englishmen. From this beginning, the national 
custom of having the last Thursday in November as Thanks- 
giving Day has grown up. 

Some Indians were not so friendly as Massasoit. One 
chief named Canonicus sent a bundle of arrows wrapped in 
a snake skin to Myles Standish. This meant that he was 
ready to declare war on the English. Myles Standish kept 
the arrows, but returned the snake skin filled with powder 
and shot. This was a warning to Canonicus that the set- 
tlers were willing and ready to fight. The Indian chief 
decided to leave the English alone when he received Myles 
Standish's message. 

At another time Massasoit told the Pilgrims of a plot the 
Massachuseuks tribe had formed to attack them. Myles 
Standish marched against the imfriendly Indians with such 
success that the threatened trouble quickly came to an end. 

The homes of the Pilgrims differed a great deal from ours. 
They were made from rough logs cut in the forest into dif- 
ferent lengths, depending upon the size of the house that 
was to be built. These logs were piled Upon one another 
to make the four walls, and then the roof was made over all 
and covered with large shingles split from short logs. There 
was but one large room in the house which was made to 
serve as kitchen, dining room, and parlor. The cooking 
was done in large pots over the fire in the fire-place. Some 
furniture was brought from England, and other furniture 
was made by the Pilgrims. Every home had a spinning 
wheel. 

There was a church in every community which was 
attended every Sunday by all the people. In Pljrmouth 
on Sunday morning Myles Standish and a few of his brave 
soldiers went to the meeting-house at the head of the pro- 



MTLES 8TANDISH AND THE SETTLEMENT IN NEW ENGLAND 63 

cession, followed by the men, women, and children of the 
settlement. The services lasted all day long. There was 
no heat even in the coldest weather, except from small 
foot stoves. You can imagine that it must have been very 
unpleasant in cold weather; nor was it easy for the boys 
and girls to listen to a sermon two hoiirs long without fallii^ 
asleep or getting into mischief. A man was appointed to 



Pilgrims Going to Church. 

The desire of Ihe PilirimB to worsbip u tbey wuhed bn»i(ht tbem to America. 

keep them from doing either. If they fell asleep, or behaved 
badly, it was his duty to tap them on the head with a stick 
that he carried for that purpose. All children were expected 
to give good attention to the sermon, no matter how long 
it was. 

The daily life of the boys and gu-ls was a busy one. They 
helped their parents in the daily work and attended school. 



64 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

The Pilgrims thought it was necessary to have schools, and 
school-houses were among the first public buildings that 
they erected. These school-houses were made of rough 
logs with the cracks filled with mud and dried grass. Inside 
the walls were rough; there were no pictures; and the seats 
were made out of thick boards split out of logs. These 
schools were not well lighted nor were they well heated. 
Books were very scarce; in fact, the only book in some of the 
schools belonged to the master. But with all these diffi- 
culties many Pilgrim boys and girls grew into worth-while 
men and women. Later on in our history you will see how 
their descendants took a leading pipi; in helping to lay the 
foundation of the United States as we now know it. 

Myles Standish was always ready to help in every kind 
of labor or in fighting. He later went to England to get 
money to aid the colonists. His last years were spent at 
Duxbury, not far from Plymouth settlement. Among 
others who lived there with him was his friend John Alden. 
.The story of Myles Standish, John Alden, and the Puritan 
maiden Priscilla is beautifully told in a poem called " The 
Courtship of Miles Standish," by Henry W. Longfellow. 

THINGS TO TmNK ABOUT 

I. Why did the Pilgrims go to Holland? 
II. Why was it very brave of the Pilgrims to wish to settle in America? 

III. The agreement signed on the Ma3rflower was called a compact. 

Why was it called a compact? Why was it necessary to have 
laws? 

IV. How do you think Myles Standish helped the colony? 

y. The Pilgrims believed in having a church and schools for the 
children. What does this show us about these people? 






CHAPTER XIV JOHN WINTHROP AND OTHER PURITAN LEADERS 

The Pilgrims spent several lonesome years in America 
before other English people decided to settle near them. 
Their number had increased to about three himdred when 
some Puritans, imder the leadership of John Endicott, 
settled at Salem in 1628. 

These Puritans were those people of whom you read in 
the last chapter who wished to simplify or purify the form 
of worship in the English church. As this did not please 
the king he persecuted them as well as the Pilgrims. By 
1630, however, there were many educated and rich men 
among the Puritans. Some of these men, imder the leader- 
ship of John Wmthrop, obtained a charter from the kmg, 
giving them the right to settle in America and make the 
laws which were to be observed in their colony. The com- 
pany was called the Massachusetts Bay Company, and 
Winthrop was named as the first governor. He held that 
office for twelve years. 

It took a fleet of eleven vessels to carry the Puritans who 
left England in March, 1630. They carried with them tools 
that they would need in making their new homes. They 
also took horses, cattle, and other stock, as well as seeds and 
extra provisions. The voyage did not end imtil Jime. 
The land that they saw was not like that which the weary 
Pilgrims selected for their home in December, 1620. The 
fields were covered with flowers now and the weather was 
warm and pleasant. 

65 



66 FOITNDGBS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

Winthrop and his followers selected Charlestown for a 

home, but the water there was so impure that many became 

ill. They looked about for a better place and chose a piece 

of land consisting of three hills which lay across the river 

from Charlestown. 

They named this 

place Boston, after 

a fine old city in 

England. You may 

find Boston and the 

other places spoken 

of if you will look 

at the map of 



The winter of 
1630-31 was fiUed 
with suffering for 
the Puritans. Food 
became scarce. 
The weather was 
very cold. So 
many became ill 
that it was feared 
at one time that 
Governor John Winthrop. all might perish 

winth^p.. i»d=™hip bdp^b« P>^un -tu™.ot to j^^ sfaTvation. 

But when nearly 
all hope was gone a ship arrived from England with a plenti- 
ful supply of provisions and the colony was saved. 

Over a thousand people arrived from Errand the next 
year. As others followed, it was not long before Boston 
became a lai^ town. Other settlements were also started 
at Watertown, Roxbury, and other places near Boston. 



JOHN WIld«BOP AND OTHEB PURITAN LEADEBS 67 

When the settlers first came their chief thought was to get 
food, and farmii^ became the principal industry of the 
colony; but as the number of colonists increased some gave 
their attention to shlp-buildii^ land engaged in trade with 
the West Indies. Others became interested in fishing off 
Newfoundland. This industry met with so much success 



The Puritans' First Sunday in America. 

iritaiu, like the FUgrims, were a devout people. They Bje sho 



that fishing became and still is one of the most important 
industries of Massachusetts. 

Governor Winthrop was not only a good governor, but 
he set a good example for others to follow. He lived as he 
thought other Puritans should live. He believed, as they 
did, that the people should live according to very strict laws. 



68 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

many of which had a great deal to do with reUgion and the 
church. 

Every one was obliged to attend church twice on Sunday. 
A scoldmg woman was punished by duckmg, or by standing 
outside her door with a stick tied across her mouth. A man 
who told untruths was made to stand on the street; a large 
8ign with the word "liar" printed on it hangmg from his 
neck. For some crimes men were placed in the " stocks/' 
or " pillory/' where they were held stiff and rigid; and 
exposed for hours to the ridicule of people passing by. 

The daily life was a busy one. A bell rang the curfew at 
nine o'clock, when everyone had to go to bed. In the 
morning at half-past four another bell awoke them for 
their daily work. 

There were no stores where the settlers could buy food and 
clothing. It was necessary to raise grain and vegetables or 
himt game in the forest. If a suit of clothes or a dress was 
wanted, the housewife had first to spin the wool, then weave 
it into cloth, and then make the garment. 

Neighbors helped one another with work that needed 
several men, like " raising " a bam, pulling stumps, or get- 
ting in such crops as com and wheat. Women helped each 
other when butchering time came, or when it was necessary 
to sew rags for a rag carpet. No one wanted pay for help- 
ing his neighbor. They asked only for thanks and a wiUmg- 
ness to help some one else in case of need. 

The Puritans started the custom of holding town meetings 
to make the laws for the different towns of the settlement. 
At these meetings the laws which were made were supposed 
to be for all the people, but no one was allowed to vote unless 
he was a church member. 

The chief reason why the Puritans left England was their 
desire to worship as they pleased, but as soon as they 



JOHN WINTHKOP AND OTHER PURITAN LEADERS 69 

settled in America they seemed to forget that some might 
not desire to worship as they did. They not only took the 
right to vote away from those who did not belong to their 
church, but they persecuted all who preached contrary 
to their ideas. 

One man named Roger Williams thought that all should 
vote, that everyone should worship as he pleased, and that 
the king of England had no right to give away land in 
America until he paid the Indians for it. He was a young 
preacher who preached first in Salem and then in Plymouth. 
He took a great interest in the Indians and went to the 
trouble of learning their language. As he was kind to them, 
they became his friends. 

The Puritans disliked WiUiams' preaching and attempted 
to arrest him to send him back to England. He escaped 
and fled through the forest in mid- winter to the home of the 
Indian Chief Massasoit, who took him in and gave him a 
home until Spring. When springtime came, Massasoit 
presented Williams with a tract of land in what is now 
Rhode Island that he might send for his friends in the Puri- 
tan colony and establish a settlement. WiUiams called his 
land Providence, and invited all who wished to settle there, 
no matter what church they attended. This was the first 
settlement in America where there was religious freedom. 
Later on in this history you will find that religious freedom 
was considered so important that the men who wrote the 
laws of the United States gave everyone the right to worship 
as he might choose. 

Roger WiUiams lived to be an old man. He was always 
very strong, and at seventy-three years of age he rowed a 
boat thirty miles. He helped make Providence a pros- 
perous settlement. His advice was always sought after. 
The Indians so trusted him that more than once he was 



70 POUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

successful in persuading them not to fight the white men. 
At one time, when the Pequot Indians were ui^ing the Nar- 
ragansetts to join with them in an attack on Massachu- 
setts, Williams succeeded in getting the Narragansetts not 
to join with the Pequots. The Pequots, however, would 
not listen to him. They were detehnined to fight the 
English. A party of settlers marched against them, sur- 
prised them, and killed nearly the whole tribe. There was 
no other trouble with the Indians in New England for nearly 
fifty years. 

Many of the colonists, like Winthrop and Roger Williams, 
were very well educated, and believed in schools. As they 
desired to have their children well educated, Massachu- 
setts, in 1647, passed a law which made it necessary to have 
a free school in every town having fifty or more hduse- 
holders. This was the begmning of the present free school 
system of the United States. 

It' was only six years after Winthrop and his friends 
reached America that they set aside money to -establish a 
college. Two years later John Harva^ died in Charlestown, 
and left his library and half his estate to the college.- This 
was the beginning of Harvard College. 

John Winthrop lived unttl^4649. He Was a leader of men 
and always stood for what he believed was right. He met 
with many trials but was successful in building up a great 
colony in Massa;chusetts. We shall hear more' of this 
colony in the history of our country. 

In 1643 four of the New England colonies, Plymouth, 
Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Haven, united to 
protect themselves against the Indians, and against invasion 
by^ the Dutch. This union Was called The New England 
Confederation. It was one of the first steps low«ds the 
United States of America. ^ 



JOHN WINTHROP AND OTHER PURITAN LEADERS 71 

TfflNGS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. Why were the Puritans punished in England? 
II. How did the Puritans differ from the Pilgrims? 
III. Why was it easier for the Puritans under Winthrop when they 

reached America than for the Pilgrims? 
rV. Would you like to have been among the Puritans when they first 

came to America? Why? 
V. Why did the neighbors help one another in early days? 
VI. Why did Roger WiUiams leave Massachusetts? 
VII. How did the colony that he established differ from the colony of 

Puritans? 
VIII. Remember that religious freedom has been an important question 
in our history aiid look for references to it as you read this book. 
IX. The group of colonies in New England that united for the sake of 
protection was called the New' England Confederacy. Look 
up the word confederacy in the dictionary. 
X. Which New England colony was not allowed to join the Con- 
federacy? Why? 



CHAPTER XV 

HENRT HUDSON AND THE DUTCH IN AHSRICA 

For many years after the people in Europe learned that 
America lay between them and Eastern Asia, they sought 
a waterway to Asia either 
across or north of North 
America, or north of Europe. 
While John Smith was 
exploring the rivers of Vir- 
ginia with the hope that 
some of them might lead to 
the Pacific Ocean, another 
Englishman named Henry 
Hudson was attempting to 
find a north passage to 
China. HLs explorations 
Th, di«o™,. TZ^li rfv.r th.t h«™ attracted so much attention 

hi. name gjvf Henry Hud.on *n imporUnt that thC gtBat trading COm- 

™ '" " "' pany in Holland, the Dutch 

East India CompMiy, engaged him to seek a shorter western 
route to India than the one by way of the Cape of Good 
Hope which they ware using. 

Plans were soon made, and on April 4, 1609, Hudson set 
forth from the Zuyder Zee in a small vessel called the Half 
Moon. He carried with him maps and other papers pre- 
pared by explorers who had visited America. Among them 
was a letter from Captain John Smith, in which he stated 
72 



HENRY HUDSON AND THE DUTCH IN AMERICA 73 

that there was '* a strait leading into the western ocean, 
by the north English colony in Virginia/' 

The Half Moon sailed to the northwest^ from Holland 
until Hudson was forced to turn southward to escape the 
great icebergs that were floating in the ocean. After a 
voyage of three months the accoimt of his travels shows 
that he was near Newfoimdland. From there he journeyed 
southward, exploring the coast waters very carefully with 
the hope that he would find the long soiight-f or passageway 
to the Pacific Ocean. He sailed as far south as Jamestown, 
and then turned and sailed to the north again. On Sep- 
tember 3, 1609, he reached the entrance of a beautiful bay. 
He entered the harbor and foimd himself at the mouth of 
what we know now as the Hudson River. The bay later 
came to be called New York Harbor and has become the 
greatest harbor in the world. 

Hudson sailed slowly up the beautiful river, filled with 
the hope that he had at last foimd the short route across 
America. It is hard for us to understand how he could 
have thought that the Hudson River extended across this 
great continent, but we must remember that when Henry 
Hudson and the other early explorers were making the first 
visits to this land they had very few maps, and those were 
made by men who knew little of the new world. 

It was not long before the river became shallower, and 
Hudson saw that much land lay beyond before the west- 
ward ocean could be reached. He returned to Europe and 
sent a report of his discovery to the Dutch East India 
Company. 

While on his voyage up the Hudson River, Hudson was 
visited at different times by the Indians, who exchanged 
presents with him. He also went ashore at one place and 
was entertamed at a great feast given by them in his honor. 



74 



FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IK AMERICA 



The friendly feeling toward the Dutch which resulted from 
Henry Hudson's treatment of the Indians proved to be of 
great value to the men and women who later came to settle 
on the lands that he explored. 

In April, 1610, Henry Hudson again sailed for America, 
this time under the Engli^ flag. He travelled far to the 




The Half Moon. 

■1 of Hudagn'e vwael which was ms 
celebration of New York, in 1906. 



ir the Kudaon-Fiilkiq 



North, and finally reached the entrance of the great bay 
that now bears his name. Here bis ship was frozen fast for 
the winter. When springtime came he attempted to con- 
tinue the voyage to the West. His sailors rebelled, how- 
ever, and, putting Hudson, his son, and a few sick men in an 
open boat, they left them to drift on the icy waters of 
Hudson Bay. No one knows the exact fate of this brave 



HENRY HUDSON AND THE DTPTCH IN AMERICA 75 

man. No doubt, he soon died from the cold. His great 
discoveries, however, will always remind us that Henry 
Hudson was one of the real heroes of his time. 

Diuing bis voyage for the Dutch Company Hudson 
traded beads, cloth, and other things to the Indians for 
furs which be took to Holland in the Half Moon. When 
the Dutch saw the valuable furs that America produced 



Henry Hudson Trading with the Indians. 

they sent men to trade with the Indians along the Hudson 
River. Soon many trading posts were established, the 
most important being Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan 
Island at the mouth of the Hudson River. 

It was several years before settlers came from Holland 
in lai^e niunbers. Those who came during the first few 
years wanted only to trade with the Indians, with no 
thought of home-making. 



76 * POUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

In 1625 the Dutch West India Company, as the East 
India Company was then called, sent out Peter Minuit to 
act as Governor of the whole region claimed by the Dutch, 
known as New Netherlands. This consisted of the land 
on both banks of the Hudson and what is now the New Jer- 
sey coast, as far south as Delaware Bay. 

Up to the time that Peter Minuit was sent to America, 
the Dutch had been living on Manhattan Island without 
questioning who owned the land. Minuit quickly decided 
that the land should be bought from the Indians, the right- 
ful owners, if the Dutch were to have a good claim to it. 
So he bargained with some of the Indian chiefs and gave them 
blankets, cloth, beads, ribbons, and buttons to the value 
of twenty-four dollars for the island. Both the Indians and 
the Dutch thought they had made a good bargain. The 
Indians knew nothing of money in the form of gold and 
silver. Their money was called Wampum, and consisted 
of shells or beads with holes in them so they could be strung 
on a string. Belts of this Wampum were woven in such 
forms that the Indians could tell from the woven figures 
for what they stood. Belts like these served as treaties 
between the Dutch and the Indians. 

The Indians and the people of New Amsterdam, as the 
settlement on Manhattan Island was then called, were very 
friendly. As the Indians brought furs to the Dutch traders, 
a fine business soon grew up. The ship which brought 
Governor Minuit to New Amsterdam carried a great cargo 
of furs back to Holland. 

When Peter Minuit first arrived in New Amsterdam the 
settlement consisted of about thirty houses. A log fort was 
soon built, windmills were erected, and before long some of 
the colonists began to build ships. More colonists came, 
and in a short time several real Dutch homes sprang up, 



HBNBY HUD80N AND THE DUTCH IN AMERICA 77 

with pretty littie gardens in place of the dirty, smoky Indian 
wigwams that Henry Hudson saw on the island. 

There were fine opportunities to engage in fur tradii^, 
ship building, and trading with the English colonies in New 
England and Virginia, and the Spanish colonies in the West 
Indies. It seems as though many settlers would have 
wanted to come to New Amsterdam, but apparently people 
liked Holland so well that few cared to make the voyage. 



New Amsterdam in 1664. 

It would be inUiregtini to compsrs this picti 
■hov the d 

In order to get colonists to settle in the lands under the 
control of -the Dutch West India Company, the Company 
offered to any man who would make a settlement of fifty 
persons a tract of land sixteen miles long on one bank of 
any river in the land claimed by the compMiy. If the 
settler preferred he could have a tract of hmd eight miles 
long on each bank of the river. The land might run back 
from the river as far as the settler desired. The man who 
made this settlement was to be called a " patroon," and 



78 FOUNDEBS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

was to have full charge of the land and the people whom he 
brought as settlers. He was the judge m all disputes. He 
could compel the settlers to pay him rents for the land on 
which they lived, and if he desired he might compel them to 
grind then- grain in his mill. In return for the land, he was 
obliged to provide his settlers with a schoolmaster and a 
minister. 

It was not long before the proprietors of some of these 
estates became more interested in their own fortime than 
in the good of the settlers whom they had persuaded to come 
to America with them. Trouble soon arose, and word was 
sent back to the Dutch West India Company that Peter 
Minuit was favoring the " patroons.'' Because of this the 
Company recalled him in 1632. 

Whether this accusation was true or not, while Peter 
Minuit was Governor of the little Dutch colony he did many 
things to make it a prosperous settlement. At all times he 
seemed to be working to make a home where Dutch people 
could settle and be happy. 

Other governors followed Peter Minuit. We shall have 
time to learn about only the last one appointed. His name 
was Peter Stuyvesant and he was appointed in 1647. He 
was governor for seventeen years, during which time he did 
a great deal of valuable work for the colony. 

Peter Stuyvesant was a man with a strong will. He met 
all diflSculties with a firm hand and settled them without 
delay. He foimd the colony in trouble with the Indians. 
He soon made a treaty with them. He next settled a dis- 
pute between the Dutch and some English settlers in Con- 
necticut who laid claim to the same tract of land. After 
that he turned his attention to a settlement that had been 
made on the Delaware River by some Swedish settlers 
under the leadership of Peter Minuit, who had gone to Sweden 



HENRY HUDSON AND THE DUTCH IN AMERICA 



79 



aft^ his dismissal by the Dutch West India Company. 
Stuyvesant sailed against the settlement with seven ships 
and took possession of the colony for the Dutch. He 
encouraged fur trading and helped those who were inter- 
ested in ship building. He forced the settlers to observe 
the laws of the Sabbath, 
forbade the sale of gims 
and liquor to the Indians, 
and helped the people to 
start public schools like 
those the Ei^ish had 
established in New Eng- 
land. 

You might think be- 
cause of all these good 
deeds that Peter Stuy- 
vesant was liked by the 
settlers, but he was not. 
He was headstrong, 
quick-tempered, and al- 
ways wanted to have his 
own way. He thought 
first of all of the West 
India Company and then 
of the people. It was 
not long before the people 
had a chance to choose 
whether or not they wanted him to continue as their gov- 
ernor. 

England had always laid claim to the whole coast of North 
America from Labrador to the Carolinas because of Cabot's 
explorations. In 1664, therefore, a fleet of English vessels 
appeared in New Amsterdam harbor and demanded the 



Governor Peter Stuyveaant. 

n StuyvHsDt atanda high amoni the early 
ovepnoTB who had charge of settlementi. 



80 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

surrender of the town to the English. Peter Stuyvesant 
was very angry and tore to pieces the English officer's 
letter, but, as he soon found that the other Dutch people 
would not help him defend the settlement against the 
English, he was obliged to surrender. Thus the rule of the 
Dutch in America came to an end. A treaty was signed 
at Stuyvesant's " Bouwerie," or country home, on Sep- 
tember 3, 1664. By this treaty the name of the settlement 



Surrender of New Amaterdam by Peter Stuyvesant in 1664. 

Thii scene ghowa the pusiiic of Dutch control in North Amariot to the Bm^igh, 

was changed to New York in honor of the Duke of York, to 
whom King Charles II of England had given the tract of 
land in America which included the Dutch settlements. 

THmCS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. Is there a waterway across North America to the Pacific? 
II. Why do you think Hudson believed the river that bears his name 

reached the Pacific Ocean? 
Ill What reasons had the Dutch for coming to America? 



HENRY HtJDSON AND THE DUTCH IN AMERICA 81 

IV. Why do you think both the Indians and the Dutch thought the sale 
of Manhattan Island was a good bargain? Who got the better 
of the bargain? Why? 
V. Why did the Enghsh claim New Netherlands? 
VI. Do you think Peter Stu3rvesant was a good governor? Why? 
VII. The Dutch people would not help defend New Amsterdam against 
the English. Why? 



CHAPTER XVI 

SAMUEL DE CHAHPLAIK AND THE FRENCH Df AMERICA 

You have learned how the Spanish, English, and Dutch 
explored and laid claim to di£Fercnt parts of North America. 
We shall now turn our attention to another great country of 
Europe which sent out explorers and afterwards settlers 
to the new world. This country was France. 

The man who first succeeded in making a French settle- 
ment in North America was named Samuel de Champlain. 
He was a trained sailor, a brave, de- 
vout, and honest man. He first arrived 
in America in 1603. During the sum- 
mer of that year he and his followers 
explored the St. Lawrence River, which 
had been discovered by Cartier, a 
Frenehmfoi, in 1535. They visited 
Hochelaga, which Cartier had seen 
Samuel de ChomplaiD. as a great Indian village beautifully 
cii.mpiain'»weoe» i° ""^ sltuatcd on a hill by the river side, 
■tHngthened the cium of but they fouud thc towii in ruins. 
w™1X *" "^ °' "" "" Later both this hill and the city which 
the French settlers built upon it were 
called Montreal (Mount Royal). A short time after this 
the voyagers returned to France. 

The next year Champlain brought a few settlers to Acadia, 
as the land claimed by the French was l^en called. These 
people met with so many hardships that after three years 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN AND THE FRENCH IN AMERICA 83 

at Port Royal they became discouraged and returned to 
France. 

This failure did not discourage Champlain, however. As 
his main desire was to estabhsh the French in the new world, 
we again find him in America. This time, 1608, he started 
a settlement at the trading port on the St. Lawrence called 
Quebec. The first winter was a very hard one for the few 
men who were left there when their ships returned to France. 
Other settlers came in the spring, however, and the little 
colony soon became a prosperous group of people. 

Champlain's settlement had as neighbors a tribe of Indi- 
ans called the Algonquins. These Indians were at war 
with the Iroquois, who lived to the south in what is now the 
state of New York. He thought that it would be to his 
advantage to gain the friendship of the Algonquins, and, 
in order to do so, he agreed to help them against their ene- 
mies. While on the way to meet the Iroquois he discovered 
the beautiful lake which now bears his name, Lake Cham- 
plain. Look for this lake on the map and you wiU see where 
the battle between the two Indian tribes took place at the 
southern end of the lake. 

When the war parties met, Champlain and his fellow 
Frenchmen killed two of the Iroquois chiefs. The Iroquois 
were so frightened when they heard the guns and saw their 
chiefs fall that they fled. It was a costly victory for the 
French, however, because from that time the Iroquois were 
their enemies, keeping them from carrying on trade or mak- 
ing explorations in their lands. They kept the French from 
reaching the Mississippi River valley by way of Lake Erie 
and the Ohio River as they desired, and forced them to go 
by way of the Great Lakes, — ^a route which offered many 
very great difficulties, as you will learn in the story of other 
French explorers. 



84 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

Champlain was making enemies of the Indians near the 
Hudson River at the time that Henry Hudson was winning 
then- friendship. Their trade went to the Dutch, and after- 
wards to the English, instead of to the French, as it proba- 
bly would have gone but for Champlain's mistake. 

For what he did in encouraging the early settlers and 
helping to make Quebec a permanent settlement, Champlain 
was given the affectionate title " Father of Canada.'' He 
died December 25, 1635, after a lifetime filled with service 
for his country. 

It was several years after the French settled at Quebec 
before they did much exploring of the country west of that 
place. Even then much of the exploration done by the 
French must be credited to the Jesuit missionaries. These 
men were so filled with a desire to teach the Indians the 
truths of their church that they risked their health and even 
their lives for this piupose. 

One of the greatest of these missionaries was Father 
Marquette, who spent years of his life going from tribe to 
tribe for the piupose of teaching the Indians. In 1673, 
accompanied by Louis Joliet, he floated down the Wisconsin 
River into the Mississippi. They journeyed down that 
river until they reached the mouth of the Arkansas, and 
then returned to their starting place on Lake Michigan. 

Chief of the French explorers, however, was Robert de 
lia Salle, who came to America in 1666. After exploring 
the Great Lakes and discovering the Ohio River, he returned 
to France to obtain permission from King Louis XIV to 
explore and start colonies, and to open up trade with the 
Indians in the land lying around the Lakes and in the 
Mississippi Valley. His great purpose was to build forts 
and start trading posts along the St. Lawrence, around the 
Great Lakes, and along the Mississippi. He also wanted 




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SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIK AND THE FRENCH IN AMERICA 85 

to start a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River so 
that it would be easier for the French to carry on fur trading 
with the Indians of the region which he meant to open up. 
The St. Lawrence is so far north that for much of the year 
it is frozen over and all navigation must stop, while the 
Mississippi River, being further south, is open during the 
whole year. The Iroquois Indians, too, were giving the 
French much trouble near the St. Lawrence River. 

In 1679, after many hardships and disappointments, 
La Salle set forth ■ on Lake Erie in a 
boat called the Griffin, that he and his 
men had made. They sailed through 
Lake Erie and Lake Ontario to the 
head of Lake Michigan. There men 
sent ahead by La Salle loaded the 
Griffin with furs which they had col- 
lected. They then returned. 

Meanwhile U Salle and a few of R^^ert de u Salle, 
his followers journeyed to the southern lb saiie's eipiorations mark 
end of Lake Michigan and paddled h'™a»''n™nMt worker m 
their canoes up the St. Joseph River 
until they came to the place where that river and the 
head-waters of the Illinois River nearly meet. They 
carried their canoes from the St. Joseph to the Illinois, 
and, at the place where the city of Peoria now stands, they 
built a fort called Crevecceur, meaning " broken heart." 
This seems a good name for the fort, because I-a Salle 
had trouble enough to break his heart. He had hoped 
that his boatload of furs would bring him enough money 
to make it possible for him to carry on his explorations 
towards the Mississippi River, but the boat was never 
heard from again, and, to get his "Supplies, La Salle 
was obUged to make the difficult journey from Fort 



86 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

Crevecoeur overland through southern Michigan to Canada. 
The country was covered with forests filled with under- 
brush and many marshes. The travelers always had to be 
on the lookout for unfriendly Indians. Food was hard to 
obtain, and their clothes were soon worn out. But after 
several weeks La Salle reached Canada and, after making 
arrangements for supplies, returned to the Illinois River. 
When he arrived there other difficulties arose, so that he 
was obliged to make another journey to Canada. 

At last, however, all obstacles were overcome, and the 
party started down the Illinois River in the Indian canoes 
to which La Salle had decided to trust. On February 6, 
1682, they entered the Mississippi, down which they sailed 
until they reached the Gulf of Mexico, April 9, 1682. 
La Salle and his men landed and with impressive ceremonies 
took possession of the land in the name of King Louis of 
France. He called the whole region Louisiana, in honor 
of the king. This included the Mississippi River Valley 
from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the Allegheny 
Mountains in the east and the land around the Great Lakes. 
He built a small fort which he called Fort St. Louis. Leav- 
ing a few men there, he returned to Montreal in Canada and 
shortly afterwards sailed for France, hoping to persuade 
the French king to help him establish a colony of French 
people at the mouth of the Mississippi River. 

As France and Spain were at war, the Spaniards had for- 
bidden Frenchmen to trade with any of the Spanish colonies 
in America or even enter the Gulf of Mexico. The French 
king thought a settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi 
River would be valuable in helping him to break the power 
of Spain in America and was very willing to start such a 
colony. 

With a fleet of four vessels La Salle set forth with a glad 



SAMUEL DB CHAMPLAIN AND THE FRENCH IN AMERICA 87 

heart to establish a settlement at the mouth of the 
Mississippi. Misfortune always seemed to follow him 
in his explorations in America, and this voyage was no 
exception. Instead of landing at the mouth of the Missis- 



La Salle Taking Possession of Louisiana. 



sippi he missed it and sailed on several miles to the west. 
He searched about for the great river, but could not find 
it, and finally landed on the coast of what is now Texas. 
As some of his boats returned to France and another was 
wrecked, soon he and a few colonists were left in a desolate 



88 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

condition. After three years had passed he thought that he 
might get help in Canada and so set out on the long journey 
northward. But he had made so many enemies among his 
followers that they had not gone far toward Canada before 
one of his men killed him. 

La Salle gave his life for his country. In all of his explora- 
tions his first thought was to serve France. He met with 
many difficulties but he never gave up. He first explored 
what has become one of the most valuable regions of the 
United States. He was the first white man to explore the 
Mississippi River to its mouth, and his attempt to build 
forts and trading posts encouraged other Frenchmen to 
imitate him. It was not long before France had a good 
claim to all of that great region from the Great Lakes to 
the mouth of the Mississippi River. 

THINGS TO THINK A30UT 

I. Why is the discovery of a great river like the' St. Lawrence an impor- 

tant event? 
II. Cham plain offended the Iroquois Indians by helping the Algon- 
quins. How did this hurt the French who came after Champlain? 

III. Would you like to have been with La Salle on his journeys? Why? 

IV. Many places in Michigan have French names. Why? 

y. La Salle thought it was worth while to explore the Mississippi 

River. Why? 
VL Do you admire La Salle? Why? 

================

CHAPTER XVII WILLIAM PENN AND THE SETTLEMENT OF THE QUAKERS 

IN AMERICA 

We have already learned how the Puritans were persecuted 
m England. Besides the Puritans there was another group 
of people who did not believe in the form of worship of the 
English church. These people, the Religious Society of 
Friends, or Quakers, as they are often called, were as cruelly 
punished on account of their religious belief as the Puritans 
were. The Quakers were at first under the leadership of 
George Fox. He taught that all men are equal in the sight 
of God. They showed this belief by always keeping their 
hats on in public places, and even in the presence of the king. 
They refused to take an oath in court because men should 
tell the truth at all times. They also refused to go to war 
or to pay taxes in support of war or the English chiu'ch. 
They used " thee '' and " thou " in addressing everybody, 
instead of saying '' you '' to persons of greater rank or 
wealth, as was then the custom. They thought that men 
and women should have equal rights. As a protest against 
the extravagant clothes of rich-colored cloth worn by many 
people at that time, they dressed in very plain clothes of dark 
or gray color. 

Because of these beliefs they were persecuted by being 
thrown into prison, whipped in public, and in some cases 
put to death. They were punished both in England and 
in the Puritan colonies of the new world. The Puritan 
leaders seemed especially to dislike the Quakers, and were 

80 



90 FOUNDEES OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

very severe in their punishment of them. They sent many 
of them out of the Puritan colonies and even put some to 
death. 

There were many great leaders among the QuakCTS, but 
the one in whom we are most interested was William Penn. 
Penn was bom in London. He was the son of Sir William 
Penn, a very wealthy man who served as admiral in the 
British navy. Sir William Penn was a close friend of the 
king. Having wealth and 
rank, he naturally desired 
to give his son such a 
training as would fit him 
to take a position at court 
when he became older. 
This was not to be, how- 
ever, because the young 
man while at Oxford Uni- 
versity became interested 
in the Friends, and after 
listening to one of their 
William Penn. leaders he believed in their 

'^rh^',^tim*'rtJQt'^XreZ,^Amer'i« °' cause. Hc Tefused to at- 
tend the religious exercises 
held at the college. He would not even wear the gown 
required to be worn by the students, because he thought it 
showed pride. For these and other offenses he was expelled 
from the college. 

When Penn's father heard what his son had done he was 
very angry, but he knew yoimg William was honest in his 
belief and so did not try to argue with him. Instead, he 
sent him to Paris, hoping that the yoxmg man would foi^et 
the Quakers if he were to live the gay life of that city. 
Although William did enter somewhat into the gay life 



WILLIAM PENN AND THE SETTLEMENT OF QUAKERS 91 

of Paris and actually fought a duel there, his father's hopes 
were in vain. It was not many years before William Perm 
was thrown into jail in Ireland because he was found with 
others listening to a Quaker preacher. This time his angry 
father had him return to his home in England, and there 
informed him that unless he would remove his hat in the 
presence of King Charles II and himself, he would turn 
him out of his house. Young Perm showed that he was an 
earnest Friend by refusing his father's request, though with 
sorrow because of the offence it gave. For his refusal he 
was driven from his home. 

His mother and the king were his friends even though his 
father would not forgive him. At one time when the king 
and Peim met, the king removed his hat. Penn said, 
" Friend Charles, why dost thou remove thy hat? " 
" Because," answered the king with a smile, '' where I am, 
it is the custom for only one to remain imcovered." 

As the years passed Penn wrote and spoke for the Quaker 
cause. For his defence of the Quaker ideas he was obliged 
to suffer a great deal. He was fined, and sometimes he 
was kept in prison for weeks. 

His father finally forgave him after he saw that his son 
was so much in earnest; and when he died he left his great 
fortune to the young Quaker. 

The king owed Penn's father a large sum of money which 
he found it difficult to pay. Since Penn had for some time 
been looking about for a way to help his friends among the 
Quakers, he now proposed to the king to give him a tract of 
land in America for the debt. This the king was glad to do 
and granted to Penn a large tract on the west side of the 
Delaware River. Penn desired to call the land Sylvania, 
meaning woodland, but the king named it Pennsylvania, 
Perm's woods, in honor of his friend. Sir William Penn. 



92 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

As soon as he had received his land Penn invited the 
Friends to settle there and build up a colony where they 
could govern themselves and worship as they desired. The 
invitation was gladly accepted by three thousand Quakers 
who sailed for the Delaware River in 1681. Penn did not 
come to America until the following year. He landed at 
Newcastle on the Delaware River in October and was given 
a hearty welcome by the settlers. 

It was not long after his arrival before he called an 
assembly or meeting of the people to make the laws of the 
colony. The laws made by this assembly are interesting 
because they show Perm's idea of government and because 
they were so much more liberal than the laws of England. 
The most important items were: 

1. Everybody was to be allowed to worship as he desired. 

2. The first day of the week was to be kept as a day of rest. 

3. All members of the family were to be thought of as 

equal in the sight of the law. 

4. No oath was to be required in courts of justice. 

5. Every taxpayer was to have the right to vote. 

6. Every Christian should have the right to hold oflSce. 

7. No tax could be collected except by law. 

8. Murder was the only crime punishable by death. 

9. Prisoners were to be taught useful trades. 

Before sailing from England Penn had made plans to 
build a city in Pennsylvania. After looking about he 
selected the place where the Schuylkill River flows into the 
Delaware as the best place for this city. He planned it 
carefully. It was laid out like a checker board, with broad 
streets and large building lots, giving each house plenty of 
room. The streets were given such names as Walnut, 



WILLIAM PBNN AND THE SETTLEMENT OF QUAKERS 93 

Chestnut, Spruce, Mulberry and Pine, after the trees of 
the forest. The city was called Philadelphia, meaning, 
brotherly love. 

One of William Penn's first acts was to call a meeting of 
the Indians at which he told them that the Quakers were 
willing to buy the land from them. As the Indians were 
willing to sell, they were given knives, blankets, and hatchets, 
as they wished, for their claim on the lands. William Pemi 
had alsa prepared a treaty of peace. When they were all 
together he read the treaty and explained to the Indians 



Thb b«1t OH renlly a treHt; ol peace— a treaty that was never broken. 

that the Quakers wished to deal fairly with them and did 
not care to fight. He also told them that in case of trouble 
the dispute was to be settled by a council of six white men 
and six Indians. The Indians were so much pleased with 
William Penn's words and maimer that they agreed to the 
treaty. Both parties were true to their promise, for the 
treaty was never broken during Penn's life. 

The treaty made between William Penn and the Indians 
was not in the form of the treaties of to-day which are 
written on paper. That treaty, which is still in existence, 
is a woven belt of wampum consisting of eighteen strings 
of beads. There are two figures shown on the belt. They 



94 FOUNDERS OF FREEDOM IN AMERICA 

axe clasping hands to show that the Indians and English- 
men were to be friends. 

The city of Philadelphia grew so rapidly that by 1683 
it numbered over three hmidred and fifty houses. By 1685 
there were over twenty-five himdrfsd people in the city. 

Returning to England in 1684, William Penn remained 
there for fifteen years, spending much time and money in 
helping the Quakers. 

In 1699 he again returned to Philadelphia, this time for a 
period of two years. He had a fine home in the city and 
another in the country, with beautiful grounds around them. 
He was very hospitable; he gave great dinners and enter- 
tained many visitors. 

Penn's last days were > spent in England, where he died in 
1718. No other one of the early leaders of America was 
loved as William Penn was. His colony was a great suc- 
cess. The men and women who lived in Pennsylvania 
were happy because they were always treated fairly, could 
worship as they desired, and share in making the laws. 

TmNGS TO THINK ABOUT 

I. What do you admire most in the Quakers' belief? 
II. William Pemi was a good Quaker. How may this be proven? 
III. William Penn planned his city carefully. Explain what is meant 

by this statement. 
IV. Why did William Penn have no trouble with the Indians? 
V. What does the name Philadelphia mean? Do you think that this 
name was a good one for Penn's city? Why?