The Story of American History for Elementary Schools

Every man was ready to do his duty. Every ship was stripped for action. Instantly our ships were after the Spanish squadron, firing as they followed. What a sight was that! There was never before one like it! Two lines of hostile ships rushing along the coast, tearing the ocean to foam, each a volcano pouring out smoke, and more than a hundred big guns hurling shells and shot which strike with awful crash upon the iron walls of the enemy's ships!

On they dashed, mile after mile. One of our huge shells fell midway of the Pluton, which at once went down with an awful plunge. The Furor, riddled with shot, fled to the shore and broke in pieces on the rocks. Furious was the chase for the other four; nearer and nearer, till our ships came up. Then the Maria Teresa, the flagship, with huge holes torn in her, and set on fire by our exploding shells, escaped to the beach, a sinking, burning wreck. Next the Oquendo, half her men killed, and her sides all split open, also fell helpless on the beach. In forty minutes these four ships had gone to their doom.

Still beyond was the famous Vizcaya, doing her best to escape. But the Brooklyn, Commodore Schley's flagship, gained on her and poured shells into her, so that with the Oregon now rushing up in a burst of speed which astonished all who saw her, her race was soon run, and she, too, went to her grave on the strand, a shattered, blazing hulk.

Yet one more, the Colon, newest, fastest, and best of the squadron, was now about four miles ahead; but our ships gained steadily upon her, and in less than two hours she hauled down her flag and ran ashore forty-five miles from Santiago.

360. After the Battle at Santiago.– The sun that shone in the morning upon six of Spain's finest ships looked down at noon upon a row of half-sunken wrecks along the coast.

At the risk of their lives our men rescued their foes from the mangled hulks, the burning decks, and the surging water.

"Don't cheer, boys," cried one gallant captain, "the poor fellows are dying."

Another captain said in his report, "So long as the enemy showed his flag, our men fought like American seamen; but when the flag came down, they were as gentle and tender as American women."

The Spanish loss, according to their own accounts, was three hundred and fifty killed or drowned, and about one hundred officers and one thousand six hundred and seventy-five men prisoners, including the brave Admiral Cervera. Their loss in value was over twelve million dollars. Upon our side only one man was killed, and three were wounded, all on the Brooklyn. Not one of our ships was badly injured. Evidently the Spanish gunners could not shoot straight!

So ended this famous naval engagement. Never, perhaps, has the world seen two such instances of the utter destruction of an enemy's naval force as in the battles of Manila and Santiago.

361. The Campaign in Porto Rico.– The surrender of all Cuba soon followed. Then General Miles was sent with nine thousand troops to Porto Rico, the only remaining island on this side belonging to Spain. He landed near Ponce, on the southern coast. The city surrendered without a shot and welcomed our army. The Spanish troops fled on the approach of our soldiers.

General Miles in a proclamation assured the inhabitants that they should enjoy the rights and immunities of American citizens. As he moved inwards, other cities along his line of march surrendered, and the Spanish forces made only occasional resistance to our progress. Just before an expected battle news of peace came from Washington. All fighting ceased, and this fertile island came into our hands with little bloodshed.

362. End of the War.– Meanwhile our government was making energetic preparations to send a powerful fleet under Commodore Watson across the Atlantic and to carry the war to the Spanish coast. We may be sure that Spain, and even some of her neighbors, did not like the prospect. There had been enough of rapid, crushing, and unbroken defeats to satisfy even the Castilian point of honor.

When it became evident that Watson's fleet would be ready in a few days to carry the war to the very doors of Spain, the representatives of the great nations of Europe said things had gone far enough. Diplomatic pressure was applied to poor Spain. She was politely but firmly told that she must make peace at once, and on any terms.

The French Minister at Washington was authorized by Spain to sign a preliminary document, or protocol, embodying in precise language the conditions on which our government would negotiate peace. This document was signed at Washington on August 12, and hostilities ceased.

The formal treaty of peace was signed in Paris December 10, 1898. By the terms of this treaty Spain agreed to give up its sovereignty in Cuba, to cede to the United States Porto Rico, a few small West India islands, and one of the Ladrone group; also to cede to this country the Philippines, after payment by us of twenty millions of dollars as "reimbursement for insular expenses."

363. Our Nation's Future.– The immediate results of this short-lived Spanish war were full of deep meaning to our nation. No one now can safely say what the distant outcome will be. It is certain to be far-reaching and momentous.

Our country has rapidly advanced to its position as one of the foremost nations of the world in wealth and in power. Let us trust it may also lead in good government, in national honor and righteousness. Let us earnestly hope that in the long years before us our sacred Union shall still be preserved, unbroken, – forever one great Union of prosperous and happy states.

APPENDIX

BOOKS FOR REFERENCE AND COLLATERAL READING IN THE STUDY OF AMERICAN HISTORY.

This book is designed to be used before the formal text-book on American history is begun in grammar-school grades. It is intended also to serve as a convenient basis for more extended work both on the part of the teacher and of pupils. Hence the reading of the preceding chapters is only one part of the proposed plan. A systematic course in supplementary reading should be added. The following plan is suggested, but it may be modified, of course, to meet the needs of any particular class of pupils.

Note. – The whole subject of reference books on American History is treated thoroughly in Montgomery's Student's American History [see "Short List of Books," page xxiv in Appendix, and "Authorities Cited," page xxx in Appendix], Montgomery's American History [see "Short List of Books," page xxxiii in Appendix], and Fiske's History of the United States [see Appendix D, page 518, Appendix E, page 527, and Appendix F, page 529].

Reference Books for Teachers

Two books are of special value to teachers. These are Channing and Hart's Guide to American History [Ginn & Company, Publishers, price $2.00], and Gordy and Twitchell's Pathfinder in American History [Lee & Shepard, Publishers, complete in one volume, $1.20. In separate parts, Part I, 60 cents; Part II, 90 cents].

These two works are replete with suggestions, hints and helps on collateral study, numerous references, detailed lists of topics, and a wide range of other subjects which make them indispensable to the teacher of American history.

School Text-Books for Reading and Reference

Pupils should have easy access, by means of the school library or otherwise, to a few of the formal school text-books on American history. In connection with this book Montgomery's Leading Facts of American History and Fiske's History of the United States are especially valuable. The following books are perhaps equally serviceable: Eggleston's History of the United States; Steele's Brief History of the United States [usually known as "Barnes's History"]; Thomas's History of the United States and Mowry's History of the United States. These books are useful in reading for additional topics, for dates, maps, illustrations, reference tables, and for "filling in" subjects which do not come within the scope of this book.

Topics for Collateral Reading

For ordinary school work the text-books to which we have just referred will furnish enough and suitable material for these topics. When, however, standard works on history are of easy access, through the school or public libraries, it is well even for pupils of the lower grades to read sparingly by topics from such works. These topics should be carefully selected by the teacher. They should be brief and call only for a few pages of reading.

In the succeeding pages references have been given only to a very few standard works, such as those by Fiske, Parkman, Irving, and McMaster, and such other books as can ordinarily be easily obtained.

References for Reading

Pupils should also have easy reference to books from which topics may be read or which may be read sparingly by select passages indicated by the teacher. Many of these books have been suggested more on account of their interesting style than for strict historical accuracy. Read the designated works not as a whole but only by topics or selections. They will do much to awaken and maintain a lively interest in American history.

Outside Readings

While the study of this book is in progress it is well for the pupils to limit their miscellaneous reading to such books as bear directly upon our subject. Under this head we have suggested many productions which belong to the "story-book" order. Wholesome books of fiction and semi-fiction may certainly do much to stimulate and hold the attention of young students of American history. With this topic, as with all other topics on collateral reading, the teacher should exercise a careful supervision.

For Reading or Recitation

The work should be enlivened by reading occasionally, before the class or the school, poems or prose selections which bear directly upon the general topic under consideration. We have referred only to a very few such extracts from good literature. Other selections will readily suggest themselves.

Use of a Topic Book or Notebook

The teacher and pupil should appreciate the scope and usefulness of a Topic book or Notebook. By this is meant a blank book with semi-flexible or board covers, of a convenient size, and of at least 48 pages. Into this blank book should be written carefully with ink brief notes as the several chapters of this book are read or studied. It may well be a kind of enlarged diary of the pupil's work.

Make brief notes of the various books read in whole or by topics; topics not treated in this book but discussed in the class, such as King Philip's War, the Mexican War, etc., and references to new books to be reserved for future reading and other subjects which will readily suggest themselves.

This notebook should be well illustrated. The basis should be the inexpensive photographic copies (sold for about one cent each) of famous pictures illustrating important events in American history. Catalogues giving the exact titles, cost, and other details are sent to applicants, free of expense.

Portraits, maps, facsimiles of documents and autographs, etc., are often easily obtained from book catalogues, guide books, advertising pages, and secondhand text-books.

All this illustrative material should be pasted in the notebook at the proper place, neatly and with good judgment, allowing plenty of space for margins. Such a compilation is, of course, a matter of slow growth. It should be carefully preserved as a pleasant reminder of school days.

Note. – Think of enriching your notebook with photographic reproductions of such works as Stuart's "Washington"; Faed's "Washington at Trenton"; Trumbull's "Surrender of Cornwallis" and "Signing the Declaration of Independence"; Benjamin West's "Penn's Treaty"; Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware"; Vanderlyn's "Landing of Columbus"; Johnson's "Old Ironsides" and Overend's "An August Morning with Farragut."

REFERENCE BOOKS AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING FOR SUCCESSIVE PERIODS IN AMERICAN HISTORY

[Intended for use in connection with the study of this book.] Chapter I. Pages 1-9AMERICA IN THE OLD DAYS

Topics for Collateral Reading. – The following topics are thoroughly discussed in Fiske's Discovery of America: —

The People of Ancient America, Vol. I, pp. 1-19; Origin of the American Indians, Vol. I, p. 19; The Indians of the Pueblos, Vol. I, p. 82; The Mysterious Mound Builders, Vol. I, p. 140; Voyages of the Northmen to Vinland, Vol. I, p. 164.

References for Reading. – For a readable account of the Mound Builders and the American Indians, consult Shaler's The Story of Our Continent.

Outside Readings. – Starr's American Indians; The Voyages to Vinland from the Saga of Eric the Red, Old South Leaflets, No. 32; Glasscock's Stories of Columbia.

For Reading or Recitation. – Whittier's Norumbega and Norsemen; Longfellow's Skeleton in Armor.

Chapter II. Pages 10-30COLUMBUS AND THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA

Topics for Collateral Reading. – Topics from Fiske's Discovery of America: —

First Voyage of Columbus, Vol. I, p. 419; Last Voyage of Columbus, Vol. I, p. 505; Vespucius and the "New World," Vol. II, p. 96; The Cabots and their Voyages, Vol. II, p. I; Ponce de Leon, Vol. II, p. 486; Adventures of De Soto, Vol. II, p. 509.

References for Reading. – Read selections from the one-volume edition of Irving's Life of Columbus; Abbott's Life of Columbus (Ajax Series); Adams's Columbus (Makers of America); Brooks's True Story of Columbus; Adventures of De Soto, Parkman's Pioneers of France in the New World, p. 13.

Outside Readings. – Griffis's Romance of American Discovery; Glasscock's Stories of Columbia; The Discovery of America, from the Life of Columbus, by his son, Ferdinand Columbus, Old South Leaflets, No. 29; Columbus's Letter to Gabriel Sanchez, describing the first voyage, Old South Leaflets, No. 33; Americus Vespucius's Account of his First Voyage, Old South Leaflets, No. 34; Death of De Soto, Old South Leaflets, No. 36; The Voyages of the Cabots, Old South Leaflets, No. 37.

Chapter III. Pages 31-46SIR WALTER RALEIGH AND CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH

Topics for Collateral Reading. – For various topics in connection with Sir Walter Raleigh and Captain John Smith, see the Index to Fiske's Old Virginia and her Neighbours. Incidents in the Life of Captain John Smith: see John Esten Cooke's Virginia (American Commonwealth Series), pp. 22-76. The Story of Pocahontas, Cooke's Virginia, pp. 35-103.

References for Reading. – Towle's Raleigh, his Voyages and Adventures; Cooke's Stories of the Old Dominion; Eggleston's and Seelye's Pocahontas (Ajax Series).

Outside Readings. – Towle's Magellan, or the First Voyage Round the World.

Chapters IV and V. Pages 47-72THE PILGRIMS

Topics for Collateral Reading. – Many topics in connection with this chapter may be selected from Fiske's The Beginnings of New England, as, The Separatists, p. 66; Why the Pilgrims did not stay in Holland, p. 74; Voyage of the Mayflower, p. 80; The Pilgrims and the Indians, p. 83.

References for Reading. – Griffis's The Pilgrims and their Three Homes; Moore's Pilgrims and Puritans; Abbott's Captain Miles Standish (Ajax Series); Drake's On Plymouth Rock; Bacon's Historic Pilgrimages in New England.

Outside Readings. – Jane G. Austin's Standish of Standish, Betty Alden, Nameless Nobleman, and David Alden's Daughter.

For Reading or Recitation. – Mrs. Hemans's Landing of the Pilgrims; Longfellow's Courtship of Miles Standish; Bryant's Twenty-Second of December; Holmes's The Pilgrim's Vision.

Chapter VI. Pages 73-87THE INDIANS

Topics for Collateral Reading. – For special topics about the Indians, see Parkman's Conspiracy of Pontiac, Vol. I, p. 1, also the Introduction to Parkman's Jesuits in North America.

References for Reading. – Brooks's Story of the American Indian; Drake's Indian History for Young Folks; Starr's American Indians; Shaler's The Story of Our Continent.

For Reading or Recitation. – Longfellow's Hiawatha.

Chapter VII. Pages 88-105THE DUTCH IN NEW YORK; THE QUAKERS IN PENNSYLVANIA

Topics for Collateral Reading. – Henry Hudson: his voyages, voyage upon the Great River, his tragic fate, see Fiske's The Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America, Vol. I, pp. 83-95. William Penn: see the Index to Fiske's The Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America.

References for Reading. —The Great Peace Maker (Penn) (Daring Deed Series); Abbott's Peter Stuyvesant (Ajax Series).

Outside Readings. – Butterworth's Wampum Belt (Penn); Irving's Knickerbocker's History of New York (humorous and satirical account of the Dutch Colony of New Netherland); Paulding's The Dutchman's Fireside (Colonial Life in New York).

Chapter VIII. Pages 106-125THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS

Topics for Collateral Reading. – For a great variety of topics in connection with the French and Indian Wars and the overthrow of New France, the student will find the books of Parkman a vast storehouse of intensely fascinating reading matter. See the index to the various volumes. For example, read La Salle's Descent of the Mississippi, Parkman's La Salle, pp. 275-288; Braddock's March and Defeat; Parkman's Montcalm and Wolfe, Vol. I, p. 204, and The Heights of Abraham, Vol. II, p. 259-297.

References for Reading. – Johnson's Old French War; Drake's Border Wars of New England.

Outside Readings. – Abbott's Life of King Philip (Ajax Series); Henty's With Wolfe in Canada; Cooper's Last of the Mohicans (story of Seven Years' War); James Otis's At the Siege of Quebec.

Chapter IX. Pages 126-138EVERYDAY LIFE IN COLONIAL TIMES

Topics for Collateral Reading. – The great storehouse of facts regarding the social and domestic life of the American people is McMaster's History of the People of the United States (5 vols. now ready). For topics see detailed index of each volume. Consult especially Vol. II, pp. 538-582, on "Town and Country Life in 1800." This work is somewhat voluminous for elementary work.

References for Reading. – Earle's Home Life in Colonial Days; Earle's Child Life in Colonial Days, Tavern and Stage Coach in Colonial Days; Earle's Sabbath in Puritan New England; Earle's Customs and Fashions of Old New England; Earle's Colonial Dames and Goodwives; Coffin's Old Times in the Colonies; Coffin's Building the Nation; Scudder's Men and Manners in America 100 years Ago; Wharton's Through Colonial Doorways; Wharton's Colonial Days and Dames; Fisher's Men, Women, and Manners in Colonial Times; Markham's Colonial Days; Hawthorne's Grandfathers Chair.

Chapters X-XVIII. Pages 139-295THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Topics for Collateral Reading. – For a series of topics on the American Revolution, to be read in connection with these nine chapters, consult the index to Fiske's American Revolution (2 vols.).

References for Reading. – For the Revolution as a whole the two best works for supplementary reading in schools are perhaps Lodge's Story of the Revolution and Fiske's War of Independence (Riverside Literature Series). Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution is voluminous but interesting, and fully illustrated.

Among the scores of excellent works which may be consulted, the following may be safely recommended: Coffin's Story of Liberty; Fiske-Irving's Washington and his Country; Abbot's Blue Jackets of '76; Bacon's Historic Pilgrimages in New England; C. H. Woodman's Boys and Girls of the Revolution; Brooks's Century Book of the American Revolution; Drake's Burgoyne's Invasion of 1777; Seawell's Paul Jones; Abbott's Paul Jones (Ajax Series); Brooks's Story of the American Sailor; Frost's Swamp Fox (Marion).

Outside Reading. – There are numerous books on the war of the Revolution suitable for outside reading. For the school grades for which this book is intended, the following books are interesting and for the most part instructive: Watson's Noble Deeds of our Fathers; Watson's Tea Party and Other Stories; Butterworth's Patriot Schoolmaster (Story of the Minute Men and Sons of Liberty); Otis's Signal Boys of 1775; Tomlinson's Stories of the American Revolution (several series); Stoddard's Red Patriot; Thompson's The Rangers or the Tory's Daughter; Thompson's Green Mountain Boys; Otis's Boys of Fort Schuyler; Patriot Boy (Washington) (Famous Boy Series); Father of his Country (Washington) (Daring Deed Series); Abbott's Life of Washington (Ajax Series); Scudder's George Washington; Brooks's True Story of George Washington; Miss Hoppens's A Great Treason (Arnold and André); Cooper's Last of the Mohicans (last French or Seven Years' War); Cooper's Lionel Lincoln (Boston at time of Bunker Hill); Cooper's Pilot (Paul Jones).

These six novels by William Gilmore Simms furnish under the guise of fiction a connected and most readable account of the Revolution in the South from the fall of Charleston to 1782: The Partisan, Mellichampe, The Scout, Katherine Walton, The Foragers, The Eutaws.

See also Kennedy's Horse Shoe Robinson (South Carolina in the Revolution); Churchill's Richard Carvel (Paul Jones); Guerber's Story of the Thirteen Colonies; Guerber's Story of the Great Republic; Eggleston's First Book in American History; Johonnot's Stories of our Country; Mowry's First Steps in the History of our Country; Montgomery's Beginner's American History.

For Reading or Recitation. – Longfellow's Paul Revere's Ride; Emerson's Concord Hymn; Holmes's Grandmother's Story of the Battle of Bunker Hill; Bryant's Song of Marion's Men; Pierpont's General Warren's Address; Finch's Nathan Hale; Bryant's Nineteenth of April; Simms's Ballad of King's Mountain.

Chapter XIX. Pages 296-310BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Topics for Collateral Reading. – For topics to be read in connection with the life and career of Franklin, see the index to Fiske's The American Revolution, Fiske's The Critical Period of American History (1783-1789), and Morse's Benjamin Franklin (American Statesmen Series).

References for Reading. – Franklin's Autobiography should be read before all other books on Franklin. Read also Printer Boy (Franklin) (Famous Boy Series); Poor Richards Story (Franklin) (Daring Deed Series); Abbott's Benjamin Franklin (Ajax Series) and Parton's Life of Franklin.

Outside Readings. – Butterworth's True to his Home (Franklin); Brooks's True Story of Benjamin Franklin.

Chapter XX. Pages 311-322EVERYDAY LIFE ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

This chapter is supplementary to Chapter IX on "Everyday Life in Colonial Times." The same works for collateral reading in connection with that chapter maybe equally serviceable for supplementary work for this chapter. Refer especially to the works of McMaster, Alice Morse Earle, Scudder, C. C. Coffin, Fisher, and Wharton.

Chapter XXI. Pages 323-338OUR NAVY IN THE WAR OF 1812

Topics for Collateral Reading. – From this time to the present day McMaster's History of the People of the United States is a storehouse of important and interesting topics. See especially the chapter on "State of the People in 1812," Chapter III, p. 459, and various chapters in Vol. IV. Consult the detailed index to the several volumes for quick reference to the desired topics.

References for Reading. – Abbot's Blue Jackets of 1812; Brooks's Story of the American Sailor; Johnson's War of 1812; Lossing's History of the War of 1812; Roosevelt's Naval War of 1812; Lossing's Story of the United States Navy (for boys).