History of the United States, Volume 1

History of the United States, Vol. I (of VI), by

E. Benjamin Andrews This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: History of the United States, Vol. I (of VI)
Author: E. Benjamin Andrews
Release Date: March 28, 2007 [EBook #20925]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES ***

Produced by Don Kostuch

[Transcriber's Notes]
The appearance of the Word format closely approximates the original text, except that sentence fragments are rejoined across page and illustration boundaries. The HTML and TXT formats discard page boundaries but retain the year references in square brackets. Thus [1492-1495] indicate the following text covers this period, until the next such appearance.
Where useful comparisons can be made, a few pictures and contemporary maps from Google Earth (TM) have been inserted.
Several books on Columbus are available at Gutenberg.org, including "The Life of Columbus" by Arthur Helps.
A pound sterling in 1600 is worth about 135 pounds or 235 Dollars US in 2006.
Here are some unfamiliar (to me) terms.
camlets Rich cloth of Asian origin, made of camel's hair and silk and later made of goat's hair and silk or other combinations. A garment made from this cloth.
contumacy Stubborn perverseness or rebelliousness; obstinate resistance to authority.
druggets Heavy felted fabric of wool or wool and cotton, used as a floor covering.
escheated Reversion of property to the state in the absence of legal heirs or claimants.
fee simple An estate of inheritance in land, either absolute and without limitation to any particular class of heirs (fee simple) or limited to a particular class of heirs (fee tail).
glebe Plot of land yielding profit to an English parish church or an ecclesiastical office.
Pascua Florida Feast of flowers; Easter.
quit rent A land tax imposed on freehold or leased land by a landowning authority, freeing the tenant of a holding from other obligations.
New Style (dates) Describing dates after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. Various nations adopted the Gregorian calendar between 1582 and 1752.
Old Style (dates) Describing dates before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar.
pompion Pumpkin.
sedulous Diligent in application or attention; persevering.
settle Long wooden bench with a high back, often including storage space beneath the seat.
[End Transcriber's Notes.]

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
[Illustration: Portrait of Columbus.] Columbus After a Portrait by Herrer.

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM THE EARLIEST DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO THE PRESENT TIME
BY E. BENJAMIN ANDREWS CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FORMERLY PRESIDENT OF BROWN UNIVERSITY
With 650 Illustrations and Maps
VOLUME I.
NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1912
COPYRIGHT, 1894, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
[Illustration: Scribner logo.]

TO MY WIFE

PREFACE
Notwithstanding the number of United States histories already in existence, and the excellence of many of them, I venture to think that no apology is needed for bringing forward another.
1. The work now presented to the public is believed to utilize, more than any of its predecessors, the many valuable researches of recent years into the rich archives of this and other nations.
2. Most of the briefer treatments of the subject are manuals, intended for pupils in schools, the conspicuous articulation so necessary for this purpose greatly lessening their interest for the general reader. The following narrative will be found continuous as well as of moderate compass.
3. I have sought to make more prominent than popular histories have usually done, at the same time the political evolution of our country on the one hand, and the social culture, habits, and life of the people on the other.
4. The work strives to observe scrupulous proportion in treating the different parts and phases of our national career, neglecting none and over-emphasizing none. Also, while pronouncedly national and patriotic, it is careful to be perfectly fair and kind to the people of all sections.
5. Effort has been made to present the matter in the most natural periods and divisions, and to give such a title to each of these as to render the table of contents a truthful and instructive epitome of our national past.
6. With the same aim the Fore-history is exhibited in sharp separation from the United States history proper, calling due attention to what is too commonly missed, the truly epochal character of the adoption of our present Constitution, in 1789.
7. Copious illustration has been employed, with diligent study to make it for every reader in the highest degree an instrument of instruction, delight, and cultivation in art.
8. No pains has been spared to secure perfect accuracy in all references to dates, persons, and places, so that the volumes may be used with confidence as a work of reference. I am persuaded that much success in this has been attained, despite the uncertainty still attaching to many matters of this sort