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