Chapter I: Introduction

The play idea will always appeal to the minds of children. History, so often thought to be a dry subject, is made a live wide awake game when the pupils live the parts. The great men and women of history are made real to them.

This method has been worked out by the pupils in the fifth grade in the McKinley School in San Francisco and found to be most successful.

The chief characters in Mace's Beginners History, the California State Text, have been dramatized. The children read the story and study by outline. Then with the help of the teacher the important events are made into a play.

Much outside reading is encouraged. This awakens an interest in good reading and an ability to do independent studying.

The lives of great men and women represent great things. Studying about these people is an inspiration to the children for the bigger and nobler things of life.

"Lives of great men, all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing leave behind us--
Footprints on the sands of time."

--_Longfellow_.

MARY ELLA LYNG

CONTENTS

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 5

JOHN SMITH and POCAHONTAS 7

SIR WALTER RALEIGH 8

WILLIAM PENN 10

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE 11

PILGRIMS 13

GEORGE WASHINGTON 15

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 20

ANDREW JACKSON 21

JOHN C. FREMONT 24

WEBSTER, CLAY and CALHOUN 27

THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN 33

GRANT AND LEE 35

ROBERT E. LEE 36

SOME WOMEN OF HISTORY 38

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

INTRODUCTION:

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, more than four hundred
and fifty years ago. Genoa was a rich town on the Mediterranean Sea.
She had trading routes to India, China and Japan.

Columbus was fond of stories of the sea and liked the study of
geography. He was anxious to go to sea and while a boy made his first
voyage. When he grew up to be a man, he went to Lisbon the capital
of Portugal. The bold deeds of Henry of Portugal drew many seamen to
this city.

Lisbon was full of learned men and sailors longing to go on long
voyages. These sailors had tried to find a shorter way to India but
without success.

Columbus thought this could be done by going directly west. He thought
the world round although most people at that time thought it flat.
After many trails he laid his plans before the Court of the King of
Spain.

The first act will be Columbus at the Court of Spain.