Chapter I: Preface: "Time's noblest offspring is the last."

This history is intended to meet, so far as it may, the want for brief, compact, and handy manuals of the beginnings of our country.

Although primarily designed for young people, the fact has not been overlooked that the same want exists among adult readers, to whom an intelligent view of the subject, in a little space, is nowhere accessible.

For the purpose in hand, the simplest language consistent with clearness has been made use of, though I have never hesitated to employ the right word, whenever I could command it, even if it were of more than three syllables.

As in the "Making of New England," "this book aims to occupy a place between the larger and lesser histories,—to so condense the exhaustive narrative as to give it greater vitality, or so extend what the narrow limits of the school-history often leave obscure as to supply the deficiency. Thus, when teachers have a particular topic before them, it is intended that a chapter on the same subject be read to fill out the bare outlines of the common-school text-book.

"To this end the plan has been to treat each topic as a unit, to be worked out to a clear understanding of its objects and results before passing to another topic. And in furtherance of this method, each subject has its own descriptive notes, maps, plans and pictorial illustration, so that all may contribute to a thorough knowledge of the matter in hand. The several topics readily fall into groups that have an apparent or underlying connection, which is clearly brought out."

In this volume, I have followed up to its legitimate ending the work done by the three great rival powers of modern times in civilizing our continent. I have tried to make it the worthy, if modest, exponent of a great theme. The story grows to absorbing interest, as the great achievement of the age,—of the Anglo-Saxon overcoming the Latin race, as one great wave overwhelms another with resistless force.

Under the title of "The Great West," the present volume deals mostly with the section lying beyond the Mississippi. Another is proposed, in which the central portion of the Union will be treated. The completed series, it is hoped, will present something like a national portrait of the American people.

CONTENTS.

GROUP I.—THREE RIVAL CIVILIZATIONS.

I. The Spaniards.

PAGE

AN HISTORIC ERA 1

DE SOTO'S DISCOVERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI 10

DEATH AND BURIAL OF DE SOTO 18

THE INDIANS OF FLORIDA 20

HOW NEW MEXICO CAME TO BE EXPLORED 28

"THE MARVELLOUS COUNTRY" 39

FOLK LORE OF THE PUEBLOS 45

LAST DAYS OF CHARLES V. AND PHILIP II. 53

SWORD AND GOWN IN CALIFORNIA 55

II. The French.

PRELUDE 67

WESTWARD BY THE GREAT INLAND WATERWAYS 71

THE SITUATION IN A.D. 1672 80

COUNT FRONTENAC 84

JOLIET AND MARQUETTE 85

THE MAN LA SALLE 93

LA SALLE, PRINCE OF EXPLORERS 99

DISCOVERY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI 105

THE LOST COLONY: ST. LOUIS OF TEXAS 109

IBERVILLE FOUNDS LOUISIANA 118

FRANCE WINS THE PRIZE 123

LOUIS XIV. 130

III. The English.

THE BLEAK NORTH-WEST COAST 132

HUDSON'S BAY TO THE SOUTH SEA 136

THE RUSSIANS IN ALASKA 140

ENGLAND ON THE PACIFIC 143

QUEEN ELIZABETH 147

_Interlude._

WHAT JONATHAN CARVER AIMED TO DO IN 1766 149

JOHN LEDYARD'S IDEA 153

A YANKEE SHIP DISCOVERS THE COLUMBIA RIVER 156

THE WEST AT THE OPENING OF THE CENTURY 162

GROUP II.—BIRTH OF THE AMERICAN IDEA.

I. America for Americans.

ACQUISITION OF LOUISIANA 171

A GLANCE AT OUR PURCHASE 175

II. The Pathfinders.

LEWIS AND CLARKE ASCEND THE MISSOURI 184

THEY CROSS THE CONTINENT 191

PIKE EXPLORES THE ARKANSAS VALLEY 198

NEW MEXICO IN 1807 205

GOLD IN COLORADO.—A TRAPPER'S STORY 208

THE FLAG IN OREGON 211

LOUISIANA ADMITTED 1812 214

III. The Oregon Trail.

THE TRAPPER, BACKWOODSMAN, AND EMIGRANT 215

LONG EXPLORES THE PLATTE VALLEY 219

MISSOURI AND THE COMPROMISE OF 1821 223

ARKANSAS ADMITTED 1836 227

THOMAS H. BENTON'S IDEA 227

WITH THE VANGUARD TO OREGON 233

TEXAS ADMITTED 241

_Interlude._

NEW POLITICAL IDEAS 246

IOWA ADMITTED 248

THE WAR WITH MEXICO 248

CONQUEST OF NEW MEXICO 251

TAKING OF CALIFORNIA 256

THE MORMONS IN UTAH 264

GROUP III.—GOLD IN CALIFORNIA, AND WHAT IT LED TO.

I. The Great Emigration.

EL DORADO FOUND AT LAST 271

SWARMING THROUGH THE GOLDEN GATE 276

THE CALIFORNIA PIONEERS 279

CALIFORNIA A FREE STATE 285

ARIZONA 288

II. The Contest for Free Soil.

THE KANSAS-NEBRASKA STRUGGLE 290

KANSAS THE BATTLE-GROUND 295

THE BATTLE FOUGHT AND WON 299

TWO FREE STATES ADMITTED 307

III. The Crown of the Continent.

GOLD IN COLORADO, AND THE RUSH THERE 308

THE PACIFIC RAILROADS 315

KANSAS, NEVADA, NEBRASKA, AND COLORADO
ADMITTED 320

THE RECENT STATES 322

THE WORK OF EIGHTY YEARS 326

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

TAKING POSSESSION FOR FRANCE _Frontispiece_

SPANISH ARMS 1

SHIP OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 2

ISABELLA OF SPAIN 3

MEDAL OF CHARLES V. 5

PONCE DE LEON 6

BALBOA DISCOVERING THE PACIFIC 8

FRENCH MAP OF 1542. FROM JOMARD 10

DE SOTO 11

SOLDIER OF 1585 12

CUBAN BLOODHOUND 14

DEPARTURE OF THE SPANIARDS 16

BURIAL OF DE SOTO 19

FLORIDA WARRIOR 21

PALISADED TOWN 23

A FLORIDA INDIAN'S CABIN 24

MAKING A CANOE 25

A CHIEFTAIN'S GRAVE 26

PROCESSIONAL FANS 27

ROCK INSCRIPTIONS, NEW MEXICO 29

MAP, NEW MEXICO. ROUTE OF SPANISH INVADERS 31

JUNCTION OF THE GILA AND COLORADO 34

ORGAN MOUNTAINS 36

EL PASO DEL NORTE 38

A PUEBLO RESTORED 41

ACOMA 43

CASA GRANDE, GILA VALLEY 44

RUINS OF PECOS 47

CEREUS GIGANTEA 49

PUEBLO IDOLS 50

HIEROGLYPHICS, GILA VALLEY 51

MAP, CALIFORNIA COAST 55

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE 57

DRAKE SAILS AWAY 58

OLD MAP SHOWING DRAKE'S PORT 60

CARMEL MISSION CHURCH 61

SPANISH MAP OF 1787, SHOWING MISSIONS,
PRESIDIOS, AND ROUTES 63

MAP FROM ARCANO DEL MARE, 1647 64

SHIPS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 68

A WOOD RANGER 70

CHAMPLAIN 72

A PORTAGE 73

TOTEM OF THE FOXES 76

FRENCH COSTUMES 77

FOX RIVER 78

LOUIS XIV. 82

MARQUETTE'S MAP 86

WILD RICE 87

TOTEM OF THE ILLINOIS 89

WAR CANOE, FROM LAHONTAN 90

THE CALUMET 91

LA SALLE 94

MAP SHOWING LA SALLE'S EXPLORATIONS 95

WAMPUM BELT 102

SIOUX CHIEF 107

SIOUX TOTEM 108

SUGAR PLANT 120

MAP SHOWING DELTA OF THE MISSISSIPPI
AND ADJACENT COAST 122

BIENVILLE 124

FRENCH SOLDIERS 126

NEW ORLEANS, 1719 129

ABANDONED HUT, NORTH-WEST COAST 133

HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY'S HOUSE, LONDON 135

HUDSON'S BAY SLED, LOADED 136

INDIAN MASK, WEST COAST 139

SEALS, ST. PAUL'S ISLAND 140

RUSSIAN CHURCH, ALASKA 141

SNOW SPECTACLES, ALASKA 144

INDIAN CARVING 144

INDIAN GRAVE, NORTH-WEST COAST 155

QUEEN ELIZABETH 148

FALLS OF ST. ANTHONY 151

INDIAN BURIAL SCAFFOLD 152

MAP, MOUTH OF COLUMBIA RIVER 157

MEDAL, SHIPS COLUMBIA AND WASHINGTON 159

AN OREGON BELLE 161

A FLAT-BOAT 164

ON THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI 167

A LOUISIANA SUGAR-PLANTATION 176

FRENCH SETTLEMENTS: GERM OF ST. LOUIS 177

OLD CONVENT, NEW ORLEANS 179

MAP, ST. LOUIS AND VICINITY 180

CHOUTEAU'S POND, ST. LOUIS 181

ROCK TOWERS NEAR DUBUQUE 182

MOUNTAIN GOAT, OR BIG-HORN 185

INDIANS MOVING CAMP 186

A MANDAN 188

MANDAN SKIN BOATS 190

GATE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 193

CATCHING SALMON, COLUMBIA RIVER 196

MAP ILLUSTRATING LIEUT. PIKE'S
EXPLORATIONS 199

INDIAN BURIAL-PLACE 200

PIKE'S PEAK 202

THE YUCCA-TREE; SPANISH BAYONET 205

CHURCH, SANTA FÉ, WITH FORT MARCY 207

AN EMIGRANT'S CAMP 217

MAP ILLUSTRATING LONG'S EXPLORATIONS 220

PRAIRIE-DOG VILLAGE 221

DIGGING IN THE RIVER FOR WATER 222

STATUE OF BENTON 229

FORT LARAMIE 235

AMOLE, OR SOAP-PLANT 237

SAN ANTONIO 242

THE ALAMO 244

SAMUEL HOUSTON 245

MEXICAN CART 249

MEXICAN ARASTRA, FOR GRINDING ORES 250

PUEBLO WOMAN GRINDING CORN 253

BOY AND DONKEYS 254

PUEBLO OF TAOS 255

BIG TREE 257

MAP SHOWING STATES AND TERRITORIES
ACQUIRED FROM MEXICO 259

CALIFORNIA INDIANS AND TULE HUT 260

EL CAPITAN, YOSEMITE 262

SALT-LAKE CITY AND TABERNACLE 265

SUTTER'S MILL 272

TWO MINERS 274

THE GOLDEN GATE 276

CHINESE LAUNDRYMAN 277

A FATHER 280

MOUNT SHASTA 281

ON THE OREGON TRAIL 282

SAN FRANCISCO IN 1849 283

EARLY COIN 284

HYDRAULIC MINING 286

CHICKEN-VENDER 287

MISSION SAN XAVIER DEL BAC, NEAR TUCSON 289

STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS 291

A SQUATTER'S IMPROVEMENTS 296

STREET, KANSAS CITY, 1857 297

LAWRENCE, KANSAS 298

THE FERRY, LAWRENCE, KANSAS 300

A SQUATTER MOVING HIS CLAIM 301

MUD FORT, LAWRENCE 303

JOHN BROWN 304

JOHN BROWN'S CABIN 305

GATE, GARDEN OF THE GODS 309

HUMORS OF THE ROAD 310

DENVER IN 1859 311

OVERLAND STAGE—IN CAMP 311

GOING IN 312

COMING OUT 312

OFFICE OF "ROCKY-MOUNTAIN NEWS," DENVER 312

COLORADO CITY, 1859 313

QUARTZ STAMPING-MILL 314

QUAKER GUN AT STAGE STATION 315

PONY EXPRESS AND OVERLAND STAGE 317

TRACK-LAYING, PACIFIC RAILROAD 319

REAPING-MACHINE 327

GROUP I.

THREE RIVAL CIVILIZATIONS.

"_True History, henceforth charged with the education of the People, will study the successive movements of humanity._"—VICTOR HUGO.