THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FROM THE DISCOVERY BY THE NORTHMEN IN THE TENTH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT TIME. BY JOHN FROST, LL.D. PROFESSOR OF BELLES LETTRES IN THE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL OF PHILADELPHIA. A EMBELLISHED WITH THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY ENGRAVINGS FROM ORIGINAL DRAWINGS, BY W, CROOME, IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. I. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY BENJAMIN WALKER, No. 20, SOUTH FOURTH STREET. 1844. Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1843, by E. H. BUTLER, in the clerk's office of the district court of the United States in and for the Eastern district of l'ennsylvania. J. FAGAN, STEREOTYPER. C. SHERMAN, PRINTER. O furnish, within a reasonable compass, a complete history of the United States, suited to the purposes of the general reader, has been my object in preparing the work which is now offered to the public. In pursuing this design, the difficulties have been by no means inconsiderable. From the great mass of materials furnished by previous writers, to select what was essential in order to form a continuous and clear narrative of the leading events, was not an easy task. The large number of distinct communities of which the republic is composed; the different views which actuated their founders; and the extent of territory over which they were originally spread, render it difficult to combine their annals into a single work. Yet that there is a proper unity in the history of our country, no one can doubt, who has paid much attention to the subject. Although the nation derives its origin from so many isolated colonies, composed of diverse materials, still it is evident that there was a period when it arrived at what may be termed a national consciousness; and that from that period it has been actuated by a national purpose which gives singleness and distinct effect to its history. This fact renders it possible to make the narrative compact and clear; and to accomplish this object has been my purpose; how far I have been successful, it remains with the reader to decide. It may be thought that, considering the limited space which is assigned to the whole work, too much attention has been devoted to the early history of the colonies; but it should be remembered that the character of the republic was determined by its founders; that the spirit of our institutions had its origin in their peculiar views; and that what may seem trivial in the records of these early days nevertheless exerted an important influence on the subsequent course of events. The plan originally prescribed for the work has rendered it inexpedient to dwell upon disputed points, or to enter into extended disquisitions. The known and established facts of our national history have afforded abundant materials for my purpose; and the principal difficulty has been to select what was important and influential, and to present it in such a light as should render it striking and effective. If particular characters have been made conspicuous, and single events have been dwelt upon with emphasis, it was because they were considered more influential than others, that have been passed over or comparatively thrown into the shade. To carry forward the narrative in such a manner that the mind of the reader might not be distracted with too great a variety of details, it was necessary to bestow but slight attention on many transactions which could be dwelt upon with propriety in a more minute and extensive work; yet it is believed that no topic of real importance has been neglected. In the process of selecting and condensing the accounts of various writers, I have sometimes quoted their language, varying it where the style was too diffuse, and giving credit at the bottom of the page, that the reader might be enabled to refer to the original authority. |