Boy Scouts Handbook Part 70

{324}

_Florida Purchase_: In 1819, we purchased Florida from Spain at a cost of over $5,000,000, and this single state is larger in territorial area than the combined territory of Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland.

_Texas_: In 1845, Texas came to us by annexation, but the outcome of this annexation later on was our war with Mexico. In territorial area this is an empire in itself--larger than the whole German Empire.

_Oregon Territory_: In 1846, by treaty with Great Britain, we acquired what is known as the Oregon Territory. This includes the states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

_Mexican Cession and Purchase from Texas_: As an outcome of the Mexican War, we obtained from Mexico, in 1848, the territory of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and a part of New Mexico at a cost of $15,000,000; and in 1850, we purchased from Texas the remaining part of New Mexico and that part of Colorado not included in the Louisiana Purchase, at a cost of $10,000,000.

_Gadsden Purchase_: In 1853, we made what is known as the Gadsden Purchase, acquiring thus from Mexico a needed tract of land on the boundary between Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico, paying for this tract $10,000,000.

_Alaska_: In 1867, we paid Russia $7,000,000, and added Alaska to our possessions. This purchase is spoken of in history as "Seward's Folly," because the transaction, made while he was secretary of state, was not generally considered a good bargain. Nevertheless it has proved one of our most valuable possessions.

_Hawaii_: In 1898, we reached out into the Pacific waters and annexed the beautiful Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands.

_Porto Rico, Pine Islands, Guam, Philippine Islands_: In 1898, the island of Porto Rico with an area of 3600 square miles came into our possession as an outcome of the Spanish-American War; likewise the Pine Islands with their 882 square miles; Guam with 175 square miles; and the Philippine Islands with a territorial area of 143,000 square miles. But for these latter in settlement of a number of private claims, and to gain peaceable possession of various public lands, we paid Spain $20,000,000.

_Samoan Islands_: In 1899, we acquired the Samoan Islands, with an area of 73 square miles; and, in 1901, some additional islands in the Philippines.

{325}

Land Settlements

The first permanent English settlements in America were made at Jamestown, Va., in 1607, and at Plymouth, Ma.s.s., in 1620; and from these two settlements we may trace in large part the growth, character, and development of our national life. The story of the "Pilgrim Fathers" in Ma.s.sachusetts has been told for generations in literature and in song, and can never cease to be of romantic and thrilling interest.

The story of the settlement and dispersal of other nationalities in America--the Swedes in Delaware, the Dutch in New York, the Spanish and French in Florida and along the banks of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers--all this is summed up in what is known as "colonial history."

In 1763, at the close of the French and Indian wars, England had come into possession of practically all the territory east of the Mississippi--that territory which was ceded in 1783 as the original territory of the United States.

You will sometimes hear it said that thirteen is an unlucky number.

Indeed you may have known people so superst.i.tious that they refuse to sit down at a table when the number is thirteen. Again you may know it to be a fact that some hotels do not have a room numbered thirteen, and that many steamboats likewise follow the same custom in state-room arrangement. Strange superst.i.tion for Americans! It took thirteen states to make our Union; we have made thirteen additions to our territory; when George Washington was inaugurated as president, a salute of thirteen guns was fired; and, finally, the foundation of the flag of our country bears thirteen stripes.

The American Revolution

The story of the American Revolution (1775-1783)--Declaration of Independence (1776), the adoption of the Articles of Confederation (1781), and, finally, the making and adoption of the Const.i.tution of the United States in 1789--all is summed up in a period of fourteen years, and may be told and written in the life of George Washington, who was indeed the "Father of His Country."

The cause of the American Revolution was England's oppression of her American colonists; and the injustice of taxation without representation, with other injustices, finally brought about rebellion. The war began in Ma.s.sachusetts with the battles of Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775, and ended at Yorktown, Va., October 19, 1781. The treaty of peace was {326} signed at Paris, France, September 3, 1783, and November 25 of that year, known in history as "Evacuation Day," the British took their departure down the bay of New York harbor and America was free.

Now do we find ourselves at the fireside of American patriotism. Here is Washington. He is a Virginian, and the American people know him at this time as Colonel Washington. It is the 13th day of June, 1775, and the second Continental Congress is in session at Philadelphia. John Adams of Ma.s.sachusetts has the floor. He is to show himself at this time the master statesman. Justly has he been called the "Colossus of the Revolution." On his way to Independence Hall this morning he meets his cousin, Samuel Adams, and tells him what he is going to do. "We must," he says; "act on this matter at once. We must make Congress declare for or against something. I'll tell you what I am going to do.

I am determined this very morning to make a direct motion that Congress shall adopt the army before Boston, and appoint the Virginian, Colonel Washington, commander of it."

Adams is now stating to the Congress the gravity of the situation; he points out the necessity of immediate action the colonies must be united, the army must be brought together, disciplined, and trained for service, and, under Congress, a fitting commander appointed. "Such a gentleman," he said, "I have in mind. I mention no names, but every gentleman here knows him at once as a brave soldier and a man of affairs. He is a gentleman from Virginia, one of this body, and well known to all of us. He is a gentleman of skill and excellent universal character and would command the approbation of all the colonies better than any other person in the Union."

George Washington is in the hall. The eyes of all Congress have turned toward him. He is surprised, confused, and embarra.s.sed, leaves his seat and hurries into the library.

Congress spent two days considering Adams's motion, for there were other men who had hoped for the appointment; but finally, on the 15th of June, 1775, a ballot was taken, and Washington was unanimously elected commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

On July 2, 1775, he took command of the army at Cambridge, Ma.s.s., and March 17, 1776, the British were expelled from Boston.

{327}

We now come to the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. It was written by Thomas Jefferson, at that time a young man of thirty-three.

The committee of the General Congress appointed to draft it, consisted of the following: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston.

The strong feeling of Thomas Jefferson as he wrote the Declaration is indicated by his statement that, "Rather than submit to the right of legislating for us a.s.sumed by the British Parliament, I would lend my hand to sink the whole island in the ocean." Here also we get a glimpse of one of the most interesting and delightful characters in the history of this period--Benjamin Franklin. History records that while Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, a few verbal suggestions were made by Doctor Franklin, as the following conversation reported to have taken place between them would indicate: "Well, Brother Jefferson," said Franklin, "is the fair copy made?"

"All ready, doctor," replied Jefferson. "Will you hear it through once more?" "As many times as you wish," responded the smiling doctor, with a merry twinkle in his eyes. "One can't get too much of a good thing, you know." Jefferson then read to Franklin the Declaration of Independence, which has been p.r.o.nounced one of the world's greatest papers. "That's good, Thomas! That's right to the point! That will make King George wince. I wish I had done it myself." It is said Franklin would "have put a joke into the Declaration of Independence, if it had fallen to his lot to write that immortal doc.u.ment."

The Declaration of Independence went forth to the world signed by one man, John Hanc.o.c.k--which explains the expression you sometimes hear, "Put your John Hanc.o.c.k there." It was, however, signed later by all the members of that Congress--fifty-four in number. This immortal doc.u.ment has been carefully preserved and the original may be seen at Washington.

The Declaration was a notice to Great Britain and to all the world that the American colonists would no longer be subject to Great Britain; that henceforth they were to be a free and independent people, holding Great Britain as they held the rest of mankind, "enemies in war--in peace friends." This Declaration marks the birth of our nation.

Our government fathers fully realized the step they were taking. They knew it meant a final breaking with the home government of England, but--"with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence," in support of this {328} Declaration, they pledged to each other "their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor."

Following the expulsion of the British from Boston, the battle field of the Revolution changes to New York, moving to Harlem Heights and White Plains; then to New Jersey; Trenton, and Princeton; then to Pennsylvania; Brandywine, Westchester, Germantown, Valley Forge, and on to Monmouth.

But here let us pause. It has been a terrible winter at Valley Forge.

While the British at Philadelphia, twenty miles away, have been living in luxury, our Washington and his men have suffered bitterly with hunger and cold; and out of a list of eleven thousand men, three thousand at Valley Forge lay sick at one time. But at last the spring has come and Washington has now been nearly three years in service.

Listen! The order has gone forth! At 10:30 o'clock comes the signal, and the firing of a cannon sees all men under arms! At 11:30 o'clock the second signal is given and the march begins. It is May 7, 1778, and Washington is a.s.sembling his men. Great news has come and it is fitting to return thanks to Divine Providence--so reads his proclamation.

Now comes the third signal, the firing of thirteen cannon! Another signal! and the whole army breaks into a loud huzza "Long live the King of France!" followed by a running fire of guns.

On this same day in the afternoon, Washington gives a banquet to his officers, aides, and guests, to which they march arm-in-arm, thirteen abreast. What does it mean? It means that Benjamin Franklin has been heard from, and that an alliance with France, England's bitterest enemy, has been made. Some day when you are in Washington, you may see directly in front of the White House, Lafayette Park, and, knowing the story of the Revolution, you understand why it is there. You also understand why Washington's army on that May morning shouted, "Long live the King of France."

But it is not our purpose here to tell the whole story: we can only touch the high points. Again the army moves to White Plains and on to Middlebrook and New Windsor; and Washington spends the winter (1781) at Morristown, N. J. The end is approaching. He joins Lafayette at Yorktown, Va., and on October 19th, Cornwallis, the British general, surrenders to George Washington, commander-in-chief of the American Army. Thus the conflict begun in one English settlement is ended in the other. Ma.s.sachusetts marks the beginning and Virginia the ending of the War of the Revolution.

{329}

The War of 1812-1815

The War of 1812 was a naval war. It was a battle for rights--the rights of our sailors, the rights of our commerce. American ships and cargoes were being confiscated. France and England and the Barbary pirates were engaged in a profitable war on our commerce, and last but not least twenty thousand American seamen had been pressed into service and were slaves on ships that were foreign, England especially claiming the right to search American ships and press into service all men found on board who were English by birth, though American by choice and adoption.

"Once a subject always a subject," said Great Britain, but our answer in 1812 was as it is now: any foreigner after five years' residence within our territory, who has complied with our naturalization laws and taken the oath of allegiance to our flag, becomes one of our citizens as completely as if he were native born.

This war is sometimes spoken of as a "leaderless war," but great leaders came out of it. The names of Hull, Perry, and Lawrence are memorable in its history; it was the war which made Andrew Jackson, known as "Old Hickory," President of the United States in 1828. You will read the story of his great victory in the Battle of New Orleans.

Some day you will read the life story of David Glasgow Farragut of whom it is said that, with the exception of Nelson, the great English admiral, "he was as great an admiral as ever sailed the broad or narrow seas." Although the great work of Farragut was in the Civil War, the story of his life began in the War of 1812 when he was but ten years old. Admiral Farragut is reported as giving this explanation, in the late years of his life, of his success in the service of his country

"It was all owing to a resolution that I formed when I was ten years old. My father was sent to New Orleans with the little navy we had, to look after the treason of Burr. I accompanied him as cabin-boy. I had some qualities that I thought made a man of me. I could swear like an old salt, could drink as stiff a gla.s.s of grog as if I had doubled Cape Horn, and could smoke like a locomotive. I was great at cards, and was fond of gambling in every shape. At the close of dinner one day, my father turned everybody out of the cabin, locked the door, and said to me:

"David, what do you mean to be?"

"'I mean to follow the sea,' I said."

{330}

"'Follow the sea!' exclaimed my father; 'yes, be a poor, miserable, drunken sailor before the mast, kicked and cuffed about the world, and die in some fever hospital in a foreign clime?'

"'No, father,' I replied, 'I will tread the quarter-deck, and command as you do!'