Produced by Patrick Hopkins, Juliet Sutherland, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's Note - Illustration captions in {brackets} have been added by the transcriber for reader convenience. - Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. - Words surrounded by =equal signs= should be interpreted as being in bold type. * * * * * THE STORY OF AMERICAN HISTORY _FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS_ BY ALBERT F. BLAISDELL AUTHOR OF "FIRST STEPS WITH AMERICAN AND BRITISH AUTHORS," "STORIES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY," ETC. BOSTON, U.S.A. GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS The Athenæum Press 1902 COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY ALBERT F. BLAISDELL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PREFACE. Some sort of a first book on American history is now quite generally used in schools as a preparation for the more intelligent study of a larger and more formal text-book in the higher grammar grades. For beginners, a mere compilation of facts is dry and unsatisfactory. Such books have now given place, for the most part, to those prepared on a more attractive and judicious plan. The real aim in a first book should be to interest boys and girls in the history of their country, and to encourage them to cultivate a taste for further study and reading. This book is intended for use in the earlier grammar grades and to be preliminary to the study of a more advanced work in the higher grades. The author has also kept in mind the fact that the school life of many children is brief, and that all their instruction in American history must come from a text-book of this kind. The author has not aimed to cover the whole range of our country's history. Of many noted men and important affairs no mention is made. Only the leading events of certain periods and the personal achievements of a few representative "makers of our country" are treated in any detail. The subject is approached through biographical sketches of a few of the more illustrious actors in our nation's history. Some prominence is given to exceptional deeds of valor, details of everyday living in olden times, dramatic episodes, and personal incident. The schoolroom test demonstrates the fact that such a treatment of the subject is more attractive and profitable to children of the lower grades than the mere recital of minor matters and petty details of public events. The author would acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. Homer B. Sprague of New York City for editorial help in reading and revising the manuscript. Thanks are also due to Dr. John E. Sanborn of Melrose, Mass., for editorial assistance. A. F. BLAISDELL. NOVEMBER, 1900.