THE WESTERN CONTINENT.

1. THE Western Continent, represented above, is about 9,000 miles long. It attains its greatest width in the north, where it is nearly 3,000 miles across. From this point the shores slope towards each other, till an isthmus 50 miles wide is formed; whence they again expand, inclosing a tract of nearly equal size on the south. The continent is thus naturally divided into two parts, known as North and South America. Between the two, near the eastern coast, lie the West India Islands.

Including the islands just named and Greenland, the American continent embraces 15,000,000 square miles, of which North America contains eight million, and South America nearly seven. Together they comprise more than a third of the land surface of the globe. The territory of

1. How long is the Western Continent? Where does it attain its greatest width? How wide is it there? From this point, describe the shores. How is the continent thus divided? What islands lie between the two? Including the West Indies and Greenland, how many square miles does America contain? How many, North America? How many, South America? Together, what part of the land surface of the

the United States contains 2,983,153 square miles,―more than one third of the surface of North America.

On

America is bounded on each side by a great ocean. the east, the Atlantic, 3,000 miles broad, separates it from Europe and Africa; on the west, it is separated from Asia by the Pacific, the greatest width of which is about 10,000 miles. This ocean gradually narrows towards the north, till it terminates in Behring's [pronounced beer'-ingz] Strait, where the extreme points of the two continents are only 36 miles apart.

2. The American Continent is distinguished for the grandness of its natural features. It is intersected by large rivers, which afford every facility for commerce. The Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Amazon, surpass in length every other river on the earth. Lakes equal in size to seas are scattered over its surface. Its valleys and plains, its volcanoes and mountain ranges, are all on the grandest scale. Its mineral resources are inexhaustible. The silver and diamond mines of South America, and, in the United States, the gold placers of California, and the vast subterranean treasures of lead, iron, and coal, which elsewhere abound, are of inestimable value.

3. The temperature of any given locality in America is much colder than that of a place in the same latitude on the Eastern Continent. New York is on nearly the same parallel as Naples; yet in the latter snow is rarely seen, and fires are hardly ever required. There is no city in America as far north as Paris; and Stockholm, transported to the same latitude in the Western Continent, would be in a region of perpetual snow.

4. The animals originally found in America were, as a general thing, neither so large nor so strong as those of the old world. Instead of the elephant, rhinoceros, hippopota

globe do they comprise? How much of this belongs to the United States? By what is America bounded? How wide is the Atlantic? the Pacific? In what does the Pacific terminate towards the north? How wide is Behring's Strait? 2. For what is the American Continent distinguished? By what is it intersected? What is said of its valleys, plains, &c.? What, of its mineral resources? 8. How does the Western Continent compare in temperature with the Eastern? What two cities are mentioned in illustration of this fact? What is the temperature of America in the latitude of Stockholm? 4. How did the animals of America compare with those of the old world

DIVISION INTO PERIODS.

9

mus, lion, and tiger, which are natives of many parts of the Eastern Continent, here were found the bison, musk-ox, jagu-ar', tapir, and lama. Remains of the elephant, however, and of a still larger quadruped known as the mastodon, now extinct, have been dug up in different parts of the United States. All our domestic animals were introduced from Europe. Horses are now found wild in great numbers, but America is not their native land. They have sprung from those introduced by the Spaniards. The same is the case with the wild cattle that traverse in myriads the plains of Buenos Ayres [bwa'-nos i'res]. Our varieties of native birds are numerous; we have many not found in the Eastern Continent, of which the turkey is the most important.

5. Having thus considered the natural features of America, we proceed to treat of its history. The part now constituting the United States will occupy most of our attention; but we shall take occasion to glance at the great events in other portions of the continent also, particularly such as have had a bearing on the history of our own country.

DIVISION INTO PERIODS.

American History may be divided into four periods:-
I. THE ABORIGINAL PERIOD, extending from the first
peopling of America to its discovery by Columbus,
A. D. 1492;

II. THE COLONIAL PERIOD, from the discovery by Columbus to the breaking out of the American Revolution, A. D. 1775;

III. THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD, from the breaking out of the Revolution to the organization of a government under the Federal Constitution, a. D. 1789; IV. THE CONSTITUTIONAL PERIOD, from the organization of a government under the Federal Constitution to the present time.

Mention some not found in this country. By what was their place supplied? What remains are found? What is said of our domestic animals? Whence came the horse and the wild cattle of South America? What is said of our native birds? 5. Into how many periods may American History be divided? Give the name and limits of each.

1

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES.

PART I.

ABORIGINAL PERIOD,

EXTENDING FROM THE FIRST PEOPLING OF AMERICA TO ITS DISCOVERY BY COLUMBUS, A. D. 1492.

CHAPTER I.

ORIGIN OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS.

6. WHEN America was discovered by Europeans, it was occupied by tribes differing in many respects from the nations of the old world. Their manners, customs, languages, and personal appearance, all proclaimed them a distinct race. From their color, they were by some styled RED MEN; while the erroneous idea of early adventurers that America formed part of the East Indies, led to their being called INDIANS, and by this name they have generally been known. As these native tribes play a prominent part in our early history, it is important to consider their origin and peculiarities, their territorial limits and mutual relations.

7. We must first ask whence and how America was peopled. It is separated from the Eastern Continent, on one side by three thousand miles of ocean, and on the other by an expanse of water for the most part three times as broad.

6. When discovered, by whom was America occupied? In what did they differ from the nations of the old world? What names were given them, and why? 7. What would seem to render it impossible for America to have been peopled from the Eastern Conti