45 more active in America, and in Europe they were constantly threatening her communications between the Spanish peninsula and her armies fighting with her rebellious subjects in the Netherlands. Many of the disputes between the two nations grew out of their religious differences, and the religious quarrel greatly embittered their contests, even when it did not cause them. Philip II determined to send a great fleet the Spanish Armada — against England; it was to convoy a body of veteran soldiers under the Prince of Parma from the Netherlands, and these, with the soldiers brought in the ships from Spain, were expected to be sufficient to conquer England. The fate of the Spanish monarchy on the one side, and of English freedom on the other, hung in the balance. In the presence of such mighty issues, the few English colonists in Virginia could receive scant attention, every man and every ship were required for the defense of the English nation and institutions. they of the Armada, 1588. Old South Leaflets, VI, No. 6. The Spanish Armada should have left port in 1587, but Coming of Drake dashed into the harbors of Spain and burned the the Armada. storeships, without which the Armada could not sail : "Singeing the king of Spain's beard," he jocosely called it. At length, in 1588, the "Invincible Armada " appeared off Destruction the coast of England. The Spanish vessels were somewhat larger than the English ships, but not so much larger as was formerly supposed to have been the case; the most important difference in the vessels themselves was in the much greater manageableness of the English ships, were shorter and less incumbered above water. Moreover, the English vessels were much the heavier armed. The greatest difference, however, was in the crews of the two fleets the Spanish vessels were manned chiefly by soldiers, and their officers, with few exceptions, had had little service. at sea; the English ships, on the contrary, were manned largely by volunteers from the seafaring people of the coast towns; they were led by men who had been fighting and beating Spaniards for the last twenty years. The world has never seen better sea fighters than Hawkins and Drake, Establishment of England's sea power. Importance of this in American history. Frobisher and Grenville. Not only were the heavier guns of the English better handled than were the lighter guns of the Spaniards; the superior speed of the English vessels gave their commanders the power to take such distances as suited their own armament. The very winds blew in England's favor, and storms continued the work of destruction so hardily begun by Drake and his "Men of Devon." Some of the Spanish vessels which escaped the English guns were wrecked on the coast of Ireland, where their crews fell an easy prey to the Irishmen. Of the one hundred and twenty Spanish ships which entered the English Channel, only fifty-four returned to Spain. The sea power of England was established, and Englishmen might found colonies in the unoccupied parts of America in comparative security. The breaking of Spain's naval power is, therefore, an incident of the first importance in the history of the English. colonies. The period of discovery and exploration closes with this great achievement, and the period of English and French colonization begins. SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS AND TOPICS § 10. THE NORTHMEN a. Discuss the credibility of the sagas. b. Compare the voyages of the Northmen with the early explorations of the Phoenicians. §§ 12, 14. EARLY GEOGRAPHICAL IDEAS a. What proofs that the earth was round were discovered by the ancients? b. What further facts can you ascertain about Toscanelli and Behaim? S$ 13, 14. COLUMBUS a. In what did Columbus's greatness consist? b. Represent upon an Outline Map the tracks of Columbus's ships and the lands which he visited, putting dates upon each. § 16. THE CABOT VOYAGES a. What event opened the way for England's colonial empire, and what events rendered its firm foundation possible? b. Does the text of this history confirm or disprove the proposition: "History is a collection of problems, not a statement of facts"? Prove by quotations. § 17. THE NAMING OF AMERICA a. Is the name of a continent a matter of real importance? Give your reasons. b. Represent in colors upon an Outline Map the tracks of all Italian seamen mentioned in this chapter, and the lands they discovered, putting upon every track and every region the name and date. §§ 18, 19. CIRCUMNAVIGATION of the Globe a. When did the Pacific Ocean first become important in the commerce of the world? Why? b. What long voyages preceded the circumnavigation of the globe? What discovery was made by each voyager? c. Represent in colors all these voyages upon an Outline Map with names and dates. d. Explain fully (by recitation) the map that you have made. §§ 20, 21. FLORIDA AND MEXICO a. Keep in note-book a list of the different possessors of Florida from 1513 to present time, giving to each date and manner of acquisition. b. What is meant by "strategic importance"? Has the peninsula of Florida strategic importance? §§ 22, 23. THE ATLANTIC COAST a. What effect did Verrazano's voyage have on the Spanish claim to Atlantic coast regions? b. By whom, and when, were about the same things done, and with what results? SS 24-26. THE SOUTHWEST a. How much of these sections is a connected story? Trace it upon an Outline Map and tell it. b. What importance had each event mentioned in these sections in establishing the Spanish claim to North America? §§ 23, 27-29. THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA a. What American possession has France now? b. Bring to class a brief topical analysis of French history, 14921550. Who were the Huguenots? §§ 16, 30-34. THE ENGLISH IN NORTH AMERICA (See questions on § 16.) a. Bring to class a brief analysis of English history from 1497 to 1558. b. If Magellan's ship circumnavigated the globe in 1520, why is so much said of Drake's voyage around the world? c. Has the story of the Ralegh colonies any real importance in American history? Give reasons for your answer. d. What issues did the defeat of the Spanish Armada settle? HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY a. Represent in colors upon three Outline Maps "Territorial History of the Spanish, the French, the English, in North America," coloring all territory discovered, explored, or settled by each nation before 1600. Place names and dates in proper places. Whenever, in the course of the narrative, territorial possessions changed hands, note such change on these maps and add new maps as often as clearness demands. b. Make a sketch map of your own state, marking on it changes in possession or settlement as you come to them in your study. Place names and dates in proper places. GENERAL QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER AS A WHOLE a. The work of what men, or group of men, mentioned in this chapter has had largest and most lasting effect upon history? Give your reasons. b. Select all disputed points mentioned in this chapter; in each case give the evidence for and against, and draw conclusion. c. Make digest of whole chapter, centralizing the topics as much as possible under inclusive heads, and inserting all dates. d. In recitation hour write this digest rapidly. e. Let written recitations be demanded upon any of the points touched in the Questions. TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION BY INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS The reports to be in the student's own words, and to be detailed accounts written from the sources. In these lists numbers in parentheses refer to pages of this history containing references to original sources. a. The voyage of Leif Ericson (20, last one of first group). b. Columbus's first voyage (24, last one). c. The first Cabot voyage (27, last two groups). d. The Verrazano voyage (34, § 23, last group). e. Coronado's explorations (36, first group, last two). f. Cartier's first voyage (37, last two). g. Amadas and Barlowe's explorations (43, third group). CHAPTER II COLONIZATION, 1600-1660 Books for Consultation General Readings. - Higginson's Larger History, 140-168, 192202; Thwaites's Colonies, 35, 45-77, 81-87, 113-164, 196-202, 207210, 246-252; Fisher's Colonial Era, 30–50, 62–72, 82–148, 177–190; Fiske's Civil Government, 140-151; Lodge's English Colonies, passim. Special Accounts. - Gay's Bryant's Popular History; Winsor's America; Dexter's Story of the Pilgrims; *Arber's Story of the Pilgrim Fathers; Fiske's Beginnings of New England; *Palfrey's New England; Greene's Short History of Rhode Island; Roberts's New York (A. C.1); Browne's Maryland (A. C.); Cooke's Virginia (A. C.); *Campbell's Virginia; Larned's History for Ready Reference, under names of states. On conditions in England: Gardiner's Students' History; Higginson and Channing, English History for Americans. See also *Freeman's English People in its Three Homes; *Borgeaud's Rise of Modern Democracy; *Bryce's American Commonwealth (abridged edition). On French colonization: Parkman's Pioneers (Ed. 1887) and La Salle; Bourinot's Story of Canada. Sources. Records of Massachusetts Bay Company; *Winthrop's New England; Bradford's Plymouth Plantation; *Hening's Statutes of Virginia; Archives of Maryland; American History Leaflets; Old South Leaflets; Higginson's American Explorers; Stedman and Hutchinson's Library of American Literature; *Hart's Contemporaries, I. Maps. - MacCoun's Historical Geography; Winsor's America, and Mississippi Basin. Bibliography. Channing and Hart, Guide to American History, §§ 56 a, 56 b (General Readings); §§ 96-102, 104-128 (Topics and References); § 23 (State and Local Histories); § 29 (Colonial Records). 1" American Commonwealths" series, and so throughout these lists of references. |