ton

United States, General Harrison, who won victories in Canada and General Jackson, who was successful in the South.

When the war with France was over, England sent more solThe burning diers and more vessels. Suddenly word came to Washington that of Washing- fifty British ships were at the mouth of the Potomac. The city had no fortifications and was helpless. The invaders swept into the town, burned the Capitol, and even the Congressional Library, and took possession of the White House. Dolly Madison, the President's wife, saved the Declaration of Independence and a valuable portrait of Washington. Tradition declares that, like a good housekeeper, she also carried away to safety her work-bag filled with silver spoons. To destroy Washington gave no The military advantage. British said it was done be

Attack on
Baltimore

DOLLY MADISON

cause the Americans had burned Toronto. There was this difference, however, in the two acts: Toronto was burned by soldiers acting without authority and the United States disapproved of the deed, while Washington was burned under strict orders from the British government. Americans may well be ashamed of the destruction of Toronto, but they have no such act of barbarism to regret as burning a national library.

The British ships next appeared before Baltimore. All day the cannon thundered. On board one of the ships was an American

Banner

prisoner, Francis Scott Key. The cannonading went on through The Starthe night. He watched anxiously every "rocket's red glare," lest Spangled he should see that the American flag had been lowered. Dawn came, and the flag still floated. In his relief and joy, he wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner." It was printed at once; the air was a familiar one, and soon the song was sung from one end of the country to the other.

After more than two years of fighting, England planned to make a fierce attack upon New Orleans and so gain control of the The battle of New Orleans Mississippi. General Jackson was sent to defend the city, and wherever he went something was usually accomplished. The American troops had had little experience, and they were only half as many as their enemies. The British soldiers were veterans, but their knapsacks, muskets, etc., were far too heavy for rapid movement. Both sides fought bravely, but the English were terribly defeated.

One especially sad fact about this battle, with its great loss of life, is that it was fought in January,

1815, two weeks after the treaty

of peace was signed. The only
way for news to come from
England to America was
by sailing vessel, and there
were few that even with
fair winds could cross the
ocean in less than a month.
This treaty said not one

word about any rights of

FORT MCHENRY, BALTIMORE
(Where" the Star-Spangled Banner" of the song waved)

of peace

the Americans to buy and sell as they chose and did not mention The treaty the right of search, but after this, England never again attempted to interfere with American commerce or to search an American Before this war the United States had been looked upon

vessel.

as a few millions of people who had banded together to free themselves from England. After the war it was seen that the United States was a nation, able to defend its rights, and to hold an honorable place among the nations of the world.

SUMMARY.

After the Revolution each colony thought only of its own gain. Congress had no power to enforce its laws. The chief thing in which all the states had a common interest was the Northwestern Territory. A convention held in Philadelphia drew up the Constitution, which gave Congress the power to make laws, the President the power to enforce them, and the Supreme Court the power to interpret them.

In 1789 Washington became the first president of the United States. The government obtained money by duties on imports, and friends by assuming the Revolutionary debts of the colonies.

The invention of the cotton-gin resulted in an increase in the production of cotton, which caused disagreement between the North and the South about duties, and encouraged negro slavery.

Our vessels were attacked by the French because of our refusal to aid them in a war against England. After we had captured many French vessels, France made peace.

In 1799 Washington died.

The Barbary pirates were suppressed by our warships.

The United States bought of France the land between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, which was soon explored by Lewis and Clark. The Embargo Act was passed in retaliation for the declarations of France and England which injured our commerce.

The War of 1812 was caused by England's interference with our commerce, and by her searching our ships and seizing our sailors.

American attacks on Canada failed; but American victories on Lake Erie and elsewhere kept the British out of our Northwestern Territory. Our ships won many victories on the ocean.

The British burned Washington, but were defeated at New Orleans after peace had been made.

SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK.

A sailor describes the search of an American vessel by the British.
Perry's brother describes the victory of Lake Erie.

XIX

THE WESTWARD GROWTH OF THE COUNTRY

1817-1841.

JAMES MONROE was the next president. Soon after he was inaugurated he made a tour of the country to see the forts and navy yards. Traveling was easier than when Washington had to ride on horseback from New York to Boston, for a man named Robert Fulton had invented the steamboat. Steamers were already on the rivers and the Great Lakes, and before Monroe's term of office was over, Georgia sent one to Europe. Monroe had a joyful reception wherever he went. He wore the blue and buff uniform and the

66

good feel

ing'

cocked hat of the Revolution. The old soldiers remembered that The " era of he had been one of them and gave him a comrade's greeting. One of the Boston papers called the times the era of good feeling," and that described the condition of things so well that the phrase went throughout the country.

In the southeastern corner of the land there was trouble. The Creek Indians of Alabama had sided with the British in the War Trouble with of 1812, because they felt that the Americans were driving them away from their lands. They expected the British to secure the

the Seminoles

land for them, and when this was not done, they were more indig. nant than ever. In Florida there were Seminoles, negro slaves who had escaped from their masters in Georgia, Spaniards, and a few English, all of whom were willing to unite with the Creeks against the Americans.

Monroe sent General Jackson to subdue them, and he succeeded; but Congress was a little startled when it was known that he had paid no attention to the fact that Florida was Spanish soil, and that among the men whom he punished were both Spaniards and English. There might have been trouble if Spain had not been in need of money. The result was that she sold Florida to the United States. Our country then owned every foot of what is now United States territory east of the Mississippi. West of that river the vast tract called Louisiana was United States soil. Spain still owned what is now Texas and Mexico, but she agreed to give up all claim to the "Oregon Territory," which was the

The Monroe doctrine

land north of California.

There was much talk about the Pacific coast just then, for Russia had taken possession of the land which we now call Alaska, and had begun to build trading-posts along the California coast. Other nations of Europe were looking for new territory in South America. Then it was that the President announced what is now called the "Monroe doctrine." It was that European nations could not acquire new territory in either North or South America, and that the United States would not permit any European country to "interfere with any independent American government."

The Americans were no longer confined to a little strip of land along the coast. There were twenty-two states, and two others