fication, 664. The Compromise Bill; its final Passage, 667. Removal of the Deposits, 668. Effect upon the Country-Indian Wars, 669. Osceola-Death of Judge Marshall, 670. Indemnity for French Snolia- Apparent Prosperity, 673. The Specie Circular-Distribution of the Sur- plus Funds-Speculation, 674. The Sub-Treasury, 675. State Indebt- HARRISON AND TYLER'S ADMINISTRATION. The Inauguration, 677. Death of Harrison; Tyler President, 678. Bank- rupt Law The Bank Charters; their Vetoes, 679. Proposition to treat with Great Britain-Insurrection in Canada-The Caroline, 680. Trial of McLeod, 681. Boundary Disputes in Maine-Treaty of Wash- ington, 682. Questions of Visit and Impressment, 683. Exploring Expedition, 684. Texas Colonization; Struggles, 685. Siege of the Alamo, 686. Davy Crockett-Goliad, Siege of-Massacre of Prisoners, 687. Battle of San Jacinto, 688. Houston President-Question of Annexation in Congress, 689. Texas Annexed-Disturbances in Rhode Difficulties with Mexico, 694. General Taylor at Corpus Christi, 695. Oregon Territory; respective Claims to, 696. Settlement of Boundary, 698. Taylor marches to the Rio Grande-Thornton's Party surprised, 699. Attack on Fort Brown, 700. Battle of Palo Alto, 701. Battle of Resaca de la Palma, 702. Matamoras occupied-Measures of Con- gress, 704. The Volunteers-Plan of Operations-Mexico declares The President hopes for Peace-Santa Anna, 710. Hostilities to be renewed, 712. Troops withdrawn from General Taylor-Volunteers arrive at Monterey, 713. Santa Anna's Plans and Preparations, 714. Taylor Emigration to Oregon, 732. John C. Fremont; his Explorations, 733. Difficulties with the Mexican Governor, 735. American Settlers in alarm, 736. California free-Monterey on the Pacific captured, 737. -Commodores Sloat and Stockton--Expedition of Kearney, 738. Santa Fé taken; a Government organized, 739. Doniphan's Expedi- Movement of Troops, 746. Vera Cruz invested, 747. Its Bombardment and Capitulation, 748. Santa Anna's Energy, 749. Battle of Cerro Gordo, 750. General Scott at Puebla-His Misunderstandings with the Au- thorities at Washington, 751. N. P. Trist, Commissioner, 752. Dis- sensions in Mexico, 754. Scott's Manifesto, 755. Advance upon the Capital, 756. Battle of Contreras, 757. Of Churubusco, 758. At. tempts to obtain Peace, 760. Conflict of Molino del Rey, 761. The Castle of Chapultepec captured, 762. The American Army enters the City, 763. Santa Anna again in the Field, 764. Treaty of Peace, 765. Misunderstandings among the American Officers, 766. Conditions of the Peace-Discovery of Gold in California, 767. The Effects--Death of John Quincy Adams, 768. Wilmot Proviso, 769. The Presidential Discussion on Slavery-Wilmot Proviso, 772. The Powers of the Constitu- tion; their Application in the Territories, 774. The President's Mes sage; its Recommendations, 776. Debate on the Omnibus Bill, 777. Death of Calhoun-Death of President Taylor-Fillmore Inaugurated, 778. The Fugitive Slave Law, 779. The Mormons; their Origin, 780. Troubles-Settlement in Utah, 781. A Disunion Convention, 781. Lopez invades Cuba, 782. Search for Sir John Franklin-Dr. E. K. Purchase of the Mesilla Valley, 786. Treaty with Japan, 787. The Kan sas-Nebraska Bill; the effects of the Measure, 788. Emigrants to Kansas, 789. Struggles and Conflicts, 790. James Buchanan, Presi dent, 792. The Contest continues in Kansas, 793. Platforms of Political Parties, 795. Abraham Lincoln elected President-Secession, 797. Major Robert Anderson-Peace Congress, 798. Inauguration of President Lin- coln, 799. National Progress-Internal Commerce, 801. Public Schools -The Press, 803. Public Libraries-Art, 804. Liberty of Conscience- His Discoveries, Misfortunes, and Death.-Amerigo Vespucci, and the name America. I. FOR nearly fifteen hundred years after the birth of our CHAP Saviour, the great Western Continent was unknown to the inhabitants of the Old World. The people of Europe had looked upon the Atlantic Ocean as a boundless expanse of water, surrounding the land and stretching far away they knew not whither. This vast unknown, their imaginations had peopled with all sorts of terrible monsters, ever ready to devour those who should rashly venture among them. But the cloud of mystery and superstition that hung over this world of waters was now to be dispelled-a spirit of discovery was awakened in Europe. The Azores and Madeira Isles were already known. Mariners, driven out by adverse winds, had discovered them. Tradition told of islands still farther west, but as yet no one had gone in search of them. The attention of the people of maritime Europe was turned in the opposite direction; they wished to find a passage by water to the eastern coasts of Asia. The stories told by those early 1492. I. CHAP. travellers, Sir John Mandeville and Marco Polo, had fired their imaginations; they believed that among those 1492. distant regions of which they wrote, so abundant in precious stones, diamonds, and gold, was the veritable land of Ophir itself. Their intense desire to obtain the treasures of India, led to a result most important in the world's history-a result little anticipated, but which was to have a never-ending influence upon the destinies of the human family-the discovery of America. As God had ordered, there appeared at this time a remarkable man; a man whose perseverance, no less than his genius, commands our respect. He was a native of Genoa, one of the great commercial cities of Italy. He had been from his childhood familiar with the sea, and had visited the most distant portions of the world then known. His time and talents were devoted to the study of navigation, geography, and astronomy. He began to astonish his countrymen with strange notions about the world. He boldly asserted that it was round, instead of flat; that it went around the sun instead of the sun going around it; and moreover, that day and night were caused by its revolution on its axis. These doctrines the priests denounced as contrary to those of the church. He could not convince these learned gentlemen by his arguments, neither could they silence him by their ridicule. When he ventured to assert that by sailing west, he could reach the East Indies, these philosophers questioned not only the soundness of his theory, but that of his intellect. For years he labored to obtain the means to explore the great western ocean, to prove that it was the pathway to the coveted treasures of the East. This remarkable man was Christopher Columbus. He applied first to John the Second, king of Portugal, to aid him in his enterprise, but without success ; he then applied to Henry the Seventh, king of England, with a similar result. After years of delay and disappointment, COLUMBUS SAILS FROM PALOS. I. 3 his project having been twice rejected by the Spanish CHAP. court, and he himself branded as a wild enthusiast, he succeeded in enlisting in its favor the benevolent Isabella, 1492. Queen of Spain. She offered to pledge her private jewels to obtain means to defray the expenses of the expedition. Thus the blessings, which have accrued to the world from the discovery of America, may be traced to the beneficence of one of the noblest of women. A little more than three hundred and fifty years ago, on Friday, the 3d of August, 1492, Columbus sailed from the little port of Palos, in Spain. He confidently launched forth upon the unknown ocean. His three little vessels were mere sail-boats compared with the magnificent ships that now pass over the same waters. He sailed on and on, day after day, and at length came within the influence of the trade winds, which without intermission urged his vessels toward the west. The sailors began to fear-if these winds continued, they never could return. They noticed the variation of the compass; it no longer pointed to the pole,-was this mysterious, but hitherto trusty friend, about to fail them? Ten weeks had already elapsed, and the winds were still bearing them farther and farther from their homes. It is true, there were many indications that land was near; land birds were seen; land weeds, a bush with fresh berries upon it, and a cane curiously carved, were found floating in the water. Again and again, from those on the watch, was heard the cry of land, but as often the morning sun dispelled the illusion; they had been deceived by the evening clouds that fringed the western horizon. Now, the sailors terror-stricken, became mutinous, and clamored to return. They thought they had sinned in venturing so far from land, and as a punishment were thus lured on to perish amid the dangers with which their imaginations had filled the waste of waters. Columbus alone was calm and hopeful; in the midst |