Columbus and Other Heroes of American Discovery

America known to the Ancients――The Island of Atlantis ――Scandinavian Emigration――Eric the Red and Gunnbiorn ――Bjarni Herjulfson and Leif the Lucky――Discovery of Vinland ――Thorva...

The Spanish in the Gulf of Mexico――Vasco Nuñez de Balboa concealed in a Cask――His Pardon――Shipwreck and Rescue of Explorers by Balboa――His Discovery of the Pacific――His Murder b...

Verrazano sent out by Francis I.――Discovery of the Hudson ――Jacques Cartier in Canada, and his Discovery of the St. Lawrence――Touching Scene at Hochelaga――Foundation of Fort Cha...

Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s unsuccessful Voyages, and Death by Drowning――Sir Walter Raleigh’s Renewal of his Brother’s Patent――Grenville and others sent out to Virginia by Raleigh ――...

The French in Maine, and their Settlement at Port Royal――Jesuit Missionaries at Grand Manan――Destruction of French Colonies by Argall――John Smith and Thomas Hunt on the Coasts o...

Champlain in Maine――Foundation of Quebec――Discovery of Lakes Peter and Champlain――Foundation of Montreal――First Navigation of the Ottawa――Discovery of Lakes Huron and Nipissing―...

Expedition of Diego de Hurtado――Ulloa’s Trip up the Gulf of California――Da Nizza in Arizona――The Cities of the Plain ――Murder of Dorantes and his Companions――Da Nizza visits Cib...

Murder of Captains Stone and Oldham――Massacre on Block Island ――Intervention of Roger Williams――The Last Stand of the Pequods――Emigration of Eaton and Davenport to Connecticut ―...

D’Iberville’s Arrival at the Mouth of the Mississippi ――Foundation of the first French Fort on the Bay of Biloxi ――English Expedition to the Mississippi――The Mississippi Scheme―...

The new-born Republic――Pike’s Embarkation on the Mississippi at Fort Louis――Sledge Journey along the Banks of the Mississippi ――A Chippeway Encampment――A Native Pictorial Record...

Discovery of Behring Straits――Cook and Meares――Rescue from Starvation――Encounter with Natives――Vancouver on the Western Coast――Gray’s supposed Discovery of the Columbia――Coxe’s...

The Pacific Fur Company――Voyage of the _Tonquin_――Foundation of Astoria――Massacre on the _Tonquin_――Terrible Revenge――The great Small-pox Chief――Start of the Land Expedition――An...

Cass’s Voyage up the Mississippi――Long and James on the Platte, or Nebraska――Discovery of the two Sources of the Platte――Among the Mountain Passes――Eating of poisonous Berries――...

Wilkes’ Survey of the Western Coast――Fremont’s Ascent of the Kansas――Encounter with Arapaho Warriors――Arrival at Fort Laramie――A threatening Letter――Fremont’s Reply――On the Swee...

Early History of the Mormons――Murder of Smith――Expulsion from Illinois――Across the frozen Mississippi――Through the Wilderness――Summons to the War――Young Men sent to the Aid of t...

Cozens’ Start from Merilla――First Encounter with Apaches, and Murder of Laws――A Bear Hunt――To the Ruins of Le Gran ♦Quivera――Two Mules stolen――Back again to Merilla――Cozens and...

Crisis in British America――Consolidation of its various Parts into one great Colony――Decay of the Hudson’s Bay Company ――Establishment of an International Boundary Line――Journey...

ALTHOUGH the discovery of America used to be dated from the voyage of Columbus to the West Indies in 1492, there can be little doubt that this great hero was by no means the fir...

TO atone for the sudden check in the progress of discovery in the North, mentioned in our previous chapter, we find the Spanish vigorously prosecuting their explorations in the...

THE work begun by Vasco Nuñez de Balboa in the great journey already related, which terminated so disastrously for himself, was completed in 1522 by the sailing round the globe...

IT was now the turn of the English, who had thus far been slow to realize the great value of the newly-discovered districts, to send out expeditions with a view to the planting...

WHILE the first germ of the now vast American organization was thus struggling into life in Virginia, the coasts of New England and of Maine were becoming dotted with settlement...

WHILE the English were firmly establishing themselves in New England, and the Dutch and Swedes were struggling for the mastery in the present states of New York and Delaware, di...

HAVING traced the course of early discovery from the most southerly point of Florida to the mouths of the Mississippi on the west, and up the Atlantic coast to the 60th parallel...

WE left the New England colonies on the eve of the first great Indian war, which originated in the jealousy of the Pequods――a fierce race living between the Narragansetts and Mo...

THE work begun by La Salle was taken up, after the peace of Ryswick (1697) had terminated the war between the French and English, by Lemoyne D’Iberville, a Canadian by birth, wh...

PIKE’S VOYAGE UP THE MISSISSIPPI, AND DISCOVERY OF THE SOURCE OF THE ARKANSAS; THE DISCOVERY OF THE SOURCES OF THE MISSOURI BY LEWIS AND CLARKE, AND THEIR VOYAGE DOWN THE COLUMB...

TO bring our account of the course of discovery between the 30th and 60th parallels of north latitude down to the date of the return of Lewis and Clarke from their great expedit...

BY the beginning of the 19th century, or, to be more strictly accurate, before the year 1810, a general notion had been obtained of the extent, form, and main physical features...

WHILE the expeditions lately described were in progress, efforts were being made by private individuals to supplement the work of Lewis, Clarke, and Pike. The lower course of th...

DURING the first years of the present century, the tide alike of emigration and exploration had set toward the northern territories of the United States. The discovery of the so...

SHORTLY after the discovery of the Great Salt Lake by Fremont, took place that remarkable event in Illinois which led to the peopling of the Great Basin with the Mormons, or Lat...

SHORTLY after the great tide of emigration had swept into California, yet another vast tract of country, that now known under the several titles of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizon...

BEFORE closing our record of the advance of the white man westwards, we must glance once more at British America, which we left on the eve of the great political crisis at the e...