Poems of American History

THE STORY OF VINLAND, Sidney Lanier 3 THE NORSEMEN, John Greenleaf Whittier 4 THE SKELETON IN ARMOR, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 6 PROPHECY, Luigi Pulci 7 THE INSPIRATION, James...

THE FIRST VOYAGE OF JOHN CABOT, Unknown 19 THE LEGEND OF WAUKULLA, Hezekiah Butterworth 19 THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH, Hezekiah Butterworth 21 PONCE DE LEON, Edith M. Thomas 22 BALBO...

THE MYSTERY OF CRO-A-TÀN, Margaret Junkin Preston 36 JOHN SMITH'S APPROACH TO JAMESTOWN, James Barron Hope 38 POCAHONTAS, William Makepeace Thackeray 38 POCAHONTAS, George Pope...

HENRY HUDSON'S QUEST, Burton Egbert Stevenson 50 THE DEATH OF COLMAN, Thomas Frost 50 ADRIAN BLOCK'S SONG, Edward Everett Hale 51 THE PRAISE OF NEW NETHERLAND, Jacob Steendam 52...

THE WORD OF GOD TO LEYDEN CAME, Jeremiah Eames Rankin 56 SONG OF THE PILGRIMS, Thomas Cogswell Upham 57 LANDING OF THE PILGRIM FATHERS, Felicia Hemans 57 THE FIRST PROCLAMATION...

PROLOGUE, from "John Endicott," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 71 ROGER WILLIAMS, Hezekiah Butterworth 72 GOD MAKES A PATH, Roger Williams 72 CANONICUS AND ROGER WILLIAMS, Unknown 7...

THE LAMENTABLE BALLAD OF THE BLOODY BROOK, Edward Everett Hale 82 THE GREAT SWAMP FIGHT, Caroline Hazard 83 ON A FORTIFICATION AT BOSTON BEGUN BY WOMEN, Benjamin Tompson 85 THE...

ST. JOHN, John Greenleaf Whittier 99 THE BATTLE OF LA PRAIRIE, William Douw Schuyler-Lighthall 101 THE SACK OF DEERFIELD, Thomas Dunn English 102 PENTUCKET, John Greenleaf Whitt...

THE VIRGINIA SONG, Unknown 129 THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, Unknown 130 A SONG, Unknown 130 THE LIBERTY POLE, Unknown 131 THE BRITISH GRENADIER, Unknown 132 CRISPUS ATTUCKS, Jo...

PAUL REVERE'S RIDE, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 144 WHAT'S IN A NAME, Helen F. More 146 LEXINGTON, Sidney Lanier 146 LEXINGTON, Oliver Wendell Holmes 147 NEW ENGLAND'S CHEVY CHAS...

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS, William Cullen Bryant 157 THE SURPRISE AT TICONDEROGA, Mary A. P. Stansbury 157 THE YANKEE'S RETURN FROM CAMP, Edward Bangs 159 TOM GAGE'S PROCLAMATION,...

EMANCIPATION FROM BRITISH DEPENDENCE, Philip Freneau 176 RODNEY'S RIDE, Unknown 177 AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, Francis Hopkinson 178 THE FOURTH OF JULY, John Pierpont 179 INDEPENDEN...

THE BOASTING OF SIR PETER PARKER, Clinton Scollard 181 A NEW WAR SONG BY SIR PETER PARKER, Unknown 182 THE MARYLAND BATTALION, John Williamson Palmer 183 HAARLEM HEIGHTS, Arthur...

THE RIFLEMAN'S SONG AT BENNINGTON, Unknown 193 THE MARCHING SONG OF STARK'S MEN, Edward Everett Hale 193 PARSON ALLEN'S RIDE, Wallace Bruce 194 THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON, Thomas...

LORD NORTH'S RECANTATION, Unknown 204 A NEW BALLAD, Unknown 205 GENERAL HOWE'S LETTER, Unknown 205 CARMEN BELLICOSUM, Guy Humphreys McMaster 206 VALLEY FORGE, Thomas Buchanan Re...

THE CRUISE OF THE FAIR AMERICAN, Unknown 219 ON THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN NICHOLAS BIDDLE, Philip Freneau 220 THE YANKEE PRIVATEER, Arthur Hale 221 PAUL JONES, Unknown 222 THE YANKEE...

SIR HENRY CLINTON'S INVITATION TO THE REFUGEES, Philip Freneau 229 THE STORM OF STONY POINT, Arthur Guiterman 230 WAYNE AT STONY POINT, Clinton Scollard 230 AARON BURR'S WOOING,...

HYMNS OF THE MORAVIAN NUNS OF BETHLEHEM, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 245 ABOUT SAVANNAH, Unknown 245 A SONG ABOUT CHARLESTON, Unknown 246 THE SWAMP FOX, William Gilmore Simms 247...

ON SIR HENRY CLINTON'S RECALL, Unknown 259 ON THE DEPARTURE OF THE BRITISH FROM CHARLESTON, Philip Freneau 260 ON THE BRITISH KING'S SPEECH, Philip Freneau 261 ENGLAND AND AMERI...

A RADICAL SONG OF 1786, St. John Honeywood 269 THE FEDERAL CONVENTION, Unknown 269 TO THE FEDERAL CONVENTION, Timothy Dwight 270 THE NEW ROOF, Francis Hopkinson 270 CONVENTION S...

THE TIMES, Unknown 285 REPARATION OR WAR, Unknown 286 TERRAPIN WAR, Unknown 286 FAREWELL, PEACE, Unknown 287 COME, YE LADS, WHO WISH TO SHINE, Unknown 287 HULL'S SURRENDER, Unkn...

THE SETTLER, Alfred B. Street 329 THE MOTHERS OF THE WEST, William Davis Gallagher 330 ON THE EMIGRATION TO AMERICA, Philip Freneau 331 JOHN FILSON, William Henry Venable 331 SA...

THEODOSIA BURR, John Williamson Palmer 346 ON THE DEATH OF COMMODORE OLIVER H. PERRY, John G. C. Brainard 347 ON THE DEATH OF JOSEPH RODMAN DRAKE, Fitz-Greene Halleck 348 ON LAY...

THE VALOR OF BEN MILAM, Clinton Scollard 354 BEN MILAM, William H. Wharton 355 THE MEN OF THE ALAMO, James Jeffrey Roche 355 THE DEFENCE OF THE ALAMO, Joaquin Miller 357 THE FIG...

THE SHIP CANAL FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC, Francis Lieber 374 THE WAR SHIP OF PEACE, Samuel Lover 375 ON THE DEFEAT OF HENRY CLAY, William Wilberforce Lord 376 ON THE DEAT...

TO WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, John Greenleaf Whittier 385 CLERICAL OPPRESSORS, John Greenleaf Whittier 385 THE DEBATE IN THE SENNIT, James Russell Lowell 386 ICHABOD, John Greenlea...

BOB ANDERSON, MY BEAU, Unknown 403 ON FORT SUMTER, Unknown 403 SUMTER, Edmund Clarence Stedman 404 THE BATTLE OF MORRIS' ISLAND, Unknown 404 SUMTER--A BALLAD OF 1861, Unknown 40...

THE NINETEENTH OF APRIL, Lucy Larcom 414 THROUGH BALTIMORE, Bayard Taylor 414 MY MARYLAND, James Ryder Randall 415 ELLSWORTH, Unknown 416 COLONEL ELLSWORTH, Richard Henry Stodda...

CIVIL WAR, Charles Dawson Shanly 432 THE PICKET-GUARD, Ethel Lynn Beers 433 TARDY GEORGE, Unknown 433 HOW MCCLELLAN TOOK MANASSAS, Unknown 434 WANTED--A MAN, Edmund Clarence Ste...

THE LITTLE DRUMMER, Richard Henry Stoddard 451 THE DEATH OF LYON, Henry Peterson 453 ZAGONYI, George Henry Boker 453 BATTLE OF SOMERSET, Cornelius C. Cullen 454 ZOLLICOFFER, Hen...

AT PORT ROYAL, John Greenleaf Whittier 461 READY, Phoebe Cary 461 THE DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT, Clinton Scollard 462 THE TURTLE, Unknown 462 THE ATTACK, Thomas Buchanan Read 463...

TO JOHN C. FRÉMONT, John Greenleaf Whittier 477 ASTRÆA AT THE CAPITOL, John Greenleaf Whittier 478 BOSTON HYMN, Ralph Waldo Emerson 478 THE PROCLAMATION, John Greenleaf Whittier...

MOSBY AT HAMILTON, Madison Cawein 482 JOHN PELHAM, James Ryder Randall 482 HOOKER'S ACROSS, George Henry Boker 483 STONEWALL JACKSON'S WAY, John Williamson Palmer 483 KEENAN'S C...

RUNNING THE BATTERIES, Herman Melville 498 BEFORE VICKSBURG, George Henry Boker 499 VICKSBURG, Paul Hamilton Hayne 499 THE BATTLE-CRY OF FREEDOM, George Frederick Root 500 THE B...

PUT IT THROUGH, Edward Everett Hale 509 LOGAN AT PEACH TREE CREEK, Hamlin Garland 510 A DIRGE FOR MCPHERSON, Herman Melville 511 WITH CORSE AT ALLATOONA, Samuel H. M. Byers 511...

THE EAGLE AND VULTURE, Thomas Buchanan Read 525 KEARSARGE AND ALABAMA, Unknown 526 KEARSARGE, S. Weir Mitchell 526 THE ALABAMA, Maurice Bell 527 CRAVEN, Henry Newbolt 527 FARRAG...

LINCOLN, S. Weir Mitchell 537 O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN! Walt Whitman 537 THE DEAD PRESIDENT, Edward Rowland Sill 538 ABRAHAM LINCOLN, Edmund Clarence Stedman 538 PARDON, Julia Ward...

"STACK ARMS," Joseph Blynth Alston 545 JEFFERSON DAVIS, Walker Meriwether Bell 545 IN THE LAND WHERE WE WERE DREAMING, Daniel B. Lucas 546 ACCEPTATION, Margaret Junkin Preston 5...

TO THE THIRTY-NINTH CONGRESS, John Greenleaf Whittier 559 "MR. JOHNSON'S POLICY OF RECONSTRUCTION," Charles Graham Halpine 559 THADDEUS STEVENS, Phoebe Cary 560 SOUTH CAROLINA T...

OUR FIRST CENTURY, George Edward Woodberry 572 CENTENNIAL HYMN, John Greenleaf Whittier 573 THE CENTENNIAL MEDITATION OF COLUMBIA, Sidney Lanier 573 CENTENNIAL HYMN, William Cul...

THE PACIFIC RAILWAY, C. R. Ballard 579 AFTER THE COMANCHES, Unknown 579 DOWN THE LITTLE BIG HORN, Francis Brooks 580 LITTLE BIG HORN, Ernest McGaffey 581 CUSTER'S LAST CHARGE, F...

REJOICE, Joaquin Miller 587 THE BELLS AT MIDNIGHT, Thomas Bailey Aldrich 588 J. A. G., Julia Ward Howe 589 MIDNIGHT--SEPTEMBER 19, 1881, John Boyle O'Reilly 589 AT THE PRESIDENT...

APOSTROPHE TO THE ISLAND OF CUBA, James Gates Percival 606 THE GALLANT FIFTY-ONE, Henry Lynden Flash 606 CUBA, Edmund Clarence Stedman 607 THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, James Jeffrey Roc...

A TOAST TO OUR NATIVE LAND, Robert Bridges 649 BUFFALO, Florence Earle Coates 649 MCKINLEY, Unknown 649 FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, Richard Handfield Titherington 650 THE COMFORT OF TH...

SONNETS WRITTEN IN THE FALL OF 1914, George Edward Woodberry 661 ABRAHAM LINCOLN WALKS AT MIDNIGHT, Vachel Lindsay 661 THE "WILLIAM P. FRYE," Jeanne Robert Foster 662 THE WHITE...

Oh, who has not heard of the Northmen of yore, How flew, like the sea-bird, their sails from the shore; How westward they stayed not till, breasting the brine, They hailed Narra...

Bjarni, son of Herjulf, speeding westward from Iceland in 986, to spend the Yuletide in Greenland with his father, encountered foggy weather and steered by guesswork for many da...

The news of Columbus's discoveries soon spread through western Europe, and in May, 1497, John Cabot sailed from Bristol, England, in the Matthew, and discovered what he supposed...

England laid claim to the continent of North America by virtue of the discoveries of John Cabot in 1497, but little effort was made toward colonization until 1584, when an exped...

On the fourth day of April, 1609, there put out from the port of Amsterdam a little craft of about eighty tons, called the Half Moon. It had been chartered by the Dutch East Ind...

The Northern or Plymouth Branch of the Virginia Company, which had been chartered by James I in 1606, did, to some extent, for the north what the sister company did for the sout...

The Puritans, who had come to New England to escape a religious despotism, lost no time in establishing one of their own. At the first meeting of the General Council, in the aut...

Metacomet, or Philip, had succeeded his father, Massasoit, as chief of the Wampanoags, and endeavored to maintain friendly relations with the English, but in June, 1675, some of...

The Jurors of our Sovereign Lord and Lady The King and Queen, here present, do accuse you Of having on the tenth of June last past, And divers other times before and after, Wick...

While England was colonizing the Atlantic seaboard, France was firmly establishing herself to the north along the St. Lawrence. It was inevitable that war should follow; and as...

Flawless his heart and tempered to the core Who, beckoned by the forward-leaning wave, First left behind him the firm-footed shore, And, urged by every nerve of sail and oar, St...

The close of the struggle with the French for the possession of the continent may be fairly said to mark the beginning of that series of aggressions on the part of England which...

All through the winter of 1774-75, the people of Massachusetts had offered a passive but effective resistance to General Gage. Not a councillor, judge, sheriff, or juryman could...

A rustic army of nearly twenty thousand men quickly gathered about Boston to besiege Gage there; but its warlike spirit ran too high to be contented with passive and defensive m...

At the outbreak of the Revolution very few, even of the more radical colonial leaders, thought of or desired complete independence from Great Britain. Samuel Adams was perhaps t...

News of the Declaration of Independence was accompanied over the country by that of a brilliant success at the South. Early in June, the British, under Sir Peter Parker, Sir Hen...

Defeated in Jersey, the English turned with increased vigor to the task of securing the line of the Hudson. An army under General Burgoyne, starting from Canada, was to march do...

News of the reverse at Saratoga was received in England with amazement and consternation, and its effect on the government was soon discernible. On February 17, 1778, Lord North...

At the outbreak of the Revolution, the colonies had no navy, but a number of cruisers and privateers were soon fitted out, and by the end of 1776 nearly three hundred British ve...

For more than a year following the battle of Monmouth, Sir Henry Clinton remained cooped up in New York, while Washington, established in camp at White Plains, kept a sharp eye...

The last stanza was singularly prophetic. The Americans relied for the defence of the Hudson upon the impregnable position at West Point, to the command of which Benedict Arnold...

After the surrender of Burgoyne, the military attitude of the British in the Northern States was, as has been seen, purely defensive, but the Southern States were the scene of v...

The news of Cornwallis's surrender was received with consternation in Great Britain. The King declared that he would abdicate rather than acknowledge the independence of the Uni...

Oh mother of a mighty race, Yet lovely in thy youthful grace! The elder dames, thy haughty peers, Admire and hate thy blooming years. With words of shame And taunts of scorn the...

The war was ended, but the five years following 1783 were perhaps the most critical in the history of the American people. The country was at the verge of bankruptcy, there was...

The treaty of peace with England which closed the Revolution provided for the payment of English creditors and the restoration of confiscated estates, but the individual states...

At the close of the Revolution, the country west of the Alleghanies was still virtually an unbroken wilderness. Boone had pushed forward into Kentucky, drawing a few settlers af...

Although Aaron Burr had been acquitted of the charge of treason, the persecution of him still continued. He was practically run out of the country, and when he returned at last...

In 1821 Mexico acquired her independence of Spain, but the country became the prey of military adventurers, who were made presidents by proclamation, and retained office as long...

In his message to Congress at the opening of the December session of 1847, President Polk recommended, among other things, the construction of a ship canal across the Isthmus of...

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord: He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrib...

Negro slavery in the United States began in 1619, when a cargo of Africans was sold in Virginia. It gradually spread to all the states, but by the beginning of the nineteenth ce...

In the fall of 1860 Major Robert Anderson was selected to command the little garrison at Fort Moultrie, in Charleston harbor. In spite of his entreaties, no reinforcements were...

On Wednesday, April 16, 1861, the Sixth Massachusetts left Boston for Washington. Three days later it reached Baltimore, and started to march to the Camden Street station to tak...

The defeat at Bull Run showed the necessity for a thorough reorganization of the Army of the Potomac, and George B. McClellan, who had made a successful campaign in Western Virg...

While the Army of the Potomac in the east was imitating the manoeuvres of the King of France, stirring times were enacting in the west. Missouri was torn with dissension. The st...

At the opening of the Civil War, the United States had proclaimed a blockade of all Southern ports. But places like Pamlico Sound and Port Royal had so many outlets that they co...

Slavery had caused the war, and as the months passed, the President and his advisers became more and more convinced that the emancipation of the negroes would go far to end it....

After its defeat at Fredericksburg, the Grand Army of the Potomac had gone into winter quarters. General Joseph Hooker was appointed to command it and found it weak and shaken....

Grant had a brief repose after his victories at Shiloh and Corinth; then he addressed himself to the capture of Vicksburg. The Confederates had made a second Gibraltar of the pl...

A survey of the field at the opening of the fourth year of the war shows how steadily the North had been gaining the advantage--an advantage due to superior numbers and greater...

During the Civil War, the Confederates commissioned a large number of privateers to prey upon Northern commerce, the most famous of which was the Alabama, commanded by Raphael S...

In November, 1864, Abraham Lincoln was re-elected President, carrying twenty-two out of the twenty-five states of the Union. He had grown ever dearer to the hearts of the Americ...

The surrender of Lee at Appomattox virtually ended the war. The only considerable Confederate force left in the field was that under command of Johnston, and it surrendered to S...

The lioness whelped, and the sturdy cub Was seized by an eagle and carried up, And homed for a while in an eagle's nest, And slept for a while on an eagle's breast; And the eagl...

The war was over, but three great questions remained to be settled. How were the people of the South to be regarded? How was the Union to be reconstructed? What was to be done w...

The year 1876 marked the completion of the first century of independence, and it was decided to celebrate it in a worthy manner. The city of Philadelphia, where the country had...

The Indians had long since ceased to be a serious menace to the United States, and the policy of the government for many years had been to settle them upon various selected trac...

On the fourth day of March, 1881, James Abram Garfield, Republican, was inaugurated President of the United States. He had served with distinction in the Civil War and afterward...

For three centuries and a half, Spain held possession of the island of Cuba, although she had lost, long before, her possessions in North and South America. The Cubans desired f...

Huge and alert, irascible yet strong, We make our fitful way 'mid right and wrong. One time we pour out millions to be free, Then rashly sweep an empire from the sea! One time w...

For generations Americans had been taught by the provincially minded to glory in their "splendid isolation," but the more discerning perceived that steam and electricity were ma...