A Short History of the United States eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 355 pages of information about A Short History of the United States.

A Short History of the United States eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 355 pages of information about A Short History of the United States.

[Illustration:  A “GARRISON HOUSE” AT YORK, MAINE, BUILT IN 1676.]

[Sidenote:  King William’s War, 1689-97. Eggleston, 122-123.]

91.  King William’s War, 1689-97.—­The Iroquois began this war by destroying Montreal.  The next winter the French invaded New York.  They captured Schenectady and killed nearly all the inhabitants.  Other bands destroyed New England towns and killed or drove away their inhabitants.  The English, on their part, seized Port Royal in Acadia, but they failed in an attempt against Quebec.  In 1697 this war came to an end.  Acadia was given back to the French, and nothing was gained by all the bloodshed and suffering.

[Sidenote:  Queen Anne’s War, 1701-13. Higginson, 143-147; Source-Book, 98-100.]

92.  Queen Anne’s War, 1701-13.—­In 1701 the conflict began again.  It lasted for twelve years, until 1713.  It was in this war that the Duke of Marlborough won the battle of Blenheim and made for himself a great reputation.  In America the French and Indians made long expeditions to New England.  The English colonists again attacked Quebec and again failed.  In one thing, however, they were successful.  They again seized Port Royal.  This time the English kept Port Royal and all Acadia.  Port Royal they called Annapolis, and the name of Acadia was changed to Nova Scotia.

[Sidenote:  King George’s War, 1744-48.]

93.  King George’s War, 1744-48.—­From 1713 until 1744 there was no war between the English and the French.  But in 1744 fighting began again in earnest.  The French and Indians attacked the New England frontier towns and killed many people.  But the New Englanders, on their part, won a great success.  After the French lost Acadia they built a strong fortress on the island of Cape Breton.  To this they gave the name of Louisburg.  The New Englanders fitted out a great expedition and captured Louisburg without much help from the English.  But at the close of the war (1748) the fortress was given back to the French, to the disgust of the New Englanders.

[Sidenote:  La Salle on the Mississippi, 1681.]

[Sidenote:  McMaster, 62-65; Source-book, 96-98.]

94.  The French in the Mississippi Valley.—­The Spaniards had discovered the Mississippi and had explored its lower valley.  But they had found no gold there and had abandoned the country.  It was left for French explorers more than one hundred years later to rediscover the great river and to explore it from its upper waters to the Gulf of Mexico.  The first Frenchman to sail down the river to its mouth was La Salle.  In 1681, with three canoes, he floated down the Mississippi, until he reached a place where the great river divided into three large branches.  He sent one canoe down each branch.  Returning, they all reported that they had reached the open sea.

[Sidenote:  La Salle attempts to found a colony. McMaster, 79-80.]

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A Short History of the United States from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.