OF THE United States OF AMERICA; WITH A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL EMPIRES & STATES OF ANCIENT & MODERN TIMES. FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES. BY A CITIZEN OF MASSACHUSETTS. SECOND EDITION, CORRECTED & IMPROVED....WITH QUESTIONS, ADAPTED TO THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE COMPENDIUM KEENE, N. H. PUBLISHED BY JOHN PRENTISS, PROPRIETOR OF THE .P13 10 1821 District of New-Hampshire-rO WIT. E IT REMEMBERED, that on the twenty-fourth day L.S.B July, in the forty-fifth year of the Independence of the United States of America, JOHN PRENTISS, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit:"HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; with a brief account of some of the PRINCIPAL EMPIRES AND STATES OF AN"CIENT AND MODERN TIMES.---For the use of Schools and Families.By a Citizen of Massachusetts." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled "An Act for the encouragment of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and books, to the authors and proprie tors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned." 2 Clerk of the District PEYTON R. FREEMAN,} of Newhampshire. A true copy of record, Attest, PEYTON R. FREEMAN, Clerk. Gift LiL Hubbard 2773-28 PREFACE. IN the compilation of this History of the indi vidual States, and the general History of the United States when they acted in concert, I have encountered a task far more difficult and laborious than I had imagined before trial. Among about thirty volumes which I consulted during the progress of the work, I frequently found dates and statements quite variant from each other. In some few instances i could only be governed by a majority of authors, unless I could appeal to the Annals of America, by Dr. HOLMES; on whom he that depends may almost ever feel safe; as he spent much time in their compilation, and had by far the greatest resources in books and manuscripts of any author who has written on the history of America. I have also found much discrimination necessary, in the history of the individual States, in selecting either the most interesting or most important items. My best judgment has, however, been diligently and laboriously exercised in the execution of this task: nor shall I hesitate to claim, what I know is my due, the credit of never slightly examining; but assiduously investigating, till confident of the correctness of my statements, so far as reliance could be placed on the authors before me. To me it has long appeared singular that, while our schools abound with a variety of reading books for children and youth, there has never yet appeared a compendious history of the United States fitted for our common schools; than which |