the morning of September 13th, and continued until near the following morning. No serious impression, however, was made on the fort; and the British, hopeless of success, withdrew.* 16. Movements of General Jackson. There were other operations in the South during the year. The British were repulsed from Mobile; and Jackson, finding that the Spanish port, Pensacola, was used by the enemy as a base of operations, marched to the place, and boldly seizing it, compelled the British to leave. Learning that an invasion of Louisiana was threatened, he hastened to New Orleans, in order to put it in a state of defense.

17. Battle of New Orleans.-On the 8th of January, 1815, the British, twelve thousand strong, commanded by Sir Edward Pakenham (pak'n-am), made a general advance against the American intrenchments before New Orleans. Volley after volley was poured upon them with such terrible effect, that they were compelled to flee. Pakenham was slain, and two thousand of his men were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. The Americans lost only seven killed and six wounded.†

18. Porter's Cruise.-During 1814, the naval operations of the Americans were generally successful. The frigate Es

*It was during this bombardment that the incident occurred which inspired the composition of the "Star-spangled Banner." This national ode was written by Francis S. Key, an American detained on board one of the bombarding vessels. He had watched with painful anxiety during the day the national flag as it floated above the ramparts of the fort; and during the night, the glare of the "bombs bursting in air," showed the stars and stripes still waving in triumph. The song expresses his exultation at beholding, "by the dawn's early light," that the flag still floated over the fort.

The American Commissioners had signed the treaty of peace with Great Britain more than a fortnight before this bloody battle was fought. "O Morse, O Field, why were you not ready with your Oceanic Telegraph then, to tell those men of both armies, when they woke (on the morning of the 8th of January), that they were not enemies, but friends and brothers, and send them joyful into each other's arms, not in madness against each other's arms."-Parton's Life of Jackson.

16. What occurred in the South? Where is Pensacola (Map, p. 165) ? Mobile? New Orleans? 17. Describe the battle of New Orleans. 18. What is said of the naval operations during 1814? Of Captain Porter's cruise? Where is Valparaiso (Map of South America)?

sex, under Captain Porter, made a successful cruise of more than a year, but was finally attacked in the harbor of Valparaiso (vahl-pah-ri'-so), March 28th, by

COMMODORE PORTER.

two British vessels, and after one of the most desperate conflicts of the war, was forced to surrender.

19. Treaty of Peace. In February, 1815, the joyful tidings reached the United States, that a treaty of peace had been signed at Ghent, on the 24th of December, of the preceding year. This treaty settled none of the important issues which had caused the warthe encroachments upon American

commerce, the right of search, and the impressment of British seamen who had become American naturalized citizens. The close of the war between England and France, however, rendered it unnecessary, at the time, to settle these questions.

20. Decatur's Expedition.-During the war, the Algerines, resuming their old practice of piracy, had seized several American vessels, and insulted and plundered the consul of the United States. A naval force, under Decatur, in 1815 compelled the Barbary States-Al

giers, Tunis, and Tripoli, to submit to terms imposed by the United States government-to liberate the American prisoners which they held, and to give up all future claim to the tribute paid since 1795, making indemnity, likewise, for all losses sustained by American citizens at their hands.

21. During Madison's administra

SEAL OF INDIANA.

19. When and where was peace made? Were the questions which caused the war settled? Why was it not necessary to insist upon their settlement? 20. Give an account of Decatur's expedition. What was its result? 21. What states were admitted in 1812 and 1816? How long did Madison serve? By whom was he succeeded?

tion, two states were added to the Union: Louisiana, in 1812, and Indiana in 1816. Madison, having served two terms, declined a re-election, following the example of Washington and Jefferson. He was succeeded by James Monroe, of Virginia, on the 4th of March, 1817.

CHAPTER XVII.

ADMINISTRATIONS FROM MADISON TO POLK.

1, Monroe's Administration.-When Monroe * took the presidential chair, the country was at peace with all the world, and the people were fast recovering from the effects of the late war. The strife between the great political parties, the Democrats and the Federalists, had also died out. The wealth and population of the country, therefore, rapidly increased.

2. Trouble with the Seminoles. Towards the close of 1817, difficulties commenced with the Seminoles, a warlike

JAMES MONROE.

* James Monroe was born in Virginia in 1758. He entered the army in 1776, and was present at the battles of White Plains, Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. He was a member of Congress when Washington resigned his commission; was subsequently governor of Virginia, and successively minister to France, England, and Holland. He died in New York, in 1831.

+"Shortly after his inauguration, Monroe, imitating the example of Washington, set out on a tour through the Eastern States. His declaration of principles in his inaugural address had been highly satisfactory to the Federalists; and at Boston he was received with the most elaborate pomp. Imbittered and hot-tempered leaders of parties, who for the last seven years had hardly deigned to speak to each other, or even to walk on the same side of the street, met now with smiling faces, vying in extravagance of republican loyalty. The era of good feeling' having thus begun, the way was rapidly paved for that complete amalgamation of parties which took place a few years after."-Hildreth's History of the U. S.

Text Questions.-1. What was the state of the country when Monroe became pre-ident?

tribe of Indians, living in Florida, who committed serious depredations on the frontier settlements of Georgia. General Jackson, who had been sent to repress these outrages, finding that the Indians were encouraged by certain persons in Florida, invaded that territory, although it belonged to Spain, with which country our government was at peace.

3. Cession of Florida.-He burned some of the Indian towns, took the Spanish forts at St. Marks and Pensacola, and put to death two British traders who, he believed, had supplied the Indians with arms and incited them to hostilities. This bold measure on the part of Jackson, for a time, threatened the country with a war with Spain; but the difficulties were finally settled by Spain agreeing to sell Florida to the United States for five millions of dollars. A treaty to this effect was made in 1819, and two years later Florida became one of the territories of the United States.

4. New States. The Mississippi Territory,* embracing the present states of Alabama and Mississippi, was divided in 1817, and the western portion admitted into the Union as

*This territory, except the coast-strip between Florida and Louisiana, was originally a part of Georgia; but, in 1798, was organized as the Mississippi Territory. The word Mississippi is of Indian origin, signifying, according to some writers, the Great River, according to others, the Great Father of Waters.

2. What hostilities arose with the Seminoles? Jackson's course? 3. What forts did he take? What persons put to death? What resulted from this? When and how did Florida become a territory of the United States ?

What new states were

the State of Mississippi. Illinois was admitted in 1818. Up to 1800, it had been a part of the Northwest Territory, and then, till 1809, formed with Indiana the Indiana Territory. After the admission of the latter, it constituted the Illinois Territory. Alabama was admitted in 1819; and, in 1820, Maine, till then a part of Massachusetts, was also admitted. into the Union.

5. Missouri Compromise.-When Missouri applied for admission, a violent and prolonged discussion arose in Congress, because its constitution permitted the existence of slavery in the new state, and the people of the North were determined to resist any increase of

the number and power of the slave states. The representatives of the Northern states therefore opposed the admission of Missouri as a slave state. In 1820, during the agitation of this question, the measure known as the "Missouri Compromise" was adopted. By this it was provided that slavery should be prohibited in all the territory, except Missouri, lying north of the parallel 36° 30', and west of the Mississippi. After the adoption of this compromise, Missouri was admitted (1821).

MDCCCXX

SEAL OF MISSOURI.

5. What is meant by the Missouri Compromise? What led to its adoption? When was Missouri admitted?