ernment. To a narration of the events of that period, the author has devoted many pages, and recorded facts no where else to be found.

"There is in the beginning of Webster's History, an account of the original seat of our ancestors in Asia. The author was probably led to the discovery of this fact by his philological researches― a fact that has puzzled the ablest English writers.

"Of the discontents in Connecticut in the year 1783, which produced a Convention of delegates from the towns, for the purpose of opposing the measures of Congress, and which came near to revolutionize the State, no account is found in any history except in Webster's-not even in Marshall's. Yet, those discontents were nearly as threatening to the peace of the Union, as the insurrection in the State of Massachusetts."

[From the Knickerbocker, for December, 1838.]

"We are indebted to the publisher for a copy of the latest edition of the above named work, and have great pleasure in conscientiously recommending it to the acceptance of the public. It contains many things which we do not remember to have seen in any kindred volume, such as the origin and history of our ancestors, the particular account of the formation of our institutions, and of the origin of the Hartford Convention, of which there is no where else so correct and detailed an acconnt. Many of these valuable facts could have been derived only from personal knowledge, or from rare documents, in possession of the author. Of the discontents in Connecticut, in 1783, which threatened a serious commotion, we believe there is no account in any of the histories of this republic, not even in Marshall's. But for the brief record in the present volume, the present generation would be entirely ignorant of these events. Indeed, the history of the whole period from the peace of 1783, to the adoption of the constitution, is, in all the histories for schools, which we remember to have seen, except the one before us, a barren, imperfect account, although it was a period of great anxiety, when it was doubtful whether anarchy or civil war would be our fate."

OF THE

UNITED STATES;

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED

A BRIEF HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF OUR

[ENGLISH] ANCESTORS,

FROM THE

DISPERSION AT BABEL, TO THEIR MIGRATION TO AMERICA,

AND OF THE

CONQUEST OF SOUTH AMERICA,

BY THE SPANIARDS.

BY NOAH WEBSTER, LL. D.

COLUMBUS:

PUBLISHED BY J. N. WHITING.

Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1832, by NOAH WEBSTER, LL. D., in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Connecticut District.

PREFACE.

THIS little volume, intended for the use of American youth, contains many facts not found in any other history of the United States. It begins with an account of the creation and of the dispersion of men, on the attempt to build Babel; and describes our ancestors, descendants of Japheth, in the wilds of Germany, as they were when the Romans conquered Gaul, before the Christian era. A brief account is then given of the conquest of England by our Saxon ancestors, and of their gradual improvement in the arts of life, down to the reformation. Then follows an account of the peopling of America, and a description of the character and manners of the aboriginals, both in Mexico and in the more northern latitudes. The origin of the Puritans, and the causes of their migration to America, are then stated.

The discoveries of various parts of America made by European navigators, and the first settlements, are nar rated with brevity. In the history of these settlements, of their progress, of the Indian wars, of the forms of government in the several colonies, of the revolutionary war, and of the measures which were pursued for obtaining the present constitution of the United States, the most authentic authorities have been consulted; and some facts are related from the personal knowledge of the writer. The brief exposition of the constitution of the United States, will unfold to young persons the principles of republican government; and it is the sincere desire of the writer that our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is tho BIBLE, particularly the New Testament or the Christian religion.

If this history should be read in schools, I would not recommend that the pupil should be required to commit entire paragraphs to memory; but that he should abridge

them in writing, extracting only the principal facts, and reducing them within the compass of a few lines, which may be easily remembered and recited.

When the book is used only for learning to read and understand what is read, I would recommend that the pupil should have time to study his lesson before he reads to the teacher, and that he should be required to consult a dictionary for the explanation of words which he does not understand. In this case, as words often have different senses, he should be instructed to find the proper significa. tion of the word in the paragraph in which it is used. This mode of study would accustom the pupil to exercise his mind in discriminating between the various applications of terms, and would be most efficacious in impressing upon his memory their different significations.

The practice of writing books for youth in the household language of children, is proper and useful for those who are learning to read; but as soon as words of common use become familiar to the eye, children should leave the style of puerility, and read only, or chiefly, a more elevated language; or that which is used by well-educated people in adult years. The habit of using the peculiar phrases of children, and vulgarisms, should be counteracted as early in life as is practicable; otherwise such phrases will never be lost, but will often infect the language of polite conversation, in every period of future life. The practice of reducing language to the capacities of children, instead of elevating their understandings to the style of elegance, may be carried to an extent not warranted by just views of improvement.

History should be read with maps, which are to be found in all our bookstores, and in most of our schools.

New Haven, 1832.