This Country of Ours

Part I Stories of Explorers and Pioneers

1. How the Vikings of Old Sought And Found New Lands 2. The Sea of Darkness And the Great Faith of Columbus 3. How Columbus Fared Forth Upon the Sea of Darkness And Came To Pleasant Lands Beyond 4. How Columbus Returned in Triumph 5. How America Was Named 6. How the Flag of England Was Planted on the Shores of the New World 7. How the Flag of France Was Planted in Florida 8. How the French Founded a Colony in Florida 9. How the Spaniards Drove the French Out of Florida 10. How a Frenchman Avenged the Death of His Countrymen 11. The Adventures of Sir Humphrey Gilbert 12. About Sir Walter Raleigh's Adventures in the Golden West

Part Ii Stories of Virginia

13. The Adventures of Captain John Smith 14. More Adventures of Captain John Smith 15. How the Colony Was Saved 16. How Pocahontas Took a Journey Over the Seas 17. How the Redmen Fought Against Their White Brothers 18. How Englishmen Fought a Duel With Tyranny 19. The Coming of the Cavaliers 20. Bacon's Rebellion 21. The Story of the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe

Part Iii Stories of New England

22. The Story of the Pilgrim Fathers 23. The Founding of Massachusetts 24. The Story of Harry Vane 25. The Story of Anne Hutchinson And the Founding of Rhode Island 26. The Founding of Harvard 27. How Quakers First Came To New England 28. How Maine And New Hampshire Were Founded 29. The Founding of Connecticut And War With the Indians 30. The Founding of New Haven 31. The Hunt For the Regicides 32. King Philip's War 33. How the Charter of Connecticut Was Saved 34. The Witches of Salem

Part Iv Stories of the Middle and Southern Colonies

35. The Founding of Maryland 36. How New Amsterdam Be Came New York 37. How a German Ruled New York 38. Pirates! 39. The Founding of New Jersey 40. The Founding of Pennsylvania 41. How Benjamin Franklin Came To Philadelphia 42. The Founding of North And South Carolina 43. War with the Indians in North and South Carolina 44. The Founding of Georgia

Part V Stories of the French in America

45. How the Mississippi Was Discovered 46. King William's War And Queen Anne's War 47. The Mississippi Bubble 48. How a Terrible Disaster Befell the British Army 49. The End of French Rule in America 50. The Rebellion of Pontiac

Part Vi Stories of the Struggle for Liberty

51. The Boston Tea-Party 52. Paul Revere's Ride - The Unsheathing of the Sword 53. The First Thrust - The Battle Or Bunker Hill 54. The War in Canada 55. The Birth of a Great Nation 56. The Darkest Hour - Trenton And Princeton 57. Burgoyne's Campaign - Bennington And Oriskany 58. Burgoyne's Campaign - Bemis Heights And Saratoga 59. Brandywine - Germantown - Valley Forge 60. War on the Sea 61. The Battle of Monmouth - The Story of Captain Molly 62. The Story of a Great Crime 63. A Turning Point in the World's History

Part Vii Stories of the United States Under the Constitution

64. Washington First in War, First in Peace 65. Adams - How He Kept Peace With France 66. Jefferson - How the Territory of the United States Was Doubled 67. Jefferson - How the Door Into the Far West Was Opened 68. Jefferson - About an American Who Wanted To Be a King 69. Madison - The Shooting Star And the Prophet 70. Madison - War With Great Britain 71. Monroe - The First Whispers of a Storm - Monroe's Famous Doctrine 72. Adams - The Tariff of Abominations 73. Jackson - "Liberty And Union, Now And Forever" - Van Buren - Hard Times 74. Harrison - The Hero of Tippecanoe, 75. Tyler - Florida Becomes a State 76. Polk - How Much Land Was Added To the United States 77. Polk - The Finding of Gold 78. Taylor - Union Or Disunion 79. Fillmore - The Underground Railroad 80. Pierce - The Story of "Bleeding Kansas" 81. Buchanan - The Story of the Mormons 82. Buchanan - The First Shots 83. Lincoln - From Bull Run To Fort Donelson 84. Lincoln - The Story of the First Battle Between Ironclads 85. Lincoln - Thru Battle of Shiloh And the Taking of New Orleans 86. Lincoln - The Slaves Are Made Free 87. Lincoln - Chancellorsville - the Death of Stonewall Jackson 88. Lincoln - The Battle of Gettysburg 89. Lincoln - Grant's Campaign - Sheridan's Ride 90. Lincoln - Sherman's March To the Sea - Lincoln Re-elected President 91. Lincoln - the End of the War - The President's Death 92. Johnson - How the President Was Impeached 93. Grant - A Peaceful Victory 94. Hayes - Garfield - Arthur 95. Cleveland - Harrison - Cleveland 96. McKinley - War And Sudden Death 97. Roosevelt - Taft 98. Wilson - Troubles With Mexico 99. Wilson - The Great War

Part I Stories of Explorers and Pioneers

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Chapter 1 - How the Vikings of Old Sought and Found New Lands

In days long long ago there dwelt in Greenland a King named Eric the Red. He was a man mighty in war, and men held him in high honour.

Now one day to the court of Eric there came Bjarni the son of Heriulf. This Bjarni was a far traveler. He had sailed many times upon the seas, and when he came home he had ever some fresh tale of marvel and adventure to tell. But this time he had a tale to tell more marvelous than any before. For he told how far away across the sea of Greenland, where no man had sailed before, he had found a new, strange land.

But when the people asked news of this unknown land Bjarni could tell them little, for he had not set foot upon those far shores. Therefore the people scorned him.

"Truly you have little hardihood," they said, "else you had gone ashore, and seen for yourself, and had given us good account of this land."

But although Bjarni could tell nought of the new strange land, save that he had seen it, the people thought much about it, and there was great talk about voyages and discoveries, and many longed to sail forth and find again the land which Bjarni the Traveler had seen. But more than any other in that kingdom, Leif the son of Eric the Red, longed to find that land. So Leif went to Eric and said:

"Oh my father, I fain would seek the land which Bjarni the Traveler has seen. Give me gold that I may buy his ship and sail away upon the seas to find it."

Then Eric the Red gave his son gold in great plenty. "Go, my son," he said, "buy the ship of Bjarni the Traveler, and sail to the land of which he tells."

Then Leif, quickly taking the gold, went to Bjarni and bought his ship.

Leif was a tall man, of great strength and noble bearing. He was also a man of wisdom, and just in all things, so that men loved and were ready to obey him.

Now therefore many men came to him offering to be his companions in adventure, until soon they were a company of thirty-five men. They were all men tall and of great strength, with fair golden hair and eyes blue as the sea upon which they loved to sail, save only Tyrker the German.

Long time this German had lived with Eric the Red and was much beloved by him. Tyrker also loved Leif dearly, for he had known him since he was a child, and was indeed his foster father. So he was eager to go with Leif upon this adventurous voyage. Tyrker was very little and plain. His forehead was high and his eyes small and restless. He wore shabby clothes, and to the blue-eyed, fair-haired giants of the North he seemed indeed a sorry-looking little fellow. But all that mattered little, for he was a clever craftsman, and Leif and his companions were glad to have him go with them.

Then, all things being ready, Leif went to his father and, bending his knee to him, prayed him to be their leader.

But Eric the Red shook his head. "Nay, my son," he said, " I am old and stricken in years, and no more able to endure the hardships of the sea."

"Yet come, my father," pleaded Leif, "for of a certainty if you do, good luck will go with us."

Then Eric looked longingly at the sea. His heart bade him go out upon it once again ere he died. So he yielded to the prayers of his son and, mounting upon his horse, he rode towards the ship.

When the sea-farers saw him come they set up a shout of welcome. But when Eric was not far from the ship the horse upon which he was riding stumbled, and he was thrown to the ground. He tried to rise but could not, for his foot was sorely wounded.

Seeing that he cried out sadly, "It is not for me to discover new lands; go ye without me."

So Eric the Red returned to his home, and Leif went on his way to his ship with his companions.

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