OLD VIRGINIA AND HER NEIGHBORS; by John Fiske, published 1897 (scanning book in progress) PREFACE. IN the series of books on American history, upon which I have for many years been engaged, the present volumes come between " The Discov- ery of America" and " The Beginnings of New England." The opening chapter, with its brief sketch of the work done by Elizabeth's great sail- ors, takes up the narrative where the concluding chapter of " The Discovery of America " dropped it. Then the story of Virginia, starting with Sir Walter Raleigh and Rev. Richard Hakluyt, is pursued until the year 1753, when the youthful George Washington sets forth upon his expedition to warn the approaching Frenchmen from any fur- ther encroachment upon English soil. That mo- ment marks the arrival of a new era, when a book like the present — which is not a local history nor a bundle of local histories — can no longer follow the career of Virginia, nor of the southern colo- nies, except as part and parcel of the career of the American people. That " continental state of things," which was distinctly heralded when the war of the Spanish Succession broke out during Nicholson's rule in Virginia, had arrived in 1753. To treat it properly requires preliminary consid- eration of many points in the history of the north- vi PREFACE. ern colonies, and it is accordingly reserved for a future work. It will be observed that I do not call the present work a " History of the Southern Colonies." Its contents would not justify such a title, inasmuch as its scope and purpose are different from what such a title would imply. My aim is to follow the main stream of causation from the time of Raleigh to the time of Dinwiddie, from its sources down to its absorption into a mightier stream. At first our attention is fixed upon Raleigh's Vir- ginia, which extends from Florida to Canada, Eng- land thrusting herself in between Spain and France. "With the charter of 1609 (see below, vol. i. p. 145) Virginia is practically severed from North Virginia, which presently takes on the names of New England and New Netherland, and receives colonies of Puritans and Dutchmen, with which this book is not concerned. From the territory of Virginia thus cut down, further slices are carved from time to time; first Maryland in 1632, then Carolina in 1663, then Georgia in 1732, almost at the end of our narra- tive. Colonies thus arise which present a few or many different social aspects from those of Old Virginia; and while our attention is still centred upon the original commonwealth as both histori- cally most important and in personal detail most interesting, at the same time the younger common- PREFACE. vii wealths claim a share in the story. A compara- tive survey of the social features in which North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland differed from one another, and from Virginia, is a great help to the righfr understanding of all four com- monwealths. To Maryland I find that I have given 107 pages, while the Carolinas, whose his- tory begins practically a half century later, receive 67 pages; a mere mention of the beginnings of Georgia is all that suits the perspective of the pre- sent story. The further development of these southern communities will, it is hoped, receive at- tention in a later work. As to the colonies founded in what was, once known as North Virginia, I have sketched a por- tion of the story in " The Beginnings of New England," ending with the accession of William and Mary. The remainder of it will form the subject of my next work, already in preparation, entitled " The Dutch and Quaker Colonies in America;" which will comprise a sketch of the early history of New York, New Jersey, Dela- ware, and Pennsylvania, with a discussion of the contributions to American life which may be traced to the Dutch, German, Protestant French, and Scotch-Irish migrations previous to the War of Independence. To complete the picture of the early times and to " make connections " with " The American Revo- Vlll PREFACE. lution," still another work will be needed, which shall resume the story of New England at the acces- sion of William and Mary. With that story the romantic fortunes of New France are inseparably implicated, and in the course of its development one colony after another is brought in until from the country of the Wabenaki to that of the Chero- kees the whole of English America is involved in the mightiest and most fateful military struggle which the eighteenth century witnessed. The end of that conflict finds thirteen colonies nearly ripe for independence and union. The present work was begun in 1882, and its topics have been treated in several courses of lec- tures at the Washington University in St. Louis, and elsewhere. In 1895 I gave a course of twelve such lectures, especially prepared for the occasion, at the Lowell Institute in Boston. But the book cannot properly be said to be " based upon " lec- tures ; the book was primary and the lectures sec- ondary. The amount of time spent in giving lectures and in writing a schoolbook of American history has greatly delayed the appearance of this book. It is more than five years since " The Discovery of America " was published ; I hope that " The Dutch and Quaker Colonies" will appear after a much shorter interval. CAMBRIDGE, October 10, 1897. CONTENTS. VOLUME I. CHAPTER I. THB SEA KINGS. PAGE Tercentenary of the Discovery of America, 1792 ... 1 The Abbe Raynal and his book ..... 2 Was the Discovery of America a blessing or a enrse to mankind ?...... 3 The Abbe Genty's opinion ....... 4 A cheering item of therapeutics ... 4 Spanish methods of colonization contrasted with English . 5 Spanish conquerors value America for its supply of precious metals ...... .... 6 Aim of Columbus was to acquire the means for driving the Turks from Europe ....... 7 But Spain used American treasure not so much against Turks as against Protestants ....... 8 Vast quantities of treasure taken from America by Spain . 9 Nations are made -wealthy not by inflation but by produc- tion ........... 9 Deepest significance of the discovery of America ; it opened np a fresh soil in which to plant the strongest type of European civilization ....... 10 America first excited interest in England as the storehouse of Spanish treasure ........ 11 After the Cabot voyages England paid little attention to America ......... 12 Save for an occasional visit to the Newfoundland fisheries 13 Earliest English reference to America .... 13 Founding of the Muscovy Company ..... 14 Richard Eden and his books ...... 15 X CONTENTS. John Hawking and the African slave trade . . . . 15, 16 Hawlrins visits the French colony in Florida ... 17 Facts which seem to show that thirst is the mother of inven- tion ..:....... 18 Massacre of Huguenots in Florida ; escape of the painter Le Moyne .......... 18 Hawkins goes on another voyage and takes with him young Francis Drake ........ 19 The affair of San Juan de Ulua and the journey of David Ingram ......... 20 Growing hostility to Spain in England . . . . . 21 Size and strength of Elizabeth's England . . . 21, 22 How the sea became England's field of war . . . . 22 Loose ideas of international law ..... 23 Some bold advice to Queen Elizabeth ..... 23 The sea kings were not buccaneers ..... 24 Why Drake carried the war into the Pacific Ocean . . 25 How Drake stood upon a peak in Darien .... 26 Glorious voyage of the Golden Hind . . . . 26, 27 Drake is knighted by the Queen ..... 27 The Golden Hind's cabin is made a banquet-room . . 28 Voyage of the half-brothers, Gilbert and Raleigh . . 28 Gilbert is shipwrecked, and his patent is granted to Raleigh 29 Raleigh's plan for founding a Protestant state in America may have been suggested to him by Coligny . . . 30 Elizabeth promises self-government to colonists in America 31 Amidas and Barlow visit Pamlico Sound .... 31 An Ollendorfian conversation between white men and red men 32 The Qneen's suggestion that the new country be called in honour of herself Virginia ...... 32 Raleigh is knighted, and sends a second expedition under Ralph Lane ........ 32 Who concludes that Chesapeake Bay would be better than Pamlico Sound ........ 33 Lane and his party on the brink of starvation are rescued by Sir Francis Drake ....... 33 Thomas Cavendish follows Drake's example and circumnavi- gates the earth ........ 34 How Drake singed the beard of Philip II. ... 34 Raleigh sends another party under John White . . . 35 The accident which turned White from Chesapeake Bay to Roanoke Island ........ 35 Defeat of the Invincible Armada . . . . . 36, 37 CONTENTS. XI The deathblow at Cadiz .... 38 The mystery about White's colony 28, 39 Significance of the defeat of the Armada 39, 40 CHAPTER II. A DISCOURSE OF WESTEKN PLANTING. Some peculiarities of sixteenth century maps . . . 41 How Richard Haklnyt's career was determined . . 42 Strange adventures of a manuscript . . . . . 43 Hakluyt's reasons for wishing to see English colonies planted in America ......... 44 English trade with the Netherlands ..... 45 Haklnyt thinks that America will presently afford as good a market as the Netherlands ...... 46 Notion that England was getting to be over-peopled . . 46 The change from tillage to pasturage .... 46, 47 What Sir Thomas More thought about it . . . . 47 Growth of pauperism during the Tndor period ... 48 Development of English commercial and naval marine . 49 Opposition to Hakluyt's schemes ..... 49 The Qneen's penuriousness ....... 50 Beginnings of joint-stock companies ..... 51 Raleigh's difficulties ....... 52, 53 Christopher Newport captures the great Spanish earraek . 53 Raleigh visits Guiana and explores the Orinoco River . . 54 Ambroslal nights at the Mermaid Tavern .... 54 Accession of James I. ........ 55 Henry, Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare's friend, sends Bartholomew Gosnold on an expedition. ... 55 Gosnold reaches Buzzard's Bay in what he calls North Vir- ginia, and is followed by Martin Pring and George Weymouth . . . . . . . . 55,56 Performance of " Eastward Ho," a comedy by Chapman and Marston ......... 56 Extracts from this comedy ...... 57-59 Report of the Spanish ambassador Zufliga to Philip III. .59 First charter to the Virginia Company, 1606 . ... 60 " Supposed Sea of Verrazano " covering the larger part of the area now known as the United States ... 61 Northern and southern limits of Virginia . . . . 62 The twin joint-stock companies and the three zones . . 62, 63 Xll CONTENTS. The three zones in American history . • • • . 63 The kind of government designed for the two colonies . 64 Some of the persons chiefly interested in the first colony known as the London Company .... 65-67 Some of the persons chiefly interested in the second colony known as the Plymouth Company .... 67, 68 Some other eminent persons who were interested in western planting .....••• 68-70 Expedition of the Plymouth Company and disastrous failure of the Popham Colony . . . . . . 70,71 The London Company gets its expedition ready a little before Christmas and supplies it with a list of instruc- tions . . . . . . • . . 71,72 Where to choose a site for a town ..... 72 Precautions against a surprise by the Spaniards . . . 73 Colonists must try to find the Pacific Ocean ... 73 And must not offend the natives or put much trust in them 74 The death and sickness of white men must be concealed from the Indians ......... 75 It will be well to beware of woodland coverts, avoid malaria, and guard against desertion ..... 75 The town should be carefully built with regular streets 75, 76 Colonists must not send home any discouraging news . . 76 What Spain thought about all this . . . . . 76, 77 Christopher Newport starts with a little fleet for Virginia .77 A poet laureate's farewell blessing ..... 77-79 CHAPTER III. THE LAND OF THE POWHATANS. One of Newport's passengers was Captain John Smith, a young man whose career had been full of adventure . 80 Many persona have expressed doubts as to Smith's veracity, but without good reason ...... 81 Early life of John Smith ....... 82 His adventures on the Mediterranean .... 83 And in Transylvania ........ 84 How he slew and beheaded three Turks .... 85 For which Prince Sigismund granted him a coat-of-arms which was duly entered in the Heralds' College . . 86 The incident was first told not by Smith but by Sigismnnd's secretary Farnese . . . .... 87 CONTENTS. xiii Smith tells us much about himself, but is not a braggart 88 How he was sold into slavery beyond the Sea of Azov and cruelly treated ....... 88, 89 How he slew his master and escaped through Russia and Poland . . . . . . . . . 89, 90 The smoke of controversy . . . .... 90 In the course of Newport's tedious voyage Smith is accused of plotting mutiny and kept in irons .... 91 Arrival of the colonists in Chesapeake Bay, May 13, 1607 92 Founding of Jamestown; Wingfield chosen president . . 93 Smith is set free and goes with Newport to explore the James River ......... 93, 94 The Powhatan tribe, confederacy, and head war-chief . . 94 How danger may lurk in long grass ..... 95 Smith is acquitted of all charges and takes his seat with the council .......... 96 Newport sails for England, June 22,1607 .... 96 George Percy's account of the sufferings of the colonists from fever and famine ........ 97 Quarrels break out in which President Wingfield is deposed and John Rateliffe chosen in his place ... 99 Execution of a member of the council for mutiny . . . 100 Smith goes np the Chiekahominy River and is captured by Opekankano .... .... 101 Who takes him about the country and finally brings him to Werowocomoco, January, 1608 ..... 102 The Indians are about to kill him, but he is rescued by the chief's daughter, Pocahontas ..... 103 Recent attempts to discredit the story .... 103-108 Flimsiness of these attempts ...... 104 George Percy's pamphlet ....... 105 The printed text of the " True Relation " is Incomplete 105, 106 Reason why the Poeahontas incident was omitted in the " True Relation "...... 106, 107 There is no incongruity between the " True Relation " and the " General History " except this omission . . . 107 But this omission creates a gap in the " True Relation," and the account in the " General History " is the more in- trinsically probable . . . . . . . 108 The rescue was in strict accordance with Indian usage . .109 The ensuing ceremonies indicate that the rescue was an ordi- nary case of adoption ...... 110 The Powhatan afterward proclaimed Smith a tribal chief 111 ---------------------------- (Contents to be continued) Page 1 - OLD VIRGINIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS. ----------------- CHAPTER I. THE SEA KIN&S. WHEN one thinks of the resounding chorus of gratulations with which the four hundredth anni- versary of the Discovery of America was lately heralded to a listening world, it is curious and instructive to notice the sort of comment which that great event called forth upon the occasion of its third centenary, while the independence of the United States was as yet a novel and ill-appreciated fact. In America very little fuss was made. Rail- roads were as yet unknown, and the era of world's fairs had not begun. Of local celebrations there were two; one held in New York, the other in Boston; and as in 1892, so in 1792, New York followed the Old Style date, the twelfth ot October, while Boston under- took to correct the date for New Style. [Tercentenary of the Discovery of Amerca] This work was discreditably bungled, however, and the twenty-third of October was selected instead of the true date, the twenty-first. In New York the affair was conducted by the newly founded polit- ical society named for the Delaware chieftain Tam- many, in Boston by the Massachusetts Historical