Beginnings of the American People Part 10

[Ill.u.s.tration: Area of Settlement in 1774; Boundary proposed by Spain in 1782; Boundary secured by Treaty of 1783; and Settlements West of Alleghanies in 1783.]

Happily for America not all of the "better sort" deserted their country.

On the 4th of December, five days after the last British s.h.i.+p cleared New York Harbor, a little company of officers was gathered in the Long Room of Fraunce's Tavern. They were waiting to bid farewell to General Was.h.i.+ngton. No sign of rejoicing greeted the entrance of the familiar figure; and this masterful man of proved courage and inflexible will, this self-contained soul who endured calumny in silence, who accepted victory in even temper and defeat with high fort.i.tude, was now strangely moved as he looked upon his beloved companions. Lifting a gla.s.s of wine he said simply: "With a heart full of love and grat.i.tude I now take leave of you, most devoutly wis.h.i.+ng that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable." When all had taken the general's hand and received his embrace, they walked together through the narrow street to Whitehall Ferry, where a barge lay waiting. As the oars struck the water Was.h.i.+ngton stood and lifted his hat; and his comrades, returning the salute in silence, watched the majestic figure until it disappeared from sight. Less than two years before, in the spring of 1782, the army would have made Was.h.i.+ngton king. He was now on his way to Annapolis, to present himself before Congress in order to resign the high office which eight years before he had accepted with so much diffidence, and to claim the indulgence of retiring from the service of his country. This, as it happened, came to pa.s.s on the 23d of December. On the day following he rode away to his home at Mount Vernon, a private citizen of the Republic which he had done so much to establish; a citizen of the Republic, and of the world's heroes one of the most ill.u.s.trious.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

A good brief account of the Revolution is in Smith's _The Wars Between England, and America_ (1914), chaps, I-VI; a fuller and better account in Channing's _History of the United States_, III, chaps. I-XII; all things considered the ablest summary is Lecky's _The American Revolution_. An able and suggestive work is Fisher's _The Struggle for American Independence_, 2 vols. 1908. Sir George Otto Trevelyan, with wide information, strong Whig sympathies, and great charm of style, has written the most fascinating work on the subject. _The American Revolution_, 4 vols. 1905. The best study of British measures which precipitated the struggle is Beer's _British Colonial Policy, 1754-1765_. 1907. For bibliography and summary of contemporary literature, Tyler's _Literary History of the American Revolution._ Selections from newspapers and contemporary doc.u.ments are in Moore's _Diary of the American Revolution_, 2 vols. 1860. For the Loyalists, see Tyler, in _American Historical Review_, I; Van Tyne, _The Loyalists in the American Revolution_. 1902. For the att.i.tude of the clergy, and the influence of religious and sectarian forces, see Van Tyne, in _American Historical Review_, XIX; Cross, _The Anglican Episcopate_. 1902.

Thornton (_The Pulpit of the American Revolution._ Boston, 1860) reprints a number of contemporary sermons by New England clergy. For the Western settlements see Roosevelt, _Winning of the West_, 4 vols.; Alden, _New Governments West of the Alleghanies_, in _Wisconsin Historical Bulletin_, II; Turner, in _American Historical Review_, I; Thwaites, _How George Rogers Clark Won the North West_. 1903. The opposition between the interior and the coast regions, and the bearing of this on the formation of radical and conservative parties in the Revolution, are well brought out in Lincoln's _The Revolutionary Movement in Pennsylvania_ (University of Pennsylvania Studies. 1901); and Henry's _Patrick Henry_, 3 vols. 1891. The letters, journals, and papers of leading Americans in the Revolution have been very fully printed. The ablest of the radicals was John Adams (_Works of John Adams_, 10 vols. 1856); Franklin became increasingly radical with the progress of events (_Writings of Benjamin Franklin_, 10 vols. 1903-07); d.i.c.kinson was the ablest of the conservatives who joined the Revolution, but with great reluctance (_Writings of John d.i.c.kinson_, 3 vols. 1895); the extreme conservative and Loyalist view is best represented by Hutchinson (_Diary and Letters of Thomas Hutchinson_, 2 vols. 1884). For the period of the war perhaps the most illuminating writings of all are the letters of Was.h.i.+ngton (_The Writings of George Was.h.i.+ngton_, 14 vols.

1889-93).

FOOTNOTES:

[2] Professor C.H. Van Tyne, of the University of Michigan, has recently found new material in the Paris Archives, notably a Vergennes memoir of 1782 and memoirs presented by the ministers at the time of forming the treaty, which to his mind proves conclusively that the Government would never have formed the alliance with America had it not been convinced that otherwise the colonies were prepared to join England in the conquest of the French West Indies.

GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY

A BRIEF LIST OF BOOKS FOR THE STUDY OF COLONIAL HISTORY

1. Adams, J. _Familiar Letters of John Adams and His Wife Abigail Adams._ Boston, 1875.

2. Andrews, C.M. _The Colonial Period._ New York, 1912.

3. Beer, G.L. _The Origins of the British Colonial System, 1578-1660._ New York, 1908.

_The Old Colonial System, 1660-1754._ Part I. The Establishment of the System, 1660-1688. 2 vols. New York, 1912.

_British Colonial Policy, 1754-1765._ New York, 1907.

4. Bruce, P.A. _The Economic History of Virginia._ 2 vols. New York, 1896.

5. Channing, E. _History of the United States._ Vols. I-III.

New York, 1905-1912.

6. Eggleston, E. _The Beginners of America._ Philadelphia, 1897.

_The Transit of Civilization._ Philadelphia, 1901.

7. Ellis, G.E. _The Puritan Age and Rule in the Colony of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, 1629-1685._ Boston, 1888.

8. Fisher, S.G. _The Struggle for American Independence._ 2 vols. Philadelphia, 1908.

9. Fiske, J. _The Discovery of America._ 2 vols. Boston, 1893.

_The Beginnings of New England._ Boston, 1892.

_Old Virginia and Her Neighbours._ 2 vols.

Boston, 1897.

_The Dutch and Quaker Colonies._ 2 vols. Boston, 1900.

_New France and New England._ Boston, 1902.

10. Ford, P.L. _The True George Was.h.i.+ngton._ Philadelphia, 1897.

11. Franklin, B. _The Life of Benjamin Franklin Written by Himself._ 3 vols. Philadelphia, 1881.

12. Hart, A.B. _American History Told by Contemporaries._ 4 vols. New York, 1887.

13. Hart, A.B. _The American Nation._ 27 vols. New York, 1904-1907 (first nine volumes).

14. Henry, W.W. _Patrick Henry; Life, Correspondence, and Speeches._ 3 vols. New York, 1891.

15. Hutchinson, P.O. _Diary and Letters of Thomas Hutchinson._ 2 vols. Boston, 1884.

16. Jameson, J.F. _Original Narratives of Early American History._ 15 vols. New York, 1906-1914. (Especially valuable are the following: Bourne, E.G. _The Northmen, Columbus, and Cabot_; Hosmer, J.K. _Winthrop's Journal._ 2 vols.; Davis, W.T. _Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation_, Burr, G.L. _Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases._)

17. Lecky, W.E.H. _The American Revolution._ New York, 1912.

18. MacDonald, W. _Select Charters and Other Doc.u.ments._ New York, 1906.

19. Osgood, H.L. _The American Colonies in the 17th Century._ 3 vols. New York, 1904-1907.

20. Parkman, F. _Frontenac and New France._ Boston. 1877.

_Half Century of Conflict._ 2 vols. Boston. 1892.

_Montcalm and Wolfe._ 2 vols. Boston, 1891.

21. Trevelyan, G.O. _The American Revolution._ 4 vols.

New York, 1905-07.

22. Tyler, M.C. _The Literary History of the American Revolution._ 2 vols. New York, 1897.

23. Walker, W. _History of Congregationalism in America._ New York, 1899.

24. Weeden, W.B. _The Economic and Social History of New England._ 2 vols. Boston, 1890.

25. Wells, W.V. _The Life and Public Services of Samuel Adams._ 2 vols. Boston, 1865.

26. Wendell, B. _Cotton Mather._ New York. 1891.