Part one of an eight part series on the history of America from its earliest times through to the age of George Washington, told by master storyteller Jacob Abbott.Starting with a physical description of the geography and natural life of North America, Abbott moves on to forthrightly address the origins, customs, traditions, and lifestyle of the Indian tribes living in North America. His conclusions-once common knowledge, but now suppressed in the name of political correctness-deal with many of the critical issues which surrounded the original settling of America-and the concepts of race and racial differences. "We are surprised sometimes, it is true, at the ingenuity which the Indians exhibited in some of their inventions, and it is, indeed, in some sense wonderful that with materials and implements so imperfect they could manufacture such efficient weapons and carry out such curious contrivances. But, after all, when we come to compare a bark canoe, perfect as it is in its way, with one of the ocean steam-ships of the Caucasian race, or the best made stone-tipped arrow ever shot at a moose or a buffalo, with the double-barreled rifled carbines carrying an explosive bullet, with which a French hunter lies in wait for an African lion, we learn the immense distance which separates the powers and attainments of the two races from each other."Abbott also points out the fact that archaeological excavations conducted in the nineteenth century had already conclusively proven that the Indians were not the original inhabitants of the continent, and an advanced and different people created much of what is today incorrectly regarded as Indian culture. "There are remnants of many of the ancient tribes existing at the present day in various parts of our country, but they live by themselves, a marked and separate race, with nothing changed except the external circumstances by which they are surrounded. They live in huts still, as their ancestors did three hundred years ago. It is only the covering that is changed-the birch bark, which has failed, being replaced with canvass, or with slabs obtained from the white men. They sit upon the ground around their wigwam fire, just as of old, and are occupied in the same species of employment, only that they make baskets instead of canoes, and bows and arrows to sell us toys, or to be used by children in shooting at coppers for a prize, instead of for the service of hunters in the chase.""There are descendants from Indians residing in certain portions of the Southern States that have adopted a settled mode of life, and have attained to a considerable degree of refinement and civilization, but in general, even among these, the degree in which they manifest the capacities of the Caucasian race corresponds very nearly to the proportion of Caucasian blood that flows in their veins."ContentsCHAPTER I: Types of Life in America.CHAPTER II: Face of the Country. CHAPTER III: Remarkable PlantsCHAPTER IV: Remarkable Animals CHAPTER V: The Indian RacesCHAPTER VI: The Indian FamilyCHAPTER VII: Mechanic ArtsCHAPTER VIII: Indian Legends and TalesCHAPTER IX: Constitution and Character of the Indian MindCHAPTER X: The Coming of the EuropeansThe American History Series by Jacob Abbott: Volume I: Aboriginal AmericaVolume II: Discovery of AmericaVolume III: The Southern ColoniesVolume IV: The Northern ColoniesVolume V: Wars of the ColoniesVolume VI: Revolt of the ColoniesVolume VII: War of the RevolutionVolume VIII: George Washington
Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) was a native of the state of Maine who was a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, a minister, and founder of two schools (the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies in Boston and the Mount Vernon School for Boys, in New York City). He wrote more than 180 books and became famous for his easy-to-read style of historical storytelling, stripped of the dry dustiness which characterized other texts.
