Transcriber's Note:
- Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Otherwise spelling variations were not changed.
- Inconsistent hyphenation was retained.
- Mid-paragraph illustrations have been moved between paragraphs.
About This Book
The text offers a concise, schoolroom-oriented narrative of the nation's development from indigenous societies through European exploration and colonization, the Revolutionary era and Confederation, expansion and presidential administrations, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and later nineteenth-century administrations. It emphasizes chronological events, institutional changes, and regional development, especially western and Mississippi Valley growth. Chapters treat voyages of discovery, colonial settlements, major wars, political causes and consequences, and executive administrations; maps, portraits, and a Constitution appendix supplement the account. The tone is instructional and aimed at young readers, focusing on key events and civic lessons.