I then said to him that I thought this would be about the last battle of the war. I sincerely hoped so and I said further I took it that most of the men in the ranks were small farmers. The whole country had been so raided by the two armies that it was doubtful whether they would be able to put in a crop to carry themselves and their families through the next winter without the aid of the horses they were then riding. The United States did not want them and I would therefore instruct the officers I left behind to receive the paroles of his troops to let every man of the Confederate army who claimed to own a horse or mule take the animal to his home. Lee remarked again that this would have a happy effect.

Section 5. Be it further enacted that if any freedman, free Negro, or mulatto convicted of any of the misdemeanors provided against in this act shall fail or refuse for the space of five days after conviction to pay the fine and costs imposed, such person shall be hired out by the sheriff or other officer, at public outcry, to any white person who will pay said fine and all costs and take such convict for the shortest time.

And you may perhaps remember the admission made by one of the provisional governors, over two months after the close of the war, that the people of his State still indulged in a lingering hope slavery might yet be preserved or to introduce into the new system that element of physical compulsion which would make the negro work

Not only does the institution of slavery elevate the character of the master and where the master is free render his devotion to liberty a high and holy feeling, fortify it and render it invincible. But where, as in our country, the slave is of a different race, marked and set apart by his color, it elevates the character not only of the master, the actual owner of slaves, but of all who wear the color of the freeman. With us, color not money marks the class. Black is the badge of slavery, white the color of the freeman. And the white man, however poor, whatever be his occupation, feels himself a sovereign. Though his estate be but an empty title, he will not disgrace his station by stooping for money’s sake to become the slave of another. He will treat with others as his equals, exchange his labor for their money, not honored by their service but reciprocating the favor of equal to equal. His class respects him, with the jealousy of rank will stand by him, and for the sake of their order will sustain him.

At a time like this scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! Had I the ability and could I reach the nation’s ear, I would today pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire. It is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened. The conscience of the nation must be roused. The propriety of the nation must be startled. The hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.

“to resort to any measures, either openly or secretly, which can tend to disturb the internal tranquility of the slaveholding States and thereby affect the tranquility of this Union”, he at the same time regards with deep concern the avowal for the first time made to this Government, “that Great Britain desires and is constantly exerting herself to procure the general abolition of slavery throughout the world.”

If any European nation entertains any ambitious designs upon Texas such as that of colonizing her or in any way subjugating her, I should regard it as the imperative duty of the Government of the United States to oppose to such designs the most firm and determined resistance, to the extent if necessary of appealing to arms to prevent the accomplishment of any such designs

And that since I left the farm in the morning thirty hogs had been sacrificed by the side of a running stream not far off. These were destined to serve as winter provisions for the negroes, of whom there were about a hundred on this plantation

That was the last sun that shone on Black Hawk. His heart is dead and no longer beats quick in his bosom. He is now a prisoner to the white men, they will do with him as they wish. But he can stand torture and is not afraid of death. He is no coward. Black Hawk is an Indian.

His engine could not have weighed a ton but he saw in it a principle which the forty-ton engines of today have but served to develop and demonstrate.

I have listened to much dull and heavy conversation in America but rarely to any that I could strictly call silly. They appear to me to have clear heads and active intellects, are more ignorant on subjects that are only of conventional value than on such as are of intrinsic importance but there is no charm, no grace in their conversation

This was said with an air of authority that almost precluded reply but I ventured a sort of apologistic hint that we were strangers and unaccustomed to the manners of the country.“Our manners are very good manners and we don’t wish any changes from England.”

Where the Narragansetts, the Mohawks, Pocanokets, and many other once powerful tribes of our race? They have vanished before the avarice and oppression of the white men as snow before a summer sun. In the vain hope of alone defending their ancient possessions, they have fallen in the wars with the white men. Look abroad over their once beautiful country and what see you now? Naught but the ravages of the paleface destroyers meet our eyes.

It was during the session of 1808-1809 that the embargo, unlimited in duration and extent, was passed at the instance of Mr. Jefferson as a retaliatory measure upon England

Woman, I turn to thee. Is it not thy mission to visit the poor? To shed the tear of sympathy? To relieve the wants of the suffering? Where will you find objects more needing sympathy than among the slaves!

We were detained here three or four days and nights — but such nights and days may I never see again! The mosquitoes fell upon us like a shower of burning coals. It was a joyful moment when we took leave of the Wabash and were again on the bosom of the majestic Ohio, now occupying a broad expanse

We arrived at the forks about four o’clock but unluckily Captain Lewis’s note had been left on a green pole which the beaver had cut down and carried off with the note, an accident which deprived us of all information as to the character of the two branches of the river. Observing therefore that the northwest fork was most in our direction and contained as much water as the other, we ascended it. We found it extremely rapid and its waters were scattered in such a manner that for a quarter of a mile we were forced to cut a passage through the willow brush that leaned over the little channels and united at the top.

The body of the people in this country are not so ignorant as those in England were in the time of the Interregnum Parliament. They are better educated. So well assured are they that their liberties are best secured by their own frequent and free election of fit persons to be the essential sharers in the administration of their government and that this form of government is truly republican that the body of the people will not be persuaded nor compelled to “renounce, detest, and execrate” the very word republican “as the English do

I conceive it fully appears to be the interest of the people of the Western country to remain a part of the United States. If it be said that they may be separated and yet retain all the advantages of trade here mentioned, I answer that it is possible but by no means probable. For (admitting the separation was not hostile) it is by no means reasonable to suppose that the legislature of the United States would pay the same attention to the subjects of a foreign power as to their own. Nor is it to be presumed that those people will ever forget that while they remain a part of the union they will have their voice in the councils of the nation and that no law can pass but what must affect their brethren on this side the mountains as well as themselves

He will distinguish a positive and a negative principle in their legislation and in their opinions. I call that principle positive which in so enlightened a moment as the present, reason alone could dictate to a people making choice of that government which suited them the best. I call that a negative principle which they oppose to the laws and usages of a powerful enemy for whom they had contracted a well-founded aversion. Struck with the example of the inconveniences offered by the English government, they had recourse to the opposite extreme, convinced that it was impossible to deviate from it too much

“Be fruitful and multiply; replenish the earth and subdue it”, has operated in full manifestation of his will. This might have been indeed, the spirit of the British Empire, America being a part of it. This is the spirit of the government of the new Empire of America, Great Britain being no part of it.

It is an old maxim that the surest way to make a good peace is to be well prepared for war.

How many have fallen, we know not. The constant roar of the cannon is so distressing that we cannot eat, drink, or sleep. I shall tarry here till it is thought unsafe by my friends and then I have secured myself a retreat at your brother’s, who has kindly offered me part of his house. I cannot compose myself to write any further at present. I will add more as I hear further.

They say the actors were Indians from Narragansett. Whether they were or not, to a transient observer they appeared as such, being clothed in Blankets with the heads muffled and copper-colored countenances

Hence as a private man has a right to say what wages he will give in his private affairs, so has a community to determine what they will give and grant of their substance for the administration of public affairs. And in both cases, more are ready to offer their service at the proposed and stipulated price than are able and willing to perform their duty.

among which Mr. Edward’s did not escape

Run away the 7th of this instant July, from Matthew Forsyth of Chesterfield, Burlington county, an apprentice lad named Elisha Bullingham, by trade a house-carpenter, about 16 years of age. Had on, or took with him, a half worn felt hat, old brown drugget [coarse fabric] coat, one pair leather breeches, two ozenbrigs shirts, and two pair of ozenbrigs trousers. His hair is newly cut off and he has his indentures with him. Whoever takes up and secures said apprentice so that his master may have him again shall have forty shillings reward and reasonable charges, paid by me, Matthew Forsyth N. B. He is supposed to be going towards New-England; wherefore all masters of vessels, or others, are forbid to carry him off at their peril. — The Pennsylvania Gazette July 13, 1749.

it would seem very easy for them to get the better of the French in America. It is however of great advantage to the crown of England that the North American colonies are near a country under the government of the French, like Canada. There is reason to believe that the king never was earnest in his attempts to expel the French from their possessions there, though it might have been done with little difficulty. For the English colonies in this part of the world have increased so much in their number of inhabitants and in their riches that they almost vie with Old England.

Capt. Fletcher has had the misfortune to lose ten men by the Indians: seven killed and three taken prisoners. They went ashore ten miles above where we lay to get wood and keeping no guard, were beset by the Indians and cut off.

some of the young people especially have shamefully lost their liveliness and vigor in religion and much of the seriousness and solemnity of their spirits.

That the negroes would not have made this insurrection had they not depended on St. Augustine for a place of reception afterwards was very certain. And that the Spaniards had a hand in prompting them to this particular action, there was but little room to doubt.

Every little will do something and a great number of small benefactions will amount to a sum capable of doing a great deal of good. If any person, moved with the calamities of the unfortunate, shall be inclined to contribute towards their relief, they are desired to pay their benefactions in to the Bank of England, on account of the Trustees for establishing the Colony of Georgia in America.

This certainly was Mr. Bacon’s crime, who after he had once launched into rebellion and upon submission had been pardoned for it and also restored, as if he had committed no such heinous offense, to his former honor and dignities

The Massachusetts having made a law that every Indian drunk should pay 10 s. [shillings] or be whipped, according to the discretion of the magistrate. Many of these poor people willingly offered their backs to the lash to save their money

A family is a little commonwealth and a commonwealth is a great family. Now as a family is not bound to entertain all comers (otherwise than by way of hospitality) no more is a commonwealth. It is a general received rule, turpius ejicitur quam non admittitur hospes [a quote from Ovid], it is worse to receive a man whom we must cast out again than to deny him admittance.

Sometimes the Scripture declares women and children must perish with their parents. Sometime the case alters but we will not dispute it now. We had sufficient light from the word of God for our proceedings.

VI. They shall forever own and possess and hold from the Company as a perpetual fief of inheritance, all the land lying within the aforesaid limits together with the fruits, plants, minerals, rivers and springs thereof, rights of fishing, fowling and grinding, to the exclusion of all others. No fishing or fowling shall be carried on by anyone but the patroons and such as they shall permit.

which they built and completed a fort named “Orange” with 4 bastions, on an island by them called Castle Island

So that I have not a penny to help me to either spice or sugar or strong waters, without the which one cannot live here. For as strong beer in England does fatten and strengthen them, so water here does wash and weaken these here [and] only keeps life and soul together. But I am not half a quarter so strong as I was in England and all is for want of victuals, for I do protest unto you that I have eaten more in [one] day at home than I have allowed me here for a week

threescore people

Spaniards’ plantation in the River of Plate and the Straits of Magellan suffered also in so much that having eaten up all their horses to sustain themselves

Experience teaches us that it is dangerous to our state to enterprise a discovery and not to proceed therein even to the very sifting of it to the utmost. For not only disreputation grows thereby but disability and weak power reveals our own idleness and want of counsel to manage our enterprises, as if the glorious state of ours were rather broached by the virtue of our ancestry than of our own worthiness.

It is publicly known that trade with our neighbor countries is beginning to be of small request, the game seldom answering the merchants’ adventure. And foreign states either have already or at this present time are preparing to enrich themselves with wool and cloth of their own which they heretofore borrowed of us, which purpose of theirs is now being achieved in France as it already has been done in Spain and Italy. Therefore we must of necessity forgo our great showing if we do not wish to prepare a place fit for the vent of our wares and so set our mariners to work, who daily run to serve foreign nations for want of employment and cannot be restrained by any law when necessity forces them to serve in the hire of a stranger rather than to serve at home.

The Jamestown adventurers believed they would find instant wealth in the New World, as the Spanish had a century earlier, and did not actually expect to have to perform work

How did the French approach to the Americas differ from that of England?

He also objected to the Catholic Church’s taxation of ordinary Germans and delivery of Mass in Latin.

Although Norse explorers such as Leif Erikson, the son of Erik the Red who led the Norse territory of Greenland, had reached and established a colony in northern Canada roughly five hundred years prior to Christopher Columbus’s voyage, it was explorers sailing for Portugal and Spain who traversed the Atlantic throughout the fifteenth century and ushered in an unprecedented age of exploration and permanent contact with North America

How do these details about Mesoamerican culture, and especially the Aztecs, line up with what you previously knew about them?

The Inca ruler took a third, and the final  third was set aside in a kind of welfare system for those unable to work. Huge storehouses were filled with food for times of need. Each peasant also worked for the Inca society a number of days per month on public works projects, in a labor requirement known as the mita. In return, the Inca overlord provided laws, protection, and relief in times of famine.

The poorer sort are the most indolent people in the world or they would never be wretched in so plentiful a country as this

Sent for cucumber seed

Japaning