CONTENTS
THE STORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
CHAPTER
I WHEN WASHINGTON WAS A BOY II HIS HOMES III HIS SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS IV GOING TO SEA V THE YOUNG SURVEYOR VI THE OHIO COUNTRY VII A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES VIII A PERILOUS JOURNEY IX HIS FIRST BATTLE X THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR XI THE MUTTERINGS OF THE STORM XII THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR XIII INDEPENDENCE XIV THE FIRST PRESIDENT XV "FIRST IN THE HEARTS OF HIS COUNTRYMEN"
THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
CHAPTER
I THE WHISTLE II SCHOOLDAYS III THE BOYS AND THE WHARF IV CHOOSING A TRADE V HOW FRANKLIN EDUCATED HIMSELF VI FAREWELL TO BOSTON VII THE FIRST DAY IN PHILADELPHIA VIII GOVERNOR WILLIAM KEITH IX THE RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA X THE FIRST VISIT TO ENGLAND XI A LEADING MAN IN PHILADELPHIA XII FRANKLIN'S RULES OF LIFE XIII FRANKLIN'S SERVICES TO THE COLONIES XIV FRANKLIN'S WONDERFUL KITE XV THE LAST YEARS
THE STORY OF DANIEL WEBSTER
CHAPTER
I CAPTAIN WEBSTER II THE YOUNGEST SON III EZEKIEL AND DANIEL IV PLANS FOR THE FUTURE V AT EXETER ACADEMY VI GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE VII AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE VIII HOW DANIEL TAUGHT SCHOOL IX DANIEL GOES TO BOSTON X LAWYER AND CONGRESSMAN XI THE DARTMOUTH COLLEGE CASE XII WEBSTER'S GREAT ORATIONS XIII MR. WEBSTER IN THE SENATE XIV MR. WEBSTER IN PRIVATE LIFE XV THE LAST YEARS
THE STORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
CHAPTER
I THE KENTUCKY HOME II WORK AND SORROW III THE NEW MOTHER IV SCHOOL AND BOOKS V LIFE IN THE BACKWOODS VI THE BOATMAN VII THE FIRST YEARS IN ILLINOIS VIII THE BLACK HAWK WAR IX IN THE LEGISLATURE X POLITICS AND MARRIAGE XI CONGRESSMAN AND LAWYER XII THE QUESTION OF SLAVERY XIII LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS XIV PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES XV THE END OF A GREAT LIFE
THE STORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
[Illustration of George Washington]
THE STORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
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I.--WHEN WASHINGTON WAS A BOY.
When George Washington was a boy there was no United States. The land was here, just as it is now, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific; but nearly all of it was wild and unknown.
Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Alleghany Mountains there were thirteen colonies, or great settlements. The most of the people who lived in these colonies were English people, or the children of English people; and so the King of England made their laws and appointed their governors.
The newest of the colonies was Georgia, which was settled the year after George Washington was born.
The oldest colony was Virginia, which had been settled one hundred and twenty-five years. It was also the richest colony, and more people were living in it than in any other.
There were only two or three towns in Virginia at that time, and they were quite small.
Most of the people lived on farms or on big plantations, where they raised whatever they needed to eat. They also raised tobacco, which they sent to England to be sold.
The farms, or plantations, were often far apart, with stretches of thick woods between them. Nearly every one was close to a river, or some other large body of water; for there are many rivers in Virginia.
There were no roads, such as we have nowadays, but only paths through the woods. When people wanted to travel from place to place, they had to go on foot, or on horseback, or in small boats.
A few of the rich men who lived on the big plantations had coaches; and now and then they would drive out in grand style behind four or six horses, with a fine array of servants and outriders following them. But they could not drive far where there were no roads, and we can hardly understand how they got any pleasure out of it.
Nearly all the work on the plantations was done by slaves. Ships had been bringing negroes from Africa for more than a hundred years, and now nearly half the people in Virginia were blacks.
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