sign in sign up
<<
Home , Abraham Van Buren, Henry Inman (painter), Sarah Livingston Jay, USS John Adams (1799)

UNIT 10 ___ . . . ___ In Our American Story for Unit 10, we learn about the presidencies of Andrew Jackson and . God’s Wonder for this unit is America’s The Knapp Children islands. The Alamo in Texas is our by Samuel Lovett Waldo (c. 1834) American Landmark. Our American Biography is about Chief Justice Jay and his service as president of the American Bible Society. In our Daily Life lesson, America in the we learn about the Cherokee people and their hardships on the Trail of Tears. Jacksonian Era

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

357 357 Dining room in Jackson’s home, the Hermitage

Lesson 46 Old Hickory, First President Our American Story from the West

ndrew Jackson of Tennessee was the first president who was not from one of the original 13 colonies A and the first president from west of the Appalachian Mountains. Until 1829 each of the presidents of the came from only two states: Virginia and Massachusetts. Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe were from Virginia; Presidents and were from Massachusetts. As we learned in Unit 9, Jackson’s victory at the Battle of New Orleans had made him a national hero. Though Jackson received the most votes in the election of 1824, four men had run for president and no one had enough votes for a majority. Jackson felt cheated when the House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams as the sixth president. While Adams served as president in Washington, Jackson made plans to run against him in 1828. During the bitter campaign, opponents sharply criticized Jackson’s marriage to Rachel Donelson, who was an early pioneer to Nashville (see page 277). Before Rachel married Andrew Jackson, she had married Lewis Robards. Rachel and Robards had a troubled marriage.

Andrew Jackson at his home, the Hermitage, 1830; Mrs. Andrew Jackson, engraved by John Chester Buttre

358 While Rachel was visiting friends near Natchez, Mississippi, she heard that Robards had divorced her. Andrew Jackson and Rachel were married in Natchez. When they came back to Nashville, they learned that the report of the divorce was not true. After this, Robards did divorce Rachel. Andrew and Rachel married again in Nashville. This kind of communication breakdown was common on the sparsely populated frontier. Because of these events, Jackson’s opponents greatly defamed the character of the fragile, devoutly religious Rachel during the campaign. She had been unwell for some time. The strain of the harsh campaign caused her health to decline further. Jackson won the presidential election of 1828, but his beloved Rachel died a few weeks later on December 22, 1828. Rachel was buried on Christmas Eve in her garden at the Hermitage, the couple’s plantation near Nashville, Tennessee. A lonely and heartbroken Andrew Jackson traveled to Washington to be inaugurated in March of 1829. Many Americans saw Andrew Jackson as a common man who represented the common people. Many wealthy and highly educated Easterners were worried about this man from the frontier. Jackson supporters did mob the President’s House on Inauguration Day, making a mess of the grand mansion.

Trouble with John C. Calhoun from South Carolina was elected as Jackson’s vice president. One of the major problems Jackson faced as president came from Calhoun’s home state. Some people from South Carolina, including Vice President Calhoun, believed that if John C. Calhoun by George Peter Alexander Healy, a state disagreed with a law that Congress passed, that state could c. 1845 refuse to enforce the law. In 1828 Congress passed high tariffs on goods imported into the United States. In 1832 Congress passed more high tariffs. People from South Carolina met in a special convention. They declared that South Carolina would not make people pay the tariffs. They also declared that a state could secede from the United States if it chose to do so. President Jackson strongly disagreed with Vice President Calhoun and those who met in the convention in South Carolina. He believed that America needed to be strong and that the states needed to stay together. Jackson sent soldiers to South Carolina. Senator of Kentucky helped to work out a compromise. Congress began to lower the tariffs. Henry Clay

359 Trouble with the National Bank , the first secretary of the Treasury, had urged Congress to establish a national bank. Jackson opposed the bank. He believed that the Constitution did not authorize the U.S. to have a national bank. Jackson also believed that things the bank’s managers had done had been harmful to America. Jackson ran for a second term as president in 1832 and won. Henry Clay was his opponent. Clay made the bank a major issue during the campaign. When Congress passed a bill renewing the national bank’s charter in 1832, Jackson vetoed the bill. Congress did not have enough votes to override his veto. The national bank went out of existence in 1836.

Railroads and More Successes In the 1800s, Americans began to use railways to haul containers of rocks away from quarries. Horses pulled the containers. In 1826 John Stevens built a circular track on his Replica of the Tom Thumb, land in Hoboken, New Jersey. There he demonstrated travel B & O Railroad’s first locomotive by rail, using a steam-powered vehicle. The first commercial railroad company in America was the Baltimore and Ohio. The B & O opened 14 miles of track in 1830. At first, the B & O used horses; but it began using an American-made steam-powered locomotive in 1831. In 1833 Andrew Jackson became the first U.S. president to ride on a train while in office. Jackson rode from Ellicott Mills, Maryland, to Baltimore on the B & O. By 1833 America had the longest steam railroad in the world. The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company operated a 136-mile-long line between Charleston and Hamburg, South Carolina. Railroads became an important way to travel and to ship goods. However, during the early years of American railroads, canal companies continued to Replica of B & O Railroad’s first horse-drawn railroad car give them stiff competition. One of Jackson’s great accomplishments as president was paying off all of America’s national debt in 1835. This is the New States only time in American history that the federal government has 1836 been debt-free. Other countries respected President Jackson – June 15 and many foreign governments paid debts that they owed 1837 Michigan – January 26 the United States. Two new states joined the Union during the Jackson presidency, Arkansas in 1836 and Michigan in 1837.

360 Van Buren Presidency During his first term in office, Andrew Jackson chose Martin Van Buren of to be his secretary of state. Van Buren was a U.S. senator from New York. He was a wise and talented advisor who had organized Jackson’s campaign for the presidency in 1828. Van Buren became one Formal parlor of Jackson’s most trusted advisors. Van Buren was an avid horseman. He and Jackson took many rides through the countryside while Jackson was president. When Jackson ran for a second term, he chose Van Buren as his vice president. In 1835 Van Buren ran for president. During the campaign, Jackson gave him a walking cane made of hickory from the Hermitage. The walking cane has a silver knob at the top, inscribed with “M. Van Buren for the Next President.” Silhouette of Van Buren, Portrait of Jackson Van Buren was victorious but the country soon suffered severe economic problems. Van Buren’s opponents began to call him Martin Van Ruin. Van Buren inspired other nicknames. Some called the five-foot-six politician Little Magician because he was good at making political deals. Another Van Buren nickname was Old Kinderhook, because he was from Kinderhook, New York. People often shortened Old Kinderhook to “OK.” Servants’ dining room in the cellar Van Buren ran for a second term in 1840, but he was defeated. Enjoy the home styles of the 1840s in these photos inside and outside of Lindenwald, the home in Kinderhook where Van Buren retired.

Lindenwald, home of Martin Van Buren

Library

361 The Jacksonian Era Andrew Jackson showed strong leadership. He didn’t just go along with what Congress decided. Jackson made the role of president a more powerful role in American government. Historians call the time period of the Jackson and Van Buren presidencies the Jacksonian Era.

Andrew Jackson respected Martin Van Buren and called him “a true man with no guile.” To Martin Van Buren by Edward Hlavka be without guile means to be honest and without in a downtown park in Kinderhook, New York deceit. May the same be said of each of us. In the first chapter of John, Jesus complimented Nathanael when the two met for the first time. Jesus said:

Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. John 1:47b KJV

Activities for Lesson 46 Presidential Biography – Read the biography of Andrew Jackson on the following page.

Map Study – Complete the assignments for Lesson 46 on Map 12 “The Lower 48” in Maps of America the Beautiful.

Timeline – In Timeline of America the Beautiful next to 1830, write: The Baltimore and Ohio opens the first commercial rail line in the United States.

Student Workbook or Lesson Review – If you are using one of these optional books, complete the assignment for Lesson 46.

Vocabulary – Look up each of these words in a dictionary: sparse, compromise, authorize, existence, inscribe. Write each word and its definition in your notebook.

Creative Writing – In your notebook, write one or two paragraphs about why you think Andrew Jackson is one of America’s most famous presidents.

Literature – Read chapters 10-11 in Brady.

Page 363: Andrew Jackson by Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl, c. 1836-1837; Rachel’s tomb at the Hermitage

362 President Andrew Jackson America’s 7th President — March 4, 1829 - March 4, 1837

n 1765 Andrew and Elizabeth Jackson and their two sons emigrated from Northern Ireland to America. They settled in Ithe Waxhaws of South Carolina. Andrew died in 1767, shortly before the birth of their third son. Elizabeth named their baby after his father. Andrew Jackson grew up with his mother, brothers, and a large family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Andrew volunteered to fight in the when he was 13. His brothers also became soldiers and their mother nursed sick and injured American soldiers. Andrew was left alone when both of his brothers and his mother died during the war. Jackson lived briefly with his mother’s family before going to school in Charleston and later studying law. By age 20, Andrew had grown into a tall, thin man with blue eyes, red hair, a hot temper, and a law license. In 1788 Jackson traveled the Wilderness Road into Tennessee. In Nashville he met Rachel Donelson Robards, daughter of one of Nashville’s founders. Jackson worked to make Tennessee America’s 16th state in 1796. He helped to draft the state constitution. He became Tennessee’s first member of the U.S. House of Representatives and one of its first senators. In 1799 Jackson left Washington and returned to Nashville to manage his business affairs. His businesses included plantations, boatbuilding operations, thoroughbred horse-racing tracks, and general stores. Andrew and Rachel never had any children by birth, but they adopted one of her nephews, whom they named Andrew Jackson Jr. The Jacksons were guardians to several children of friends and of Rachel’s relatives. After the Red Sticks War, they took in a Creek orphan. In 1804 Jackson purchased a farm and named it the Hermitage. He also purchased many enslaved people to run his plantation. Jackson became famous as “Old Hickory,” the general who won the Battle of New Orleans. His fame helped him to be elected as the seventh president of the United States. After serving in the presidency for eight years, Jackson returned to the Hermitage in 1837. Jackson kept up his interest in politics. He wrote letters to people in Washington, D.C., and subscribed to 20 newspapers. Jackson often visited Rachel’s tomb. In 1838 he joined the Presbyterian Church. In the evenings, a milder Jackson enjoyed devotionals with family members who lived with him. He died on June 8, 1845, surrounded by family and enslaved servants. On June 10, 10,0000 people attended his burial at the Hermitage.

363 Wild ponies on Assateague Island

Lesson 47 God Created God’s Wonder America’s Islands

hen thinking about islands, do you think of beaches, palm trees, and warm ocean breezes? It is true that you can find those things on many islands around the world, W but God created other kinds of islands, too. He created thousands of islands in America, placing them in lakes, in rivers, and along the coasts. Some do have beaches, palm trees, and warm ocean breezes, but others are covered in snow in the winter! We have already learned about a few of America’s islands, such as Roanoke Island in Lesson 9, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in Lesson 13, and Island in Lesson 15. Many of America’s islands are in Hawaii, Alaska, and America’s territories; we learn about these in later units. Today we explore some of America’s many other islands and learn about what happened on some islands during the Jacksonian Era. Lake Islands in America Each Great Lake contain islands. The Apostle Island chain in Lake Superior has 22. Madeline Island is the largest of these. When French explorer Ètienne Brûlé visited Madeline Island around 1620, members of the Ojibwe Nation lived there. It was their main island. They called it Moningwunakauning, which means “Home of the yellow breasted woodpecker.” The island became a center of the fur trade for French, British, and American fur traders.

Pelts, snowshoes, and guns inside a cabin involved in the fur trade, Madeline Island Museum, La Pointe, Wisconsin

364 Scenes from Madeline Island Mackinac Island in Lake Huron was also a fur trading center. In the 1830s, John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Trading Company switched to fishing there, instead of trapping. Its former fur warehouses became fish warehouses. The largest U.S. island in the Great Lakes is Michigan’s Arch Rock, Isle Royale, a 209-square-mile island in Lake Superior. The Mackinac Island American Fur Trading Company built fish houses there between 1837 and 1841. Twinflower, Isle Royale Isle Royale is dotted with ruins of copper mines that native nations operated. A mining rush began on Isle Royale in 1846. At the peak of the rush about 120 surface workers, miners, and supervisors came to work there in the summer. Surface workers cut down trees and cleared land. They set up equipment and moved waste rock away. These surface workers usually wore red flannel shirts, canvas pants, heavy boots, and wide-brimmed hats. They earned about one dollar Lane Cove, Isle Royale a day. Those working as miners dug for ore, either on the surface of the island or below ground. The miners’ pay was based on the amount of ore they retrieved. The tiny state of Vermont has many islands. Vermont’s largest island, South Hero Island, is in Lake Champlain. New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee has many islands, including one of America’s many islands named Long Island. The Great Salt Lake in Utah has 17 named islands. The South Hero Island largest is Antelope Island. Vermillion Lake in Minnesota has many islands. Pine Island is the largest. Wild Horse Island in Flathead Lake is the largest in Montana. Elk Island is in Jackson Lake in the Grand Teton Mountains. It is Wyoming’s

Antelope Island, largest island. See Vermillion Great Salt Lake Lake, Wild Horse Island, and Jackson Lake on page 366. Lake Winnipesaukee Vermillion Lake Wild Horse Island, Flathead Lake Jackson Lake

River Islands in America Islands dot many of America’s rivers. The Thousand Islands chain, pictured below, is in the St. Lawrence River, which serves as part of the U.S. border with Canada. This chain actually has over 1,500 islands. Some are in the state of New York and some are in Canada. This chain gives us the name of Thousand Island salad dressing. Blennerhassett Island, in the Ohio River, is the largest island in West Virginia. The mansion on Blennerhassett Island, seen below, is a reproduction of one built there in 1800. Lewis and Clark visited Oregon’s largest island in 1805. In the late 1830s, the Hudson Bay Company began operating dairies on the island. These dairies supplied milk to British fur traders at nearby Fort Vancouver. The island is named for French Canadian Laurent Sauvé, who managed the dairies. Sauvie Island is so large that it is dotted with its own lakes that have their own islands! Though Oregon is a coastal state with over 1,800 islands, this largest island is not in the Pacific Ocean but in the Columbia River.

Mansion on Blennerhassett Island Sauvie Island, Columbia River

Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River

366 Islands Along the Atlantic Coast From Maine to the tip of , barrier islands protect Sunrise over Cadillac much of America’s eastern coastline. A barrier island is a Mountain long, sandy island that shields a coast from wind, waves, and storms. Only 15 percent of the world’s coastlines have such barrier islands. A bay, sound, or lagoon lies between a barrier island and the coastline. These waters provide habitat for many plants and animals, as do the beach, dune, barrier flat, and salt marsh habitats on the islands themselves. Some barrier islands also have small forests. Over 360 species of birds live on the Boyd’s Wind Grist Mill, barrier islands along America’s eastern coastline or visit there Aquidneck Island during their annual migrations along the Atlantic Flyway. Maine’s largest island is Mount Desert Island. At 1,530 feet, the island’s Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along America’s east coast. French explorer Samuel de Champlain came to the island in 1604. He named it Monts Deserts, which means wilderness mountains. Most of Rhode Island is not an island at all, but is part of the U.S. mainland. However, the state has islands, too. The largest is Aquidneck. John Peterson floated oak timber across Fire Island Lighthouse Narragansett Bay to build an octagonal-shaped windmill here in 1810. When Peterson’s schooner wrecked, he also used timber from the ship. William Boyd purchased the windmill from Peterson. Three generations of Boyds operated the Boyd’s Wind Grist Mill on Aquidneck Island. Long Island in New York is 118 miles long and covers 1,401 square miles, making it both the longest and the largest of the islands of the continental United States. As much as 90 inches of snow falls on parts of Long Island during the winter. During the Jacksonian Era, Long Island had a small rural population, many of whom were farmers. The population began to grow after the Long Island Railroad began operating there in the 1830s. Long Island has its own barrier islands. One is Fire Island. The first lighthouse on Fire Island began operation in 1826. The current lighthouse dates from 1857. One of New Jersey’s barrier islands is Absecon Island. Absecon Lighthouse Businessmen built a railroad to the island to attract tourists. Eighteen voters elected Atlantic City’s first mayor in March of 1854. The first train arrived that same year on July 1. The Absecon Lighthouse opened in 1857.

367 Assateague Island is a barrier island that lies off the shores of Maryland and Virginia. The northern section of the island is in Maryland and the southern section is in Virginia. Wild ponies live on Assateague. Many people believe that the ponies’ Assateague Island Ocracoke Lighthouse, North Carolina ancestors swam to the island from a Spanish ship that sank nearby during the 1500s. For decades, people living near Assateague have captured some of the ponies to use for work and for pleasure riding. This practice is called pony penning. The first written record of pony penning dates from 1835. The Outer Banks of North Carolina is one of many barrier island chains on the Atlantic coast. Roanoke Island, where English settlers began a settlement in 1587 and then disappeared in 1590, is one of these barrier islands. The Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island began operating in 1823. During the Jacksonian Era, enslaved people worked in rice plantations on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. Gullah Geechee Over the years they developed a unique culture and language basket known as Gullah Geechee. Canaveral Island lies along the Atlantic coast of central Florida. Sea turtles lay eggs here each year in an estimated 3,000 to 7,000 nests. A key is a low island or reef. The Florida Keys extend southwest from the tip of the Florida peninsula. God made these 1,700 islands of limestone and coral. They are home to the world’s third largest coral reef, the world’s largest bed of sea grass, and over 5,500 marine species.

Loggerhead turtle tracks, Canaveral Island Coral and fish, Florida Keys

368 Fort Pickens, Santa Rosa Island Fort McRee, Perdido Key

Islands Along the Gulf of Mexico Barrier islands lie in the Gulf of Mexico off the southern coast of the United States. The U.S. government has often chosen barrier islands as places to build forts for defense. In 1829 workers began to build Fort Pickens on Florida’s Santa

Rosa Island. Construction on Fort McRee began on Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island nearby Perdido Key in 1834. Alabama’s Dauphin Island is another of the Gulf Islands. It is home to Fort Gaines, completed in 1834. Sometimes marsh islands lie between barrier islands and the mainland. One such island is named Marsh Island, the largest island in the state of Louisiana. It is an important nursery for shrimp and blue crabs, and many waterfowl spend the winter there.

Snowy egret, American avocets, Galveston Island

Long-billed curlew, Padre Island

During the Jacksonian Era, ranchers began to raise cattle on Padre Island, the largest island along the coast of what is now Texas. In 1804 Spanish priest Padre Nicolas Balli established a settlement on the island. It is named in his honor. Padre Island has the longest stretchof undeveloped barrier island seashore in the world. It is a paradise for bird watchers. Galveston Island lies two miles off the Texas coast. In 1830 Galveston was part of Mexico. The Mexican government established a small customs house on the island.

369 Islands Along the Pacific Coast Many islands lie along the Pacific coastline. Near Los Angeles are the California Channel Islands, home of the Chumash people as mentioned in Lesson 23. These include Santa Cruz, San Clemente, Anacapa, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, San Nicholas, and Santa Catalina. During the Jacksonian Era, people raised sheep and cattle on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands. On Santa Cruz is Painted Cave, a sea cave almost one-quarter-mile Alcatraz Lighthouse long. The Farallon Islands chain is near San Francisco. During the Jacksonian Era, Russians hunted seals there. Nearby in San Francisco Bay is Alcatraz Island. The first American-built lighthouse on the west coast opened on Alcatraz in 1854. Five years later, the island became the home of the first American fort on the west coast. Along 320 miles of the Oregon coast is Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, which includes 1,853 islands, reefs, and coastal rocks.

Painted Cave, Santa Cruz, Channel Islands

Anacapa, Channel Islands

Farallon Islands

Coastal rocks, Oregon

370 The largest island in the state of Washington is Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. The San Juan Islands lie between Washington and Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Americans and British settlers used these islands during the Jacksonian Era. Orcas, also known as killer Whidbey Island whales, live in these waters. All the islands of America belong to God. He made islands beautiful for the people who live there and for those who come to visit. Each morning He paints island sunrises and each night He paints their beautiful sunsets.

Orca near San Juan Islands

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Isaiah 40:15

Activities for Lesson 47 Map Study – Complete the assignments for Lesson 47 on Map 4 “God’s Wonders”and on Map 17 “America’s Islands” in Maps of America the Beautiful.

Timeline – In Timeline of America the Beautiful next to 1835, write: Residents living near Assateague Island are penning ponies.

Student Workbook or Lesson Review – If you are using one of these optional books, complete the assignment for Lesson 47.

Thinking Biblically – Copy Isaiah 40:15 in your notebook.

Literature – Read chapters 12-13 in Brady.

371 The Alamo today

Lesson 48 American Landmark “Remember the Alamo!”

lorida had become part of the United States in 1821, but Spain continued to control other parts of North America. They controlled Mexico and lands in what would later become F the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In Lesson 23, we learned about Spanish missions in California. The Spanish built missions in these other areas, too. The San Antonio de Valero Mission The Catholic Church founded the San Antonio de Valero mission in 1718. Its purpose was to convert native people and to teach them skills. In 1724 Franciscan missionaries began to build a convento and homes for native converts. A convento is a home for priests. Construction on the chapel, seen above, began in 1756. The Catholic Church abandoned the mission in 1793. The Church gave native converts deeds to their homes. Six years later, Spanish troops from Alamo de Parras, Mexico, moved into the mission. They used the convento as barracks. The soldiers started calling the mission the Alamo, either because they came from Alamo de Parras or because there was a nearby grove of cottonwood trees. Álamo is Spanish for cottonwood. In 1805 a Spanish governor established a hospital in an upstairs portion of the convento, now known as Long Barracks. The hospital had 30 beds. Soldiers from other places came there for treatment.

Mission life at San Antonio de Valero

372 Mexican Independence By 1521, a century before the Pilgrims founded Plymouth, the Spanish had taken complete control of Mexico. By the early 1800s, the population of Mexico included native nations who had lived there before the Spanish conquered them, Spanish colonists and their descendants, and people who had both Spanish and native ancestors. Just as the 13 American colonies had wanted independence from Great Britain, by the early 1800s, many Mexicans wanted independence from Spain. After years of conflict and rebellion, Mexico declared itself a republic. This new republic included what would become the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Mexico adopted a constitution in 1824. One of its states was Coahuila and Texas. The Mexican government expected this state to divide into two states when the Texas portion had enough people. Guadalupe Victoria became the first president of Mexico. The Mexican people struggled to establish a new government. They had several weak presidents.

Americans Migrate to Texas In 1819, during Mexico’s struggle for independence, American Moses Austin made a plan to form an American colony in Mexico. The Mexican government agreed that Austin could do this. Moses Austin died two years later. His son Stephen Austin continued his father’s dream. Many Americans moved to Coahuila and Texas. These settlers were called Texians. In 1835 Mexico made Texian Henry Smith governor of Texas. Texians wanted their new home to become part of the United Stephen Austin States, but Mexico did not want to lose this large tract of land. Mexico sent soldiers into Texas. Texians began to build forts. They organized an “Army of the People.” Texians tried to gain their independence by talking with the Mexican government. However, Texians also fought battles with Mexican soldiers. Sam Houston was a former governor of Tennessee. He moved to Texas and became a general in the Army of the People.

The Battle of the Alamo In 1833 Antonio López de Santa Anna became president of Mexico. He soon became a dictator. Mexican soldiers were stationed at the Alamo in 1835. In December they surrendered to Texian forces. The Old San Antonio Road passed by the Alamo. Because the Alamo was in such an important location, Texians were afraid that Mexican troops would try to take back the Alamo.

373 Colonel James Clinton Neill became the Texian commander at the Alamo. He started working to make the fortress stronger. Alamo Cenotaph Monument, General Houston was 63 San Antonio, Texas miles away in the settlement of Gonzales, working to organize the Texian army. Houston worried about whether the Alamo could withstand a Mexican attack.

General Houston sent volunteers to the Alamo to gather Sam Houston information. One of the volunteers was Jim Bowie. Bowie was an explorer and an adventurer. Bowie invented the Bowie knife. Governor Smith sent young Lieutenant Colonel William B. Travis and his 30-man cavalry unit to the Alamo. They arrived on February 3, 1836. Five days later, Davy Crockett arrived. Crockett brought along other American volunteers. Read about the legendary Davy Crockett on page 375. Colonel Neill received a message that his family was ill. On February 14, he left the Alamo to take care of them. While he was away, Neill worked to raise money to help the men at the Alamo. With their commander away, the men at the Alamo decided that Colonel Travis would command the army and Jim Bowie would Jim Bowie command the volunteers. Bowie soon became ill, so Travis took command of them all. The troops at the Alamo learned that Mexican President Santa Anna and many Mexican troops were on their way to the Alamo. On February 23, the Mexicans arrived. Santa Anna sent a message to the men inside, telling the Texians that they should surrender. Lieutenant Colonel Travis answered Santa Anna by firing a cannonball. Mexican troops attacked and laid siege to the Alamo. They kept it under siege day after day. Travis sent out a message, imploring Texians and Americans to come to their aid. On March 1, a mere 32 reinforcements joined them. The men inside the Alamo began to Colonel Davy Crockett run out of food. It was just a matter of time before those inside the by John Gadsby Chapman, Alamo would die from hunger. The siege continued. engraved by C. Stuart

374 Finally, on March 6, Santa Anna ordered another attack. The Texians and American volunteers inside the Alamo had no hope of victory, but they fought back anyway. At the end of the battle, 600 Mexicans had either died or were wounded. Every soldier inside the Alamo had died. A few women, children, and enslaved men were the only people left alive inside. Santa Anna gave each survivor a blanket and a small amount of money. He allowed them to leave in safety. Two of these survivors were the wife of one of the slain soldiers and their infant daughter. This widow took the news of the Alamo to General Sam Houston. Antonio López de Santa Anna, president of Mexico The Republic of Texas On March 2, 1836, while the Alamo was under Remember the Alamo! siege, Texians declared their independence — Texian soldiers from Mexico. When fellow Texians heard about the brave soldiers of the Alamo, they decided to continue to fight. Texians and Mexicans met in another battle on April 21, 1836. The battle cry of Houston’s army was “Remember the Alamo!” The Texians defeated the Mexicans in this Battle of San Jacinto and captured Santa Anna. Texians called their new country the Republic of Texas. In September they elected The Surrender of Santa Anna Sam Houston as president and voted on a new by William Henry Huddle constitution. The Republic of Texas also voted to ask the U.S. government to make it a new state. President Andrew Jackson did not agree Davy Crockett that Texas should become a new state. However, Davy Crockett was born in Tennessee in 1786. He gained a reputation as an on his last day in office, March 3, 1837, Jackson adventurous backwoodsman. He wrote an officially recognized the Republic of Texas as an autobiography with tales of his adventures. independent nation. Crockett represented Tennessee in the U.S. Americans had different opinions about Congress before moving to Texas. His death at the Alamo helped to continue his whether Texas should become part of the reputation as a folk hero. country. Many were afraid that doing so would start a war with Mexico.

375 Many Texians brought enslaved people to Texas. Some Americans, including President Van Buren, did not want to add another state where slavery would be legal. Former president John Quincy Adams was then serving in the House of Representatives. Adams spoke out against the idea many times in the House chamber. The issue continued unresolved. Since March 6, 1836, the Alamo has been a symbol of bravery, determination, and the desire for independence. Christians need to be bold in living their lives for Jesus.

The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, 1906 photograph of veterans of the Texas Revolution But the righteous are bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1

Activities for Lesson 48 Presidential Biography – Read the biography of Martin Van Buren on the following page. We the People – Read “Letter from the Alamo” on page 56. Map Study – Complete the assignment for Lesson 48 on Map 3 “America’s Landmarks” in Maps of America the Beautiful.

Timeline – In Timeline of America the Beautiful next to 1724, write: Franciscan missionaries begin to build a convento at what will later become the Alamo. Student Workbook or Lesson Review – If you are using one of these optional books, complete the assignment for Lesson 48. Vocabulary – In your notebook, write each of the following sentences. Fill in each blank with one of these words: convert, barracks, republic, dictator, cavalry. 1. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the _____ for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 2. The _____ unit had to arrange a place to stable their horses. 3. Many missionaries worked to _____ native nations to Christianity. 4. The newspaper reported rumors of a revolution to remove the _____ from office. 5. When they were off-duty, the soldiers relaxed in their _____. Literature – Read chapters 14-15 of Brady. Page 377: Martin Van Buren by Henry Inman; Hannah Van Buren by John Chester Buttre

376 President Martin Van Buren America’s 8th President — March 4, 1837 - March 4, 1841

artin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782, into a large family in Kinderhook, New York. Van Buren Mwas the first president to be born after the 13 colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. Like many New Yorkers, Martin’s parents were descendants of Dutch immigrants. They spoke Dutch at home. Martin had five full siblings. His father Abraham was a friendly and generous man who farmed and ran a tavern. Martin’s family lived above the tavern. His mother, Maria, was a widow with two sons from her first marriage. The family had limited means, but Maria made sure that her sons got the best education they could afford. Martin attended a local school and then became an apprentice to a lawyer. In 1807 Martin married the golden-haired Hannah Hoes, a distant relative. The two had grown up together in Kinderhook. Hannah was also Dutch. She was related to James Monroe’s wife Elizabeth. Hannah was a loving and gentle woman who was a devout believer in Jesus. Martin and Hannah had four sons who survived to adulthood. As a young woman, Hannah became ill with tuberculosis. She died of the disease in 1819. She was 35 years old. They had been married for 11 years. Van Buren was deeply grieved and never married again. In 1821 Van Buren was elected as a U.S. senator from New York. In 1828 he was elected , but he resigned to become secretary of state under Andrew Jackson. Van Buren served as Jackson’s vice president from 1833 to 1837. Van Buren became president in 1837. He moved into the President’s House with his four bachelor sons, Abraham, John, Martin Jr., and Van Buren. At Van Buren’s inaugural ball, , widow of , introduced her relative Angelica Singleton to Abraham Van Buren. Abraham and Angelica soon married. Angelica filled the role of first lady for President Van Buren. Abraham served as his father’s secretary. While Martin Van Buren served as president, he purchased Lindenwald, an estate near Kinderhook. He moved to Lindenwald after leaving the presidency. He remained active in politics and entertained politicians at his home. In 1842 he traveled to Tennessee to visit Andrew Jackson at the Hermitage. Van Buren wrote his memoirs and traveled. He stayed close to his children and grandchildren and visited them. In 1848 he ran for president again but was defeated. In 1849 he invited his youngest son and his family to live with him at Lindenwald. Van Buren died there in 1862. He was 79 years old.

377 Huguenot church in Charleston, South Carolina

Lesson 49 , President of the American Biography American Bible Society

ohn Jay was one of America’s founding fathers. His ancestors were Huguenots. Huguenots were French Protestants. When the French government abolished the rights of Protestants in J1685, Jayʹs great-grandfather Pierre Jay fled to England. Pierreʹs son Augustus emigrated from England to America. He went first to South Carolina and later to New York. Augustus Jay settled at Esopus, New York, among other Huguenots. From Esopus, he moved to . In 1697 Augustus married a Miss Bayard, whose ancestors were also Huguenots. Her family had immigrated first to Holland and then to America. Augustus Jay became a successful merchant. Peter’s son Augustus also became a merchant. Peter married Mary Van Cortlandt, who was Dutch. Peter and Mary had ten children, seven of whom lived to adulthood. John was their sixth child. He was born in December of 1745. Shortly after John was born, the Jay family moved from Manhattan to Rye, New York. Two of Peter and Mary Jay’s children were blind and two had mental handicaps. Peter believed Rye would be a more suitable setting for his children. Johnʹs mother Mary taught him literature at home. When he was eight years old, he began studying with a Huguenot minister. At age 14, John entered King’s College, an Anglican school in New York City. It is now Columbia University. John graduated in 1764 and became a law clerk. At age 23, Jay became a lawyer.

John Jay, 1783

378 In April of 1774, John Jay married Sarah Van Brugh Livingston, daughter of New Jersey Governor .

John Jay and the American Revolution The same year that John married Sarah, he became a New York delegate in the First Continental Congress. The following year, he wrote the first draft of the New York constitution. During the American Revolution, he served as the first chief justice of the State of New York. He was also the president of the Second Continental Congress. Jay worked for the cause of American independence by serving as an ambassador to Spain, where he sought Spanish aid to help America defeat the British. At the end Sarah Livingston Jay of the war, he traveled to France where he, along with and John Adams, worked with the British to complete the . Notice his signature at left.

The Federalist Papers While the United States was under the Articles of Confederation, Jay served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Jay was one of many founding fathers who believed America needed a new constitution. However, Jay was not a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Many New Yorkers opposed the Constitution. As we have learned, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison wrote essays (called ) to encourage states to adopt it. Jay also wrote a pamphlet called “An Address to the People of New York.” In July 1788, New York finally became

Treaty of Paris signatures the 11th state to ratify the Constitution.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court When became the first president of the United States, he chose John Jay as the first chief justice of the Supreme Court. Jay filled the position from 1789 to 1795. While Jay was chief justice, President Washington sent him to Great Britain to negotiate a treaty to settle continuing differences between the two countries. The treaty he negotiated was controversial. It came to be known as the .

379 Governor of New York When John Jay came home from England, he learned that the State of New York had elected him as its governor. He served two terms and then retired from public life in 1801.

Retirement on the Family Farm For many years, Jay had looked forward to retiring to his homestead in Katonah, New York. He had inherited a farm that had belonged to his motherʹs father, . His grandfather had purchased the land in 1703 Chief Justice John Jay from Katonah, a native chief. by Gilbert Stuart Jay, his wife, Sarah, and the youngest three of their five children moved to Katonah in 1801. Each morning the family came together to worship God. Every evening at nine o’clock, Jay read his family a chapter from the Bible. Jay’s wife, Sarah, died a few months after they moved to Katonah. Jay never got over missing her. Their daughter Ann ran the family home and stayed there the rest of her father’s life. Jay’s other children left home for school and work. In 1812 Jay’s son William married and brought his wife to Katonah. They moved in with Jay and had five children. The other children stayed close to their father and visited often. Jay experienced more sorrow when one of his daughters died in her twenties. John Jay was active in the Episcopal Church. He was interested in agriculture, and the farm was profitable. He maintained his interest in American and New York government. Jay wrote to and received letters from his fellow founding fathers.

John Jay and Slavery John Jay Homestead, Katonah, New York John Jay’s father Peter was a slaveholder. However, John was a founding member of the New York Manumission Society. The society began in 1785 for the purpose of ending slavery. Jay served as its first president. Jay maintained a friendship with William Wilberforce, who was working to end slavery in Great Britain. Jayʹs son William was also an abolitionist, as was William’s son John Jay II. An abolitionist believed that slavery should be abolished.

380 Jay also purchased enslaved people himself. He explained that he gave them their freedom at a proper age after they had paid him back for the price he paid for them. He saw the people that he purchased as a type of indentured servant. In 1799, while serving as governor of New York, he signed a law for slavery to be abolished gradually. The law stated that any child born to enslaved parents after July 4, 1799, would become free after an apprenticeship. Males would continue in slavery until age 28; females would be enslaved until age 25. After that time, they would be free. Jay encouraged education for African Americans. He wrote to Dr. Benjamin Rush: “I consider knowledge to be the soul of a republic.” He told Rush that he wanted to see discrimination ended everywhere. by Patrick Henry Reason In 1787 Jay helped to found the African Free School. The school educated many African American students. Jay continued to support it financially. Patrick Henry Reason was a student of the school. He drew this picture of the African Free School when he was 13 years old. Reason became a well-known artist and engraver. He worked for Harper’s and other New York publishers.

John Jay and the American Bible Society Americans wanting to provide people with Bibles founded the American Bible Society (ABS) in New York in 1816. , who had served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and as director of the U.S. Mint, was the first ABS president. John Jay was its first vice president. Jay became president of the American Bible Society in 1821 after the death of Boudinot. Jay served until 1828. John Jay believed the ABS USS John Adams should distribute Bibles without note or comment. One of the first efforts of the American Bible Society was to distribute Bibles to the crew of an American ship, the USS John Adams. In 1818 the Society published the books of 1, 2, and 3 John with translations in English and the native Delaware language side by side. Five years later the American Bible Society sent a donation to British missionary William Carey to support his efforts to translate the Bible in India. The group printed and gave away Bibles in China. In addition, the Society helped the New England Institution for the Blind provide the first Bibles for people who were visually impaired.

381 John Jay was not the only government official to serve as president of the American Bible Society. Following Jay as president was , former mayor of New York City. Two other ABS presidents in the 1800s were former members of the U.S. Senate. They were Senator Theodore Frelinghuysen, who served as ABS president from 1845 until his death in 1862, and his nephew Senator Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen. John Jay remained a widower for 27 years until his death in 1829 at age 83. He died the same year that Andrew Jackson became president. John Jay was a man who wanted to share the Word of God:

For “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24-25

Activities for Lesson 49 We the People – Read “Letter to Papa” on page 57.

Timeline – In Timeline of America the Beautiful next to 1821, write: John Jay becomes president of the American Bible Society.

Student Workbook or Lesson Review – If you are using one of these optional books, complete the assignment for Lesson 49.

Thinking Biblically – In your notebook, copy 2 Timothy 2:15, which gives instructions about being a workman for God.

Creative Writing – In your notebook, write one paragraph about the good influence John Jay had on his country and the world during his lifetime and another paragraph about the kind of influence you want to have throughout your life.

Literature – Read chapters 16-17 of Brady.

Family Activity – Your family can be a part of sharing God’s Word with others. See the following page for a way to do this.

382 Unit 10 — Family Activity Sharing God’s Word

Supplies • clean, empty container with plastic lid (coffee can, large yogurt tub, etc.) This project uses • paper scissors. Make sure • scissors your child is safe!

Instructions For this activity, you get to follow the example of John Jay and help people have access to God’s Word. Carefully cut a slit large enough for coins in the lid of your container. Cut a piece of paper to make a label for the container. Write “Share God’s Word” on the label and a Bible verse of your choice. Suggested verses are Psalm 40:8, Psalm 119:105, and Isaiah 26:8. You may wish to add other decorations to the label. Tape the label on the outside of the container. Tell your family that this container is to collect change to help people have access to God’s Word. Invite everyone to participate. Leave the container in a prominent place in your house. When the container is full, dump out the change and count it. Ask a parent to help you send this as a donation to an organization that distributes Bibles. Among the many options are the American Bible Society, Love Packages, and Gideons International.

World War II sailor James Lee Frazer took time every day to read the Bible.

383 Portion of the Trail of Tears in Tennessee

Lesson 50 Daily Life The Trail of Tears

ne of the saddest events in American history is the Trail of Tears. Missionary doctor, Elizur Butler, Oestimated that over 4,000 Cherokee died when the U.S. government forced them to travel from their homes in North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). The Cherokee call this event Nunna-da-ul-tsun- yi, meaning “the place where they cried.” Though some settlers, such as William Penn and John Jay’s grandfather, purchased land directly from native people, others simply took it. Native people also sold their land through

Cól-lee, a Band Chief, treaties. Their first treaties were with representatives of European by George Catlin, 1834 countries that had colonies in America. During the presidencies of Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Jackson, and Van Buren, native people from several eastern nations, including the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole, signed several treaties with the U.S. government. In these treaties, they sold portions of their lands to the United States. However, the U.S. government did not keep all of its agreements with native nations. The situation for native people became worse in 1830 when Congress passed and President Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act.

Téh-ke-néh-kee, Black Coat, a Chief by George Catlin, 1834

384 The Indian Removal Act stated that native nations living in the East must move west of the Mississippi River, mainly to what would become Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. During the next 20 years, about 100,000 members of native nations moved west. Many people died along the way, including 3,500 members of the Creek Nation from Alabama. Before becoming president, Andrew Jackson had fought alongside native warriors in the . In 1813 he adopted Lyncoya, a two-year-old Creek boy. Lyncoya grew up at the Hermitage and received a good education. He died from tuberculosis at age 17. Despite Jackson’s close contact with native people, he believed that native and non-native people could not exist peacefully as neighbors. Jackson believed that separating the two peoples would be the best way for native people to survive. However, forcing them to move to the West was unjust. It caused horrible pain, suffering, and death. George Catlin painted the two Cherokee chiefs on page 384.

The State of Georgia and Cherokee Gold When Europeans first began to explore and later to move into Cherokee lands, the Cherokee traded with them. Cherokee and Europeans often married one another. More and more the Cherokee began to live like their neighbors. Some farmed plantations and some were slaveholders. After created their written language, the Cherokee practiced even more American customs. The Cherokee wrote their own constitution and set up a government at New Echota, Georgia. In 1829 the Georgia Journal newspaper in Milledgeville, Georgia, announced the discovery of gold. America’s first Exterior and interior of the gold rush began. Prospectors poured into Cherokee lands reconstructed Cherokee Supreme in Georgia. Some Georgians already wanted Cherokee land. Court building in New Echota Now they wanted it even more. The State of Georgia gave non- natives the right to mine gold on Cherokee land and forbade the Cherokee from mining it themselves. Georgia held lotteries to give away Cherokee land. Georgia limited the kinds of businesses that the Cherokee could run. The state made it illegal for Georgians to live with the Cherokee without a permit. Missionary Samuel Worcester did so anyway. Georgia arrested him and sentenced him to prison. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Georgia had acted illegally. Jackson refused to enforce what the Supreme Court decided. Samuel Worcester’s home in New Echota

385 The Cherokee people moved their capital to Red Clay, Tennessee. John Ross was the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. He and other leaders pondered what to do. Most Cherokee wanted to stay on their land, but a few believed that they must obey the Indian Removal Act. Representatives of the U.S. government met with about 400 Cherokee in the old capital of New Echota. Major Ridge and David Vann were two of the leaders of this group. About 20 Cherokee signed the Treaty of New Echota. The treaty gave the United States all of the Cherokee territory. Those representing the Chief John Ross and his log home U.S. government agreed to give the Cherokee $5 million, plus new land in Indian Territory. Over 15,000 Cherokee protested. They believed that the treaty was illegal. On May 23, 1836, the U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty of New Echota. It passed the Senate by just one vote.

Waiting in Stockades Major Ridge, David Vann, and Vann’s plantation home in north Georgia John Ross did not believe that the U.S. government would actually force them to move. However, President Martin Van Buren ordered the removal to begin in 1838. In May of that year, 7,000 soldiers began to force Cherokee into fenced areas called stockades. Though government officials told the soldiers to treat the Cherokee with kindness, the ordeal was a horrible experience. Family members got separated from one another. Soldiers pointed guns at sick and elderly people to make them leave their homes. The Cherokee had little time to gather their cherished belongings. A few Georgians rushed into Cherokee homes and carried off their possessions, while the soldiers were whisking the Cherokee away from their farms. Many faithful Cherokee sang hymns in the stockades while waiting for soldiers to lead them to Indian Territory. About 1,000 Cherokee from Tennessee and North Carolina escaped into the Great Smoky Mountains. Their descendants are now the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

386 Traveling the Trail of Tears Three groups of Cherokee left in the summer of 1838 from near Chattanooga, Tennessee. They traveled on boats, trains, and wagons. Fifteen thousand others waited to make the trip. They suffered in crowded conditions through a summerdrought . They asked permission to wait until fall to travel, saying they would go willingly. Officials gave them permission to wait. Many died while they waited. In the fall of 1838, 13 groups of about 1,000 each began the 800-mile trek to Indian Territory. The travelers had little food. Their clothing was not warm enough. Many died along

Portion of the trail in Arkansas the way. See the routes the Cherokee followed on the Trail of Tears. Trail of Tears

r h ive ater oute O io R

an outes

MU U

Cherokee campsite in ahleuah

r

e

v

i

R

rka i A ns p a s p R i ive s hattanooa r is T s e s nness i ee R M iv ew chota er M M

By March 1839, the last of the travelers reached Indian Territory. A survivor of the Trail of Tears told how the people felt about leaving their homes. He said that women, children, Trail of Tears Monument in New Echota, Georgia and men cried. He said the men said nothing, but just put their heads down and kept going. Another survivor told of people getting sick along the way. Elizur Butler, a missionary doctor among the Cherokee, traveled with them. Cherokee in Indian Territory In August 1839, the Cherokee again elected John Ross as their principal chief. He served at their new capital of Tahlequah. The Cherokee established a new government, a new constitution, and schools where they learned in both

Eternal Flame of the Cherokee Nation Cherokee and English. Sequoyah lived for a time among them. in Red Clay State Park, Tennessee

387 FAST FORWARD to the Present

The Cherokee people today are organized into three nations. The capitals of the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians are in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Visitors can learn about Cherokee history at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah. Swimmer School, pictured at left, is on its grounds.

The capital of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is in Cherokee, North Carolina. Each summer the play “Unto These Hills” tells their history at the time Cherokee Heritage Center of the Trail of Tears. Visitors can learn about their in Tahlequah, Oklahoma history at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Cherokee, North Carolina

Greed causes people to think more highly of things than of people. Greed played a major role in the horrible Trail of Tears. Jesus taught against greed when He said:

Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance

does his life consist of his possessions. According to tradition, Cherokee Luke 12:15 women either made this quilt from clothing worn on the Trail of Tears, or they made it while traveling. Activities for Lesson 50 We the People – Read “A Soldier Remembers the Trail of Tears” on pages 58-59.

Timeline – In Timeline of America the Beautiful next to 1838, write: The Trail of Tears begins.

Student Workbook or Lesson Review – If you are using one of these optional books, complete the assignment for Lesson 50 and take the test for Unit 10.

Vocabulary – Look up each of these words in a dictionary: prospector, stockade, cherish, drought, greed. Write each word and its definition in your notebook.

Thinking Biblically – In your notebook, copy Mark 12:29-31, in which Jesus teaches about how we conduct ourselves toward God and other people.

Literature – Read chapter 18 in Brady. If you are using the Student Workbook or the Lesson Review, answer the questions on Brady.

388