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The American Nations, Vol. I. by C The Project Gutenberg EBook of The American Nations, Vol. I. by C. S. Rafinesque This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license Title: The American Nations, Vol. I. Author: C. S. Rafinesque Release Date: October 14, 2010 [Ebook 34070] Language: English ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMERICAN NATIONS, VOL. I.*** The American Nations; Or, Outlines of A National History; Of The Ancient and Modern Nations Of North and South America By Prof. C. S. Rafinesque. Volume I. Philadelphia Published by C. S. Rafinesque, No. 110 North Tenth Street. 1836 Contents Prospectus. .2 Dedication. .3 Preface. .5 Chapter I. 13 Chapter II. 28 Chapter III. 56 Chapter IV. 73 Chapter V. 87 Chapter VI. 115 Chapter VII. 153 Footnotes . 193 [i] Prospectus. Published quarterly at Five Dollars in advance for Six Numbers or Volumes, similar to this, of nearly 300 pages—each separate Number sold for one Dollar, or more when they will contain maps and illustrations. A list of Agents will be given hereafter. At present the principal Booksellers may act as such. The Names of the Subscribers will be printed in a subsequent Number. It is contemplated to conclude these annals and their illustrations in 12 Numbers or Volumes. Therefore the whole cost to subscribers will only be $10, for which a complete American Historical Library will be obtained. By remitting $5 to the author, six Volumes are secured whatever be their future price, and will be sent by mail: a similar sum will be due when the 7th number is issued. Those who may prefer to pay $10 at once, will be deemed Patrons of the work. Whoever subscribes and pays for 5 sets, is entitled to a 6th gratis. Agents will be allowed 20 per cent commission. The price of this Number by itself is One Dollar, or Five Dollars for Six copies. It contains an introduction, general view, account of materials and cataclysms, the Linapi and Haytian annals, with the Haytian Language, notes, tables, &c. [001] Dedication. To The Society Of Geography Of Paris. GENTLEMEN:— To you I dedicate this work, result of long and weary researches. This homage is due to the public approbation you gave to my first analogous labor, my Memoirs or Series of Researches on the Origin of Mankind: which I endeavored to trace philologically to the centre of Asia. I had announced long ago this history of the Americans, the inhabitants of a whole hemisphere. I had quoted it in my other works. I now offer the outlines of it under your auspices. You have furnished the example of cultivating along with Geography, all the auxiliary and connected sciences, which may enlighten it: particularly the ancient and modern Ethnography, with Philology one of its bases. You will see that I have followed this practice in availing myself of all the sciences to enlighten the history of mankind, the Ethnography and annals of nations: above all Philology with Chronology and Geography. The origins and annals of the black nations, and of the American nations, were two subjects quite obscure and neglected, or the least known, of the history of mankind. Nobody has undertaken, as yet, the history of the Negro nations: a labor so difficult and luckless as to be despised. My memoirs on this despised race, may perhaps furnish the bases of such history. All the histories of America are mere fragments or dreams. I have perceived the possibility and necessity to write a general and faithful history of this hemisphere. I now offer the results of this weary labor. [002] 4 The American Nations, Vol. I. You will perceive in it many things which have already been said; since it is impossible to write history without repetitions; but my plan, the whole point of view, and the results which I draw, are my own. You will also find many things which were never told or were very improperly presented. I shall destroy many errors, hypotheses and conjectures: since in them alone often consist our works upon America. But I shall not say every thing; where so much is to be related, all cannot be told: and I shall be compelled to neglect several minute details. I wish to trace faithful outlines, rather than write a bulky work, like our pretending universal histories, which however, dwell only upon one-third of the globe or even less. I dislike long quotations, and shall seldom employ them: I quote only when authorities are required to render an opinion more forcible. Every where else I merely give the abridgement of my great historical materials in manuscript, which are arranged by extracts of authorities, and where they may be sought for in case of need. Accept, Gentlemen, the respectful homage of The Author. PHILADELPHIA, October 22d, 1833. [003] Preface. In venturing to open a new path in historical researches on the earth and mankind, it is incumbent on the bold pioneer to state his views, or at least to furnish adequate reasons for deviating so far from the usual track. While every science and branch of knowledge is improving, and has, with rapid strides, made continual advances for fifty years past or more, is the noble muse of history to be kept stationary forever, by compilers and classical plodders? and for America by the foes of the ancient and modern nations of a whole hemisphere? No ... it is time to improve history as every thing else; to seek the truth and tell it. As the human mind is yet more swayed by authorities, than genius or wisdom; high authorities will be given instead of long explanations. Ever since the time of Juvenal, it has been an ungrateful task to write historical truth: men often prefer to be amused, deceived, or helped in strife; than to be instructed, or receive sketches of former times. Yet there is always a secret delight in viewing faithful pictures of ages past, of our ancestors on earth, and our predecessors on the soil of our homes, or where we spend the scenes of our own lives. The worthies who have been taken for models or guides in this arduous undertaking, are Solomon, Moses, Job, St. Paul, St. Augustine, Plato, Niebuhr, Humboldt, Malcolm, Gebelin, [004] D'Olivet, Bryant, Adelung, Drummond, Pritchard, Champollion, Klaproth, Jones, Wilford, Akbar, Price, Bailly, Russell, Beattie, Herder, Carli, Barton &c. They shall speak for themselves, in quotations of their own words, instead of elaborate reflexions. From God comes wisdom, knowledge and understanding—SOLOMON Prov. 2. v. 6. Those who 6 The American Nations, Vol. I. will seek early wisdom will find her—SOL. Pr. 8. v. 17. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not—SOL. Pr. 8. v. 33. ZE this is. SFR book. THU symbol. LDTH progeny. ADM mankind. BIUM in manifestation. BRA in realization. ALEIM angels. ADM mankind. BDMUTH in identic passage. ALEIM angels. OSHE worked. ATHU such symbol.—MOSES. Genesis ch, 5. v. 1. Genuine mosaic words, and genuine translation word for word. When I laid the foundations of the earth ... the morning stars sung together, and the sons of God shouted for joy.—SPEECH OF GOD HIMSELF IN JOB ch. 38., Vulgar translation: the original is still more striking. The Hebrew philosophy divided the world in two hemispheres, the upper was SHMIM or Shamaim, the Heavens—the lower was SHEOL; but SHEOL-TAHTITH or inferior, was the place of bad souls and Rephaim. (The true SHEOL was America, or the southern [005] hemisphere). The Jesuit Sanetius thought that Job had spoken of America.—PETERS, Dissertation on Job. It is very possible for modern learning to understand better the books of Moses, Orpheus, and those of all ancient nations, than the Egyptian, Greek and Roman commentators: because the intellectual knowledge of languages is improving; and those ancient writers have, by their genius, approximated to us, while removed from the blindness of their ages.—GEBELIN, Primitive World. The letter kills, but the spirit gives life.—ST.PAUL Corinth. II. ch. 3. v. 6. We use great plainness of speech, and not as MOSES who put a veil before his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished.—Cor. II. 3. v. 12, 13.—and even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart, nevertheless when it shall please the Lord, this veil shall be taken away.—Cor. II. 3. v. 15, 16. To have a right apprehension of words or names, is a good step to the knowledge of things.—PLATO in Cratylo. Preface. 7 The confusion of words is the cause of all disputes and sects.—D'ISRAELI. The obscure ages demand bold hypotheses or total neglect, contradictions are inseparable from days of tradition.—There exist no instance of a people really savage having spontaneously advanced to civilization. Savage men are degenerated or [006] imperfect creatures.... Words and even few are the rules of analogies in nations.—NIEBUHR, Roman History, Vol. I. It is manifest that there are noble resources (for history) still remaining, if we will but apply ourselves to diligent enquiry. There are in every climate some scattered fragments of original history, some traces of a primitive and universal language. Even America would contribute to this purpose, the more rude the monuments, the more ancient they may possibly prove, and afford greater light on enquiry.
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